In case you were wondering...

Those of you close to us know what kind of summer we have had.  It has been a summer full of ups and downs, twists and turns, highs and lows.  Our patience and our faith have been tested time and time again.  Thank goodness things are finally looking up!

These last two years have been a whirlwind.  The only upside to the closing of LU and Don's job ending was the opportunity for him to go back to school and become a certified teacher.  We were excited and grateful that he was able to complete the necessary coursework in such a short time, but finding a teaching job was becoming harder and more frustrating by the minute.  We had prepared ourselves for the possibility of having to move.  We had already started looking at smaller, more fuel efficient cars in case he had to make a long commute to work.  He filled out countless applications, emailed his resume to everyone on the planet, and interviewed for several different jobs (all while going to school and working part-time).  We would find ourselves staring at the phone waiting for good news only to find out by mutual friends or the news that someone else had been hired.  Talk about rough.

Weeks flew by and June 30th came.  Lambuth officially closed and our time was running out. We knew that the prime hiring time for new teachers would probably be mid to late July.  The weeks of missed paychecks (once again) and the emotional toll it was all taking became almost too much at times. 


Then one day about three weeks ago, Don got a phone call.  A local high school right down the street from our house just happened to have a PE and football position open.  He met with the head coach on that Wednesday, interviewed with the Principals on Friday and started football practice that next Monday.  Meanwhile, we had already started packing and planning for our MUCH anticipated beach trip that next week and were very disappointed when it looked like we were no longer going to be able to go.  After stewing all weekend long, Don insisted Ellie and I still go, but I was torn.  I hated to go without him but I hated to back out on our friends, too! Obviously, a new job was more important than going to the beach.  In the end, we did end up going and Don stayed home to work.  (He obviously earned BIG brownie points for that one!)

We have been very cautious and hesitant to share this news or get too excited before everything was finalized.  We were scarred from previous opportunities and decided to try and keep it to ourselves as long as we could.  We still don't feel like it's real.  I asked Don if he felt relieved yet, and sadly neither of us do.  It's hard to get excited when you have been told and promised so many things for so long...to later learn that they would not pan out.  As of 12:12 today, we got the official thumbs up from the principal that everything is 100% official!  I think I might either cry or pass out.  I really cannot believe it.

So in a nutshell....

• We don't have to move.
• There will be no commute...at all!
• He will teaching PE AND coaching football!

How could this be so perfect?  All I can say is God is SO good!  Lots of prayer and lots of support from family is what got us through this.  Somehow everything always just seems to work out.  We may never understand it, and we will certainly never deserve it, but we are blessed beyond measure that is for sure.

We are overwhelmed and grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers from so many that are always checking in and asking about us.  We are ready to finally move on with our lives and talk about something else. HALLELUJAH!!!!!

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts as we adjust to our new life.  Thankfully, high school football is NOTHING compared to college.  I am looking forward to having semi-free weekends with my family this fall.  Yippee!!

I think these smiles say it all!!!

Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, He remains faithful to us and will help us, for he cannot disown us who are part of Himself, and He will always carry out His promises to us.  
II Timothy 2:13