And yet another new chapter

Back in November I lost my job.

I was devastated.

Recently, I applied & interviewed with a different county.

While waiting, I asked God for direction. If He wanted me to continue to pursue dispatching, then I wanted a clear sign. If it was time to move on, then I needed a clear sign.

This week I got my sign.

I looks like it's time to move on.

And I'm ok with that. I actually have a peace.

Will I miss the chaos & adrenaline of dispatching? YES!
Will I miss the camaraderie with my fellow dispatchers? YES!
Will I miss having to work weekends, nights, holidays? Eh - it's part of the job. I knew it going in, but I know that my family will be much happier.

That brings me to a crossroads. What do I do with my life now?

I honestly thought that I was going to 'retire' from dispatching. That was a final career. Maybe one day I will. But right now, where I am, that's not in my immediate future.

I had a moment of "I'm a failure"... but then I realized that I asked God for clarity and He gave me what I asked for.

Today, during worship, I gave it all over to Him. Fully laid it at His feet. I know He has great plans for me. I've been in a state of "Be Still". Now its time for action. I have options.

Do I become a substitute teacher for my local school district? Should I study to be a dental tech? What about working from home doing data entry/book keeping?

Over the next few days I'll be marinating on those options to making a choice. Whatever my choice is, I know that God had a hand in it and is leading me.

I haven't felt this free in a LONG time. It feels good.

Many blessings,

Giveaway time!!!

I'm curious to see who actually reads my blog. So I decided to have a giveaway.

What's on the line?

Your very own copy of the recently released "Pulling Back the Shades" by Dr Juli Slattery & Dannah Gresh.

What the what? 

With the ongoing hype going on about 50 Shades of Gray, Dr. Slattery & Dannah Gresh teamed up to reveal why erotica is so appealing to women. Even to Christian women. This book gives insight to the phenomenon of the book series & movie.

What do you have to do to be entered? Simple really. Just leave a comment below. That's it. You can say hi, introduce yourself. Write a paragraph or just a simple sentence.

I will leave the contest up for 1 week. A winner will be chosen at random. The winner will have their choice of a e-book OR a hard copy of the book.

For more information about the book, visit Pulling Back the Shades.

Pardon the interruption

Have no fear. I'll get back to Allie's Rules shortly. I just needed to get a few things off of my chest.

For quite a while now, I have felt disconnected from people. I know its because I haven't done much of anything to cultivate or nurture friendships/relationships that God has placed in my life. I've been trying to be more mindful of it. Actually make an effort to seek people out. Get together. Meet for coffee/breakfast/lunch. It's a bit of a stretch for me. It's not that I don't like having friends. It's just very difficult to put myself out there. Regardless of whether we already have an established friendship of some sort. It's a fear of rejection. That eventually the person will realize how crazy I am and just want to walk away.

So, to push my limits I joined a women's study of the book of James. This way, I get out of the house, meet with other ladies AND study the Bible. I'm actually looking forward to it. Of course, it starts in 2 days. We'll see how I am when Wednesday actually gets here.

The Mayor & I joined a couple's small group. This is the 1st time in MANY years that we have simply been in a small group. It's an interesting group. We've only met a handful of times, so we're just getting to know one another. Yet I feel hopeful. I feel hopeful that we may have found people to go through life with. One of the most difficult things about losing my father was not having a support system ready & waiting.

I'm still unemployed. I'm ok with it though. I've gotten used to being a stay-at-home mom. There are days where I'm going crazy staring at my 4 walls. Then there are the days where I don't want to go back to work. At least not back to a rigid schedule. Ultimately, I want to go back to work. I'd love to get back to dispatching. God is in control.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying the time I do have with my family; cooking for them, being home when the kids get home from school. It was a blessing to be home with the family during the holidays.

I'm looking forward to what God has planned. 2014 was a crazy year. 2015 seems to be better.

Many blessings,