Well, it may be only a one-month contract to start – but it is so nice to be working in-house for a large company again. After a close-to 10 month hiatus working at home, and working via the Internet for small companies with only my family and cat as daily consultants, albeit, with the fantastic input of people via techwr-l, I’m back in an office environment working with people who WANT my help.

I’m doing process mapping for an HR group, taking so-called “tribal knowledge” and getting it into flow-charts, processes and repeatable procedures. I haven’t had this much fun at work in I don’t know how long. I thank God for providing this work for us right now.

Not only is it meeting our financial needs, but it is helping me to learn a lot about things that impact the workplace in the US that I was totally unaware of. After 25 years living and working overseas (I thought for the rest of my life), there is so much I have not known.

I’m learning about FMLA, ADA, short-term disability, long-term disability, business decisions benefits, and (GAG) the inefficieny and paper-work generated by government involvement, making what SHOULD be a very simple process into a terribly complicated one.

So why is it fun? Yesterday, I sat down with my upline and showed her the flow-charts that will be the foundation of their internal process. She was stunned. Even though there were a lot of charts for all aspects of the process, what she was amazed at was “how quickly” I’d been able to take a hereto complex process and help them put it together in a fairly simple and clear way… and uncovered some gaps in their process that they knew were there but weren’t quite sure how to approach.

The best part, this is a company that genuinely wants to help their employees. They are excited about me putting together a simplified document for their 3000 employees that will help them work through the process in a positive way as well. They even have a big bucket of free high-quality vitamins they provide their employees daily, bottled water, coffee, tea, hot chocolate… a really nice atmosphere to work in. Despite cubicle spaces, the buildings have a lot of windows NOT taken up by offices, so you can even see trees outside and get plenty of light… ergonomic and comfortable chairs…

Now that they see what is going on in reality, they are excited about potential improvements toward simplification. These are jobs that make it all worth while…

For now, it is only a temporary position, but my foot is in the door, and I’m gaining valuable experience that can help me move forward in this neck of the woods.

I am so thankful! Thank you Lord!

God is so very good. Thank you for your prayers. I just received a phone call: I have the contract job. Formally, it will be for one month, starting on Aug. 20 or 21 (like the day after Rich and I return from our time out West with Layla and Jon)… but unofficially, the work needed will take longer. The person who interviewed me also said, “If you do well and people like what you do, we like to hire good people…”

The interview was amazing. I was brought into a lovely room, completely set up with my file open, in front of the lady interviewing me. I saw that my resume was in the folder with a lot of items noted, underlined, and high lighted. She looked at and then looked at me, and said, “Well, you must be very proud of yourself.”

I was surprised by the statement and how she said it, it was like a challenged. Without even thinking, I smiled, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “No, I’m thankful. I’ve had so many opportunities, learned so much, and all I can say is I’m thankful, very very thankful.”

She fell back in her chair and had a surprised look on her face. “Well, that certainly is a different take on things.”

So we talked, she told me more about the company and the project, and even how I would handle things, and what equipment/software I would need. The clincher was the portfolio that I had brought with me. She looked through it all, and spoke about how what I had done for others was what her department needed.

When I left, I was so excited and encouraged, especially since she had promised I would hear the next day. And in deed, just an hour ago, I received the call. I will be meeting with the agency on Monday or Tuesday to finalize the paperwork.

There is more to pray for. The work will be with a huge international company, and apparently, from all I’ve heard, getting in with them is often a first step towards being hired, and they keep people until they retire. In addition, this is one of the few companies untouched by recession. So I am praying that the Lord in His goodness would cause this work to transition to full-time permanent.

In the meanwhile, please keep me in prayer. I have been asked to continue with the Internet-based contract work, which is 20 hours a week. I hope to do this evenings and weekends, since for now, officially, the new work is only for one month.  I will need HIS strength to be able to do it all… but Rich and I see this as HIS good provision.

O Thank YOU Jesus! May the Lord get all the glory!

Just a quick update. The interview went quite well and I am very hopeful. They have promised to let me know by tomorrow. A very good company, and on the surface things seemed quite positive. I’ll let you all know what happened as soon as I hear!

OK, I know that is a weird title, but there you are. We just got back from meeting with the lawyer. Basically , he feels that from what he can “see” with his eyes, we do not have a good enough case for Rich to get disability. However, he thinks we MAY be able to build a case based on all kinds of things we were not aware of. First step, I have to write a detailed letter outlining the entire case: He said, you are a technical writer, now here is your test – you need to not just convince me, but the administration.

The next disconcerting thing we learned was that it will be at least 2 years before our case is heard by Social Security (if the government as we know it is even intact by then – but that is another story). So, for those of you who want to know why, here is what we learned. For several years now, there have only been 6 judges in the Grand Rapids area hearing Social Security cases. IF they worked up to speed, with 6 cases a day (per judge) every day, 52 weeks a year, they could only hear 9360 cases a year. Currently, there are some 12,000 cases for disability outstanding. The numbers are increasing as the unemployment rate goes up. Apparently people who could have been employed in some type of manual labor related to the car industry are also applying for disability, as their only hope for income.

The lawyer said that at the soonest, our case MAY be heard in August of 2010, possibly later. On the bright side, his cost is reasonable, it turns out he is a Greek Orthodox (think the father in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) and loves the Bible and our Lord – and is passionate about pointing people to the Word of God. He is also passionate about Greece and church history, and was intrigued to learn about me as a Jewish Believer.

In so many ways, Rich and I were encouraged, as much as discouraged. No he will not get on disability any time soon, if ever. But now that we have an answer in terms we can understand, and a lawyer willing to fight for us anyway (many lawyers would have turned down the case since payment is only IF he wins), we move on, looking to the Lord to see what GOOD surprise He has for us.

And in the end, whether our supply comes from social security, an unexpected gift, employment, or a package on our doorstep – it is all from our Father in heaven who is guiding things to His glory and our best good.

Doesn’t mean Rich and I won’t have our up and down days; doesn’t mean we won’t feel discouraged, does mean despite our circumstances, and what we see or feel, God is still in control.

Amen!

I don’t always use this venue for sharing our prayer requests, but I want people to share what is going on for one main reason, that the Lord be glorified when I am able to share the wonderful way He answered our prayers. I remember a song by Andre Crouch, Through it All. There are a few lines that have been running through my mind lately…

I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know that God could solve them,
I wouldn’t know what faith in God could do.

Being “hope challenged”, so to speak means that there are problems. I have realized over and over that Jesus never promised me no problems, but that He is with me through them.

Life is always filled with surprises, some good, some not so good. And the not so good takes us by surprise. I know that many of the things that have happened have taken me by surprise. My husband’s illness, the inability to find a decent full time job, and now property taxes, need for yet another “new” car (the cheapest good condition old one we can find), dwindling savings, and the decision to try to sell my apartment in Israel.

So here are my prayer requests, and I will keep you posted with updates as they are answered:

1. That the Lord will provide us with a good second hand van to replace the one that is on its last legs; needed to help our daughter get to work, and to hold the whole family when we drive together
2. An agency contact me about a job possibility in our area. It is a contract job, one month minimum, but with a good reputation, and could get my foot in the door. I truly need the Lord to undertake for me, as there will be dozens of applicants
3. For Rich to be granted disability; we are currently in the appeal process. We have been told that without a lawyer, there is no chance of his being granted disability. We are meeting with a lawyer today
4. For Rich’s medical tests. He had a stress test, and (go figure), despite chest and jaw pain during the test, and his inability to remember my name for a short time after the test, the results came back saying he is fine! Our family doctor was not happy about this and is in contact with the cardiologist; we hope to get an update with more positive information next week
5. For the medical bills incurred by the stress test. We went into the stress test thinking, well, it is costly, but we can make payments; we received a bill for close to $1000 higher than originally quoted to us – and that without the doctor’s bill for reading the test (badly, see #4 above)
6. For the appeal process regarding our mortgage. We contacted the mortgage company to see if we can qualify for the recalculation of our mortgage to a more reasonable interest rate (from 10.6% to anything less), and they said we pre-qualify. We have submitted the papers, and were advised we will get an answer in 30-60 days

NOW FOR THE PRAISE

1. A wonderful Lord and Savior who is not a figment of my imagination but the Creator of the Universe – who better to have as the one who has cared for us, is caring for us, and always will care for us?
2. For a wonderful husband who loves me very much
3. A wonderful visit with my friend Lisa – a time of refreshing and encouragement
4. For the wonderful work of grace and growth I am seeing in my step-daughters
5. For the ducks in our back yard
6. For sunflowers in our neighbor’s yard (and now in a big vase in front of our fireplace)
7. For precious friends and brothers and sisters in our Lord
8. For pansies smiling in the chilly morning air by our door step
9. For grumpy cats and barking dogs
10. For food to eat, clothes to wear, and air to breathe