What a difference a year makes!

I'm so proud of my husband and how hard he works. A year ago today (Nov. 5th 2008) he was laid off from his job of 4 years. These pictures were taken the morning of the day he was laid off. We both knew that this was probably going to be his last day going into the office so that's why I took these. Sure enough around 9:30 that morning he called me and told me that three people ahead of him went into their scheduled meetings and came out laid off......and he was next....GULP. So I got off the phone and prayed. I called a good friend of mine and she was praying too. Then about 15 minutes later (layoff meetings are short and not so sweet) Mark called me back to confirm that he too was laid off and that there were a handful of others waiting to go into their 15 minute meeting. They gave him a box and told him to pack up and to say his goodbyes. Lulu and I jumped in our car to go pick him up. We were a one car family a year ago. Mark was the driver of a van pool and had to leave it at the office for the other 10 people in the van. That's why we went to get him.....they did offer him a taxi ride....can you imagine that? How sad of a ride home that would be. When we got to his office Lulu and I waited out front. I kept seeing all these employees coming out the front with their box of stuff and a blank look on their face. The company that Mark worked for was one of the largest companies in our area, many people were getting laid off. Then out the front door came a gal that Mark worked with. Her and I had become friends and Lulu and her son were just a month apart. She came out with tears running down her cheeks. My heart broke for her. Then about 10min later here comes Mark with the biggest smile on his face and not just one box but about 5 or 6 boxes on a cart (his desk was full of pictures of his family and Volkswagen toy cars). He was glowing with JOY! I couldn't help but smile and laugh at the sight of my husband so happy at this really hard time. But you know what? He was joyful in his trail set before him because he knew God was in control and that we were not to worry. And that is why I'm so proud of him.
"Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

A year later Mark has an amazing job that was truly given to him from God. He was unemployed for almost 8 months. During those 8 months God stretched us in ways that we never thought we would be stretched. This past year has been hard in many ways but we have grown so much closer to our Lord and Savior and Treasure. We chose to move out of our house and rent it out but we are going to be moving back in January and putting our trust in God even more then we ever have. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us because we know He's not finished with us yet......Praise God for that!!

Mark, thank you for showing me how to have Joy in our trials and for leading our family by going to God's Word. I love you and I'm so proud of you!! Love Kimmy