The Old Bait & Switch

Hi, have you ever gone on a job interview only to find out that the job you were interviewing for wasn't the one that you applied for? Yup, it just happened to me. Here I was excited with the opportunity of finally working when I got the rug literally pulled out in front of me. I appreciated the interest, but I hadn't really applied for that type of position. It wasn't something I was comfortable with doing again.

Frankly I have to admit that I was expecting something else. I did resign myself to taking the position for a couple of seconds. Yes, it was tempting to just keep my mouth shut and accept it. Something nagged at me. I knew that if I succumbed to the pressure and accepted it, I wouldn't be happy. You might be saying right now..."Oh, take the "damn" job already!" I couldn't and be honest with them and myself.

It did get me thinking that if they could do that from the very beginning, then there is no telling what they might do once I've settled into the position. I'm looking for stability. I'm looking for a position where I feel I can make a difference. I don't like the feeling of being "toyed with" and put in a compromising position. I felt that I had to be honest.

No one likes the old bait and switch tactics when they want to buy something. It's not good for business and it's not good for life. I do have another interview, not with the same company, tomorrow. I'm hoping for better results.

Rays of Hope-Light at the End of the Tunnel

I'm feeling a lot better about myself this week. Things are starting to turn around for me on the job front. I'm feeling hopeful and needed. It's a good feeling...one that I hadn't felt for a little while. I don't want to jinx it though. Something can always happen.

Lord knows my needs. He grants my desires. I don't want to go back to the way I was before my eyes were opened to the world around me. I know that I was selfish and self serving in many ways. I am learning that I need to open up and reach out to others. Keeping stuff bottled up inside isn't good.

I do see some light at the end of this tunnel. I am praying that I do get the position with this company. They seem really friendly and willing to go out on a limb for someone like me. I would owe them some loyalty for their efforts.

Lord knows I need some good news. He is providing for my needs and for my family's needs. Thank you, Lord. I know that I don't deserve your love, yet you give it to me freely. Help me to be the person you want me to be.

Wanting To Strangle Someone

Hi, before you get into a tizzy about this title...I caught your attention, didn't I? It has been a very tough week for me. It doesn't help when someone thinking they are doing this huge favor actually makes things worse. I know she had the best of intentions with her monetary gift but it has caused major issues in my family.

I'm about ready to strangle someone for putting this much pressure on me. She just doesn't realize the harm that she's causing with her insinuations that I'm not pushing enough to find employment. It's bad enough when someone I live with every day accuses me of not doing enough, but it really hurts when someone who really doesn't understand the situation puts their "two cents" in. The person I'm living with will never understand the pressure and is always complaining about her circumstances.

Do you really think that I'm just sitting here doing nothing?.....Ugh! I talk to others outside the family and they seem to get it. It's amazing when I get the opportunity to vent about my current circumstances how much better I feel. Yet then I realize that I shouldn't be airing my dirty laundry to strangers. Oh well....sometimes you just have to let go.

I'm thankful for the ability to talk to Jesus and air out what's bothering me. I'm grateful for his guidance in my life even when I start to feel like I want to strangle someone. I realize that in my own power and strength that I would not be able to extinguish this feeling. Jesus does give me the ability to control the anger and frustration I'm feeling now at those who are now irritating me. I can love them through him. Without him, there is no love.

Waitng for a Miracle and Hoping for the Best

I know that it's been a few weeks since I last posted on this blog. A lot has happened since then. Justifying my new employment as a freelance writer isn't easy. It is however a lot easier than saying I'm unemployed and unemployable. Yet for all intents and purposes I am. There I said it.

I am waiting for a miracle and hoping for the best. It hasn't been easy to say that I really can't do this or that because there is just no money. I do have to justify any expenses I incur now because I'm on the government's dole. It does hurt to admit this. It's no fun to pretend that I'm doing fine when I feel torn up inside because of my inability and unwillingness to expose myself online.

I can let the anger and frustration of my current circumstances overwhelm me. I can give in to the despair and bitterness that surrounds me on a daily basis, but I won't.  I dont want to be remembered (if at all) as a bitter old woman who complains about everything. I want to be remembered as someone who cared enough for others to make the world a better place. I want to show future generations that there is good in everyone and miracles do happen.

I do hope for the best as I press forward. Sometimes it does get tiring, but I have to stop and look around. I have to get my head out of the "sand" of my circumstances, reach out to others and provide them with a helping hand. I can't be a "give me" kind of person. I know that I do have a tendency of focusing on my selfish goals without considering others. What kind of miracle is that if I get what I want when there are so many others that are struggling just to stay alive one more day?

I do have to start focusing on the needs of others around me. I got to stop thinking of myself and my needs. I have to start depending on God for them and acknowledging that he knows what's best for me. It is hard. I admit that sometimes I just want to scream at the injustice. I also admit there are times that I'm just not very loving to my parents and those close to me. They just don't seem to understand the struggle I'm having and they selfishly think that I can just take anything without any consequences....sigh. If I could click my heels and wishes would be granted, I would:

1) wish for a nice retirement community home for my parents to live in.

2) wish for a husband to take care of me (maybe)

3) wish for money enough to support a learning center to help young people find work and learn about their heritage

I know that I'm being selfish but I don't wish for a job. I wish for revenue streams and a career where I can make a difference in someone's life. I just know I wouldn't want to go into the medical field...too cold and impersonal for me.

Trying to Remain Positive in the Midst of A Storm

Yes, I admit that I haven't done nearly enough to push myself out of this financial mess I'm in. Yes, I admit there is a great fear that time is running out to do something productive and move forward on my dreams. No, I will not give in to despair. No, I will not wallow in self-pity and doubt my abilities to move forward.

I am trying to remain positive about my situation. I know that there are others that are far worse off than I am. I know I can't give in to fear or succumb to the irrational sense that things are falling apart around me. It is difficult to remain calm when my bank account is so low. I don't know what to do. Yet I do know that God has a plan for me. I know that he won't leave me alone and without hope.

I have to believe that there is hope for me and for my country. I need to believe that God is merciful and just. I know that God's wrath is real and will remember to follow his will. I do fear for those who believe wrongly that there is no hell and no consequences for their actions. I have to believe that those who willfully push their evil ways on those who are vulnerable will see that wrath poured down on their heads. I need to believe that those who are laughing as they desecrate the land and the people will get their "just desserts." I know that God won't tolerate those who blatantly mock God and his word for long. Their day is coming. Judgment will be swift and unending for those who continue to mock God, dismiss his servants and break his laws.

I do feel this in my bones. Our young people are being brainwashed to believe that everything is supposed to be handed to them on a platter. None realize that it takes a lot of hard work and determination to make a success.

Somedays I do feel like I'm spinning my wheels trying to find some work that I can do. I try to remain positive in this storm, but I need help.

Crisis Mode: Will My Friend Lose Her Home?

The July 4th weekend and the weekend following the celebration was a time to reflect and be thankful for what I still have. It is hard to hear though that some are not as secure. My friend is going through a particularly rough time now. School and municipal taxes are due and she doesn't know how she will get the money to pay them.

There is a very real possibility she could lose the house she grew up in. Tax liens, as I have been reading on the Internet, are serious. The municipality could decide to put the house up in a tax sale to get tax money. I think about that for my own sake as well. Our household is in a financial crisis too. I do worry about local and school taxes.

It is a pickle. I'm not sure what to tell her or where she can turn for help to keep her home. I have to believe that there is something that can be done. My greatest fear is homelessness. I see the homeless people on the street in Philadelphia and thank God that I'm not there yet.

I have to admit that it frightens me. I am like my friend in some ways. I don't have anyone I can turn to in case this scenerio plays out for me. I have to trust that God has a plan for me. I have to believe that he won't leave me and my friend alone. I have to learn the lessons now that God is teaching me and lean on him.

The violence of the past week has shaken me too. I can't image what is going through the minds of those involved. It just seemed that there is so much hate but not enough love.

I have to pray that her financial mess will be resolved, that she'll get the money she needs to pay taxes and be able to stay in her home. I pray this for myself as well. I have to trust that all things will work out for the good. Otherwise I might as well give up now.

In Crisis Mode But Thankful for Support

It may seem a bit strange to be saying this, yet I feel I must. I am grateful even now in the midst of this crisis. I know I am in God's hands. I know that he has a plan for me. I can be thankful for the support I've received. I can lift my hands up and praise the One who created me.

Yes, my financial "well" is running dry. Yes, it does seem like the evil forces have ruled the day. Yes, there are still some hard times ahead for me and for any who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, it is hard to face the ones I love from day to day with the news that nothing has changed. My financial situation is still dire...yet the Lord still provides for my every need.

I have to admit that I am frustrated by the doors that are being slammed in my face. No one wants to admit that the world is in crisis mode. They are like a member of my family (I won't expose him/her here) that only chooses to believe God's goodness, but not his wrath. It is foolish thinking.

Not everyone will go to heaven....and yes, there is a heaven. God's wrath will fall and is falling on those who willfully ignore his teachings and go their own way. Yes, there is a hell...and those who reject God and his Son will go there. Our actions do have consequences. I strongly believe that.

What about grace? Does grace cover a multitude of sins? Yes, it does. Yet you need to understand that even though grace is there for the asking, you need to repent and turn away from your sins first. You have to understand too...that even though you have been forgiven your sins, you still have to face the consequences of that sin. It's a foolish notion to think that you can continue to sin and turn away from God...and not face the consequences. It's even more foolish to think that just because you confessed that sin that you don't have to take some responsibility for it. I'm no bible scholar. I know though that true repentance happens when you cry out to God, admit that you sinned and actively work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

I fear what they are teaching young people in school today with their "washed out" theology that has no "bite" to it at all. If a person feels that there is no consequences or that they can simply say "I apologize" and everything will be fine then they are fooling themselves. It's in the crisis mode that you can see this clearly. It's when the "rubber meets the road" when your eyes are fully opened. I know that young people today just don't want to hear about the consequences of their unbelief. They much rather tolerate the filth and abnormal behavior of those who are supposed to mentor them.

I can't really blame the young people entirely because their world has been so saturated by the filth that has reached the highest office of the land. They just don't know any better. Yet even those who have been taught the truth are veering dangerously close to the edge. For this reason and for others, I am in crisis mode.