The End of an Era

Well, after almost three years of working for LifeWay Christian Resources, my time there is over.  This past Thursday at 2:30 in the afternoon I was told that my department, the Church Relations and Consulting Call Center, was being deleted.  Although it was somewhat of a shock that it happened so quickly and that it was the whole department, I must admit it wasn’t completely unexpected.  LifeWay, like many other companies, is having to cutback in several areas because of the economy.  LifeWay has been a great employer and has been very good to me.  I hold no ill-will towards them.  Unfortunately, though, when companies have to do this, and I trust that it was necessary, it isn’t just numbers on paper but people’s lives that are affected.  So my only sense of sadness and concern is for my co-workers and for the almost 80 other LifeWay employees in other departments who are facing unemployment.

You always say that when stuff like this happens you’ll trust God in it, but you really don’t know how you’ll act until you’re in the situation.  If you know me at all you know I’m prone to be a worrier, but God was so faithful, as He always is, for when I heard the news there was just a peace and a calm which came over me.  Admittedly, about four months ago I started sensing from the Holy Spirit that a major change was about to happen in my life, so Katie and I were waiting for something to happen even though we didn’t know exactly what it would be.  We were a little prepared for this, but still, God gave me peace when I could have been worried and He provided joy when I could have felt devastated.  He truly is a Great and Awesome God!!

Job 1:21 says, “…The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.”  We can’t praise God in the giving and not praise Him in the taking.  We would be hypocrites if we did.  Yes, my job situation is different now and my future is unknown, but my Lord still sits on the throne and my salvation is still secure in Jesus Christ.  Nothing has really changed.  The Father who gives us every Spiritual blessing in the heavenlies is still my provider.  Although He used LifeWay to supply my needs, LifeWay was never my provider, only the instrument of provision.  And so I’ve lost nothing for God will raise up another instrument when the time is right. 

Until that time, I will wait in anticipation for God to show me what He has for me next.  LifeWay has given me a generous severence package so that is a blessing within itself and will give me some time to pray and study as God prepares me for this next step.  Please pray with Katie and I as we lift up my ex-co-workers. 

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
                                         – Habakkuk 3:17-18

B-Daddy

Well, it is official.  Katie and I went in for an ultrasound on Monday and she’s pregnant.  We couldn’t be more excited about this news (and a little intimidated to say the least).  We covet your prayers as we go on this journey. 

Please check out our new family BLOG where we will post updates on momma’s and baby’s progress.

My Security Insecurity

This evening Katie and I returned home from work and realized our electricity had gone off some time during the day.  We knew this because looking at the clock it was 12:00 every other second.  Looking back now I wish I had given Katie a gift during the off second because it truly would have been the timeless gift (can I get a ba dump chhh).

 

Anyway, because the power had gone off our security system had gotten messed up and the box was beeping every few seconds.  So doing what all intelligent people do when they don’t have the pass code to their security system because the person they bought the house from didn’t give it to them, we just started pushing buttons.  I know what you’re thinking, “What a great idea.”  Well, it wasn’t.  It was in fact, not a great idea.  I know this because at exactly 12:00, or was it 12:00?  Yes it was, no it wasn’t, yes it was, no it wasn’t, yes, no, yes, no; stupid incessant, flashing clock.  At some point, the security box was fed up with all our button pushing and decided to let us know it had had enough.  It began to emit the most awful, ear-splitting noise out of its tiny little speaker.  If I hadn’t been so annoyed and deafened, I might have been impressed with how much noise came out of such a small speaker. Who knew Bose made security speakers?

 

In response to how badly our plan of pushing random buttons went, we, of course, continued pushing buttons, except this time with more intensity.  I don’t know why.  Maybe we thought that our initial round of button pushing hadn’t been passionate enough, or maybe we thought if we showed the security box that we really meant our button pushing that it would concede and stop its effort, apparently, to let people in Japan know that someone had really pushed its button (pun completely intended).

 

Finally we had had enough and in a real moment of genius I retrieved my wire cutters out of the garage, pulled the speaker from the wall, and there in our kitchen euthanized that speaker.  Who’s the boss now, speaker, or should I say, “the bose”?

 

Katie and I have since learned that we could have just disconnected the security box from its power source which we finally found in an undisclosed location in the house.  But where’s the fun in that?  I am happy to report that order and time have been restored in the Parrish house.  There is now a non-functioning speaker on our table and a couple of wires coming out of a hole in our kitchen wall, but other than that everything is fine.  And, I am certain I will be able to resurrect the deceased speaker once I reattach it to its wires.  I just hope it’s learned its lesson.  I know I have.  If I ever decide to start robbing houses I’m investing in a good pair of earplugs.