A quiet day with time to reflect and consider the future.

One of the hardest things about being unemployed is having to wait for a response from a prospective employer. Some weeks, absolutely nothing happens. No emails. No phone calls. Seemingly no progress in the job search. All you can do is do what is within your control. At times, what is within your control seems very limited indeed.

I'm not discouraged, really. I suppose that with any job search, there are ups and there are downs. I had three interviews within the past month, which really isn't all that bad.

There was one job in particular that I was really excited about. It was a little less than three weeks ago, and I had hoped to hear something by now, pro or con. I emailed them last Friday, asking politely for an update, but so far I have heard nothing. If I don't hear anything today, I will probably make a phone call tomorrow and see if I can find out something.

Even though job searching is stressful, the good news is that so far, we are holding our own financially. Before I lost my job in November, we managed to pay off our credit card. That was a huge blessing. The interest payments were simply insane, and it seemed we were getting nowhere near paying it off. It feels so good to have that off our back. We also paid off our car a couple of years early, which is also a big relief. Right now, our biggest expenses are our house payment and COBRA. COBRA is so expensive, it's absolutely crazy. It's over 1500.00 a month. More than our house payment. Yet somehow, we are managing to make ends meet.

I am going to give myself and my job search a deadline. I'm not sure how long that will be. Maybe the middle of the year or so. Maybe sooner. Maybe later. We'll see how things go in the weeks ahead. But if it appears that after all of my best efforts that I'm just spinning my wheels with my job search, I will have to give serious thought to doing something else with my life. I'm sure that God has a plan for me. This wouldn't have happened otherwise. I have to find out what that is. When it comes right down to it, I have two equal purposes in finding my next role in life. One, provide for my family as best as I can. Two, do something that interests me.

I know that it is unlikely that I will find a job that will pay what I received before. I may be lucky to make half of what I earned at my old job. Honestly, that would be fine. I would be happy to get it and start over again with a new career, whatever that may be.

At our Job Seeker's meeting, Stephanie often calls what we're going through "just a season in our lives." That's a great way to put it. It's just a phase, a short chapter, a door leading to another door to somewhere else.

I can't wait to find that door so I can open it and see where it leads.