Praising the Lord

update on little Kevin!!

Testimony of God's guidance:

Actually, the whole reason I am where I am is totally, totally, totally God. When I applied for the job opening at the library system where I work, there were three openings. Two were children's librarian positions at one of the bigger branches in the system and one was for a children's/young adult position in Rio Vista. Well, I applied for the job and said my preference was the children's position at the bigger branch because at that point in my life I was much more comfortable with children, teens weren't my favorite age group, etc., etc. I was so sure I was going to get that position that Brian and I went checking out living arrangements and job situations for him near the town where the big branch is located.

Time went by and I heard nothing. Then a friend with whom I had several classes and who had also interviewed for the same library system was offered one of the positions at the big branch and the other position had been filled too. So I was all upset, but congratulated her anyway. She was supportive and said, "Maybe they'll offer you the other position," or something like that. I thought, "Yeah, but I wanted that one, now I won't have a job and I'll have to keep interviewing," and I was generally feeling huffy about the whole thing and kind of mad at God if you know what I mean.

Later that day I turned on my cell phone just to see on a fluke if I had any messages. Sure enough, there was one from the director of the library system offering me the position in Rio Vista. I called her back and she gave me more details. Then I called Brian to tell him the news. This was on Friday so I asked her if I could get back to her on Monday. We took the weekend to think and pray about it. Brian worked some numbers, we did as much research on housing as we could online and Sunday night we reached our decision.

The first day I started work at this branch, I knew it was the exact job for me and I can't even imagine being at the other branch. Not that it's not a great place to work, I just know from hearing the things that are challenging my friend who got the job there that I would not have been able to cope with those challenges. I know God knew that and that's why I am where I am. Well, plus He had other reasons too that become more clear to me every day I work there.

So, like Wendy said, not only did I just get a job quickly, the job I got was the first one I applied for and the only one. How "God-thing" is that? Like I said, totally totally.

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On Tuesdays we do a poll called "Tuesday's Twos"
One of the questions was if you had a romantic propsal.....

This was Juli's story.......

Right before the weekend of Memorial day Brian drove down from Washington to California to talk with my parents about marrying me. Well, it was snowing over some of the mountain passes and he almost went off the road a couple of times, so that was dangerous enough as it was. Then he had to endure a lecture from my mom and dad about various things. They were just making sure he was going to take care of their baby. You all know how it is. At any rate, he survived that too and picked me up at the airport on Saturday morning. I had come down to surprise my parents with a visit and then we were going to Disneyland because they had just reopened the Tomorrowland Section.

When we got to the park, he had me go over and put the jackets and stuff in the lockers. Unbeknownst to me he headed off for the jewelry store and picked out one of those inexpensive gold plated rings. It had a heart with a little glass jewel in the middle of it. Well, he carried that around with him all day and I never even suspected (although I was hoping he would propose to me at Disneyland because that had always been my dream, that whoever I would marry would propose to me at Disneyland).

Then that night we were eating dinner at the Carnation Plaza Garden hamburger place. I was still finishing my dinner, but Brian was already done. He took that opportunity to tell me, "You would make me the happiest man on earth by becoming my wife." I was so excited and choked up and he was talking rather quietly, so what I heard was, "Would you make me the happiest man on earth by becoming my wife?" So I said yes even before he got to ask me the question!

I don't remember much about the rest of that night except we did wait in line almost two hours for one of the new rides in order to make it on before it closed for the night. The next morning before my mom got up, I told my dad that Brian had proposed to me the night before. He was the first person that I told, somehow that just seemed fitting to me.

When we got back up to Seattle, we picked out a beautiful diamond solitaire and he gave that to me on the 6 month anniversary of our engagement.

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Taking the liberty of starting a Friday praise thread!!
This bear is doing the dance of joy!!
I don't know if you all remember back a few months ago (probably around September(01) or just before then) about a little boy named Kevin that we had at the daycare where I used to work. Well, he is a foster kid and had been with this one particular family from about 2 years old to about 6 years old. Just to recap, this family was always rather strict with him and imho did not show much love to him. Also, they played favorites between him and his half brother who is also a foster child that they are trying to adopt. Well, one day they brought Kevin to daycare, then went out to the car and came in with all his clothes and said, "You don't live with us anymore, your caseworker (sorry, don't remember her name) will come pick you up."
Rose my former employer has been trying since then to get a foster care license so she could take him in. I just got off the phone with her about 20 minutes ago and she said everything was complete and Kevin has been living with them for about a month now. She said he has made awesome progress at school and is now a totally different child than he was when I was working at the daycare. You guys, this little boy is so awesome and has such a heart for the Lord. I know God has will use each of every child He creates for wonderful and special things, but when you are around Kevin and look at him, there is just such a strong feeling that God is going to use this child to work *miracles*. I don't know how else to describe it.
Rose says they still have a long way to go and a lot of behavior problems to deal with as a result of his past and the family he was living with, but each day is getting easier and easier. For those of you who prayed for the Kevin situation way back last year, thank you for your prayers! God is working in awesome ways in this little boy's life.
Please keep praying for the family he was with. They are a good family for Kevin's brother to be with for the simple fact they have bonded with him as they didn't with Kevin. Please pray that if God wants Matthew to be with them, that He will open the doors for that to happen. Thanks!
Juli
2/02

Update on Kevin!~

I heard from my former boss at the end of July. She
said they are working on legally adopting Kevin and that he is still
doing really well with them.
8/03

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