Just Keep Swimming

When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...
Dory has become our family mascot for this incredibly applicable to life saying. All we can do some days is just keep swimming.

Yesterday Dallan went to work only to find that his company, where he has been working for a very short 5 months, was struggling to meet their financial goals this quarter, so they decided to cut budget by cutting the most recent hires employment. Ugh! It came as a shock to both of us, but maybe because of our recent experience with this shock (only 9 months ago) we seem to be handling it much better. Although, no one likes to feel "dumped", and that's really what it feels like, we just keep telling ourselves to keep on swimming!

So I thought I'd seek out the positive things in all of this. Maybe I'm doing this to make myself feel better, but maybe also with a slight hope it will help others to see the positive things in their own trials, because they are always there:

1. Financially we are in a better state because of the frugality and savings lessons we learned the first time around.

2. We get a second chance to test our 3 month supply of food. (I mean, how many people get to TRULY refine their system with a second test run in a year?!)

3. Dallan gets a chance to refine his resume writing skills and interview skills once again. That's a possitive because there is character building that comes with this!

4. Our family gets another simple reminder that our lives are in God's hands, and we get a chance to act on faith.

5. Our testimony of tithing will be strengthened further.

6. We get to strengthen our family relationships by spending a lot more quality time at home as a family.

7. I'll get more opportunities to use my wheat grinder and pasta maker!

8. We are truly greatful we actually HAD a job for the last 5 months, and that we took care of many of the medical needs the family had while on insurance.

Well, there are more, but I hate to make my posts carry on too long. I just know that there is a reason for all things, even when things are hard. I also know we grew a LOT last time around and actually look forward to the growth and knowledge that will come this time around because of this trial. Maybe in the long run we won't look back on this as a trial either. Hopefully we'll be able to look back on it as a blessing in disguise.

Here's to counting all those MANY blessings!!