God is Good

Hi Friends and Family,

I just want to share with you some of the good news that has happened in the past week.

Some of you know, and some of you do not know that this past year of work has been very stressful for Josh and I. With Josh being in medical school and me working literally 14 hours a day on a consistent basis plus weekends it has been a challenging year. Needless to say, I have been praying for the past few months about possibilities for the future.

In the past two weeks especially, it has been very challenging at work. There are a lot of things happening with the budget and administration that are causing stress with my bosses. Teachers are tired; students are ready to be on summer break; pretty much, things are winding down.

A few months ago, the Lord laid some different revenue generating ideas on my heart. Some people may say it was by coincidence that family members brought up some business ideas, but I know that it was all part of His plan. I also had another parent at the school propose some new ideas and help offer advice.

Long story made short, things were not looking very promising for next year and my anxiety level was increasing by the day. For the past month I feel like I have been hit by a ton of bricks. I have been faithful in praying that the Lord will close the doors that need to be closed, and open the doors that need to be opened. I was not sure of what was best for me to do, but I knew my questions would be answered in time.

Yesterday I met with my boss, and after the past week of things looking down, there was a total change. I won’t get into too much detail now (since this email is already getting lengthy) but my boss and I have re-connected and she is offering me a 2/3 schedule at Kellis. This means that I only teach ½ a day and I still get to keep the benefits and 2/3 salary. I will continue to coach cheer so that will supplement our income also. On the side, I will be opening a small business and looking into several endeavors on that path. The business is going to be called PeoriaCheerz and it will be marketed to the feeder schools in our district. I have been praying about this business idea for almost 4 months know and I have finally come to a point that I am sure this is the right thing to do. I know between Josh and I we will still have enough money to support our family without putting a strain on our finances and marriage, and there is no financial risk in this project (there is 0 outgoing startup costs.) Josh is extremely excited and has been incredibly supportive. He is the other rock in my life that constantly encourages me to reach for dreams. Obviously when starting any business there is some form of risk, but I believe that is part of the beauty. Between the two of us, we will still have stable enough salaries to support our family, but on top of that there is room for a positive risk- which means potential. With our strong work ethics, I believe that there will be more benefit to this idea than detriment.

I know that we will need the support of our friends and family more than ever, as we are young and still have much to learn. We want to thank you in advance for your love, support and prayers as we continue on this incredible journey.

On a side note, I am reminded of so many powerful life lessons each day. I started to lose hope throughout this process; Satan definitely has a way of sneaking in when you are most vulnerable. However, through persistence and the grace of God, I know that He is helping me each day. I know He can guide and lead us if we listen in the quiet of our hearts and focus on it. I am in awe of how amazing the power of prayer really is- not because our prayers are always answered the way we want them to be answered, not because they are answered in the time we want them answered, but amazed because it is in His time, which is always what ends up being best.

We love you guys!
Josh and Becca
J