Hello Everyone,<p>Well, money is very tight, and I am now looking for jobs far afield of my profession, computer programmer. I have been looking for labor jobs, as these are not as permanent as some of the others I have seen around. This is a desirable quality, because I want to be able to continue to look for work in computers.<p>However, money is money and if the right thing comes along, what ever it is, I will take it.<p>It is just not right to have to go through a divorce and a layoff during an economic downturn at the same time. It has shaken my faith to some degree, which is generally tenuous at best, anyway (do not tell my parish priest!). Don't we all have troubles enough with loneliness, rejection, feelings of betrayal without the added burden of not being able to pay the mortgage? I think so.<p>I try very hard to not get angry with God, but I guess, if He is God, then He can take my little rantings and ravings for a bit.<p>I hope to have found a job by Monday or Tuesday of this week. I am typing this on Saturday morning. I will let you know how it goes.<p>
Thanks for listening,
vb_guy

<small>[ August 08, 2004, 10:10 PM: Message edited by: laura_lee ]</small>

Wanted to wish you luck in the job hunt. It sounds like you are qualified to do alot of things, but I know you are trying to find a job that you will really like.<p>I don't know why God seemingly allows a bunch of negatives to happen to us all at once. I do know that it's ok to get angry at God sometimes - even Jesus got angry. We just have to tell God in these situations that we His help and strength and to bring us to the place that we should be. Maybe God is just testing us right now, Job keeps coming to mind in these situations.<p>I know it sounds corny but people tell me all the time that for every Good Friday there is an Easter Sunday. And for every horrible story, I read, there does seem to be a good story by the same person that follows.<p>I'm not happy that my ExH had an A, but I do have to say that I am much closer to God and like the person that I am much better than the person that I was before I found out about the A. <p>Keep strong. You never know where you are being led - maybe to something even better that you can't even imagine right now.<p>Happy hunting! K

I feel your pain. I lost my job, wife, home etc. all in the space of about a month. Was ALOT to deal with but thankfully I've been called back to work and will be busy again shortly. I'll be returning as blue collar (was doing some programming on a project but I don't have the degree to land a real programming job) but that's okay for now.<p>Hope you get something lined up soon.

Hello, laura_lee, God is in Control, Seeking_Guidance,<p>Thank you all for your replies. They mean a lot to me.<p>Our situations can seem so overwhelming at times that we cannot see our way out of them. I hope and pray that the resolutions to our dilemmas comes about quickly and that the pain involved is not as great as it might be.<p>Thanks Again,
vb_guy

Hi vb guy-
I'm so sorry you are having to deal with all these. I know for a while, I kept asking God to just let me catch a break. One bad thing after another seemed to be happening, without any rays of hope. I guess I needed to learn to really rely on Him. It has been 9 months since my H left the kids and I, and time does help. I will pray you get a great job and things begin to look up for you!
Krista

VB,<p>I'm glad you are trying to keep your chin up. Here's something to think about...a friend told me this and it's my favorite thing to remember on those days I become overwhelmed...<p>Ask yourself this, "How do you eat a candy bar?" Answer of course, "One bite at a time." Don't look at the all you need to work on, just take one bite at a time...btw, you are doing this by just concentrating on finding a job...<p>"One bite at a time VB...."<p>Love,<p>ANNA

Hi, V_B,
I just wanted to add my comments to the many good ones that you have recieved.<p>I told God when my WH left almost 1 year ago (next week will be one year exactly) that He had to be my "husband" for this season of separation!<p>He has not let me down yet!! My WH has not lent ONE PENNY of support to me or given me any money toward our household bills this entire time. Somehow, through God's grace, I have had the money to pay all our bills on time! No, I don't have a lot of left over cash, BUT the bills are paid on time, and I have not been lacking anything I needed (except a trip to the dentist, but never liked those anyway!) [img]images/icons/wink.gif" border="0[/img] <p>Somehow, through God Infinite Wisdom, my WH, seems NOT to work steadily, can't seem to stay healthy, may soon need yet another surgery, always has $ problems, (and here's the kicker) can't figure out why all this is happening to him!!!<p>Gotta love that "fog."<p>Hang in there, V_B. You'll be all right. God is watching out for you. Just be sure to continue giving HIM your life, your problems, your Praise, the Glory He deserves, and He will be faithful to YOU!<p>God Bless you all.

VB -<p>Hey! I was wondering if VB is Virginia Beach? <p>Good Luck with the job search.

Thanks very much, Anna, WhoamInow, lupolady & Runner1:<p>Easiest first: vb stands for Visual Basic. I am a computer programmer. The programming industry is contracting ever smaller at the moment, so who knows when I will work as a programmer again.<p>Well lupolady, I was at Mass this morning and could not even say the Profession of Faith I was in such a bad way. I had trouble praying at all and felt terrible. So, after Mass, I immediately sought out my priest and partook of the sacrament of penance, that is to say I went to Confession. I was hating God so very badly that I did not want to know him. Needless to say, this made me feel even worse and put distance between me and God, so confessing those sins immediately helped a lot. My bills are all behind, somehow, some way, this last month has been the killer. I will be talking to a man about a job on Tuesday when he gets back from vacation.<p>I never thought about asking God to act as my “wife” while I am in this position, I guess because I think of God in masculine terms. I suppose God transcends gender and it would make as much sense for me as it does for you.<p>What I cannot figure out is why is this happening to ME?! I am a good guy. I am kind to children, old ladies and animals. What really gets to me is the grinding loneliness. THAT I cannot stand. Everything else would be bearable but for that.<p>Listen, folks, I am eternally thankful for the love and support I receive here. If not for you and my tight circle of friends, I do not know what I would do.
Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart.<p>GOD BLESS YOU ALL….please pray that my faith remains strong!<p>VisualBasic_Guy (except to Nina, to whom I am VictoriaBitters_Guy)

I believe that everything happens for a reason, right now we cannot see the master plan but in the end you will. Keep your faith, it will get better and you will be a better, stonger person and you will understand why all of this happened, I know it sucks now but trust that it will get better.
God bless,
Dave

Ok. Now I'm sure everyone thinks that I am probably a religious nut - but a couple of things came to mind - 1) You can always get out the book of Job - he was the best guy around and God let a whole bunch of nasty things happen to him - and in the end he received even more than he had before and 2) someone in my bible study told me this, I don't know whether it's true or not but it's sort of interesting - she said that she heard that in the spiritual realm, the good souls have a bright light around them, and the better the soul the brighter the light. It seems that the evil spirits that roam the earth can spot out these souls more easily - because of the brightness of the light and it is a better conquest to get one of these good souls to turn from God than a bunch of other souls who are not so good. Anyway, I just keep thinking that we must have really good souls for those evil spirits to keep after us so hard to try and get us to lose our fatih. Ok, so it's a little strange, but it's Sunday so angel and spirit talk should be acceptable today.<p>And I also have been doing alot of soul searching lately and have been reading alot that once we really put God first all the rest will fall into place. It's just that trusting in God is so hard sometimes I know. But remember, nothing is impossible with God. There's a job out there somewhere for you - and you're right - you're the good guy, so things will turn around. K

A friend once sent me a postcard with the following quote on it:<p>I know God will not send me any more than I can handle. However, sometimes I wish He did not trust me so much.<p>It was attributed to Mother Theresa.<p>I sort of know what you are going through. I'm not worried about the marriage things. That's over and done and he has married someone else. And I wish them a long and happy life together. Sort of keeps him off my case.<p>But, lately, mine hasn't seemed the best of lots. I could give you the list. The latest three are:
-a/c in car went out Saturday.I live in the south.
-3 month old computer printer quit printing Sunday
-limb from neighbor's tree is across my fence though still attached, partially, to tree following one of Monday's storms<p>
It's now Tuesday and today I have an s-team meeting about son but can't get his school to send anyone to represent them at this meeting with the agency I want to do a multi-hundred dollar psychoeducational evaluation on him. And his current school is the one pushing for the evaluation. And I can't explain why I want them to do this except his school requires it and I can't afford it except through these people (the local public school system) who will do it for free if compelled to.<p>But, I am healthy. And, God always comes through with solutions - even though the solution is not always my preferred one.