-The First Post: the Journey-

I've been on a journey. Each of us is on one. Mine really kicked into gear shortly after my oldest son was born almost four years ago. I had been married to my sweet wife Nina for a year and a half and had worked for eight different employers during that time. I had my family, and my faith in God, but my occupational focus was very blurred, as was our financial life. I had one part-time semester under my belt at a university, but other then that was lacking in education... Education... Going to school for four years...having the responsibility to provide for my families needs! We just had a baby! There didn't seem to be any way for that to happen. So here I was, living from paycheck to paycheck, working at a job (this time at a metal pipe manufacturing plant) which I nearly had a nervous breakdown at after a month, not sure about what I was doing or would do for the future.

There came a moment one day, when I was cutting pipe at the factory and I felt inspiration from God that changed my life's direction. I was standing there working and felt that I needed to start going to school and get a degree. Time would pass no matter what, and I had better begin now. I went home and talked to Nina about it. We couldn't figure out how we were going to provide for our needs and go  to school full time. We would have to live somewhere practically rent free, and how were we going to pay for tuition? The quarter at the community college was just about to start and we hadn't applied for financial aid. Though everything didn't add up at the time, it all worked out. We were blessed by God. Despite our weaknesses and meager faith, he provided. Since that time, we paid off what little debt we had, had two more babies, have stayed debt free, we've both gotten our associates degrees and I am now working on a degree in art at BYU-Idaho. It brings overwhelming gratitude to my heart and tears to my eyes to look back at the goodness of God in our lives and see what he has done.

The journey continues. We often have high and low times. There are joys, successes, surety, doubts, and frustrations. I have seen some really tremendous growth over this time I've had. I have searched for what my passion is and what I can do well and feel that I have finally found it! It's been there the whole time but I couldn't see it. Once again my Heavenly Father has guided me and helped me to see more clearly. The future is bright!