New Every Morning, Part Ten

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB

Read previous segments here:

The Beginning
The Injury
The Furnace
The Waiting
Employment
The House
The Phone Call
The Truck
The Car


The Business

With the settlement we received back in January, Fernando and I knew we could survive for a little while, paying for the basics plus our new modified mortgage.  But Fernando needed to work.  We both felt that given that no other work was promising on the horizon, Fernando should start repairing amplifiers on his own.  Yes--Fernando was ready to start his own business.

This is an amplifier.  (It's all knobs and switches to me...)

He started looking on eBay and Craigslist for pieces of equipment he could us to repair amplifiers--components of electronic equipment used in satellite news gathering trucks and satellite earth stations, in the broadcast communications industry.  This equipment--oscilloscopes, multimeters, and other things which I can't remember but could probably spell--can be costly, to say the least, and that was a major concern to us.  We had a set amount we could spend on getting this thing off the ground.

Miraculously--and we're no longer surprised by this--Fernando found and purchased several pieces of equipment for much less than what he thought he would have to spend.  In fact, he was able to purchase most everything he needed.  Doors continued to open, and we stepped through them for Fernando to go into business for himself.

Fernando hired lawyers, created an LLC, and put up a website.  Some work came in, and his truck operation with Arctek was billed and paid through Fernando's new company.  There was something special about receiving a check made out to Soto Satellite Repair & Services!

A colleague in the industry, who has had his own business for decades, came alongside Fernando over the summer to offer advice and even some work.  We were on our way!

Fernando's logo, which he created himself!

Part Eleven is now waiting for you to read.

Back to life,
Christine

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New Every Morning, Part Nine

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB

Read previous segments here:

The Beginning
The Injury
The Furnace
The Waiting
Employment
The House
The Phone Call
The Truck


The Car

Yeah, that's a BMW...!

My previous New Every Morning post involved a truck--a SAT truck.  It wasn't ours, but it was the vehicle (pardon the pun) by which Fernando earned a month's pay.  And speaking of vehicles, we had been juggling five people's schedules (Joe is blessed without one at this point) with two cars.  Jake had his schedule and his car, but since his schedule seemed to change frequently, we couldn't rely on having his car to get to wherever we needed to get.  The simple truth was that we needed another car.  And soon.

One of our friends told Fernando about Car Gurus, so he hopped on that website to see what he could find in our price range.  We had set aside X from our insurance settlement to pay for a vehicle.  We knew the money would stretch how long we could survive financially this year, but we also knew we really, really needed another car.  The car was the wiser choice at this point, so we started looking.

Fernando and Thomas researched several cars, and visited various dealerships, only to find brakes and rotors covered with rust, or some other visible problem.  Eventually, Fernando came to the conclusion that X wasn't going to get us a reliable car.  He added $1,000 to our X to see if that would bring more positive results, but he and Thomas remained frustrated with their search.

One afternoon, just for giggles, Fernando typed BMW 528i in the Car Guru search box.  This had been his "dream car" for forever, and he figured he'd never own one.  So, just for fun...  The search engine came back with a result:  one BMW 528i, $1,000 above our price range even with our extra thou tacked on.  Oh, but it was so close!

This 2000 model seemed perfect: although it was 15 years old, it had only 77,000 miles!  It seemed to be in beautiful condition.  But, it was just out of our price range.  Fernando and I chuckled about how funny it would be to buy a BMW when we were broke and just re-starting out in his career field.  Oh, well.

A couple of days later, Fernando was back on Car Guru.  He pulled up the BMW again, just to dream, just for fun...  The listed price had been reduced--by $1,000.  He hollered to me that we were going to buy a car; we dropped off Thomas at tech school, and drove over to the dealership.  But--it wasn't just any dealership; it was close to home:  Mercedes-Benz of Naperville.

So, this broke middle-aged couple just starting out with their own business drove to a Mercedes-Benz dealership to purchase a BMW.  One of the sales reps, Brian, went with us for a test drive--I got to drive a BMW for the very first time--then we were were ready to seal the deal.  Brian had to double-check the price, because his computer hadn't registered the $1,000 price drop.  It was legit, though, and he then asked how we would be paying.  By check, of course!

Within an hour, we had signed all the paperwork, written our check, and were driving away with our new-to-us car.  I received a dozen roses, and our car was detailed inside and out for us.  We felt like royalty!

Then again, we are royalty.  We are children of the Lord, which makes us princes and princesses.  We walked away (drove away!) from this experience knowing that the Lord lavishes His love on His children, and even though we had been through trial after trial the past few years, this extra-incredible blessing was a love note from Him straight to our hearts.

But, the love note didn't end there.  (Yes, there's more!!)

About a week after purchasing the car, Fernando (finally) got a phone call response from the Illinois Department of Employment Security.  The worker's comp settlement Fernando received included worker's comp salary for a period of time after the surgery; since Fernando also received unemployment during that time, we would most likely have to pay back the unemployment he received from IDES.

The case worker on the phone got the details from Fernando, then finally explained that since the unemployment and worker's comp covered a period of time at the end of 2013, and the actual payout of the worker's comp owed to Fernando happened at the beginning of 2015, the "books had been closed" and we would not be required to pay back the amount we thought we would owe.

Thomas uses the BMW to drive to school.

And the amount, you ask?  It was (about) the cost of our new car.  The Lord not only gave us a BMW, He orchestrated the funding for it.

He signed His love note with a huge P.S.  He really loves us!

The next segment of our story is now published; click here to continue the journey with us!


Back to life,
Christine

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Timing is Everything

March 5.

I'll just jump right in to this story, okay?  You've probably heard the phrase God is good before, and wondered why Christians say that so often.  Or maybe not, but still, you're wondering why I'm saying it now.  I mean, look at this first picture below.  There's a hole in my ceiling.

Trust me, it's not an easy thing to say, especially when trouble hits you.  And sometimes trouble is huge--a death, a job loss, a move.  God is still good, though, and let me tell you why I say it:  His goodness doesn't change, regardless of my circumstances.  Therefore He is good, all the time, and it's a reminder that even when trouble comes, I can rely upon His goodness, and keep His perspective, not mine.

It all started one Wednesday night in March, while Fernando was away contracting for Arctek doing satellite transmissions and truck driving (work = yay!).  The Lord allowed all the circumstances to come together when this particular trouble hit.

Fernando called me while I was on the computer, so I decided to move to the family room and sit in the single chair in the corner--not my usual spot.

I was facing the corner with the now-holey ceiling, but I didn't notice anything while we were chatting about our day.  Then, I heard a drip-drip-drip.  Slow, but it was there.  Rapid fire, my mind questioned whether the snow was melting outside (icicles?), but dismissed that after I realized the temperature was in the teens that night.  Then, I realized it was coming from inside my house.

I stood up and walked over to the corner.  Water was dripping onto the floor.

Amazingly (God's providence), I had just moved the side table out from that corner a few hours earlier, since a redecorating mood hit me.  Our "boom box" was on that table, with CDs and other items.  Basically, the corner was cleared out.

I looked up, and the ceiling was bowed down, like someone had pushed a huge bowl into the drywall of the ceiling.  I started hollering at Fernando, telling him what I was hearing and seeing.  He helped me through things. 

Danny, who was nearby, ran and grabbed a bucket and the stepstool, got situated under the bowed-in ceiling, and poked the hole with a screwdriver.  He caught almost all of the water in the bucket--no water damage in the family room.  Thank You, Lord!

Under Fernando's instruction, we turned off the water to the house, and eventually the dripping stopped.

The next morning, with my Dad's help, we figured out that the leak was coming from the master bath shower stall.  The dripping shower head helped us figure it out!  When we caught the drips in a bucket, the leak stopped; so, it wasn't the shower head, but either the drain or the pipe leading from the drain.

We're still awaiting the fix, but insurance took care of the water damage, and an agent was able to cut us a check to fix the damage.

For now, there's a hole in the ceiling, and the knowledge in my heart that it could've been worse, and that God is good.  This is a small thing, and He is so gracious, even in the small things.

We can count on His goodness.  It's who He is.


Back to life,
Christine

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New Every Morning, Part Seven

Read previous segments here:

The Beginning
The Injury
The Furnace
The Waiting
Employment
The House

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB

The Phone Call

In the last segment, where I was sharing about our mortgage modification appeal, we began this new year with renewed hope that the Lord was indeed faithful, and would orchestrate our lives according to His plan.  We lived our lives as normally as possible, waiting for January 16, when Tarica (our home preservation specialist) would call us to reinstate our appeal for a permanent mortgage modification.  Everything would work out on January 16.

Meanwhile:

I was delighted to graduate Thomas from our homeschool on New Year's Day!  He would soon be a student at Universal Technical Institute, where he would study auto and diesel technology.

We were relieved to finally have our worker's comp issues cleared up; the insurance company paid almost $200,000 of medical bills from Fernando's surgery back in October 2013, at the beginning of our journey! They also paid all that they owed in back pay, which allowed us to pay off the credit cards we had been living on. We had enough left over that Fernando could potentially start a business. He began researching the purchase of key equipment he would need.

Packing away the Christmas decorations.

It seemed that this new year would be a year of new beginnings.  And now, we really needed to get the mortgage issue settled.  With Fernando coming up on three months of employment as independent contractor for PSSI, we eagerly awaited January 16.

January 15.  We dealt with a hostile phone call from Wells Fargo collections; she didn't believe me when I insisted that Tarica, our rep, would be calling us the next day to reinstate our appeal.  Sigh.  Could anything else happen before tomorrow's phone call to top this?

That evening, Fernando received an email from PSSI.  The phrases "...we just don't have enough work with the one truck to keep your base salary going..." and "...asking for your services on an occasional basis..." were all I needed to read.  No steady income, no permanent employment.  We looked at each other.  Keep trusting Me.  I am trustworthy and faithful.  My mercies are new every morning.  Keep trusting Me.


The first phone call.

Tarica called us the next day, January 16, as promised.  Wells Fargo needed proof of three months of employment.  Fernando had three months of employment.  To.  The.  Day.  We would give that to them.  We submitted all the necessary paperwork, then waited.


The second phone call.

Two weeks passed.  Thomas started tech school.  Life was a maze of taking guys to and from either the train station or tech school.  Fernando did much of the driving, since he was home in a holding pattern, waiting to hear back from PSSI about the possibility of getting one to two months of training at their Los Angeles headquarters.

February 3.  I happened to just be rolling out of bed, one of those stayed up too late so I'll sleep in kind of mornings.  I had just turned on my cell phone when it rang.  It was Tarica.

She was thrilled beyond belief to inform us that our request was officially approved.  I scribbled down all the details, shared in her excitement, and waited for Fernando to come home from taking Danny to the train station.

We laughed together at the irony of our situation, knowing that the Lord was in control.

Laid off.
Surgery.
Medical bills.
Ekes out existence.
Finds employment.
Fights mortgage company.
Receives medical settlement.
Loses income.
Gains new mortgage.

The February 1st blizzard.

Up and down, a year and a half of crazy, and it's not over yet.  Do we question things?  Sure.

Thanks for the mortgage relief, but now we have no income.
How are we going to find a source of income?
Do we start our own business?  Do we have enough funds to do it?

But God is a big God.  We can plan all we want, we can lay everything out, but ultimately, the Lord will do what He wills.  The only question we have to answer is, are we willing to trust Him to guide us where He wants us to go?  Our answer, day by day, is yes.

Update:  Part Eight is now published, so click here to continue reading our story!


Back to life,
Christine

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Of Cars and Chickens

September 8.

First comes the car.  Jacob bought one.  And God is good (all the time).  Fernando and Jacob ended up all the way in Evanston at the Auto Barn, and they got a sweet deal on a 2013 Nissan Sentra.  Jacob lets me drive it, since our F150 is out of commission (it drives in reverse only).

September 9.

Next comes the chicken.  Due to a mix-up in ordering a few months earlier, we ended up with four chickens (and two dozen eggs).   We found one last chicken from , so we stuffed it with garlic, rubbed it with olive oil, and sprinkled it with rosemary.  Then we lay sliced lemons over it and baked it (350F for 1 to 1.5 hours).  Scrumptious.

Yes, the chicken was a blessing, because we were running out of food--mostly meat, dairy, and produce.  To find this chicken still in the freezer from our "food mix-up" was indeed a blessing, and one we thoroughly enjoyed.  It was the Lord's reminder that He is still in control of our situation, and will always be in control.  He is sovereign over every circumstance we encounter.

Thank You for feeding us, not only food we can see, but with the meat of Your Word.  I'm so glad we're Yours.


Back to life,
Christine

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New Every Morning, Part Four

Read previous posts here:

Part One -- The Beginning
Part Two -- The Injury
Part Three -- The Furnace


A Year of Waiting.

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB

It's always good to start at the beginning.  But you can just read today's post if you like.  :)

I have this place in the back corner of our pie-shaped lot.  When we first moved in 16 years ago, my dad dug out a tree growing up from right next to the sewer (manhole cover), and moved it up about ten feet.  And I started dreaming about this special spot in the yard.

The view from my bench, in my special place.

One year I put some rocks in a kidney-shaped circle, hoping to plant some flowers back here.  One year, I had saved up enough to purchase a Smith & Hawken bench, which sits there, beautiful with its patina, beckoning me to come sit and breathe.  And one year I started purchasing paver bricks to create an actual garden.  I had to stop partway through, and the paver bricks are no longer made in that size for me to even finish that.

Dirt was mounded up, a few flowers were put in, weeds thrived, and even a few tomato plants in my very early years of figuring out this whole gardening thing.  But mostly, my spot just sits, neglected, in hibernation, if you will, just waiting.

Yes, this really does relate to my New Every Morning story of this past year!  Because, you see, this past year has been one of waiting.  After Fernando's layoff, back surgery, recovery...  After all of it, and still not being hired, we find ourselves on the verge of something new.

Fernando tested for and received his CDL (commercial driver's license), but continues to be paid as an independent contractor.  So, it seems that the Lord wants him to do this full-time.  It seems that much of the waiting is over, and Fernando is now preparing to go into business, entrepreneur-style.

We still don't have health insurance (the state of Illinois--need I say more?).  We still don't have much income.  The insurance company (for Fernando's worker's comp) still refuses to pay what they owe (they've paid some medical bills, thus admitting their responsibility, but nothing of the rest that is required).  Side note--that's a story I haven't gone into, but now you know the big picture.  :)

And here we are, ready to step into a foreign world.  So as I sit here in my special spot, on my beloved bench, I breathe.  We are stepping out, and we are deciding to trust the Lord, come what may.

On the verge, a bit scared, so many unknowns.  But as I sit here, and breathe, I know I am His.  We are His.

Cease striving and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10 NASB

To continue on our journey, click here to read Part Five.


Back to life,
Christine

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Convention Time

June 5-7.

For us, the ICHE state homeschool convention begins on June 4.  I spend the afternoon getting everything in order--all my supplies, paperwork, convention binder (aka my convention brain!), etc.  Then we--usually Fernando and I--head out to the hotel for a banquet ICHE hosts at the hotel for the convention speakers.  Sometimes we stay at the hotel, but honestly, the convention venue is about five minutes closer to our home than it is to the hotel!  So unless my speaker needs me at the hotel, it's so much nicer.

Your speaker?, you ask.  As ICHE's coordinator for special and struggling learners, I find speakers for each year's convention.  I look for speakers who can relate to homeschooling parents, who have something "meaty" and of substance that these parents are looking for.  This year, I had Dr. Jeremy Fritz with Brain Balance Centers present several workshops at the convention.

The Speaker Hall before convention started.

Dr. Fritz's table.

On Thursday, the convention began mid-morning, with us arriving, making sure our speaker table is in order, checking out the workshop rooms, making sure my speaker(s) arrive, helping my speaker set up his table, and a host of other preparations before the doors open and attendees arrive.  Then there are three workshops, back to back to back!  Finally, a break, which means getting my speaker where he needs to go (usually to dinner at that point!), then eating dinner and talking to people in the Oasis--a special room set up by Bret and Michelle where new homeschoolers can come have their questions answered, or just talk to someone about homeschooling, etc.  I love being in there, talking to people, listening to their stories, and encouraging and praying for them.

Dr. Fritz presenting a workshop.

The convention seemed to go typically, without drama, but it seemed a bit impersonal.  Always in the past, people would come up to me and talk with me, and connections would be made.  It was like a mini reunion each year!  But Thursday seemed to just be a "regular" day.

Everything got personal when a young lady grabbed me on Friday after a workshop, and asked, "Do you remember me?"  (Yikes.  I hope this was going to be a good story!)

She went on to remind me that I had spoken to her in the Oasis the previous year, and that I had encouraged her not only to continue homeschooling her special needs daughter, but to also start homeschooling her son.  (This is where I gulped.)

She concluded, "Well, my husband and I did pull our son out of the public school and brought him home.  And I have to tell you, this was the most special, fulfilling, incredible year that we have spent together as a family!  Thank you for your encouragement!  We have been so blessed!"

I share that not to boast, but to share with you the realization that our words are powerful, and that if we let the Holy Spirit speak through us, and use us, the Lord will build His body according to His purposes.  I spent the rest of the convention on a spiritual high!

The above image was another highlight of the convention.  Caleb, Andy, and Dan Romanowitz (friends of our guys) got to play a "mini concert" before one of the main sessions!  And I had enough time to whip over to the sanctuary to snap a few pictures of them for their mom, and to sit with her and simply enjoy and take in their music, a style of bluegrass and Celtic.  Wonderful!

Cindy, Dr. Fritz's assistant, working his very busy speaker booth.

Another blessing was that Dr. Fritz had an assistant (or two) working his booth the entire three days.  When he came four years ago, my guys manned the booth.  But they didn't know much about Brain Balance Centers, and couldn't explain much to the attendees.  They simply were there to have a physical body at the booth.  This year was so very nice with Cindy working all day, every day, pretty much wearing herself out talking to parents with lots of questions.  She was such a big blessing to have at the convention!

Dr. Fritz is also amazing!  He spent a number of hours talking individually to parents, having them sign up for mini "consultations" at his speaker booth.  He is so full of energy, so passionate about helping kids, and he poured himself out over the course of our three-day convention.  And his wife and he have a two-week-old baby girl at home!

Another neat story happened in the Oasis.  I was able to talk one-on-one with a lady who really just wanted to stop homeschooling so she could pursue her dream of working in theater.  I could tell she had a gift, but she felt like it would wither and die if she continued "putting it off."  I asked her what her husband's opinion was, and she answered that he would support her in whatever she decided.  I explained to her that he probably does have an opinion, and suggested that she ask him if they should continue homeschooling, and wait for his answer.  I prayed with her and she left.  Indications seemed to be that she intended on pursuing her dream.

Dr. Fritz demonstrating a concept with a volunteer from the audience.

Late Saturday evening, after convention had ended, I got a call from Michelle, the Oasis coordinator.  She said that that lady had come back to one of the ICHE leaders and told him to tell whoever counseled her and prayed with her in the Oasis that she did indeed ask her husband and left it in God's hands.  And, that on Saturday morning, as she and her husband woke up, he turned to her and said, "You know, we can continue to homeschool."  She took that as his answer, God's peace flooded her, and she went back to the convention that day with a new, firm commitment to continue homeschooling.

What a great way to end this year's convention!


Back to life,
Christine

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New Every Morning, Part Three

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB

Mid-May in our family room.

To catch up on the background to this post, you may want to start with Part One of our story! Or, to read the last segment, read Part Two here.

I think I left off our story during the holiday time, Christmas/New Year, to be exact.  I was weary, as I recall, and now I was cold, oh so cold from this brutal winter we had experienced, and that would seemingly never end.  Because of the extreme cold, I stayed home as much as possible, and this turned out to be a blessing.  I was able to rest, avoid busy-ness, and concentrate on taking care of my homefront.

The new year 2014 brought opportunities for Fernando to work with a satellite truck company, whose owner wanted to train Fernando on his two SAT trucks, both driving and operating.  There was good money to be made, but there was also a training period to go through.  And that's where Fernando was at, at this point.

Work was slow, and money was tight, but we did elect to receive unemployment, and that helped.  Yes, I know you have an opinion about taking taxpayer money when you're unemployed, and I had an opinion as well (I still do).  But we were in the trenches (still are!), and we needed help, temporarily.  And this was the solution presented to us for this season.

Now it was spring, although you'd never know it by the temperatures.  And this brings me to today's story, just a snippet of God's protection and care for His children during a long, hard season.  This story begins on May 15, in which the scene in the photo at the beginning takes place.


This Thursday dawned bright and cold--as in, it would only reach in the 40s today.  Some Chicago suburbs had snow that morning!  I went to and came home from my chiropractic appointment, and when I got home, Fernando had gone in to work (praise the Lord for a work day!).  He had left just five minutes or so before I got home.

When I walked in the door and down the hall, I noted that the thermostat read 63 degrees--seriously?!  I turned the heat to on, set the thermostat for 69, and walked into the kitchen to start my day at home.

Five or ten minutes later, I heard a knock at the door--Fernando was back.  Strange.  I opened the door to let him in, and he explained that Chuck (owner of STS) had called and would not be in right away, so instead of waiting around to start work, Fernando turned around and came home.  That worked out nicely that Fernando was still close to home when Chuck called!  I then commented that although I had turned on the heat, the furnace had yet to kick on, and would he be so kind as to check out why for me?

As soon as Fernando took a few steps down into the basement, he hollered, "I smell gas!!"  I turned off the heat on the thermostat, and Fernando went down to check things out.  Danny and Thomas were down there, but close to the floor so they hadn't smelled anything.  As soon as they stood up, they realized that the basement had filled with the smell of gas (that added sulfur smell, of course).  They quickly worked together to get fans going to clear out the natural gas, and Fernando started checking out the furnace.

I was so thankful to the Lord that Fernando had come home!  How much longer would I have waited before checking things out myself?  Would Danny/Thomas have smelled the smell, or been overcome?  At the worst, our house could have literally exploded.  The safety valve on our furnace had malfunctioned, and gas continued to pour in unabated!

Thank You, Lord, for Your protection.

Fernando decided that rather than spend money to have a repairman come out, we'd ride out the cold (how much longer could it last, anyway??), and use some of the firewood my parents blessed us with when they moved two years earlier.  Our living areas became nice and toasty as we kept a continual fire going, the boys stayed warm under blankets at nighttime, and I thanked the Lord for a family member's Christmas gift, with which we bought a warming layer (pad of sorts) for our bed so I could stay toasty all night long).

On the third day, Saturday, we decided that hotdogs over the fire would be an excellent meal, and Fernando obliged.  I love my Grillmaster!

Danny and Thomas messed around with Jacob on the couch.

Grilled hotdogs are one of our summer favorites, and we were happy to have them on a cold spring day.

Our furnace remains broken (it's July as I write this!), but we survived those three cold days until it warmed up.  Fernando figured we wouldn't need our furnace until October (here's hoping!), so we'd leave it until we get regular income.

That's just one little three-day snippet of how the Lord has taken care of us throughout this trying season of life.  I don't always see the "good" in things, and life doesn't just get fixed--though sometimes it does.  We're still in the trenches, and it's still very hard now.  But in telling this story to you now, I'm reminded that His care of His children is continual, no matter the circumstances.  And I know there are so many others going through incredible trials, and so this burden is lighter to bear.

Thanks for reading.


Back to life,
Christine

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