Life has changed quite a bit in the past year. 13 months ago Mark and I packed everything we could into our car and drove straight through from Indianapolis to Orlando. A few days later Mark flew back to Indiana to finish a police course that he was taking and wouldn't return for six weeks. Thankfully I was able to transfer from Starbucks in Indiana to a store that was local to my parents house. That was a long six weeks.
Mark returned, found a job at 7-11 (which ended up being pretty bad once it was bought out) and proposed on July 31st. After that we got caught in the crazy whirlwind of planning a wedding in 5 months. Mark and I were both putting in as many hours possible at our jobs and trying to plan out the details of the wedding in our spare time. I figured that once the wedding was over our lives would calm back down and we would resume life a usual, only together. Boy, was I wrong! Before we were even back from our honeymoon Mark was getting phone calls from his aggravating boss (which of course we didn't answer considering he had approved Mark's time off and knew that he was getting married). Then I got a text from my boss telling me to call her as soon as I got back. I found out two days later that I was being promoted. As soon as we got back I was thrown into a whirlwind schedule of training, Mark was working nights, mornings and days (his schedule was all over the place every week, including swing shifts and doubles), and now we never saw each other.
February rolled around quickly and Mark finally made the decision to join the marines (after much prayer and talking and more prayer). He went to Tampa for MEPS and his ASVAB and came back in the Marines Delayed Entry Program. We now know that he ships off to Basic Training on November 15th to Paris Island and will be gone for 12 weeks. He won't know until October what jobs are available to him. He is hoping to be MP (Military Police).
Through all of this I was still working an ever changing and ever more stressful job at Starbucks. Things got worse for me at the end of February when I was wrongfully verbally and characteristically attacked at work. Then a couple weeks later I seriously injured my shoulder at work. That was a mess of tests and doctors visits (X-Rays, MRI and Physical Therapy). I was just released from Physical Therapy. It turns out that I sprained my rotator cuff and possibly had a hairline fracture and a hairline muscle tear (there was a good amount of fluid in the joint). So after been in a sling for a couple weeks and a run around of pain meds that made me sick and working with a limitation of not being able to lift, push or pull anything with my right arm, I was worn out.
Work finally got so stressful that I couldn't sleep well, eat right or function "normally" that Mark and I began to talk about me quitting. It was effect my physical, mental and emotional health, as well as my relationships, especially with Mark. So after lots of prayer and talking to my parents and Mark more, I gave my two weeks notice. Last Thursday was my last day and I have been so much happier. Mark and I are doing one hundred times better. I am making time again to spend time in the word with God. And I actually feel like getting out of bed again in the morning.
Saturday and Sunday night Mark and I were able to stay in a beautiful suite on the other side of Orlando thanks to Grandma Rita. It was fun, we had a room that was connected to a dining/kitchen/living room area and on the other side was Grandma's suite. We went swimming, spent time with family, spent much needed time alone and of course went to Bass Pro Shops and a Outlet Mall (since they were right there).
Monday we drove to Tampa to visit a friend of mine from Indiana. It was wonderful to see her! And her husband and adorable son! We spent the afternoon and evening with them and then started back home. Unfortunately our car (oh, did I mention that we also bought a car two weeks ago...lol, that's a whole different story) broke down right outside of Tampa and we were stuck on the side of the road for almost four hours. My dad was amazing and drove out to help us. We called AAA, had to have the car towed to a mechanic in Tampa (by now it is after 2am), and finally rode back to Orlando with my dad. We got home a little after 4am in the morning. I felt so bad for my dad who still had to work that day. Apparently the engine in the car has some plastic thing on the intake that overtime it cracked from heat and finally completely cracked causing the engine to intake water from the radiator, choking the engine. Needless to say, it should run great now, after a horribly long and stressful night (and week!) and hundreds of dollars later. My Mom is wonderful enough to drive me to Tampa tomorrow to pick up the car.
My parents have been amazing. They have gone above and beyond. Mark and I have been trying to get on our feet since we moved here. Its so frustrating sometimes to be putting in 40 hour weeks (or more) and still have hardly anything to show (if anything). But we keep praying and trusting that God will provide and continue to show us His will for us. We are so thankful for all of the help and support my parents and his parents have given us. Even though we are living with my parents and aren't in a great financial situation, we try to remind each other of the things that we have to be thankful for that a lot of people don't have.
We have a God who loves us and wants us, a Creator who loves us so much that He died just so we would have the opportunity to be with Him forever in paradise. We have each other, we have been through a lot in our relationship and each day we fall more and more in love with each other. We have freedom, we live in a country where we can worship our Lord freely. In Honduras there is currently a Church that is being attacked and persecuted. They have recently had many abductions and even murders. Its very sad. I pray daily for them. We have family, family that loves and supports us no matter what. We have a roof over our head, many people don't right now. We have food and clothes. Again, many people don't. We have a car, a lot of people don't have cars. We have so many other things, the list could just go on and on.
I sometimes wonder in the moment that things go wrong or get hard if God has forgotten me, or forgotten us. While I know that He will never forget me and never lose sight of me, sometimes I get lost in the disappointment and pain. But I am contently reminded of God's goodness and provision. And in those moments that I lose sight of Him, that I let my eyes stray from distraction, God sends people and scripture to remind me of His unfailing love and of the blessings that I have been given.
Prayer Requests:
*That I will continue to make more time for the most important thing in my life: My relationship with God. That I will thirst for Him and His word more and more.
*That Mark and I will continue to grow closer to each other and encourage each other in our walks with God.
*That God will continue to provide for my family, Mark's family and Mark and I.
*That I will find a new (and better) job soon.
*That Mark's dad will find a job and Mark's mom a better job.
*That God will direct me in a career.
*That Mark and I will be prepared for his military career and the time apart.
*For the church in Honduras.
