I love my wife!!!

It is always good to pause to reflect on good things in your life.  So today I will remember the best thing (outside of my relationship with Jesus).  Today is my wife's birthday. 

As I have been married to my prize for 15 years now, I can honestly say that what I see in her is what 15 year old Jay couldn't even dream up in his best dreams as he sat in math class wondering what kind of woman he would end up with. 

Young Jay would probably have focused solely on beauty.  What I have is the beauty that calms when chaos surrounds, the beauty that shines when gloomy days overwhelm, and the beauty that radiates the love of Jesus Christ on everyone around her.  Deep and everlasting beauty, inside her soul and outside as she is clothed in righteousness. 

Young Jay would have wanted a trophy wife.  What I have is a trophy, but not for others to admire.  This trophy is for me to admire how good of a God must have given it to me.

Young Jay would have wanted a girl to rescue.  What I have is a woman who rescues me from myself on a daily basis.  Her strength, calm, and confidence in her God spills over onto me every day of my life. 

Young Jay would have wanted a girl to have fun with.  What I have is a woman who knows how to have fun, but who is even better at having joy. 

Young Jay would have wanted to never settle down.  What I have is a settling of my spirit bestowed on me through the means of a godly wife. 

Anxiousness has given way to peace. 
Vanity has given way to depth.
Selfishness has given way to sacrifice.
And I have given my heart to the Lord who has trusted it with my treasure box named Michelle. 

I love you, Michelle.  Happy birthday, My Chelle.  Your life has blessed, is blessing, and will continue to bless the Lord and those He blesses with your presence. 

God is perfect!

Yours forever,
Jay

Christian Books for sale

To raise money to help us move, I am going to be selling a LOT of my books.  Almost all of them are in near perfect shape (I don't like to write in my books). 

Check out my shelfari above this post.  Each of these books is for sale.

If you see a book you would like, make me a fair offer ASAP (via email at richfam2u(at)gmail(dot)com).  Again, this is so that we can raise enough money to put down for a deposit on an apartment.

There will probably be more titles added later. 

The Countdown to Who Knows What?????

Well, the hits just keep on coming! 

I have lived under SO much stress lately that my right eyelid literally has constantly been twitching for a couple of weeks now.  Also, my left eyelid just started to twitch too.  My shoulders are like steel, hardened by tension and stress.  I am physically feeling the burdens on me moment by moment. 

And I know the cliches and platitudes that we offer to each other about laying our burdens at the feet of Christ, and they are definitely true.  And don't believe for a second that I haven't been.  When you live in a constant state of uncertainty, that is one thing a Christian definitely learns to do more of....pray. 

But I live here, right in the middle of it, like a tribesman in a tent surrounded by lions.  I might have confidence in my weapons, but you better believe my heart still races every second of the dark, cold night. 

And folks, my heart is racing today. 

A couple of days ago, I told Michelle that we needed to think about maybe adopting a more radical plan to get out of the mess we're in.  Basically, I suggested 2 options:

1. For her and the kids to move in with her mom in Nashville for a couple of months while I continued to work my new job here so that I could save up enough money to rent a place.  You see, with a foreclosure on our records, we are almost certain to require first and last months rent, at least and it will take a while for me to earn that.
2. To borrow her parents 5th wheel and try to find someone who will let us park on their land for a couple of months so we can save up some money to rent a place. 

The first option is bad because Michelle is pregnant and we will be away from each other almost all of the time.

The second option is bad because there are 6 of us and there are many details to attend to in a small amount of time (trying to sell off a bunch of stuff, storing the rest, getting a PO Box, etc). 

Now, onto today.  The owner of the house sent a representative by today telling us that he is planning on selling the house.  They even power washed it and were working on the yard and asked us to have it ready for a potential buyer to come and see it.  So now we definitely know that our time here is very short.  Something MUST open up. 

On my way to work today, my car died AGAIN!  It wouldn't start so I had to take our van to work.  This is the 3rd time in the past couple of months something has broken. 

We have a few hundred dollars to our name and the job I'm working at has only been part time this week during training.  It will be full time starting next week.  The first 2 weeks, I am getting paid $9/hr and then it goes up to $12/hr.  And that's all the income we have right now.  We might have some money from some past work show up but we are not holding our breath for it.  We own nothing of value to sell either. 

I am not sure we can even make it here anymore.  I am considering all of us moving in with my mother in law and crowding into her house.  But then I would lose the job I have and she lives about an hour away from Nashville (where most likely I would try to find work). 

If anyone in the world needs wisdom right now, it is me.  I absolutely have no idea what to do and the clock is now ticking. 

And let me say this.  This is NOT a plea for money.  I write to share my desperation for prayers on behalf of my family.  This will truly take a monsoon of grace.  But He is able.....He ALONE is able!!! 

If you have any advice, I would welcome it.  If you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I would welcome your prayers more. 

And if you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, I would love to share my riches in Him with you. 

J

Job update

Just a quick update for everyone who has been praying for us. 

I interviewed with Rick Perry of the Dave Ramsey group this past Wednesday.  It was a great opportunity to discuss positions in the organization and to meet many kind and energetic people. 

However, (and I could be wrong about this), I did not get the sense that he believed that I was the best fit for the position. 

While driving the 3 hour drive back home, a wrestling match took place.  I talked (whined) to the Lord about another missed opportunity.  My wife comforted me over the phone with wise words reminding me of the sovereignty of God.  And all the previous nervous and negative energy seemed to drain out of me, just leaving me a shell of a person driving home. 

In numbness, I watched the dotted lines on the road fly by.  And I turned on some music on my Ipod to hear others sing of their great love for Jesus.  At first, I seemed to be a specatator to the worship of the unseen faces coming out of my radio, but then I found myself not just wanting to, but HAVING to participate. 

And over the course of those couple of hours, I discovered that the Lord emptied me for a reason.....to make room for Him!  So much of my vision has been clouded by so little of a man that it felt nice to be swallowed up by His massive presence and His message of forgiveness and love.

I know that God loves me and is doing just the right thing at just the right time. 

And thinking about things, it just seems to me that He won't let me shake the idea of serving Him in Poland.  Preparing us by taking everything away.  Preparing us by walking us through the desert.  Preparing us by emptying us of ourselves.  Preparing us by not allowing us to succeed in our pursuit of ANYTHING else which would keep us away.  Preparing us by renewing our minds so that we will be able to know what His will is-His good, pleasing, and perfect will. 

Maybe so, maybe not.  I do not know.  But, for now, I limp away from my wrestling match with God trusting that He is bigger, stronger, and wiser than I am.  And He is good.  Want proof?  Read God's very own words in the book of John. 

And just so you know, God did provide me with a job raising funds for Firemen over the phone.  I started the day after my Dave Ramsey interview.  It is monotonous and dry and not my favorite thing in the world, but so was the daily manna the Israelites received from God.  So I will keep eating whatever manna He sends me trying to be grateful that He sends me anything in spite of my sins against Him. 

One day at a time.  One bite at a time.  Grateful for the crumbs which will one day be a feast!

The story is not over. 

Jay

Brain Pickins

Well, tomorrow is the day for the big interview with Dave Ramsey at Financial Peace Plaza in Nashville. 

Ironically, today I received a completely separate email in my other email account from Dave Ramsey's people requesting a phone interview with another guy (I used my old application which had my less-used email on it) for the same position.  This is good news!  I believe this points to the fact that they were going to pull my resume anyway for an interview. 

Many of you do not know this, but a few years ago, I interviewed for a similar position with Dave Ramsey's Lampo Group.  I was living in Florida at the time and flew in just for the interview.  That is when I found out how great the company was to work for!  But, in God's providence, I did not receive a follow-up interview. 

I will be better prepared this time as a result of that experience. 

But I need some advice, especially from those of you who interview people at your jobs.  Already, I have received some great tips from Michelle's cousin and it was so good that I want to ask you for some more. 

Specifically:

1. How should I dress?  The company has a casual dress with most of the employees and even Dave wearing jeans and flip flops.  However, this is an interview where I want to put my best foot forward.  How much is too much?  How little is too little?
2. What are some questions I should anticipate from the HR guy (he was very easygoing last time) and the sales staff (they were very tough)? 
3. What are some questions I can ask about the company?
4. How much energy should I bring to the table, considering that I used such an unusual and somewhat pushy method to get the interview in the first place?

I will be leaving early tomorrow (Wednesday) morning for my 2pm interview.  So any responses before then would be of great benefit.  Thanks again for your prayers, support, and wisdom. 

In Christ,
Jay

A Special Night of Caving In!!!!

It has been many weeks that I have held out on knowing the gender of future baby Richardson.  But going to the ultrasound appointment was just too much for my frail resolve to withstand.  While I showed enough strength to look away while the gender was revealed, the pressure has caused me to crack. 

But I still NEED it to be a surprise!!!  It's very important that this occasion is marked in a memorable way. 

Now it just so happens that some friends of ours have invited us to go the Tennessee Smokies game tonight for free.  And also, Michelle's mom decided that she was going to come and visit tonight and stay for a few days to celebrate her birthday with us.  There's just enough tickets for everyone. 

All of these events coalescing caused my mind to think of some possibilities.  And it clicked. 

I called the Tennessee Smokies and asked them if they would be involved in revealing whether the baby is a boy or a girl. 

So tonight, in the top of the 9th inning, they are going to have our kids on the field popping pink and blue balloons with confetti shooting out of them.  The last balloon they pop will either have blue or pink confetti and we will all find out together at that moment whether we have a boy or a girl.

Cool, huh?

We did it!!!!

Never in my history of looking for work (and I am quite experienced at this my friends) have I received such a fast response inviting me for an interview!!! 

Let me recap the day for you because, like it or not, you are invested in my life now.  I can share the sorrows, but Boy Oh Boy I can sure share the victories too! 

First, I want to admit something else to you.  The "Job Mob" was my main strategy to receive an interview with Dave Ramsey, but there was another part of my plan.  Providentially, I was scheduled to pick up my car today in Tullahoma (it broke down there last week).  That is quite a ways from me, but only another hour or so away from Brentwood, TN.  Why is that important?  Because that is where Financial Peace Plaza is located, the site of the Dave Ramsey show and the Lampo Group.

Knowing this, I wanted to attack this job search on one more front.....Dave Ramsey himself!!!  Last night, I stayed up late crafting a 1 page plea for a job interview.  In it, I told him about the "Job Mob" so that he would know that I possess the creativity needed for a job like this.  Being such a crucial part of my qualifications, I really needed you to come through for me, to show that I could do what I said I would do, namely flood the inbox of Rick Perry.  And you did!!!

Rick Perry (the main HR guy of the Lampo Group) called and left a voicemail within about an hour of us leaving the facility!!!  He was quite impressed with the sheer volume of emails.  He told me to call off the "Job Mob" and that he surrenders.  In his email, he quoted some specific phrases that I only wrote in my personal letter to Dave Ramsey, so the attack on that front succeeded as well! 

In short, he was overwhelmed with requests, by me, you, and apparently Mr. Ramsey himself to check me out for this position.  On the phone, he was quite jovial, chuckling a lot, and telling me how much they like to see that kind of enthusiasm and creativity. 

All I can say is thank you so much!  I will be calling Mr. Perry tomorrow to set up an interview and when the time comes, I will let you know when it is so that you can pray for me. 

That's how it works, folks.  My sorrow is your sorrow.  My joy is your joy.  One body, one Savior, one hope!  All praise goes to King Jesus who blessed me and you with our authentic fellowship over these past few days! 

Getting this position is still quite uncertain, but I know this for sure....God heard your prayers this day and answered with a resounding, "Yes!"  And we all benefitted from seeing Him work.

Let it not be mistaken in any way, God opened this door today.  But He uses means too.  Thank you for being His tools today. 

Now leave Mr. Perry alone, will ya?!!!!!! 

Jay