Life is a rollercoaster you've just got to ride it.... (oh Ronan, you were better with the other 'zonal boys' than by yourself. I digress.)

Apologies for weird white background, having uh... technical difficulties...!

More on change...

This time, JOBS.  Oh and flats.

A few weeks ago, I was about to finish my job, having been made redundant.  To be honest, we were panicking a little about how we were going to pay the rent, because one salary doesn't cover everything here in dear old Brighton town.  I'd known for a while that changes were a'comin' in the summer, but July came upon us very quickly I felt.  I didn't even realise it was July until halfway through - successfully managing to miss the wedding anniversaries of the two couples closest to me.  Doh.

 I did apply for a few jobs, felt very hopeful, and as with all nearly all jobs I've applied for in the past 3 years, didn't even get an interview: ("Thank you for your application for our administrator post . Unfortunately on this occasion you were not successful in securing an interview. We had over 80 applications and those who were shortlisted all had over 15 years experience of working as administrators").  That's how it is now folks... 15 years experience required.  So there's no chance, is there??!!! 

Anyhow so yes I was panicking a bit.  And I made one decision based more on panic than anything else.  Which is never that wise.  But then there's also being sensible... ai ai ai that whole balance thing again.  It's always cropping up.

THEN, the situation changed, and in the space of less than a month I believe, we have moved out of our very expensive one bedroom flat, into a significantly cheaper one bedroom flat - shared with a friend (there's a big loft space!!!), which means that the pressure is lifted in terms of earnings vs rent-bills-tax-food-etc.  AND WE ARE EVEN CLOSER TO THE SEA.  Woop de dee this makes me happeee!

So back to jobs - change of flat meant maybe I could study that journalism course I've been thinking of for aaages.  And even got a place on the course despite not knowing the name of any publications I could possibly submit an article idea to (shame on me!  My grammar must have been good for them to accept me...).  But for some reason I didn't feel settled about it.  Even though it makes a whole lot of sense.  After 3 post graduate years of definitely not post graduate employment, it does seem like the time to do something 'proper'.  And part of me really really wants to (could go into whole other 1000 word rant/thought-train here, but I won't today!).  However, as I said, I had that not-peaceful feeling in my belly and couldn't shake it until I decided not to do the course.  After all I only want to commit that much time and money to something I'm 100% sure about.  It might sound funny but that 'feeling in my stomach' does guide a lot of my decisions in life, and I'm learning to trust it, because I kinda think it's God's way of helping me pick my way through a bazillion paths and choices.

It helped that my somewhat shaky, last-minute decision to stay working for the church has been bolstered a whole lot by the new office - which has a WINDOW, and I have my own desk, AND a computer that works.  Also I like the new building we're based in, and the fact that my job will be less hours and slightly different to what it was before.  They might sound like small things, but they make a big difference to me.

AND it doesn't end there - I was just getting my head round the fact that I might be working a lot less for the next few months, and trying to be OK with that, when I landed myself a pub job!  This time, taken because I have NO bar experience -and therefore no bad habits, apparently.  I'll write about my new role another time.  Let's just say I think I've got a lot to learn there, which is no bad thing.

So in the space of weeks, we've gone from flip-we-have-no-idea-how-we're-gonna-pay-the-rent-next-month... to a new flat (with a bedroom that has space on BOTH SIDES OF THE BED - no more being squished by Mr Q as he attempts to 'delicately' roll over me to get out of bed) and the prospect of being unemployed to lady of three very different jobs!

Suffice to say, we feel blessed.  We've been encouraged lots to trust God for provision, but it's a whole lot easier said than done.  I think I mainly expect to always be poor and struggling for pennies.  And life may well be like that again in the future.  But for now we'll be thankful.  And hopefully be generous with it too.