Great Ideas In A Failing Economy & The Letter 'N'

First of all I want you to all know that I am deeply saddened when I hear that someone has lost their job or their homes and I want you to also know I will do everything in my power to stand by you and support you during these difficult times. So it is when I heard that one of my blog friends Dayna over at Scotty Acres has her own Etsy shop and that her husband who is an electrical drafter lost his job, well, I decided to head on over and take a look at what she has to offer.

Dayna has in her Etsy store at this time, Christmas stockings, a tree skirt, baby onesies, bibs, quilts, coffee mugs, crayon aprons for children, adult bibs (a perfect gift for that guy on your list that has everything), mouse pads, fleece hats and more and lots of her things have the adorable Scottie dog on them. So, this month if you get a chance, please head on over to Scottie Acres Etsy store and purchase something from Dayna and let her know you found her via my blog. I will have her shop posted shortly on my side bar for all to check out!

Next, with the recession currently on in high gear, it made me wonder how so many parents with new babies are able to afford disposable diapers and how they are hanging in there because I purchased a package of disposable diapers the other day for our latest grandchild and thought, WOW! These puppies are expensive.

Then, I discovered a cute little on line shop called Two Little Whales
and it is run by a stay at home mom who sells cloth diapers and NO! These are nothing like the cloth diapers I used on my own children, these diapers come in various colors, sizes, one size fits all, they have inserts or no inserts, the outsides are not plastic but they appear to be water proof so whats in the diaper, stays in the diaper and there are many eco-friendly choices. So, if you know someone having a new baby, that has a new baby or has a little one in diapers, you might want to head on over to Two Little Whales
and check it out.

While initially they appear to be a bit pricey, I think they pay for themselves when you consider 9 packages of diapers adds up to about $100 anyway. Rachel, the owner of this business is offering several specials right now to help lower the costs a bit. Now, if only my son and his soon-t0-be wife had a washer and dryer, I would snap these up in a New York Minute!

Lost your job and still have good credit and want to move to a new state? If you have always wanted to move to Arizona and can take the heat, move to the city of Avondale. The City of Avondale in an effort to clean up the blight left in their subdivisions by foreclosures is offering homeowners assistance to purchase homes in these areas. Up to $30,000 down payment assistance, $5,000 closing cost assistance and up to $10,000 in home repair assistance and there are income restrictions so if you don't have a job at this time, this might be a place to search for work and purchase a home. Check out the City of Avondale
and I think if you really want a fresh start, this is the place to go. It is also home to Phoenix International Raceway for all you NASCAR fans.

What about people that are losing their jobs and are finding great freedom in these losses? I just read an article where people in Oregon are being laid off from Hewlett Packard and instead of being bitter, many are heading back to school to pursue what their first career goals were to being with. One man had always wanted to be a science teacher and another a registered nurse. In our area, people are opening new businesses they would have never opened had the mills not closed.

When I left the City of Goodyear as a police dispatcher after 12 years, I was pretty confident I would find another job within 6 months. It has now been almost 2 years and I have been blessed with working with children and while it does seem to always be my preference or what my college degrees are in, it seems to be Gods calling for me at this time.

This all adds up to todays letter, the letter 'N' for nothing is impossible. If we remain with our eyes fixed on God in heaven, no matter how desperate things get, we need to always remember that Nothing is impossible when we trust in God (Hebrews 11:6). I also like to remember that today, this moment, I am right where God wants me to be, to serve Him. Perhaps this post is for someone who just needs some cheering up today, I don't know. But I do know that God only gives us what we can handle.

God has shown me this over and over and over again. When our marriage was proving that it would end in divorce, God showed me it wasn't in His plans. When a home we had built almost went into foreclosure, God showed me it wasn't in His plans. When I had 3 sons at one time in prison, God showed me I could move forward and strengthened me in His love. When I couldn't find a job here, God showed me there were other jobs I could do and that we could live on less and have more!

Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for those who please God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder to those who seek Him through faith.

Don't give up. If you are going through difficult times let me know, I will pray for you and with you and always remember, sometimes God may move us out of our comfort zone for a reason. Just ask my good friend Melinda over at Melinda's Fabric Fancies who couldn't find a job in Washington, but had one within a few days of her new move to Utah.

Have a blessed day!