So blessed. So very, very blessed am I.

This has been quite a year so far for me. I got a new boss at work and had to work tremendously hard for several months on two very large and very complicated client conferences. Then, right after the last conference ended and I was preparing for my first vacation of the year to rest and recoup I was laid off from my job. In a nutshell, the company eliminated the entire Marketing Strategy team because the SVP of Marketing determined that our role was "non-essential." This is truly an amazing thought given the number of hours and stress I had put in for the two months before the layoff.

Anyway, to put it mildly ... I was shocked. Absolutely shocked and amazed. I never saw this coming. I never thought that this would or could happen to me. I always knew that the company and its management were a bit crazy, but I always thought that I could work extra hard and be extra positive and that I would survive it. I had to. I had a family that I loved very much that I needed to support. I didn't particularly enjoy my job, but I kept a positive attitude and did the best I could to deliver quality projects for my internal clients.

The morning I got "the news", I was driving home and knew that I had to call Bern and let him know. I felt terrible having to deliver such scary news. I felt like a failure. I knew that he too would be shocked and scared ... and he was. When I reached him on the phone he was noticeably stunned, but also very supportive and kind. He came right home to meet me. I sat on our family room couch and Bern had to listen to me through incessant cycles of babbling that ranged from endless questions asking "why", to crying, to bursts of anger, then more questions and more babbling. After about 2 days on the couch, I became nearly speechless, frozen in fear and shock. Poor Bern -- I was incredibly unpleasant to be around. He said that he had never seen me like that.

The good news is that I now have been offered a new job with my old company, Fiserv. When some of my colleagues learned that I was available, they developed a position for me to come back and support their business. I am scheduled to start August 15 and I couldn't be happier. I am very glad to put this period behind me.

However, I have learned so much during this 2 month, very scary process. I have learned that, over the years, I have built a strong professional reputation and that there is truly equity in my personal brand. I have learned that I have many, many professional contacts and personal friends that respect me and are willing to help me and support me when times get tough. I have learned that my husband and my family truly love me and believe in me and will be there for me through thick and thin. But one of the most important, life changing things that has been revealed to me is that God loves me and has a plan for me. He is always with me and will never abandon me. He truly listens to my prayers and cares about my desires and fears. It is His hand that guides my life.

As I start this next period in my career/life, I am secure knowing that I am truly blessed to have an awesome family, awesome friends, a vast and powerful network of professional colleagues/contacts, a strong reputation (professionally and personally) and true talent and grit that will see me through. But most of all, I am blessed and have tremendous peace in knowing that this journey of my life is not one that I am taking alone. I know now that I will never be alone or truly lost, because our Lord is walking with me each step of the way. He is guiding me, loving me and revealing to me His will. That understanding is my real blessing from this scary and difficult experience and I will be forever aware of and grateful for His presence in my life.

I wish for each of you a true understanding of God's will for your life. That you will ask the Lord to come into your heart and into your daily life and thoughts. It will bring you true peace and a heart filled with loving, positive emotion. Trust me ... there is nothing better. Nothing.

I love you all so much. Thanks for your love and support.

God bless you.

B.