I want to begin by sending out a big "thank you" to every single person who has reached out in support for our family during our time of struggle. We are so blessed with amazing people in our lives, and we cannot begin to thank you all enough for your love, advice and support! So many friends have shared, with me, about their times of hardship and how they worked through it. Sometimes, even the most obvious pieces of advice are the ones you need to hear. I am pleased to say that we have been able to work things out, and in the process, I have made some steps into a brand-new, life-changing career!
By now, most of you know that I have decided to start my own photography business! It's something that I have thought about for quite some time. I have always had a difficult time in putting myself out there for fear of failure. I'm told by all kinds of people that I have many different talents, but I tend to be my worst critic. This time, I decided to take the leap, and so far, things are going pretty good!
I've had two photoshoots, thus far, and I've enjoyed them both more than I imagined I could have. There's just something about looking through that lense that gives me a rush. It goes beyond posing and lighting... It's like getting to know someone! What a gift this business is, that it lets me capture special moments in time for these families! I am so excited about what is to come, and I'm looking forward to all of the photoshoots to come!
What have we learned? Well, personally, I have learned that you cannot predict the future, so when your income is based soley on commission, it pays to be a bit more frugal - even during good times. We have learned to budget. I know, it seems like an easy thing, but when you sit down and figure out what you spend monthly on groceries and gas, alone, you will be shocked! It makes you think twice when you decide how many trips to town you are taking a week. You learn to base your weekly menu off of what is on sale rather than what might please your tastebuds more. I've started couponing! It's much more difficult than it sounds - I promise. Gene has learned to take his lunch to save a few hundred dollars a month. It's all a work in progress, but at least it's progress!
We are not out of the woods, yet, but if we are careful, we can manage. I know we could in much worse shape. There are some people who use credit cards to live off of, and I can say that we do not do that - anymore! (Gene and I both made this mistake in college, and we paid for it, literally, in the end!) We use our credit card for emergencies and occasionally for Gene's work that he gets reimbursed for. It's not even the mortgage, car payment, student loan payments, or other regular bills that get us in trouble. It's the extras....always the extras! We are learning to live with less "extras."
Good things have come out of this bad situation - as they always seem to do. God knows what he's doing, even when we don't. I prayed and prayed and PRAYED for answers during this time. In return, HE led me to a new career - something I can call my own. HE blessed Gene with work that couldn't have come at a better time. HE has helped our relationship by having us work harder at communicating about our finances - something that has been known to cause major marital problems. HE knew what he was doing when he lead us down this road, and I was foolish to not trust that he would show us the way to get through it!
Thank you all, again, for taking the time to show us how much you care! You are all blessings in our lives!
Love and blessings,
Jessie
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