Tender Mercies from 2013: Part 1

I have been reading through other people's blogs lately and a lot of them have their highlights from 2013. As I was thinking about this I couldn't help but contemplate all of the ways we were blessed in 2013. Don't get me wrong, 2013 definitely had its fair share of struggles, but it was also full of tender mercies from the Lord. I am forever in debt to the Lord for all the blessings Simon and I receive on a daily basis. I am always amazed at how giving the Lord is and I am grateful for his hand in our lives. I hope that as you read this post it will help you remember the tender things the Lord did for you and those you love in 2013. I apologize, this post may be rather long.

Back in late fall of 2012 I started having this nagging feeling that I needed to finish my masters degree before Simon and I moved to England. I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to do it since I was working as a manager in a very demanding environment. I worked all the time. I knew I would have to talk to my boss about how to make both work. Before I had the chance to talk to him we found out his assistant was quitting in January to move to Russia with her husband to teach English. As soon as I found this out, I knew it was a tender mercy from the Lord. If I would be able to switch positions from being a manager to being an assistant, this would help alleviate some of the pressure from my job and give me more time to concentrate on school work. I approached my boss about wanting to become his assistant at first he thought I was joking, but I told him I was serious and that we should discuss it further. We met and I told him my goal for finishing school and needing a job that was less stressful and less time consuming. He and I had worked together for over 2 years and have a great relationship. He agreed and was excited for this change. Now all we had to do is find a good manager to replace me and get me trained on my new job. This change took place the first week of January, a week before I started school. HUGE tender mercy.

As I mentioned above, I wanted to finish my masters ( had taken a year and a half break to pursue my management position). Now I had to find classes that fit the criteria I could take. This meant getting my program director's approval and professor approval for the courses I wanted to take. I found some classes and got professor's approval to take their classes. I was still 3 credits short and could not find any classes that fit the criteria or that professor's would allow me to take. I was ready to throw in the towel, but decided to keep trying (this involved calling schools, emailing professors, etc. to see if I could get into a course). I finally found two business professors who would allow me to take their classes. I was able to get approval for 5 classes and meet my graduation requirement for credits. I was so relieved and I know that it was only possible because I was doing what the Lord wanted me to do. I know he helped open some doors and windows so I could find the right classes to finish my degree. I started the last semester of my masters the second week of January.

Working full-time and taking 5 masters classes is not something I would recommend on a normal basis. There were times during that January to May time frame I wondered if I was going to make it. Sometimes I felt physically ill due to the stress and anxiety I was feeling about getting everything done and doing it well. I still wanted to be a golden employee while getting good grades at school. There are two people I consider to be tender mercies for me at this time. The first person is Simon, my dear, patient, and loving husband. I can't tell you how many times he had to talk me off the ledge (figuratively speaking). There were many late and sleepless nights and he was there with me for all of it. Sometimes I would be so sick from worry I would lay on the ground in our living room and he would just lay there with me. He often made runs to sonic to get me pebble ice to chew on while I studied or wrote papers (for some reason this helped lessen my anxiety and pebble ice is delicious). He also would get me Cafe Rio when neither of us had the energy to cook (probably why I gained over 20lbs during this period of time). He was a huge tender mercy and I credit him for helping me finish my degree. The other person is my dear boss. Some of you may know him. Guy Goddard is one of the best people I have ever worked for. He is now one of my good friends. He was very flexible with me while I was finishing school and working as his assistant. He would sometimes let me leave early or come in late if I had some school stuff I needed to finish. He also let me have days off when I asked every now and again to do school work. I consider working for him at this time a tender mercy. I don't know how many bosses out there would have been so flexible with me.

I am happy to say that I kept my job after finishing my degree in May (meaning I didn't do too badly during this crazy time in my life) and I finished the semester with:

• A in Principles of Operational Excellence
• A in History and Systems of Psychology
• B+ in Introduction to Educational and Psychological Research
• B+ in Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness
• Pass in my independent research class with my program director

Although I did not get straight A's (which was my goal), I am still very proud of my last semester. I did my whole masters degree while working full-time. I started in 2009, took a year and a half off from July of 2011 until January 2013, and then finished in May 2013. I graduated with a 3.52 from USU. My goal was a 3.5. I am so happy that chapter of my life is over and am thankful for the tender mercies of the Lord.