New Birth

A lot has happened since I last posted. I can honestly say that I'm so glad I didn't get the job I applied for! All of these closed doors recently have been directly from the Lord's hand and I am so confident in the direction He is leading me now. I'm on the path to becoming a doula!

This journey all started about 2 years ago when my friend Holly and I took a class on Natural Family Planning at a local hospital. Through the class, I met a wonderful gal named Sharon who introduced me to the concept of the doula. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, the term doula is a Greek word meaning "woman's servant." A doula is a trained labor companion, someone who supports an expectant mother physically and emotionally throughout labor and delivery. The decision to pursue this path has been a long time coming, even further back than 2 years, I think. But, I'm finally venturing out. I've ordered business cards, set up my business email account, and purchased a "uniform" (scrubs, essentially) and other supplies for my new occupation. And now, as of this past Friday, I've experienced 2 births, thanks to Sharon and her wonderful client. (It was the first 100% natural, un-medicated birth that I'd been to and it was AMAZING!!)

This weekend, I'm heading to Montana to attend a 3-day intensive doula training. In the weeks that follow, I will be reading more books about childbirth, breastfeeding, and related topics than I care to think about at this point! Needless to say, certain female anatomical parts are becoming a regular part of my vernacular! Smile.

Thank you to everyone who's been praying for me, for the Lord's guidance in my life. Please keep it up. And those of you living in the Spokane area, I'll be needing clients so pass the word!

Halfway There

I received some disappointing news this past Saturday. A letter arrived in the mail notifying me that a job I had interviewed for was offered to someone else. Needless to say, my weekend was a bit of a "downer." I was really excited for this job and felt I was well-qualified for the position. Now, I seem to be back to square one. At least I'm halfway to my goal. I'm loving my new job at Kingdom Kids and just knowing I get to spend my afternoons there makes heading to work in the mornings more bearable. I don't have much for leads for another part-time job to replace my morning job. In my eagerness to be moving on, I've wondered if should just take some random job that I'm not really excited about. I can't help feeling, in my heart, that it's time to be done with work for which I have no passion. I've watched people who have stayed in jobs for decades - jobs they hate - and are completely miserable. That's not for me. Mind you, I'm not looking for some glamorous job that pays $25 an hour (although that would be nice...smile). I simply want to work in an environment that fosters spiritual growth and allows me to openly pursue the passions that are close to my heart.

I keep coming back to the whole doula thing. I'd love to provide support for women in labor and, in so doing, contribute to the pro-life cause that is so important to me. I haven't the slightest idea what all goes into running a business and building clientel. And I can't expect to have enough clients right off the bat to provide the financial support I would need. I'd appreciate your prayer about this...and I'll keep you posted.