After nearly 12 years, it is time for me to move on.  I honestly thought I’d be at Florida Today until the Trumpet Call, but such was not the case.  I knew my time was short on January 14^th, 2008.  I could take you to the very spot were the Lord spoke to me after initially receiving a change in command at my “then current” position.  The news I had dreaded had finally come to pass.  Looking back, it reminded me of Satan asking permission from the Lord to test Job (Job of the 18^th book in the Old Testament of the Bible).  Permission to test – granted!  But there was no fear, because God Almighty clearly said to me, “Stay calm because I am going to move you very soon”.

Time passed, and conditions deteriorated as was expected.  The environment I was in became extremely toxic and filled with lies and manipulation.  I was reminded of Proverbs 19:9 “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish”.  No matter what happened on a daily basis, I remained confident in the promise from God that he would indeed move me at just the right time. 

In June, an internal position opened in Advertising.  I submitted my supplemental application and I knew that God was with me.  Immediately after the application process was initiated, the Lord said to me, “A righteous man walks with the Lord and does not follow wicked counsel”.  This was wise instruction to me from God Almighty Himself.  When the “wicked” counsel came to me, I had already been forewarned and never even considered getting off the path that had been laid before me. 

As some of you know, the Lord miraculously showed me other things that were going on behind the scenes that I would otherwise have no knowledge of.  There was no doubt, I was exactly where God wanted me to be.  I was moving, but the move wouldn’t come easily.  Job had friends who encouraged him during his test…. I too had many dear friends who never left my side during this testing season in my life.  I am so grateful for each and every one…but I would like share some details about one in particular.  When the lies and schemes tried to derail what was meant to be, and when nasty words and hateful looks made this seem like a war – one friend never gave up on my rescue – Andrea.

Ultimately, sweet victory came, and Andrea became my new boss.  I cannot thank her enough for not giving up…I had literally moved from one extreme to another.  Andrea is a God’s girl all the way…and even though I can’t thank her enough here for what she did for me, I know her deeds are recorded in Heaven and her eternal reward has already been set. 

I moved over to my new location in Advertising on July 14, 2008, which was exactly 6 months from the time all this began.  There was so much cleaning to do.  There were years of old documents and trash piled into a very small cubicle.  As I began the “extreme makeover” of my workstation, yet another set of circumstances were set into motion.  As I waited, I cleaned, tossed out trash, straightened and organized things until it was all done.  And then when my new work area was perfect, God opened yet another door.  And then I realized what God had done.  The Lord had carefully placed me in Andrea’s hands for a short season.  He allowed me to move from the corrupt and toxic work environment I was in to a place of refuge under Andrea’s tender loving care.  There, as I cleaned out my new workstation, I also cleaned out the bad stuff that had clung to me during my move.  When all was purged from my external work area and my internal feelings, the door was opened wide.  At last, I could see why God had allowed the events of January 14^th to take place.  Now I was ready to move to where God had meant for me to go all along.  And like Job, I am indeed being restored.

Difficult times lie in the days ahead.  No doubt, some of you may find yourselves in situations where you too can relate to Job.  It is my hope and prayer that each of you will firmly stand on the Rock, Jesus Christ.  In His arms you will find faith, endurance and peace that only comes from the Lord.  During the hardest times of Job’s testing, he never gave up.  Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth”.  That’s everything we need to know in a nutshell…. and along the way, I hope you are blessed with special friends like my Andrea!