Stepping Out on Faith.

Hi M.,

I fully agree that prayer changes things. I believe God will bless you and your family beyond measure because you are putting your complete trust in Him. I will keep you in my prayers. We know from Scripture that God intends good for those that love Him and seek him, that you are precious to Him. You can't go wrong putting your 100% faith in His hands. He'll take care of you and your family. I will keep my eyes and ears open should I hear of a job that you may be interested in. Anything in particular that you are looking for? Have you considered direct sales, like Southern Living At Home? That is what I'm doing and I love it! I'd be happy to share it with you, if you'd like to hear about it. Meanwhile you can check it out at www.southernlivingathome.com/A..
Blessings to you!
A.

Hello M.. I admire your faith and wish you the best of luck. I believe in the power of prayer, and as long as you have some sort of savings, and stick to a budget, you will be fine!
By the way... is the position you are leaving, open by any chance, or has it been filled? I was laid off in May and desperately need a job.

M.,

God will provide. Wishing you all the best as I lift you up in prayer.

How would you support your children if you went to school full-time and worked part-time? I am curious as to what school you would be attending? Is is a community college or a college like Bryman? You want to make sure it is accredited regardless because you never know what you happens in the future. Community colleges are a great investment and a great way to start. They offer lots of online courses so you wouldnt have to quite your job. Also, if you live near LA perhaps you could attend East Los Angeles College. They have a PACE program for working adults. You can complete 4 classes a semester. 2 classes every 8 weeks, you attend one night during the week and most Saturdays. This is how I was able to complete my AA. Another thought is because you worked for the county, you could also reduce yourself to a Student Worker status. I know the county pays for medical insurance for the family, so if you quite how will your children and yourself be covered? School is great, however you have children to support and before quitting you should really think about what you have to sacrifice. These Bryman colleges are all talk, more expensive and you end up with very little choices at the end of the program. How long has it been since you were in school? Its a huge transition. One more thought before I sign off, if you have worked for the county for more than a year you can take a leave of absence, so in case things dont work out you can always return to your job. Check out several schools before deciding. Community colleges offer the same classes and are transferable should you want to continue. Good luck with everything!

how are you going to support your daughters? I don't understand how you can just quit your job and trust God to pay your bills? it's not responsible and it's being a bad steward of what God has given you (two daughters). You need to provide for them and that should be your priority. I'm sorry but I strongly disagree w/your conviction and urge you to keep your job.

Hi M.,
I've said a prayer already. I can completely understand where you are coming from. I was searching for several years to find out what I was wired to do and what God would like me to do based on my talents and gifts. The one question I kept asking myself and God, was "Is this what you want me to be doing?". The challenge is listening to God. After trying several different things, I found in my journey that I was doing what I wanted to do and not what God wanted me to do. I encourage you 100% to follow your passion and dreams. Pray that God will guide you and help you make decisions and choices as they arrise. And Trust in Him, that is huge, and that means letting go of what you have no control of... mainly others and the future. That doesn't mean you don't plan for the future, it just means you live in the now and make decisions today that will benefit your tomorrow. If you Trust in Him, He will guide you. You just have to be open and willing to listen to Him. Something I have to remind myself of everyday. Be in tune to His Word during your journey, and you will find His Guidance. Surround yourself with likeminded positive people.
All the best to you,
E.

M.,
Congratulations on your desire to step out in faith! What a huge transition for you and your family.
I also quit my full-time job three years ago. My husband and I had our first son and I went back to work. When I got pregnant with my second son we knew that we really couldn't afford the increase in day care price. So, I left my job. I was the bread winner and my husband didn't appreciate that I didn't have a back up plan. I knew what God was showing me though and I had faith that our needs would be met just fine. When I got pregnant with my third son, we needed a little extra income to help make ends meet.
I now work part-time from home and take care of all four of my boys full-time. I'd love to share what I do and the opportunity it has brought our family. Please feel free to email me: ____@____.com
I will be praying for you in the meantime.
P.

I would be nervous about giving up a decent job in an economy that is tanking. Is medical coding something you have always dreamed about doing? If this is not your dream job, then I would not quit your present job for it. Education is wonderful, but it can be achieved one class at a time while you work. You can honor God in everything you do if you do it with his grace. I just said a prayer for you and your beautiful daughters. Wishing you many blessings and love. C.

Hi M.. I just wanted to say good luck to you. It must have been a tough decision to make. I'm a certified medical coder and biller but I don't do that as my job. I took the class thinking if I liked it then I could pursue it. But It wasn't for me. I completed the class but wasn't interested in doing it for a living. But I just wanted to give you some encouragment and some kind words to get you through. Good luck to you and your girls.

o

Hi M.,

I would like to give you some encouraging words.

Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life , what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable that they. (there is much more please read)

Luke 11:28 He replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

I pray these words from God encourages you.

Good luck in all of your endeavors M.. As long as you keep the faith and keep God in all that you do, you will excel. I will definitely pray for you that God will continue to bless you and your family during your transition and each and every day beyond. I would also however, encourage you to listen to what some of the other moms have mentioned about checking out other alternatives besides quitting your job, especially since you are a single parent. Also make sure that the school you will go through is accredited. Community colleges are the best way to go. Most of these career colleges are just out to get your money via student loans so be very, very careful. Much success to you and your family. Be Well!

M.! Way to be radical! A life for Christ is the most radical way to live in my opinion. You are not alone and God will bless you because of your faithfulness!!!! I also just recently quit my job to be at home with our kids. I prayed about it for months and really believe that this is where God wants me to be. I am keeping my eyes focused on Him and my heart open and listening. It's exciting to hear about what you are doing. Keep the faith!

love.

I did it. I was stuck in this horrible telemarketing sales job. There was something in me nagging me for something exciting. I loved to cook and all I could dream about was learning more about food and cooking for a living. I stepped out on faith. I quit that job and got myself into culinary school at a community college. I don't know how I managed but I know god was with me every step of the way. I graduated top of my class. I've been in the culinary field for 5 years now and I'm actually pretty decent at what I do. There was no way I could have done it without my faith in god. I will say a prayer for you and I know things will work out fine. Don't ever worry just have faith.

I would just like to mention one thing. I have known of people in the past who went to school to do medical billing, and then came out and couldn't get work. There were considerations that they had not thought of prior to school that made it hard to get a job in the field. I don't remember exactly what those things were. I would suggest checking out the job market for those jobs, and checking ads to see what qualifications the employers are looking for, just to make sure that you are on track for qualifying for one.
I'm not trying to burst any bubbles here. I appreciate your faith which makes the world of difference in having things work out. I'm just saying to fully check it out for yourself, and don't just take the word of the people recruiting students into school.
All the best!
M.

Hi M.,
A few years back, I too was a single mother and found myself in your situation.I have 3 daughters 11 months, 9 & 12 I pray that you make the best decision- however I am going to suggest that you re-think this carefully...I was complelled to answer your story- because I've been there.
You have a goverment job that (although demanding)is decently secure. You have benefits and most likely vacation time accrued. This is very important for a single mom. Your kids get sick ( or you ) and you need time off. It's hard starting with a new employer that makes you wait 6 months for benefits to start.
Right now is a tough economy, and let me tell you medical billers do NOT make a lot of money. Possibly up to $18/hr. You are going to find it very hard to live off that and P/T work. I would suggest getting into the medical field such as nursing which would take you a little longer to accomplish- however starting pay for an LVN is about $34/hour and they work varied shifts with benefits- you can easily move to RN ( within the year) and make $40+/hr. Those are liveable wages. Your situation qualifies you for many types of loans- and you can get the degree at a community college.
Another alternate ( w/ training on the job) is looking at both LA City and Ca State jobs. Look for alternate positions within the goverment- that way your CalPers/retirement rolls over. You can go on the Intranet or LA CIty website and look. If you have your heart on medical billing- let me tell you, it's boring! I work for insurance ( claims examiner)and know what these people do for a living... numbers, codes, all day long...ugh! Look at the State Compensation Insurance Fund website and frequent it. Look for testing dates... and apply. You have to pass a written and oral interview - but you can get in there and they basically train and pay you at the same time (not a bad deal for a single mom). You can also try EDD/ SDI - they are in the Norwalk area.,so is the COunty Recorder...look to see if you can transfer in..or even the courts.
If you are burnt out at your job ( which we can relate with the pressures of being a single mom) think ahead. Look for a position in life in which you can work and be rewarded. If you are going to be attending one of the evening course colleges- you might even think of Pharmacy Tech- it will give you insite to medications- dosages and such- you can easily build a better career path for your self. God Bless you and your children- may God enlighten your path!!!!!!!