101 Uses for Arnica, by Alia Kortman

After the excitement of Paul's new job we also have a few mundane things to report.

My eBay store has taken off this month, while I'm not operating in the black yet (initial startup costs etc) I have been having a really great month, which is really encouraging considering everything dried up during December. I still love running my eBay store, Big Prairie Dreams, and really appreciate how well it works together with being a stay-at-home-mom to Alia.

On a sad note, last night one of our two barn cats was hit by a car. The two cats were brother and sister and slept together since birth, I'm concerned about Lucy since now she has to sleep alone in the cold barn. We're looking for another barn cat to keep her company. Let us
know if you know if you have a kitty that you wouldn't mind us adopting. I feel a little like we are getting an extra dose of life with farm animals--we knew that they run away and get killed or die, but I really would like to keep some for longer than 6 months!!! Maybe Lucy will be around for many years to come--we sure hope so!

Alia, she is growing-- not content to stay in one place--creeping, crawling and cruising. If she can find anything to use to pull herself up to standing--she will use it. Yesterday, at Grandma's house that proved to be an issue as she tipped an end table over onto herself. She hasn't quite figured out all the physics lessons her daddy tells her about but he will keep trying! Meanwhile, we will keep the arnica closeby for all the bumps and bruises!

Praise the LORD together...

Thank you all so very much for all your prayers! Paul accepted a new position last week and begins his new job tomorrow, Feb 1st. We will not experience a loss in income--in fact the new
job pays enough to cover the cost of commuting.

Paul will be the SysAdmin/Helpdesk for another advertising agency,
this time in Grand Rapids. Basically he is the IT department for an office of 25 employees. The job is very similar to what he was doing for TIG.

The company is DDM, you can find them on line @ http://www.ddmnet.com

It has been a strange journey from "loosing" one job to finding another. God has made his presence and provision clear in this journey.

We don't know much more about the people he will be working with but I'm sure we'll figure that out soon enough.

So, again that you for your prayers of intercession...now, please praise our Lord with us for his blessings!

Working 9-5....or is it 1-5???

Paul mentioned this morning that he would appreciate me updating my website with the following information so those of you who are our prayer warriors can know better how to pray specifically. And for those of you who are our "eyes and ears", how to best "look and listen".

We have some pretty major change going on here at the Kortman house.

By way of background info--We had hoped for and we're
praying about a move closer to Newaygo, MI sometime during
2007. My family is from there and we were hoping to join with my brother
in some farming ventures--chickens, goats, beef, some dairy, lots of vegetables, and who knows what else!

In order to do this we knew we would have to find another job for Paul
and a house for us somewhere up north. My eBay store ( http://www.BigPrairieDreams.com ) would continue to run no matter where we are. And has been doing well lately--25 items sold last week-- a new record!

Paul's current job is at The ImageGroup, an advertising agency here in Holland. He was a Project Manager for 7 months and then for the last two months
has been the Systems Administrator (computer guru) for the office.

Paul switched from PM to IT at the ImageGroup because God had been doing
some pretty cool stuff in his life. His time as the Project Manager really helped him to see that he had been trying to attain a certain level of prestige that comes with management to feel successful in his career. We are both thankful that God used that position to finally help him to see that he was trying to work outside of the gifting that God had given himand now he is quite content with "serving" others needs (helping with computer problems) which falls beautifully into his gifting and skillset (both that of service and also of computer knowledge). He has been so much more content these past couple months as he realized this and settled into his zone of doing what he loves again.

However, recently TheImageGroup has experienced a bit of a financial downturn and has decided to make his position a part-time position--even going so far as to ask Paul to research what outsourcing company would be the cheapest to replace him! They offered to put his other 20 hours back on Project Management but he had already learned his lesson there.

So, this means that Paul will be a part-time employee beginning Feb 1, and will no longer work for TIG after Feb 16th.

I am sure that you can understand our disbelief and concern over these unexpected circumstances. Being faced with only part-time employment and then inevitable unemployment is not an easy thing for any man who has a family to provide for, but I am proud that he is working so hard to find another job ( hopefully farther north) and also trusting God to take care of all of us instead of worrying. I sure do have a wonderful, godly husband!

We are currently on a spending freeze except for essentials (necessary food and bills). Please join with us as we pray to discern God's will for Paul's employment and our family's finances through the next little while.

As I mentioned, Paul is searching for a job so if you know of any job openings that Paul might be interested in, please send them to paul@paulkortman.com.

Amidst all this Alia continues to thrive. She is cruising and creeping/crawling all over the house--baby gates are now a necessity! She likes to sing along with mama and often claps her hands when she is excited--so cute! We've been learning a few new things about our cloth diapering system and have almost gotten things figured out now for how to keep our girl (who is apparently a heavy-wetter)dry all night (not even disposables hold it all!). The inserts (for her cloth diapers) we have found are very effective at keeping her dry all night and sleeping longer.

Thank you for your prayers! We will try to keep you updated.

Becky

Whistle While You Work

Hey, if you have some time...take a look at the things my dad and brother are beginning to make in their new wood shop. Exotic wood pencil holders, birch bark centerpieces, barn wood framed mirrors, exotic wood children's building block sets, exotic wood child size rocking chairs, etc. I think they are doing a fabulous job! They are getting better with every one they build.

Some of these are currently in my eBay store, Big Prairie Dreams. Others are on auction on eBay. Others are still waiting to be photographed. So, stay tuned!

Christmas Interrupted

It has been far too long since I updated anything here. I shall rectify that now as best I can with what little time I have.

The holidays were busy and full...with both fun and sickness. Yup, we got the gastro-intestinal thing that has been passed around this season. We were trying really hard to stay healthy, but....well, it happens. Gotta say...NOT a fun way to spend the holiday season. Thankfully, I had it over Thanksgiving so when Paul and Alia got sick this time I was feeling well and could take care of them.

We spent Christmas eve day at Grandma Kortman's (which was technically Alia's first Christmas party) and Christmas day at our own house. It was nice to have a quiet day at home for a change.

Sickness descended upon our house the next day and we spent the rest of the week fighting it off. We were supposed to go up to my parents house on Friday night for a long weekend with them and the great-grands (so they could have some extra "Alia time") but we decided to wait and not go until Sat. night so we were sure we wouldn't pass the bug along. Christmas party with my mom's side on Saturday night and my dad's side the next afternoon.

Then off to Paul's mom's side of the family Monday morn for New Year's day.

It was busy and felt somewhat rushed the whole weekend, but being that we didn't go up until Sat evening, we somewhat expected that.

We got back home Monday evening and had some college friends over for tea (they were in town for the holidays and were leaving to go back home to NY the next morning). Tuesday morn I called my mom to ask a question and found that mom/dad/brother were all sick and dad was sure it was from someone at church on Sunday.

So, now a week later they are just getting their feet under them again. What a crazy holiday. I feel like I missed out on Christmas a little because one family get together was shrouded in sickness, the second was rushed, and the third was thrown together (since we rescheduled it 3 times). I don't feel like I got the holiday where you just get to sit back and enjoy the family around you and relax a bit like we usually do. So, now I just have to wait another 50 weeks to try again....bummer.