FEELING SOOOOOO BLESSED

NEWSFLASH:

Citigroup buys Wachovia bank assets for $2.2B

So what? you might ask. What does this have to do with you or why would you title this post "Feeling Sooo Blessed" when yet another large financial institution takes a fall and will exist by itself no longer. In these scary times where big banks are falling right and left this is NOT a good thing. And yet, I stand by the title of my post. For me personally, and my little family, I feel incredibly blessed.

For those who don't know Chip worked for Wachovia up until September of this year. He worked in the investment banking group, and more specifically in the leveraged finance group. He really enjoyed his job and learning the tools he needed in order to get into Private Equity. However, WE did not enjoy his hours. He worked between 80-100+ hours a week all the time, could never schedule a vacation, had to work almost every weekend, and then got a bonus that was not at all what we expected/hoped for. Thus, when the job opportunity came in for him to make the switch to Private Equity a year before we were planning, he jumped on it!!!!

I did NOT want to leave Charlotte, our house, our ward, or our many great friends. And 3 weeks after having a baby is NOT A FUN TIME to move to a new place where we no NOONE. I have been very sad and sometimes wondered if I wouldn't have been happier to still be down there, even with Chip working the crazy hours. However, I knew that we were supposed to make the move here and that things would turn out.

Little did I know that I would see what a blessing this job opportunity really was so soon after moving here. This announcement today that Wachovia is being bought by Citibank has profound effects on the economy, and more specifically the Investment Banking group that Chip was in --- altho the retail headquarters will most likely stay in Charlotte, as of the end of this year the Investment banking group will no longer exist at all in Charlotte -- meaning Chip would not have a job had he stayed. He has been SOOO SAD all day for his friends and co-workers who lived there, and just the overall state of the economy and what is happening to all the banks. It seems the question is now "What bank will fall next?"

We live is some seriously scary times. With the bank getting bought, the demise of his old group and the thought of him being in big trouble and not having a job had we stayed there, coupled with the gas crisis going on in Charlotte right now -- I can just say that I am SOOOO happy to be living in VA, where Chip has a job that is stable, he loves it, and we can go places as we please right now.

Sometimes our prayers are answered quickly, sometimes slowly, sometimes in ways we want, sometimes in ways we don't understand; but they ARE answered and I feel that now I am seeing the WHY of so many prayers I offered and the reasons behind the HOW and WHY that I questioned. I do know one thing is for certain: PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED

I am so grateful today to feel the blessing of prayers being answered and the ability to see a little glimpse into part of the reason that we had to move!!! I truly feel BLESSED today!!!