The bubble has busted!

Okay, so for those of you living outside of NW Arkansas, I hate to say it, but until yesterday, I felt somewhat insulated from the economy. Walmart was doing great, sales were up, full bonues and the list goes on in on. Not that I didn't have empathy or awareness for what was going on in other parts of the country, for I did. My father-and -law recently lost his job. Some of my family memebers have survivied serveral rounds of layoffs at their work, and my mother has had to let more than 100 people go for the company she works for. It is all over the news how bad the economy is, and I see it when I am trying to make a family budget stretch each month as grocery, gas, and energy prices climb higher. I guess I felt that as long as Walmart was doing great, it couldn't happen here. We were somehow protected. Crazy hugh?

Having said that, I take small comfort that Aaron survived the first rounds of layoffs at Walmart. I could barely rest last night for worry about my future and friends in the area and if they would wake up to a different world or reality today...wondering how they would be able to survive these hard times without a job. However, I think all of us here have woken up to a different world and reality, and it is important for us to remember that; regardless of job loss or not. And that reality is, it can happen here and it may happen again before this is over. The only thing that we can do is to live the teachings of the gospil and to prepare ourselves spiritually and financially.

The bisop's wife wrote on her Facebook that her older kids were actually excited by what the Lord had instore for their family, when faced with the loss of her husbands job. I thought what a great expample, to have prepared your family for this time and to know that he is guiding your ship! I find great comfort in the fact that I know we are paying an honest tithe, but what I am so nervous about is the fact that in the move from Utah, we had to leave behind our food storage and lost our savings in the Utah housing market. We literally had to pay to ride ourself from the house we only owned 6 weeks. I can honestly say, that I don't have the sense of ease that the Isabells have and I should. My wakeup call as we had a family council last night is to try deligently to have my year supply of food storage by June, pay down debt, , and to work on 3 months of savings. I really think I will find comfort in knowing my lamp will then be full instead of half empty, and I can reap all the blessings promised, should my husband lose his job. Thanks Sister Isabell for that great example!