Trent, i understand it is tough to deal with this disheartening news and totally disgusting to a 'man' that he must tell his wife he no longer can really provide for her in the manner in which his own heart desires to. All because of the loss of employment.
Wow! the sad thing Trent, is this heinous economic crisis has affected so many people in such horrific ways. You aren't in the boat alone. I understand completely that my saying that doesn't help the situation and it certainly doesn't create what you need most, MONEY. However the consolidation of comments and replies to your posting does give you somewhat of an inspirational network.
In reference to the good ol' boy "promotion" over others..Huh.."Been down that road a time or two." I know bro it sucks. I was working for a well paid police agency when a Lieutenant discovered unbeknowst to me that i was attempting to obtain employment as a sheriff's deputy. Upon his discovery of such, he used another officer and the two of them conspired against me to build a case for my dismissal. I believe the Lieutenant had a buddy that he was trying to sneak in the backdoor of the dept. to assist him in gaining employment there at the agency due to his jobloss in this crisis.
I was brought in before the "Sanhedrin Council" - if you will - 6 subjects of the administration as they hurled their stones at me utilizing this entire false dismissal account. The rest is lengthy but what i am trying to say many of us have been affected by this 'time of survival' that we are in.
It's certainly a bleak season right now financially across our homeland and a tough one might i add. And it takes a survivalist to maintain during such trying times. But take for instance the life of the Great Alaska frontier or the Rocky Mountains as seen in the spring versus the winter time when all food has been depleted and the wildlife such as Elk, bison, coyotes and such survive when there literally is no food. And survive they do, and shortly afterwards the spring and all the life comes again, with diversities of food.
I know you are a survivalist and understand those principles because heck you have a bachelor's degree and one must be able to juggle amongst many facets and such when in school.
So this is just a season bro, and in that season sometimes we may just have to move to follow work just as the fowl of the air migrate to and fro between wintering grounds and summer feeding grounds. We are no different, it is sometimes with that change, that we understand we made one of the best decisions.
Plus take this time as depressing as it can make one, to attempt to fight through the depression and become creative. Use this time to pursue your dream like never before, maybe that is returning to school for your masters, working on that book you have always desired to write and publish, leaguing up in partnership business with that old friend from college and working on creating a new realm of work, whatever it may be...
I was unemployed after the episode before mentioned for approximately 15 months my man, finally a door opened that has allowed me to work and maintain my state law enforcement certification and have the ability to attend school at North Carolina State University to pursue one of my many dreams. Also during that time of unemployment i have begun working on a book that i would have never been able to compose working full time as before.
Furthermore, i wasn't receiving any unemployment monies during those 15 months because i was considered 'fired' from the above agency. How my wife and I paid all of our bills is unknown to me but we did. God simply provided for me some how or another. I worked my side business during this time harder than before and it provided a buffer for me.
As i look back i can only give credit to the Lord for bringing us through it and he will certainly be providing for you as well during this time.
Keep the faith and follow your heart.
Chris