life update

I can’t even being to explain the absolute insanity, out of body experience that these last few weeks have felt like. If the Lord has taught Jared and I one thing in the last almost year of our marriage, it’s that He loves us and is taking care of us, regardless of what the circumstances may say.

I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s do a quick recap of our story, for those who may have missed a point or two.

Jared and I dated on and off in college. We hadn’t seen each other in two years when we randomly ran into each other in December of 2012. I was in the middle of breaking off another relationship, but when that was finished Jared and I started talking and we quickly realized that we wanted to be together forever (cue the awes)

In July of 2013 we got engaged with the intention of getting married that Fall. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s and went through an emergency surgery to have my colon removed and we ended up postponing our wedding.

At the same time, Jared lost the lot that he rented for his business, The Plant Stand, and had to suddenly close while we looked for a new location. He worked on the oil field for a few months and it was utter misery. We never saw each other, Jared was exhausted all the time, it was just not a fun time.

Flash forward to June, our wedding month. Jared get’s a random call from a company wanting to hire him as a chef, one of his many varied talents. He starts only a week before our wedding. It was an answer to prayer that we had never expected.

A little less than a year goes by, and Jared is still working as a chef but we’re discussing other options. Jared is a consummate entrepreneur; he’s so very talented and driven and he’s most happy when he’s able to work at his own business. While the chef job was wonderful and a great experience for Jared, he was missing running his own business and so we were looking for an opportunity to do so.

In March Jared got a call from Industry Flea, the monthly flea market in Midtown OKC. They had extra space left on their lot and wanted to know if Jared would want to reopen The Plant Stand in Midtown. !!!!! We just couldn’t even believe it. Again, such an unexpected answer to prayer.

Jared is the type to want to stew on his decisions. He’s never hasty and when he decides something, he goes forward in confidence. But this was not a situation that could wait. We basically had a week to make the decision, so that we could have time to get the Stand up and running.

We tentatively started looking into opening the Stand, contacting suppliers, filling out paperwork, etc. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced another situation where every single sign was screaming YES!!! It was just the easiest transition. The Lord provided every solution we needed, made the way so clear for us. Jared and I both felt a peace and confidence in our decision, even in the midst of the utter insanity that opening a business entails.

I believe the Bishop Family Motto will soon be “Why Make One Important Transition, When You could Make 2?” Jared and I have also decided to move into a completely different part of town, to be closer to our jobs. To say our apartment has been lacking on the cleaning front due to our crazy schedule is a bit of an understatement. But no matter! We’re packing up all our dirty laundry and dishes and heading on to the next adventure.

The past year has been one crazy roller coaster ride after another, but I’ve learned to have confidence in the Lord even when I’m unsure of the future, because He is never unsure.

So come see us at The Plant Stand! We’ll be the ones running like chickens with our heads cut off, grinning like we run the lottery.