Dara was a 9-to-5 career woman for 20 years. She commuted daily into Houston, looking confident with her auburn Halle Berry haircut and power suits, her cell phone and organizer at arm’s reach.

But when Dara lost her job with the large corporation where she’d earned the best salary in her career, the family income was suddenly cut in half. She’s been doing a lot of soul-searching in the many months since her layoff. Now the question friends constantly ask her is, “How do you keep such an upbeat attitude in the face of such loss?”

Working full-time and raising two children with her husband, Rodney, was a fact of life for Dara. She worked professionally as a corporate trainer for 20 years. The family never imagined Dara’s last job would end in just 18 short months. The job had boosted their income enough so they’d decided to sell their starter home and buy a larger home to accommodate their growing family. They also replaced their old van with a new one. Both purchases came with large monthly payments.

The family expected Dara to land a new job without too much trouble. But the months keep going by and no full-time job has come her way. Is it the economy, or a dried-up job market in their city? It’s hard to tell.

Dara admits there have been plenty of dark days. But she remains hopeful. How does she do it? She says prayer has given her many answers over the years, and it’s been her backbone during these tough times.

She says, "I take time to think quietly with God on a daily basis. Prayer, for me, is to try to understand God, and to understand the connection between God and me. I pray by thinking of myself as always being taken care of by an all-providing Presence. My number one priority is to keep my spirituality at the forefront of my thought."

There are many times when Dara wonders how the family will meet their financial obligations. She finds it helps to recognize when she’s feeling desperate, and then—especially then—she turns to God for answers.

She explains, "I like to think of God as a caring Parent who is always looking out for His children. I certainly take care of my children in every way that I possibly can. In the same way, I feel that God is taking care of me—and every member of my family. It isn't God's purpose to have us fail any more than I would want one of my children to fail."

Dara is very practical in her job search. She watches the want ads and jobs posted on the Internet, and follows up on anything that looks like a fit. This past year, she's had several interviews. A few seemed like perfect matches, but still no calls saying she was chosen. But she’s no quitter, and she believes her hopeful attitude and confidence come from the assurance she gets from praying with God’s promises.

She says, "I send out at least three resumes a week, but each with the idea that God is now and always will be my only employer.” By that she means any job would lack substance for her without the knowledge of God’s love and care giving her career direction and meaning.

Dara conducts the services at her church and this keeps her very busy. She says, "One of my main purposes right now is donating my time to serving my church in this capacity. In order to do a good job for the congregation, I try to stay on top of community and world needs.”

“Week after week, when I read aloud God's wonderful promises to my fellow church members, I sense the good that is in store for each of us. Reading these promises makes me feel very close to God. It's a wonderful privilege. I like the promise in Isaiah, ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ When I read this, I feel a tremendous flood of assurance I am being led through this period of unemployment in exactly the right way.”

Opportunities do come Dara’s way. She filed three W-2 forms this year. That means three paying positions, though none of them were permanent. The last job was working as a motor coach tour guide for 500 guests during the week of the Houston Superbowl game. Dara says, "It was a great week's job. Everyone says, 'Who knows what contacts you are making with a job like that.' I just say to myself, 'God knows,' and that's the way I truly feel.”

She admits her thinking has definitely changed because of this experience. She says, “When I was in the corporate world, there was a time when I wanted to be at the top of the heap. Now, my suits just hang in my closet. I’m really finding that my identity is not in a big corporate job. Now my kids, family, helping others and serving in my church are what’s important…I think this newer picture of myself will be a big part of my ongoing purpose.”