Consumer Report

Ok, I wanted to keep this blog to write about Nate and my first year of marriage and all the lovey doveyness that goes along with that, but I have to vent.

For the past 3 years I have poured my time, passion and energy into building a music studio. I love teaching private lessons and over the year have been able to build a fairly large base of students. I call my studio Kauffmans Music and now Nate and I have over 80 of the most talented students walking through our doorway each week!! God is good and has given us a love for kids and a passion to teach music. We are currently looking at locations to expand and how to outsource some of our incoming business. I have been learning instrument repair and have added that to my bag of tricks. Nate and I have also been working on writing some music together. Pretty much we love music and i love running my own business.

Now, in the beginning, it was not easy. I juggled an office job, a waitress job and taught for some local teachers. I juggle a lot more than that now, but at least its in the same field:) I deal with lots of parents, grandparents, friends, co-teachers and friends. I took a ton of financial hits in the beginning because I wasnt the best about keeping records. Basically, if I didnt keep track, I didnt expect payment from customers. Kauffmans Music grew to this size for a few reasons I feel: 1. I love music and I cant help but exude my excitement and passion on my students. 2. I worked with people, with their schedules and their financial situations. 3. I love watching students succeed and learn about hard work. I wish I could be as flexible with my schedule, but I cant due to the size of the studio.

I have drawn some conclusions over the past few weeks about my attitude toward people that give lousy customer service. Here is the preface....I recently started going to this alternative medicine facility where they practice "nutrional response testing" I was so excited to go. I loved their philosophy and did some research about NRT and thought it would be awesome to try. My first interaction with this place was on the phone to make my appointment. The girl on the phone was nice, but not very accommodating. "Ok, she could just be having an off day" I thought to myself.

But then I arrived for my first appointment.....yes, first appointment. Call me crazy, but I always thought it's good to make a great first impression. I do whatever i need to with new students to make that first impression a great one. I don't think this facility cares to feel the same way. I was about 5 min late-because I got lost-and for what was suppose to be a 45 min appt. ended up being almost 2 hours. Is their time more important than mine? Yes. This is the message they sent loud and clear to me that day. For someone that bends over backwards to accommodate lots of families on a very regular basisbecause I want to have a growing business, I was not impressed.

The last straw came this weekend when I had beyond rude treatment on the phone. I was so annoyed, mad, angry and quite frankly, pissed. I was then upset with myself for getting so upset. Was my heart so full of anger it came out in this fashion? Lord, I feel you had brought be so far in this area?!

I came to the conclusion that, yes, i probably shouldn't have been so upset, but my annoyance came from the fact that I try my best to please people on the business side of my studio, that I just cant take crap from anyone else. For real. You may be a thriving business now, but continuing to treat people the way I was repeatedly treated will not be blessed. Its ashame that some business run that way. I hope I am the only one that experienced this, but I have a feeling I am probably not alone.

Anyways, I love my husband and we are so excited to attend the Weekend to Remember Marriage retreat in two weeks. We've had a bumpy few weeks here lately and I think this weekend away is going to be rejuvinating for both of us and give us a new refreshed look on this awesome gift he has given us to enjoy.

Whew, time for bed!

This past week was one of the toughest weeks I've had in a long time. I felt completely hopeless and recklessly abandoned. But in my deepest times of feeling abandoned, I was overwhelmed with God's love for me, my husband and our life together. I know God has a beautiful plan for us and this trial is merely the next step in our journey to growing closer to our Lord and closer to one another.

Today, I am so overwhelmed by God's amazing grace and His love for me. I am so blessed with an incredible husband who encourages me to walk closer with my Jesus everyday. I have a wonderful family and friends and I truly count my blessings today. I want to live each day better than I did the day before and I want to be so intimate with Jesus Christ that I am like a light shining in the darkness, pointing the way to the most wonderful, beautiful truth you can ever experience. I am consumed with the passion to know Jesus more. He has started to change me, to heal me, to ignite me again. I am not the woman I was and I will never go back. I relish the time spent with my heavenly Father and wish it were always this easy.

Yesterday I was so sick, I thought I was dying. My adoring husband did everything in his power to help make me feel better. He is so good to me. The great news is that I am alive and doing much better today:)
Here's what's on my heart today:

I find myself every evening thinking and planning out the day ahead of me, sometimes I think and plan the next few days down to the min. I spend time thinking over my hectic life while missing out on quality time I could be having with my husband. This life is a gift from God. A wonderfully,unrepeated life. I struggle with giving the reins over when it comes to the simplistic things in my life-such as all the the details that need to get accomplished in one day. I treat our crazy lifestyle like it's my fault I am this busy, but in reality, God has called us to this lifestyle at this stage in our life. He has planned out some awesome things he wants to be apart of for His Kingdom. I have been so challenged with this lately, partly due to the fact that I get so depressed that A.) Nate and I never see each other, B.) We can't do things that we want to do.
I know there is a balance and we probably have not figured that out yet, but if I can continue to learn how to hand my worries to Him each night and realize that this is my mission Field and this is where God has us, my perspective will be different..

Ok, time to teach the kiddies:)

boots and bags

Adjusting to married life has been fun yet, at times, frustrating. I (Abbey) had been living in my own 3 bedroom townhouse for over a year. Needless to say, I spread out and took over all closet space known to man. When Nate and I got married, he moved in with me because his bachelor pad was not up to my standard of living to say the least (that sounds mean, but he would whole heartily agree:) Nate has realized I was not exaggerating the amount of clothing I own and that I truly have a closet for just my boots and bags.

On a more serious note, I am continually grateful to our Lord for putting Nate and I together in the way that He did. I am reminded daily of God's grace and faithfulness in my life through Nate. My husband loves me so much and encourages me in so many ways. I strive to be the best wife to him, but at times I fail miserably. I am so glad I didn't settle when I felt it was right, rather waiting on God's timing and God's choosing is far better than I could have ever imagined. I am learning so much just being married to this amazing man and we are learning the art and the dance of this awesome love story!

Macungie, PA

My incredibly thoughtful husband took me to the most beautiful bed and breakfast for my birthday over the weekend. Neither one of us had been to a bed and breakfast, so it was quite the treat. I had a hot stone massage Saturday morning and loved every min of it!
We are not looking forward to getting back into our crazy busy lifestyles, but thankful we have each other and a faithful God who continues to make Himself real to us with each day that passes.