The buzz

Okay, so maybe there isn't really a buzz, but I couldn't come up with anything else to title this blog. Speaking of blogging, I haven't done much reading or writing lately. It's been interesting to get into my new job, finally have Mark home again, and see how the schedule seems to fall. Here are some highlights:

- Mark and I have enjoyed commuting to/from work almost every day together! With Barb and I working at the same place - which is about a mile from Mark's work - and my more flexible schedule, Mark hasn't had to take the bus once. We've also come to realize we're not sure if we'd even use a second car. Which is good since we weren't planning to get one until late summer anyway. But now we might choose to wait even longer.

- I LOVE my new job!! Part of me feels like I'm going to have to go back to a "real" job at some point because this one seems to encompass some of my favorite things!

- What are those favorite things? here are a couple: a more flexible work schedule, working with people and regularly interacting with humans, communication, making a little progress towards the end result every day/week, gathering more information all the time on how things are done at Sunset and details about upcoming events, debriefing weekly with my boss who invites me to be honest about how things are going and she helps me think through stuff, weekly Event Review Team meetings have become a highlight!

- Mark is making a change in his work at ESI. It's all good!! I'll probably mention more about that as we get final details because I'm SO PROUD OF HIM!!

With the new job and schedule comes a few adjustments. I've decided that evening workouts are probably going to be rare, which means I need to do them in the mornings... which means I need to get up. Which is hard. So that's been an issue lately. Also, I'm having to readjust when my God time happens since it used to be at least 3 to 4 days a week during lunch times. With this new job, I rarely take a lunch break or leave the church for lunch (my choice), so am missing that time. However, this week I've been more pro-active about making intentional time. I guess that's the nice thing about working at a large church, I get there a little early, find a quiet corner with a comfy couch, turn on my iPod and get a little time before the day starts.

I have found that one of the things I frequently forget at work is God. I'm not used to Him being involved in more than my personal life at work. An email from someone the other day in response to a person stepping in to fill a roll was, "praise God". My thought was, "that's right! God DID solve this problem and it's okay to verbalize it!"

One thing that has suffered the most during this new job transition is my Monday night book group. Since I've started at the church, I've only made it to book group once and that was the Monday night Mark was gone. Even then, I'd had trouble keeping up with our reading in C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. Last week I finally had to admit to myself and let my friend who leads the study know that I wouldn't be able to come any more. It was just too much on top of the new schedule and I was falling further and further behind on our 3 chapters a week. My friend was nice about it though and they actually will be taking a break after this book is over anyway, so I might be able to pick back up with them in the fall again.

I have committed myself to finishing the book though and was able to keep reading this week after a little break. I am LOVING this book!! I had never gotten past the first few pages before so thought it would be too difficult to read the old writing style or I wouldn't agree, but his explanation of Christian principles are on such a basic level, that I'm finding it encouraging and stimulating and makes me eager to keep in mind how I can practice what he is writing about.

Today's chapter was on Charity. Here are a couple of the lines I underlined:
"But love, in the Christian sense, does not mean an emotion." - he was talking about love towards others.
"It is important to understand that this natural 'liking' is neither a sin or a virtue, any more than your likes and dislikes in food are a sin or a virtue. It is just a fact. But, of course, what we do about it is either sinful or virtuous." - in reference to how we feel about other people.
"Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbour; act as if you did." - I love that line!
"About the second of these two [man's love for God], people are often worried. They are told they ought to love God. They cannot find any such feeling in themselves. What are they to do? The answer is the same as before. Act as if you did. Do not sit trying to manufacture feelings. Ask yourself, 'If I were sure that I loved God, what would I do?' When you have found the answer, go and do it."