New Life??

It feels like I'm starting a new life. My old one wasn't bad but God seemed interested in taking me another direction.

September 2nd (the day after we get back from the MT trip) I start my new part-time job (I'll share more on that later so just hang in there). I was thankful to get the offer before I got the 2 rejection letters for the other jobs I had interviewed for. I think I sent my resume out to at least 10-14 job ads and I guess 2 calls in today's economy isn't bad.

My new job is part-time and I hope to help subsidize my new half income with some side projects that look promising, but aren't set in stone yet. Although after making a quick stop for sale shoes at DSW I had dreams of working there as well... but I would never bring my paycheck home ;)

With a part-time job I feel like my life is changing. I'm thankful to be in a position where I don't have to work full-time (although it would be better for us financially), but I also don't know what to think of this change. I will only be working half-time so feel like my focus will no longer be on my job but on the rest of the life. My focus wasn't on my job entirely, but you know what I mean. My goal is no longer to make money.

I have no idea what God has in mind for my life since my event job seemed perfect and in some ways I felt like I had "arrived". I think there's something that feels good about doing the job you thought you wanted. I did want the job and I think I did it well. But it wasn't where I was supposed to stay and I don't really understand that.

So on our 1st wedding anniversary with the purchase of our 1st home under our belts and moving into my 3rd job in one year, I feel like I'm embarking on a new adventure.

And never being a girl without a plan, here are the things I hope to do while on this adventure: spend the first part of my newly acquired time off with God, learn to cook more complicated meals with my extra time, hang out with friends, continue setting up our little house, plant an indoor herb garden, make a quilt of my running shirts, and try to rest in God and trust that he has me where he wants me and follow whatever call he may give me during that time.

But I can't shake the feeling that this is HUGE! And I just have no idea why it's happening or what I'm supposed to do with it. But as I sometimes tell others, I'm just going to do the next thing.

In case some of you may be wondering (because we are getting questions and comments), "what about kids?" We aren't quite there yet.

Leadership

Yesterday and today Sunset is a satellite location for Willow Creek's Leadership Summit. It's a big event and we spend from February to August gearing up for it. Although this year's attendance was lower than previous years, we're still around 500 (not to mention volunteers). Having this many people on-site is a lot for the facilities staff, but they do a fantastic job and the event manager for the event did a bang-up job on selecting coordinators for each area! As well as a great job herself! The event is going beautifully. So well in fact that I've found myself being able to attend the sessions if I want, which is pretty cool!

I LOVE conferences!! They are refreshing to me. I've attended them since I was young and always thought you can get something from any of them at any age and no matter what capacity you are in.

So yesterday I sat in my chair (going in late and coming out early) finding my heart a little refreshed. I think my heart has been emptying out for a while and I'm not sure why or how. One of today's speakers talked about "IT" and how to get IT and keep IT and I realized while listening to that session this morning that I've lost IT. I'm not sure how or why or when, but IT is gone. And as I've sat here yesterday and today letting the words and inspiring ideas and thoughts wash through my system and then hearing the talk about IT today, I thought maybe God was telling me (in his own subtle way) that he wants to help me get IT back.

My current season of life is new to me. I've never been married, I've never owned a home, I've never been in the position where I have some freedom when considering my next step in employment. And even though my event job seemed perfect for me, it didn't help me get IT or keep IT. Again, not sure why or how. But I think I thought this job and the things I have in life right now would solve my universal desire for IT and they don't. And it's sad to realize this but also freeing.

So I bought the book he wrote about IT and I'm looking forward to starting this new season and I will try and remember to, daily, give God the life that I'm living and ask him to help me get IT back (whatever IT is). That my spirit would find rest in him and my security would be in him. And thank him for my wonderful husband, for our beautiful houm, and to serve him in the roles I'm playing and will play in life.

I hate being sappy and cheesy on my blog, but whatever! This is where I am and I thought I'd write it up.

We're moved!!!

We're moved!! Christina and I spent Friday taking loads of kitchen items over and unpacking as we went and Saturday we had lots of help and were finished by 1:30!

We LOVE our new place!!! And are really pleased with the small things we chose to purchase before moving in that gave us just the right amount of "new" feeling. The kitchen is beautiful and so is our dining area, which is fun. And the little kitchen nook that we bought the table for looks fantastic! This week is pretty busy at work but we want to try and get pictures hung so will work on one room each evening until it's finished. Our 2 other rooms aren't at all moved in but there's no rush on those, we'll do them as we can. And I guess this week we'll test out our AC since it's supposed to be nearly 100 today!

Thanks to everyone who helped with physical labor, moral support and financially. We're SO excited to have taken this step, even with my job situation being uncertain. The new place is really beautiful and we are excited to be making this investment!

We were pleased this morning to discover the route we thought would be the most efficient to work took pretty much the same amount of time as our route from the old place. So that was cool!

Wavy Wednesday

My mom and I like to email each other during the day. It's the way we communicate and it's fun. A while ago we started titling the subjects of our emails based on how the person who sends the first email is feeling that day. It can vary quite dramatically but I thought the subject of today's email, Wavy Wednesday, was/is quite fitting for the day.

Actually, wavy seems to also describe several other things in my life right now, including my emotions. Today my emotions were really wavy!

We signed the papers for our house yesterday morning and celebrated with lunch at Red Robin. It would be fun if we could make a bigger deal about everything with the house but I'm just not sure how to celebrate it appropriately. We both said how we didn't think we would have a house in the first year of being married so are very excited to be taking this step sooner than we thought. And we'll be moving in on our 11 month anniversary ;) Although we don't really celebrate months, but it's a fun thing to note.

Tomorrow we do our final walk-thru at 2pm and hopefully have the keys in hand by the end of the day. I'm looking forward to walking into the place for the first time knowing it's OURS!!

Given the circumstances, I will be glad when the next few weeks are over. Not only are they full with a lot going on at work and personally, but it just difficult to be in transition for such a long time. Although I don't have anything lined up for after August 31st, yet. I'll be glad when I do and know how things will settle. I hope wavy won't describe the next 4 weeks but that it will settle a little. I don't know how much more of this I can take! I've cried like 4 times since Sunday evening and I have no alternate reason for such emotions!

My link to the economy

Well, our current economical status has impacted me more than just the price of gas rising faster than I can fill my tiny tank. Today is the "public" announcement of the preventative budget cuts at church. My position being on the chopping block.

I'm loosing my job.

Please don't misunderstand, the church is not happy about these cuts and mine was not the only one. I believe it when they say that it had nothing to do with performance and don't blame them for the decision. Quite frankly, I would have done the same.

All that to say that I'm not upset or bitter, but do find myself in a difficult position with our movement towards the purchase of our first home (are you allowed to call it a 'home' when it's not a stand-alone?) We have had a week to process the information and despite our uncertain financial future, do plan to move forward.

In addition to the $$ end of it, there's also an emotional side. I love my job!! I was thrilled when it became available and tried to graciously endure the 2+ month time frame it took them to finish interviewing and make the decision. I was more than excited to be working at a place I love with many people who I knew and loved in a position that I could enjoy.

This job did not disappoint! I was able to expend my creative juices in every area I could think of and was given the freedom to create my own schedule, create my own position and run a little wild, which was a blast!! So needless to say it's made it nearly impossible to consider another employer or position!! And I love my boss!! Seriously, Janet rocks my world!! And I'm not just saying that. One of our first meetings she said that she wanted to keep evaluating how things fell with this position so that I continued to do what I was passionate about. Who says that?? I actually want to be like Janet when I'm a few years older. She inspires me, makes me a little dizzy with her fast pace, and makes me want to work better, serve more, and love Jesus with what I do!

In addition, the team of people I've served with have been amazing!! I felt as if I landed in the best place with the right amount of challenges, laughter, love, and support. And I'm thankful that even though it will only have lasted like 6 months, that it happened at all!! I've learned so much and wouldn't trade this time for all the $$ I could have earned else where ;)

I'll keep you posted on what my future holds. For right now I'm trying to finish well (although my end date is not until the end of August) and get ready to move into our new place and then travel to MT for some family bonding time at the end of August. Also, my dad and sister come out this week on the Harley. Dad has so generously offered to do the walk-thru with us to learn how to operate our new place and also help us move in 1.5 weeks, among a few other projects. He's the best!! And I'm looking forward to some bonding time with Christina as we use my little car to take loads of stuff I'm too lazy to pack, over to the place a week from Friday.

International Phones Calls

Some how a group of internationals have my phone number. Over the past 4 days I've gotten up to 10+ calls a day from people who don't speak a lick of English. Mark has tried a couple phrases in languages he knows (he only knows the phrases, not the entire language) and we can't figure it out. At first I tried to answer and indicate to them that I won't be able to help them because I can't understand them, although they didn't seem to get the picture because they just kept talking. Now... I just let it ring through and it's convenient as they never leave messages.

Could my number have been accidentally handed out somewhere? Luckily it's always clear when it's one of these numbers because it doesn't have the right amount of digits. Although you would think these people might take the hint after 1 or 2 calls instead of trying up to 5 times in one day. The message won't change, the language won't change, so why keep trying? 984-890-30 hasn't gotten the hint!!

Life in the fast lane... or something

Life seems to be a bit more than it feels like I can handle right now. But this is what I have so instead of making lemonade, I'll make lemons. Oh wait. I guess I'll make lemons with lemonade. Or... okay, never mind. But I am trying to trust God in a new way. It's scary to make big decisions and adjustments in life, like buying a house!!

The house move is moving along!! We are approved and I've rearrange our $$ so we have enough at the right time in the right place. Other than not having started packing, sorting, or anything of the like (but I did email to the peeps I work with for free boxes), we have made progress on painting our kitchen table and re-staining our coffee tables. This week I hope to finish both projects with 2 coats of paint on the chair seats (we were going to leave them wood but have since decided to paint them) and do one more coat of stain on one of the coffee tables. Oh, I have done one other thing... stopped putting things away and cleaning. Does that count as progress? ;)

We move 2 weeks from Saturday and since our place isn't super full, I'm not too worried about packing. I do better under pressure anyway. Although it seems stupid to pack much when we are only moving about 3 miles away. However, I feel like I need to be ready when we have help to move so want to have stuff packed up. But I think I can cut a few corners like not emptying dresser drawers since we can simply take the drawers out. I have the Friday off before we move but after we get the keys and might see if I can borrow Barb's car and get my sister (who will be in town) to help me take loads of stuff I don't want to pack, over to the new place. Perhaps kitchen cookware and hangup clothes.

Other than finding old doors to use as a headboard and little sock booties for the chairs that will be on the hardwood floors, we've put a hold on purchasing anything for our new place. Which isn't ideal but we can do any accessorizing or upgrades in stages as the money is available. We want to make sure we are entering this new "risk" in as good a financial position as we can.

I am looking forward to my dad and sister being in town next weekend for over a week. They are riding the Harley from Montana. I just think that's cool! It will be nice when we have enough space to host our families when they are in town. Although we appreciate that Barb doesn't mind having boarders on occasion.