A(nother) Season of Change

There's been a lot of changes going on again in our lives, and on the outside edges of our lives. I've been struggling to come up with something to write about because even with all the change, life just seems constant(ly boring, lol). Work, weekend, work, weekend...I'm sure you've fallen into that slump before, just feeling like life is all the same. (And I've been listening to a Chuck Swindoll radio series in the morning on the way to work about Ecclesiastes, which is kinda of along those same lines.)

The biggest change for us right now is that Jordan decided not to continue on with medical school. He'd been wrestling with this decision since January, and we made it final in July. It was a variety of reasons: the time investment, money investment, work-life balance (or lack thereof), culture, future of medicine...the list goes on. He's started at UMKC and will graduate with his master's in Bioinformatics (bascially, computer programming for medical things) in August 2015. It's been a good change, and I think he feels at peace with his decision.

At work, I've been wrestling with purpose...I want to be making a positive impact in people's lives, and I don't know that this job does that. I think that "purpose" is something a lot of people in my generation struggle with: wanting to make a difference. I'm continuing to refocus myself and know that this is God's purpose for this time in my life, and that I am making a positive impact where I'm at just by loving Jesus and putting Him at the center of everything I do (or at least trying to!).

We went home a few weekends ago for quite the juxtaposition of events: a bachelorette party and a funeral. One of my friends from college was married this past Friday and I went home a few weeks ago to celebrate with her at the bachelorette party. It was low-key and, really, just my style. Eight of us went out for dinner and then back to the bride's home to open gifts and paint canvases. I'm so excited for my friend and this new chapter in her life. Marriage is such a blessing, and it really shapes us into new people as we grow closer as a couple. I'm praying for them that they continue to bring out the best in each other and learn to love each other more each day.

The funeral was for one of my nanny kids. I spent summer 2007 with her and her two little brothers...I always tell people that my two summers of nannying were the best "jobs" I ever had. I loved loving on the kids, planning fun days for them, blessing their parents by keeping their kids happy and occupied, while at the same time taking some stress off them by keeping the house picked up and getting dinner on the table. I still really, really love my two families. Jess was a vibrant, fun-loving 18-year-old...and she decided to take her own life. There's only questions in situations like this and my heart continues to break for their family. I can't imagine having to go forward in a "new normal" like this, and I think about them each day and how hard it must be to wake up with that realization that it isn't a horrible dream, but reality. I'm just praying that they cling to each other and to Jesus, that they love on their boys, who are still young and need a lot of leadership and shaping as they're growing up (as all young men do).

With the decision to quit med school and start at UMKC, we're planning on staying in KC long-term (unless God has another plan) so we've started trying to intentionally invest more in our church (now that we have time to invest as a couple) and building new friendships with people there and outside the med student circle. We've had dinner with a few couples, which has been lovely, and we've started a class at church and signed up for the membership class, too, which starts here at the end of the month.

Those are just a few of the "changes" going on in/around our lives lately. Are you in a season of change? What sorts of things are you wrestling with?

Who You Know

As much as any young person hates to hear this...sometimes getting connected with (not simply "getting") a job really is all about who you know.

Unless you've talked with me personally or have talked with my mom, you probably hadn't heard that my job  wasn't as fabulous as I thought it was going to be. In fact, I could see how...challenging...it was going to be by my 2nd day on the job.

And that's all I'll say about that on this here little blog. Suffice to say I needed a new job.

And one landed in my lap.

Just kidding.

It went something much more like this...

Back in November, I applied for this studio manager job with a photographer:

Location: Kansas City, MO

Position Type: Full time

To Apply: Send your resume and an explanation of why you think you'd be perfect for the position to inquiries@_.com. No phone calls, no drive bys and no social media stalking unless you don't want to be considered.

Job Description, Requirements for Consideration, etc.:

Are you:

• organized
• thorough
• good at making things happen
• a person who makes connections with others easily
• knows that the client's needs are never "too much to ask"
• good at juggling multiple projects and not dropping any?

If you said yes to those questions and still kept reading then here are some more you should be able to shake your head yes to as well…

• Do you like dogs?
• Do you appreciate sarcasm and a British sense of humor?
• Are you creative?
• Are your mind reading skills above average?
• Are you skilled at always being one step ahead of the curve?
• Are you self-motivated?
• Still reading this?

OK then, over achiever, here's what the day to day responsibilities are:

1. Respond to all client inquiries for ______.
2. Sell the photography services of ______ utilizing the existing marketing materials and pricing specifications.
3. Perform production services for photoshoots - including, but not limited to scheduling assistants, stylists, craft services, talent, booking travel, procuring props.
4. Continually evaluate and improve the preferred vendor list of ______.
5. Continually evaluate and improve the marketing materials of ______.

Position provides a base plus commission pay structure of approximately $35,000-$45,000 per year. There is also expense reimbursement and a cell phone stipend.

For More Information: If you are still interested in speaking with us further about the position, please send your resume and an explanation of why you think you'd be perfect for the position to inquiries@_.com. No phone calls, no drive bys and no social media stalking unless you don't want to be considered.

Posted: 10.05.2012

With this cover letter: 

To Whom It May Concern at __________:

I'll admit, I was a little intimidated by your posting on aafkc.com. It really all seems like a lot to ask out of one person.

Just kidding. 

I've worked in ad agencies for the past 4+ years and my favorite parts were ensuring that my clients were responded to in a timely fashion (to me, that means within the hour) and that my clients were happy. I've also been told by numerous people that I have an uncanny ability to keep about a million plates all spinning at the same time (not literally, though). And, it's true that in the past, one of my managers recommended me for a higher position because I "get s*** done". 

Also. I'm a woman, which means my mind-reading skills must be above average (and I have a husband, which means I get extra practice with the whole mind-reading thing [and he's so sarcastic that sometimes I'm like his walking disclaimer]). 

If there's one thing I am, it's self-motivated and driven (okay, that's two). But seriously. I've got a positive, can-do attitude that is invaluable at any company. (Who wants to work with a negative nancy anyway?)

I'd love to talk more about how I can help the team. (Okay, and I'd really love to come and play with the dogs, too...I'm far too frugal to pay the $200 pet deposit at our apartment complex.)

It looks like you all have a lot of fun. And that's how work should be - productive, driven...and fun.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Which impressed the photographer enough to give me a phone interview. And then he wanted a 2nd, in-person interview. And then I turned him down b/c he didn't offer health insurance. (That's like $500/month if you want an individual plan with maternity!) And then, he still wanted to meet me to see if he could help me find a job that was a good fit.

So we had drinks, back in November, and he got me connected with his friend who was a copywriter at an ad agency. She and I met up for lunch near our offices, and I impressed her enough that she contacted her friend at one of the two big ad agencies in KC and asked her to bring me in for an interview. So she did. Now we're into the beginning of January.

The interview went great! I loved the agency and thought it'd be an awesome place to work. And then they gave the job to someone with retail experience. I had none, so I could understand that. AND THEN. The friend was impressed enough to recommend me to her boss, the VP of the account team at said big ad agency, so HE brought me in for an interview. And told me I was the right material for their company, but there weren't any openings right now. He promised to keep me in mind. 

I checked in a week later and got a cool-ish, generic response, and was a little disheartened. I kept searching out other opportunities. AND THEN. At the beginning of February, said VP sends me an email and says he's recommended me to a recruiter and that I should contact them the next day. 

So I did. The recruiter and I had a great phone call that same day and when she heard that I had AGRICULTURE in my background, she thought she had the perfect opportunity for me. 

I did some sleuthing (okay, a lot of sleuthing) and I could find no one who would say anything bad about this ag ad agency. So I felt cautiously excited about it. Due to all the crazy snow in KC, my interview got rescheduled a couple times and finally happened on Monday, February 25th. It went great. And I remained hopeful. I knew if this wasn't the place for me, God wouldn't offered me a job here, so I didn't want to be too excited. But I was really excited. But kept it in check. 

Later that week, I got a call from my recruiter that they wanted a SECOND interview. On the following Monday, March 4th. So I went. I met more of the team. The team interviewed me. And I was really excited.  One of them had said something about "that's why it takes us so long to hire people"...so I was preparing myself to wait weeks to hear. 

And two days later my recruiter called me. I got the job. EEEEEEEE!!! I think I texted Jordan about 50 billion times because I was so excited. Okay. Maybe more like 5 or 10. But you get the picture.

I start Monday, March 25th as the newest Account Executive at Woodruff Sweitzer. I wouldn't have guessed 3 years ago that I was an ag girl, but having been out of it for a couple years now, I've really missed it and can't wait to get back into it.

I'm pretty ridiculously excited to start. 

But the moral of this story is network network network. I got connected with this job b/c I impressed a guy, who knew a girl, who had a friend, who had a boss, who knew a recruiter, who was looking for account people. RIDICULOUS. And awesome. 

Note that it's not only about who you know...you still have to sell yourself and be the person with the right qualifications and personality for the job...but knowing the right people definitely puts you in the right place!

And...it's all in God's good timing. And it was good. And He is always good. 

Feeling Blessed

I was going to start out by saying, "I only did a few noteworthy things this week..." but then I thought about it and it seems I actually did quite a bit. Anywho. Here's the rundown:

Ladies' Work Lunch

Two of the 4 girls I work with had birthdays at the end of December/beginning of January, so we went out to Chez Elle (again!) this past week. I, once again, had the fabulous lobster bisque. As we were going there, Brooke (who is also sold on the soup) said, "This is seriously the best lobster bisque ever." And, sure enough, the sign outside said, "Best lobster bisque in KC!" In addition to a cup of bisque, I had an Acropolis crepe: Chicken, tomatoes, kalamata olives, baby spinach and feta served with cucumber sauce. Yum. Great place for a fun lunch. 

Gospel Community Group

This was our first time back since before Christmas and it was really great to see everyone again. This time we met as a big group and discussed the sermon from last week. We're going over 1st Corinthians and are on the communion passage. During our discussion, we talked about what we remember of communion growing up and the different communion experiences we'd had. It was really interesting to hear different perspectives and then come back to what the bible tells us communion is. 

Lazarus Ministries

A month or so ago, I spent a Sunday afternoon with some of the other med student wives setting up the Lazarus Ministries women's shelter before they opened up for the winter. This past week, we went back and served a taco dinner to the ~20 women that stay there. We also sat and ate with them and it was pretty amazing to hear just a little bit of their stories and to hear the faith that they had. One of the women said she'd been waiting 3 years for a spot. (Once they are accepted at Lazarus Ministries, they have a place there for the night for the entire winter.) I can't imagine living like that. And they were so thankful for the dinner we brought them. We're going back again at the beginning of March...I can't wait. It was really great to do something that really matters. 

Pampered Chef

I had a (very!) little PC show on Saturday AM. It was nice to be out of the apartment for a bit, and I think Jordan was glad I wasn't distracting his studying!

Cooking

As always, I did a bit of cooking over the weekend. I made a pot of turkey noodle soup (from frozen leftover turkey when we were home over Thanksgiving - thanks, mom!) and tonight I made fajitas with a leftover piece of steak that Jordan brought home from his dinner with uncle Pat and aunt Kathy. I also made Jordan a pan of brownies with peanut butter frosting (his fave) to...give him more brainpower for studying ;) 

Well. That's my week. I hope yours was great as well. If you have any spare prayers, direct them towards my hubby for his midterm on Tuesday. He's over 25% of the way through with the class portion of medical school! YOU CAN DO IT, BABE!! That's my mantra around here. 

Have a fabulous week!

My (Not So) Secret Talent

Filling the calendar. Obnoxiously so.

My mom says I come by it honestly; seems it's her not-so-secret talent, too.

Apparently Thanksgiving weekend just wasn't busy enough for my liking b/c I jam-packed my schedule this first week back.

MONDAY
I have some ever-so-lovely girlfriends from church that I'm so thankful for. I love my med-student-wife friends (okay, enough already with the three-word hook-ups!) and (not "but"!) I'm so grateful to have friends that are in the same time of life as me, but not in the same situation. I've talked about Emily, Rachel and Jenny before, and it was, once again, our every-other-week (there I go again!) get-together. Emily graciously had us over to her home and we enjoyed FANCY hot chocolate...that means not a Swiss Miss packet, folks! So delicious. And wonderful conversation. I look forward to those Monday evenings!

TUESDAY
I went to the dentist and got a cavity filled. Aren't cavities for elementary school kids? They were pretty darn efficient. Which was good b/c my jaw (aka tmj) was threatening to give out on me! The best part was when the hygienist complimented my hair (which was just down and straight). Who doesn't love a nice hair compliment?

WEDNESDAY
I work onsite at the client's office on Wednesdays, which means I work from home for the last hour (b/c the office is an hour from home, so my boss lets me leave early to beat the rush-hour traffic, since I'm already spending so much time in the car). So, because I was home earlier, I got to make mom's renowned Texas Skillet for Jordan's dinner. Talk about a happy man. (So happy, that I made it for him again tonight, bwaha.)

THURSDAY
Gospel Community Group tonight! We discussed the sermon, which I listened to Wednesday evening since we were in SD on Sunday. Since we're in the advent season, we're pausing with our journey through 1 Corinthians and heard a sermon on Jeremiah 23:1-6. A good question that we discussed: What do you live for? Whatever it is, that's your king (aka, idol). That king gives you purpose, meaning, self-worth...that king is often a good thing, but when we set our hope on anything but God, it becomes a bad king.

FRIDAY
After work, I went over to Audrey's for some delicious homemade pizza with her & Josh and Larry & Leah, then us ladies headed over to The Wine Bar for a Private Wine Tasting Party - $5 each! Thanks, Groupon! A group of 8 med student wives went, and my dear friend Liane wrote a great post about it (and my phone was dead, so I got no photos, lol) so, I'll let you take a gander at our evening over on her blog.

I know. You're wondering how much I can pack into a weekend. A lot. I'm very talented.


SATURDAY

We got up early to take my car to the shop - the check engine light was on and we suspected the catalytic converter. Long (boring) story short: not the converter, okay to drive with the light on, cost $45 instead of $325+. YAY! 

Then I went grocery shopping to pick up ingredients for my treats for a cookie exchange party.

Then I raked leaves with my Community Group at a neighbor's house. She's a single mom with 4 kids and was super grateful!  It was also a lot of leaves. A LOT. I built a lot of character, too, dad. ;)

Then I hurried home and ate lunch and made Easy Baklava Cups for the cookie exchange. And I wouldn't let Jordan eat any before we got there. In fairness, I didn't eat any either. 

Then we went up to the school - Jordan to study, me for the Cookie Party - and I enjoyed a variety of delicious treats...and some of the ladies shared their recipes! Snickerdoodles (my fav cookies growing up, probably b/c they're a close cousin of the sugar cookie, my other fav cookie)....Gooey Cookies & Cream Chocolate Cake Bars (this one was sinfully delicious. You should probably make it immediately.)...Chinese New Years Cookies (easy and delicious!)...and many more!

THEN (I know! When does it stop!?) Jordan and I joined the rest of our "group" at Cole & Maggie's for a tasty lasagna supper and fellowship. 

The ladies: Leah, Maggie, Liane, me, Audrey.

The men: Matt, Larry, Josh, Jordan, Cole. They see each other at school every day and still sit 4 to a couch.
That's friendship.

SUNDAY

After church in the AM, I made us the standard basted eggs, toast and sausage patties for lunch. After cleaning up, I diced and chopped and put a chicken and veggie soup in the crockpot. Then I headed out to help set up Lazarus Ministries - Women's Shelter with a few other med student wives. We set up cots, sorted linens, put together toiletry baggies and helped with some other general clean-up and organization. Afterwards, I went to the grocery store (milk, fruit...the normal things...), came home to do laundry and organize things for the week and at 7pm the doctor (aka hubby) declared that I was looking completely wiped out and ordered me to bed. I did get to bed at 8:45 and slept till 6:45...guess I was exhausted!

Hope you found time to glorify God and experience His glory this week!

Counting Down the Days...

...till we get to home home for the holiday!! So excited. Only 3 more days!!

We've been excellent, as always, at keeping ourselves busy. My fabulous hubby has been studying away (as usual) - this time for his midterm (tomorrow) and his practical (Wednesday). Prayers are appreciated!

I met up with some Emily and Rachel from church on Monday evening at Caribou for some welcome girl time. I'd had an...unpleasant...day at work and left our coffee date feeling refreshed. So thankful for these girls!

I spent Tuesday evening babysitting for some friends who were in a pinch. Their boys are so good I never mind helping them out! The most notable thing that happened was when it was time to read Haven a bedtime story, I grabbed the first book out of the library bag: The Book That Eats People. He freaked. Apparently he'd already read it with mom and was terrified. I read it after he went to bed. Yes. It was terrifying. Literally, a book about a book that devours people. Not a cute book. A disturbing book. Parents, don't read this one to your kids. (I should note that his mom had the same reaction I did to the book - who would write that for kids!? Who puts that in the kids' section of the library?!)

Wednesday I woke up with pink eye (I'm like an elementary school kid or something) and, completely unrelated to the eye trouble, could barely get out of bed (or stand, sit, walk, lay down...you get the picture) b/c of TERRIBLE back/neck pain. Thankfully, because of the pink eye, my boss told me to work from home. So I did. And got eye drops for my eye. And iced my back/neck. And waited for hubby to come home and work his med school magic. The next day I was 70% better. Today I'm 99.9% better. Hurray for no more chiro visits! He said since he's a student right now, he can only work on special people. And I'm the only special one. (Just in case anyone else wanted to get in on his student skillzzzz.)

Gospel Community Group was Thursday evening. We discussed Philippians 2...and I was mentally exhausted from work and a little physically exhausted from remaining neck/back pain...and was thus a poor participant, in my opinion. One thought that stuck with me is how you can't just stay where you are in your faith - if you don't work on it, it doesn't stay the same, it diminishes, like a relationship would if you stopped investing in it. It wouldn't just plateau, it would become less. The same goes with our relationship with God. We can't just expect to ride on the wave of that last great conference, or last year's great biblestudy, etc. We have to invest in Him each and every day.

Friday, I got off work at 2:30 to prepare for my Dessert & Wine Pampered Chef party. I had 11 med student wives over and had four dessert stations set up. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures...gah. I thought of it before, mom reminded me before, annnnnd then I promptly forgot, until there were only 3 of us left cleaning up dishes. We split up into teams of 2-3 and made German Chocolate Lava Cake, Apple Berry Salsa, Caramel Apple Dessert Duo (couldn't find this one online to link to: it's an apple-cranberry "salsa" with a peanut-butter-cream cheese-caramel dip), and Apple Bundles. Then we enjoyed conversation over wine and desserts! I have such fab friends that they even helped me clean up the entire party, right down to washing the dishes and helping unload the dishwasher and loading it again! Thanks again, girls!

Saturday was my reupholstery adventure...be sure to take a look at the pics! So happy about how this turned out!

Today church was over 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 - focusing on vs. 31: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." We should ask ourselves "Why?" and "What does that look like?" when we read that verse. Here's the boiled down version of an excellent sermon:

• Why: Because God is the most glorious being in the all the universe. Everything in the universe exists for God's glory. I exist soley for God's glory.
• What does that look like: In everything we do, we need to be focused on maximizing God, not ourselves. So at work that might look like not always making sure we get credit for absolutely everything we do or it might be evaluating whether we're laboring for God or for money.

That's the close of the week! I'm excited for 2.5 days of work and then 3 days at home! Enjoy Thanksgiving and your families!

A Word From The Hubs

Many thanks to my fabulous hubby for chiming in and sharing his thoughts! He is ridiculously insightful. Without further ado...

The Slavery Post

            What does it mean to be a slave? Betsy and I recently saw the movie Cloud Atlas, which has in it several stories involving various characters who are, in one way or another, slaves. To avoid spoiling the movie for you who haven’t seen it, I will just leave it at that. The act of slavery is despicable at best, when considering our culture’s perspective on the word. Why is it, then, that some forms of slavery are so glamorous? To be a slave to fashion, for example, is admired by many. To be a slave to a business often yields great returns in lifestyle enhancements.

Some recent church services at Redeemer Fellowship caused me to assess where my allegiance lies. The gist of the message was this: to whom/what are you a slave? Unfortunately, my answers were ubiquitously pathetic. Jesus comes in at a distant tenth place after school, Betsy, TV, Facebook, video games, alcohol/food, and others.

Thankfully, I now have a tasteful reminder of where I desire to be. My faith in Christ ought to dominate my life and the biggest reminder I have is the St. Francis prayer. Betsy’s designer friend made a fancy print of it and it now hangs in my office/study area.

           

            Sorry my first guest post is written on such an austere note - I just need to be honest with myself and the people who care about Betsy and me. Do not fear, however! The first step to fixing a problem is admitting that it exists. And, to be sure, we all struggle with prioritizing our lives. Since starting medical school, there have been many times when I am fired up about leading a Gospel-filled life. I feel like those times are only transient, however, and quickly I am left worrying about the next big test.

            Thankfully, as I have been wrestling with this feeling of self-deprecation, God has made clear what I can do to improve this situation. Most importantly, Betsy and I have each other. We are two stubborn people but we thankfully help sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron. Besides the relationship we share, Betsy and I have had opportunities to participate in a local Bible study. Also, we were able to help a couple from church prepare a bonfire event for a local university dorm. We have an amazing church community, we have each other, and we have a great group of friends. I already have some friends down here in Kansas City who challenge me to be real and honest about where I am at spiritually. I hope I also do the same for them.

I want to end with this: what are you a slave to? Be honest with yourself. Are you prioritizing your life in a way that glorifies God? For non-Christian readers, are you prioritizing your life in a way that is beneficial to the people in your life who you love and care about? Hobbies can enslave us, along with desires, yearnings, escapes, etc. Let us not forget what is important in life – the love of others. If our highest pursuits have ends that are only self-gratifying, they are vain indeed.

Short & Sweet

This week was (slightly) more low-key than last. Here's the highlights.

Pampered Chef Meeting
I went with another PC consultant and med student wife (AND fellow South Dakotan) to a cluster meeting. It's so great seeing the different ways that we can do our biz and to get ideas for my own biz. I'm excited to say that my first KC PC show is tomorrow night!

Weekly Work Wandering
Once a week, I'll be traveling to Peculiar, MO to work onsite at our clients' office. Upside: Jordan tells me that I have my bosses may have suggested me to work there because I have a great personality for it. Downside: It's over an hour from our apartment.

Gospel Community Group
Still feeling so blessed by this group. We were small and intimate this week - our hosts, two others and me. We enjoyed coffeecake, coffee and great conversation over last week's sermon. So looking forward to next week.

Date Night: Em Chamas 

Thanks to a Groupon bought before we moved to KC, we dressed up and gorged ourselves on meat - top sirloin stuffed with provolone cheese, Em Chamas' special picanha, garlic-rubbed picanha, beef medallions wrapped in bacon, chicken spiedini (a-maz-ing), marinated chicken wrapped in bacon...the list goes on...

Neighbors
After living here for over three months we finally spotted our neighbors! After sharing his beer-buying success ($6/12-pack...even I think that's worth buying beer...), Jordan offered one to our neighbor (and I met their super-cute two-year-old). A few minutes later, we heard a knock on our door and our neighbor said that he was from Mississippi and that you can't let one gift go without giving another in return...and then he gave us some ground deer meat!

Home-cooked Meals

Left: Hubby's fav brownies with peanut butter frosting. (When I make these, he eats them for breakfast.)
Right: After hearing mom say she made goulash, I made some, too (with the aforementioned deer meat).

(A few of) hubby's lunches for the week: goulash and brussell sprouts. Packed and ready to go.

Babysitting
I watched Zach & Kody's adorable two-year-old Leah while they went out for their 5th anniversary. We colored, played catch, played dolls, played with my earrings, watched Beauty and the Beast, and played with the "duckie" for over 30mins. Hilarious.

See that shadow? There's a two-year-old in this duck hamper. 

Redeemer Fellowship
As we're working through 1 Corinthians, we were on 8: 1-13 today. Here's some nuggets from my notes:

• You either worship Jesus or you are an idolitor. You are always worshipping something - is it God?
• Do everything you do to proclaim your exclusive allegiance to God.
• Don't do anything that will make anyone think that they can server God and another (god).

Zona Rosa Afternoon
With the nice weather, I met up with Kody and Leah to enjoy KC's Zona Rosa outdoor shopping. I didn't buy anything, but enjoyed some time outside and some girl time.

The Hubby
I haven't seen much of Jordan lately - he's up to his eyeballs in muscles, nerves, and arteries (actually, I think that goes all the way to the top of his head...). He's still feeling super blessed and enjoying what he's doing. But, I know he's really looking forward to this section being done (word is, this is the hardest one of 1st year). Prayers are appreciated as he finishes up this taxing section! (Final on Oct. 18.)

Like Mother, Like Daughter

The joke in recent years was that I had to schedule time with my mom weeks in advance to hang out with her. It was basically true though - not just because she was crazy busy, but because I was, too. In my short time here, I've somehow managed to pick up the same crazy-busy schedule that I've always enjoyed. Guess it's in my blood.

SUNDAY---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last week Sunday, we enjoyed (yet again) another fabulous sermon. Here's just a snippet from my notes (over 1st Corinthians 7: 10-16, which our pastor called the "divorce" sermon):

• Strife is the root of all divorce - and forgiveness is the only thing that heals strife. Experiencing God's forgiveness is the only way to truly be able to give out forgiveness (because, through receiving God's forgiveness, we've received the ultimate forgiveness...and if He can forgive our great sins, our selfish is it of us to not forgive others?). God goes to great lengths to forgive us...He sent His Son to die. He turned away from His Son as He took on our sins. Remembering (and receiving!) that great sacrifice should make it all the more simple for us to forgive.  

After church, we went out to Fort Leavenworth for lunch with uncle Pat, aunt Kathy and cousin Greta. We were right on time...until we got five minutes from their house (literally. five minutes.) and the bridge was closed. We followed the detour (away from KC, into the boonies of Kansas)....for an hour. It would have been faster for us to go back to KC and go a different way. We got some good car time in. I was a teeeeensy bit frustrated with the Kansas DOT though. 

Once we arrived, we enjoyed delicious curry and then went off base into Leavenworth for an Ice Cream Social at The Carroll Mansion Museum. We just missed the bass quartet, but really enjoyed hearing the barbershop quartet...so good! It was this group of little old(er) men, with matching vests (in different colors) and ties. Super cute. They were even dancing and swaying with their music. We enjoyed ice cream and homemade dessert (I had a fabulous apple pie with cinnamon crumbles on top) and then got a (brief) tour of the Carroll Mansion. It reminded me of the Pettigrew Museum in Sioux Falls. Here's a short description from the website I linked to above:

The decorative features of George McKenna are the highlights of the house. Each room has unique stained glass windows and transoms, none of the patterns being repeated. Most rooms have combination gas and electric light fixtures dating from the 1880s. On the first floor, the parlor, hall, library, drawing room, and dining room have individual parquet floor inlays of maple, oak, walnut, and mahogany. Each room has carved decorations that reflect the wood of that room: e.g. walnut in the library, oak in the hall, maple in the parlor. There are five fireplaces in the house. Each has a carved mantle, ceramic inserts, and hearth tiles. 

MONDAY---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A few weeks ago I went to our church's community picnic and met a few girls who invited me to their Monday evening get-togethers. (not every Monday, but often enough) I am SO thankful for this. I love that Jordan and I have med student friends and wives to hang out with, but I also prayed that I'd have friends that were just friends...and not only med student wives (if that makes sense). We went to the Parkville Nature Sanctuary (only 10 mins from home!) for a walk/hike....just in time to get DRENCHED. Wasn't raining when we started, wasn't raining when we finished. It's been a long time since I've done anything in the rain! Afterwards, we went and warmed up with some beverages at Caribou. Yum.

New friends! Rachel, Jenny, Emily.
Picture courtesy of Emily's blog.

Afterwards, in my still-soaking clothes, I was thrilled to discover (on the side of the road, after I'd already left Caribou) that my tire was completely flat. Woot. Not really, but it did give me many things to be thankful for! (That's weird, I know, but it really did.) Right as I was calling Jordan to come help me, a guy (about my dad's age, named Aaron) pulled up and offered to help me - such a blessing. He was a tow truck guy and knew how to change a tire right quick. I felt like a bit of a wuss for not changing my own tire, but turns out I would have needed someone's help anyways: getting the jack unhooked from the car took some yanking (we didn't have a flashlight, so couldn't tell how it was in there), the little jack was difficult to use (aka, my puny muscles wouldn't have done the trick), my tires come off EXTREMELY hard - dad even has to kick 'em quick a few times before they loosen. And, I wouldn't have known that I couldn't drive a spare on the front down the interstate the next AM. And then he followed me to the gas station and aired up my tire because the spare was really flat! So, thank goodness for Aaron.

TUESDAY---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The tire saga continues. (and despite all the craziness that ensued, I still found myself being thankful for a lot of things!) Jordan and I had to share his car, so he got a ride with another med student for the AM. We overslept and woke up three minutes after his ride was supposed to be there. He literally had 1 minute to get ready (I still had 45mins). I drove his little Geo Metro (with no power steering!) to work and then left 30mins early to try to get the tire situation taken care of. J told me to use my "girl charm" to get the job done, lol. They were booked out at Walmart (despite calling earlier in the day), but the guy still came out to my car and looked at my tire for free (he couldn't figure out where it was losing air though). He directed me to another service station down the road. They were closing  just as I got there, but the manager stayed around to figure out what the deal was (he filled it with air and we found the hole right away) and then he called 2 different service stations to get me in that night. I drove over to the third place, they fixed me up (needed a new tire), got my car aligned (they do a free assessment...and now my steering wheel doesn't shake anymore!) and sent me on my way. So thankful that my parents taught me good budgeting and that we were able to afford a new tire (and it didn't mean that we couldn't pay the rent or that we needed to panic or that we didn't have the money), thankful that hubby and I were able to share a car for a day, thankful that I had the time to drive around looking for a place to get my tire fixed, thankful that everyone was so helpful...it was a good evening.

WEDNESDAY---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I apparently did nothing of importance this evening. I believe I made up a little rice, beans, taco-chicken dish for our lunches and did the laundry. Always nice to have at least one quiet evening at home.

THURSDAY---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel Community night. Something I already really look forward to...and it's only been 2 nights! The other half of the group shared our stories tonight. It is so refreshing and revealing hearing how God is working in people's lives...and how He's worked throughout their lives. I already feel super blessed by this group, and hope that I'm able to bless them in return.

FRIDAY---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date night!!! I really look forward to Friday evenings. Not just because the work week is over, but it's the one night that hubby and I get to spend intentional, focused time together. This week, we had a groupon for The Majestic we needed to use up (it expires at the end of the month). Our groupon was for bowl of mussels prepared in a white-wine garlic cream sauce, served with fries and a martini for each of us - either Grey Goose vodka or Hendricks gin. The Majestic is a jazz club and we were seated super close to the Bram Wijnands Trio - drums, trumpet, piano. What a great experience. Our server didn't come to our table for close to 10mins (which really wasn't that much of a bother, since we were enjoying the music and the atmosphere) but he still subbed our drinks for two martinis that we'd enjoy more than what was offered with the groupon (prices just an fyi...not what we paid, since we had a groupon):

• Burning Bush ($13) - A powerful combination of Bookers Bourbon with ginger syrup and jasmine (Jordan said this was easily the best drink he's ever had. And, after the ice had changed the flavor of it, I even enjoyed it, too.)
• Jasmine ($9) - Plymouth Gin, Cointreau and Campari make a tart martini cocktail with a grapefruit flavor

With our mussels, which were delicious, we opted to get the Charcuterie & Cheese Plate ($15) - described as "the Chef’s selection of fine meats and cheeses". And it surely was. Unfortunately, we don't remember what any of the cheeses or meats were (except the goat cheese. de.li.cious.), the plate also included grapes, strawberries, crackers, and kalmata olives. It was a wonderful date and someday (we're thinking some-dr.-day) we'll go back to enjoy a REAL dinner there...and Jordan can get the $56 Porterhouse steak. Holy goodness prices.

And that wasn't even the end of our night! We headed over to Josh & Audrey's for warm pumpkin pie (and amazing homemade crust!) and wine with a few other friends. So blessed to have these people in our lives!

SATURDAY---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

City Market. 30mins. $11. 'nough said. (I always have to leave after a short while because I want to buy everything.)

7 bananas, 1 cantaloupe, 6 plums, 3 onions, 1 head of lettuce, 3 heads of garlic, 2 zucchinis,
3 yellow squash, and 1 approx 3-cup bag of avocado.

Jordan spent the day studying and I did paperwork. In the evening we enjoyed chicken fajitas and watched Wrath of the Titans. A good Saturday.

SUNDAY---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now we've come full circle. Or rather, to today. (I know. It seemed like we'd never get here.) We had a guest speaker at church, Dr. Paul David Tripp, who was in town doing a marriage conference for our church (which we missed out on...I could have gone alone, but didn't think that'd be very fun, lol. We're contemplating purchasing the CD of the conference.). A few thoughts from my notes (over Mark 6:45-52):

• Faith isn't natural for us.Worrying is natural. Getting angry easily is natural. Etc, etc, etc
• Faith and amazement aren't the same (we can be amazed by a bungee jumper, but then not do it ourselves because we don't have faith in the bungee)
• God takes us where we don't intend to go, in order to produce in us what we couldn't achieve on our own. 
• God's care for us begins when He sends us into the storm (we tend to think that His care for us begins when He brings us out of the storm) --> many times we need the storm to see His glory. He knows what we need to be able to see His grace. 

We went out for lunch with Matt & Liane, Larry, and Zach & Kody (and their super-cute daughter Leah) at The Boot. (Yeah...it seems like we eat out a lot...we sorta do - too much, I think! It's hard to find a balance when you want to have friends, but don't want to always be the party-pooper that doesn't want to eat out!) Jordan and I split the Breakfast Pizza ($12) and that was a good, affordable choice. It was about the size of a medium pizza, delicious crust, topped like a pepperoni pizza with extra mozzarella, spicy sausage, scrambled eggs, and jalapenos. I ate two pieces, Jordan ate three, and he ate the other three for dinner. 

After lunch, Zach, Kody, little Leah, Jordan, and I went to The Plaza Art Festival. Which is very similar to SF's Sidewalk Arts Fest...but if you'd like more info about what exactly this Art Fest was like, head on over to my friend Liane's blog - although we didn't go together, she captured it perfectly! (and she takes LOTS of pics - unlike me - AND this post is already waaaayyyyy too long!)

Hope you're enjoying life and glorifying God!

Life's Been Great

My last boss used to get a kick out of me, because every morning when I'd pass his desk overlooking the south side of Sioux Falls, he'd ask me, "How are ya, Bets?" and my response would always be "Great!" He'd laugh, and smile, always seeming surprised that I could always be great. And, at my job before that - my first job out of college - I was referred to as the "ray of sunshine" for my unfailing sunny disposition.

Now, all of this isn't to say that I don't have bad days. Or that I don't get grumpy. Or that I don't snap at my husband. No, that's all me, too. But I'm always striving to portray the happiness - the joy - that Christ fills me with each and every day.

Even when things are stressful or difficult or life is just hard (we live in an imperfect world, after all), I try to keep my focus on what matters: Christ. God's love. His love for us (of all things). Romans 8:28 reminds us, "We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." "His good" in this verse doesn't always mean "our good" but lately there's been a lot of good in our lives, and I'm oh-so-thankful for it. Here's what's been making me respond, "Great!" lately:

Med School
Jordan passed his first section - Foundations of Medicine - so there was much rejoicing in the Larson household. Next up: MusculoSkeletal. 

Friends

• I had lunch with another med student wife this week. She had her little daughter with her, just at a year old; so cute. We had a great time getting to know each other and the hour I had for lunch just flew by. We're hoping to get together with our hubbies for dinner one evening soon. 
• Friday evening we went to Josh & Audrey's house to celebrate the end of the guys' first section of medical school. Liane surprised me with a chocolate cake for my birthday (birthday extension!)...so sweet. There were even candles and singing. And delicious chocolate cake. And wonderful new friends. Thanks, friends. Audrey had a fab spread of food for the guys' celebration including bbq (this is KC, after all). There were about 15 people or so that came, a good group. We're so glad to already have a group of friends.
• After Josh & Audrey's, Jordan and I ventured to FOP - here's the description on the KCUMB 2016 Facebook page:  Hey all! Congratulations on almost being done with your first section of medical school! One of the fine traditions we have here at KCUMB is for the first and second years to get together at the end of a section to celebrate (and forget everything we just learned)! We call this Foundations of Partying.
  
  This year "FOP" will be at the Velvet Dog in Martini corner. There will be free cover, and drink specials from 9-midnight for KCUMB students and guests. (Still working on what we will be offered). The deal has also been expanded to their sister bar/club, the Monaco, across the street. See you all there!!

Needless to say this was WILD. I used the excuse that I was driving to not drink, lol, but I really was driving. There were hundreds of med students. Jordan and I spent almost 3hrs meandering from the front of the bar, up to the 2nd level, up to the 3rd level, to the back of the 3rd level, down to the 1st floor and to the back of the bar (which was an outside courtyard) talking with Jordan's classmates and meeting other med students and their spouses. I was VERY surprised that I had a good time. A really good time. And I wasn't even drinking. ;) Although, I could have used a glass of water from all the shouting I was doing to communicate over the music, haha. Earlier, I'd told Jordan that I'd like to leave no later than midnight, but when midnight rolled around I was enjoying myself and didn't say anything to J - he was very surprised to look at his phone and see that it was 12:45am and we were still out. A good night.

• This weekend we have our first non-family apartment guests! Matt and Cathy are in KC for a wedding (Matt is originally from KC) so we were more than happy to have them stay with us. We, of course, had to get bbq from Bear's Smokeshack (Jordan's FAV) for lunch. We're so glad to have some friends from home visit us, even if it's just for a bit!

Community

• I went to my first PC meeting here in KC! I had a lot of fun, met a lot of fun women and picked up some tips for my PC biz. I even found my way home WITHOUT my gps. Be impressed.
• Thursday evening was our church's first Gospel Community Group get-together. Our church is so, so, SO intentional about these groups. There are 60 of them every week, and each group has 10-15 people that were placed in the group according to where they live. I'll admit, while I was excited, I was a little apprehensive, too. Liane was in a group that was 10mins from mine, so I was bummed that we weren't in the same group. But I know that God's plans are good, and that He must have had a plan for her in that group and a plan for me in my group! So. I went by myself (J tells me often how blessed he is to have a strong independent woman who can do things alone, but I'd still rather  do things with him) on Thursday, straight from work in the rain. (People in KC can't drive in the rain. Good grief.) Then I tried to turn the wrong way down a street, so I guess I can't drive in the rain either. But back to the intentional part. There's a 15-pg Group Participant Manual that our church puts together for us, and it is so thoughtful. If you have time, peruse it. This first week we shared a meal and 6 people shared their stories - we're all a mix of ages from 20s to 50s+ and a mix of single, married, married with kids, and married emtpy-nesters. I felt so welcomed and I'm so excited to see what God has in store for our group. Next week, the other 4 of us will share our stories. Despite my initial apprehension, that was immediately washed away. This is a good group, as I'm sure all the Gospel Communities are, but I'm super excited that this is mine. 

Today, Jordan and I had a relaxing afternoon together. I read a new little cookbook (yeah, I do weird things like that) that I'd gotten for free from PC. I read a magazine. I fell asleep in the chair. Jordan played xbox (something he hasn't done since med school started). I warmed up some leftovers and we had a little picnic in the living room. Now he's frisbee golfing with Josh and Preston and we're planning to play a game after Matt and Cathy return from the wedding. Tomorrow after church we're heading out for lunch on base with my aunt, uncle and cousin. They are far too good to us, and we're so blessed to be living so close to them. Should be another wonderful afternoon.

So that's life this week. It's been great. I hope yours has been, too.

The Groove

We're getting into the groove of things here at the L household. For Jordan, that's mostly studying. He'll occasionally take a break to watch a TV show (he loves Burn Notice) or a movie (this weekend's choices were Freelancers and the most recent Sherlock Holmes).

For me, that leaves a lot of free time (or at least more than hubby). I've never been good at just having "open" time, so here's what I've been up to in the past week:

Work. Yeah, it deserves to be top of the list only because it takes up most of my time. 8:30-5:30 every day. 45-min commute to work (thank you, big-city traffic) and 30-min commute home (again, big-city traffic...at a normal time [re: not rush hour] this commute would take 15-20mins). So, this is my day from 7:45am to 6pm.

By-choice work. This week, it was freelance editing for a friend's company back in SD. I'm super thankful for the extra cash and I think Jordan was super thankful that I had a quiet activity to do while he was studying.

College friends. Those "long" commutes leave lots of time to ... sit in traffic. I'm so excited that 2 of my bestest best college friends and I decided to have weekly phone calls to catch up. These ladies are my FAV. One of them I haven't seen since my wedding in March 2010 and we've made plans to meet up before this year ends. So. Excited.

Here they are. The lovelies. With bonus lovely in the middle :)

Cooking. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE to cook. It must be a stress reliever to me. This weekend included canning 4 pints of mom's tomatoes (brought from the garden in SD!) with onion and garlic, making creamed cucumbers (hubby's fav) with cuc's from mom's garden, cooking Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry for my lunches (this week, I'm going a step [or 12] above my standby egg salad sandwich!), BBQ Beef Shepard's Pie (mashed potatoes courtesy of mom's garden), SPICY salsa that J promptly devoured in 2 sittings (habanero courtesy of mom's garden), and a scrumptious study-break smoothie [note alliteration, hehe] made with watermelon (courtesy of Kay's boyfriend in West River SD), strawberries (courtesy of dad's wallet from the KC farmer's market) and 1 lime pudding (33 cents, courtesy of my cheapness at the grocery store).

Yum for later. Yum for now.

Errands (and others). Bank. Grocery store. Walmart. Laundry. Checkbook balancing. Haircut (nothing major or exciting). Those regular sort of things.

Crafty. I was feeling creative this weekend and spent some time making these little beauties...pics to come later of what they're for...

Church. A thoughtful sermon over 1st Corinthians 7:36-40 (while heavily relying on Eph. 5:22-33). Here are a few quick thoughts:

• Eph 5:31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." I never thought about this before, but this verse is where the "leave and cleave" phrase comes from (be united = cleave). Leave and cleave = commitment and passion = love and respect. 
• In the past, people married for social status, money, etc - marriage was all about commitment (passion was missing). Today, marriage is all about passion (commitment is missing). God sees marriage as BOTH commitment AND passion.
• I've heard this many times before, but a reminder is always welcome: Marriage is a SMALL representation of something bigger --> the relationship of Jesus with His people (which is faithful, covenant love). Our marriage is to reflect Christ's love. It's not perfect, but it's the closest we'll get on this earth.
• Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." This verse portrays God as a lover. If you do not embrace God as a lover, you will embrace other lovers as God. This followed up the point that we tend to put our lovers (our  spouses, etc) in a place of worship - that place is only for God. If we always embrace God as a lover, He will have the first and foremost place of worship in our hearts. 

So, nothing major this week. But sometimes it's the quiet weeks (yeah, this was a quiet week for me, lol) that show you that you've really settled in and that a place is becoming home.

A Birthday Week

I use my weekly calendar to remember what I've been doing with my life and what was of interest to tell you all. Yes, I have one of those fancy droids and do use Google calendar (which I think is fantastic) but I guess I just like pen & paper for some things:

Apparently, the little reminder in my phone calendar isn't nearly as exciting as my own  handwritten calendar. 

Work went well this week. My new boss is big on mentoring and making sure that his team is happy and growing/learning - that makes me super happy. My first two bosses (at my internship & my first job) were BIG on mentoring. I thank my lucky stars (okay, I think God!) for these ladies and the things they taught me during the time I worked with them. What a blessing. I hope I'm able to grow as much here as I did in those two positions.

I had a lovely weekday lunch at Mildred's Coffeehouse in the Crossroads with Audrey and Liane, two wonderful med student wives. Mildred's is literally up the block from where I work, and Audrey and Liane braved the street parking to have lunch with me. We had great fellowship and I am so blessed by these women's friendship! And, because you've got to know, I had the Classic BLT on wheat toast and added avocado. So delicious. I had a half sandwich with a cup of Roasted Red Pepper bisque. Yum. It was $10 with the tip, and I'd recommend this little gem to anyone.

Friday night our group of friends went out to Jack Stack BBQ in the plaza, we waited an hour for a table, I had my first-ever cosmopolitan, and we found out just how blessed we are to have a great group of friends this early in the med-school game! All 4 guys are in school together, and Audrey, Liane and I work, and Preston's girlfriend lives in TN...but we're hoping that someday she gets to move here and join the us every time we go out! We all go to Redeemer Fellowship together, but this was the first time ALL of us were able to go out. Such a fun evening.

So thankful for our friends from all over! L to R: Tennessee, Colorado, Texas, South Dakota - WOW!

Jordan and I splurged on a full slab of Beef Back Ribs ($26.75) that are described as 8 Dinosaur-sized Ribs for those who crave the taste of Beef. Served with Creamy Coleslaw, Hickory Pit Beans, and French Fries. The were not kidding about the dinosaur-size. I ate 2 of the small ones, Jordan ate 4 and he had the other 2 for lunch yesterday. Ridiculous.

Dad, Mom and Lucas arrived around 9pm Friday evening...and we kept them waiting in the car for an hour in our parking lot (OOPS!) as we finished up dinner at Jack Stack. We were SO happy to have them visit, and of course, couldn't fit all the fun into a few days. They'll definitely need to come back:

City Market - bought a few groceries for the week and showed mom & dad how CHEAP everything is!

Ixtapa Mexican - a birthday lunch with dad, mom and Jordan. I enjoyed Tacos Chidos with shrimp ($15.49) which had five mini soft corn tortillas topped with shrimp, caramelized onion, guacamole and fresh cilantro. So delicious.

KCUMB Tour - Jordan showed us around campus, since mom and dad had never seen it before.

WWI Museum - Mom, dad and I spent 3-4hrs exploring this museum, and even though I'd already spent hours here in July, I read new and different things that I hadn't had a chance to read the time before. Such a good museum.

Fort Leavenworth - We visited my mom's sister and her family (AND my cousin Matt from Texas and his wife were staying with them, so we got to caught up after not seeing each other for probably 6 years! A great bonus. Plus, it was the first time I'd met his wife!), enjoyed fabulous beef stew made by my cousin Beth's boyfriend (and biscuits by my momma!), enjoyed amazing cheesecake made by my aunt Kathy, and took a walking tour of base.

Weston, MO - On the way home from Ft. Leavenworth, mom, dad and I met Jordan in Weston so they could experience the underground bar for themselves. Jordan taught us to play Texas Hold'em and mom beat us all!

We also spent an even at our apartment making zucchini, onions, yellow squash and kielbasa...one of my very favs (zucchini and squash courtesy of mom's garden!). We played Up and Down the River for over an hour and laughed hysterically. A wonderful evening.

Mom and Dad brought me my very fav Sioux Falls Oh My Cupcakes! for my birthday. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement. So. Delicious. 

Beautiful flowers from hubby for my birthday!

 I'll leave you with a challenging quote that was in our bulletin this past Sunday (blog post dedicated to our fab - and challenging - church is forthcoming...):

"Idolatry need not entail a statue of Buddha or genuflecting in a pagan temple. Idolatry is any tendency in the human heart to dethrone God for the sake of something else, whether that be money, sex, ambition, power, pride, or some thing as seemingly innocuous as respectability. To the extent that we give our affections to anything other than God on the assumption that it can do for our souls what He can't, we are guilty of idolatry." 

~ Sam Storms ~

A Job For ME: God Provides!!

I told Jordan a few months ago that my IDEAL job would be at an advertising agency that was centered around God. I also told Jordan that that type of agency didn't exist. I was also praying super hard that God would provide a job before August 13. That was my deadline - after the 13th, I was going to continue pursuing getting an agency job, but I was also going to start looking at retail (or coffeeshop or restaurant etc) positions.

I should have known God was big enough to give me exactly what I wanted...what I didn't even know I needed. I'm SO thankful that my "ideal" was in His plan for me!

A week and a half ago I had an interview with Quartermaster Marketing for an Account Executive position (the type of ad agency position that I REALLY wanted). I'd read the job description on CareerBuilder.com and was SUPER impressed and interested, so I applied over the weekend and flagged it to call the company during the week because I was so interested. Before I had a chance to call, Matt (my new boss) called and asked for an interview! 

After the interview, I was SO excited about the position. Matt called a few hours after my interview and said he had one more question - they had a "faith component" at their company. They prayed before meetings/meals and faith was a really big part of his life and his boss's life (Dominic - Matt's boss and owner of Quartermaster Marketing). Matt wanted to make sure I was comfortable with that and still wanted to pursue the position. Um. YES. I was SOOOO excited. 

Yesterday I had an interview with Dominic and after talking for 20-30 mins, he basically said "I like you. You're hired." GAHHHHH!!!! 

I start on Monday. The 13th - my deadline. Not that God ALWAYS answers within our time frames...but this time He did! He is a great God!! 

It's in the perfect location - downtown KC, 20mins from our apartment, 5-10mins from Jordan's campus...maybe we can have lunch together sometimes! - the exact pay I'd prayed for and said would cover our needs, it's the position I wanted, it's at an ad agency...they're focused on God. WOW. 

This job won't be easy, but it is exactly what I was hoping and praying for. I am SO entirely blessed. God answers prayers!!

Finding Fellowship

Redeemer Fellowship, that is.

That's right. We've found a church that we're pretty (okay, REALLY) stoked about - especially considering we found it this early on. We were even more excited to find out that at least one other student and possible two other couples from the school go there as well. It's a younger church - both in the age of the congregation and the age of the church (it started in Midtown about four years ago).

What really drew us in was the preaching. Challenging. Deep. Focused. The first week (the 22nd), the regular pastor was gone and we were still impressed. Using Psalm 96, we were challenged to think about who (or what) we really worshiped. We worship something at every moment of every day, and you can be pretty sure that it isn't always God. The second week (yesterday) we heard the head pastor, and he is a gifted, passionate speaker. The church has been working its way through 1 Corinthians, so he picked it up at  6:9-11. He really focused in on "Do not be deceived." and discussed how we don't like things to be black and white - we like it a little gray, with a little wiggle room. In Christianity, you either love God or you don't. You either worship Him or you don't. There is no in between. He spoke about how so many people who consider themselves Christians haven't really experienced God. They believe that because they grew up in the church and know all the answers, they know God - but that's not how it works. It was a thought-provoking message and he pounded home that the only way we're saved is through Jesus (Eph. 1:11) - not through going to church our whole lives, or doing good things, or knowing all the answers.

Music is chosen intentionally, and I discovered I really enjoy songs written by Nathan Partain - here's one from yesterday:

I Have Found a Hidden Fountain

I have found a hidden fountain, that is running o’er with peace,

And it satisfies my thirsting, and it brings me to my knees.

Now at last, I’ve known refreshing; now I’ve drunk my fill of Truth.

He is sweet and good and loving, and He makes me all brand new.

I have found a flooding river, it has cut a path so deep.

It has washed out all my boundaries, and uprooted all my trees.

No, I cannot fight its current, it never fails and never yields

He keeps pushing, bending, breaking until all my soul is healed.

I have found a fearsome mountain, will not move and cannot fall,

In its strength I am so fragile, in its shadow I’m so small.

I have laid in cracks and caverns, touched his hands and felt his side.

All that power, rent to save me, Oh, I give him all my life.

I'm very excited to get involved with this church. Just to give you an idea of all the opportunities they offer, here's a taste: singleness seminar, marriage conference, baptism class, community meals, Redeemer 101 (to learn more about the church), Redeemer 201 (small groups), men's and women's "labs" (round table discussions), gospel communities (larger small groups) and there's even more...How to Read the Bible class, Evangelism class, Theology 1, New Believers class, Discerning Spiritual Gifts class...still more: ministry teams, tutoring at a nearby elementary school and volunteering at a nearby charter school, missions trip to Haiti. There's truly something for everyone at this church. I'm so excited we've decided to be a part of it. We're so thankful that God led us to it.