Sick...

I have been spending a significant amount of time at particular breakfast/lunch/cafe restaurant during my recent retirement decision (Let's call the place Banera. I have changed the name to protect the innocent). I enjoy the atmosphere at Banera and the food is excellent. The manager is there every day and he is always friendly enough to say hi and make sure that everyone is happy. The normal routine is to find a spot, place my man purse down, and then go order my bagel. Naturally, I get the same thing every time, Banera's legendary Cinnamon Crunch Bagel with raspberry cream cheese and a coffee. The cashier usually hands me the pastel-colored mug while he or she gets the bagel sliced and toasted. Then, I take my mug, head to the coffee bar and load up on the hazelnut flavored coffee. I usually grab a sugar packet and toss it in the trash. Everything was going as planned, it was a ultimately normal trip until I threw the sugar packet away. When I threw the packet away, I saw something small and white on the counter next to the trash. I took a second look and realized it was a tooth. A tooth. A small, semi-bloody molar just resting there on the counter. I didn't look long to prevent from becoming ill. I will still head to Banera in the future, but I hope to avoid any future run-ins with some kid's tooth.

Life is funny?

I am at a unique spot in life right now. I have some time to be able to really pray and plan what I want to do. I seem to have a different perspective on life and what I want to do with it. When people ask me, "What are your passions? If you could do anything, what would it be?", I usually want to punch them in the face. I have a myriad of interests and hobbies, but none of them have really equated to an occupation for the future. My brother-in-law believes that people should find something they like to do and then find a way to get paid for it. I wholeheartedly agree, but I am having difficulties with the "find a way to get paid for it." I think I have blamed my laid-back personality for so long that I have convinced myself that I don't have dreams and passions anymore. I have always viewed my flexibility as an asset and now it seems to be something that is hindering me from accomplishing anything. BUT, I know that is not the truth. I believe God places his heart and desires in people. Last night, I heard a message on living mission-minded and using whatever platform God gives us as an opportunity for the Lord to use us powerfully. Even if I end up as a bank teller for the next span of time, I can still accomplish God's purpose for my life. I think the Lord is breaking off my own selfish desires and replacing them with his desires. Ultimately, He is good and knows what is best for me, I just have a difficult time believing that right now. Sorry, this was not a real fun post...

"Surprise, you have the month off!"

It has been almost a year since my last post, but I suddenly have found myself with a little more time on my hands. Life keeps going and things keep changing. It was a crazy fall and an exciting Christmas season, but I am looking forward to this spring even more.
I have been doing the Elevate Training School this year and it has been stretching me in ways I never thought possible. I have been sharing Jesus with people consistently and walking closer to the Lord than ever. I also started leading Lifegroup in December at Antioch Community Church and I have been so excited about what the Lord is doing there. He has provided a great group of guys and I am looking forward to getting to know them better this spring. I am still abiding at "The Hill" with Mark, Jorge and Carson and I have loved every minute of it. They are great Godly men and I am challenged by them daily.
Life at home and church has been great, but the Lord threw a curveball at me during Christmas with work stuff. After teaching for three years at Vanguard, which was a truly enjoyable time of life, I felt led to pursue another job field. I ended up working with a Vanguard family who owns a small business in town that sells women's accessories. The business was growing quickly and I thought it would be a good time to hop in and see how a small business words just in case I wanted to get involved in something like that in the future. Obviously, my heart is not in women's accessories, but it provided a paycheck and an opportunity to learn. I didn't click too well with my boss, but I did everything that was asked of me and a little more. My job description was fairly unclear: part web manager, part inventory organizer, part receptionist. But, I tried my best and it didn't seem to be working well with the boss. He let me go a few days before Christmas, much to my delight. The timing was interesting, but overall, I think it was the best decision for both of us. I spent a lot of my time working on the web site and the boss has decided to basically shut it down because it wasn't meeting his expectations (which were never communicated to me in the first place). I learned how to work with stressed-out people and learned that I don't fit well in a fast-paced environment. Business may not be my final career, which is fine!
In Elevate on Monday, the teacher who spoke talked about doing the will of the Father satisfied Jesus. Jesus referred to doing the will of the Father as "food." I believe it is the same with us today. I am not just looking for a job now, but I am looking to do the will of the Father. That alone will satisfy my soul. I believe the Lord has a specific purpose for my life, a specific area of influence, and a specific occupation. I don't think I have found that career yet, but I know that now is a great time to seek Him and try something new.
The silver lining to losing my job was a surprise trip to Colorado for a ski trip with all my closest friends. I was already throwing a pity party for myself before I lost my job since I would not be able to go, but the Lord provided a way for me to go. I had an absolute blast and I am so glad for my friends right now. I have posted some photos from the trip. Hopefully I will blog again soon, now that I have a few more opportunities.