Category Archives: God

The Day After

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At work yesterday, I tuned into the news in time to see our 45th President sworn in.  It was a dreary weather day (in D.C.) and aside from protestors who chose to vandalize businesses and personal property, along with a burned limo, the transition of one leader to the next was peaceful.  What a glorious country we live in for this to happen without a coup or rebellion.  And those protestors?  Idiots.

Our choices were horrific, let’s face it.  However, let’s also realize that this IS our President (at least for the next 4 years barring any idiotic or illegal moves on his part) and we all need to move on.  Our country is screaming for change in so many areas.  That was President Obama’s platform:  Change.  That is President Trump’s platform:  Change back to greatness.  However, you slice it, we have some sprucing up to do, America.

President Trump gave a rousing (to the people) and scolding (to the politicians) speech with some pretty tremendous promises, but it seems that is what politicians have always done.   Time will tell what he will actually be able to do.  Time will tell.

Like it or not, let’s all pray for our President, our country and one another.  And if you haven’t seen this video from Peter’s Boat, it is worth a view…..we are called to love our neighbor.  All of them.  It starts with us if we are truly going to make America great again. As for me….I’m proud of our country, but my allegiance is to God.

Blessings.

New job Jazz

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Last week I told y’all I am leaving my current job to start with a new company.  Now, I’ll give you some background.  It’s all very God-lead, in my opinion, and I’m just standing back amazed as it all unfolds.

I’ve been intermittently keeping an eye on a local hospital for job openings for some fill-in work on weekends for quite some time now and have barely gotten a bite; talk about your ego bruising.  Once again, a PRN (fill in position) came open, my friend let me know and so I said to the Hubs, “this is the last time I put in and then I’m done.”.  A week later he encouraged me to send the follow-up email to the director, to which I grudgingly did so, lo and flippin’ behold, she emailed me back and followed up with a phone call to set up an interview the following Monday.  The interesting part on the phone call was that she was giving me a pretty detailed time-line of interview, decision, orientation, 2 weeks notice, yada, yada, yada.  I hung up with an appointment and totally confused as to why on earth I’d need to give notice for a PRN position.

Obviously I went home that night and scoured the website for other openings that maybe I missed.  Sure enough, a full-time position at a new facility of the hospital’s was posted.  What?  Full-time?  Not even on my radar.  This was going to be interesting.  Now I was just curious as to where this could go and IF I would follow through.  If it was meant to be….it would.

I had my interview, which felt comfortable and easy and AN HOUR LONG!!!  Waited a whole week and finally, FINALLY got the call.  They picked ME!!!  The Hubs and I had some decisions to make, and I had a feeling that this might be God’s timing and I would be best suited to follow Samuel’s lead and follow along.  I also had a deja vu moment from when I bought the house…read HERE   and that worked out beyond my wildest dreams, so yes, I was absolutely curious.

And so, in the end, I leave a job that has been very good to me for the last 10 years and step out into a company that can offer me more opportunity for future growth.  The craziest thing is that both the Hubs and I are completely and totally at peace with this decision.  It will require some schedule shifting and kid-compliance, probably multiple times over the next several months as the center opens and hits its stride, but everyone is on board.

So, change is a comin’ and even though I don’t love change, I’m ready to embrace what the future holds.

As a bonus, I get some catch up time with friends across the state in the interim, so #WINNING!!

 

Changes. Challenges.

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Door challenge

Door challenge

I absolutely won’t be trying this #doorchallenge anytime soon….my aching back just watching these girls get into this position and then reverse and then again.  But they did it.  And grammed it.  Challenge: complete.

My own challenge comes in form of a new job.  Sort of.  What?  Yup.  After a decade with the same company and my degree just sitting on its haunches, I happened into a position with the competition (also a far larger organization).  While, the initial position is essentially a lateral move, the potential for growth is better and with a large, well-run organization there are countless other benefits.

I can’t explain it, but there is a tremendous sense of peace in this decision both with myself and with the Hubs.  The peace, I am certain, lies in the job itself opening to a Full-time position when I wasn’t even looking.  Good friends, old friends, who unknown to me at the time, were background cheerleaders to the powers that be before and after my interview.  The timing is quick, with little time to second-guess and drag it out.  Basically, knock, open, go in.   God is in control.  Fully.  With no doubt.  And I’ve been here before, when He opened the door to our house.  Sometimes, those prayers of “Please….God….I am dense and thick and need you to make this clear as day”, really DO get answered.  Not always right away, not always the way I think I want them to be answered, but it does happen.  And it’s just WOW.  Really.  Wow.

I mean, I know NO one at this office.  It’s brand new, Opening day is September 8.  My 7 minute drive and 5 mile world just opened up to about a 30-ish minute commute and a 20-something mile world.  What.  The.  Heck.  It’s all good though and clearly I’ll have more time for phone calls and podcasts with additional time in the car.

It will be an interesting year ahead and I’m excited to see what lies ahead.  It’s time.  And I’m up for the challenge!  So, here’s hoping I’m hopping from the fire to the pan and not vice versa!

 

Icing on the cake

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Last weekend we celebrated our 20th Anniversary with a vow renewal and gathering afterward…you can see more about that here, but the thing I loved the most was being surrounded by our family and friends.  Now.  There are some of you reading this that might be sad because you missed it (and it WAS great), BUT this is NOT a slight or rant on you missing it.  It was our fortune to be married in June.  Who knew that 20 years later June would be the month of finishing school, graduations and the general crazy busy that ends school and begins summer?  Who?  Not my 24-year-old bride self, that’s for sure.  Anyhoo…….as much as we would have LOVED to have each and every one of our family and friends present, it’s just not a reality.  Life and all that.    That said……

The people who were supposed to be there were.  It was a neat gathering.  ALL of our kids (and with our 16 yo’s recent crisis of faith–that says a lot).  Many of Hubby’s AA friends came, and that is a diverse group of pretty cool people.  Truly.  We had friends come from church, and for the few friends we have there….that was a nice feeling.  Hubby’s parents were there.  Probably one of the very few times my father in law made it to church.   A continued grace in healing of a strained relationship.  My grandparents were there, right up front with us and my grandmother kept her claustrophobia at bay so that they could be on the front lines where they have always been.  Fraternity brothers, to which I can never say enough good about this group of guys.  Friends from our old city who drove 4 hours for a date weekend; this was an extra special because of the time we were able to spend with them the night before catching up.

My fear of getting up in front of the ENTIRE.  9 A.M. MASS. to renew our vows was real.  When Hubs started getting emotional prior to Mass, he almost brought me over the edge (so I had to threaten him with bodily harm and eggplant…he doesn’t like eggplant).  During the ceremony, I remembered our priest’s advice and just kept my eyes on Hubs, and the priest.  It worked.  Thankfully I followed those instructions because toward the end I snuck a peek at the parishioners and holy cow!  The looks of love and sweet smiles on their faces.  NOW I know why our church opts for this manner of vow renewal.  Talk about a witness.  I would never have made it had I looked out.  Also, the fact that our only response was “I do” rather than repeat the entire wedding vows was a HUGE help.  Death by publicly speaking heart-felt vows and all.

The graces were real.  The love was real.  The friends are real.  The icing on the cake.

Now hopefully life will get real and get our friends here throughout the summer for some visitin’!!!

20 years…let’s do it again!

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the young newleywedsI’m still processing a beautiful morning but for my friends and family who couldn’t make it to our 20 year Anniversary Vow Renewal…a few pics.

I have more pics.  I have more words.  Perhaps later this week.  I’ve got lots of words.  After 20 years I’ve got LOTS to say on marriage.  I’m thinking a little marriage series.  Like I said.  Processing.  For now.  You’ve got this.

9 a.m. Mass and BOOM right in the middle….a little vow renewal.  In front of God and everyone.  Again.  Neither of us cried.  Neither of us got the usual hysterical nervous giggles.  Neither of us passed out.  All good.  All.  Good.

Enjoy!

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drink station

food

 

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