First Few Days

First and second day at Bayview have been great. I love the nature of my new position. It's a great fit so far... The commute is something I'll have to get used to. I have managed to make it onto the correct busses to get myself home. Took a long walk in Seattle today rather than taking my first transfer bus. I have lived inside my bothell bubble for quite a while now, so having to trust God for my protection in the city on a daily basis is pretty new. Lo and behold, my very first King County Bus in downtown started with a bang! A guy in the back was yelling at the bus driver to call the police because the guy next to him was threatening to kill him. The lady sitting next to me could tell I was a newbie. She said loudly, "You'll never come on one of these buses again, will you?" I felt embarrassed, but was able to quickly shrug it off. There is definately something about being in the city that makes you feel like you are really living your life. I'm hoping this experience makes me more comfortable with being there. I would like to start volunteering my time in the inner city and my internal discomfort has always felt like a bit of an issue. I'm sure that if nothing else...I'll have a lot more interesting stories to tell.

"From the Inside Out"

I was taking some personal time out this evening and a book I'm reading had a short verse with it from The Message//Remix. It's an interpretation for Roman's 12:2 that I want to take with me this week and I thought it was worth sharing too. It reads;

"Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it wihtut even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragining you down to its level of immaturity, God brigs the best out of you, developes well-formed maturity in you."

~Romans 12:2

Good stuff...

Moving Right Along...

I accepted a position in Seattle this week! Woo hoo! I will be starting this next Wednesday, the 23rd as the Human Resources Coordinator at Bayview Retirement Community located in lower Queen Anne. It has been my desire to eventually become a Human Resources Generalist rather than just work in one area of HR. This position will give me all the experience I am looking for and more...what's better is that I love the purpose of the organization. I get to plan events to raise funds for the center and the community. I feel really excited and blessed. I am going to be reducing my hours at Bonefish to weekends (Saturdays and Sundays only) and then eventually I want to wean myself off of the second income. It's not the big bucks finish, but it is a start and I can't wait for the experience. Also, I have always had a desire to volunteer in some capacity in the inner city. Working in Seattle and now...having my week nights free may open up some doors. Just an update on the most exciting part of my small world...

A Mysterious God

I went and helped a friend with my church paint faces at the Mill Creek Town Center Market Place on Friday night. I...am by no means an artist. I did it just to hang out, however, watching Cindy was amazing. She is a real artist and to see her use her God given abilities to relate with others was so genuine. I was inspired by how painting someone's face or hand can lead to conversations that allow relationship and positive interaction with others. Humanity is an amazing thing. We are all such broken people...we all need other people in our lives and we all need a real God. I wonder what our reponse would be if God was more tangible...more human to us. Would we really seek relationship with him if He lived among us on earth? or would we take him for grantid like we often do of other humans in this life? Life is precious, people are precious, friendship is a gift and the presence of God covers our lives in a way that we can appreciate more because He remains somewhat of a mystery to us...Went running tonight. Looking up at the sky I saw a cloud pointing straight up to heaven. Not that the cloud was entirely symbolic, but it reminded me just how much I need Him. Need to beleive He is always right beside me. I am fulfilled more because I know this mysterious God who has always filled my life.

Just Maybe....

I receive a phone call from a House Manufacturing company in Lynwood today. They asked me to come in for an interview this Friday. It looks like the position has great benefits, vacation pay, 401k and all the perks (not to mention, tuition reimbursement!!!). Not sure what it pays, however, in Human Resources, gettting experience is the first step. I'm excited to get my foot into a door and let them get to know me, not just the peice of paper that lists my learned skills and work experience. It's exciting, however, I must be careful and wise. If you read this, please say a prayer for me, to get the job if it is the right one, but also for the strength to turn it down if it isn't right for me.

I WILL trust that God has the right path for me somewhere around the corner. Amen.

Off to Track Practice....I'll send an update after the interview on Friday.

I want to do it all...Is that okay?

So, ...since I have finished school I have a long list of I want to dos...They consist of:

Learning to play the guitar

Serving at the Union Gospel Mission in Seattle or a similar organization once a week

Dig into some classics for some very missed personal reading time. Some Jane Austin perhaps??

Train for my first triathalon (The Subaru Women's Triathalon in August) and half marathon, which means running at least three times a week, biking on the weekends, and swimming a lot because that is my weakest sport

Find some fun plants and landscape my backyard

Regularly attend a small group with my church

Organize my itunes playlists for running time

Scan every single one of the photos I inherited from my mom and have them conveniently on nice slim compact disks

Be the backup singer for my friend Michelle's Band. This is really happening, however, I don't know how in the world I will make it to all the practices and eventually all the performances

Plan ahead and hang out with a friend to catch up at least twice a week

Manage to have enough time to get a puppy! Although, I don't think this will happen becuase it would be downright mean to leave my puppy at home while I go out and do all of this stuff! I really really want one though and then I would have to find lots of time to walk it.

Now...considering I'm at work every day from 8:00-4:30 and at least two evenings a week from 6:00-10:00pm, that leaves me very little time to accomplish it all, but bygolly I'm going to try!!!

More than all the busyness. I want to take this time in my life to be still and know that God is my strength and trust that He will direct me in the ways I should go. Knowing myself, I know that I tend to want to do everything and I will follow my heart to the ends of the earth. I want to listen less to my own desires and follow God's heart to the ends of the earth!

"Anything I wanted, I took. I did not restrain myself from any joy. I even found great pleasure in hard work, an additional reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere."
~Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (Read all of Ecclesiastes 2)New Living Translation

First Post in the Blog World

This should be fun. I wanted a place besides myspace to post my thoughts, plus I thought this might be a fun and creative way to publicly journal a bit. As for now....my story is looking for jobs. Been feeling a bit discouraged lately wtih my income and schedule, but a good friend reminds me that I am blessed to have two jobs when some people don't have one. I truly do beleive that, however, that is not to say that I don't get stuck in my own little world from time to time. Got called off work at Bonefish tonight....so I'm here at the drawing board again sending out resumes. This is a lot of work, but I know it's all part of the game.