Updates

Well, all of a sudden, I have a new job. And it’s completely different from my old call center job. Just over a month ago, we were visiting my parents for the weekend, and they told us about an opening at the same place they work. At first, I just assumed they were trying to tell me what to do with my life. No one in my family was very supportive of me having such a retarded job as I did before. I can see why. So, after I realized my parents were just throwing an idea out there without being pressuring, my husband and I decided it wasn’t such a bad idea to look into the position.

And here we are, having been offered and taken the position at The Crossnore School, Resident Counselors, in a cottage with 9 teenage girls! It’s a group home setting with an on-campus academy, cafeteria, gym, and the works for the students there. Ages range from toddler to 18, and even beyond in an independent program for college students off campus. That’s what my parents are doing. David and I work one 7 day shift and then have 7 days off. I’m currently enjoying the fruit of one of those week off shifts right now. It’s pretty nice considering I woke up at 9:30 this morning, headed to the gym, ran some errands, and plan on hanging out with David at home later. So different from my week-in/week-out routine at Sitel.  While we’re at work, my main duties are taking care of the cottage needs – doctors appointments, meetings, seeing the girls to school, making dinner for them, and just generally being there for them. Our girls are ages 14-17 with varied backgrounds. Several have been neglected by their parents, some have a trauma history of abuse, a few of our girls are there placed by their parents and the Department of Juvenile Justice because of their choices of rebellion. It’s a little messy. It can be emotionally taxing. But it is so rewarding and generally energizing because I am being fulfilled having something of a special gift for working with these girls.

I’m going to be updating my adventures in this new job on my other blog, The Youth Minister’s Wife, since it already has a more ministry related focus, but I still plan on posting little tidbits of my life I find interesting enough for blogging about here at wordpress. This will probably be on my off weeks. Unless I can steal away to the coffee shop on campus at work.

I wrote in the beginning of the year in my journal that I wouldn’t recognize my life in a few months. Oddly enough, I was right. I just didn’t know how.

My 2010 Vision

These are things I will bring into fruition through out 2010. I am more excited about this year than I have been about any year of my adult life. This is the year of dreams coming true. I have spent the last several years dreaming. This year I will reap a harvest.

From Habakkuk Chapter 2:

² Then the LORD answered me and said:

“ Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

What follows is me writing the vision (verse 2a) clear enough for me and anyone else who will join me to whole-heartedly run with it (verse 2b):

First, a note on the idea of running with me: Women are primarily relational. I truly desire, and, in fact, need to be surrounded by people who share a similar goal or the same goal as mine. I have always longed for a team of strong women to join alongside me in ministry and personal growth. This stems out of a desire to share my life with others, to develop into a leader by digging in deep with the ones who want to and never looking back.

Now on the the things that will come into being this year:

Take Me Away This is the teenage girls ministry that I have dreamed of for several years. It’s time to start offering myself and my ideas to the middle and high school girls of Brevard. We will see insecure girls turn into brilliant warrior chicks ready to battle the demons of poor self-images, sexual promiscuity, and the destructive disease of gossip.

Creative Worship It’s time to bring together a group of worshippers so desiring of a place and time to pour out their creative spirits for praise and worship via music and the Arts. It’s time to build a collective group of people who will usher God’s spirit into the setting of a church meeting like no other.

The Definition of Beauty This is a working title for my book, which God gave me the clarification of  last October. 2010 will see the completion of my thoughts on the subject that I’ve realized my whole life has been leading up to.

EatWell.SleepWell.RunWell  This is my year-long campaign by which I will rejuvenate and redefine my body. My choices of food and my bedtime are what will determine my physical health this year, and how well I will be able to train for 5 and 10k races.

Transition Trade The entrepreneurial machine that will enable me to lose my full-time day job to the freedom of planning, writing, and living out everything mentioned above with the resources – the time and money – to do it not just well but abundantly.

*Take note of the umbrella organizations for some of the above: Even Though Student Ministries for Take Me Away and A New Thing for Creative Worship, both of which can be found detailed in my husband’s visionary document for 2010 here.

How will these things come into being?
DAILY DISCIPLINE.
First, by prayer – asking God to bless what I have laid before Him, giving thanks for who He is and how He has provided. Then by reciting this every morning: “I have been brought into this world for bigger things than I can even imagine. I walk with a purpose that I am so passionate about that I will not allow my temptation for apathy or laziness to takeover. I am blessed and highly favored in all my goings and comings, and I am anointed to achieve success in Take Me Away, Creative Worship, The Definition of Beauty, EatWell.SleepWell.RunWell, and Transition Trade at a level that the world has never seen. I am a Warrior Princess, being the child of the King and shall not be defeated!”

Do you want to run with me? If any of these Visions resonate with you, connect with me. I need supporters, fellow laborers for the cause. Comment here, or on facebook, or twitter.

It’s go time, baby!

Lately: Part 2: The New Day

Just got back in from the barn. Not mine, of course, but my friend’s. If I’m available, I’m the one who cares for her animals when she’s away. Currently, she’s in West Virginia visiting family for the Holidays. And as I’ve already gone and come home from visiting my family just a hour and a half away, I’m looking after them until Tuesday. I love it. Two horses, two dogs, and two cats.

The fog settled in as I was there in the barn, and when I got home, I noticed how I didn’t have the Christmas tree lights on tonight. Doesn’t feel like they should shine anymore. Maybe it’s always a little sad when Christmas is over. Probably because it happens so quick after such a long build up. It does have me thinking about moving on, though.  Moving on from this season, this place, and moving into The New Day.

I’m calling in that, because for the last almost 4 years, we’ve been ministering to youth by being employed at a local church. It was a little part of our identity. We are no longer employed at that church due to reasons we still have not totally understood. My David decided against the deacons and pastor’s idea of  ”resignation” and instead had the church vote on what should happen. And it happened. We were no longer officially wanted there, which has become, little do they know, a complete release to fulfill our true calling! We are now able to minister to the youth with which we spent 4 years building a relationship without man-made, church decided rules and regulations. We are completely free to do ministry exactly the way God wanted us to.

I have just been keeping in touch with a few of my girls – texting and hanging out a little, mainly keeping up with what’s going on in their lives -  during the transition. But after our move into our new place we’re renting, our plans are to  host events we can invite lots of area youth to. These events will be the launch of A New Thing.

How definitely exciting!

Making a Dream Come True

I’ve realized that in order for my dream of publishing a book to come true, I’ve got to have a plan. Of course, it would be fabulous to write a perfect novel within a few months, have it picked up by Random House immediately, then be dashed away to every major talk show in the country promoting my new book and my charming personality.

That’s just a wish. A dream, however, is much more powerful and requires legitament work.

I mentioned my newfound love for podcasts recently. (Sroll down.) Well, one of them I’ve subscribed to is the popular “Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.” Back in December, Mignon Fogarty’s show highlighted a 5-step plan of action from author Scott Sigler. I think it’s so amazing that I’m going to implement that plan today.

Here’s why I’m so estatic about this. The plan is based on failure.

You’re probably wondering why I’m happy about that. Well, to be successful, you first have to overcome your failures. Step 2 is “write a bad book first.” It’s brilliant, because if I’m setting out to write a bad book and finish it, I’ll be doing exactly what it takes to write a really good one later. Writing a bad book gives me the freedom to mess up, learn from my mistakes and weak points, and get better. I have been way too hard on myself even over just one little sentence. Sigler’s 5 steps made me realize I can release myself from that kind of perfectionism. After all, if I wrote perfectly already where would the reward be?

And secondly, referencing Step 1, the plan is based on persistance, and that just makes sense.

So, for you fellow aspiring writers, I hope this helps you as much as me. I’m aware these 5 steps could take 2 years or more, but I’m okay with that. I’ve got a plan now.

I read Twilight.

Like the thousands of other people. My friend to the left of my cubicle at work is reading it. My other friend to the right of my cubicle has read and owns all four books.

I finished it last Friday night and saw the movie Sunday. And I still keep wondering why, exactly, it’s such a phenomenon. Basic conclusion: main audience is women, and women will goo and gaa adamantly, and sometimes, obsessively over a good love story.

I probably won’t read the other books. Unless the copies are randomly given to me, like TWILIGHT was. I might see the other movies as they come out. The book probably could have been written better. The film definitely could have been made better.

Nevertheless, I’m still a little jealous of Stephanie Meyer. Not sure I’d want the kind of following she has going for her, but I wouldn’t mind having a little cameo in the movie made from my very first book! In the end, congrats to her. Hopefully, we’ll see more of her.

If she can do it, I can.

Been doing some dreaming again.

Yes, about being a writer. We went over to new friends’ house last night where we also met one of their friends. The married couple hadn’t ever really heard all of mine and David’s story, and the girl we met was also very interested in hearing it. (She had, after all, at the time we arrived, just spent the last hour filling out her eharmony profile.) So there I sat, once again, though it had been a while since this kind of instance took place, with two girls staring wide-eyed at me, ooing and gooing over the events of my life as I told the story of how David and I met, wooed, got engaged, and married.

“I’m going to make a movie out of this! You should write a book!” they said. And it’s true. I should, definitely should write a book about us. Even if it never gets published.

At the moment, my pursuit of writing consists of my blogs, my random poetry and paragraphs added every now and then to existing stories, and the vague but still open door with freelancing for find.com.

Too many of us writers just dip into the writing pool ankle deep. Will I be one to dive in head first?

A few things.

1. I come to WordPress after several weeks, and it is crazy weird and different.
2. My hair is shorter than the last time I posted. Very much shorter.
3. We joined a gym recently, and I’ve been having fun working my little buns off. :)
4. My husband and I now have the exact same car apart from his being a manual and mine being an automatic. We were recently in a car accident.
5. We’re okay.
6. My Christmas tree is up, and it’s very sparkly.
7. I have barely a voice due to a nasty cough that’s settled into my chest.
8. This has been interesting at work: I talk all day on the phone, so instead, I have been helping people talk all day on the phone.
9. I made a video for my grandparent’s 50th anniversary coming up:

Update

Sadly, this post is only going to be a little update (not quite sure who I’m updating…) even though a true, well-thought out post is totally in order. It’s just I’ve really been way to busy to post regularly. I haven’t even been able to do anymore freelancing either. I’m loving my new job, exactly because of the reason that I’m not sitting around online all day anymore, but yes, I do go through withdrawals. Mostly, this is a very good thing that I don’t have the availability to be so obsessed.  

Speaking of my job, Wednesday is my very first day on the phones for real. I’ll have the opportunity to put all this stuff I’ve learned in the past several weeks into action! I’m scared royally, because honestly, it is rather scary to do something I’ve never done before. But I’m also quite confident. I’ve heard that success is where opportunity and preparedness meet. Well, my opportunity is Wednesday, and I’ve definitely been prepared – pretty extensive training I’ve had. 

I’ve also enjoyed meeting lots of new people at my new job. Asheville is forever filled with the most interesting human beings. 

I’ll end this post with a few pics. 

 

Marinated chicken with melted mozzarella, seasoned mashed potatoes, salad with homemade dressing

It’s from dinner earlier. David and I had ‘date night’ tonight. (We have one every week.) And our date was going to the grocery store together, getting food, cooking it, eating it, and cleaning up after it all together! It’s true the kitchen is the heart of the home, because tonight’s date night was pretty romantic!

Here’s another. 

 

my dad and his RV

We spent a little time with my parents this weekends while they camped in Seneca, SC. It’s their new RV, and my parents love living that life – traveling from place to place taking in the sights. 

And just one more.

Shannon and I

My friend and I went to a ladies mentoring meeting yesterday in Greensboro. She’s my friend with the beautiful (next week) one year old. She teaches me a lot about being a young mother… And I cut my bangs recently. Yesterday, at this event a lovely girl approached me randomly to tell me she thought I was really pretty. That made me feel wonderful, of course, so I took this shot of me and Shannon just after that girl said that. I think that must be what I look like when I’m confident. I want to be that so much more. I’m glad I’m improved a bit.

My first freelance writing check!

Of course I took pictures of it.

 

I wasn't going to give you my address.

 

$10/articles isn't bad.

 

 

 

It was a long time coming. The company had a few setbacks in getting the first batch of articles reviewed and payed for, but I think now we’re on a roll. I’ve got to find some time to actually write again, so I’m not sure when I’ll ask for more assignments. 

There’s a busy weekend ahead of me, and here I am blogging from home when I should be at work. I’ve really not felt my best today. As I was getting ready to leave home this morning, I vomited. Slowly, I tried to make myself continue to dress and get out the door, but it just wasn’t happening. Sometimes, your body blatantly screams to you, “I’m tired. Just let me rest.” So I heeded my own advice and stayed home in order to recuperate for a major event we’re having tonight for our youth at our church. After the local football home game, we’re taking them roller skating from 11pm – 1am. Then we’re heading back to the youth building for a lock-in. There’s a movie we’ve rented, and we’ll have lots of snacks. I’m only hoping I can keep up with those kids – especially the ever-talkative, very lively bunch of middle school girls! I love them so much, though, for their tireless energy and excitement – it’s what’s so much fun about growing up, I guess. 

Tomorrow, I’ll have a wonderful lie in with my husband – try to recuperate again for that evening. I’m babysitting the dear miss 11 month old Cheyenne. She’s my good friend’s beautiful baby girl, and she’s growing into her personality, showing us all a little bit of her “wilder” side. I very much enjoy babysitting her. 

I’m obviously not a mother yet, but the feminine instincts in that regard still have a way of creeping into my emotions, I suppose. I started a new book recently. 

 

by Lisa Bevere

The first chapter talks about the story “Are you my Mother?” by P.D. Eastman and it’s possibly firstly comical impressions but then also it’s quite emotional/spiritual implications. Bevere also talks about the birth of her first son in this opening chapter. I don’t know if it’s because reading this book has been highly anticipated by me, and I had to wait a while to order it, or what, but during the description of her son’s birth, streams of tears rolled down my cheeks. (And they even fell hard enough to roll into my ears since I was lying down in bed while I read.) 

Now, this certainly doesn’t mean I’m ready to have a child – still no where near entertaining those thoughts for me and David. (Sorry, Mom.) But I am really interested in finding out with this whole nuture thing is all about. Even without being a mother, I am aware that I need to be a nurturer in my home and a nurturer as a sister to my friends, and that, indeed, I need to be nurtured as well. I will try to update this blog on some of my thoughts on the book possibly. 

Speaking of, I think I’ll give my mind a little break from writing here and try to read some before I rest a bit more. Once David comes home from work, we’ll be getting started on the crazy evening with the youth. Say a prayer for my strength, will you?

Maybe you haven’t noticed,

but I’ve been changing the layout of this blog quite frequently over the past week or so. I think I’ve settled on this one for a while. What do you think? 

I used to use the WordPress “Freshy” theme quite consistently, but I don’t know, I get tired of the same design way too quickly. 

But enough about the trivial things. I promised myself I would write tonight, even if I didn’t know what to write about. Somehow, writing makes me feel better, makes the clarity of mind improve. I’m certain that is why ‘catharsis’ is in my blog title. You fellow writers know what it’s like to at least get something down on (virtual) paper. Even if it’s nothing much, it’s a sign of perseverance – the opposite of leaving a white flag out somewhere. 

The issue with writing for me at the moment is the fact that now that I’m working consistently 40 hour work weeks with plenty to do during my work day, time for writing has significantly decreased, which just means that I will have to prove to myself how much I really want it – how much I really want to write. I thoroughly believe you will do what you want to. We always find time to do what is most important to us. 

I think I’ll finish off this post with some random pictures. One is from my cousin’s baby shower for her second daughter, whom she is naming Chloe Grace. And the other is of my husband and his recent facial fashion.

The neat “diaper cake” at my cousin’s baby shower this weekend:

And my husband’s recent interest in the “Wolverine” look:

Hugh Jackman, move over.