last day

Today is my last day of work. Here is how it’s gone so far:

My ride was supposed to pick me up at 7:25. It is pouring rain. I go out to the curb at 7:25 (b/c I can't see the parking lot from our apartment). I wait in the pouring, blowing rain until 7:35 and call him 3 times. He does not pick up. It wouldn’t usually matter except we only have one car this week and Kyle was supposed to take it to work. So I go back in the house; wake up Kyle and tell him that my ride has forgotten me. He gets ready really fast and I drive him to work (since we just have one car), getting him there at 8:20 (40 minutes early for him). I then drove to work and got here at 9:15... an hour and 15 minutes late for my last day. What are they going to do, fire me?

There’s a little more to add to the story but I’m afraid it’s not appropriate to post in a blog that anyone/everyone can read…

ch-ch-ch-changes

This time last week, I was offered a job at my alma mater, Oral Roberts University. I accepted and will be the new Visitation Coordinator for Admissions at ORU.

Kyle and I have been waiting for the right time to start looking for jobs in Tulsa, and this kind of fell in my lap after an email update I received from the alumni office about ORU’s new president. My last day at work at Asbury will be Wednesday, March 25. We’re heading out to my parents’ in CO for a few days, then will come back, pack up and head to Tulsa on Friday, April 3. My first day at my new job will be Monday, April 6.

As much as I’m looking forward to this new chapter (and I really am!), it is proving to be very hard to begin our goodbyes. Yesterday at church was the first time it really sank in. While I was holding babies and holding back tears in the nursery during the second service, a thought occurred to me: It is better that it is hard for us to leave Kentucky, than if it were easy to leave. It is bittersweet to leave, but better than having the mentality that I’m relieved to get the heck out of here. It is proof that we have invested our lives and hearts into this community.

It almost seems surreal to be heading back “home.” My heart is so happy to be going to a place that gives me so much life, and it’s almost been too much to take in. I think I’m a little “whelmed” by all the details of a move… but it’s coming together piece by piece.

Christmas Plans

Kyle and I went to Indianapolis on Saturday to celebrate Christmas with his mom’s side of the family. We had a fun time, exchanging gifts and playing games. We had been up there 3 weeks before, celebrating Thanksgiving, so I feel like I'm getting to know my new family. Since we’re leaving tomorrow for Tulsa, we decided to have our own little Christmas yesterday. We slept in (‘till 9am!), opened presents, made waffles, and went to the movies. It was fun to be able to celebrate with just the two of us.

Kyle is the answer to so many prayers and I’m excited to be celebrating our first Christmas together. We’re leaving when we get off work tomorrow, and will drive halfway to Tulsa and get there on Christmas Eve! Yay for Christmas, Yay for family! Yay for Tulsa! I’m so excited.

Ducks

I am a person who likes to have my ducks in a row.
I even like to have other people’s ducks in a row.
But I’ve found that God is a duck-kicker.

I have had my ducks kicked a lot. Please don’t misunderstand me: I’m not saying that God kicks our ducks out of malice or as a show of power. God is a God of love, not a mischievous or cruel god who has nothing better to do than to screw around with people’s lives. I think it is a sign of God’s sheer love for us that he intervenes and kicks our ducks in the first place. Sometimes I wonder how many times God has saved me by kicking my ducks. I can name a few times that I’m aware of and can guess that there are hundreds more that I’m unaware of. I am beginning to understand what King Solomon meant when he said, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

Instead of spending my time trying to be in control of everyone and everything, I want to be a person who greets each day with child-like wonder- expecting God to do great things. I’m trying to reprogram my mind to be thankful. To be grateful for every day that I have and for everything that happens in the day. Not like, “Thank you, God- it’s awesome that my car broke down on the side of the road and I slammed my thumb in the filing cabinet at work,” but learning to see God in everything, or at least trust that He is working behind the scenes.

God has proved his faithfulness over and over in my life. He has shown me that I can trust him & trust his plans, whether I understand them or not.