I have a job!! After a little over two months of searching, about 8 interviews, and over 100 resume submissions (can't believe it was that many!), I have been offered a position and have accepted.
The job? Personal Assistant to an interior designer here in D.C. I know. Kind of crazy. I will be helping with a wide range of her needs, but my focus will be assisting with her business and a non-profit organization that she just helped start. I am very excited! It fits well with my past experience, will prepare me for just about anything in the future, and will be fun!
Oh, and I start tomorrow morning. I accepted the position at 4 this afternoon.
And in honor of my last day of being a stay-at-home-not-mom (as one of my roomies would say), I baked bread and cleaned the kitchen. I will miss these days of domestic bliss (truly, I will), but totally loved them while they lasted! I got to do SO much that I never would have gotten to do if I had jumped straight into working. Examples? Babysit adorable kids from my church, and in the process meet their sweet moms. Meet with my language partner and share the Gospel with her (more on that later because it's awesome). Host my awesome mom AND my sweet friend Hannah from Tennessee. Ride the Metro and explore the city.
Thanks for everyone who prayed for me, encouraged me, and offered their assistance in my job search. It means so much and it's hard to believe that this period of searching has officially ended.
The Lord has truly been faithful and I can't wait to see how He uses me in this job and in my life in D.C.!
Showing posts with label me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label me. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Keepin' it Real
It has been brought to my attention several times in the last month that I never get upset and I never "lose my cool." The truth would actually be that I just don't show when I'm upset. The people that know me well can testify to this.
So...lest anyone think that I have it all together, let me tell you some of the other stories about how my first week with kids went.
Monday was rough. Really rough. I left work Monday extremely discouraged and wondering how in the world I would ever survive an entire summer working with middle-schoolers each day. Before Monday, I honestly thought I was prepared. I have worked with middle school kids extensively and typically build rapport with them quickly. However, what I failed to think about was the fact that I have never had to be in an authoritative role. I am always in the role of friend, with the purpose of building relationships, and therefore don't have to give a whole lot of direction. Very different than being in more of a teacher role.
Part of my job this summer is teaching academics. I was assigned reading and so I spend three 45 minute rotations twice a week working on vocabulary and reading. I had chosen Prince Caspian as the book and was very prepared for my lesson. However, the kids got there and reported that they had already read the book in school and had no interest in reading it again. Then two kids absolutely refused to read. And when I say refused to read, I mean they told me "no." Of course, I was stressed out, didn't know how to handle the complete disregard for authority, and became quite flustered. They never did read and I left wondering how I was going to survive the summer.
Things got better on Tuesday. We went on a field trip and everyone had a great time. No incidents and all of the kids obeyed very well.
Thursday was the next day for academics. During the week, I reassessed how I wanted to approach reading, keeping in mind that it is summer and learning is not their favorite thing. I even decided to switch books. We are now reading "Forty to Life," a book they started last summer and loved. Great decision. More kids read and best of all, they were engaged in the book. Listening intently even as I read to them and remembering all the details of the story. I was so encouraged! While I am somewhat disappointed that not all the kids will read, I recognize that some kids are not going to be comfortable with that and I still think there's value in me reading to them (most of the kids still read Thursday).
So, I am still a little unsure about how everything will work out, but I am very encouraged and looking forward to the challenge the middle-schoolers bring to life!
So...lest anyone think that I have it all together, let me tell you some of the other stories about how my first week with kids went.
Monday was rough. Really rough. I left work Monday extremely discouraged and wondering how in the world I would ever survive an entire summer working with middle-schoolers each day. Before Monday, I honestly thought I was prepared. I have worked with middle school kids extensively and typically build rapport with them quickly. However, what I failed to think about was the fact that I have never had to be in an authoritative role. I am always in the role of friend, with the purpose of building relationships, and therefore don't have to give a whole lot of direction. Very different than being in more of a teacher role.
Part of my job this summer is teaching academics. I was assigned reading and so I spend three 45 minute rotations twice a week working on vocabulary and reading. I had chosen Prince Caspian as the book and was very prepared for my lesson. However, the kids got there and reported that they had already read the book in school and had no interest in reading it again. Then two kids absolutely refused to read. And when I say refused to read, I mean they told me "no." Of course, I was stressed out, didn't know how to handle the complete disregard for authority, and became quite flustered. They never did read and I left wondering how I was going to survive the summer.
Things got better on Tuesday. We went on a field trip and everyone had a great time. No incidents and all of the kids obeyed very well.
Thursday was the next day for academics. During the week, I reassessed how I wanted to approach reading, keeping in mind that it is summer and learning is not their favorite thing. I even decided to switch books. We are now reading "Forty to Life," a book they started last summer and loved. Great decision. More kids read and best of all, they were engaged in the book. Listening intently even as I read to them and remembering all the details of the story. I was so encouraged! While I am somewhat disappointed that not all the kids will read, I recognize that some kids are not going to be comfortable with that and I still think there's value in me reading to them (most of the kids still read Thursday).
So, I am still a little unsure about how everything will work out, but I am very encouraged and looking forward to the challenge the middle-schoolers bring to life!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Moving on...
Friday will be my last day at work. While I'm excited to move on, I will also miss all of my co-workers. They have been very good to me and I am glad to count many of them as great friends!
They threw a going-away party for me last week and I had a great time getting to see everyone outside of the office one last time. I feel very blessed to have had such a great job for the last 3 years.
Today, they put a post on the TapRooT® blog in my honor.
They threw a going-away party for me last week and I had a great time getting to see everyone outside of the office one last time. I feel very blessed to have had such a great job for the last 3 years.
Today, they put a post on the TapRooT® blog in my honor.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Mexico...6 days!
Thank you so much for your prayers, support, and advice about my trip to Mexico. This has been a really stressful couple of weeks trying to decide what to do, but the Lord's provision and mercy on the situation has been so awesome! I just wanted to share a few things that have happened in the last few weeks...
First, I spent a lot of time praying about whether I should go. I finally felt a peace about two things: 1. That I should honor my parent's wishes on the subject. If they asked me not to go, I had decided not to go. I very much felt led to make this commitment. 2. That if, at any point before leaving on the trip, I felt uneasy about anything the church was or was not doing regarding safety, that I would not go. However, I was going to reassess the situation after our final meeting (which was today).
I prayed intently, talked to several people not involved in the trip or the church, and did extensive research on the violence in Mexico. Our last meeting was this morning after church, and if you had asked me even last night if I felt like the church was doing all that it needed to do to help with safety, I would have said no. This was mainly because they weren't sending any information about what they were doing. I (wrongly) interpreted this to mean that they were not doing anything. Going into the meeting, I had several things that I had established as "must-haves" for them to address in order for me to feel that they were taking appropriate steps toward safety. They were: 1. Already contacted the US Consulate in Tijuana and registered our trip. 2. Canceled the plan to go to the mercados in Rosarito on the final day. 3. Give instructions on what to do in case of emergencies while we are there.
Honestly, I didn't think this was all going to happen and I didn't really believe that I would be going on the trip. BUT...they addressed all of these things and more!! I was totally blown away and THRILLED that all of my concerns had been fulfilled above and beyond what I had prayed for!! Going into the meeting, I had prayed that I would have either an undoubted peace about the situation or a definite feeling that I should not go. Peace was granted!!!
I talked to my parents about it, and while they're a little nervous, they are also supportive. They were very happy with how the church handled the situation.
So...I will be going to Mexico on Saturday!! I am really excited and just blown away at how this has come together above and beyond what I could have asked or imagined. I am still a bit nervous, but I very much have a peace about the situation and can't wait to leave!!
Sorry this was such a long story...I am pretty amazed with the whole thing, if you can't tell :-)
Please continue to pray for safety for our team while we're in Mexico, for continued peace about the situation, and that we can really be Christ to the people we will be serving in Tijuana.
First, I spent a lot of time praying about whether I should go. I finally felt a peace about two things: 1. That I should honor my parent's wishes on the subject. If they asked me not to go, I had decided not to go. I very much felt led to make this commitment. 2. That if, at any point before leaving on the trip, I felt uneasy about anything the church was or was not doing regarding safety, that I would not go. However, I was going to reassess the situation after our final meeting (which was today).
I prayed intently, talked to several people not involved in the trip or the church, and did extensive research on the violence in Mexico. Our last meeting was this morning after church, and if you had asked me even last night if I felt like the church was doing all that it needed to do to help with safety, I would have said no. This was mainly because they weren't sending any information about what they were doing. I (wrongly) interpreted this to mean that they were not doing anything. Going into the meeting, I had several things that I had established as "must-haves" for them to address in order for me to feel that they were taking appropriate steps toward safety. They were: 1. Already contacted the US Consulate in Tijuana and registered our trip. 2. Canceled the plan to go to the mercados in Rosarito on the final day. 3. Give instructions on what to do in case of emergencies while we are there.
Honestly, I didn't think this was all going to happen and I didn't really believe that I would be going on the trip. BUT...they addressed all of these things and more!! I was totally blown away and THRILLED that all of my concerns had been fulfilled above and beyond what I had prayed for!! Going into the meeting, I had prayed that I would have either an undoubted peace about the situation or a definite feeling that I should not go. Peace was granted!!!
I talked to my parents about it, and while they're a little nervous, they are also supportive. They were very happy with how the church handled the situation.
So...I will be going to Mexico on Saturday!! I am really excited and just blown away at how this has come together above and beyond what I could have asked or imagined. I am still a bit nervous, but I very much have a peace about the situation and can't wait to leave!!
Sorry this was such a long story...I am pretty amazed with the whole thing, if you can't tell :-)
Please continue to pray for safety for our team while we're in Mexico, for continued peace about the situation, and that we can really be Christ to the people we will be serving in Tijuana.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
25 Things
I think this is a little weird, but I'll go ahead and do it anyway because now I have been "tagged" on Facebook and through another blog. And mainly because my roommate keeps bugging me about it. So Anne, here are 25 random things about me, in no particular order:
1. I hate chocolate. The smell and taste.
2. I have lived in 4 different states.
3. I really hate when hair gets on me. I don't think hair is gross, but I freak out if it gets on me and it's not attached to a head.
4. My biggest fear about going to Mexico in March is that I will get lice in the orphanage. I worry about this a lot. Everyone else worries about the drug cartels. I know it's weird.
5. I absolutely refuse to drink milk out of a plastic cup. This one time, my roommates hid all the glasses from me and I tried drinking my milk from a plastic cup. I couldn't and poured out the rest of my milk.
6. J.P. Prince is my favorite UT basketball player. I pretty much think he's amazing.
7. My biggest passion is orphans. I talk about orphans/adoption all the time. I am planning to work with orphans oversees for a year after college. I don't know where yet.
8. Going along with #7, one of my biggest dreams is to adopt children. Probably from Russia or Ukraine.
9. I want to have 7 children (some of them adopted).
10. All of my clothes face the same way in my closet. Always.
11. I have had 19 broken bones in my life. Yes, as in 1-9.
12. I love Italian food.
13. The 4th of July is my favorite holiday.
14. I have 2 metal rods in my back.
15. I drink coffee every morning. I am currently working my way down to decaf.
16. I am planning to run a 10k in May. Probably in Washington D.C. Let me know if you want to run too!
17. I think middle-schoolers are hilarious and I volunteer with a middle school ministry.
18. I like the smell of gas stations.
19. My favorite TV show of all time is Alias. It's seriously awesome. Sydney Bristow is still my role model.
20. One of my life goals is to learn 3 languages. I currently know English, some ASL, and a tiny bit of Spanish. When I live abroad next year, I am hoping to become proficient in something else, depending on where I live.
21. I hardly ever cry.
22. I push snooze every single morning. Now I have a note on my alarm that says "Discipline" and I feel guilty if I push it more than once.
23. In second grade, we hatched chicks at school. I got to keep one as a pet. Her name was "Chubby."
24. My favorite singer is Steven Curtis Chapman. He is an awesome adoption advocate and an awesome musician.
25. I can't sleep with clothes touching my feet, legs, or arms. I roll up my pants, sleep without socks, and only wear t-shirts to bed.
1. I hate chocolate. The smell and taste.
2. I have lived in 4 different states.
3. I really hate when hair gets on me. I don't think hair is gross, but I freak out if it gets on me and it's not attached to a head.
4. My biggest fear about going to Mexico in March is that I will get lice in the orphanage. I worry about this a lot. Everyone else worries about the drug cartels. I know it's weird.
5. I absolutely refuse to drink milk out of a plastic cup. This one time, my roommates hid all the glasses from me and I tried drinking my milk from a plastic cup. I couldn't and poured out the rest of my milk.
6. J.P. Prince is my favorite UT basketball player. I pretty much think he's amazing.
7. My biggest passion is orphans. I talk about orphans/adoption all the time. I am planning to work with orphans oversees for a year after college. I don't know where yet.
8. Going along with #7, one of my biggest dreams is to adopt children. Probably from Russia or Ukraine.
9. I want to have 7 children (some of them adopted).
10. All of my clothes face the same way in my closet. Always.
11. I have had 19 broken bones in my life. Yes, as in 1-9.
12. I love Italian food.
13. The 4th of July is my favorite holiday.
14. I have 2 metal rods in my back.
15. I drink coffee every morning. I am currently working my way down to decaf.
16. I am planning to run a 10k in May. Probably in Washington D.C. Let me know if you want to run too!
17. I think middle-schoolers are hilarious and I volunteer with a middle school ministry.
18. I like the smell of gas stations.
19. My favorite TV show of all time is Alias. It's seriously awesome. Sydney Bristow is still my role model.
20. One of my life goals is to learn 3 languages. I currently know English, some ASL, and a tiny bit of Spanish. When I live abroad next year, I am hoping to become proficient in something else, depending on where I live.
21. I hardly ever cry.
22. I push snooze every single morning. Now I have a note on my alarm that says "Discipline" and I feel guilty if I push it more than once.
23. In second grade, we hatched chicks at school. I got to keep one as a pet. Her name was "Chubby."
24. My favorite singer is Steven Curtis Chapman. He is an awesome adoption advocate and an awesome musician.
25. I can't sleep with clothes touching my feet, legs, or arms. I roll up my pants, sleep without socks, and only wear t-shirts to bed.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Home! (and more)
I'm home!! I've been in the great state of Texas since Sunday and have been having a great time. It's so good to see my sweet family. We've been busy non-stop. So far I've gotten to eat lots of Mexican food, watch the Cowboys beat the Giants, shop with my mom, watch a movie with my sister (Made of Honor, not that great), and cheer for Conner at a basketball game!
Finals ended last Thursday and then Anne and I went to Raleigh for two nights. I went to Natalie's shower and got to spend a couple days hanging out with her. It was great to see her and it was so fun to talk about all the crazy things we used to do...her friendship has been such a blessing to me over the years!
After leaving Raleigh we headed to Gatlinburg for my office's Christmas party. Carli and I brought Anne and Sarah with us. The company rented hotel rooms at The Lodge at Buckberry Creek and it was wonderful! We had a fireplace in our room, free hot chocolate, tea, and coffee, and a massive room that overlooked the mountains, which had snow on them! It was a great way to wrap up the craziness of finals before heading home the next day! Here's a picture of us after dinner:
Now to add to the craziness of this post, I almost forgot what happened Monday morning. I was joyously awoken by my dear sister and her friends getting back from camping at 7:00 in the morning. Not only were they screaming, but I also had a wet nose pressed against my face at the same time. Why, you ask? Well, they had found two puppies while camping and had brought them home. The two puppies, Dakota, and three screaming girls woke me up early Monday morning. The puppies have since found homes with someone else, but they were very cute and we had fun playing with them all day Monday. I really wanted to bring one home with me to Knoxville, but I already knew that plan would not be approved by one of my roommates, so I sadly had to let them go to someone else. :-( Here's a picture we took of them, although it doesn't even begin to give you a true picture of their cuteness:
Today's Conner's birthday. He's 15, which means he can start driving now...crazy!! He's also 6'2", which means he towers over me and the rest of the family, and has been doing an incredible job playing for his high school basketball team. He's an awesome brother and I respect him greatly. Here is a picture of him and me from this summer.
Finals ended last Thursday and then Anne and I went to Raleigh for two nights. I went to Natalie's shower and got to spend a couple days hanging out with her. It was great to see her and it was so fun to talk about all the crazy things we used to do...her friendship has been such a blessing to me over the years!
After leaving Raleigh we headed to Gatlinburg for my office's Christmas party. Carli and I brought Anne and Sarah with us. The company rented hotel rooms at The Lodge at Buckberry Creek and it was wonderful! We had a fireplace in our room, free hot chocolate, tea, and coffee, and a massive room that overlooked the mountains, which had snow on them! It was a great way to wrap up the craziness of finals before heading home the next day! Here's a picture of us after dinner:
Now to add to the craziness of this post, I almost forgot what happened Monday morning. I was joyously awoken by my dear sister and her friends getting back from camping at 7:00 in the morning. Not only were they screaming, but I also had a wet nose pressed against my face at the same time. Why, you ask? Well, they had found two puppies while camping and had brought them home. The two puppies, Dakota, and three screaming girls woke me up early Monday morning. The puppies have since found homes with someone else, but they were very cute and we had fun playing with them all day Monday. I really wanted to bring one home with me to Knoxville, but I already knew that plan would not be approved by one of my roommates, so I sadly had to let them go to someone else. :-( Here's a picture we took of them, although it doesn't even begin to give you a true picture of their cuteness:
Today's Conner's birthday. He's 15, which means he can start driving now...crazy!! He's also 6'2", which means he towers over me and the rest of the family, and has been doing an incredible job playing for his high school basketball team. He's an awesome brother and I respect him greatly. Here is a picture of him and me from this summer.
Well, I've got to go run errands, bake a cake, and clean the house with my mom and sister, but hopefully I will be more on top of blogging. However, I make no promises!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Craziness of Life
So I think I've definitely proved that I'm a HORRIBLE blogger. Maybe I'll get better after finals are through and I have a little less craziness going on. Maybe not though. Probably not, actually.
Here's a super-quick summary of the last few weeks:
I went to Alabama with my friend Hannah and her family for Thanksgiving. I had a great time and I was so grateful that they invited me to join them. It was the best thing I could have done outside of going home!
I have written about 10 papers in the last two weeks, which is totally insane. I would never recommend it.
I am done with finals on Thursday. I go to Raleigh for two nights for Natalie's shower (I still think it's weird that she's getting married, but I'm coming around to the idea :-) and I cannot wait!! Anne is coming too to visit this one boy that she likes. So, that will be fun. We're trying to get Sarah to come too. She and Natalie have both lived in Chile, so I think it's a fabulous idea. She said no so far, though.
Last night I went to a party at Diana's apartment. We had a great time and no one got upset during the games, including myself. I am quite proud of that, I might add.
Oh, and the Cowboys are not looking probable for the playoffs. Ugh!
Here's a picture of some of my sweet friends:
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Here's a super-quick summary of the last few weeks:
I went to Alabama with my friend Hannah and her family for Thanksgiving. I had a great time and I was so grateful that they invited me to join them. It was the best thing I could have done outside of going home!
I have written about 10 papers in the last two weeks, which is totally insane. I would never recommend it.
I am done with finals on Thursday. I go to Raleigh for two nights for Natalie's shower (I still think it's weird that she's getting married, but I'm coming around to the idea :-) and I cannot wait!! Anne is coming too to visit this one boy that she likes. So, that will be fun. We're trying to get Sarah to come too. She and Natalie have both lived in Chile, so I think it's a fabulous idea. She said no so far, though.
Last night I went to a party at Diana's apartment. We had a great time and no one got upset during the games, including myself. I am quite proud of that, I might add.
Oh, and the Cowboys are not looking probable for the playoffs. Ugh!
Here's a picture of some of my sweet friends:
I'm off to bed. Work tomorrow, then studying will dominate my life until Thursday @ 4:45.
Have a great week!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A Heart for Adoption...
If you've known me for any extended amount of time, you have probably heard me talk about adoption. International adoption in particular. I LOVE the idea of adoption and think that it is such a cool representation of truly being the hands and feet of Christ and it's such a great illustration of what Christ did for us!
I think that all Christians have an obligation to care about orphans. Does this mean that every Christian has to adopt? No (but I do think everyone should consider! :-). But it does mean that everyone should care.
So, it made me really sad to read this article earlier this week. It's about how international adoption has dropped significantly last year. Please pray about this!
Despite the drop in adoptions, there are still really cool things going on in the adoption/orphan care world. Children's Hope Chest is an orphan care organization in Africa and Eastern Europe and Shaohannah's Hope is an organization founded by Steven and Mary Beth Chapman as an adoption resource and orphan care organization. They are both really awesome organizations!
AND it's Adoption Awareness month!
I know I will adopt one day, and it's really cool to think that my future child may already be alive, just living in Eastern Europe! And since I talk about adoption with my roommates almost every day, it has been weighing heavily on my mind lately. Let me know if you ever want to read some good adoption blogs...I have several that I follow regularly!
I think that all Christians have an obligation to care about orphans. Does this mean that every Christian has to adopt? No (but I do think everyone should consider! :-). But it does mean that everyone should care.
So, it made me really sad to read this article earlier this week. It's about how international adoption has dropped significantly last year. Please pray about this!
Despite the drop in adoptions, there are still really cool things going on in the adoption/orphan care world. Children's Hope Chest is an orphan care organization in Africa and Eastern Europe and Shaohannah's Hope is an organization founded by Steven and Mary Beth Chapman as an adoption resource and orphan care organization. They are both really awesome organizations!
AND it's Adoption Awareness month!
I know I will adopt one day, and it's really cool to think that my future child may already be alive, just living in Eastern Europe! And since I talk about adoption with my roommates almost every day, it has been weighing heavily on my mind lately. Let me know if you ever want to read some good adoption blogs...I have several that I follow regularly!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
These are a few of my favorite things...
Organ transplants. My mom received a kidney transplant 4 years ago, and it is truly a miracle that changes lives. Become an organ donor here or just get more information! And this is an AWESOME story about an organ donor.
Adoption. I love the idea of adoption and I really have a heart for orphans all over the world! There are around 143 millions orphans presently living around the world. What would it look like if people started following Christ's call to care for the orphans and widows? AWAA is one of the major Christian adoption agencies in the US. Here's some thoughts on abortion/adoption.
Tennessee sports (especially football and basketball!).
The Dallas Cowboys.
Texas.
That's my random list for now... I have to study!
Adoption. I love the idea of adoption and I really have a heart for orphans all over the world! There are around 143 millions orphans presently living around the world. What would it look like if people started following Christ's call to care for the orphans and widows? AWAA is one of the major Christian adoption agencies in the US. Here's some thoughts on abortion/adoption.
Tennessee sports (especially football and basketball!).
The Dallas Cowboys.
Texas.
That's my random list for now... I have to study!
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