Two Things Tuesday

1. I get quite annoyed when I ask someone what type of work they've done and they tell me "everything. I've done it all". Really? Everything?? You've flown a spaceship and painted nails and stitched teddy bears and designed clothing and treated patients with malaria and pumped gas and been a dolphin trainer? No? Well then you haven't done everything, now have you? :)

2. Tonight I'll finish reading Mockingay, the 3rd book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I'm not completely finished with the book, so I suppose my mind could change in next 35 pages, but it's not likely. The 3rd book is by far my least favorite. It doesn't seem to fit with the other two and has been difficult for me to read at points. It hasn't kept my interested like the first book did. Anyone else feel the same?

Story of Redeemer's

There has been a chain of events over the past two years that have all played out to put us in a position where Kory has been offered and accepted this new position. It all started right after we moved to Oregon.

We had only been here a couple weeks and we didn't have internet at our apartments yet, so we drove to Roseburg and were using the internet at Starbucks one afternoon. Over the next hour or two, we heard a couple next to us who was talking to another man about some issues he was struggling with at that time. It was very obvious to us that the couple were ministers and as they got up to leave, Kory did something very out of character for him.

He got their attention and let them know he overheard part of their conversation and he assumed they were ministers. We explained we just moved to the area and Kory was a youth minister in the area and he just wanted to meet them and tell them they encouraged him. Well, it just so happens that they were youth ministers who were in the process of transitioning into different ministry roles at their church. However, they were in the process of creating a Youth Minister Alliance for all the youth ministers in the county. So Kory gave them his contact information and we parted ways.

A couple months later, Kory received an e-mail about the first meeting of this new Youth Minister group. They met on Saturday mornings so Kory & I began going to meetings and loved it! Sadly, they have since started meeting during the week, so I can no longer attend, but Kory goes every month and we've built some great relationships as a result of that. In fact, one of my closest friends here is a gal who I met through that group.

So last Fall, the group (DCEF 2.0) was hosting a county-wide youth rally to coincide with See You at the Pole. Kory & 2 other youth ministers spoke at the event and fun was had by all. Unbeknownst to us (that's a fun word!), the middle school minister from Redeemer's was at that event and heard Kory speak. So when their winter middle school retreat rolled around and they needed a speaker, Redeemer's contacted Kory to ask him to be the guest speaker for that weekend.

Kory had to be gone my birthday weekend to speak at that retreat, but we both agreed it was a great opportunity and so he did it. He had a wonderful time at the retreat and came back singing the praises of Redeemer's and even said he would love to work for a church like that!

A couple days later, Kory received an e-mail from the Middle School Youth Minister saying, "Hey, we're looking for a High School Youth Minister. Know anyone who might be interested?" Kory wasn't looking for a different job, but this one seemed to kind of fall in his lap. Again, we decided this was a great opportunity and he should at least look into it. He applied for the position and several interviews and meetings later, here we are, about to move so he can work as the High School Youth Minister at Redeemer's Fellowship.

It's amazing to look back and see how that one simple conversation in Starbucks led to all this! Now, I certainly believe God could have worked this out in a different way if He wanted to, but I love knowing that simply following God's prompting can lead you to very exciting opportunities in the future!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Change is a great word to describe my life right now. Marriage itself brings a lot of big changes: living together, sharing money, different last name, etc. However, we have quite a few more changes happening in the next couple weeks.

Kory just accepted a new job with a different church. The great part is that the job is in Roseburg, Oregon...which is the city I already work in! That is wonderful news because I can keep my current job AND I don't have to commute anymore. It wasn't terrible-about 25 minutes-but I will be very happy to be able to run home for lunch or to live in a town with a movie theater and Sonic! We are moving to the big city, y'all. From a town of 3,000 to one with 22,000. That is a big deal, mainly because it puts us half an hour closer to Chili's :)

Kory will be the high school youth minister at Redeemer's Fellowship and we are both SO excited about it! I will have to post about the incredible way God brought this opportunity into our lives soon. It is awesome to see how He's been working. The plan is to start that job after the wedding and honeymoon.

So we got Kory's stuff all moved into my apartment yesterday and he is staying with a friend for the month of May to save a month of paying rent. This means we get to move again right when we get back from the honeymoon. We have got a lot of my apt packed up now also so we need to start looking at housing options in Roseburg pretty soon.

Redeemer's is a church of 1,000 people and we currently worship in a church of 130 people...so that will be an adjustment. All of these changes are positive, though, and we're very excited about all of it! It's just sometimes a lot to take all at once.

However, I'm so thankful I don't have to quit my job and look for another one. That makes a huge difference in lowering my stress level. In fact, I really don't feel too stressed out by all of this...I just feel excited and ready for it to all start happening!

The next few weeks are pretty crazy for us. Last Monday night (May 2), we met with the youth ministry volunteers and let them know about this new job and made plans for Kory's transition. Then, Kory was preaching Sunday morning (May 8) and announced it to the church body, so it's officially "out" and we can tell everyone we're moving now. This Wednesday (May 11), we'll talk to the youth group kids about it, so I'm sure that will be kind of hard. We have two more Sundays to attend church at Tri City and then we'll be gone for the wedding. When we return from the honeymoon (June 5), Kory will have one week off and then start his job at Redeemer's and we'll make the move to Roseburg.

We got Kory completely moved out of his apartment because I wanted to come home from the honeymoon to a clean apartment where we were all moved in and settled...silly me. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy! However, God is dumping blessing after blessing on us, so we will not complain. We will just be excited about the changes that are coming our way! :)

Friday Five

I decided to jump on the bandwagon and do a Friday Five post this week. No promises that I'll ever remember to do it again, but here it is for this most exciting of Fridays!!

1. I got today off work! Sadly, I don't get paid because it's a mandatory furlough day, but I'll still take a day off happily. It's a move by the State of Oregon to hopefully save money by closing offices for a day and sending workers home without pay...and I hear there are more of them coming next year. Oh well--more days off!

2. I'm heading home to NM this weekend for a girls wedding weekend extravaganza!! I'm SO excited :) I'll get to see all of my bridesmaids (and meet two of their babies!), my mom/aunts/cousins/grandmas, and Kory's mom/sis-in-law/grandma and I know it will be so fun. We'll also do wedding craft projects, have 2 bridal showers, get fitted for my dress and b-maid dresses, do a hair and make-up trial, check out the venue and make many plans for the wedding that is only 2.5 months away.

3. The weather in Artesia this weekend is supposed to be in the 80s and I am beyond thrilled about that! It hasn't been above 50-55 in 6 months here (ok...maybe that's not exactly true, I'm no meteorologist) and I am LONGING for some sunshine. I plan to soak up some sun this weekend and enjoy wearing Spring clothes.

4. I have to drive 3 hours to get to a major airport here in Oregon and I have to drive 3 hours to get to my parents house from any major airport I fly into and that makes for a LONG trip. The flights alone are usually 7-8 hours with a lay-over and then 6 hours of driving just makes me feel like I should be arriving in another country after all that travel.

5. Babies!! I am SOOO excited to meet Beckham Crawford & Grayden Washichek this weekend! One of my main goals for this weekend is to hold those babies a LOT and get lots of good cuddle time with them. I promise to return next week with great pictures of me holding them, as well as all the other fun events of the weekend!

Interesting Tidbits

This was in a publication I receive weekly regarding the latest employer openings and closings around the state of Oregon. "A group of alternative health care practitioners opened The Gifting Tree Wellness Center in Ashland. Patients can pay with cash, the gift of labor or goods, or by pledging to pay it forward by giving in some other part of the community." While I love the idea, I am curious about how they pay their bills?

I saw this employer's name (law firm probably?) in an article I read today: Kelley, Kronenberg, Gilmartin, Fichtel, Wander, Bamdas, Escalyo and Dunbrack. Poor receptionist! I hope she doesn't have to say the company name when she answers the phone.

Random Thoughts

I got sunburned a couple weeks ago and my skin is just now peeling. The skin on my arms is coming off in pretty big chunks and while I know it sounds disgusting, it is actually quite cool!

When I was younger, I remember thinking that an office job had to be really easy and I didn't understand how people could be so tired after working in an office all day. For my job at least, I can say that it is mentally and emotionally draining. It's not physical labor or active work, but I still find myself worn out by the end of the day. While I really love my job, I know I wasn't made to spend my life in an office. Anytime I'm away from work (weekends, vacation, etc.) and I find myself outside during the daylight hours, I am so happy to see sunlight and to know what life is like outside these 4 walls. My dream job would be to NOT work. I'm so ready for retirement already!

I always had a hard time remembering which ocean was the Pacific and which was the Atlantic, but now that I live in the Pacific NW, I can finally keep it straight.

Almost every sentence I type ends with an exclamation mark. I just read back through this post and deleted multiple !'s where they weren't really appropriate. I am trying to use them sparingly so they will really show excitement when they are used. I don't think I'm the only person who overuses them, however...my time on social networks proves that most girls use the ! WAY more than necessary.

Although I haven't completely given up on Dr. Pepper, I am definitely drinking less these days. Amazingly, I've found that if I don't buy any, I don't drink any. If all I have to drink is tap water, then I will drink tap water and be satisfied with that for the most part. As with the exclamation points, if I drink them less, I find I enjoy them more when I do have one.

I now have one close friend with a baby and two more friends who are pregnant, so I think it's safe to say I'm in the life stage where all my friends will be having children. That is craziness to me...we surely aren't old enough for that!

Kory will take 18 teens to church camp this next week, so I'll be getting in lots of time with Veronica Mars while they're all gone. Onto Season 2! Rachel will arrive the following week and then my parents after that, so I have a lot to look forward to. I can't wait to show them this beautiful place I get to call home!

Random Updates

A co-worker told me today that I am the most talented person he knew. I was really flattered until he told me that it was because I was walking down the stairs in high heels, taking a drink with one hand and texting with the other.

I have been running for two days in a row now, which is a big deal for me. If I run tonight and make it 3 days, we'll be approaching world record status in my book. I always get super motivated and run for a day or two and it quickly fades. I'm not trying to become a marathon runner by any means, but I would like to be in better shape (I feel like walking up my stairs shouldn't make me out of breath!) and be healthier. It's definitely not because I enjoy running. I really hate running actually...I'd much rather ride a bike, so I need to check into buying one of those. I have gone running at 9:00 p.m. both nights because it is still light outside and really cool! The weather has been really nice the past couple days so I'm hoping it's an indication that summer weather is on the way!

Today I decided to wear a pair of shoes I almost never wear to work because they really hurt my feet after wearing them all day. The heel is much higher than I typically wear, but I knew I got to be at my desk for at least 4 of the 8 hours today, so I thought I could make it just fine. Well, of course, that didn't happen...I should know better than to plan for that. One of my co-workers didn't come in today so I was covering for her and ended up on my feet for most of the day. Yikes--my feet and calves are burning!! Back to flats for me tomorrow...I'm just not a heels type of girl.

Evan and his youth group will arrive this Saturday and be here for a full week! I am SO excited to see them and get to spend the week with them. We'll be spending a couple days on the coast for a weekend retreat and the camp we're staying at looks awesome!

I have quite a few pictures I need to post of recent events (high school graduations, painting the youth room, ministry fair, etc.) but I always forget that when I'm at home and have my camera cord. Hopefully I can remember to upload those soon.

FRIENDS :)

May is the month for friends!! Brad will be here next week, I get to see lots of friends and family at Julie's wedding in a week and a half, two college friends are hopefully staying a night with me the next week as they drive through Oregon and there is a possibility of seeing another friend at the end of May. Like most other things in life, I never fully appreciated friends my age until I had ZERO that I see on a daily basis.

Oh Biggest Loser--how I LOVE you! This week was so emotional with the make-overs. The guys looked so great! The girls didn't really look much different, but it's still incredible to see their tiny little waists after 16 weeks. I really really want Daris and Ashley to make the top 4 and then to start dating! I think they'd be so cute together. On the other hand, I am NOT ok with Sam and Stephanie. I never liked her--I think she whined too much. I love Sam and they don't make a cute couple at all.

I didn't watch American Idol last night because I was watching BL and Parenthood. However, I did have a fantastic dream about Casey James...we were definitely in love :) I listen to Kidd Kraddick on the way to work, however, and this morning they were all saying they think Casey is getting kicked off tonight. My dream was obviously an omen that he will be heart-broken today and need my love to comfort him. I prefer to watch the singing and results show the same night and fast forward through everything but the contestant performances, judges comments (unless they're annoying) and the actual results. The quality of contestants on AI this year is definitely down from previous years. If Casey gets kicked off, I will lose a lot of interest in the show...as will many other females I presume.

Last weekend was a very productive time for me! I got my apartment REALLY clean...like dusting and sweeping and beating the rugs and the stuff I don't do very often at all. It feels so nice to come home to a very clean apt. I also cleaned out a lot of junk and have quite a bit of stuff to donate to the youth group rummage sale later this month.

I can't believe I will be in Artesia in 10 days. I haven't seen anyone from there since Christmas. It's weird that I'm at a place in my life where I might see my parents a couple times a year! On that note, I can't really explain why but I have really started to feel more like a young adult lately and less like a college student. I actually like the feeling...it helps a lot at work to feel like I'm not some kid hanging out with the grown-ups.

This Friday, I have an interview for a permanent position at work. It would be the exact same thing I'm doing now, but without an ending date for the position. The only other person in our office who is a Limited Duration also is my closest friend here, so that really stinks that we have to compete against each other for the job. As long as one of us gets it, I'll be happy. I'm hoping to retire by 2011 anyway, so it's ok if my job ends :)

Life Update

I can't wait for the May flowers to come because we have certainly seen a LOT of April showers. My Marmot rain jacket was a bit expensive and I remember I had a hard time paying that much for it, but it is absolutely worth every penny. Plus it brings back good memories of time in Ireland.

I have been very pleased with the people who have gone home from American Idol and Biggest Loser the past two weeks. I really love Darus and hope he wins BL! I also like Ashley and Sam and Michael and would be happy for any of them if they won. As far as American Idol goes, I really like Lee and Casey and hope one of them will win it all. I'm afraid Crystal Bowersox will win and I really don't want that.

Next month I get to go home and see friends and family at Julie's wedding!! I'll be in Artesia Friday evening through Monday morning. I am very excited to see Julie and get to hang out with her and then have a day with my parents. Hopefully I'll get to meet sweet baby Dawson that weekend too!

I used to think it was the worst to be at work when it was cloudy and rainy and dark outside because I wanted to take a nap, but I'm also discovering it's REALLY hard to be at work when it's sunny and beautiful outside because I want to be out there and not in this building! So, it turns out that I don't like being at work when there is weather outside :)

We're having a rummage sale for the youth group next month so I'm trying to go through my apartment and see what stuff I can give away. I LOVE the feeling of purging my home of junk! It's an addiction for me...I want to keep finding more stuff to get rid of. haha My mom doesn't share this love of mine, especially when I lived at home with her and would do that and try to get rid of her stuff!

Not Great News

Found out at work recently:

1. The new retirement age is 72. UGH!

2. My co-worker in the cubicle next to mine found mice poop on her shelf.

3. Ladies at work want to discuss politics and/or creation, evolution, religion in the lunch room. I just want to eat my lunch and not have these intense discussions on my break time!

4. There is DEFINITELY such a thing as a Mom who is too proud of her children. I didn't know it existed, but it's sickening.

5. People want to open up and tell me private details of their life that I do not want to hear and I need to do a better job of stopping them and telling them I don't want to hear it...or else they just keep going!

Warm February Days! :)

I don't remember if I ever posted that I got the new position at my office! Hooray!! It took over a month, but everything finally fell into place and I started almost 2 weeks ago. I haven't been very good about blogging lately. I wanted to post some pictures of our Sweetheart Banquet that we held at church last weekend, but my camera went missing at that event. Hopefully it will show up soon!

We are doing a lot of fundraisers at work for the Governor's Food Drive. It's an annual event that state workers participate in to raise money and collect food for the less fortunate people in Oregon. One of the events we're currently doing in our office is a silent auction. My co-workers have bought in a ton of junk! It's unbelievable. They're all getting so excited about it too! Granted, there are a couple of nice items, but I'm just really perplexed by this whole line of thinking. Why is it exciting to get junk if you get it for cheap and the money goes to a good cause? I'm all for getting a good deal, but I am so opposed to storing up junk in my house that I'll never use.

I'll be returning to New Mexico in May for Julie's wedding and I'm really excited about that! I got my plane tickets today and will be in Artesia May 14-17. I wish I could stay longer but I won't be eligible to use my vacation pay until August 5, so I can only miss a couple days of work. I think this might be the last time I'm ever a bridesmaid. That makes me kind of sad because I really do love weddings and being a part of them. I guess all my friends who got married will start having babies soon though and that is fun too!

Financial Peace (Dave Ramsey class) is still going well. We're supposed to make a full budget this week, so I'll probably tackle that this weekend. I also need to do my taxes, prepare for Bible study and get everything together so I can teach the High School class this Sunday morning since Kory is preaching. AND I am in the process of trying to get my insurance stuff together since I get benefits with my new job. It's super confusing for me to try and figure out which plan I want to choose from...but I'm VERY grateful to finally have health insurance!

New New New

I can't believe Y2K was 10 years ago! Remember when we all thought there would be flying cars by 2010? A lot of big events in my life happened in the 2000's: got my first car, graduated high school, moved away from home, started and graduated college, moved abroad, got my first real job...a lot of growing up happened in the past decade, particularly in the past 5 years!

It is crazy to think about what this next year and decade will hold for me. I'm going to just think about the next year because I can't even begin to comprehend what my life might look like in 10 years. I get very excited by the thought of change and new things happening and exciting events in my life. For some people, I know that stresses them out and they just want things to stay the same. I love thinking about all the fun things that could happen in this next year...especially the ones I won't see coming at all! I would have NEVER guessed one year ago that I'd be living in Oregon right now with this job.

It was a very bittersweet thing to return to Myrtle Creek after Christmas. Before I left, I would tell people at work at church in Oregon that I was going home (to Artesia) for Christmas. Then, in Artesia, people would ask when I was leaving and I would say I was going home (to Oregon) on Monday. I definitely feel at home in Oregon and when I got back to my apartment, I had that relief that comes from being home. It's just a strange feeling to say "my parent's house" or "my parents live in NM". I guess everyone probably goes through this at some point in their life, so now is just my time to work all this out in my mind. Unless something drastic changes, 2010 will be the first time in many years that I lived in the same place for an entire year.

I rarely make New Year's Resolutions. I remember one I made in high school and that was to become ambidextrous. I actually followed through with that one and can eat and write pretty well with my left hand. Obviously, my right hand is still dominant and I use it for most things, but I think my ability to use both hands is at least above average.

I fell down the stairs at work today. Painful, but mostly embarrassing. I was trying to put the water bottle lid on right when I fell, so water went everywhere. I had to immediately go teach a class after that incident, so that was pretty lame. I have been reading Twilight and I feel like just reading about Bella's clumsiness has made me clumsy! I had never read the Twilight books--not against them or anything, just never got around to reading them, so a lady at work brought it to me to read. I really like it but it's definitely different reading the book after seeing the movie. I just picture the movie characters and scenes as I read it, but I don't mind because I HATE the picture I had in my head being ruined when I see the movie.

My job interview is tomorrow--yay! I'm so glad it's finally here. I've been waiting and hoping this day would come since July, so it's great that it finally arrived. Now, if I don't get this position, it will be quite awkward to keep working here with the other person who got the job. I feel really confident though and am planning to just get the job so there won't be a problem :)

Kory and I plan to stay in for New Years Eve and do very little! We're both so exhausted from our travels and crazy pre-Christmas schedules that we're really excited by the idea of watching movies, playing games and laying around on the couch for the Holiday. Mostly, I'm happy we'll be inside where it's warm! I just realized that one year ago I was arriving in London. Wow.

Training

I had a great time at training this past week. The actual training was ok but the trip was really fun! :) Parts of the training were really useful and helpful, but the whole thing was not very organized and that is very frustrating for me.

We went shopping almost every day after training. I found a suit on sale at Banana Republic in an outlet/factory mall. I was prepared to pay quite a bit and consider this an investment. When I got to the register, it was on sale and much cheaper than I thought so I was super pumped about that! I am hoping to wear it to my interview soon...assuming I get an interview, I guess. I have never had a suit before, but putting that thing on makes me feel so professional and in charge! I am still not sure I want to wear one every day to a job, but it's fun to put it on in my apartment anyway.

Deb and I had a ton of fun and it was great to hang out with her so much outside of work. I still haven't really found any friends my age here, but this gal has a lot of spunk and is very young and fun, despite the fact that she graduated high school the year I was born :) We came back with a lot of new ideas to implement in our office, so we're excited about those changes.

I can't believe it's still not technically winter yet because it is COLD COLD COLD! I still haven't seen any snow, but everyone keeps telling me Oregon doesn't really get a lot of snow. Of course, they also said it doesn't get extremely hot here ever and we had like 2 weeks of 100+ days this past summer, so this year appears to not really follow the typical weather patterns. On the positive side, it hasn't rained a ton lately and I have seen quite a bit of sunshine, so that is great for my mood!

Recent Pictures

Here are some pictures I have been meaning to post recently and just keep forgetting. My cubicle at work is just about finished (now that my job could potentially end in a month :) haha) and has lots of pictures and decorations in it now.

This is my plant from home that keeps dying, so hopefully it's going to fare better at work.

The plant I had to move because it was attacking my face.

And the pretty blooms that recently appeared.

GREAT Weekend

The concert on Friday was awesome!! That band is so incredibly talented. Kory and I were both SO impressed! Unfortunately, we didn't have a great turn-out of teens, but the ones who were there really enjoyed it.

My Saturday was pretty close to my idea of a perfect day. I woke up late, took a nap, watched a movie while cuddled up on the couch, decorated my apt for Christmas and ate dinner and hung out with Kory that night. I rented My Sister's Keeper because I knew I really wanted to see it, but I wanted to watch it at home where I could cry as much as I wanted with no inhibitions. I laid on my couch under a blanket, eating popcorn, drinking a Dr. Pepper, enjoying a chick flick and just crying my little eyes out. PERFECT!! I know guys will never understand why you'd want to do that, but females will totally get it when I say it was a healing cry.

One of our youth group girls brought me a 4 ft Christmas tree and a table to set it on. She is very sweet! I put lights and ornaments on it and got it all decorated Saturday afternoon. I drank some egg nog and had a grand ole time. It's a pretty small tree and it's nothing grand or fantastic, but it makes me happy so that is all that matters. The only other decorations I have are some place mats, kitchen towels, candy bowls and the wreath, but they are all out in full force. I'm thinking I'll probably try to buy some more Christmas decorations when they go on sale right after Christmas Day.

I'm trying to be pretty thrifty right now and save my money since I don't know how long I'll have a job. That is the main reason why I didn't just buy a tree. My temporary positions ends in January and I will hopefully interview for the limited duration position in the next few weeks, but I'm in the waiting process right now.

We ate at Olive Garden in Eugene last night. Gosh I love that place! Neither of us had eaten there in a year or two, so we made the trip to do some shopping and eat there. I could eat my weight in those breadsticks dipped in alfredo sauce. Yummy!

It was COLD COLD COLD this morning when I left for work! Yikes! Everything was frosty and it looked like we had a light dusting of snow last night. I get to leave work at 3:00 today to head up to Albany, OR for a 3 day training. I am not entirely sure what the training is about, but I think it's an orientation to basically teach me to do the job I have been doing for the past 5 months. Should be fun :) I am excited to get out of the office and take a trip though. I'm sure Deb and I can have a good time while we're there.

Concert and Christmas

I wrote this last Friday and forgot to post it, so here it is now.

We have a free rock concert at our church tonight for the area teenagers. The band is called The Beautiful Is Dead. Several of the band members grew up going to our church and their parents still attend. They are not a Christian group, but are just a group of Christians who play music together. We're excited about this outreach opportunity and hope we'll get a lot of community teens who wouldn't otherwise set foot in our church building.

My plant at work recently started attacking me! I looked up one day and it was growing towards my face and every day, its limbs grew closer and closer to my head. I had to move it to the other side of my cubicle so it wouldn't obstruct my view of my computer screen. It has really flourished there and even started blooming with some tiny cute flowers.

I just found out we have those lights in our office that have Vitamin D in them...SADD lights maybe? I think that is what they are called. Anyhow, because we can go a long time without seeing any sun, they give off Vitamin D and are supposed to keep us happier and non-suicidal. I suggested we get some UV bulbs as well and we can tan while we work!

Remember that dead plant I had a picture of a while back? I keep forgetting to water that thing and it has come very close to death several times. I decided to bring it to work with me because I spend more time at work than I do at home, during the week at least. Everyone waters their plants on Friday afternoon too, so I should be better about remembering to water it.

My wonderful mom surprised me and mailed me all of my Christmas ornaments as well as some lights and tinsel to go on the tree! I was SO excited to open the package the other night. I had decided against getting a tree because I would have nothing to put on there once I had one, but now I can get one! A girl in my small group told me she has an extra tree I can probably borrow this year. Ideally, I'd like a real one because they're everywhere here, but I don't have a stand either and am not sure how I'd get it to my apartment anyway. So, however it works out, I'm excited to have a few Christmas decorations in my apartment. I bought a wreath this week but can't hang it on my door because there is no hook, so I have it hanging on my porch light instead. Classy, I know.

Recent News

Kory is gone the rest of the week to Austin to be with his family for Thanksgiving. I'll head up to Portland on Thursday to celebrate with the Wells--I'm so excited! I'll bring my awesome cooking skills and make some killer frozen rolls for us to enjoy.

I'm currently working on a program for a Christmas Family Giving Event at church next month. It will be a candlelight service followed by giving needy families food/clothes/toy boxes. I'm really excited about this and think it's going to be a great event!

I am also going to begin working in the nursery at church once a month during services--should be interesting. In theory, it sounds easy enough to watch some kids while their parents are in the auditorium, but somehow I have this feeling I have no idea what I'm getting myself into...

This week I put in my application for a new position that is opening up at work. My current position is temporary and ends January 15. This new position will last through June/July 2011. It's essentially the same job I've been doing...just for an extended time period. The Employment Dept is creating lots of temporary and limited duration jobs to beef up staff during this tough economic time. The idea is that when the economy improves and we don't need so many staff people, the jobs will naturally come to an end and they won't have to lay off a bunch of people. I have to go through the application and interview process just like everyone else...no special treatment for me being a current employee. :( Sad day.

Marriage

Quote from a lady I work with: "I will never be married again. It's way too much sacrifice and not near enough in return."

Then she tried to convince me marriage isn't worth the hassle. What a sad view of marriage.

She also told me she doesn't know anyone who is happily married--they are all trapped and just don't have the guts or money to get out of the marriage, in her opinion.

Loving Christians

Today at work I overheard two gentlemen talking while waiting for the fax machine. I heard the older man say, "The Christians are the ones who pulled me off the street, let me eat their food, gave me their own clothes, paid for me to see a doctor, kept me alive really. I was homeless and dying of pneumonia and if they didn't take care of me, I would be dead right now. You want to talk about real love, these people didn't know me at all and they saved my life. Then they introduced me to Jesus who could really actually save me in the way that matters."

I was tearing up at this point and trying not to let him see me eavesdropping on his conversation and crying at his testimony. This man then went on to talk about his baptism and the church he currently attends and times he has been homeless since then, but how his faith in God has sustained him through it all. It was SO encouraging to me to hear a story of Christians showing Jesus' love and changing someone's life. We don't hear these stories nearly enough so I just wanted to share it with all of you so that you will hopefully be encouraged to show that same love today.

Football Fun

The Oregon/USC game on Saturday was AWESOME! It was such an exciting and fun game to watch--especially in person. The crowd was so into the game and did such a great job of being LOUD! Many times, I couldn't talk to Kory who was standing right next to me because we couldn't hear each other. It only rained for about 15-20 minutes the whole game and wasn't really too cold. You can look at this Facebook album to see my pictures from the game: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019075&id=160201160&l=f31df4e6cb

Apparently, people think they can call the Employment Department if they have questions about ANYTHING at all. I got a call recently from a guy who wanted to know the city bus schedules and routes. Today a lady called asking me if this random welding college in Idaho will accept the Pell Grant. I have also answered calls where someone asked me if it was supposed to rain, how to hide from an ex-husband where he couldn't find her and to list every job currently open in the State of Oregon.

With all the recent rain, it is beginning to green up around here! It's so pretty! I love seeing green grass and autumn leaves at the same time.