Goodbye Textbooks Hello Career

Normally this time of year I would be getting settled into my new classes,  probably already be swamped with homework, playing soccer, and generally enjoying my favorite season, fall.  But not this year.  This year there are no more textbooks to buy, no classes to attend, and for the first time in over 10 years, no soccer.  Now I have achieved that high and noble calling that is the whole purpose of schooling.  Now, I have a big-girl job.  So the question is, what have I been doing these past few weeks?  Pause.  On Monday I will have been here a MONTH.  Continue.   

Well, I must say a majority of my time has been spent at work.  Good thing right?  I “wake up” at 5 and leave a little after six.  I get to the office before 6:30 and then I am awake around 7:30.  I work 9 hours a day so with my lunch break I get off about 4:30.

After work I have several options.  One day this week I attended a workout class and plan to do that twice per week.  It is good motivation since I am not training for anything specific right now nor do I have a work-out-buddy.  There are also some running trails behind my apartment that I have utilized several times and thoroughly enjoy.

In addition to some type of exercise there are also a number of life groups I have been visiting.  The Vineyard is the church I have decided to attend here and along with their weekly Sunday services (with worship in English and Spanish!) they have said life groups.  These are small groups of people who meet in homes to worship and pray together.  I must say that with all of the bigness of Houston small groups have been most welcome. 

Note on diversity: there are people from literally all over the world here and it is SO cool. 

What has consumed most of my time the last three weeks has been searching for a car.  Right now I am so very blessed to be borrowing a car from someone from the Vineyard.  However, this cannot last forever and so I have been searching high and low for a reliable, decently priced car. You think with how big Houston is that it would be easy.  Wrong.  I have spent hours on the internet doing research and have test driven over 10 cars on my own as well as gotten the highly esteemed opinion of a most-gracious friend on three of them.  I even practically had a deal until I pulled up an auto-check and found out this sneaky guy was attempting to sell me a salvaged car.  

The good part is I have driven through much of Houston and have a few pictures to share from it:

So, in the moments when I am not working, searching for a car, attending a life group, or working out. I enjoy my apartment and making smoothies and dinner and playing my guitar and reading my bible and praying in the peacefulness of my own space amidst a city that never seems to stop.

  

So yep, that’s what happens when school doesn’t exist.

My New Home

This past week I was out in the field from Tuesday to Friday.  I got to go to one of my own wells and track a plunger and shoot a fluid level the first day, and the next day we went to see all of the different well surface equipment that we use.  It was a good time, but I realized when I pulled in my driveway that I had missed my place, and it was good to be back.  I wouldn’t call it home yet, but it is my space, my get-away, and I really like it.  Saturday I was supposed to go to Dallas but the car I am borrowing started making some strange noises so I decided to put that trip off.  So I took the time to officially finish unpacking and organizing so I thought I would  share some pictures of my new place.

   

Spaghetti

My family has a Sunday tradition that after church we all have a big spaghetti dinner together.  Well, today I didn’t make any spaghetti and here’s why; I made some last week.  Now, normally, with my super-sized family this statement wouldn’t make any sense because after Sunday there isn’t any left.  I even realized going into it last week that I would have to cut back from the usual recipe and I did.  When I made the sauce I only used half of what I normally do and it would have been fine except that when it came to the pasta….I forgot.  I invited a friend over and even sent him home with leftovers but there was so much that every lunch and dinner I made for my myself this week was leftover spaghetti…and there is still some.  So today, I thought it would be a good idea to try some baked oatmeal…

   

First Week in Texas

Well, I am here, all moved in and one week under my skinny little Ohio belt. Things have been going very well and thankfully staying fairly busy leaving me little time to think about the fact that I live so far from my family. 

I have a very good feeling that I will love my job once I get past the initial work of getting introduced to the company and new software.  My job title is Graduate Production Engineer and my field is in South Texas.  My boss Jason seems like he will be a really great guy to work for and the group I am in are a lively bunch.  I think there are eight of us in the group.  I signed up to get the new company phone and hopefully I will be getting it next week.  At that time I will be getting a new number so be on the lookout.  Also next week I will get to go out in the field.  That, will be awesome.  Maybe one of the reasons I think I will like my boss is because he said I can go to the field as much as I want.

As for my office, I will do a post on it later with pictures but for now it is sufficient to say that I have my own office on the 16th floor. 

I think my favorite part so far has been my apartment.  Driving around I see other places and think of how much I like mine the best.  I am definitely all moved in but still have a few small things to unpack.  Again, that will be a post for another time.  My apartment is located less than 10 minutes from work and directly connects to the running trails. 

I have used the trails twice this week and those have probably been the most relaxing moments of all.  I feel safe running there alone as there are lots of people and pets who use the trail.  Don’t worry though, I take my cell phone with me and I don’t run at night. 

I have also done alot of growing up adultish things since I got here.  I signed my first rent lease, opened a new checking account, signed up for my own insurance, and have gone grocery shopping.  For those of you that want details, I go to Krogers because they are less than two blocks away and there isn’t an Aldi around. 

That is another thing new to me, big city.  The largest city I ever lived in before was Farmington, New Mexico with a grand total of 44,000.  Now I am living in the 4th largest city in the US.  That means that there is alot of traffic.  And stores.  And for those of you that don’t know, I don’t really like shopping.  Literally anything I could possibly want or need is offered in thousands of options in hundreds of stores within10 miles of me.  Go further, and there is more, and it all looks the same.  That might be another reason I like my apartment.  It is my space and doesn’t have to be about stuff.  I don’t have a TV, and I LOVE it.  I come home from work and it is quiet and I pray and God is good. 

Probably one of the biggest stresses for me right now is that I don’t have a church home.  I have visited several churches and they are really good and I have met and even hung out with some wonderful people from them.  I just am not sure that they are where I am supposed to be permanently.  I am trusting my Father that He has a place for me and would appreciate your prayers in that as well.

On Wednesday evening I went to a pre-season soccer game with a girl that I met at the Encourager church this past Sunday.  It was really great to go and be with someone after work instead of doing things all by myself.  And what better to do than watch some soccer? 

Today I met up with some people from the Vineyard (where I visited a few weeks ago when I was here looking for an apartment) and we went to the Texas Rock Gym.  I really enjoyed that as well.  It was great to be with a group of young people outside of work and at the same time being challenged physically. 

Like I said, there will be more pictures to come of the office and apartment, but here are a few just because I care.

 

Soccer

Well, it’s only two days away.  The end of the road.  Senior day. 

On one hand I’m glad.  It has been a long four years and a long season and a break is always good.  And it is good to know that I made it; I was able to finish what I started. 

But this time it’s not a break.  After Saturday my competitive soccer career is over.  After Saturday the team that I have been a part of, that I have sacrificed for, that I have worked with and laughed with, that I have struggled with, will no longer exist.  I will move on and in three more years none but maybe the coaches will remain.

Sure it will be nice having more free time….I guess.  It will definitely be different not having soccer practice everyday; no list of skills to improve or goals to achieve.  But it’s not so much the end of soccer that is hard for me. 

The hard part is the end of the team.  I’m sure there will be more soccer, probably pick up games and intramural leagues.  But as anybody who has played knows, there is an aspect of a competitive team that cannot be replaced.  Moreover, this team has been my “mission field” if you will, for the past four years and I have such a deep love for each individual on this team that sometimes it hurts.  I know that might sound somewhat weird or creepy but it isn’t and I will explain. 

This past summer our coach split our team into three groups to call and encourage one-another and keep each other accountable and that type of thing. Well, God put it on my heart to fast and pray for the five women in my group and so I did.  I’m not saying this for my credit, but so that you can understand.

I have had the opportunity to see them through His eyes and see some of His plans for their lives.  And then I got back to campus and was able to be with them everyday for the past 3 months and it has been so awesome and yet discouraging at the same time because they are not there yet. 

After Saturday I will not see most of them on a regular basis and I just have to trust God on two things: the first is that He will cause the seeds of prayer to grow in their lives, and the second is that He loves them even more than I do.  That His desires for them to know Him are stronger than my own.  That one day they will be able to see True Love. 

So this is it.  The end of an era.  And yes, it hurts.  But I know that He will open up new doors for me and is calling me to new things. In Him will I trust.   

Follow-up on Pro-Life Silent Day of Solidarity

So it is the end October 16, 2012 and I just wanted to give an update of my adventures from today (you can read more about it here).

As I walked around campus today I received a range of responses from a professor saying that he wished he could join me but couldn’t teach with duct tape on, to people outright laughing or saying, “there’s no way I would ever do that” and all of the awkward glances in-between.  It helped to have the overwhelming support of friends and family who read my blog and facebook.  I also received an encouraging note from a friend I had not heard from in awhile who, although she disagreed with my cause, was grateful for my stand and the peaceful manner in which I did it.  I do want to say that while I do appreciate all the affirmation, may the glory go to God, there is nothing I can do without Him.   

I did get several comments about how the tape over my mouth must be annoying but really it wasn’t too bad.  It wasn’t hard to breath at all (I did take it off for soccer though) and actually the hardest part with the tape was getting it to stay on when I was sweating.  

Throughout the day there were a couple of funnies like people coming up to me and asking a question that required more than a “yes” or “no” and then sheepishly having to re-word it.  Or the time that I sneezed and blew the tape off my mouth.

There were two parts of my day when it made it difficult to do things.  The first is that I had to do a portrait project for my photography class and had to find a way to ask people to take their pictures and get them to pose the way I wanted.  The second was at soccer practice.  You don’t realize how important communication is until you don’t have it.  Trying to play defense and pass off a player you are marking becomes most difficult when you don’t have a voice. 

So what did this day of silence actually accomplish?

Well first of all, it had people talking.  Whether they agreed with me or not people who may not think of abortion on a daily basis were made aware of it.  Today, those without a voice had one.

Secondly, the only words I spoke on campus today were in prayer.  This may not seem like a big deal but it really had an impact on me.  What if a greater percentage of my spoken words were said in prayer how would that change the way that I think or my perception of the world?

Yes, today I viewed things differently.  There was a certain weightiness of my assignment today that I carried with me.  Several times it was so great it almost (and might have actually but don’t tell anyone) brought me to tears.  May what breaks the heart of the Father also break the heart of His church.    

Did I actually save a life today? I don’t know, but what I do know is that I obeyed and can trust that God will cause fruit to come from it.  If nothing else I grew as a person today and can see things from a new light. 

For His LIFE in me I am grateful. 

LIFE

Today is the Pro-Life Silent Day of Solidarity put on by the Stand True ministries.  It is a day when thousands across the nation join in silence to give a voice to the babies that have been aborted.  Today I am giving up my voice. 

To me this isn’t just another event or another cause to jump on the bandwagon.  To me this is literally life or death. 

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live”  

Now it would be easier for me than some others to give up my voice for a day because usually in social situations I am content to sit back and listen.  But today God is calling me to more than that.  I don’t like to be the center of attention and I don’t like to stand out all of the time.  But in order to give these babies a voice, I am wearing red LIFE duct tape on my mouth to class today. 

Honestly, I am a little scared.  Like I said, this is way outside of my comfort zone.  But you know what, this issue is way bigger than me, and if I am not willing to lay down my pride and “speak up” for them, then who will?

You know what makes it worth it? My three youngest siblings.  They were all three adopted and I am so grateful everyday that their biological mothers chose life.  They are such a huge blessing to me and sometimes I think how empty my life would be without them, then I wonder, who is not in my life because they have been aborted?

Could there be other siblings? Other classmates I would have been friends with? Other soccer teammates that are missing? Co-workers?

That is what makes it worth it.  That is why I am willing to obey God and step beyond my comfort zone.  That is why I wear LIFE tape.  Because perhaps I could be a part of God’s plan to save a life today.  Because one day Roe v Wade will be overturned and I want to tell my children that I played a role.  Because maybe people will remember my stand and join the fight as well.

Will you?