The new and the familiar

I moved. Not just a few hundred miles away from the small town we lived in... but I moved more than 1,000 miles and 8 states away. It was unplanned, sudden, and very much welcomed.

I have wanted to move on from my job in the country since the Fall semester. I wasn't unhappy by any means. Well, maybe just a tad. Then May 1st came, my self-appointed and boss-appointed deadline to make the decision. No job offers or even job prospects. I submitted applications and searched for jobs every day. Nada. It was heartbreaking.

I knew that I was leaving on June 1 for summer break and I wanted to make a decision before I left. So, with nothing on the horizon, I decided to stick it out for another year. I spent the entire summer swallowing my pride, asking God's for guidance, and accepting the idea that I would be back for another year. I set things in place to make sure I continued to live a balanced life and to make sure I stayed sane.

Then, on July 11 I received a phone call. It from was from an employer who wanted to interview me. I had submitted my application the month before and didn't hear anything. He interviewed me that day, offered me the job less than 24-hours later, and I accepted on Friday the 13th. Oh, and I quit my current job that same day. I flew out to Virginia to train on the 16th. A complete and utter whirlwind.

It's funny how my friends and family were not at all surprised by the suddenness of the decision and the move. It's how I've always lived my adult life: move somewhere you've never been and face a challenge head on.

What I didn't expect was how I would react to the changes. It has only been 3 weeks and so much has already happened. I wouldn't trade this homelessness, realization-that-I-don't-know-anything-at-all, and anxiety for all the comfort in the world. It's new and it's exciting.

BUT...there's always that little part of me that yearns for something familiar. That's normal, I'm sure. I don't seek normal. As a matter of fact, I usually run from it. Every once in a while, I do welcome it unknowingly. Only later do I realize how much I needed that.

There were two 'familiars' that appeared in my life this weekend: Church and Starbucks.

Church is home. It's been a constant in this world for 2000+ years and it's been a constant in my life. No matter where I go in this world, I know that I can always count on the constancy and beauty of the Catholic church. The liturgy, the prayers, the hymns, and the wonderful smell of incense. It's the very home that Jesus Christ established on this earthly world.
Then, having absolutely no desire to go back to where I'm currently staying and not having any friends yet, I decided to go to Starbucks late Saturday afternoon...to blog, which I never did. But Starbucks is a very familiar part of my life. So many great conversations and so many great memories happened at Starbucks. I also know that wherever I am in the country or the world (I've been to a couple in the Philippines), I always know that the cup of latte that I have in my hand is good. If it isn't, I can ask them to remake it for me.

I was surprised by how much I welcomed the familiarity these places brought to me. Maybe I needed it after such a hectic three weeks. I know that in time, this town and all it's quirks will become familiar to me...in the meantime, I always have the Eucharist...and Starbucks.

Heat Waves and Moving Days

The temps are exceeding the 100s and the air conditioners are working hard, summer is in full swing. While the dog days of July sends most people to the pool worshiping the sun god and enjoying some free time, my summer has been a whirlwind of transitions I've been desperately trying to keep up with. 

For starters I’ve begun school again. That’s right just two short months after my farewell to Sallie Mae fate would have it that I would continue my education and my on-again off-again relationship with Sallie is back on. This time in pursuit of a graduate degree in education, complete with certification in English. While teaching English has never been the dream “the man” insists that if I want to impart theological wisdom into the minds of youngsters I must be certified or working toward certification, so graduate school it is.

If the pursuit of a career in education weren’t enough to get used to, God has continued His flood of blessings upon me with a new job. Starting this fall I will be teaching seventh and eighth grade religion. Yay! I can’t even begin to describe the building nerves, anxiety and simulataneous excitement about this.

But wait that’s not all….since I don’t plan on communting everyday from tiny town Kansas, this new job required has required a new residence. So about a week ago I packed it all up and moved back Kansas City. Not only am I thrilled to be in an actual city again with all its amenities and conveniences (small town life just wasn’t for me), I am also closer to my boyfriend which is a plus.

We have gone from doing the long distance thing; living an hour away and seeing each other on the weekends to dwelling mere blocks from each other. Yes, I said blocks. While this has been an exciting time for us, it has taken some adjustment on both our parts…more on that in a future post.

All in all, it’s been a busy summer for me. While I am excited about all the wonderful things happening, it’s been a lot to keep up with. Still I suppose it’s all just part of the journey. Life is full of transitions and just when you start to get comfortable with one thing or another; it throws you a curve ball. I’m convinced this is God’s form of personal entertainment, His beautiful way of keeping things exciting and all of us a little more humble. I am so blessed.
                                      
                                                                                                                           -Nicole

Summer Bucket List

The sun is shining and the AC is running…summer is here. Anyone who works in education, like myself, knows that this is the most wonderful and anticipated time of the year. Three months of freedom, yet it passes ohh so quickly. So, the question naturally arises, how can I make the most of my summer? Since I live near Kansas City I’ve come up with KC bucket list for the summer. So here goes….

1.       Go to new Aquarium

2.       Visit Lego Land

3.       Liberty Memorial Museum

4.       Picnic in Loose Park

5.       Nelson – Atkins Art Museum

6.       Titanic Exhibit at Union Station

7.       Hone in on my country dancing skills…if you’ve seen me dance you know

8.       Power and Light Free Summer Concerts

9.       Jazz Museum

10.   Go Skydiving

11.   O’Malley’s Pub night…not in KC, but Weston is close enough

12.   Tour Hallmark

13.   Royals game

14.   KC Sporting game

15.   See a drive-in movie

16.   Worlds / Oceans of Fun

17.   First Fridays

18.   Visit KC Zoo

19.   Miniature Toy Museum

20.   Road trip to somewhere

21.   Science City

22.   Buy some furniture at Good JuJu

23.   Go to top of Power and Light building

24.   Volunteer somewhere

25.   Schlitterbahn

There it is. They may not all get done this summer, but it’s something to shoot for. I’ll keep you posted on my adventures. I am so blessed.

                                                                                                                                - Nicole

Better After

I am in charge of 5 student workers. They all share an office, which is a pretty popular hang out spot. The storage room for my building is on a floor below the office so, as much as I hate it, we inevitably have to store some stuff in the office. Thankfully, we have these deep window sills where we can keep stuff.

We decided to keep the games there so my girls can have an easier access to them. I would, after all, prefer that they be used. And while I like having quick access to the games, I can't stand the way it looks when they're all just shoved there. It looks cluttered, and I hate clutter. My solution was to get baskets. I spent about two hours looking for the right baskets at two different craft stores.

They're not perfect, but I do like them. I got all three baskets on clearance at Michael's, which helped my indecisiveness. I also added the 'pray' sign just to add more visual interest to the space and to convey a not-so-subtle message. I think I might take the angel picture down and put something else there. We'll see. The office will always be a work in progress for as long as I'm working here.

PS, the yellow sign above the couch says, "Warning: This couch is where motivation comes to die." It's true.

Boulevard Nights

Living in a small town presents many challenges. One of the biggest is socializing. Huge challenge. I personally have found it extremely difficult to make friends outside of our very small group. Don't get me wrong, I have found a great group of friends. They are a true blessing in my life. But, I do like having a big community of people my age. I just can't find that here. So, multiple times a month, Nicole and I will drive the 1+ hour it takes to make it to the nearby city's young adults group. It's so fun and so worth the drive.

I love people's reactions when they find out that we drive an hour to get there. It's worth it to us and it's really not that bad. Since we live and work in the same place, we have no commute whereas most people have the average of 20 minute commute to and from work. An hour really isn't that bad to go hang out with a bunch of cool people.

One of our favorite events happens every other month. We all go to Mass as a group and then head over to a local brewery to socialize. Ten bucks gets you unlimited beer and some pizza. It's so fun and a very welcomed change to the everyday.

Jesus + Friends + Beer + Pizza + killer view of the city= a good life.

Small town life: waiting for the train

The small town where we live is in the heart of America. The town itself is industrial, but it's surrounded by farm lands. A friend who likes small towns, loves this town. Nicole and I on the other hand are not the town's biggest fans (except when they ask us to judge the Christmas parade). It's location is apparently prime for railroad action. It tried at one point long ago to be one of the major railroad hubs. It, unfortunately, failed. We still get plenty of train traffic that come through town every day (well, plenty for this Floridian). While there are ways around the train tracks, sometimes it's just inevitable for one to sit and wait for the train to go by. It's all part of our small town life. We may not love it, but we've accepted it.

To debt free and back again

Every post college student understands the pain and turmoil that suddenly hits you about a month after graduating when that first bill from SallieMae shows up in your mailbox and from that moment on you (if you’re anything like me) dream about the day when you’ll be able to stick it to the man and pay off that last bill. 

Okay, so maybe the rest of the world isn’t as consumed with paying off debt in the same obsessive way that I am. Experts advise us to pay off our debt as quickly as we can, little do they know the type of food I’ve been trying to live off of the last four years.

Either way, for the past several months I’ve been anticipating the glorious day when I would pull up my balance online and see a big goose egg staring back at me. I planned to celebrate big time, gathering with all my friends for a beer or two at my favorite Irish pub. It was coming soon too. At the rate I was paying out, I was expecting to be finished in June.

You can imagine my disappointment about a month ago I was rear ended on I-35 and while thankfully no one was hurt my poor little Accord had seen her last road trip, and there on the interstate amid rush hour traffic my dream of being debt free died. 

So the rearranging of finances began and so did the search for a car. After paying off my loans early, lots of stress, giving up my Easter break with family and what seemed like an endless few weeks without a car I am quite relieved to say that I purchased a new car. So here's to being debt free for three whole days only to go back into debt once again. Life has a funny way of keeping you humble. I am so blessed.  

                                                                                                              - Nicole 

 

 

And all I can taste is this moment...

Years ago, before I even knew of the college I work for now, someone decided it would be a great idea to plant irises right outside my building. Every spring, I am thankful for this decision.

They smell divine and have a tendency to almost appear out of nowhere if you're not paying close attention. Most of the time, that area just looks sad. I actually wonder if we shouldn't plant something else there, but I'm reminded every spring that it's fine. It's beautiful the way it is, even if it is only for a week or two. Enjoy it while it lasts. The plants are left uncared for throughout the year, but they always bloom every spring without fail.

I think that one of my favorite things about winter (though, I do love it for what it is) is the anticipation and the appreciation one has for spring. I'm not sure if you can truly appreciate spring unless you lived through the gray-ness and dull-ness of winter. These flowers to me are a reminder to appreciate things as they come since they may not last very long.

PS, 100 points if you get the title.

Life and Death

It's April. I have a hard time believing it myself. In the time since I last wrote, so much has happened. A celebration of life and death.

I spent Spring Break in the Philippines doing mission work. We were serving those who were affected by Typhoon Sendong in the city of Cagayan de Oro, which hit the city on December 17, just a few days before Christmas. The typhoon affected over 100,000 people. Over 2000 people have died or are still missing. We arrived in the Philippines on March 5 and so many people were still living in evacuation sites. Tragic if you could see their living situation. So many more were living in the tent cities, which were set up as a better temporary home base for the families.

While Filipinos are generally warm and happy people, but it still came as a bit of a surprise to hear and see them celebrate life with such joy and vigor. They were so thankful to be alive despite the tragedy they had just experienced. Not a single person that I spoke with was ever in despair about the situation they were in. So many of them lost loved ones, some in the most tragic ways, but there was a sense of peace about them. They were alive and were so thankful about it.

I wish we had more than a week to spend with them. Their joy and love was very contagious. It was one of the most blessed weeks of my life.

(Some of the women I met who were affected by the typhoon.)

~*~

Then, on March 20, just 9 days after we returned from the Spring Break, I received a phone call for an emergency meeting. Our boss informed us that our Administrative Assistant, and a friend to all, had passed away in her sleep the day before. It was a shock. Sandi was a healthy, vibrant, and joyful woman. She worked hard in our office and was well respected and liked. Her death was difficult to accept, but as it says in Revelation 14:13

And I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Write this: blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Yes,' said the Spirit. 'Let them find rest from their labors for their works accompany them.'



I take comfort in the will of our Lord and that of His Word. Sandi spent the last 12 years in service of the students at the college and her life in service of her family. She was the warm welcome you needed in the busy-ness of life. I miss her, but I find comfort in missing her knowing that her work accompanies her as she meets our ever merciful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Real Love Week: 1 Cor 13:6

Love does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

-1 Corinthians 13:6

 

Daily Reflection:

Jesus’ message applies to all the areas of life. He reveals to us the truth of our lives and all aspects of this truth. Jesus tells us that the purpose of our freedom is to say yes to God’s plan for our lives. What makes our yes so important is that we say it freely; we are able to say no. Jesus teaches us that we are accountable to God, that we must follow our consciences, but that our consciences must be formed according to God’s plan for our lives. In all our relationships to other people and to the world, Jesus teaches us what we must do, how we must live in order not to be deceived, in order to walk in truth.

-Blessed John Paul II

Prayer:

O Lord, bestow on your faithful the Spirit of truth and peace, that they may know you with all their soul, and generously carrying out what pleases you, may always enjoy your benefits.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen

-Blessed John Paul II

Daily Challenge:

Apologize to someone whom you have wronged in any way and truly forgive those who have wronged you.

Real Love Week: 1 Cor 13:5

Love is not rude or self-seeking

-1 Corinthians 13:5

Daily Reflection:

The words of Christ, “Love one another as I have loved you,” must be not only a light for us but a flame that consumes the self in us. Love, in order to survive, must be nourished by sacrifices, especially the sacrifice of self. We must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that we be willing to give until it hurts.

–Mother Teresa

Prayer:

Father, provide me with the grace this day to love others through my own sacrifice. Help me to place the needs of others above my own and to give everything that I have to them. The world admires spectacular sacrifices, but help me to see the beauty of the hidden sacrifices I can make for others today. I humbly ask all of this by Your grace. O Lord for I can do nothing without You. Amen.

Daily Challenge:

Today in your conversations with others try to spend less time talking about yourself and more time focused on them and their lives.

Real Love Week: 1 Cor 13:4

Love is never jealous, boastful, or conceited

1 Corinthians 13:4

 

Daily Reflection:

A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love. Joy is not simply a matter of temperament, it is always hard to remain joyful – all the more reason why we should try to acquire it and make it grow in our hearts. Joy is prayer. Joy is strength. Joy is love. He gives the most who gives with joy.

To all those who quietly suffer or are lonely, give them always a happy smile; give them not only your care but also your heart. We may not be able to give much, but we can always give the joy that springs from a heart that is filled with joy.

–Blessed Mother Teresa

Prayer:

Lord, please bless me with an ever present joy that comes from knowing You. May this joy spill over to all those I cross paths with today. Help me to remain joyful and positive, even if things don’t go the way I would like. Help me to see you in every person I meet, and love them as You do. Please fill my heart with Your love, O Lord for Yours is a love that is true and everlasting. Amen.

Daily Challenge:

Reach out to someone who you have never met before today. Take some time getting to know them.

Real Love Week: 1 Cor 13:4

Love is patient, love is kind.

-1 Corinthians 13:4

Daily Reflection:

The appropriate word you left unsaid; the joke you didn’t tell; the cheerful smile for those who bother you; that silence when you’re unjustly accused; your kind conversation with people you find boring and tactless; the daily effort to overlook one irritating detail or another in those who live with you…this, with perseverance is loving as Christ loves. Don’t say, “That person bothers me.” Think: “That person is making me holy.”

–St. Josemaria Escriva

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, You are continuously patient and loving toward all your children even when we turn away from You.  May I know your love today more deeply.  Please make me a living example of your kindness and patience so that I may love others as You continually love me. Amen.

Daily Challenge:

Spend 5-10 minutes today talking with someone that will help you practice patience. Offer this conversation up for your own holiness and their happiness.