mercredi 11 mars 2009
Seasoned with grace
I'm afraid I haven't had much to say lately as my life primarily consists of work and attempts to get as much sleep as possible so as not to be a danger on the roads (and a few things in between - mostly chores and some reading). It's interesting that when I was in school, I thought that was one of the most boring things I could write about but now that I'm working full-time, updates about work aren't that exciting either. Or it could just be that I'm the common denominator and I need to figure out how to make my posts more lively :)
Lately, one of the issues that I've been dealing with is how to respond to Christians whose words have been quite 'grace-less' toward me. Frankly, I'm shocked that I've had to encounter this on a number of occasions now and it's disheartening to know that I'm getting verbally attacked in Christian ministry from fellow believers. While I shouldn't be surprised that Christians are imperfect people and therefore sinners, I guess I'm dismayed by how some of the difficulties I've encountered involve those whom I expect more from.
The funny thing is that about two weeks ago, I started praying that I would be able to communicate with love and grace in my own speech everyday - something that I desperately need because I work with lots of different people on a daily basis and because I seem to be so skilled at foot-in-mouth-itis. Now with each new day, it feels like I'm really being put to the challenge because I keep having conversations that, were it not for God, would leave me bawling (I certainly wasn't asking for that, Lord!). As a result, I'm definitely learning how powerful words can be and how even among Christians, we need to guard what we say and to make sure that we're not cutting others down. Umm, thanks for the reminder, Jesus? What a week it's been for me and it's not even Friday!
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." - Colossians 4:6
Libellés : everyday life, work
mardi 3 février 2009
Brain fatigue
Now I understand why people like to zone out in front of the television when they get home from work....
Libellés : work
lundi 29 septembre 2008
Lacking permanence
I don't have a desk at work. It's not that big a deal to me, but I definitely notice how not having a workstation affects the way I do things. I end up lugging all of my files around - although in a very handy carrying case that a year ago, I would have donated had it not been for my procrastination - wondering when I'll need to use a file drawer instead. In addition to this, I have to sign up every week to make sure that a workstation is reserved for me. I work apart from my team and listen to lots of chatter I don't really need to hear. These issues don't bother me too terribly as I've been able to adjust to all of them but I do miss having my own little space where I can keep things. There's just something about having your own personal place, especially when you're at it for so many hours a week.
What really made me think about this was a gift I received from my mom today. She bought me a small plant to celebrate something and she mentioned that I could put it on my desk. That was when I realized how I don't have anything permanent at work. Again, this is not a matter of great import (I do have a wonderful desk at home) but it was a bit sad to tell her I'd have no place to put the plant. I guess I can understand why people bother to take pictures and other little knick-knacks from home to make their workstations feel more comfortable. All I have before me is a sign-up sheet and the quickly-becoming-old joke that someone else needs my computer each time I leave it for a half-hour meeting....
Libellés : work
mercredi 3 septembre 2008
My own hands
One of the struggles I've recently had has been the whole job situation. I absolutely love my part-time job and only wish it could be a full-time job (which is not possible at the moment due to funding), meaning that I still have yet to find another part-time job. However, I'd much rather have a full-time job so that I can have things like benefits - a necessity now that I am no longer a student. Some of the full-time jobs I've come across sound great and I would qualify for them but they start immediately and I am in a part-time contract for several more months. I also don't want to give up what I'm doing part-time. Thus, the dilemma.
I've been thinking a bit about Genesis 16 in terms of where I'm at. There, Abram is waiting on God for an heir, for his offspring. In the midst of a seemingly impossible situation, Abram's wife Sarai rationalizes that the best solution would be for Abram to have a child with her maidservant, Hagar. It makes sense but the implications are grave. Abram takes things into his own hands rather than trusting in God to accomplish things His way. Although Ishmael's descendants are blessed and fruitful (Genesis 17:20), it is only Isaac that God establishes His covenant with (Genesis 17:19). In fact, in Genesis 22:12 where God calls Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, it is clear that God sees Isaac as Abraham's only son. Abraham's way of getting an heir was not acknowledged by God and it took Abraham another thirteen years before he saw that 'nothing was too hard for the Lord' to do (Genesis 18:14).
The reason this story has popped into my mind is that the things we often try to do on our own strength aren't the things that last or will work out in the end. I've been pretty anxious lately about my job and in many ways, I can see situations where I go ahead with my own agenda instead of waiting on God for His perfect plan. Today, I heard of another opportunity that sounded good but which may not have necessarily been the best thing. However, I didn't think too clearly of it at the time and in my haste, mentioned that I would be interested in it. I'm praying that the repercussions of this move will be minimal since I may have taken things into my own hands again. I'm grateful that God has kept me from a lot of bad decisions (although not all, I still remain a foolish person in countless ways); I just have to keep relying on Him so that I don't continue this mindset that I need to go about and fix things my way. Now that is a recipe for disaster! Good thing He is patient with us... I certainly need it!
vendredi 29 août 2008
Packed week
Perhaps it's a good thing that I only have a part-time job at this point because I sure can fill my days up with other activities! In addition to work (hooray, I'm back in ministry again!), I ended up unexpectedly house-sitting and accommodating someone this weekend. It was a lot of responsibility to handle but it was good to do something different for a change. I guess the main reason why this week feels so crammed is because it's staff retreat week. I had a wonderful time yesterday going out of town to the mountains with my co-workers and today, I had the pleasure of canoing and visiting a local attraction that I have not been to for +15 years. I have to admit that my shoulders are completely sore but I have so enjoyed the time in fellowship these past two days.
I've also been spending the last couple of evenings knee-deep (figuratively) cleaning out the basement for my parents. It'll take a while before I'm done but so far, we've been able to donate about eight garbage bags full of items to charity. I cannot express how relieved I am that we are finally going through our stuff and deciding what's important to keep and what's not. It's somewhat appropriate that I'm reading through some of Randy Alcorn's writings again on the relationship between material possessions and faith, which has been convicting as usual. It might be borderline obsessive-compulsive but I am developing such an aversion to clutter now.
The more I read about how we are so materially well-off in North America, the more I feel like I could be doing so much more to contribute my resources to the kingdom of God. It's pretty embarrassing that one of the problems I/we face is that we have too much stuff. I've written before about the wartime lifestyle and it's something that still resonates in me. I want to grow into a generous person who is not bent on pursuing the next item to own. While I definitely enjoy cleaning out and organizing things, I am thrilled that I can do so knowing that other people can use what I don't need and/or that I am reducing the number of things I have to worry about, giving me more time to focus on God and doing His work. I've been learning a lot about what it means to commit all of my time, talent and treasure to the Lord and I pray that I will keep growing in this area so that I may glorify Jesus in all that I do.
"Everything I've kept, I've lost, but all that I've given to God I still possess." - Martin Luther
Libellés : organization, work
lundi 18 août 2008
Apparent contradictions
In reading over a couple of old posts, I noticed several things that seem to contradict each other on here. Not that I need to clear them up, but I might as well :)
I mentioned at the beginning of this month that I'm working. A couple of days later, I wrote that I was looking for a job. Well, it's both. I'm only working part-time right now and am looking for something full-time after my temporary contract is up. I'm grateful for the part-time work because it's been a nice transition from the academic life into the working world but at the same time, I have to start paying some bills. I applied for another part-time job but it's been several weeks and I haven't heard anything so I'll start looking for something else this week.
And a few minutes ago, I wrote that I don't have a good paper record of my lists but in the midst of organizing some labels on this blog, I found an old post where I stated that I have a notebook full of lists. I do, but that book is full of to-do lists where I rip out the sheets after I'm done with them. This is going to be the first time that I've actually kept my lists and where they won't just be full of homework assignments :)
That's all; just a few unnecessary clarifications but I figured it wouldn't hurt to set the record straight. After all, this blog may be the only thing that's kept track of anything of my insane life so far!
Libellés : everyday life, work
mardi 5 août 2008
In other words
I can understand why people who work on computers all day want to avoid being on them when they get home. That's pretty much where I'm at right now.
Anyways, things have been wonderful since I've gotten back. I went from one wedding to another (somehow I ended up attending three weddings within the span of three weeks!) and then I had a week to organize my room and get rid of school-related stuff that was no longer necessary. Admittedly, this is still a work in progress as nineteen years of schooling doesn't disappear that easily. I'm practically drowning in school supplies and am wondering what to do with it all. I also started work, which was quite a shift from the previous semester and from summer school.
Life post-grad has been interesting to adjust to, and by interesting, I also mean stressful, confusing, fun, and challenging - all of the above being good things, I suppose. As I've mentioned to friends, I've become stressed over the fact that I have no reason to be stressed (i.e. from homework or research) so I've been organizing things to keep me occupied. I do have to admit that I am really enjoying the concept of free time and that I can fill it with things I love doing, like reading or watching movies, things I didn't always have time for in school.
And speaking of reading, although I've spent most of this summer reading fiction so far, I'm hoping to finally get into the untouched non-fiction books that I've collected over the years. One funny thing that I came across today was Amazon's Christian textbook centre, something that would have been fun to see while I was in school. Oh well, if I ever do finish the books that I've accumulated, maybe I can browse for some new ones :)
Libellés : books, everyday life, work
mercredi 19 octobre 2005
Organized chaos
It's funny that while I'm paid to be organized at work, I usually don't show that too much in my own life. For example, my room is an absolute mess with papers and books everywhere. My floor usually has stuff tossed on it, and there are days I can barely see the surface of my desk. Yet at work, my desk is impeccably tidy and my files are pretty neat. I find it a challenge most days to keep on top of things administratively but people seem to believe that I'm able to do it. This role reversal is probably because there are days where I want to be allowed to be disorganized, otherwise I'd lose my sanity.
Random tidbits:
- I saw Ross Hull on the Weather Network today and it was like the Midnight Society/Edison High all over again! (Yay for Canadian childhood celebrities)
- Blogs for homework - I can picture this even for college students one day. Why not? I already have to keep a journal this year for my program requirements, which means I get to cut and paste with scissors and glue!
- After reviewing a bunch of church websites for work this week, I am reminded of Dean's Heal Your Church Web Site. I think the funniest website was a church that was advertising flu shots but their picture seemed to suggest that their target audience was needle users for other purposes (ahem). It was also the same website where the first menu item under "get help" was "illness or death".
- I just found out about onlyforward's tour and that they will be in Calgary this month! The catch? It's part of the Petra farewell tour and seeing as how I've only seen (not heard) their albums while cleaning out the student ministry offices, I'm not sure if I want to go for the whole night. So do I see them now or wait until I'll be in Montréal.. hmm.
Libellés : work
mercredi 21 septembre 2005
Last minute shows
Hey, October is Pastor Appreciation month! That's such a neat idea, and I think extremely needed after September hits. Things can get insane during the start of ministry season, wow! Although it's great that events and activities are starting up again after the summer, I worry that pastors can get burned out. It's incredible the amount of work that needs to be done, and I've seen a couple of people at church getting worn out and sick already.
And myself, I'm pretty behind in some readings for two of my classes but I hope that after this month, I will have more time to schedule things better. This month has just been so unusual that I don't think I could give a fair time estimate to anything. It's also been filled with surprises, some of which have been really pleasant. I was able to go to a theatre production tonight and it's nice that in the midst of everything, sometimes an opportunity pops up that just needs to be grabbed. In this case, I didn't have an option because tonight would have been the only show I could have caught :)
Libellés : work
vendredi 29 juillet 2005
Summer days
That title just reminds me of how much I dislike the movie, Grease :)
So I've decided to take a self-imposed vacation next week. Albeit, it won't be much of a vacation because the only thing I will allow myself to do is to start and finish writing my thesis paper. I have about 90% of the research, now it's time to sit down and actually write! I never knew I had such freedom at work until I sat at my desk and wondered how I could make my long weekend just a little bit longer. Ta-da! I feel so close to graduating college at this point!
I've also discovered that it's administrative assistant jargon to say "phone tag". It's so cheesy but it seems that all admin assistants have this in their vocabulary. Oh yeah, that's my new quasi-title at work now. I actually have a description!
mardi 19 juillet 2005
Alive and barely kicking
Right, updating this thing. It seems that no matter how much I want summer to be relaxing, I forget that work consumes a lot more than just the hours I'm in the office. Also, I spend less time on the internet - which I suppose is good overall since it should get me going on my paper.
I guess the only thing that is new is that I have discovered how to make quesadillas and that there is such joy in buying $10 movies from Walmart.
jeudi 26 août 2004
Da dum da dum
Mike #2 is engaged! Mike #1 was engaged last summer and got married a few months ago. Mike #2 gets married just a few days before my friends Rob and Jas and after another couple from my school. (These were the Mikes I worked with last summer). Some happy news from today :)
Libellés : work
vendredi 30 juillet 2004
August long weekend
This Civic Holiday will be the very first day I've had off this whole entire summer. I have worked every single day since my spring class ended. Internships are great but not always the kindest to students. And the holiday I have on Monday? That will be the only day I get off before I start school again. Actually, my internship ends at the end of August but I have a feeling I'll be called on to help with various stuff before I go back to classes.
This year is going to be the hardest year I've ever faced. I'm taking 40 credit hours on top of a part-time job, church, and other campus activities. I don't even have time to try out for the soccer team (tryouts are at 6:30am - witw!), much less play on it :(
Good news: I'll have no choice but to learn personal discipline. Bad news: I'm not sure I'll survive it....
Libellés : work
mercredi 21 juillet 2004
Chained to the desk
Summer posts will be mostly random and haphazard. I've invited Lissa to post as well since it's pretty lonely flying (writing) solo. Theological stuff will probably come when I go back to classes. I'm pretty stuck on things to write about, so if you notice they're a little me-centered, it's because there isn't much anything else going on. Things are so hum-drum, with people away on holidays or at camp, etc. I was supposed to be on a missions trip this week, but I turned it down for various reasons.
New thought: I don't want to be in the position of administrative assistant for the rest of my life. It's not that I hate it, I don't.. but when I picture myself in ministry, it's not what I have in mind. Just because I'm very competent in this role doesn't mean that I'll settle for it. I don't know, after having done this for the last few years and summers, I think I'd like to move onto something else. I'm worried that it's all I'll ever be able to do in ministry though (I hate to say it, but I wonder if it's because I'm of the fairer sex).
And hello to those reading from England and France. I hope to be travelling over there in the near future, but for now, I'm residing in the world's healthiest city :)
Libellés : work
vendredi 16 juillet 2004
Humming lights
Blogger's changed again, but it's always a pleasant surprise when they do (so far, at least). I've been pretty swamped with work lately, among other things. I was pretty lucky to have missed the downpour last night but the rain was coming down hard when I was about to leave church. Thankfully, the storm didn't affect me on my way home; however, I heard it was horrible for the people living in Springbank or Canyon Meadows.
So, work. One of the nice things about summer internships, besides paying for college, is that it's helped me to identify what I want or don't want in a future career. These last few weeks have been too quiet for my liking. I thrive on activity and being around other people, but when there's almost nobody around, the silence bothers me. It just makes me wish that school has started so I can be around everyone again. There's not enough music in the world to replace fellowship. I hate that I'm an only child because it's twice as bad for me (work plus home) but I'm glad God made it part of my personality that I live off the company of others. Solitude is too common for me. I could never be happy if my job involved me being by myself constantly. Hey... good thing I'm planning on going into ministry ;)
Libellés : work
samedi 3 juillet 2004
'The other day while I was driving home...'
I had an interesting Canada Day driving up to Edmonton with my best friend for a work-related purpose. We were both dead tired while coming back but we had music like Falling Up, Thousand Foot Krutch and Kutless to keep us awake. Getting back to Calgary, I started to wake up a little to praise God for how great this city is.
There were major parts of the trip that sucked, such as being in a humid, damp city without any chinooks, fighting stupid fireworks traffic without advance warning (the police didn't do much to help) and confusing roads which changed names three times while being on the same stretch. We also got fingered for doing the speed limit! Sheesh, at least in Calgary, people don't even bother giving such a vulgar gesture - they just change lanes. You wouldn't believe how many times we got cut off either or how many times people didn't wave.
Overall, it was an alright time. We got to meet some really nice people and see God do amazing things that day. Lissa got to talk to a man who had been miraculously cured from a car accident he was in. And as we were coming back home, I was able to watch a break in the sky which revealed a full moon. The neat thing was that the clouds were perfectly shaped to look like hands surrounding the moon. In just a few minutes, I watched the moon come out and then slowly get covered again by the 'hands'. Then again, I was so sleepy at that point that I could have been imagining it ;)
God really protected us during the drive up and down. Even though we both intensely dislike that city, He helped us navigate through it. We also went to West Ed and to one of my favourite places, Death by Chocolate. I was sad when I found out that the dolphins were gone but ticked when I saw WEM's new slogan: 'The Greatest Indoor Show on Earth'. Hmm, sound familiar? I really don't see how a mall can have a show inside, but that's just me. Thankfully, we missed the major hail and thunderstorms that whole day.
Anyways, I pretty much have the coolest best friend. She spent her holiday helping me out and providing transportation. Next time we go on a road trip, we'll be sure to avoid the 'City of Champions' though. If you could pray for her grandfather, that would be very much appreciated. I think he's still in the hospital for some breathing problems, and that was a major cause for concern while we were away. Thank you!
Libellés : work
mercredi 26 mai 2004
Working and working
I've been fairly busy lately with my new job but I'm enjoying every minute of it. Today, a surge protector went off and kept shrilling for a few minutes, causing my ears to ring for the rest of the day. I didn't even notice that an ambulance with lights flashing and sirens blaring was right behind me when I went home... heh, whoops.
Well, I watched a bit of the news today and saw a clip on Canadian hospitality. Click here to watch the news story. I thought that was awesome. You know, it's been said that in July, you can basically get free food everyday if you time everything right and don't mind the long lineups.
I'm going to go watch one of my favourite movies before I need to return it. And try to get around to my spring course stuff. You know you're the worst procrastinator in the world when the professor for one of your courses is moving to the States, and you still have work to submit to them. Maybe that means I'm the best procrastinator there is.
Oh yeah, I found this out today and thought it was hilarious. There are ten people in my major. Nine of them are female. The only male is graduating this year. You would laugh your head off if you knew what major I was in ;)
Libellés : procrastination, work
mercredi 12 mai 2004
Tis a bit late
Since I'm the queen of procrastination, it shouldn't be a surprise that I've left this till tonight, but I think I've reminded everybody of it enough already that it shouldn't be too bad. I hate to ask more than once but my job interview is tomorrow morning at 11 MST and I would really love some prayer. I'm terrified and I just realized that it's been five years since I've been in an interview for a job. I've been blessed that I have had jobs offered to me these last few years but now I really need to make sure I get this one. If I don't, I'm back to square one and utterly broke for the summer and the coming school year (with rising tuition and other school costs). So any prayer that I not get nervous or have the desire to throw up would be greatly appreciated :) Thank you so much in advance and I'll update you on the job status as soon as I know anything!
I have decided to stick with HaloScan for my blog comments for the following reasons:
1) For non-Blogger users, they would end up being anonymous and to me, that decreases community. Personally, I always thought it led to less accountability as well when there's no name attached to your words.
2) It takes two pages to get to the point where a person can comment as opposed to a popup window. I don't want to waste a reader's time.
3) It looks ridiculous that only recent posts have comments. I don't want to have to go back to all 400+ posts and turn on the additional comment feature so that every post can have a comment.
4) The link in the field for your name goes to your Blogger profile, not to your blog. Nothing wrong with that but again, it's a waste of time to go through two pages to get to a person's blog.
5) The loading time for the comments page can take forever sometimes. At some points, the page would not even load and I would have to refresh a couple of times just to leave a comment. I'll stick with HaloScan, which I've used since I've started my blog.
Libellés : work
mercredi 7 avril 2004
Stuck without plans
I didn't get the internship for this summer that I had my heart set on. I'm disappointed but honestly, not too surprised. And it's too late to apply for any other programs for this summer at this point because the deadlines were all at the beginning of this year. I also want to back out of the youth missions trip (for reasons I won't disclose), but I know I'll be letting everyone down if I do that. Sigh, I've never had a free summer before, but I absolutely need to be doing something, anything! I'll be scouring for any opportunities I can now - travelling or learning, preferably working and getting paid for it so I can pay my huge debt off. I'm sure God will provide, just like He did last summer. But in any case, I'd like to know as soon as possible so I'm not hanging dry after my spring course is finished.
"When you go down that road
There's no turning back
And when you go down that road
It's plain to see that
From out of this bleeding world
There's nowhere else I'd rather go
Than down that road..."
- Leahy "Down That Road"
Huh, this looks like it could be fun: Rate My Professors. Or if you're younger: Rate My Teachers.
lundi 29 septembre 2003
Wrapping up
Well today I helped clean out the office to get it ready for our missions pastor. I got to take home a bunch of file folders (geek!) and some sports ministry stuff to donate to my school. I guess I'm kind of going backwards here, I had class this morning and then headed to church where I burned all of the stuff I've done over the years onto a disc so it can be cleared off the network. And you know what? My hardest class this semester has to be youth homiletics! I may dislike history and all that, but at least it's crammable material - but preaching to kids? That just has me shaking in my shoes. Give me a lesson and I can teach it but expect their undivided attention for 15-45 minutes?! AHHHH!
I finally have a copy of all the pictures I've taken over the years! And once I get some kids' permission to post them, check out all the cool stuff we've done :)
Libellés : work
