Brown County Top Ten

I wanted to take a couple of days (okay...three) to share with you a little more about my writing retreat.

Several months ago, I came up with the idea to go on a writing retreat, and I had my eye on Maybelle’s cabin in Brown County. (I won’t post pictures of the cabin because you can go to their site to see the layout there – they just redecorated the whole thing and it’s adorable!)

A few weeks ago, I invited Rachel to go with me. Being a fellow writer, I knew she would love it and I wanted to share it with her as a graduation gift! Today I want to show you some of the fun we had around the cabin. I made a top ten list – but in no particular order.

1. HOT TUB! We had this hot tub on our back deck, and we spent about a half hour out there every night.
It is a secret dream of mine to one day have a hot tub at my house. I find them so relaxing. (And you get lots of friends who want to hang out with you if you have a hot tub.)
2. TV! You'll notice a lot of blankets and hoodies in these pictures. Rachel and I kept the temp in the cabin right at 65 degrees. Freezing - and perfect in every way. Anyway. We had satellite TV, so when our brains needed to take a break from the writing process, we kicked back and watched TV.

Rachel got me hooked on America's Got Talent while we were there. HILARIOUS show. Do you watch it? If not - you should start.

3. READING! An important thing for a writer is to fill up on reading! I kicked back in my big comfy bed with the pillow top mattress and down comforter...and read...and read...and read. No reason to feel guilty for it - wasn't like I had chores to do!

Rachel did some reading as well...little bit of advice from Stephen King.

4. WRITING! Obviously this is the reason we were there. This darling little desk was mine for the week - couldn't have been more perfect!

But you know...the writing is just as good anywhere!

5. COOKING! Rachel and I are both electric stove cooker girls - so this whole open flame thing was new for us.

But we didn't set anything (or anyone) on fire!

6. MORNING COFFEE! Oh. My. Goodness. This is how it should be every day. Coffee at 9 out in the sunshine with the little waterfall running to the side....

7. JOURNALING! In addition to the 27,305 words I wrote on the computer, I did a good amount of journaling. LOVED the time of reconnecting with the Lord while I was there. He can be heard well in a woods.

8. GAMES! Rachel answered questions from this game...

...and I answered questions from this one. Proud indeed.

9. VISITORS! We had lots of visitors at our cabin this week. Check this out. Mr. Froggie - on the window beside Rachel's bed:

Mr. Cardinal:

Mr. (or perhaps Mrs?) Butterfly:

The resident miniature horses...Rachel loved them.

And last but NOT least - Romeo. He knew how to let himself in and parked right next to the doggie treat jar.

10. BATHROOM! We were, after all, in the woods:

Okay, just kidding. THIS was our tub.

It was the perfect spot for a getaway. Just a mile from the little town of Nashville, so if we needed something (like a Polar Pop) - we could have it in about five minutes, but we felt like we were miles away from everything - all nestled at the top of a hill. Truly relaxing. We highly recommend this cabin (or the Robinwood right next to it...where I stayed a couple of years ago with Julie Crandall) if you're looking for a quiet spot to escape.

It's the Weekly Recap!

*Sunday, after I participated in the Father’s Day festivities, Rachel and I left for a week-long writing retreat to Brown County (in southern Indiana). We booked a cabin, packed our suitcases, and arrived early in the evening at our darling cabin. We took it easy that first evening, learning where all the light switches were (seriously!), watching America’s Got Talent, and trying out the fantastic hot tub! * Monday we started the writing festivities, took a break at lunch time to drive into the little town of Nashville (about a mile from our cabin) and have lunch at a pizza place, and enjoyed a relaxing day. That evening I made baked potato soup and Oreo cupcakes (at Rachel’s request) to celebrate her graduation from IWU. Oh – and we visited the hot tub.

* Tuesday we spent more time writing, but we took a break in the afternoon to go over to Brown County State Park to do a little hiking. Yes, you read that right. I hiked. On trails. In dirt. Don’t believe me? Check this out!

That night, Rachel did the cooking - yummy breakfast burritos! And we topped off the evening with the hot tub!!

* Wednesday we stayed in almost the whole day and I wrote…and wrote…and wrote. I think when all was said and done, I was just short of 30,000 words for the week. I was very pleased with that. Even though we didn’t venture out too much that day, we saw some absolute beauty around the cabin – like this little guy. Isn’t he pretty?

Guess what else we did? HOT TUB!!!

* Ronda came to visit us on Thursday – and we were so excited to see her. We went back into Nashville to do some shopping, we spent some time in the hot tub (shocker), and had a cookout in our sweet fire pit. It was our busiest day, by far, but also so much fun. Thanks for visiting us, Ronda! That night we relaxed with some TV and then started cleaning up and packing. Sadness indeed.

* Friday we packed up and drove home - arriving home in the early afternoon. Back to reality. And a couple of cats who had apparently missed me quite a bit. I spent most of the day catching up on blogs, emails, facebook, and TV shows. And that night I ran into a friend of mine at the dollar store...which led into a four hour catching-up fest. That was a fun and spontaneous surprise!

* Saturday was the day of bridal showers for Miss Olivia. She was in town for the weekend, so there were two different showers. After going on a wild goose chase looking for the first one, I finally arrived before the gift giving festivities. The second shower was her personal shower - SO fun. Love this girl!
Books I’m Reading: I kept up with both Sparkling Gems from the Greek and Jesus Calling this week. I also read a chapter in Entrusting Your Dreams to God, started a book I bought years ago, but haven't read yet: Forever in Love with Jesus, and FINISHED The Hole in Our Gospel. Overall I thought it was a pretty good book. I enjoyed the beginning more than the middle - and it was a very long book - but I'm glad I read it. God used it in part of my journey.

Favorite God Moment of the Whole Week: My world has been so busy lately with all the job/house stuff that I’ve felt completely disconnected from the Lord. I loved being at the cabin this week and having so many moments to sit alone with Him. My favorite came Thursday morning as I tried to awaken (always a struggle) and I heard Him say “Do you trust Me to be enough for you?” I loved that.

Update on Last Week’s Goals: Obviously you can see I got quite a bit of reading done, and at just under 30,000 words, I think we can call the writing a success!

Goals for the Coming Week: It's my last week of work at IWU, so I want to finish well and enjoy all the final moments of that chapter of my life. I also have some serious work to do around the house, cleaning things up and packing things away in preparation for the house being shown and hopefully SOLD soon!

And Then it Was Father's Day

Remember how on Mother's Day, I hosted a festive lunch, complete with balloons?

So for Father's Day...I scheduled a vacation. For me. Not for Dad. What kind of daughter am I??

Okay to try to make myself sound a little less horrible...here's how that went. I wanted to schedule a week-long writing retreat, and the cabin where I wanted to stay only had so many options for an entire week being open. In addition, I needed to use up my vacation days before the end of June...and everyone else in my office was trying to do the same thing. So I was really limited on when I could go. Leaving on Father's Day was about the only choice I had.

But I made sure I stayed around to celebrate the holiday before I went on my journey. There. Am I forgiven??

Lunch was at Mom and Dad's house, and we were joined by Aunt B and Sandi, who is a good friend of Mom and Dad's.
Aunt B brought a plate of her FANTABULOUS caramel surprise brownies. Not the fake version like I make. The REAL ones. Oh. My. Word.

This is Dad, guessing what his gift is. A Lowe's gift card, of course. And this year I DIDN'T get him one that said "just married." (That's what I gave him last year - just to be funny.)

Dad and me...and I'm wearing an outfit that looks suspiciously like the one I wore on Mother's Day. It occurred to me DURING church Sunday morning that it was the same outfit. Good grief. It's not like I don't have any clothes!

I have to say - Dad is pretty good to me. This week while I was gone, he ushered my car around to the mechanic, checked on my thought-it-was-broken mower, and even mowed a bit of the yard for me. He takes good care of me. Happy Father's Day (again), Dad!

Baby Shower!

Before I tell you about the shower, I have to tell you about GETTING to the shower.

My friends Joe and Sarah had a baby shower last Saturday afternoon. I left home 1/2 hour before it started, which was pushing it, for sure, but should have put me there right around the start of the thing.

First I got behind Slowy McSlowerson. (He actually went 25 in a 25. Full three second stops at stop signs.) Then I had to pull over for one of those police-escorted motorcycle brigades. (Can someone PLEASE tell me the purpose of those? I honestly don't know but that's the second one I've had to pull over for in the last two weeks.) Then I got slowed WAY down in a construction zone.

By that time, not only was I late...but my car was overheating again - just like it did on the interstate during my Wisconsin vacation. I had to pull over four times just to make sure I didn't get stranded in the middle of an intersection. I was shaking, crying, having a SERIOUS come-to-Jesus moment, and unable to reach my parents for help. They were at the shower. Their phone was at home. Lovely.

So my grand entrance to the shower (late) was complete with tears.

Dad left to tend to my car, and I proceeded to enjoy the shower.
Joe and I went to high school together, and I met Sarah after they got married and we all went to church together. You might remember Sarah from some of my Craft Hideaway posts. She loves that place!

This is their first baby...and she is one well loved little bundle of joy - already!

Sarah is also the maker of Flour Child Cupcakes - so you can see why this was such a PERFECT gift.

Joe and Sarah are going to be great parents. I have no doubt about it at all.

Faith and I gave her a Bumbo seat. Note: those are impossible to wrap and no one sells gift bags that large (in the greater South Marion area, anyway).

Sarah 'n me. Can't wait to meet little Magdalena!!

Also can't wait for my car to be fixed!

The Tale of the Phone...Conclusion

** Before I start - a very HAPPY birthday to my BFF Lynnette!! Love you, girl! Hope today is filled with much more joy and much less drama than the post you're about to read! **

If you missed yesterday's post, you must go back and read. This will make no sense without it.

I dug out a phone bill, found the number for the company and dialed. I made it through the obstacle course of a menu and was told my call was very important and would be answered in the order it was received.

Someone actually answered immediately, but she was not very clear in her command of the English language. Normally I have a pretty high tolerance for that, but by that time I was exhausted from a busy week, HUNGRY from a lack of dinner, and trying not to panic about the prospect of purchasing a seven hundred dollar phone. Oh. And she called me Mrs. Freelan, too. Not her best move. I (kindly as I could) unloaded the entire story on her - starting with the original faulty phone.

At one point she interrupted my story to tell me my current broken phone was still under warranty and she could send me a replacement free of charge. I did honestly appreciate that and under any other circumstance would have gratefully taken it, but I explained to her I needed the smart phone for my new job.

By the end of my explanation, I was fighting back tears and said in utter desperation, "I just don't know what to do. I mean should I just pay the termination fee and go somewhere that sells a more affordable phone?"

These were the words delivered to me in somewhat broken English, straight off a script card (causing me to inwardly giggle): Because you have threatened to ter-mee-nate your service, I am now authorized to transfer you to a loyalty specialist.

About three more times she told me, Mrs. Freelan, that she was only transferring me because of my threats.

Seriously? I don't believe threatened is the appropriate word here. I questioned whether or not to remain. I threatened no one.

Nevertheless, she put me on hold (while I knew she was telling someone about mad girl, line one). It's not my first dance with mad people. I know how this gig goes. Except I'm usually on the other end of the line.

A truly lovely woman came on the line and said she could help me. She also asked if she could call me by my first name. (I know it was a calming tactic, but at that point anything was preferable to being called Mrs. Freelan.)

I explained the entire story to her and at the end she said, "Well I can see from our records that you have been with us for eleven years, you've never even had a late fee, which is unheard of in our industry, and you've never asked for an exception before."

That's because I pay my bills and I don't believe in asking for exceptions.

She said she was authorized to offer me a smart phone for upgrade price as long as it wasn't any of the 4G phones.

Guess what I'd picked out?

Yep. Good ole 4G.

So she helped me pick a new phone...figured up my bill...the whole nine yards.

I asked if I could go in to the store as early as the next day to get said phone (because by this time it was 20 minutes until the store closed, and I didn't want to be that customer that shows up at closing time for an hour long appointment).

Oh I'm sorry. This has to be shipped to you. I can have it there by Saturday. It will come FedEx and someone will have to sign for it.

Of course. And that would be the day I have to attend baby shower out of town. SPLENDID!!!

I started praying on the spot to be part of Mr. FedEx's early morning route. (Side note. He arrived at 9:49 a.m. and I got up off the floor where I'd slept the entire night to make sure I didn't miss his arrival, should he get there while I was still sleeping.)

I honestly did appreciate her help. She was wonderful and patient. But oh my goodness. After all this, I feared I would be too tired to text when I could! Here's to hoping the smart phone holds up for the entire time it should...

And Now...The Tale of the Phone

I would like to dedicate this post to Christina, because it sounds like something that would happen to her.

I've been with the same cell phone company for eleven years and never had a moment's problem with my plans or any of the phones I've purchased. Until this last time. I upgraded, got a new phone (supposedly a good one) and within six months the touch screen gave up the ghost. Fortunately the phone was still under warranty and they happily shipped me a new one. About six months later - same thing. That time I procrastinated taking it in, and by the time I did, it was on the other side of the warranty. Woops.

I needed a phone, though, so the nice lady in the store told me I could purchase a phone and she'd knock $50 off the price because she could. Okay. I got a low end phone and have been using it since October. About 3 weeks ago, the screen died on that one. Seriously! What is up with these phones?!? I could still make and receive calls but texting was out...picture taking was out...internet was out...and did I mention texting was out? Gasp...for...air.

I went right in to the store and asked the lady when I was eligible for upgrade. June 16th, she said. Maybe earlier if I was lucky but they'd cracked down on that early upgrade thing, so she wouldn't make any promises.

(Side note: I found out during that time frame that it would be most helpful for my new job if I could get a smart phone while upgrading anyway. I'd need it for the work I do there. Sweet! Never had one of those before!)

Two days before upgrade day, I went back in to the store to choose my phone so on upgrade day...I could be in and out and back to texting. The man working that day confirmed the 16th as upgrade day and helped me choose a smart phone.

The moment the realtor left my house on June 16th, I practically sped to the store to get my phone. The lady who first told me of the upgrade day was working again and I plopped down in front of her and told her I was there to upgrade. She looked up my account and said these words:

I'm sorry. Your account isn't eligible for upgrade until June 16th 2012.

wha???????

Of course the concept of an inside voice was lost to her, so all other customers turned to stare at me. I knew my face was ridiculously red, but I maintained as even a voice as possible and said, "Um....but I was told twice that it was today, and my phone doesn't work. What am I supposed to do?"

She had no good answer.

So I continued. "I'm about to start a new job and I need a smart phone for that job. Can I just buy one?"

Again...no inside voice...Sure, but they run between six and seven hundred dollars.

DOLLARS?????? I didn't even pay that much to go to Florida for a week!

I had no idea what to do, so I left the store.

Just for kicks and giggles, I drove across the parking lot to the other cell phone company to see what they could do for me. I didn't really want to go through the hassle of switching companies, but I needed a phone...and desperate times call for desperate measures. Their phones were indeed cheaper - and they'd be happy to switch me but I'd have to pay an early termination fee to cancel my current contract.

Super. That probably cost as much as the phone!

So I decided to drive home and call the company. I did not intend to have an evening of confrontation, but no phone is worth seven hundred dollars...let me tell you that!

The phone call was classic. Do come back tomorrow to be further entertained....

Bekah's Bequeathment Ceremony

I told you that last Tuesday was my last time to present devotions to our office at work. Thought I'd share more of that with you, too.

Normally when I share devotions with the office, I read something that recently stood out to me. Excerpt from a book...piece of my own devotional...section of Scripture...part of a blog...something I wrote...you name it. But since it was my last time to share with this group as a group, I wanted to make sure I said what I hoped they'd embrace.
So I shared part of what I read at the book club last month. I talked to them about how our lives are stories that we live out loud day by day. How the words we hear and read define our stories. How God has an intention for us even if we think nobody wanted us or we don't have worth.

And for fun, I shared with them a list of Bekah-quirks. As you can see, they weren't fighting me on them!

At the end of our time together, I prayed for them. What a great group I've worked with - and I do hope God sends beauty to each of the stories that I've come to know and watch as they've lived them.

And then...time for the bequeathing ceremony!

I wanted to make sure they didn't forget me (HA!) - so I wrote each of them a letter and chose something from my office to pass on to them. They had a lot of fun with this - as did I!

Started out with our AVP. I gave him this book: Who Moved My Cheese? It has to do with embracing change and someone parked it on my desk years ago, hoping I'd learn from it. I think the news of the new job means my cheese has "done been moved." So I bequeathed it to him so he can give it to someone else. Craig, our compliance guy, put a sign on my door earlier this year while I was (blissfully) vacationing in Florida. It says "Pell Training." (He said when I came home, my punishment for leaving would be hours and hours of Pell training.) I won't have to administer Pell Grants in my new job...so I gave that bad boy right back to Craig.

Neil likes to wear a lanyard with his business cards and name tag in it - but the one he wears is NOT an IWU lanyard. As you can imagine, this tampers with my OCD, so when I found a lanyard in my desk that had the school logo on it...I knew it had to be his! (Ten bucks says he continues to wear his original one...)

Greg received my Office magnet that says "Do you want to form an alliance with me?" Greg and I have a ton of funny office stories and I thought that was a pretty perfect gift.

Angel (the one laughing hysterically on the left there...) received my Gaither Vocal Band poster. She may or may not l.o.v.e. Michael English. I walked by her office later that day and saw it sitting right in her line of vision. See, I knew it would be well loved!

And last but not least...had to find something to give our secretary, Lynette. She and I have worked at IWU for almost the same amount of time and we have had a sweet friendship. She and I both adore pictures, so I gave her a framed picture of David Phelps and me. (From 2003. Talk about another hair life!)

So there you go, suite 240. You've been bequeathed. Enjoy. :)

Weekends with Friends

It's a strange thing to know your life is about to change entirely - and yet not have any idea how life is about to change...or when. So while I'm in this transition phase, I'm trying to spend time with as many of my friends as I can, in case I do move quickly.

A week ago now, I had the chance to spend quality time with two good friends, and I wanted to let you peek in at the fun we had!

First...the lovely Jamie Bennett came to visit me. It meant so much to me that she'd drive down from Ft. Wayne to spend some time with me, because she is also in a transition period and I know her time is very precious. But I was going through some tough stuff in my heart, and she came down just to spend time in prayer with me. What a great friend!

We took a break from praying to eat some dinner...

Spaghetti and garlic bread...watermelon and cantaloupe...and lemon cake (which is really just another source of fruit, you know).

What a blessing God gave me in my sweet friend Jamie. I have learned so much from her - and I'm so looking forward to spending all of next month with her as she trains me at WBCL!

Sunday I went to Amber's house after church. We went to Subway for lunch. That's what we usually do when we get together for lunch - and I so love those times with her. We have some great talks!! Amber and I have been friends since Story Hour (preschool) - so it's fun to still have so much in common.

When we were done eating, we went back to her house, and she helped me with a project. It had to do with etching stone. (Amber etches monuments professionally.)

I, on the other hand, am a professional Sharpie user.

I did try the etching tool. The result? FAIL.

So that was my fun with Jamie and Amber. Love these girls and the time I get to spend with them!

It's the Weekly Recap!

* Last Sunday I had lunch with Amber, and then we went back to her house to work on a project. (You'll see it soon - I love it!) We decided to work outside, but we were tired, so we eventually gave up in favor of soaking up the rays. Wish I would have brought my tanning clothes!
* Monday I made the decision to contact a realtor to sell my house. I'd been trying to decide whether I wanted to sell it myself or have help. I decided to know my limitations and enlist the help of a professional! I also continued my rounds of saying goodbye to work friends. This is my dear friend Pat, who works in our Registrar's Office. She's bubbly, full of life, and has loved me and encouraged me for several years now. I'll miss her!
* Tuesday was my last time to do devotions in our office. We have them every week, and we take turns (alphabetically...it does wonders for my OCD). It just so happened that my turn rolled around this week and I offered them my final thoughts. Kind of a bittersweet moment. They were very gracious. I shared some of the same things I shared with the book club in May, and I took a few minutes to pray for them - and that was a wrap!
* Wednesday I had lunch with my co-worker Angie for the last time. We have always loved going to Dairy Queen for lunch...and we wanted to do that one more time before I left! Thanks, Angie, for taking me! And then when I got home from work, my parents came over for "Habitat for Bekah" work. Dad cut down a bunch of trees and weeds growing in the fence row, and Mom and I worked on the kitchen and bathrooms - getting everything all ready for the realtor to see. I REALLY appreciated their help.

* Thursday...ohhhhhh Thursday. The realtor I contacted on Monday came over after work to look over the house. I felt perfectly at ease with her and don't have any hesitations about that decision. It was even kind of exciting to see how the selling process works. (And confirmed that I'm NOT smart enough to do it without help!) After that, I endured a NIGHTMARE of a phone upgrade attempt. That, my friends, is a whole other blog post for another day. But the entire day was capped off with this bit of amazing-ness...(a gift from a student - and not even my student!) Let the record show I only ate half...at a time. * Friday was my last day to work with some of my co-workers, because they'll be taking some time off before my last day. It hasn't quite hit me yet that those goodbyes were THE goodbyes. This is one of the pictures we took Friday. This is our brand new student worker, Serena. I just love her and am so sad I won't get to really get to know her and spend time hanging out with her like I have all our other student workers!
Friday night, Marie came over and we had dinner together, had our Bible study, and then watched Miss Congeniality 2 and ate party mix and Reese's pieces. That was just a fun, relaxing night. I've been going...going...going...so much this week, it was nice to just SIT.


* Saturday morning at 9:49, my doorbell rang and Mr. FedEx delivered my new phone. Words cannot express my joy at being back on the texting grid. 2 weeks without...was 2 weeks too much. Also on Saturday, I went to the lovely Sarah Rife's baby shower. She got so much cute stuff!
Books I'm Reading: As you may have noticed from the book you JUST read about my week, there really wasn't any time TO read this week. The only reading I did was from my two devotional books: Sparkling Gems from the Greek and Jesus Calling.

Favorite God Moment of the Whole Week: I emailed a professor whose class I spoke in every semester just to let her know I'm leaving my job. Within about 2 minutes, she called me to tell me she was sad to see me go - and to tell me she had seen enough of my life to know I can talk about more than financial aid, so she wanted to know if she could keep my name in her list to perhaps come and speak about something else. It was another confirmation to me that I'm doing the right thing - and that God has plans for me that I can't even fathom right now.

Update on Last Week's Goals: I rather quickly made the decision about using a realtor and have taken steps to get that process started. I've done my best to center my mind about writing, but I'm not sure I'm as focused on it as I would have liked to be at this point.

Goals for the Coming Week: I would like to read SOMETHING other than my devo books this week. I'd also like to be able to say I have some good writing under my belt by this time next week. My mind needs a break from the swirling of my world.

Orange Julius

Last week I told you I'd take pictures of the Orange Julius soon. I decided even if I'm here by myself, I'm deserving of good little smoothie-esque drink, so I made a batch just for me!

This recipe is my Mom's, although she says she hasn't made it since my sister's bridal shower over 25 years ago. Oops! She gave it to me when I planned to have some friends over for "breakfast for dinner" a few years ago, because she thought it would be a good little addition to the meal, and she was right!

I can't drink straight orange juice because the citric acid is too high, so this is one way I can enjoy some OJ! This tastes like one of those orange push up ice cream things I used to eat when I was a kid. VERY yummy. And if you use lower fat milk - it's not all that bad for you either!

The Recipe

6 ounces orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
12 ice cubes

In blender, combine everything except the ice cubes. Mix on high until blended, then add ice cubes one at a time until smooth.

I usually use 1% milk. Skim does work fine. I also buy a 12 ounce can of concentrate, use half, and keep the other half for the next time. I also don't have ice cube trays, so I just use whatever amount of ice I want. It probably equals out to 2 1/2-3 cups of bagged ice.
I put in the concentrate first and dump everything else in on top of it. Don't forget the sugar! I did that once and WOW. Important ingredient.

After you blend that, it will be a little bit frothy on top.

Then add the ice a little at a time until it's the thickness you like. (I only made half a recipe for me - the full recipe above will go clear to the top of a blender.)

Pour in your glass, top with whipped cream (hello!!) and enjoy!!

Stepping Out in Faith

* April 29 - Two days after finding out about the job, I submitted my resume to the station.

* May 4 - The station called to schedule an interview with me - set up for May 19th.

* May 11 - Went for a walk on my prayer path and in total exasperation, asked God about three specific things. One of them was about the job. And in literally .005 seconds, my heart had three answers, and the job answer was "If they offer it to you - take it."

* May 19 - Sparkling Gems from the Greek today says, "Don't be surprised if Jesus asks you to do something that seems impossible to your natural mind." Like interviewing for a job an hour from home when gas is $4 a gallon?

I leave this day in Your hands. Walk with me. Keep me safe. Give me words. Open my eyes and keep my mind clear, my Abba. Help me to, as Lois said, shine Your light no matter what happens.

Loved these Mandisa lyrics I awakened to: "'Cause if He started this work in your life, He will be faithful to complete it."

I went to the interview and had absolutely no nerves. I have no idea how I did - I suppose you'd have to ask them - but I felt complete peace and came home satisfied with every word I'd spoken, for better or for worse.

* May 26 - I received a call from the station to schedule a second interview - this one set for June 6th.

* June 5 - I read a devotional by Dayspring's Roy Lessin - that said this:

Let God choose for you, it will be the right decision.
Let God guide you, it will be the right direction.
Let God plan for you, it will be in the right timing.
Let God measure for you, it will be the right portion.
Let God help you, it will be the right care.
Let God instruct you, it will be the right teaching.
Let God prepare you, it will be the right training.
Let God counsel you, it will be the right perspective.
Let God fight for you, it will be the right outcome.
Let God work in you, it will be the right result.

* June 6 - I awakened the day of my interview, read this devotional by Holley Gerth, which left me with goose bumps.

Got in my car...drove to Ft. Wayne...went inside for my interview, and walked out literally 15 minutes later having accepted my new job. I couldn't even believe it. God had worked out every detail - start date, finances, everything. Never once did I have a moment's anxiety about it. Not once.

And I know this is just how it came to be. There's more to come, my friends! More to come!

And in the words of another great Gaither song - The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.

Writing on Walls

We now resume the story of God's hand in the job change:

I've asked God so many times if there's any way He could bring back writing on walls. I think it was a great method when He did it in the Bible and I've long been sad that He's retired it. Well, He didn't do it even now, but I have to say this was about the closest thing to wall writing I've ever experienced. If you missed the post two days ago, read it before you go on because it shows you my prayers to God about opening the door of the job. Now back to my prayer journal.

April 27, 2011

Kari sent me this email this morning: "Sometimes faith is action. Don't be afraid to start searching for another job...If He does want you to stay where you are, then He will close every opportunity that seems really good and you will know. When you pray about it, pray for exactly the kind of job you want. Be specific. But also be open to a magnitude of jobs (organizations and companies). Look outside of Marion...maybe even the state...start getting your resume and cover letter ready and just start sending it...if you're lucky enough to get an interview, you will know during that interview if the job is really right for you...Don't let the fear of not knowing keep you from trying."

Kari has never been that bold with me - about the job anyway. It surprised me.

That day was long and exhausting. It was a Wednesday, and that night, after I got home from church, I went straight to bed, hoping for extra sleep. But before I went to sleep, I opened my email and found a message from Jamie. It had a subject line that said "The Email I've Been Waiting To Send."

And in that moment, I knew.

I opened it and found a long, long message from Jamie, in which she told me that her job was posted, and as she'd gotten to know me and as she'd learned my heart and my desires for serving the Lord and for ministry, she thought I might be interested in applying for the position. She'd prayed about it and felt urged to let me know it was open - and to encourage me to apply if I was really interested.

I started shaking in bed, because I knew. I knew this was my writing on the wall. My specific, open ended prayer to the Lord had been that if this was what pleased Him...He would prompt someone to say something to me. And He had.

April 28, 2011

I think Isaiah 30:21 is my next verse: "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying "This is the way; walk in it." Show me. God, with this job thing, show me. Be unmistakable. And if it is Your desire that I go...work out the details. The housing...the commute...the money. Show me.

I drove on the prayer path and felt nothing but peace. Help me to know.

That day, I emailed Kari to tell her what unfolded after her email to me, and she responded with "Walk through the open door Bekah - walk through."

And immediately this song came to mind. I would love for you to listen to it. It's a GVB song (but please note this was in the pre-David days and I still listen to it!). I cried as I listened. This has become my anthem for this season of my life.

SSMT: Verse 12

I'm taking a one day break from the story of how the job came to be...so I can post my new SSMT verse. I actually thought God had a different verse for me, but as soon as I read this one last night, I knew it was verse for me.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,

a holy nation, a people belonging to God,

that you may declare the praises of him

who called you out of darkness

into his wonderful light

1 Peter 2:9

This actually does kind of fit in with the job. I don't feel like what I'm about to enter is "just" a job. It feels like a chance to walk into ministry, which has long been a desire and calling on my heart. And I've struggled with that part.

Jamie and I talked this past weekend and I shared with her my struggles with inadequacy across the board of life...and it plays into the job too. Why would He choose me for this job?

And yet I'm thankful He did. I'm not sure yet I understand all the reasons why but He sees something in me. And through this verse, I see a glimpse of that calling. He chose me to belong to Him...to sing His praises...to share with others how He called me out of the darkness where I used to live and into a new life of light.

What a huge calling - and what a huge responsibility!

No idea how it's going to actually happen. But I commit this verse to memory as I prepare to enter a new chapter of ministry - and I hope to be found faithful!

Stirrings

Much of today's post is going to come to you from my prayer journal. I want you to see this portion of the job-change-journey as it unfolded between my heart and the Lord's Throne.

April 5, 2011

I was reading Only a Breath, and she said, "My prayer is that He would use my life, not to make a name for myself or even so that people will remember my name long after I'm gone. That really doesn't matter at all to me. What matters is that I use the time I am given to be His hands and feet while I'm here."

Which, of course, took me back to the idea that I'd love to be fulfilled in a job that brings purpose to YOU.

Earlier today, I was thinking about the job. A change is always on my mind, but after Chris's comment last week about pushing debt...and Julie's question to me last week about what I'd want TO do...I was just thinking.

I thought about the book I started last night and how the author was the CEO of Lenox China and then was sought out to be the President of World Vision.

And that was when I opened up Facebook and found an email with the subject line of "Job Change?" (Side note - this email had nothing to do with the job I'm taking, but it certainly got me thinking and I believe was part of God's plan.)

Then I opened (In)Courage - "For a very long time, I have dwelt in my comfort zone. I was so comfortable with the usual; I prefer to do things that think I will be able to do...There is so much in us to bless humanity with, but the fear of the unknown would not let us release them. As I began my journey of becoming all that God wants me to be, He led me to a verse: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

April 10, 2011

This was a Sunday, and that evening, Jamie came to my house for dinner. As we sat at my dining room table, eating tacos, she shared her big news with me: she was leaving WBCL to go back to school. (Read the whole story here - love this!)

And I wrote these words:

Honestly, I wondered about THAT job. Am I even allowed to say that? My mind is swirling - probably more than it should be. That ministry tugs at my heart. Help me. Jamie challenged me to pray specific, open-ended prayers...so I will ask You to open the door to a job there if it pleases You. Please, my Jesus. Plant the thoughts in the right minds if it's what You have.

April 13, 2011

My heart quickens when I think about working at WBCL. So I'm here before You...mostly to discuss the job. What DO You have?

Groundwork

I told you my big news this past week - I have a new job! I'm so excited about this adventure and can't wait to share more with you as I make this transition. But to me, part of the absolute BEAUTY of this journey is the background. And over the next couple of days (I first typed "years" - no, no, no!!) I want to share with you the things God has done.

It all started here. Last November, I went to WBCL Radio to be a guest on the November Author! Author! Mid-Morning program. I could have called in like the rest of the guests interviewed that day, but I really wanted the full experience, and Miss Gaytha encouraged me to go, so I went.

As I read that post again today, I couldn't help but notice this line tucked in at the end. Not sure what I was referring to at the time but it gives me goose bumps now: I loved the feedback they gave me, and I loved knowing God was and is at work behind the scenes of even a radio spot!

Clearly I had no idea just how much He was at work.

I was the last guest that day, so I stayed after for a few minutes to talk to Lynne, the host, and Jamie, the producer. I cannot tell you the incredible draw I had toward the friendship of these two women. I really cannot. I left the station that morning wishing I lived closer. Wishing I could be their real-life friend because they seemed kindred spirits.

That evening I got online to email both of them and thank them for their graciousness that day. Jamie beat me to it. She had already written me and in her message, she said she'd never emailed a guest like that before, but she felt a friendship connection with me that day and wondered if I'd be willing to meet up for coffee and strike up a friendship.

And we did just that. After a few weeks of emailing and getting to know one another, we met at Starbucks one afternoon and spent a couple of hours just sharing our stories. And in the months that have followed, we have continued to email regularly, share stories, laughs, God-moments, prayer requests, great ideas, dreams, and all manner of things of which a good friendship is made.

And once a month or so, we meet up in person - for coffee or dinner - or both. She has encouraged my life in ways I cannot put into words. And then came...a God thing.