Ninja Kicks

We went camping out at Hannah Park this weekend with some families from our church. Great little get-away. Last night, we went for a stroll on the beach under the full moon. "I like long walks on the beach....." ::said in a romantic sing song voice::

Anyways, some of the college students that were there with us came up to us about 10 minutes into our stroll. They had left their shoes, cellphone & outer wear (had bathing suits underneath) on the beach for a few moments & they were stolen. P.S. College students....I'm not one anymore! Sad day. But I digress. To make a long story short we drove around in my Element searching for these 2 inebriated guys who were the likely robber candidates. We didn't find them, but good times!

My point in this blog entry is that after this excursion the students apologized for interrupting our romantic stroll on the beach. That's when I realized it....that was not a romantic stroll on the beach. Moments before they came, my husband was doing nija kicks, making the appropriate sound effects, & sporting a headband.

I know chick flicks make it out to be that all us women want is a super romantic guy. Now, my husband does show his romantic side every once in a while. But I love it when he is totally himself with me...he is the goofiest when he is the most comfortable & relaxed.

So you women out there who are hopeless romantics: Don't let go of romance being important. But don't overlook a man who is being totally himself around you. THAT is a whole new kind of romance that can be easily discounted.

Beginnings & Endings

This past week I experienced the possibility of new beginnings.

I had 2 job interviews. One with Children's Home Society & the other through the National Guard Youth Program. God is good because I rocked both of the interviews! It was totally God because I needed this encouragement for 2 reasons. (1) To see He had the whole situation in His hands (2) To encourage me for when I received some disheartening news later on.


The interview with CHS went amazing. I wasn't nervous at all. I knew exactly what I was talking about & was confident. My confidence rubbed off on the director so much so that she thought I should apply for a Supervisor position there. As much of a compliment this was, I am not ready for such an undertaking in the child welfare system. So much to say....I got the job (not at supervisor). I am awaiting my start date.

The interview with the National Guard went very well too. Except I was EXTREMELY nervous. I was shaking & my heart was racing the morning of the interview. Mom was so great because she prayed alot with me & encouraged me to help with the nerves. God brought some of the most amazing words to my mouth during that interview (ask me about the giant squid analogy). I did drop the ball on showing my knowledge of the National Guard....which I had studied alot about. I totally froze at that question.

Now, 2 days after that interview I found out that I didn't get the National Guard job. Which was a major bummer. It went to a more experienced candidate. But the guy who got me interview was very encouraging & gave me great feed back.

I hung up the phone & pretty much fell apart. Not because I didn't get this job...which I was really sad about....but because that meant I officially was going to have to work at CHS. I started hyperventilating! I was shocked at this reaction. I learned some really valuable things while at CHS in Osceola County & don't regret working there, but it was the hardest, most stressful job ever.

God has been working on me. Let's just say that. He's been showing me to stop putting Him in a box. To stop placing my expectations of who He is & what He can & cannot do.

I've gone through alot of beginnings & endings the past 4 months. I just finished reading a book by Nancy Ortberg called "Looking for God". She had a little bit to say about beginnings & endings:




"Beginnings hold the promise of hope, the expectation of the new & fresh. God is in the beginnings. 'In the beginning God created......' one of the ultimate acts of hope. When we create or when we participate in beginnings, we sense God. Beginnings give us clarity around the simple things that loom most important.

Endings teach us how to begin, what we should center our lives upon, & what is really important. Life has to be grounded in things that can never die, can't be stolen, & can't get taken away. Endings have a purifying effect. Endings strip us down to what is real."

This only confirms why I feel God in each of my transitions. He has created each beginning & ending.

But, you know what's even cooler about this beginning & ending stuff?

"The steadfast love of the Lord NEVER ceases; his mercies NEVER come to an end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion', says my soul, 'therefore I will have hope in Him." ~Lamentations 3:22-24