What Color is Your Parachute?

I have started working through the exercises in this job assistance book/workbook. I'm hoping this will help me figure out what I want to do with my life. My dad will be proud of doing this finally since he has been on my case to do this since high school :) It has worked for him at least twice so I thought I would give it a shot. If you've never heard of it, this book has been around for ages. It really makes you think about what you want in a job, but through exercises that aren't difficult, just time consuming.

check it out at www.jobhuntersbible.com

Four Things

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. Easter Bunny & Santa Helper at the mall
2. Cashier at a grocery store
3. Asst. Store Manager at tropical clothing store
4. college cafeteria line worker


Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Chariots of Fire
2. Hoosiers
3. Triplets of Belleville
4. Life is Beautiful


Four places you have lived:
1. Athens, Greece
2. Annapolis, Maryland
3. Wilmore, Kentucky
4. Jacksonville, Florida


Four TV shows you love to watch
1. Made on MTV
2. Any Law & Order
3. CSI
4. Scrubs


Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Thailand
2. Switzerland
3. Morocco
4. Azores


Four websites I visit daily:
1. Hotmail
2. my work website
3. evotional.com
4. CNN

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Greek/Meditteranean
2. pasta
3. sushi
4. El Pollo Rico - Peruvian chicken place in Wheaton - YUMMY!!!


Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Sleeping
2. on a beach in the Caribbean
3. in Torino for the Olympics
4. on a sailboat


You're next! Copy and paste this on your blog :)

Eagles, Chickens, and God

"Through a conversation with a friend, God reminded me of a simple but difficult truth: If I have it, he gave it to me, and if he gave it to me, I need it. On the other hand, if I don't have it, either he took it away or he never gave it to me. In either case, I don't need it." - from Dennis Bourne, The Black Sheep Diaries

I joined a new small group on Wednesday nights called Journey which is apropos to what I see 2006 being for me...a significant step in my journey and what my blog is all about. I know I've put some silly stuff on here lately as well. All part of the journey. Today I was googling and searching through websites of people in my small group and from church and ran across this blog from my friend Dennis. I first met him a year and a half ago through an acting small group and haven't really talked to him much since then, but wow, his blog is awesome. This section from his blog that I've posted above really struck me.

I get so caught up in looking around me and seeing what I don't have that I don't stop to think that God took it or didn't give it to me in the first place BECAUSE I DON'T NEED IT. Being in Washington, DC can be intimidating because of all the special and unique people that come here and live here. This taps into my insecurities in a big way and I don't feel like I quite compare and yet in other circumstances and cities, I have appeared to be the special and unique person; the eagle surrounded by chickens in a sense. God is shifting my perspective on myself and on the others. I am special and unique simply because I am His child and He has created me and given me all that makes me special and unique. I am both a chicken and an eagle, depending on the day and the circumstance. And so is everyone else around me.

Funny or Frightening?

Journey

This week I had a super low day on Monday. I literally took a mental health day from work. The thought of going into the office made me feel like I wanted to fall apart and just cry. So I stayed home and it was a good decision. On Wednesday, I tried out a new community group called "Journey" which involves exploring the four aspects of a disciple - seeker, learner, influencer, investor. After the meeting, my heart was so much lighter and I realized that the tough time I've been going through lately can be changed or lightened by focusing on building relationships and surrounding myself with Christians. And not just any old Christian, but Christians who are actively seeking and pursuing Christ. It has been a much better rest of the week.

Just for fun folks!

Check out this fun site

www.whopperettes.com

What a fun place to build your own burger or check out the other performances. I love this stuff.

Mazagines Are Taking Over My Mailbox!

For the past two years, I have been using some of my frequent flyer miles from airlines that I infrequently fly for magazine subscriptions. I don't have to pay for any of these magazines and its a cool way to try out a new magazine without feeling really guilty. The problem is that I order at least five magazines at once which means they all arrive in my mailbox around the same time and I end up with piles of unread magazines laying around my room.

The one good thing that has come out of this is that I have discovered I don't like some magazines that I thought I would like.

For example: Shape is really annoying. Running, Bicycling, and Scuba are cool magazines but I'm not so addicted to any of those sports to read them cover to cover. The Economist which I got to improve my economic skills and work on the left side of my brain is mind-numbingly BORING.

I'm neutral on Travel & Leisure - I don't have enough money to go to any of the places they talk about, but someday...

I have found through this experiment a couple of magazines that I really like. They are in no particular order and you may have heard of them - if not, check 'em out. I read these magazines COVER TO COVER (including most of the ads and letters to the editor). The funny thing is that I'm not interested in technology, business or politics which these top four all cover. That's a good magazine.

Wired - for the creative geek/nerd. Love this magazine even if I don't understand some of the super technical stuff. Overall totally engaging

Fast Company - again the creative approach to business really keeps me interested

Fortune - I'm just getting into this one, but very cool way to keep my pulse on the stockmarket and business in general.

The Week - summarizes the past weeks news stories with excerpts from all kinds of news media which keeps the coverage pretty neutral because they capture all sides of an issue. Great bathroom magazine because the articles are all really short.

One I want to get a subscription to: Discipleship Journal

What God Says About the Big 3-0

This is my 30th year. I can't believe that I've been around for almost 30 years! Wow - that made me feel like a fossil or something and yet I have barely even begun to live. When I look back at what has happened in my life and what God has done in and through me in 30 years, I can only look forward with anticipation and excitement at the next 30. It can only get better!

Since last summer I have been praying about this year and asking God that it not be the dreaded 3-0, but rather it will be the beginning of a new chapter. Christ's ministry finally began at 30. It may have only lasted for three and a half years, but what a ministry it was. I have always been a late bloomer so I'm excited to see 30 as the start of my blooming and growing (like the Edelweiss in the song from Sound of Music).

So far however 2006 has been a challenge. I set out goals for myself which are proving difficult to achieve and I have felt more immature and scattered this year so far than I have in a really long time. I was really feeling down yesterday and flipped open my One Year Bible for the day's reading (dated July 29 - I'm a little behind from last year, but working on it - God is faithful).

Romans 12:1-12 jumped out at me and seemed to address all of the issues I've been struggling with lately.

"...I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? This reminded me that I need to take the focus off of me and put it where it belongs - on being a sacrifice acceptable to God that he may use me for his perfect work. By doing that I stop worrying about all the things I feel I lack or need to do or be in order to be successful. I am successful when I continually offer myself as a living sacrifice for the Living God.

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Wow, I'm not responsible for making myself a new person or by altering the way I think. I am responsible for not being like the world but being like Christ and he will do the transforming. Don't get caught up in needing the right clothes or the right job or even looking the right way to fit the world, again be pleasing to Christ, be his sacrifice.

We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. I've been comparing myself lately to people around me that I think are better in so many different ways and feeling kind of useless and boring. How sad this is to God's heart and how useless and worthless that makes me as His child. This again reminded me that we are all unique and special children of God's that He has created for a very specific purpose and reason. The following verses say that whatever are gifts are to do them with excellence because our abilities come from God himself, the ultimate Creator.

Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. I've had some challenges lately learning to love and accept some people in my life that I should love, but I just don't "get". This is a huge prayer for me that I not only learn to love them because I should, but that I love them because they are awesome and they are God's child and they deserve love as much as I do. There is no judgement, but rather a call to community for those who love Christ. I cannot love Christ and pretend to love them.

God is good!