grace eventually.

9. Jeff Simmons

I love adding to my friend reunion count!

Merry Christmas!

1. April Thomason
2. Shannon Steed
3. Matt Sigler
4. Maryann Stewart
5. Melissa Maher
6. Camille Jennings
7. Shannon Sumrall
8. Jennifer Martin

In the last week, I've seen 8 old friends. Yesterday I sat in between 2 of them at church. My heart was full...more full than it's been in a long time. See, it's my wish that all my friends lived in the same place...or at least closer than we all do. I love that feeling when you see each other after a long time and you pick up right where you left off. It's a rare gift. It almost makes being apart worth it. Almost. I'd rather have them around me all the time, but for now, I am grateful for the unexpected run-ins at Starbucks, church, Walmart, and the movie theater.

Tonight is my first children's Christmas Eve service. My friend Cathy has been a huge help. If all goes as planned I think it will be really good. From what I hear, it's 30 minutes of chaos, so hopefully we won't disappoint. It's really intimidating filling the shoes of someone who was always so creative. We've been hearing how much the kids loved the puppet show last year...we're not doing a puppet show or a drama. We're reading this story.

Happy Christmas Eve!

One year.

It's been one year today that I got in the moving truck and began my journey back to LA...away from my life in KY. I remember it well. I felt like I was being torn part inside. My last 6 months there were such a roller-coaster. I graduated in May, along with some of my best friends. One moved away right after graduation, starting cryfest 2006. A few months later, April, my roommate of 5 years, moved to Texas. It only made sense that I should move on too. That's the thing about school. Someone is always moving on to their next adventure. It's just hard to let go sometimes.

Moving home was definitely not my first choice. I remember waking up the next day and being greeted by a huge fight with my dad. I spent my first morning back home crying in the shower, questioning why God had called me to move back here. There were certainly the obvious pros...family, Claire (my childhood best friend) was pregnant again with her first girl, saving money... Of course I had it all planned out. I would live at home no longer than 6 months and then possibly move somewhere else or into my own place. I would transfer to the Starbucks here until I found a more permanent job. I would look for jobs elsewhere. A year later I'm still with my parents, but moving out is on the horizon...maybe in January! I did transfer to Starbucks but it took 3 months to get hours there. In June I was offered another part-time job at my home church working with the children's ministry that turned into a full-time job doing Christian Education in September. I definitely never would've guessed I would be doing that! Claire had Avery in May and I'm completely in love with her! I've made new friends at church and at Starbucks that I love. If only there were more people my age and single! That's probably my biggest struggle. I miss having girlfriends that understand where I am in life and make being single a little more bearable. Thankfully I've been blessed to travel to TX to visit April several times and other places to see other friends so that's helped. I found out not too long ago that another good friend of mine, Shannon Steed, is getting married in KY in February so I'm planning to go to that. God is good in that he knows our desires and provides when we least expect it. He has been the glue that continues to bond me to my incredible friends and even when I don't see them or get to talk to them as often as I like, they are a part of me. I have no idea what the next year holds. It looks like Ruston will be my home a little longer.

This past weekend one of my best friends from high-school, Rachel Hamm, came back into town. We figured out we hadn't seen or talked to each other in close to 7 years. I was in her wedding 8 years ago at Sky Ranch and now she has two kids! I love friendships like these. I was a little nervous driving over to meet her, wondering if we would have anything to talk to or if it would be awkward at all. It wasn't...we picked up as if no time had passed and reminisced about the days when we shared a locker and drove around town trying to find the boys we had crushes on at the time. We talked about our lives now and how we've changed. And we laughed....alot.

This is us at Prom in 1994. We've both lost the classy bangs:) I also still have my prom dress and if I could still fit into it, I'd wear it today! That's how much I still love it 13 years later!

If you love pumpkin as much as I do, you should try this! It's delightful! I'm taking it to our staff Christmas party tomorrow! I still can't believe that Christmas is 2 weeks away and it's in the 70's here! I hope cold weather is around the corner. I found out today that my best friend is coming home on Sunday for her birthday so there will be lots of eating, celebrating, hair cuts, and pedicures to be had!

...I love to get pedicures.
...I grew up with ferrets as pets.
...I'm an only child...my friends are my family.
...I lived in Chicago for a year.
...I chopped all my hair off once.
...I have 3 God-children.
...I'm a sucker for a guy who can pull off hats.
...When I was in high-school I wrote poetry.
...My parents still live in the same house I grew up in.
...I never knew either of my grandfathers.
...Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
...I enjoy going to movies by myself.
...Most days I hate the way I look.
...Fall is my favorite season.
...I wish I could sing.
...I love to dance but don't do it often because I'm self-conscious.
...I want to get married and have a family someday.
...I'm addicted to the Gilmore Girls.
...I love to take pictures.
...When I'm anxious or tired I play with my hair.
...I like good beer.
...I love the ocean.
...I cry at random things.
...I've only been in love once.
...I've traveled to 4 countries.
...My favorite color is blue.
...I hate the sound dogs make when they drink water.
...English was my favorite subject in school.
...I like geometric designs.
...I love to shop, especially for fun purses.

It's the last day of NaBloPoMo...for those of you who blogged everyday, CONGRATULATIONS!

Today was one of the most productive personal days I've had in quite some time. I did laundry, cleaned my room, took a nap:) I know I'm officially old when I'm excited about cleaning and organizing things. Back to work tomorrow...yippee!

It's 12:11am...even though my day is still going, it's officially tomorrow meaning I did not post on Thursday for our good friend, NaBloPoMo. Drats! In other news, tomorrow is my day off! I don't have to work at either of my jobs...hallelujah! Of course, I have plenty to do at home...I think my entire closet is strewn across my room!

Here's some pics from my trip to TX! April decorated her house for Christmas while I was there. It was fun to be a part since we've spent so many Christmases decorating together!
The Woodlands also has a large Christmas tree on Market Street. We thought it would be fun to take pictures in front of it...it's hard to do it justice though!

I got to have breakfast with my friend, Leslie, before heading back to Ruston in the rain!
In other news, I found a DEAD MOUSE today! I had picked up one of those dorm fridges to move it and the mouse was under it. It's a miracle I didn't drop the fridge on my toes! I was a little disturbed. Thank God for custodial staff!

A friend of a friend recently posted this on his blog....I thought I'd pass it along.

What do women my age do for fun these days? BUNCO!

The marrieds leave behind their husbands and kids.

The singles put their favorite tv shows on hold.

All for an addicting dice game called Bunco!

If you are lucky you might leave with a prize or even cash, but what you are always guaranteed to leave with is a night of fun-filled girl bonding!

I found out about this little one from my friend, April, while I was in The Woodlands over Thanksgiving. You should really check out the Sherrill family blog. Each day Kyle lives and breathes is a miracle, but he still has a long way to go. Although they have hard days, their story is a true testament of faith and hope.

I can't believe how cold it is here in the good ole' South. I actually pulled out a scarf tonight. Considering I have about 20, I just might get to wear them all if I only wear them once! I realized on Wednesday as I was driving to TX for Thanksgiving that I forgot to write a little blog about going out of town. I've officially failed at my nablopomo challenge since I haven't written in a good 4 or so days now, but I won't be discouraged. I'll press on til the end of the month and hold my head high as I cross the blogging finish line behind all the other uber-bloggers!

Thanksgiving was amazing. I'll post updates and photos as the week goes on, but for now I must have a nice long visit with my pillow!

Today I heard my God-daughter laugh for the very first time! It wasn't her first time to ever laugh but the first time I got to experience it. It was the greatest sound ever!

Last night a friend and I went to check out the Ruston Studio Arts Tour. Now growing up in Ruston, I never found it all that cultural, but I was impressed with this. Different venues ranging from eating establishments to boutiques stayed open so that local artists could show their stuff. My friend, Hannah, showed her photography at All that Jazz and sold at least one piece last night! Yay! I have pictures...only they're on my friend's camera so I'll have to post them later. Tonight I'm going to my first Tech football games and years. Apparently I'm all about town spirit this weekend!

One of the things I love about the internet is that it's always changing...improving. This year I've been very excited that I can catch my favorite tv shows that I may have forgotten to record on the internet the next day. So when I remembered that Grey's was on last night and I was in Monroe with friends, my panic quickly dissolved when it occurred to me that I could watch it this afternoon. Friday is my day off...perfect time to catch up on those very important tv shows. Only now....I can't get it to work!!! I tried around 10:30 and I just tried now. It says it's loading and then nothing...just a black screen. So now I'm reconsidering this whole watching tv on the internet deal. Maybe I've depended on it too much and should go back to recording those shows just in case the internet fails me as it has today.

I know some would say that 30 is too young to start experiencing memory loss, but I swear it's happening. Case in point: today Julie, my wonderful intern who is no longer now that the quarter is over, and I were driving to the bank. I had carried a lot of stuff out to my car because when we got back we were going to be working on Sunday School stuff in the other building. I had my paycheck on top of my stack since we were going there first. We get to the bank and I reach for my check and it's gone. We start searching my car and purse frantically with no luck. I tell the teller that I've misplaced my check and will return shortly (hopefully). I pull around to one of the parking spots and get out, thinking maybe it had fallen in my seat. After a few more minutes of searching, I decide that it must still be on my desk (even though I was certain I had it with me). Just as we are getting ready to pull out of the parking lot, Julie points to my visor and says, "Wait! Didn't you put it up there?" Yep, it's true. Suddenly I'm flooded with the memory I had been searching for. When I got in, I slid it in my visor so that I wouldn't lose it! Who knew that I could lose it in 10 minutes time? We laughed a long time over that one. I told Julie that she can't leave me...how am I going to remember where I put things from now on?!

Yep, I bought it today. I know that it doesn't end well and it's not the best season ever but as I walked by it in the DVD section I could hear the girls drawing me in.."Give us another chance...your set is not complete until you have us all." Of course, I also don't have seasons 1-4, but one day...one day I'll be a Gilmore Girls complete season owner.

Today I began feeling very overwhelmed...and tired. I'm not even sure why. I guess that's not completely true. I have a lot going on and I have a hard time giving anything up, but the truth of the matter is that I need to slow down. I'm not sure what that's going to look like, so I press on til Friday when I'll finally have a day off again. At least next week I'll have Thursday, Friday and Saturday off. It couldn't come at a better time...I am thankful for Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday.

I was in the Ruston Daily Leader yesterday (Sunday) for the movie we're working on. You should definitely check it out. Unfortuanately it wasn't so newsworthy that they included in on their website. Sorry for those of you who don't live in Ruston.

I just got word that Shane Brue passed away yesterday. I knew him from my time working in the Doctor of Ministry Office at Asbury and is also the brother-in-law of my good friend, Juli Peak. Shane was diagnosed with colon cancer in July of 2006 and has been fighting hard ever since. He leaves behind is wife, Jill, and their 5 precious children. The last time I saw Shane and the family was at Juli's wedding which coincidentally was one year ago today. Please pray for the Brue family as well as the church he's been pastoring the last year and a half, First UMC in Big Spring, TX.

Please forgive me for not blogging yesterday. I simply forgot. I suppose it may be because I spent so much time on Friday making my space look so stylish and inviting to all who visit. I realize that part of being a member of NaBloPoMo is blogging everyday for the month of November. I have failed. Of course I didn't actually join until November 2nd making me a doomed daily blogger from the get-go. Please accept my apology. I will try to do better.

Sincerely,
Cece

I find it interesting that in matters of life, I'm not a fan of change, but when it comes to how things look (i.e.: my hair, my apartment, my blog) I love change. It keeps things interesting, I suppose. I've had many a conversation about how weird it is when you get out of school. My life has been based on change. I take new classes every semester and there's always a break to look forward to. That is not the case when you graduate and get into the working world. Last night I had dinner at the Convilles. I got to meet their 2 adopted college students and they were talking about finals and the upcoming break. They asked me if I missed school. Yes and no. I don't miss the late night studying and paper writing but I miss the ebb and flow that school offers. Most of all I miss the friends I made both in college and seminary. The Lord is continuing to remind me that he hasn't left me here in Ruston; he is providing through the comfort of old friendships like the Convilles. I am grateful.

Tonight I am grieving for the Best family. Their 23-year-old son, Bo, was killed in a car accident yesterday. The whole thing is so surreal. Yesterday afternoon we heard he had made it through surgery and we all thought he was out of the woods. He died last night around midnight. Death is an unwelcome change that can happen in an instant. Please pray for the Best family in the coming days.

I realize that it's become incredibly easy to receive spam and junk in our e-mail inboxes. I don't like it, but if it becomes too overwhelming, I've been known to start a new e-mail account. Today I was sitting at my desk when I heard my phone ringing. I recognized it as a text by the ringtone. Yes, I'm a text-messaging junkie, but that's for another blog. As I looked to see who it was from, I noticed it was a 5-digit number. Odd. I open it and it says, "Brandie@terrymurphy.com (c this) Hey, meet locale singles goto: (www.chairsplacedina.com)" First off, who the heck is Brandie? Second, how did you get my number? Third, how did you know I was single? Fourth, you should really learn how to spell. I really hope that I am not entering the the realm of spam texts. Changing my phone number is much more difficult than changing my e-mail address.

Tonight we decorated Starbucks for Christmas. It's the beginning of November. I often wonder what happened to Thanksgiving. It happens to be my favorite holiday and it practically gets overlooked. That's okay. When turkey day rolls around I'll continue my tradition of staying in my pjs as late as possible, watching the Macy's Day parade, and eating a lot! I can't wait!

Last week I started another (3rd) job of sorts as Director of Photography for a new film. We held auditions last Thursday and then picked the characters last night. This is all new to me but my friends I'm working with are old pros. Okay, maybe not pros, but they know what they're doing. I think there will be a full spread on the movie this Sunday in the Ruston Daily Leader. Be on the lookout, you local folks!

Can someone tell me why it is that the single people tend to get left out of things...such as being invited over for dinner? At least 3 couples have invited some friends of mine over for dinner since the husband has started working at the church. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them. I just don't understand why I get looked over. Is it because single people make couples uncomfortable? Do they think it would be awkward to have an odd number sitting at the table? Or is it simply because we lack the common connection of marriage and kids? I don't know why this has hit me so hard today, but I had a minor breakdown this afternoon. Even though I know it's not intentional, I feel left out and somewhat invalidated. I'm searching for community but I'm not sure where I fit. Most of my single friends are in college and the friends I have that are closer to my age are married, many with kids. Is there a way to get over the societal norm of single v/s married? Sometimes I wonder.

A couple of days ago I was heartbroken to find that my camera that I love and take everywhere has decided to no longer work. It was just fine Halloween night and then the next night I pull it out to find that when I turn it on it says "lens error." I took it to my dad thinking he could fix it. I mean, he's into cameras and computers and loves to tinker with things. Instead he quickly concluded that something has jammed the lens deterring it from working properly so my options are to send it back to Nikon or buy a new one. Great. The truth of the matter is that it's probably my fault that it's not working. I'm not all that careful with it. I throw it from purse to purse and never think to maybe consider putting it in it's own carrying case to avoid such scenarios I'm now facing I tend to forget that I'm dealing with a piece of equipment that costs up to $200. I think from now on I'll remember to be more responsible with my treasures.

I ran out of time in search for the perfect Halloween costume, so I dressed up in one of my formals and went as a princess. A friend of mine from Starbucks had a party. Here are some pics of my favorite characters:)

Here are some pictures from my recent trip to Marietta, GA and Asheville, NC. Two of my best friends from seminary live in GA so we got to meet up one afternoon. We totally look like a cute little family in this pic.Sunday DP and I drove to Asheville. It was so beautiful and I was so excited to finally see fall colors. We laughed a lot and acted like kids...the only way to be.
We also got to go up in one of the historical buildings in downtown Asheville. This is the view from the balcony!
I was very excited to get back to LA to discover that the leaves are finally starting to turn here! Now if only the cool weather would stay past mid-morning!

Over the years I have become a firm believer in carrying on all of my luggage when I fly. I've had too many experiences with lost luggage and it's just a headache I'd rather not deal with. On my recent trip to Atlanta, I decided I'd check my luggage since it's a non-stop flight. I knew that the airlines had become strict on the sizes of liquid containers you could carry on, but what I hadn't learned is what they consider a liquid. I decide to carry-on my make-up since I had to leave my house at 6:30am and I knew I'd have a few minutes to put it on before my flight boarded. I checked in to the airport at 8:05am (this is a small miracle considering I'm usually running to my gate)! I had a good half hour before my flight boarded so I headed to the bathroom to make myself pretty. At 8:25 I'm on my way to my gate. As my bag was going through the scanner, the gentleman asked if I had any liquids. I said no. I wasn't lying--I just didn't know. After my bag scans they pull it off and put it to the side. Another gentleman walks up to me and says, "Are you aware that you have liquids?" Um, no. I proceed to explain that I do have make-up. He looks at me like I'm an idiot. He opens my bag, pulls out the make-up bag and begins taking out my foundation and lipgloss. "These are creams. They are to be scanned separately in a clear ziploc bag. Do you have a ziploc bag?" Um, no. Again, he looks at me like I'm an idiot and pulls one out of a drawer. "We have one but in the future you need to make sure all liquids are presented in a clear ziploc bag." I smile and say thank you. He continues to look at me as though I have inconvenienced him. Then he begins spraying his GLOVED hands with cleaner as if my make-up is toxic! Do they not supply enough gloves to warrant a new pair in-between bag searches? I took my bag and proceeded to my gate. Needless to say, I checked my make-up on the way back.

I will write more about my trip next time. I have another crazy week ahead! Whee!

I have a new addiction...the tv show, Heroes. My best friend told me that if I started watching it that I would love it. She was right. When it started last season, I just couldn't fit another show into my life. I had Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, House (occasionally), Gilmore Girls and Studio 60. Gilmore Girls ended last year and Studio 60 was cancelled (stupid tv critics!). Since Lost doesn't start til January and two of my shows are no longer, I thought I'd try it. I went to Movie Gallery last Friday and picked up the first disc. I watched it all in one sitting, got back in my car and got the second disc! This past weekend I've watched discs 3, 4, and 5. I only have one left...3 episodes!!! I found out today that after spending close to $20 on renting the first season, my friend John has had them all along. He's bringing me the last disc tomorrow! I have another crazy week ahead of me so it may be Friday before I watch it, but at least I don't have to worry about late fees! I'm 3 episodes behind on the new season, but thanks to the great technology of the internet, I can catch up in no time!

I'm always amazed at how life works sometimes. I was so looking forward to my day off on Friday...sleeping in, a noonday hair appointment that included a cut AND highlight (I haven't done that since January), a few errands, and whatever else that I wanted to do. I ended up staying up late Thursday night watching Grey's Anatomy and Chuck on the internet. I love that these tv companies have decided to air their shows online, especially when I forget to record them! Anyway, it was close to 2am before I fell asleep and I woke up at 8! 8am on my day off! I immediately noticed that I couldn't breathe. Great! I first thought it was allergies...my body is still adjusting to being back in LA, not to mention that it's still really hot in October! But, it's now Sunday and I'm still congested and feeling groggy. I'm not a good sick person. I did get my hair cut and highlighted, but I didn't feel well the whole time I was there. Then I remembered that I had told a friend I would cover an hour and a half of her shift at Starbucks b/c her husband had to be at work at 5 which meant she had to take over kid-duty. So I headed up there from 5-6:30. I'm always happy to help Sarah out...she's incredibly generous and will help out with shifts whenever she can, which is unfortunately rare in our Starbucks world, so she generally gets stuck with everyone else's shift and rarely can get someone to offer her the same favor. I just wish it hadn't happened on Friday. So, that was my "day off." I'm learning I need to be a little more protective of it, especially considering that there are a few Saturdays such as this weekend when I will be scheduled to work at Starbucks. When this happens, Friday really is the only day off I'll have for the week.

Tonight I agreed to spend the night with my 3 Godchildren while their parents are in Hot Springs celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. Although I love spending time with them, I'm a little worried about how this is going to work with me being sick AND having to work from 9am-11pm tomorrow. Yikes!

This week looks to be a crazy work week. We're getting ready to do a teacher training with our Sunday School teachers on Wednesday night so the first part of the week will be spent preparing for that. Monday night I'm closing at Starbucks, Tuesday night I have CPR recertification with my nursery workers, Wednesday night is the teacher training and Thursday night we have an Education Committee meeting. My week is exploding already and all I can think about is Friday, when I will attempt to have my Sabbath for the week, only this time I will have nothing scheduled in my calendar and hopefully I'll be well by then to actually enjoy it:)

I feel like I'm whining...I'm not a fan of that, so thanks for listening to me whine today bloggy friends!

I love this photo...one, because I took it and we're actually centered and no one's cut out or halfway in. Two, because of the people in it. These are some of my Starbucks friends, probably the ones I'm closest too. Sarah and John are 28, Hannah just turned 20, and Aaron's 19. It's amazing that we can hang out and have fun and rarely think about the age differences in the group. I like that.

I'm amazed sometimes at how certain things can affect me...things I have been trying to train my mind not to let bother me as much as it does. For example, when I fail at something, I equate it to me being a failure, which is in no way true. I am my worst self-critic. Today I went up to Starbucks on my lunch break to say hi to some friends. My manager, Lori, was there whom I absolutely love and she mentioned that she had received a poor snapshot on me. A snapshot is a random once-a-month survey on how we're doing. I was working the front register that day which means they were rating how I took their order and how I treated them. This person said that I didn't speak to them, make eye-contact, or even take their order. I just gave them their total and took their money. My guess is that we were really busy (it was done right before 8am) and one of my other co-workers took their order in advance so that when they got to the register all they had to do was pay. I can't imagine not making eye contact or not saying anything. I have no real context to evaluate my own performance. As Lori and I were talking about it, she looked at me and said, "Now I don't want you to worry about this. I just wanted to make you aware." I wish I was able to do that...to think objectively about the situation and move on, but it's not that easy. I've been upset about it ever since I left. It reminds me again how important it is to not identify myself with my circumstances or those things I do...or not do, but instead remember that who I am, my worth, is found in God alone. This is what I'm always trying to teach other women, especially the college girls I interact with that are struggling to find their identity. The fact of the matter is that I'm still learning it myself at the age of 30.

I got off work at 11:30 last night and realized quickly how tired I was not. I always get this window each night that I need to go to bed if I'm actually going to fall asleep. Once that window passes, I know I'm going to be up til the wee hours of the morning. Last night was one of those nights, so I drove around for awhile. It was a perfect night to have the windows down. I can finally feel fall starting to set in. When I was in college I had a set path I would drive whenever I needed to get out of the house or some time to just be alone to think and pray. It's weird driving that same path now at 30 thinking about my life then, my life now. My prayers are not all that different, some of the same longings remain. I became aware of my impending loneliness all over again. Last night I remembered a day back in college when I had driven to the prayer garden on the outskirts of Ruston. I had just found out that my best friend, also coincidentally the love of my college life, was getting married. I felt lost and confused. I wondered if I would ever be happy again. A few months later the Lord took me in places I never thought I would go...Chicago, then seminary. He's provided me with the best friends a girl could ever have, but there are nights like last night when I still feel like I'm missing something, someone...a person to share my life with. At the same time I know marriage is not perfect...I have friends who have shared their struggles being a wife and mother. It's a huge committment, but still one I hope to be a part of someday. I was listening to Matt Wertz as I was driving...this is the song I kept coming back to.

Windows down as the night blows in
Tap the beat on the wheel as the tires spin
Until we're there crank the radio
We'll join in with the songs we know

Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight

Smiles light up as we walk in
Old conversations begin again
Nostalgia's thick as the August air
It takes us back to a time when we didn't care, we didn't care

Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight

I'm discovering that this blog is becoming a place for me to share my ridiculous stories of being in children's ministry. This week it's all about Alphabits. You remember that cereal, right? Lots of sugar yet you could spell words as you ate your breakfast. Education in a bowl...doesn't get much better than that! This week I've learned that Post has discontinued this beloved cereal. Why? Something to do with low sales, I presume. Apparently Alphabits has gone through a couple of changes since my childhood, first taking the frosted marshmellow approach. This was not received well, so in 2005, Post decided to make a healthier move and take out the sugar making the letters out of whole grain goodness. Well, maybe not goodness. According to the reviews I've read on the world-wide web, this transition was not received well either. Everyone wants the original Alphabits back! Although I somewhat share their enthusiasm, all I really want is a cereal my preschoolers can spell their names with and also eat for snack on Sunday. Is that too much to ask? Sigh. On my hunt for Alphabits I came across this video. We kids of the 70's and 80's know what good cereal really is!

This is my attempt at taking a picture of the four of us! Mel's daughter, Sophia didn't quite make it but that's her Dora umbrella sticking up:)

I'm sorry I've been MIA in bloggy world this week. It was my first week full-time at the church plus still working a couple of shifts at Starbucks. By the time Saturday rolled around all I wanted to do was stay in bed. Besides going to Garrett's cross-country meet at 10, I spent the rest of the day napping and watching movies. It was actually a perfect day.

The new job is going well. It can be a bit overwhelming at times trying to learn everything, but the staff is great and building those relationships has been invaluable. I haven't had to empty any more relish jars, but we did have to wrap 66 books to represent the books of the Bible. That was quite a task! I'm blessed to have an intern who's doing her practicum at the church this quarter, so she's been really helpful to do those important tedious tasks 8 hours a week.

Today I took the afternoon to hang out with my besty, April, who's in town for a couple of days. Words can't express how much I miss her. Of course, one of our favorite hobbies when we're together is shopping so my pocket book has benefited from the separation. We made up for it today though. Tomorrow, another good friend of ours from college, Mary, is coming in so I'm looking forward to some more good girl time.

I think I probably say this at every stage a baby goes through, but I love the stage Avery's in. She's 3 and 1/2 months now and smiles and coos all the time! She's given up the paci and moved on to her fingers. Sometimes I look over and she has most of her hand shoved in her mouth. I couldn't resist sharing a piece of my night with her. She was hanging out in her bumbo chair while we were watching Big Brother 8.

This past week was spent getting ready for our new Sunday School rotation. Translate: buying all the supplies we'll need for the next 6 weeks. You would be surprised at the things that some of these supply lists call for: a phylactery, a pottery inkwell, leather parchment, etc. I mean, I'm all about understanding life in Biblical times, but Ruston is not the mecca for such items. Another item on the list was glass jars. Simple enough. Jars are used for canning purposes, yes? Everyone tells me I can find them at Walmart...only when I get there I learn that it is apparently no longer "canning" season, so they don't have any empty jars. It's 7pm on a Saturday night. I need the jars by 9:30 Sunday morning. (Yes, I felt like I was back in school informing my Mom I needed posterboard and such to complete a project that was due the next day.) I honestly just thought they wouldn't be that difficult to find. So, I began to panic and then quickly realized I would need to come up with an alternative plan. I immediately headed to the grocery section to peruse all food items in glass jars. Hot dog relish was the cheapest thing I could find at 94 cents a jar, so I bought 15 of them. It took me OVER AN HOUR to empty them and peel off the labels. Who knew that when I accepted my new position, this is what I would be doing on a Saturday night:)

I still have no car...and no insurance check. This process is taking a ridiculous amount of time. I turned in my rental a week ago and accepted their offer to total my car. The sooner I have the check, the sooner I can put a down payment on another car. I'm off Friday and in high hopes I'll find the car of my dreams...or at least something I can tolerate for a couple more years.

So at staff retreat on Tuesday, they tell us we're taking personality inventories to see how we all work together. Nope, not Meyers-Briggs...DiSC (Dominance-Influence-Steadiness-Conscientiousness). I discovered I am what's called a "high S". What does this mean exactly? On a positive note, it means helping others, showing loyalty, being a good listener, creating a stable, harmonious work environment. It also means that I hate change, I hate conflict, and I'm not a risk-taker. On many levels, this is true. It totally depends on circumstances and in the work place I'd definitely say this is pretty accurate. I observed it first-hand this morning when I went to open at Starbucks. I haven't been there since last Thursday and some things have definitely changed. Specifically, where things are housed. At 5am, I'm barely conscious, much less attentive enough to know where to look for things. So, I went to the back room to get pitchers. They weren't there. I immediately became frustrated. Also at 5am, I would really prefer not to talk to anyone, even my favorite partners who I love spending time with. This morning I would have no such luxury. I had to ask Aaron where pretty much everything was and then once he told me immediately think, why didn't I look there? Seems like an obvious place. As this continued I was reminded of this whole "S" personality from the day before. It made me smile.

Now let's move forward to later in the day. I knew that I would either have to go pick Josephine up from the body shop or go get all my stuff out. I wasn't prepared for the emotional process this would be, especially when I found out that State Farm would happily come pick her up from the body shop for me. All I had to do was go clean her out and get the license plate. Simple enough. Only when I got there and started getting out all my stuff, I quickly got sad. It's not like I loved this car...I mean, I did really like her. I wasn't super attached to her, but it does connect me to memories...even from years past when April was still driving her. Again, it's a change that I had no control of and have no choice but to let go and move on. In a couple of days I'll send in my Title and sign her over to State Farm; I will turn in my license plate and that will be it. Hopefully I'll find a new car that I really like (and can afford) and make new memories.

Here's a picture from the Foreigner-Styx-Def Leppard concert. Actually, it was right before ouside the pavilion. They were handing out fans at the gate.

This weekend I'm in The Woodlands, TX visiting my old roomie, April. Last night we went to see Foreigner, Styx, and Def Leppard:) Pictures to come! I'm so glad to be out of Ruston for a few days and to do a lot of nothing. Right now I'm hanging out at the local Panera and am about to move from my current table to one of the oversized chairs to read a book. Just wanted to check in. Hope you're all well.

And yes, Josephine is officially totaled. I'll be getting a check next week, turning in the rental car on Tuesday and figuring out how much I really want to spend on another car. I must admit I'm not really looking forward to it. If you know of any good used car dealers, let me know!

...that camels live only one hour from Ruston? Yep, it's true. There's a Safari Park in Delhi! I thought Claire was crazy when she called to tell me that our Saturday evening plans were to ride in a WAGON through an animal farm! Well, we ended up not riding in the wagon after all, but we did drive-thru in our car. It was seriously like a drive-thru zoo! This guy above decided to stick his head in my window! And since when do reindeer live in the South? The boys told them all to say hello to Santa for them. I just knew they were going to start spilling out their Christmas lists:) There were also goats, deer, zebras and ostriches. This one below was quite intimidating. All of sudden we looked out the window and saw him RUNNING towards our car. I snapped this pic right before I rolled my window up! I'm sure he was harmless but that beak looked awfully large! All and all it was quite an adventure and it was FREE! Apparently it normally costs like 12 bucks, but Bob Odom (I think) was speaking out there, so they opened it up for a few hours. If you live around here, you should check it out.

And of course, I took a few pics of the Godchildren! As you can see, the boys were worn out!



Tomorrow I'm taking Josephine in to see if she's worth repairing. She's worth it to me but maybe not so much in the eyes of my insurance company, so we'll see. Dad thinks if they do total it I'll have a hard time finding another car for the money they offer me and at this point I can't afford car payments! Praise God for paid-off vehicles! I certainly enjoy this luxury! I also get a rental car tomorrow which will be a huge help since I've been coordinating schedules with my parents all weekend! Of course, they don't have to be at work at 5am so that's certainly not a conflict! I finally went to the doctor today...I have a mild case of tonsilitis! The doctor said I should feel better in 3 days...just in time for my LaborDday weekend trip to Houston! Yay!

Today I accepted the job at Trinity. I'll be the assistant to the DCE, Director of Christian Education. I'm excited but also nervous. I suppose that's natural. Andy's been very encouraging through the whole process. He understands that this will most likely not be a long-term job for me but a place to grow and gain experience until God opens the next door. I won't officially come on full-time until the end of September/beginning of October. I want to ensure that I have enough hours at Starbucks to keep my health benefits through the end of the year. After that, my plan is to continue to work at Starbucks about 10 hours a week for a little extra money and because I love it there so much.

I don't really have much of a car update. We've both filed claims with our insurance agents and we should get the police report on Monday. My agent told me today that I should be able to rent a car at the beginning of the week so that will certainly be helpful until we figure out what the status of my car is. There's a good chance they'll total it, but Dad seems to think we can get it fixed. We shall see.

Today I wrecked my car, Josephine. (I like to name my cars.) I was driving down 167 North and this sweet lady decided to stop do a U-TURN right in front of me. I slammed on my brakes and tried to honk, but quickly realized that I was definitely going to hit her. So...I gripped the steering wheel and closed my eyes. For some reason, closing my eyes makes it less real? I'm not sure. Thankfully neither one of us were hurt...my airbad didn't even deploy which sort of surprised me. Her minivan barely looks scratched. My little Saturn...well, I think you can see. The lady was super nice and incredibly apologetic. She said she would even pay my deductible. I have no doubt the adjustor will total Josephine due to her age and mileage. It's a shame...she's a good car. My insurance agent said this should be a smooth process since we're both with State Farm...I sure hope so.

...or so the old saying goes. Today has been one of those rollercoaster days. Isn't it interesting how we wake up and don't always think about what the day will be like, but then it hits us and we know, "Oh, it's going to be one of THOSE days." Now this type of day was completely different from my random drive-thru day at Starbucks...today I found out the fate of my future employment at Trinity. Andy called me yesterday afternoon to see if we could meet at 10am this morning. Sure...we meet every week to check in, etc., etc. And yet, more than one person asked if this was THE meeting when I would find out about the job. I didn't think so, but apparently these people have some strong intuition into my life that I was unaware of. Remind me to track these people down when my life could potentially be in danger. Now these meetings are always a little strange...you sit there, waiting for the words to come out of their mouth. When it takes a long time to get to the point, you get a pretty good idea that they're trying to make up for the fact that no matter how much they sugar-coat it, they're about to reject you. Okay, so that's probably a tad dramatic, but you get my point. There's no easy way to tell someone, especially someone you know well, that they're not getting the job. And even though Andy was incredibly encouraging, in my head all I could think about was the negative aspect. However, after the initial, "We offered the job to someone else.", he offered me another position, assistant to the Director of Christian Education and Discipling Ministries. It's also a full-time salaried position only without benefits and ironically, the person who did get the job is a friend so I would be working closely with them. I've yet to decide if this is good or bad. Working for a peer? Something to consider. I must admit, I cried for awhile, not in front of Andy...for some reason, I didn't want to expose that much of myself, but more so after I was able to get to my car and drive away from the church. 8 hours later I am better and am able to see things from a more positive perspective. I'm still not sure if I'll accept this job. I was able to sit down with my parents for a few minutes and do some budgeting and pros and cons (you know how I love my pros and cons!) and they're certainly supportive either way. The great but also challenging thing about being an adult is we get to make our own decisions. I'll be praying through this all week. Might you join me?

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been a little under the weather with this cold. Today it seems I can't go 5 minutes without an all-out coughing fit! Might I add how embarrassing this can be in public?! Anyway, last night I had to close at Starbucks, meaning I went in at 4 and got off a few minutes shy of midnight. They put me on drive-thru which on most days is not my favorite, especially when you open the window and all that hot, humid air hits you in the face. But I haven't been on it all week, so it was my turn. From 4-6 there seemed to be a steady stream of folks coming through ordering their frappuccinos (our cold, blended beverages) and occasionally a hot beverage. What I began to notice was that every car seemed to be intent on driving me crazy! For example, I had one lady come through and order 4 different drinks (no big deal) but then made me repeat her order back to her 3 times because her kids were so loud she couldn't hear me! When she got to the window and I began handing out her drinks, I would tell her what it was, she would look at me blankly and say "What is this again?" As she got ready to leave, she said, "You did a really good job." Was I being tested? I continued to wonder. The next car was a man and a woman. I started taking their order before the previous woman had left which can sometimes be confusing because you're having to pay attention to 2 conversations. As I feared, I missed part of their order and had to ask them to repeat it. This led to the gentleman YELLING their order at me. Geez, Mister, I'm not deaf. We discovered that the woman had given the order the first time from the passenger seat so the man thought he would overcompensate by talking loudly. As I was handing out their order, he said, "You did outstanding." Seriously? The next car that pulled up was a young lady and here's how our conversation went. Me: "Thank you for choosing Starbucks. This is Cynthia. What can we get started for you?" Her: Silence. A few seconds pass. Often people don't roll their windows down when they get to the order menu. Absurd, I know. Me: "Order whenever you're ready." Her: Silence. Several more seconds. Me: "Are you ready to order?" (in a polite voice). Her: Silence. A few more seconds. Her: "HELLO???!!!" As if I had been ignoring her all this time! Thankfully I work with people who are able to find humor in situations such as these, so I didn't really have time to be annoyed but had a hard time not laughing at her. I waited and waited for the camera crew to come out of hiding and say "You've been punk'd!" but no such thing happened. Apparently it was just one of those nights.

Thank God It's Naptime...for Lora, who recently posted a blog about letters! And for the record, I have an MDiv (Master of Divinity)...meaning I'm a Master of the Divine? I don't think so:)

I must admit that I've been looking forward to my "Sabbath" the last few weeks. I had to be creative this week since there wasn't a full day I could take off from both jobs. This morning I opened at Starbucks (5am!) and worked til 10am. I go back tomorrow afternoon at 4pm. It's been a crazy week full of meetings and SICKNESS! I've developed a summer cold. Monica and I decided this morning that summer colds are definitely worse that winter ones, especially during Lousiana summers when it averages around the 100 degree mark! So today, for my Sabbath, I will be napping as long as I want, then sleeping in tomorrow. As my professor Chris Kiesling once told me, "Sometimes there's nothing more spiritual than taking a nap." He may have stole it from someone else, but I'll give him credit. Speaking of interesting quotes...here are a couple I've received from friends in the last week or so. In reference to my recent waiting period on the job at Trinity, Becca said, "The wait is always worth your while..." Although I know this to be true, my response to her was "Depends on what's on the other side." God's been reminding me of HIS promises and purpose for my life. I've been feeling a little discouraged about what lies ahead of me. He called me to seminary and yet, here I am, working an hourly paying job at Starbucks that ironically I absolutely love! So goes the ever-present battle of enjoyment versus money. Of course, it's a known fact that ministry jobs don't pay that well, but it would still be more than what I'm making at the bucks! So, I'm learning how to trust...again! A second quote from my friend, Luke, in response to my job interview, "The first train is always the most tempting but all the drunk guys are on the next one....whatever that means." I don't know what it means either, but it made me laugh!

Jenn moved to Lubbock on Monday. Now even though I'm way excited for her to move out of Ruston for the very first time, it also makes me sad seeing how she's one of my few close friends that was still living in Ruston that I've known most of my life. We went on one last shopping spree before her big going-away party last weekend. I miss her already.
On Friday, Dana, one of the shifts at Starbucks, moved to SC. This is most of our Starbucks family here on the left. I've been at this store for almost 5 months. That's hard for me to believe...I was at my store in Lexington for 6 months. If you're ever looking for eccentric, fun, and downright awesome friends, work at Starbucks!

On Thursday I interviewed for the position at my church, the one I've been sharing my pros/cons list about. It was a good interview. Regardless of whether or not I get the job, I'm glad a I did it. I've learned that staying in Ruston is not the worst thing that could ever happen to me and that by living here, it does not mean that I'm moving backwards. This has been a big realization for me. However, I will say that the 100 degree weather might, in fact, kill me. Last week I started "running" again. This week I threw in the towel. There is no reason to purposely be outside. I figure if I'm not exercising AND it is ridiculously hot outside, I might as well treat myself to numerous bowls of Blue Bell icecream. When my clothes no longer fit, I will certainly regret this decision.

This is Avery at 2 months. Isn't she so dang cute?! Where the heck did those 2 months go? Next weekend I get to practice being a mom. Claire and Chris are taking the boys to Branson while me and the rest of her family play the Avery shuffle. I'll have her all day Friday and will be staying a couple of nights with her. I'll let you know how that goes. I do have an update on my recent pros/cons list, but I'm just not ready to share it yet. Soon, I promise. Thanks for checking in. Hope you're all doing well. If you get a chance, check out some of my favorite blogs to the left. I just found out that my old roommate from Chicago, Cindy, and her husband Dan just bought a house in Brooklyn with another couple and they're renovating it to live and also to rent out one of the floors. They've made some major progress and the 3rd floor apartment looks great! I'll be in touch soon. I open at Starbucks tomorrow for the 5th time since last Tuesday!

Last weekend we celebrated Claire's 30th birthday...I think we're pretty hot at 30:) This has been a strange week...I've had some amazing encounters with friends and even my Mom. My life continues to get more and more confusing it seems. Tomorrow is Jill's last official day as the interim children's pastor and then I will transition into her position until they hire someone. I've learned that they're not just looking for a children's pastor but a Director of Christian Education that will be responsible for children and adults. Seems like a big job if you ask me. I can't tell you how many times I get asked if I'm interested in it. The answer continues to be, I don't know. I've got quite the pros/cons list going on and they're pretty even.

Pros:
-an actual salary
-full-time ministry
-move out of my parent's house but will still be close!!!
-be a part of Garrett, Grant and Avery's lives on a daily basis

Cons:
-quit Starbucks (which is also ministry for me) and a job I love!
-extended time in Ruston
-not many opportunities to meet people my age
-don't really feel connected/spiritually challenged at Trinity right now

Needless to say this list has not brought much resolution. I suppose it's not time yet. I am grateful that I have opportunities to consider. I want to be open...staying in Ruston long-term has never been something I even wanted to consider. As I mentioned in my last post, in my head I'll move out of Ruston after Christmas. I just don't know what awaits me around the corner. As Becca pointed out to me yesterday, one thing's for certain, my "time of rest" is officially over. I've already started planning my vacation in October...good friends, fall foliage and the beach will be included!

Due to financial reasons, my friend, John has decided not to move to GA on Saturday. Although I'm sad for him, I'm also relieved to not have to say goodbye yet again to someone I love. I know the day will come when he will move away, but there's certainly the possibility that I'll move first. In the meantime I'm grateful for many more hangout times.

As promised, here are a couple of pics from The Police concert. As you can see, we were very far away, but like I've said before, it was well worth it! And might I add, Sting is HOT!