I didn't know that a three minute phone conversation could change my life so radically and bring so much enjoyment to my day. This is what happened to me earlier this evening.
7:45, Text from unknown number, "Hey B, are you on campus this evening by chance?"
7:50, Reply from me, "No, I'm not, but I'm in town. Who is this by the way?"
7:50, Text from unknown number, "NL."
7:51, Text from NL, "Would it be okay to give you a call real quick?"
7:52, Reply from me, "Sure, I'm just at home."
7:52, Phone call from NL to B.*
NL: "Hi B, how are you."
B: "Doing well, and yourself."
NL: "I'm good. I have a question for you.:
B: "Sure."
NL: "Do you know what you're doing in the fall."
B: "I actually don't. I've been applying for jobs though."
[Sitting on bed wondering where this was going; sad that she doesn't know what she'll be doing in the fall.]
NL: "Have you ever considered traveling for an evangelistic team?"
B: "That is something I actually haven't ever considered."
[Sitting absolutely 100% stunned while trying not laugh because of the absolute unbelievability.]
NL: "Well there is one spot open on our team, and I thought of you or DM. You play the cello, right?"
B: "Uh huh."
NL: "I don't know if you are interested. Maybe you want to think about it for a while and let me know in a couple of days."
[B thinking it would probably be best to get back in a couple of days instead of saying instantly no.]
"If you think about it for a couple of days, I could let WG know, and then he could contact you with more information."
[B thinking that she doesn't want to talk to WG, but she isn't interested in the least bit.]
"This doesn't mean anything would be set in stone or final. So what are you thinking?"
[B quickly thinking how to phrase the refusal of the offer politely.]
B: "NL thank you so much for thinking of me and considering me for this opportunity. That is very kind of you, and I feel honored. I don't believe that is the direction my life is heading right now, but thank you so much for considering me and giving WG my name."
[B continues politely reiterating her no while saying thank you for a couple more sentences.]
[B not sure how the conversation actually finished, though there wasn't much more that was send except more thanks but no thanks.]
[B wondering who to call since P and R were currently occupied. She would try J hoping J wasn't asleep.]
7:55, Phone call from B to J
Disbelief on J's part with some serious shaking with amazement and laughter. B making J wait until the whole three minute conversation was relayed. J telling B to Tweet the happening; B explaining that she doesn't have Twitter, but J could Tweet it for her. J telling B to blog this about this amazing job offer.
8:08, The texts start rolling in while I carrying on another two phone conversations. The texts continue until
9:00, The craziness has died down for the evening. Another phone conversation occurs about an unrelated topic which B finds refreshing.
I'm still sitting here a little in shock and amazement about those three minutes which provided me with the best and oddest job offer ever.
*Not an exact replica of the conversation because I'm really awful at repeating and remembering a conversation verbatim, but this is what was sad even if some of the exact words were different.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Clarity
Spending time with my family this weekend, and the questions have come up about my life. Talking through my plans and ideas with them has brought so much clarity. Why would I pursue something that goes against my life philosophy? At this moment, I can't remember if I've told you my life philosophy or not, and I'm too lazy to look through my old posts.
This is what I believe the Lord wants for my life. I believe believers ought to be in every workplace. I want to work in a secular work environment. I want to be part of a local church which is actively involved in the community. At this church, I want to be active in my community and participating in ladies Bibles studies which bring unbelievers into the church. I want to be salt and light.
With that philosophy, what am I doing applying to a parochial school? Why am I pursuing that option? Filling out those applications and answering some of their awful questions made me queasy. I didn't follow what I believed the Lord wanted me to do because I was second-guessing myself and trying to plan my whole life out.
Right now, I'm so tired I can't even think straight. In the past two days, I've had another intense (not fighting just internally battling) thought process and discussion with family about my future. I can't even type coherently. I'm going to go to bed while thinking even more about all of this, and then we'll continue this discussion later.
Good night.
P.S. Sat in 80 degree weather today in Texas. It's March--I could maybe get used to this.
This is what I believe the Lord wants for my life. I believe believers ought to be in every workplace. I want to work in a secular work environment. I want to be part of a local church which is actively involved in the community. At this church, I want to be active in my community and participating in ladies Bibles studies which bring unbelievers into the church. I want to be salt and light.
With that philosophy, what am I doing applying to a parochial school? Why am I pursuing that option? Filling out those applications and answering some of their awful questions made me queasy. I didn't follow what I believed the Lord wanted me to do because I was second-guessing myself and trying to plan my whole life out.
Right now, I'm so tired I can't even think straight. In the past two days, I've had another intense (not fighting just internally battling) thought process and discussion with family about my future. I can't even type coherently. I'm going to go to bed while thinking even more about all of this, and then we'll continue this discussion later.
Good night.
P.S. Sat in 80 degree weather today in Texas. It's March--I could maybe get used to this.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Warm Weather
In a few short hours, I'll be flying to Texas where I plan to soak in all the warm weather possible. I'm hoping I can bring that warm weather back to Wisconsin. I don't know what it is about this year's winter, but I've never been so ready for it to be finished.
I had an interview with Hawaii yesterday. They want a reading specialist, and they would consider me. My heart almost jumped out of my body I was so excited. I'll keep you posted on my job happenings. But, I'm off to Texas--more later.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Frustration
I was frustrated today. Frustrated that I was stereotyped and labeled and not given a chance to explain. That when they looked at me they put me in a category. The worst part was I don't agree with that category. I couldn't explain myself like I wanted with out putting me in another bad stereotype. I feel like I can't make an inroads with the people I'm working with since they've had many poor experiences interacting with people from where I've grown up. Today's frustration, in some senses, reminded me why I believe so firmly in having believers in the every workplace.
Enough of that. Google's doodle made me super happy. Yesterday, I was just looking at my copy Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and thinking about all those wonderful books. I open up my computer, and there's Don't Panic. Talk about frustration though--Douglas Adams never resolves multitudes of questions. You always think the next book will answer it, but alas, he never does. Here's Google's doodle in honor of his birthday.
Enough of that. Google's doodle made me super happy. Yesterday, I was just looking at my copy Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and thinking about all those wonderful books. I open up my computer, and there's Don't Panic. Talk about frustration though--Douglas Adams never resolves multitudes of questions. You always think the next book will answer it, but alas, he never does. Here's Google's doodle in honor of his birthday.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Simultaneously
My heart is simultaneously exploding for joy and breaking in despair. Explaining it is . . . convoluted and complicated.
The concert on Monday was unbelievable and indescribable. What an amazing experience, and I do not regret for one moment the little sleep I received that night. Some of my joy is from that.
RuthAnn and I watched Anne of Green Gables and The Sequel over the past four to five days. Which means I've been thinking about the stories, and Gilbert. Then Laura asks me which non-celebrity men I've found attractive. Not quite sure what brought this about. I actually didn't know what to say because, short version, I notice an attractive man, but then I don't really think about it again, and I generally don't think of the men I know as attractive or unattractive. Which led to me thinking about some of my favorite male characters in books and what made me love them so much, because that's how my mind thinks. So my heart is in a little romantic mood. Which explains some of my heart joy.
I have completed six weeks with my second graders. I teach full-time until Thursday, and then I'm winding down. I love my students, all nineteen of them. Some days I walk away knowing I can't teach for the majority of my life; other days it's not too bad. I'm now aware of how easy it is to have favorites and how difficult it is to not show favoritism. Though this week seemed to crawl by, my first placement is flying me by. It's going too quickly. Some of my heart joy and breaking stem from this.
Thursday, I'm flying to Texas for my oldest brother's wedding. I've never been to Texas. It's supposed to be in the 80's. My brother is marrying an amazing lady. The whole family will be together. A lot of my joy flows from this.
I met with my Little Sister today, for the first time in almost a month. She opened up and shared things she hadn't shared before. My heart broke--no nine year old ought to be so aware of the disgusting and nasty side of life and so intuitive about people who live on that side of life. I kept thinking that 1) I desperately want her to go to college, 2) I still want to be in her life when she graduates from college, 3) I desire to support her personally and financially, 4) I can't move away because she needs to stay in my life, 5) I can't move away because she needs me to stay in her life. My mind has spinning in circles for the past hour. As I drove home from dropping her off, I realized that being with her is the best thing I've ever done in my life. This is mainly what my heart is breaking over.
I don't know how a nine-year-old can have changed my life in so many ways. I don't know how a week can crawl by while the time is flying by. I don't know if I will teach for the majority of my life. I don't know how I've managed to have my first, second, third, fourth, (I'll stop listing) loves all be men from books. I don't know why I've been so blessed with my family and friend relationships. I don't know how my heart can be breaking one second and then rejoicing the next. I don't know how to end this post as I'm simultaneously wiping away my tears and smiling my head off. So that's it. Here are my Saturday night ramblings about my contradictory heart.
The concert on Monday was unbelievable and indescribable. What an amazing experience, and I do not regret for one moment the little sleep I received that night. Some of my joy is from that.
RuthAnn and I watched Anne of Green Gables and The Sequel over the past four to five days. Which means I've been thinking about the stories, and Gilbert. Then Laura asks me which non-celebrity men I've found attractive. Not quite sure what brought this about. I actually didn't know what to say because, short version, I notice an attractive man, but then I don't really think about it again, and I generally don't think of the men I know as attractive or unattractive. Which led to me thinking about some of my favorite male characters in books and what made me love them so much, because that's how my mind thinks. So my heart is in a little romantic mood. Which explains some of my heart joy.
I have completed six weeks with my second graders. I teach full-time until Thursday, and then I'm winding down. I love my students, all nineteen of them. Some days I walk away knowing I can't teach for the majority of my life; other days it's not too bad. I'm now aware of how easy it is to have favorites and how difficult it is to not show favoritism. Though this week seemed to crawl by, my first placement is flying me by. It's going too quickly. Some of my heart joy and breaking stem from this.
Thursday, I'm flying to Texas for my oldest brother's wedding. I've never been to Texas. It's supposed to be in the 80's. My brother is marrying an amazing lady. The whole family will be together. A lot of my joy flows from this.
I met with my Little Sister today, for the first time in almost a month. She opened up and shared things she hadn't shared before. My heart broke--no nine year old ought to be so aware of the disgusting and nasty side of life and so intuitive about people who live on that side of life. I kept thinking that 1) I desperately want her to go to college, 2) I still want to be in her life when she graduates from college, 3) I desire to support her personally and financially, 4) I can't move away because she needs to stay in my life, 5) I can't move away because she needs me to stay in her life. My mind has spinning in circles for the past hour. As I drove home from dropping her off, I realized that being with her is the best thing I've ever done in my life. This is mainly what my heart is breaking over.
I don't know how a nine-year-old can have changed my life in so many ways. I don't know how a week can crawl by while the time is flying by. I don't know if I will teach for the majority of my life. I don't know how I've managed to have my first, second, third, fourth, (I'll stop listing) loves all be men from books. I don't know why I've been so blessed with my family and friend relationships. I don't know how my heart can be breaking one second and then rejoicing the next. I don't know how to end this post as I'm simultaneously wiping away my tears and smiling my head off. So that's it. Here are my Saturday night ramblings about my contradictory heart.
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