Progress, not Perfection

I can't believe on October 11th, I set in motion a hard and slow trudge towards a big dream that I have...starting my own paperie/invitation business. Looking at blogs, how other people "did it", etc sometimes makes it look so simple, easy and quick. Here I am, two months later and I can wholeheartedly tell you indeed, it is not for the faint of heart. I am WAY not where I thought I'd be; in fact, I feel like I have made very little progress. I'll just be real, it's hard.

Being a perfectionist sometimes means that I tend to harp on the have not's, when I really should stop and look at all that I have accomplished. I have a tendency to want to overly perfect everything before I lay it up for the world to see. Progress is really the goal, not perfection, and I need to give myself some credit for taking steps, no matter how small they seem to me in the grand scheme of things. Here's some of the progress I've made

• Initial investments. I took the plunge and invested in my biggest expense....a Macbook Pro. This computer has allowed me to do what I love faster and with better and clearer image quality. It really was the key to kicking my butt in gear and actually making things happen. I also got the latest and greatest Creative Suite (which is now in the cloud, so weird) on top of taking some classes to really refine and expand my skills. Seriously, this has helped loads.
• My support system. I have the best support system! My husband 100% believes in me and totally trusts the decisions I've been making.
• Having a business building buddy. I mentioned before, one of my dear friends, Alex, is starting her own event planning business. We have totally different product/service offerings but we have the same audience, struggles and big hopes for our futures. It's been an enormous blessing to walk alongside another creative to push each other, to counter any discouragement, and to celebrate the small victories. If you're planning a wedding in the Northern Virginia and surrounding area, seriously give this girl a shout.
• And the biggest yay!...I have a wedding client! This was another unexpected blessing that really forced me to figure things out quickly. I'm so pumped to see it come to life!

I'm so beyond excited for 2014. Here are some of the big things I still have to figure out:

• Find a local printer to partner with. This is my biggest prayer right now, as I still have yet to find a local printer. If you know a reliable printer in the Northern Virginia area, I'd love to know who they are! 
• Refine my brand. I've started a Pinterest inspiration board and I have a basic idea of what I'd like in my brand, my ideal client and my services/products, but I need to think it out and write it out. I have Lara Casey's Powersheets on the way, so I'm hoping that they'll force me to ask myself some tough and necessary questions and to create manageable goals.
• Knock out the nitty gritty business side. I don't think anybody will ever enjoy the administrative side of business, but I still need to wrap my head around taxes, licensing, contract/proposal language, etc. All of it makes me cringe. Basically, the yucky-but-necessary stuff. I'm beyond lucky to work at an accounting firm where I can ask specific tax questions and know I'm getting the right answer for my specific situation. It's better than Google!
• Build a website. This is a massive project and I've been going back and forth between WordPress and Squarespace. They both have their pros and cons. I feel like I'm leaning towards Squarespace? If anyone has had any experience with either one, I'd love to hear your feedback!

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Big Dreams and my B.H.A.G.

So I'll just come out and say it...this is a scary post to write. Even now as I'm typing this out, I keep having to tell myself this isn't as silly as it sounds and to keep writing. I've never been the type to really dream big. Like big hairy audacious goal (B.H.A.G.), big. Sure I've had hopes and dreams but I'm always careful to make sure their attainable or my favorite word, safe. But when I really check myself, the real issue is that I'm afraid to fail and for other people to see me fail...which prevents me from trying or even think about trying. For the past few weeks I've honestly for the first time considered making a dream happen. It's been in the back of my mind for about a year and I've only really talked to Ryan about it.

A few weeks ago I was sitting with one of my sweet friends, Alex, while our husbands were out at a bachelor party. We talked about life, where we see ourselves in the next two to three years and our aspirations. And that's where she told me her big dream (which I won't spoil!) and I casually, quickly mentioned mine. We talked about how crazy they sounded, we made excuses and then called them out on each other, and then we started believing that we could make them happen. We were two self-doubters who finally believed that we could do it...we just needed someone to tell us we weren't crazy! I'm so thankful for that time and for that motivation.

I was inspired by brave women who wrote some of their goals out and blogged them. My wedding photog and sweet friend Katelyn did just that and then another blog that I follow (another KJ bride), Molly wrote out her dreams as well. One of my high school friends, Kat even started her new event planning business a few short weeks ago and wrote about those same fears of failure. There is so much truth in the fact that verbalizing things makes you feel vulnerable. These women helped me see through their bravery to just put it all out there.

So the truth is, I do have a big dream, a big hairy audacious goal.

I want to start my own business one day. And not just any business, but a paperie business. I want to make invitations, prints, stationary--anything that has to do with paper. I know you might be thinking, paper is just paper, but it's totally not to me. I love finding the right combination of scripty handwritten font to go with a clean line san serif. I love gold foil techniques and beautiful textured paper. I'm obsessed with letterpress, calligraphy and clean lines. I love that a wedding invitation/save the date is the first thing your guests will see that will reflect that wedding theme you've worked so hard at creating. I love that invitations mark special points in people's lives--wedding days, baby showers, housewarmings, birthdays, etc. I love getting excited about a print that puts a finishing touch on making a house into a home. 

There it is, friends! I still have lots of fears and it still could totally flop. I have no idea what I'd name it, I need to build out a website, I need to buy a new laptop as well as the fantastically expensive Adobe suite, I need to explore the legality side of starting a business and continue to brush up on the skill side of graphic design. All I've really done so far is start a Pinterest board of inspiration/branding ideas and started an Illustrator class. But the biggest reason for putting it all out there is to start transitioning a dream into a reality. I'm no Emily Ley or Lindsay Letters or Smitten on Paper, but that's okay...you gotta start somewhere and the biggest thing is to just start.

And a little printy print I made :)

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New (Furry) Addition to the Shaughnessy Household

It all started when we bought a house--the puppy talks. I grew up in a family complemented by a dog for most of my life and Ryan always had cats. To say that I'm not a cat person is an understatement, so I always knew we'd get a dog eventually...it was just a matter of when and what kind of dog. Ryan was in the Dachshund camp and I was holding steady in the Labrador camp. Total opposites might I add. After our near break-in when we first moved into our house, the puppy conversation resurfaced in a more serious (and practical) light. We went back and forth between adopting and finding a breeder.We started looking into adopting at first, even went to adoption events and just couldn't find the right dog. I'm not sure if it's just the case in Northern Virginia, but adopting a dog is way more complicated than it's worth. There were lots of dogs that we did like, but they had such specific need criteria (i.e. bonded pairs, needs a fence, can't be home alone, etc.) that didn't work for us. Plus, after you paid your fee, there was an interview process and a home inspection to make sure all the "requirements" were met. We decided to go the breeder route in the end.

After dog-sitting one of our friend's miniature dachshund for a week, we decided that a dachshund was the best fit for us. We found a breeder with a 3 month old miniature short-haired female dachshund that melted our hearts. And just like that we found our family puppy! I'm convinced girl dog names are harder to come up with than boy names. Ryan started reading out names of authors from our bookshelf, we were that clueless what to name her. So whether you think it's cheesy or theologically awesome, we decided to name her Piper after John Piper. We're headed out to the boonies (on our 1st anniversary weekend I might add!) of Harrisonburg to bring her home this weekend.

Meet Piper:

 

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Saying Hello to Homeownership

So we've (kind of) kept our house hunting on the downlow. Mostly because we weren't sure if we would come out with anything when we first started. It even took me a few weeks into the process to realize we were getting serious. We've been actively searching for a home for about 2 months now. It alllll started with a casual unintended peak at Trulia and finding what I thought was our dream home in our price range. We quickly found a realtor, applied and qualified for a loan and went to look at the house that weekend. We quickly came down from our cloud and realized through our realtor what a terrible decision it would've been to have bought that "flipped" house. There were visible cut corners and even externally we could tell they were hiding some major issues.

Nonetheless, we had opened the pandora's box that was house hunting. We quickly realized how un-fun the house hunting process was when you're limited to a lower budget for the area, increasing demand/competition and a shrinking inventory. The housing market in NOVA has quickly become a seller's market rather than a buyer's market. Houses get scooped up in days, we saw it time and time again. And we were having no luck finding a place that met all of our major needs.

After again, coming out of my cloud, we realized we had to move our house search further outside of Fairfax. We had a few criteria must-haves while we were looking:

• It had to be close to our church: We want our house to be used for ministry purposes and to be an option for hosting church functions, small groups, Christmas parties, etc at our house. Currently, our church has few options where more than 10 people can show up and not have parking issues. We want our home to be open and used for Kingdom work.
• It had to be close to move-in ready. Obviously, this eliminated a lot of the properties we saw that were closer in--like almost all of them. The comparison to what our money could buy closer in was simply not worth it once we saw what we could get 15 minutes (without traffic) out. Granted we'll have a slightly longer commute, but that was really the only con. 
• It had to be detached. I personally was on the fence with this one...I would've moved into a townhouse if it meant we could be closer in and it didn't look like 1970s had thrown up all over it. But Ryan on the otherhand, would not settle for a townhouse or condo. He wanted a yard. I could've cared less about a yard. I think it's because deep down he sees a dog in our future. I eventually came around and besides, who really wants to share walls with people and have to constantly worry about your sound system having too much bass? Right, Ryan?? ;)

I was also picky about a lot of random things that I originally didn't think were a big deal. For example, I hated any house with those old rectangular 70s small windows, I automatically loved any room that had recessed lighting, I actually wanted a fireplace, and if the bathrooms were horrendous it was a no go. All of that to say that last Sunday, we randomly decided to attend an open house advertised on Zillow out in Centreville. We went and fell in love with it. It met every single one of our needs. So we went home, signed all the necessary documents and put in our offer on a house that had been on the market for 3 days. Ryan made me wait until we went through inspection before I could announce anything, but I can now say that on our 6 month anniversary our offer was accepted and we are officially BUYING A HOUSE and will be homeowners! We are thrilled and excited and we are praising the Lord for his sweet provision!

So without further ado, say hello to the new Shaughnessy household:

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Christmas Recap

Is it just me or did the past few weeks FLY by! It's always when you're off work, does the week just seem to go so much faster. We had a busy first married Christmas! It was the perfect balance of rest, family, adventure and busyness for us. I felt well rested and almost ready to go back to work (I mean who ever feels fully ready to go back to work?)

We started off our week by heading to Charleston, SC for a mini weekend getaway at a place we've always wanted to explore. We left Saturday morning in the thick of Christmas traffic and after about 8.5 hours we finally made it! Now, I planned this trip as a Christmas present for Ryan. I booked the hotel. I figured out what we would do. I researched where we could eat. I booked the Inn at Middleton Place which was a sprawling southern plantation and not to mention totally out of my normal scope of hotels. I always say that I'm not an inn or B&B type person, but after reading some mixed reviews and looking at pictures I just decided to go for it. We got there late at night, got lost because the place was so big, checked in and set our bags down. As soon as Ryan opened the door I thought to myself, "Oh dear, what have I done." It was nothing like the pictures, but I decided to stick it out because Ryan loved it. Let's just say that after that one night and even into the morning there were so many things that I didn't like about this place that I couldn't imagine staying another night. So I did what I hate doing...I pulled my high maintenance card. The Inn was literally sucking my joy out of the trip. And this is how great Ryan is. He didn't care that he loved the place, or that this was as close to camping as I'll ever get, he just wanted to do whatever it took to make me happy. And that included checking into a tried-and-true Marriott.

We loved Charleston! It was everything we expected it to be--southern, classy yet still had a hometown feel. We just explored the city, ate at some amazing places, did a little shopping at some stores and the Old City Market and ended our day with a carriage tour of the old city. One day, we would still love to find ourselves there. We even made the mistake of pulling up our Zillow app and seeing how "cheap" the houses were. I'm in love with the double porch and ceiling fans! We drove by a couple that we'd scoop up in a heartbeat...if we were down there. Someday!

We headed by to good 'ole Virginia and kicked off Christmas at my parent's house. We spent Christmas morning there, drove up to Northern VA and had Christmas at Ryan's parent's house, headed into DC for Christmas dinner at Carmines, went to see Ryan's brother and sister-in-law for Christmas dessert and THEN went home. It was the longest day ever, but we were so glad to see all our family all in one day. We didn't have a chance to do Christmas just the two of us until about 11:00 p.m. that night. Next year, that will be different! We put lots of miles on our poor CRV traveling all over the East Coast, but we loved it and it was memorable.

We ended our break by watching Melissa and Joe get hitched. I had to give my first (and hopefully last) ever MOH speech, but I'm thankful I had to do it with Rachel. Now, I didn't really cry at my own wedding. I think so much was going on and I was so worried about the clouds opening up. We got to watch their first look and I bawled my eyes out. Didn't even see it coming. And when she was coming down the aisle? There went the tears again! It was such a joy to watch one of my best friends finally find the guy, her soulmate, her husband. It was a whirlwind of a day for sure, but I'm so glad they're finally married!!

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Gratefulness in Livin' Small

We live in a slightly greater than 800 square foot condo. We only have one parking spot, we can only park 2 visitors at a time, we have only one bedroom and one bathroom and we live 4 stories up. Real transparency here, I sometimes get bummed out when I see other people's houses, heck apartments that are 4 times the size as our humble abode AND paying maybe half as much as we are for rent/mortgage. Sometimes these ungrateful words want to jump out of my mouth: it's not fair.

Ryan and I have always shared thoughts and dreams about moving South--you know, just somewhere outside of Virginia and well, anywhere below the Mason Dixon line. We would love to settle down in the Carolinas, or maybe even Georgia. I would love for our children to grow up with an adorable southern accent, live on sweet tea and sunshine, and then skooch them off to a college so that Ryan and I can feed off of their school spirit--Clemson anyone? We'd totally be those parents. But we aren't there yet, we might not ever get there. We've been talking about it more, but who knows the Lord might have something different for us!

Back to our itty bitty condo--for a LONG time, I was not a fan of living in Northern VA. The DC Metro area takes a LOT of getting used to. There is a laundry list of things I still don't like about this area--the price to live up here, the amount of time you lose commuting to and from places, the crowds, the traffic. But in living here, I'm finding that I'm incredibly grateful and blessed to be where I'm at in life, living in NOVA, livin' small. Sure we are living in a condo the size of most people's master bedroom, but we still manage to entertain, to set aside time to intentionally invest in friendships we have grown to love, to attempt to cook decent meals and to decorate our small space exactly how we want it.

For now, I'm grateful that we don't have to fill a huge space, because in all honesty I probably couldn't handle it right now! We are incredibly blessed to have a roof over our head, to be living 30 minutes from our Nation's capitol, to both have secure jobs, to live near a metro and to have the time to spend together in an area where time is so precious. I'm grateful for our small space because really, when you think about it, it's hardly a small blessing.

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So We Bought a Car...

My sweet little 2002 Cavalier

I have been saving money ever since I got money for birthdays and Christmases. Ryan and I are both the type of people that once it's in savings, it stays there for a VERY long time...until it gets used for something big! I was lucky (and blessed) to be essentially given cars ever since I've been driving. Granted, the first car I drove was a taupe Plymouth Voyager van, I was lucky to NOT have to pay for it. After my grandparents passed away, they willed me their tiny Chevy Cavalier. I was so thankful for that car...it meant I no longer had to drive a minivan! It was also free! The Lord provided for me in the car department, even though they were not the most glamorous, nor did they have any "fancy" features. 108k miles later and after saving for forever, I finally looked at my savings account and made a mighty fine sales pitch to Ryan that a new car was in our near future.

For two introverts like Ryan and I, car buying is essentially the equivalent to getting all of your teeth pulled. Some people, namely my mother, love to wheel and deal and to make demands for this and that. We on the other hand, are terrible at it and dread it like the plague. I hated knowing that it was going to be a war as soon as you stepped foot onto the dealership. A war where knew we had a significant disadvantage and the wrong personality for.

Excuse the awkward stance, but I was excited!

It wasn't a pretty process. We got let down a few times, we felt disrespected sometimes, we felt completely taken advantage of sometimes, and we even got ugly with each other. Hello first major marital dispute! Needless to say, I'm overwhelmed with joy that we don't have to do this for years. After about 3 weeks of looking, we knew exactly what we wanted, how much we were willing to pay for it, and who we didn't want to buy it from. When they say that it becomes a game of emotions, it's really true. We didn't want to buy it from one dealership strictly because we didn't want to give commission to the manager on our deal.

Last night, we drove all the way out to a Pohanka Honda dealership in Fredericksburg and were in and out in 2 hours and drove our brand new 2012 CRV home! We loved the quick experience we had, they cleaned/detailed the car before we even got there, and we felt really good about the people that earned our commission. Praise Jesus for power windows and cruise control...oh and a sunroof ;)

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Changing Times

I haven't posted in a LONG time! Life has been flying by and sometimes I forget to stop and look around at what's going on. Ryan and I are in our final month and a half of wedding planning. It's all starting to feel a little more real. I can't tell you how excited I am to see everything all put together, our friends and family celebrating with us and just to experience marriage as a whole. It's crazy to think that it's almost here!

In other developments:

-We found our sweet humble abode! We'll be living in Vienna near the Orange line so that Ryan's commute is a breeze. He's currently living there now and loving the fact that he can just walk to the metro. We really lucked out with this space too! It's got a lot more square footage than we thought we could initially afford and is so light and airy! Don't get me wrong, it's definitely tiny--a little over 800 or so square feet. You're probably thinking to yourself, that's not a lot of space at all, but up here that's HUGE for the location and the price we're paying for rent. We're spoiled with a little loft space that opens up the living room and makes it feel a lot less small than it actually is. The Lord truly provided. It's been fun to slowly make it a home, I love the decorating!

-We're joining a new church! This is something that the Lord has so graciously allowed us to become involved in and we're so excited to be used by Him. Ryan and I had been really wrestling with a lot of things regarding our current church for several months. We LOVE the people that we've met there, which made the idea of leaving so much harder. Now if you follow @shaughnessy22 on twitter, you will remember that Ryan took a several month hiatus from Twitter. One day out of the blue, Ryan decided to get back on the Twitter train and that day he saw a tweet from @hbcfairfax. So long story short, Ryan meets with the pastor of this new church plant coming to Fairfax, hears his vision for the church and tells me we should consider joining this team to launch the church. I was skeptical at first and thought there was no way that we would actually be doing this. Nonetheless, here we are and so pumped! Thank you Jesus for using social media to reach into our hearts and to call us to help build your church. It NEVER ceases to amaze me how the Lord works and it is by far through his will that we are in such a humble position. If you're looking for a church in the Fairfax area, I would encourage you to check out Harvest Bible Chapel of Fairfax on September 9, our official launch date!

-We're both going through some job transition. Ryan switched to a rotational job position about 2 months ago that will have us in the area for at least 3 years. After that, we're moving South! Just kidding, we'll see! He's currently working at the Department of Homeland Security HQ and will be switching to another department every year until he graduates from this program. He's also going back to school to get his MBA. Would you ever have thought that my Ryan would be going to business school? Love it!

I just went through my first salary/promotion negotiation last week. I received a job offer from a competitor firm and my current firm fought really hard to keep me. They worked with me to figure out some additional responsibilities that I could take up and feel like I'm moving in a career direction I want to go. I will be leading the marketing efforts of one of our industry groups and couldn't be more excited for such a big jump in responsibility. In any place I've worked, I've always made it my goal to have a work ethic that reflects Christ. So all you new college grads out there, work hard and aim to be indespensible. Don't think that your assistant or associate-level job will get you no where. You never know what building blocks you're setting up!

So those are all the major changes that are going on or have gone in the future Shaughnessy house! If there is anything that I've learned from going through all of this life change is that HE never changes (Hebrews 13:8). Being a person who is SO resistant to change, I haven't always reacted the best to all of this. Something that I've realized is that Christ has called us to a life of change. Romans 12 talks about how we are to be constantly renewing our minds. The Christ-centered life dictates change and a constant working effort towards making Him the center of this changing life. I'm still learning this the hard way. Change is good and necessary and we have the Lord as our anchor, the unchanged and the immovable to sustain us through life's uncertainites. I'm thankful that I can know that and claim that.

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New Chapters

My first official offer letter!

If you are socially connected to me at all (aka twitter or facebook) you should very well know that a whole lot has changed recently! I accepted my first job as a Marketing Assistant at Cherry, Bekaert & Holland a CPA consulting firm at their Tysons Corner office. I get to be doing what I love--marketing! Ryan and I were sitting at Tropical Smoothie enjoying the unusually beautiful (and non-humid) weather and smoothies when I got a call telling me that they picked me. It was so fun to share that happy moment with him and to celebrate with my best friend. My official start date is July 5, which is fast approaching! It still hasn't sunk in yet. Job, check.

Given that I just accepted a job in Northern Virginia, which is not by any means close to where I currently live in Fredericksburg, I had another hurdle to conquer--where and who was I going to live with. This to me was scarier than the job aspect. A job is a job. But living with people I don't know in a place that I'm unfamiliar with scared me. And to be honest, it still scares me. I kept having to tell myself, the Lord provided you with this amazing opportunity in this new area, surely he will finish what he started. I had 3 weeks figure it all out and to move! Thanks to the internet I found 3 lovely roommates through a church roommate connect board that were exactly what I was looking for. They wanted accountability, they wanted to invest time and a relationship with their roommates, and they were CLEAN! It was a miracle. They wanted to sign a lease and move in by July 1. A timing miracle. The townhome was only 10 minutes away from work and that I won't have to take any major roads...another huge miracle.  I keep thinking Jesus, you are spoiling me with your provision. Roommates, fantastic townhouse, check.

Needless to say I'm staring at the brink of a new chapter in life that starts, well, Wednesday! It is exciting, nerve-wrecking and crazy to me all at the same time. Everything will be new--new job, new city, new roommates, new townhouse, new church. But it is where I have come from, my past, that I know I can depend on to propel me through the "new". It'll be both the good and the bad experiences that I have learned from, the roommates who carried me when I was weak, my loving and supportive family, my sacrificial boyfriend and my persistent, all-providing Savior that will support me through the thick of the new changes. I could not feel more blessed for where I have come from, and where I am headed. Jesus provides!

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So About That Job Search..

Whew! What a whirlwind the past two weeks have been! Between finishing up exams and well, college in general, traveling back and forth from Newport News to Northern VA for interviews, graduation festivities, moving, and goodbyes, I finally have a chance to breathe and sit back. Now that I am now un-busied for the time being, I have a few things to admit:

First off, I graduated on Sunday from CNU! After fearing rain all week, it ended up being the hottest 3 hours of my life. I roasted. Awkward black caps and gowns and velor hoods did not help the situation either, and the fact that the marketing department was the second to last department to graduate. I couldn't see a thing, hear a thing, and was more worried about not melting from the sun, but that didn't squelch the joy I felt when I walked across that stage. I'm pretty sure I smiled the whole time.

And of course, the all-too-common question of, "so what are you doing now that you've graduated?" And that is still up in the air. Hopefully, it involves finding a job so that I can do what I love. Looking for jobs has been such a humbling and trying experience for me. I have had two close job opportunities that would have been dream jobs, quickly disseminate. I've doubted God and his will, I've surrendered it to only take it back up again, I've been hopeful to only be frustrated again, I've felt defeat and have even cried. Let's just say it's been an emotional road so far!

Amidst all my fears and constant ability to push my Provider out of the picture, He has continued to pursue me. Psalm 62:11-12 talks about how He is strong and that He loves me. Not to mention this song as well! Two things that I need to be reminded of constantly. I'll be honest. My walk with the Lord has been slim to none and has been neglected. Once you get out of a routine or cycle, it's so hard to pick back up. My busyness from the past 4 weeks has damaged that routine of constantly being in Scripture. Psalm 1 reminded me the other night that in order to be righteous and to yield fruit, I HAVE to be rooted in Scripture day and night--something I have been missing for awhile.

I've found it to be really hard to swallow the fact that I have heard and seen so many people prospering. Don't get me wrong, I'm super stoked for them! A lot of my classmates had jobs lined up while we were finishing up school, everyone was talking about their new jobs at graduation, or people were traveling to amazing places for months on end. I think we can all agree that it's hard not to view success through the eyes of the world. And I will be the first to admit that I fell prey to this mindset--weighing my lack of "success" in not getting a job right out of college. After all, I worked my butt off all throughout college, I deserved a good job. How self-centered and self-righteous was my thinking!

David in Psalm 73 was spot on in my thinking for the past few weeks. He was having a hard time understanding how it was that everyone around him was prospering in wealth, had good health, lived such carefree lives, etc when they weren't following the will of their Maker. They found success in their sin while David toiled and struggled in his purity and innocence. I love the Psalms because there's always a "but"...

But as for me, it is good to be near God.
   I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
   I will tell of all your deeds.- Psalm 73:28

Despite all of those worldly "successes", it is far better to be near God. This verse sums up my real job here on this earth: to be near God and to tell the world about Him. I needed this reminder so desperately! So if you're looking for jobs just like me, do NOT be discouraged! Yes, it is tough. But He is God, and He is greater than the unemployment rate and our nation's economy. It's a fantastic learning and growing opportunity, but only if you let it!

So be near to Him, take refuge in Him and proclaim Him!

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Update on Life

Because it's getting near "the end", so much changes so quickly. I thought I would share some quick updates.

I had the craziest week of my college career. No joke. I didn't think it was possible to get through this past week. I jam packed, sometimes overpacked, so much stuff that had to be accomplished in one week. Most of it was out of my hands, but it just resulted in an intensely stressful string of tasks. I spent the most time I've ever spent at the library over the past two years in this one week. If I didn't love my major I seriously would've wanted to die before getting through that week. I had two large marketing projects due in the same week. Busch Gardens was finished and presented on Tuesday which was such a relief. I had to jump right into finishing the MAXI competition for the Chevy Volt. Let me tell you. I don't want to think about hybrid/electric cars ANYMORE. We literally worked night and day in the BTC conference room for 3 days. It was a frustrating process. BUT it was submitted last night and it's finished :)

On top of all of that, and on a good note, I had 2 interviews for a job I reaaaally want. It's perfect. I didn't think I could get a true marketing job right out of college. The company sounds solid and really takes care of their employees. I've been blessed with good turnouts so far with each of the interviews so hopefully they will continue to move me through the process. This means I might be starting a job right after exams end. What a whirlwind that'll be if that happens. I would be relocating to Reston, VA desperately trusting the Lord to provide lots of needs that I currently do not have met... most importantly a roommate(s) and a place to live. Not to mention it'll be a new place all together. Thank goodness Ryan will be up there to do what he does best--support and encourage me. 

I turned 22 last weekend! Really, it doesn't feel any different. I actually had so many things I had to accomplish during that weekend that I ended up working on some homework. Ryan took me to Hayashi for a fun Japanese steakhouse date and then Melting Pot for dessert. So delicious! Seriously, our dating life has evolved around food. We just enjoy it together too much.

Despite the busyness and the crazy packed schedule, I was reminded all week just how awesome it is to live under God's will. I haven't once doubted that God is orchestrating a lot of changes that will play into how next year and the future plays out. I have every confidence in the fact that God is sovereign and will place me in the right job, the right apartment, with the right roommate, and the right area that right now only he knows. I am thankful for the ways that he has been preparing me for those things, even now and over the past 4ish years of college.

Two more weeks of college is all I have left! Just an MLAN research paper and a 418 presentation stand in my way of closing the last semester of senior year. If I can make it through this past week, everything remaining should be easy peasy :)

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Minnesota: It was bound to happen eventually

I love to travel. I could care less where I'm going as long as I'm going somewhere new, with people that I love. I get to do one of my all time favorite things with Ryan this Saturday- travel to Minnesota! This trip sort of became a last minute, good timing, now or never type of things. We've always talked about going out there since both of us have family in Minnesota, and now we actually get to go! It'll be 5 days full of Ryan's family and my family. We'll probably be family-ed out by the end and say "what were we thinking" at the end. I have to say I'm super pumped for this place: Mall of America-- a shopping dream!

I'm especially excited to see my uncle, aunt and cousin. It has been over 4 years since I last saw them at my grandparents funerals and that's a long time! A lot has changed since then, most notably for my uncle. He has been battling cancer for awhile now which is soon going to be taking him to be with the Lord. What a testament his life has been on so many lives! Talk about not wasting your life or your cancer! I greatly admire the courage and passion for the Lord that my uncle has. Read his journal here and you'll see what I mean.
My mom's side of the family has been hit with cancer and death the most. I can't tell you how much I have learned about the peace that surpasses all understanding during those times of loss. My grandparents were my second set of parents and two people that I was always close to because well, they lived next door! My grandparents and my uncle are people who inspire me to not waste my life here on this earth. Life is such a precious gift and we are commanded to use it for the glory of God and the building of his kingdom. The Lord has hit so many lessons home through each passing family member. I am truly blessed with THE best family in the world. But I'm just a little bias :)
ps: I'm super excited about this coming into my life!

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