Yep, that's what I'm doing at work now... making friendship bracelets. Actually, I've only finished about one inch of one bracelet, but I also brought a pair of shorts that I needed to mend. Pat (one of the Project Managers) laughed at me. He said, "I've seen a lot of things happening up at the front, but never sewing!" Oh well, my shorts are fixed!
I found out today that the office closes at 2 pm tomorrow!!!! YAY!!!! I'm starting work early though because Bree (the other receptionist) won't be coming in at all. So I'll be here from 7-2. Strange hours I'd say, but I'm ok with it. This means Happy and I will get to the Hollywood Bowl with plenty of time to spare before the 8:30 pm concert begins.
Ok, there's my blurb for today. It's again rather quiet in the office as half of the guys are gone. By the way, if anyone has any requests for a friendship bracelet, let me know! Tell me if you want a bracelet or anklet and the colors you want and I'd be glad to make one for you :-) Ok, back to my bracelet. God bless!
8.31.2006
8.30.2006
Poor little plant
It's Wednesday and it feels like Friday in the office. Rebecca asked me if I could come in at 7 on Friday instead of 8 and stay til 5. I said that would be fine. However, I'm also told that the Friday before a 3-day weekend is usually so dead that we might all leave by 3! Crazy. I'm curious how the traffic is at 6 vs. 7 am... hm... guess I'll figure that out on Friday.
I just got back from a lovely lunch. Every day I make my lunch here at work (the kitchen is stocked with lunch-fixings for us!) and sit outside on a dirty lawn chair at a spider-webbed table, reading. I've finished Munich Signature and am now on to the fourth book of the Thoene series, Jerusalem Interlude. Even though I had said before that I was going to read Mere Christianity, I decided that I'd finish this series before moving on. Plus, I got so sucked in to all that's going on! I cried at the end of the last book and definitely wanted to throw it across the room by the time I got to the last page. Yeah, I was angry at the outcome, but not angry enough to stop reading the series :-)
This morning I searched for thrift stores near our apartment. I came up with a large list and typed it out on a Word document. Guess what we're doing this weekend?? :-D
By the way, we purchased a plant last week (I think) at the grocery store. The leaves on the ends are already withering. Sigh... I've been keeping it watered too. Maybe I just need to let it get some more sunlight? I dunno. Maybe I should resign myself to the fact that if I ever want to have plants, they will be made of silk. Oh well!
Yesterday Happy had to wear a tie to school for his teacher ID card. He looked good :-) Ok, I won't elaborate and lose readers... hehe... Back to work! Have a lovely afternoon!
I just got back from a lovely lunch. Every day I make my lunch here at work (the kitchen is stocked with lunch-fixings for us!) and sit outside on a dirty lawn chair at a spider-webbed table, reading. I've finished Munich Signature and am now on to the fourth book of the Thoene series, Jerusalem Interlude. Even though I had said before that I was going to read Mere Christianity, I decided that I'd finish this series before moving on. Plus, I got so sucked in to all that's going on! I cried at the end of the last book and definitely wanted to throw it across the room by the time I got to the last page. Yeah, I was angry at the outcome, but not angry enough to stop reading the series :-)
This morning I searched for thrift stores near our apartment. I came up with a large list and typed it out on a Word document. Guess what we're doing this weekend?? :-D
By the way, we purchased a plant last week (I think) at the grocery store. The leaves on the ends are already withering. Sigh... I've been keeping it watered too. Maybe I just need to let it get some more sunlight? I dunno. Maybe I should resign myself to the fact that if I ever want to have plants, they will be made of silk. Oh well!
Yesterday Happy had to wear a tie to school for his teacher ID card. He looked good :-) Ok, I won't elaborate and lose readers... hehe... Back to work! Have a lovely afternoon!
8.29.2006
Me? A teacher?
Yes, it's true, I'm now a Christian school PE teacher. I have a "real" job now in the "adult" world. I am investigating 403(b) retirement options, receiving medical and dental insurance cards, creating lesson plans and the like.
Liberty Christian's first school day is next Tuesday. Only secondary students will attend on Tuesday, to be joined by their younger counterparts in the elementary. I will teach EVERY SINGLE GRADE LEVEL, K-12!
Just an hour ago, I had a conversation with Jane Doney (who went to school with my parents and says I look like my dad!), the wife of the principal (and my boss) Thom Doney and the newly designated Curriculum and Development Coordinator (or something like that; I can't remember the exact title). I had many questions for her about PE, school policy, school philosophy and beliefs, etc. After the conversation, I realized that I hadn't really stopped to think about the incredible blessing and responsibility I have to be a Christian school teacher. I actually thought: "I have the chance to truly impact kids' lives!" I got so excited! I got so concerned to be an effective teacher! I got emotional to give back to students what my teachers over the years gave to me!
Things are busy and I need to go get on my bike and take the bus back to Stanton (Liberty is about six miles from our apartment) and go to the post office to get two packages that can't fit in our narrowly claustrophobic mailbox. Ta ta for now!
See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.
Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5:15-18
Liberty Christian's first school day is next Tuesday. Only secondary students will attend on Tuesday, to be joined by their younger counterparts in the elementary. I will teach EVERY SINGLE GRADE LEVEL, K-12!
Just an hour ago, I had a conversation with Jane Doney (who went to school with my parents and says I look like my dad!), the wife of the principal (and my boss) Thom Doney and the newly designated Curriculum and Development Coordinator (or something like that; I can't remember the exact title). I had many questions for her about PE, school policy, school philosophy and beliefs, etc. After the conversation, I realized that I hadn't really stopped to think about the incredible blessing and responsibility I have to be a Christian school teacher. I actually thought: "I have the chance to truly impact kids' lives!" I got so excited! I got so concerned to be an effective teacher! I got emotional to give back to students what my teachers over the years gave to me!
Things are busy and I need to go get on my bike and take the bus back to Stanton (Liberty is about six miles from our apartment) and go to the post office to get two packages that can't fit in our narrowly claustrophobic mailbox. Ta ta for now!
See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.
Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5:15-18
8.28.2006
Can I handle it?
Despite the fact that today is Happy's first day of "In-Service" at school, I'll let him leave a post at some point about it. I'll just mention that yesterday we went there to clean out his supply closet. All I did was write the school's initials with a Sharpie on a bunch of cones and other such markers used by the school. Happy seemed pretty excited to have a bit more organization in his closet though. He did a good job making more accessible.
Back at my work, not much is new. I've been challenged by a few people to re-evaluate my job here. Do I really think I'll be content here for a few years? This is the big question in my mind right now. Although it definitely won't add much to my resume, I do believe the Lord has brought me here for a reason. I simply need to start using my time more wisely and concentrate on being thankful for the low-stress job He has provided. I would greatly appreciate prayers in this area for those who think of it! It may come down to me bringing "projects" to work on while I'm here, which I have been told is just fine. I also have the chance to get a lot of reading done. Maybe the Lord is allowing me to re-develop a love for reading (particularly after college where I didn't have much choice in the books I read, though many of them were great books!) or perhaps helping me to adjust to married life with a job that I don't take home with me at night. Who knows what He has planned for me here? All I know is that I need to be sure to praise Him for what He has provided and be a light for Him while He keeps me here. His plans are much better than mine and I can be content and thankful as I develop greater trust in Him!
It's just about lunch time for me so I'll finish this post for today. I hope all is well with those who like to keep up with our blog! By the way, we may not have internet in our apartment until the middle/end of September. Thankfully both of us will be able to use the internet at work, so keep checking our blog, leaving comments and emailing us! Have a lovely Monday!
Back at my work, not much is new. I've been challenged by a few people to re-evaluate my job here. Do I really think I'll be content here for a few years? This is the big question in my mind right now. Although it definitely won't add much to my resume, I do believe the Lord has brought me here for a reason. I simply need to start using my time more wisely and concentrate on being thankful for the low-stress job He has provided. I would greatly appreciate prayers in this area for those who think of it! It may come down to me bringing "projects" to work on while I'm here, which I have been told is just fine. I also have the chance to get a lot of reading done. Maybe the Lord is allowing me to re-develop a love for reading (particularly after college where I didn't have much choice in the books I read, though many of them were great books!) or perhaps helping me to adjust to married life with a job that I don't take home with me at night. Who knows what He has planned for me here? All I know is that I need to be sure to praise Him for what He has provided and be a light for Him while He keeps me here. His plans are much better than mine and I can be content and thankful as I develop greater trust in Him!
It's just about lunch time for me so I'll finish this post for today. I hope all is well with those who like to keep up with our blog! By the way, we may not have internet in our apartment until the middle/end of September. Thankfully both of us will be able to use the internet at work, so keep checking our blog, leaving comments and emailing us! Have a lovely Monday!
8.25.2006
Trivia!
Let's play a game... Hm.... What kind of games can you play on a blog? Oh, I know! I'm going to list a bunch of questions (this is sort of a trivia game) and our readers can leave a comment answering any they want to answer. Here goes (NO CHEATING!!!):
1. Where was Amy born (city and state please)?
2. Where was Happy born (same deal as above)?
3. What are Happy's favorite sports teams (baseball, football, basketball, college football)?
4. What is the capital of New Hampshire?
5. What is the capital of California?
6. What is the capital of Idaho?
7. Where did Amy's oldest brother, Mike, go to college?
8 What are the names and ages of Happy and Amy's siblings?
9. What color are Amy's eyes?
10. What is the name of the church that Happy grew up in?
11. Who is the current president of Nigeria?
12. What is minimum wage set at in California?
13. How much does it cost to purchase one postage stamp for a normal letter?
14. Who was the 27th vice president of the United States?
15. Who said/wrote "Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."?
Ok, that was fun. I didn't know the answers to all these (until I looked them up online) so if you don't either, it's ok. This was mostly for my benefit as Friday crawls along and I sit in a quiet office by myself, reading. Not that I'm complaining, but sometimes a change of pace is nice. Have a lovely Friday and a glorious weekend!
1. Where was Amy born (city and state please)?
2. Where was Happy born (same deal as above)?
3. What are Happy's favorite sports teams (baseball, football, basketball, college football)?
4. What is the capital of New Hampshire?
5. What is the capital of California?
6. What is the capital of Idaho?
7. Where did Amy's oldest brother, Mike, go to college?
8 What are the names and ages of Happy and Amy's siblings?
9. What color are Amy's eyes?
10. What is the name of the church that Happy grew up in?
11. Who is the current president of Nigeria?
12. What is minimum wage set at in California?
13. How much does it cost to purchase one postage stamp for a normal letter?
14. Who was the 27th vice president of the United States?
15. Who said/wrote "Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."?
Ok, that was fun. I didn't know the answers to all these (until I looked them up online) so if you don't either, it's ok. This was mostly for my benefit as Friday crawls along and I sit in a quiet office by myself, reading. Not that I'm complaining, but sometimes a change of pace is nice. Have a lovely Friday and a glorious weekend!
8.24.2006
I am born-again
The other day I was talking to one of the other ladies in the office. The conversation ranged all over, but when I mentioned that I was newly married she got a concerned look on her face and said, "Wow, how old are you?" I responded that I was 23 and my husband 22. She proceeded to tell me that her divorce was just finalized. She was married at 22 to a man who claimed to be "born-again" (she mentioned this because I mentioned that I am a born-again Christian). Despite the fact that she had told her ex-husband that she was Buddhist, they both decided that religion would not play a part in their marriage. It didn't take long for her to realize that he was a lazy drunkard (those are her words) and she filed for divorce. She is now 26 and determined not to get married again. She also was really scared to offend me by things she was saying.
I've thought about that often as I've gotten to know this woman a little better. Sometimes I think how hard it must be to be married and divorced by the age of 26. Most times I think, why in the world would this guy want to marry a woman who didn't share in his faith? And then after he married her, how could he profane the Name of the Lord by living the way he did? Not only has he pushed this woman away from Christ, but he has made it that much harder for anyone to be a Christian around her. What was he thinking???
But then I catch myself. I catch myself thinking I would never do that. And I realize, I may already have pushed someone away from Christ. If I haven't, I'm sure that I will at some point because the simple fact is, I'm still a sinner. I still choose the wrong, even when I know the right thing to do. I am not perfect and won't be for as long as I'm living on this earth. I am not above doing exactly what this man did.
So I ask myself, how am I different from any other person in this world? From those who don't know Christ as their Savior, I can say that I am truly blessed to have the Holy Spirit living inside me, giving me the ability to choose to do what honors God. I have forgiveness by the blood of Jesus Christ and I know that I will be in heaven when I die because of His atoning death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. I will not gain salvation by bringing food or clothing to the homeless or by donating money to charities or by being a good person. These things mean nothing in the face of a Holy God who can see right through my "good" deeds. I am forgiven of all my sins by God's amazing grace! Every day I should be humbled by these truths and so many more from the Bible. Every morning I should awake and praise God that I do not live in fear of death. I live knowing that this world is not my home. No matter what happens to this body, my soul will live on in heaven, praising Him for all eternity. What an amazing thought!
Yet I'm still left with some questions. How will I live my life today to show that I am different? How will I show that Jesus Christ does make a difference in my life? Will I work hard for the glory of God rather than to obtain more things? Will I maintain joy in the face of trials? Will I praise the Lord when He gives much or little? Will I be generous and loving to those who have great physical need? Will I be equally loving to those who seem to have everything together, but lack the one thing that really matters?
I wonder sometimes how non-Christians see Christians. Do we appear as though life is easy and things are always good? Do we come across as judgmental, always pointing a finger at someone doing something wrong? Do they see love in our eyes when we realize that there are so many in this world who are perishing and don't know or don't care? Or do they see pity, pride, arrogance? Are we just voices in an angry crowd or do we truly know how to live the lives that Jesus told us to live--the life He modeled for us?
I've thought about that often as I've gotten to know this woman a little better. Sometimes I think how hard it must be to be married and divorced by the age of 26. Most times I think, why in the world would this guy want to marry a woman who didn't share in his faith? And then after he married her, how could he profane the Name of the Lord by living the way he did? Not only has he pushed this woman away from Christ, but he has made it that much harder for anyone to be a Christian around her. What was he thinking???
But then I catch myself. I catch myself thinking I would never do that. And I realize, I may already have pushed someone away from Christ. If I haven't, I'm sure that I will at some point because the simple fact is, I'm still a sinner. I still choose the wrong, even when I know the right thing to do. I am not perfect and won't be for as long as I'm living on this earth. I am not above doing exactly what this man did.
So I ask myself, how am I different from any other person in this world? From those who don't know Christ as their Savior, I can say that I am truly blessed to have the Holy Spirit living inside me, giving me the ability to choose to do what honors God. I have forgiveness by the blood of Jesus Christ and I know that I will be in heaven when I die because of His atoning death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. I will not gain salvation by bringing food or clothing to the homeless or by donating money to charities or by being a good person. These things mean nothing in the face of a Holy God who can see right through my "good" deeds. I am forgiven of all my sins by God's amazing grace! Every day I should be humbled by these truths and so many more from the Bible. Every morning I should awake and praise God that I do not live in fear of death. I live knowing that this world is not my home. No matter what happens to this body, my soul will live on in heaven, praising Him for all eternity. What an amazing thought!
Yet I'm still left with some questions. How will I live my life today to show that I am different? How will I show that Jesus Christ does make a difference in my life? Will I work hard for the glory of God rather than to obtain more things? Will I maintain joy in the face of trials? Will I praise the Lord when He gives much or little? Will I be generous and loving to those who have great physical need? Will I be equally loving to those who seem to have everything together, but lack the one thing that really matters?
I wonder sometimes how non-Christians see Christians. Do we appear as though life is easy and things are always good? Do we come across as judgmental, always pointing a finger at someone doing something wrong? Do they see love in our eyes when we realize that there are so many in this world who are perishing and don't know or don't care? Or do they see pity, pride, arrogance? Are we just voices in an angry crowd or do we truly know how to live the lives that Jesus told us to live--the life He modeled for us?
8.23.2006
Boring me
We are supposed to have a working phone line in our home TODAY! I hope it actually happens :-)
Um... I'm boring today. No, not bored, boring. Yesterday I made chocolate chip cookies and read almost all night. It was lovely and I've almost finished my book!
Pretty soon I'll be helping stuff envelopes with paychecks, which means I won't be boring anymore. YAY! But for now, I'm going to code invoices. Someone needs to get Happy to post on here so it's not so boring reading what I write all the time...
Um... I'm boring today. No, not bored, boring. Yesterday I made chocolate chip cookies and read almost all night. It was lovely and I've almost finished my book!
Pretty soon I'll be helping stuff envelopes with paychecks, which means I won't be boring anymore. YAY! But for now, I'm going to code invoices. Someone needs to get Happy to post on here so it's not so boring reading what I write all the time...
8.22.2006
They're here!!!
Here are the long awaited wedding photos: http://lukasinla.com/photos/Gilmore/index.htm
I actually haven't looked at them yet because for some reason there is an error with the Flash Player on my computer... At lunch I will try a different computer :-) Enjoy!
I actually haven't looked at them yet because for some reason there is an error with the Flash Player on my computer... At lunch I will try a different computer :-) Enjoy!
8.21.2006
Our copy machine gun
I've noticed that our copy machine (which is in the room right next to the front lobby where I sit) makes this really strange noise whenever it is out of paper. Most days I think nothing of it, although it is a little annoying when it happens. However, this morning two of the older men who work here (they're in their 60s I'd guess) were in there when it happened. Apparently this was the first time they experienced it because one of them shouted out "What the? Take cover!" That's right, when the copy machine is out of paper it converts to a machine gun. Who says nothing exciting ever happens in an office environment? Seriously. It can get downright DANGEROUS!
Other excitement... The phones stopped working on Friday afternoon so I got to leave a little early. I got home at 5:05. I wanted to come in and say to Happy's dropped jaw, "Wow, traffic was really great today!" But, he wasn't home when I got there and didn't get home until about 5:45. It worked out just fine though. I had dinner mostly ready when he came in and we ate earlier than normal.
Today when I came in, the phones still weren't working. After about two hours of me sitting here coding and checking invoices, our IT guy, Erik, brought out a cell phone and said that all the calls were being forwarded to the cell phone until the fiasco was sorted out. I learned a little today how to use a Verizon phone, which was a great bonus to the lack of a working phone in the office; but alas, the phone is back in working order. Actually, I'd much prefer the phone to work properly than to use the cell phone. As it turns out, AT&T turned off the WRONG phone line and put ours back on once they figured out their mistake (without any sort of apology or compensation). I'm wondering if I'll ever trust AT&T again...
Well, since it's nearly 4, I'm going to get some reading in! I'm a little over halfway through Munich Signature and am loving it! I think I'll finish it this week :-) Have a lovely Monday evening!
Other excitement... The phones stopped working on Friday afternoon so I got to leave a little early. I got home at 5:05. I wanted to come in and say to Happy's dropped jaw, "Wow, traffic was really great today!" But, he wasn't home when I got there and didn't get home until about 5:45. It worked out just fine though. I had dinner mostly ready when he came in and we ate earlier than normal.
Today when I came in, the phones still weren't working. After about two hours of me sitting here coding and checking invoices, our IT guy, Erik, brought out a cell phone and said that all the calls were being forwarded to the cell phone until the fiasco was sorted out. I learned a little today how to use a Verizon phone, which was a great bonus to the lack of a working phone in the office; but alas, the phone is back in working order. Actually, I'd much prefer the phone to work properly than to use the cell phone. As it turns out, AT&T turned off the WRONG phone line and put ours back on once they figured out their mistake (without any sort of apology or compensation). I'm wondering if I'll ever trust AT&T again...
Well, since it's nearly 4, I'm going to get some reading in! I'm a little over halfway through Munich Signature and am loving it! I think I'll finish it this week :-) Have a lovely Monday evening!
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