More Updates! (West Coast Job Interview Tour)

I received a call today from Greg with the King County Medical Examiner's Office (KCMEO).

He was calling, concerned, that I hadn't responded to his email to reserve an interview time for the Investigator I position.

We eventually figured out that he had my email address wrong, and he quickly corrected that. He stayed on the phone to make sure I received the email with the remaining interview times. While we waited, he advised the following:

"A little bit about the process so far: we had 210 applicants for this job. We had an outside panel review the applications, and they narrowed it down to 56. We then had a panel of employees review and rank the applications, and they narrowed it down to 16. You are in the top 16. Also, I just want you to know, that we were very impressed with your application, and you were actually ranked 6th of all the applicants. We would love for you to come to Seattle to interview with us if you're still interested..."

Well when you put it like that...

So, I will be flying from Denver to Seattle on March 11, then straight to Santa Ana on the 13th, then back to Denver on the 16th.

I'm working on a couple of other things on the Denver front, but nothing to concrete yet. Of course, I'll keep you guys updated.

Let the adventure continue!

The Godliest Man I Know

I am incredibly blessed to have been raised by the godliest man I know.

He loves his children more than anything, and would do anything in the world for them.

He never lets me settle for less than what I deserve.

No matter how many times I disappoint him, he'll never love me any less.

But when I do disappoint him, he disciplines me. Not out of anger, but out of love.

He always provides for his family and works hard to be able to do so.

He is generous. So much so that he sacrificially gave to my church here in Denver, because he knows how much it means to me, and believes in its mission to bring Christ's love to the city of Denver.

He cares for those less fortunate than himself and provides for them when he can.

He is a faithful, strong leader.

He has always supported me and allowed me to make my own choices.

He embodies the characteristics I hope to one day find in a husband.

And finally, he never gives up on me. 

I will never be able to thank him enough for all he has done for me.

I love you Dad.

Finally Some Updates! Sort Of...

Well, I finally have some updates!

I have officially moved into The Birdhouse with Melanie, Erin, Charlotte and Courtney. The move went very smoothly, and I had a ton of people come help. It was great! And not nearly as stressful as I expected. It was actually quite refreshing. So glad it's over.

I am incredibly thankful for the generosity of my new roommates. They have been so gracious and hospitable. I love them all so much and could never thank them enough for everything they are doing for me. I hope they know how much of a blessing they are in my life.

Also, I have an interview! I'll be traveling to Santa Ana, California (Orange County, what what?!?!) on March 14 to interview for a pathology technician job (assisting with the autopsies). Mom is going with me and we're making a mini vacation out of it. I'm really excited to go to the beach! Although it will probably still be chilly...

I also got emails this morning from Sacramento County, California and Dallas, Texas advising me that I am qualified for the positions (Forensic Technician and Crime Scene Analyst, respectively). They'll be passing on my information to the next step.

This is all great, but I still really want to stay in Denver. Still trying to figure out what that looks like. I'll probably be widening my search to hospitals, etc for more ideas.

A classic song I'm really loving right now...

"So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's DOA

It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year

but..

I'll be there for you
When the rain starts to pour
I'll be there for you
Like I've been there before
I'll be there for you
'Cuz you're there for me too..."

Obviously I'll keep you guys updated.

Let The Adventure Continue!

I'm On Special Assignment

It has now been 3 months since I lost my job.

My friend Brianne asked me yesterday how the job search was going. I have absolutely no updates, so I told her that God has me on special assignment right now. Lightheartedly I added that I hope He fires me soon and gives me a job that pays.

But in all honesty, I have really enjoyed being "on special assignment"these past few months. Do I wish I would get a paying job so I could be stable and find a more permanent place to live? Absolutely. But I have had so many unique opportunities lately that I would never have had if I had a job, especially my last one. If I could just get paid to do what I'm doing, that would be awesome.

But alas, that is not the case.

I've been thinking a lot about the Roots Campaign at church: putting down roots in the city of Denver and committing long term to helping the church grow and love the city. Nothing would make me happier than to make that commitment. But I just don't know what God has in store for me. I really hope He wants me to stay here, but I just don't know yet. And that can be frustrating. I'm such a planner, and I just don't have a plan.

I leave on Wednesday to go home to LA for my grandpa's birthday. I'm excited to go home, but I'm afraid that as soon as I have a second to sit down and breathe, everything will hit me like a ton of bricks... again. I've been so busy trying to find somewhere to crash, get things clean and packed, running errands and getting everything organized.

I'm just ready to be stable again. But I have to be patient. God's got a plan, and it's significantly better than mine.

And of course
Let the adventure continue!

Patience Has Never Been One Of My Strong Points...

I've never really been a patient person before.

I make plans for a reason. So I know what's going to happen and when. So I can be properly prepared. I've tried to learn flexibility, and I have gotten better at it when it comes to situations that are not particularly important.

But this is a bit of a different story.

I've been unemployed for two and a half months at this point, and I'm starting to get anxious. Impatient, even. And that's frustrating. What's even more frustrating, however, is that through my impatience I'm demonstrating a lack of faith in God's perfect plan for my life. This entire situation is happening for a reason and I know it's for my good and for God's glory.

But it's so difficult to see in the midst of it. I know it to be true in my head, but I'm struggling to believe it to be true in my heart.

There are just so many things running through my mind, but mainly: What am I even doing with my life? I've worked so hard my entire life, and I feel like I have nothing to show for it.

For my GOOD and for His GLORY.

For MY good and for HIS glory.

For my good AND for His glory.

As always...

Let the adventure continue!

I Can't Believe Another Year is Over

New Year's Eve/Day has always been a therapeutic time for me.

It's a time for me to reflect over the last year and realize that ahead of me is a brand new year with new adventures, opportunities, and the chance to be better.

I feel, though, that each year I need a new start even more. It seems that each year becomes more difficult and complicated, and at the end of each year I can't wait to put it behind me and start over.

2012 included the realization that my job situation was not as it should be, which eventually was "taken care of".

My grandfather became extremely sick and was put in the hospital and wasn't expected to live. He is still kicking it today!

I moved in with a fantastic new roommate in April and we live in a lovely house!

I started co-parenting the most adorable Husky (ish) puppy you have ever met!

My mom was found to have pre-cancerous cells in her breast tissue.

I was in a relationship that taught me a lot, made me grow up and forced me to seriously evaluate myself as a person. No regrets there! Not to mention we had a blast and I got to experience so many new things! (camping, San Diego, etc.)

I was able to build relationships that have become irreplaceable and more important and influential than I could ever have imagine them to be with amazing, Godly women.

And through it all the Lord has been more than faithful and amazingly gracious and merciful with me.

But I am ready for a new start. New experiences. A New Year.

Let the adventure continue!

His Grace and Mercy Abound

At this point all I can do is laugh and thank the Lord for his grace and mercy in my life.

Due to... circumstances... my roommate is now also looking for a new job. She is also leaving a less than ideal situation, so for that I am excited. However, she is seriously looking outside of the Denver area, and is thinking about moving home. If nothing has resolved by February, the house will go up for sale. I'll be losing an awesome roommate, a great house, and the most precious dog you've ever seen.

AKA I will soon be homeless and jobless. 

Okay that sounds a little dramatic... but could potentially be true.

So what have I been doing with my time? Well that's the great part! I have had so many opportunities to help out other people, and I love it! I've driven to the airport 10 times to pick up/drop people off, babysat for a couple of different friends, cared for a friend who was in the hospital, helped plan a baby shower, started teaching myself how to cook and have started working on projects for the church. It has reminded me that there is more to life than a job. I spent all my time and energy on my job, and neglected what was really important: my relationship with the Lord and my relationship with others. I am working on fixing that now, but it is definitely a work in progress.

This Christmas break has been therapeutic. Being at home with my family, having someone else to take care of me (my mom, of course), and reconnecting with lots of "long lost friends" has been so refreshing and encouraging. 

When I get back to Denver it will be time to get the ball rolling. Honestly, a lot of elements in my life are uncertain, and it's mildly stressful, but He is faithful and will provide. 

More than ever...

Let the Adventure Continue!