Sunday, August 12, 2012
ALMOST!!
Less than 1 week and I will be married!!!! Crazy how slow yet how fast time has went! I absolutely CAN NOT wait to become Mrs. Foote! August 18th, are you here yet????
Sunday, January 22, 2012
con·tent·ment/kənˈtentmənt/ Noun: A state of happiness and satisfaction.
Contentment.
This is the image that comes to my mind when I think about being content. Relaxed. At ease. Peaceful. Happy. Satisfied in the moment.
As summer 2011 came to an end and fall started to creep in, a lot of things were changing in my life. All for the good. I remember thinking to myself "Is it legal to be this happy and content???" I had just moved to a cute, 1 bedroom apartment with a balcony overlooking a pond and it was all mine. There was a super great guy in my life who was treating me extra special and pursuing relationship with me. A great job with a salary and benefits had been handed to me with barely any decision from me. The stars had aligned....
And now, all that seems to have slipped away. I mean, I still have my cute, little 1 bedroom apartment with a balcony overlooking a pond. I'm still employed in a full time position with benefits. The sweet man in my life has even become my fiance now :)
The last few months have just brought a lot of transition to my life. It hasn't been slow transitions, but unexpected, quick transitions:
*Going from single, to dating, to engaged all within a matter of months when I hadn't intentionally been seeking out a serious relationship
*Leaving the life of a student and nanny and becoming a full time employee in a job where I actually need my college degree
*Becoming fully responsible for my self as an adult
As my state of contentment has begun to fade, I have found myself questioning where my contentment comes from. I seem to have been finding contentment in my situations, my life circumstances. These things are all temporary. If I am looking to them to find my contentment, I will only continue to find myself feeling dissatisfied. As I become satisfied with my life, I will only want more. Our greedy, self-centered society has taught me to always pursue more. To want more. To want better.
Today, I was reading in Ecclesiastes and it says, " No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are never content....I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless - like chasing the wind."
Finding myself dissatisfied with my job, I have realized a few things:
*I often find my identity in my work
*If I don't find my identity in my work, I look to my relationships
Neither of these places are where I should be finding myself. Christ wants our identity to be in Him. As I have been unable to find myself in my work (because I dislike my job), I have also been unable to cling to my fiance to find myself in him (which is not healthy anyway). I have been chasing after finding a new job to find myself in and making more time to be with my fiance. However, Ecclesiastes tells me this is like chasing after the wind. I'm just going to find another job where I will eventually become dissatisfied or become upset with Jim for not letting me connect completely with him to find myself.
While I still don't have a concrete understanding of what contentment is for me in this season of my life where I am at a job that is not satisfying and in a relationship that is in a temporary season of transition, I have come to a few conclusions:
Contentment ...
*can be found in any situation, not only through changing your situation
*comes in relationship with Christ. Trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit to have you right where you are supposed to be in every season of life.
In this season I am called to be content with the blessing of a paycheck and the opportunity to minister to my clients, as well as the opportunity to grow in my own person to become a better wife to my future husband.
This is the image that comes to my mind when I think about being content. Relaxed. At ease. Peaceful. Happy. Satisfied in the moment.
As summer 2011 came to an end and fall started to creep in, a lot of things were changing in my life. All for the good. I remember thinking to myself "Is it legal to be this happy and content???" I had just moved to a cute, 1 bedroom apartment with a balcony overlooking a pond and it was all mine. There was a super great guy in my life who was treating me extra special and pursuing relationship with me. A great job with a salary and benefits had been handed to me with barely any decision from me. The stars had aligned....
And now, all that seems to have slipped away. I mean, I still have my cute, little 1 bedroom apartment with a balcony overlooking a pond. I'm still employed in a full time position with benefits. The sweet man in my life has even become my fiance now :)
The last few months have just brought a lot of transition to my life. It hasn't been slow transitions, but unexpected, quick transitions:
*Going from single, to dating, to engaged all within a matter of months when I hadn't intentionally been seeking out a serious relationship
*Leaving the life of a student and nanny and becoming a full time employee in a job where I actually need my college degree
*Becoming fully responsible for my self as an adult
As my state of contentment has begun to fade, I have found myself questioning where my contentment comes from. I seem to have been finding contentment in my situations, my life circumstances. These things are all temporary. If I am looking to them to find my contentment, I will only continue to find myself feeling dissatisfied. As I become satisfied with my life, I will only want more. Our greedy, self-centered society has taught me to always pursue more. To want more. To want better.
Today, I was reading in Ecclesiastes and it says, " No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are never content....I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless - like chasing the wind."
Finding myself dissatisfied with my job, I have realized a few things:
*I often find my identity in my work
*If I don't find my identity in my work, I look to my relationships
Neither of these places are where I should be finding myself. Christ wants our identity to be in Him. As I have been unable to find myself in my work (because I dislike my job), I have also been unable to cling to my fiance to find myself in him (which is not healthy anyway). I have been chasing after finding a new job to find myself in and making more time to be with my fiance. However, Ecclesiastes tells me this is like chasing after the wind. I'm just going to find another job where I will eventually become dissatisfied or become upset with Jim for not letting me connect completely with him to find myself.
While I still don't have a concrete understanding of what contentment is for me in this season of my life where I am at a job that is not satisfying and in a relationship that is in a temporary season of transition, I have come to a few conclusions:
Contentment ...
*can be found in any situation, not only through changing your situation
*comes in relationship with Christ. Trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit to have you right where you are supposed to be in every season of life.
In this season I am called to be content with the blessing of a paycheck and the opportunity to minister to my clients, as well as the opportunity to grow in my own person to become a better wife to my future husband.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Pinch me....
I think I might be dreaming!!! In the past few weeks, my life has done a complete 180! I went from single, full-time student working as a nanny very part time....to having my OWN place, living alone, working a full-time REAL job that I LOVE and thought I could only ever get with a master's degree (soooo not true). Oh and to top off everything else that I'm trying to "learn" and figure out in this "new" life, I tossed a boyfriend into the mix. Its been a crazy few weeks, but I have been having the time of my life and just loving it! Almost daily I find myself thinking that its all going to slip away and I'm going to realize its all just been a dream... I have lived my entire life to this point PREPARING for the life that I wanted (basically what it is now) and now I get to actually LIVE it! Its just soooo crazy to me! Not sure life could get any better right now :) Well...it could. I could get a pay check any day now ha ha!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
I got the job!!!
I am the new Employment Counselor at Resource, Inc.!!!!!! :) My first REAL full-time job!!! Which means...responsibility has fully arrived. Fun and scary all at the same time. I move Friday (to THE cutest little place!!!) and start my new job on the 29th...AHHH! Can't wait to start this new journey...but I am scared out of my mind!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Just over a year ago I moved to New Brighton and started a journey called Seminary. It was an exciting move full of new transitions and changes. I had my own place and was going down a path in life just for me. Little did I know how challenging and growing that "just for me" path would be. It didn't take long for me to realize that Bethel was not actually where I wanted to be and I started to question how I even got here...what lead me to this decision? The first quarter of school was really rough...overwhelmed with working too much and taking too many classes and not allowing myself enough time to process it all. Second quarter was better. My faith had really been challenged in Hermeneutics the previous quarter, but at least I had been able to adjust my schedule (fewer classes) so that life wasn't so overbooked all of the time. I had begun to come to terms with the fact that Bethel was where I was supposed to be. And that maybe I even was supposed to become a therapist! Third and fourth quarters I was still excited about all that I was learning and how it was all growing me in my own understanding of myself and just as a person. But then summer came...In all its sunshine and blue skies, full of relaxing days at the beach, processing life, and oh yes, did I mention volunteering? I have been volunteering with the church at which I previously worked. The volunteering was supposed to help me start trying out some play therapy and get a feel for if I could really like play therapy as a career. I thought for sure I would. While I'm not exactly trained in play therapy, and just kind of make it up as I go (with doing my own research and reading of course), I have realized that I just don't think play therapy is my thing. I love kids. But as a future mommy wanna be. I think that's it and I need to stop trying to make it more. So as I came to realize that play therapy might not actually be my niche, I started looking for some other volunteer things that, honestly, didn't really float my boat either....bummer. And then I came across a job. A full-time job which I thought I would very much like. And next thing I knew, I was applying not only to that job but to 2 other jobs where my good friend from college works. Within a matter of days, 3 to be exact (I applied on Saturday and got a call on Monday), I had an interview all set up!! And I soooo want this job!! While I don't know if I am exactly convinced that I 100% for sure do not want to be a therapist, I do feel like the Bethel season of my life may be coming to a close...at least for now? Maybe someday I'll go back (if I leave that is), maybe I won't. It's been good while it lasted. I am really keeping my fingers crossed and praying that I get the Employment Counselor Position or even the Mental Health Employment Counselor Position. Either one I think would be a great fit for me! And I want it sooo bad! And if I do get the position, then maybe grad school next year to become a school guidance counselor? I don't know. We will see! First things first. I gotta get this job!!! :) However....getting this job would mean leaving the 2 little people who have been my life for the past nearly 2 years....that will be hard. I don't even want to think about it.
"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven" ~Ecclesiastes 3:1
"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven" ~Ecclesiastes 3:1
Friday, July 29, 2011
Week in Review...
This week has literally been like Christmas in July!
Danced around the house to Frosty the Snowman and various other Christmas songs while nannying...all of Zoe's favorites! She wanted to play it...
And now...to add to the feel of 'Christmas' I have come down with a slight cold which started off as a terrible sore throat. The cold isn't too bad, but I feel like it is taking a lot out of me. I'm not supposed to get sick until at least fall! :( Boo.
However, I think this cold could be a symptom of my continued lack of balance...
My life has went from this:
Too much work...
To this:
Too much fun... Always on the go.
In a lot of ways I was thinking that to have balance meant to make time for relationships in my life. But now that I have made time for relationships, they have overtaken my life to some extent and not left any time for me and for rest and relaxation.
Instead of taking time to relax and bring balance to my life, I have been filling my schedule with country music...baseball games...and time with family and friends.
My view of the stage at Country Jam last weekend.
Even had a "Social Networking Hot Spot" Seriously!?! Can't people leave their computers for even a few hours!? Wow. That was funny and I had to document it :)
This past Wednesday I made a trip back to Wisconsin and went to an Eau Claire Express Baseball game...learned a thing or 2 about the game even!
My family...
The Express players warming up with some little t-ball players...or maybe little league players?
Me and my mommy-o
Cute little bat boys!
Lesson learned...the "Ks" hanging on the fence are not from some fans representing the Ku Klucs Klan with an extra "Ku" .... The K stands for the strike outs...the number of batters the team's pitcher has struck out during the game. NOT the number of players on that team that have been struck out. Good thing to learn! ha ha
Despite all my busyness, my garden has been doing great and bringing in 'slow moments' to my life.
My peas have arrived! :)
And my tomatoes are getting red! I'm thinking tacos this week to use up a few...
I only have a handful so far...
Goal for this week - rest more. play less. and still work hard. :)
Danced around the house to Frosty the Snowman and various other Christmas songs while nannying...all of Zoe's favorites! She wanted to play it...
And now...to add to the feel of 'Christmas' I have come down with a slight cold which started off as a terrible sore throat. The cold isn't too bad, but I feel like it is taking a lot out of me. I'm not supposed to get sick until at least fall! :( Boo.
However, I think this cold could be a symptom of my continued lack of balance...
My life has went from this:
Too much work...
To this:
Too much fun... Always on the go.
In a lot of ways I was thinking that to have balance meant to make time for relationships in my life. But now that I have made time for relationships, they have overtaken my life to some extent and not left any time for me and for rest and relaxation.
Instead of taking time to relax and bring balance to my life, I have been filling my schedule with country music...baseball games...and time with family and friends.
My view of the stage at Country Jam last weekend.
Even had a "Social Networking Hot Spot" Seriously!?! Can't people leave their computers for even a few hours!? Wow. That was funny and I had to document it :)
This past Wednesday I made a trip back to Wisconsin and went to an Eau Claire Express Baseball game...learned a thing or 2 about the game even!
My family...
The Express players warming up with some little t-ball players...or maybe little league players?
Me and my mommy-o
Cute little bat boys!
Lesson learned...the "Ks" hanging on the fence are not from some fans representing the Ku Klucs Klan with an extra "Ku" .... The K stands for the strike outs...the number of batters the team's pitcher has struck out during the game. NOT the number of players on that team that have been struck out. Good thing to learn! ha ha
Despite all my busyness, my garden has been doing great and bringing in 'slow moments' to my life.
My peas have arrived! :)
And my tomatoes are getting red! I'm thinking tacos this week to use up a few...
I only have a handful so far...
Goal for this week - rest more. play less. and still work hard. :)
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