Late Fall and Early Winter Review: 2012 Edition

So much has happened, yet so little has changed.

I've been traveling a decent amount. Most of the travels have been through work, a few with family or for fun. Recent trips include New Jersey, Washington D.C., Chicago, and heading to Puerto Rico next week. Also on the docket for the next few months are St Thomas and San Diego!

I have a new niece. Her name is Sophia Elizabeth and I'm absolutely in love with her. I rode across Iowa/Illinois/Indiana with my mom in a flurry and was there in time for the birth. Can't express how thankful I am that my sister and all are happy and healthy.

My niece and nephew, Emma and Luke, will be coming home soon. The adoption process has been grueling and time consuming for my brother and his wife. My heart aches for them to be at home with Drew and Melissa. Advent and waiting brings on new meaning when you experience the longing and pining of adoption through the eyes of people you love.

THIS quote by Tullian Tchividjian has resonated with me lately: 

"Our dire need for God’s grace doesn’t get smaller after God saves us. We never outgrow our need for Christ’s finished work on our behalf-we never graduate beyond our desperate need for Christ’s righteousness and his strong and perfect blood-soaked plea “before the throne of God above.”

The crafty, crazy, apron wearing, spatula weilding side of me has been having a hey day lately.
I've been working on sewing a few Christmas gifts as well as baking up a storm. I also had a booth at the work Holiday Bazaar this week. I sold homemade oatmeal bread, 4 kinds of homemade granola, and 5 kinds of biscotti. I enjoyed the process of baking and packaging everything cutely for the bazaar, but was kind of freaking out the day before/day of the event. I realized that I had never been PAID to bake treats before. Part of the fun of baking wonderful goodies is the surprise and delight when they are gifts. This sneaky and scary voice in my head was making me super nervous about putting something so dear to me "for sale". Just plain afraid. Things went swimmingly at the bazaar. I sold almost everything I had prepared and had a ton of positive feedback. I needn't have feared. Then people at work started asking if I wanted to open a bakery or do that full time. I just don't know. A part of me thinks that would be amazing -- but having to run the legal and business fronts. Or even THINKING about getting funds to start that kind of endeavor? That terrifies me. And the what ifs start all over again -- what if I stop loving to bake if it's my job? What if I lose connection with humanity since I'd be working alone or with very few others? GAH. Someday. SOMEDAY, maybe I'll look into it further.

For now - I'm loving my job. The people I work with are wonderful. I finally feel like I'm in a place with my co-workers like I was in Austin at the Hyatt. We had our days of craziness with the actual WORK, but the co-workers and interaction made those stresses melt away. The PEOPLE made the job. Yes. I'm in a role that combines my past experinces (hotel sales, DMC internships, media sales etc) into this job that uses them all.

Life. Life is good. I'm thankful. Usually quiet seasons on my blog mean that I'm too busy living to remember to tell you about it. I'm okay with that :)

Pictures to go with the recent shenanigans: 

Blue sweater = work trip

I ran a 5K :)

Loved getting to spend LOTS of time with my coworker Jess as we worked on a big program together.

Sophia is so CUTE!

  



Thanksgiving with Sophia in Chicago!!



That's right...those are matching bowling shirts. Company outing with the Pharma Team!







Glass Case of Emotions.

Sad. To see the end of 180. To say goodbye to the girls I've grown to love.

Proud. Proud of my Older brother. Proud of him for finishing his Seminary classes. Had a blast getting to go to his graduation lunch.

Stressed, but accomplished. Seeing projects come to fruition under my care. Managing crisis situations. Finally starting to understand what I'm doing at work.  Learning to balance the have to do now list and the can wait til later list.

Empty. Painfully aware of how much I need Jesus. Seeing how often I THINK I have things under control, only to see them spiral away again. Those scary idols I thought I was rid of? They still come back. My need for security? My hate of dependence on others? My desire to have control? My elevation of money to the point of danger? Me. Getting in the way again. So good to reminded of my Need of Jesus.

 Longing. Longing for the day when there is no more hunger. No more pain. No more need for people to pack boxes of food for starving people around the world. I was so moved by the experience helping with Meal from the Heartland. The promo video they showed at the beginning before we served made me cry. The statistics of starvation are staggering. It made me ache inside and want so badly to get my niece and nephew HOME from Africa. The girls in the picture are another answer to prayer. Friends from my new Connection Group. The Sarahs.

 Thankful. For answered prayers. A while ago I specifically prayed for at least one friend at work. God provided. Her name is Amy. She is my cube-mate. And she is awesome.

 Delight. In creating new delicious treats. In making something beautiful. In sharing them with others.