Small Joys: volume 10
Happy belated Thanksgiving, sweet friends! I hope that you are all full of turkey and joy from spending time with your family and friends for this Thanksgiving. I was sad to be far from my family this year, but we were lucky to be included in another family's Thanksgiving up here in Indiana. There have been lots of changes in the past week since I last posted updates. It's funny to me to go back and read through my posts that I've written since I moved here just in light of all that happened this week. Also, I'm late in posting these (I was trying to post Small Joys on Fridays... but alas, here we are on Sunday afternoon and they are just now appearing). Without further delay, here they are.
No. 1: Accepting a job offer (!!). I can't exactly call this a "small joy." If you read my post from Monday of this past week (Be Still & Know), you'll know that I was really struggling with being patient and waiting for the Lord to open up job opportunities for me. Oddly enough, this is the job that I did not feel very confident about after my interview. Two days after I wrote that post, on Wednesday morning, as Scott was studying in my living room and I was cleaning my apartment, I saw the familiar number appear on my phone. I knew it was Kevin from Kindred Hospital, and I was sure he was calling to tell me I didn't get the job. I stared at the number for a while and continued to let it ring, not wanting to pick up the phone and hear the rejection in his voice. For whatever reason, though, I picked it up. It was on one of the last rings before it would have gone to my voicemail. "Hey Cristina! It's Kevin from Kindred. So how do you think your interviews went?" I hesitated. "Well, I think they went pretty well." He cheerily responded, "Well, they must have because they want to offer you a position! You discussed day shift, right? Looks like they are offering you a day shift position." To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Not only were they offering me a position, but they were offering me a day shift position. Meaning no more feeling sick after working a night shift, no more blackout curtains or avoiding coffee in the morning so I could sleep all day. I am feeling blessed beyond measure, and ever so thankful. It was incredible that this news came so close to Thanksgiving and so close to when I was feeling in such despair about the job hunt. Lord, You are forever faithful.
No. 2: Handwritten notes. I was thrilled to check my mailbox this weekend, as I have been anxiously awaiting replies from friends that I have committed to being pen pals with. I received one such letter that was addressed in unfamiliar handwriting. I was trying to think of who it could be from, with no return address listed on the envelope. I tore it open once back in my apartment and was so excited to see that it was a congratulatory note from the Chief Clinical Officer at my new job. She had been one of the interviewers for my first interview and just seems sweet as can be. I'm so happy to be working somewhere that cares enough about a new employee to send a personalized, handwritten note in the mail. I'm a sucker for handwritten notes, anyone who knows me probably knows I'm old-fashioned in this way :)
No. 3: New hiking boots. I shouldn't say "new," as in, "Oh, I'm just trading in my old ones for new ones." No, to be truthful, I have never in my life owned a pair of hiking boots. I've thought about it maybe once or twice, but after a particularly cold day up here in Indy, with Scott's encouragement, I purchased my first pair of hiking boots. And I'm so glad I did. They are super warm, have great traction in the snow (or any terrain, really), and are INCREDIBLY comfortable. I was discouraged during our search for them; two stores (Dick's and REI) produced very little that I could afford or was interested in buying (some of them are just plain ugly. And don't look durable). After throwing a pseudo-hissy fit on the phone with Scott over how I would never find hiking boots, I visited a local store down the road from my house called Rusted Moon and found the perfect pair. I'm excited for years of adventuring in these boots alongside my husband-to-be :)
No. 4: Sunshine. After a gloomy couple of weeks up here filled with snow flurries and overcast days, I've enjoyed sitting near the windows in my apartment as the sun comes in throughout the day . I try to find things to do that involve me being able to sit in the sunny places of the apartment-- reading my Bible, journaling, blogging, looking up things on Pinterest, reading books, reading blogs, folding laundry, drinking coffee, talking on the phone, any excuse to sit in the sunshine, really!
No. 5: Christmas music. I've actually been listening to Christmas music since Halloween (no, not the day after Halloween... actual Halloween. I had to stop playing the music each time the doorbell rang with trick-or-treaters so that they wouldn't judge too harshly), but I'm happy to finally be able to openly listen now without any Grinches judging me for it. It's inevitable every year that people post stuff online about how you shouldn't celebrate/decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. As thankful as I am for holidays like Thanksgiving and as much as I appreciate celebrating it, I see nothing wrong with listening to Christmas music during November. I don't see it as neglecting Thanksgiving or anything of that sort; I just think the two go hand in hand. A season of thankfulness and a season of celebrating the birth of Jesus. So I celebrate Christmas for two whole months, and I hope that that's ok with the world around me :) My favorite Christmas songs are actually the jazzy, old-timey ones. Think Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James.
No. 6: Thanksgiving in Indiana. I spent my second ever Thanksgiving in Indiana this year, though last year I was not a resident when I celebrated here. This year, Scott's good friend, Ian, invited us to celebrate in northern Indiana with his family. We drove up there on Thursday, served with his family at a local church to put on a Thanksgiving for those unable to have their own Thanksgiving, and then hiked through cornfields and the woods behind Ian's house before heading to dinner with their extended family. Everyone was so welcoming and kind to us, and I appreciated this ever so much. Like I said earlier, it was really hard to be away from family for this Thanksgiving, so it was a huge blessing to be able to spend it with people who were so generous.
No. 7: Online shopping. Ok, this is where I can be a little bit of a Grinch at Christmastime. I am a super duper introvert and don't really like large crowds of people. The craze of Christmas shopping is not my thing. I'm actually typically finished with all of my Christmas shopping by now, and normally I'd just be working on wrapping things in a creative way. This year, the move threw me off. As did the lack of job. Without a job lined up, I was a little scared to start Christmas shopping since I was pulling money from my savings, which I really needed both to live up here and to pay for the wedding in April. I plan on going Christmas shopping during the week this coming week so as to avoid the thundering herds (this is the term coined by my grandfather :)), but I'm also thankful for free shipping and the ability to shop online. It's nice, too, because I know I won't be able to see certain people for Christmas, and I can just have their gift shipped directly to their home.
No. 8: Good books. I've finally given in to my free time and have started reading books for fun again. While on the job hunt, I was spending a lot of time looking up jobs, filling out applications, and interviewing (or traveling for interviews!). It's been so refreshing to just enjoy my free time now and to pick up reading again. My friend Jordan will be happy to know that I have finally finished reading a book that I borrowed from her about a year and a half ago. It's a Nicholas Sparks book, and it wasn't hard to get through at all. I just didn't make it a priority. No worries Jordan, this book will be back in your hands the next time I come to NC :) I'm now working on The Light Between Oceans as our book club read for the month. I'm about halfway through and just love it. It's got romance, mystery, and moral dilemma all in one great book!
No. 9: The writings of Paul. I'm loving reading through Paul's letters in the New Testament and seeing what wisdom He has for different groups of people living during the time of Jesus (or shortly after His death) trying to live out the gospel and the life Christians are called to. The church I have been attending up here is also doing a series with many readings from these letters, and I'm just eating up every word.
No. 10: The hope of a visit home. My new job is supposed to start on December 9th, and I'm wishing and hoping and thinking and praying that I'll be left with just a few days around Christmas to travel home to see family. I'll be training and working someone else's schedule during this time, so it's hard to say if I'll actually get to go home, but I'm praying for it. I would love to see my family, friends, and ever-crazy Gracie Lou.
Lots of love, friends. Happy December and may you find time to focus on why we celebrate Christmas and what joy there is in Christ. If you don't understand this season or don't really get why we celebrate Jesus, I'd love to chat with you about it. I'm always down for in-person coffee dates or virtual Skype/Facetime coffee dates.
Grace & peace.
C
No. 1: Accepting a job offer (!!). I can't exactly call this a "small joy." If you read my post from Monday of this past week (Be Still & Know), you'll know that I was really struggling with being patient and waiting for the Lord to open up job opportunities for me. Oddly enough, this is the job that I did not feel very confident about after my interview. Two days after I wrote that post, on Wednesday morning, as Scott was studying in my living room and I was cleaning my apartment, I saw the familiar number appear on my phone. I knew it was Kevin from Kindred Hospital, and I was sure he was calling to tell me I didn't get the job. I stared at the number for a while and continued to let it ring, not wanting to pick up the phone and hear the rejection in his voice. For whatever reason, though, I picked it up. It was on one of the last rings before it would have gone to my voicemail. "Hey Cristina! It's Kevin from Kindred. So how do you think your interviews went?" I hesitated. "Well, I think they went pretty well." He cheerily responded, "Well, they must have because they want to offer you a position! You discussed day shift, right? Looks like they are offering you a day shift position." To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Not only were they offering me a position, but they were offering me a day shift position. Meaning no more feeling sick after working a night shift, no more blackout curtains or avoiding coffee in the morning so I could sleep all day. I am feeling blessed beyond measure, and ever so thankful. It was incredible that this news came so close to Thanksgiving and so close to when I was feeling in such despair about the job hunt. Lord, You are forever faithful.
No. 2: Handwritten notes. I was thrilled to check my mailbox this weekend, as I have been anxiously awaiting replies from friends that I have committed to being pen pals with. I received one such letter that was addressed in unfamiliar handwriting. I was trying to think of who it could be from, with no return address listed on the envelope. I tore it open once back in my apartment and was so excited to see that it was a congratulatory note from the Chief Clinical Officer at my new job. She had been one of the interviewers for my first interview and just seems sweet as can be. I'm so happy to be working somewhere that cares enough about a new employee to send a personalized, handwritten note in the mail. I'm a sucker for handwritten notes, anyone who knows me probably knows I'm old-fashioned in this way :)
No. 3: New hiking boots. I shouldn't say "new," as in, "Oh, I'm just trading in my old ones for new ones." No, to be truthful, I have never in my life owned a pair of hiking boots. I've thought about it maybe once or twice, but after a particularly cold day up here in Indy, with Scott's encouragement, I purchased my first pair of hiking boots. And I'm so glad I did. They are super warm, have great traction in the snow (or any terrain, really), and are INCREDIBLY comfortable. I was discouraged during our search for them; two stores (Dick's and REI) produced very little that I could afford or was interested in buying (some of them are just plain ugly. And don't look durable). After throwing a pseudo-hissy fit on the phone with Scott over how I would never find hiking boots, I visited a local store down the road from my house called Rusted Moon and found the perfect pair. I'm excited for years of adventuring in these boots alongside my husband-to-be :)
No. 4: Sunshine. After a gloomy couple of weeks up here filled with snow flurries and overcast days, I've enjoyed sitting near the windows in my apartment as the sun comes in throughout the day . I try to find things to do that involve me being able to sit in the sunny places of the apartment-- reading my Bible, journaling, blogging, looking up things on Pinterest, reading books, reading blogs, folding laundry, drinking coffee, talking on the phone, any excuse to sit in the sunshine, really!
No. 5: Christmas music. I've actually been listening to Christmas music since Halloween (no, not the day after Halloween... actual Halloween. I had to stop playing the music each time the doorbell rang with trick-or-treaters so that they wouldn't judge too harshly), but I'm happy to finally be able to openly listen now without any Grinches judging me for it. It's inevitable every year that people post stuff online about how you shouldn't celebrate/decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. As thankful as I am for holidays like Thanksgiving and as much as I appreciate celebrating it, I see nothing wrong with listening to Christmas music during November. I don't see it as neglecting Thanksgiving or anything of that sort; I just think the two go hand in hand. A season of thankfulness and a season of celebrating the birth of Jesus. So I celebrate Christmas for two whole months, and I hope that that's ok with the world around me :) My favorite Christmas songs are actually the jazzy, old-timey ones. Think Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James.
No. 6: Thanksgiving in Indiana. I spent my second ever Thanksgiving in Indiana this year, though last year I was not a resident when I celebrated here. This year, Scott's good friend, Ian, invited us to celebrate in northern Indiana with his family. We drove up there on Thursday, served with his family at a local church to put on a Thanksgiving for those unable to have their own Thanksgiving, and then hiked through cornfields and the woods behind Ian's house before heading to dinner with their extended family. Everyone was so welcoming and kind to us, and I appreciated this ever so much. Like I said earlier, it was really hard to be away from family for this Thanksgiving, so it was a huge blessing to be able to spend it with people who were so generous.
No. 7: Online shopping. Ok, this is where I can be a little bit of a Grinch at Christmastime. I am a super duper introvert and don't really like large crowds of people. The craze of Christmas shopping is not my thing. I'm actually typically finished with all of my Christmas shopping by now, and normally I'd just be working on wrapping things in a creative way. This year, the move threw me off. As did the lack of job. Without a job lined up, I was a little scared to start Christmas shopping since I was pulling money from my savings, which I really needed both to live up here and to pay for the wedding in April. I plan on going Christmas shopping during the week this coming week so as to avoid the thundering herds (this is the term coined by my grandfather :)), but I'm also thankful for free shipping and the ability to shop online. It's nice, too, because I know I won't be able to see certain people for Christmas, and I can just have their gift shipped directly to their home.
No. 8: Good books. I've finally given in to my free time and have started reading books for fun again. While on the job hunt, I was spending a lot of time looking up jobs, filling out applications, and interviewing (or traveling for interviews!). It's been so refreshing to just enjoy my free time now and to pick up reading again. My friend Jordan will be happy to know that I have finally finished reading a book that I borrowed from her about a year and a half ago. It's a Nicholas Sparks book, and it wasn't hard to get through at all. I just didn't make it a priority. No worries Jordan, this book will be back in your hands the next time I come to NC :) I'm now working on The Light Between Oceans as our book club read for the month. I'm about halfway through and just love it. It's got romance, mystery, and moral dilemma all in one great book!
No. 9: The writings of Paul. I'm loving reading through Paul's letters in the New Testament and seeing what wisdom He has for different groups of people living during the time of Jesus (or shortly after His death) trying to live out the gospel and the life Christians are called to. The church I have been attending up here is also doing a series with many readings from these letters, and I'm just eating up every word.
No. 10: The hope of a visit home. My new job is supposed to start on December 9th, and I'm wishing and hoping and thinking and praying that I'll be left with just a few days around Christmas to travel home to see family. I'll be training and working someone else's schedule during this time, so it's hard to say if I'll actually get to go home, but I'm praying for it. I would love to see my family, friends, and ever-crazy Gracie Lou.
Lots of love, friends. Happy December and may you find time to focus on why we celebrate Christmas and what joy there is in Christ. If you don't understand this season or don't really get why we celebrate Jesus, I'd love to chat with you about it. I'm always down for in-person coffee dates or virtual Skype/Facetime coffee dates.
Grace & peace.
C
Comments
Post a Comment