January 19, 2009
Ridiculously Overdue for an Update
Yes, that’s what I am: ridiculously overdue for an update … even if this isn’t the kind of blog where I post about my normal life. Although I’m starting to think that maybe it should be that kind of blog.
I won’t even try to make up for all the stuff I’ve missed since … umm … that post about the election. (Wow, that’s pathetic.) Suffice it to say I went home to Missouri at Christmas and stayed for a full week longer than expected because my boss at Curves closed the club with no warning and so I lost my job and my mom and I played about 40 games of Scrabble and then we packed up the house and moved except we couldn’t fit everything in the truck and so there’s still a bunch of stuff in my garage that Jill and Luke will have to get when they go home again next month. There. That should cover it.
Or maybe not.
So, Jill and Luke and Nikki and Taylor have all decided to move to Columbus and be part of what we’re doing at Continuum Church. They all made the decision months and months ago, but I never said much about it because I was so afraid that something would go wrong and it wouldn’t happen. And I just couldn’t take that much of a disappointment. But apparently risk-taking is contagious because here we all are.
Our first morning here J and L awoke to mutual panic regarding our collective underemployment; and as it should be, N and I were relatively zen about the whole thing. Clearly that kind of a role-reversal was divine. Not divine that they panicked; divine that we didn’t! So we did what I’m sure we’ll do many times in our life together: stop talking, take a deep breath, pray for guidance and strength, and get on with it. Oh me of little faith – I’m always a bit too surprised when that works as well as it does!
And although we continue to look for the jobs we believe are out there for us, our home life is beautiful. We are renting the perfect house from some very generous friends at church. We’re not sure how long we’ll stay in this house, because we’d still like to be more centrally located in the city. But in the meantime, this house is fantastic. After a year of major upheaval for all of us, we were more than ready to be settled, so we unpacked and arranged immediately. We didn’t unpack everything, just the essentials, but it’s all put away. And it looks beautiful. And it fits perfectly. And I love it. We feel safe here: physically and emotionally and spiritually. We feel at home here.
So for all of you who have been asking and wondering, we are doing fine. We miss our families and Springfield friends very much. We are actively searching for jobs. We (well, some of us) are learning to navigate a new city. Sometimes we think we are crazy for taking this step. But we believe that we have found our path and that with each other and Jesus and enough time, we can conquer anything.
Some of you we thank for letting us go. Some of you we thank for welcoming us in. All of you we thank for believing in us, and in God’s breath-taking dream to put the world back together.
April 8, 2008
Finally, a Home
I kept telling myself that everything would come together in God’s timing. And … finally … it has!
I have moved into a house in Upper Arlington, less than five minutes walk away from the Curves club where I am working. The home is beautiful and I have the entire third floor to myself. I’m living with a family who just has an open room, and isn’t asking for any service from me. We’re going to try a one-month trial period, but I’m hoping and praying that this will be really it for me this year. There are two little girls in the family, and because I miss Taylor and Emily and Jessica and Brooke, I’m having fun getting to know them too! (Allen girls and Taylor, please know that I have FINALLY seen High School Musical 2. In my opinion it was not as good as the first one, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.)
Thanks for your prayers on this. So far, I couldn’t ask for a better arrangement!
March 6, 2008
Danger: Curves Ahead
I got the job at Curves. I’m going to start on Monday, and the starting wage is also higher than I expected.
Now I have a lovely excuse to buy cute work-out clothes, and no excuse not to be in shape!
Still no definite housing, but I’m confident that it will happen exactly as it’s supposed to. This last month hasn’t always been easy, but it has all been GOOD. I’m always safe, I always have what I need, and more besides. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I have an entire year of GOOD things?
March 1, 2008
Updates on House and Job
I spent the first three weeks in Columbus staying at Adam’s aunt and uncle’s home while they were on vacation in Florida. Although it was a little bit of a drive, it was perfect to have somewhere to go where I didn’t have to worry about figuring out new roommates on top of everything else.
However, they came home from vacation last Sunday and I’ve spent this week at my cousins’, Dave and Terry Snyder’s, home in Hilliard, on the west side of the city. Dave and Terry have been wonderful, especially when you consider that they’d never met me until two weeks ago! Dave reminds me so much of Uncle Bill, and I think that somehow the love of bad puns must run in the family. Terry is lovely, warm and welcoming, and has made me feel right at home. And my puppy-cousins Shelby and Katie have been fun too. Even tempered Shelby was my buddy pretty quickly. But crazy Katie will run at me, but if I pay any attention to her, she runs away again. I’ve been here for a week, but I think she’s still not sure what to think of me.
Dave and Terry have also been making as many connections as they can for me to find a permanent home. There are several possibilities at their church, and we are waiting to hear back. Next week I’m staying with mom’s family up in Columbiana, but the week after that, I didn’t know where I’ll be. However Dave and Terry have offered to have me back here for another week, at which time we’re feeling confident I will have somewhere to go.
I continue the quest for a part-time job as well. I’ve filled out at least four applications and have sent my resume twice. Today I have my first interview, with Curves, at 2 p.m. I filled out the application two weeks ago, and really liked the club and the assistant manager. It’s my first choice in terms of jobs, and so we’ll see what happens this afternoon.
February 8, 2008
Some Disjointed Comments on The First Week
If the first week holds true, this whole year is going to feel like one long string of Saturdays and Sundays. I really need a schedule, and an office. I’ve discovered that I have a very difficult time getting myself going in the morning when I’m all alone, and I’ve found the QVC channel (who knew?!), and no one is counting on my being anywhere before 1 p.m.
But, for all of you who have asked: I’M OK. We made it here safely, despite dire weather predictions. All the highways were clear, and most were even dry for the whole trip.
Church is at 10 a.m. on Sundays, and last Sunday’s service was definitely the best way to start. My first welcome was a an enthusiastic hug from Jeff Alexander, Chi Alpha pastor at Ohio State and another member of the church advisory council. He’s a generally-enthusiastic sort of fellow, which I can absolutely appreciate. He told me that he had already asked three other women “ARE YOU BETH?!” before he found me that morning.
After the general welcome to the service, Adam announced that I had finally arrived. As he invited me up to the platform he said to the church, “Let’s all give Beth a ‘Royal James River Welcome’!” And yes, the whole room jumped to their feet cheering and whistling and clapping. It was utterly fantastic. I was laughing (and I think clapping too – force of habit). Adam told me later that they had no idea what they were doing, beyond the fact that he told them I would really appreciate it. And they had practiced it for two weeks before I arrived! Now THAT’S what I call a welcome!
Monday morning, Jill and Luke and I got a pretty late start in terms of getting them on the road. … And that’s all I have to say about that. We’re OK.
Overall, it has been a productive week. I can now find my way to my new Curves club, several choice coffee houses, Target, the grocery store, the awesome-stand-alone-Chick-Fil-A, the library, and the post office. That should get me by for a while.
