snow in the hills

I keep sitting down to write a little here, but then realize that not much is changing in my life right now. Nothing terribly exciting to report... which is good, in its own way.

On Tuesday, I woke up to snow in the mountains. The locals tell me that snow in the mountains means snow in the city isn't too far away. At church, the ladies were asking each other if they saw the mountains. Most of them commented that they were ignoring it, while I had to contain my excitement. I guess it is good that I was going to hang out with the kids who are as excited about snow as I am.

I was chatting online with a friend from Life point the other day. Her family relocated to Arizona for a year while her husband finished his doctoral work. So in addition to taking care of her husband and two daughters that are at home, she is job hunting and they are looking to get involved in their churches, just like me. I enjoy talking to her cause we are in similar situations. I was talking to her about the snow in the mountains, and my upcoming excursion outside, and she asked a question that really hit me. She asked, "What else is good in your life?" Good? I thought to myself. I thought I had already covered that and more... but her question made me realize that I don't think enough about the good things going on in my life. Sure they are coming slowly and I have to look for them, but that doesn't change the fact that they are indeed good.

So here's to remembering the good things... hopefully I will do a little better at it in the weeks to come.

finding puzzle pieces

It has been tough, the last month or so. Looking for jobs, looking for apartments. Mostly looking for direction. The direction that I am getting comes really slowly. little pieces that don't make any sense on their own. I am hoping someday they will fit together. That I can sit back and see the whole picture. But for now all I have is scattered puzzle pieces.

Even finding the pieces has been a journey.
-Back in July, I finally found a car. It was not what I was expecting, and its not glamorous by any stretch of the imagination, but it is 4 wheels and an engine that works well and will be reliable.
-Three weeks ago, I started coming into anchorage for church. I have met just a couple people my age, and am slowly starting to connect there.
-Tuesday, I got to babysit at church. On Sunday, they mentioned that the ladies Bible study is in desperate need of childcare. I know its kind of hard to plug in right away to an established church quickly. The only way I even got to talk to the lady in charge is she asked the lady standing next to me if she was available on Sunday. So what do I do? I catch her, explain that I am new but I have experience with child care at church, and am available to help. They did really need me, and were glad I was willing to step in and help out. In the process, I had an adorable 2 year old just plop down in my lap.
-Tuesday afternoon, I was connecting some of the dots with the apartment application process. I walked up to one of the offices just as the manager was getting back, and we sat down and got everything squared away, and next thing I know, I am scheduling a move in date. So I will be officially living in my own place Friday. No furniture to speak of yet, or dishes at all, but I will be in my own place.

A big part of the picture that is missing is still a job. Also, a good group of friends. I do feel lost without my college group around, knowing that I could go anywhere on campus and find someone to hang out with. With the lack of job comes a lack of direction. Should I be pursuing work in aviation right now? Or look into something else? I just dont know, and it is driving me crazy.

But in this moment, I chose to not stress about it. I am sitting out on the porch, enjoying the cool air, sunshine, and constant small airplanes flying over. As I take in the sights and sounds of anchorage, I stare at the scattered pieces of my life, wondering how in the world they are going to fit together. I guess its not about the end picture. Its about finding each piece, the struggles of finding it, and the joy it brings when it is found. Don't forget what it took to find your pieces.

When the world turns on its side...

I was moving at a pretty good pace. Hunting for jobs, check out housing, and trying to get work done on my class that I had been ignoring for 2 months. Here's what's been happening...

Monday: everything was normal.
Tuesday: I left the ranch at noon, all my stuff loaded into my car, no where to go. I finally decided to call a family that I had gone to church with when I was about 1. Turns out they have an extra bedroom at their house in Wasilla, and they let me crash there for a few days.
Friday: the family I was staying with has two daughters living in Anchorage. These amazing girls can have a guest for up to two weeks, and they invited me to stay with them while I look for a more permanent place and work. They have taken me to a few social activities in the area, and I get the feeling that it will be ok, even though I really didn't know anyone in town at the start of this.

So here I am. The way I planned it? Not in the least. Is this all God's doing? I think there would have been easier methods, but He certainly has gotten me this far. Do I have enough faith that he will work it out? Absolutely.