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Decision Time

23Don’t get me wrong, I love being 23 and free from most responsibility (a mortgage, hungry mouths to feed, etc.), but I’m realizing that life isn’t as clear-cut as it was in college and high school.  Rather than having a defined curriculum and day-to-day schedule, I’m in a position again to decide where God is leading me.  After a year of raising support, I have decided to leave my staff position with Campus Crusade for Christ.

The most difficult part about this decision is that I really thought this was where God was leading me – to become a Conference/Event Planner at CCC’s world headquarters in Orlando.  The role fit many of my passions and skills, and it would have involved a new location away from North Carolina.  As I continue my month-long job search for a similar career in Orlando, FL, I’m confident that God is still in control.

How do I know this? Well, when I look back on the past year, I know for sure that it has not been a wasted year.  As I shared my vision with friends, family, churches, and people I had never met before, God has continued to grow me as a person.  I feel more confident asking for help, asking for something I need, and reaching out for help.  I feel more confident as a communicator, sharing my vision with large and small groups of people.  I know that God has spent this time (and the other 22 years of my life) preparing me for what’s next.

But it’s hard to be patient as I search for my next step.  I have an interview coming up with a major company in Orlando – that’s exciting.  And ultimately, I hope to find a job at a hotel/resort/convention center where I can start in the conference planning industry and really learn how it all works.  Is there anyone in Orlando that you can connect me with?  Anyone you know who is involved in this line of work?

Thanks for your prayers during this process – I’m thinking of all of you, you recent college grads.  It’s tough out there, but God knows the path where He wants to lead us.

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I’ll Be Happy When…

Yesterday, I was with someone who had looking for a job since graduation.  This person had several job applications pending and was ultimately waiting for a decision from the company he wanted to work for most.  Talking about the time he’s been spending back in his hometown, waiting for the next step, he said “when I get this new job, I’ll be happy”.  Sounds like something you’d catch me saying on any given day.

But this time I stopped and did a double-take.  “When I get this new job, I’ll be happy”. How many things, accolades, or positions have I wanted in the past that I thought would make me happy?  No, my pursuit of happiness has not and will not be satisfied by the stuff that I think I need after seeing someone with more than me or watching too many commercials on TV.

The relationships I build – both with the Lord and with family and friends – are what bring the most happiness and contentment in life.  Jonathan Haidt wrote a whole book about it and came to this conclusion.  Check out The Happiness Hypothesis sometime.  But more importantly, we know that our relationship with God and our love for others is so important because of what we read in the Bible…

“Though you have not seen him, you love him.  Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” – 1 Peter 1:8

“And he said to me, put it in the book, happy are the guests at the bride-feast of the Lamb.  And he said to me, these are the true words of God.” – Revelation 20:6

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Being a recent college graduate, I can relate to those who say they are still “searching”.  I’m still not certain about what my calling is for my life, or even where I’ll be in the next year or two.  Though I’m still developing and looking for the career that God has for me and the avenue that He has called me to serve Him through, I’m not sitting around idle.

I think this is what makes people keep going – choosing a challenge that we think we can’t accomplish, and do what we thought we couldn’t do.  Choosing goals and working hard to accomplish them has built my confidence, increased my trust in God, and reminds me that I haven’t yet arrived as the person that God has in mind.  Here’s some of the things I’m striving for:

5k_blog1) Running – I used to have a hard time running for one minute at a time… I’d get winded and a cramp in my stomach.  My goal was to run a 5K race (3.1 miles).  Over about 10 weeks, I carefully followed the “Couch to 5K” running plan.  On June 5th, I ran my first 5K race and finished with a time of 26:52.

This Saturday I’m running in a 10K race.  I’ll let you know how that goes, but my practice run showed me that I’m at the point where I can finish in less than an hour.  A triathlon sprint – 600M swimming, 20K cycling, 5K running – is likely going to be my next goal.  It feels great to be more healthy and more athletic!

 

2)Reading – The public library has been my friend this year.  I’ve read at least 10-15 books from the library this year including non-fiction, fiction, do-it-yourself, and Christian genres.  I’m done with college for awhile, but it doesn’t mean that I know it all.  There’s so many fascinating topics out there and so many insights from different authors. 

3)Web Design – When I was 12 and 13 years old, I was creating websites and learning things that many college web design students hadn’t learned yet.  As high school started and new interests formed, I stopped learning new things about web design.  I thought that since I didn’t major in Computer Science or understand newer programs like Photoshop and Dreamweaver, I could never do web design at a professional level.

Never say never.  I picked up a HTML/CSS book from the library and have been slowly working through this book.  I’d love to learn Photoshop next, and be able to create websites online as I’ve dreamed them up in my mind.

Without purpose or meaning (or a goal to strive towards), I’ve seen elderly people lose their health and become frail.  I’ve seen college graduates become depressed as they return home and search for their first career.  With God’s help, I hope to keep pushing my limits and really strive for the potential that He’s created me to be.  What have you been striving for these days?

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