Last Day

Today is my last day at Centex Homes. It feels very strange, like the last day of high school or something. You are glad the day is finally there, and excited about the future, but also kinda sad to leave the comfort of a familiar place and the friendships you have built behind. It definitely saddens me to think that I will probably not see many of the people that I have worked with for the past 3 years again. It reminds me that every day is a blessing that I should take advantage of. Every day is not just an intermediate step to some future goal, it is an opportunity to enjoy the things that God has given me, to relate and care for people, to learn and grow. As I step into the unknown of the next several weeks, I hope and pray that God will use them to not only guide my career path, but also to shape me to be more who he wants me to be.

Dating

This is funny- Sleeve commented on how much my previous post about job hunting parallels dating, so I have reposted it below changing the appropriate words. (disclaimer: the following post is for entertainment purposes only. any similarity to real persons is completely coincidental) seriously- I have a very hot, very cool girlfriend, so this is post is not about me at all….
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I just remembered how much I hate dating. First you have to come up with some decent prospects. This can be difficult, because there are a lot of bad (for you) prospects out there. I have never had much luck with the newspaper or internet- I usually do better with personal networking. Once you find someone who is a possibility, then you have to go through the game of dating. Do I like this person? Do they like me? Would I be good with this person? Is the relationship headed where I want it to be? Both sides trying to put their best foot forward and evaluate the other party at the same time. Then theres the timing issue. Sometimes you have a pretty good thing going, but there is still a possibility that there might be someone better out there.
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Funny, huh? Maybe if we thought of dating more like a job or vice-versa. Dating- go with the person who makes the most sense for you to be with, set aside the emotions for a minute. Jobs- pick the one that you like the best, regardless of what it pays, etc. Aah, Sleeve- I think we have figured it out! OK- maybe its not that simple…remember, “entertainment purposes only!”

Job Search

I just remembered how much I hate looking for a job. First you have to come up with some decent leads. This can be difficult, because there are a lot of crappy jobs out there. I have never had much luck with the newspaper or internet- I usually do better with personal networking. Once you get a good lead, then you have to go through the game of interviewing. Do I like this company? Do they like me? Would I be good at this position? Is the salary where I want it to be? Both sides trying to put their best foot forward and evaluate the other party at the same time. Then theres the timing issue. Sometimes you get a pretty good offer, but there are still some potential jobs in the works that might be better. This week I turned down a very good offer doing basically the same job I am doing now, but for another builder in town. I really would like to do something different for a change, but Im not sure what. Hopefully I will figure it out soon!

Break In

Last night I found out how easy my house is to break into. Dont worry- nothing bad happened. It was actually me who did the breaking in. It was kind of funny how it happened.

Since my house is old, all of the locks are not keyed the same. Instead of carrying several keys on my keychain, I only carry the deadbolt key which is the same on the front and back doors. While I was at my life group meeting last night, Adam came by the house to watch last weeks episode of 24 that I had recorded. I had hidden a deadbolt key for him to get in. When he left, instead of locking the deadbolt and putting the key back where I had hidden it, he left the key on the kitchen counter, flipped the doorknob lock, and closed the door behind him. Not good for me.

Normally this would not be much of a problem. Most houses really are not all that difficult to get into if you know how and have a few basic tools. But since I had been working on a few things in the house, all of my tools were inside. All I had in my truck was a carpet knife and a machete. After a few unsuccessful attempts at prying the back door open with the machete, (would have been funny for someone to see) I decided I needed some better tools. Fortunately my friend Rebecca who lives nearby was home and let me borrow a screwdriver. 10 minutes later I was in! So the moral of the story is this: Even if you dont think you will need it, it is always a good idea to have a spare key available, for your house, car, whatever. A tiny little bit of planning can save a lot of headache down the road!!

New Chapter

In case you havent heard, I closed on my house a couple weeks ago! (the white one in the picture a few posts down) It was a day of mixed emotions as I moved most of the rest of my things out of the house in Clemson, had a “farewell” lunch at Mac’s, and hauled all my stuff down to Columbia. No doubt I am excited about all that is going on here, but I am kinda sad to turn the page and close out some great chapters of my life.

Clemson is a great place to go to school, and a great place to live. Most of my “adult” life has been spent there. Much of who I am personally and spiritually was formed there. Tons of valuable friendships were begun and grew there. For all of those reasons, I will miss it. However, God has drawn me into a new series of adventures; a new city, the new church, and a new career path. Over the years many people have mistaken the fact that I have stayed in Clemson so long to be me “clinging to my college years,” but it has never been about that. It has been about being where God wants me to be. Now I dont pretend to be perfect in that area, but I have tried to keep his “calling” on my life at the core of everything I do.

Point is, I think there are many times in our lives where God nudges us (or shoves us) to do things that are a little bit out of the norm. It may be to live in a college town into your 30’s, it may be to hang out with Christian friends less in order to spend more time with people who dont know Jesus, it may be to sacrifice a few cups of Starbucks a month to feed a child in Africa. If there is one thing I have learned from 15 years in Tigertown, it is that living in responsiveness to his “nudges” is much more exciting and satisfying than living according to my own plan or trying to align my life with those around me. So when I am sad about leaving Clemson and all that it has meant to me, I must remember that it was his leading that made it that way. And there is much more to come!