Holding onto Hope

I am in the Young Careers Sunday school class at First Pres and that alone is blog-worthy...but for another time. Today, I am instead gushing about the women's small group that comes out of the Young Career class. We met last fall every other Thursday, but just couldn't get the ball rolling because everyone is so busy...so we tried to switch to Monday nights and it was apparent last night that that works much better for more of us (especially me since I usually go to the Harwood's on Thursday night for dinner with camp friends!)

Lisa Franklin (Jonathan Franklin's mom, for those of you who know J-Frank and Ted Franklin's aunt, as well as Nurse Lynn's sister--so many connections!!) leads the group and she is so honest and vulnerable with us and I just love this group of women. Here are her list of requirements for the group:

DO NOT RUSH in order to get there. Wrecks happen, traffic, children get sick and so do we. Come anytime from 6:00 on.

NO GUILT if you can't make it, don't feel well, or are just having a bad day and don't feel like seeing anyone else; don't feel guilty about not coming. I lived too many years doing things out of guilt and it's NOT worth it. You will not hurt my feelings if you can't make it. Just be honest.

DON'T WORRY if you haven't read the chapter; we are going to read it out loud together and talk about it. I know all of you are working very hard all day and you don't need another thing "to do". I want this to be a joy and a time of refreshment.

IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE EARLY, do. As for staying later, I'm ok until about 8:30, but night time is really hard on me, and I tend to get over stimulated and then don't sleep at all.

I love that she did this before we even started. It just serves as a reminder that small groups are supposed to be refreshing, not yet another stressor in our lives.
We finally got started on this book last night and it is a story about a woman who loses her baby girl, Hope, to a disease that has no cure. In Nancy Guthrie's book Holding on to Hope, she parallels her story of loss to the story of Job in the Bible, who loses everything but somehow continues to praise God through the whole ordeal. I am very excited about this book and this time together with these women. I'm sure I'll talk about it later, but I was so filled by the Spirit after leaving last night--what a rare joy to feel that full in Him!

Productivity and rest

Weekends are something I often look forward to, but this weekend was not anything too eventful. Friday night was a quiet evening at the Liner's with a home cooked meal and an early bedtime.

Saturday was productive part of my weekend. Since the Liner's have their house for sale, Mrs. Liner was expecting for it to be shown on Saturday afternoon--meaning, I had to find something to do outside of the house...So, I went shopping (two cute new scarves from Target...and yes, I have an obsession with scarves. Admitting is the first step, right?) before I hit the books, well, one book; my oh-so-wonderful GRE study book. Panera on 153 was super crowded and I was grumpy, so I didn't feel like dealing with the crowds while I studied and ate my lunch so I made the trip downtown. I enjoyed a warm lunch while I brushed up on my math skills, packed up and moved to Starbuck's for a change of scenery. Total, I dedicated about 4 or so hours into studying on Saturday, so I felt pretty accomplished.

I packed up and headed to Buffalo Wild Wings to meet Erin for dinner. I really enjoy spending time with this girl and loved sitting over our long dinner and ice cream--we were fully aware that it was below freezing on Saturday, but it sounded like a good idea at the time...and it was totally worth it!

Sunday morning was spent worshiping at First Pres followed by a day full of Taylor Huddleston! We laid in her bed for a while to keep warm and catch up before braving the cold for some lunch and shopping. I bought a webcam this time (read previous post about Skype!! Woohoo!) and we spent the rest of the night setting up our Skype accounts and catching up with friends...I've already skyped with Kirby in Atlanta, Kasey in Kentucky, and Chandler in CHINA!!! Oh yeah, and Taylor when we skyped her boyfriend John and my co, Clay Huffaker since they are in Birmingham and then we skyped later so I could check and see if she had cleaned her room! ha

All in all, a productive weekend just not too much to shout from the rooftops about, but I think I need a reminder to enjoy rest and productivity sometimes.

I'm so high tech.

I finally have skype (knmardis) and I love it!!! I have already skyped with 2 friends in Alabama and Kirby earlier tonight! What a wonderful creation to make the distance in long distance friendships seem a little bit shorter. :)

Snow days just aren't what they used to be...

Snow days for kids: no school. sledding. hot chocolate. snow ball fights. snowmen.

Snow days for adults: worrying about driving conditions. grocery runs. sitting at work while it snows. hoping the power stays on. hot chocolate (I'm glad that stays the same!)

Funny how a few years make a big difference. All I know is that I'd better have hot chocolate and a blanket on my snow days however young or old I am. I'm just grateful for yet another part of nature that God gave us to see His power and beauty in.

My last new job update! (for a while at least)

Well, here it is. A much delayed update on my new job....I feel like I've had a lot of explanations of my new job of the moment in these past few months, but this is my last new job for a while (praise the Lord because I don't like drastic changes all that much, and mostly just because I LOVE my job though!)

A little background of how this all unfolded before I start to describe what I do. Jerry Harwood is a HUGE promoter of the Myers-Briggs personality indicator. In short, which this explanation will not even close to giving justice to how accurate and wonderful this indicator is, Myers Briggs is broken up into 4 "sections" with a scale going between two points for each "section". Introvert/Extravert, Sensor/Intuition, Feeler/Thinking, and Judging/Perceiving. With all of that said, the test indicates which point your personality "favors" and explains the combination of each of these sections; example: an ISFP responds to situations differently than a ENFP would. This test is meant to tell you your "right handedness or lefthandedness" so to speak, but does not tell you what you should do with your "hand" (in other words, it points out strengths and weaknesses, but not all ESFJ's react that same just because they have the same personality type.) If you haven't taken the test and had it explained in detail, this probably all sounds like jibberish...but I promise it plays a role in my job!

My personality according to Myers Briggs is an Extravert, Sensor, Feeling, and Judger--ESFJ.

Jerry is good friends with my new boss, Tony Souder. Tony came to Jerry several years ago because he didn't understand why he and his assistant were "missing the mark" so to speak when they communicated. Jerry explained the Myers Briggs to Tony which basically rocked his world. Tony loves Myers Briggs now. Loves it. (Again, I have a point with where I'm going...)

So Tony explains to Jerry about two months ago that his assistant is leaving to raise support for RUF and Jerry says, "Well, Tony-you need an ESFJ to work for you...and I have the perfect ESFJ in mind." (meaning me!) Okay, maybe he didn't say those exact words, but close enough, right?

Tony calls me that week, we set up an interview for the following Wednesday and he calls to offer me the job the next day!! That Friday (the Friday before Thanksgiving, if you're curious), I had to call my other bosses to put in my two weeks, but asked them if I could make two weeks, well, more like one week...and not even a whole week at that. They were so understanding and excited that I had gotten a job that really fit my passions (not that I don't love ribbons and babies...)

With that background, here's what I do. Officially, I am the "Project Manager" for Chattanooga Youth Networks. We are a non-profit ministry that connects and equips youth leaders around the next generation. The Network is there to support, encourage, and connect youth leaders in the Chattanooga area to enable them to serve their students at their best. Tony is the Executive Director and has been since 1994. Hayne Steen just officially started working with us on Monday as the Creative Director (he runs the website and helps us with all things "creative"). Then there's me :) I am the administrative assistant in the sense that I take care of the paperwork and organization around the office, but Tony is giving me more of a responsibility in the sense that Tony and Hayne are the idea guys and I'm the follow through. We have several big events coming up and I'm in charge of managing all of the details that come along with those events.

No two days have been the same and there's almost always something to do. We have big plans in mind with the new year and the new staff. I love my job, I love the two Godly men I work with, and what I love the most is that it's all driven by our love for Christ. This job was made for me--I get to work with people (extravert), I get to organize!! (sensory and judger; which is a bad title for what it means, the J basically means I like closer and finality in this, ie-I like to see tasks completed.) and it's wonderful.

So there it is. My last new job update for a long time. :) Praise God.

PS--Check out our website! I'm sure I'll be keeping you posted on what has been going on in my life at the job, but seriously, Hayne did an AWESOME job with our new site. Check out the old one to see how drastic the change is.

Holidays with Charlotte

Really, Sully was enjoying being petted by Charlotte...although this picture doesn't show it.

Katie helps out with Lee's color guard (he's a band director) so Charlotte is usually in tow for guard practices....thus inspiring her Christmas list to include "flag". Her wonderful Aunt Kristin helped to make her wish come true :) Charlotte ran around waving the flag repeating "flag-flag-flag" over and over again.

Trying on Uncle Daniel's shoes

Showing off her new kicks!Hard to imagine this is the same girl last Christmas!! How quickly they grow up...

Top 9 of '09

Keeping up with my tradition (and by tradition, I mean, I did it last year...), I am reviewing highlights from this past year. These pictures are snapshots of HUGE moments that impacted my life not only this year, but will have a ripple effect as we head in to 2010.

9. Last few days of Senior Year with friends
I don't think I realized then how precious these last few weeks of senior year would become to me. Looking back through pictures, I really started to realize how much fun these girls made my college experience and how fun the end of my senior year was because of them.

8. Cutting 10 inches off my hair to donate
A BIG step for me, but rewarding. I still have my moments that I'll look at pictures and wish my hair was long again, but I know that this big cut was not in vain, but instead for others.

8. Memories from Camp Vesper Point-How can you put these into one category?
CVP has been one of the most impactful parts of the last four years, which made it more meaningful to me this year, as it was my last year to serve on staff.
a)Friday Night Live--so funny and so worth the mess every week
b) The 2 am group. It's a long story, but well worth the drama that was caused. Lesson learned and memory well worth it.

6. Kirby announcing her pregnancy and Charlotte turning a year old!
What else can be said?!? One niece that I've been able to see grow up and another that's growing in Kirby's tummy! :) I love being an aunt.

4. Joining First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga
I have never been a member of a church before so this was a very exciting step for me!
I'm so excited to see where this church family is going and how I can be apart of it.

3. Working on the dock with Ryan Davis and Clay Huffaker
These guys are like my brothers. I loved loved loved having them as co's. Working on the dock was the best way I could have asked to spend my last summer at Vesper Point. I was stretched and loved every minute of it....well, 98% of the minutes. There's no need to lie. :)

2. Graduating from the University of Georgia
I really need to do a highlight list of my time at UGA because only have this as one point out of nine for 2009 just doesn't seem to do my time there justice. Go Dawgs! I'm so proud to call myself a graduate of that school and could not have done it without the support of my family.

1. Moving to Chattanooga and getting a full time job!
MAN! What a HUGE step in my life. I love this city and the people that live in it.
People didn't really understand when I told them that Chattanooga was really my only option after graduating, but I knew that this was exactly where God wanted me and He's made that clear to me over and over again. I love seeing what else God has in store for me in this wonderful city. I could write a novel about how great this transition has been, how much I've learned, and how much this city means to me to be able to call it home.

I teared up a couple of times because I hated having to fit this life changing year into such slim categories. Yes, I'm aware I could list more than 9 points for my highlight of the year, but if I don't put a limit on it, I would ramble on forever!


2009 was a year that will be unmatched on so many levels for so many reasons. It was a year of several "lasts" and an almost equal amount of "firsts". I know that 2010 will be another big year in my life.

My years would not mean as much to me without each of you that are there to make these memories with me. I am so blessed to know each of you that read this blog that are apart of my life.