Time for a New Year

Hi! 3rd grad class is in the books, I even got a 4.0 this term! Whew! Christmas is over and we're on to the New Year already - which is my total favorite :) I love new beginnings, new chances to start fresh. This year, I'm hoping to finish my coursework for my Master's degree so that January of 2013 will point me in the direction of my grad thesis...and of applying for my PhD!

For 2012, I'm going primal. I've read that a paleo diet has greatly aided people in feeling better, healing quicker, and sleeping more soundly - sign me up for that! People have lost asthmatic and allergy symptoms and are feeling so much less heavy and bloated. I'm a little skiddish about dropping grains, sugar, and bread, but I think I can do this! There seems to be a lot of people in the same boat, so it should be a great experience.

I've signed up for the Mercer Island half, which takes place in March. Looks like I'll be walking this one, doc says the leg isn't in the right shape to be running right now. At least I can aim for a finish line :)

I'm performing standup comedy on New Year's Eve, should be a fun time. Funny that this year brought me grad school and standup comedy, I wouldn't have ever believed it if it didn't happen! I went on ONE coffee date this year and it was a dud. Next year, I'm going to have to spend more time OUT of this city so I can meet single guys. Eeyikes it's a wasteland around here...

Anywho, I hope that if you're reading this, you're motivating yourself to make positive changes in the new year. Make yourself proud. Believe that anything is possible. Never, never give up. You are fantastic! Here's to a healthy, prosperous year filled with fun memories and moments of sheer, laugh-out-loud joy!

God Bless you!
Mary

Back in the saddle, again

Okay, I'm a little more than excited. I just signed up for the Mercer Island Half Marathon on March 25, 2012. Let's do this!!! I'm ready to run. I just have this little issue of my leg not working to deal with first, but I'm ELATED about this!!! WOOHOO!

In other news, my second grad school class is almost over. (Thank the sweet Lord!) One paper left and I'm done! Next Monday, another class starts, and I'm ready! I moved into a cute rental house at the beginning of the month and I absolutely love it. :) Crab is a happy dog - complete with doggy door and fenced yard. It's completely awesome in every way!

There's another nice little distraction in my world, which means absolutely nothing other than I have something fun to think about when I'm not working, studying, writing, or taking pictures! I'm so grateful for great, local friends who make my weekdays better, for a wonderful church that is an absolute blessing in my life, and for Spokane - for taking good care of many, many good friends and the majority of my immediate family.

I've taken amazing strides in the last 5 weeks to take better care of myself and I feel so much better. If you can read this, please take good care of you - no matter who you are. You are enough. You matter. You are loved by a merciful, gracious God.

I'm off to enjoy some comfort food - broccoli soup! And then, after work, I'll throw on a tie-dyed hoodie and my favorite running shoes...and see what I can do. Here we go - I took enough time off, I can't WAIT to get back into this!! God is good. Life is good. Wine is good :) God bless your socks off!

Here we go again!

Oh geez, I suck at keeping this updated! Let's see...2nd term of grad school just started. Yay for Computer Mediated Communication! Hey, it's a requirement!  I interviewed for an international instructor position last Friday and I should know tomorrow if I got it. Yikes!! I moved out of my house last week. It took every single ounce of energy I had, but now I'm out. I'm currently staying in my friends' remodeled garage while I wait to find a home. I was going to buy, but I had an epiphany today and I think that idea is completely out of the window. Probably moving into a rental house for a while starting October 1st. We'll just see, I guess! So, work is full time, school is full time, leading worship at Life Church (that I love more than words) is 2 Sundays a week, and my brain is full! But, the good news is, there's a distraction. It's nothing but a simple bit of glorious fun right now, but that is enough. I started the weekend with a wonderful day of wine tasting with Em (so.much.fun) - we tasted some absolutely delicious wine and went to a few great local wineries. The rest of the weekend was spent in Spokane and I got to spend time with an absolutely fantastic human being. Lucky me.

Looking forward to an Advocare 24 day challenge w/ my cousin. Hoping I feel a little refreshed and energized at the end! So, here we go again. Happy to have something to distract me while I dive head first into the rest of this term and wade in the waters of uncertainty about a new position and a place to live.

Cheers!!
M

Holy Moly!!

I haven't posted in a year, so here are the updates in a nutshell:

*In February, I left my job as a Travel Coordinator with a construction company and moved to a national lab, where I am in the EXACT same position.

*4 weeks ago I began my Master's Degree in Communication and Leadership at Gonzaga University. The best part? Tuition is completely reimbursed by my new employer. So fantastic!

*I found an amazing new church. I'm so, so happy to be a part of the church body at Life Church in Richland, WA. I've never felt such an instant welcome, I am surrounded by loving, wonderful people. I've joined their worship team, and am often very blessed to join a group of people for lunch after church on Sunday. It has completely blessed my heart.

*I haven't ran all year. My allergies and asthma are doing their darnedest to kill me...but alas and alack, I will win!! Reading through my old posts, I am encouraged to eat better and exercise more. Let's just say the new job and the master's degree aren't really helping me stay super fit ;)

*I mustered up every ounce of courage I had and took care of something that needed to be said for a while. I'm super glad it's over and I'm quite proud of myself :)

*Last week, someone fraudulently used my debit card and stole every penny in my account. After filing a police report and a fraud packet, I have provisionary credit back. Had an icky situation in grad school last week, but I think it's getting better. Wrote my final article for my favorite newsweekly...it's too much stress & time investment and it's not worth it anymore. Sad. Last night, my car completely stopped working. I found out today that it's going to be $3300. Ouch. That wipes out my savings, which was to fund my trip to England later this year. Broke. my. heart. I will admit that being single during the last few weeks has been SO difficult. I'd love some help. I'd love a great big hug and someone to say, "it's all good babe, we got this." Maybe someday, right? In the mean time, I'm super grateful for parents, who have offered to help me with this ridiculously awful situation. I'm so glad that God loves me and has great plans for me - and I'm flattered that He thinks I'm strong enough to handle this. I'm glad He's strong enough to handle it, b/c in truth, I'm completely drained. I have amazing friends who are funny and smart and wise and I love more than I can say. You guys bless my heart.

*My dog is still the best dog in the world. You can write that down.

*Oh, I almost forgot! I did stand-up comedy for the first time this week. It was awesome! They laughed! I think I'll do it again! Super fun :)

I'm reminded of a few scriptures that I will want to remind myself of again when things get hard:
"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4:13
"ALL things work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to HIS purpose." Rom 8:28
"“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Cor 12:9

I'm hoping I'll just be a happy, smiling camper the next time I post :) Sorry if I was Debbie Downer. God bless your socks off!
M

There's always hope...

A new year, a renewed hope; opportunities seem endless, change seems imminent, and life seems conquerable. It's three weeks into the new year and I still feel like all of that is possible. I'm making changes I'm proud of, making decisions that could possibly change my life for the better, and creating ideas that will hopefully see me this productive the whole year through.

I'm taking part in a weight loss challenge group on facebook, and it's doing wonders for keeping me accountable. Instead of setting the bar too high and making it difficult to see myself succeed, this year I'm taking weight loss slow. I'd rather have it stay off FOREVER than to see it again in a year or so. In another group, we're taking part in a me/you health challenge. It's fantastic to have a group of people who are committed to bettering their physical and mental health together. I'm a vitamin-taking, fish oil-swallowing machine!

I've got a specific opportunity that I'm waiting to hear (any minute) on. It could change my life for the better in many ways. I'm hoping for less stress, more sleep, and a better peace of mind. As soon as I know something, I'll post an update.

This year, I hope to read more, travel more, save more, spend more time with God, take better care of relationships that matter, and pursue what matters most. *In happy news, my family is once again getting along well. WHEW! I needed that.

In a matter of weeks, I'm getting another year older. I'm not where I want to be in life, but thank God I'm not where I used to be! Holding fast to this verse, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." Phil 1:6

God bless you! Have an amazing year!
M

Change in Plans

The high road is chock full of pot holes.

Much to my dismay, my attempt at making peace failed. Looks like it's going to be Christmas in Vancouver. The magical upside is that I'm spending Christmas with my big brother, his wife, her mother, and my funny niece. It's going to be a very laid-back casual Christmas, and for that, I'm exceptionally grateful. The crab-man and I enjoy a good road trip, so I'm hoping the snow stays away so we can actually enjoy the ride :) Portland for Christmas...yep, that sounds alright to me!

Sounds like New Year's will be in Spokane - which is magic. Lucky for me, my pal (whose birthday is NYE) and I are going to have a classy, relaxed evening all to ourselves. New Year's Day, I'll get to see some of my favorite Spokane peeps - and perhaps I'll even get to exchange gifts with my parents and other brother & his wife. We'll see...I can't get my hopes up too much; the suckerpunch I got yesterday knocked the wind out of me and I'm still a little tender about the emotional ribcage.

In good news, my workpal and I are planning on boosting up our creative sales.  So, it's to the blog & etsy I go for fresh inspiration and marketing tips. I'm actually really excited about doing more with my photos...I need something creative and fun to focus on for a while, so I'm super happy to have a pal to go through this with.

Things aren't fantastically magical right now...but it dawned on me today - crap hits you in three's...and so now, I've GOT to be done! Whew :) In the "Mary vs Singleness" world, I got back on the saddle...if anything worth talking about comes of it - I'll write about it!

God Bless you!
M

Auld Lang Syne

I think the end of each year can come to one of two conclusions: 1) you are revived and ready to conquer the next year, 2) you are completely exhausted and ready to sleep the next year off.

I've wound up at the second option. (I'd say that I ended up with number two, but the entendre was too much for me.)

I had an awful run-in with my mom last Friday. I had a realization about her that shook me to my very core, and I'm still not quite over it. Saturday evening, I realized that someone who I knew and understood to be a certain way was absolutely not. I sincerely cared about this person, was extremely happy to spend time with this person, and it's over. I'm not sure if that one evening was the off night, or it was true colors being exposed for the first time. Either way, it was hurtful and agonizing. I've kind of felt it coming to an end for a while now, but I didn't want it. I still don't want it to be over - but if it's for the best, if it's what God has for me - then I'm ultimately ok with it.  I've had another situation biting me in the face for the last few weeks and it came to a head today. I'll say this - all of the running I've done this year, all of the preparation, the stretching, the exercising - it's not really prepared me for ALWAYS having to take the high road. I'm completely exhausted. I was so upset Sunday morning that I actually RAN to church. Yep. You read that right.

I guess blogs are a kind of online diary. So I'd rather be real and just let it out - but I want to be clear - I'm not asking for help. I'm not seeking pity or looking for someone to reach in and save me. I'm exhausted. As a Christian, my faith and my hope are in Christ. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being let down. I'll admit to taking some fairly stupid steps in the last few months, but at the heart of me, I want what God has for me. I want His will and His perfect time. I don't understand His time; lately, I don't really like it. If you would've told me 20 years ago that I'd still be single and childless, and only 2 months from being 35...I would not have believed you. I wouldn't have believed that God would have that in store for me. I'm trying to hard to be grateful. So many people are without jobs, without food or a roof over their head - and here I am, being achey and exhausted. A coworker found out last night that her husband has cancer and my heart aches for her...I am NOT dealing with anything that awful, but yet this exhausted achiness from a heart that waits and waits and doesn't quite understand why - keeps agonizing over endless thoughts of what is wrong with me, what on earth must be so bad that no one wants to be with me. I know, it sounds pathetic. But it's real. I just feel uber silly for feeling this way when people have REAL problems.

I'm not sure what's ahead. I may very well end up working to complete my master's this year...and then again, maybe not. I want out of here - this city, the state, perhaps the country. Every now and again in my life I'd have the urge to run...and I've been training.

I have great hope for next year - I conquered more this year than I would've ever thought possible. It's been kind of amazing watching myself go through the last twelve months. It's been surreal and surprising. I've been scared out of my mind, more tired than I could possibly imagine, more proud of myself than ever before, and I've never been more ready for something BIG to happen.

I hope if you read this - you have an amazing new year. I realize I don't sound like the best example of a hopeful Christian right now, and I am sorry for that. Things will get better, my hope will get stronger, and God WILL make a way - where there seems to be no way.  I know, because He's proven it time and time before.