Who Said There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch?

Believe it or not, I'm eating one right now. Our cafeteria vendors got pretty excited about Valentine's Day today (definitely more excited than I am), and they are giving out free appetizers during lunch. The lunching hour around here is officially from 11am-12:30pm. Some people take that to mean those are the cafeteria hours, while others actually spend that entire time pretending to eat lunch. Anyway, on my first trip down to the cafeteria today at 11:15 I found the line running all the way around the room, out the door, and almost out of the building. I went back at about 12:10 and had much better luck. The goodies included chicken wings, two varieties of meatballs, fried chicken bites (normal or sweet&sour), nachos and cheese or mexican dip, fruit, cheese, and a few other items. All this for free and a drink to boot. Well, I put $1 in the tip jar, but still basically free. The real test now is to see whether this free lunch will feel like such a great gift when I try to run this afternoon. I'm already doubting the outcome of that one!

Joy

I have been realizing this weekend just how quickly things change, how the ebb and flow of life can take sharp turns without the slightest warning. My life has not changed drastically of late, but the flow of it seems to have changed much. The relaxed mundane pace with which this year started as I returned to a normal work schedule has evolved into a more stressed, stretched, and spontaneously changing pace in the past few weeks. Some circumstances have played a role in this, such as my class becoming more time consuming, Bible study getting into full swing, and work taking more time than the 8 hours a day I was spending there in January. I went for a run this afternoon along the canal, and I was thinking about this change. In addition to the change of physical pace, my heart's pace has been affected. I am being reminded of the battle that must be fought to maintain a focus on what is important before getting dragged into the "urgent" distractions all around. Just one month ago, as life's pace was slower and refreshingly normal, I really sensed a true joy in my heart. In my Bible study we are learning about the fruits of the spirit, of which one is joy, and it is defined as "delight in God for the beauty and worth of who he is." In addition to this definition of what joy IS, the study points out that it is NOT something that can be lost based on circumstances. In light of that truth, I took a little extra time today to stop and think, to look ahead at my week and anticipate the crazy long days, and to realize that my battle this week will be a real one. I know I've quoted the wise Ferris Bueller on this before, but I will state it again, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." I don't want to miss it. As for some inspiration from a more established author, 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." The devil would just love for me and you to get lost in the shuffle, be overcome by the urgent, and to hold loosely to a joy based on circumstances. May we be self-controlled and alert this week - alert to the coming onslaught of busyness or even loneliness that will attempt to suck the life and joy out of us, and self-controlled in remembering to seek and savor the true joy that is all around us.

Observation

Men are so proud of themselves when they realize they're working...

Serenity Now!

12 weeks and counting until April 28.
12 weeks.
12 weeks.
12 weeks.

I feel a little better now.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

This afternoon's rain seemed somehow appropriate for the day. I really don't know why, because I'm not a big fan of rain in general. I went to a safety committee walkdown at work, and I mistakenly volunteered to cover the outside areas. The pending rain had started before I made it down the stairs and outside to start the "walkdown". Nonetheless, we found a few things that could be improved upon on our outside ladders (the weekly focus). After work I was supposed to meet with a friend to run and pray (not at the same time). We stayed inside and prayed but never made it to the running. To her credit, she walked in with running clothes in hand, asking if I was up for it. I declined. I'm a fair-weather runner. While I don't mind the rain so much, the 53 degree temp made the decision for me. So maybe I'll make up for it tomorrow after work.

Speaking of running, I am training for the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K (April 1) and so far up to 3 miles for my long runs. I've been really excited about this after all the neck issues of last year. In fact, I think the running helps!

I'm finishing up a few hours of stuyding at my favorite coffee spot, and I must say this was a fine evening to sit and drink coffee and study. Dark, cold, rainy. The only improvement would be lack of studying, but I'll take what I get.

School update: On this day, the 2nd day of February, I have not yet received anything from GT. I'll keep everyone posted as the days go by.

Reason to be Thankful

As I have been getting settled into my new office, I unpacked a few boxes this morning. Two of those boxes were left basically unopened for the last year and a half. Some items of interest that I found include:

Prevacid
Tums
Gas-X
Pepto

These were just a few of my near-daily requirements back when I had bad stomach problems several years ago. I am so thankful today as I realize that I rarely use any of these anymore, much less all of them every day.

Quick Update

Second day on the new job... I am getting settled into my office and trying to get used to the idea of having an office. It is almost as big as my bedroom, probably about 2-3 feet shy on width, but about the same in length. Outside my window I can see basically a big water storage tank, which is not terribly exciting, but the important point is that I can actually see outside. My responsibilities are still not all laid out, but I am enjoying the freedom so far to spend time researching some of the chemistry issues we have right now. Other than those technical challenges, I will be spearheading a new program for our department called "Coach the Coach" to increase our effectiveness in coaching employees to improved performance, and I will be involved with behavioral safety observations.

This past weekend was very busy but also very good. The first half of the weekend I spent with a group at a state park, where we were evaluating and planning for a movement called Intersect that's been going on for about a year at our church. The basic vision is to present the gospel in a way that is relevant to our culture and reach as many of the 40,000 singles in the Augusta area as possible. Yes, that was not a typo, there are approximately 40,000 single people living right under our noses. We have a worship service on the first Sunday of each month for Intersect. It was a nice refresher for me as I have not been as involved as I would have liked while on shift for the last year.

Saturday night after returning from that mini-retreat, I went to an oyster roast at a co-workers house in Screven County (aka - the country). He steamed 500 pounds of oysters and not one went left uneaten at the end of the night. Quite an accomplishment for a group of 40-50 people.

Sunday I went to Waffle House in the morning, then sunday school and church, then studied in the afternoon at PJs Coffee. That night I went with some friends to see the Morehouse College Glee club sing at Tabernacle Baptist Church in downtown Augusta. This is an annual concert which I have been to once before, and it was just as good this time around. The group is all men (all black men to be exact) and they sang a lot of spirituals and also some other varieties of music.

Ok, that's the basic update on life for now. I will have some more coming soon on the latest topic in our sunday school, "The Will of God". Good stuff, and highly relevant for me as I am hoping to discern (or confirm) the will of God for my career in the next month or so.

New Postmodernism?

There's a new book featured on the NPR website called "Cosmopolitanism: Finding a Moral Middle Ground". The first chapter is accessible here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5168294&ft=1&f=1032

The last paragraph of the the first chapter really sums up the author's thesis:
"The temptation is to look for a rule book that could tell you how to arbitrate conflicts like that -- but then you' d have to agree on the rule book. And even if you did, for reasons I' ll be exploring later, there' s no reason to think you' d be able to agree on its application. So there has long been a seductive alternative. Perhaps, even if we agree on all the facts, what' s morally appropriate for me to do from my point of view is different from what' s morally appropriate for you to do from your point of view. Burton, with his mastery of thirty-nine languages, was something of a freak of nature in his ability to penetrate different cultures -- to "go native," as we say, and do so time and time again. But most of us have that ability to some lesser degree: we can often experience the appeal of values that aren' t, exactly, our own. So perhaps, when it comes to morality, there is no singular truth. In that case, there' s no one shattered mirror; there are lots of mirrors, lots of moral truths, and we can at best agree to differ. Recall the words of Burton' s Haji Abdu:
There is no Good, there is no Bad;
these be the whims of mortal will.
Was he right?"

Sounds like this guy is simply proposing a new version of postmodernism. Nothing is true, everything is true, whatever you want to believe just as long as you don't offend anyone.

New Job

My boss paged me today at work with the following message: "I need to talk to you ASAP." That was it, and of course his name and number followed. I called him immediately, and he asked if I could see him in his office right away. Ok.

It was a long walk up from the plant to his office, wondering what in the world was going on. I seriously thought for a minute that I was about to be fired. Then I realized that I really hadn't done anything wrong, so I felt a little better. But I still thought I was going to be in trouble, however unjustified it may have been.

Well, I got up there and there was another guy in the office. The first thing my boss said, probably due to the estranged look on my face, was "you're not in trouble." Whew! The other guy left, and then my boss asked me to close the door. I sit down, and he says he wants to make me the Plant Chemist. Just like that, effective this Saturday. He proceeded to explain that I will be taking the guy's place who had just walked out, that guy is basically being promoted, and the other guy (who's place he is taking) will be moved to my position. Basically, the explanation for all this is that I have gotten entangled in a job swap designed to take away responsibility from someone else who is doing a poor job. Personally, I don't think I am qualified to be the Plant Chemist, who is the technical expert for all things Chemistry at the plant. Secondly, I don't think the guy who is being "moved" to my current position will handle it well at all. He just doesn't play well with others, and that's all I do all day. So I'm not really sure how all this is going to go. I don't know what I would do if I were put in my boss's position, because he is absolutely right that some people aren't doing their jobs well. I really hope it doesn't screw our department up even more, because as much as I can't wait to leave, I want to see them improve and work well together and be successful in the long run.

For those who have lost track, my job titles have changed as follows so far:
System Engineer --> Chemistry Engineer --> Chemistry Foreman (aka Lab Supervisor) --> Plant Chemist --> ???

Oh, I almost forgot the best part about this... I will have my own office - that's right office, not cubicle - AND it has a window!

The Week

Wow, what a full week it has been... one week ago today I was in Columbus with my family, and we were celebrating my niece's 1st birthday. It was a sweet celebration because she has had a rough first year, and so we were truly CELEBRATING the life that God has given us in little Liza. If you have never seen her smile, you are really missing out on a precious joy. I was back in Augusta this week, back in the swing of things at work, and enjoying the simple pleasure of my return to 8-hr workdays. Days! I've never appreciated so much the normalcy of a routine, because in the past I have become utterly bored with the routine of life and work. But let me be the first to say, I was wrong - DEAD WRONG - and I hope that I will never again be so ignorant as to complain of such mundane beauty. I sleep the same hours every night, eat at the same times every day, pray at the same times, exercise (when I do) at the same time, work the same hours, and the list goes on. Even my dog can appreciate this return to normal.

On Wednesday night I went to a Bible study, yet another thing that I missed out on while working shift. It was great to sit around with a few like-minded people and talk and pray and encourage each other.

I've been running on Tuesdays and Thursdays (and theoretically Saturdays, but not yesterday) after work, starting to train for the Cooper River Bridge Run (10k) which is in April. The weather has been uncharacteristically warm, which I have enjoyed thoroughly.

Friday night I went out with 5 friends to celebrate my best friend's 30th birthday. It was a low-key night that we couldn't have improved upon if we tried to plan it. We went to a downtown restaurant, not for dinner, but just to sit in the bar. It's one of those very nice restaurants in an old house, and the bar area is cozy with a fire place and sofas. The chef was very gracious to welcome us and even gave us all white roses. We drank, talked, laughed, and doted over the birthday girl. A fine evening.

Saturday I worked with a few friends to repaint another friend's room, who also had a birthday this week. [Wow, I'm about birthdayed out!] My arms held up pretty well, but I had to stop after a few hours. I was supposed to stop back by last night, but I got tied up in something else...
My company had a table at an awards dinner downtown, and one of the managers asked me to go. It started at 7pm, and I figured it might last 2 hours tops. I also had no idea what it was for. Well, it turns out the banquet was put on by a group called Antioch Ministries, which is a product of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in downtown Augusta. The evening was well-orchestrated and lasted exactly 3 hours, but I was not disappointed at all. Everything from the entertainment to the food to the guest speaker to the awards presentation was absolutely wonderful. I really felt honored to be a part of the event. The purpose of Antioch Ministries is to build and develop homes in inner city Augusta and also to help people get into those homes and get their feet on the ground financially. For the last 11 years, one man's vision (the pastor at Antioch Missionary Baptist) has grown from a crazy idea to a reality and a joint effort by builders, suppliers, loan officers, realtors, and private companies as well. The best part about the evening was that everyone there was engaged in the celebration. You couldn't help but enjoy the singing, which was as close to gospel singing as I've ever heard at a banquet; you couldn't help but appreciate the award recipients as their efforts and accomplishments were proclaimed; and you couldn't help but recognize that God is working amongst these people, because they made Him the center of the evening. Even the keynote speaker, the Commissioner of Labor for the state of Georgia, was basically preaching from the book of Matthew in his address. I was honored to be a part of the evening. I was so encouraged by the spirit of these people, that I woke up this morning and went to worship with them at their church. They could not have been more welcoming to me, the only white girl in the house, and I was again honored to participate in their fellowship and worship. No, I don't think I will transfer my church membership, but I hope to stay in contact with them and encourage them in their work while finding inspiration for the downtown ministry that our church is striving to enlarge.

So that's been my week. If you're still reading at this point, your name is probably Mom or Dad, but whoever you are thanks sticking it out. And now the beginning of another week!

Dumb and Dumber

Ok, so last week I thought I was pretty dumb when I drove clear across town (about a 20 min drive) only to find that I did not have my purse with me in order to go shopping as planned.

This morning I topped that one. My routine when leaving for work in the morning (since it is dark) is to put my house key in the outside of the deadbolt, then cut off the carport light, then shut and lock the door. Well, today I was leaving at 4:50, and instead of putting my house key on the outside of the deadbolt I put it on the inside. I proceeded to turn out the carport light and then pull the door shut. Of course the bottom lock was locked, and now my keys were on the inside of the door. Now that was exceedingly more dumb than last week's mishap! Anyway, I spent a solid hour trying to break into my house before finally getting in through the kitchen window. The actual climbing in the window was sort of fun, but the hour of frustration and bending all of my window screens was NOT FUN. I was an hour late for work, but not too late to miss any boring meetings, the first of which I am headed to now. I'm just thankful I didn't have to call the cops or a locksmith or anyone else.

The sad thing here is that this is not the first time I have locked myself out, though it is the first time I've done it before work. I have one friend with a spare key, and she's conveniently in New York this morning, but the real question is: "Why haven't I put a key outside somewhere yet????"

The Countdown Begins

This morning I was inspired to determine the last day which I will work here at Plant Vogtle. I decided on April 21. That leaves 69 working days (including today). I will of course inform my supervision on April 7.

Photo of the Week

Bucharest, Romania - July 2002

Strong Tree - New Beginning

Some of you may have read one of my first posts in November regarding my favorite tree. If not, you can find it here:
http://seekingsimple.blogspot.com/2005/11/strong-tree.html

Basically, the tree in her glory days looked like this:

March 25, 2005

The summer of 2005 took a toll on the tree, and she began to weep:

August 17, 2005

I took a week of vacation and returned to find that someone has taken a vested interest in The Strong Tree. Today I got a new shot of her in her state of new beginning:

January 11, 2006

I love the fact that this tree's owner finally decided to give her a helping hand. She has always been so strong before, with branches held high and in a posture of hope and strength. God promises the same for us, to nourish us when there is no nourishment to be found. "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will stregthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." -Isaiah 58:11

Mental Cases

Well, here's some disturbing news:
"BOULDER, Colo. -- A Boulder County man found shot to death with his wife over the weekend was due in court Monday to be sentenced for soliciting sex with young girls.
The two bodies were found just outside a home off Sugarloaf Road on Sunday by a friend who identified them as Paul James Stewart Scott, 54, and his wife Patricia Birosik, 49. The home is owned by Birosik, according to property records.
Guns were found next to the bodies, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said, and a single, joint suicide note was found in the home. Deputies say that both committed suicide and it was not a case of murder-suicide."

And if that in itself is not disturbing enough:
"According to the Boulder Daily Camera, before the couple died, they created a trust fund for their parrot so they could leave their estate to the bird. "

Last time I checked, there exist PEOPLE in our country who could probably use a nice house, or even a not-so-nice house. The bird? I guess it could stay, but does it seriously need the whole "estate"?

Sleep? No, Not Really

Today is my first day back to work and my first day of class (one night class on Mon-Wed) after a week of vacation and a few weeks' break from class. Let's just say I hope I make it to/from work, and if I go to class I will pat myself on the back. I had everything all set for a good start this morning and was in bed in time to get about 7 hours of sleep, but I tossed and turned ALL NIGHT! I don't think an hour went by that I wasn't awake for some period of time. And in between periods of waking up I was having this bizarre string of dreams, so I never really felt like I was resting. The good news is I had no trouble waking up at 4:15 because I was already awake!

I am heading out the door now... we'll see how it goes.

Photo of the Week

Central Park, NYC - April 2005

The Lord's Prayer, Personalized

I'm in the middle of some major spring cleaning here on January 5, 2006. I'm finding that most of the "stuff" to sort through is paper, more paper, tons of paper, and yet more paper. Mail, notes, cards, packets, etc. from years past. Some are now ready to be thrown away and some are still worth saving. I just came across this extended version of the Lord's Prayer that I wrote down a few years ago in September 2002 while on a retreat. I remember it being a very worthwhile practice to say the Lord's Prayer while expanding on it to make it more personal. I would recommend it. Here is what I recorded that day:

"My Father, who is in heaven and reigns over the earth, who created all things and knows all things, who was and is and is to come, who loves me and gave his son for me, who is slow to anger and abounding in love, and whose mercies are new every morning of every day.

Hallowed be your name, glory to you and praise to your kingdom, you are worthy of praise and of trust, you are holy and righteous, you are the beginning and the end, you are the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, you are almighty God.

May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, may you shower the earth with your glory and establish your kingdom here among us and within us.

Give me today my daily bread, fill me with your goodness, with the bread of life, sustain my body and my spirit by your grace and power.

Forgive me my debts as I forgive my debtors. Fill my heart Lord with the reality and understanding of your forgiveness that I might extend it through your grace to those around me. Change my heart, God, that I might accept your forgiveness as a free gift and therefore offer freely my understanding and compassion and love to those who need it in your timing and by your design.

Lead me not into temptation Lord, and protect me from evil. Father, show me the way to be focused on eternal things, to look past the enticing world around me. Change my mind, Lord, that it would be transformed from a self-serving, self-focused, self-feeding perspective into a God-fearing, God-serving, obedient and thankful perspective.

For your kingdom reigns forever, for all eternity, and your kingdom will reign in the hearts of your people over the power of Satan and all evil. Thank you Father for the victory over sin that you have granted through your son Christ and that I will spend eternity in heaven with you both."

Time

Yesterday I came across this statement in a book I am reading: "The eternal problem of the human being is how to structure his waking hours."

As I am faced with a full week ahead of being off from work, I find this to be all too true. I am also realizing that I am not as good at this without someone (like my employer, for instance) to create some structure for me.

I am also reminded that I need to get a new calendar. I have already gone 2 days this year with absolutely no means to plan!

Happy New Year!

I have to say, I am excited about 2006. I do not look back regretfully on 2005, on the contrary, I am amazed at what a great year it was. Despite ups and downs, failures, illnesses, and rejections, I can honestly say it was a great year. The simple things of Romans 12:12, while I have not been always consistent in them (will we ever?), are the reason each year can ultimately be viewed as good. Patience in affliction, faithfulness in prayer, and joy in hope really do go a long way. So moving on to 2006, why am I so excited? I don't know if I can quite put my finger on it, but I just woke up this morning and had a great feeling of expectation. I don't know what to expect, but I know it will be part of life's adventure, and I can't wait to see how it will unfold. In the trailing wake of Christmas, the good news is that every day is Christmas with God. Every day we are forgiven, redeemed, and offered a savior. We just have to keep our eyes open and focused on this truth. I was reminded this afternoon of the invitation in Isaiah 55:

"Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

I hope that we will all take advantage of this offer in 2006. I hope that I will ask myself often what I am spending myself on and honestly be able to say that I am delighting in the richest of fare. Have a great year!