New beginnings

It seems like every time something awesome happens that was a total God thing, I have to blog and tell you all about it. But other things happen between these cool events (i.e. my last post about text messaging, the draft from the last day of school when I was already missing my kiddos, or my recent trip to Seattle which I'll blog about next) and I seem to not write those as quickly. I might get the fear of thinking my blog sounds too "spiritual"...but I know that is irrational. If we identified every area where God is moving in our lives (He's always at work whether we identify it or not) and wrote about it then we would be praising Him all the days! But I don't want you to misunderstand me -- the reason I talk about God's grace and what HE is doing in my life is because that's exactly what it is: GRACE. And none of us, especially me, deserve it but He loves us enough to give it to us. So why not tell about cool things He's doing in my life?!

Here's a great story for you...

When I was growing up my mom would always tell me how you had to be dressed to get a job. The appropriate attire was not what I wore (and still do): jeans and a t-shirt. I needed to be business casual/professional, and a strong hand shake was a must. Well my first job was when I was 16 at Randalls (a Tom Thumb grocery store). One day I drove by in my jeans and a t-shirt with Cody (my dog) in the car on a hot summer day. I walked in to ask if they had any applications, and immediately was asked to stay for an interview. We cut it short (I had a dog in the car!) but I got the job that day...defying the "rules" of appropriate attire.

Fast forward 8 years later.

The week before school was out I had been looking on the school district's website for job openings. I had already applied to a billion - well more like 20 - jobs with the university up until this point, but I found an opening for a secretary at an elementary school. This being in the back of my mind, I drove my bus route and picked up my kids. When I got to the intermediate school the principal walked by like she always does, and I opened my door so we could talk about how exciting it was that summer was here. Well you know me and the jokester I am...I asked when she was going to fire her receptionist and let me apply. She laughed and said had a PE aide position open. "Seriously? Okay can I apply for that?!" She told me to send her an email and then get my application in the system (I was wearing jeans, and a t-shirt).

The next day she met me at my bus with a note telling me about an interview she had scheduled for me already for yesterday morning. I was elated. This is my first interview in a VERY long time after months (a lot of them) of applying for full-time jobs. I could not believe it.

Yesterday I went in for my interview (I dressed up don't worry) and it could have been intimidating the way the room was set up or how there were four people, but nope I had peace. I went in knowing that if I was supposed to get the job, I would. That the paths I had tried to set before me on my own strength were not getting paved, and that Christ had set this one up for me so I at least could walk down it. The interview was awesome. I didn't feel like I was in an interview, but instead felt like I was talking to friends or co-workers about my heart for kids and being an educator. I was able to get a laugh out of them at the beginning and the end, which made me feel at ease...that I truly was myself in the interview.

5 hours later they called to tell me I got the job!

I am so excited to have this opportunity, especially because I KNOW it's what I'm supposed to be doing this coming year. I am even more excited that this wasn't set up by me, or by my boss/contacts, or even by an application I had sent in. The moment she handed me that note for the interview, I could just feel it...I am in God's will and that's the only place I want to be.