how the proposal was won: the tale of a handsome white knight who rescued his beautiful damsel in distress

Ok.  So I'm finally here to tell you about our engagement!  Hopefully I will be able to explain how the whole thing went down without my knowing as well as fill in any holes for those of you who do not know the whole story.  I'm not sure where to start, though.  Do I tell you how Jeff secretly planned a proposal but had me do all of the work?  Or how I was planning this perfect photo shoot while feeling some resistance from him causing me to almost cancel the whole thing?  Or do I take you through the following images and explain what each one of them symbolizes?  Take you through a timeline of events as my explanations in paragraph tend to be are extremely wordy?

I don't suppose that there is a correct way, nor do I think one way is better than the other.  So how about a little smash up?!

Sometime around January 24-26:  I spotted a magazine clipping on Emily's desk one day while using her computer.  It was an advertisement for a photography competition; it sparked my interest immediately.  I figured if I'm not employed full-time right now then I have time to collaborate with Emily and enter this competition.  Entries were due on February 15 and the theme was true to the 'Month of Love': What is love to you?  Show us in pictures.

'Emily!' I exclaimed, 'We should totally do this.  This would be so much fun to do; I've been wanting to help you on a photo shoot.  Why not now?!'

She kind of shrugged and said that we could think about it.

Later that evening she asked me if Jeff and I would be interested in being models for said photo competition.  'Sure!' I said with much enthusiasm.  'Well, at least I am.  I don't know about Jeff.  You know how keen he is on creative ventures like this.  But I will ask him; I will do my best to talk him in to it.'

I mentioned it to him later that night while talking to him on the phone.  His response went something like: 'She wants us to be MODELS? ME?!  Well, she will have to help keep me grounded and not let it all get to my head.'  I didn't say much more at that point; I said we could talk about it later.  You see, I knew that if I had any hopes of talking him in this sort of fiasco we would need to feed him first.

And Sunday at Red Robin was the place to do just that.  He was actually the one who brought it up by asking what exactly was the crazy, hair-brained idea that Emily had cooked up.  I was very quick to point out the most positive of positives: it was a free photo session; it would tell our story; and we would have these pictures forever!  After only a little more coercion he said he was on board as long as he didn't have to where a dress or anything like that.  Noted.

With his blessing I began to think of how exactly would we execute this task.  I was not about to do a poor job and lose the competition.  But I was having trouble getting into it.  That is until Jeff surprised me with the poem that eventually drove the whole thing.  He text me on Tuesday night while I was at Bible study and said that he had written a poem for the signs that he figured we were going to use.  I was blown away.  He too was shocked.  Later that night he text me one line at a time.  Each line I read out loud to Emily and with each one came a louder, 'Awwwww....how cute is he?!'  The last line he said we could come up with and write it together as it was our future that we were talking about.

So for the next couple of days I proceeded with his poem and fought, ahem, learned how to use my new Cricut that I had gotten for Christmas.  And I worked so hard!  Emily was helping so much, too, that I felt bad because she wasn't getting any of her stuff done.  'She's doing this for her business,' I kept telling myself.  On Wednesday we went and scouted out locations.  This was also helpful to her business as we went and looked at two places around the city that she had never seen before.

Saturday came and it was all hands on board.  All hands, that is, except for Emily, Jeff, and Jake.  Hehe, actually they were all helping a great deal.  I was just feeling the heat as we were racing the sun. But we were successful and made it to the park before the sun went down.  This is how the photo shoot went:

'Through a red velvet cupcake
Good friends they did make'

In the beginning, I thought Jeff was kind of rude.  We worked at a company with only 4 full-time employees under the age of 30.  I thought it made sense for us to be friends.  He did not, apparently.  For my first 2-3 months we gave each other awkward smiles/looks when we passed in the hallways.  This really frustrated me as everyone else had come and introduced themselves within my first 2-3 days of employment.  His version is something like 'I knew we were going to be friends; I was waiting on you to realize it.'  Or something like that.  Whatever it was it never made much sense to me ;)  Anyhow, around Month 4 we were both at a cook-off; it was here that Jeff decided that I was a fun, normal person.  Ha!  We got to talking and by the end of the night I had promised him a red velvet cupcake the next morning and had given him my phone number because I told him that he needed it :)

When I showed up with said cupcake the next morning he just kind of stared at me like I was crazy.  It turns out that he walked away from the cook-off thinking that I would not bring him a cupcake the following day.  WANTED: A girl who keeps promises.  Check!

'They met at their work
Where their feelings did lurk'

The cupcake opened up doors and Jeff finally decided that I was okay to talk to.  He had to work at it, though.  While he was playing dumb for those first few months I was becoming very good friends with the other girl who was under the age of 30.  Now we all know that I like to talk and will do so until the cows come home.  Christy will talk until the un-sheparded sheep come home.  I'm not kidding :)  Needless to say Jeff had his work cut out for him.  He started to come with us to 'Fiesta Friday' [mexican food for Friday lunch] and would lick his plate clean while Christy and I fought for talk time.  I'm really not sure why he kept coming with us; he couldn't have enjoyed it very much.  We knew nothing about him and he knew little to nothing about us because he tuned us out.  But something got us talking outside of Fiesta Friday--could have been my cell phone number that I had given him--and we hit it off really well.  We have many colorful emails [literally colorful--color coded by who said what] that prove it.

'Sparks began to fly
On the 4th of July'

We have yet to determine on what day to celebrate our dating relationship.  Somewhere in our email flirting we began to hang out together some outside of work; usually with other coworkers present.  We did semi-date-like hang out on Cinco de Mayo but Jeff doesn't really like to call that a date.  We went to one of my favorite band's concerts one night in June.  He sat outside and talked with friends while I danced inside the entire night away to the Irish music.  Still not really a date.  Then on the 4th of July something happened and I knew we had crossed over into the 'dating exclusively' or 'exclusively dating' zone.  I can't really tell you why or how I knew but I did.  We both did.  Thus we now celebrate an 'Anniversary Season', the last two weeks of May through the first two weeks of June. Ha!

'She then was let go;
Still their feelings did grow'

On August 2, 2011 I was let go from my job at the company that we were both working at.  Since we had not told anyone at the company that we were dating he had to act calm when he found out the bad news.  He called me right away and told me that everything would be okay.  I was living with my parents at the time but still had little to no spending money.  If Jeff wanted to see me he had to put gas in my car so I could even get to his house and pool [I did spend a lot of time there] and he continued to do so just as he continued supporting me in my job search.  Looking back I realize how crazy that might have seemed to others looking in from the outside.  Here we were, having only dated for about 3 months, but he treated and cared for me as if we had been engaged for 12.  I'm so glad he decided to keep me around!

'New work and great joy
With love from her boy'

In early November I got the call that we had all been waiting for for about the previous 2.5 years: a job offer at a local architecture & design firm.  My first day was November 15 and between my parents, Jeff, and myself I'm not sure who was the most excited.  I guess it was all pretty close to a tie!

'Through thick and through thin,
One year it had been'

We celebrated our anniversary season in May-June 2012 with dinner, a Dave Matthews concert, and a flower bouquet charm from James Avery.  How fast time flies!!!

'And just as before
Her job was no more'

Things continued on at a rapid pace; Jeff had already learned that things at my family's house are almost always crazy and never, ever dull.  That point was driven home after an eventful Thanksgiving and Christmas season that was punctuated with the determination that my grandparents would be coming to live with my parents for a while.  Planning and cleaning out proceeded as you might imagine to prepare for their arrival.  

'With troubles in sight
In rode her white knight'

No one was prepared for January 14, however.  About 25% of my company was laid off that day and I was one of the lucky 7.  Not knowing where to turn after leaving the office I went straight to Jeff's house and waited for him to come home from work.  When he got there he held me and let me cry it out, telling me that everything would okay and reminding me that we had gotten through this one before already.

Side note: When Jeff sent me the lines in this part of the poem I literally cracked up and 'LOL'ed.  Not funny but so true!

This is the part of the photo shoot that I was not looking forward to: the last and final sign.  We weren't able to come up with anything cute and rhyme-y for the last sign.  Both Jeff and Emily had suggested 'To be continued...' as the best alternative given our time crunch.  This DID NOT make me happy and I literally sat in the corner and pouted for a little while on Saturday morning as they continued working on the remaining signs.  'Nothing is cute about 'To be continued...' in this application.  I like it for anything else but unless you can come up with something that rhymes with 'Continued' I don't want it.'  I lost that battle and a 'To be continued...' was hastily adhered to the last and final sign.

But alas it didn't matter.  Everyone and their mom [aside from myself] knew that it didn't matter at all what I came up with to put on that sign as it would not even make the trip to the park with us.  With every photo that we took Emily would take me to a new spot and try out different angles and lighting positions.  I ended up with a fabulous portfolio of portraits and model shots as she tried her best to keep my busy and from looking around at what was actually about to happen.  And she pulled out all the stops for this last shot.  I was flipping my hair, signing, blowing kisses, taking pictures with her, and the works while the guys got everything ready.  This is a little of it shown here.  Jeff said he literally just stood their laughing at me for several minutes, waiting for me to stop posing for the camera.

I didn't even look down when Jeff walked up and handed me my end of the sign.  I just yelled at Emily and asked her what she thought we should do as far as posing for the shot.  When Jeff told me that I should read the sign I told him that I knew what the sign was and reminded him that this was the one that I was not happy about.  He patiently asked me again so I did.  I realized that it had too many words on it to say 'To be continued...' just as my eyes caught sight of a bright flashing object in his hands.  He kept asking me to read the sign and I kept asking, 'What is that?!'

'To be continued...'
'Now all but her knows
That her knight will propose'

At this point I still had no idea what the sign actually said even though I had 'read' it twice now.  I only knew that Jeff was down on one knee and saying something.  I assumed he was asking me to marry him and I hope that I said 'Yes'.  [I did check and I did in fact say Yes!]  I think my actions that followed enforced that decision, though :)

Excitement.

Throw the sign down.

Embrace.

Notice Ring.

Forever.

Thank you, Emily!
www.emilykiel.com

In the end I found out that Jeff was the one who had asked Emily to do a photo shoot.  He called her and said that he needed her help in proposing.  He had three criteria: it had to be a surprise, it needed to be photographed and documented [these first two were my criteria :)], and he wanted to tell our story using some sort of signage.  He said that he could not have planned it any better and that if they ever made an 'Inception 2' we would be the story line.  Our Sunday School teacher's wife said, 'You planned the whole thing and had her do all the work?!  GENIUS' !!!  I'd say so myself :)  Thanks for reading!

Producer & Director: Jeff P.
Set Design & Wardrobe Consultant: Ellen K.
Camera 1, Film, & Editor: Emily K.
Assistant to Director & Camera 1: Jake R.

work: week 1

Kitchenette complete with a Keurig

As of yesterday evening, I have officially worked for two whole weeks at my new job.  WOW!!!  I can’t believe it!  Learning everything has been slightly overwhelming and even though I’ve only just gotten out of software tutorials I love it!  The first few days were somewhat hectic but it seems to have slowed down some…thankfully…for now!  [Shh….don’t let my coworkers hear you!] 

Looking out the front windows [from my desk]

day 1:

Per request from the boss, I arrived at 9:30 a.m. :)  I was shocked to find that I was given a computer right there on the spot!  We are packed in here extremely tight—five people per one workstation!  Apparently a guy gave up his seat for me.  This won’t last for long, though, as construction is underway at a new location.  Needless to say I’m getting to know people pretty well rather quickly.

Looking at the back windows [from my desk]

More than half of the office went out as a group and took me to lunch at a local restaurant nearby.  This was awesome and it showed me how open, accepting, and easy to get along with everyone is.  A blessing!

Photo taken by Yours Truly!

day 2:

When I got to the office on Wednesday, things were a little different.  For one, there were only about six people in the office.  Am I that early?!  [Fat chance].  With no existing overhead lighting, it took me a few minutes to realize that the power was out!  So for the next hour and a half, I sat in the dark and heat with the coworkers that I had only met the day before.

Soon after we were back up and running, the Office Manager took me to AT&T to get my new iPhone!  Pretty cool.  Except I guess this means they can contact me whenever they want.  They’re paying for the line, aren’t they?!

Press Room

After lunch we loaded up into several vehicles and journeyed over to Reliant Stadium—Home of the Houston Texans—for a private tour of the entire facility.  So cool!  We were taken everywhere: locker room, training room, Coach’s office, press box, field level [there was no field as the Iceskapades and their ice rink had just vacated the stadium days before].

Contender for the next Heisman?!

Oh!  I almost forgot—I ended up knowing another girl in the office!  We met about a year ago at an Aggie Networking event and exchanged contacts and tips for job seeking in the fields of design & architecture.  I haven’t talked to or seen her in at least 10 months.  But lo and behold, there she sat at one of the front desks of the office.  It has definitely helped knowing someone within the ranks.

50-yard-long Locker Room?!

day3:

Somewhere in the craziness of the first two days I was supposed to be learning a new CAD program.  I got through a little but was really able to get into on my third day of employment.  It took me almost a week to get through all ten chapters of the tutorial and, like so many tutorials, completed it more confused than I was before I even started.

Demeco Ryans' cubby hole [Roll Tide!]

day 6:

We had a Thanksgiving Feast!  [Number 3 in my line-up of Thanksgiving meals]

I wish I could personally meet and kiss the hands of the person who made this.  NOT jealous!

day 7:

The boss sat down with me for a few minutes to give me a very simple schematic to pull together.  I was so excited to actually start ‘real’ work!  I found it very difficult though; I have been out of the field and mind-set of things for so long that I suffered from a pretty severe mental freeze for the first two hours.  [I assume that my 6 days of software experience and 7 days as a Mac proficientee had something to do with this as well.]  I only worked a half day that day as it was Thanksgiving Eve and left very frustrated.  I found out two days ago that Boss had to complete the work on Thanksgiving night!  I guess that’s the life as the Boss :/

day 9:

I sat down with Boss to go through the parameters and current status of the project that I will be working on!  The project is based in Canada and I am not hoping for a site visit.  [At least not until May!]  Ha.  I doubt any site visits are in my immediate future but maybe one day!

football, prayer, & praises

In all of the hustle, bustle, and excitement of this past week I have neglected to record last weekend's events and share some praises and prayer requests.  Maybe it was a subconscious slip though as every single team that I cheer for went home with an 'L' :(

May I introduce you to the first praise:  Cameron Reed.  Don't you just want to eat him up?!  I mean, I don't think I've ever seen anything so precious!!!  Jeff became an uncle last week and is just beside himself.  Unfortunately his brother and SIL live too far away for a quick weekend trip so he hasn't gotten to see him yet :(  I got to meet Kevin & Liz a few weeks ago; 28 days before Cameron was born to be exact.  After picking us up at the airport and making introductions I asked Liz when she was due.  '28 MORE days' was her response.  I told her that will forever be what I remember first when I think about her.  And she made it!  I am so happy and proud of her!  Shame on her for putting that ugly double T hat on him, though.  I will blame it on the drugs and IV for now :)  Congratulations Kevin & Liz!!!

Last weekend we journeyed over to Austin for more football.  I realized while we at the game that we have now been in all 3 of the large state schools' football stadiums this season!  Quite an accomplishment!  Unfortunately it was an awful day in our football world as every single team we care anything about went home with an 'L'.  It was not good I tell you.  Thankfully, though, we were hosted by good friends and that helped make up for it!  We were introduced to Frank's.  Ever been to Frank's?!  Oh.  My.  Word.  Pure craziness is what it was.  The menu consists of hotdogs, bacon, & chocolate.  And if you ask them to 'Pork It', your dog will be served to you stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and deep fried.  *Heart patients should probably think twice before going here.

On our way out of the city we stopped by the capital and walked around a little bit.  It is so pretty!  I've never been inside but hope to get back there soon and tour it.  They have this really cool 'inverted rotunda' out in front of the building that allows light down into the underground levels of the complex.

Unfortunately I have to leave you on a sad note and prayer request.  Last week, a family friend from back home suffered a stroke and heart attack.  Fortunately she was at the hospital when this happened as she was at M.D. Anderson regarding the cancer that she has been fighting for a while now.  She was unconscious for about 4 days and hospitalized for close to a week.  She ['Miss' Faye] made miraculous improvements, however, and was transported by ambulance the 7 hours down I-10 back to Louisiana where she will continue her recovery at a rehabilitation center back home.  I know her husband and sons are thankful to have her close to their homes.

When I think of Miss Faye, the first thing that I remember was her dedication to the choir kids on Wednesday nights.  Her and her husband, Mr. David, 'held down the fort' [in this case the gym] every single Wednesday night that I can remember--guarding the door for escapees, protecting the 1st graders from the bigger 6th graders, and occasionally refereeing what could be some very intense games of basketball/dodge ball/red rover.  The second thing I think of is her hair.  She had some of the longest, healthiest, prettiest hair I'd ever seen on a female older than 18.  And it always suited her!  Probably because she is so tall.  Which brings me to the third thing that I think of when I think of Miss Faye: her height.  As I kept growing, and growing, and growing, she was one of the ladies in our church who helped me realize that being taller than the average female [and a substantial percentage of males] might not be that bad after all.  Sure you can't always wear the 5" heals but gaining 5 pounds probably won't put you in the next pants size as your weight has more places to go!

Several people from our home church traveled over to visit her, some of which stayed with us.  If I can, I would like to take a moment and brag on our church family and friends that we grew to love and cherish over my family's 20+ year tenure in Louisiana.  I don't think that a closer, more supportive group of people exists.  I really don't.  Any one of them is willing to drop everything and meet you where you need them at only a moment's notice.  We are all so blessed and I know that Miss Faye and her family greatly appreciated those that made the journey over to see her.

good things come to those who wait

wait verb \ˈwāt\

transitive verb

1: to stay in place in expectation of : <wait your turn>

intransitive verb

1: to remain stationary in readiness or expectation <wait for a train>

2: to look forward expectantly <just waiting to see his rival lose>

Waiting.

Something that I do not do well at all.  Something that most people do not do well if I had to guess.

I've always heard the phrase, 'Good things come to those who wait' and never really liked it.  Perhaps this is because I've never fully understood what it means to wait.  Like actually WAIT.  Then to receive and/or experience something that you've actually WANTED or WORKED FOR for an extreme LENGTH OF TIME.

I understand it now, though, and might even say that I really like the phrase.  For more than 2.5 years, I have searched and waited for a job in the field that I studied and slaved in for 7 years of my life.  This is not to say that I waited patiently as I really didn't have a choice in the matter, but nonetheless I did wait.

And y'all!

I am SO GLAD that I did!  I am so stinkin' excited about the new chapter that is opening up all around me.  Today, I went to what will be my new office as of next week to fill out paperwork and get the ball rolling on some things.  Right now, the firm operates from a very small, one-room office space and to say that they are piled in like sardines would be the understatement of the century.  I'm not even sure that there is space for me although they did ask me if I was capable of working while standing on one foot.  Hmmm....I might should have thought this through a little more before giving them my social security number today.  Ha!

These arrangements will not last for long, thank goodness, as they ahem, we [!!!], are slated to move to a new, re-fitted space by the beginning of the year.  It worked out that today was the day that the whole office was taking a field trip to go and visit the new space and I got to go with them!  It was so neat to be a part of this; I felt like I already belonged.  The new space is in an exciting part of town and has an excellent selection of amenities as well as views of the city.

After the tour, we all went out to lunch together.  This was so great because it gave me the opportunity to get to know some of the people a little bit better; as well as a 45-minute lunch allows you to get to know someone.  But it will greatly help me next week when I darken the doors on my first day.

 While reading at Kelly's Korner last night I came across this quote posted by Kelly in her post titled 'Down on the Farm': 'Keep hope. Your pumpkin patch days are coming. :-) And they will be worth the wait.'

This made me smile and got me to thinking about how blessed I am to have been forced to wait for the last 2.5 years.  If I hadn't endured the hardships and frustrations of waiting and struggling I don't think that I would fully understand or appreciate this opportunity had it handed to me at the time of graduation.  And for that I am thankful.

So, like Kelly said: Keep hope.  Your pumpkin patch days are coming. :-)  And they will be worth the wait!!!

unemployment: day 98

When I lost my job this past August 2, I knew exactly where I was headed: the pool.  Where better to wallow in my sorrows than in a lounge chair basking in the sun’s rays with a good book?  Actually, I never really lounged in a chair as it was so stinkin’ hot this summer!  I spent 95% of my pool time in the pool, with a towel folded up by the side to protect my book, drink, and cell phone from heat and water splashes.   And even then, it was nearly unbearable.  But I had earned that pool time!

After two weeks of water logging and doing my best to stay horizontal, I realized that I had to do something about my situation.  I know God works in mysterious and miraculous ways but I also knew that He probably wasn’t going to send a blimp with a tail that read, ‘Ellen, will you accept [this] job offer?’ while I was being lazy and burning away skin cells in the sun.  I also knew that laying around would not pay any bills.  Thus began what has turned into a long road of patience and perseverance.  

***FYI—A little background information on where I’m coming from:

I completed a 4-year undergraduate degree in Interior Design and minor in Art.  After graduating in May of 2006 I went on to pursue a Master’s in Architecture.  Prior to the 2-year, M.Arch program, I had to complete a 1-year, ‘Career Change’ program in which we [me and fourteen peers] endured a grueling curriculum of 42 course hours!  In May of 2009, I walked across the stage for the 3rd & final time with a Master’s diploma and Healthcare Design & Research certificate in hand.

However, if you remember the economic hardships of this particular time, you will recall that this was the worst time for anyone to graduate and find work in their field, especially in fields such as architecture & design.  Since graduation I have worked a series of short-lived jobs & internships in a variety of positions, cities, & fields: architectural consultant at a law firm, contract project manager for a construction project at a local church, summer counselor & leader at four student camps & retreats at my church, receptionist at a small, private-owned business, and a quotations specialist/inside sales at a private oil & gas company.

With the help of an amazing friend Rich [who is in the architectural/building industry himself], I took an entire weekend to up the ante on my resume.  Until August, I had been working with a pretty good resume but was advised that I needed to 'move from a collegiate level resume to one that builds and illustrates my career experience'.  To achieve this, I needed to highly illustrate any and all relevant architectural, project management, and design experience.  This was NO fun.  But, I knew it had to be done and I wanted to take full advantage of the time and expertise that Rich was offering.  In 48 hours, I successfully created a Resume Portfolio that I was excited and proud to share with potential employers.

So, with my new and greatly improved resume, I began uploading the PDF file to any and all career search websites such as Career Builder, Monster.com, and LinkedIn.  I also began emailing the many contacts that I have collected over the past 9 years.  Every professor, colleague, and family friend was sent an email asking for advice, recommendations, any knowledge of openings, and/or prayer.  Responses were all prompt and sympathetic but yielded very few possible leads. 

Over time, I began to get very frustrated with my situation.  Feelings of worthlessness, unintelligence, and failure have been daily components of my emotional psyche.  I began to question myself and my abilities; days have come and gone where I have had zero confidence in myself.  It is very easy to compare yourself to the lives & well-being of others when you’re in a situation like or similar to this one.  I have fallen victim to that on more than several occasions. 

But even though I felt alone and forgotten, God never left my side.  In fact, I can't think of a time in my life where His hand has been more evident to me as I have been blessed beyond belief throughout this difficult time.  When I haven’t had the money to pay rent or car note, God has provided the security of a roof over my head and funds for my car through the love & assistance of my parents.  When I have run low on hope & faith, God has encouraged me through the support & prayers of friends & family.  When I’ve torn myself down, God has assured me that I am valuable and worth the effort through the kind words and actions of a special someone.  I could go on and on about the ways that I have been blessed but we would probably be here all day!

Since graduating in May 2009, I have consistently cried out and asked God, ‘When will this end? When will I be happy again?  When will you give me what I want?’  I’ve known all along that God has not forgotten nor given up on me.  It simply just wasn’t His plan...yet.  He has been teaching me patience, perseverance, and faith.  I’ve even realized that I’ve had to go through these tough times because I was lacking in patience, perseverance, and faith.

James 1:4 (NIV)

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Like any situation, though, good can be found amongst the bad if you look for it.   With all of this spare time I have gotten to do many things and be a part of a lot of important events.  I’ve gotten to:

…travel to Alabama for a family funeral

…designed & created centerpieces for my cousins wedding

…be in Atlanta for my cousin’s wedding, sharing her special day with her

…unleash my creative energies & impulses in preparing decorations for our singles' conference

…make a trip to Midland/Lubbock for football, family, friends, & fun

....witness my sister's final defense of her thesis project just as she did mine back in '09

…do so much more!  I have been so incredibly busy!  I honestly don’t know how I ever held down a full-time job!

Without the free time that comes with unemployment, I would not have been able to do so many things that have meant a lot to me as well as things that I have really enjoyed.  Some days, I’m not sure I want it to end!

BUT.

IT HAS COME TO AN END!!!!!!!!!!!!

Praise the Lord!  I received a phone call yesterday from an architecture firm that I interviewed with about 5 weeks ago.  I hadn’t completely given up on them as we have remained in contact over the past month but I was beginning to lose hope that this was the place for me.  But at 4:55 p.m. on November 7, 2011, I finally heard the words, ‘We would like to make you an offer!’

I don’t have many details beyond this yet but will be sure to let you know as I do!  We have yet to determine a start date but I am pretty certain that it will be sometime next week.

This is such an answer to so many prayers that I’m not sure I know where to start in my ‘Thank You’s’.

I would like to share some verses that have helped me through this time of trials & waiting:

Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)

³ Not only so, but we^[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Psalm 30:5 (NIV)

⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
   but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
   but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)

Ask, Seek, Knock

    ⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 12:24 (NIV)

²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

Praise to the God of All Comfort

 ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

To anyone who is going through a time of doubt, transition, or worry, it is my hope & prayer that you find comfort in knowing that you are not alone.  I would be honored to help and/or pray for you in any way that I can; all you have to do is ask.  We are given experiences in our lives that require us to lean on the support of others so that we can persevere, conquer, and, in turn, be the support for someone else.

A tremendous ‘Thank You’ and Hug goes out to every single person, family, and friend that has encouraged me in any aspect of this journey.  Whether through prayer, emails, notes of encouragement, lending a listening ear to my concerns, complaints, & doubts, advice, knowledge of job openings, or lunch, you have impacted and shown God’s love to me more than you could ever know.  I love you and am blessed to call you my friend.  To God be the Glory!