wtf - where's the finish?

I know valleys aren't supposed to be short.

I know struggles aren't supposed to be easy.

I know that God is good and He knows what He's doing.

I know that this world has no mercy.

I know that I have been plucked from my depression to be here in this moment, right now.

I know all things happen for a reason.




But c'mon!! Really!??!?!

Gen-uh-veeeev!

My friend Genevieve visited this past weekend and we had a blast! We went to the LU v. Stony Brook game and saw LU earn their 4th consecutive Big South Conference Title!! The Marching Band was awesome, as always. (My husband is a percussion instructor for them.)

Pink Elephant

Don't think about a pink elephant.

No I mean it, stop thinking about the pink elephant.

STOP IT.

That's me right now, obsessed with a pink elephant.

Nothing will happen if nothing happens

I don't think elections are about right or wrong, or even about right and left; it's about what candidate best represents you. We live in a representative democracy, also known as a republic. We elect those who best align with what we believe and how we want our city / county / township / state / nation to be handled. There is no correct way to handle a group of people. I probably shocked half of you, but it's true! There is no "one ring to rule them all" principle when it comes to people. Diversity is good! Differing opinions are good! How boring would it be if we were all the same?

I think even my ultra conservative friends can agree - we would be straight up boring if we were all mirror images of each other. God created the Heavens and the Earth and every living creature. God created diversity! He created us to make our own actions and choose our own paths. He gives us a choice of devoting our lives to Him or live a life apart from Him. Even within those who follow Him whole heartedly, there can be many different choices that can still honor God.

Getting back to the real world where not everyone is guided by faith, I think a mutual respect needs to occur when we discuss how we can improve our nation. Every pundit on television is a caricature of a thought and rarely represents an actual demographic within the American population. From Keith Olberman to Glenn Beck, these sorts of talking heads are to be treated as characters and shouldn't be used as a gauge to see "how the other half lives". Sure they make valid points every now and then, but when you do an hour long show 5 days a week, there is only so much quality in the quantity of sensationalism and chalkboards. I think it's gotten to the point that even our President has turned into a character and not a respectful leader of this nation. His rhetoric is very divisive and he often blames others rather than rising above division to set an example for the elimination of bipartisanship, like he promised.

By the way, if you believe in restoring the Constitution, then you believe in the same Constitution that gives people the freedom of speech, religion, to bear arms, and the pursuit of happiness. That gives everyone something to believe in: freedom for life at conception, freedom to marry one's same gender, freedom to have and use a gun, and the freedom to have religious expression. It's easy to forget that Obama doesn't support gay marriage. It's easy to forget that not all Republicans are gun-toting Bible thumpers. It's easy to forget that terrorists can be any color, and any gender.

All I'm saying is that if you want to make a chance, then use your American-given powers for good and VOTE. Nothing will happen if nothing happens. If you don't vote, then don't complain.

Cheerful and Tear-filled Lunch Revelation

I had the pleasure of eating lunch with my friend Angie today. It was technically a spiritual interview, but it was like eating with a life-long relative. Through this conversation, Angie helped me better understand that I'm not defined by my skill as a singer- I am a child of God. It is my identity in Christ that defines who I am, not the gifts He's given.


I loved being on the stage and I was very good at it. I landed many lead roles, collected awards, and even ventured to [the University of North] Texas in pursuit of a career in opera. Throughout high school, my classmates knew me as the girl who sings and does theater. The photo above is from our high school production of Kiss Me, Kate. I won an award for best leading actress out of 60+ area DC schools for my role as Kathryn (Kate). My favorite part of this photo is that I'm slapping my friend Michael who happened to be one of the earliest Christian influences in my life. His family showed me Christ in their actions before I knew who Jesus was. This was one of my final roles before retiring from musical theater and focusing on opera. Thankfully, God took me to Texas for more than just vocal training; He removed me from my small pond so I could really see the life He has in store for me.

I quickly realized that I wanted more than to be known as a talented person -

I want to be known for my contribution to others' lives.

I changed my major then changed my zip code back to Virginia to complete a degree in Communication. Fast forward to today - living in Lynchburg, very few people know that I'm a good singer, and I like it that way. I think our culture tends to place musicians, especially singers, on very high top-heavy pedestals that will fall over. I love being on stage and performing, but I don't like the stigma that is attached to talented people, that they are full of themselves or are only performing to gain attention for the wrong reasons. It's ludicrous to assign all performers the same identity because of the talents they posses. I enjoy performing because I love to sing, dance, and act! I feel comfortable on stage because its a way of expressing myself and a way to show people who I am as an individual.

I did not seek to become a professional singer and I am very thankful for my choice. I am loving my current position as a manager because I am able to pour into others' lives. It puts a pep in my step to be able to take care of others and help them be better at what they do for our organization. Sure I may whistle a tune while I work, but I don't sing while sitting at my desk- I save it for the stage (or my car).

Another de-Facebooking process

I have cut my friends in half. I have gone from nearly 1,300 "friends" to a little over 600. Many of the folks that didn't make the cut were people who were friends of the time, not friends for all time. (geographic relationships that didn't develop after being removed from the environment like former co-workers, fellow high school grads who would likely not recognize me now if we bumped into each other on the street, etc.)

I want Facebook to be more than a boredom tool to click through everyone's wedding and baby photos. I want it to become a networking tool that I am able to go to, not something I must go to.

We'll see if I can get it down to 300-400 :)

I love my husband :)

By the way, I love my husband :) I think this is my favorite photo of us. Just look at the way he is looking at me and the way he is gently and firmly holding my hand and back! It doesn't get any better than that.

God, thank you for blessing me with a man I do not deserve.

"How to hire.." : Interview Questions

After showing this post about How to hire and How to get hired to some co-workers, they've suggested other great interview questions:

Additional Interview Questions

• What is your greatest strength/weakness?
• What do you do to relieve stress?
• How do you measure success?
• Tell me about a mistake you have made and what you learned from it?
• What motivates you?
• What qualities do you look for in management staff?
• Do you have any blind spots? (this question threw me for a loop when I interviewed for my current position.)
• Tell me about your dream job.
• What kind of person would you refuse to work with?
• Have you ever had to fire someone? How did it make you feel?
• What is your biggest professional disappointment?

Reminder For Applicants

Never underestimate the power of a hand-written thank you note. I recently heard from interviewers about an applicant writing a thank you note. They were very impressed at that individual's professionalism!

Five day Facebook Fast

Rather than fasting meals, I am choosing to fast Facebook for 5 days. Fasting can be a powerful way to surrender to God. For the next five days, rather than trying to connect with over 1,000 Facebook profiles, I will intentionally be connecting with God and learning more about Him.

This morning while I was still waking up, I opened my computer, checked my email, paid the power bill, then typed "facebook.c.." and realized what I was doing. I think this fast will be more challenging than I thought. The most challenging experiences tend to be the most rewarding.

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DAY ONE
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First day of no Facebook and it's been great! I think that God is challenging me to connect with people in the Lynchburg area instead of trying to maintain close connections to those in Northern VA and Texas.

Tonight I had the chance to be with my husband's students. He is a Marching Band Tech (like a coach) for the drumline. The entire marching band went to a putt putt place and it was wonderful getting to know current students and hear their stories. God allowed me to connect to a group on a deeper level than I had before.

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DAY TWO
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More professional development occuring.. wow God. There's no time for Facebook today!

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DAY THREE
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Without divulging details, today was another opportunity to connect, this time on a managerial level. I inherited a stressful situation at work that has been brewing for a number of years. I was given the responsibility of speaking with those involved and coming up with a solution. Even though conflict is not necessarily fun, getting to know my employees better is something I am very thankful for. Thanks for more connections, God!

When I came home, I found myself wanting to relax and go on Facebook to just look at pictures or maybe poke a friend or two. It was hard to resist, but I did and I am thankful for it! Facebook is a habit I am looking forward to breaking.

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DAY FOUR
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Today was no exception. I was able to move to the next level of the previous work-related situation. On a happy note, I had a wonderful evening with Jonathan :)

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DAY FIVE
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Okay, I kind of cheated today.. I logged on with the intention of, "well, I need to see what time I posted my '5 day' status update so I can know when the 5 days are up.." I logged on with the anticipating of my notifications being in the triple digits! I was quickly disappointed to see that I had 6 updates. Six! 2 people wrote on my wall, 2 people commented on a photo I commented on, and 2 people "liked" my status. God already humbled me with a broken nail, but this exceeds my cosmetic conundrum of what color to paint my fingernails.

Alas, the fast has commenced. Although I don't feel I was missed by my Facebook universe, I feel so much more connected to my city. I moved here with one friend: my husband. In two years, I have formed many relationships, but I always tried to hang onto my relationships back home without fully investing in the ones right in front of me. This fast has helped me socially, professionally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Lynchburg is a gigantic transitioning mason jar for 20 somethings. I suppose most college towns suffer the same fate. The friends I grow closest too often relocate within a year and I start the process over again with another journeyer. I'm growing out of my habit of connecting with work-based relationships and investing more into my church body. Because I work at a University, most employees my age do not stay in town for long. However, the friends of my local congregation have roots here so they are often in it for the long haul.

So here's to friends that are three dimensional!

Graduation Post (mentally back-dated to May..)

(Orginially posted on May 20th on my other blog devoted to photos)


I'm a Master. That's right! I'm a Master of Science!... in Management. I actually hate Science so it's rather comical that I am now a Master of it in the ways of Management. Jonathan finished up his Bachelor's of Science in Business - yay!

I completed my degree with Liberty University entirely online and I am so glad I kept pushing through. I was a full-time workin' newlywed with a thirst for an education. Now that I'm done, it's rather strange not being in school. I don't know what to do with myself. I even started reading for fun. How weird is that!

This year's commencement was even more special because I am a Registrar for Liberty. My office plans and puts together Commencement. It's like a really big wedding with no gifts. This year's speaker was Glenn Beck. Love him or hate him, he's a great speaker.