Memo anyone?

Wouldn't it be great if God send you a memo of what He has in store for you, even if it's just a daily agenda type of memo.

As those who read this know, I had an interview with the Methodist Children's Home on Monday after work. Well, I got the call today.

I'm sure you've picked up on the tenure of that small six word sentence...no, I didn't get the job and yes, they will make sure to send my application back to Human Resources incase something else comes up. What a lukewarm sentiment.

I feel really bummed out about this because I thought that maybe, just maybe, I was finding the reason as to why God has brought me all the way to Waco, Texas from Tulsa, Oklahoma. It hurts even more because I am literally aching with how much I miss doing ministry with youth. I was definitely looking forward to the opportunity to work with the high school boys at MCH.

Obviously, God has other plans. He won't tell me though. I just wish I could understand that, fully understand it, and not have a part of me, that tiny little part that is able to cause much damage, whisper time and again that I am not good enough. Nobody wants me. Everybody hates me. I should eat some worms...

Worms...sounds good. I'll have to remember to pick up some gummy worms when I go shopping tomorrow after work. Turns out that I may be feeding the Mariachi San Pablo lunch on Saturday...I'll know for sure when Krysia calls to confirm the plans. I also have to make brownies for Stephen...that's the price he gave me to allow me to hang out with my boy Jaden.

I am so looking forward to seeing that kid! I've got gifts for him and will be going to Academy tomorrow to get another gift.

Well, enough. Work is going well, a little chaotic due to the inter-departmental moving ( I get my own cubicle once they are done with that!), but it is paying me so I don't complain too much...except the fact that we are all so efficient, there's not much to do at the moment. Next Tuesday will be one month since I started working with Tatex...I guess I should celebrate...

Hey, it pays the bills.

To Make You Laugh

So I am sitting in my apartment with my air conditioner down to 50 degrees and I am sweating to death...what is up with the world?

My air conditioner supposedly was fixed yesterday and when I got home, it was working fine enough for me to use a light blanket when I went to bed. But now, NOW, even though it blows air, there's nothing, NOTHING!

Anyway, I thought I'd make y'all laugh by sharing a story from one of my all time favorite books, 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny by Phillip Done.

I used to laminate everything, absolutely everything -posters, prints, bookmarks, birthday certificates, awards, library passes, name tags, file folders, book jackets, real estate calendars. You name it, I laminated it. They called me the laminating king.

It got pretty bad. Once Cathy sent me a note with a question. Attached was a sticky note. It said, "Please just answer the question. Do not laminate."

But now I won't go near the machine. Not even close.

You see, one night I was in the staff room laminating my kids' art work for Back to School Night. It was late.

Now, you know what a laminating machine looks like of course. It's about three feet wide and sits on a table. It has two big rolls of plastic. You put whatever it is you want to laminate in on one side. The paper rolls through the two big rolls of laminating plastic. The plastic is hot and adheres to the paper. And your paper comes out on the other side all nicely laminated. It's great.

So there I was, carefully guiding each piece of artwork into the laminator, humming along, when all of a sudden, I felt this tug! I looked down. My tie was caught in the machine!

Immediately, I pulled back, but the tie was stuck. I tugged again. Still nothing. I jerked a third time. No luck. Meanwhile, I was still rolling into the machine. Oh my God, I thought. I am going to die!

I could see the headlines: "Teacher Flattend in Laminating Machine," "Teacher Suffocates to Death in Hot Plastic," "Teacher Becomes Art Project," "J.C. Penney Recalls One Million Ties."

I slammed off the switch.
I kept rolling.
"Crap!" I screamed.
It was the heat button.
I pushed another button.
I started rolling faster.
"Noooooo!" I yelled.
I reached under the table and fumbled for the cord. I found it.
Thank God!
I yanked it as hard as I could.
Suddenly everything stopped.

I sighed, closed my eyes, and rested my chin on the edge of the table. I didn't move for about ten seconds. My head was about five inches away from the roller.

Finally I lifted my head and looked around the room.

How the hell am I going to get out of this thing? I thought to myself. I couldn't undo my tie. The skinny part in the back had gone through too.

Then I spotted some scissors on the counter. I tried to reach them but they were too far away.

Damn! What was I going to do?

"Helloooooo," I said softly, "Helloooooo."
Nobody answered.
Oh my God, I thought. If I don't get out of here, the other teachers will find me here in the morning.

I yelled louder.

"Heeeeeelp! Heeeelp!" I screamed.

Finally, after about ten minutes of my screaming at the top of my lungs, Marion walked into the room. She covered her mouth.

"Don't laugh," I said, "Get me out of this thing!"
"How did you...?" she asked.
"Never mind! Just get me out of this," I said. "Grab those scissors over there and cut the tie."
"Cut it?"
"Cut it!" I screamed.
"But it's a nice tie," she said.
"I don't care about the stupid tie," I yelled. "Just get me out of here! And stop laughing! It's not funny."

Marion cut the tie and I was saved. That night I made her swear not to tell a soul. But Marion is not good at keeping secrets. For weeks afterward, strangers would pass me in the supermarket, at the gas station -everywhere -point to my tie, and start cracking up.

I called my dad and told him the whole story. He couldn't stop laughing either. Until I told him it was his tie.

Hope you enjoyed that! It is one of my all time favorites! Wish I could hear you laughing as you read it. I always laugh as I read it, which makes it hard when I'm reading it outloud to someone else.

Well, other than that, there's nothing else going on in my life, so adios!

Ice Cubes

As I sit here in front of my fan, which is blowing nothing but hot air, and cursing the broken air conditioner (I got the fan the day before my air conditioner up and quit on me...is that what's called irony? I don't like it) and bugs that won't allow me to have my windows open (I had them opened yesterday and as I was reading on my bed, a huge black cricket walked by me and I screamed like a banshee...I was able to take it back outside where it belonged by using an envelope and the emptied band-aid box), I start think of how simple it would be if I were an ice cube.

With this heat, I would slowly melt but I would still remain cold until I become a little cold puddle in the ground that would quickly evaporate and would no longer be in agony. Melting definitely sounds like a dream come true because, at the least, the misery of being hot would have an end.

Instead, I am fresh out of a cold shower and I can feel the heat all around me despite the fan being on high. Even though girls supposedly don't sweat (we perspire) I can tell you right now that is not true. I'm so miserable that I haven't even eaten today for two reasons:

1) I would have to turn on the stove if I wanted to cook something
2) I would have to walk into the hot kitchen/living room to make a sandwich and it is so not worth it

So here I am, melting away in ounces and inches, looking forward to going to my job tomorrow. With a bit of prayer, they'll have the air conditioner fixed by the time I get home from the Methodist Children's Home.

I am so hot I am missing Oklahoma's Ice Storm...and to be honest, I would rather be cold than hot. With cold, you can just pile on the layers...with hot, well, there's only so much you can take off without it being absolutely indecent!

Do I Have What It Takes?

So this morning I got a call from Lee Davis. He works at the Methodist Children's Home here in Waco, Texas. He called concerning the application and resume I had sent to them in early June and to see if I was still interested in working with them.

I have an interview with him on Monday, after I get out of work. The position being offered involves working weekdays and weekends, 3PM to 11PM, with the occasional weekend off. I would be doing housing supervision for 14 to 17 year old boys that live in the Methodist Home campus. This means working with high school teenage boys that come from difficult backgrounds, such as abuse or abandonment. These boys may have behavioral problems, issues with others and themselves, and more than likely, issues with authority.

I've talked to Kevin about it (his intial response was "If they offer you the job, take it") as well as Pastor Busch. Being the great mentor that he is, he just went right out and asked me what about the job scared me. I can't be anything less than honest with him and his advise gave me hope.

Ever since I took the call to be a DCE, which was the middle of the third week of the first summer I worked as a Senior Counselor at Camp ALOMA, I've felt called to work with troubled youth. I remember sharing this with Serena once and she made me feel bad (not intentionally I am sure) when she replied that all youth are troubled. I agree but what I meant to say is that I feel called to work with the special cases...you know, the ones nobody else wants to work with because they are too much trouble. I'm talking about attitude problems, behavior problems, abuse home backgrounds, drugs, sex, alcohol, gangs, self-esteem issues, etc.

These are the kids I've always wanted to work with yet every once in a while, I doubted whether it was a calling from God or if it was just me with a subconscious hero complex. Every time something like that crossed my mind, a youth or young adult would come along with problems that made me ache for them and made me pour myself into them. I'm talking about eating disorders, anger management problems, verbally abusive fathers, verbally abusive mothers, in need of unconditional love, in need of affirmation and acceptance. I've had several of these kids throughout my ministry experience. Even then, though, they were balanced by a group of kids that I considered stable. Funny how a troubled kid needs at least five stable kids on the other side of the scale to keep the balance.

I've always worried that working full time with troubled kids would burn me out or show me that I don't have the backbone or skills or passion like I thought I did. It's really nice and all to think about dedicating my future to these hurting kids, which can be found anywhere, but when the challenge is presented to me, will I succeed or crash and burn? Do I have what it takes?

This was what I shared with Pastor Busch, my fear that I may not be strong enough, whether emotionally, physically, spiritually or psychologically, to actually deal with these potentially hurting teenage boys and their baggage ( especially when I am still learning to deal with mine) in a full time basis. Will I find those several normal kids that will keep the scales balanced so I don't burn out, or worst, walk away from the experience with a bleeding heart and broken spirit?

He said something to me that is pushing me towards taking the job if offered:

Instead of focusing on what weaknesses will come out of this experience, focus on what strengths will develop and grow.

The challenge is this: Can I walk the walk or am I simply all talk? I feel such a hunger for ministry ( Pastor laughed and made the comment that ministry gets in your blood...I can't help but agree) and the opportunity to dedicate myself (and make a living) doing something that I feel so strongly about is being offered to me.

Will I rise to the challenge? Do I have what it takes? Or will this be God's way of saying that He has other plans for me?

...Or, be still my heart, is this God saying this is what He has planned for me?

Trail Mix

Just a quick update before I head out to eat my lunch in the lunch room.

I bought myself a golden ivy so I could have something at home to take care of. I've put up my easel and have started painting again. I finally completed the 23rd chapter of a story I am writing. I've ordered Jaden's Converse sneakers and hope to get those before he gets to Waco on the 2nd. I am making plans to head down to Austin on the 7th for Becca's kickball game and to watch Batman with her on the 8th.

Other than all that, there's not much big news except that I got a letter from Christine and need to buy long envelopes to mail my 7 page letter (her fault for asking too many questions). Also, I am going to start looking into buying a bed. I told Shortcake I had no furniture whatsoever and she spend most of our conversation unable to wrap her mind around it.

By the way, Shorty, I like your Bonsai tree!

Subway and Weak Scores

So I've spent most of this morning out by the catalog area (which is also where all our stock and docking sites are) checking out UNICEP Christmas cards to make sure none of them have a weak score. A score is the line in a card that makes it easier to fold in half or tri-fold.

Anyway, some of these Christmas cards have weak scores on the left side corner of the scores, which means when you fold the card, it rips. We don't want that. So I am checking each box, unpacking and repacking the cards, and making sure each box have 500 each. We have a weight meter that counts out the number of cards you put on it from the weight. Which saves time 'cause I was originally thinking I would have to count them out by hand.

I didn't have to bring lunch today 'cause the marketing department brought in Subway. Free food is always good for me, mostly because even though I am no longer a college student, I am poor enough to appreciate the nuances of a free meal.

Bills are pouring in and I am developing an aversion to my mailbox, which is saying alot for those who know me and my mailbox OCDness. I have no need to check my box more than two or three times a week, which is very strange for me because back at CUA, I would check my mailbox three or four times a day, even though I knew there was no mail. It's just that if mail goes through my head, I have to do something about it. I can't ignore it or put it off for another day. But mail doesn't go through my head here as often as it did back in Tulsa and Austin. Here it's too long of a walk from my apartment to my mailbox and I more than likely have bills as opposed to letters from family and friends. (Hint, Hint)

My life is going pretty well, aside from the people demanding money I don't have problem. I've discovered a new musical...Annie Get Your Gun. It is so cute and funny and the kind of musical that makes you wonder why love like that no longer exists. I bought myself the DVD and got one for Becca and am now waiting for Amazon to mail it sometime this week or next week. I really do recommend this movie/musical. I would love the opportunity to see it live on stage. That would be awesome. I blame Stephen for my love of life theatre. So far, I've only seen three life performances, one musical and two ballet: Les Miserables, Romeo and Juliet, and The Great Gatsby.

I loved every single one of them...well, actually, The Great Gatsby does not lend itself to good ballet...Romeo and Juliet on the other hand was written to be a ballet. The next Broadway show I would love to see is Phantom of the Opera. Someday, I'll be able to see that. I would also love to see Chicago, Rent and Annie live on stage. I think it would be a definite treat.

Well, I don't have much more to say and my lunch hour isn't even half over. Oh yeah, I start Wednesday Bible study at St. Mark Lutheran today with Kevin. The Wednesday group is studying 1st Corinthians...that should be fun...I took that class with Giese when I studied Major Pauline Epistles. I am enjoying being a student once again, at least in that manner.

Anyway, until later!

Oh yeah, Shortcake, thank you. I will eventually put up more and I have a couple of favorites that I want to print out and get framed. Well, hope to hear from you soon!

Thermography and Lucy

So I started working at Tatex: Thermographers on Tuesday morning. So far, I've learned what thermography is (it is the process of creating raised writing in invitations, stationery, business cards, etc. that simulates embossing. It has been in existence for so long that it is no longer considered a simulator but an art in itself. The way it works involves a plate of the desired text, ink, powder and HOT ovens that bake the powder into the ink, thus creating the raised effect.)

Tatex is a wholesale printing company. They print E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, from social events to commercial events. If interested in knowing more, go to http://www.tatex.com/

They do not deal with individual people but work through dealers, such as local party stores, wedding planners and consultants, or national chains, such as Al's Bridal Wear and Party City. So next time you are making plans to order invitations or engraved napkins or match books, or personalized stationery or business cards, think of me, 'cause I will more than likely be working with your dealer on your order.

So far, I've spent the last two days assigning PINs to our Dewberry dealers. See, Tatex has a 300% increase in sales and dealers because two of its sister companies, Dewberry and Celebration (one in Alabama and the other one somewhere in the West Coast) has either closed its doors or downsized, so we are taking on their customers. This means adding a large amounts of customers and their informations, and assigning them PINs to access their on line orders, into our Tatex system.

Today, I learned how to process through orders from discontinued albums. See, our albums are good for two years. Every once in a while, a dealer sends in an order from a discontinued album and we have to cross reference their order through our active albums, make sure they are the same item, then get the new item numbers onto the invoice, let the dealer know that the album they are using has been discontinued and should be discarded and offer to put in their order for the new album...some of those albums have a waiting list so that's another thing we have to tell them if that is the case with their album order.

This is something that I will be doing but I actually think that they are training me in every area. Oh yeah, I work with Albums in the Marketing department. And my work name is Lucy, which is easier to hear over the phone, or so my superviser Theressa said. It's really strange to have all these co-workers calling me Lucy, a name reserved for family and very close friends. Oh well.

Well, that's my update. I'll let you know more about my life as it progresses.

Oh yeah, work drama. One, there's a possible dead rat under our coke machine (12oz Dr.Pepper for 10cents since we don't get breaks-how awesome it that!?) that is causing a big yucky sting. My cubicle is right across the machine but I don't smell it until I walk by the machine...everyone else complains about it all day though). Second work drama, one of the girls that works in production (the big printing machines, cutting machines, stamping machines, engraving machines, packing machines, etc.) got her lunch stolen from the lunch room's fridge...she cussed up a storm and it was at the beginning of the lunch hour so by the time I was ready for some entertainment, the drama was all gone and the rest of my lunch hour was ho-hum.

Well, that really is all. Adios!!!

Apartment Scouting and Dinner

I drove out to find Tatex, which is on Gholson Road, out in the boonies of East Waco. I didn't find the place. Instead, I ended up coming to Kevin's place and he went ahead and went out with me to find my new workplace. It's way out there and there's nothing around so that means I'll be taking lunch with me every day.

Afterwards, we had Bush's Chicken for lunch then drove around Hewitt, checking out apartments. I am definitely looking into moving to Hewitt once my lease at the South Waco apartment is up at the end of this year.

Anyway, after doing some apartment scouting, Kevin and I headed off to HEB to buy the stuff we needed to make Chicken Parmesean for his family tonight. That should be fun. Definitely looking forward to that.

Well, that's all that's going on with me at the moment. I am looking forward to starting work tomorrow morning and hopefully being able to keep this job permanently unless another better paying job comes along.

Good Time

I got payed today! I worked 32 hours this week, and even though the original pay rate was suppose to be $7.50 an hour, after I received my check and did the math, I realized that I got payed $8.00 an hour. Yay! I deposited my money then headed home but not before stopping and getting a haircut. It is about 5 inches shorter than it was...I like it...alot. As soon as I am able to, I will put up pictures of my hair in its natural curly state, as well as straight (thanks to my new 2" straightner!)

I am making chicken for dinner, hoping to do some writing and reading, as well as waiting for Kevin to call about tomorrow's plans. I don't start my new job assignment until Tuesday because the lady that will be training me won't be there on Monday. So I already have a day off even before I start working. I'll let you know more about my job once I find out if I get to keep it.

Here are more pictures that I've taken in hopes to discover some inner photographer within me. These are some more of my favorites. Hope you enjoy them. Shortcake, you still haven't told me what you think...should I just stick to painting, crocheting and knitting or do I have a shot at photography?

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Fountain of Wine

This wine bottle wall fountain is in Copeland's, a Louisiana food restaurant outside of Tulsa...I think it's in Broken Arrow. Anyway, I went there for dinner with Barbara and Matt. We had alligator (because I've never had it before) which I liked and I ended up having the crawfish po' boy. We had a lot of fun just talking about life, ministry, their kids, my single life, music, etc.

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Water Under the Bridge

This is the bridge over the Brazos River at the Waco Riverwalk. Another one of my favorites. The Waco Riverwalk is amazingly picturesque. I enjoyed exploring it with Kevin then on my own.

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Roses of Light

These roses are from the Good Shepherd garden. The secretaries (Dottie, Nancy, Joyce, and Nancy) gathered them together and put them in a crystal bowl for my cake and punch reception after the late service on my last Sunday at Good Shepherd. I miss them all.

Well, hope you enjoyed them! And Shortcake...yes, a photo shoot sounds great...as soon as I can get down to Austin. Told Becca about the movie and it looks like a great possible plan. Too bad we can't get Rachins to come along since she'll be in South Texas.

Inspiration

So Shortcake requested that I update more often. Since I don't have much of an interesting life at the moment, I thought I'd share something personal with you...my recent attraction to photography. Shortcake is a true inspiration and while my pictures are nowhere near as amazing as hers, I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures which I believe are really good...for an amateur. Hope you let me know what you think about these pictures that I was able to upload thanks to Residence Inn. Hope you enjoy them!!!

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Traditionally Contemporary

This is a picture I took at the sanctuary in Good Shepherd. I thought it clearly depicts the need to find a happy medium between the struggle concerning traditional and contemporary worship.

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A Bridge Between You and Me

This is the bridge that connects the south side of Waco (where I live) and the east side of Waco (where the dangerous people live...according to Kevin). The Waco Riverwalk is absolutely beautiful and within walking distance from where I live at the moment.

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Rose of Sharon

This is one of the blooms in the Good Shepherd garden. I absolutely loved these...along with the hibiscus and the roses.

Jaden and I

Well, I was able to upload these pictures before my Residence Inn internet flaked out. So here are more pictures of the cutest baby I've ever met...well, not the only one...my two nephews were pretty cute when they were babies. Anyway, this one is a special one...I asked for that baby after Stephen and Krysia got married...they made me wait three years but it was totally worth it!

Here is my brother in Sunday school class, taught by Stepher, holding Jaden (once again) as if he were a live grenade...my brother cracks me up! Anyway, I think Jade liked my brother...


Here I am with Jaden. I think this may have been after he had been fed, burped, and had napped. We hung out, walking the living room, while Stephen played the piano. I think Jaden was enthralled with the music...more than likely, he will be musically talented...A musically talented pilot is what he's going to grow up to be. This is, by far, my favorite picture.

And here are my parents with the young Heimer family. My mother had them over for dinner Sunday night and Stephen has never been able to say no to my mom's enchiladas, rice and beans. I had fun hanging out with Jaden at home, watching him as he watched me play with the hanging twirly things my parents have in the dining room. Yes, this is the house I grew up in...it's cluttered with all sorts of strange things. This is where my love of collecting things comes from.

I have been trying to e-mail all the pictures to Krysia, but unfortunately, the Residence Inn internet does not make it possible. As soon as I get to the library, I will e-mail them to her. I promise, Krysia, I will e-mail them to you as soon as I am able to get to the library.

Hope y'all have enjoyed the pictures as much as I've enjoyed sharing them!

Earning the Big Ones

So today was day two of my temporary four day job at Allen Samuels. That means I have put in 16 hours of filing and sorting and folder making. My head hurts and I can see numbers swimming before my eyes, whether they are opened or close.

I'll be getting paid for the four days at the end of this week. That's some money...hopefully enough to pay my credit card bill.

On Monday, July 17th, I start my try out position at Datex, a printing company that is looking to hire a bilingual customer service person for the accounting office. I have a try out period of several days before they make the decision to keep me. That means a possible full time, Monday to Friday, 8AM to 5PM job where I will be earning $8.00 an hour. I am definitley praying to get this job. The only other one that will be better is the employment counselor position at Jack of All Trades but they are still interviewing people...or so I've been told.

So how has life been, you're wondering? Well, I've been thinking much more about a certain someone than I usually do. I've gotten the chance to talk to my Shortcake which was awesome. I miss that girl. I've realized that I am still holding back from any type of risk that involves some kind of personal investment. I realized I am not ready to take that step.

I've been writing a story that is complete in my head yet is still in progress over the computer. I've decided that if I finish this story, I definitely have the makings for a future author with best seller books.

I've been working on my affirmation quilt. I finally finished hemming the sides of the writing side so that it wouldn't unravel and am still putting squares together for the other side...all by hand.

I have no yarn which is driving me crazy and no canvas to paint, which is equally driving me crazy. No cable on my television is also driving me crazy and I absolutely hate my stupid airbed.

Well, that's enough complaining. Next time around, I'll try to post something more uplifting and positive, like the short story that is developing in my head. Looking forward to sharing that with y'all.