Amazing Grace

I once was lost but now am found.

Some of you may not know this, but every Wednesday night I teach a group of Kindergarteners at AWANAs. There are many times when it feels more like babysitting, but there have definitely been some rewarding times. Last night, a couple of things happened that made it so worth it.

First, one of my little girls told me that whenever she has to write about a special friend in school, she always writes about me. I thought that was so sweet. Later when I saw the girl’s mom, she confirmed what her little girl had told me. I guess I never realized how much my kids really looked up to me. It just confirms how much I should be growing in my relationship with Christ so I can be a better example to them.

And now for the even better news (not that one of my kids looking up to me isn’t great)… One of my girls accepted Christ to be her Lord and Savior! YAY! What amazing news and what a time to rejoice in Him. She is actually new to AWANAs and came as a guest before. Then, she decided she l0ved it and wanted to come back. She has been a member of AWANAs for the past two or three weeks and has been thinking about being saved since she started. She is an amazing girl and I pray that she will continue to grow her relationship with the Lord. Her mom already informed me that all she talks about during the week is going to AWANAs. How wonderful is that!

Falling in Love with Jesus

I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions, but I have decided to grow in my relationship with Christ. To do this, I have started doing 3 things on a daily basis.

1. I have started doing a daily devotional.
2. I have started a journal.
3. I have decided to read more God-centered books.

• Awhile ago, like a year or two ago, I got the Women of Faith Daily Devotional. I said I was going to do the devotional each day, it wouldn’t take much time. I never did it. The book has been sitting on the bookshelf for awhile now. I finally decided to pull it back out. I decided that it was time to focus on the Lord more. I don’t have any excuses left. Many times I am sitting at home bored, now I can use the time to be with God.

• Thanks to Morgan and her post about “Answered Prayer,” I have decided to start a journal. It was originally going to be a prayer journal, but I decided to simply make it a journal where I would not only write about my prayers, but I could also write down other thoughts I had that I wanted to share with the Lord and also be able to reflect back on. It is amazing how many prayers and praises I actually have. I know that using this journal will help me grow in my relationship with Christ because it will let me see how the Lord is working in my life.

• Finally, I have decided to read more God-centered books. The first one I am reading is called “Falling in Love with Jesus.” This book focuses on our Bride/Bridegroom relationship with Jesus. It is easy to relate to because it uses humor, contemporary love songs, real-life stories (as well as stories from movies), and solid Biblical teaching to help women discover a life-changing intimacy with Jesus. The book was written by two women, one who has been married for over 35 years and one who is still single even though she is in her mid-40’s; therefore, any woman should be able to read this book and get some value from it.

• PS- Did anyone notice the new header? The picture is one of our engagement pictures taken in St. Augustine.

Trip to Tallahassee

This past Friday (January 25th) I, Liz, took a trip to Tallahassee in order to take a “written exam” for a position as a crime intelligence analyst. The woman who called me about the exam was very vague and I had absolutely no idea what I was about to encounter, just that I needed to be in Tallahassee by 10:00am and not a minute later.

The first thing I did when making plans for my trip was head on over to Google Maps so I could figure out how long it would take to get from Jacksonville to Tallahassee since I had never been before. According to them it would take me roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes to go the 170 miles. I figured I would leave Jacksonville at 6:00am so I could have time to find my way around the city without feeling rushed.

Of course, as usual, plans change. I didn’t end up leaving Jacksonville until 6:30am (it always takes me longer to get ready than I think it will; especially when it is that early in the morning). I headed on my way hoping that I would make it to Tallahassee by 9:30am so I could find my way and not be late.

My drive over there was very smooth and very relaxing. I spent some time listening to some new songs I had just purchased from iTunes the night before. I also spent some time with the Lord trying to figure out His plans for my life. I didn’t have any revelations at the time though and I am still waiting for His response!

I made it to Tallahassee in good time (two and a half hours) and was able to head over to the local Panera to get some breakfast and spend a little time gaining my composure. I also changed into some nicer clothes to make a better first impression at the agency. After Panera I headed over to the agency (sorry for the anonymity) to take the “written exam.”

I checked in and was told to have a seat. A few more people came in and stated they were there to take the written exam for the analyst position; they were told to wait as well. Now, it was almost 10:00am. A woman told us (the ones there to take the exam) to follow her. I counted the people. Including me, there were six of us (five women and one man).

We followed her through some doors and then down a hall. Then we took an elevator up to the 3rd floor. Then we went down another hall. We entered a room where there were already about six other people waiting to take the exam for the analyst position. That’s when I started getting nervous. I felt okay competing with five other people for the one position, but competing with more than ten people for the one position made me a little anxious!

We each took a seat in front of a blank notepad and waited for further instructions. One of the three women seated at the front of the room stood to address us. She gave a little background about the position and what type of work the position would include. She then informed us that we would each be given a synopsis of a case and we would be required to write an investigative report. We were told they would not be able to answer any questions and that we would be graded on grammar, spelling, punctuation, content, etc. We would have 45 minutes to complete the report.

The top candidates from the written exam would be placed in the job pool for the next part of the application process. If we did not hear from them by this upcoming Friday (February 1st), we should contact them in order to get more information about our status in the application process. This made me more nervous. Not only was I competing with a bunch of other people for one position, I might not even get to the next step in the process.

That’s when it hit me. Why should I be nervous? I have been praying throughout this entire job search and application process. God knows my desires and He also knows His plans for my life. If I am not meant for this position, it won’t happen. If God has the desire for me to be in this position, things will work out. Right then I calmed down. It was exactly what I needed.

I wrote my investigative report and had time to spare. I read and re-read my report. I made any corrections I felt needed to be made and I turned it in. At times I second guess my report. Should I have done this a little different or should I have included that? But, in the end, I know I did the best I could considering I don’t have any prior experience writing investigative reports and I had no clue what type of written exam I would be taking.

I went to Panera for lunch and then drove back to Jacksonville; I got home about 2:00pm. Now, I am playing the waiting game. Will I be contacted for an interview or maybe even further testing? Only God knows. Please continue to pray for me during this process. Pray for my patience and that God’s will be done in my life.

In the meantime, I wait to hear from this agency and any of the other agencies I have applied to. I will definitely be keeping everyone updated on what is going on in my job search.

Quick Update…

It has been a week since I posted about my job search and I already have to thank you for praying (if any of you, besides Brittany, have prayed for me). I heard from one of the places I applied to last Friday and I am headed to Tallahassee this Friday (January 25th) for some testing. I have absolutely no idea what I am getting myself into!

I now ask that you please pray for my travels and for the test to go well. I am not sure what happens next, but I am definitely anxious and excited all at once. I have never driven this far by myself, but I am going to use my drive to spend some time with the Lord. Maybe something will come out of this opportunity and maybe not. As long as it is the Lord’s desire for my life I know I will be satisfied.

The Search Goes On…

One month ago today (on December 14th), I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of North Florida with a BA in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. In my last semester at UNF, I did an internship with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. During this internship I sat with a “Crime Intelligence Analyst” to help track fugitives. After sitting with her for the semester, I decided that I wanted to become a crime or intelligence analyst. I didn’t know when I would do it, or with what agency (Local, State, or Federal), but I knew it was what I wanted to do.

Well, I couldn’t really find any local positions as an analyst, but I knew there were open positions with FDLE in other counties in Florida. Kyle and I had discussed moving before, but he had said he wanted to wait a couple of years before leaving Jacksonville so I knew the other jobs were out of the picture. So, I just waited… and waited… and waited…

I have been working at Pottery Barn for the past 3 months. Although I love working there and I do a pretty darn good job at selling furniture (I was the top sales associate for the month of December! Hehe), I believe God has better things in store for my life.

One Sunday, recently, I was telling one of our pastors at church that I had received my degree, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it yet since Kyle wasn’t ready to move away from Jacksonville and there weren’t many openings in Jacksonville for what I wanted to do. After I said that, Kyle said something I have been waiting to hear… “Look wherever you want.” I asked if he was serious, and he said he was. When discussing it later I asked if it meant I could apply for any positions I found and he said, “Look, and we’ll see.”

Well, I started looking and found a ton of jobs out there. After discussing it with Kyle, I decided to apply! So far I have applied to about ten different positions with a few different agencies. I have about 5, or so, more jobs I am looking to apply to. The thing is, only two are in Jacksonville.

I know that no matter what happens, God is in control and that wherever we end up, it is because He wanted us there. I ask that all of you who read this (that’s what, maybe 5 of you?!?!) please pray for me as this is a very long and intense application process (it can range from a month to nine months and anywhere in-between). If you have any questions, I can try to answer as much as possible, but there are some things I can’t answer due to the nature of the jobs I am applying for.

Take care and please remember to pray for us!