mama this surely is a dream...

okay - so i haven't posted in a while... but here i am now... sitting down to write one of my happiest posts ever...

on monday/tuesday, i was offered and accepted the job as the graphic designer/production assistant for the northwest baptist convention... here's what it all means -

• i have a "career" - this is not a part-time job to get me through seminary - this will be full-time, benefits, the works - monday-friday 8:30-5:00 - type job - no nights, no weekends...
• about school - they are working around my school schedule this semester... next semester, i am taking several steps back - only taking 6 hours max - just on tuesdays... depending on if i can handle it... my boss is not advocating me taking time off... but i don't want to be unrealistic in what i can take on... oh - and i start next week!!!
• the northwest is home... officially - my life will have major consistency - and i'm thrilled at that...
• as far as the job goes - here are my responsibilities... i will be responsible for graphic design for the convention - basically anything that anyone needs - i'm their go-to... so if someone needs programs designed for a meeting, logos, business cards, letterheads, envelopes - all that stuff... along with helping out with production/layout of the monthly newspaper... i think center spread will be my baby each month... other than that, it's just stories with a couple of ads at the bottom... along with helping out with the web site - this is the part that really intimidates me... i don't know anything - the only experience i have is this blog, which is very basic... but it'll work out, i'm sure...
• i have put in notice at my other two jobs... this one job is more than adequate for me to quit both of my other jobs and still come out way ahead at the end of the month... which is a great feeling...
• this job is perfect... i love the people i am going to be working with already - it's in the same building where i go to school, so i'm already on a first-name basis with many of the people i will get to work with each day... it's a very laid-back type of atmosphere - although i'm sure it will get stressful close to deadline time...
• the northwest baptist convention (check out www.nwbaptist.org) is basically the network of all the southern baptist churches in washington, oregon and part of idaho... it's the equivalent (in the south) of a state convention (like the arkansas baptist state convention - absc)...
• what this means for me/ministry - i still have huge and high expectations for high 5 ministries... honestly, a regular-full-time job is what i've been praying for... so my goals are to 1) get involved with a team-led youth ministry with a church in the area... 2) build a network of youth workers, school officials, and youth... as well as anyone else who would be interested in high 5... 3) start preliminary (baby steps) work to build up a ministry without a building... whether it be at the school or a church... or somewhere else... 4) pray that others catch the vision for it - and hopefully, in 10 years, have a full-running youth center - with tutoring, video games, a gym, music rooms, drama rooms, computer labs, foosball, ping pong and pool tables, and hopefully living areas upstairs for the interns... :)... and in the mean time, i will still be working my regular 40-hour a week job and working with the youth at the church that God will show me in the next few months... so that's what i see... and hope expectantly for...

i'm sure there's something i haven't covered... questions? post them as comments... i've basically been floating for the last few days... and the quote of the week has definitely been "i know..." - if you've heard me say it in the monica-voice from friends... because everyone has said how excited they are for me - and how great the job sounds... and how good it will be for me to have a "grown-up" job - i know... all of this i know... and i'm thrilled about... and i know that it's totally a God-thing... i found out about the job last tuesday, interviewed a week ago (on thursday) and monday - and found out monday that i got it/tuesday - what the pay would be and specifics and accepted it then... so in a week's time, i found out about it, interviewed twice and accepted it... and i totally credit that to my Daddy - He knows that i have no patience... and He's so faithful to deal with me in immediates... and i'm so thankful... as excited as i was, i definitely had a "have you thanked Him yet" day - which is something this cool lady i knew in college used to say - because her mom had said it to her... half-way through a very excited, shaking squeal, i thought... "have you thanked Him yet?" - and i had to stop... thank you Daddy, for knowing what i need and proving to be faithful and consistant and constant and loving... and to top it off, i never submitted a resume or portfolio - they're trusting me and my self-assessment... i know i can do this job... and i told them and they're trusting me... so now, i have to live up to that - which i totally know i can do... it's just kind of crazy...

okay - so that's it for now... i'm kind of taking my last few days "off" to be a bum... wear jeans and sweatshirts and do nothing all day - these days are limited... but it'll be great on the other side of it, too...