The Transition of an Era

We're now in Birmingham, but it doesn't feel like home, even though I grew up here. It took me nearly 6 years living in Starkville and gaining a wife to finally call it home.

We finished packing up with little room to spare in the uhaul. Dad and I cleaned out my office on campus. It would have been such a nicer feeling if I was actually completely done with my thesis. I went with Megan to transfer our utilities over to her name. We then went to our final meal at La Terraza with my parents, Rebecca's mom, Megan, and the Franci.

We said our goodbyes. The girls shed some tears. It was a sad moment in the parking lot of that Mexican restaurant. We knew this day was coming for many months, but it didn't make it any easier. It makes you wonder why you are moving. Our standard response about being back often is as much of a reassurance to ourselves as it is to everyone else.

Starkville has been great. I never thought I would have grown as attached to it as I have. As much as I like Starkville, Rebecca and I both feel its not the best place to base our respective businesses out of. To me Starkville has always felt like a holding pattern on life. Its a city of people in transition, so the things you grow to love are also in transition. The biggest of those being friends. Most of my friends have long since moved away. The one set of friends who have made the college and married transition with us is the largest reason it has been so hard to leave. Living in the same apartment complex gave the true feeling of community that let a friendship bloom unlike any other. It was rare for a day to pass without one of us going to the others house to catch up on the days events. Boredom was not an option with friends just 100 yards away. So David and Emily, since you two are some of the few who actually read my blog, Rebecca and I just wanted to say we will truly miss you guys. The Lord has provided us with so much already in Birmingham we know he will take care of the friend department too, however it is hard to ask for replacements, because we wouldn't want to replace you. So where ever we may be, its never 'goodbye', just 'see you later'.

Empty Apartment

My week off has been anything but. Photo stuff Monday and Tuesday followed by two solid days of packing. The busyness of the day has kept me distracted from the emotion of leaving the town I have come to love over the past 7 years. As we get ready for bed its starting to set in.

We are about 90% packed in the massive  uhaul. It will take some creativity to get the rest to fit. The Franci warned us about feeling like you got it under control, then being no where close when you actually start loading the truck. If a Wits and Wagers question was "Of people moving, what is the difference, in percentage, of their stuff they think they have packed compared to what they actually have packed," I would have been way off.

I'm sitting in what used to be our office. Just this morning it was full of stuff in pretty much the same order it had been all year. Its the same room, yet nothing feels the same. She's been a good ship, and I hate to see her go.


We're about to head to bed for the last time in Apt. 143. Much more to come on the whole moving process and the effect on our lives. Maybe even our first video taken with the new camera.

Last Day

Today is my last day at MSU. It doesn't feel like a last day because I'm not done with my thesis. So I'll still have to make some return trips for that little project. Nevertheless, today is the last day where I will make the trip to 368 Dorman for an 8-5 shift. I've been coming here since January 2008. Its been a nice transition from full time student to full time employee. Whether or not to pursue grad school was a big debate in my head, and as I approach the end, I'm still glad I have done it for several reasons:

• I've learned a lot
• I've gotten to be with Rebecca
• I have not lost money on the deal
• Lots of great time with friends
• I've gotten to mature before I dive off into a career path

There are certainly things I would go back and change, but I could probably say that about any path I had chosen. I definitely don't think grad school is for everyone, and its not an intelligence thing. Its just an arduous journey with a lot of hoops to jump through. Some career paths its worth it, others not. Just don't do it because you assume it will make your more money in the long run.

Anyways, I didn't intend on getting all sappy on this post. Today got me thinking about other last days I have had at jobs. This is the longest tenure I've ever had at a job, however its probably the most anti-climatic of any of them.

• Chick-fil-a: worked there nearly two years in high school. I quit to make more money at Longscape doing something I enjoyed much more. I don't really remember my last day, however I still crave Chick-fil-a at least once a week.
• Willow Point Country Club: My first internship for my major. It was an eye-opening summer in which I realized I didn't want to work at a golf course. I still learned a tremendous amount about turf on a beautiful course. My internship came to an end and as is customary amongst turf internships, I got thrown into the lake at the end of my last day. 
• Personal Lawn Care: My second internship took place in Memphis, TN with a company I made a connection with during summer missions the year before. I learned a good deal about chemicals, fertilizers, and running a small business. I also had a great time with my gracious hosts the Poschels. Nothing memorable about my last day except a desire to get back to Starkville for a soon to be romantic pursuit.
• Naturescape: This was my third and final internship. This one lasted 7 months in Birmingham. The first half was great, the second half got mundane when I got stuck as the chemical guy after the other guy quit. My last day was much anticipated because previously mentioned romantic pursuit was returning from a month long trip to Peru and we could finally return to Starkville and be in the same city again.
• MSU Graduate Teaching Assistant: My last day has been about like any other, which I prefer. I don't like a lot of big goodbyes with people I don't hang out much to begin with. Its also unwanted because I will be returning as early as next week to get my stuff. So if you have a big goodbye and then see the person a couple days later, its makes it awkward. I prefer the fade method. So I rode my bike to work, ate leftovers in my office for lunch, and did some work on the thesis in between.

Hopefully I won't have another 'last day' for a while.

Big News

We had some big news yesterday. At this stage in our lives, that usually means somebody is pregnant. Sorry mom, not that big of news.

Rebecca got a call about a month ago from a friend/coworker at MSU University Relations. This girl was a University Photographer at MSU who just moved to North Carolina. She got offered a job at Samford University in Birmingham to be a part time photographer, but they were already moved so she didn't want it. She recommended Rebecca for the job, because she knew we were moving to Birmingham. Rebecca got in contact with the senior photographer and set up an interview.


Rebecca and her mom went to Samford on Wednesday for the interview. I had to work so I couldn't tag along. I'll let Rebecca give all the details on her blog, but basically she had to go shoot three different events on campus along with an actual interview. It took about 5 hours. She thought it went well and was told she hear back by Thursday.

She got a call yesterday from Caroline, the senior photographer, offering her the job. Rebecca of course took it. She starts August 10th. I think it will be a perfect fit for her. Its a part time job so she can still do her own business on the side. She'll get to be a part of lots of neat events on campus. I'll probably get to help her with some sporting events, if nothing more than to tell her what is going on and what's important.

It has been so neat to see the Lord opening doors and providing opportunities as we make the transition to Birmingham. We had the desire to move there and trusted the Lord would provide. So far he has dropped a free house for a couple months and this great job right in our laps.

I just need to get my business going so I don't get hassled for Rebecca being the primary breadwinner.

Thessalonians' Lifestyle

I have been reading through the 5 New Testament books that start with 'T'. I read this a while back, but it has stuck with me so I thought I get it down in the blogosphere.

"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Its a simple verse meant to encourage the young Thessalonians in their Christian walk and includes the often mentioned triad of faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13:13, Col. 1:5, 1 Thess. 5:8). I have never heard anyone argue the merit of possessing these three characteristics. Everyone wants to possess these, the question is how to cultivate a life that personifies them. What stood out to me were the words that brought out these pillars of the Christian life and I think they provide some insight. As usual it goes against the typical line of thinking.

• "Your work produced by faith" - I could delve into many roads on faith and works, but I wanted to stick to what first came to my mind that morning. I was about to go to my job, so when I read 'work' that is what I associated it with. Why do we work? Most would say to make money, some to survive, others to acquire stuff. I meet very few people who actually enjoy their work. So we work out of fear of not surviving or keeping up with status quo of society. We work for security. If faith is "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see," I know I often try to buffer that notion of having faith with work. I want to think God will take care of me, but I also want to have a back up plan, just in case. Its easy to have faith if your life situation is considered "well-off." When times are down though, it is easy to put faith in your work rather than God. My take home message was a reminder that each day I go to work is not to assure my own well-being aside from God, but I work knowing my needs will be taken care of.

• "Labor prompted by love" - Labor and love are rarely used in the same sentence. The idea of labor is usually looked down upon by our society. Everyone wants a job where they don't have to do anything and get paid for it. The idea of laboring for love and not just for money is so far removed from my usual line of thinking. Laboring, work, etc. take up so much of our time, it should be such a good venue for representing Christ. What we love will set us apart from the world, so it is best to express that love even when we are laboring. I'll give a quick shout out to my first musical interest, dc talk, who put it very nicely in '90s hip hop lingo in their song "Luv is a Verb" Take home message, "Whatever you do, do it with all your heart as if working for the Lord and not for men." - Colossians 3:23

• "Your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" - It is easy to get frustrated at work, slack off, or quit. A coworker tells me every time I ask how he is doing, says "just waiting on 5 o'clock." How often have I longed for 5 o'clock, the weekend, or even retirement? What a sad thought. Hope has come to mean a longing for something to happen you don't think will happen. In the Bible it is just the opposite, implying a "joyous certainty", confidence that what is going to happen in the future is for your good. If we place our hope on ourselves, then it is no surprise we are all working for the weekend, because we will never find satisfaction in our own desires. Its so easy to live life as a destination, with each stop a let down in our search for temporary pleasure. If our hope is in Jesus, the journey and the destination, how can we be let down? He has the ultimate gift, which we can never acquire on our own and will give an eternal meaning to each day. Take home message "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalms 118:24). 

Do what you love. 

Love what you do.

DIY - Charging Station

Rebecca and I decided to have a 'project night' this past Friday in which we could work on things we didn't have to but wanted to. I have all these cool tools I got for our wedding and haven't had the workspace or need to use them. I've been itching to use them so I decided to build a 'charging station' for all my various electronic devices that need charging. I got the idea from my cousin who built one for my parents several Christmases ago. His had a lot more craftsmanship in it, but he also had a better work area. I was pleased with how it turned out. I still need to stain it and find something to line the top.

 

The top with notches for finger holes and notches for cords

Atlanta 2010 - Part 3

Another night of anticipation meant another night of tossing and turning. Fortunately the king size bed prevented me from disturbing Rebecca. We ate our continental breakfast and then checked out of the hotel.

Our appointment at the aquarium was at 10 AM. It had been many years since I've visited an aquarium, so I was looking forward to our visit. I had only heard good things about the Georgia Aquarium, so expectations were high. Overall, we had a great time. Unfortunately, we got off to a bad start with "Deepo's Undersea 3D Wondershow." This $5.50 show consisted of 15 minutes of cartoons telling us shark's are misunderstood and our friend, don't pollute or you will separate dolphins from their families, mess up the oceans and you mess up everything. The special effects were pretty cool and that is what they sell, because they can't sell the content. There's nothing really wrong with the content (except being friends with sharks), its just a waste of money. I'll leave my rant at that. The rest of the aquarium was great. I enjoyed all the exhibits. I guess I had built up the hype too much because it didn't seem that much more impressive than Tennessee Aquarium. Maybe I'm misremembering. Rebecca probably took 500 pictures of all the animals, especially the penguins. The largest tank was my favorite, because there is such an array of fish, and the large windows let them feel so close. When you think of fish, it is easy to get a simple description stuck in your head. However, after getting to see such variety on all accounts it is amazing and refreshing to see the beauty and creativity of creation.

Our next stop was across Centennial Park to the World of Coke. I had been to the old museum a couple times as a kid, so wanted to see what the new one was like. We also used my Coke Reward points for tickets, so it was free. The set-up was similar to aquarium, in which you start in a big lobby and kind of go to a certain area you want. Also similar to the aquarium, it was extremely busy being July 4th. Everything was good except the tasting area. That was my favorite part of the old place and in the new one they have changed the set-up to just a basic soda fountain arrangement separated by continent. After a little bit of tasting, we were all full of carbonation. If you're ever in Italy, don't drink anything titled Beverly.

The World Cup Mascot: 'Zakumi'

The tasting area in the old World of Coke

That completed all our events in Atlanta, so we hit the road again. Some riddles from the Franci kept us occupied until about Oxford. Once again the girls did played their role in the backseat. David sneakily got a picture of them. 

Mom had some BBQ for us when we got back to Birmingham. Mrs. Kathy, Brad, and Lauren were also there to join us for 4th of July dinner. All of us then made the trip downtown to watch 'Thunder on the Mountain.' We went to one of Brad's friends apartments to watch from the top of his parking garage. Unfortunately it was not tall enough to see all the fireworks, so the Franci and us went to another parking garage that was three times as tall and also ran off our dinner in the process going up all those stairs. We still caught the second half of the show. We were a little further away than I would have liked, but still a good time.

Brad and Lauren

Dad stopped and got a small variety pack of fireworks for us to make our own show when we got home. The boys shot all the fireworks with only a few close calls to the audience. 

Another busy day in the books.