You Can't Push the Lord Around

I believe in Providence. I also believe in free will. Where those two overlap, I'm not quite sure. But Peenie said it best earlier today:

"You can't push the Lord around. I'd like to, but it's best not to do that."

Wise words from my grandmother. And maybe she's rubbing off on me, because...

I read an article recently that was entitled, "Life Doesn't Begin at Your Next Milestone". True, and while I think we all know this, we act like we don't. Why do we push, push, push SO HARD to get to that next milestone? Be it college, grad school, a job, marriage, a baby, grandbabies (Ahem! Mom? Stooooop!)...is it society that drive us? Family? Friends? Our own entitlement? I think comparison has a large part in it, and you know what I read about comparison recently? It's the thief of joy.

Let THAT sink in for a minute.

But yes, my usual M.O. for any milestone (or any big decision, for that matter) is to PUSH. Just ask my family. My personality is all like, "ADVANCE! ADVANCE! NEVER RETREAT!" For all of you Myers Briggs people out there, I'm a total ENFJ, and that F is a capital F with an exponent of 20. If something feels right, I jump on it like white on rice. Like cold on ice. I don't pray about decisions. I don't wait for things patiently. I MAKE things happen. 

My family laughs at this ability of mine, mostly because it's helped me get a lot of the things that I've wanted. I'm a "go-getter", which to most people is a good thing. But the one thing you don't hear about go-getters is that while they're dependable and get things done, they typically do not reflect on things. And lack of reflection can result in premature decisions. Hence, my 1st and 2nd attempts at graduate school, my split-second move to DC in 2012, my inability to figure out what I want to DOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Etcetera, etcetera, and so forth. So where am I going with all of this? Or...where am I going, period?

Well, as far as what I want to do for a career is concerned, you've got me there. I know I like to work with people. I know I don't want to be in a cubicle again. I know that I'm creative, yet also structured. And I know that I want to do something meaningful. Something that furthers a cause, not something that just shoots me a paycheck.

As far as decisions or milestones go, the next one for me is having a salaried job once again. Peenie no longer needs me in Greenville, so it's back to LinkedIn job search. But I'm not pushing this time. Nope, I'm approaching it differently. 

First, this milestone is most definitely a "need" and not a "want". The time that I've spent in Greenville with Peenie has been good for me in many ways (forced reflection being one of them), but it has not been good for my finances. This needs to be righted ASAP. Student loans, you dig?

Second, in the past, my tendency has been to go out and grab whatever decent-sounding job I could get. No more. This will be a process where I will practice patience and reflection. I will put myself out there and be "choosy". I will not settle.

Third, though I ultimately will choose where to work (God bless the USA for that), I am relying on the Lord to place me in the job and city that is best. This is where Providence and free will intersect, I think. 

So, friends, keep me in your prayers! Pray that I'll find some meaningful employment! And that the Lord will bless it! And if you're struggling with reaching that next milestone yourself (whatever it may be), remember the wise words of Peanut:

"You can't push the Lord around. I'd like to, but it's best not to do that."

Peenie Ain't Happy

Hello, friends! It's been awhile!

Sorry, not sorry I've been blog-slacking during the holidays--it was so nice to be home and have NO obligations for a bit. Thanks, Mom! You are my favorite! And you're a really excellent cook, and a really good gifter, and a really swell pedicure buddy, and your hugs are really great, and...so much more. I love you! Thank you for being on Peenie Patrol AND for finding time to hang with me, too. You made my Christmas Break a true break! I owe you big time. Xoxoxo!

So, friends, as you've probably gathered, Peenie DID get in the car with me on Christmas Eve morning, and we made it to Greensboro a few hours later. Funnily enough, the moment we climbed into the car and I started the engine, the Hallelujah Chorus burst forth from my stereo speakers. Coincidence? I think not.

We stopped in Salisbury for lunch with James at Gritz Cafe (highly recommend), where Peenie flirted with him for the duration of our eating. Hehehehe...don't think I got a word in edgewise! It was the first time that James had been exposed to Peenie for more than five minutes, and his summation was hilarious: "She...is a live wire!" You're so right, my man. So right. Or, as Aunt Jayne says, "A live wire of disquiet." That's Peenie for ya!

Since mom was on Peenie Patrol, I don't have many Christmas Break Peenie stories. But I do want to share a hilarious nickname that she's christened me with: Twisty Butt.

Yep. You read that correctly. Twisty Butt. My 92 year-old grandmother now calls me Twisty Butt.

The morning that we left for Greensboro, I was running up and down the staircase at Peenie's, towing her luggage to the car. Friends, in case you were wondering, the woman can PACK. And not lightly, either. Sheesh. Anyway, as she was watching me go up and down the stairs, she says, "Katy, you got a little twisty butt. Bet James likes that a LOT!"

Awkward...

But now Peenie and I have made it into a dance! The Twisty Butt! Want to learn? Just twist your rumpus to any song you like, and you're doing it correctly. We taught it to Will, Mitch, Mom, and Dad. I'm sure it'll be the next dance wave in no time. YouTube, here we come!

I'll leave you with this:

Peenie knows about the blog. She's actually known about it for a while, but over break, there were many relatives that told her that they just LOVE reading about her on my blog. Needless to say, she AIN'T happy. And she wants me to "stop this blog foolishness" ASAP.

...well, I'm not. Hehehe! Just do me a favor, friends! If you see her, PLEASE don't mention the blog. I'm afraid she's going to gag me in my sleep! Just kidding. But really.

Next blog post? I'm going to attempt a video interview with Peenie about her feelings toward the blog. Stay tuned!

And, HAPPY 2014!