HFHI Conference

I returned to the Pasco airport at 11:05 on Friday night.  I was exhausted from three days of information overload, late nights talking with my boss and coworkers, and the three hour time difference.  I had to pull myself our of bed 7 hours later to visit the various groups volunteering with us on Saturday and spend the afternoon at the United Methodist Women luncheon as the guest speaker.

After my spiel at the luncheon, the hostess took the microphone, said thank you and added "The passion in your voice makes it so plain to see that you are in the right job."  We can thank the conference for that.

About a week ago I was telling my mom that passion was precisely what I was not finding at Habitat.  I was going through the motions and daily having to remind myself that my work was important.  After spending the week with 2000 other Habitat employees and hearing testimonies of the change that we are making in so many people's lives, I felt empowered and truly excited to get back to my day job.

What really grabbed me by the hair and got my attention was the everpresent reminders of the faith-based mission on which Habitat for Humanity is based.  Every speaker gave glory to God and every day started with prayer to remind us of what had brought us to Habitat in the first place.  Habitat is now the largest private homebuilder in the U.S. but when you try to give kudos to the C.E.O., he'll be the first to send that credit straight toward Heaven. I am completely humbled and so grateful to have found purpose in my work. I know that I'll have my lows again someday but for the time-being I'm rejoicing in the high!

I forgot to mention...

...that I'm going to Atlanta for the Habitat for Humanity International Conference! My plane leaves the Pasco airport at 6AM on Tuesday and I get back into town at 11PM on Friday.  Then Saturday I will be busy working and visiting Sharefest groups (do you know what Sharefest is?)

I'm excited to go to Georgia since I've never been down South. I'll take lots of pictures to share with you all and I'll give a recap next Sunday to detail the adventure.  Ugh...I'm tired just thinking about it all. I hope I can stay healthy!

Lent--Everyone's favorite season

Well maybe not everybody gets all hot and bothered about sacrifice and self improvement but I absolutely love the challenge. As Ash Wednesday approached last week I was brainstorming things that I could give up, devising ways to get closer to God, and asking my family what they were doing to celebrate the season.  Then I realized that I was probably approaching Lent with the wrong attitude.  When your plans to get spiritually in tune via Reese's abstinence coincide with daydreams of looking awesome in a bikini, you have to question your motives.

So I decided to scrap my anti-chocolate sentiment in exchange for morning quiet time. I've been sick since Thursday so that time has grown exponentially over the past week.  A killer sore throat kept me away from work for two and a half days so I've been reading my Isabel Allende book, watching Modern Family, and hanging out with the family.

I went to Crossview (the church started by a Whitworth grad) again on Saturday.  I still don't feel a real desire to set roots there.  Does that mean that I need to put more effort in and get involved or do I keep looking for something that clicks right away? All I know is that I need to find a group of people that share the same values as me.  Otherwise I'll end up spending too much time with the promiscous engineeers at the sports bar without any other social anchor...a recipe for bad news.

Here's to Friends!

Ever since I got done with Almost Maine my social life has exploded.  I'm getting together with three girls from high school (Dana, Shiv and Holly) on a weekly basis, making trips to see friends in Spokane, Portland and Seattle (that trip is coming in April), hanging out with coworkers after work (we're making pesto tonight), and meeting new friends in the T.C.  Last week I went to trivia night at a bar in Richland and met four guys that were about my age--all of them smart, funny, nice, pretty cute. Where have they been hiding for the past six months?! I'm very happy these days and soaking up the good vibes that the people in my social circle emanate. 

Right now I'm in Portland and it's 8:30 AM on a Monday.  I came to see my longtime friend Sean and he doesn't do mornings. So I'm taking the opportunity to catch up a bit on the ol' blog, practice guitar, organize my iTunes, maybe walk to Starbucks...I'll head back to the Tri after Sean goes to work and perhaps hike Multnomah Falls on the way.  I feel a little sluggish after Saturday night's boozy karaoke escapade, a visit to Voodoo Doughnuts (GET THE MAPLE BACON DOUGHNUT!), and a weekend of eating meals in a house void of vegetables.  It was nice to catch up with Sean though and I wish I could stay here a bit longer.

I'm looking forward to Lent starting on Wednesday.  I don't know what I'm going to do.  There are so many aspects of my life in which I could impose a little discipline, so many better uses of my time and money.  I need to pick one of them this month and work through sacrifice a bit. Do any of you have plans for Lent?