Taking Time

You might be wondering what I am doing with all of my free time now that I'm "in-between jobs". The truth is, I haven't had that much free time on my hands! Over the past two weeks since I completed my internship at Murdock, I've had the opportunity to do a lot of things that I haven't done in a while... such as:

• babysitting - Until last week, I hadn't babysat at all (not once!) since I moved to Portland. I know that's hard to believe since I was often referred to as "the queen of babysitting" back in Waco. But a friend from Waco made the connection that she had a friend in Portland looking for a babysitter and that I had recently moved up here. So I babysat for 15-month-old Aiden last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We played at his house, went to the park and took walks every day. It was actually really fun to babysit again and I'm very appreciative of the referral.
• volunteering - just because I'm not employeed doesn't mean I can't do office work somewhere. A couple mornings this week, I worked in the Eternal Impact office wrapping up our Hood to Coast "Run4theCause" donations and such. I enjoyed seeing how that Uganda organization operates. Part of the time I even helped out by taking inventory of their Ugandan jewelry and enjoyed having a hand in such projects. This morning I went to the Imago Dei Church offices to have a brief "training" as I will be volunteering as an office assistant several hours a week starting next Tuesday. That will be a great way to really get involved in my church and get to know the pastors and other workers a little better.
• just hanging out - I've loved being able to hang out with some friends that I normally might not have time to hang out with. Yesterday, Alyssa and I had a "cake ball making lesson" at my house. We made cake balls to take for our home community dessert last night. It was great getting to just chat and spend time with Alyssa for a few hours. Next week, Megan and I are going to get a pedicure! I can't wait for girl time and to be pampered a little (I think my feet deserve it after all of this running)!

So don't worry that I'm just sitting at home bored all day every day - I won't let that happen! I see this time as an opportunity to decide what is really important to me and to use my free time to enjoy life in a new way.

Encouraging Words
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."

- Luke 12:22,23

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.

-Ecclesiasties 3:11-13