Jobapalooza: Q & A Finale

Well, this is it- tomorrow morning I will be heading back to the world of employment! The house is clean, the lunches are packed and the dinner is prepped, I am officially as ready as I can be. But before I go, its time to finish up Jobapalooza with the Q&A I promised! Thanks to the FOUR of you who participated (where are the rest of you at??)! Actually it turned out good that only four of you asked questions, because this is a long long post even with just the four peps! So hope you enjoy:

What are you going to be doing EXACTLY at your new job?? (And a duplicate: What is your new job title, and what will you be doing?)

I will be the Office Associate for the Health and Fitness Lab, which is part of the IM-Rec Sports Department in the Preston Health and Activities Center on WKU's campus (That helps right? ha). I will hold down the front desk of the office, greeting people and answering the phones. I will handle the schedule, organize the office, handle deposits for the department, take minutes at the staff meeting, and do special projects for the staff in the office as needed.

Will you have time for meals and game nights with your friends?!?! <---I'm not joking!! Interested party! :)

YES! This job will actually free up my schedule compared to my last job (although all summer I have been "free as a bird"). The only way to do campus ministty is nights and weekends, but my new job will be a Monday to Friday, eight to four thirty job mostly. I am so excited about this change, because I will have more time for my hubby and church and family and friends!

why did you leave your last job?.....

I loved my last job (for those that dont know, I worked at the Baptist Campus Ministry on WKU's campus). It was an amazing opportunity and I got to work with such amazing students and faculty and coworkers. But that job was not very family friendly. Now, I know plenty of campus ministers who make it work great- but majority of them are men. And I may sound very conservative or old fashioned for alot of you, but I feel my husband and home are two of my most important priorities. I feel like creating and up-keeping a home that is a relaxing and rejuvenating place for my family is my responsibility (justin does help alot!). So keeping up with cooking, cleaning, shopping and quality time was a difficult task when my job required alot of nights and weekends. That was reason number 1 I felt it was time to leave and get a less consuming job.

Reason number 2 was that unfortunately my job at the BCM paid very little in monetary terms (although very well in spiritual terms!). Last year, mr.pate had three jobs because my one job didnt contribute much in money and contributed none as far as medical benefits. So I had to leave in order to let mr.pate have only two jobs and I could see him! I just hate money!

Anyhow, reason number 3 was that I really wanted mr.pate and I to focus on ministry together. With him on staff at a church and me on staff at a campus ministry, I always felt divided. I was trying hard to invest in both my college students at the B and my youth at church, and felt like I was doing a poor job at both.

I love the B so much, it is a very special place to me bc of the impact it has had on my growth both when I was a student and staff member. It was hard to leave. But I knew that for now, leaving was the best decision for my family for several reasons. My family is my first and foremost on this earth. I believe thats how the Lord wants it.

...and why did you really want this new one?

The BCM never paid me during the summers, so two summers ago I worked in the IM-Rec office. I grew to love this department. They are fun and inspire you to be healthy, which is not the case in alot of offices on campus. I love the people in this department, and already have a great relationship with most of them. So working here was an obvious fit. Because of they didnt post this job until late in the summer, I was afraid it was not an option for me (I assumed I would have a job by then- ha! naive little me). But the Lord had His perfect plans, and I am thrilled this office will be my new work home!

What do you feel that you learned about yourself through your time of not working?

I am trying to figure that out! haha! I think I will be gleaning wisdom and lessons from this season in my life for a long time to come, but I do have a few big lessons already.

I think it had to take me this long to get a job because I needed to learn to more fully rely on the Lord, understand that ALL I have is the Lord's and not mine, and how much my life needs to reflect Him at all times. If you had showed me a list of these tree things four months ago, I would have told you I knew all of this... but I was not truly living in a way that reflected these things.

Not having a job for 4 months meant mr.pate and I really had to depend on the Lord completely. During this time, the Lord brought several studies into my life that focused on money and giving (click here if you are interested). He has taught me so deeply that to follow Him means I will have radical priorities. My new job will pay me alot in my eyes (compared to what I was making), but not in the world's eyes. It is more than I was expecting. We will face many new decisions on how to budget and spend this new money. The Lord new this would be happening, and He needed to prepare my heart adequately. I spent alot of time this summer committing my head and heart to giving and spending all my money with the understanding that the Lord's Kingdom was a first priority. I know it sounds strange, but I really feel like this is one reason it had to take so long for me to get hired.

I have learned alot about myself, but more importantly I have had time to re-prioritize my life. This time was a blessing. Instead of rushing into the next job, I got time to spend with mr.pate, family, and friends. I had time to myself. And I feel recharged, refocused and ready to go back to work with a stronger commitment to me, my family and the Lord amidst it all.

And now its time to stop talking about it and go live it! If you think of anything you truly did want to talk to me about or that I didnt answer, feel free to comment or email me.

And now, your turn! Name one great things about your job! It is important not to get bogged down with the daily grind, and instead to give thanks! So leave a comment letting me and you know what you are thankful for on the job-front!