marianne's musings

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

australia

ok, so it is not official, but....i just can't wait any more....i am the new coordinator of the council for christian colleges & universities' australia studies centre. i will be working under the director, kimberly spragg. you can read more about the ASC and the CCCU on their websites.... www.bestsemester.com and www.cccu.org.

it's hard to believe and still has not sunk in yet...the search is over. God has brought me this amazing job that seems like it will be such a great fit, combining all the things i am so passionate about...faith, art, ministry, social justice. and i will be working along side students as they break out and experience wonderful new things and are challenged. i am so excited, yet still holding back the celebration until i have a signed contract. they are in the process of drafting up the contract. then the work visa process will begin. i am praying that it goes quickly and smoothly. also that all the little details about my move come together. i am also excited to be investing in a community for longer than two years! i am not sure how long i will live in australia, but i am ready to commit three to five years or longer...beyond that, God only knows!

i suppose that is it for now. i'm sure i will have many more things to say about this whole journey i am about to embark on. i'm off to move around some furniture for my mom's spa party thing tonight and then it's the treadmill for me. i feel so much better when i exercise regularly. oh, and i might get to do a bit of water skiing this weekend. nobody is renting our lake cottage right now so my sister and jeff and all their friends are headed up for the weekend. i think i will go too...spend time...and play in the water with my nieces!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

three of a kind

this weekend i'm headed up tp chicago for a wedding...eric and meghan will be married on saturday!

god has brought amazing people into my life throughout the years. and i am so thankful for each and every person, but this post is about three guys in particular. i had several close friends in high school...eric, ryan, and john were three of them. twenty years ago i became friends with ryan in junior high church youth group. and five years later, my sophmore year in high school, i met eric and john at a senior high church lock-in. ryan had convinced his two friends to come for the free pizza and basketball. i had no idea, at the time, what an impact these three guys would have on my life. but god knew how much i needed positive male influence and relationship...due to the craziness in my home. as much as a girl could be, they welcomed me in as one of the guys, teaching me so many important lessons...

the art of belching...loud and proud
(for this and the next on the list...now all of you who have lived with me, know who to blame!!!!)
the power and variety in farting
how to do donuts in the snowy church parking lot
how to dance badly and not care what others think
how to shoot really bad music videos (our girls' video rocked!)
the skill of nighttime institute pranks and initiation
the card shark nature of euchre
an introduction to the beastie boys...and then as their musical taste became more refined...the prayer chain, sunny day real estate, radiohead, elliott smith, deathcab for cutie, the shins...
and many more important life lessons

in all seriousness, though they might not have known it, they really did teach me important lessons...
ryan taught me about leadership, faithfulness, and compassion.
eric taught me about humility, modesty, and sincerity.
john taught me about creativity, passion, and expression.

i am thankful for these three guys and all of the many people who have influenced me over the years.

two of these great guys have already found the amazing women they will spend the rest of their lives with...lori and janet. and now i have the honor of being present on the day when the last commits his life to the one god has given him. i am truly blessed.