While my life thus far this year hasn’t been filled with the kind of adventures you’d write home about, it has indeed been filled with adventure.

Just two weeks ago, I was questioning what I’d do with this blog, seeing as I most likely would no longer be a Virginia Beach resident. But as luck would have it, VA, you’re stuck with me for a wee bit longer (well, hopefully, longer than that).

So, where to begin?

Last year’s cravings:

This time last year, I was just winding down my amazing fellowship in Nevada, where I met a group of the most incredible people, who I am now bonded to for life!

It was during my time with these great journalists that I was reminded that I, too, am pretty darn good at what I do. My confidence was rebuilt that summer, and I left Reno craving more out of my professional life, unaware of the challenges that awaited.

Fast forward a few months later, I learned that the newspaper I worked for was closing, and I soon would be stranded in Virginia Beach without a job. While I have moved past Link closing, it is still a very emotional subject for me. Regardless of anything else, each one of us on staff gave that publication our all, and it was something we all passionately believed in. And I could go on for days… =(

But that’s a whole other post.

So, now it’s almost Christmas, and I’ve turned 30 and am unemployed—not at all were I saw my life headed. I remember about five minutes to my actual birthday, I went into complete panic mode. Friends began calling me wishing me well, and I was in tears dreading the witching hour. What would I have to show for myself? How could this really be considered a “happy birthday”?

But this roller coaster ride had quite a few more turns around the bend.

The day before Christmas, just as my mom and I were driving down to North Carolina to spend time with family, I got a call about a job interview. And within the first week of January, I had a new job—English instructor at a local career college. (The ride still wasn’t over quite yet.)

I was beyond stoked to get my  very own classroom, be able to shape pliable minds. Never in my wildest dreams did I know what I was getting into.

My first modular of students was a dream. They made me want to go get my doctorate in education and save the world one adult student at a time. Then the honeymoon ended with the next mod where I was cursed out by a student and lacked the support of the administration. After that session, my heart and financial stability slowly slipped away from the job. As my workload for classes lighted, my paycheck grew smaller, and I found myself on temporary unemployment. To top it all off, my car needed (and still needs) very costly repairs. So, I had to get a second job.

Enter the good times at Trader Joe’s.

Let me just say, I love Trader Joe’s, and with almost the same intensity I loved (still love) Link. Well, almost or kinda. It is such a fun job to work with such wonderful people.

Yet, it’s still not enough to pay the bills. And with my paycheck from the college being now reduced to $4.12 (I’m not exaggerating), I’ve found myself yet taking another roller coaster nose dive and praying that the guardrail is enough to hold me in.

It’s funny how it happened. The Sunday before I was hit with “we have no classes for you, and I’m not too sure we’ll have classes for you in the next mod either,” there was a miracle offering at my church.

The miracle offering is where people give for a specific church need (this year we are praying to raise money to pave the parking lot) and offer up requests for personal miracles.

Last year, I was so hyped about the miracle offering as I heard so many of the women in my church cell group (a small group that meets outside of church) talk about how God met their miracles in the previous year. So, while I still wasn’t in town last summer to participate in the actual offering, I participated from afar and clung to the paper on which I wrote down what I was praying for the next year.

And then, the one thing I so dilligently prayed for every day didn’t come true. Honestly, I admit to being mad at God about it for several months. To this day, I still don’t understand why my miracle wasn’t granted, but I know that there is some higher reasoning for it all.

And yet still struggling for complete peace about it all, I put myself out there again—I stepped out on faith offering more than I comfortably had at the time, believing in God. And the very next day I’m hit with this from the school.

But the ride’s not over.

Just last week, I was offered a job that is going to pay more than I had even asked for. And I’ll be getting back to writing, which is what I want to do. And I’ll be writing in a format I’m not quite used to, which is the exact level of challenge I’ve been looking for for awhile. So, God has come through. Miracles do happen!

But still the ride’s not over; God’s always taking you for another loop, pushing you to cling even closer to Him.

So, what’s the reminder?

Well, my best friend constantly gets on me about how I need to be writing. And my little sister today wrote me and told me how much she enjoys reading what I write (even e-mails!). So, I’ve been reminded of what I should be doing with my time and that I should write all of this down to share with you!