Let's see... Some of you may wonder how I've been doing on my new lease on life. Well, I've been doing better! I still catch myself getting caught up in the busyness of just living, but I've found some opportunities to live a little more. Shortly after that entry, Matt and I had the opportunity to spend a day together (he had it off, and I was in between jobs... more on that in a sec), so we lived it up the best we could, despite the cold, rainy weather. We decided to scout the downtown area, where I would be training for a while, and in the process discovered a covered walkway that runs all the way from Fourth Street Live to the Galt House Hotel! So we took that and snooped around the big, luxurious hotel. Then, we headed to Frankfort Avenue, where there are lots of cute boutiques, antique stores, and unique restaurants. We found an awesome pottery shop called Pottery Rowe. The artist, Melvin Rowe, was there working on some Christmas ornaments. There is some amazing stuff there! I absolutely love pottery. I used to make it when I was in college. I would give anything to have the chance to work on a potter's wheel again... ah... so therapeutic. After that, we explored the campuses of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. They're both in a beautiful area with lots of pretty houses.
Then, my parents and brother came for Thanksgiving.
It was a lot of fun to have them here! We spent a little bit of time back at the Frankfort Avenue area, and discovered a model train shop! That was SO fun! My brother and I had an HO scale train set when we were kids (we still do, but it's boxed up now). We had so much fun building it, painting the landscape, adding trees and grass, racing the cars, building mountains, etc. etc. Needless to say, we really enjoyed being around that stuff again.Christmas was different this year. I was only able to make it home for a day and a half. We tried to make it home in time for the annual neighborhood Christmas party, but bad weather all through Ohio and Michigan turned our 7 hour trip into 11 1/2 hours. :( We spent Christmas Eve at home, and Christmas day I flew back to Louisville, leaving Matt behind to enjoy some more time with his family. I had to work the day after Christmas. I'm really glad I did get to spend a little bit of time at home though!
So did you catch that I have a new job? Haha... Yep, I'm a part time teller at a bank now. I had been working at a portrait studio. It's been an interesting change. I think it will be nice to not be doing photography related work 24/7 now. Now I can focus on what I want to do with photography and enjoy it more!
So that's why I was incognito for a while. I had full time training for the new job, then it was the holidays on top of the adjusting to the job. Now I'm back in business! I'm looking forward to what lies ahead in this new year. I'm sure it will bring many new and exciting things!
Now, before I head off to work on my website updates (stay posted!), I'd like to share a quote from Ronald J. Sider's book, "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger." I've been reading it lately, and this part really jumped out at me today. He's talking about social injustices, but I really think that this principle applies to the grander scheme of things too. Some food for thought!
"However, living differently...by no means involves trying to do everything. We each have our own unique gifts and calling. God wants many of us to fast and pray about social sin. Most should study, and many should write and speak out. Some should join and support organizations promoting social justice. Others should run for political office. All of us should ask how changes in our personal lifestyle could help model a better world. But God does not want anyone to feel guilty for not doing everything--or for taking time off for relaxation and recreation. Everyone should prayerfully ask God what limited, specific things God wants him or her to concentrate on. It was God, after all, who made us finite with only twenty-four hours each day. Being called to do all God wants us to do to correct social sin is not a heavy burden. It is an invitation to joy and meaning in life, an occasion for blessing our neighbors, and a wondrous opporutnity to be a coworker with the Lord of history."
