Soooo Katie Hubbard had mentioned to me when she first got back from Zambia that she always wanted mums in autumn but never seemed to take the time to buy them when the season arrived. (she makes this gift thing soooo easy ;)
I had mums on my list for a couple months and told myself to wait until it was officially fall to buy them....that day came the Saturday after labor day (in my mind haha). I drove to Curtis Orchard after a church event(I had remembered seeing the biggest, bestest mums in the world there last year) and I was pretty dead set on getting a couple rose colored mums for her. I walked in and there were these two humongous mum plants to my right, but upon further inspection I realized they were yellow. poo! I kept circling the hundred or so plants....to no avail. I just couldn't pass up those two yellow ones since they were just so big!! I figured, well yellow is cheerful, and Katie is cheerful...so this will work.
I swung by the Hubbard house to leave them at her door....she was home though and came around the side of the house to greet me :) I went to show her my gifts that I was all excited about, and she sees the mums and starts laughing...she goes on to tell me that she had purchased yellow mums earlier this year, but when they bloomed they came out brown!! eww! so she kept waiting to buy them...and just that very day she had been out shopping with the fam and had resisted buying them again....later the entire family attested to that fact....and here I was, with 2 yellow mums in hand!!! heehehe
God is GOOD!! so fun, i just love how God plans out even the little details in our lives :)
Monday, September 13, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A barrage of awesome God stories...
Time to post to this blog. :)
I have so many things to share, I have no idea where to begin! I suppose I'll start with the most recent and work my way into... the past. [WeeeOoooh] Just kidding. ;)
So I couldn't go apply for jobs for the first week I was here because I had the flu. I was better enough to go out on Monday... but, because the Divine is humorous and kind, Monday was, yes, Labor Day. Even the laborless get a break! ;) Tuesday Carolyn and I went out to get an application from a vegetarian cafe, but I decided to fill out the application at home, just as I had the other two applications I'd picked up, and had yet to turn in. Wednesday Carolyn told me someone recommended I look at the SIU site under employment... and I found the equivalent of their "Job Board". I browsed the list of employment opportunities... at the top there was nothing even remotely plausible for me, middle still nothing... I was frustrated and had pretty much given up by the bottom, when I saw the very last entry. "Position will transcribe handwritten correspondence from early 20th century German and then translate them into English." HAH! I emailed the contact person as soon as I got the chance, got a response within a couple of hours, and had an interview this morning. They told me they are really, really hoping to hire me. Because I am not a student the funds they have available are few... but we shall see what God does. I will be happy either way.
Also Wednesday, we followed a lead I had gotten from a barista in the student center, and went to go see if Blimpie's was still hiring. Carolyn recommended I ask every food-related place in the building if they were hiring... I was reluctant, but I decided it was true that I should. I walked up to some salad bar in the middle of the building and asked a girl if she knew if anyone in the vicinity was hiring, she said she didn't know, but I could turn in an application "back there." I am horrible with directions, I had no idea what she was pointing to or how to get there without crossing their kitchen, and was about to politely thank her and walk away frustrated, when a very kind lady stepped up and said, "Sweetie, let me take you there. I know I had no idea where to go when I first came in." So she took me. I thanked her profusely. It turned out there was ONE application for all of the food-related places in the whole building, with the singular exception of McDonald's. As I filled it out people kept coming up to stamp their time cards, and many of them were exceptionally kind. The application ended on a high note, as most of them do - references. My heart was happy as I wrote, "Jessica Clochesy. Katie and Norman Hubbard." I turned it in and went home praying with Carolyn. This afternoon (less than 24 hours later!) I got a call -- they want to interview me tomorrow at 3. Again, I will be happy no matter what God does... but it's already obvious in this, too -- He's mighty. And good. And the Orchestrator of Heaven and Earth.
(Permit me to recap. The first (and only) two applications I have turned in since arriving in Carbondale I have gotten interviews for, within 24 hours of putting the applications in. In this economy??)
Backwards... the first night I had the flu I ended up getting sick to my stomach. When I was little, I had years where I couldn't fall asleep because I was so afraid that I might get sick to my stomach that the fear made it churn in a vicious cycle. When I was in Germany, I kept anti-nausea medication with me wherever I went, and if I forgot it I would make myself sick with anxiety. My first couple of years in college, more than once I cried because I was so afraid of going to the bathroom in a public place, because what if someone had left their stomach-flu germs there, or worse yet, what if someone was in there because they were sick? ...That morning I woke up nauseous and I thought, "Good! I can keep reading the Hiding Place!" And then when it culminated in the apparently inevitable, I thought, "I really don't mind. God is here. God is good to me. When this is over I can keep reading, yes!" And when it was over, I walked out of the bathroom and saw the sunrise, and I thought, "I never get to see the sunrise. Thank You, God!"
As I was sick, Carolyn was so good to me. This is the first time I've ever lived in a place where hearing my co-habiter's footsteps makes my heart leap for joy. She kept asking me if she could bring me something to drink, if she could bring me food, if she could buy and make me soup... all the while doing my dishes, and making me dinner, and organizing the stuff I left on the floor in our dining room, and visiting me to talk and ask me how I was doing, even though she was the one with a schedule and things to do. When I first moved in I was upset because nothing downstairs was mine... all the books were hers, all the decorations were hers... so I told her it was ridiculous but that was how I felt, and she told me in her typical Carolyn way that that was not ridiculous but understandable, and promptly set about to help me go through my books and put as many as I wanted on the shelf. Within our first couple of days here she had already glorified God by using the space that He provided us to love others... she had a bunch of friends over to make "breakfast for dinner," despite the fact that we are still lacking chairs for the dining room -- she always makes do. Of course she asked me several times if it was okay to have them over even though I was sick, because she is the most considerate person who ever lived.
Backwards further... on the drive here with Carolyn, we saw the biggest and brightest rainbow either of us had ever seen. Because we were in the middle of the Illinois highway, nothing was obstructing our view... just sky, as far as the eye could see. At first it was double, then the first arc grew brighter and brighter. It wasn't even raining until we had already been marveling at it for at least 15 minutes, and even then it was just a sprinkle. The other side of the sky was a magnificent sunset. I asked Carolyn to text Katie and tell her... and she responded with exactly the same thing that I was thinking, "I always see that as His extra stamp of approval."
Before I left, God decided to make sure I knew with all my heart that I am not to try to accomplish everything He gives me to do on my own, but use all the loving help He provides. The tasks were not designed for me, but for us. The day I was leaving I was filled with anxiety, not knowing how in the world I would finished everything I had to do. He sent Rainbow and Jen to help me, and they did more than I did. I was also anxious about my car, because the night before as I sped up to 45 mph, I had uncontrollably swerved into the lane beside me. I told my dad when I got home, but when he went out to test it at 3AM, the problem didn't reoccur. When I got home from lunch the next day, however, he had cleaned my sister's car inside and out, and told me he wanted me to take it instead and he'd get mine fixed. Jen, Rainbow, and Carolyn loaded all of my stuff into her car, and then it dawned on me that I still had to drop off some things at the entomology lab and return a movie. I mumbled a lament about it, and Jen said, "Ariana, I'm doing it. Where are the things you need to drop off? Is there a fine on the movie? If there is I'm paying it." Completely miraculously, instead of being stretched for time, Carolyn and I ended up with enough time to visit the Hubbard's before we left.
My last day at Latte Da was a similar story. I realized after I left that it was my first ministry... it was exceedingly difficult for my heart to leave it. I had been talking about God with an atheist friend of mine who works at the library for over a year at that point, and I needed to be able to say goodbye properly. I had customers all during his break -- we didn't get a chance to talk at all. I asked him to come back at closing. Stephanie had been visiting me on my Saturday shifts for quite some time, and the week beforehand we had talked about how much she despises doing dishes. She came for my final shift, too, and when it came time to close she told me she wanted to do anything she could. She did pretty much everything besides the cash register, including all the dishes, while I talked to my friend and made the love God had given me for him clear to him. He responded in kind. Five or six times, as Stephanie came in and out of the back room, he said, "I cannot believe how mature she is, I cannot believe she is doing that." Clearly, her love made an impact on him as well. I told him that because I care about him, I wanted him to pick up the Bible and read it sometimes, and he did not seem averse to the idea. I decided to take to calling Stephanie "a God-send." :)
One last story. The week before at my work, I had been thinking a lot about how I was quitting my jobs and would be completely unsure of the next moment in which I would have an income. I decided I needed to keep my spending to an absolute minimum. In the morning, I read my reading in Luke for the day, which included Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." I promptly forgot it. I made myself a bagel, and truly burnt it, but I was trying to save money, so I ate it. I ate the first half and felt full, then another friend who works at the library came up and said "Mmm, that smells delicious. ...I want cheap coffee." I knew she had been having a ton of trouble with her apartment recently and she seemed very stressed. God said, "Buy her whatever she wants." I thought, "What? No! I'm saving!" But I listened, God knows why. I got her some delicious drink, and then sat down to eat the other half of my burnt bagel. "Give it to her," He said. "What? No!" I pouted again... but after about two minutes of being completely ridiculous, I went outside and gave it to her. She looked at me gratefully and said, "I was so hungry." I sighed. All day I thought about how I was going to get something to eat for lunch, and what in the world I would be able to have for dinner, spending as little as possible. (I think about food far too much.) About three hours later that verse that I had read that morning popped into my head, and I thought, "Really? Is that principle really true? I suppose if so, my thinking was wrong about that drink and that burnt bagel half... but how could it be true..." Within three minutes, I ran out of change in the cash register and had to change out my tip jar... and realized I already had $14, far more than I ever do by that time of day. I had already made back at least twice as much as the drink had cost. To be honest, I was in shock. I closed the register, turned around, and Stephanie said, "You know, I'm going to take you out to dinner. Wherever you want to go." I gaped at her and tried to figure out how to tell her that she had just been part of a miracle, when Jim, one of my loyal customers that had warmed up to me with time, came in. For some reason in that moment I, in my evil nature, thought, "I still don't have lunch, God." Jim came up to the counter and said, "So... I was just at Mirabelle's, and I ordered a spinach and feta croissant." I thought, "Mmmmm, I haven't had one of those in forever." He continued, "But they gave me a ham and cheese one. I bit into it, and realized it wasn't spinach and feta, so I told them, and they gave me a spinach and feta one. But I had already bit into the ham and cheese one, so I ate it. Now I'm not hungry for the spinach and feta one. Can I give it to you?" Speechless. I was speechless. I almost cried, thinking, "God, I am evil, but you are so, so, so, so good."
That is the end, for now.
--your sister Ariana
I have so many things to share, I have no idea where to begin! I suppose I'll start with the most recent and work my way into... the past. [WeeeOoooh] Just kidding. ;)
So I couldn't go apply for jobs for the first week I was here because I had the flu. I was better enough to go out on Monday... but, because the Divine is humorous and kind, Monday was, yes, Labor Day. Even the laborless get a break! ;) Tuesday Carolyn and I went out to get an application from a vegetarian cafe, but I decided to fill out the application at home, just as I had the other two applications I'd picked up, and had yet to turn in. Wednesday Carolyn told me someone recommended I look at the SIU site under employment... and I found the equivalent of their "Job Board". I browsed the list of employment opportunities... at the top there was nothing even remotely plausible for me, middle still nothing... I was frustrated and had pretty much given up by the bottom, when I saw the very last entry. "Position will transcribe handwritten correspondence from early 20th century German and then translate them into English." HAH! I emailed the contact person as soon as I got the chance, got a response within a couple of hours, and had an interview this morning. They told me they are really, really hoping to hire me. Because I am not a student the funds they have available are few... but we shall see what God does. I will be happy either way.
Also Wednesday, we followed a lead I had gotten from a barista in the student center, and went to go see if Blimpie's was still hiring. Carolyn recommended I ask every food-related place in the building if they were hiring... I was reluctant, but I decided it was true that I should. I walked up to some salad bar in the middle of the building and asked a girl if she knew if anyone in the vicinity was hiring, she said she didn't know, but I could turn in an application "back there." I am horrible with directions, I had no idea what she was pointing to or how to get there without crossing their kitchen, and was about to politely thank her and walk away frustrated, when a very kind lady stepped up and said, "Sweetie, let me take you there. I know I had no idea where to go when I first came in." So she took me. I thanked her profusely. It turned out there was ONE application for all of the food-related places in the whole building, with the singular exception of McDonald's. As I filled it out people kept coming up to stamp their time cards, and many of them were exceptionally kind. The application ended on a high note, as most of them do - references. My heart was happy as I wrote, "Jessica Clochesy. Katie and Norman Hubbard." I turned it in and went home praying with Carolyn. This afternoon (less than 24 hours later!) I got a call -- they want to interview me tomorrow at 3. Again, I will be happy no matter what God does... but it's already obvious in this, too -- He's mighty. And good. And the Orchestrator of Heaven and Earth.
(Permit me to recap. The first (and only) two applications I have turned in since arriving in Carbondale I have gotten interviews for, within 24 hours of putting the applications in. In this economy??)
Backwards... the first night I had the flu I ended up getting sick to my stomach. When I was little, I had years where I couldn't fall asleep because I was so afraid that I might get sick to my stomach that the fear made it churn in a vicious cycle. When I was in Germany, I kept anti-nausea medication with me wherever I went, and if I forgot it I would make myself sick with anxiety. My first couple of years in college, more than once I cried because I was so afraid of going to the bathroom in a public place, because what if someone had left their stomach-flu germs there, or worse yet, what if someone was in there because they were sick? ...That morning I woke up nauseous and I thought, "Good! I can keep reading the Hiding Place!" And then when it culminated in the apparently inevitable, I thought, "I really don't mind. God is here. God is good to me. When this is over I can keep reading, yes!" And when it was over, I walked out of the bathroom and saw the sunrise, and I thought, "I never get to see the sunrise. Thank You, God!"
As I was sick, Carolyn was so good to me. This is the first time I've ever lived in a place where hearing my co-habiter's footsteps makes my heart leap for joy. She kept asking me if she could bring me something to drink, if she could bring me food, if she could buy and make me soup... all the while doing my dishes, and making me dinner, and organizing the stuff I left on the floor in our dining room, and visiting me to talk and ask me how I was doing, even though she was the one with a schedule and things to do. When I first moved in I was upset because nothing downstairs was mine... all the books were hers, all the decorations were hers... so I told her it was ridiculous but that was how I felt, and she told me in her typical Carolyn way that that was not ridiculous but understandable, and promptly set about to help me go through my books and put as many as I wanted on the shelf. Within our first couple of days here she had already glorified God by using the space that He provided us to love others... she had a bunch of friends over to make "breakfast for dinner," despite the fact that we are still lacking chairs for the dining room -- she always makes do. Of course she asked me several times if it was okay to have them over even though I was sick, because she is the most considerate person who ever lived.
Backwards further... on the drive here with Carolyn, we saw the biggest and brightest rainbow either of us had ever seen. Because we were in the middle of the Illinois highway, nothing was obstructing our view... just sky, as far as the eye could see. At first it was double, then the first arc grew brighter and brighter. It wasn't even raining until we had already been marveling at it for at least 15 minutes, and even then it was just a sprinkle. The other side of the sky was a magnificent sunset. I asked Carolyn to text Katie and tell her... and she responded with exactly the same thing that I was thinking, "I always see that as His extra stamp of approval."
Before I left, God decided to make sure I knew with all my heart that I am not to try to accomplish everything He gives me to do on my own, but use all the loving help He provides. The tasks were not designed for me, but for us. The day I was leaving I was filled with anxiety, not knowing how in the world I would finished everything I had to do. He sent Rainbow and Jen to help me, and they did more than I did. I was also anxious about my car, because the night before as I sped up to 45 mph, I had uncontrollably swerved into the lane beside me. I told my dad when I got home, but when he went out to test it at 3AM, the problem didn't reoccur. When I got home from lunch the next day, however, he had cleaned my sister's car inside and out, and told me he wanted me to take it instead and he'd get mine fixed. Jen, Rainbow, and Carolyn loaded all of my stuff into her car, and then it dawned on me that I still had to drop off some things at the entomology lab and return a movie. I mumbled a lament about it, and Jen said, "Ariana, I'm doing it. Where are the things you need to drop off? Is there a fine on the movie? If there is I'm paying it." Completely miraculously, instead of being stretched for time, Carolyn and I ended up with enough time to visit the Hubbard's before we left.
My last day at Latte Da was a similar story. I realized after I left that it was my first ministry... it was exceedingly difficult for my heart to leave it. I had been talking about God with an atheist friend of mine who works at the library for over a year at that point, and I needed to be able to say goodbye properly. I had customers all during his break -- we didn't get a chance to talk at all. I asked him to come back at closing. Stephanie had been visiting me on my Saturday shifts for quite some time, and the week beforehand we had talked about how much she despises doing dishes. She came for my final shift, too, and when it came time to close she told me she wanted to do anything she could. She did pretty much everything besides the cash register, including all the dishes, while I talked to my friend and made the love God had given me for him clear to him. He responded in kind. Five or six times, as Stephanie came in and out of the back room, he said, "I cannot believe how mature she is, I cannot believe she is doing that." Clearly, her love made an impact on him as well. I told him that because I care about him, I wanted him to pick up the Bible and read it sometimes, and he did not seem averse to the idea. I decided to take to calling Stephanie "a God-send." :)
One last story. The week before at my work, I had been thinking a lot about how I was quitting my jobs and would be completely unsure of the next moment in which I would have an income. I decided I needed to keep my spending to an absolute minimum. In the morning, I read my reading in Luke for the day, which included Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." I promptly forgot it. I made myself a bagel, and truly burnt it, but I was trying to save money, so I ate it. I ate the first half and felt full, then another friend who works at the library came up and said "Mmm, that smells delicious. ...I want cheap coffee." I knew she had been having a ton of trouble with her apartment recently and she seemed very stressed. God said, "Buy her whatever she wants." I thought, "What? No! I'm saving!" But I listened, God knows why. I got her some delicious drink, and then sat down to eat the other half of my burnt bagel. "Give it to her," He said. "What? No!" I pouted again... but after about two minutes of being completely ridiculous, I went outside and gave it to her. She looked at me gratefully and said, "I was so hungry." I sighed. All day I thought about how I was going to get something to eat for lunch, and what in the world I would be able to have for dinner, spending as little as possible. (I think about food far too much.) About three hours later that verse that I had read that morning popped into my head, and I thought, "Really? Is that principle really true? I suppose if so, my thinking was wrong about that drink and that burnt bagel half... but how could it be true..." Within three minutes, I ran out of change in the cash register and had to change out my tip jar... and realized I already had $14, far more than I ever do by that time of day. I had already made back at least twice as much as the drink had cost. To be honest, I was in shock. I closed the register, turned around, and Stephanie said, "You know, I'm going to take you out to dinner. Wherever you want to go." I gaped at her and tried to figure out how to tell her that she had just been part of a miracle, when Jim, one of my loyal customers that had warmed up to me with time, came in. For some reason in that moment I, in my evil nature, thought, "I still don't have lunch, God." Jim came up to the counter and said, "So... I was just at Mirabelle's, and I ordered a spinach and feta croissant." I thought, "Mmmmm, I haven't had one of those in forever." He continued, "But they gave me a ham and cheese one. I bit into it, and realized it wasn't spinach and feta, so I told them, and they gave me a spinach and feta one. But I had already bit into the ham and cheese one, so I ate it. Now I'm not hungry for the spinach and feta one. Can I give it to you?" Speechless. I was speechless. I almost cried, thinking, "God, I am evil, but you are so, so, so, so good."
That is the end, for now.
--your sister Ariana
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