I have been dying to make this public, and I finally did at the branch meeting this past sunday: I will be moving to South Bend to work for the People of Praise at Headquarters!
Once upon a time, there was an event called the Missionary Conference, where 100+ men and women gather to hear the word of the Lord. It was an honor to be there, and I knew it would be a great time to see long-distance friends and to pray for what the Lord wants from me. I was praying for open heart that week. When I heard of the missionary company I instantly loved it, I couldn't be more thrilled because I've always thought it would be cool to be a missionary even at an early age, but I've never seen a real good outlet for it. So I thought, "People of Praise missionaries? Halleluia!"
Also, during the weekend it was great to talk with Paul Decelles as much as I possibly could, and it turns out that Paul Kane was talking to him about me graduating with an Accounting degree this upcoming semester. (Paul Kane later tells me that his reaction was, "Oh that'll be perfect! Just perfect!") So Paul Decelles comes up to me the last night during the party, while I was talking to David Salmon, and says,"Well John, I'd like you to be our accountant, and if you're interested, just come to South Bend whenever you're ready. Good night guys." Once he left, David says, "That sounded like a job offer if I've ever heard one."
The Lord has given me nothing but joy and peace about the Accounting position, so I said yes. With Paul Kane accepting the Director of Finance job and moving to South Bend as well, we were able to see the Lord's hand through it all. Paul Kane is going to be my boss's boss, and it is a blessing that we will continue to share our friendship, but in a different way. We are even moving the same week, and we will be living really close together. It doesn't seem like I can get away from the Kanes even if I tried! Once he told me of the move, I said to him, "Listen, I think the Lord is calling me to move to Portland or Skaskatoon." I'm glad he knew I was kidding. The Lord continues to do great things in our midst.
As of right now, I'm trying to stay focused on final exams and finish one more class in the summer. I'll be a free man in July!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tuesday Night fun
I posted what I was going to do this past weekend last week, and it all went according to plan. Sunday night the Kanes honored me for my birthday. Most of the girls honored me by saying how good I do the dishes every morning, which was humorously awkward. Rich Preuss came down from Annapolis to visit us for Easter, which was an honor just to have him down here and update eachother about life.
Tuesday was the unexpected day, but glorious nontheless. The Temeles's had me over for a birthday dinner: beef stroganoff, the best dinner a man could hope for. David and Maggie have halarious children, which made for an entertaining night.
After dinner, we had a joint mens group; Matt Harris and I are what's left of our group, which makes us wandering nomads, going group to group, and Dave Temeles also didn't have any men this week. Two mens groups, a total of three men. After brainstorming what we should do, we realized we wanted to hit some golf balls, and drink beer. Fortunately, there is such a place that accomodates for this, called Top Golf. This place is cool, the balls have computer chips in them and it tells you how far you hit it, and gives you points if you hit it close to a hole. After that, we sat down and talked about how to better our relationships inside the People of Praise, and how to save the world, you know, man talk. All in all, a good week of celebration. It'll be tough to get back to studying after these past 4 days of parties.
Tuesday was the unexpected day, but glorious nontheless. The Temeles's had me over for a birthday dinner: beef stroganoff, the best dinner a man could hope for. David and Maggie have halarious children, which made for an entertaining night.
After dinner, we had a joint mens group; Matt Harris and I are what's left of our group, which makes us wandering nomads, going group to group, and Dave Temeles also didn't have any men this week. Two mens groups, a total of three men. After brainstorming what we should do, we realized we wanted to hit some golf balls, and drink beer. Fortunately, there is such a place that accomodates for this, called Top Golf. This place is cool, the balls have computer chips in them and it tells you how far you hit it, and gives you points if you hit it close to a hole. After that, we sat down and talked about how to better our relationships inside the People of Praise, and how to save the world, you know, man talk. All in all, a good week of celebration. It'll be tough to get back to studying after these past 4 days of parties.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Finally, a moment to relax...
This past week I have been studying at every moment I could spare for 3 exams in 3 days (except when Mary Seale caught me doing a Sudoku puzzle). It's kind of tough to find extra moments in the day when you're trying to live in the Kingdom of God. It felt like time stopped when I'd been in the library studying accounting for hours, but then I look out the window: "Are my eyes growing dark? Oh, no it's just 10pm." But after the Advanced Financial Accounting, Management, and Auditing tests this week, I finally have time to relax, ironically at work.
Just in time too; the Triduum, then Easter Vigil (I'm sponsoring Mike Boyer at Mason), then a party to bring in the new...Easter. On Easter day, we will have festivities as a household: mass, egg hunt, POP meeting, then EASTER DINNER! The best. The entire Kane house will be emptied out (except for me) as of Monday the 9th, which is my birthday (couldn't have planned it better myself!), so we will probably do honorings after the Easter dinner. Praise be to God.
Just in time too; the Triduum, then Easter Vigil (I'm sponsoring Mike Boyer at Mason), then a party to bring in the new...Easter. On Easter day, we will have festivities as a household: mass, egg hunt, POP meeting, then EASTER DINNER! The best. The entire Kane house will be emptied out (except for me) as of Monday the 9th, which is my birthday (couldn't have planned it better myself!), so we will probably do honorings after the Easter dinner. Praise be to God.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Theology at IHOP
This morning, Mike Boyer, who is a friend of mine that I am sponsoring to come into the Catholic Church, and I went to breakfast because we didn't finish our conversation last night about free-will, and IHOP is a good midpoint from our houses so we went there. Mike is a socioligist, and loves analyzing things, which is great. Like all free-will conversations, we tried to figure out the fine line between God being all knowing, and man's "real" choices in life. I say "real" because some people say, "if God already knows that you're going to act a certain way, is it 'really' free will?" He said he wasn't sure that we have total free will. We discussed this for about 15 minutes. (By the way, I should add that he got the french toast, and I got the banana pankakes with eggs and bacon. I hope this paints the picture a little better.)
Then I told him, "Listen Mike, I don't think we're going to come out with a solid yes or no by the time we leave IHOP, but free will or not, the Lord doesn't want us to get discouraged by heavy theology. He wants us to do his work, and man do we have a lot of work to do!" He agreed, and we both described some of God's objectives like: freedom to those in slave trades, feeding those who goes days without food, the neccesity for chaste relationships and truth about sexuality, and healing the sick. So, in line with that train of thought, I asked him if he wanted to go to the Men's Night tonight and he said (to the effect), "that sounds better than what I was gonna do, so why not." To which I responded, "Glory!"
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For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 1Cor 7:22.
Then I told him, "Listen Mike, I don't think we're going to come out with a solid yes or no by the time we leave IHOP, but free will or not, the Lord doesn't want us to get discouraged by heavy theology. He wants us to do his work, and man do we have a lot of work to do!" He agreed, and we both described some of God's objectives like: freedom to those in slave trades, feeding those who goes days without food, the neccesity for chaste relationships and truth about sexuality, and healing the sick. So, in line with that train of thought, I asked him if he wanted to go to the Men's Night tonight and he said (to the effect), "that sounds better than what I was gonna do, so why not." To which I responded, "Glory!"
*************************
For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 1Cor 7:22.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Easter confusion
Two men that are regulars here for Saturday morning tennis. They came in to sign up for next Saturday and one said, "You know what Jim, next Saturday we are going to leave to go see family for Easter. I can't make it next week." Jim responds, "Frank, Easter is the week after that. Jesus wouldn't want to be ressurected on April Fools Day, the world is already confused as it is."
New Job, but not as hard core as being in the People of Praise
I have been searching for a job that has flexible hours, accomodates to college students, and decent pay since January. I had an interview with a contractor for the Department of Justice in January. Their building is right next to the Verizon Center (was the MCI center) and Chinatown. They said I have the job, and I was excited about working in DC, having prayer time and praying with people in the Metro. Unfortunately, they kept postponing my first day of work because the background check took way too long. I needed a short term job just to get some income flow.
Well the job search has finally ended. Two weeks ago, I found an opening at the Fairfax Country Club, in the Tennis Pro Shop. Now, one might ask, "Do you know much about tennis, John?" To which I would respond, "not a clue." But they just need an extra hand around the desk, and sweeping the clay courts. 2 minutes from campus, flexible hours, free food, and something that I've never had before: getting paid to study/ read people's blogs. In fact, I'm working right now. Sometimes, I sound like the members here; "I'll be eating at the club tonight."
The club occupies atleast 150 acres (in Fairfax!), has 23 holes of golf (5 practice holes, naturally), 11 clay tennis courts, including a tennis bubble with 3 courts and a patio, swimming pool, club house with 2 restaurants, 1 bar, and 3 conference rooms, 2 entertainment (smaller than conference) rooms, and a golf pro shop. The fitness building by the pool and courts has a fitness center, the tennis shop, which is where I am, and an even bigger patio. The club membership is a mere $50,000, not including annual fees and court time and golf costs. I think I have only seen one Asain man that is a member, one black family and one fitness worker, and no Mexican members, only employees doing maintanence and kitchen work. The rest that I have seen are white.
If this sounds rude or cynical, it's not, it's just reality. I love my job, but when I go back home to the Kanes house, everything makes sense again: two Russian boys that assume I am a jungle gym, the piano that is always in use, a household mother (Andrea Kane) who always has a chore for me to do (praise God), bathroom mirrors that need to be windexed every 7 and half hours, and 2nd grade school books covering the table that seats 14 comfortably. This is the life of a missionary in training; home sweet home.
Well the job search has finally ended. Two weeks ago, I found an opening at the Fairfax Country Club, in the Tennis Pro Shop. Now, one might ask, "Do you know much about tennis, John?" To which I would respond, "not a clue." But they just need an extra hand around the desk, and sweeping the clay courts. 2 minutes from campus, flexible hours, free food, and something that I've never had before: getting paid to study/ read people's blogs. In fact, I'm working right now. Sometimes, I sound like the members here; "I'll be eating at the club tonight."
The club occupies atleast 150 acres (in Fairfax!), has 23 holes of golf (5 practice holes, naturally), 11 clay tennis courts, including a tennis bubble with 3 courts and a patio, swimming pool, club house with 2 restaurants, 1 bar, and 3 conference rooms, 2 entertainment (smaller than conference) rooms, and a golf pro shop. The fitness building by the pool and courts has a fitness center, the tennis shop, which is where I am, and an even bigger patio. The club membership is a mere $50,000, not including annual fees and court time and golf costs. I think I have only seen one Asain man that is a member, one black family and one fitness worker, and no Mexican members, only employees doing maintanence and kitchen work. The rest that I have seen are white.
If this sounds rude or cynical, it's not, it's just reality. I love my job, but when I go back home to the Kanes house, everything makes sense again: two Russian boys that assume I am a jungle gym, the piano that is always in use, a household mother (Andrea Kane) who always has a chore for me to do (praise God), bathroom mirrors that need to be windexed every 7 and half hours, and 2nd grade school books covering the table that seats 14 comfortably. This is the life of a missionary in training; home sweet home.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Corny bible joke
I thought this is a funny story that one of my Campus Crusade friends told me:
One day there was a minister knocking on doors around in the neighborhood around the church, because he had some free time to invite the neighbors to the upcoming potluck. He realized this next house he was coming to would be the last one this evening, because it was getting dark. He knew someone was in this house because there was lights on and obvious commotion in this house. He rings the door bell, but no one comes to the door. He hears more commotion. The minister knocks on the door especially loud this time as to make sure someone heard him. No one comes to the door. He then takes out his business card (or a healing card if you're Matt Harris) and writes on the back of it: Revelation 3:20.
Once he leaves, there's an old lady that comes to the door and finds the card and opens the bible to read the verse. She finds it to say, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him and him with me." After seeing this, she wanted to respond to the minister. So next Sunday morning, she goes to church and waits for the collection basket to come her way. She writes on the back of the same business card: Genesis 3: 10.
As the minister counts the collection after church, he smirks when he sees the card and reads the passage, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself."
Ok, not the best, but I'm a sucker for bible jokes.
One day there was a minister knocking on doors around in the neighborhood around the church, because he had some free time to invite the neighbors to the upcoming potluck. He realized this next house he was coming to would be the last one this evening, because it was getting dark. He knew someone was in this house because there was lights on and obvious commotion in this house. He rings the door bell, but no one comes to the door. He hears more commotion. The minister knocks on the door especially loud this time as to make sure someone heard him. No one comes to the door. He then takes out his business card (or a healing card if you're Matt Harris) and writes on the back of it: Revelation 3:20.
Once he leaves, there's an old lady that comes to the door and finds the card and opens the bible to read the verse. She finds it to say, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him and him with me." After seeing this, she wanted to respond to the minister. So next Sunday morning, she goes to church and waits for the collection basket to come her way. She writes on the back of the same business card: Genesis 3: 10.
As the minister counts the collection after church, he smirks when he sees the card and reads the passage, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself."
Ok, not the best, but I'm a sucker for bible jokes.
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