My New Job (Belcan)

So I had an interview with the Belcan Corporation the other day. It was amazing! I spoke with three different team leaders and the general manager over a 3 hour period. When I flopped my groups turbofan engine report from my propulsions course on their desk, I saw a twinkle in their eyes as they flipped through the pages. They were impressed with the gas turbine knowledge I had gained in my propulsions course as an undergrad. The Lord gave me the confidence Chels and I had prayed for as I spoke with them. My words came out clearly and I actually was far more articulate than ever before.

The very next day, I received a call from Belcan extending to me an offer to be a Design Engineer working with the airfoil/turbine group. It was great and I took it. Praise the Lord! He not only took care of us in our time of need, but rewarded our faithfulness with a job. Not just any job, a career that fits my passion for gas turbine engines (jet engines) right out of the gates. The job also offers me the opportunity to work closely with group members. My propulsions professor, Dr. Van Treuren, emailed me about the job and explained to me that it is very rare for an entry-level engineer to score a design position this soon. God is freaking awesome! I'm still not entirely sure exactly what I'll be doing. The company is a very entry-level friendly company so I'm not the least bit nervous of starting on Monday.

Man, the Lord has taken us on quite a ride over the past 6 months. It’s been a little scary at times but always exciting. God has completely lived up to his end of the deal, and then some, as Chels and I have trusted Him in times of need and with some big decisions we’ve faced.

In closing, I’m pretty dern excited about working with jets. “Word to the Fatha” –DC Talk

Old Blog, Never Posted (Cytonome Lay-off)

So I'm black and boggin. Wait, scratch that and reverse it. It's been a while but if I'm gonna blog about anything, this outta be it.

The events that transpired this Thursday (9-27-07) will definitely go down in my books as an experience. My boss and I and two other coworks took a stroll after lunch to check out the three gargantuan cruise ships that docked next to our building earlier that morning. Amazing feats of engineering by the way!

To set up the story, Cytonome, Inc. is a privately owned medical devices company resting on ...or shall I say clinging desperately to the shoulders of a few investors. In a company meeting we had a month ago, Lydia, our CEO, updated us on the status of the company by saying that we had a few key investors on the fence about this next period (I don't speak business very well so excuse me if my terminology is wrong) due to the shaky economy as a result of the deteriorating housing market. She was very optimistic which allowed us to leave with nothing really to worry about. Well, this Thursday, Lydia spontaneously called everyone (all 26 of us) into the conference room for another company meeting. She jumped straight to the point. The fence walking investors lost their balance and tumbled off the wrong side. (excuse the cheese) She was given a two week period to feverishly pick up some new investors but that didn't pan out. In order for Cytonome to survive, they had to make some cuts. Well, being the latest hire, I thought for sure I was a gonner...you know, being the one guy or maybe one of two to go. Nope. They cut 50% of the company. Not only did I go, but so did many others, which from my point of view, had much more at stake. Of the laid off included a few that had been around since the company started, a few Ph. Ds, and many with wives and children to support. Quite surprising to say the least.

Prior to this day, for some time mind you, I had been spiritually struggling to no avail. Despite even the tremendous blessings Chels and I have been given (my excellent job, our successful journey to Boston, our new relationships, etc.) My line of communication with God was, what seemed to me, severed, failing to encounter Him on a daily...um, make that a weekly basis. I found myself doing what I wanted to do, not thinking twice about what He or Chels wanted. To make the story short, life has been a bit dark for me lately.

Initially my heart dropped when I heard my name. "How am I gonna tell Chels?" was the question that weighed on my mind at first. As she continued to read the list, my mind was diverted from "What was I gonna do" thoughts. At that instant, I had a hard-wire connection with God and He was saying to me, "This is it, Jeremy! Here is an opportunity to represent me. This is why I brought you here.” Probably one of the most comforting and peaceful feelings I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s as if God had just raked any negative connotation from what had just occurred.

My attitude went from the verge of panicking to speaking with and consoling other coworkers who were also laid-off. I was reminded at that point that God said he would take care of us, which allowed me to maintain a positive outlook and encourage others for the next few hours I was there. I was able to reassure other “employed” coworks that Chels and I would be taken care of and proceeded to joke and make light of the situation, though not in front of other laid-off folk as it might have come across as a bit insensitive.

Needless to say, I left work happier than I had left any other day. It was an incredible experience and I am privileged and thankful to God that he used me in that.

World's Fastest Update

It is 31 degrees right now in Brighton. I see frost on a neighboring roof. Our bedroom heater still whistles louder than a train and maintenance told us that was "normal." Jeremy's engineering brain didn't settle for that, so he's figuring out how to work on the heater in that room.

I have a paper due tomorrow and have written one of 7-8 pages. I'm up early with Jackson (he's helping while Billy is snuggled in with Jeremy) trying to work on my paper, yet I'm blogging.

Well, Jeremy had a job interview yesterday. Went very well and he should hear within the week.

Back to work!

The mushrooms...

Well, that is just a couple of them... Cape Cod mushrooms fresh from a bucket in our neighbor's kitchen. She picked them herself from Cape Cod. Jeremy wasn't brave enough to try them when I cooked them. He said they looked like "Billy turds." I cooked them the way she said her mother did back in Russia. Evidently, they used to pick them from mountainsides. Cool. They tasted ok.... but then again, I can eat just about anything. I need to give her something back now... I gave her fresh basil and fruit from the market, she gave hand-picked mushrooms, hmmm.... any ideas?

Scattered thoughts minus the mushrooms

I'm full of disconnected thoughts this morning. I wanted to write about my mushroom eating experience, and post some pictures.... then I realized that the pictures are on the camera which is in the car which is parked about a 7 minute walk away from our apartment. It is dreary out, so I'm too lazy to get out and walk to it, even though I am greatly enjoying fall and being able to wear scarves without it being cold or frigid. Alas, the mushroom pictures and my story of cooking them "Russian style" will have to wait.

Jeremy is out and about today. A friend of his who was a resident on his hall when he was a CL (Community Leader or simply an RA) in a dorm at Baylor wanted to come up from NYC and see Boston for a day. So, he's out playing tour guide. We've done this so much already that perhaps we should start a business. We've even got a route and pattern that we've been using when doing this. Maybe this is our calling in life.... ha!

Me, I'm staying in because I didn't feel like being wet, and also need to do some homework (I haven't done any reading, studying, or writing for grad school since mid-terms ended about a week or so ago). I came out ok with grades on papers and tests.... the hardest I've ever worked for A's in my life! I am beginning to feel like I belong at grad school where I am so that is a great blessing and confirmation.

I just noticed that there is moss growing on the tree outside our balcony, and only on one side. My thought was "hmm... that must be the North side of the tree cause it gets less sunlight." Yes, random thought but true. I learned it from Jeremy's mom who learned it in girlscouts. Remember, when lost, always look for the moss to determine North. Actually, maybe I learned that on Man vs. Wild too.

In other randomness, Jeremy turned down a second interview for a job this week, bringing out mixed emotions from our family of which one side is more understanding of the reasoning in doing so than the other. Perhaps we just should not talk with them about it anymore so that we don't get the "well, a job is a job" explanation again. A job is much more than a job.... it is where God places to portray Himself. If a job were just a job, we wouldn't be up here draining a bank account of savings when we could make much more money easier at an engineering firm in Houston or Los Angeles working in oil where the market is hot.

I've been babysitting more lately, which is great. They don't know how much of a blessing they are being in Jeremy's and my life's by giving me more work when we need it. They don't know that Jeremy lost his job either. I've just kept that quiet. Also, Jeremy's truck back home looks like it may sell soon, which would help us out in this waiting period. Anyhow God continues to give provisions as they are needed.

Finally, someone asked the other day if having continued faith in God's provision for us is getting harder as days continue to pass. I said no quickly, but then made a comment that I have thought back upon. I said, "it will when after we pass the mark of time that it took Jeremy to get a job last time." It makes me sad that I said this as I guess the quick utterance of my mouth may say something about the condition of my heart. I pray that I don't have "timetable faith." But, I also see that God values me admitting my doubts honestly as I try, and try, and try to continually look to Him.

Next time, I'll post a picture and talk about the mushrooms. Just to hold you over though, I'll post a couple pictures.... one of me old school dressed up in my SING costume about ready to leave and go perform with KXA/ATO (Yay for the 80's) and the other of what happens when I get out of bed in the morning. Thought both would be good for a laugh. :0)
And in light of Halloween coming, I thought I'd post the dog's in a clown outfit previous to Halloween this year. Don't worry, no one is dressing up here this year.

Fall Foliage Trip

So, last night I decided that we needed a mini-vacation. I've studied my eye-balls out lately (seriously sat so much that my tailbone hurts) and Jeremy has worked super hard at applying for job after job after job. We hadn't gone leaf peeping yet, and knew if we didn't soon we'd lose the chance. Anyhow, half a gas tank and 8 hours later, we have officially participated in one of the most traditional of New England activities. Since most of you aren't up here with us, we thought we'd be so kind as to share pictures (and hopefully a video if it will upload) with you all.
Red trees are my favorite. Jeremy loves the fiery orange.
We were up in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. There were tons of rocky creek areas.
There was no one driving where we were today. Just silent.
Jeremy in his Texas shirt. Funny though, cause rednecks (and Reddin's) fit right in in New Hampshire. Tons of rednecks. Jeremy chunked big granite rocks into the creek for about 20 minutes just trying to make loud splashes.
That's me way over there just soaking up fresh air and thinking.
Jeremy always says I look like a chemo patient when I wear hats. You can't tell, but it's a Red Sox hat.
Funny cause this picture is right after crossing back into Mass. right at the MA/NH border. The leaves here were prettiest in our opinion. Still, pictures don't really do justice. It was foggy and rainy all day, but it cleared up for us when we were out of the car.

Anyhow, here is a video.... this wasn't the most beautiful area, but still beautiful. Just thought we'd share!


I think that's about all. There is more pictures on Jeremy's facebook. The job search for him is ok. He had two interviews this past week, one went well and one didn't. Funny thing is that he felt like he might not take either even if offered. The one that went well is a company eerily similar to the last company that he worked for.

Jeremy's boss from his internship in Waco said in an email the other day that perhaps God's plan is to send Jeremy from one failing company to another just to use his gifts of encouragement and flexibility. That is a scary thought, but then again, we signed up for whatever He had for us up here. We don't see that right now, but who knows. I guess we asked for it in all those prayers for God to build our faith.

We have also been praying much more specifically about certain job openings lately as a result of a conversation with our pastor's wife about this when we were back in Waco. One's we have been praying towards have been companies that promote relationships and community among employees. We've also been praying that our motives in praying are pure and not praying towards our own agenda for Jeremy to be employed by certain companies(i.e... that we wouldn't pray towards certain jobs because of salary, perks, etc.). Needless to say, we aren't in any hurry to get a job just to have one, but are interested in seeking where God wants Jeremy. When I read over that, I wonder if we are crazy. Anyhow, that's all about that.... ask more about specifics if you want to know!

Apple Orchards

Thought I'd post some pictures from our apple picking adventures!
Heading into the orchard on the hayride.... It was a nice fall day! :)
How bout them apples!
Jeremy never knew his giraffe like height would become so useful.... many of the apples were higher in the trees.
Ahh.... finally apples I can reach!
All done.....
Whoa..... 49 of them here. The doctor will be kept away for quite a while in this house!

Anyhow, those are just a few.... it was really a neat experience. We've conquered quite a few of those apples so far. Yum! Earlier this week my cousin and his wife were in from Florida to vacation in Vermont. We were able to try this nice place that neither of us has tried yet in the North End, and get gelato. It was fun to see them!

Beauty

I REALLY should not be writing at this moment... I have 25 minutes before I need to start supper to have it ready between when Jeremy arrives and we leave for Tuesday night Bible study/discussion time. Anyhow, I am really loving this whole idea of Fall... the changing of the seasons, etc. I think down South the leaves are just green, yellow, and suddenly gone (and maybe without the yellow part).

It is beautiful here. The leaves are just starting to change. It seems that everyday I look out the window and the tree outside our place looks noticably different than the day before. I went out to coffee with a friend last Friday, and she suggested taking pictures of an area over the next bit of time to catch the change in seasons. Anyhow, it is cool.

We are going apple picking this weekend, which for the non-New England readers, is a huge tradition up here. Apple orchards are everywhere and that is just what you do... pick apples right off the tree. I'm super excited. We'll be going out about an hour west of here this weekend, and then up in New Hampshire in a couple weekends.

Jeremy is still chugging along at work as well. If it were up to him, we'd skip everything and go straight to winter.... he's crazy. I agree that I'm excited about Christmas time with actual snow.

My internship is super.... I like it a lot. I spend most of my days corralling the elderly. Telling them that no one is behind the piano stealing our secrets, that they can't be mean or yell at the nurses, and helping them remember what happened 5 minutes and 10 and more years ago. It's fun and sad at times. My supervisor is great. I talked with a "healing priest" today who is now a resident in the long-term care area.... that was interesting. Evidently, he used to have quite a following in that area of Boston.

Alright... gotta get busy with dinner.

Heatwave!

Just a super quick funny note. I woke up feeling dizzy, was sweating and wanted to barf last night(no....not pregnant :o)...). When I finally woke up enough to analyze further how I was feeling, I realized that the freakin HEATERS were on. Apparently our apartment complex felt that the first chilly evening (45 degrees or so) deserved heaters. We can't control it (I can't complain because we don't pay for it). Not just a bit of heat either.... enough that I opened the windows a lot in order to be able to go back to sleep.

I just found it humorous that it was mid-September and a heater was on. That's all.

A bunch of hogwash...

I went to a website a bit ago to read about this new Christian book that had come out that I was interested in, and then underneath it was another new book about getting over depression, and this was the beginning of the authors comment about his book:

''In a sense, a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms.''

This comment bothered me deeply, and push me to come write my thoughts because I think that it will be refreshing for me to read my own words and for others like me in the Christian community who may feel ostersized if they have the same struggle. Very, very few of you know that I have stuggled with episodes of what I only recently am realizing that may be depression or at the very least a big struggle to adapt to all of the many changes and stresses in my life, for over a year now. It included a huge struggle with my image (I don't know a woman who doesn't find herself here), and how my faith fits in with all the many awful things I saw at work everyday in Texas. I have gone through times of constantly feeling guilt and being overwhelmed. In many ways, I am a different person than before all of the things that happened at my previous job. I cope with EVERYTHING differently than I used to. At times, I'd searched and dug through all areas of my life thinking that I'm missing something, that there is some sin there that I am not realizing, and then guilty again because I just "must not be praying enough" or I'm not "depending on Christ fully" even though in many ways I felt that I was crying to God and looking to him. I felt so guilty that I didn't talk about it... not even with Jeremy. Anyhow, here are the words of a wise, wise lady that I've been talking to from my church back home:

"I am not saying that there is not depression that is caused by circumstances, even sometimes by sin. But that is not true of all depression."

"Sometimes all the things you do to help the situation, including time in the Word and prayer (which I fully support), are not enough to keep you on an even emotional keel."

Anyhow, be your own judge if you will, but I just wanted to put it out there.... I know I'm not alone in my journey, and I think that it is refreshing for the Christian (and non-Christian) community to hear something different. Don't feel guilty.

Back to what I should have been doing, but haven't started all day.... reading. :)