confessions of a youth pastor's wife

Jason and the core left for a leadership retreat to Palm Springs earlier this evening. I don’t remember the last time Jason was gone where I ended up being home alone. I guess the difference this time is that I’m home with Aubrey. After I got all the chores I wanted to accomplish for today and putting Aubs to sleep, the house is so quiet. I do miss my hubbs, but at the same I am enjoying this sense of silence. And this is NOT because I’m a weirdo that enjoys being alone, but I guess what’s really neat is that I feel all the noise of LIFE is gone for a bit. 

I feel Christ really showing me how “busy” I’ve been and that I’ve been drowning Him out with all the noises of life. So, here I am blogging about this because I don’t want to forget what God is teaching me at this moment. 

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”
Proverbs 3:3-4

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”
Proverbs 3:27

“We are not living in a world where all roads are radii of a circle and where all, if followed long enough, will therefore draw gradually nearer and finally meet at the centre; rather in a world where every road, after a few miles, forks into two, and each of those into two again, and at each fork you must make a decision. Even on the biological level life is not like a river but like a tree. It does not move towards unity but away from it and the creatures grow further apart as they increase in perfection. God, as it ripens, becomes continually more different not only from evil but from other good.

I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish; but their rescue consists in being put back on the right road. A sum can be put right: but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on. Evil can be undone, but it cannot ‘develop’ into good. Time does not heal it. The spell must be unwound, bit by bit, ‘with backwards mutters of dissevering power’–or else not. It is still ‘either-or’.”

- C.S. Lewis “The Great Divorce” Preface

What a refreshing reminder! <3 

There is always that one person that can get under your skin when you think it’s impossible for them to do so. I need to give a background with this person…Let’s call her evil girl…EG for short? Is that too harsh? Ok, I change my mind. I’ll call her difficult former student (DFS). My first interaction with her on the phone was this:

Me: Biola Accounting, this is Annie

DFS: Hi! I forgot who I need to speak with but she worked there for a long time.

Me: What was it regarding so that I can figure out who you would need to speak with?

DFS: Actually can you give me a list of names of people who works in your department

Me: (silence)…Well we have about 45-50 people within the department and I could try narrowing down who you would need to speak with if you would let me know what you were inquiring about.

DFS: Ugh! Well, I need to make a payment

Me: Ok, so are you a student here at Biola?

DFS: Duh! Why else would I be calling to make a payment to you guys?!

Me: Well are you a current student or a former student?

DFS: Can you just give me a list of names of people who work there?

Me: I can, but I would have to give you a list of 45-50 people including their job title. Would you like me to do that for you? If not you can just tell me if you’re a current or former student and I can narrow it down to 3-4 people.

DFS: UGH! (hangs up)

———

Second Incident

Me: Biola Accounting, this is Annie

DFS: Hi, I need to talk to someone who worked there for a long time.

Me: Are you a current or former student?

DFS: I’m a former student.

Me: Do you need to speak with G*****?

DFS: YES!

Me: Ok, let me see if she’s in…

DFS: Actually I had a question for you.

Me: Sure.

DFS: How long have you been working there because it seems like you’ve just started

Me: I’ve been working here for 3 years.

DFS: Oh. Ok. Transfer me.

———-

Third Incident

Me: Biola Accounting, this is Annie

DFS: Hi! May I be transferred to G*****?

Me: She’s actually with a student, would you like me to transfer you to her voicemail?

DFS: She JUST called me.

Me: Right, but she is currently unavailable because she’s with a student right now

DFS: But she just gave me a call and I need to give her some information

Me: I understand, but she is unavailable right now. I can transfer you to her voicemail or you can call back.

DFS: Ugh…I don’t understand how she just called and that she’s unavailable.

Me: Well, you can leave a message for her because she is unavailable. She is meeting with a student

DFS: Fine.

——-

I think this lady can really cause me to induce labor from all the frustrations she’s been giving me. I guess EG was a better term don’t ya think? :)

I think I have to change my blog title from, “confessions of a youth pastor’s wife” to “confessions of a receptionist!”

Why?

Because I have stories like these….

Student comes in the office.

Me: Hi, how may I help you?

Student: Hi, is a counselor available to sign this form?

Me: Yes they are. I paged one of them out for you and they will be out shortly.

Student: Well how long will it take?

Me: I’m not sure, but a counselor will let you know when they take you in.

Student: I actually can’t meet with someone right now. I’m on my break from class and I need to go back.

Me: Ok

Student: Bye.

Thinking in my head: WHY DO YOU EVEN ASK FOR A COUNSELOR IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO MEET WITH THEM?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?

It was a slow day at work. 

My boss told me that she saw someone re-posting a blog I put up.

Instead of feeling creeped out, I yelled enthusiastically, “WOW I FEEL SO POPULAR and HONORED.”

I need something else to feed the need of acceptance. har har har.

Best call of the day:

Caller: Hi, I forgot who I needed to speak with, but is there a Jennifer?

Annie: I’m sorry, we don’t have a Jennifer in this department?

Caller: I usually speak with her, can you give me a name?

Annie: Well, what was it regarding so I can figure out who you would need to speak with?

Caller: Could you just answer my question?

Annie: We have about 50 staff members in this particular department, so I’m just trying to narrow down who you might be needing to speak with.

Caller: I call her all the time for a payment!!!

Annie: Ok, so is this for a student?

Caller: Just give me some names in your department!

Annie: Do you want me to read the 50 names we have in our department, because I’m just trying to figure out who you would need to speak with

Caller: Why won’t you do what I say?

Annie: I’ll give you all the names in our department, but I’m just trying to narrow the search for you rather than reading 50 peoples names and their job functions. We take payments for students, or if you had questions about making payments for loans it would be with someone else in a different department…etc…

Caller: Ugh (hang up)

——

I’m so happy it’s Friday and that it’s almost 4 o’clock! I had about 3 angry callers all venting their wrath to me and telling me that I’m evil incarnate (exaggeration)

I need a hug from Jesus. :)

I am so blessed to have my family…and expanding it as we speak!

I don’t know the outcome of how our kids will turn out, or even expect all the changes and trials that I will face with Jason, but to know that our lives are in the hallow of God’s hand brings me great comfort. 

I am just very lucky to have a wonderful husband who values and loves me greatly. I know that his love for me could not be fully possible if Christ was not in the picture. I know this could sound very “Christian-nese,” but it’s true to know that we could not possibly give so much of each other if we did not know Christ and/or have an intimate relationship with Him.

Christ binds us tighter together…and to remain in God’s presence not only helps my marriage with Jason, but excites my future endeavors with him.

Family is a blessing from the Lord, but having a relationship with Christ is far beyond a blessing. It is an experience of overflowing love that pushes my heart to love Him more and to outpour it to others. God is not good…He is great, magnificent, and wonderful. Even as I try to describe who God is, these words cannot hold the weight of his true character.

Amazing…

Jason and I decided to cut off our cable 2 weeks ago to save some CA-CHING. So far, I haven’t read the news! Jason was reading a newspaper on his IPad and shared that the World Trade Center has a train underneath it. He also went on about landfills in New York and the structures of a landfill.

I figured, since I haven’t read or watched the news recently, I went ahead to Fox11 News Online. What I found out was that Madonna is getting sued for noise control from a neighbor, a bear broke into a person’s car and totaled it, and how being stinky is not your fault. 

While my dear husband is reading about important issues or great upcoming events in the world, I am reading about a bear who snuck into a prius.

I’m not too sure if its the news or if it’s me reading the most random things online, but I hope I can read something with more substance….

In case you wanted to read about Madonna:
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpps/entertainment/celebrity_news/judge-allows-noise-lawsuit-against-madonna-to-go-to-trial-dpgonc-20110907-to-_14911620

For the bear story:
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpps/news/offbeat/bear-takes-prius-for-spin-wrecks-it-dpgonc-20110907-fc_14902239

And the Stink is Not your Fault:
 http://www.myfoxla.com/dpps/news/being-stinky-is-not-your-faultdpgoh-20110906-bb_14879923

Enjoy the world of mindlessness!

Goodnight!

I had a student come in today asking about a refund from his account.

Student: Hi, I requested a refund so that I can reimburse myself from buying a laptop

Annie: Ok. 

Student: What would I need to do?

Annie: Did you turn in the form?

Student: Yes, but the funds aren’t in yet

Annie: Well, it usually takes a week and a half or up to two weeks for it to be processed.

Student: So when I get the money, what do I need to do with it?

Annie: What do you mean?

Student: Well, I bought a laptop, and I requested the amount back, but when I get it, what should I do?

Annie: The funds will go directly to you, so you can do whatever you like with it.

Student: But what do you think I should do with it?

Annie: That’s your choice

Student stares at me with confusion.

Student: But I bought a laptop and I want to refund myself with the money I will get. How do I do that?

Annie: You did do that by putting in the refund request form. After you get the funds, you can either pay back the credit card you used or do whatever you would like with the funds when they come in.

Student: But I have a receipt. Don’t you need to see it?

Annie: No. You can do whatever you like with the money that will be returned to you.

Student: I’m not sure what to do….ok, but I guess I’ll just have to figure it out.

———-

I’m not too surprised to find out that the adolescent age is increasing…