Job Woes

It's Monday. The day all those employed people dread.

I don't really mind Mondays, since everyday of the week seems the same to me. I lounge in my PJ's, read blogs, watch CNN, look for jobs in the classifieds and wait for phone calls from those employers that I've interviewed with. Sounds kind of nice, but believe me- I am going stir-crazy. I'm almost becoming depressed because I'm not out there actually DOING something productive. My gargantuan student loan grace period ends in a couple weeks and I'm definitely panicking.

It's Monday, and today I received some pretty bad news.

A couple weeks ago I interviewed for a development position for the Catholic Radio Network. I got a new interview outfit (that made me look like a grown up- a strange concept for me!), dyed my hair and even painted my nails. I was one of five people being interviewed so I did my best to impress. The interview went very well and I've been in agony these couple of weeks waiting for a call.

I got an email this morning informing me the position had been filled. I really wish I could be one of those bright and sun-shiny people who don't let anything get them down and vow that something better will come up and get to work finding another job. I am NOT one of those people. These past few months have been so hard and I was just hoping for a glimmer of a good change.

I've been drowning my sorrows in Diet Root Beer and left-over Halloween candy. I'm also busy baking oatmeal raisin cookies. I suspect five pounds will find their way to my waist this week (but at least I'm drinking diet, right?)

Everyone is telling me that something better will come along. I know God has a plan for me and it will be awesome. I just wish He'd shoot a flaming arrow from heaven with a scroll attached telling me what to do next. I wish I didn't feel so crummy.

I read other women's blogs, and their woes consist of getting a chocolate shake stain out of the carpet or a teething child. Those are the kind of woes I want to write about, not my long lasting unemployment.

I've thought up a lot of "hare-brained" schemes before. When I quit college the first time I had the idea of working at a factory to save up money to move to L.A. or New York to become an actress. (I failed to mention that in the post because, well...I'm a tad embarrassed!) My mom even dragged me to an audition for the Broadway musical The Lion King. I croaked out Danny Boy backstage of the enormous Starlight theater in Kansas City. The director thanked me for coming with a little smirk on his face and I bolted out of there.

While I was working housekeeping and maintenance at the hospital, and I was trying to decide if I should go back to college I thought the perfect way for me to think clearly was to backpack across Europe. I have the long and excited journal entry to prove it.

I don't dream big like that anymore. And since I've received this news that I didn't get the job I'm trying to think of what my next step should be. I have goals, and you all know how I like lists, so I'll list some of them.

• Of course one of my main goals in to be a mother. I want a whole bunch of 'em and would love to stay at home and take care of them and my husband.
• I want to write more. I have a purple folder stuff with half-finished stories that I wrote as a child. There's a tornado story, a story of a girl lost at sea, and even four comic books featuring my own "Magnificent Magg-o". Since starting this blog I've come to realize my love for writing wasn't just a childhood phase.
• Since I've been writing more I've thought about going back to school to get a degree in journalism or writing. That may be another "dream big" dream.
• I've often thought about going back to school to get my masters in Theology. But there are no grad schools for Theology around here and we'd like to stay close to this area. Besides, thinking about the stresses of writing twenty page papers on iconoclasm scares me a little!
• I'd love to be a Catholic speaker. Public speaking does not scare me.
• I've thought about how awesome it would be to write a book. (There I go again with the writing!) I think it would be fun to co-author a book with my big brother who writes Roman Catholic Cop.
• Most of all, I want to make a difference. I want to bring people closer to Christ. I want to save souls. I want to get to Heaven to experience eternal happiness with all of my loved ones.

Time to go, my raisins, eggs and vanilla have been standing for an hour and it's time for the baking to begin!

P.S. Thank you to all who offered their prayers during my interview and while waiting to hear back from them. God bless you!

Job Interview!

I have an interview with the Catholic Radio Network on Tuesday morning!

I am certain the Holy Spirit led me to this job posting. It's a funny story if you want to hear it.

Mainly I am writing this for PRAYERS! Please pray that all goes well, and if it's not meant to be that I accept God's will! I would appreciate it so very much!

This job feels so right to me and I would be honored to work for the betterment of the Church!

Wow, that's a lot of exclamation points I've put in this posting. I'm just so excited!!!

When I Grow Up

Last night I applied for another job. I remember during my last semester of college reading all these news articles about how college graduates are having a very difficult time finding a job in this crummy economy. I never really paid any attention to those articles, but when they handed me my diploma and I went out into the real world I realized they weren't kiddin'!

It's kind of nerve-wracking finding a big-kid job. During high school and college my jobs were a means of paying for gas, rent, clothes and other junk. I generally enjoyed going to work, but knew I wouldn't be doing it for the rest of my life...which I guess added to the enjoyment! But now it's time to find a career. Something I will be doing the rest of my life!

Remember those care-free days during elementary school when teachers would ask you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Even in high school teachers and guidance counselors would ask this question, and it was always so fun to imagine the future- so open, so promising.

In elementary school I remember we had an "About Me" project. We had to tell our teacher about ourselves and she'd write it all on this big piece of paper. One of the questions was the "what do you want to be when you grow up?" I wanted to be an actress. My mom tells me I was a little drama queen, even in elementary school!

Then of course whenever the Olympics would come around I would want to be a gymnast like Shannon Miller, or a swimmer- that looked like fun! After watching the movie Twister I knew I'd end up being a tornado chaser!

My lofty career goals didn't end in elementary school. My freshman year I was in Upward Bound, a college prep program for high school students. We had to write a long term goal-statement. I wanted to go to medical school in New York City, then move back to Maryville and open my own pediatric clinic. I still look at that goal statement and laugh! Jump to my senior year and guess what was I planning on majoring in when I went to college? Theater! I loved acting in the school plays and I guess the little acting bug that was in me since grade school stuck with me.

Well as most of you know, I didn't last long at the first college I attended (that's a whoooooole other blog posting!)

The second college I attended I majored in secondary education and history. I lasted a semester there, and had difficulty in understanding that if you want to be successful in that major and career path, you have to actually show up to class. Ugh....but it would have been so much easier if you didn't have to work hard and *POOF!* you could just have your dream job!

So my next goal was to be a nurse. That's the original reason I moved to Atchison. But the Lord had other plans for me...(which is another blog posting!)

So I end up at Benedictine College and majored in Theology. What I was going to do with that major I had NO clue at the time, but it was a subject I really enjoyed. Third time's the charm with this school and I actually graduated! Whoo-hooo! Going to class pays off! I cried tears of happiness when I walked across that stage and got my diploma! I was so excited!!!

I had career plans already. I wanted to teach at a Catholic high school, become a great apologetic, write great devotional and evangelical material to benefit hundreds, or become a phenomenal speaker like Scott Hahn or Christopher West.

But now what? I've applied for a couple jobs for the diocese of KC-St. Joe and the Jefferson City diocese. Nothin'. It's getting pretty tight around here so I've actually applied to Wal-Mart. *shudders...*

But with all these career dreams and goals, there is one thing I want to do no matter where I end up. I want to help people. I want to encourage people. I want to uplift people. I want to bring my fellow brothers and sisters closer to Christ and to be happy. I want to make a difference. I know that sounds like an hokey advertisement for Boy's Club or Girl Scouts, but I honestly and truly want to achieve those things!

By the grace of the Holy Spirit I found a job opening for Catholic radio. I put in my resume and hopefully will be called in to interview in October. So please, please, please pray for me!