Everything happens for a reason

“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” -Marilyn Monroe.

My friend Blair posted this quote on Facebook today and I realized God put it there for me to read today.  This past week has been bitter sweet since it is my last week at my current job and I will start my new job on Monday.  

I am excited about my new position and all of the benefits that will come with it, but I am sad to leave also.  For the past year I had been looking for a new position and couldn’t find one that ‘fit’.  I would go on interviews and the money, hours, benefits, etc just weren’t right.  God was holding out for my new position and didn’t want me to settle.  I had been settling for years.  I had settled for a position that led nowhere (because I was desperate to get out of the other position within the company), I had settled for no extra money when I took that position two years ago, I settled for a small raise when I deserved a bigger one, I settled for having the company I was working for make me feel like I was less for four years.  I always settled. Settled. Settled.  I got sick of it and I deserve better.

My new position came and I didn’t settle.  I knew what I had and I knew that I wanted and deserved much, much better than I had been settling for.  I ended up with a position that got me a huge raise (which I should have been making all along), 6% 401k match (instead of 3%), 100% vested in my 401k from Day 1 (I am only 40% vested now), 3-6% bonus each year, 3 weeks vacation from the start, and a few more benefits.  God is good. J

The quote above was meant for me today, I have always said things happen for a reason.  People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.  

People change so you can learn to let go.  My boss was always a great person and I liked being friends with him until this past year.  Then he changed.  I am not sure the reason he changed or who he has been hanging around to make him change, but if he hadn’t have changed I would probably still be there…Settling. Wanting more, but being told that I wasn’t good enough or smart enough because I didn’t have the same piece of paper he did. 

Things go wrong so you can appreciate when they go right.  I think if my job would have been fantastic, I would not have been looking for this opportunity.

You believe lies so you can eventually learn to trust no one but yourself.  I believed lies that I was not good enough to make more money, to have better self confidence, and that I deserved more.  One time when I said that out loud I was quickly shot down.  Who did I think I was to think I deserved more?  So I backed down again and settled for the small raise when I deserved more.  Settled.  I don’t believe those lies anymore, I do deserve more and I am sick of settling.

Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.  I know that God is not through with this one and more of the ‘better’ things will fall together.

That Marilyn Monroe was one smart lady!  Thank you to everyone who helped in my job search, prayed for me while I was looking, and gave me encouragement during those rough months.  God is good!

Hope Village

I wanted to share with you a great new place I found for lunch during the week!  It is called Hope Village and it is in Friendswood, TX close to my work.  I had been meaning to stop by and eat there (there is also a Groupon Now available), but I had kept forgetting to go. Today I went and had a fantastic lunch!!  It is a small tea room like atmosphere that serves sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, ect.  Menu available here.

 You walk into a gift shop area and the wait staff seat you.  The walls are painted with a garden like mural and there are several tables for any size party you have.  They hand you a menu and tell you to check off what you would like to eat.  I choose the sandwich sampler that came with four different sandwiches (veggie, chicken salad, tuna salad, and pimento) that were ¼ of each sandwich and it also came with a potato chips and a pickle.  My sampler also came with soup (I choose potato) and a dessert (I choose a strawberry sundae).  The wait staff was courteous and was always there to refill my tea, I never had to ask.

Wanna hear something cool about Hope Village?  It is a community for the mentally handicapped.  In the 60’s a woman named Lucille Williams had a child that was mentally handicapped and started Hope Village because she wasn’t happy with the few services that were available to her child.  Hope Village has 5 separate homes each resembling a neighborhood for people of all ages, but starting at 6 years of age.  One of the cool things they get to do is work in the café!  The wait staff was all (besides volunteers) somewhat mentally disabled.  They were awesome!  I want to volunteer there soon, hopefully they will let me. :)

I also purchased two crosses from the gift shop (I special ordered them and will post pics when they come in) for my cross wall.  One is a glitter glaze cross and the other will be a bluebonnet cross (I <3 bluebonnets + Jesus).

If you are in the neighborhood stop by for lunch one day, you won’t regret it!