Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”
Then she kissed them and they wept aloud  and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has gone out against me!”

At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her.

“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:1 – 17

Engagements

Davey & Caily

I have known Davey since my freshman year as a student at Eastern Nazarene College. We are good friends, so I was thrilled when he asked me to photograph he and his lovely fiancee (Caily) for their engagement and wedding this upcoming August.

Although it was been a bit warmer here recently, it was still pretty chilly out (as you can see the snow in the background). However, when I mentioned the possibility of doing a snowy engagement photoshoot to them, they were thrilled, as they first got to know each other on a sledding outing last year.

They were great sports even though Davey had a cold and it was freezing outside. And we had coffee after the shoot. I look forward to photographing their wedding this August.

Dan & Nicole

Dan and Nicole are an incredibly sweet couple. I have known Nicole in passing for the past year or so due to taking a class together my senior year.

They are such a cute couple. I thoroughly enjoyed photographing them and getting to know them better.

Headshots

Katrina is one of the most beautiful people I know! She is so easy to photograph and such a joy to work with. I worked with her earlier this year on her senior portraits, and was very excited when she approached me a few months ago about headshot and modeling work.

Pregnancy

Ashley and Eric are expecting their first child, a baby girl, in May. I love new babies, and was so excited to do this first pregnancy shoot with them.

They are going to shower this baby with so much love and affection. They are so excited for her to join their family!

And just one last photo:

As I have more new and interesting shoots, I’ll be updating this more. Enjoy!

Now, I had heard about Ten Thousand Villages from several of my coworkers before, but I had no idea they had an online shop! Since I am addicted to online shopping (oh geez), I checked it out right away once I found out. And I’m looking forward to visiting one of their shops in Brookline or Cambridge once it gets nicer out.

Here is what I purchased:

Leaf Capiz Earrings: $12

Ceramic Leaf Candleholders: $3.50

Delicate Dangle Necklace: $7

Brass Bangles: $4

I can’t wait to receive these in the mail! And my money is going to support people in underprivileged countries, who make these beautiful things for a living.

]]> http://shehasavoiceforlullabies.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/the-stars-lean-down-to-kiss-you/feed/ 0 shehasavoiceforlullabies Ten Thousand Villages Leaf Capiz Earrings Ceramic Leaf Candleholders Delicate Dangle Necklace Brass Bangles http://shehasavoiceforlullabies.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/if-you-want-more-love-why-dont-you-say-so/ http://shehasavoiceforlullabies.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/if-you-want-more-love-why-dont-you-say-so/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 03:41:38 +0000 Erica http://shehasavoiceforlullabies.wordpress.com/?p=67 ]]> Currently, I should be writing a 2-4 page paper using a SWOT analysis to analyze the external environment of a corporation. I should also be SWOT analyzing a case study from my textbook. What am I doing instead? Writing in this lovely blog that I am obscenely neglectful of, drinking Passion tea from Starbucks, chatting with Andrew online, and watching America’s Funniest Home Videos. Good night? Yes. Productive? Not so much. Although I did skim the last chapter of my assigned readings for the week.

I have never really been this neglectful of my schoolwork. I am super driven and goal-oriented. I didn’t get terrible sernioritis last year. But I seriously am dreading writing this crap. I think the most daunting thing about it is the formatting. Which is stupid, I know. Because I completely know and understand APA format. It’s just annoying. I’ll get to it eventually; probably tomorrow, maybe a bit tonight.

My life has changed quite a bit since I last wrote, which always happens between posts in this blog. 

My job at ENC became full-time with added duties of Conference Services Coordinator. I handle any and all events that require the use of ENC’s facilities, as well as take care of a few apartments for guests to stay in. It’s been a bit of a crash course, especially transitioning into that position on top of my Cashier position in Student Accounts while the students were starting up their second semester. I feel more on top of things now, but I’m sure I still have a lot to learn.

With that being said, I quit Starbucks as soon as I found out my job was becoming full-time. I was only there for two months, and it really was a blessing to help me provide for myself with undergrad loan repayments that began in December/January. However, I wasn’t very happy there and had to really motivate myself to want to be there during my teeny four- or five-hour shifts. I may have even stayed on part-time if my new position at ENC wasn’t so time-consuming, and I wasn’t starting grad school.

And grad school! I began my first class this past Monday. It’s Organization Theory and Design. The only thing I don’t like about it is the multiple writing assignments for this first homework set, and the four-hour-long classes. It’s only once a week though, which is awesome, and at least I already know a majority of the information we are going through, due to my undergrad degree. The reading also isn’t so bad, and it does give me something to do after work, which is also good. Some of my classmates are a little strange, and it is weird for me to try to reconcile in my brain the idea that although I am a working adult, I am also a student. To some extent, I still feel like I am in my undergrad degree, because that is just what my mind reverts to when learning. It makes me a little nervous, because undergrad studies are obviously and normally easier than grad studies; but, assuming all goes well, I will have a Masters of Science in Management (MSM) at the end of July 2011 – two days before my 24th birthday. :)

The ENC A Cappella Alumni Choir also recently began. Somehow, everything fell together perfectly. We have a little over 40 committed members, spanning 30 years of the undergrad A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers/Madrigals. I’ve been working a lot on the planning and publicity towards choir members on facebook, and have been chosen to give devotions for now. I feel a little out of my league regarding devotions; although I was the female chaplain for two years for the choir in college, I have no formal religious training, and several people in the Alumni Choir do. Hopefully, I’ll do an ok job of it. Makes me a little nervous, though.

Vanessa moved out this past Monday, as well. She was in LA for a day for training and meeting her team, and after, she went on to Peru! I miss her a lot. I guess in a lot of ways, I really looked up to her the past few months I lived with her. Our apartment was an absolute shambles while she was cleaning and packing, but now it’s almost back to normal. Her bureau and headboard to her bed is still here in the hallway, but that should be picked up by someone who wants it soon. I can’t wait to be able to walk to the bathroom again without having to squeeze between these two large pieces of furniture. They’re just awkward to walk through.

In the process of losing Vanessa to Peru, Fussell and I gained two new roommates. Sarah moved into the sunroom awhile ago. It’s pretty cozy and can be a bit on the chilly side on super cold and wet nights (her roof leaks in one small spot), but she’s made it work with a twin bed, fold-up closet, and large space heater. Oh, and lots and lots of curtains, due to her bedroom actually being a sunroom. She has eight windows.

Stacy also recently moved in to Vanessa’s room. She loves pink, so the baby pink that already covered the walls is a good fit for her. Her room is very glam and pretty and comfy. She’s also trying to integrate one more being into our little apartment unit – a kitty! However, Fussell is allergic, so this is a trial period. But I love kitties, so I’m pretty excited about this.

Andrew and I are doing well. I’m getting to see him twice this month, which is nice (we usually are only able to do once a month because of our schedules and distance), due to Valentine’s Day. He was here last weekend, and we went bowling and made cookies and watched movies and Friends. He’ll be coming up again next weekend, a week from today, and we’ll be going to Valentine’s Day brunch. I love brunch, lol.

I should probably head to my room sometime soon in order to actually start working on my homework, or maybe head to bed to work on it in the morning.

My life in a not-so-nutshell-like-nutshell.

<3

However, there are some rude customers. Listen, I know you are tired and cranky and need your americano to wake up, but don’t be a dirtbag when you deal with us. We’re not robots, and we WANT to and LIKE to help you, and ask how your morning is. Don’t be snappy when we’re making YOUR drink and warming up YOUR breakfast sandwich because the line isn’t moving as fast as you want it to.

Case in point. This past Wednesday and Thursday mornings were absolutely mad. The line was seriously out the door for at least an hour, and there was literally nothing we could do to make it go down quickly. Most people are patient, and for that I am extremely grateful. I really, really appreciate when I finally get to ring up someone who has been standing in line for a decent amount of time and they are still pleasant to deal with. So to all those polite Starbucks customers, thank you. You are awesome. But, of course, for every ten nice people, there’s a stinker. So this guy…always gets the same thing. And he just couldn’t be patient. So he left the line, threw his money down on the counter for two newspapers, and yelled over to me, “I can’t wait for this anymore. Here’s money for the papers.” Ok. Whatever. You are impatient, maybe you had somewhere to go, whatever.

This morning he returned! There was no line, so he got served fairly quickly. He got his usual meal and the two papers, and then says to my shift manager and I, “I don’t know what it is about Thursday mornings, but yesterday was ridiculous.” I agreed with him. It was. But then he had the gall to say, “And that lady that was up here with you. You have to do something about her. She is so slow and slows everything up. It’s all her.”

Listen. You want to be behind the counter and try marking cups for drinks, pouring coffees, warming up pastries and breakfast sandwiches, getting teas, ringing up your order exactly the way you like it,  and grinding coffee so we don’t run out by the time you get to the register, you’re welcome to. Until then, shut up. You are rude. And I doubt you had anywhere special to run off to with your two newspapers that morning. Just calm down.

My shift manager got so mad. She vowed from that day forward he would always get decaf drinks.

Don’t mess with the baristas.

I have been pondering about whether or not I should let a certain individual know some things that they may not have known prior to yesterday. So when said individual came into my office that afternoon and was telling me some things going on in their life, I felt like I had an open door to say, This is what happened in my experience…be careful. I went through tons and tons of crap and I don’t want you to deal with the same thing. I always question after these sorts of conversations happen whether or not I was either too nice and understanding, and didn’t give enough of a warning (“Yeah, this happened to me, but I do know that people grow up and change”); or if I just overstepped my boundaries (the idea that I have just given someone I don’t know very well advice to stay out of certain situations). I struggle with finding even ground in those circumstances and always wrestle a little bit with myself after those types of conversation end.

Many times, I also don’t know if I should be nice in certain situations and with certain people, or give them a little taste of how things really are. I strive to always treat people with kindness, and I hate when I have to say, Listen, you are not awesome. Because everyone is awesome in their own way…but when it comes down to hurting others because you think/know you’re awesome, then things get out of hand. I never want to say to someone, Hey, you’re really not a great friend. But what else am I supposed to say when it has become a pattern? I can’t pat you on the back anymore.

And I also maybe don’t know the rules of venting. When I vent, I go on for a little while about my frustrations, and maybe am sometimes not as specific as I should be. And that totally came to bite me in the butt last night, as someone I had vented to took something I had said completely out of context and it really made me nervous.

So I don’t know about these things. How to tell someone they’re a crappy friend…and actually have them listen. How to stay within boundaries…but still let someone know they’re treading on thin ice. And how to vent…without people thinking the world is ending. I don’t know how far is too far.

But I’m trying to learn.

But onto blogworthy things…

Andrew & I celebrated our 1-year anniversary on November 11. He was able to come visit for the following weekend, and we had a ton of fun. We went Christmas shopping and watched some movies and went out to eat. I got kind of dizzy at the restaurant, which was weird, but I survived. Andrew also had to watch football that Sunday with no sound…because the cable at my house sucks, for whatever reason. We have several channels with no sound, TBS is frequently in Spanish, and Lifetime has the audio of Fox News while Wife Swap is on. Which is really quite sad. Because I like Wife Swap.

I picked up another part-time job at Starbucks about a month ago. It’s really not anything that I envisioned it being. I heard such great things from so many people about working there and how the people are always awesome and the atmosphere is so great. Not so at my store, unfortunately. I really enjoy working with the majority of the people there, so that’s not a problem, but the lack of professionalism and responsibility really irks me. I work the early morning opening shifts, and this morning I left after waiting outside for an hour for the shift manager to show up…and it’s not the first time that has happened to me. Right now, I currently feel a little uncomfortable regarding what happened this morning because I don’t want to be stepped all over and disrespected in such a way that a person simply cannot get out of bed to come open up the store, so I left, but I felt bad when the shift manager finally did show up – an hour and a half later than scheduled – and called me to ask if I wanted to come in. I said no, I didn’t, because it really is a hassle for me to get there. I either bike or walk, and it’s usually not an issue (unless it’s raining; then it’s annoying), but not after I was already there at 5:30 this morning, waited outside in the cold for an hour, and then left. I’m not about to lug my butt back out of bed just so I can go there and work with a cranky shift manager. No way. And I’m still trying to warm up from being out there so long.

Work at ENC continues to go well, in extreme opposition from Starbucks. I love the black-and-white nature of it. Money, although not stable in practice, is stable on paper and computer screens, and I find that comforting. There’s no wondering about how money thinks you look or act that day. It’s just money. And all I have to do is deposit it and move it along. I do have a slight issue with certain students who think we’re biffles and make my office their hangout. But sometimes I’m short with them so they know they’re not welcome to chill for hours on end in there while I’m trying to work. It’s not that I don’t want people to visit – I do! I love people, especially at ENC, but I just don’t think it’s professional to have someone standing over my desk for hours on end telling me all about their woes and worries. Just pay your school bill. Please.

I’m starting grad school at ENC in February. My first class begins on the first of that month, and I’m pretty excited. I will be studying to get a Masters of Science in Management (MSM), and will be done in about two years. Also, with my student loans deferred, and if I play my cards right, I’m fairly sure I will be able to pay for most, if not all, of my tuition out of pocket. That’s my goal, at least. No more school loans for me, please and thank you.

I got a little netbook on Black Friday. I had to work that morning, but my roomie, Fussell, stood in line at Best Buy for a few hours in the rain and cold to get herself a new laptop (she desperately needed one) and my little netbook. I’m in love with it, but now my actual laptop won’t connect to the Internet, which is weird.

My other roomie, Vdawg, is moving to Peru in February! She’s worked at ENC for several years and has always felt called to missions, so she was accepted for a long-term (2 years!) missions trip with the Nazarene church to Peru. She has guts. I don’t think I could ever do that.

And, the Christmas season is upon us! I don’t know how, but I had most of my Christmas shopping done before December first. I really stressed over Andrew’s gifts (he’s the worst to shop for), but I think I did ok. I also managed to get myself a few fun and nice things during my excursions. I got a really pretty new winter jacket. It’s a deep teal blue with military buttons, and I love it. I also was able to snag the new Norah Jones CD “The Fall” for $7 on Black Friday, and the second season of Flight of the Conchords for $15 at Barnes & Noble (of all places, the most expensive book store on the planet) the other day. Recently, I went to Marshall’s and found a pair of cute flat black boots that miraculously fit my “muscular” calves and were only $20. I’m a bargain shopper. Don’t judge me.

Last but not least, I will be able to see Andrew in a few weeks! I haven’t seen him since our anniversary weekend, so I asked for a few days off from Starbucks after Christmas and before New Year’s (ENC is closed during that time) to go for a little visit to New York. I’m super excited because his family is planning a whole big trip into the city to see the Rockefeller Tree, and I’ve never seen it.

There. A blogworthy blog post. I like it.

After a super fast interview and integration process (interview last Monday, meeting with the VP of Finance last Wednesday, first day of work on Thursday), I am now the new Cashier in Student Accounts at Eastern Nazarene College! I’m in training now through the 11th, and then it’s all mine. I’m loving it.  Sometimes I don’t quite get the hang of something, but the lady training me, Beth, is so kind and wonderful, that I don’t leave at the end of the day feeling awful. The department has been extremely welcoming to me, too, which is so nice.

The one down side to working at ENC was the hour-plus-long commute, but I will be moving into an apartment with two of the admissions counselors this weekend! It’s right next to campus, and I love the room I’ll have.  I’m super excited.

God has provided perfectly for me. I’m hoping to start my masters program this winter, and I’m loving everything about my life right now, even with all of its uncertainty sometimes. I don’t know everything, but I love what I do know, and I’m excited to see what else God has in store for me.

In my comings and goings from Quincy to see friends and interview (second one this afternoon!!! ) these past few days, I’ve been listening to ‘Continuum’ a lot. And I <3 this song:

I hate to see you cry, lying there in that position.
There’s things you need to hear.
So turn off your tears and listen.
Pain throws your heart to the ground.
Love turns the whole thing around.
No, it won’t all go the way it should.
But I know the heart of life is good.

Pain throws your heart to the ground.
Love turns the whole thing around.
Fear is a friend who’s misunderstood,
But I know the heart of life is good.
I know it’s good.

~ “The Heart of Life,” by John Mayer

I’ve been applying for jobs like crazy. My two top choices are looking pretty promising. One is as the cashier at ENC. I stopped by there on Tuesday and said hello to the director of Human Resources there, and she told me she forwarded my resume to the appropriate people after giving me a hug. I sent an inquiry email yesterday, and got a pleasant response stating that they hoped to start holding interviews next week. The only downside to this job is that it’s part-time. However, if I got it, I think I could get into some sweet ENC housing and probably pick up another part-time job (Starbucks, Marshall’s, etc). I would not mind it at all, and I’m really looking forward to hearing from them in the next week. The other job that’s looking awesome is a position at the Boston Children’s Chorus. I meet all of the requirements and I interned there a little over a year ago, so they know me already. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from them yet. I’m hoping to within the next week.

I got to spend this past Tuesday and Wednesday down on the Cape with my (hopefully, potentially) future roommate, Sarah. We swam at the beach and went to a cookout and went shopping, and it was all ridiculously lovely.  On Thursday, I went to visit with Trox and KerryLynn, and saw Trox’s new apartment and said hello to her roommates and such. Her apartment is quaint and nice. I love it. After visiting with her, I went over to Marie’s apartment and visited with her, Preston, Davey, and Caily. Marie and I went to the Olive Garden and Kohl’s afterward. It was a lot of fun, even though it seems like every time she and I go to Kohl’s together, it’s a total bust, lol.

My stomach kills right now. So unfortunate.