Monthly Archives: August 2008

Yeah, my interview isn’t going to be until September 8th for the RA position. Part of me feels like that is kind of ridiculous. The higher ups know as well as I do, that the sooner the RA can be in the floor environment, the better. But whatever, I’m ok with that I guess. But I feel like I’ve been acting like an idiot these last two days. I’ve been telling everyone I know that I am going to return to RJ, I’ve been basking in the attention like I am a celebrity or something. I just feel like I’ve kind of acted like this job is an entitlement, like I don’t have to go through the university hiring process of being interviewed, etc. It is amazing to me, how easily and quickly pride can get in my way and inflate my head and my view of myself.

So all of my roommates found out last night about my decision to move back on campus. I told one and the other two heard through the grapevine. I’ll never understand how word can travel so fast. They seemed to be taking it pretty well, but I can’t help but wonder if I am destroying three good friendships. I mean, its just subtle little things that they have been doing now, passive aggressive kind of stuff towards me. I can’t tell now if they are mad at me or not. Or like today, I came home and all of my dishes and stuff were out on the table because they had reorganized the cupboards. Fine, understandable, except for the things that they didn’t take out, like the pizza pan I brought. I mean I don’t want to lay blame, it could have been accidental that some of my nicer stuff was not removed from the cupboards, but if they are just doing it to be jerks, I am going to be upset. This has been a stressful stressful time. This will be the third time I will have moved this month and that is very stressful. I also am getting ready to start classes, quit my brand new job, move back into the freshman dorm, try to appear like I have authority when I have already missed the first few days of living on the floor, I am trying to find someone to replace me in my house, I have to explain to my friends why I am moving back on campus, I have to call my landlord and tell him I am backing out of the lease, this is seriously stressful stuff, all so I can glorify the God in going the direction he leads.

I hope and am sure that I am just reading more into things, imagining things and that they are not being hostile towards me. And I pray that they are dealing and coping with the situation well.

I’m not completely sure that everyone understands my reasons for moving back into the residence halls as an RA. I know that many are shocked and surprised, even I am a little bit in shock right now. But here is a list of reasons.

1. The job has changed a lot. The amount of time and effort seem to be a little bit easier to handle.
2. The new hall director, in my opinion, is way more easier to work with.
3. Sea World did not turn out to be all it promised to be. I made only about $1,000 this summer, way less than anticipated at the signing of my lease. I will be having to work excessively while going to school and taking 300 and 400 level classes, just to scrape by with rent, utilities, and groceries. It’s not a very appealing outlook. And my parents don’t have the financial resources at this point with two children still at home, one ready to leave for college next year, to assist me in any way.
4. How am I supposed to build relationships easily when I live off-campus, with the kids on campus? This was definitely not the wisest move on my part.
5. My reasons for moving off-campus were not pure, but selfish. They were all about me and what I wanted. It was about sticking it to the man, no one to make up rules or curfews for me. They were not God-honoring at all, in fact God was not even allowed to be a part of the process. As I learn to be less selfish and heed to the Holy Spirit, I feel like I am being lead to live on campus again.

So these are the main reasons behind the decision to move back in to Reed Hall. You may not like them, but that is just the way it is.

So today I wake up and realize that I am late for helping Campus Crusade help move new students into the residence halls today. I consider not going because I don’t feel real well, but for some reason I go. I am helping out near Reed-Johnson where I am approached by some of the staff members, including the new hall director, and asked to return to staff. Now you know how I felt about being on staff, but after a convincing sales pitch, and many other factors factored in, I took the job. I am just going through the phases of the interview process, but I am as good as hired. And so, unfortunately I must quit the job I just started this week at Admissions, and I must leave my house behind. Overall, this is the best choice I could make ministry wise, financially, and locationally. My roommates seem pretty understanding and I know I am following what God wants for me. Please just pray for God’s provision in a roommate to take my place.

The thing that has been on my mind the most the last week or so has definitely been money. I didn’t really make enough of it in California and like usual, I wasn’t careful with what I had. My checking account? $66. I know that I will be making enough money every month to more than cover rent, utilities, groceries, tithing, saving, paying off student loans (little by little), and have money left over to play with. But this first month is going to be just a little tight. I have a small amount of money left over from Sea World and I AM working, but the pay period we are in right now does not get paid the first, but rather, gets paid on the 15th. Unfortunately, the rent is due on the 1st to my roommate. I am going to be doing a PRACS study next month which will earn me $1,000 which will literally be a lifesaver for me and will be a guarantee that the rent will be paid and that groceries will be bought. But like I said, this first month is going to kind of suck and kind of be tight, so, just be praying for me, most off that God would be merciful towards me and gracious in his provision and second that I would trust him with all my mind, heart, strength, and soul.

Well, I’m starting a new job again, this time its very different from vending at Sea World. I work in the Admissions Office at North Dakota State University. The primary function of my job is to give tours of campus to prospective students and transfer students. I also do other things, but the tours are the major part. I started on Monday and I worked yesterday too. I mostly just shadowed tours and stuff. Today I shadowed one more and then actually lead a tour myself. I was pretty nervous, I must admit. I mean, I know a lot about our campus and take great pride in it, but it just seemed so daunting to have to give a tour of campus to someone who didn’t know anything about it. It went just fine, except for two places, involving Residence Life. I was showing some differing classroom sizes in Minard Hall and one of the rooms I used was a room all the RA’s were using for training. As we peeked in the window and some of the RA’s saw, me they started making faces at me and stuff. And then after showing the showroom in Reed-Johnson, I was walking out of the building, as all the RA’s were walking towards us for their lunch break. They all started shouting my name and stuff and so it was hard to keep my concentration. Other than those two incidences, everything on my tour went fine. I am excited to work tomorrow and give a few more tours as well as on friday. I think that this job is going to be awesome.