Sounds of the Morning

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Birds chirping, singing and whistling.
Squirrels running through the trees
Other critters coming to life
Thud - the sound of the newspaper being delivered.

I am able to hear these sounds because it is so peaceful and there is nothing else going on. Most humans are still asleep and there's not a lot of cars on the road, yet.

The sounds of nature are not drowned out by the sounds of daily living.

This is the best time of the day as it allows me to just be still. Sometimes I am in awe of all that is around me. Where I live fruit trees are prolific - the orange tree in my backyard is swelling with oranges. The lemon tree has produced quite a bit this year and the scent of fresh rosemary is heavenly; this is just my backyard.

Nature's bounty

As I run around the neighborhood, I enjoy the scent of flowers blooming. I am simply attuned to the beauty of God in nature and I am humbled.

I am no scientist, but I think about how everything knows its purpose and operates anew daily.

In the sounds of the morning I am reminded to be still. I am reminded that God has a purpose for me. I am reminded that God's mercies are new every morning. I am reminded of faithfulness.

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Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

What are your favorite sounds of the morning?

Job Hunting - How Do I Look?

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I have to tell you, I worry incessantly about if I am aesthetically pleasing to an interviewer. I worry about how I will style my hair and now that I'm natural, I think I spend way more time thinking about this than necessary. I plan outfits in my head and worry about which shoe will complete the outfit, then I worry about if the shoe is comfortable. I get my nails done, because I believe that matters. And my face - it needs to look perfect.

While outward presentation is important, there's no need to spend so much time worrying about it.

Ultimately, if a positive hiring decision is made, it will be because of what is in your head, not what's on your body. If you're only hired for your outward appearance, in the long run, its a bit demoralizing and more than likely you won't be satisfied in this position long term. Proper emphasis should be placed on your appearance, but be clear on what you are bringing to the table.

One caveat about appearance - professional attire means different things depending on where you are in the country. Coming from New York I was used to wearing a suit to all professional meetings, however for my first interview in California, I was definitely over-dressed in my suit and heels. I stuck out like a sore thumb. Perhaps it was the industry, but it was also the location as everyone in the company had on t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Needless to say I did not get that job.

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Nowadays, this is my standard interview "uniform":

• Black slacks (you can't go wrong with black, preferably boot cut); if I wear slacks I'm not concerned about wearing stockings or not.
• A white or neutral button up shirt; the white should be crisp and sharp. A good white shirt is a great investment, though sometimes a crew neck will do depending on the organization.
• A black cardigan or blazer
• Hoop earrings
• Minimal makeup (though I don't wear heavy makeup on a day to day basis).
• Mid height close toe pumps or wedges
• Portfolio for resume and other essentials
• My favorite hairstyle is a bun positioned at the nape of my neck or in the middle. 
• A smile!

Depending on the industry and my mood, I may change my uniform as I see fit. Once I open my mouth, I let my light shine.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)
What's your interview uniform? What's your favorite hairstyle? Do you wear stockings?

Job Hunting - The Beauty of Experience

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The Israelites were being taunted by Goliath, a warrior for the Philistines. No one could defeat the giant Goliath as he was big and tall - 9 feet 9 inches. But then David stepped up. He went to King Saul and presented his case. He basically said, "I have experience killing animals that appear to be giants, that torment my sheep.  I have killed lions and bears with my own hand, so I'm sure I can kill this giant. I mean I'm not supposed to be able to kill lions and bears, yet I do with God's help, so why not this giant? Anyhow no one else has been able to do it, so why not me?"

I'm paraphrasing, but I can only imagine that's what David was thinking as he volunteered to kill this giant.

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17: 34-37 (NKJV)

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David could rely on past experience - with my hand I have killed lions and bears. It didn't have to be exact, just similar.

David also had faith in God - the Lord who delivered me from lions and bears will deliver me from this giant.

Experience and faith are great things to rely on while job hunting. I'm using my experience to show that what I've done in the past can be done in the future though there may be a greater challenge. The greater challenge is where the faith comes in and I'm relying on that also.

The beauty of experience is that when you're in a situation that appears challenging to others, you have the fortitude and wherewithal to execute successfully. Your methods may astound others or may appear unorthodox, but they are successful. As you keep slaying giants, you can become an expert giant killer.

Have you killed any giants recently, based on past experience?

Job Hunting

This is not a typical post for me, but I wanted to share because even in the ordinariness of life there is commonality.

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I'm job hunting and I'm totally ambivalent. For so long, approximately 5 years, I've had the flexibility of working from home as an E-Rate and Technology Consultant. I work for a small educational non-profit based in Northern California. Through this opportunity I have learned a lot, but I've reached a point where I'm ready to move on. To that end, I've put in serious work on my resume and have started sending out resumes.

We all know the key way to find your next opportunity is through networking, but when you are relatively new to an area networking is next to impossible. For the past 7 years while working and consulting, I've also tried to build a network.

Professionally, I'm not one of those people who has a straight line to the next opportunity.  Because I've done various things, sometimes I'm not even sure what my next opportunity would look like. So some times, I submit my resume, just because. I've learned that this is not a good strategy, because if you don't know where you are going any road will take you there.

I'm beginning to streamline my options and am getting calls that are more in line with my skill set and also a challenge for me.

Believe it or not, I'm having a crisis of confidence. Every time I express this thought the folks that know me are shocked, and then I'm shocked that they are shocked. But this is where I am.

Job hunting is challenging:

• You must believe in yourself
• You must always put your best foot forward
• You must prepare
• You must be able to say why you are a good fit for the position
• You have to want what you're going after
• You can't entirely be yourself (nerves are good)

There will be missteps along the way; you may have a bad interview, not connect with the interviewer or midway through the process realize this is not what you want. I have determined that I will use the missteps as opportunities for learning and not beat myself up too much.

In all of this, I rely on scripture. You know why? Because people mean well and have nice platitudes of encouragement. But I've found the best encouragement comes from scripture and may even be mirrored by well meaning friends. So I rely on scripture and talking to God.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

Are you job hunting? What kept you going?