Lunch Happens

Well, some good news! God has so graciously provided a job opportunity to Matt at Chicago's Pizza- a local pizza chain in Indianapolis. We attend the same church as the owner and his family, and Matt has grown up with them. The owner's son, a good friend of Matt's, is opening a new store right down the street from where we live, and asked Matt last Sunday if he wanted to help him open the store and work there with him! It truly is such a great job for Matt. He enjoys working with this family, he is on his feet all day, and the idea of helping to start something new is exciting to him. I will let him tell you whenever he decides to post on here. Matt used to work at Golden Rule Insurance. He enjoyed that, but he didn't like that he sat at a desk all day and never got to interact with people. This is just the oppositte and it's great. So, now he leaves for work every day in jeans and a green t-shirt that says "lunch happens" on the back. The store is mostly known for their pizza lunch buffet. I went last friday with a friend and I must say it was pretty good.

Anyway, so there's where we are for now. Matt is continuing to apply to local police departments. We are also going to apply to some missions organizations, knowing that will be down the road someday. I was hoping for sooner than later, but it seems it will be later. I know there's still a lot of work to be done in both of us before that time gets here. At least that's what I have been learning lately.

One more note, Matt and I went to see the movie "Gone Baby, Gone" last night. Man, it was heavy. It is not an easy flick to watch, but it is so good. I hesitate to use that word due to the story line of abducted children...it's just so real. During much of the conversation between characters I felt like I was sitting in a patient's room at Wishard listening to some family members talk, or back in Marion picking up some of the kids for the Community Youth Outreach gatherings. It spurred a lot of conversation between Matt and I, that's for sure. I recommend it. (for whatever that's worth! :) )

Blessings,

Danika

“As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him—to give God ‘elbow room.’ We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses…Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through atany point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.”

Matt and I recentlly returned from a vacation to San Diego, CA to visit the Burgers, and then a cruise down the coast of Mexico. That vacation was to celebrate a new start in our lives- Matt getting a job at Indianpolis Police Department. We had looked at some houses to buy and planned on settling in here in Indy. However, as my new favorite quote by oswald chambers says, God needed some elbow room in our lives! Shortly before leaving for the cruise, we received news Matt did not get the job. He went through their process for close to nine months, passed all the tests with flying colors, and before he left, they'd given him an appointment to get his badge made for the police academy to start last week. We have no answers as to why, but we know that God is in control, as always, of our lives. We are learning to trust him amidst the questioning and also reveling at times at the possibilities that may come! We are open to pretty much anything- the possibility of overseas missions, staying in indy and Matt working at a different police dept., moving somewhere else in the US for police opportunities for Matt....We'll see. I won't sugar coat to say this has been easy, but it's been very hard in a very good way. We know God is refining us- burning away the things in our lives that are not important and re-focusing us on Him.

I am still working at Wishard Hospital in the ICU here in Indianapolis. Working there has shown me more than I bargained for, but taught me more than I could have imagined. I don't know that I am cut out to be an ICU nurse forever, but it's good for me for now.

Here are some pictures from our vacation to finish up! Until next time.....

The four of us at Pacific Beach

Matt and I in Ensenada Mexico- our first stop on the cruise. Matt's favorite part of the trip- this Mexican flag. You can't really tell, but it's as big as a football field, weighing 500 lbs. Matt was in awe. Maybe we'll move to Mexico!?
Us having dinner on the cruise. I loved the formal dinners. It was fun getting all dressed up every night. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico- our second stop. We went ocean kyaking and snorkeling in the pictures shown. Here is the big picture of where we kyaked. How beautiful!