January Update

So its been a month (almost) since I've "blogged-on" (ok, that one made me laugh). I was in Phoenix and couldn't remember my user ID, nor the email address which I had registered under....
But finally today I gathered my exhaustive list of email addresses and figured it out.

Many areas to update today:

Holiday Vacation~
One of the best that I've had. I think as I grow older I enjoy my family even more than I did when I was younger. I was sick with a cold for most of my visit in Phoenix (and even sicker for my three days in Seattle) but I still had a good time. Mom and I did some shopping together, cooking and played a lot of Texas Hold'em together on the computer... while one of us played, the other pretended to be Phil Gordon from Celebrity Poker Showdown on Bravo - it was pretty funny. Dad and I spent a great afternoon looking at houses for a client - we got to walk through a couple framed houses while decifering floor plans. Ben and I had a couple good conversations (its hard to get minutes together with his work schedule). And my grandparents and I got "real close" as we sat together while looking at Christmas lights on Christmas eve.
I really enjoyed my time at home, watching movies and TV, reading a ton, sleeping and doing crossword puzzle together.
My time in Seattle was also great (despite losing my voice on day two). I enjoyed spending the evenings with Glo and Do, and got to visit with a lot of friends. Too much eating out for the waistline (!) but a great time to get caught up on people's lives.

Vocationally~
I am enjoying my return to my job, with my new head coach. He's just a couple years older than I am, and pretty "casual" but with a clear vision of where he wants to go. I will enjoy working with him this semester and transitioning them to "life without Tiffani" :)
I am preparing to look for some different opportunities to start in June/July either here at the college, or around the nation. As you think of me, please pray that I would have wisdom, patience and confidence in God during this process.
I feel tremendously at peace - even not knowing where I will be in 6 months. I have LOTS of offers of places to stay, if I leave Greenville, and I hope to take advantage of all of them.
We are also planning to include my salary as a "need" when we submit our next fundraising letter (my salary, as well as that of two other coaches). Our plan is to let the boosters know of our lack of funds to pay certain salaries and see if we are able to raise the money to keep one or all of us on staff. It will be interesting to see how the Lord works in that circumstance.

Ministry~
This week I will begin a two-week bible study with 6 or 7 girls on campus. Then we will regroup and begin again during spring semester, for the 13 weeks of spring (I hope). I believe we are going to study Colossians for this two-week period. Please pray that I would be sensitive to the needs of this group of women (they are freshmen-senior in ages) and that I would have Godly wisdom as I lead the study. It will be largely informal - reading together, discussing and then prayer. I am VERY excited to get "back into" more ministry now that we are fully in the football off-season.
I have continued (though the fall and now into spring) to mentor two women - Jenn and Maura. I am blessed by both of them - by their teachable spirits and desires to grow. I hope to continue in diligence to meet with them regularly (Jenn and I meet frequently "on the fly" and Maura and I meet weekly) and prepare them for the plans the Lord has for them this year and next.

Thats the most I can think of for now. I'm still reading Piper's "Future Grace" and will have some notes about that later tomorrow/Wednesday, and I'm still in BSF. Had a VERY fun New Year's Eve experience with some friends from BSF St. Louis Young Adults, and some of their friends - think "amazing race".... my team won, and so that was DOUBLE-Y fun.

Blessings to you and yours.

Love, Tiffani