Why I'd Like to Move

So I mentioned in my last post that I got a new job. (Yay!)

It's actually for the same library I have been working for, just a different branch, and I'll be full-time. So more hours, a bit farther away from home and a lot farther from where I want to be in Cincinnati, and no more $$ per hour. I'm excited because it will be more challenging than my current job, which I find kinda boring since I do not have any special duties like everyone else even though I have asked for more to do. It will be nice to be back at the Middletown location though because I know a lot of people there since I used to work there. I just wish Middletown was in Cincinnati, because that's where I really want to be.

The reason I want to be in Cincinnati is because I'm tired of living in Hamilton cut off from the world. How people live here happily, I do not know. It's too far from everything...even Trenton, OH where I grew up is better. I also long to be closer to St. Gertrude, our parish, in Madeira. Then add in Ben's almost hour commute and I have 3 really good reasons for wanting to be there. But there's more: I have friends that live there and I am itching for more of the city life. I want culture, I want variety, I want something more to life than what I have. I want to drive a Zipcar and use public transit. I want to live in an even smaller place than what we have now LOL! Most importantly, I just want to fulfill the vision and dream Ben and I have had of living in the city. I think it would be awesome to live downtown, but until we hit the lottery, I don't see that happening haha. I'm not a party person, I just want to look out the window and see the people, as they stroll along to their job or take a drink of their coffee.

I think this idea of living in the city is rooted in a deeper longing to belong to the universal Church, and to God Himself. I want to be a part of that crowd following after Jesus! I want to play a part in what He's doing. I already am, but I kind of feel like it's a temporary part that I play on the weekends and then I go home, and take off my stage makeup. I want to be where I'm doing ministry all the time, be amongst the people, and know them. I want to be one of them. It kills me that every Sunday night after Core team meeting is over, we get back in the car and drive the 45 minutes home. My heart says to itself, "I died that day!"* when I wake up on Monday and it's back to the rest of the week. 

And perhaps that's how I felt when I left my last ministry job...despite all of the things that were wrong about the situation and why I needed to leave. I just get so much joy out of being with the youth, teaching them, hanging out with them. I remember how I felt when I heard God call me to youth ministry and I was really unsure if I could do it. Part of me didn't want to, and then I had that feeling again when I failed Catechetics. I was just not cut out for this! However, when I'm away, I realize that I do not feel the joy that God gives me when I am immersed in ministry.

Which is why I told my dear friend Emma, who is one of my former youth group kids, that I wish I was back in ministry again. I miss it so much! I'd rather be doing that than working at the library, and if I didn't have to worry about money, I would do it for free. I'm still waiting on an offer from a parish who is willing to pay off my student loans in 2 years in exchange for youth ministry for 5 years. Or that's one scenario I have in my head LOL! I talk about student loans a lot because I have a ridiculous amount to pay each month. (And if you're thinking of getting student loans, do not go with Sallie Mae!) Such is life I guess.

Well, I'm going to go clip coupons and talk to my hubby Ben before bed. There's always so much to talk about on Sunday nights after we get home from youth group. I guess it begins the dream we have of doing ministry together and we can't seem to get God to stop calling us to it. Maybe that will be the next adventure...


* "I died that day!": a famous line of Buttercup's from Princess Bride that always rings in my head.

LIFT OFF!

Welcome to Hustle and Grace!

I'm Randi and this is my first post! I love Jesus, my hair, modesty, youth ministry, and Pinterest. I'm Catholic and passionate about my faith. My hubby Ben and I have been married for just over 7 years. He works for Zipcar (and we love what Zipcar does for people!). He loves Jesus, his beard, cars and listening to audio books. Together we do youth ministry with an awesome team at our parish. I'm so glad you're here! I am pumped to share my story, shed light on Catholicism, infertility, modesty, women in ministry, and marriage. 

When I was thinking about starting this blog, I was dreaming up a new name and I was thinking about the other blogs I've written. I started out with a LiveJournal back in high school. Classic, I know! I've also had my handwritten "blogs": diaries, prayer journals, doodles on notes...it's no wonder I love to write, I do have an English degree after all! Since then I've had 2 other blogs, "Ministry Life of a Catholic Wife" and "Brite Grey". They just didn't realistically portray what was happening in my life and I couldn't keep my focus. 

So what happened to my last blog?
Well, back when I was writing "Brite Grey", my life took a different turn. I had been working as a youth minister/coordinator of religious education for almost 3 years and had worked at another church before that, as well as retail. I wasn't at peace with where I was for many reasons (I will write more about this later). I prayed a lot about what to do and talked to a lot of different people. My head was spinning with all of this creative energy, but I'll admit it, I was burnt out. I started looking for other jobs, but nothing was working out. 
Fast forward to last year: I was in the middle of VBS planning when I knew God was calling me to leave. It broke my heart telling kids and their families I was leaving, but I knew God had something different in mind. So I left my job, which was really scary, but I had peace about it and trusted God.

6 months after leaving my job (this past December), I felt my creative self coming back. I've been discerning my spiritual gifts and I now realize that I wasn't doing what I loved in a way that worked with my spiritual gifts and personality. I had been praying about starting a new blog since "Brite Grey" didn't reflect who I was. When I stumbled upon the name Hustle and Grace, I knew that it was an answer to prayer! It perfectly described the craziness of my life, but reflected how much God's grace is affecting it 24/7.

I hope this blog is an inspiration and an encouragement for day to day life, one where we can celebrate what God is doing in our lives and ministries. Of course I will share DIY projects, printables, free items, and pictures from all different areas of my life. I hope you'll enjoy my blog, as I share my heart and soul with you.

I'm so glad you decided to stop by! I'd love to share more with you, so make sure to follow me on here or through Bloglovin. I'm also on Twitter @hustlegraceblog and Instagram (my fav!) @hustleandgrace.