The Gift of New Beginnings

Last Friday, I had my first day at my new job – my first full-time, real job since heading off to business school in the fall of 2021. We spent the day learning how to turn on our computers, reset our phones, and find our benefits on the portal. It was slow and long and more than once I thought, “Wow, I wish that I could skip all of this and just be in the middle already.”​
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It’s a tempting thought, especially as I re-settle in DC and wonder what my life will look like here, this time around. I so desperately want things to be easy, routine, and “figured out.” But as I’ve seen again and again in my life, it’s often the “beginnings” and “endings” that lead to the most growth.
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Jesus is teaching me something here, at the beginning of something new and good. Beginnings and endings are the sacred places where He meets us in our uncertainty, our confusion, and our open-ended questions. It’s here that He can be our anchor in the storm, our firm foundation in shifting winds, and our peace.

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Beginnings (and also endings) are hard because they’re times that remind us that we are truly not in control. When things are routine and we are on autopilot, it’s easier to believe that we have a modicum of control and a sense of management over our own lives. But uncertainty shakes us up in the best of ways. It reminds us Who is in charge – and also that He loves us, and as our Good Shepherd, He is guiding us to what is best.

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As I navigate this transition and this new beginning, the questions are endless, and the uncertainty looms large, but I am also excited. I am free to be excited because I have been here before, in a season of newness and beginnings and uncertainty, and because I have seen what God does when we hold our hands out in trust and abandonment. We have little beginnings and little endings constantly in our lives, and the more we’re able to keep our peace and entrust the outcomes to God, the more we can enjoy the adventure He has planned for us.
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Please pray for me as I enter this new job – I am praying for you!!

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In Christ,

Jane

What we’re loving lately:

Podcast Episode 84: Goodness with Emily Frederick | Fruit of the Spirit Series

• I’m so excited for you to meet our queen of “goodness,” Emily (St. Paul) Frederick! Emily and I went to college together and I’ve been so blessed by her witness of faith in my life! She strives so beautifully for virtue and the fruit of goodness is abundant in her life. We do our very best to define goodness and share how we hope to live it in our daily lives! Tune in here on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

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​Theology of Work Podcast with Bishop Barron​

• This upcoming weekend is Labor Day, and I really enjoyed Bishop Barron’s recent episode on the theology of work! He did such a great job breaking down the value of work and how we participate in God’s creative action through our partnership. You can check it out here.

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​Change up your prayer life with Liturgy of the Hours!​

• I have been a little stuck in my prayer for the past few weeks… that is until I started praying Morning and Night Prayer each day. These are two of the “hours” of Liturgy of the Hours, which is the global prayer of the Church, prayed daily by priests, religious, and the lay faithful. The Psalms have always spoken so deeply to me, and there’s something about having an organized way to pray each day that is so transformative and good. I use the beginner-friendly iBreviary app on my iPad/phone, and there’s a web edition as well! Morning prayer takes about 15 minutes and night prayer takes about 10 minutes, but if something stands out in a psalm I’ll pause and pray on that for a little while. Highly recommend!

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Global Entry

• Getting Global Entry was probably the best thing I have ever done for my sanity when traveling. Wow. There’s nothing better than zooming through passport control so you have time to buy a snack for your connecting flight on the other end of the Atlanta airport… if you haven’t applied for Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check, make it happen – it will be so worth it!!

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Mexico City (Taylor’s Version)

My mom and I had the BEST time in Mexico City this weekend! Taylor was amazing of course, and I was able to bring so many good and beautiful intentions to Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Basilica. We also went on an awesome hot-air balloon ride! If anyone happens to have an extra TSwift ticket for an upcoming show, please let me know. I would LOVE to see her again!

Prayer Requests

• For a friend preparing to return to work after maternity leave
• For a friend’s grandfather
• For a special intention

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