All things new
Welcome to Holy Week
Hello my friends, and welcome to Holy Week! The end of Lent is in sight… and I’m so excited to walk through it and enter into Easter :)
Today is my very last day on the project I’ve been working on for the past eight months. It’s bittersweet — bitter, because it has been one of the most rewarding (and challenging and stretching and fun) things I have ever done. Sweet, because after eight straight months, 20+ weeks of flying to and from Atlanta (or Denver or Florida) every single week, I finally get to be home.
These eight months have taught me a lot, but I think most of all, I’ve learned the reality that I cannot do everything (or anything) on my own. I am so small, so little — and God calls me to do some hard things, things that are beyond what I know I’m capable of. If you had told me in July that I’d be doing this for eight months, I probably would have passed out. But instead, the Lord has guided me day by day, week by week, sometimes hour by hour, giving me everything I need and more to flourish where He calls me. There were so many moments when things got hard, and the Lord would swoop in and give me exactly what I needed in that moment to keep on going. He hears and responds to every prayer!
This experience has been challenging, but also beautiful. The relationships I’ve built with clients are so special. The fruit of our hard work is out in the world! And I have been pushed in my own abilities, capabilities, and skills. I’ve worked with at least twenty other people who have cycled in and out through different phases of the work. I also got promoted on this project (yay!) which was something I am so grateful for and excited about. I can’t believe I got to work with a client who is so cool — this is the kind of work I hoped for when I applied for this job!
I’ll write more about all of the little travel hacks and survival mechanisms that got me through this whirlwind, but overall I have just become so aware of the gifts that God has given me so freely — friends who keep me in the loop while I’m gone, a perpetual adoration chapel (and a Solidcore) down the street from my hotel, great clients who are so much fun to work with, a community that I can return to and step right back into the swing of things. I don’t take any of these for granted, because I know how lucky I am to have them.
You might not have a job where you start fresh every few months, but life is full of transitions. The more I go through them, the more I’ve learned how to let God lead me through. He makes all things new — and especially in seasons of transition, we can hold that hope firmly and with great joy!
I am very excited for a little change of pace, to be in DC as Springtime blooms! I’m also excited to have some time to really enter into Holy Week — I’ve taken Good Friday off for the past few years and it’s always a fruitful day of prayer and silence (highly recommend if you can!). Next week some friends and I are jumping into the Artist’s Way — no better time to embrace creativity than the season of Easter! When one project ends, another begins. I’ve stopped trying to guess / make plans / control what this job looks like, because God is always many steps ahead — so it’s in His hands! And He’s never let me down :)
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving lately
Everything changes
A friend asked me for DC recommendations this week, and after I copied and pasted my list to him in an email, I took a closer look and realized that these were from 2024 and my recs are totally different now! What a fun way to see how my life / usual spots / favorite treats in DC have changed :)
Healing retreat
This past weekend I finally had the opportunity to attend a retreat with the John Paul II Healing Center. My mom and her friend also flew in for it! It was probably the most powerful retreat I’ve ever been on, and I pray the graces have only just begun flowing! If you’re interested, I highly recommend finding a retreat or reading Dr. Bob Schucht’s book, "Be Healed.” The “Restore the Glory” podcast is also a phenomenal resource.
Seven churches
One of my FAVORITE traditions of Holy Week is that of the Seven Churches — a pilgrimage through seven churches in a city or neighborhood to spend time with Christ in the Garden on Holy Thursday. In DC, we have one in Brookland and one in Arlington, but most churches offer late night adoration and decorate their altars to look like gardens (so beautiful). I recommend it if you can take time on Thursday to travel to even a couple of churches (or find a gorgeous altar to plant yourself at)!
Project Hail Mary
I saw this movie this weekend and it was SO good!! I highly recommend it - so fun and funny and hopeful and cute. Also, the soundtrack was a bop start to finish.
Prayer I love
A friend from work shared this with me and I LOVED it:
O HOLY SPIRIT, Love of the Father and of the Son, inspire me always in what I must think, what I must say, how I must say it, what I must keep silent, what I must write, how I must act, and what I must do to further Your Glory, the good of souls, and my own sanctification. O JESUS, all my trust is in You. Amen.
Prayer intentions
For a special intention