the searbys

As you probably already know, I'm working as a part time sales receptionist at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center. This week I got the opportunity to work full time. The administrative assistant to the general manager was out of the office and I was asked fill in. Its been fun to get to know the GM of the hotel and learn more about the hotel itself. I feel like I'm fitting in well at the office and making new friends along the way. One of the interns , that has become my friend, recently accepted a position at the Oakbrook Hilton in Illinois and so she'll be leaving in mid-August to start her new career up North. She's excited about it until someone brings up the cold, wind, & snow that she'll experience this winter. Being from Miami, she's not looking forward to that.

I'm getting the sense that the Hilton is a great company to work for and move around in. There are so many opportunities in different departments, as well as different locations. Working in the sales department is a lot differnt that anything I've done before. Its all about making a profit, whereas most all of my former experience has been with non-profit agencies. I am dealing with mostly business people who want to schedule meetings or conferences in the hotel conference area.

Anyways, I'm enjoying the job, even though I get made fun of for saying "pop" and "muss-melon" rather than "soda" and "cantelope." There is always something new to learn each day and every new thing I learn is preparing me for whatever the future may hold.

-Jen

I never got to share my work story from the other morning so I better do that now.

When I came to work on Tuesday morning I started my routine as always until it came time to need the espresso machine. It was off. I didn't know what was wrong. I tried to turn it on but couldn't. I checked the breaker, made sure it was plugged in, all of that with no result. I really didn't want to call my boss at 5:00 in the morning so I finished all of my opening tasks and assessed the situation. In the back of the store we have another, smaller and older espresso machine that we will be using for our delivery business. My boss and I had just been talking the day before about it being ready to go, just not fired up. So, I fired it up, just in case. I figured that Mike (my boss) would bet there by 7:00 before the big rush and get the machine running so I didn't want to bother him. Sure enough, it was the busiest morning I've had and Mike didn't get in 'til 7:45! So I was running back and forth to the back of the store making drinks in a new machine and trying not to miss anyone in the drive-thru. Everyone was really patient though so that made it better. When Mike arrived it was too busy to take the time to work on the machine so we just went with it until the rush was over. When it was he couldn't figure out the machine either so he called Alisa, his wife and the coffee guru who came and fixed it. AHH! But the good part was, Mike was really pleased with the way I handled everything and gave me a twenty dollar bonus. Plus, because it was so busy, I made fifty bucks in tips. Not a bad day!

Yesterday was my day off, which I enjoyed. I ran errands and worked on a sermon that I'll be preaching this Sunday at Harvest Christian Church. They're without a minister right now and there is a possibility that I'll be filling in for a while. You can pray for me on that front and also that I won't get too busy. It is easy to fill up a schedule fast and forget what's important.

Jen and I enjoyed some great burgers on the grill last night (yeah, the grill works even though I put it together) and she even made some homemade salsa! I love that stuff. All in all I'd say things are going great, especially thanks to the Grace of God and the way He has provided for us. I am constantly amazed that He allows us to have food to eat, family to love us, jobs to provide for our needs and most of all His love, so undeserved in my mind yet so deep and fulfilling. I have to say that I truly do find all hope and joy in my relationship with God through the Jesus I encounter reading scripture and the Spirit that seems to teach and comfort me every day. I hope you have joy and feel love today. Have a great day.

-joel

In more than one way, last night was a homecoming. Of course now that Florida is our home it was special for us to get back and, like those childhood days, get excited when we finally crossed into Alachua county, our county, nearing home. We had a great weekend in Tennessee at the Parmenter Family Reunion and are glad for our family ties and heritage. It was great to see all of my aunts, uncles and cousins and catch up on life.

But last night was a homecoming for someone else. When we stopped for dinner just south of Atlanta we noticed a pretty young guy on the side of the road at the ramp onto I-75 South. We both agreed that if he was still there after we ate and got gas we would give him a ride. After 30 minutes or so we were ready to get back on the road and as we got to the ramp we noticed that he had moved to the other side and was now holding a sign. He had given up trying to get a ride. But I pulled over anyways and asked him if he was going south. Excited he said yes and Jen got in the back (our policy for picking up hitchers) and we headed south. It was only then that we found out that he was trying to get to St. Augustine, Florida. We have a knack for picking up people going our same direction so that they end up spending hours with us. As we got to know Terry we found out that he is 23 years-old, recently divorced, just lost his job and got kicked out of his apartment. Now I know that many of you are skeptics and cynics when it comes to hitchhikers and their lives, stories and motives. But I have been there and I know that there ARE people that are in need. I also know that it was a man that picked me up and helped me out that changed the course of my life forever. I have met quite a few people like Terry now and I think you can usually figure them out pretty quick. Some of them lie a lot and are just wanting something from you. Some of them are confused and not sure what they want. Others are truly down and out and need someone to care about them. That was Terry. His story was amazing. Kicked out of his house at 13, he began to hitch around the country. After several years he wound up in Florida where he was adopted by an African-American man (Terry is white) and got back into school. His adoptive father has other adopted children as well. After some years in St. Augustine Terry decided he wanted to try something new. He says his dad counseled him against going to Atlanta and against marrying and he wishes he'd have listened. His quote was, "as I get older I think I get dumber and my dad looks smarter and smarter." There's a lot I could tell about Terry's story, all of it interesting. When he was a teenager a traveling evangelist introduced him to Jesus and he was instantly interested, he says. He began going to church but after a few years got burned by some people at a church. He was homeless and travelling and he went to several churches in that time and was shunned, actually asked to leave at one church. He hasn't been in church for more than two years. Yet, he said, he reads his Bible every day. Now usually I would think someone who says that in Terry's position is feeding me a line. But not Terry. Over the course of our three+ hours together Terry quoted scripture from at least fifteen different books of the Bible and talked about what they'd meant in his life. It was really an amazing evening. We called around for bus stations and decided that Lake City, Florida, just south of the I-10/ I-75 junction that heads east to Jacksonville was a good place. There weren't any buses until today so we paid for a cheap motel, gave him money for a bus ticket today, exchanged contact info and said goodbye.

If you're reading this and it touches you, pray for Terry. He also asked that we pray for his ex-wife, Tasha. So, I will. Thanks for staying in touch. Look forward to hearing from you all.

-joel

Here we are in Birmingham, Alabama, visiting my parents for the first time in their new house. They have a really nice place and seem to be enjoying their new home and city. Yesterday we drove around Birmingham and saw this neat city up close. It is a beautiful, hilly city with lots of trees and culture and restuarants and shops. It sure is a time of change for our whole family! But, its very exciting and we're looking forward to the ways that God will teach us all in the months and years to come.

This morning we'll head to Leatherwood forge, my aunt Cindi's retreat center in the Tennessee hills south of Nashville. All of the Parmenters (mom's side) meet there each year for a "reunion" of sorts that has become really special to us all. If you'd like to see the center and learn more about it, which you should since it is amazing and beautiful, go to www.leatherwoodforge.com and browse the website.

Hope you all are well. Thanks again to all of you who have been reading! We appreciate it.

-joel

Here I am again at Coffee Culture, opening the shop. Unfortunately this time I also closed the shop last night and didn't get home until 11:30, getting up at 4:25 this morning. A short night. But, all is well and I am blessed to even have employment and income unlike many around the world today. So, in all things, rejoice, even short nights and lots of hours at a coffee shop.

There's lots going on for us this week. We head to Tennessee on Wednesday for the Parmenter (mom's side) family reunion which is always a lot of fun. So in this short week we've got lots to get done here in Gainesville. We continued worshipping at Harvest Christian Church yesterday and are beginning to feel more at home there. They are without a minister right now and I may get the opportunity to preach a few times which is an exciting proposition and something I enjoy. I love to study God's word and try to share what I learn with others in the hopes that we can learn together. It is amazing to me how God's character can be discovered in the Bible. For me, more than anything, that is what the Bible is, a story revealing who God is in the world and how He works, even today. Some call it instructions, others a story, many fiction. I believe its truth that helps us discover Truth. I hope you are on a journey today and if your journey intersects with the Bible, that you'll give it a chance to speak to you about who God is and what He's done and IS doing in the world and in our lives. Have a great week!
-joel

We spent the day at Crescent beach today with a group from Harvest Christian Church. It was a great time and good to get to know some people better. I (joel) spent most of my time "boogie" boarding, and while the waves weren't that good today it was still lots of fun. The water was beautifully warm and the beach was packed. All together there were about 15 of us which made it nice to enjoy the day with a group. Unfortunately even though we both put on lots of sunscreen, we got burned, thus the title. We kind of look like lobsters. But, we're not that bad, just a little red and it will heal soon I'm sure.

I'm pretty beat now since I closed the coffee shop last night and didn't get home until 3:00am. Yes, that's right. Then I couldn't sleep when I did get home so I laid in bed awake until 4:00, not knowing quite what was the matter. At four I got up and went to the kitchen and made myself two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chowed them down and went back to bed very satisfied, at which point I slept until 7:45 when we got up for the day. So, I'll probably crash hard tonight. Jen's pretty tired too but all in all it was a great day.
-joel

You know what they call a guitarist without a girlfriend? ……Homeless.

This was what the drunk man in line next to me at the coffee shop asked. No, he wasn’t hitting on me. I think he was just looking for anyone to listen to him ramble on about the ‘80s. I left Joel at the counter with him as I took a seat. He’s a better listener than me anyways. As I sit at Coffee Culture where Joel works, I’m enjoying a decaf butterscotch latte with whip cream and am reminded of my coffee shop days and how funny it is that we’re still making a living off of coffee. I am constantly reminded of how God has guided and blessed this whole adventure of moving to Gainesville. People have been great to us. We have jobs. We’re finding our way around. We have a roof over our heads. We’ve found a church family to worship with. I’m sure I could go on.

So tonight, (Friday) Joel is working. I stopped by to say hi, use the internet and drink up a delicious drink. Now I think I’ll go home and read or watch tv and wish I had some girlfriends to hang out with tonight. I’m sure we’ll make friends soon. In the meantime we’re enjoying each other’s company and trying to build relationships with people at work and church. Hope your Friday night has been more eventful than mine.
-Jen

Well today I don't work until the evening so I have the daytime to just have fun...err...get things done (if you know my wife you know there are things to do!) But honestly, it is great to have a schedule that is mostly predictable and has some variety. I am thankful for time during the day to read, write, study and generally grow as a person. I hope not to squander too much of it! Right now I'm at Coffee Culture. It is good to get out of the house and change venues a bit. Plus, I get free coffee here! I'm reading a fantastic book right now called Good Poems, compiled by Garrison Keilor. It is a thick collection of all types of poetry from every type of author both classical and contemporary. It has really sparked my poetic side again, which I love. So in honor of that, I'll share a short little poem that I wrote the other day. Hope you enjoy it.

Pocketwatch
This pocketwatch I have
is not special because
its old, or fancy.
Its not even got a
story, like most pocketwatches.

My grandpa just bought
me the watch. Said,
"let's go to JC Penney.
I'm gonna buy you a watch."
That's all it is.

Except every time I
check to see where the
little black hands fall
I think of grandpa
and that makes it special.


-joel

This morning as I work Tim Grimm is singing. I got the CD from my in-laws as a gift and my favorite thing about it is, especially since we live in the South now, that it reminds me of my roots. Walking fence lines, working fields, family, food and corn. Thanks Dave and Deena for a gift that keeps giving. Maybe somebody here in the coffee shop this morning will hear it and reconnect with their own heritage. Who knows?
-joel

Today marks 1 week that I have been working in the Administration Office at the UF Hilton Hotel and Conference Center (sounds important huh?). I’m enjoying it more each day. The girl training me is actually an Intern from UF that will leave in August to finish her internship in Oakbrook, IL. So, she’s been educating me about Florida and I’ve advised her to buy a winter coat since she’ll be there until February. Work is good, I’m learning a lot and am feeling more confident as the days go by. I’m praying that my position will eventually turn full time.

Since Joel had the day off he was a gentleman and dropped me off at work and came back later to pick me up. (Well, really he just wanted to drive the Buick all day since the AC doesn’t work in the Camaro.) When he picked me up, he had Jack with him. What a great cat, he even likes car rides!

We spent the afternoon catching up on odds and ends that needed to be done. For instance, Joel is finally finishing up his thank-yous from graduation….so if you gave him something and he hasn’t said “thanks”, be patient with us, we barely know our way to the post office.

And, what a great husband, Joel cooked dinner tonight. I felt like I was at Guzzardo’s! We had steak, sautéed veggies, garlic bread, and the best part of all was the salad! He has really turned into a great cook (Thanks Linda!). We both love to cook, but very differently and we enjoy learning from each other. My mom & grandmas have passed on to me the small-town, home-cookin’. Joel’s style is more gourmet and looks great on a plate!

Anyways, we’re eating well and I’m learning how to be a member of the Hilton family.
-Jen

P.S. Happy Birthday Jake!!!

This morning is my first morning to open Coffee Culture by myself. It has gone smoothly and after the rush of preparations, it is pretty quiet here. We open at 5:30am which means I have to be here at 5:00 and up at 4:15. This is NOT sleeping in. We have one guy that comes in every morning as soon as we open and sits for several hours reading the newspaper. Other than that, until 7:00 there are just a few walk-ins and several drive-thru customers. I get paid extra for opening too so it really is pretty nice if you don't mind the early mornings, which I don't. This morning, however, I couldn't find the car keys. I drive our Camaro to work and since Jen had driven it last so I didn't know where the keys were. After a long search I finally woke her up and asked her. She helped me look and then I looked in the car where they were nicely inserted into the ignition, with all doors locked! We never do that! It was a bit frustrating but I still made it to work on time, taking the Buick instead. I'm not sure exactly how we'll get Jen to work, but we'll figure something out. Hopefully she can locate the extra door key which we obviously couldn't find this morning. It's kind of funny really. God reminded me that there are so many things in the world that are more important than getting to work on time and getting upset about that kind of thing just isn't worth it. My heart should break for lonely people, pain in the world, war and injustice, not with self-pity for locking keys in the car. Amazing how we can learn from the little things, isn't it? If you're reading this, thanks. I hope you have a wonderful day.
-joel

When I was at Lincoln Christian College we had an event about once a month called a "theological coffee house" at which would be discussed various tough issues such as open theism, women in ministry, inclusivism and the like. Today has been an informal version for me here at Coffee Culture. I spent two hours this morning in an ongoing dialogue with one of my co-workers about his worldview, that there is an overarching "social norm system" that guides all life, not any god or religious beliefs. We had a great discussion and I felt like it was meaningful and important. He grew up in the Christian Church, even went to a Bible college for a year, and left the church with more questions than answers and a lot of disappointment from the answer he did get, "you just have to have faith." This statement has hurt us as Christians too many times. Why can't we just do the hard work of figuring out our beliefs for what they are and be able to answer people intelligently when they have questions or challenges to the truth of One God, as manifested in Christ and working as the Holy Spirit? Or at least have the humility to say, "I don't know," instead of a pat statement like, "you just need more faith." I think our discussion will be an ongoing one as we work together most mornings for a couple of hours and I'm looking forward to it.
Not one hour after my co-worker left a Gainesville police officer came in, as they often do (we give them free drinks) and in the course of a friendly conversation got to talking about religion. He asked, "so with your theological training, what do you think happens to people who follow religions other than Christianity?" Not a small question in the realm of theology! We talked about it for a few minutes with me sharing my view that I'm just not sure about people who never get to hear of anything other than the one religion they're raised in but the bottom line for me is that it is not my decision who goes to heaven and hell and I'm really glad its not.
So in the course of one morning at the coffeeshop I've had two very deep theological discussions with relative strangers. Is this how God teaches us? I kind of think that in a lot of ways, yes. I am so thankful for those two conversations which, while challenging me to think, did not shake my firm beliefs, rooted in a thoughtful journey, in the God of the Universe as I have come to know him in the person of Jesus Christ, teaching us through His Holy Spirit. A great morning.
-joel

So I'm sitting here at work and I realize why I love coffee shops so much. I can't really even put it down in a few words. I just felt it. I, the employee, have the time and freedom to think, like this, and write it down for you, the customer (also my friends, family and other interested people) to read. The interactions are short, but meaningful. Each drink is personal and important. I know it sounds like a Starbucks add or something like that but I actually mean it. And I hope my customers realize that. As a coffee drinker myself I know how meaningful every cup I drink is to me. It helps me get going in the morning. Or maybe its the fuel for a great conversation in the afternoon. Or some decaf, just for that bold taste, at night. People can come in and check their e-mail or chat with each other or via the internet with someone on the other side of the world. It brings to mind the little internet cafe Jen and I found in Buenos Aires last year. We wanted to post something on our website about our adventures in Argentina so we found a place and ducked in. There we were in the heart of the Argentinian capital, South American life bustling all around us, and we were able to communicate with friends and family halfway across the world. In our 13th street (coffee culture) shop there are two young eastern European guys that come in almost everyday and use the internet. Across the miles. I love coffee shops. I hope you do too.
-joel

We spent the day at Ginnie Springs about 15 minutes north of Gainesville. They are natural springs with some of the world's deepest underwater caves. The spring itself feeds into the Santa Fe river and is a hotspot for tourists, especially for the July Fourth weekend. My new bosses and the owners of Coffee Culture, Mike and Alisa, host all the employees out there every year and provide the food, drinks and a campsite. You can get in the Santa Fe river at one end of the campground and float down for about 45 minutes to the other end. It is a nice, slow, relaxing pace and a lot of fun with a group of people on tubes and other various floating devices. The campground was packed with every site full and many scuba-divers exploring the caves. We really enjoyed it and got to know my co-workers a bit more too.
On the way home this evening we were craving some sweet food so we stopped at Publix and went in looking for something, anything sweet! (Publix is a grocery chain down here for you northerners reading this) After milling around the bakery for about ten minutes we decided on some sugar-covered donut holes. We got our two dozen (which are sitting in front of me right now) and went out front, sat down on an outdoor table and began to eat. There we were, 9:30 at night outside the publix sharing a box of donut holes and watching a gentle Florida rain fall on the parking lot. It was kind of romantic actually. A fitting end to a great day. Now we'll head off to sweet dreams and start another week of life in Gainesville, Florida.
-joel

Since my last entry I've been able to do quite a few new things. First of all, on Wednesday morning I volunteered for the first time at St. Francis House, a large local homeless shelter and soup kitchen. I helped get breakfast ready for the residents in transitional housing and then helped prepare and serve lunch to the many, many homeless that come through the soup kitchen. Oddly enough I did actually make a type of soup. Wade, the cook, basically asked me to make it so we started throwing all kinds of stuff into this huge, huge pot and it turned out to be a turkey stew that was really pretty good. We served it over rice and had several vegetable sides to add, plus each tray gets a portion of sweet breads and bread. The bread is all donated by Publix, a southern grocery chain and is amazingly fresh and good. The people seemed genuinely grateful to have a meal.
Work has been going well. I'm officially done with my training and I think the owners are happy with my work so far. I hope to be working mornings a lot but that remains to be seen. I like working at Coffee Culture. The co-workers are cool and the place is nice plus the customers include lots of regulars who are really nice.
At the house, as Jen mentioned, we're progressing well. We're down to the nitty gritty and the house is probably going on the market next week. Our time here is completely contingent on the sale and closing of the house so it's a bit nerve-wracking but we'll get through fine. We are just so grateful to have a place to stay for free on top of me getting paid to help fix the place up. Unfortunately we're getting spoiled by living in a four-bedroom, two-bath house, bigger than what we'll be able to afford when we buy ourselves.
I guess that's about it for now. Hope to hear from many of you soon.
-joel

Jack (right) and I have filled our morning with two full hours of Dawson’s Creek. Watch out Pacey, with Brad Pitt in the picture, you don’t even stand a chance! I’m definitely addicted to the Katie Holmes/Brad Pitt story. I just can’t wait to hear the latest.

Joel had to work at 7am at Coffee Culture. I slept until 10am. It makes me feel pretty worthless, but I know my workdays are coming. I will start at the Hilton office next Wednesday. I suppose I should just enjoy these next few days. But, I have to admit that I’m a little bored. My house is as clean as its going to get and its not a lot of fun to go shopping when I have no money to spend. I am filling some time reading a book, recommended to me by Holly Zehr, called “Girl Meets God” by Lauren Winner. Its an autobiography about a Jewish girl who turned to Christianity. I’m learning a lot about the Jewish culture and beliefs and enjoying her story. I’d recommend it if anyone is looking for some summer reading.

An update on the house….we have kitchen cabinets and counters! Still no sink, but the plumber will be here on Tuesday. I’m still dong dishes in the bathroom but I’ve got a system down now and its not so bad. We’re learning a lot about fixing up a house that will come in handy if we ever get to buy one!