Job Hunt!

Hey everyone!

I learned a lot about job interviewing the other day and I wanted to share what I have learned. I interviewed at a place called Xactware. One of my really close friends works there, and working there would put me in a position that's really close to home, and it would provide me a chance to be a better friend to someone who may be experiencing a lot of loneliness. Perfect, right?

Well, I remember my interview with Solutionreach. They asked me a whole bunch of questions about Java specific programming. I wasn't able to answer ... well ... ALL of them. Needless to say, I didn't get the job.

So yeah, this job that appeared to be a C# specific job intimidated me. I didn't want to go into the whole thing and flop it like last time.

Before my interview, I had the chance to eat my lunch with JT. He didn't tell me what to expect or anything, what he did say was for me to rely on what I DID know, my C++ knowledge. I lucked out that C++ is so similar to Java, but I realized that showing them what I do know is a lot more important that showing someone I know all of their answers. The interview with Xactware went super well.

I feel like that applies to the other aspects of my life as well. I know that I feel like I'm figuring life out, so for someone to come tell me that I'm doing everything all wrong ... I tend to shut them out pretty fast. That being said, If someone were to say, well, here's what I know, those kinds of things are so appetizing to me! For example, last week I was being really pushy with Rachel. I didn't even realize I was doing it, but I was trying force the way I believed on her. It just made things bad. Then my dad explained how he saw the world, and it made sense. I apologized to Rachel for how pushy I had been and the Lord healed our relationship, right then and there. COOL!

So yeah, the other thing that's been happening is some fierce games of words with friends. Mom and her family really like playing, so I have started it up. It's been fun, and I've learned a lot about the strategy behind scrabble as i've played. Face to face scrabble would be much harder, as you can't spend however long you want thinking about the move :)

Well, until next week! Love you!

Texas!

So this week I've spent the week in Texas with mom! It's been a pretty exciting week. Yesterday mom and dad let me take the boys to a movie. We went and watched Oz, the great and powerful. Pretty good show, but I learned a couple of things in the process:
1) its going to be a very rare occasion when I tell me children to "get whatever snacks they want". Yeah, the bill for snacks ran up to about sixty dollars. I was floored.
2) I felt a lot like Rachel and I were parents. Getting everyone there safe, organizing everyone to get snacks, and ushering everyone into the movie, I really felt like a parent. That's not easy. I felt like after I become a parent, the things that make me happy are going to be completely different than the things that make me happy now. I feel like seeing my kids happy is what is going to make me happy

I am starting to believe that everyone has innate goodness in them. I have a couple of stories I think are funny. First one was with my little brothers at home. Rachel and I took Jaidon and Jordan to see once on this island. A standard musical for the younger generation. Both Jaidon and Jordan were "too cool" to go, and only went because I encouraged them to go. But by the end, BOTH of them loved it and were glued to their seats.

Same thing happened when we went to see Oz, the great and powerful. The only reason the boys consented to go see Oz, the great and powerful was because Rachel and I don't like the same types of movies they like. So yeah, no one was all that excited, but by the end, both Blake and John (the two youngest) were glued to their seats. When Oz kisses the good witch of the south, blake yelled, "just kiss her already!". So funny. When Oz scared the evil witches away, John clapped. Super funny. But yeah, I think that people are naturally born different than the world. All of us are better than the circumstances surrounding us.

Found out I'm not as young as I used to be, either. Exercised with Dillan, Blake, and John this week. I was the slowest (but steadiest) runner of the three. I physically couldn't run as fast as they could. Then, the next day, I did muscle workouts with the younger two. I tried really hard to push the boys, but ended up killing myself in the process. This is why i'm going to be consistent about exercising. I want to get in shape. I'm going to do it.

Last thought, I realized this week that spending quality time with people is a proactive endeavor. If you don't make time for it, it doesn't happen. Clear as mud? The times I made the effort to spend time with the family was wonderful! had the funnest time playing charades. The young bucks got their butts' kicked by the married folks ;) Super fun :)

Well, until next time. Love all of you!!!

Michael White