Closing a Chapter

Time to close another chapter, today is my last day of work at N.E.W. (well kind of) I was presented with the opportunity to do work for them again in the near future doing projects from home.

Once again I am filled with mixed emotions.

I am sad about the fact that I wont come into work anymore and see the people Ive worked with over the past 2 months. Especially Nikol, who has been a huge blessing to work with this summer. She started a week or so after I did and has the best attitude and work ethic. She is full of ideas and is such an asset to the training and design team. She also left me PB m&m's on my desk this morning =)I really like the coffee machine here, and the 24 hour gym, and making money (kind of- I spent a lot of it on gas and paying off my car, cant we just all ride pretty browns ones? that would save a lot...)I like swiping my badge to get in and out of the doors it makes me feel professional haha I've met a lot of people here this summer, had some great conversations, and learned a lot. To sum up the deliverable I am handing over today; I helped employ a scalable technology, through our intranet- NEW HR connect, we are launching Oracle PeopleSoft, it should roll out in September. Everyone has worked so hard to get this ready. It is a computer system that will allow employees of NEW to go in and update personal information that goes directly to HR. It allows managers to go in and promote, transfer, report a change request, terminate, etc. My part in helping roll this out was to create simulations, just in time animated help for people to learn how to use this system. So I learned the system and then created about 20 or so captivate tutorials. I am so thankful to have created something that over 6,000 employees will use for a long time. I really like words of affirmation and I recieved this nice email:
"Great Sarah - thanks for all your hard work! You should be proud that you created something at NEW that everyone uses! You made a difference! Sue"

N.E.W is a really great organization that I would like to keep an open door with. Who knows what the future holds for me professionally.

that was work related. NOW, life outside of work.
to say I will miss it would be an understatement. The past two months have been different, but awesome all in the same. I absolutely enjoyed living at the Down's. Mr. and Mrs. Downs are the most genuine people you will ever meet. Definitely gifted in hospitality and servanthood. They have such good hearts and I learned a lot from them. I felt home, I always got excited to get off work and go home even just to have dinner(which was always made, on the table, and delicious) and talk.
I made a lot of friendships this summer with people that have such a desire to learn and know our god. Bible study was amazing, and I will miss it terribly! I feel like everyone in the group is learning, growing, changing, being challenged, etc. I dont know if I've ever had such deep, thought out conversations before in a study. Shout out to Jason for stepping up and stepping aside (like he always prays) and letting our god DO WORK =) I am blown away by the contacts and relationships Micah has made and the people he has influenced and am so proud and blessed to be his girlfriend.


I am excited that I pick up my oldest friend in the world at 5:20 from the airport. I am excited to go to a cabin next week.
I am excited that when I get home, all of my roommates will still be there.
I am excited that Micah comes home in less than a week.
I am excited to go to Florida soon.
I am excited about all the things coming up with Aletheia.
I am excited to continue to see people's lives be changed this year.
I am excited that in less than a year I will have a Master's degree.
I am excited that we are all learning about change and how to embrace it.
I am excited to be surrounded, no matter where I go, with people that want to learn more about our Father.
I am excited that I have so many things to be excited about I cant name them all.

most of all though- I am grateful. I am so blown away by how awesome Yah is and all I can do is give thanks. It has been a great summer, with not one thing happening that I planned for or expected, and it isnt even over yet =)

N.E.W.

It may be hard to believe considering my last post...
but week 1 of the internship and life in Warrenton is going great!

Here is an update:

Life with work-
While my organization doesnt really stand for being "NEW", because we are over 26 years old. I still think of saying "new" vs. N.E.W. which stands for National Electronics Warranty. It was changed to N.E.W. because we do a lot more than just that now. I work in the corporate office but we have many call centers across the US and even in Canada. Basically we provide service warranty protection plans, etc for a lot of organizations, such as Best Buy, DirecTV, Zales, and lots more.
I work in the training and development department of HR as an Instructional Design Intern. This week is mostly becoming familiar with a lot of systems N.E.W. uses and a lot of jargon. I will be developing a course in the next 2 months specific for call centers and W@H (work at home people) on customer service care.
Next week, N.E.W. is paying for me to go to the ASTD conference in Washington, DC. Almost everyone I work for or with or am taught by is a member of ASTD, so this is a really cool opportunity for me. I will be staying with Steph in Alexandria for two nights!
At work, I have my own cubicle. There is a 24hr gym, free coffee, and I have a badge to get in and out of every door. There is a lounge with a massage chair, pool table, big screen tv, foosball table... The enviornment is relaxed and friendly. I have a pretty sweet schedule. 10am- 6pm. It works well for driving on 66. I got lost and it took forever the first two days... but now Ive got it down and it is only about 45minutes. I just listen to sermons =)

Okay, life outside of work-
I am staying in Warrenton with Micah's mom. Warrenton is a charming little town that no lie... smells like honeysuckle and flowers. Mrs. Downs and Brodie have painted a bedroom a sunny yellow color with white trim, that is where I am staying. It is so comfortable. I love their house, it was built in the late 1800's. Last night I learned about the history of it. Mrs. Down's is awesome, we usually have dinner together every night and talk a lot =) The first night I was there she had flowers on my nightstand and said "I can do that because there is a girl in the house". She has three sons. hehe I feel like a princess. We pray together every day. She is a lot like my mom. I am so grateful for this living situation and the chance to know their family more. Tonight I am going to a bible study that Andrew teaches.


Micah called yesterday after a couple of days in the Yukon with no service and said it is absolutely beautiful, light for all but about 5 hours a day, and they have seen elk, wolves, caribu, moose, etc all about 10 feet away! No grizzly bears yet, but they have bear mace just in case... haha

I have a feeling this summer is actually going to go pretty quickly... between all the driving, plans on the weekend, work, etc...

I am realizing I adapt very easily. I miss my roommates, I miss Harrisonburg(especially the roads), I miss discipling my girls as regurlarly as I would like... but my God is the same every where. As long as Ive got Him, I need for nothing, really... I'm good to go.

Phillipians 4:11 tells us:
"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content"

I am not only content. I am happy.

Here is a Brooke Fraser song I always think about when I see the word new, or even N.E.W. lol

Shadowfeet
"Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet
toward home, a land that i've never seen
I am changing, less and less asleep
made of different stuff than when i began
and i have sensed it all along
fast approaching is the day

You make all things new
You make all things new
You make all things new
You make all things
You make all things"

Acts 5:20
"Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life."

I've been happy and content ever since having a new life in Him =)