Closing Out a Career

My view from the back of the hotel ballroom in CA this week

This week, I'm working at an event in California for my former employer, One Smooth Stone. This will be my last event after 7 years as an event producer. It feels a bit odd for me to finally be closing out my career and letting go of the "producer" title that has been a part of my identity for so long. It's also hard to walk away from a job that I enjoy and that I'm good at, one where I've finally gained enough experience to confidently play a significant role. If I were staying in this industry, I would just be hitting my stride and building my career. But God has something better in store.

I have many fond memories of events that I've worked and fun times I've had with clients and co-workers while on-site. I've traveled to beautiful places like Switzerland, Hawaii, Grand Cayman, Italy and Bermuda. I've worked hard on projects and seen them come to fruition and impact people. I've spent countless hours in hotel ballrooms and convention centers, not seeing the light of day! I've celebrated successful events with delicious food and fun evenings. I've pushed myself (and been pushed) to take on responsibility when I wasn't always sure I could handle it...and I learned so much through it. I've gained valuable skills in project management, communications, logistics, and discovering creative solutions to challenges.

It's been a great run, but I am at peace with moving on. I will miss my job, but I am so thrilled to be taking the next step and moving in a career that is deeply fulfilling for me in a new way. I'm excited to take what I've learned in the corporate world and use my skills to further God's kingdom and bring people into a personal and transforming relationship with Him.

I thank God for this career. And I thank God that I am ready for the next step.

Why I'm Thankful for One Smooth Stone...

Today was my last official day of full-time employment at One Smooth Stone. Wow! When I started here back on May 2, 2005, I never would have imagined how much of an impact this place would have on my life and who I have become as a person. I'm so thankful for every person and each experience I've had over these last 6 years.

Here are the top 10 reasons why I am thankful for One Smooth Stone
(Dave Letterman style…please insert drum rolls and breaking glass sound effects at your own discretion):

I’m thankful for…

10. The delicious (and sometimes expensive) foods I’ve been able to try when out on events or at client dinners. I’ve discovered some of my favorite restaurants and foods because of this job!

9. The chance to travel all over the country and the world. Favorite places have included Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, and Hawaii.

8. The ways I’ve become even more “type A” in my ability to plan things (didn’t think it was possible, huh?) and I can now manage a detailed project from start to finish.

7. Learning how to mentor and coach a new employee, which reinvigorated my love for counseling and mentorship and taught me about how to best guide and encourage someone on their journey

6. Financial provision for my life up to this point. Especially through the financial crisis, I’m thankful I’ve had a steady and dependable job to allow me to do everything else I do in life!

5. A challenging job that has pushed me out of my comfort zones and forced me to learn new skills.

4. The opportunity to take on leadership roles right out of college, which allowed me to discover news gifts and skills I didn’t know I had.

3. The experience I’ve gained as a communicator and marketer, which I now look forward to putting to use in our ministry.

2. Spending 6 years at a company that is built on a biblical foundation, where everyone treats each other with respect and where prayer and giving back is an integral part of the culture.

1. The lifelong friendships I have made with my co-workers, with whom I’ve endured fun times, late nights and memorable experiences. I'll miss you guys!

Who moved my cheese?

In December of 2004, I finished my last semester at Wheaton College and came home for my final "Christmas break" before starting full-time work. I remember very clearly how I was feeling at that the time - the mixture of emotions I faced as a major life change was on the horizon. I was sad that my college experience was over, uncertain about entering the working world, disappointed that I was graduating a semester before most of my friends, and exhilarated that "real life" was on the horizon. Change was both scary and exciting.

To help process this change, I purchased and read the book Who Moved My Cheese. This book helped me process how to cope with and process the approaching transition , seeing the positive in it rather than focusing on what I felt like I was losing as I said goodbye to a phase of my life.

I have been revisiting many of these feelings and thoughts in recent weeks as I approach another major life change - leaving my full-time position at One Smooth Stone. I have worked at OSS for almost 6 years and concluding my time there will be the first in a series of changes and goodbyes as we prepare for Austria. My colleagues have become good friends and over my 6 years, I have grown up there, going from bright eyed, naive and fresh out of college to experienced in our industry, married and a least a little more mature (or so I'd like to think...)

Saying goodbye to One Smooth Stone will be hard. I have so many memories and walking away will mean I will not be making more of them. This can easily feel like a loss. But at the same time, I am overcome with excitement about what I will gain. Leaving my job means getting to Austria is that much closer and I am eager to begin our life there. I guess that is how change is - full of emotional contradictions and a rollercoaster of feelings.

What I keep going back to is my constant - God's unchanging nature. The same God who walked me through my departure from college and the last 6 years of my life will be with me through this transition and will go with us to Austria. It says in the book of James, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." God does not change. Ever. If I'm the mouse and God is the cheese, I never have to worry about the cheese moving...no matter what. When I am struggling with change in the coming months, my prayer is that God's constancy will be my on-going comfort and solice - my rock to stand on.

How do you cope with change?

Long overdue update!

Let's just day that the last few months have been...crazy. And that's why I have been so delinquent in keeping up with the blog and posting highlights on what we've been up to. But life is calming down and I will try my best to stick with it more this time!

I (Bethany) had a very busy first quarter of the year with work travel. Since January 1st, I have traveled to Las Vegas, Nashville, Virginia, Atlanta, Anaheim, Cancun and back to Virginia...I was on the road for 34 days over 2 months. Needless to say, it was rough being gone from home so much and it was a challenge to continue to feel connected to our community here. It was hard for Nate and I to be apart so much. And I got tired of living out of a suitcase! But I have been asking God to help me to grow in patience, be thankful despite circumstances and thankful for His provision of a great job, and learn more about loving my husband when we are apart. I'm sure we will have more times like this and I think we will be more prepared next time around.

Other than traveling for work, there have been a few other highlights from the last few months. Here are some photos and updates from other fun things that have been taking up our time!

I recently taught myself how to knit and have begun learning how to make a variety of knitted items! Here is a hat and booties I knit for some friends who just had a baby.

Last weekend, we visited Washington D.C. and attended the wedding of a college friend of mine, Christy Vander Molen. It was such a fun time to reconnect with friends from Wheaton. Here, I'm pictured with the bride and my two friends, Holly and Jessi.

Nate and I with Holly and Jessi.


It was a beautiful ceremony at a stone church in D.C. Matt and Christy were so excited and thrilled to be married!

We spent an afternoon at the Air & Space museum with friends John and Galadriel Pastor, who were our gracious hosts for the weekend in Arlington, VA.

While in D.C., we got to see my cousin, Farrah, who lives in the D.C. area. My Aunt Lolly was visiting for the week and she joined us for brunch at a Mediterranean restaurant.

This photo was taken at the apartment of our friends Suz and Travis Satterlee. We joined them for dinner to enjoy some venison roast, from a deer shot by Travis himself!

For Valentine's Day, we went to the Arboretum for a chocolate dinner...chocolate in every course!

A recent culinary creation that Nate gets full credit for - Shrimp Cacciucco (a recipe we saw on the Food Network).

In January, I got to try out cross country skiing for the first time! A local golf course in Wheaton rents skis and has well-groomed trails. It was fun...and a good workout!