Briana

Last month, I started taking on some new accounting and finance job responsibilities at Flipside. Our bookkeeper, Briana, had notified us that she would no longer continue in her position as of December 31st. 

I had already learned a lot about our database and the way FS does accounting in 2007 when I covered for Briana while she was on maternity leave, so a lot of the training was more like refreshing. We both felt pretty good about my preparedness on the last day that we talked accounting stuff in December.

However, this week, the full weight of the new responsibilities is hitting me. I know that I can do it, and that I'll be okay. But it's going to be a difficult month, if not six months, until I get into my own groove and routines with my new schedule (adding 5 hours to my work week, meaning getting to the office 1/2 hour earlier and staying 1/2 hour later, the earlier part is the hard part), and just getting back to a comfortable place with the accounting and reporting. 

All that to preface this story about my day. There were 22 AP checks to be signed, 2 of which were for hefty amounts that required 2 signatures. I had left these checks with Kevin to be signed, and somehow in the confusion about the 2 signature checks, he ONLY signed those two and not the other 20. Which also needed to be mailed.

I was realizing this immediately after Kevin left for the day, and while I was on the phone with Briana. She was still able to sign the checks for me, so she offered for me to stop by her house so she could sign them and I could get them out of my hair and into the mail. I am so thankful that she did that, but more importantly, I am thankful for her. 

I can remember her from the days when she and her husband (also Aaron) were dating, and I went to the same Bible study that they did when I first started coming to Flipside. She was always kind and made me feel so welcome. Her demeanor was no different when I came on staff. And as she trained me for her leave, both times, she was patient and helpful and went above and beyond to help me find answers and understand how things were done. 

She is one of the women who I most respect in our church. She exemplifies what I think we should all try a little harder to be like, and I hope she is blessed as she makes her transition from work-at-home mom to stay-at-home mom. I know her workload will only be lighter in theory, but I hope she's able to find rest in it.

Thank you for you, Briana!