Tomorrow is the last final of the semester. I have just over a month of free time. That is to say, no school. My last semester begins on January 18. I'm super pumped on several levels. One, I love - absolutely LOVE the three classes I am taking in the spring. I'm excited about school for the first time in a long time. Two, it is (most definitely should be!) my last semester as an undergrad. It seems a stretch to say that hanging a piece of paper on the wall will actually make me a different person, but I feel like it really will. I haven't figured out exactly how I'll be different, but I think it requires a whole new wardrobe.
Anyway, here's a glimpse of my reading list for the month off:
1. Finish Engage by Nellie Searcy. (I've started calling him Nellie now. Apparently, I'll even nickname total strangers.)
2. Simply Strategic Volunteers. I have a lot of volunteers. It seems I should read a book about that.
3. The Accidental Creative.
4. Thoughts on the Creative Process.
5. Something fictional and really good.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The One About Why I Don't Blog
Here are some reasons I haven't been blogging:
- I've been tired.
- I have a tv in my bedroom now.
- I haven't been doing my school work. Therefore, it would be wrong to blog.
- I've been putting my creative energy into other things.
- I'm lazy sometimes.
- I haven't been cleaning my house. Therefore, it wouldn't be right to blog.
- I've had too many ideas and can't decide which ones to develop.
- I've spent a lot of spare time practicing guitar. (Not sure why 3 & 6 don't apply to that one.)
Anyway...
The One About Friends. Or Drama. Or Friends and Drama.
This is an intro to a post I started back in July...
I said something stupid the other day.
Surprised?
Me either.
Talking about girls and their drama, I commented to another counselor at camp, "See? That's why I don't have any friends, right there. I hate that stuff." Girl drama. And the other counselor laughed, but then made that "Awww" sound that we make when someone says something that makes us feel sorry for them. I was really just being silly when I said it, and was emphasizing the fact that I hate it when girls do drama, but in the two weeks since, I've thought about it no less than ten times. Why would I say something like that?
I came home and the fuel pump promptly went out on my car. Two friends came to the rescue to get it to my house. Another set of friends loaned me their car for an entire week.
And here is what I want to say about it now...
I've learned a lot the last few months about friends. It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village to do almost anything. Lately I've been saying, "it takes a village to run a ministry." I've need a lot of help recently. And the Lord has just shown me every day what it's like to have friends. Good friends. The kind you consider family. I'm not ready to unpack the last few weeks...but I've learned the value in telling my friends I love them.
"See you in the morning. I love you. We're gonna get through this."
"Love you. Mean it."
"Love you guys."
It's a weird thing to tell another grown up that you're not in a relationship with or that's isn't family that you love them. I didn't grow up that way. I don't remember ever seeing it or hearing it done. But God has put people in my life that love me, and he has knit our hearts together in such a way that I'm amazed. I'm grateful for these good people.
Anyway, I think the original point of the post back in July was that almost as soon as I said I didn't have any friends, God started showing me I do. I love the way I can be His child and He shows me truth in my life.
I said something stupid the other day.
Surprised?
Me either.
Talking about girls and their drama, I commented to another counselor at camp, "See? That's why I don't have any friends, right there. I hate that stuff." Girl drama. And the other counselor laughed, but then made that "Awww" sound that we make when someone says something that makes us feel sorry for them. I was really just being silly when I said it, and was emphasizing the fact that I hate it when girls do drama, but in the two weeks since, I've thought about it no less than ten times. Why would I say something like that?
I came home and the fuel pump promptly went out on my car. Two friends came to the rescue to get it to my house. Another set of friends loaned me their car for an entire week.
And here is what I want to say about it now...
I've learned a lot the last few months about friends. It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village to do almost anything. Lately I've been saying, "it takes a village to run a ministry." I've need a lot of help recently. And the Lord has just shown me every day what it's like to have friends. Good friends. The kind you consider family. I'm not ready to unpack the last few weeks...but I've learned the value in telling my friends I love them.
"See you in the morning. I love you. We're gonna get through this."
"Love you. Mean it."
"Love you guys."
It's a weird thing to tell another grown up that you're not in a relationship with or that's isn't family that you love them. I didn't grow up that way. I don't remember ever seeing it or hearing it done. But God has put people in my life that love me, and he has knit our hearts together in such a way that I'm amazed. I'm grateful for these good people.
Anyway, I think the original point of the post back in July was that almost as soon as I said I didn't have any friends, God started showing me I do. I love the way I can be His child and He shows me truth in my life.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
The One About June
It's June. 13th to be exact. I thought that I would be a blogging machine once I got out of school for the summer, but it's been the opposite. Turns out, I do most of my writing while I'm in class (teehee!). Anyway, it's been almost a month since I've posted anything.
I wish I had something meaningful to say....but this is mostly just an update.
VBS last week was amazing. Amazing. Record numbers of kids and salvations. Just incredible. My knee is still crying out in protest, but it was worth it.
We concluded with the usually family night at Splash Kingdom, and for the first time, I didn't have to ride or float or slide anything with Gavin. I thought I was excited about it, but when we left the park, I felt like I had missed something.
Today I spent a lot of time getting ready for the vacation that G doesn't know is coming. Dog groomed, bank, bills paid, general housekeeping items. I'm so excited.
Booked his birthday party at GWL for the end of July. It's gonna be great, and he's gonna be spoiled rotten. Wait. He's already spoiled rotten. Anyway...
That's it. Maybe more later.
I wish I had something meaningful to say....but this is mostly just an update.
VBS last week was amazing. Amazing. Record numbers of kids and salvations. Just incredible. My knee is still crying out in protest, but it was worth it.
We concluded with the usually family night at Splash Kingdom, and for the first time, I didn't have to ride or float or slide anything with Gavin. I thought I was excited about it, but when we left the park, I felt like I had missed something.
Today I spent a lot of time getting ready for the vacation that G doesn't know is coming. Dog groomed, bank, bills paid, general housekeeping items. I'm so excited.
Booked his birthday party at GWL for the end of July. It's gonna be great, and he's gonna be spoiled rotten. Wait. He's already spoiled rotten. Anyway...
That's it. Maybe more later.
Monday, May 23, 2011
The One About Breakfast
As Christians like to say, God has "perfect" timing. I usually think about God's timing as it relates to things I want in my life, and trying to be patient while I wait on Him to deliver. That's flawed, but I'm keeping it real. Growing feels gross lately.
Today I was really struck by another example of God's timing. I am on a reading plan to finish the Bible in a year. Often, I will read a passage, and get to work and find its a passage the Pastor is using in the week's sermon. Or I will hear a sermon and it will echo a new song I just heard. Or my daily reading will be directly connected to our band devotion on the same day (this has happened several times).
Or, as was the case this morning, my Bible reading plan had me in the book of John reading about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.
(A quick aside. I love this story, and I never hear it without remembering a time when all my friends helped me move into a garage apartment. Never in my life had I experienced such an outpouring of love and service. My friends, they painted. They cleaned. They moved. They bought me stuff. They unpacked. And I felt completely undeserving. It was all I could do to keep my sunglasses on and try not to talk. And then I have this moment in the yard with my pastor. He asks if I'm ok, and I say something about how I really don't deserve all they were doing for me...and he starts with, "so there's this story in the Bible..." And he talks about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. And how as Christians, sometimes we wash each others feet. Sometimes we do the washing. Sometimes we have to let others wash us. That was four years ago. I felt like I hardly knew those people then, but now they are my greatest friends. My family, even. I learned what it looks like to love others in Jesus' name, and I have definitely had my feet washed many times since.)
Back to this morning. I finished my daily reading and picked up another book I'm working through, Scribbling in the Sand by Michael Card. I begin, and yep. You guessed it. Servanthood, and Jesus washing the disciples feet. Mental checkmark. I'm listening. You want me to hear something about servanthood. Got it.
There was a beautiful dramatization of Jesus with the basin and the towel. I read through it, then went back and read it again out loud (I was being artsy and dramatic, but it helped me connect with the story).
As I continued reading in the book, Card goes on discussing the many ways Jesus served his disciples, and concludes with John 21, and a section titled "The Lord of All Serves Breakfast."
Post resurrection, Peter, Thomas and others are out fishing...they caught nothing...ummhmm, reading...throw your nets over...ummhmm...reading, reading...lots of fish this time..."Now come and have some breakfast!"
Wait. What? I always thought of this story as Jesus appearing to the disciples, performing another miracle with the fish...and that whole, "feed my sheep" thing with Peter there at the end. I had to pull the Bible back out and read through the passage. I have completely missed Peter literally clamoring out of the boat and splashing to the shore when he realizes Jesus is there. And that when he gets there, Jesus has prepared them breakfast. John 21:9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them - fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. Verse 13 - Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.
The disciples are tired and hungry. Discouraged. Brokenhearted. And Jesus is there, making them breakfast. You know that feeling you get when something good is coming true? Relief and wonder and bliss and joy? I understand Peter stumbling, crashing through the water to get to Jesus. He must have been overwhelmed with those emotions.
Today I was really struck by another example of God's timing. I am on a reading plan to finish the Bible in a year. Often, I will read a passage, and get to work and find its a passage the Pastor is using in the week's sermon. Or I will hear a sermon and it will echo a new song I just heard. Or my daily reading will be directly connected to our band devotion on the same day (this has happened several times).
Or, as was the case this morning, my Bible reading plan had me in the book of John reading about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.
(A quick aside. I love this story, and I never hear it without remembering a time when all my friends helped me move into a garage apartment. Never in my life had I experienced such an outpouring of love and service. My friends, they painted. They cleaned. They moved. They bought me stuff. They unpacked. And I felt completely undeserving. It was all I could do to keep my sunglasses on and try not to talk. And then I have this moment in the yard with my pastor. He asks if I'm ok, and I say something about how I really don't deserve all they were doing for me...and he starts with, "so there's this story in the Bible..." And he talks about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. And how as Christians, sometimes we wash each others feet. Sometimes we do the washing. Sometimes we have to let others wash us. That was four years ago. I felt like I hardly knew those people then, but now they are my greatest friends. My family, even. I learned what it looks like to love others in Jesus' name, and I have definitely had my feet washed many times since.)
Back to this morning. I finished my daily reading and picked up another book I'm working through, Scribbling in the Sand by Michael Card. I begin, and yep. You guessed it. Servanthood, and Jesus washing the disciples feet. Mental checkmark. I'm listening. You want me to hear something about servanthood. Got it.
There was a beautiful dramatization of Jesus with the basin and the towel. I read through it, then went back and read it again out loud (I was being artsy and dramatic, but it helped me connect with the story).
As I continued reading in the book, Card goes on discussing the many ways Jesus served his disciples, and concludes with John 21, and a section titled "The Lord of All Serves Breakfast."
Post resurrection, Peter, Thomas and others are out fishing...they caught nothing...ummhmm, reading...throw your nets over...ummhmm...reading, reading...lots of fish this time..."Now come and have some breakfast!"
Wait. What? I always thought of this story as Jesus appearing to the disciples, performing another miracle with the fish...and that whole, "feed my sheep" thing with Peter there at the end. I had to pull the Bible back out and read through the passage. I have completely missed Peter literally clamoring out of the boat and splashing to the shore when he realizes Jesus is there. And that when he gets there, Jesus has prepared them breakfast. John 21:9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them - fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. Verse 13 - Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.
The disciples are tired and hungry. Discouraged. Brokenhearted. And Jesus is there, making them breakfast. You know that feeling you get when something good is coming true? Relief and wonder and bliss and joy? I understand Peter stumbling, crashing through the water to get to Jesus. He must have been overwhelmed with those emotions.
"Though Jesus is the risen Lord of Glory, though he stands there with scars in his hands and feet and sides, he is there to fix breakfast. He knows that they've been out all night, they haven't caught anything and they are hungry. And so he is there, their Servant Savior. He feeds them when they are hungry. He washes their dirty feet when they are tired. It is the shape of his life."What a beautiful, servant-hearted Jesus.
Monday, May 9, 2011
The One About Mother's Day
I have days where I think I'm navigating this single mom thing pretty well. I'll think I've taken care of everything. That everything is cleaned up, paid up, washed up, put up and so on...and it's usually then that I realize - it's him, not me. God has given me a great kid. He makes me look good.
Our MD was spent napping (me), playing video games (him), riding bikes (us and the W's) and sticking close to home. His idea of a perfect day. I would have thrown in some shopping, but hey - it's not like it was my birthday. MD is a close cousin to Valentine's Day in my book, but I still like it.
G got a cell phone last week. He was so excited. It is his reward for passing the TAKS test, although officially the grades haven't come in yet. He was with his dad on Saturday, and he sent me a text at 6:57am, "You up yet?" Man, I love that kid.
Here's my MD gifts:
Our MD was spent napping (me), playing video games (him), riding bikes (us and the W's) and sticking close to home. His idea of a perfect day. I would have thrown in some shopping, but hey - it's not like it was my birthday. MD is a close cousin to Valentine's Day in my book, but I still like it.
G got a cell phone last week. He was so excited. It is his reward for passing the TAKS test, although officially the grades haven't come in yet. He was with his dad on Saturday, and he sent me a text at 6:57am, "You up yet?" Man, I love that kid.
Here's my MD gifts:
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