the scenic route

it's been an eventful last few days. i just returned from the beach and, for quite possibly the first time ever, i did not get sunburned! it was a lovely last weekend with one of my dearest friends before she jet-sets halfway across the country to Chicago for an immersion experience in inner-city ministry. and for the second time, i had to say goodbye to her.

i also spent the end of last week catching up with some old friends. wednesday night was a carolina grad get-together. i felt utterly grown-up as we grilled ice cube beef patties (read: beef nuggets) and talked about the "old days" in college. i lost grandly at scattergories, though i managed to successfully draw 'tokyo' in pictionary.

thursday night i went to a little concert that an old friend put on. he shared a handful of songs he has written on piano and guitar, and they were all really quite good. a lot of his spiritual songs seemed to revolve around issues that i am facing--seeking the Lord's will and trying to find a path and a purpose at this crucial juncture in life. one song in particular developed around the idea of God being the driver of our lives as long road trips. in the back seat, too often we yell "are we there yet?" and, as we get older, we try to take the wheel. and then you're swerved off-course, taking what is affectionately referred to as "the scenic route". aka--I'm lost!

i thought that was a pretty good description of what my life has been like over the last few years. a longer, out-of-the-way route that may involve a few more twists and turns, but is it ever worth it to learn from the sights along the way! and i trust that the destination remains the same.

a poignant moment of God's sovereignty: this past week the youth minister at my church in Charlotte was let go due to budgeting constraints. clearly, however, the need for youth ministry does not go away with her. in the upcoming months, a new infrastructure of volunteers will be established to help the existing staff cover the responsibilities of effectively ministering to the youth. i'd like to be a part of that team. it seems to be a clear opportunity to serve my church community and my God. one of the many reasons i believe He has brought me home for such a time as this.

job update! this morning i got a call from a Christian preschool (where I'd submitted a resume) to come in and fill out an application. the church is close to where I live & certainly my previous experience supports a position such as this one. they'll be calling soon for an interview and the job would start at the end of the month. but also, last night i was doing some more hunting online and came across some openings at the Charlotte History Museum. Being the dork that I am, I think that would be really neat! I sent in a resume...I'm not sure how qualified a person they're looking for, so we'll see! I think I'd be good at it :)