not for brevity's sake

it's been a busy couple of weeks and here, for your reading pleasure, is a long overdue update!

i'll start with the most recent events and work backwards. this morning at church was quite...interesting. i was innocently fixing a cup of tea at the beverage table, when a dear sweet little woman, who i thought knew me somewhat well, asked me how my plans were coming. "oh great," i replied, prepared to launch into a discussion about my recent affiliation with either a) Emory or b) YouthWorks. "So you've set a date?" she asked. PAUSE. frantic mental scrambling...for moving? for job training? "um, for what?"--"well, aren't you engaged?!" I believe my exact response was "God no!" haha. sure, I've had a lot going on lately...but that one is still on the to-do list ;) She made up for a supremely awkward moment by wishing me well on finding a hubby at div school. i actually fear the day when i do come home with a boy on my arm or a ring on my finger. they'll be vultures. and speaking of a boy on my arm...this was the same woman who discreetly asked who the cute gentleman was that accompanied me to the Easter service. that was my brother, thanks. after all this excitement had passed, i was very nearly put to sleep in the service by a sermon on sex (who would believe it, right??). in all fairness, this wasn't our regular pastor & the sermon wasn't actually on sex...though it was supposed to be. i'm not really sure what he talked about for 20 minutes. but occasions like this help confirm that i'm heading in the right direction with my MDiv--i wanted to get up & preach myself!

yesterday i took an all-day journey to Atlanta with my mom. i wanted to go check out a few housing possibilities for the fall. we had 4 stops and as we left the third, i was feeling unsure about which was the best option. and then, we arrived. a dream house. the perfect living situation. stop number four was in a picturesque neighborhood with a lot of older, beautiful houses. we were going to meet the roommate of the renter (who was out of town). we pulled up to an adorable house and excitedly noted the abundant plant life and porch swing (!) with high hopes. we walked in. we fell in love. we asked, "where do i sign?" this house is immaculate! i mean...it has a piano. that is cool. it is decorated exquisitely and looks like something out of a home living magazine. and the (antique!) furniture in the bedrooms stays for our use. Arden (my roomie) and I would share a bathroom, each have our own room, and our renter would be the third housemate. Like I said, she was out of town, so I am awaiting a return call from her early this week. Our only hope is that she's willing to begin a lease in August. It is such a great find that I'd almost be willing to pay rent for June & July if she's not okay with waiting ;) I mean, it's that good. Hopefully, you all will see exactly what I'm talking about when you come to visit me in Atlanta next year! I'll keep you updated...

as for work--this week went by very quickly. but i am overtly cognizant of the four weeks remaining until i'm done. so let me go ahead & say it--i am sick of little children. for the first time in my life, i want to get away and be involved with some other age group...perhaps, in fact, until i have children of my own. and it's not that i don't adore my preschoolers--i truly do. they are amazing. i've been especially impressed lately by their retention of the Easter story (the big rock! Jesus moved the big rock! He is risen!). but i've just had enough. i think there's more to be said for my creative energies & my intellectual capabilities than what i'm using right now. plus, the kids i babysit for are starting to wear me thin--my 1 year old has developed a tendency to cry unless i am holding him. crawling machine turns clingy. i still have my secret weapon ("zacchaeus was a wee little man") but singing one song on repeat as your arms slowly give out has been frustrating & tiring.

fortunately--change hastens! like i said, 4 short weeks until i begin my sojourn with YouthWorks. Last weekend I was in MinneSOta for site director job training. Let me start by saying that I haven't slept on the floor of a church in quite some time! So needless to say, it was an exhausting weekend! We were hit with a lot of information--which is ultimately very empowering as we prepare for our summer, but it was a lot at once. I was also on this roller coaster ride all weekend about whether I was content or angry about placement, about whether I felt confident in my ability to do this job or unsure. That was draining as well, believe me. But looking back reflectively, I believe we've been well-equipped for this site director position (and have an ENORMOUS binder full of training material to study). And though I still have moments of, "gosh I wish I was headed across the country," I feel more and more secure in the idea that I gave my summer to God and this is where He put me. I will be serving regardless of my physical location. I am laying down my life for the glory of His name this summer--and that doesn't involve hand-picking my destination and my situation.

I actually had a talk with the guy who was placed in Denver. We were waiting for our flights at the airport & debriefing on the weekend a bit. With us was a site director from my "area", Jessica, who will be stationed in Taylorsville, NC. The two of us really hit it off because she also requested an urban site for the summer & was extremely frustrated with her rural placement. Matt, the Denver SD who has worked for YouthWorks in the past, graciously pointed out that often the youth groups coming to rural sites are the kids who are more committed to service. They aren't looking for a vacation in Denver, or Boston, or DC, with a little bit of work thrown in on the side. If you're coming to rural NC, you're coming to paint some houses & minister to some kids--to grow in your discipleship. That was encouraging to hear from him--and reminded me once again that I am not looking for a vacation destination this summer! Though numerous people did come up to me at the training and expressed how much they would've loved to be at Coastal Carolina. It does have a nice summertime ring to it, I suppose :) I have faith that God will bless each of us where we're at, and will use each of us to bless the youth and the communities we'll be serving.

oh! i almost forgot! and here i was thinking this post was almost over. i may have lost all my readers at this point, but if you're still with me, i must pass along word of my epic battle with 1 Timothy 2, round two! My pastor asked me to lead our Disciple class this past Wednesday while he was out of town. Conveniently enough, we were reading the pastoral epistles for this lesson (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus). I shuddered briefly, remembering oh too well round one with this text: flashback one year or so, to UNC IV Women's Life group. Scene: Carribou Coffee, Rachel & Whitney wrestling with the idea of childbearing leading to salvation. With women being silent. With prohibition from teaching and assuming authority in the church. With how the heck we were going to present this to our girls in an empowering light. I, personally, was prepared to stand up at our small group meeting, rip out the page of my Bible containing 1 Timothy chapter 2, and move along to our study of proverbs 31 (no, wait, i want to rip that one out too..kidding! mostly). eventually, our beloved mentor & friend Kristen spoke some peace into our hearts with an article she had that offered a different interpretation on these controversial verses. I used this very article for our b-stud last Wednesday, and planned to devote half of the 2 hours to those 5 infamous verses. And friends, God moved! I started by opening the floor for complaints & frustrations these words brought about. Everyone aired those out, even the lone male of our group. We were angry, confused, wrestling. But then I explained the alternative interpretation as given by Kristen's article...but perhaps I shouldn't say alternative, but deeper/more thorough (I can forward it along to you if you'd like--give me a shout). And my group members were satisfied. They left feeling calmer, more at peace with God and His Scriptures. And we closed with good, reliable ol' Galatians 3:28...and were able to find some forgiveness in our hearts even for Paul. Though we pondered and mourned together the centuries of oppression that have arisen from these verses.

Understanding where there was frustration, peace where there was discord--that is why we should do Bible study & text interpretation...another confirmation for me that I'm heading in the right direction with the MDiv, and that includes the looming Greek and/or Hebrew language study ;)