more Greek

But there has been fun, too.

Like, oh, reading for fun... When I take breaks I have been picking up the books in Megan McCafferty's series about a girl I've kinda grown up with... Jessica Darling. The books are witty and angsty and I have discovered and re-discovered them over the years, and it was good to revisit them.

Next?

Oh, some visitors.

And maybe a re-read of Harry Potter with a friend who hasn't read them...

But really, I want a clean, sewn-for apartment so I can show you the big girl, self-furnished place I am living this year, and hopefully for all of Seminary. And to catch up from being sick for the past 2 days.

Alright. HW time so I can eat and lifegroup and dance.

GREEEEEEEK

I'm screaming that title, by the way... and I should be working on flashcards and memorizing things and relocating to coffee shops where I can study out of visual range of my bed... I have a vocab quiz at 9, tutoring at 8:30, breakfast and study time at 8, and spin at 6... oy.

But, to end on a positive note,

My sermon went well. Would you like to see/hear pieces? I'll pass it on. Comment!

Spin class with bike shoes... clipped in? AMAZING.

And I danced yesterday. SO good to see friends.

I met with my new lifegroup today. Being prayed for in that way... wow. And reading scripture in a group? More wow.

Alright. Greek, here I come.

MIA, That's meee!

No better reason though...

CYF conference had 68 youth from June 5-11, and I was privileged to be one of their 10 counselors... High school was one time when church camp was the best place on the planet.

Then, I moved apartments the next week and planned for...

Yup. I directed camp for Chi Rho... Middle School. Oh boy. 43 Campers and 7 counselors kinda make all that work worth it. SO worth it. Oh well... back in Spin, back on the bike as much as I can be... Life returns.

Finals week has a Finally!

Amendment 10A passed in the Presbyterian Church(USA) yesterday.

Finally. It is rare that you will hear me and my DoC self say this or type it, but GO PCUSA!

In other news, I have:

• 10-15 pages of exegesis left to write... at this point I am filling in an outline
• 12-15 pages to write up an awesome interview
• several pages of journaling
• an open-book final

... And then no more school for a month and a half. YAY!

Back to it. Bye friends.

on bin Laden

Part of me doesn’t know how to feel about the death of Osama bin Laden.

I know the world, definitely the USA, went crazy when it was announced, and I will probably remember for a long, long time that I was swing dancing when the news broke, and I stood in a smoke-filled bar, and my eyes stung while I read the captions of Obama’s speech about what happened. I remember being relieved- because the death of bin Laden probably means a deeper sense of closure for so many families- from those who lost loved ones on September 11 to those whose sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters have put on a uniform to protect our country and didn’t come home. It’s a very important period on the end of a hard sentence for them, but not the end of the story.

Am I happy? I don’t know. Grateful? If it means that lives of people the world over are safer I’m glad that he’s not here anymore, and I think they are… but I think that how people are talking-celebrating- bashing the administration- in light of these events is tough. Wrong, even. Many people have had many things to say about the death of bin Laden, and I think there will be much said in the coming weeks. I’ll watch anxiously- and hope that Americans can grow past these… unfair, fired-from-the-hip reactions. Some of the signs posted and the facebook statuses are unfair to those who have lost loved ones- for those who see this as the grave thing it is. Celia wrote here about it in a very intelligent and passionate manner, and I wish more people could express themselves that fully. It’s going to change things in a very big way, and I don't think that the American people as a whole see that yet.

It’ll change my future because a dead bin Laden changes the future of the military and what the fight looks like… which I think I will watch more closely than I have in the past.

My hope and prayer, first and foremost, is that bin Laden's death brings a sense of closure, and that it will be followed by peace.

Some random things...

Today, I'm booked. But it's a good kind of booked...

Church Carnival from 8-2

Make a dress or take a nap

casserole in the oven

Luau

Go dance! Live band! Become an official card-carrying ASEDA member!

Also, I love Old Navy. I ordered things online which are pending shipment, and paid... oh, half price from the original total. Thanks to a coupon and things being on sale. Only one shirt was full price, out of the 7 or 8 things I picked out. And free shipping? Heck yes! Summer basics I'm too lazy to sew and have absolutely no need to try on because I already have some version of them? Heck yes!

And finally, God is good. Family have been spared from tornado damage, and I realize not everyone was so blessed. But there are already organizations hard at work to begin to make things right when their world was turned upside down. It puts things in perspective, bigtime. Finals and papers are small potatoes by comparison.

Back to goals.

It’s time for me to get back to goals… I did well through February setting and sticking to them, and something happened in the month of March that just… disenchanted me from being able to stick with it. March brought Lent and some focusing on other things with the church, and then before I knew it April was gone too without a real goals post. So, seeing as how it’s almost May, I think I’ll pick up again there.

I am really intent on finishing the schoolyear well, so I think my first goal will be to not stress-eat. The amount of chocolate I’ve consumed lately is reaching larger and larger portions… and while sick, I didn’t do so hot with the healthy eating in general or the working out. Tomorrow marks the return to Spin Class, and I think I am getting back to some healthier eating practices already. Here’s to continuing that trend… And the dancing.

I think sewing consistently is the next thing… My total count for the year in garments is 6, or 8 if you count accessories, so getting back to 3 a month would be good. There are some quick fixes I need to do too…

Budgeting will be the other big thing for the month of May… Both May and June will be expensive months for gas and spending in general with trips, so keeping myself in line with my spending elsewhere would be a really good start. It looks like I will be paying regular, big girl bills starting in June, and doing that budgeting would be really great too. It’s all about being conscious of using what you buy, and only buying what you will use… At least, I am trying to be better about seeing it that way.

Sticking with my current spiritual practices would be really good too… But I want to develop more as well. I think it’s really going to be a challenge to do self-care well next year while working at a church, so I want to establish those practices now. Make them habits that stick.

Oh well. Right now, I need to go get everything together for class tonight!

Today...

... I preach sermon #4 in a 30-day period.

... And that'll be the end of one class. 3 more to finish before I'm done with my first year of Seminary. It's unreal to think it's that close... 10 days left of classes, and a week of exams before I'm a middler- I can't believe it.

Wish me luck today. Happy Easter Monday, friends.

We are small. God is good.

Yesterday was a long day, but I learned some very important things. Like where I can and can't get work done. And that limits exist for good reason, and although I have come far with time management, I still have FAR to go.

But that's not what I wanted to tell you about.

Yesterday, while frantically trying to get through the list of tasks that never seems to end, I found that we are small, and actions can speak SO much louder than words at times. It's Holy Week. A hug made a big difference. And chocolate made a difference, bigtime.

But as I was writing the sermon I am preaching tonight, I was a bit of a me-monster, and got very bent out of shape about something that, in the grand scheme of things, is small potatoes. It took something completely small and kind of rediculous- getting sprinkled on while on the way to my apartment- to remind me that I am but a brushstroke. I'm just someone continuing this magical tradition of sharing the word of God with God's people, and my job in that right now is to get out of God's way.

God is good. God sends us those reminders when we are close to tears or already crying, and good things come out of what God gives us to say... But not when we don't listen. And to listen, sometimes we just have to be still... let the starch go out of our spines and sit and eat with friends instead of wolfing down food by ourselves... God loves us and cares for us, but there's only so much God can do if we aren't willing to love ourselves and our neighbors.

Sermon in 7 hours, class in... oh, 1 and a half?

I should get some work done, I just thought I'd share.

aaah.

Not a scream, an exhale... just a good day.

Really.

It feels so good to be a "real person" again after being so sick last week- and I think that Tuesdays are just really good days for me spiritually that today has been awesome. I started the day, before I even got out of bed, by just being still and praying for like 5 minutes, and it somehow improved the mindset I had for the whole day. Maybe it's just been a good day, but maybe I'm onto something with this whole starting with God thing....

Add in good news this morning, time with my lifegroup and a semi-productive schoolday? BAM! Now for more productivity- a meeting and fellowship with a co-worker, a paper, and a sermon. The list keeps growing, but I'm back, baby! I feel human again, which is sooo nice after being sick. I forget how much of a wimp I am sometimes.

Holy Week, bring it on.