lifeawakened

a whirlwind of a weekend

2008-11-24T10:06:00.003-07:00

God is always teaching me things when I least expect it. One of those things was this past weekend. I got to spend 48 hours with some of the coolest teenagers in New Mexico at one of my favorite places in the world.

The small group I helped out with was probably the best one yet. We talked about REALLY tough stuff but that is what you get when the entire camp is about asking the tough questions. Suddenly on Saturday morning there were tough questions floating around the room. There were struggles with the death of friends. There were struggles with the possibility of having cancer. There were all sorts of things that I wasn't prepared for but that turned out to be absolutely amazing.

On Saturday night we participated in a simulation called the Underground Church Experience. It was a powerful experience for all of us and I walked away with the realization that no matter how difficult this job can get, the impact that I can have on teenagers and the impact that they can have on me is HUGE.

I'm about to hop on a plane to see my family, but I'll leave you with our group shot on Sunday morning. I love these youth (and youth sponsors) tons and tons!

Ridiculousness

2008-11-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

So my friend Jenny's boyfriend decided to make an Elf Yourself of a bunch of friends of mine from high school. I've watched it about a million times so far just cracking up. So I figured I should share. Really, Brian just has way too much time on his hands.

Click here to watch...

halloween explosion

2008-10-28T13:10:00.001-06:00

My office is a war zone. A halloween carnival exploded in here sometime last week...

officially a youth director...

2008-08-10T22:51:00.004-06:00

So my youth group while growing up was pretty good at destroying things. Or at least a few members were. Broken windows, pulling an entire sink off the wall, completely unloading a fire extinguisher on an empty room...

So far I haven't had too much trouble with my youth... but this month has just been the kicker. Having to send kids home from events, having to get on them about other stuff... and then this...

So it was an accident, but there is a LARGE hole in the wall of the hall way upstairs. What got my goat was that there wasn't an immediate coming forward of the boys that did it. I didn't get a solid confession until today. That's the part that irks me. You mess up, you come tell me and we'll work it out.

Thankfully pretty much all of the people that run the church thought it was pretty darn funny. My anger on Friday night did not think that whatsoever.

It certainly could have been worse, and won't be a tough fix, but certainly made for an exciting weekend I'd say. One of my youth sponsors commented to me that even though I have been on the job for a year, I wasn't officially a youth director until Friday when we knocked a serious hole in the wall.

awesome day at the botanical gardens

2008-06-19T15:34:00.002-06:00

I had a play date with the Christian Ed director to just go hang out and wander around the botanical gardens here in town. Here are some pictures from our morning. We then went and had lunch at one of my favorite places, Sunshine Cafe. The potato soup today was seriously to DIE for. Finished it up with some empanadas from the bakery across the street, it was an awesome morning.

camp update

2008-06-18T09:20:00.003-06:00

I should get to some pictures and an update from Costa Rica this afternoon. I feel like a chicken with its head cut off running around trying to finish up stuff for Junior High camp... but here are some pictures from sr. high camp. It was awesome. Tex Sample blew me away and spending time with 4 of my girls was amazing.

There was one incident involving bees and the medevac helicopter but thankfully everyone is a ok.

Now for pictures...

My girls thought I looked funny enjoying part of my dinner...

Waiting for the helicopter to come down.

Med Evac! It was actually pretty cool especially because everyone is ok.

Meeting as a group to pray for the people at the hospital.

Worship!

cool link

2008-05-25T23:09:00.002-06:00

I went to this event last year and a friend from that event posted this. It was actually a huge factor in my decision to be where I am at today and just a darn cool event.

I love the picture because I have crazy memories of hanging out with Earl and Jim, two of the guys featured in the picture who helped lead the event. Good times. It also was good to know that the event happened again this year as they were talking about not having funding towards the end of our stay in 2007. It was an invaluable experience for me and so many of the others on the trip.

my glamorous job...

2008-05-20T16:35:00.002-06:00

I spent the greater part of today duct taping these New Testaments for our mission team. 40 of them. Each took 10 minutes or so. My hands hurt...

to my readers...

2008-05-11T22:15:00.002-06:00

At this time, I have to say that I really have been taking quite the blog sabbatical. It has been a really busy few months and I am dealing with some stuff which takes away from my time of writing. I just don't have it in me to really continue writing much.

In case you're wondering how work is, it is fantastic. I'm filled with graduations this week and looking foward to heading to Costa Rica really soon. Summer camp is on the horizon, and a summer full of hanging out with youth is coming near. I could not have asked for a better first year of being in youth ministry and am excited about the upcoming years as well.

Hopefully I will be able to get back into the groove of writing soon, but it just hasn't happened. I apologize, and can't make promises with how much stuff I cram into my schedule, but I will sure make an effort to get back on the blogging horse in the near future.

a true resident of Albuquerque...

2008-02-26T19:46:00.002-07:00

Well... I now feel like a true resident of Albuquerque. When I moved here... my parents were a little nervous about me moving to the city most viewed on the tv show COPS. I wasn't going to be able to afford a cell phone, but they felt I was going to be living in a dangerous city, so they kept paying for my cell phone while I was a missionary.

This morning I went out to my car... and my spare tire on the back of the car was gone. It did not make for the best of moods. By the end of the day I had replaced it by calling a friend of a friend who called a few salvage yards for me. I had gas stolen out of my car at some point, but somehow the tire was a much bigger deal to me. I lucked out and got a pretty decent tire for not too much.

So I spent a lot of my day really working through how I felt about it all. I mean, I'm thankful my car was still there obviously. And I'm thankful I have friends who help me out and give me people to call and get things squared away without ripping me off.

I'm currently in the middle of writing a massive amount of curriculum for confirmation, working on a presentation about missions for both a group of youth workers as well as for our confirmation retreat for the conference, have been working on curriculum for camp and still have to do my normal youth ministry stuff. I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed and though I have lots of time to write all of that stuff, writing for me has been on the backburner. I also managed to suffer through a chest cold last week that just about took me down for the count for most of last week. But of course, things keep going and I am much better now and moving on with the rest of spring.

I will be so thankful when it hits summer because I get to spend more time with my youth hopefully and not be running around trying to get a million things done. Or maybe I will. Who knows, but right now looking at the summer is keeping me going at the moment.

Fasting and CCYM

2008-02-12T13:16:00.001-07:00

Well I had an amazing weekend with my youth. It is truly a blessing to be working with the youth that I have. On Saturday night, usually I have to pray with a few youth after a moving experience. This is really not my strong point. What I mean by that is that I am not someone who expresses my emotions outwardly. This can make it somewhat awkward to be praying with youth who are crying their eyes out. As I sat with my youth on Saturday, I watched as many of them began praying together. I sat back and saw God moving through them in a way that I hadn't seen before. I got to witness an outpouring of community that I hadn't seen in a long time. It was truly a blessing to be about to go and pray and supplement what was going on, but on the whole I let the youth do their own thing in caring for one another which was truly powerful.

On Friday, I had my first day of fasting during lent. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it might end up being. There were a few times where I got a little bit testy... but mainly because it was late and after 5 hours of driving and nearing 30 hours with no food it gets a little difficult to not let your emotions get the best of you.

When I woke up on Saturday morning I really had this somewhat amazing feeling deep within me like nothing could stir up my soul. We began Saturday morning with communion, and to me, the first day of trying this Lenten discipline out was really highlighted by the fact that I was able to experience a moving understanding of Christ's sacrifice. It was an amazing way to start this all off.

Of course I have one more trip to camp 2 weeks before Easter in which I have to do the same thing of fasting on Friday and then head down with the junior high group. That one should be interesting as well. In a lot of ways that will really be a time for me to bond with our junior high group. I spend a lot of time with my senior high as they have the ability to get around and come in more often, but my junior high doesn't have that opportunity nearly to the extent of the senior high. I'm excited for that to happen because I've been to camp 4 times now with the senior high and only once with the junior high. It should be a great way to grow deeper with them and get to know them a bit better.

Well back to confirmation prep. It has snuck up on me and I have LOTS to try and get done today. I already know I will have youth in my office tomorrow afternoon so I need to try and get a lot done today. Woo hoo!

The beginning of Lent

2008-02-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

There is something powerful that happens on Ash Wednesday in my mind and spirit. I can be going through the motions of the day, and suddenly I am reminded of my death, I am reminded that I came from dust, and one day I will return.

The powerful experience of having a pastor look into your eyes and tell me that I am dust is one that really rocks me to the core. A lot of people miss out on this experience because many churches never emphasize that this piece is important. But for me, the resurrection cannot happen without it. There have been a few times where I haven't made it to an Ash Wednesday service and it has changed my whole perspective on the season of Lent during that year.

I think for a lot of people, they miss out on the understanding of the season of Lent because they don't really see these rituals as important. And really, to each his own, but if you've never attended an Ash Wednesday service, you probably should at some point in your life.

Normally I take something up for Lent, and usually it is a really obvious thing, but this year something different has been on my heart. My youth director when I was in high school would fast from Maundy Thursday until Easter morning every year. Well I decided to give that a shot and also plan to fast on Fridays during Lent. I even have a support system because last night I was talking to a friend who had decided to do the same thing. I think that the spiritual discipline of fasting is one that can be really revelatory and I figure now is as good at any time to commit to trying it out.

Of course tomorrow is the first test of my fasting on Fridays because I'm headed down to camp with 14 teenagers. I'll manage all right but it will certainly be tempting with food floating around the van and a fast food stop on the way down. I have a feeling that breakfast on Saturday won't be a missed meal like it sometimes is at camp...

I'm hoping it is a good experience and that I get a lot out of it, but it will certainly be a challenge, but one that I'm ready for.

Extreme Makeover... Home Edition

2008-01-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

So my friends Halecia and Erin joined me today on an excursion to find Ty Pennington. Of course we didn't see him, but it was really quite cool to go to the set of Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

They have been here this past week rebuilding a home in Albuquerque and this is the first chance I've had to go check it out. Apparently the inside is really quite awesome, but from the outside it isn't too thrilling.

So here are my not so great camera phone pictures....

They were trying to get a balloon up for a promo but the wind was less than cooperative.

The church on one side of the property that they are building.

The house on the other side.

A closer shot of the church area. Definitely very cool.

an awesome time at PSYM

2008-01-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

So I did make it back from Dallas at the end of last week and have been working my tail off the last few days to catch up with work stuff. Unfortunately, I am no where near caught up and still have an obscene amount of work to complete before the end of the week. Here are a few pictures from the event, some stolen from other PSYMer's and I will give credit where it is due...

This was our art project when we did a worship service on grief. Amazing... it is hard to describe how this piece of art came about, but if you want to know, just ask. It was by far the most moving experience of the weekend I would say.

These are the super awesome early bird people! Tweet tweet! Basically we all came early and did art and liturgical dance stuff. It was a rockin good time.

This was the fun table plus me. I sat in front of them and turned around a lot. Left to right... Lizzie, Casey, Erin, Me, Cathy, and Dexter. Dexter will probably be on the tv show "So you think you can dance." And then I will know a celebrity.

Haha we tried really hard to make this picture work but basically we all look kind of crazy. L to R... Erin's eye, Joseph, me, Lizzie, Casey, Halecia, Cathy.

Yes... my signature dance move. Or, ridiculousness. The essence is lost in a picture, but I laugh that Casey had this picture.

I think the blurriness in this picture happened because we were far too awesome to be caught on film. Lizzie and Casey rocked the hardcore 80s fun. I just came along for the ride.

What can I say... youth directors make funny faces sometimes!

Our Foundations class clearly rocked enough to take a picture. It was good times hanging out with Rod, Georgia, Walt and Joy.

Basically all the pictures post early bird I stole from Casey. She won't mind though because the one basic rule of youth ministry we learned was to borrow ideas (and pictures are really ideas right?)

I also came home with something else... a hand me down table that my brother said was my dad's mom's at one point. Basically it is just one more place for me to get work done. As you can see, I have wasted no time in using it to the fullest of my abilities. I can imagine that it will only get more use from here on out and is no longer sitting in my brother's garage. The plus side for him is that he won't have to move it to New Jersey.

So that was my week. I didn't really feel like I learned a ton, but the relationships I got out of it are invaluable. Afterall, the one thing they stressed (other than feel free to borrow things in youth ministry...) was relationships, relationships, relationships. I can't wait to go back next year!

so...

2008-01-05T23:15:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since I last wrote on Dec. 19th. I went and spent the holidays with mi familia in Bourbonnais, I had a lock in with my youth, I attended a wedding, I made a website for my youth (it isn't quite done yet, but is getting there). I have played ridiculous amounts of Super Paper Mario.

Yesterday I drove 10 hours so I could be at Perkins School of Youth Ministry for the early bird event. So far I've bet a bunch of awesome youth directors and am fairly convinced that UM youth directors might be a little off their rocker but are always fun. I'm hanging out with my family here, especially my niece. She and I hung out with my friend Halecia tonight as I was babysitting. We had a pretty good time with very few meltdowns.

Tomorrow is more PSYM early bird but first I'm gonna go eat at my fav breakfast spot in town... Breadwinners. I'm going to miss it when my brother and his wife move away later this month. Going to visit them we have to find new places to eat in and around Princeton, NJ. But I'm always up for an adventure.

So I should get some rest sometime in the near future I suppose. I'll probably have thoughts about this week at the end of it all and if I can stop doing everything else in my life and get a little down time for writing, I'll post something worthwhile hopefully.

Be Not Afraid

2007-12-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

So we are less than a week until Christmas and I still have a lot to do, but I am feeling like I am done with the work I need to do before Christmas. Yesterday I got an email from Youth Specialties that talked about youth ministry and it really was a good description of how it is. The story talked about the angels proclaiming "Be not afraid." During the Christmas story. Let me share my favorite part.

Let's be honest: working with teenagers, no matter how much you love them and are called to this ministry, is cause for fear. They're a messy lot. The work is never done. The needs are never fully met. The demands and expectations of youth ministry pull in every direction, often in opposition with one another. If you live into this calling, sooner or later, you'll get hurt; you'll get ignored; you'll be misunderstood; you'll be blamed; you'll be misrepresented; and you'll screw up.

Isn't that the truth. The work isn't done. Sure, right now I'm not doing a whole lot because I have Christmas set before I go. But as soon as I get back, I've got a lock in, another trip for work (Perkins School of Youth Ministry) then I have to be thinking about another Sr. High weekend, a Jr. High weekend, and confirmation. I've got a stack of stuff I'm taking home to be working on and looking through while I am home. The work truly is never done.

But looking into the future, I am excited. I am not afraid of all that is looming in the distance. I can't be afraid if my kids get mad at me, I just have to deal with the cards I get dealt. In some cases, ministry like this has to be focused on putting out fires sometimes. I have to be prepared, yes, but unexpected things are going to happen from time to time and I just have to take them how they go.

The email was a good reminder to me to take it all one day at a time. So from me to you, I hope that you take the time this season to be not afraid. It is well worth it.

Feed the Need

2007-12-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

Each year, the youth groups of the city put on a homeless feeding program at a downtown church the 2nd Sunday of December. Last year we served 180 guests, and had about 180 volunteers. We felt like that was pretty much the cap for what we could do.

Then yesterday happened. We had over 300 volunteers, and served 366 guests. It was both heart warming to be in service, and heart breaking that there were so many there that had to be served.
The youth directors will debrief on Wednesday but there are certainly going to have to be some changes if we keep expanding.

Now only a few major projects before Christmas! It is certainly trying really hard to sneak up on me!

my advice on the Golden Compass

2007-12-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

So I had a comment on my last post, a woman asking me if it is appropriate for her 10 & 11 year old to see the movie or read the books.

Me personally, if I had kids, I wouldn't worry so much about it. But that is because I read all the books and saw the movie on Friday. I think that a lot of the discussions surrounding the book do need to happen with adults. Discussions about the church abusing power through centuries, discussions about how we put God in a box and forget that God is in everything.

So... here's my advice. Read the books, see the movie, then make an informed decision.

In the meantime, check out these interviews with Philip Pullman on beliefnet. I think they say a lot about Pullman's intentions, and really opened my eyes to even more of the theology that weaves its way through the books. Fascinating stuff really...

Why I'm not afraid of the Golden Compass...

2007-12-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

I finished the third book in the His Dark Materials series last night. As I finished, it was somewhat bittersweet as I had to leave the characters behind, much like finishing the final Harry Potter book. I'll try not to spoil too much, but be aware that if you read this post I might let some of the plot slip out.

Last night as I sat for a few minutes after I finished the book, I was really struck by the reality of our world weaved into a story of infinite worlds. I was struck by a sense of love and compassion that was found when ordinary children had a chance to do extraordinary things.

Maybe for Christians who see things as black or white, (we all have issues that we can only see right or wrong) this is a difficult story. One where the followers of the religion really mess with reality. One where "God" (who really isn't at all like our God) is put in a box to rot so that the followers can carry out their own maniacal plans.

As I was reading the end of the last book, I had one quote repeating over and over and over in my mind from Rob Bell. "What if it isn't that the story of creation happened, but that it happens..." Through a fanciful tale that had its dark moments, I feel somehow closer to understanding the divine and how the divine works within me. I am wanting to seek to be in constant communication with my soul. I want to discover the parts of me that produce goodness, courage, tenacity, overcoming adversity...

So really, I am not afraid of the Golden Compass. I think it is a shame that Christians are jumping on the bandwagon. Most I know that are planning to boycott haven't even given the books a look. I am always seeking to know more, to open my eyes to new ways to see and understand God. And I know, that last night as I finished and really felt that I was beginning to know that the story creation happens, that I am a better person for having read the series.

God doesn't ask us to do things that are easy for us. God asks us to step out in faith, not fear, and get the work done. I saw that story throughout the tale of this novel, and I am compelled to understand more, to work harder, and to really pay attention to where God is in the midst of it all.

So maybe I won't take my youth as a group to the movie, but I'll be there just after 12 this Friday to see what Hollywood has done with this world of the Golden Compass, I just hope it lives up to a sliver of the imaginary worlds that I've been living in through reading the books. I'm ready to answer questions, to ask some hard ones, and to really dive in to challenging my youth to be ok with things that other Christians may not be. Call me crazy, but I think God gave us brains for a reason...

what i've been doing lately...

2007-12-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

So each Monday for the last two weeks and the next two, I am doing a complete overhaul on my office. As any youth director knows, it is really easy to accumulate stuff. Curriculum, random things that youth give you, cds, videos, props for games, etc.

I have decided that it is really important for someone to go through the youth office oh say... once every 10 years. So I'm doing it. I tried to take a picture, but my battery on my camera just died, but I am halfway through the shelfs. I've given a lot of random things to other people in the office, I've got a box of books I'll never ever use, I have sections of books on the shelves now (Sunday night shelf, confirmation, videos, bible studies, etc.) I'm halfway done, and the half that is left looks like a bomb hit it, but I think a lot of it will be pretty easy to sort through.

Other things... enjoying www.quarterlife.com and can't wait til it is on NBC. Awesome for an online video thing to end up getting picked up by a major network.

Rose bowl! Illinois is going. If I weren't a poor youth director, I would SO be there. That would be awesome. You better believe I'll be watching that game and wearing orange on New Years Day.

Feed the Need is this weekend. I'll have about 20 kids with 200 other youth and youth directors from ABQ all helping to serve the homeless downtown. It will be a crazy but awesome experience like it always is.

I'm almost done with the His Dark Materials series. I will finish it and see the Golden Compass this weekend so that I can be informed about it when parents and other church folk ask me what all the hub bub is about. I'll likely have a post about that when I finish it up. I'm quite fascinated really, but for reasons relating to my knowledge of early Christian thought... I can't wait to finish this final book.

Ok time to get back to work... planning Bible studies and confirmation, oh joy!

apparently this is birthday weekend

2007-11-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

So far I've celebrated my birthday every day since yesterday. My birthday is actually tomorrow, so that seems to be a bonus.

Yesterday I was in Dallas still with my family and we went out to a Mexican restaurant I like there for lunch. We tried to go get cupcakes so I would have cake and could at least blow out a candle, but the cupcake place was closed sadly enough. Oh well.

This morning I got in to work rather flustered. I get in at 7:30 which is pretty darn early, but there is lots to do on a Sunday morning during this busy raise money for Costa Rica season. I was actually the only person here besides the custodian for a solid 10 minutes. There were burritos to warm up and brewing of coffee that needed to happen. So as I was making the first pot of decaf, suddenly there is a large group of teenagers standing behind me. I was about ready to tell them to go find some jobs to do when they began singing Happy Birthday to me at about 8:30 this morning. That definitely lightened my mood some.

So tomorrow is actually my birthday, and really it will be mostly like any other Monday. I've still got lots of work to do so I'll be in the office most of the day. I have a lunch meeting about confirmation class to do as well, but it is with fun people so that is good. Then some friends are taking me out to dinner that evening. All around it should be good. I just hope I get some cake at some point. Or ice cream. Or the best of both worlds... ice cream cake. I'm making my mouth water just thinking about it.

So I'm having a birthday weekend, can't complain about that one bit.

Back from camp

2007-11-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

11 youth and 2 adults.
10 hours in the car in 48 hours.
10 hours of sleep over the course of the weekend.
18 hours of all sorts of fun.
That's what CCYM camp weekends are all about.

We took our biggest group in the last 3 years to Sr. High camp this past weekend. I was joined by our senior pastor's wife as our other adult, and we headed down to Sacramento Methodist Assembly just outside of Cloudcroft, NM. It was an awesome weekend. I seriously love spending time with my youth, and this is certainly a great way to do so.

Here is my super cool senior high before we left.

This is me... on Saturday night. A kid took my camera. I generally make faces at the camera. This was a new one, though the youth that took my camera says that I give him this look all of the time...

This is Saturday night during an activity called "Peter's Walk." This is recreating Peter's walking on water activity.

This is Saby. He and his sister hung out with me all during Annual Conference in 2006. It was during that experience with them that I remembered what it is like to hang out with youth and started to feel the tug back towards youth ministry. Saby called me two weeks ago and asked me to be an adult for his small group. I said yes and we had a great time. I've already agreed to be his adult for the February event as well because he is just that awesome.

So I had a great time this past weekend and now I'm headed to see family for Thanksgiving! Woo hoo!

cracking up about my youth...

2007-11-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

So I didn't have very many guy friends when I was in high school. I had a few, but not the kind that opened up about what they were thinking very often, and definitely not like the guys I have in my youth group currently.

I'm seriously cracking up still about some of the conversations I had with some of the guys today. As I sit at coffee, I generally have time during the 2 hours where it is just me and a bunch of guys, which I think is awesome. We talk about anything and everything that guys in junior high and high school talk about which is pretty cool too. I love that they trust me enough to talk about bodily functions...

So I love hanging out with them because I really gain insight into the teenage male mind. Today's conversations seemed to center around girls. So here was the conversation that I just lost it over... I'm seriously still laughing.

S: I need a new girlfriend.
L: As in you want to take your current one in and trade it for a new model? (He said it like he was going to go get a new car or something.)
S: No, I don't have one, that's the problem. I need a new one.
L: Well I'm glad you're not shopping for one like a car.
S: Well sometimes I go looking for them in stores.
L: What?
S: Well you really don't want to date someone you meet at Wal-mart. You never know what you might get. But Macy's girls are a good call.
L: Are you serious?
S: Yeah.
L: *Face palm*
S: But I have three options right now. I have a decent chance with all of them. (He proceeded to name them and tell me a bit about all of them.)
L: So how do you decide?
S: Whichever one will go out with me first.
L: Are you serious?
S: Yeah, why not?
L: *Face palm* Well I guess that's a good way of picking a girlfriend...

So there you have it. A look into the mind of a teenage boy from my perspective. Good thing when I go to camp this weekend I am taking 8 girls and 3 boys. The girls... I get them most of the time. The boys... well I seem to smack my forehead an awful lot, but I love them. And am really intrigued about figuring out what is going on in their heads. No amount of schooling can prepare you for conversations like that one.

collective sadness

2007-11-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

There has been a strange vibe at the church this week that I describe as "Collective sadness." In the past week, 4 church members have passed away, 2 of whom I knew fairly well. So I've had 2 funerals to attend this week, one was yesterday and one is tomorrow, but it certainly hasn't been easy. There is just this sense of sadness throughout the office, and throughout the church this past Sunday.

Death really is never very easy. But it seems like an exceptional blow that so many have happened this week. As we're heading into the holidays it isn't terribly surprising, but that doesn't make it easier.

The children's ministry director and I had a discussion yesterday on how we weren't sure about the theology that God takes people to him when he decides he needs them. That part of us agrees, and part does not. But in the end, poems and stories that use that sort of theology serve to give comfort, and that is why they are needed.

I am glad that at the end of the week I get to go down to camp with my youth. It takes away from the sadness that has been felt this week. Then I get to go visit family for the holiday and then come back just in time to turn a quarter of a century. November will be over before I know it... and then Advent!!

why i love my alma mater...

2007-11-08T23:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I do love the Alma Mater statue outside of Altgeld hall... but really, this love comes from seeing stories about the University of Illinois.

http://www.writingwithvideo.net/

Is this not the coolest concept of a class? Oh to get my art requirement out of the way with that one would have been profoundly amazing. Instead I took art history, and don't get me wrong, I love that I can tell you names of painters and sculptors and paintings and even what era they are from and art museums actually make me really excited... but seriously, that sounds like the coolest class ever. And a comp II??? Ok so maybe I took about 6 classes that took care of that requirement, but still.

I don't miss college much... but sometimes I miss the challenges of having thinking exercises day in and day out. I don't miss having to read 300 pages a night and the late nights writing 20 page papers. There is just something about school to me though that gets my blood pumping in a way that a normal job can't... but that doesn't mean I'm going back anytime soon.