New Beginnings

Happy New Year!!

2011 was a bit of a roller coaster what with losing my job and moving back in with the folks. However, if I hadn't had to move back here...I probably wouldn't have (unintentionally) kept my resolution from last year which was: "This year I need to make more friends, try not to be so much of a homebody, and not to spend next NYE alone, doing laundry and blogging in my sweat pants watching Carson Daly's schpiel on NBC"

Yes, I had to force myself to get out of the house once I moved back, but connecting with the 'Relate' group at my church helped me to make more friends. Friends I spent New Years Eve with. A New Years Eve I spent away from my house. So...that was one blessing that came from the crappy hand I was dealt.

Another blessing is the job I have now. I love working with preschoolers more than I ever thought I would. I was on the youth-ministry track for so long, I never even considered this as a career. Now, here I am going back to school so I can broaden my preschool teaching horizons!

I still love working/hanging out with youth, but after spending 3 days in San Diego with 21 middle- and high- school students but I've realized: I am just so much happier in the role of chaperone.

This year is already off to a great start.

I am worship leading at my church (doing things the ELCA says I'm not technically qualified to do...yikes!)

I am switching to mornings at work, and keeping some afternoon hours as well (getting closer to full-time!)

I am back in school...although the jury is still out on whether or not I'm excited about this

and...I get to be the maid of honor in the wedding of a very close family member!!

Bring it on, 2012!!

Put it into practice...

I 'follow' the ELCA on twitter...well, I follow a lot of people/organizations on twitter, but who ever is in charge of tweeting on behalf of the ELCA will once in a while ask a really awesome 'think about it' question. This past Saturday the question was 'Do you remember your confirmation verse?' And I actually have a really interesting 'relationship' with my confirmation verse.

When it was given to 15 year-old me at my confirmation, I was like 'sure, this verse is, like, cool and stuff'. Then I tucked it away in my Bible and didn't really give it much thought. I'd revisit it from time to time, but it didn't really click what my verse was about. The meaning of the verse was fairly clear, but I didn't understand why my pastor had picked this verse for me. I didn't get it.

In fact, I didn't 'get' why my pastor chose this verse for me until about 2 years ago.

The verse is Philippians 4:9 "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice and the God of Peace will be with you". The entire book of Philippians is a letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Philippi, and in the fourth chapter (the last chapter) Paul is leaving the Philippians with some final instructions and encouragement. With this particular verse, Paul is encouraging the recipients of the letter to follow in his example of ministry and spread the word of Christ to the community.

Now there's some back ground on the verse, here is some background on 15-year-old me and why she didn't think this verse particularly applied to her:

When I was 15 I was toying with the idea of being an interior designer when I grew up. And while I knew I was still going to go to church and 'all that stuff' I didn't really see myself going out into the community to talk to people about Jesus...well, not intentionally, anyway.

Then about four years later, I decided to declare as a religion major in college. I came home from college for the summer and was asked to help with the 7-12th grade class for vacation Bible school at my home church. The next winter, I was asked to come along as a chaperone for the winter retreat. I talked to my youth director. I talked to the current youth director. I talked to my pastor. I talked to my parents. I talked to them about the possibility of going into youth ministry. These two small fortes into being a youth leader sparked a fire. Working as a camp counselor fanned the flame, and all this time, my confirmation verse stayed tucked away in my Bible and tucked way away in the back of my head.

After graduating and devoting one last summer to ECP, I made several attempts to be a youth director in the 'real world'. I got a bunch of 'no's which was incredibly discouraging. Maybe I wasn't supposed to be in youth ministry after all. Then my mom told me the story about how I used to teach Sunday school to my stuffed animals. After nearly a year of 'we're looking for someone with more experience', I approached my pastor and the current youth director at the church and asked if I could do some sort of 'internship' at the church in order to gain the 'experience' that I lacked. I got the 'job'. And my own office!! As I was getting my new office all set up, I decided the bevy of Bibles I have would look good on the shelves, and as I was placing my 'Teen Study Bible' up on the shelf, I decided to thumb through it. I found the slip of paper with Philippians 4:9 typed on it that I had received at my confirmation.

I was taking the things that I had learned and I was putting them into practice. This verse that was 'cool and stuff' may not have applied to 15-year-old me, but youth director me has discovered a whole new side to this verse that makes me wonder if my pastor knew something back then that I didn't...

I Wish I Could Go Back to College...

This is the title of a song from the musical Avenue-Q. A show I haven't seen yet, and could probably give or take, to be honest. Most of the songs I've heard from this show are pretty raunchy (even if they are mildly entertaining). But some of them are pretty applicable (I've thought about adopting 'There's a Fine, Fine Line' as my personal theme song several times), and about a year ago, the song 'What Do You Do With A B.A. In English' seemed to echo my thoughts exactly. In fact substitute 'English' for 'Religious Studies' and that song described my plight to a 'T'. Now, I've moved on. I have discovered exactly what to do with a B.A. in Religious Studies. I became a youth director. And a grown-up. Which means I have more responsibilities than I have ever wanted in my life. I hate being an adult. I love being a youth director though. Especially on the third Thursday of the month...Network Lunch day. Today's lunch, however, was held at CLU. It was so strange to be back. On my drive over, all I could think about was the pressure of Rally Day this Sunday and the thoughts that kept going through my head were I wish I could go back to college, life was so simple back then and I wanna go back to my room and find a message in dry-erase pen on the door
Then I got there, I drove through campus on my way to the chapel and then end of the song came to me But if I were to go back to college, think what a loser I'd be-I'd walk through the quad, and think "Oh my God...these kids are so much younger than me."
Really...I'm three years old than the seniors, which means I am six years older than the average college freshman. Being back on that campus made me feel so OLD. The campus hardly looks the same, there are so many new buildings, and yet somehow it seems so much smaller.
I see all these students in their tank tops and flip flops and cut offs, and I drive in in my grown-up car in my khaki pants and my knit top and my flats. I looked like an adult, and I looked older than these...these...kids. I didn't feel older than them though, or I didn't want to. I am definitely hitting my quarter life crisis. This is the worst feeling ever. I am rebelling against adulthood as best I can, and it's not an effective rebellion...

Heads Carolina

It's the third Thursday of the month, which can only mean one thing...NETWORK LUNCH!!
I love network lunch day! Once a month, I get together with a handful of other youth directors in the Channel Islands conference of the Southern California Synod of the ELCA and we eat, talk about life and ministry and commiserate with each other about how junior high kids can be little punks sometimes.
There is something about talking to people who have the same job as you that just clicks. I can talk to my friends about work all I want...but until you can share in the frustration of planning a totally cool event and having no one show up for it, or having to scramble at the last minute to find a male chaperone for a lock-in...you just can't 'get' my job.
That, and some of my friends think I'm certifiably insane to opt to spend my time with teenagers...
I love all my friends dearly, but the network...them's my peeps!
And once a year all the youth directors of all the conferences of all the synods of all the regions of the ELCA are invited to one big party called 'The Extravaganza'. Which is awesome-sauce.
You get to learn about how to teach young'uns about 'that Jesus guy' and how to be good at your job. Plus, it's good renewal for those of us who spend most waking hours with students to have a week of being an adult around other adults. Fun adults. Who act like teenagers...
Last year the 'E' was in Charlotte, NC...and it was my first one ever and it was amazing and I loved it and I can't wait to go to the next one.
And I have a point, I promise...
I bought this mug at the airport...ha!
...yeah...not a very good point...