Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Wednesday

awww... another Wednesday.

It's been pretty good so far. I've been pretty productive and working on confirmation stuff most of the evening. I'm going to teach a quick lesson and then play a trivia game with them. See what they remember. I'm going to do this with both the 8th and 9th graders.

The 8th graders have so many questions but they don't know how to ask without talking over the top of each other. I am still trying to figure out how to use their questions and still get something done in confirmation. Wish me luck!

Today my supervisor took me out to lunch at pizza ranch. We had some really good conversation about ministry. We haven't really had a chance to sit down and really talk lately about anything other then logistics so it was good to pick his brain a little bit again. He has wisdom in many areas so I am trying to learn as much as possible.

I am trying not to look too far a head but I am really looking forward to this weekend. We are going out to Rapid for the Stock show and Rodeo. I am really looking forward to hanging out with friends and family. We are staying with my AG and CE. I look forward to the times when I can just be me again and not be the "intern pastor". I need a little get away before lent starts!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Thoughts for the Moment

I've hit my wall for the day. I'm sitting here drinking some coffee to see if I can climb over it. Hopefully it will kick in here pretty soon. Nothing worse then wanting to get some stuff done and feeling like you just want to curl up and go to sleep. Maybe it's the -3 outside right now that also wants me to sleep.

I just need to make it through the next 2 days, these are my toughest days. Tonight I have my revelation bible study, which I do really enjoy. And tomorrow night is 2 classes of confirmation, which are challenging to say the least. I look forward to the bible study tonight but on a night like tonight I think I would rather just curl up and enjoy some tv shows in front of the tv.

I was however thinking yesterday how fortunate I am to have a job that I can really come and go as I please. I make my own schedule. I don't think I have ever had a where I didn't have to be there for a set amount of time. Or the job wasn't some how task oriented. The infodesk wasn't really "task oriented" but I had a set amount of time I had to sit there. Well, needless to say this job is different. Good different but I am still getting us to the differences. When I can go home and not worry about it. I have a "supervisor" but I don't really think he looks at it that way. He is just kind of their for my never ending questions. I appreciate that about him really. That is how I function best in a job. Good to learn things like this about myself.

The FCCLA kids were here today. Known to many of us as the Family Consumer Sciences. I'm not sure what FCCLA stands for anymore. They were mostly using the church to have speech competitions. It was amazing to me to learn that Dells doesn't really have a speech team. So sad. But I guess this program is a good way for them to have office positions and to get some exposure to giving public speaking. It's amazing how things like that as a youth can really help you as an adult.

I'm having a "I feel fat" day. I think it could be because I have these cuddle duds on under my dress pants to pretend that my legs aren't going to get frozen off when I walk outside. Normally they would be really warm but not in the fridged temps of SD. But they also make my clothes fit snugger, not a fan of that. I probably am also feeling a little fat because I just at the HUGE cinnamon roll that FCCLA brought down to me. There goes the diet, again.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Suprising Moments

Quick thought/update

So the lady who lost her husband in the post about awkward moments, well I decided that I would try it again and see if I could go out there and visit. It's been a couple of weeks since her husband passed away and I was thinking that it would be good for me to visit her. And I think I wanted a little bit of a challenge since I was kind of denied the first time.

I tried calling on Thursday and there was no answer. I saw her on Sat evening at the Soup Supper and talked to her for a little bit. I finally asked her if it would be okay if I came out to her place and visited. She said she would really like that and seemed to really want me to come. I told her I would call her on Monday and set-up a time to come out and visit.

This morning she came up to me and told me that she checked her schedule and Monday is open so that would work for her. It makes me really glad that I tried to connect again. Kind of a good lesson for me that sometimes it takes people a little bit to connect and in those situations people aren't always thinking right. It also is a good lesson to keep talking to people and keep communication up.

This is where I think ministry really happens!

"Learning Experiences"

Still liking those awkward moments.

Today we went over to the church for a 60th anniversary around 3pmish. It was going on from 2-4. I thought 3 would be a good time to show up, say "hi", show that I care, and then head over to the new open house of the coffee shop that we got invited to. Well, after church I threw on a pair of jeans (nice ones) and a nice shirt. When we got ready to go I thought it would be long enough after church that I could get away with jeans. It is 6 degrees here so I just threw on a sweatshirt and thought I could make it work. Yeah right! Of course everyone was still in their Sunday best. We were the youngest people there of course, except their great-grandkids. So I felt totally out of place. But I started thinking about how that's all that those older people wear. They always look dressed up. Oh well, hopefully the old ladies don't talk too much about it. All I know is that I'm getting tired of these "learning experiences."

Todays sermon went okay. The first service everyone seemed to have ADD and in their own worlds. It was so quiet and I felt like I was getting nothing from the congregation expect for them sucking all the energy out of me. I need to learn how to preach even when no one in the congregation seems to have energy. Maybe it was just the cold. Second service was much better, or at least if felt that way.

And I must be getting use to married life and Eric being called my husband. Last night someone called Eric my boyfriend. It took me back right away and I had to think about who they were talking about for a few minutes. So that means I am getting use to this married thing. But this also brings up another thought process.... When someone says something that is incorrect, and it would take more time to correct them, and you kind of feel like you would be being a jerk, or it doesn't really matter that they said it wrong, do you still correct them? Or do you just let it go and move on? There's the question for the day

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Insomnia

I can't sleep.... feeling a case of insomnia coming on. Never a good thing.... so I will write about my random day.

First of all I have decided that if I just hang out in the church and listen to all the gossip and drama that goes on, I no longer need drama in my own life. All the drama space is filled just by listening to others. I think that this might be a good thing and help make my life more simple. Getting the drama out there will make more room for fun in my life... I like fun!

Tonight we went to St Dysmas which is the prison ministry at the state penitentiary. It was really interesting. It was really awesome to watch people really get into praising God. In listening to the pastor preach I realized how much easier it is to give the Gospel and really to receive it when you aren't in middle class America. The message seems so much more urgent and relevant when you are sitting with people who need to hear that they are loved and forgiven. The random part about the night was that I saw the classmate that I blogged about earlier (http://spish-fishgoldammer.blogspot.com/2007/12/manic-monday.html). It was good to see him and talk with him. I really feel like God put me there tonight for a reason. He has only been there for about a week now and this was the first time he came to the church service. I tried to encourage him to come every week. I learned that he had been going to a church in A-town since it all happened. It was good to hear that Pastor T had been keeping in contact with him and was making sure he is doing okay. He was asking me how life was, I felt kind of guilty for doing so well and being where I'm at in life. He was asking about other mutual friends and how they were doing. Told him that CH was in Sweden for work and that he is an engineer now.... felt kind of guilty again. It just makes me think how things change and how close we all are to a stupid mistake. He is now in prison for 20 years. He hopes he will get parole in 1-2 years. He made it seem like that wouldn't be too long.... I can't imagine 1-2 years of my life just gone!

It's just been such a weird week. From being in the hospital in Winner, SD to seeing an old classmate who I knew really well in prison. What a week for reflection that is for sure!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

New Year

I was doing some searching and found this quote.... with all the talk about New Year's Resolution I'm not sure what to think about it all. I don't really think they work either so I try not to do them. It's usually around September that I look back on the year behind me and try to make sure that I have made some type of progress. I did like this quote however and might make it my quote for the new year.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)


This page that my friend Rachel found has some really fun/random quotes http://www.quotationspage.com/

The weekend from .....

Okay so not really .... but close.

It started out good. Got up Sat. morning, feeling good, 5am. Ready to go. Drove out to the Rosebud reservation. Really good experience and always helps to remind me, not only to be thankful for what I have but to be thankful to know how to "get" things or be "successful" in this world. It reminds me of the importance of not just giving someone a fish, but teaching them how to fish. However that thing goes.. you all know what I mean.

That evening, meaning Sat night, I got really sick with abdominal pains and ended up in the Winner, SD E.R. and then the hospital. Winner is almost as wonderful as the Mobridge hospital. Not recommended. They were good to me but a little random, especially the surgeon, who should be the most not random person there. Not the case. If you plan on having any surgeries, go some where else. Just a little FYI.

I talked them into releasing me early Sunday afternoon so I could catch my ride and get back to this side of the state (southeastern). Didn't want to get stuck out there. They released me if I told them I would see a doctor on Monday. They called ahead to make sure the right people knew what was wrong just in case and to make sure I could get into someone on Monday morning. Then they let me go.

Long story short. Haven't felt better all week until this evening. I have this thing with getting sick really fast and then when I feel better it happens really quick also. So tada.. I feel better! FINALLY I CAN EAT! and walk upright. I was kind of slouched for a while.

I started weight watchers again a week ago. Eric bought me the Dance Dance Revolution for the Wii and so I had been really working out with that and going to the gym. I was all sorts of motivated! I think I had already lost a pound or two. Well... then this stomach thing hit and the diet was REALLY on. I lost 7lbs in one week.

I have found out something about myself through this all. I wouldn't make a good anorexic. I need food! So I will continue with the original diet program... eat and loose some weight little by little. I'm okay with that, in fact that's the way I roll.