A Glance...

1. I kinda like Farscape, and Star Trek:TOS, and StarGate Atlantis. Those are my current guilty pleasures, thanks to Netflix and CBS online TV.

2. Two weeks ago, I had a week long intensive class on Race and American Christianity. I'm writing a sermon for my final project. I'll post it here, even though I didn't get to preach it (would've been tonight if not for a schedule change).

3. Said schedule change was vaguely related to where I was LAST week. My grandfather, who had been deteriorating since November, passed away in Tallahassee. Prayers for my grandmother, if you would. They'd been married 69 years.

4. Labor Day wraps up my Grove obligations. Nice cookout at the ball field, then I'll finish moving back out of that apartment and doing some cleaning in the Rec Hall.

5. Tuesday starts the regular school year, with a discussion group at 8:00 (or 8:30?)... That's gonna suck. Sunday starts my Field Ed at Union United Methodist Church in downtown Boston.

6. Next Saturday there's a potluck and photo review at the Grove. So I've kinda gotta go back.

7 , 8, 9, and 10. I'd kinda like a day off. If someone could make that happen for me.

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Grove? What Grove?

I took a job this summer as a youth director (official title: Senior Chapel Leader) at Asbury Grove Camp Meeting.*       

 

*I keep trying to type "Asburgy..."

This is a 150 year old traditional Methodist Campground, and I get to build experience working with youth on Bible studies, fundraisers, fun events, devotions, etc.  I also get to live part time at the Grove and participate in alllllll social activities.

Including Fourth of July egg tosses.  The chaplain and I were like the fourth or fifth pair left standing (out of about 15-20), but then he chucked the egg at my feet...

In less than a week, I'll be taking the kids to a revival/Christian music festival (SoulFest), and then a week after that the "real" camp meeting here at the Grove starts.

In the meantime, did you know that continuous-spray, spray-on aloe mist/gel gives you a Captain Kirk like sheen?  This PSA brought to you by my sunburn, Salisbury Beach, spray on aloe gel, and Star Trek: TOS.*


*Except not really, because only my sunburn knows who I am, and it doesn't appreciate me or my humor.

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A Collection of Random

• The Marquee Blog reports that there's going to be a new Sweet Valley book in 2011.  I totally read these as a kid.  Started with SV Twins, read a few Kids, moved on to High, poked at the Unicorn Club, and read quite a bit of University.  Kind of gave up on things at Senior Year, though.  By then, I was moving onto "grown-up" books.  Nevertheless, the idea of reading about the twins at 27 (and the book says the word "ORGASM"???!) seems endlessly fascinating to me.

• In other news, I'm apparently cooking for like 100 tomorrow.  We're making chicken pot biscuit.  I'm an okay cook.  The kids will help.  It's mostly their dinner, after all.  (Oh, this is part of the summer job I haven't really mentioned yet.)  But I'm not sure I *really* know how to cook for 100.  Yay, new experiences.

• Speaking of that summer job, I'm the "Senior Chapel Leader" at Asbury Grove Methodist Camp Meeting.  That means I lead the older kids (12-16+) in devotions, bible studies, fundraising (see - dinner), and fun stuffs.  I also live there part-time.

• I need to do laundry.

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Sometimes, You Get a Big Pile of Steaming Life

I changed my blog title. Again :)
I think this one better reflects who I am and what I'm about.
Which, obviously, is forgetting to post on my blog.
I overslept today, despite my best intentions to go to Church, so I'm updating this instead.

So, what's coming in the near future?
1. The second set of pictures from my summer trip out west.
2. The pictures from my Seminary Singers trip down the coast.
3. Reflections on the year at large (yawn?)
4. Thoughts for the year ahead.
5. More posting? (hope?) No promises, clearly I suck.

RE #5, and the title... Sometimes life just happens. So go with it. Make of it what you can.

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Bit of Explanation

Despite allll my best-meaning promises, I've been not so good at keeping up with this blog. November and December were somewhat crazy for me and the family.

Most importantly of all, my Grandpa Val had a heart attack and pretty major stroke, and has been moving between hospital and various care facilities ever since. He's still pretty weak, and he's had some setbacks, but as of Dec 30, they were looking at what needed to be done to the house to bring him home (at the time, they said that could happen this week - I'm not sure though). I'd appreciate it if y'all could keep him, and my grandmother, and all their children, in your prayers. They've been married for 68 years, and he swears he's going to live to be 100!

At the same time as all of that started going on, I headed into my first round of term papers and final exams at the BU STh. Toto, I don't think we're at Agnes Scott anymore! I had visions of Emory dancing in my head, going into the Christmas season. There was a lot of interesting conversation and debate amongst us new seminarians about the level of academic rigor vs the level of spiritual development... I like being at a school that's academically challenging, but I will acknowledge that for the time being, the spiritual side of my life suffers a bit.

As I already mentioned, I spent two weeks down south, visiting family and friends over the Christmas break. Prior to that... Did y'all know, I'm 25 now? I'm no longer the "youngest" amongst my friends. Still many who are older, but I'd say I fall in the middle range now. That's a bit weird.

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