Thursday, April 26, 2007

Hmmm...where to begin. This week has been one of the craziest since I've been here. Emotionally and spiritually I feel like I'm trying to figure out alot of things. Here is a sampling of some of the questions floating around in my head:

When do I try to dialogue about an injust situation and when do I just let it go because I know the only person getting hurt there is me?

What were Christ's desires for his life? Would he have been a firefighter, astronaut, nanny if given the choice?

When are my desires important and when do I need to sacrifice?

Why can't I handle authority?

Many of these issues are coming on the heels of our retreat last weekend. All the young adults were brought to Pensacola to figure out our vocation. Since I feel I have already done this for the next step in my life, I was mostly excited to hang out on the beach and play my favorite game- try not to get sunburned in any place weird.

Alas, there was a mishap which cast a gloom over the rest of the weekend. The first night, I was part of a trio responsible for getting a 15passenger van stuck in the sand. It was pretty funny, with lots of sand flying everywhere. Details aside though, the leadership made us feel like assholes, like teenagers who had snuck out and wrecked Mom and Dad's car.

Also, in large generalizations, I have a hard time sitting and listening to my inner voice in a beach house surrounded by our materialism when there are people suffering everywhere.

Anyway.

I've decided to become a vegetarian this week. This may shock some, but I'm 3 days in and doing well. I tried my first Boca burgers. They were pleasantly delicious. Tofu may take some getting used to. Essentially, I'm trying this as a spiritual practice as well as for health reasons.

Currently, I'm getting ready for Museum Day. This means all the parents at Andy's Club have been invited to come see all the artwork we've been doing this year. Mostly I'm concerned that parents won't come or that they will come and be sassy. Please pray for this.

Saturday I'm volunteering at the March of Dimes walk here. I'm very sad to not be doing this with my family this year, but glad to be helping in some way. Please remember little Owen in your thoughts.

Next week my parents are coming for a visit. Then we're going to Natchez at the end of the week for a mini-vacation. Hopefully, this will all be good times and the weather won't be too hot!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Some recent highlights

I haven't been able to blog in a while so here are recent happenings.

- Experienced the coldest Easter of my life in Mississippi! It was a great day overall with lots of eating and lots of Jesus, but it definitely required a "Plan B" Easter outfit.

- Andy's Club saw "Dreams" at the Beau Rivage Casino. This was a benefit performance that brought together a bunch of children's performing groups on the Coast. I struggle with these field trips because my kids are in general NOT good. There was lots of yelling across our section of seats and way too many bathroom trips. It helps when I can remind myself how important and rare these events are in their lives. Still, I couldn't help muttering a few "We're never doing anything again"s.

- I spent 10 hours in the Gulfport Airport on Friday because of multiple mechanical failures. When they finally moved our flight to the next day, I was in no mood to wait so I hauled butt to NOLA and got home at 2:30 in the morning- 14 hours later than I had anticipated.

- I am officially an Inquirer! For those unfamiliar with this term, it just means I've taken the first step to becoming a minister and am being looked after so to speak by my Presbytery.

In general, I'm trying to feel connected to God on a daily basis rather than just during really high or low times.

I'm also trying to sort out my feelings on this awful shooting. I heard an interesting comment today from one of the gun control experts. He said that the thing that could stop someone with a gun was another person with a gun. I worry that this is the state of the world we live in. I would hope that honest love could have prevented this, not only someone reaching out to this man and loving him but just more love in our world. When our President endorses irrational killing on a daily basis but two men are not legally allowed to love each other what can those saturated by this media be expected to learn?

I welcome your comments.

Monday, April 02, 2007

A little bit of a Southern weekend

But first, my new cause. Please go to the website www.womenforwomen.org to find out about helping women in war torn countries and helping yourselves! This is great way to bridge gaps caused by distance and economic differences.

Ok now for my ridiculous weekend.

Friday we went to an Episcopalian "young adults" night. It was very nice to be invited, but apparently young adults in the Episcopalian Church means like 40 with kids. So we didn't really meet anyone our own age, but I think I have a new golf partner and may have joined a law firm.

Then, the night went crazy. We drove to Turtle Landing, a bar in Pearlington, MS. Pearlington was heavily devastated during the storm and heavily ignored because it isn't incorporated and the government didn't know it was there. Picture any sort of redneck bar from any movie you've ever seen and that's what this was. I can't even describle how ridiculous it was.

Saturday, we took Andy's Club roller skating. There was a lot of falling, but also a lot of getting back up which was great. It was definitely one of our better field trips. Oh, except for the pickled eggs and pickle pops the kids got. Those were gross.

Saturday night brought us to bull riding. Watching, not doing. This was sort of fun all except for the prayer that opened the event which praised God for America, the best country in the world, in the name of Christ. Hmmm...I was not ok with that and we expected Borat to pop out at any moment.

Palm Sunday was pretty great except for the deluge which kept many people from coming to church. Pastor Scott was sad. But really, when it rains here, it pours. There is no drizzle.

My acting workshop at Gulfport Little Theater started tonight and it rocks. I love those kids and want to kidnap them to form a little traveling band of renegade performers.

I'm excited for Easter. I really enjoy the drama and emotions of it all. I've been sifting through a lot of discernment and call issues lately so I'm hoping to find some time to work that out in my head. I'm really missing Boonton's Maundy Thursday service which I haven't been to in a long time- I think maybe since before college.

Anyway, Happy Easter and Happy Birthday, Mommy!