I'm not quite sure how I'm going to unwind after today. I didn't realize how deep the emotions of today's events were until I was talking to my sister about something that had nothing to do about today and tears welled up in my eyes. Is it possible to experience too much of life in one day?
I woke up this morning at 7am, which in many ways was really 6am since the time has come for clocks to "spring forward" an hour. I'm not a morning person, but I handled it okay. Tried to iron my skirt and after much time-delaying struggle discovered the iron was low on water. Then after dressing and preparing for church I discovered that my car windows were buried in thick frost. I quickly borrowed my sister's car and out the door I went.
Drove to the grocery store, ran in and picked up some pizza for a youth event and then off to church I went.
Pulled in at church about 9:05 and discovered that the first service had let out early. I quickly did a pass through all of the classrooms to make sure that each teacher had shown up on this the first Sunday of Spring Break. Spoke with a few youth and adults and then carried myself downstairs to substitute teach the middle school class with the high school teacher.
Towards the end of class, I left the students to the other teacher and made my rounds again, stopping by the church office. While there, was blessed with the opportunity to lend an ear and found out that I'll be the on call pastor the weekend my boyfriend is in town.
Left the office, went back to join the middle school class and then off to fellowship and recruit help for this summer's Vacation Bible School.
Shortly there after, I headed upstairs to prepare for the children's sermons and join the worship team for prayer. The children's message went okay, not as well as I had hoped - a very unresponsive crowd. Unsure of if that was my fault or if that was the change in sleep patterns due to the time change. Tried to listen to the sermon, but was blessed with another surprise... the entire sermon for Mother's Day! Yipee! My mind followed its natural thought and note progression for writing a sermon that seems inspired, introduction, main points, and conclusion all written in a circle around the edges of the bulletin. Sermon ended, my notes ended, time to go up for the pastoral prayer. Sorry crowd, it was a bit lengthy.
Service over and off to the kitchen to delegate cooking jobs and set-up jobs to kids. Meet parents along the way and discuss Vacation Bible School and life. Talk to some kids about Spring Break and staying for Youth Think Tank. Check in with a youth whose best friend moves to Japan this week. Back to the kitchen to see how things are going. Next 2 1/2 hours are spent with four youth talking about Christian leadership and brainstorming about the ministry of the church. Our Youth Think Tank concludes and I stay and chat with one of the girls for a while, a bit of counseling and self-esteem discussion. What is that about our identity in Christ? It isn't vain to recognize that we are beautiful? It is vain to think that you are one of the most beautiful?
Zip home real quick to change into jeans. Meet one of my non-profit ministry girls and find out that she has been telling everyone that she is going to go into missions. Yeah, one of the girls who was on the Muslim tract just a short while ago. Okay, then we go to pick up her guy friend, say a quick prayer that he is there. Boy, God has been sure answering a lot of her prayers lately! He looks stylish and in good shape. That is nice to see. Off we go to meet another guy leader and girl youth at the bowling alley. Wow, it has been a while since I've had this much fun! We laughed and laughed! Hooray, now my friend's guy friend is connected to his new mentor - what a successful afternoon.
Off to give the kids rides home. Pick up a church youth on the way, she needs to borrow a skirt for a job interview tomorrow. All of the bowling kids dropped off, now we'll stop and pick up one of the non-profit youth and her friend.
Scary! What is he going to do? This is not a safe situation - girls get into the car. Off we drive. That is your boyfriend? No one deserves to be treated that way. Off we go to another city with a car load of young women who are in very unhealthy relationships. Drive past a good friend's house that could help these ladies. Give my friend a call - yep we can come over.
Sit and talk for an hour or so, discussing some very difficult stuff. What do you mean that sometimes when a guy threatens to commit suicide if a girl leaves it could be true? Babies? Parents? Independency? Interrupted conversation with an irate guardian... Who is this supposed counselor you are meeting with, are you pulling my chain and lying again to me? Long conversation of adults in the room with the guardian over the phone. Wow, I am so thankful for my friend. Off we go to drop the girls off at a family member's house. Back home to pick up the skirt for the interview. Oh great, mud on the floor, she tracked mud on the floor! The white floor! Oh and there is that box of supplies I promised I would put away today, who would have guessed I would get home 4 hours after when I had planned to arrive home! Drive back to the church girl's house and drop her off. Back home and chat with my sis. Write a blog. Oh great - now I've got to clean the floor and put away the supplies and then comes tomorrow.
I woke up this morning at 7am, which in many ways was really 6am since the time has come for clocks to "spring forward" an hour. I'm not a morning person, but I handled it okay. Tried to iron my skirt and after much time-delaying struggle discovered the iron was low on water. Then after dressing and preparing for church I discovered that my car windows were buried in thick frost. I quickly borrowed my sister's car and out the door I went.
Drove to the grocery store, ran in and picked up some pizza for a youth event and then off to church I went.
Pulled in at church about 9:05 and discovered that the first service had let out early. I quickly did a pass through all of the classrooms to make sure that each teacher had shown up on this the first Sunday of Spring Break. Spoke with a few youth and adults and then carried myself downstairs to substitute teach the middle school class with the high school teacher.
Towards the end of class, I left the students to the other teacher and made my rounds again, stopping by the church office. While there, was blessed with the opportunity to lend an ear and found out that I'll be the on call pastor the weekend my boyfriend is in town.
Left the office, went back to join the middle school class and then off to fellowship and recruit help for this summer's Vacation Bible School.
Shortly there after, I headed upstairs to prepare for the children's sermons and join the worship team for prayer. The children's message went okay, not as well as I had hoped - a very unresponsive crowd. Unsure of if that was my fault or if that was the change in sleep patterns due to the time change. Tried to listen to the sermon, but was blessed with another surprise... the entire sermon for Mother's Day! Yipee! My mind followed its natural thought and note progression for writing a sermon that seems inspired, introduction, main points, and conclusion all written in a circle around the edges of the bulletin. Sermon ended, my notes ended, time to go up for the pastoral prayer. Sorry crowd, it was a bit lengthy.
Service over and off to the kitchen to delegate cooking jobs and set-up jobs to kids. Meet parents along the way and discuss Vacation Bible School and life. Talk to some kids about Spring Break and staying for Youth Think Tank. Check in with a youth whose best friend moves to Japan this week. Back to the kitchen to see how things are going. Next 2 1/2 hours are spent with four youth talking about Christian leadership and brainstorming about the ministry of the church. Our Youth Think Tank concludes and I stay and chat with one of the girls for a while, a bit of counseling and self-esteem discussion. What is that about our identity in Christ? It isn't vain to recognize that we are beautiful? It is vain to think that you are one of the most beautiful?
Zip home real quick to change into jeans. Meet one of my non-profit ministry girls and find out that she has been telling everyone that she is going to go into missions. Yeah, one of the girls who was on the Muslim tract just a short while ago. Okay, then we go to pick up her guy friend, say a quick prayer that he is there. Boy, God has been sure answering a lot of her prayers lately! He looks stylish and in good shape. That is nice to see. Off we go to meet another guy leader and girl youth at the bowling alley. Wow, it has been a while since I've had this much fun! We laughed and laughed! Hooray, now my friend's guy friend is connected to his new mentor - what a successful afternoon.
Off to give the kids rides home. Pick up a church youth on the way, she needs to borrow a skirt for a job interview tomorrow. All of the bowling kids dropped off, now we'll stop and pick up one of the non-profit youth and her friend.
Scary! What is he going to do? This is not a safe situation - girls get into the car. Off we drive. That is your boyfriend? No one deserves to be treated that way. Off we go to another city with a car load of young women who are in very unhealthy relationships. Drive past a good friend's house that could help these ladies. Give my friend a call - yep we can come over.
Sit and talk for an hour or so, discussing some very difficult stuff. What do you mean that sometimes when a guy threatens to commit suicide if a girl leaves it could be true? Babies? Parents? Independency? Interrupted conversation with an irate guardian... Who is this supposed counselor you are meeting with, are you pulling my chain and lying again to me? Long conversation of adults in the room with the guardian over the phone. Wow, I am so thankful for my friend. Off we go to drop the girls off at a family member's house. Back home to pick up the skirt for the interview. Oh great, mud on the floor, she tracked mud on the floor! The white floor! Oh and there is that box of supplies I promised I would put away today, who would have guessed I would get home 4 hours after when I had planned to arrive home! Drive back to the church girl's house and drop her off. Back home and chat with my sis. Write a blog. Oh great - now I've got to clean the floor and put away the supplies and then comes tomorrow.
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