long time passing.......

i've been told that it's about time for me to start blogging again. it's been several months since the previous post and i do hope this one does a bit of justice for the absence.

a lot has happened in the past couple months:

• i graduated (just waiting for the diploma to prove it)
• i got hired
• i'm moving into a house (no more apartment!!)
• we hired a new female lead counselor for this summer
  

and there's a lot left to do:

• weddings
• camp
• summer school
• the actual packing/moving thing
  
• paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, paper......................

i've accumulated a lot of stuff in twenty-some-odd years. and just now, i'm realizing how insignificant (or important) that stuff is. it's like a slow-motion version of that old dilema: there's a fire in your house and you only have time to rescue three items.......

what am i going to bring?

what are those necessities that i just can't leave behind? what are those things that won't annoy my future roommates because they "take up too much space?" which of these items is most usefull? could this have a purpose in my future classroom? is there enough space in my car for this?

i spend so much time on these questions and then....when i've had it up to here with all the stress......i just have to laugh. these luxuries that i've treasured for so long aren't making my life any more luxurious than it was before.

it's all so silly and obvious.........i've heard this stuff about clutter a million times......

and yet here i am......an "educated person" and i still have to purge.....

the christmas letter

for the past several (i think 5 or 6) years, my christmas duty has been to write the "traditional" family christmas letter. that annual thing that goes out at the end of every year and recounts only family highlihts.....sound familiar?

well.....this year, the chrismas letter is available via email in a jpg format. if you're interested, send send me a location and i'll get it to you soon.

so as to not give the surprises in this year's letter away.......here's last year's edition.....

the end

someone reminded me recently that i haven't blogged in a while....

holy smokes! it's been about two months!

the end of this last semester was overwhelming to say the least. no-sleep-november quickly progressed to dead-week and then finals.......ugh....

funny thing though. now that the semester is over.....and the grades are all in.....i don't remember the pain and stress nearly as vividly as the incredible support of friends, roommates, and mentors during that season.

thank you, friends. all of you who prayed/continue to pray for strength and healing. and darn it! words just aren't adequate right now. i'm so blessed.......there's little more i can say.....

quick thought before my paper

as tyler said......"liturgical chapel is one of those gems..." (or something like that)

i love liturgy
it reminds me of my participation in this family of God that extends beyond borders, denominations, cultures, generations, etc.
during a liturgical service, i am no longer alone in my Christianity
God is no longer engaged in conversation with me alone

WE are together
liturgy = We and God

....

at least that's what i thought

but what about when liturgy was first composed?

what about this council of nicea, or this spanish inquisition? the crusades? nazi germany? what about all the voices and traditions of the early Church that were ignored in the creation of sayings that would be repeated for centuries in the future?

please don't mis-interpret what i'm saying. i still love liturgy, and will always love the depth and intimacy and communion that comes with participation in traditional sacraments. but if i am going to join in this community that spans generations, then i am going to join in the sins of those have come before me. in some respect, my identity will always be tied to them.

i honestly don't know what to do with that.

amazing grace, how sweet the sound....