labyrinth

so, i'm in a prayer group that meets on monday mornings. we are reading a book called "beyond words: fifteen ways of prayer" by kristen johnson ingram. this books talks about different ways of praying. and this week was focused on the labyrinth. it was a neat experience, and the book discussed how we should view the walk as a pilgrimage of sorts. and that whatever happens during the walk was supposed to happen, and we are supposed to hear something from God.

so, during my labyrinth walk, i walked rather slowly and didn't know what to expect. there were others walking it at the same time, so i was concerned about running into them. there were also two ways to enter the labyrinth and i took a different path than the person in front of me, who, i learned later, was taking 5 steps and then pausing, going much slower than me. during my journey, i had to step around this person twice. at one point, we came face to face and i smiled and stepped around him, continuing on my journey.

after i finished the labyrinth, i spent some time in silence in our sanctuary-at the front near the cross. i sat on the floor, and just listened. listened to outside, and prayed about my experience. then suddenly, it occurred to me what had happened in the labyrinth. i wrote this reflection:

"gracious god, there is so much noise in our lives, and things that come in the way of us spending time with you. there are distractions, small talk, the internet, cell phones, ipods, etc. i ask that you allow us to find time to "be still" everyday. it is times like these when we feel your presence the mots. we have roadblocks, and other people, or things, that keep us from getting to you. people that are making us stray from your sight, and your call in our lives. may we be able to avoid those and easily go around them, like people in the labyrinth. just smile and continue on. it becomes clear to us after we step around where the center is-our ultimate goal of finding the way to you, and for what your will in our lives is, because that is what is most important, o lord. amen."

peace

newsflash

ya'll. thursday is going to be a big day.

why?

i'm getting a tattoo.

a small white cross on the inside of my right wrist. i talked to lots of people about it, and decided that i have been contemplating it since i started college. and i told myself back then that if i still wanted one after college, i would do it. a mature decision, right? so, me and my friend matt are going for his 23rd birthday. my cross has a lot of significance. i actually talked to my pastor about it, since i needed advice. he, after much thought, agreed it was a good idea. it's going to be white so that it is concealable. however. it's not just to get a tattoo, but the cross has always had meaning in my life. at taize years ago, it was by laying my head on the cross at a worship service that i truly understood what it meant to be a christian. and when i was in JC superstar in england there was a church that had a cross lit up, and it was the end of the show, after the passion scene, and it was like looking at an empty cross, emphasizing the resurrected christ. ALSO, it's going to be on my right hand. which apparently has theological implications, since we shake with our right hand and then that is supposed to be "passing the light of Christ", so it will be a reminder to do that, and to look for the light of Christ in other people. cool, right? it's also a personal statement, and a reminder of my faith. it's a witness tool too, if people ask about it. it can strike up a conversation. also, in beginning my steps toward ordained ministry, it will allow me to minister to a whole different crowd.

ok. enough of that. i'll post pictures after i get it done on thursday.

peace.

you need to do this.

love story" if any of you even slightly like piano music, you should go onto itunes. and download (well, purchase) "love story meets love story" by jon schmidt. it is moving me to tears.

or you could check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXtVBJDPs6k

it also contains pieces of viva la vida if you listen carefully.

i'm in love

(oh, and wynne, he has a piece called "dumbledore's death"

can you say NERD?

so, i was going through some documents on my computer, looking for one in particular for a youth ministry event. and i came across one that said "cellnumbers_cornmaze". however, i didn't see the corn maze part. and was like "when was the last time i counted cells? cell biology?" and then was like. wait a second. it was for cell phone numbers for the corn maze we are going to this weekend. and a document i made yesterday. and i didn't even have this computer when i was counting cells.

man, such a biology nerd...

mondays :)

why, hello there.

it's monday. and what a nice monday it has been! why is that? oh, because i have mondays off. isn't that a glorious thing?! it really is. so, last night, in my efforts to get to bed early. i did. mind you, i had a benadryl, because one of my earrings was being annoying and my ear was swollen. therefore, i slept from before 11 to after 11:30 this morning. crazy, right?

so, then i proceeded to hang out in my pajamas all day. and do competition applications for skating. which took all afternoon (it's a lot with 5-6 teams and two apps).

then? i went for a run.

and came back, showered and put pajamas back on.

wonderful! and now, it's almost bedtime again! i won't even have been up for 12 hours. that is crazy. i think this all occurred because i didn't have a nap on saturday-so, i haven't stopped. i didn't get a weekend, really. it was so busy! taught skating from 5:30-8AM. i then went to visit my friends declan and mary who have 6 month old twins (boy/girl) who are SO CUTE. i saw them in june, and they have so much personality now! it's precious :) also, it snowed on my way up there. which was crazy to drive through. i thought i was going to have to turn around. then, i went to a taize service. then i came home and pretty much crashed on the couch.

sunday is my typical crazy youth sunday. we made cookies, pumpkin bread, and apple cinnamon muffins. mmm delicious. i had help, and more kids came. hooray!

life's good. can't complain. :) have a few things on the horizon to look forward to, which is nice. skating is really picking up. it's busy. but busy=good. there's just some nights (like saturdays and sundays) where i wish i had some people to hang out with, but it's getting better. i've been more outspoken and asking people to hang out. proactivity is good sometimes.

ok. that's all for now. peace.

negativity.

i slept for twelve hours last night.

the last time i did that was probably when i had been studying for exams in college. not too long ago, but long enough! does that mean i had a long week? yes. i went to bed at eleven last night thinking to myself "oh, i'm not going to set my alarm. i'll be up by 8:30 or so". so i wake up this morning, look at my watch and realize it's 11:10. holy crap! i have to be at work at 12:30. mind you, my mom was also napping. that didn't help! it's probably because i have had long days every night this week. like going from 9am-10pm. and that means not being home, like at all. so it wore me out.

i'm still not home right now, and i'm really looking forward to going home and crashing. because, quite frankly, i'm still tired. just worn out i suppose.

so, i want you to look at your calendars, realize it's october 15th. and then let me tell you that in parts of new jersey, it's been snowing. by me, it's only been sleeting which is a good thing i suppose. SNOW and SLEET in OCTOBER? i'm not okay with this. it's these days that i realize that i would really like to be in the south. where it's pretty much still warm. i guess? i hear it's been raining lots in birmingham. not so sure i like the rain. i do like the people there though.

i have been so tempted to buy a plane ticket down to b'ham or knoxville this week, for various reasons. i am really missing my friends. and i see facebook statuses that talk about going home for fall break. and i'm like, wait. i should go home too. it stinks that i work on the weekends. i doubt i'll get any off in the next little while. i just can't believe that i have to wait until april to see some of my friends. i guess that's got me down right now. every weekend from now until may is probably taken up by skating practices. gah.

oh well. enough of my negative thoughts. :) i'll just keeping thinking positively about things.

i miss you all :)

peace.

timing.

i have terrible timing at things in life.

like for instance, there's an opportunity i could have had that has kind of reappeared.

however, it's a zillion miles away.

and now? there's nothing that can really be done about it.

interesting, eh?

maybe someday...

i haven't updated in a while.

does that mean i'm boring?

no, it just means i haven't had much free time/time needed to be occupied. i suppose that's a good thing. i updated on friday. kidding.

most things i've been posting lately were not about my life though. life's pretty good. very very busy. i've had a few long days over the last week, so i spent saturday recovering by doing NOTHING. and today i haven't done much of anything either (minus bible study and meeting with pastor jeff).

i was actually social this week! i went out with some friends for drinks. it was fun :) and then friday i hung out with a friend. and then YESTERDAY i went to a local youth pastor's house for a bible study. it was really awesome and i think we are going to be friends :)

hooray.

that's all. i have to take my sister to physical therapy soon. then, i'm heating up the stuffed artichoke my grandma made me yesterday. i love her.

then? sitting on children. older children-makes my job easier ;)

then possibly falling asleep on their couch.

and tomorrow starts another crazy week.

ah, well.

peace.

at times when i watch full house, my ex-boyfriend reminds me of the immature uncle jesse.

just sayin'.

i love love love this article about obama winning the peace prize:

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/off-the-markley/2009/10/obama-wins-the-peace-prize-and-suddenly-were-all-qualified-to-be-on-the-nobel-committee.html

'struth.

peace.

blessed are those...

Blessed are those who don’t have it all together.

Blessed are those who have run out of strength, ideas, will power, resolve, or energy.

Blessed are those who ache because of how severely out of whack the world is.

Blessed are those stumble, trip, and fall in the same place again and again.

Blessed are those who on a regular basis have a dark day in which despair seems to be a step behind them wherever they go.

Blessed are you, for God is with you, God is on your side, God meets you in that place.

The gospel is the counter-intuitive, joyous, exuberant news that Jesus has brought the unending, limitless, stunning love of God to even us.

Amen.

@therealrobbell

lost :(

i lost my spinny shooting star thumb ring.

i am sad. i've had it for six years. my thumb feels naked.

i'm hoping it's just misplaced and hiding somewhere.

but i also think it got lost while i was tying skates yesterday :-/ maybe someone at the rink put it in the lost and found, yes? let's hope so.

oh wells.

it is SO WINDY outside. there were things blowing around the highway. rocks, acorns, leaves. i was so overwhelmed. i hope this wind stops soon...

youth stuff.

i'm so ready to go home. except, i'm not really going home. i'm off to the rink for an evening of skating. hooray.

i think my youth like me, well the ones who have been coming.

i've been doing a lot of networking lately, and it seems to be going well. i've learned a lot for various people over the last few days, and i hope to continue that trend over the next little while. i've got some good ideas for the remainder of the fall, and i am going to share with you.

*wii tournament

*corn mazes

*laser tag

*helping with family pumpkin carving event

*thanksgiving celebration (potluck style)

*christmas shopping relay race for a ministry in paterson. we take the kids to target and give them x amount of time to do find certain things. then we eat at mcdonalds! woohoo.

*christmas party, complete with white elephant.

*movie night

sound exciting? would you come to my youth group? i think you would.

what else is new. i met a girl i might be friends with. she's married, but that's okay. she just graduated from duke divinity school. she is only 3 years older than me. cool? yes. she's a youth pastor at my pastor's wife's church. woah that was a mouthful.

anywho. i'm off for the day.

peace.

i think there should be a facebook status translation tool.

that says what you really mean when you post something. song lyrics are not obvious enough. i want to know WHY you posted them.

am i just reading wayyy to much into things?

i suppose i could just ask the person.

or not.

confession

i have been in SUCH a funk lately.

maybe it's because i'm so tired--but that really shouldn't be an excuse.

i don't know what it is. i find myself doubting my capabilities at my job.

maybe i need to find my groove. every time i hear the word groove, i think of the disney movie, the emperor's new groove, and more specifically this scene:

[Kuzko collides with an old man while dancing]

Kuzko: D'oh! You threw off my groove!

Guard: I'm sorry, but you've thrown off the Emperor's groove

[the old man is thrown out of the palace window]

Old Man: Soooooooorrrryyyyy!

However, I don't know what/who has thrown off my groove.

blehhh.

okay. done complaining.

peace