The Married Life: youth ministry

Showing posts with label youth ministry. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 11

Day 11

Day #11: Bullet your whole day

Well. Should have looked at this at the beginning of the day tonight, instead of when I got home from work tonight. Overall, not a wonderful day or a horrible day one way or the other. Just kind of a blah day. [Disclaimer: Thankful for any day, even the blah ones.] I will do my best to remember my whole day...here we go.

Woke up. [I am in the process of starting to pack up my apartment and last night packed away the curtains in my bedroom. This morning I remember why I had them in the first place - my blinds do NOT block out sun in any way in the morning.]
Brushed my teeth.
Took my vitamins.
Cleaned up my apartment since I was too tired to take care of the wedding explosion [Also, since thanks to the sunshine I was up a little early this morning]
Breakfast [my favorite meal of any day]
Showered
Got dressed [Read: Tried to pick an outfit for a while - eventually found something acceptable, closet looks like a tornado went through it]
Sent some emails + Facetimed Adam
Went into work
Work. [Sat outside for most of my workday - it was way too nice to be inside + my office as no windows]
Made wedding dress fitting appointment [YAY!]
Came home for dinner.
Back to work to teach a Confirmation class. [Got to talk to Mom for a few minutes on the drive in]
Confirmation class [cue headache occurring, not because of my class - but this is when that occurred.]
Horrible headache. Not cool.
Wrote thank-you notes [Yes, still from my shower at the end of April, ugh.]
Watched video from brother #3's first harp recital tonight [Hate missing things like that in real life!]
Caught up with Jamie [bridesmaid, bestie, overdue conversation]
Finally talked to my brother #1 [It's his birthday today!!!]
Attempted to FaceTime Adam again. Internet was not cooperating. [Read: Pixelly & limited sound, lame.]
More thank-you notes.
Went through the schedule of what I have tomorrow/need to get done [ahhh.]
Writing this blog post.

Monday, June 10

Day 10

Day #10: Issue a public apology

Wow. What a day this has been. 9+ hours of solid work accomplished for the wedding [53 days away] + 6 hours of work at my actual non-bride job [intern]. I say this to give brief introduction and context to the following public apology...

I would like to first publicly apologize to my body. Today was not a stellar day for how I treated you. Cinnamon Hazelnut brew to start the day, a breakfast sandwich, grapes galore, a hazelnut frappuccino, and chips with salsa does not equal a balanced nutritious food/drink combination for the day. Tomorrow, we shall do better.

Second, I apologize for the way that bride brain works to my very patient friend [and bridesmaid] Jordan. Today was fantastic and scatterbrained and organized all at once. You did not complain once as we hunted diligently for wedding accessories or counted tables for 4 vs. tables for 8. We persevered on grapes and our frappuccinos as if we were on some crazy wedding planning survival show.

Side bar apology to my also patient friend [and best man] Kevin for the large amount of glitter you were exposed to this evening. Hopefully it has not put your health at too high a risk.

Third, I would like to publicly apology to my formally clean apartment. The amount of wedding related items that have been pulled out of all manner of storage locations today is quite out of control. I promise to return things to order in the [hopefully] near future. Glitter clean-up included, I know, it's everywhere.

Fourth, I would like to continue this public apology by apologizing to my very patient [see a theme?] husband-to-be Adam. I apologize for being more excited than the internet connection between Missouri and Wisconsin could truly handle. Also, for the large amount of details I attempted to download to you this evening beyond what any one man should ever need to absorb before he goes to sleep at night. Tomorrow - more pictures of what I meant, less endless explaining :)

Finally, for anyone or thing or space left that should received an apology this evening...well - sorry! And I mean that in the most sincere way - not like the way that you say "sorry" as a kid sometimes where afterwards your parents make you re-do the sorry once you actually mean it - but instead the genuine way. Or at least in as serious a way as a public apology via a blog post will ever be. ..

This public apology is being officially issued on Monday June 10th 2013 - at 11:17pm - CST.

Thursday, June 6

Day 6

Day #6: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question 'what you do'?

Hello my dear readers. I have to admit that this week is taking a toll on my energy levels! Tired would definitely describe me at this moment - I took a two hour nap already since getting home from work and will be headed to bed shortly after I finish this post. All of this tiredness is the result of jam packed work days this week thanks to a combination of Vacation Bible School in the morning and events with my middle schoolers all afternoon. So I suppose today's question becomes that much more interesting of a topic to me since my job this week is about all I have energy to do.

I honestly encounter this dilemma of answering the question 'what do you do' often. Technically, I am a Director of Christian Education (DCE) Intern. However, usually people who are asking what I do have no idea what I do if I just tell them my job in the most technical sense.

If I actually answer with my job title - people usually ask me if that means I am a teacher or a principle/school administrator of some kind. Which since the term "director" and "education" are in my title - I can see where the questions stem from - no worries! However, since I am supposed to be writing about what I say about my job if I can't answer with my job - you should read more about DCEs here and here - and here is our professional organization too: NADCE :)

So what do I do? The most basic way I answer this question is that I try my best, everyday, to serve God through loving the people He has trusted me with! I work with Middle School students, High school students, and Young Adults (post high school and up). This age span can be generally summed up as working in youth ministry. Day to day that practically means that I prepare/plan/write things like Bible studies, events, retreats - all with the focus of providing opportunities for youth and young adults alike to be still before God, to be together as a communities of Christians, and to be faithful to what God has planned for their lives.

One of my favorite parts about life are all the different people that there are to meet & the stories that each person has. With my job, I get the unique and blessed opportunity to become a part of the faith story of different people's lives. Most of the time, I just try to listen and be there to experience life with my youth & young adults. [Yup "my" - I like these people :) ]

My job is kinda messy sometimes - crazy hours, broken people, always something going on to take care of - but I really wouldn't have it any other way - since that's how life is at the end of each day - at little messy and in my case, totally blessed by a God who's love is unfailing through it all. My job is getting to see God working in new and different ways, through different people and circumstances all the time. Pretty amazing and humbling all at once.