4th of July

So today, I get up, read for awhile, decide to go shopping, and then head to the mantors for 4th festivities. As I drive past the Mantors, I remember an email I had from my grandma and remembered she was stressed about her sisters failing health. So, armed with hamburgers and a veggie tray, I turn around and head to my parents house. I walk in :SUPRISE! We're gonna have a cookout--call the grandmas and tell them to come on down! So, the grandma's come down, and my dad runs back into town to get some chips because for the first time in the history of my memory, they don't have any. Then my brother and I whip up some macaroni salad and wait for scott to get home. Then we have a 4th of july cookout with my family.

This is kind of a big deal, because we used to ALWAYS cook out at my parents for the 4th--like this huge bash!--but the last few years, due to my parents health and a few other things, we haven't at all. we've either gone to my aunt's house or done nothing. So it was really nice to revive that tradition. As an added bonus, I even cleaned up moms kitchen a little.

Then we came home, and it started raining, so we decided not to drive down to KCC to see the fireworks that may or may not happen. And I played papermario, and scott fell asleep, so tomorrow, we'll do 4th of July sparklers.

Thats the story of my 4th of July.

frustrated

so, i haven't had much time to post, because i've been at camp for the last week and a half or so...and will be returning this evening after an ec camp meeting.

I love camp. but here's the thing. I don't love my job. so that makes it hard. because maybe i need a ministry job that will let me go to camp without being crazy frustrated. which makes me more frustrated, because i have no idea what my ministry really is. I love teaching second grade sunday school, and i love to dance and sing at childrens church..and do pre-teen trips, and vbs, and all that good jazz...but i love jr high kids too...i had an amazing time at jr high camp and i'm expecting to have a similar experience at sr high camp.

Now, you might think that maybe its just camp, but its not. i loved working with the jr highers in danville, and i adore our sr high youth group at church. So im stuck. i guess its not a bad stuck, because trying to figure out your ministry because you like them all is better than being stuck in a ministry you hate. i guess i'm just confused as to what God wants from me. Today though, when i got back to work, i had to really struggle to do anything. and i just wanted to walk out, or kick something, and even on days when i love my job--the truth is i still hate my job.

so, if anyone knows what kind of ministry i should be doing, let me know.

NYI Convention

to quote my husband: quizzer are taking over the world. This is because all of our youth district delegates (both jr and sr high) are all quizzers..except one. and we're working on her. So that's kinda cool.

nyi convention was a good time. a little stressful, since neither steve nor i had run the thing..but he did most the work--well, the steve-lings really did (shout out's to robbie and derek for all that work). We did some set up on friday, ate some brickstone, did a little clean up...slept for awhile. then convention. it was good that brian wilson is a go with the flow kinda guy..cuz he kinda ran the business portion of our day--since we were new. we'll see how long i'll be that lucky. i got recruited to sleep at jr high camp (they're a little short on ladies, and i happen to be one--one that enjoys sleeping in fact!) and to run registration maybe. I'm also helping with the NYC registration for our district...on my lunch break one day. i'm pretty much a registration queen...so thats all good.

i've been hangin out with some of our senior high girls, and they're suprisingly cool and not scary.

scott and i decided that we were going to chicago after convention to unwind and hang out together. we saw a play--SHEAR MADNESS. all i can say is WOW--its pretty hysterical. like really--and its interactive..so thats way cool too. it was nice to have some date time.

now we're home. and im going to bed.

funny funny

hey.

guess what. after two weeks of shrek madness, we got the movie knocked up. It sold out tonight. and now that shreks only on 2 screens, hes as busy as ever. oh summer, when will you be over?

in other news, my real life job is pretty stressful these days.

my husband, not so stressful. i love him. even if i didn't get any ice cream.

loving Jesus

when you love Jesus, you have to give things up. you have to change your perspective. you have to start loving people the way Jesus does. The problem with that as I am currently finding is that loving my clients, or even my co-workers seems like an impossibility.

i just read jeremy's blog (see link at right-my favorite fish!) and it is really beautiful. I think a lot of times, we look at our relationship with Jesus as something different than it is. Something more special, or pure. When in reality, to Jesus, i'm probably like my clients. Angry, grumpy...and blaming everyone for anything. I'm not nearly as poetic as Jeremy (which is why you should just take your Jesus lesson from him) and a lot of times, I blame my job for my stress which hinders my mood. Like I can't control how much i let my job effect me. And if i was really loving other people, thats how i would be reacting. Not in anger and frustration, but just love.

What would I do if i wasn't a social worker you ask? that is the recurring theme in my life as well? one thing keeps popping up. Only that thing is scary. and not nearly as reliable as being a social worker. I guess I must stay where I am until at least october, so at least i can be at the next level social worker...in case i wanted to go back. :)

alright, enough. i'm going to get soda.