Pearls

Gleaning through my experiences... here's what I've found

1) Peace for the future. I no longer feel like I'm going over a cliff into the real world of a million possibilities. There are still a million possibilities, but I know that the only important thing is to follow God's voice and will to one possibility at a time. I have confidence and assurance that He will make a clear path for that which is His will. I also have assurance that He will use all the gifts that He has planted in my life. Nothing will go to waste. I must simply, trust and obey as the old hymn goes. It's definitely not as simple as a line in a hymn, but I've made steps in walking on water.

2) I dealt with grief issues I had from the last couple years and think that I've finally made my peace.

3) I have learned that my biggest mistake is trusting too much in everyone, including myself, and excepting God . Today's reading from Oswald stated, "Disillusionment means that there are no more false judgments in life. To be undeceived by disillusionment may leave us cynical and unkindly severe in our judgments of others (that's me!), but the disilluionment which comes from God brings us to the place where we see men and women as they really are, and yet there is no cynicism, we have no stinging, bitter things to say. Many of the cruel things in life spring from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts; we are true only to our ideas of one another. Everything is either delightful and fine, or mean and dastardly, according to our idea (that's me)... Our Lord trused no man, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord's confidence in God and in what His grace could do for any man, was so perfect that He despaired of no one. If our trust is placed in human beings, we shall end in despairing of everyone. My mom always said that I expected too much out of people. I also expect too much out of myself. When I lash out unexpectedly at someone, do something really selfish, carelessly pass someone in need over, I am always REALLY surprised, horrified, and despairing of myself. It's like I can't believe that I was capable of hurting someone. I think we have to admit that we can hurt people and we will continue to until Jesus returns. Since a small age, I have been hurt by friends. So I think it's been my mantra never to hurt others as I have been hurt, but the reality is that we can't help hurting each other. The point is to expect to be hurt. It sounds cynical. But if we remember that we are human and fallen, we can forgive ourselves and others much more quickly. Even the best people hurt others. The problem is that we don't hear about it often enough. Heroes are created without faults. We get tricked into thinking perfect people exist. We meet people and never see their bad faults and assume that they are wonderful all the time. People sometimes think that about me. I see now that I should be glad that God doesn't let people think that for long. People end up seeing my faults a lot which is good; otherwise, I would just perpetuate the false illusion of perfection here and now. We will be made perfect (thank Jesus), but not until that GREAT day!

4) I've come to grips about my health and the need for help.

5) I've realized there's really just no lingering place for shame in this walk with Christ. If it's from sin, repent and turn away from sin. Then you have no reason to feel shame. If it comes from mistakes, learn from your mistakes, but don't feel ashamed. Do better next time. If it comes from weakness, well boast in your weaknesses. That is the way God's power is made known. Don't be let others shame you. Accept criticism and correction humbly. Don't feel ashamed because someone thinks you could do better. Be glad they want to help you. And remember that you probably can do better. We're not perfect as I believe I made clear in number 3 :) I've gotten better at accepting correction. Most people are trying to help you, and they usually speak at least a grain of truth. If they aren't, then just let it roll off because the most important thing is to be right with God. He's the one justifying you after all. It doesn't matter what others think as long as you are in line with the Bible and promptings of the Holy Spirit.

6) I've become more independent and willing to make a stand for my own decisions

7) It really is key to have long periods of time to sit and listen/converse with God. It may not make anything clearer, but it brings peace and joy which are supposed to characterize the Christian life after all :)

Enchiladas and Faux Leather

I had a lovely dinner tonight with Cathy (senior pastor) and Michael her husband. It was a little taste of home. We had enchiladas made by the neighbors and walked the two big black labs. When Michael found out how my brother is employed, he immediately asked me what his favorite TV show was. I laughed so hard and said "TWENTY FOUR" What with Kelsi, my dad, and recently finding out Nathan (the actor) loves it, it's hard not to think the whole world is obsessed with 24.

Michael and Cathy together are so funny. Michael made terrible puns the whole walk (I thought fondly of you, Brandon) and during dinner he had to ask me about guys. When Cathy (who was taking a call in a back room) overheard him say "Wait for a good one" she said, "Oh is he giving you the Christian guy talk? I'd better get back out there!" Michale looks in some small way like an older version of Michael from The Office. which is rather endearing. He runs marathons. Before he got on the guy track he said, "I see you have a good appetite (which is good) but you're also thin" I laughed over that one too... and we got to talk about running. He was also the first person to commend me straight up for not drinking which won me over entirely. His story is proof that my theory is not totally bunk.

I had a very productive and mostly happy day (aside from yelling at the dog this morning when she snuck through the baby gate for the THIRD time and woke me up even earlier then I had planned...and I planned early). Upon trying to make challah bread, I discovered we had no yeast. Now there are some things you can substitute for in cooking. Yeast in bread is not one of them. So I took an early morning run to Dillons (the local grocery store... it's like Meijers in MI). Then I made bread. I took another ATI test (my last before the final predictor!) and briefly talked to my friend in Germany.

Then we went to the new Three Trees building (the old one burned down last October) and helped with all sorts of crazy jobs. I got entrusted with a staple gun... and nearly strained my hand to death. I was creating faux leather benches. Here's a picture of the end results. Pretty nifty. I also sneezed my way through wiping down dusty walls. Unfortunately I'm the about the shortest candidate possible so I couldn't reach the ceiling even on a chair. But everyone else was avoiding the nasty, frustersome job, so I figure they're happy I tackled it at all. It's really hard to wipe down something when you can't tell where you've wiped before... I'll vouch for it!




Here are some other pictures from various rooms. It's going to be delightful when it's done!

The gorgeous mosaic which is remains of the old portrayal of the Three Trees.



This is the famous Three Trees story being put on panels. It's going to be so artistic and lovely



One of the children's rooms. Like the wallpaper? Yeah... that's wall paper. Amazing.



This one is more than wall paper... it's a painting! Notice the cute little chairs!

Flying Colors

Now for the post you've all been waiting for... (and by all, I mean, my parents).

Yesterday, was my great debut for teaching. I proudly introduced a small group of people to parish nursing for ONE whole hour. I bet none of you had to preach for an hour! Well... maybe you did. I did not think it was possible, but I managed to drag out 7 pages of slides for one whole hour. Unbeknownst to me, the two parish nurses who invited us to speak wanted to video tape the whole thing. Beejabbers... the things I endure (just kidding). I wasn't actually that nervous, what with giving so many honors presentations, (I'm not bragging... stating a fact) and I felt like I did a pretty good job (if I do say so myself). One of the nurses said I should get an A+ for presentation. Awww shucks.

Edit: Here's the big cookie Cathy sent to my last staff meeting :)

Blessings All Mine

... With ten thousand beside!

And now for a word of thanks. Confession: I used to throw oranges at my floormate Arielle and shout "THINK FAST" as they were flying towards her.

Sometimes I think God likes to do that to me with gifts. I've been slightly homesick and lonesome and tired of summer when people are never around when you need them (this is a general statement and not directed at anyone). Summer is just one of those times where everyone is spread out and on vacation.

Anyway, so today we were scheduled to go to Prairie Rose for lunch and "entertainment". Now this place was introduced to me as "the dude ranch" and considering that I went to Miss Saigon last night, Keith Urban a couple weeks ago, and a restaurant in a casino two weeks ago... I really wasn't sure what "entertainment" meant.

I was ready for anything, but was absolutely blown away by Christian hospitality and sincerity this afternoon at "the dude ranch". We pledged allegiance to the flag (which I haven't done since like 5th grade) applauded all the servicemen in the room, gave thanks to God... and were served a lot of meat...

A LOT.

They served us everything... even seconds. We didn't get up for anything. It was all you could eat and I managed two biscuits (I told you I have this thing for biscuits...). I don't think I'll be eating dinner tonight :)

Then it was time for gospel... southern gospel. Four guys (one a piano man... who's mom was there... it was really cute) sang some of the best hymns I've heard. It's a day for hymns. At First Pres we sang all hymns that I knew! I was so excited (normally I don't know any of them... and I know a lot for a young squirt). I was belting out "Soon and Very Soon" and "I'll Fly Away"

What was so refreshing was the "old fashionedness" of it. Now I know that just going back in time doesn't mean life was any less messy. Just seeing Miss Saigon assured me of that. People are vile anywhere, anytime. And I get fed up with it. So it was really nice to go somewhere out in the bright country air (like my home) where people were jovial, with a wealth of southern hospitality, and a mighty heart for God. They are the kind of people who preach it like it is, and joke like comedians today don't know how. I felt like someone was throwing pie in my face... the good way :) It was totally unexpected and very wonderful.

Today will also go down in history because I finally got to hear Mirko sing. AND I figured out how to spell his name. BUT no, I have not fallen in love... although he did have an excellent voice. However, a voice I can't resist... is one that belongs to anyone who plays the character Marius in the musical Les Mis. Seeing Miss Saigon reminded me how much I love the sound of his voice. (The lead male in Miss Saigon, played Marius in Les Mis). I'm also a big fan of people who sound like Lea Salonga. She is my favorite singer - 50% because of Mulan and 50% because of Les Mis. Now it makes sense why she also sang in Miss Saigon. How did I get on this topic?

Anyway, I'm still lonely, but much less empty. :) Cheers! Get ready for God to surprise you!

All I have needed, thy hand hath provided...

Ode to the weary

Oh to the weary
Who stare at computer screens
Red eyes bleary
And need 1000 espresso beans

Oh to the somnolent
Who need to plan and think
While sleep hangs redolent
And eyes of sand bags sink

Oh to the empty-headed
On futile hunt for motivation
No path before them breaded
May they find inspiration

Rocking Architecture

Thought maybe you should see what I'm working with!

Pretty amazing right? This is just the backside... and wait till you see the inside!

The main sanctuary... whew!

The gorgeous organ which is in use!

Here you can see the high vaulted dome

Lots and LOTS of painstakingly gorgeous stained glass

Help Wanted:

Hello Jubilee Fellows in particular. I need to obtain as many types of spiritual assessment quizzes I can get my hands on. If you've taken one... or know of one... please help me get a hold of a copy. This is kind of tricky.... because I'm not necessarily looking for spiritual gifts assessments. I don't need to find out if people are prophets... but rather what characteristics they have that can help build up the church.

Thanks so much in advance!

Stretch Marks

A friend recently asked me what stretches me most in this internship. I thought it was a very apt question and deserved a post of its own because most of my challenges come from MYSELF

EDIT: My mom stretches me the most... lol. Aka she worries about me being too open and cyberspace... and well you know the works. That's ok. I like to respect her and honor her by editing this post. Besides, I've found a celebrity whose parents worry over cyberspace... and had a "no dating till 16" rule too. So I'm not alone. (thank goodness... I really thought I might be).

But if you want to full story, just as me! Here's the really abbrv. version and I don't know how to abbreviate abbreviate. Brandon, help?

So when asked about what stretches me the most.
It’s not being thrown into an unknown state for ten weeks and living with a stranger who becomes your family
It’s not being in a church where there is not one person my age
It’s not having to speak to senior high about drugs and alcohol
It’s not having to give a lecture about parish nursing to adults
It’s not grieving over broken lives
It’s not wondering at the immensity of what God wants for my life
It’s not cranky humanity that doesn’t want to be helped

It’s ME. I give myself the biggest challenge– how I see things, whether I trust God even when I can’t feel him, whether I choose joy over shame and despair, whether I believe people care about me even when I feel so alone, whether I realize that other people are only grumpy because I started it, whether I learn that even when it’s my fault, I don’t have to judge myself into the ground.

Arise – arise my soul. Shake off your guilty fears and rise!

Good musings

One thing I know that I’ve learned this internship is that I’m extremely talented. Haha. I don’t mean that in a conceited way. I’ve just begun to realize that I can do a ton of things, and that is part of the problem when trying to describe the future to people. They’re like… "So what do you want to do after this internship?" I launch into a big description until their eyes start to glaze over. Oops. I did it again. It’s not my fault I’d like to be a midwife, nurse practitioner, researcher, music therapist, chaplain, high school counselor, masseuse, grief facilitator, oncologist, orphanage owner, adoption coordinator, missionary, soccer playing mom.

The worst problem I have is that I would like change the world in some big way. Percy Jackson would describe this as hubris (not to be confused with hummus). It’s a fancy word for pride (thinking you could do better/save the world/etc.)… which is the grand human sin after all. Actually, I have to confess – “change the world” is my fall back plan. (Don't choke on your diet coke - throw it away, it's rotting your teeth and eating out your liver). I’d much rather get married and raise a joyful family and change the world in small, nondescript ways. Doing something huge to change the world would only be to make up for the fact nobody thought I was worth pursing. It would be to fill the huge ache in my heart. And that’s not a very good plan. (Because everyone knows that you can't fill a hole without a shovel. Er well everyone should know that you can't fix love problems with work. Enough chick flicks should prove that, even if chick flicks are a bunch of bunk.)

But I’ve completely derailed from my main point.

The main point is that this internship has provided me with a huge sense of peace. Most of the year, I wrestled with the feeling that I was going off a huge cliff. I was about to enter a world full of overwhelming choices and I had to make a choice of what I was going to do. The pressure got worse when it seemed like I was going to have to make a choice with something that I really wouldn’t enjoy – something that would squeeze the life and joy out of me. I’ve realized or been reminded of two things. First, my life will (hopefully) be long, in which case, there will be plenty of time for God to lead me all over the place. The nice thing about living with an older person like JoVeta is that you are reminded of how many things you can do in a lifetime. Currently, I picture God taking me to hospitals, houses, positions of all types, countries, etc. I think he’ll utilize every single one of my gifts – art, music, intelligence, humor, skill with children, and great compassion. It’s still VERY frustrating not being able to know which direction He’ll take me, but it just proves the importance of being constantly prepared and ready to go wherever He leads.

Secondly, I’ve been reminded that any place God puts me will not suck the life out of me. It may be hard and painful, but it will not be life-sucking. God gives life – evil gives death. As long as I stay close in proximity to Him – as long as I keep praying – as long as I make room for Him in my life – He will fill me. So even if I end up in some non-descript med-surg floor, on the worst shift, with horrible nurses, and make terrible mistakes – even then I’ll still be gratified by doing God's work and helping the patients who are my priority. And even if I can’t help them the way I would like, I can always listen, always pray, and God will take care of the rest. :) YAY! Praise HIM.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Today's my mom's birthday.

I miss her

I hope she likes her presents!

Sorry I fed you so much. If you're a boy. Don't read it all. It's not worth it. Pick a day that has lots of pictures or looks short and enjoy it. If you're bored... enjoy the reading material. It's real. It's funny. It's thought-provoking.

Love,
Katie

Sulky Saturday and Sunday

I am a human... and I get annoyed for no reason sometimes. Even though I would like to hide it sometimes... it's real and it's me... and it makes me real... not perfect. So here's my rather pessimistic posts on the end of the week. Forgive me.

Saturday we woke up early again and headed for Kansas City after mass. I was so tired when we arrived that I asked to be excused to nap. NAP? In the daytime? I don’t do that. Who switched bodies with me? I don’t think I ever lost consciousness, but I felt semi-better after half an hour. Then we went to the PLAZA for lunch and shopping. I capitalize that for succinct reasons which you will discover for yourself. In fact, we went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Talk about the lap of luxury. Aside from my grumpy desire to deck someone because of the overindulgence around me, I was very grateful for the lavish experience. I am being treated to a world of generosity. I still feel slightly tainted by worldly desires though. Being surrounded by voracious amounts of money and costly items always does that to me. I don’t like spending $7.50 for a piece of cheesecake when some people can’t afford to buy soap. As I was looking outside at the pristine landscaping and the beautiful flowered streets, I noticed a distinct lack of homeless people. “Those” kind of people don’t belong in a place like the Plaza, and would probably get kicked out of the area. It slightly depressed me. (Note: As the post progresses… I will become more and more brusque and pessimistic. Forgive me. I will return in full joyous, uncritical form within the week).

Sunday I awoke to a giant thunderstorm! Then we went to mass for real (since it was Sunday) and I grumpily observed all the reasons I will never become a Catholic. Their entire service makes you feel like an outcast if you’re not a member. They have all these little rituals and passages that they do. They're beautiful, but you feel guilty and hypocritical if you try to mimic them and guilty and excluded if you don’t. I have nothing against Catholics. In fact, I love some of them to death (or I smother them to death in chocolate... Ceci). I just don't want to be a part of a church that makes non-members feel awkward.

Then we went to eat at The Boat… my last grumpy note. The boat is a restaurant attached to a casino. Now I’m pretty sure none of you have been inside a place that hosts a hotel, casino, and restaurant all that the same time on a Sunday after going to mass. Let’s just say, I felt pretty messed up. Clarification: I did ask whether the restaurant was separate from the casino… and I was told it was. However, I’m still suspicious that somehow the proceeds of one or the other HAVE to be connected. When we walked inside, I was so distraught, I thought about Daniel and wondered what I could do to not dishonor the Lord. I figured not eating was out since that would be a blatant discredit to Jo’s generosity (of course the tickets into the restaurant cost a fortune since it was an all you can eat buffet type place) P.S. the Keith Urban tickets cost $61! I don’t know what I’m going to do about that. Is there a category of money in our per diem account for “Gifts you get dragged into”? I mean, I wanted to do all of this fun stuff. Normally, if I were at home, I would pay for my own part of it and I think that’s what Kary would expect me to do. But Jo has already paid for it… and I could offer to, but I think that would just offend her… so here I am at an impasse. Sigh. I think God just wants me to stop worrying about money.

Anyway, I finally decided to eat a lot of fresh fruit and a couple protein foods – some potatoes, eggs, and my luxury – biscuit and gravy. Gross I know, but for some odd reason, I really like biscuits. Sadly, I ended up eating more because I gradually felt more comfortable. I hope I did the right thing. I asked God either to make me feel less horrible, or to give me a way out of eating. So I guess He choose the first option which makes me think I have nothing to feel guilty about.

Then we went shopping at an old river town. It was mostly window shopping – although it made me unhappy all over again (sorry) because I was reminded of all the pretty things you can buy with money… and I started wanting them. Stupid nasty shopping. I bought one small gift for my roommate Emily which made me happy amidst all the silliness. All in all, it was a lovely trip, if I wasn’t such a normal covetous human.

Fun-filled Friday

Friday was our day at the salt mines! David and Stacy drove us along with the two boys. We went 650 feet under! It was fascinating. Ok I admit, I am a geologist geek. When I was small, I used to say “I want to grow up and be a geologist” What kind of kid says that?

Here's right before we went 650 ft down under

Here I am mining for salt - haha.

They keep lots of important records and Hollywood movies down there because the salt keeps things dry, it’s cool, and no earthquakes or tornados could ruin documents down there. I even saw a newspaper from the day after President Lincoln was shot! We went out to eat at a Mexican buffet with the unlikely name of the “The Anchor”.

Here is the original superman suit!

And here's that newspaper the day after Lincoln was shot. Pretty good condition? I bet you won't look that good after a 100 yrs. :)

Lots and lots of canisters full of Hollywood films...

Once home, we relaxed until it was time to head out for the Keith Urban concert. We had really high seats horizontal from the stage, so it was REALLY LOUD. I think my ears are permanently changed. J I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy the concert very much because I was super exhausted and slightly grumpy. Anything related to the media generally makes me discontent and full of turmoil especially right now. But it was still quite an experience I would not have missed.

Tizzy Thursday

Thursday morning Coop woke me up at 8:00 a.m. which I anticipated by leaving my phone on near me during the night. :) It was nice to get an early start. I had some devotions and got everything clean for them. I even made tea (don’t ask me why I would serve hot tea in a 100 degree weather, but Jo’s house is FREEZING, so even when it’s 100 outside, it feels like Christmas indoors). When they arrived at 10:45 a.m., they were full of questions. I thought I was going to pull out my midterm report and show them all the work I’ve been doing, but we got on another track altogether. I did show them bulletins from all the places I’ve been (and I’ve been to some pretty cool things) between day conferences on elder abuse, parish nurse training, grief facilitator work, and even a baby mortuary. I just about lost my voice and then realized it was 12:30 p.m. already! We went to Doc Green’s for lunch and had a grand old time. It was fun taking them places they had never been. Currently, I have a fetish for Doc Green’s. It’s just really yummy, soups, salads, and sandwiches. Marcia teased Coop for being a creature of habit by getting salad and Coop teased Marcia for being a creature of habit by calling him a creature of habit. However, Coop said that he didn’t think he had ever had a salad as good as his strawberry, pineapple, caramel glazed walnut, almond, and turkey salad that he created himself. On the way out of the house, they caught a picture of my ABSOLUTELY adorable niece*, so we got to talking about baby names since their expecting another grandchild. We laughed a lot. I don’t think I’ve had so much fun in a while. We came back home and they got to meet Jo and Marylie (since she was back to put the olive oil in the nonexistent glass vials that the package man was SUPPOSED to bring sometime that day). When we first arrived, everyone was on a phone respectively, so I took them downstairs to see my room and we got to looking at my baby photo album. Now they know more about my family than almost anyone! It made the visit even more special.

*For your benefit this is my REALLY CUTE NIECE.

Then after meeting Jo briefly, we hurried off to the church. They were wowed by the main sanctuary which we rushed by on the way to Cathy’s office. I promised them a better tour after our meeting. Coop mostly drilled Cathy on her background – well I shouldn’t say he drilled her, but he asked lots of questions in a friendly manner. Then Cathy gave us a brief tour of the church including the chapel. The stain glass is gorgeous. After she left, I ran them by the “hall of pastors” a drily amusing row of solemn looking men with strange beards that gradually look happier. Seeing that it was almost 4 o’clock, I dashed up to find Amy, and dashed back down to introduce Amy and Mercy. Joan just happened (coincidence… I think not) to come by at the same moment so I got to introduce her as well. So all in all, they got to meet everyone on the pastoral care team except Mary who was with her son of course. We split up, and Amy and I zoomed off to visit, E. It was a very interesting visit. I discovered that babies and grape juice and skirts don’t go together very well. Thankfully the grape juice blended nicely with my skirt (I’m serious!). Then Jo and I sped off to visit T. in the hospital, but she had already left, so we happily went home and collapsed for 30 minutes while I tried to decide where to take Coop and Marcia. (Note: this paragraph is full of verbs like “run, dash, zoom, and hurry”. I loved every minute of the bustle. Not one bit was stressful except trying to decide where to eat for dinner)

This was a big dilemma, because of course, I had to make the decision (Jo has taken it into her hands to make me a more decisive person). Plus, I knew that Coop was probably going to take the entire bill which made me fuss about expenses (aren’t I silly?). And finally, I was really torn between Italian and Chinese… I honestly didn’t know which one I wanted more. So after some help from Marcia, I agonizedly (not an adjective) decided on P.F. Changs (Chinese bistro). It was wonderful as always and the adults (oops that’s not supposed to include me!) talked up a storm. I mostly ate food and smiled. For the record, they do have vegetarian wraps (which I noted for Nick, Arielle, and Brian’s sake). Afterward, we took some pictures by the fountain (see picture) and Coop and Marcia bid me farewell much to my chagrin. I’m hoping they are having a delightful time with their family in other Midwestern states.

P.S. The glass vials finally turned up RIGHT before Marylie came and she put them together. Here's what they look like! Pretty nifty aye?

And the final product

Wacky Wednesday

Wednesday, what did we do that day? Oh, Jo got her tooth fixed that morning. What did I do? I had good devotions. I started to write the second article for second presby. (I think) I can’t remember what else… apparently it wasn’t very important. OH RIGHT.

Wednesday was my super scary day of Summer Splash. It was my day to meet the senior high and spring my project on them all at once. I had a hot dog and chili for lunch… now why I remember that beats me. Anyway, so we got to a late start and I felt like a complete dork rushing into the van where I figured “cool” teens would be in. I was shocked to find only three girls in the front and John in the back. (John is Geri’s 16 yr. old son so I knew his name already). I was really shy and just stared in silence at the scenery for the first 15 minutes. Finally after getting up my courage, I introduced myself to the girl sitting next to me. Her name was Sarah. I found out that she volunteers at the zoo and is super interested in wildlife. The two girls in front of me were Molly and Ashley. They all turned out to be super sweet. I think that if I can keep Ashley’s interest in the ministry then Molly will follow. John has to come since I need a boy and Ashley is his girl, so it should work out well. And Jackson, I believe, is Ashley’s younger brother.

He’s one of the middle schoolers that was helping out at the kids camp, but I finally connected him to Ashley. He started asking me all about parish nurses and getting confused. Lexi was cracking up at the two of us and told Jackson that she would explain it later, but I patiently got it down to the fact that if Jackson got a broken arm and was in the hospital, I would come and see him. Of course, later he figured out that I was leaving August 4th. He was like, “Wait I thought you were going to come see me. What if I get hurt in September?” I replied. “Jackson, if you end up in the hospital, you call me, and I’ll come see you.” Don't you wish I would tell you that? :) Sorry it only applies to really sweet middle schoolers.

I had them all laughing at the end. When we got back to the church, Geri said, Joveta isn’t here yet. What are you going to do?” I said,” Oh she’ll get here. I’ll wait out here” Geri was like… “Is that safe? What if a strange guy comes up to you?” I said, “I’ll do this HYAH” and karate kicked. Of course, Ashley had only seen the kick and she was like, "What are you guys talking about?" So I had to repeat the whole scenario and they all burst out laughing. :)

Wednesday night there were two incredible occurrences. First, I went on the porch to call my parents and discovered light streaming from the east. This would be a normal appearance… IF IT WAS MORNING. It hit me that the sun should be setting from the west, so I turned around and saw sun streaming from the west. Then I scratched my head and looked upward. INCREDIBLE. I saw sun streaming across the entire sky from west to east like a huge sunbow or something. I pulled Jo out to look and she said, “Lightning”. It was coming from the west. Then 30 minutes later, it was severe weather like you’ve never seen. Reports from the news warned us of baseball sized hail headed OUR WAY. Fortunately, (for roofs and cars) we only received quarter sized hail, but I was kind of hoping for golf ball sized.

Tumultuous Tuesday

Tuesday was pastoral care and staff meeting. We ended up talking a lot about our chaplain since her son is gravely ill. I rearranged my time to have her meet Coop and Marcia. Then we laughed a ton. Sometimes, you just have to have humor. We joked about hooking up two parishioners for conversational reasons (They’re both big talkers). Cathy says not to pattern my ministry after her, (because she’s so goofy) but I think she’s wonderful in many regards. At staff meeting they had a good laugh over my comment that my professor was coming up to make sure that I wasn’t being abused. :) Afterward, I got a chance finally to talk to Geri about going to summer splash and my “ministry to the benches” idea. She was excited about it and jumped right on board which made me excited.

Tuesday got super crazy in a couple minutes when the phone rang and family called needing help. They had a “young man” according to Jo (which made me laugh because he was like my brother's age and I don't think of my brother as a young man) who had a brain tumor and was about to die. The wife didn’t know how to tell the 5 yr. old daughter and wanted Jo’s advice. So she had to rush off in the middle of getting random computer stuff together for Marylie to work on. Instead, I had to put my brain to work and figure out how Avery works and print a million labels off.

It came together really quickly and nicely though. We started on Tuesday and I’m super glad a) Marylie was helping and b) I was helping too because it turned out to be a large project. I printed off 150 little write ups I created *(which I’ll post too) and then 150 labels. We put 150 labels on 150 little plastic bags in which we stuffed 150 little write ups which we cut more than 150 times to get the right size. :) It took at least two hours with the two of us. Then Jo came back and she and Marylie visited while I filled out my midterm report. Afterward, Jo and I went to visit our one person in the hospital. It turned out to be an hour long visit and we missed the ability to go shopping at T. for my mom. I was a little disappointed but figured I could bide my time.

* Here's what's in the little package

“Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
~ John 12:3
To cleanse someone’s dirty, smelly feet is truly an act of a servant. Yet, our Lord Jesus Himself did it. As servant leaders, we should do as Mary did and pour out what is most precious to us – our time, money, talents, and love. We are to be the fragrance of life and hope. Let this vial of oil remind you both of God’s sacrifice and our response of loving service.

The long awaited... well LONG post.

Actually, this post is so incredibly long. I'm going to chop it up a bit. Here's the week in review.

Sunday- "Of Monks and Men"

So, like I said, it’s been a whirlwind of a week. Exactly one week ago (and I can’t believe it was all the way back then) I followed Amy, the associate pastor, to L. one of the nursing homes/residential homes for the elderly. We were giving a small communion service. Well, Amy was, I was just there for the food. :) P.S. Not all nursing homes serve bad food. Although I couldn’t deal with fried chicken and mashed potatoes all the time, they had these blueberries that were out of this world. Oh and I tried okra. It was kind of like a pickle and very tasty. Who would’ve thunk it?

Anyway, Amy and I had a fun conversation. I think that she’s the most like me out of all the pastoral care team. She’s also the youngest :). She said that it’s kind of funny being a young female pastor and being so conservative. I guess most young females are liberal. :) I told her that I can from an EPC church… evangelical Presbyterian and she said, “yeah I think that’s where I’m going to end up”. Then we got into a great discussion about infant baptism because I brought up the reasons I’m not a member at our church at home. She’s so cute. “With Obadiah, I thought we were dodging the bomb, since when we came to the church he was a year old, and they probably thought he was already baptized. But having a child is different. (She gave birth to Mercy six weeks ago). People sent me baptismal dresses and keep asking me when we’re going to get her baptized. I don’t really know, but what my one friend said keeps haunting me. He said that he felt like his baptism was robbed from him.” Not to open a can of worms or anything... baptism is another one of those things that I don't think is necessary for everyone to absolutely agree on to still be part of one body, but that's just my opionion. I believe something and I won't change... and you probably believe something else and won't change... but I bet we'll both end up on the right side of Jersalem. :)

Another thing she said made me smile, “We (my husband and I) wanted to be nun and monk respectively”

Sometimes I think I’d like to find a guy that considered being a monk.

Bustle - The hurry kind, not lady's fake behind

It's been pretty busy around here. I have so many stories to relate! I can't begin much now because we're off to mass (outdoor quiet time for me!) and then Kansas City. I get to see the Flint Hills! I'm so excited... they are reputed to be gorgeous. In brief passing, I will note that our chaplain's son was extremely ill this week which made things even crazier. Coop and Marcia came and I had the most wonderful time with them. I did summer splash and met the senior high/sprung on them my idea for ministry to the benches. It was not easy. I don't like just meeting people and jumping them. :) But it turned out pretty well. I was doing karate kicks by the end of the trip and making them fall over in laughter. Senior high aren't as scary as I remember. Teehee. Also we went to the salt mines AND saw Keith Urban yesterday. I am overtired, oversensitive, and therefore extremely grumpy... but hopefully I'll be able to conquer it because we have a two hour drive ahead of us! I brought two books and earphones just in case I get a super bad attack. I must confess. I generally run away from things that bother me. Maybe I am a coward... or maybe I'm just fleeing the temptation to destroy people with words! :) James is right when he says the tongue is powerful. I used to have a huge temper. I still do... but I've tamed it considerably (you all nod thankfully... espcially my parents) I'll never forget when I threw a temper tantrum at my first and only large birthday party because everyone took home a balloon and there were none left that I liked. Did I mention I'm also really selfish. Then again... aren't we all. Praise God that He preserves us and keeps us salty. Yeah... those salt mines were pretty cool. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. Ok I gotta run.

Love,
Katie

I'm candy and he's ice cream....

Today was punctuated by excel spreadsheeting, printing (hot off the press) my newest brochure on prayer labyrinths, apples and peanut butter at 2:00 for lunch, and most of all... taking JoVeta's grandson Levi out for shopping and dinner. I fell in love again. There's something so uncomplicated about little boys... that I wish translated when they got older. He had me holding him by the hand and dragging him through the bookstore before the night was over. It went something like this....

I was bent over looking at some books and he pops up. "There you are! I was looking all over for you. I went back there... and then I came back here and it was like... there you were" (He talks very fast)

JoVeta "Ok come on... we need to go."
Me still looking at books.
Levi "Are you coming???"
Me "Yeah... I told you I liked books. You're going to have to drag me out"
Levi "DRAG ME!"



After that our conversation took a turn for the goofy. We were waiting in line for JoVeta to purchase some books and Levi saw candy. Then he started pointing at everything and calling it candy.

*Points at chocolate* Candy!
Yup...
*Points at a bag* Candy!
Maybe for holding candy... I amend
*Points at sunglasses* Candy!
For looking at candy I say...
*Points at the huge plastic divider in the entrance of the store* BIG Candy...
I laugh.

So when we walked out of the store... I point at him and say, "CANDY!!! Watch out... I'm going to eat you!" And pull some silly pose like I am going to grab him and stuff him in my mouth. He giggles like crazy and then pulls the same trick on me. *Points at me* ICE CREAM! Ice cream is apparently both of our favorite food. Quote - It's my favorite food, my favorite dessert, my favorite snack - End quote. (And according to Arielle it also functions as a vegetable. I think we're in business)

I'm doing better at stress. Today's biggest stress was what kind of creative gift can we make for the parish nurse conference (150 people) that relates to servant leadership. It's a lot harder than you would think... especially when there are about 12 crafts that have already been used. Bookmarks are out, seeds are out, nail crosses out, little medicine bottles with slips of "daily" scripture... out, magnets are out, keychains out... well you get the picture. So finally, I used an idea from Barnabas training. In the beginning, we had a service where we received small vials of olive oil with which we were anointed. For this case, I will write up a note reminding everyone of the way Mary anointed Jesus with oil/perfume. As servants we are to pour out what is most precious to us before the Lord - our time, our talents, our inheritance - you name it. And we are to be a fragrance of life and hope to others. I think it's a beautiful little reminder. Plus, it's actually useful. You can always pull it out and anoint someone who's having a really difficult time and say... this is a reminder of how the Lord of Heaven and Earth gave himself up for us... and He is faithful.

I also got one lovely email from Deanna, one snail mail letter from my grandparents, and one treasured phone callf rom Sarah. Today was yet another day of special gifts. :)

Love you all
Katie

Speechless

Ok... so fireworks ain't illegal in KS. I am entirely and compeltely surrounded by popping and fizzing and screaming. I'M HAVING THE MOST EXHILERATING and TERRIFYING TIME OF MY LIFE... SERIOUSLY . You have no idea! I'm absolutely stymied. Coming into the neighborhood we saw a firetruck... somehow I'm not surprised. JoVeta doesn't like all the noise... so I'm out on the front porch alone... having the time of my life. It could NOT get better... not if I had a boyfriend... not if my family was here... not if I won a million dollars... it's me and God... and boy is he treating me to something special! Ok well... maybe if my family was here. But this is the craziest thing ever. More crazy than the roller coaster! Gotta keep watching the show. I'll post some videos later!
Yours truly,
Owl eyes

Testing 1..2..3..

Hello world!
I think everyone fell off the face of the earth. I haven't gotten emails, my parents just went up north (out of phone range), michael jackson is dead... lol.

Well anyway, I want to talk about gifts. I think this internship is one streak of gifts. Tonight God dropped in my lap a gorgeous chamber recital. I heard two of the most amazing mandolin players - Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg. Sometimes I feel more like I'm on a honeymoon than an internship. The more I take time with God, the more He treats me. It's like He's always told me, "if you would just let me... I'll give you more than you can imagine." It's not really so much that He gives me anything different... it's just that I am more able to see what He's doing. I take less and less for granted. Each run is special because I know the sunset I see was a once in a lifetime special creation... with it's spectator (me) in thought. I don't mean to sound self-centered. I know that God creates sunsets for everyone to enjoy... but He does know that I'll be running along at that certain time, ready to see and appreciate. Music takes me to the heart of God. It is haunting, it takes you places, it can make you dream, weep, hope, renew. Those are things of God.

During the intermission, we walked over a bridge with beautiful lilies - the pink kind that spring up from the lily pad. JoVeta's friend handed me a beautifully packaged truffle. How did he know that I had been craving just that? He didn't, but God did. Again, I feel really spoiled. (I should... that was a $2 truffle!) Then we got stuck talking to another friend... who had a beautiful daughter who had just come from spending a year in Africa. I had fun just enjoying how beautiful she was. She must have had red hair but it was hard to tell because it was in delicate little corn rows. She was dressed in a white skirt, with a beautiful beaded belt with shell flowers, and elegant brown sandles and pretty brown earrings. It complimented her fair skin and freckles so well that it just made me smile.

God loves us so much. If we could just rejoice in the gifts He has created as much as He does... we would be so much more glorious.

Be radiant in God's joy today. Look for His gifts. They will literally just start flooding into your lap. That's not to say life isn't without its pain. Just keep your eyes open through it. Don't shut them... there's no time to waste!