Hello, friends! As I'm sure you've noticed, it is not, in fact, Wednesday, and yet I am posting my blog. Wednesdays were perfect for blog-writing once upon a time, but recently they've become my busiest day of the week, so I'm moving my weekly blog to Thursday.
The most exciting part of my week was the Campus Leadership Retreat! Austin, Caroline and I went up to Valdosta Friday night and arrived back in Tallahassee Sunday afternoon. We greatly enjoyed our time away. Let me tell you what we did and learned!
First and foremost, we learned that I am absolutely terrible at trivia. The students who came to the retreat -- our group from FSU, a group from the University of Georgia, and a group from Valdosta -- are all pretty good at trivia. I'm awful. There's no way around that. But I hope I provided them with some amusement during "Hollywood Game Night". I was incredibly impressed when Austin figured out "Jason Alexander" from my clue of "Last name, had a very very bad day." (Get it? "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day?") However, I did have one moment of glory. Austin said, "2000s, sitcom, Italians." Everyone else had blank stares. I said, "Everybody Loves Raymond?" I was correct. That's right, people.
Moving on, our weekend was focused around writing devotions. Our speaker was Rev. Tom Eggebrecht, who is currently serving a congregation in Casselberry, Florida. Before moving to the Sunshine State, he served at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was an adjunct professor at Concordia Wisconsin. I love our small Lutheran world! We had a few good conversations about our WI connections.
Tom gave us some good insights into devotion writing. He said it's important to focus on a single, specific objective in our devotions. He recommended that we form that objective into a sentence before we begin writing. For example, the devotion I wrote over the weekend had this sentence: "Every congregation member should be motivated to proclaim the Gospel because of the blessings they have received." It had a specific audience (congregation members), a purpose (to motivate), and a reasoning behind that purpose (the blessings). With those three things in mind - audience, purpose, reasoning - it was easier to structure my devotion.
Tom also talked to us about creativity. He believes that everyone is creative, because we were created by a creative God. He used an incredible speaker named Micah Bournes as an example. I would really recommend you look him up, especially the video "Ex Nihilo."
At the retreat, we played frisbee, ate ice cream, watched football games, and made Wal-Mart runs, and all of it was delightful time spent in the company of fellow Christians. I'm glad we were able to attend and learn and grow and have fun!
No pictures for you this week, but next week I plan to have a special blog post per the request of my sister-in-law Lindsey. Get excited!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Good Stories
Hello, friends! I apologize once again for my blog being a day late. I'm sure you were all so eager for my blog to be posted that you stayed up all night anxiously waiting. If that was the case, let me know and I'll buy you some coffee.
Anyway, let me tell you about my week! I picked out some good stories for you and they are in no particular order because that's too hard.
My good friend Matt the church administrator took me on a tour of the Tallahassee Community College last week. It was just a little easier to learn my way around that campus than it was for FSU... Anyway, it's a pretty neat campus, and my tour was a "scouting mission" of sorts. I was looking out for evidence of campus ministries at TCC. I didn't see too much, but I plan on continuing my scouting in the near future.
Something unfortunate happened last week. My student friend Corey was in the hospital with a collapsed lung, so I visited him Thursday and Friday. He got out of the hospital on Saturday in time for the game (that's what he was most worried about). I was glad to be able to visit him and give him a break from the boredom.
Someone else was in the hospital last week too... that's right, Pastor Jay and Liz had their baby girl early Saturday morning! Her name is Cricket Belle Winters, and although I haven't met her in person yet, I can attest to the fact that she is adorable. Cricket is doing well, but Liz is still recovering (thankfully at home now) so keep her in your prayers.
Last Thursday, I had a great time volunteering at the community center garden. Once again, I was weeding with my friend Elm. As Elm keeps teaching the center kids, it's important when weeding to get the whole root or the weed will just grow back. I was digging to find the end of a root. And digging... and digging... Eventually, some of the center kids became interested and came over to help. They chose just the right time, because we uncovered an orange tree root, which they found incredibly exciting.
On Sunday afternoon, my Huddle and I did our outreach. We made bag lunches -- with two sandwiches, an apple, cheese crackers, and a bottle of water -- and handed them out to the homeless. I was extremely impressed with my Huddle, who came up with this idea all on their own. They're already talking about doing it again. You rock, Freefalling Mongooses!
Those are the good stories from the last week. This weekend I'm excited to go to Valdosta with two of our student leaders, Austin and Caroline, for a leadership retreat! I'll give you the update on that next week. In the meantime, here are some pictures. The first is Caroline, carrying all of the bags of sandwich supplies; the second is the root Elm and I worked so hard to uncover; and the third and most important is Cricket!
Anyway, let me tell you about my week! I picked out some good stories for you and they are in no particular order because that's too hard.
My good friend Matt the church administrator took me on a tour of the Tallahassee Community College last week. It was just a little easier to learn my way around that campus than it was for FSU... Anyway, it's a pretty neat campus, and my tour was a "scouting mission" of sorts. I was looking out for evidence of campus ministries at TCC. I didn't see too much, but I plan on continuing my scouting in the near future.
Something unfortunate happened last week. My student friend Corey was in the hospital with a collapsed lung, so I visited him Thursday and Friday. He got out of the hospital on Saturday in time for the game (that's what he was most worried about). I was glad to be able to visit him and give him a break from the boredom.
Someone else was in the hospital last week too... that's right, Pastor Jay and Liz had their baby girl early Saturday morning! Her name is Cricket Belle Winters, and although I haven't met her in person yet, I can attest to the fact that she is adorable. Cricket is doing well, but Liz is still recovering (thankfully at home now) so keep her in your prayers.
Last Thursday, I had a great time volunteering at the community center garden. Once again, I was weeding with my friend Elm. As Elm keeps teaching the center kids, it's important when weeding to get the whole root or the weed will just grow back. I was digging to find the end of a root. And digging... and digging... Eventually, some of the center kids became interested and came over to help. They chose just the right time, because we uncovered an orange tree root, which they found incredibly exciting.
On Sunday afternoon, my Huddle and I did our outreach. We made bag lunches -- with two sandwiches, an apple, cheese crackers, and a bottle of water -- and handed them out to the homeless. I was extremely impressed with my Huddle, who came up with this idea all on their own. They're already talking about doing it again. You rock, Freefalling Mongooses!
Those are the good stories from the last week. This weekend I'm excited to go to Valdosta with two of our student leaders, Austin and Caroline, for a leadership retreat! I'll give you the update on that next week. In the meantime, here are some pictures. The first is Caroline, carrying all of the bags of sandwich supplies; the second is the root Elm and I worked so hard to uncover; and the third and most important is Cricket!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Reflections
Hello, friends! I hope your week has been splendid. It's made me very happy the last couple of weeks to receive cards and packages from some of you! I love getting mail and hearing from you.
Usually I give you a play-by-play of my week, telling you all the little details of everything I do. But I know that can get a little old, so tonight I'm going to be less descriptive and more reflective. This week, PJ gave us a writing assignment. I haven't officially finished (read: started) it yet, but one of the questions is, "How have you grown in skills, spiritual maturity, and/or knowledge since your arrival in Tallahassee?" I think I'll reflect on that here tonight.
Part of growing in skills is practice, practice, practice. Since arriving in Tallahassee, I've definitely been using my ministry skills more often, and that's helped me grow. I've been writing devotions on at least a weekly basis, for example. This is something I've always enjoyed; however, I've never had the opportunity to write devotions regularly. Now that I do, I'm finding that it's both easier and harder than I thought. I don't have trouble writing them, but when I read them over, I find that I'm not always including some necessary components, like both Law and Gospel, or something tangible to take away from it. I suppose the devotional skill I'm developing is the ability to look at my devotions from a Law/Gospel/Sanctification perspective.
I'm also coming up with my own Bible study materials. Again, this is something I've always enjoyed, but rarely had the opportunity to do. I'm learning that it's not as much about the information as it is about the questions. Information can go in one ear and out the other, but if a question is asked and discussed, the information and its meaning will stick. In a Bible study, it's better for the leader to ask a question than to tell the answer. Sometimes, the people you're teaching will actually have a better answer anyway!
Another skill I'm developing is the ability to be coached. I like to think that since I have a Lay Ministry degree, I have it all. Yes, you can laugh, because that's definitely not true! Pastor Jay and I have weekly one-on-ones, and during these sessions, we have discussions about whatever's on my mind. Sometimes this is Vespers, sometimes it's a person, and sometimes, it's completely random. He takes great care not to tell me the answers, but to allow me to discover them through our conversation. It's humbling to observe that without these weekly sessions, I would be in a very different place. Sometimes I just want him to tell me the answer, but as I've been learning, it's not about the answer, it's about the question. As I'm learning to be a coach, I'm also learning to be coached.
The last skill that comes to mind is the ability to have normal conversations. This might sound strange, but let me explain before you start talking about how not-normal I am. Evangelism has always been hard for me. I tend to seclude myself in a little Lutheran bubble and not talk to anyone outside of it; or if I do, it's awkward and forced. Here, we put such a big emphasis on relationships that I have to talk to many people outside of my Lutheran bubble, and it's becoming more natural. I'm learning to build relationships and witness through those relationships.
That's all, folks. I hope you enjoyed my reflections, and that you'll let me know what your thoughts are. I'll leave you with this picture of an absolutely adorable puppy. (Oh, and me and Sarah.) This is why you should volunteer with Children's Home Society, people. Puppies.
Usually I give you a play-by-play of my week, telling you all the little details of everything I do. But I know that can get a little old, so tonight I'm going to be less descriptive and more reflective. This week, PJ gave us a writing assignment. I haven't officially finished (read: started) it yet, but one of the questions is, "How have you grown in skills, spiritual maturity, and/or knowledge since your arrival in Tallahassee?" I think I'll reflect on that here tonight.
Part of growing in skills is practice, practice, practice. Since arriving in Tallahassee, I've definitely been using my ministry skills more often, and that's helped me grow. I've been writing devotions on at least a weekly basis, for example. This is something I've always enjoyed; however, I've never had the opportunity to write devotions regularly. Now that I do, I'm finding that it's both easier and harder than I thought. I don't have trouble writing them, but when I read them over, I find that I'm not always including some necessary components, like both Law and Gospel, or something tangible to take away from it. I suppose the devotional skill I'm developing is the ability to look at my devotions from a Law/Gospel/Sanctification perspective.
I'm also coming up with my own Bible study materials. Again, this is something I've always enjoyed, but rarely had the opportunity to do. I'm learning that it's not as much about the information as it is about the questions. Information can go in one ear and out the other, but if a question is asked and discussed, the information and its meaning will stick. In a Bible study, it's better for the leader to ask a question than to tell the answer. Sometimes, the people you're teaching will actually have a better answer anyway!
Another skill I'm developing is the ability to be coached. I like to think that since I have a Lay Ministry degree, I have it all. Yes, you can laugh, because that's definitely not true! Pastor Jay and I have weekly one-on-ones, and during these sessions, we have discussions about whatever's on my mind. Sometimes this is Vespers, sometimes it's a person, and sometimes, it's completely random. He takes great care not to tell me the answers, but to allow me to discover them through our conversation. It's humbling to observe that without these weekly sessions, I would be in a very different place. Sometimes I just want him to tell me the answer, but as I've been learning, it's not about the answer, it's about the question. As I'm learning to be a coach, I'm also learning to be coached.
The last skill that comes to mind is the ability to have normal conversations. This might sound strange, but let me explain before you start talking about how not-normal I am. Evangelism has always been hard for me. I tend to seclude myself in a little Lutheran bubble and not talk to anyone outside of it; or if I do, it's awkward and forced. Here, we put such a big emphasis on relationships that I have to talk to many people outside of my Lutheran bubble, and it's becoming more natural. I'm learning to build relationships and witness through those relationships.
That's all, folks. I hope you enjoyed my reflections, and that you'll let me know what your thoughts are. I'll leave you with this picture of an absolutely adorable puppy. (Oh, and me and Sarah.) This is why you should volunteer with Children's Home Society, people. Puppies.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Plethora of Pictures
Hello, friends! I apologize that my blog is a day late this week. Last night I was attacked by a shark and was unavailable.
...actually I don't have a good excuse, but that was more fun. Anyway, I'm here now! It's been a pretty good week. Let me tell you all about it.
...actually I don't have a good excuse, but that was more fun. Anyway, I'm here now! It's been a pretty good week. Let me tell you all about it.
- Thursday was a nice recovery day. I sat at a table near the Union and spent some time reflecting on the Convocation and planned for Vespers. I also ranted about the Castle season premiere to my friend Lindsey. We came up with some delightfully wild theories.
- On Friday, I volunteered at the Food Bank. I knew that America's Second Harvest Food Bank serves almost the entire panhandle, but for some reason, the sheer amount of food that entails didn't strike me until I was sorting sweet potatoes from six or seven boxes that were taller than me. So. Many. Sweet. Potatoes. After volunteering, I spent some time with Pastor Jay to plan for Vespers and then had a fun evening with Anna. First we went to Lofty Pursuits and had some delicious ice cream, and then we went to check out First Friday at Railroad Square.
- Saturday was GAME DAY! And for once, I actually went to the game! Ruth kindly took me and Katie to the President's House for some pre-game fun and then Ruth and I went to the game. It was entertaining to watch the Seminoles beat Wake Forest by such a large margin, and I got to see the retirement of the most recent Renegade horse. I would also be amiss if I failed to mention how cool the Marching Chiefs are!
- On Sunday, we had Bible study, then worship, and then we went out to Voodoo Dog for lunch. When we returned from lunch, I took my laptop, notebook, and several books onto the deck by Pastor's office and worked on Vespers for a few hours before our group meeting. It was so beautiful out that we had our meeting on the deck as well. I went to Wendy's for dinner (bacon and cheese baked potato... so tasty) and then wrapped up my evening by watching Once Upon a Time.
- Monday, my Sabbath day, was fairly laid-back. I slept in, went to the laundromat, volunteered at the Children's Home Society, picked up some books from the library, and watched an episode of Castle.
- On Tuesday, I wrote two devotions to be put up on the ULC website and read further in our "Leadership Coaching" book. I also watched the third in a series of videos called "Resolving Everyday Conflict." These videos are make by Peacemaker Ministries and are incredibly practical and useful! After some afternoon rollerblading, I had an evening of television: NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, and Forever. I practiced for Vespers and then went to bed.
- Wednesday wasn't too busy this week. Campus ministry prayer ended up being just PJ and me. We had a "group meeting" afterwards -- I have that in quotations because Katie left yesterday morning to go to a wedding, so our "group meeting" was just me and PJ. At 2:00 we had our staff meeting, and at 6:00 I went upstairs to get ready for Vespers. It was a good night with excellent discussion of Outreach! I hope each of our three Huddles is able to go out in the next two weeks for some intentional outreach.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Renewal From the Inside Out
Hello, friends! I hope your week has been just as delightful but not quite as tiring as mine. Monday through today Katie, Pastor Jay and I were in Orlando for the FL-GA District Presidential Convocation. But before I get into that, a brief summary of last week:
Speaking of bringing back, after having lunch at Fudrucker's, Katie, PJ and I drove back to Tallahassee just in time for Vespers. I led tonight, and I think we had some really great discussion. Our task was to look throughout the book of Luke and find examples of relationship with God and with fellow believers. My table family really enjoyed finding those stories that we have read before but had forgotten about. It was great just to dive into the Word and find what it had to share with us.
After giving Caroline a ride home, I finished my dinner and took a break to breathe before starting up on my blog. Before I stop writing in order to watch the season premiere of Castle, I should mention that PJ and Liz are going to have their baby... sometime soon. She had been in a breech position, hence the C-section, but last week she decided to turn around. It's driving her schedule-oriented father crazy. Speaking of her father, I decided we should have made a drinking game out of how many times PJ got asked about his baby during the convocation. I stood with him for five minutes on Monday afternoon and he got that question three times.
I wish I had taken more pictures this week, but sadly I have none for you. (If at some point I find the picture Josh took of us, I'll add it!) Go and be renewed, friends! :)
- Thursday: I did a lot of reading, had lunch with Ana and coffee with Corey, and volunteered at the community garden. Our task of the day was tearing down an old garden fence and weeding, weeding, weeding. I really enjoyed working in the dirt with my friend Elm and some of the kids from the community center.
- Friday: I didn't sleep at all well Thursday night, so I ended up being too physically exhausted to do very much. I did some more reading and had my one-on-one meeting with Pastor Jay.
- Saturday: It rained, sadly, so we did not go to the beach. However, I did get to hang out with a Bear, witness a Quidditch match, and rollerblade at Lake Ella, so it worked out.
- Sunday: Bible study and worship began the day, with my new student friend Zane in attendance for the first time, which was exciting. We went to Moe's Grill after church and then I spent the afternoon doing last-minute preparation for our trip. (I also watched the Once Upon a Time premiere with Liz, PJ and Bear.)
- LCMS-U had a table at the "Renewal Mall," otherwise known as the exhibitor hall with tons of different booths. We got to man it during breaks and discuss campus ministry with a variety of different people.
- The first person I met was Joshua Brown, who just so happened to graduate from Urbandale High School and attend Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in West Des Moines and whose younger sister Bethany is one of my brother's good friends. I love our small Lutheran world!
- I attended several informational and inspirational sessions led by people such as Dr. John Eckrich (the President and CEO of Grace Place ministries), Dr. Lynn and Michael Wilder (from Ex-Mormon Christians United for Jesus), Rhonda Betteridge (the Director of Family Life Ministry from St. Luke's Oviedo), and Sanya Parson (Director of Rebecca's Garden of Hope). All of these people have a wealth of life and ministry experience that they shared with us; it was such a blessing to learn from them!
- Monday night, I got to go on stage and introduce myself to the entire convocation, along with all the other new members to the district. They also honored those celebrating ministry anniversaries, from 10 years all the way up to 55 years.
- On Tuesday, Katie and I were privileged to have lunch with the Youth and Family Ministry Association. It was wonderful to have fellowship with people who are in the positions we would like to be in someday! I especially enjoyed meeting fellow lay minister Joe Guagliardo.
- Monday and Tuesday night it was a joy to be able to just hang out and get to know my fellow church workers. Unsurprisingly, Josh beat me at foosball, but I've challenged him to ping-pong the next time we meet.
- Tuesday morning I did NOT run a 5k. However, many awesome people did, including Katie. Way to represent!
- This morning, we ended our time together with worship. I was glad to have the opportunity to worship with such a great cloud of witnesses a la Hebrews 12:1.
Speaking of bringing back, after having lunch at Fudrucker's, Katie, PJ and I drove back to Tallahassee just in time for Vespers. I led tonight, and I think we had some really great discussion. Our task was to look throughout the book of Luke and find examples of relationship with God and with fellow believers. My table family really enjoyed finding those stories that we have read before but had forgotten about. It was great just to dive into the Word and find what it had to share with us.
After giving Caroline a ride home, I finished my dinner and took a break to breathe before starting up on my blog. Before I stop writing in order to watch the season premiere of Castle, I should mention that PJ and Liz are going to have their baby... sometime soon. She had been in a breech position, hence the C-section, but last week she decided to turn around. It's driving her schedule-oriented father crazy. Speaking of her father, I decided we should have made a drinking game out of how many times PJ got asked about his baby during the convocation. I stood with him for five minutes on Monday afternoon and he got that question three times.
I wish I had taken more pictures this week, but sadly I have none for you. (If at some point I find the picture Josh took of us, I'll add it!) Go and be renewed, friends! :)
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