a list

Let me just get all the thoughts I’ve been thinking out of my head for a bit:

1.    It’s snowed like crazy this year! It’s brilliantly white outside right now with the sun peeking out of the clouds, reflecting the light off of every possible inch of snow-covered street and sidewalk, rooftop and car, blinding me, and little snowflakes flying around in the gusty winds, no hurry to be or go anywhere. Church was cancelled yesterday because the streets were coated with 2/10ths of an inch of ice. Jon shoveled the 8” of heavy, wet snow off the ice yesterday afternoon after I gave up, frustrated with my little muscles and bad attitude. It was still beautiful yesterday, but I’ve really had enough of shoveling this winter. What a welcome to home ownership, right?

2.    I miss hanging out with people who aren’t Christians. It makes me miss my old job if only for that. It makes me second-guess my reasons for being here at BH. I like messed up people. In some sense, it reminds me of Jesus’ words in Matthew, when the Pharisees ask his disciples why Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners. His reply? “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Sometimes I fear BH is too attractive for Christians, and then they just want to fully immerse themselves in this thing, without fully understanding that they should be MORE focused on spreading the good news about Jesus’ work on the cross and his resurrection. We make it a popular club. Ugh. I just don’t like that. And I’m guilty of it. But I don’t it. Again, God, I wish you would help me understand how to be faithful to you, and to what you’ve called me to …

3.    I just got an email from a co-worker about our Wednesday lunchtime showings of “The Office.” He wants us to sign off on acknowledging that some things that the character Michael says or does can make people uncomfortable; he doesn’t want to be responsible for the corruption of the staff team. I wonder where this email came from – it makes me wonder who made a stink about it that we’d all have to say, yes, this TV show makes fun of people and I’m okay with it. Seriously … it’s like how I wanted to put magazines in Volunteer Central, but then Paste & Rolling Stone were turned down by some in the office who felt their content might offend. For real? Dear Jesus, maybe you’d like to recommend a happy little bubble we can all live in somewhere? Far from the world that sinners inhabit? Could we be exiled somewhere that’s safe for the whole family?

4.    Gag.

5.    My favorite things about working at church are what I’m learning in classes and through books and resources I never would have picked up otherwise. I love the theology class. It makes me want to start offering classes for other people. A new kind of DTS, like Mad City once upon a time did. I’d love to be a part of something like that. I’m going through the Judges commentary for the NIV and I love it! It’s so interesting to read that stuff. It makes Gideon, for example, seem real in a way I never got from just reading it plainly. To learn some of the Hebrew and follow the rhetorical devices of the author is awesome!

6.    I missed celebrating ALL 4 of the birthdays I wanted to celebrate last week: Hans, Alison, Erin, and Anne Hobbs. I stink. I also haven’t hung out with or talked to Erin K, Kat H or Shelly in ages. I know they’re Christians; they’re just not BH Christians and I miss that.

7.    I want to try something new. I want to create something on a smaller scale. I don’t want to be part of such a large, massive staff structure. I miss my old department of 8 people. We were left alone. We didn’t plan events every week. I miss Alumni Week, and all the work I got do on the bulletin board. Although, I AM excited about having a new bulletin board up in Volunteer Central. Even if it is cheesy and kind of dumb, it makes me feel crafty; it seems like a pretty small church way to love our Sunday teams.

8.    I’m sad I have little else to talk about except church. I need to take a class. I need to do something NOT church related. I need to get outside of this place. Maybe I should take a class at MATC or join a volunteer network through UW hospitals.

9.    I saw this incredible short video last night. It may be the best thing I’ve seen in a long time. Enjoy: http://youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0.

10.    I think that’s all I’ve got to say. I’ve got a lot of reading to do for my class tomorrow. And Sarah, Chris, and Jack should all be arriving shortly. I want to give my full attention to them ☺