Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I hope that you each have a wonderful day, and enjoy
the time to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for, because there's a lot that falls into that category.
:)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tales From Gertrude's Perspective
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Gertrude. Gertrude had blonde hair and grew up with the best family in the world. One day she moved far far away to a foreign land called Arkadelphia. It frightened her to leave her familiar world and start new adventures. She was afraid of the trolls living under bridges that she might encounter along the way. She grew to love this land called Arkadelphia, however, and made it her home. She loved the people in the community, even though it was a dysfunctional community. She loved the church she was involved in. She loved the things she learned in this new place. She came to realize that Arkadelphia, while it may be strange, was a wonderful adventure and she came to realize how and why God had her in this place. One of the things she loved most about this land was the friends she made. She realized that God had placed two of the best friends in her life, among others. The three of these girls, while very different, did almost everything together. They laughed, they cried, the prayed, the argued, they studied, they played. God had brought three girls from different places to do life for a few years together. They had other friends as well that made the adventure exciting, but these three friends are what Anne of Green Gables would call bosom friends-the truest kind. Chasing prince charming, fighting off the evil witch, and eating lollipops are just a few of the favorite adventures that these three would find themselves in.
One particular night, the moon was high in the sky and the fog was heavy on the moors. It was time for adventure. The girls had said goodnight to all of their other friends at the strange place that served tacos late at night, and decided that sleep was not yet on the agenda. The stars called to the girls and begged them to gaze upon their beauty and look in awe at the God that created them. The girls went to a familiar field where music came from and spread out some blankets. As they were walking to their beloved field, a bright blinking light summoned them. The girls were confused at what this light could possibly be. Could it be a star? Or is it an airplane. Gertrude concluded that it was most definitely the aliens coming to take them home. As exciting as this adventure would be, it is not how this one ends. The aliens moved on, and the girls continued with the original adventure.
The girls lay gazing at God's creation in the cold for quite a while. This was the best kind of adventure; one where only heart-felt chats and loads of laughs happened. As the morning approached, the stars got brighter. Friendly bats kept them company as they lay in the grass planning tea parties. As their time drew to a close, a sudden yipping noise occurred in the forest past the musical moor. This noise was quite faint at first and the girls were unsure whether it was a pack of dogs or a group of newcomers to Arkadelphia. The noise grew louder and louder and the girls' imaginations ran wild with possibilities. Is it the ogre and his children that just moved into town, or how about the new breed of freshmen? Could it possibly be a pack of dogs or coyotes coming to attack them? If it were people, why would they be in the forest at night? And if dogs, would they come chase these innocent girls? And if they ran, would that draw the dogs'/people's attention? The minds of Gertrude and her friends raced. The question of what to do lay heavy in the air. Not for too long, luckily. They decided to make a run for it! The chariot was not too far away, and despite a few mud holes, it was safer than standing in the open field in the thick fog. The run to the car felt like a thousand miles to the girls. It was treacherous; clothing was almost lost and boulders were avoided.
Safely back in the chariot, Gertrude threw horses into gear. Shocked at how this peaceful night turned so adventurous, the girls decided the best way to end it was bed time. They had stayed up too late anyway, and they knew that chinese checkers matches and legos awaited the morning.
As Gertrude lay in bed trying to calm her still-beating heart, she smiled in gratefulness at how faithful God is. She would have never guessed as she was leaving her home that the strange Arkadelphia would hold so many good things. She fell asleep with a smile on her lips and dreamed of the latest Barbie drama that would be played out the next time her friends were over, and the adventures bound to happen. And Gertrude was happy.
One particular night, the moon was high in the sky and the fog was heavy on the moors. It was time for adventure. The girls had said goodnight to all of their other friends at the strange place that served tacos late at night, and decided that sleep was not yet on the agenda. The stars called to the girls and begged them to gaze upon their beauty and look in awe at the God that created them. The girls went to a familiar field where music came from and spread out some blankets. As they were walking to their beloved field, a bright blinking light summoned them. The girls were confused at what this light could possibly be. Could it be a star? Or is it an airplane. Gertrude concluded that it was most definitely the aliens coming to take them home. As exciting as this adventure would be, it is not how this one ends. The aliens moved on, and the girls continued with the original adventure.
The girls lay gazing at God's creation in the cold for quite a while. This was the best kind of adventure; one where only heart-felt chats and loads of laughs happened. As the morning approached, the stars got brighter. Friendly bats kept them company as they lay in the grass planning tea parties. As their time drew to a close, a sudden yipping noise occurred in the forest past the musical moor. This noise was quite faint at first and the girls were unsure whether it was a pack of dogs or a group of newcomers to Arkadelphia. The noise grew louder and louder and the girls' imaginations ran wild with possibilities. Is it the ogre and his children that just moved into town, or how about the new breed of freshmen? Could it possibly be a pack of dogs or coyotes coming to attack them? If it were people, why would they be in the forest at night? And if dogs, would they come chase these innocent girls? And if they ran, would that draw the dogs'/people's attention? The minds of Gertrude and her friends raced. The question of what to do lay heavy in the air. Not for too long, luckily. They decided to make a run for it! The chariot was not too far away, and despite a few mud holes, it was safer than standing in the open field in the thick fog. The run to the car felt like a thousand miles to the girls. It was treacherous; clothing was almost lost and boulders were avoided.
Safely back in the chariot, Gertrude threw horses into gear. Shocked at how this peaceful night turned so adventurous, the girls decided the best way to end it was bed time. They had stayed up too late anyway, and they knew that chinese checkers matches and legos awaited the morning.
As Gertrude lay in bed trying to calm her still-beating heart, she smiled in gratefulness at how faithful God is. She would have never guessed as she was leaving her home that the strange Arkadelphia would hold so many good things. She fell asleep with a smile on her lips and dreamed of the latest Barbie drama that would be played out the next time her friends were over, and the adventures bound to happen. And Gertrude was happy.
-The End-
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
I Thought You'd Like These Quotes:
To live is so startling, it leaves little time for anything else.
-Emily Dickinson
I hope that you may live your life in such a way that the {anything else} category holds nothing of importance, and the {live} category is all you ever need to be content.
T. S. Eliot
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wow. That's a Lot of Fabric.
What do you say to someone who is convinced they're dying within the week? What words are seriously the right ones to say?
Our youth group has been visiting nursing homes since I started working with them two years ago. It's the ministry that they consistently do, and have grown to love. Over the two years, they've become really close to a lady they affectionately call the Quilt Lady. Dolores Calaway has welcomed our Park Hill youth into her life every Thursday for the past two years. I think the kids latched on to her because she was the most coherent person in Courtyard Gardens Nursing Home, and she always has a big bowl of chocolate waiting for us. It has been such a blessing to watch the kids interact with all the people we visit in the nursing homes, but especially Ms. Dolores. Two of our kids, Hunter and Rachel, have especially grown to be close with Ms. Dolores. The reason behind the "Quilt Lady" title is that Ms. Dolores makes quilts. Tons of them. She has a new one ever few weeks that she's working hard on. Different patterns, different recipients. Some to her many many grandchildren, some to her great-grandchildren, others to friends, etc. We have loved hearing her stories of raising four daughters and of her grandkids, as well as teaching the youth important things as they come up. She has genuinely invested in our lives, and cares so much for these youth. She sweetly calls Hunter her "cute little boyfriend."
I haven't gotten to go to nursing homes since the summer because of band rehearsal, but since that's over for now, I was able to take a break from papers and tag along with our kids yesterday. We walked into the saddest sight. I think Ms. Dolores has some sort of cancer, and we've seen bad days before, but she always pulls through. The doctors are basically just giving her pain medication to hold off the pain, but there's nothing that can really be done to cure whatever she has. Yesterday was particularly bad. We walked in as her daughter (who is nuts and always sings little kid songs to as when we come) was leaving. Ms. Dolores looked so frail and tired and old sitting in her chair. She was still glad to see us, but the spirit had almost left her eyes. She told us that she has gotten progressively worse since Tuesday, and there's nothing anyone can do. The doctors upped the pain meds and it makes her very sleepy, but she said, "We're afraid this is the end. Coming soon." She told us that the hardest part of her getting worse was that she was going to have to break off relations with us. She told us how much our visits meant to her, and how impressed she was with our loyalty. I was inspired by her concern for the kids. There were a few of our 'regulars' there that she was worried about and asked what she could do to help their lives. I hope that when I know I'm close to death I can still think about others that much.
Yesterday's visit brought me pretty close to tears. To think of the impact she's had on our lives, and the motivation she gives our students to be selfless for a brief time on Thursdays and serve someone else is wonderful.
As Ms. Dolores was telling us basically goodbye (even though we're going back on Tuesday), she was so sweet. She was trying to tell us about how sick she was, but she kept talking about the current quilt in between bad news. It was a definitely learning opportunity for me as I watched Jason carry on the conversation. He just followed the flow of her words and jumped around with her as she kept changing the subject. The current quilt is for twin babies and she told us that she bought seven yards of fabric for each quilt. She told us that and then there was a brief moment of pondered silence, in my head I was asking the question, "what do we say to someone who is about to die?" Right as I asked that question in my head, Jason breaks my thoughts by replying to Dolores saying, "Wow. That's a lot of fabric!" It was a nice ice-breaker...
I still don't have an answer to my question, but I'm learning, and I guess if anything, the most important thing is to let them know how loved they are and how much Christ loves them. Making them comfortable might be wise as well. I don't want to say I have the answers, because I'm far from it.
A few of our kids will take Ms. Dolores' death pretty rough, so if you can be in prayer for the Calaway family and for us as we handle death, I'd appreciate it. Hopefully, it will be an opportunity to talk to a few of our kids about real issues, and the legacy or impact they want to leave just as Dolores has had an impact on us. I pray that my life can leave an impact on those around me and not leave them unsure about the uncertainties of death, because I have no uncertainties but I know a lot of people in this world do and are scared by that. May I live my life in such a way that others see Christ in my and my life points others to Him.
Until next time,
Brittany
Our youth group has been visiting nursing homes since I started working with them two years ago. It's the ministry that they consistently do, and have grown to love. Over the two years, they've become really close to a lady they affectionately call the Quilt Lady. Dolores Calaway has welcomed our Park Hill youth into her life every Thursday for the past two years. I think the kids latched on to her because she was the most coherent person in Courtyard Gardens Nursing Home, and she always has a big bowl of chocolate waiting for us. It has been such a blessing to watch the kids interact with all the people we visit in the nursing homes, but especially Ms. Dolores. Two of our kids, Hunter and Rachel, have especially grown to be close with Ms. Dolores. The reason behind the "Quilt Lady" title is that Ms. Dolores makes quilts. Tons of them. She has a new one ever few weeks that she's working hard on. Different patterns, different recipients. Some to her many many grandchildren, some to her great-grandchildren, others to friends, etc. We have loved hearing her stories of raising four daughters and of her grandkids, as well as teaching the youth important things as they come up. She has genuinely invested in our lives, and cares so much for these youth. She sweetly calls Hunter her "cute little boyfriend."
I haven't gotten to go to nursing homes since the summer because of band rehearsal, but since that's over for now, I was able to take a break from papers and tag along with our kids yesterday. We walked into the saddest sight. I think Ms. Dolores has some sort of cancer, and we've seen bad days before, but she always pulls through. The doctors are basically just giving her pain medication to hold off the pain, but there's nothing that can really be done to cure whatever she has. Yesterday was particularly bad. We walked in as her daughter (who is nuts and always sings little kid songs to as when we come) was leaving. Ms. Dolores looked so frail and tired and old sitting in her chair. She was still glad to see us, but the spirit had almost left her eyes. She told us that she has gotten progressively worse since Tuesday, and there's nothing anyone can do. The doctors upped the pain meds and it makes her very sleepy, but she said, "We're afraid this is the end. Coming soon." She told us that the hardest part of her getting worse was that she was going to have to break off relations with us. She told us how much our visits meant to her, and how impressed she was with our loyalty. I was inspired by her concern for the kids. There were a few of our 'regulars' there that she was worried about and asked what she could do to help their lives. I hope that when I know I'm close to death I can still think about others that much.
Yesterday's visit brought me pretty close to tears. To think of the impact she's had on our lives, and the motivation she gives our students to be selfless for a brief time on Thursdays and serve someone else is wonderful.
As Ms. Dolores was telling us basically goodbye (even though we're going back on Tuesday), she was so sweet. She was trying to tell us about how sick she was, but she kept talking about the current quilt in between bad news. It was a definitely learning opportunity for me as I watched Jason carry on the conversation. He just followed the flow of her words and jumped around with her as she kept changing the subject. The current quilt is for twin babies and she told us that she bought seven yards of fabric for each quilt. She told us that and then there was a brief moment of pondered silence, in my head I was asking the question, "what do we say to someone who is about to die?" Right as I asked that question in my head, Jason breaks my thoughts by replying to Dolores saying, "Wow. That's a lot of fabric!" It was a nice ice-breaker...
I still don't have an answer to my question, but I'm learning, and I guess if anything, the most important thing is to let them know how loved they are and how much Christ loves them. Making them comfortable might be wise as well. I don't want to say I have the answers, because I'm far from it.
A few of our kids will take Ms. Dolores' death pretty rough, so if you can be in prayer for the Calaway family and for us as we handle death, I'd appreciate it. Hopefully, it will be an opportunity to talk to a few of our kids about real issues, and the legacy or impact they want to leave just as Dolores has had an impact on us. I pray that my life can leave an impact on those around me and not leave them unsure about the uncertainties of death, because I have no uncertainties but I know a lot of people in this world do and are scared by that. May I live my life in such a way that others see Christ in my and my life points others to Him.
Until next time,
Brittany
Monday, November 8, 2010
All Things Learned | Couches
So I attempted to fix our couch today. It has been in the bad habit lately of sagging whenever someone sits on it. We've been told by people who sit or lay on our floor (for some reason) that springs are hanging out, but I had yet to see the issue for myself until today.
I got out of class early today and had a big test that drained all my brain processes, so I wasn't particularly motivated to do anything too productive. So why not turn to the couch? I turned the couch up and this is what I found:
Not normal. In case you couldn't tell. Those curvy things are supposed to be flat against the fabric, not sticking out scraping the floor.
So what do I do? What any other person would do: try to fix it! There were little hooks that the springs slid into and I just thought that I could put them back. Well...it was harder than I thought. I was able to fix one or two, but the rest were too hard. After stabbing my thumb on a staple that was hidden, I decided to end my little "Mrs.-Fix-It" Adventure and call maintenance. We'll see if they do anything. I learned today that I shouldn't try to fix something I know nothing about...probably not the safest idea. :)
Like my Cars Band-Aid?? Makes the bleeding much more tolerable, let me tell you!
Well, better luck next time, and I'll wait hopeful that Maintenance will come to my rescue! :)
I got out of class early today and had a big test that drained all my brain processes, so I wasn't particularly motivated to do anything too productive. So why not turn to the couch? I turned the couch up and this is what I found:
So what do I do? What any other person would do: try to fix it! There were little hooks that the springs slid into and I just thought that I could put them back. Well...it was harder than I thought. I was able to fix one or two, but the rest were too hard. After stabbing my thumb on a staple that was hidden, I decided to end my little "Mrs.-Fix-It" Adventure and call maintenance. We'll see if they do anything. I learned today that I shouldn't try to fix something I know nothing about...probably not the safest idea. :)
 |
| [this is my sad face...if that's not clear.] :) |
Verse of the Day:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
-Lamentations 3.22-27
Saturday, November 6, 2010
When Life Slows Down...
Hello friend,
I apologize for the leave of absence... I've actually started this post three times in hopes of finishing it and now it's finally happening.
I have an announcement! As of thirty minutes ago, marching season is officially over! My life can stop revolving around the marching field. I can take a sigh of relief as my life slows down for a brief moment in time.
I'm sitting in my living room with the TV on and my roommate curled up on the couch relishing this new-found freedom. I'm not sure if I'll know what to do with all my time. Well actually I do: school work, friend time, and I can finally fully focus on the youth group once again like i should. Bliss!
As I look back over the past month, I see a definite roller coaster. It's been full of fun, good times but there has also been tears and stress and tension. But through it all, I've learned so much.
The past month has been full of Fall Break, Homecoming weekend, Tiger Tunes, Mid-Terms, an Exegetical Paper, Fields of Faith, Battle of The Ravine, Middle School Youth Retreat, and normal social life/school responsibilities. [Each of the links goes to the pictures on the Picassa Web Album that corresponds, somewhat, to each word. :) ]
I wish I could tell you everything that's happened this month, but my feeble words won't be able to catch just what it's been like around here. Why don't I just list off some words and let them describe the month and then you can see pictures and visualize it?
Anyway, I'm off my tangent now, here are my songs:
[Forever Reign, by Hillsong]
[Healing Is In Your Hands, by Christy Nockels]
I hope to update you on other things soon, and not wait so long to post things. :) Much Love to you all.
I apologize for the leave of absence... I've actually started this post three times in hopes of finishing it and now it's finally happening.
I have an announcement! As of thirty minutes ago, marching season is officially over! My life can stop revolving around the marching field. I can take a sigh of relief as my life slows down for a brief moment in time.
I'm sitting in my living room with the TV on and my roommate curled up on the couch relishing this new-found freedom. I'm not sure if I'll know what to do with all my time. Well actually I do: school work, friend time, and I can finally fully focus on the youth group once again like i should. Bliss!
As I look back over the past month, I see a definite roller coaster. It's been full of fun, good times but there has also been tears and stress and tension. But through it all, I've learned so much.
The past month has been full of Fall Break, Homecoming weekend, Tiger Tunes, Mid-Terms, an Exegetical Paper, Fields of Faith, Battle of The Ravine, Middle School Youth Retreat, and normal social life/school responsibilities. [Each of the links goes to the pictures on the Picassa Web Album that corresponds, somewhat, to each word. :) ]
I wish I could tell you everything that's happened this month, but my feeble words won't be able to catch just what it's been like around here. Why don't I just list off some words and let them describe the month and then you can see pictures and visualize it?
Sunshine. Spirit. Family. Rain. Prayer. Lots of Prayer. Band. Hillsong. Faithful. Exegetical Paper. Relationships Ended. Projects. Sadness. Conversations. Tears. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Relationships. Healing. Packages. Trust. Stress. Loss. Beauty. Life. Forgiveness. Mended Relationships. Youth. Service. Home. Tiger Tunes. Learning. Battle of the Ravine. Rock Shops. Picnics. Refuge. Thankfulness. Music. Spanish. Games. Friendships. Bonds. Love. Laughter. Lots of Love and Laughter. Chocolate. Pictures. Tests. Romans. Scripture. Letters. Coffee. Star-Gazing. J.J. Heller. Journaling. Movies. Waffle House (For the first time ever!). Bible Study. Schedules. Future. Chai Tea. Lady Gaga. Peace. Meetings. Logos. Perspective Students. Sunrises. Best Thai. Joy.As I leave you, I want to share with you two of my current favorite songs. These have been a comfort and a help to me throughout the month. In the good times and the bad ones. They have helped me to re-focus and remind me of Psalm 62.8 says, "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." I know I can pour out my heart and praise God no matter what. I also know that God is faithful. If there's one thing I've learned lately, it's that God is faithful through all things. And no matter what goes on, He's got a plan-a perfect plan-and although I may not see why something happened or is happening, God knows and is control of anything that will happen. And in the end, despite rainy days and sadness, Christ overcomes anything and the sun does come out and laughter happens once again. There's a strong sense of peace that comes when I'm at the point where I can only completely trust God.
Anyway, I'm off my tangent now, here are my songs:
[Forever Reign, by Hillsong]
[Healing Is In Your Hands, by Christy Nockels]
I hope to update you on other things soon, and not wait so long to post things. :) Much Love to you all.
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
-Hebrews 13.20-21
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