Wednesday, February 27, 2008

February update

I am progressively getting worse at updating this page! For someone who actively boycotts facebook (sorry, all you fans), MSN and live feeds, it does seem ironic that I even try to blog!

This month Matthew & I were able to go up to Gem Lake Wilderness Camp to get it ready for winter campers. Matthew spent some time chopping wood for the fires, building an impressive igloo for the kids to play in, while I cooked for the twenty people. We even had some time to play, which was a rare treat up there!

We also took the time to get away and spend a weekend dreaming of what we want our future to look like - a dangerous thing, as we need to submit all our plans to our Lord, but also purposeful as its too easy to go through life without any plans, and live later with regrets and wishes. Matthew and I both long for a purposeful life and this was an interesting and exciting way to get us thinking along these lines. Whether fortunately or unfortunately, it's also kept the questions coming as we continue on in "normal life," and I find myself asking "is this worth it?" or "what is the point of this?" in regular activities! Some of it is healthy, and our church is once again at a dreaming process of what direction we'll go in this next year, so it's exciting to be thinking purposefully about that, and some of it I just have to let go of because relaxing and having fun is also worthwhile!

I'm taking three courses at school; one on marriage & family, one on discipling young people, and one on leadership. I find it incredibly interesting to be taking courses that are not theory only; I actually have a chance to apply the lessons I learn to ministry and life as soon as they are taught, and that makes it so much more rewarding to learn! I have a few courses I need to find ways to take over the summer in order to graduate next spring, so I'm hoping through correspondance or independent learning I can keep up the pace.

At ICYA, we're starting to look towards summer. I am at a bit of a loss as to what this will look like for me, as previous summers have always seen me away from home for 3-6 weeks of the summer. I have also generally been in a leadership position. This summer I'm uncertain if I'll still be half or full time, I am not in a leadership position, and I have requested a position that will keep me much closer to home more often. Essentially this means, I don't know what I'll be doing. It opens up some interesting options as we look at where the holes are in our summer plans, and it also means I have to be willing to be flexible, and take a less "fun" role in order to serve the bigger picture for those months. Most important to me is that I can keep up the connection I have with many of the children and youth, and that can happen whether I am leading major programs, or answering phones. I just need to keep that perspective in mind!

Please continue to pray for us in our involvement with our church, with ICYA, school, and with Matthew's inventing process as that's about to hit some major milestones in the next few months with research, if things go well.

Thanks!

Kirsten

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