Finally in Texas

I left NC on Sunday to drive down to Atlanta for one last stop before TX. My dad had business in Atlanta on Monday, so I just drove him on down to break up my 20 hour drive a little. My mother and I did 14 hours on Monday and finally got into my new home town of Lake Jackson around 7:30 pm. Yesterday we spent the day looking at apartments, furniture, and ended the night with dinner at Dickson and Sally's house (two church members). I put my deposit down on an apartment called Raintree that is gated.

Today we look at more furniture. I got a really nice couch and love seat on CLEARANCE!!! So I did not pay much for them. They are red, so I am going to do the rest of the furniture in the room black. I told my father that I will have a Carolina Hurricanes colored room before he will. This fact made him laugh and he actually thought I was talking about painting the walls black. I just got back from the church. I got to finally go into my office and see everything I have. The church gave me a laptop. So now I have one for church and home. I also showed my mom around the youth area's of the church (the only places I have keys to). The youth have a couch room with a sectional and then stadium seating with another couch. Then there is the gym/worship space. I also got to see Wesley, the pastor, and he asked if I would not mind starting a day early so that I could do youth on Sunday night. I said sure, so here I go off into the wonderful, crazy world of Youth Ministry. Oh did I mention I have to preach my first sermon on Sunday night!!!

Christmas, jobs, and moving plans

So it is almost Christmas (well 2 days) and I realized just how thankful I am for everything this past year. I told my mother yesterday that I got everything I asked Santa for this Christmas. I am now officially a graduate of Candler School of Theology and I got a job. The job is now official now and I am going to be the Youth Minister at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Lake Jackson, TX. I loved the people I meet there and think everything is going to be great. The only thing is that I start January 4, 2009. So as exciting as everything is for me right now I am having a spend my Christmas packing up a trailer with my things. This means every present I unwrap I will be sticking in a box to go straight the trailer once we are done with the unwrapping of presents on Christmas. I will officially be moving on December 28th or 29th. This moving date depends on my mom's other nurse manager getting back in town. Well I will let everyone know more when I get down to Lake Jackson. For now I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Papers, Job interviews, and Finals

So I feel like I am completely overwhelmed. Over the past two weeks I have written 2 papers, one 9 page and one 12 page. I have also preached a sermon at my friend Jan's church and video taped it for my Preaching Final, flown to Texas for an interview with a church, and am now on to procrastinating studying for my last final of my Candler career.

I of course have a wonderful love of writing papers (I would much rather do write a paper than take an exam). However, I became extremely disturbed by my last paper on Dowry Deaths in India and how Families are a big reason they are still going on. I hated it and turned it in anyways so that I could be done with everything.

I got back yesterday from Texas. I feel in love with the church, the people, and youth. I cannot say officially that I have the Job yet, but I can say I will be moving to the Texas area at the beginning of January.

As for my last final. I cannot believe that Ethics is my final. I am worried about it yet, I have a feeling everything will work out alright. I need to get a 70 on this final to pass ethics. This would not normally be a problem for me except that I failed my midterm. I need this so badly. If I do not pass this exam then it will have an impact on if I can take any job I am offered. Ugh, I hate exam time.

Last Day

So I have know it was coming, but I never thought it would get here. I am finally done taking classes at Candler. I woke up today and found that it was just like any other day, except I had to dress up for a presentation. My roommates were both awake and doing their morning routine. Which was kind of strange for a Friday since Yair is never up until after Dave and I leave the house. However I still felt strange. I think it all start last night.
I finally was able to attend an advent service at Candler. They put up fake greens this year so I am not allergic. It was the service of heartbreak and hope. As I sat and thought about the past three and a half years I began to be afraid. Afraid of what is to come next. I don't have a job yet and my faith has just seemed so challenged this past semester. I cried over the loss of my friend Katie, the cancer in my dog Lynn, and the life I am now leaving. I also gave praise to God for the good times, and the plans he has for my future. As I passed the peace (hugged) with my friends and colleagues I began to realize just how much I would miss Candler.
Back to today. My final presentation went well in my Ethics class. We all ate breakfast and enjoyed the class. I got to lead a congregational meeting with my class members over the use of designated moneys. Then I got to go to my favorite class Preaching with Tom Long. I listened to my peers give Crisis sermons and began to see how real crisis is in everyday life through their eyes. At the end of Class Dr Long looked out into the class and told us that when we are preaching and there is an empty space in the congregation he in that space in spirit cheering us on. When he said those words he look right at me and we meet eyes. I could not help but just let the tears flow. I knew that even though I have doubts about my future and where I will go next that God has a plan for me and that Dr Tom Long believes in me and my calling. He has been a great influence on my preaching and carer at Candler. Dr. Long has even become my academic reference. I now know that others believe in me and now I just need to believe in myself more.

Another year

So this past thursday was my 26th Bithday. I had a great time with a group of my friends at the Cheesecake Factory.

However, I also kind of celebrated all weekend. I decided that since I did not have to go on an interview that I was going to go to Asheville. Joelle and Elizabeth, my two best college friends, still live there. I got to stay with Elizabeth and got to know her boyfriend better. We did a lot of things with Brandon, the boyfriend. I went and saw them in the holiday prade that they were in with their church. Last night Elizabeth and I meet Joelle at the Grove Park Inn. We went around and saw all the gingerbread houses, look in some stores, and had quile legs and chocolate cake at the Blue Ridge Room. It was a blast. I some how realized that I have changed in my way of thinking a lot since I have been at Candler. I am more liberal and that is not a bad things. However it does put a little bit of a drift between my college friends and I.

Falling apart

So I now have a third major medical problem this semester. First surgery for my gallbladder and the complications from that. Second I broke my left wrist two weeks ago. Now I have a Kidney Stone!! This had to happen on the day that I would be leaving for Texas for an interview with a church. They however have been great and I will be going to do my last interview sometime in the next few weekends (probably next weekend). I am so angry about all this illness. I have never been this sick during a school semester before. I kind of feel like my body is falling apart and well I am way too young for that to be happening.

Crazyness

So I have felt a little out of place lately. I broke my arm falling down a flight of stairs in my house. Poor Lynn fell behind me and kind of slid down but I went down on my left wrist and snap. One more reason to feel behind this semester. Luckily it was a clean break and I only have a soft brace/cast.
Also I am finally getting places with my job hunt. I have been talking to a church in Texas and one in Washington (the state). I am heading to my third and what should be my final interview with the church in Texas this Friday. I will be down there with them until Monday. I am so excited and nervous as well. I cannot believe that I am finally in a place where I am going to get a full time ministry job. I am waiting on my second interview with the church in Washington. I don't know where I am going to end up but I know God is with me. Please pray for me and my search.
Finally I got my alumni email address today. I feel so official. I am finally going to graduate from Candler School of Theology and go out into the real world. This step has been 3 1/2 years in the making. Now I just have to make sure I pass all my classes this semester. Wish me luck!!

What have I been doing for Three Years?

So this weekend was awesome. My roommate Dave had two of his friends that are girls come from TN and spend the weekend. We toured all over Atlanta going to underground Atlanta, walking downtown, and having drinks at the Sundial. It was so much fun. Sadly I realized that I have lived in Atlanta for 3 years and had never done any of this before. I have been so focused on studying, trying to make ties with a conference, and working that I have not had a whole lot of fun. Yes there were fun times, but I am just now realizing all the cool things that are in Atlanta that I will probably not get to do before I move away in December. However, I have decided that I am going to once again take a sabbath every week and go out and do fun things, even if I am doing it by myself (this is a huge decision for me, I hate doing things alone). I figure this will help me prepare to move and learn to have fun by myself, since I am probably moving somewhere that I have no friends. I am so excited about my decision for sabbath plans.
Also this weekend was my neighbors Octoberfest party. I had a great time. We eat tradational German foods and drank lots of beer (cider for me). However, I did not get drunk and am very glad I did not becasue the party got a little crazy.

Puffy Jesus

I feel so happy smelling communion bread baking in my oven. That is untill I opened it up and found my Jesus was puffy and you can hardly see the cross I put in them. Thus I reworked the other loaves and my Jesus (communion) Bread is no long puffy. I guess that is what I get for making communion bread for the first time. I know I will now be able to make non puffy Jesus Bread!!

Grandma

So my grandmother fell and broke her hip today. Of course I cannot be with her because I have missed so much school and this pisses me off. I really just want to go up and make sure she is being taken care of. However, my mother will be doing this job and that means more time off work. She has taken a lot of time off between my Great Aunt Betty dieing two weeks ago, my surgery complications (same time as Betty's funeral), and now having to go and be with my grandmother. I am so glad she has a stable job. I really just want to be in Cranberry Township right now and be with my grandmother. It is at times like this that I completely regret not having graduated from school yet. WHY in the world does this all have to pile up my last semester in seminary??????

Back to the grind!

So I am back in Atlanta and start back to school tomorrow. I am kind of excited to finally be back to school for more than hopefully a few days. Yet, I am scared right now as well.
Will I be able to catch up?
Will I be able to graduate in December?
My life feels so crazy right now and all I want to do is just be done with school. I have so many questions running through my head and I know that I am just worrying too much. I just wish I knew how everything will turn out.
Other than that everything is going alright. I was able to do a full workout today and go to work. I am healing slowly, but healing all the same. I am looking forward to Thursday and going to Wicked with my friend John. My life I guess is going back to normal and I know this will be good for me.

Home again

So I had surgery on the 11th and thought everything was going just great. That is until 2am on Saturday when I woke up and my belly button incision had opened back up. I freaked out, changed my cloths, and ran into the hall of my house. My roommate Yair's girlfriend was sitting in his room and thought she had woken me up. She started asking my questions and all I could say was hospital now!! She would not let me drive myself and took me to Crawford-Long. I spent until 8:30 am there and did not see a doctor until 6 am and did not get pain killers until 6:45am. It made me so upset. My mom luckily was flying though Atlanta the next day and just got off the flight and came to take care of me. Yesterday I went to my PCP (primary care physician) and saw someone covering for her. He was a total jerk. He would not write a referral I needed to see a surgeon in Atlanta, so I am now home in Apex. I saw my surgeon today and her assured me that everything will be fine, but I am going to have to heal from the inside to the outside. I am mad that I am not able to be at school, but am totally enjoying being around my family.

Hindu, Christian, Jewish

This weekend has been full of religion for me. I had to go to one of the Hindu temples here in Atlanta for my Feminism in India class. I really enjoyed getting to not only see their service but be a part. The people were very welcoming and wanted to help us understand everything that was going on in the service. After the service I left with Allie and another classmate and went to Udupi for Indian food. It was the first time I had ever had Indian so it was an experience. Allie gave me some tips on what things were and what she thought I would like. I have to say I liked the food for the most part. The rest of my day was spent writing papers and spending time with my roommates. Yair has a lot of questions about why I would want to be a pastor and what I believe. Sunday I decided to go and hear my friends David Allen-Grady preach. I love to hear him preach and always get a lot out of his sermons. It was really nice because I also got to see my friend Stacy do the children's sermon. David has a lot going on in his life with a new baby on the way so this is the first time I have seen him since I got back to Atlanta. Sunday afternoon was filled with sleeping, studying, and eating dinner with Dave (my roommate). Today even though it was not the weekend, it still kind of feels like it I had my Jewish experience. I have this amazing therapist that is helping me to get through the stressful time of finishing school and finding a job. She is very New York City woman that is Jewish and told me today that I need to be more Jewish when I speak. This statement meaning I need to have more confidence and power in my voice. I kind of got a kick out of this statement, but I do see where she is coming from. This afternoon I started my job as a TA at the Ben Franklin Academy and will be helping with English classes and also recording my voice on tape reading some of the students assignments because of their learning types.

Friday's always good.

So my life has been a little crazy with trying to finish up school, find a job, and recovering from surgery. I however am enjoying the fact that today is Friday. I got to go home early from school because I did not have work and am just enjoying my time by myself. Me time has gotten a little rare since I moved into a house with two guys at the end of August. They are cool, but sometimes a girl just needs a little time to do girl things like watch a romantic movie. I normally would have made myself do homework since I have a school trip to the Hindu Temple tomorrow and then am making some dinners at Dream Dinners. Yes I am spoiling myself with making and buying dinner that are easy to make and will be there for me after a long day at school. This will also get me out of having the same food every day (grilled chicken). So for now I guess that is everything for now.