It's Been A While, I Know

The primary reason I chose to begin this blog is because I want to become more reflective and less reactive. In other words, I want to spend more time reflecting on the people I love and the things I am learning and less time simply reacting to what gets thrown in my lap each day. I have tried to journal many times in the past, but it never seemed to stick. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep up this blog either, but for now, it’s my preferred way to journal. And lucky you- you get to read it!

So here are a few things that have popped up in my mind recently:

· I have often wondered what it must feel like to be a mom: to carry a life inside of you; to meet your child for the first time after they take their first breath; to learn a new way of living when they come home from the hospital with you; to wonder; to worry; to be so in love with someone you just met; to see a sweet little baby transition into a curious toddler, an eager student, and then into a young adult. But the part I most wonder about is what does it feel like to sit across the table from the person you gave life to, watching them as they turn off their cell phone and put it away, order something off the menu, and listen to them talk about taking their car into the shop and needing to go grocery shopping. Does the wonderment and excitement for this sweet-little-baby-turned-adult stay with you all those years? Or do your children become just other human beings you share the earth with and you lose that wonderment?

· Where should I be looking for a part-time job? I am going to look for a part-time job to start in March and I am not sure what I should do. Today, I am leaning towards something in the area of event planning. I am most comfortable calling the shots (no surprise there!) and do like the fast-paced and challenging experiences that even planning brings. Hmmmmm….any ideas?

· Community. That is such a buzz word these days. We talked a lot about community when I was at Trinity- always looking for ways to foster community for the students. And we talk about community a lot at church- always looking for ways to foster community for those who attend our church. But I have always wanted to follow the declaration of “We need to build community” with “But for the sake of what? Community for the sake of what?” Meaningful community- community the way God intended it to be- cannot be merely for the sake of having people around to do social activities with or form groups with. Community is meant to build up the body of Christ, so it cannot always be “fun” or comfortable, but rather, should stretch us and provide opportunities for us to speak Truth into one another’s lives and to have Truth spoken into our lives. Community for the sake of building God’s kingdom and community for the sake of knowing Truth and living it out- that’s the kind of community I long for.