Ready to Roll

Drumroll, please...

2012 US-2 Missionaries have now been commissioned!!  I am exhausted but wanted to share a photo of our class before the ceremony.  It was amazing, and if you missed it, it will be available online for viewing.  I will post the link as soon as it's made available.

 Didn't want you to think we were too serious...

Just Another Day in Paradise

So today was my birthday, and a great day it was!  There are so many ways to celebrate a birthday, and I am lucky enough to have celebrated 23 very unique ways.  From celebrating several times at the pool to my 16th at cheerleading camp, my 18th with a cookout, my 20th in Kenya, and my 23rd in NYC/DC, I can say one thing for certain.  The location and activities change, but what is really important is the people that I get to spend those days with.

Today, I spent it with a new family, my fellow young adult missionaries and Global Ministries staff.  After being sung "Happy Birthday" at least ten times and hearing the words Happy Birthday from nearly everyone in the group, we made it to our hotel in DC.  At dinner, I was presented with a beautiful Statue of Liberty crown (my birthday hat) and a card from the group.  If that wasn't enough, a half dozen pink roses followed, and another card and "Happy Birthday" in French, German, and Arabic.

All of this is to say, that birthdays may be just another day, but spending it with people you love and people who love you makes it just another day in paradise.

Life

One day you're up high, you're flying through the sky

Got a peaceful mind and everything is all right

Next minute you're face down in it

And then there's just no winning no relief in sight

Life

Some people compare life to a roller coaster with ups and downs.  While some moments take our breath away, others seem like a slow uphill climb.  Yesterday evening, I had the opportunity to go to Coney Island, a nice getaway for New Yorkers.  Sadly, the park is on a decline and on a Sunday evening was nearly vacant.  After having a Nathan's Famous Frankfurter and taking a ride on the Wonder Wheel, pictured above, I braved the height of the Soarin' Eagle.  

Although, I refused to ride roller coasters until the age of 14, I have been on many since.  My experience ranges from the famous Texas Giant to the Amazing Hulk at Universal Studios Orlando, as well as all the coasters at Frontier City in Oklahoma.  But, I was intrigued by a coaster that literally made you "fly like an eagle". 

Step 1: Step onto the attraction and be strapped in.

Step 2: Lean forward until laying flat on your belly.

Step 3: Soar through twists and turns like an Eagle, or Superman.

But, even though the small coaster was spectacular and the hot dog far exceeded my expectations, the real joy of the evening was the Wonder Wheel.  I know a lot of people are not fans of Ferris Wheels, which need to be distinguished from merry-go-rounds or carousels, but sitting above Coney Island and the Boardwalk made me smile.  

So whether you feel like your life is full of ups and downs like the roller coaster, or a continuous cycle of ups, downs, forwards, and backwards like the ferris wheel, remember to enjoy the ride.  That's life.

I Wanna Do It All

I've never met a mountain I couldn't climb, and I usually run full steam ahead into challenging situations.  The greatest challenge of my life: getting everything done in such a short amount of time.  One of our training team members said this last week: "I have so many things to do that I'm going to have to live ten years longer than God intends, just to get it all done."  Although I get to that overwhelmed state quite often, I really enjoy all the things I do, and it's been nearly impossible to convince myself to give things up.

I am a consumer of entertainment and recreation, but I also am dearly devoted to my work, whether it be paid or volunteer.  So how do we balance a life of so much to do, so little time, without giving anything up?  If you're thinking it's not possible, I'd like to propose another solution.


Time-Out


Maybe you're familiar with the typical child law enforcement, but have you ever thought of giving yourself a time-out?  I don't mean go sit in the corner and think about what you've done wrong and how to do better next time.  I mean using those time management skills that you practice daily to re-organize your life and do it all.  You can do everything, but maybe not at the same time.

My senior year of high school, I discovered that my childhood love of golf (which I thought was just my enjoyment from hanging out with my dad) was actually legitimate.  It also helped that my dad was still around to coach me.  However, after playing an extra short spring season, I nearly left the game completely for the next four years.  I always talked of how much I wanted to play again, but I didn't have the time.  This summer, I got to play once.  It was SO much fun, but I had other things that prevented my trips to the golf course from being more frequent.

I'm using my high school education to develop this time-out model.  We play sports "in season", so why don't we structure our lives and the things we love into seasons?  I realize if you have kids, you can't just decide to give them up for a season, but your recreation and entertainment can be compartmentalized so that you can do it all, but not all at one time.

Activities such as golf and swimming choose their own season because of their outdoor nature, but think about all the activities you want to do and divide them seasonally.  I realized that the less time I spend wishing I could do something, the more time I have to enjoy the things I am doing.  So instead of wishing you had time to read a book and play golf, or trying to divide your time between the two, take a time-out.  Play golf while the weather permits and keep that book close for a rainy day or a cold night.

I'll be outside the next two months, although there may be a book in my hands at some times.  I hope you enjoy this season and the next, and the longevity of your life provides season after season of enjoyment and activities!

Dance in the rain, Dance in the sun, Dance for a purpose, Dance just for fun.

Just Passin' Through

Sundays just seem to always be beautiful, and despite the concrete jungle that I'm surrounded by, today was no different.  The weather was perfect, and we departed the hotel at 7:30 am to trek up to White Plains, NY to itinerate (fancy word for sharing our call stories with churches).  Metro 2 to Times Square, shuttle to Grand Central Station, and Metro North to White Plains removed us form the busy city atmosphere and we found ourselves surrounded by big buildings, relatively less but still a lot of people, and a little more grass and open space.

Memorial United Methodist Church opened up their home graciously to us, and as we walked out, we sighed saying "Today, we have been truly blessed."  I know that God's true beauty is in diversity and this church was evidence of that splendid beauty.  With love abounding, they allowed us to share our stories, and in return shared some of theirs as well.  The preacher for the day, Mark, shared with me about his childhood in Oklahoma that I easily identified with, another woman shared her similar love of children and work with children with special needs, and another informed me that she enjoyed learning about small town Midwestern me since she was from a rural town in Iowa.

Itineration and sharing at churches, youth groups, and college ministries is one of the parts of missionary work that I'm looking the most forward to.  But, this morning it took on a new meaning.  I realized that in my five minutes of sharing, I had nearly connected to everyone in the congregation in some way.  Whether they compared me to a child or grandchild, shared a passion, or a part of my background, we found a common ground.  Of course, I love this little game of finding shared interests, so on the way back to the city, I decided to do something a little out of my comfort zone.  Obviously, it takes a lot to get out, but I know once I pop that bubble, wonderful things ensue.

Instead of taking the train back to Grand Central, our friend Darlene advised us to get off the train in Harlem and take a bus, avoiding the city and the subway exchanges.  The bus was packed, so as it started to empty, I walked towards the back where some seats were open.  Keep in mind, my bubble popping was not pre-meditated, but I sat down next to a gentleman who looked probably late 40's, early 50's.  Instead of being that good bus rider that stays quiet, I have this urge to strike up conversation.  I understand this is not common, especially in New York, but as we pass a stage with a dance team performing, I whisper, "Man, I should get off here."  Of course, he is forced to respond, and I proceed to ask him how he's doing (therapist-in-the-making).  He tells me that he's just finished a double shift and is facing the possibility of being called back in soon.  I empathize but realize that it's inappropriate to mention my fatigue from staying up too late on the computer and then going to church early this morning (not to mention my delicious lunch that has put me in a food coma).  After a brief silence, he mentions that his weariness also stems from fasting for Ramadan.  Now, as an educated person, I should know that it's Ramadan, but my knowledge of Muslim and Jewish holidays is nearly nonexistent.  I proceed to mention that I'm not from New York (my mother is now shaking her head, but I did have comrades on the bus) and that I'm a missionary.  I proceed to tell about my love of children and where I'm working in the future, which is pretty much what I shared at church.

Before getting off the bus, I tell him how much I admire his discipline of fasting and he responds by complimenting the work that I will be doing.  He reached out his hand, introduced himself, and said "Thanks for sharing."  I didn't know why I spoke to him initially, but from somewhere, these words came: "When I'm in a new city, I feel like you can't get to know it without getting to know the people, and you can't get to know the people without talking to them."  I'm starting to understand John Wesley's heart strangely warmed, because I got this warm and fuzzy feeling from the smile of the man on the bus.  At our evening session, I shared my story, reminding everyone that we are missionaries outside of church, and our stories can be shared anywhere.  Today's experience was real, even if I was just passing through.

God, it's Your world, and I'm just passing through.  Thanks for keeping it real!

Shotgun Girl

Tonight...was a good night.  After a powerful ten days of discussion, our last night at Stony Point is upon us.  Today  we talked about boundaries and how to engage with people and love people, but keep boundaries that protect us, our placement sites, and our partners in ministry.  We spent a chunk of time talking about wellness and how to take care of our physical selves.  Then, we discussed out itineration for Sunday morning, where we have the opportunity to share our call stories with local churches.  I'm excited to be headed to White Plains United Methodist Church with Laura and Love!

So despite all the wonderful things that happened today, tonight was definitely the highlight.  TALENT SHOW!  First off, I must express that the talents range the spectrum, and we have a lot of people who like to dance.  The group took part in the entire talent show, with many talents of teaching and most talents ending in a group dance.  However, the US-2 group, of which I am a part (Side note: there are MI-3, who are international, 3-year missionaries and US-2, who are domestic, 2-year missionaries) decided to re-write the lyrics of the popular song, "Call Me Maybe" to express our call story to ministry and the doubt that some of us still have, maybe.

For those who are reading this because of the title, I recognize there are several types of people in my life who read this very differently.  Some think, being the "country" girl I am, that I am proud of my ability to shoot a shotgun and hope to someday be part of the NRA (which isn't actually true).  Another group may recognize the JaneDear Girls title (Katie) or understand my struggle with motion sickness and the necessity of sitting shotgun.  The last group, of which I am about to explain, would actually be correct in their assumptions.  I like to be in control, and when I'm not driving, I'm usually the co-pilot.  Notice I didn't say I was just along for the ride.  I am passionate about being part of the action, the navigation.  

So, about this song...My good friend, who I've now known for 10 days, came up with this fantastic idea. (Yay Mistead) and I jumped in to help create lyrics.  However, there were five of us in the front seat and everyone added a little something to make this the next big one!  I hope you enjoy the video.  This is a live sneak-peek, but stay tuned as the official music video is coming soon.  Please pass it, along with my blog to your friends.  Stories are made to be shared, so take the wheel and start sharing!

Rain is a Good Thing

I know it's been a few days, but since I have a few minutes between breakfast, doing laundry, and morning devotionals, here's what's on my mind.

I don't like rain.  Never have, and maybe never will.  Surprisingly my community's economy is somewhat dependent on weather and in particular, rain.  Churches praise on Sunday morning when the rain has come, as it rarely does in the summer.  Wednesday, I was once again thankful for the rain like the farmers in Oklahoma.  While we've been at Stony Point for the last 8 days, we have been blessed with a nice place to stay and a beautiful environment in which to worship.  However, the high humidity and lack of air conditioning in the individual sleeping quarters has been far from my favorite part.  After a warm evening and difficulty sleeping, I was so thankful for the rain, and especially the 15 degree decrease in temperature that has continued to keep us cool (and provide me the opportunity to wear a jacket today).

Here's the lesson I've learned from all of this.  At yesterday's morning devotion, we prayed the covenant prayer of the Wesleyan tradition.  In case you're not familiar, here is what it says:


I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.


We reflected on how we have felt called, and I wrestled with the possibility that God sometimes calls us to be empty, suffering, and have nothing.  I feel like I have a purpose, but accepting the possibility of emptiness is quite difficult.  I praise God in the sunlight when I can be active, but I also must be thankful for the rain, even if it doesn't fulfill me.  This morning, think about what things truly bless you, imagine if God had called you into ministry without those things or people, and accept that despite the circumstances, He has a purpose for you.  Whether it be a time of suffering or emptiness, praise God for the ability to be "not my own, but thine".

I hope you enjoy this prayer as much as I did and will make time to reflect on where God has placed you.  By looking through the lens of His purpose, not my own, I feel fulfilled in the emptiness and abundantly blessed with nothing.