Dear Steve,

The day you went home, Grant and I were on our way to a youth group event (we've been hanging out with the high schoolers at our church lately and either they haven't figured out yet how uncool we are or they just don't mind). It was a pool party to enjoy summer and say goodbye to the youth pastor, who is moving to Seattle to start graduate school.
Brandon and Gaby were there, too. It was a sweet comfort to know they were missing you, too, and aware of the sadness that was present for us in the midst of the laughing and swimming and eating potato chips.
At the end of the evening, all the kids gathered together to pray for the pastor who was leaving. It was beautiful to hear their hearts and their prayers for the man who has taught them and loved them for the last 4 years. They were clearly sad to be losing him, and yet hopeful about his future and the things he was going to pursue. I thanked God for the lesson I had learned over and over at Camp Alandale that in God's family it's never "goodbye;" it's always "see you later."
As we prayed, I remembered how much of an impact a youth pastor can have on a life. I remembered how you made sure everyone in the college group had your number and made sure that they knew to call you if they ever needed help. I remember so many times that you shared about your life and how God was teaching you, like the day you said God answered your prayer to help you avoid a particular sin by keeping you so busy that you didn't have time. You welcomed us into your home and your family. We prayed with you and Sonja as you longed for a baby and we prayed with you in the airport after a lovely visit with you and your son - who had given us a lesson in flyfishing. Your life has shaped my faith and the way that I see God in ways that I am sure I don't even realize, and so many that I do. Thank you.
How gracious and loving our Father is, providing that party and prayer night at just that time. He didn't need to, but it was a beautiful gift. He is so wonderful. Give Him a hug for me, would you?

See you later,
Megan

Sometimes when I drive...

...my car turns off. It's a hybrid, so the engine shuts off when I come to a stop. Which makes it very quiet. And kind of spooky. Especially when I'm on my way home late at night. So periodically I contemplate ways to drive home without having to stop once. So far my strategy involves making a lot of right turns. I'd try it some time if I was a better driver. For now, I just turn up the radio.

...I start to feel very comfortable in my seat and try to curl up, cross-legged. Then I remember I need my feet for the pedals. That's what the word comes from, right? Ped-als?

...I feel hopesul as I near the building that puts up catchy quotes on a marquee. I wonder if they will have a new one. But, alas, it's the same as it's been for the last 3 months: "we must be the change we want to see."

...I listen to classical radio on KUSC. I like that I can drive all the way from work to home and it only takes one and a half songs.

...I listen to that radio station with my brother in the car and ask him if he likes it, for the sheer enjoyment of hearing him admit he likes something from my alma mater.

Fundamental: an un-rant

1. Abortion
2. Littering
3. Wearing a seatbelt

I take a bit of pride in my ability to consider somebody else's point of view. If I get cut off on the freeway, I consider that the other driver may have some sort of emergency, or maybe they are normally a very considerate driver and today has been "one of those days."

I think it's a shame when I discover that someone I care about has no tolerance for something I'm fond of, like seafood or cats or board games. But I can attribute this to a difference in tastes and leave it at that.

And various philosophical, ethical, and theological issues I'm willing to engage in discussion about and consider the complexities therein.

But some categories, like the three above, are stumbling blocks for me. I cannot see how a reasonable person would take any stance other than the one I take. But obviously not everyone agrees with me, either in theory or in practice (which are not so distant from each other). This baffles me. I really have no satisfactory explanation for it. And I've tried.

Voting and pornography also fall into this category, but they're about one notch lower in intensity than the consternation those first three bring me, as far as people differing from my viewpoint.

I'm sure that "sin" is a viable explanation, but I want something that goes a bit beyond that. Maybe that's me embracing post-modernism, or some other idealogical vice of my generation. I think what I really want to know is how somebody on the other side of the line from me - on any of those topics - comes to that conclusion. Or does it baffle them, too?

Double Double

It was Palm Sunday and I was 4 years old, praying along with a puppet in Sunday School. I knew it was my dad behind the curtain, but I didn't know all that a life with God as my Father would bring. I still only know such a small portion.

So Palm Sunday this year was a birthday in two senses for me, one immeasurably more important than the other.

I heard a man on a radio show one day while I was driving to work talking about goals he had written down for his life. I can only remember 3, but there might have been 5. As the things he would focus on, he had chosen to: be a lifelong learner, be a faithful husband to his wife, and grow his business by a certain amount. It was an encouraging discussion that I cannot do justice. But I liked that he had goals about relationships, himself, and his talents.

I'd like to make a similar list someday. But not hastily, because if I make the list, I want to really stand by it, weigh decisions against it. Which means, I don't want it to be a list at all. But I do like the idea, in some form. So, starting now (and a few weeks before) I am going to be thinking and praying about it. And maybe I'll make a family crest someday, too, because I heard a speaker yesterday who talked about that, and I liked it.

15 x 15

My friend Annie made a list of 30 things she wanted to do before she turns 30. Being less ambitious and less punctual, I've decided on a list of 15 things to do by New Year's Day of 2015. Ta da!

Be licensed as a social worker

Establish an exercise routine I enjoy AND maintain

Experience the gift of prophecy

Finish Les Miserables (only 400 pages to go) and continue through a reading list

Get ready to be a mom

Initiate regular conversations with my grandparents

Make coffee like Linda Ballsmith (and learn to set tea)

Pay off education loans

Play djembe for corporate worship

See a friend commit his or her life to Jesus Christ

Share a heart-to-heart with each of my in-laws

Speak Spanish

Stay involved with Camp Alandale

Visit Israel

Write a children's book

B Day

If today is your birthday, then this post is for you*.



And the 23 posts to follow are all yours as well. Couldn't find any gift wrap, but I decided blogging at least twice a month will be my present to you. I hope it fits.



*Additional qualifications include having once been my roommate, knowing that this blog exists, and having a weakness for rock candy

Back whenever Megan created this blog, she said, "Hey! You should be a contributor!"

I thought to myself at the time, "Why? I hate blogging," and then said, "Ok! Great!" I have no real explanation for that...I think I just really wanted the balloon picture to make sense.

I haven't posted anything...I don't think. But now, I'm part of a first year teacher program in which I am required to blog my reflections of various aspects of my 'incorporating technology into my classroom' course. So I posted something on my blog for that (I wouldn't dream of boring you any more than I already may be doing), and then I thought, "This must be what my students feel like when they have to write literary analysis papers." Maybe it's not exactly the feeling (after all, I at least did it), but it does give me some perspective. And perhaps it will give me some empathy. High school sophmores certainly need that.

Final irony of the night- being forced to reflect on my learning from my other blog forced me to actually reflect on my learning.