Travels with Moses

One of the perks of working at a church, at working in Children's ministry, is that it is not uncommon to come across some fabulous curriculum, games, toys, crafts, pictures...you name it and it's got to be fabulous.

Well, last week, in the chaos of pre-vacation preparation, along with a few co-workers came across a pretty fabulous Moses action figure. Yes, action figure. Not only does he have functioning limbs and hand, but he also lists the 10 commandments at the push of a button. Well, it was too good to pass up, so Moses has now become our own version of Flat-Stanley (I don't actually know who or what this is but apparently everyone else does) or traveling Gnome.

So, here is the start of Moses' adventures out of the Old Testament. Please enjoy and think of what great places you might also want to take Moses.

Travels with Moses: Denver, Colorado 2009

Moses at Garden of the God

Garden of the Gods

My purse

Cracker Barrel

Relaxing at Cracker Barrel

The over-turned car

IN the over-turned car

With Aiden

...more adventures to come :)

2 Epiphanies, 1 Day

I recently learned a few things about life. One was more of a shocker than the other, but here goes...

1. Preparing to take time off from work takes just as much time as the time you would actually put in during that time off. I know, I know, I have heard this all my life, but only recently did that statement come to resonate with me.

A few months ago I scheduled to take one weekday off of work and one Saturday service, which accumulates to about 12 hours of work-a day and a half. Easier said than done. In general preparing to take a weekend day off can be quite stressful, especially when something "special" is going on at church. You just never know what will effect your numbers, and you definitely can never prepare enough for the volunteers who will inevitably not show up. So that, coupled with the kick-off of our newly structured mid-week program created for an interesting, be it, busy week...with a few in-office tears. Man, I have got to cut back on those!

After a grueling (OK, maybe an over-exaggeration) 12 hour long day on Tuesday I am supposed to, and usually do, enjoy my 1/2 day Wednesday where I leave by 1 or 2pm. This Wednesday was not so joyous. I got through the meetings, through the e-mails, through the in-office tasks to be done, only to rush to San Diego to jump back on the computer to complete a mess of e-mails, finish the activity for a lesson, send out the all-important volunteer e-mail, change my voicemail to say I will be out of the office, turn on my out-of-office reply on my e-mail and who knows what else. Finally come 12am and it's time for bed. Phew. Oh, and this was after staying up Tuesday night "post-work" to label and stuff 250 parent letters. I love my job, I love my job.

Long story short, I made it to vacation, with most if not all my ducks in a row. Maybe a slightly angled row, but a row nonetheless. And as far as I know thus far, none of my ducks have been shot.

2. Just because as a child you dealt with a lot of unnecessary, difficult crap, that does not necessarily mean you are ahead of the game as an adult; you're 20's are your 20's no matter your family, your race, gender, religion, location, or your upbringing.

20's are difficult. I am more confident and opinionated in some areas while totally confused in others. I am too responsible yet not responsible enough. I am living the life while stressing through most of it. I, I, I....it's all about me. Is that what your 20's are for?

Just because my dad this or my mom that, just because I moved here, there, and everywhere, just because I did not have this or get to celebrate that, I am not better off than anyone else. I have struggles like everyone else. Some of them look the same, others more unique.

I guess these new realities prove that I am an adult and that I am growing up. These are the growing pains that hurt. These are the pains I'd do O.K. without. If only it were a choice...is it?

P.S. Did you know the term "epiphany" actually refers to Christ's revelation to the Gentiles by the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12)? It also refers to the Christian celebration of this event which is celebrated on January 6th.

Over it

I decided this morning, like, three seconds ago, that it's time to get over the melodrama of being 22. So what? I am 22, I am not remotely close to perfect, but who the crap is? No, I don't have some ridiculously fabulous life, but I have MY life, and I really can't complain. I have income, a great place to live in a place people vacation in, and I have my whole life ahead of me! No more beating myself up, no more complaining about this or that. It's been a long, hard year, but like my mom says, "nothing good or bad lasts forever." And this "bad" is about to be over with.

I just finished "Waiter Rant" by The Waiter, which is surprising considering I started it just a few days ago. The Waiter became a, well, a waiter in his late 30's after losing a number of jobs, er', careers. It was meant to be a temporary thing, but 7 years later here he is, manager of a high end, well known restaurant in New York City. This was not the life he planned on living. So the waiter begins hating his job: the customers, employees, boss, the lifestyle...and yadda, yadda, yadda. Long story short The Waiter starts a blog (Waiter Rant), gets a book deal, goes on Oprah, and now here I am, reading his book and writing this blog. I'm thinking, "I like to write, I'd love to write a book, or rather children's books, but will I have to endure 20 years of failure and hating my life before I get there?"

Not more than 24 hours later and I am almost finished with "LA Candy" by Lauren Conrad. Yes, the Lauren Conrad we've all come to love (?) on "The Hills." Three, no, two pages in I realize what I've gotten myself into. Really? Lauren got a book deal for this? Ok, ok, I'm smart enough to know she got the book deal beacuse of her celebrity, but still. Talk about dichotomy. There's The Waiter, who pretty much failed at everything besides waiting tables, and even by the end he was pretty much sucking at that too. And then there is Lauren. Plucked right out of Laguna Beach High School from the parking lot (or so I here), shot to fame as a cheated on high school sweetheart, move to LA, "reality" show fame hits, and BAM: fame, a little fortune, clothing line (even if it is failing), and a BOOK deal? Come on. She's got to be no more than 24. Part of me has to absolutely commend her for taking hold of opportunities that fell in her lap, but the other part of me says, come' on! If she can write a book, God willing I can to. And I can do a lot of other things too.

So there is The Waiter who sucked at life, got stuck in a job he had a love/hate relationship with and then there is Lauren. "Discovered" in her high school parking lot and shot to fame by MTV "reality". Both end up with book deals. Both end up in a place they never dreamed of. Both end up with fame, fortune, and ultimately a career they are in love with (hopefully). I can do it too, right? Now what was it I wanted to be when I grow up again?

OK, maybe I am being naive. Maybe they hate their jobs. Maybe they hate their lives. Either way they are on their way. I am too, just on a very different path. And I can't wait to see where I end up.

Hair yesterday, gone today.

Change. Change is a good thing. And if it's not good at least it means something is different.

As a little girl I usually spent all school year growing my hair, not paying much attention to it other than which side of my head the pony should go on. But then summer would roll around an I knew it was time for a good chop!

So there I went to the salon of a family friend. $1 for every year of life to get my hair cut. A few minutes and a pony tail or braid of hair later I was free! I lived the freedom it brought; the feel of bluntly cut pieces resting on my neck, the inability to put it back. Smooth layers and nothing much to care for.

I had a similar experience today. 15 years later I still do the same thing. Grow it out only to chop it off! What can I say? I like change, ease, and not to mention a little drama. Can't beat change.

Best part!

I was at work today looking for pictures from an event just last week, and happened to come across a few pictures that I love, and here they are!

It's easy to say that baptizing kids is one of the best parts of my job. Even better is when a child actually asks for you to baptize them! What more flattering thing can a kid ask you to do? Just knowing they think you have impacted them that much or been that steady/influential in their life means the world to me. These pictures were from the VBS baptism, but I also have the honor of baptizing a co-workers daughter this weekend, also someone who chose me to baptize them. Even when work can be difficult or stressful, it's pitcures like this that bring me back to a moment and remind me why I do what I do.

Beach Camp

OK, I must admit I am currently exhausted. I cannot say why, unless I over-exerted myself at the craft fair this afternoon (highly unlikely) even considering the length of time and number of wrong turns it took us to get there. I mention this only because I really should be going to bed right now. Not only do I have kiddos waiting for me tomorrow morning (yet sadly few leaders) bright and early, but I will also be leaving for beach camp! I am excited to spend a week away and get to spend it with great friends, leaders, and young girls that I hope to bond with. What am I NOT excited about? Food.

It's sad, I know. Food is usually more of a hobby for me than anything else. But this is one adventure I have yet to break into. I've camped before and I have even been to camp sans gluten and dairy. However, I have never combined actual camping with my new GFDF lifestyle. Kindly M offered to reimburse whatever food I had to purchase for the trip, but sadly that did not make the purchasing or planning part of it much easier!

There I sat on my living room floor, surrounded by cans of this or that, a bag of rice cakes, a few apples, and plenty of pre-packaged energy bars (amongst a few other items). The question(s) remain: what do I eat? when do I eat it? how do I draw the least amount of attention to myself? and how will I feel full while getting adequate nutrients?

I had (slim) hopes that I would be able to work somewhat around what the girls' menu would be for the week, but quickly that dream was squelched. Hot dogs and chili. Those are the two meals I can work with. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for those. I am thankful this is not the first adventure I am going on with food issues, thankful I have a supportive group of people that "understand" my problems, and thankful I have (sort of) means to take care of myself throughout the week. This is and will be one for the books.

If you are wondering what a GFDF person might purchase in preparation for beach camping (which I am sure you are), read below:

Tuna
Green Beans
Re-fried Beans
Corn
Peanut Butter
Rice Cakes
Turkey
Z-bars
Luna Bars
Trail Mix
Apples
Applesauce
Soup
Bagged Lettuce

Exciting, right? I feel like these are the sort of ingredients you might find on an episode of "Chopped" where top chefs are challenged to create 4-star courses with a selection of fresh, processed, canned, and otherwise inedible ingredients. If only I were so talents. Who knows. Maybe I will surprise myself, although that might be asking too much. At this point my goal is primarily to eat and not be noticed, not have to explain 32 different times (how many people will be there) why I am not eating what everyone else is. Well, since I am number 32, I guess that only makes 31 people to answer to. Joy.

I'll have to keep you posted on how this goes. Somehow I don't see this so much as a "Bear Hunt" as I do a killer whale to be reckoned with. Let's hope I don't pull a Jonah.

VBS 2009

To see what's been going on lately check out www.marinerschurch.org/vbs and enjoy.