A Return

Well, a successful return from a nice long weekend! At first I thought I would have nothing to do today but I ended up working on a picture slide show of all the events we did (or that I took pictures of) in Youth Ministry. It ended up being 6 minutes long. I’ve really done a lot since I’ve gotten here. My attitude is still pretty positive but today when I read that one of the “nuns” at the local Catholic School was leaving my heart hoped, just a little that there might be an opening for me. I sent an email for a little investigation. I don’t really know if I would want to be at the Catholic school here in town. As I’ve mentioned it’s pretty conservative and slightly backwards but I think my heart will always long to be a teacher. I still believe that I have a purpose here and that there is work that God is calling me to do.
On Friday I called all the households with graduating seniors. We are honoring our graduates and since we are a Newman Center we are contacting the ministry program at the schools where these graduates will be attending to let them know they are coming. One father I spoke with who is a very active member but whose son is not even baptized was so pleased that I called. He gave me his son’s college information. When I asked him about attending Mass he replied in a weary voice, “I just don’t think I’ll be able to get him to go.” He truly appreciated my effort. And to think I wasn’t even going to call them because I knew the son wasn’t active. That is the irony or perhaps the challenge of working in ministry. We just have to keep trying no matter what. More than likely the outcome won’t be what we expect it to be. Or we might never know if we’ve affected someone’s life.
In other news, I’m meeting with the priest tomorrow to talk about my position next year. He keeps making it sound like there is going to be a big change or something. He has an odd sense of humor so I can’t really tell if he’s just being funny or what. Much as I am challenged by this job if he said to me, “There is no position for you.” I don’t know what I would do. I am really starting to grow into this parish. My identity rests here. I can see me bringing my babies to church here and having our college students babysit. I was just about to write that I would be devastated by this. But, I don’t think I would be. I’d be sad, but I would move on. Not like when my position was cut at the middle school I taught at. I felt like I could have worked there for the rest of my life. I know I don’t feel that way about this position. I think I would like to be a part of this parish for the rest of my life, but to be in the same position I don’t think so. Hmmmm, something to ponder. We shall see.

An end and a beginning

Where or where to begin? As I sit here typing I wonder to myself if this will even last. I have started several blogs and websites in the past but have not maintained them for more than a few months. My reasons for starting this blog are many. For one I am amazed at the lack of ministry blogs that I see when I search out there on Google. Oh sure there are plenty of blogs that fall under the category of ministry or religion. Yet I find them to be either too theological or a little bit fluffy. I know one thing for sure, this blog with not be theological. I hope that it will not be too fluffy either. I do identify myself as a Roman Catholic and have and undergraduate degree in religious studies but I am by no means a theologian, I don’t think I ever will be. It is only in this recent year that I have found my spirituality again. This is another reason for writing this blog. As a young high school student I loved to write. I don’t write very often these days. One of my most beloved English teachers once told that to be a writer you must write every day. I also believe that in order to maintain my relationship with God I must pray every day. So this writing will be my prayer, my reflections my thoughts. I also feel as though I am on a journey of self discovery. It is only in recent months that I have come to recognize this. I wish that I had written more and journaled my past journey. I have come so far and don’t really want to relive or rewrite all of it. Finally blogging is the “it” thing these days. I am addicted to reading a couple of blogs daily. Perhaps, this blog will speak to someone else on a similar journey. Or maybe it might serve as a small form of entertainment to others. I guess it is also possible that no one will read this. After all it is just the ramblings of one solitary spiritual soul mostly speaking from the heart. I’m not sure how I feel about putting myself out there like this. We shall see.