Tidings of Comfort and Joy!

Last night was our last night of Youth Ministry for 2008. The past two years I have had the young people sign up for Salvation Army Bell ringing. I like to have at least two young people and one adult at three different stores in our town. I drive around to say hello and make sure everyone is doing ok. Last year I was unable to do this as I was attending a funeral (it actually worked out pretty good). This year, for the first time, I had some shifts with three young people. Usually once a shift is filled no one else volunteers. Most of the kids had smiles on their faces, accepted a Christmas cookies from me, and wished me a Merry Christmas. A parent even thanked me for all the work I do (always nice to hear). It was a great night! I felt truly blessed. I feel that the longer I stay here the more I get to know the people I am ministering to. These are great kids. I can honestly say I look forward to watching them grow up.
And now I am truly free of most responsibility for two whole weeks. It just feel so good! Oh the ebbs and flows of Ministry. Last week on Wednesday I was so busy I didn't eat lunch (I NEVER skip a meal). Then on Thursday I was at church from 9am-11pm almost straight through. It was crazy! I don't know if I ever pictured what my life would be like after college. I don't think it was this, but for the first time in a long time I can say I'm okay with that.

Winding Down

Well, today is December 17th. I remember about 4 months ago I looked ahead to this date in my calender and thought, "Wow! By December 17th it will all be over." In a way it seemed kind of like a far off date. And here it is. I remember back in August the look my my calender filling up made my stomach turn but I sucked it up, put my best foot forward and here we are. It went so fast! I seem to recall in the past years second semester went fast I can only imagine. I have one more youth ministry event tonight and then it's free and easy for two weeks. In fact I'm already starting to get bored at the office.
I don't have anything real insightful to contemplate. Just the fact that attitude has a lot to do with how life goes. I didn't come home crying once this semester (my first year I cried about once a month, last year about once every two months). Could I have really changed my attitude that much?
On another topic, I honestly thought that I'd be sprouting a baby belly right about now. I had hoped to be three or four months pregnant but I'm not. I don't know how I feel about this. It is a little frustrating. Things won't time out "perfectly" in my mind. I just keep telling myself this too is God's plan, not mine.
So yeah, that's all I've got today!

Reflection

Whew! Things have somewhat slowed down around here. The biggest challenge I have with my dual position in Youth and Campus Ministry is that I always feel that I could give more to one or the other. Also, just when one slows down the other one amps up or I feel like I can give more time and energy to one of my ministries. I just don't think churches should have "part time" positions. What a joke! We all know that it is more than "part time."
This however is not what I wanted to reflect on. I read my friend Kim's blog the other day. I long to have that type of experience with my youth. I just wish they would be excited about coming to church or at least want to come rather than being forced to come by their parents. Don't get me wrong, I'm very appreciative that their parents are supporting me in this ministry but I would love it if it would come from the young people. The very day I read that post I had a high school student visit my office. In the two and a half years I have been here a high school student has never just dropped in! They had a snow day here and he came to noon Mass. This student in particular always gives me hope. He is very mature and intelligent for his age. He also has a great interest in all things Catholic. I sometimes feel sorry for him when we meet as a group since he is far above the other young people in his understanding and knowledge of the Catholic Faith, he must get bored.
On our regular Wednesday gathering I decided that since our parish was offering a communal Penance Service that our activity for the evening would be to attend as a group. The week prior we had discussed the sacrament of Reconciliation and the celebration of God's forgiveness of our sins through this sacrament. I know that for many Catholic this is often a touchy subject. I would say the majority of Catholics do not receive this Sacrament on a regular basis. Yours truly hadn't received it in about 2 1/2 years. I was prepared to be let down. I had reminded the parents that this would be our activity for the evening and invited them to join their son or daughter at the service. I truly expected that either a very small amount of young people would attend or that they would come (because mom and dad made them) and sit their sulking. Well, about 13 of my regular 16 showed up. About 1/4 came with their families and all but one chose to receive the sacrament. It was a really beautiful celebration. I asked myself why I didn't receive this sacrament more often. I found it renewing that my young people were open to this event. In face afterwards a group of girls gathered in my office just to talk about some stuff (again a first).
As with most things in my life I must learn to have patience and to trust that things will happen in God's time. All I can do is keep offering, trying, praying, and ministering to all I meet.

Crazy much?

So, I see from my last post that it has been about 3 1/2 months since I last wrote. I could have swore that was just yesterday. Well, things did in fact get a little crazy. I do regret having not written these past months. The University's semester is almost over and do you know what? I have had a great first semester. I haven't come home crying once! I haven't felt too overwhelmed. I haven't felt like low person on the totem pole. I feel really good, happy, like my life has purpose and meaning again. Sometimes I'll be at Mass and I'll look around at all the faces of these people who I have come to know. The students who thought they were dating the love of their life and then broke up, or who came crying to me when they were failing a class and thought they should switch majors. Or the young man who's father died this summer. Or the young couples with their new babies. I am part of something really good. And I feel so blessed to be a part of it. Is it perfect? No way! Hast the dysfunction of out little office family gone away? Nope! Although it does seem to be getting better. So yeah. I miss I would have written about this transformation. I am in fact crazy busy and don't have a ton of time to write but I feel that it is important to do this in the good times, not just when my soul is suffering.
On a personal note I am not pregnant yet. So, that hasn't even been and issue at work. It is definitely journey, trying to get pregnant but I am trying to put it in God's hands. Even my husband who is not particularly religious said, (in response to me using outside devices to determine fertility) "No, trust yourself and if God wants us to have a baby we will." And so we try and we wait. And that is where I am.
I am definitely looking forward to having a long time off. It's Thanksgiving tomorrow and I'm off Friday through Monday so it will be nice. Then we're on for 2 1/2 weeks and the semester is over. Time has flow so fast!

Before things get too crazy!

Before my day gets crazy I thought I would take a little time to reflect, it’s been awhile I know. Things have really picked up around here, which is a good thing. I am getting a little more energy and excitement back for my job ministry. I had a few days of darkness where I brooded over the crazy time commitment that this entails but I got a stern talking to from my husband who works ten hours a day, every day! If anything I’ve learned a lot about myself. I am someone who thrives on contact, personal relationship and creativity. I need to look at opportunities to use these skills and desires in my work because that is where I will shine, it is also probably also where God truly wants me, and I will be using the gifts that he has given me.
I’ve been having meeting with the priest and my other bosses over the details of the upcoming year, all seems well, slightly overwhelming at times BUT my homework from my spiritual director was to just take one day, one moment, one event at a time.
I was also thinking about my years in teaching. Even though I wasn’t in the same school for three years I essentially taught for three years. My third year was one of the best. I’m not sure if it was because I finally got in the groove of teaching, or if it was because I was working with some really great (read fun!) people, or if it was because I knew at the end of it I would be married and living back in my home town with my beloved and my family. Well, here I am heading into my third year. I’m still working with the same folks but that’s okay. I feel like I am finally in the grove of how things work around here, and maybe at the end of it all my life will change again and be graced with a new addition to our family and a new role for me as a mother. So that is where I am at. At the beginning of it all, and hopeful that I will be successful in this endeavor.

More positive

Another quiet day here on the work front. Don’t worry I’m not complaining. In face I realized that a lot of my posts are kind of whiny and full of complaints. I actually did my scripture reflection today. It was from Matthew, where Jesus is describing the Kingdom of Heaven and comparing it to a person who finds a treasure, a pearl, etc. The reflection asked us to remember a time when we fell and how that felt. Then it reminded us that Jesus loves us even more than that! It also gave some practical suggestions on how we can remember this great love that Jesus has for us. If we begin our day, giving it to Him, asking him to be a part of all we do, our joys, our challenges and giving ourselves up to His will. Then in the evening we can reflect on the parts of our day when we felt Christ’s presence and where we followed his will. We can also ask for forgiveness for the times when we went against his will. This is something I tell my young people to do all the time. Maybe it’s time to practice what I preach. I decided that if I am to post something I should at least have on positive thing in my post.
Today when I was home for lunch making a delicious lunch of grilled summer squash, and chicken salad wrap I thought about how grateful I am that I have a job that allows me to go home almost every day and make my lunch. I am reminded of the times when I was a teacher and only had 20 minutes scheduled for lunch, which meant by the time you got down there you only 15 minutes and forget savoring your lunch if it needed to be heated up. No, I guess I don’t miss the endless days of turkey sandwiches, carrots, and an apple scarfed down in a cafeteria filled with yelling kids. I also got some more registrations for Youth Ministry in today. Not only did I get 2 11th graders I also got 3 Catholic school kids! Not whether or not they show up I won’t know but their parents did pay the fee so we shall see! This is my last three day week so tomorrow is my Friday yeah! I’m actually taking next Friday off because my sister-in-law and family will be here from far away. So yeah, it’s still summer!

Not much good or bad

I know it’s been awhile. I haven’t been inspired lately. Maybe it’s because I haven’t kept up my afternoon prayer time. Instead I’ve been watching TLC while I munch my lunch! I also haven’t felt like I am in that dark hole that I sometimes get into. The impending school year is upon us. The first of August is the end of this week. What does that mean? Well, it means I have to come into the office more than three times a week to work on stuff. I honestly have very little to work on right now, I wouldn’t want to get too far ahead of myself. So, for this week I am slowly accomplishing little things, mostly surfing the web and connecting with folks on facebook. I felt like I accomplished some things last week. I try to keep thoughts of 50 hour weeks far from my mind. I know that even once August does come it won’t be nearly as crazy as it gets further on down the line.
I did have a rather snotty email sent to me today by a parent. There has been a bit of confusion in regards to the Youth Ministry/Confirmation connect. Quiet honestly before I came long Youth Ministry was a joke. The person in my position didn’t leave any record of what was done or who attended the events. I think that the D.R.E. and the priest did all of the Confirmation preparation. Youth Ministry was seen as an optional thing while preparing for Confirmation. I’m trying to change everyone’s perspective. Youth Ministry is an expectation of kids in grades 9-12 (at least kids who aren’t in Catholic Schools would be my hope). When they are in 10th grade they prepare for Confirmation but still attend YM when not preparing. Anyway, this is what she writes:

This is a very different process than has been the precedent in the past. I have two children who have gone through the Newman confirmation program and there was a separate registration as stated on the registration forms for Youth Ministry. This change was not communicated to the parents which has been confusing. I had Ben's registration ready to submit in May, but I did not submit it because I knew that he would be in the confirmation program. If it was stated that confirmation was part of Youth Ministry, I would have submitted his registration. We will be out of town so his registration will be late. I am wondering if other parents are confused also. Thanks,

To be honest there has been some confusion by other parents, I just didn’t think it warranted the snotty response. Yeah, I know it’s different than in the past, get over it! By the way it has been stated that Confirmation Prep. is part of Youth Ministry. This is the crap that I hare dealing with. I’m sure there is stuff like this in all lines of work. They just don’t tell you this when you’re in college!