One Step at a Time

So it's been over a moth since I've updated! 

School has started.... maybe this explains why I haven't updated. 

A typical week looks like this: (skip this if you know I'm just busy, busy)

Sunday: 2 Services and Sunday School.  Am I prepared for Youth tonight? Get ready.  YOUTH!  Clean up drive to Rynolds Plantation (neighborhood) and lead Small Group.  BED

Monday: STUDY, STUDY, STUDY.  Drive to Atlanta.  Watch an episode or two of 24 with Wade. 

Tuesday: Class at 8 and 9:30.  Worship, Lunch, study more, class at 2:30 - dirve home, write a paper and read - BED

Wednesday: 8 and 9:30 class.  Work out. Go home. Study, study, study.

Thursday: 8 and 9:30 class. Work out. Study, Study - dinner with friends.  

Friday: 8 and 9:30 class.   Wrok out. Drive to the lake, Football game! SLEEP

Saturday: Try to study, write curriculum for Sunday, watch a Gator game?!  Do things that I need to get done.  Bed early - to start another week!

I have been super busy with school.  This year is going to be great.  I'm enjoying my classes as well as growing myself.  I've got a preaching class that I'm really trying to apply.  

In all of this I'm also trying to work on commissioning papers (papers for ordination) 

Not a big or exciting update - but an update none-the-less :) 

Xtreme

This week has been a busy week.

I feel like I have been all over creation. (Really only all over Greensboro and Columbia, South Carolina)

Looking for wedding dresses for Karen, looking for clothing for me, looking for supplies for the youth group, looking for a good hamburger close to Greensboro! (I have yet to find a good hamburger...)

This weekend I had a YAC retreat. My youth advisory committee. We played mini-golf and then came up with a mission statement and name we are now .... 24/7 Xtreme! Yea we're pretty cool. I'm going to get t-shirts made.... Be jealous!

After the retreat I zoomed over to a member's house for a pool party. After going all day - then a pool party - I was zonked! Only to do the same thing the next day! Church and a pool party. I had a great time at both - but *gasp* slept in for an hour today! What a long day it has been too. Just being tired - knowing I'm not fully caught up on my sleep has made me a little ornery.

We're having a "Transitional Team Meeting" tonight. We'll be talking about how we plan to transition to the new campus. What events will we still hold here at the North Campus - what will be specific to the South Campus. A lot of thinking will go on - I just hope I have the brain power to do it!!

Chao

Another week

Been another week.
You know typical week!
Meetings - returning e-mails - checking facebook.
Funeral and more meetings
My day off was spent with my mom. I finally got to walk around downtown and see all the cute little shops.

I've been busy this week trying to contact potential volunteers for the program and nail down the Back2School Kickoff.

This weekend I hope to go to Athens or Madison for a little shopping!

That is Amanda for you!

A Sweet Sweet Spirit in this Place

What a week!
I spent the past week as a Youth Director at Camp Meeting. For those of you who don't know what camp meeting is - let me try to explain.
It is sawdust, family, faith, sun, fellowship, community, grace, fun, renewal, revitalization, it's love.

It's a week of reunion and revival. Our week begins on Friday lasts 8 days and ends on Friday with a candle-light service. In between those two Fridays there is a whole host of activities.
Each day we hear from a preacher. This year we heard from the delightful Dr. Phil DeMore and Dr. Andrew Purvis a theologian like no other. In addition to services there is singing, classes, morning watch, food (mainly fried), talking, games, lessons, and bonding.

This year I was honored and blessed to share this experience with Karl (the other youth minister) and his wife - Michelle. You'd think that a week of non-stop work would exhaust you, but I left the campgrounds last night - not wanting to leave. It was renewal for my soul.

The theme for the week was J.O.Y. Matthew 22:37-39. "He said to him, "' You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself."' Love of Jesus-Others-Yourself. JOY. A right relationship with God, a loving relationship toward others, and a love and value of yourself. It was a week of experiencing all three. Loving God - strengthening that relationship, loving others - giggling, smiling, happy kids, and loving myself - enjoying the sleep I got, allowing myself to forget work, school, etc and just be me.

There is so much to say, so much to process, and so little time. I imagine as the week goes on I will have more to say! I leave now with other pictures:

New Beginnings

I have begun! I am now officially the Minister of Youth at my new church. I stood at the front of the church this past Sunday - and shook hands with about 200 people. Yikes!

This church is one of the oldest United Methodist churches in the country. It is also a first church. But what really intrigued me was the way it has reached out to the community. Offering a community choir. In addition to this they are building a second campus. I will be a part of the staff who learns what it means to serve at two campuses. The function of these two campuses is to become more accessible to the people south of the highway. To the left is a picture of what they've begun to do with the new campus.


This week we began Vacation Bible School. I am leading recreation. That makes for a long day but a good day. Getting to play with kids has been really fun.
I was given a book Monday by one of the members of my congregation. Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by: Robert Schnase. It is a great book for congregations to read, and particularly good for my congregation as we build the new campus. The first chapter is about Radical hospitality. Not just hospitality but radical hospitality! What does that mean? Instead of just inviting people into a relationship with Christ - what is different about the way we are inviting people to a relationship with Christ? It's inviting people into relationship with us so that they may experience the love of Christ. I really enjoyed this chapter. I think it is a good place to start ministry. How are the programs I plan going to invite others into a relationship with Christ?

As I read further on in this book hopefully I'll post some other thoughts.


And I leave you with these two pictures:



This is what I came home to yesterday evening..... a DRAGON! Interesting .... believe me it was. Imagine seeing this near your air conditioner. Now I would have left him - except about 1 foot to the left is where I lay my head.... that wasn't going to happen!

As I fought and tamed him - he ended up in this glad-ware container...



He has now been released back into his natural habitat... Hopefully never to be seen again.

Oh my starry eyed surprise

What a great weekend. My friends from college came down to hear me preach at my home church. What great friends I have that would come to visit and here what I have to say ;o) It was so good to have a girls weekend. We got to hang out and goof off. On Saturday we spent the morning at the Coke Factory.

I must say - the new Coke factory is so cool. They have new shows and a REALLY cool 4-D theater. The 4-D was my favorite part besides the tasting room. Any way - it was great to see friends to have them come support me and hang out. :o)

something new

My last week at church went by so fast! I can't believe it!
I had a horrible sinus infection from Sunday - Tuesday (when I finally got medication!)
So that left me Wednesday to work on Awaken - my last retreat.
The retreat went well. I was so excited that things worked out so well for the week.
The students were so willing to help, and it was great. They leapt into service with a great attitude. [The picture up here is of me going through a box of things
to be given to Goodwill]
During our discussions about service the students came up with so many good ideas about service, life, faith, heaven, etc. I'm so proud about ALL they know. They all have good hearts.

Saying goodbye yesterday was hard. All the students (and some parents) were so complementary. I couldn't believe it. Looking at all the students I could see a little bit of God in each one of them. I could see a little bit of spiritual growth in each of them. As sad as it was to leave I know I'm leaving a group of students who are rooted in solid teachings. I'm gonna' miss those students - and their quirks - but I'm also excited to grow and develop in a new way!

My brother's a college grad!

I'm so proud of my brother. He graduated on Saturday. Very nice ceremony. A little long - but for those of you who know me any time I can't stand up when I want and move around is "a little long"

I've added some pictures.
Congrats little buddy!






There is the graduate himself!


What a great family

New Blogging

As I'm moving on to new adventures so many people have said "I'm so excited for you! Keep us updated on your life!"

I thought to myself: how am I going to do this? I'm not so good at calling or e-mailing. So I am going to try my hand at blogging.... putting my life out there on the world wide web!

As the summer continues I hope to keep this blog updated with pictures and stories of how I'm doing. Keep checking back and I'll try to keep trying to update it!

arg