A Dry Creek
As the weekend ends, I take a moment to reflect on the past few days and what they mean for the months to come:
First thing: money. Who doesn't worry about it? This semester (and I wish I'd caught this sooner and asked someone about it) I received about $1,000 less in student loans than I'd recieved the past two semesters. This isn't a huge deal, but it struck me as incredibly constricting when I got the check. On the one hand, I will now be responsible for my cell phone bill for the first time ever, so we're looking at an additional $50-$60 a month that I didn't have in my budget last year. On the other hand, I also paid off my car loan this summer, which means a $230+ car payment that I no longer have to make. So now I am approaching the tight budget as a personal spiritual challenge to live simply and reduce credit card debt. Surely this is no new challenge; in the two years since graduation I have announced "12 months to credit freedom" so many times that I no longer allowed myself to make such proclamations. There is something unique about this time, though. I feel a spiritual resolve to quit myself of so much of my materialism and egotism.
Second thing: internship. Today was the baptism Sunday, held at a local farm whose creek ran dry. About 200 folks were there along with nine people to be baptized, and due to the dry creek, we went back to some serious Christian roots and had a large emphasis on anointing them with oil. Four priests anointed them with oil, then a fifth priest baptized them in water from individual jars. I was in charge of handing the fifth priest (who was holding the babies) with the opened jars of water and offering her the jar of oil to anoint their heads and seal the baptism. Incredibly, the whole experience was smooth. Solemnity and celebration mixed with equal parts, and everyone that I saw was glowing. I am convinced more and more that this internship will be an immeasurable blessing and will force me to mature in my spiritual and interpersonal relationships.
Third thing: friends and love. Both boyfriend Syl and college friend Adrienne were in town this weekend, and having a full "house" was such an incredible, content experience. Living alone reminds me that I don't always make time for people who mean much to me, so having two such great people in my home left me brimming with unexpected joy. Their visits seem brief, but they give me confidence that I am not a hermit who repells friends.
I sound a little like a schmuck, all happiness and smiles and resolve, but I feel the need to record my hopefulness. The coming months will be trying, so I need to shore up all the love and comfort that I can now.
First thing: money. Who doesn't worry about it? This semester (and I wish I'd caught this sooner and asked someone about it) I received about $1,000 less in student loans than I'd recieved the past two semesters. This isn't a huge deal, but it struck me as incredibly constricting when I got the check. On the one hand, I will now be responsible for my cell phone bill for the first time ever, so we're looking at an additional $50-$60 a month that I didn't have in my budget last year. On the other hand, I also paid off my car loan this summer, which means a $230+ car payment that I no longer have to make. So now I am approaching the tight budget as a personal spiritual challenge to live simply and reduce credit card debt. Surely this is no new challenge; in the two years since graduation I have announced "12 months to credit freedom" so many times that I no longer allowed myself to make such proclamations. There is something unique about this time, though. I feel a spiritual resolve to quit myself of so much of my materialism and egotism.
Second thing: internship. Today was the baptism Sunday, held at a local farm whose creek ran dry. About 200 folks were there along with nine people to be baptized, and due to the dry creek, we went back to some serious Christian roots and had a large emphasis on anointing them with oil. Four priests anointed them with oil, then a fifth priest baptized them in water from individual jars. I was in charge of handing the fifth priest (who was holding the babies) with the opened jars of water and offering her the jar of oil to anoint their heads and seal the baptism. Incredibly, the whole experience was smooth. Solemnity and celebration mixed with equal parts, and everyone that I saw was glowing. I am convinced more and more that this internship will be an immeasurable blessing and will force me to mature in my spiritual and interpersonal relationships.
Third thing: friends and love. Both boyfriend Syl and college friend Adrienne were in town this weekend, and having a full "house" was such an incredible, content experience. Living alone reminds me that I don't always make time for people who mean much to me, so having two such great people in my home left me brimming with unexpected joy. Their visits seem brief, but they give me confidence that I am not a hermit who repells friends.
I sound a little like a schmuck, all happiness and smiles and resolve, but I feel the need to record my hopefulness. The coming months will be trying, so I need to shore up all the love and comfort that I can now.