Am I an adult now?
It's amusing how much my mood has been wavering... Monday to yesterday afternoon I was hitting bottom, last night with my Jr. High girls small group I felt God buoying my spirits. They are so excited about being in a small group - with all the frustrations from our high schoolers (all flaky, and one who completely dropped out) I had been very discouraged this whole last month. I was beginning to wonder if it's something wrong with me, and while I now know that I still have things to work on, God is still able to use me.
Anyhow, life seems interwoven with so many different threads right now - and I'm slowly trying to weave my friendships back into the pattern. Not so successful, but I've had a few slow starts here and there. I actually saw and talked to three friends outside of church in the last month...
Is this what being an adult is?
Actually - what's making me feel really adult, is that Walter and I now have a budget. If we can just stop eating out so much (too many events right after work!) we would be absolutely perfect! With both of us getting raises this month, and bills settling down... we may be able to get a condo by the end of the year! Huzzah! Here's to domestic life!
My ideal situation, which probably won't happen with our first purchase, would be to have a rentable 'level' of our house with a separate entrance. Financially that would be a good thing, but my desire comes from wanting to support people - friends getting into a first apartment, teens from church as they get more independant after 18 and need a 'safe' environment to move out.
What a way to minister to our 'youth' even when they're not officially youth! Moving in with a friend from my old church (who eventually became my maid of honor) was a huge growing experience for me when I was 19-20.
Something that I've been waiting for for 3 months, since I first heard the murmurings at church: Small groups have been starting up again! Mine finally meets tonight.
My heart has desparately yearned for that fellowship, apart from the main church service. I love 'corporate' worship (though I dislike calling it such... it sounds so... technical) and hearing our pastor preach, but my walk has been faltering, and I need a group to keep me accountable to a weekly lesson, including prep. I haven't had an LTG (Life Transformation Group) partner in about 2 years, or whenever I left my last church.
Teaching the two small groups, both junior and senior high, has really revealed the lack of that in my own life. My tank keeps running low as I expend so much energy giving, and I need a pitstop to recharge!
Well, I suppose that is a good enough update for now, but suffice it to say that - while life is not always encouraging, God always is. He keeps me going, even when I've thought I had nothing left.
Oh, and I love my husband too. ;) We've both been learning LOTS about living with each other! For some reason, I had this pristine picture in my head of what a married house would look like. Well, considering neither my love nor I were neatnik's BEFORE we married, I suppose our current state of disarray is understandable! I made huge headway and pretty much rearranged the whole house last weekend, I rescued our sadly out-of-tune piano from a heap of items and can now play it! (Now if I could just blame the resulting sound ONLY on it's being out of tune... hmmm...)
Well, I'm off for now, I hope all is well in the world of y'all - and I've been keeping many of you in prayer, just 'cause. ;)
Anyhow, life seems interwoven with so many different threads right now - and I'm slowly trying to weave my friendships back into the pattern. Not so successful, but I've had a few slow starts here and there. I actually saw and talked to three friends outside of church in the last month...
Is this what being an adult is?
Actually - what's making me feel really adult, is that Walter and I now have a budget. If we can just stop eating out so much (too many events right after work!) we would be absolutely perfect! With both of us getting raises this month, and bills settling down... we may be able to get a condo by the end of the year! Huzzah! Here's to domestic life!
My ideal situation, which probably won't happen with our first purchase, would be to have a rentable 'level' of our house with a separate entrance. Financially that would be a good thing, but my desire comes from wanting to support people - friends getting into a first apartment, teens from church as they get more independant after 18 and need a 'safe' environment to move out.
What a way to minister to our 'youth' even when they're not officially youth! Moving in with a friend from my old church (who eventually became my maid of honor) was a huge growing experience for me when I was 19-20.
Something that I've been waiting for for 3 months, since I first heard the murmurings at church: Small groups have been starting up again! Mine finally meets tonight.
My heart has desparately yearned for that fellowship, apart from the main church service. I love 'corporate' worship (though I dislike calling it such... it sounds so... technical) and hearing our pastor preach, but my walk has been faltering, and I need a group to keep me accountable to a weekly lesson, including prep. I haven't had an LTG (Life Transformation Group) partner in about 2 years, or whenever I left my last church.
Teaching the two small groups, both junior and senior high, has really revealed the lack of that in my own life. My tank keeps running low as I expend so much energy giving, and I need a pitstop to recharge!
Well, I suppose that is a good enough update for now, but suffice it to say that - while life is not always encouraging, God always is. He keeps me going, even when I've thought I had nothing left.
Oh, and I love my husband too. ;) We've both been learning LOTS about living with each other! For some reason, I had this pristine picture in my head of what a married house would look like. Well, considering neither my love nor I were neatnik's BEFORE we married, I suppose our current state of disarray is understandable! I made huge headway and pretty much rearranged the whole house last weekend, I rescued our sadly out-of-tune piano from a heap of items and can now play it! (Now if I could just blame the resulting sound ONLY on it's being out of tune... hmmm...)
Well, I'm off for now, I hope all is well in the world of y'all - and I've been keeping many of you in prayer, just 'cause. ;)