hey everyone! i miss you all!!
right now i'm sitting in my dining room, eating dinner, and listening to viva la vida.
viva la vida reminds me of abby, which reminds me of all you guys, and so i thought maybe i'd come say hi to everyone and update you all on what i've been up to.
mostly...just working.
which is fine with me since i'm currently at a financial deficit. not working for 3 months really does it to your bank account i guess...
besides that i've just been hangin out with my friends. it was hard to be home at first, in an environment where everyone didn't have the same common goals and priorities. but it was really cool to work through that with God and see where He has me and where He has my friends and how we're all in different places of growth for a reason. my room mates were defintely under attack from the enemy, and he was certainly succeeding at dividing them. but we've all begun to unite in our Savior and really come together and learn a ton from eachother through prayer and Bible study.
it was really great to get back into jr high ministry as i was hungry for some kind of ministry work since coming back. it's quite the jump, going from working with college students to jr highers. haha. they are wild, obnoxious, crazy, hilarious, and so much fun. i turned down a second year of internship with the ministry which was unexpectedly, a crazy hard decision. but i know with the classes i'm taking i'd be fooling myself if i said i'd be able to give 100% to both school and interning.
umm...what else?
i love watching the olympics. can you believe michael phelps? daaaaang boiiiiiii.
i'm reading changes that heal - good book.
i think about you all a lot! and randomly remember funny moments and laugh to myself.
i can not wait for reunion!!!!!!!!!!!
i love you all.
blessings,
nicole
p.s. i updated our profile - click on our picture to see it and go add something to it :)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Oh, herro! Nate McGraw edition
Well herro errbody. How's life been treating you? Everyone getting excited for school? So what have I been up to lately? I think most of you know. I have been busy posting in the mass FB thread. Mainly because work is boring. I know I've told some people, but I might as well let everyone know: I'm working on campus at the Pre-Award Services office. The other people that work in the office are grant specialists and are trying to help professors at KSU to get grants approved. I am basically a secretary. My main task is to go around campus to various professors and deans to get signatures on the grant proposals. I also run files in between the administrative buildings, which are just across the street from one another. Other than that I just do boring office busy work. Like enter data, prepare shipments, etc. It's really boring. Today there has been nothing to do. Absolutely nothing. And when there's nothing to do I end up reading a lot of cnn.com. Which is also boring. So if I post a lot in the thread you know why now. Sorry if I've been annoying anyone. :-) (smiley of choice)
So other than that what have I been up to? Not much, really. I moved into a new place a little while ago. I'm really excited about living there. I was living with my friends from high school, who like to party, and I moved in with Michael (Jen's fiance) and TJ (another guy from CRU that I led a Bible Study with last year). I think the atmosphere is going to be a lot more conducive to spiritual growth, which is what I'm most excited about. We are planning to have a roommate Bible Study, which I think is going to be awesome! Plus, these roommates will be better in general for keeping the place clean, washing dishes, etc. It got kind of out of hand last year, and toward the end it was a big hassle. Oh and another big plus -- Jen comes over a lot and sometimes cooks for us! So that's always fun.
In other news, the guy who was going to be the worship leader at CRU this year did not get back in to KSU. He had been on academic probation and they didn't let him come back. Now Mike and myself are wondering what is going to come of it. There will be a leader's meeting I think next Thursday and I'm sure it will get brought up. Mike and I have been talking amongst ourselves and honestly, there isn't really anyone in CRU right now who can step up and fill the spot that the last guy took up. So prayer for that would be nice. Right now, as it stands, we have a 2 bassists, a violinist, a guy who plays a lot of stuff (not including guitar), 2 drummers, and various singers. No one who plays guitar as a primary instrument. I know some chords, as does Mike, and a couple other guys but we're kind of in a pickle. I will gladly be the organizer of the team but I don't think I can sing too well (haven't had a class since sixth grade) and I'm not confident enough in my guitar skills (though I'd be willing to try). So in short, we need God's guidance, because it's kind of a mess right now. I have faith that we will get everything worked out though. I'm not worried about it.
One thing I am worried about, though, is the fact that with school and work I'm going to be busy everyday from 8-5. I have been working that shift right now and to be honest it has affected my spiritual life. Keep those hours and throw in studying and I don't know what its going to look like. If I have to I will quit my job, but I'd rather not do that. So prayer for focus and guidance on what God wants my semester to look like. sigh I just miss the African days where all I did was wake up, have time with the Lord, then go on campus...
Anyway this has been long enough. Good way to kill some time. Leave me a comment! I want to hear from all of you! I miss you guys a bunch.
Lots of love,
Nate
So other than that what have I been up to? Not much, really. I moved into a new place a little while ago. I'm really excited about living there. I was living with my friends from high school, who like to party, and I moved in with Michael (Jen's fiance) and TJ (another guy from CRU that I led a Bible Study with last year). I think the atmosphere is going to be a lot more conducive to spiritual growth, which is what I'm most excited about. We are planning to have a roommate Bible Study, which I think is going to be awesome! Plus, these roommates will be better in general for keeping the place clean, washing dishes, etc. It got kind of out of hand last year, and toward the end it was a big hassle. Oh and another big plus -- Jen comes over a lot and sometimes cooks for us! So that's always fun.
In other news, the guy who was going to be the worship leader at CRU this year did not get back in to KSU. He had been on academic probation and they didn't let him come back. Now Mike and myself are wondering what is going to come of it. There will be a leader's meeting I think next Thursday and I'm sure it will get brought up. Mike and I have been talking amongst ourselves and honestly, there isn't really anyone in CRU right now who can step up and fill the spot that the last guy took up. So prayer for that would be nice. Right now, as it stands, we have a 2 bassists, a violinist, a guy who plays a lot of stuff (not including guitar), 2 drummers, and various singers. No one who plays guitar as a primary instrument. I know some chords, as does Mike, and a couple other guys but we're kind of in a pickle. I will gladly be the organizer of the team but I don't think I can sing too well (haven't had a class since sixth grade) and I'm not confident enough in my guitar skills (though I'd be willing to try). So in short, we need God's guidance, because it's kind of a mess right now. I have faith that we will get everything worked out though. I'm not worried about it.
One thing I am worried about, though, is the fact that with school and work I'm going to be busy everyday from 8-5. I have been working that shift right now and to be honest it has affected my spiritual life. Keep those hours and throw in studying and I don't know what its going to look like. If I have to I will quit my job, but I'd rather not do that. So prayer for focus and guidance on what God wants my semester to look like. sigh I just miss the African days where all I did was wake up, have time with the Lord, then go on campus...
Anyway this has been long enough. Good way to kill some time. Leave me a comment! I want to hear from all of you! I miss you guys a bunch.
Lots of love,
Nate
Monday, August 4, 2008
Yes Scotty Knows!!! Or Maybe Not...
Hey guys, first off I love you and miss you guys like crazy. So yesterday at church, I spoke to my congregation about our project. It's been a week or two since I really got to talk about it to anyone, and it felt like I was reliving everything as I went through pictures talking about it all. I was supposed to have 10 minutes to talk, but ended up talking for about 45! I mean, there was just sooooo much to talk about, and I felt that I couldn't leave anything out of it because everything we did was not only amazing, but important, and had an impact. It was great talking about it to all of them, but it really made me think of you guys and about everything we went though together.
So yea, I wrote on the facebook thread about how Culture Americana was really bothering me, especially after my cruise, and I really appreciate the encouragement and prayer that you guys were able to give me. It really helped and since then things have gotten so much better. I've been able to gain some peace in the past week. Things are still busy, in fact busier than ever, but God has still been able to give me the ability to think on him as I go through all of this. Things aren't working out for me the way I thought they would, but that's ok. I know that God is in control, and I'm going to do what he taught me to do this summer, go with it.
So, I was unable to re-enroll into Mizzou for this upcoming semester. I screwed some stuff up pretty bad, and it's going to take more than a few weeks to fix it all. Instead I'm going to be enrolling into Columbia College for this fall, which for those of you not local to Columbia, is more like a community college. This was reall hard for me at first. Out of pride, the idea of regressing to a community college was really difficult, and depressing. But God is helping me deal with that pride issue day by day. Things aren't going to be easy, but like I told someone this summer on campus, the way that God chooses isn't the easy way, but it is the right way. And I'm going to do this the right way.
So, just in case you didn't realize how much you guys meant to me, I just wanted to say it again, I love you guys. You were, and are, twenty one of the greatest blessings of my entire life. I wish that I could be with all of you every day again, but I know that God has plans for each of you to impact tons of people wherever you are now, and wherever you end up. I hope that this finds you all well and thriving.
Your brother,
Scotty
So yea, I wrote on the facebook thread about how Culture Americana was really bothering me, especially after my cruise, and I really appreciate the encouragement and prayer that you guys were able to give me. It really helped and since then things have gotten so much better. I've been able to gain some peace in the past week. Things are still busy, in fact busier than ever, but God has still been able to give me the ability to think on him as I go through all of this. Things aren't working out for me the way I thought they would, but that's ok. I know that God is in control, and I'm going to do what he taught me to do this summer, go with it.
So, I was unable to re-enroll into Mizzou for this upcoming semester. I screwed some stuff up pretty bad, and it's going to take more than a few weeks to fix it all. Instead I'm going to be enrolling into Columbia College for this fall, which for those of you not local to Columbia, is more like a community college. This was reall hard for me at first. Out of pride, the idea of regressing to a community college was really difficult, and depressing. But God is helping me deal with that pride issue day by day. Things aren't going to be easy, but like I told someone this summer on campus, the way that God chooses isn't the easy way, but it is the right way. And I'm going to do this the right way.
So, just in case you didn't realize how much you guys meant to me, I just wanted to say it again, I love you guys. You were, and are, twenty one of the greatest blessings of my entire life. I wish that I could be with all of you every day again, but I know that God has plans for each of you to impact tons of people wherever you are now, and wherever you end up. I hope that this finds you all well and thriving.
Your brother,
Scotty
Update from Tabby
Hey! So we've been home for almost a month now. Weird! So what have I been up to....
It was so great to see Mike again! And it's fun to hang out with my family a lot. I actually haven't had many of problems adjusting to being home. I miss Africa, and of course all of you! I have felt a little disconnected. I haven't been staying in touch with people very well, which is typical for me. My roommate that I am closest to is in St. Louis for the summer and working nights, so we haven't been able to talk much. Both of my other roommates are working two jobs each and aren't around much. But I've been able to get together with several friends from school, and it was great getting caught up with them.
I started my new job 3 weeks ago. The first two weeks were classroom orientation...just a whole bunch of lectures on all sorts of random things, mostly not all that interesting. Then I had a few days off and took boards, so now I'm officially an RN. Then this Friday - Sunday were my first 3 days actually working with patients. I work 12 hour shifts, so it was kind of rough working my first 3-in-a-row, especially over a weekend. I also felt a little overwhelmed, like I'm not ready to do this on my own. I won't be on my own for at least 3 months, but the patient I had this weekend was really sick, and I was constantly busy and didn't have time to develop a routine or look up a lot of stuff, and just generally felt stressed and like I was forgetting something all the time. Not a good feeling when a child's life is in my hands. I know it will get better, but I'm feeling a little drained right now.
I think one thing I'd like prayer for is figuring out where God wants me to invest my time and energy in ministry. I know that He's put me a Children's Mercy for a reason, and I'm excited to see how He's going to use me there. But I also still want to be involved in CRU. It seems this summer got me more excited about campus ministry than I've ever been before. I'm still living less than a block from campus, and most of my friends are still students. I don't know how much of my wanting to stay involved is being afraid of moving on and how much is really because that's what I'm supposed to be doing. There are also a lot of opportunities for ministry at my church. A few of the other people my age at church are wanting to try to get something started for our age group. I think it would be good to start seeking more community in my church now that I'm not going to be as involved in CRU. Anyway, I'm kind of waiting for my work schedule to get established before I make any big decisions about what to with my time.
That's about it for now. I got to share some stories and pictures at church last week, which was fun. I miss you all! I really hope I'll be able to get off work to come to the reunion. That's right about the time I'll be finishing orientation, so I'm not sure if I'll be allowed to request days off or not. As of right now I can't, but maybe....
Love you all!
It was so great to see Mike again! And it's fun to hang out with my family a lot. I actually haven't had many of problems adjusting to being home. I miss Africa, and of course all of you! I have felt a little disconnected. I haven't been staying in touch with people very well, which is typical for me. My roommate that I am closest to is in St. Louis for the summer and working nights, so we haven't been able to talk much. Both of my other roommates are working two jobs each and aren't around much. But I've been able to get together with several friends from school, and it was great getting caught up with them.
I started my new job 3 weeks ago. The first two weeks were classroom orientation...just a whole bunch of lectures on all sorts of random things, mostly not all that interesting. Then I had a few days off and took boards, so now I'm officially an RN. Then this Friday - Sunday were my first 3 days actually working with patients. I work 12 hour shifts, so it was kind of rough working my first 3-in-a-row, especially over a weekend. I also felt a little overwhelmed, like I'm not ready to do this on my own. I won't be on my own for at least 3 months, but the patient I had this weekend was really sick, and I was constantly busy and didn't have time to develop a routine or look up a lot of stuff, and just generally felt stressed and like I was forgetting something all the time. Not a good feeling when a child's life is in my hands. I know it will get better, but I'm feeling a little drained right now.
I think one thing I'd like prayer for is figuring out where God wants me to invest my time and energy in ministry. I know that He's put me a Children's Mercy for a reason, and I'm excited to see how He's going to use me there. But I also still want to be involved in CRU. It seems this summer got me more excited about campus ministry than I've ever been before. I'm still living less than a block from campus, and most of my friends are still students. I don't know how much of my wanting to stay involved is being afraid of moving on and how much is really because that's what I'm supposed to be doing. There are also a lot of opportunities for ministry at my church. A few of the other people my age at church are wanting to try to get something started for our age group. I think it would be good to start seeking more community in my church now that I'm not going to be as involved in CRU. Anyway, I'm kind of waiting for my work schedule to get established before I make any big decisions about what to with my time.
That's about it for now. I got to share some stories and pictures at church last week, which was fun. I miss you all! I really hope I'll be able to get off work to come to the reunion. That's right about the time I'll be finishing orientation, so I'm not sure if I'll be allowed to request days off or not. As of right now I can't, but maybe....
Love you all!
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