It's August? For Real?

Where did summer go? (I realize that I live in SC and summer still has about 2 months left, but with school and football starting , it feels like fall is right around the corner.) This summer has been so crazy, but wonderful at the same time. I've been super busy and tired for most of the summer, but it's been worth it. I can't honestly say I've loved every minute of it, but overall it's been a great summer filled with old and new friends. And maybe one of the best parts is that Greenville feels so much like home to me now, every time I left town, I was excited to come back to my church, my friends, and my house.

So what have I been up to? Let's see...

- National Athletic training conference in Philly - where I got to spend time with my dear cousin, Whitney, and also see her brother Johnny and his family.

- Bachelorette weekend for Elizabeth at Douglas lake outside of Knoxville, TN.

- Peikou's wedding in Louisville, KY, where I also got to see some great friends and go to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.

- My cousins, Jennifer and Polo, and their daughter, Gracie, came to visit and we went to the Atlanta Aquarium.

- Bahamas mission trip with the emosewa Wafuasi and Dioko peeps from Grace Church. (Had to steal one of Sabrina's pictures for this because on this trip my camera started to get moody...then it broke.)

- Elizabeth and Rusty's wedding in Knoxville, TN. (My camera was pretty useless for the majority of this trip, as well, but I did get a couple good pictures.)

- Started a new job.

- Rob and Renae's engagement party in Columbia (where I took no pictures).

Yeah, so that's what's been going on. I'm going to try to catch up on some blogs I've been wanting to write throughout the summer (we'll see how that goes). God has been teaching me things and showing me things from new perspectives in my life lately, and I'd really like to share some of those thoughts. Hopefully I'll make the time to do that soon.

SCL: Spotting a Missionary

This SCL post is awesome...and so true.

It reminds me of the book my sister says she's going to write about missionaries coming back to America. She's going to call it "No Ice, Please." Brilliant.

This part is hilarious:

I know when I meet someone and they start talking about their trip to China and all the cultures, towns, language, and people they met. Well, if the story is longer than a few seconds my eyes glaze over as all I can think of is, “But did you get to walk on The Great Wall?”

It's so true. I've been talking about people groups and entire mountain villages who have never heard the name of Jesus and had people ask, "Did you go to the Olympics in Beijing?" or "How far were you from the Great Wall?"

Tension

I often quote people, movies, books, songs, etc. One reason is I just think it's fun (and I know at least one other person who thinks it's fun, too). Another reason, though, is that sometimes someone else just says something better/explains something better than I could. That is the case with the article I'm linking to in this blog.

I've been working in the "real world" for about a year and a half now, and it has created a tension inside me that I've had trouble explaining.

I enjoy what I do. I mean we all have bad/stressful/frustrating days, but I like what I do better than many other professions/jobs. I enjoy orthopaedics - figuring out what's making the body not work like it should and then fixing it. I love working with and helping people, and I enjoy doing that in all different capacities. So it's not that I hate my job or that it's a dead end job. But I still feel this tension.

I've had trouble verbalizing this tension, except being able to say, "I don't want to work for a corporation. I hate feeling like I'm working for a corporation because I don't know what I'm working for or if I even agree with the goal and direction of the corporation." Then, when I'd try to elaborate, I felt like my thoughts just kinda spilled out into a jumbled, confused pile. So when I came along this article, I was relieved. I was relieved that I wasn't alone in my feelings and that there were words to express them. I wonder how many people feel this same tension in their jobs on a daily basis...

Check out Tim Keller's thoughts: Ministry Movements

Taking a Break from Facebook

I decided the other night that I needed a little time off from Facebook. I’m not sure how long I’m going to stay off Facebook, but I just had to not look at it for at least a little while. I took facebook.com off of my bookmarks bar, and I’m glad I did, because it has just become habit for me to click Facebook right after checking my email. I just automatically do it. I’ve found myself going to click it many times in the past couple days. I knew I was on there too much, but the fact that I just click on the site without even thinking about it showed me just how much time I spend on that site.

So why did I decide to take a break from Facebook?

Because Facebook is evil and I should hate it? False.

I think Facebook is a wonderful thing. There is no way I would be connected with so many friends and family without it. I can see pictures of friends all over the country and all over the world. I can share in the joys of weddings and babies and all kinds of blessings in lives of friends. I can also know the struggles and problems friends are facing without them having to call or email me individually. I can offer encouragement and support (or a sarcastic comment) in an instant.

It is also a great community-building tool. As I meet new people I can learn more about them and connect more with them. It is also an easy way to make plans to meet up with friends whose schedules are just as crazy as mine.

So, no I don’t hate Facebook, and I don’t think it’s evil. Then why did I decide to stay off it for a little while?

Well, first, it’s a major time-waster for me. I have many things I need to do and people I would like to call/email/meet with, but I realize these things require set amounts of time so I put them off until I can devote more attention to them. But then I get on Facebook, just to see one picture someone commented on or tagged me in, and end up spending 30 minutes or more clicking, looking, and commenting, when I should have been doing something productive. While spending time on Facebook isn’t wrong, it’s definitely a huge waste of time for me sometimes.

Also, I think many times Facebook takes the place of real community. While Facebook is a great tool for community, it cannot replace actual, face-to-face, in person community. It feels safer than calling people or meeting with people in person. It kind of is safer, but it doesn’t offer the same community or relationship as personal connection does. We all long for meaningful relationships and community, and while Facebook may seem to offer that to us, it can’t deliver on that promise. Just think of how much different you feel after spending 3 hours sitting around laughing with friends versus having a Facebook wall conversation. In the end, we all desire and need actual, personal community.

I’m not writing this to convince you to give up Facebook. I’m not giving it up. I love it. I’m going to try to regulate myself a little more with regards to Facebook time once I do get back on, but I’m not closing my account or anything right now. I would just encourage you to be a good steward of your time and also not use it as an escape or replacement for community in your life. I’m going to try to do the same.

That's Where I Come From

So I was gonna write a serious blog or 2 today, and I still might, but after reading my sister's blog I just had to share. Check out what happened to her this morning in our wonderful hometown:

Thanks...I think

It would make it so much better if you knew my sister and could hear her voice telling this story, but it's hilarious nonetheless. Also, if you haven't seen the "Can I have your number?" sketch, you should watch it here and here.

Elizabeth's Wedding Weekend Preview

So I don't have a whole lot of pictures from this past weekend because I think my camera might be broken. However, at some point, I will post the ones I did get and maybe a few stories as well.

For now, though, you can enjoy this sight of Elizabeth's bridesmaids holding her up and imagine what this looked like when we tried the same thing with Rusty during our photo shoot before the wedding. I'm just thankful no one was injured.

I also thought I'd share some of my favorite quotes from the weekend. I must say, it lived up to it's billing - it was quite a quotable weekend...

- "I wanted to elope. He thought family was important."

- "You are awesome. I'm so glad you're here. Wipe your nose."

- "We would NOT have been friends in high school." (That was Liz talking about her husband.)

- "Does it have a ukulele? Ok, good."

- "Brooke led me to the right drugs."

- "Wear the sunglasses when you walk down. Keep them on during the ceremony. The girls will carry them and then put them on. You will keep them on the whole time." (It was more the tone and speed of this last statement than the quote itself.)

- "We need to rotate the cross."

- "Carlyn, that was negative, say 3 positive things." ..."Ok, 1. I don't have to get on a plane with Brooke today. 2. I don't have to get in a car with Brooke today. 3. This biscuit is really good."

- "Speaking of relationships, Cristin, when are you getting married?" (It wasn't the question that was funny, it was the awesome transition that she thought wasn't awkward at all.)

- (to me) "It's going to take a special man to marry you because you are your father to the core."

- "Write that down for our quote book."

I'm sure I'm leaving some out, maybe Carlyn can remember more.

That Boy Named Clark - Bahamas Preview

I'm going to blog more about my trip to the Bahamas, but for a glimpse into the people I had the pleasure of spending the week with, check out this video: