Once again, it's been a little while since I've written. So for the two of you that read this, I apologize. Things are getting into full swing at Ozark. I'm very, very glad to be back. I think this semester will be really good, and I'm excited about my classes.
Today in chapel, Kevin Greer spoke on community. Last year, Charlie and I had a discussion on how it seems like people here often have their bit of theology or doctrine or whatever that they get especially passionate about. We decided that for Charlie, this would be the cross. For Tom, it might be the kingdom. For me, I think it's fellowship and community. Which may sound odd, since I probably don't act like I enjoy other people very much, but it is something I do think about often, so I was especially interested in today's chapel sermon.
The community at Ozark is the greatest that I've ever been a part of. In high school, I kept to myself much of the time. Most of my friends were from youth group, and I wasn't all that close to anyone in my school. So when I first came to Ozark, it was refreshing to be in a place where I had a lot in common with so many people, and where everyone seemed friendly and anxious to build a relationship. In a lot of ways, we really do live as a giant family at Ozark, and I love it.
At times, however, I wonder how our community can be improved. Even at Ozark, it seems that people tend to divide themselves up into groups. Whether it be by dorm or floor or small group or church or age or whatever, we associate with a select group of people and don't make enough effort to include others, or to branch out ourselves. We may only play cards with certain people, or we only invite certain people to play volleyball or videogames or whatever. We even go to lengths to insure that people we don't want to be a part of an activity don't find out about it. And as a result, some people feel excluded, and we end up pigeon-holing ourselves and may miss out on benefits of the larger community. And I do this more than anybody.
I guess some of this is out of necessity. Obviously, a game of sand volleyball doesn't work out too well if 274 people show up to play. But I think the community at Ozark can do a little better sometimes at living as a family.
Sidenote: Yesterday, I played in a scrimmage game against the girls' soccer team. And one thing that I realized is that I am not in shape for soccer. It's a lot of running, and I'm not diggin' that. I'm not a soccer fan. I like to see the highlights and scoring plays during the World Cup, but outside of that, the game kind of bores me. But I give props to people who can run for 90 minutes without dying of heat stroke. They're almost as cool as people who play other sports.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Dead Space
The past couple days, I've been thinking, "Hm, I haven't written anything on my blog for a while." And then I realized that I don't really have anything to write. Why? Because I've been spending the last week bumming around my house, just waiting to get back to Ozark. And that doesn't provide much material for thought or writing.
When I was in high school, I didn't have a problem just vegging out. It didn't bother me too much just sitting around watching TV for an entire day. In fact, that would have sounded like a danged good day. But I can't do that anymore. Maybe I've gotten too used to the constant busyness of Ozark, in addition to always having other people around. Camp teams this summer is much the same thing, where there's always something to do and someone to be around. And for the moment, all I have to do is watch swimmers doing the backstroke on TV while I enjoy the dull companionship of our cats.
In a couple months, I'm going to be in over my head with papers and tests and everything else that goes with life at Ozark. I'll be constantly stressed out and will want nothing more than to have a break to myself. But for now, that break is driving me crazy. Bring on the schoolwork, I say! As long as it comes with the Nertz and ping-pong and Chick-fil-A and volleyball and pizza and Carterville and raquetball and everything else that makes my life A-OK.
It really is good to get to spend some time with my family and friends in Topeka. But something I realized is that life in Topeka tends to revolve around meals. Just about all the time that I've spent with others has been either having lunch or dinner together. The space in between meals is just dead. In a sense, I wish I could just go to bed, wake up every once in a while to eat, but not really get up until Saturday. And someone else could do all my laundry and packing. Yeah, that'd be great. Just about 68 more hours till I leave. I'm sure you're all counting down along with me.
When I was in high school, I didn't have a problem just vegging out. It didn't bother me too much just sitting around watching TV for an entire day. In fact, that would have sounded like a danged good day. But I can't do that anymore. Maybe I've gotten too used to the constant busyness of Ozark, in addition to always having other people around. Camp teams this summer is much the same thing, where there's always something to do and someone to be around. And for the moment, all I have to do is watch swimmers doing the backstroke on TV while I enjoy the dull companionship of our cats.
In a couple months, I'm going to be in over my head with papers and tests and everything else that goes with life at Ozark. I'll be constantly stressed out and will want nothing more than to have a break to myself. But for now, that break is driving me crazy. Bring on the schoolwork, I say! As long as it comes with the Nertz and ping-pong and Chick-fil-A and volleyball and pizza and Carterville and raquetball and everything else that makes my life A-OK.
It really is good to get to spend some time with my family and friends in Topeka. But something I realized is that life in Topeka tends to revolve around meals. Just about all the time that I've spent with others has been either having lunch or dinner together. The space in between meals is just dead. In a sense, I wish I could just go to bed, wake up every once in a while to eat, but not really get up until Saturday. And someone else could do all my laundry and packing. Yeah, that'd be great. Just about 68 more hours till I leave. I'm sure you're all counting down along with me.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
I Used to Be on Camp Teams
Right now, I'm sitting on the couch in my basement with Sportscenter on the TV in front of me as I type away on my laptop. But I feel like I should be wrapped up in a sleeping bag on a bunk in a room of high schoolers. My summer as a camp teamer for Ozark Christian College has finally come to an end. It's a very odd feeling. For the last seven months, camp teams has been a major part of my life, and I just finished my eighth week of camp. And now I am thrown back into somewhat of a normal existence.
I've had an absolutely incredible summer. I've gone through so many crazy experiences and have laughed so much. I've been buried in a pile of sticks while covered with Sharpie-dots. I've been surrounded by 100 high schoolers speaking in tongues, and I underwent a miraculous healing of head lice. I went to some sort of Christian rave that featured strobe lights, music, and milk and cookies. And now...I'm back in my basement.
This summer has likely been the most intense period of personal and spiritual growth that I've had since my freshman summer of high school. I've learned a ton about how God works in people. I've learned a ton about ministry. I've learned a ton about relating to others. I think it's going to take me a couple days of just laying around to sort out all the thoughts that have been banging around in my head for the past two months.
Being done is bittersweet. The way that I said to a few people is that I'm glad to leave, but sad to go. I'm happy to be home and to see my family and friends here, and I'm getting excited to get back to school and see everyone and get back into the flow of the semester. But on the flip side, I've met so many awesome people across the country that I'm going to miss a lot. Some of them I'll see again; some of them I probably won't. It's weird to think about how I spend a period of time working closely with people and getting to know them pretty well, only to go our separate ways at the end of the week.
I guess what I want to do is give out some thank yous to people who helped make the summer what it was. I think this might get long. But that's okay. So thank you to all these people:
Joni: Joni lives on a farm. Thus, she lives a life that gives me constant fodder for my sarcasm and ridicule. And she takes it and laughs, which I love. I learned a great deal from being around Joni this summer. Joni recognizes the power in prayer and prays for things very specifically. She also has a great sense for sensing opportunities for ministry and the courage to follow through on them. She has a heart the size of Wyoming, but near as desolate.
Kaylene: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says simply "Pray continually." When I think of this verse, I think of Kaylene. I have met very few people that are such persistent pray-ers as she is. In general, my prayer life sucks pretty bad, so I learned a ton from her. Also, Kaylene has a life where her spirituality is completely ingrained with the rest of her life. There's no compartments in her life, and I respect her for that a whole, whole lot.
Sy: If it weren't for Sy, I probably would've had a mental breakdown by Week 3. Throughout the course of the summer, Sy has become a great friend, and we had a whole lot of awesome moments together (which we catalogued in a list in my spiral notebook). It was a gigantic privilege to get to work with this guy. I've learned a ton about how to begin and maintain solid relationships with people from Sy. He's also twice the preacher/teacher that I am. I'm looking forward to our cooperation in the future: making movies, playing frisbee. Maybe we'll throw some ministry-stuff in there somewhere too.
Cliff: Our training for camp teams was intense. It often made me want to cut off my own arms. And I still have no idea how standing on a wooden plank for three hours helped me lead a small group or organize recreation. But somehow or another, Cliff definitely prepared us for the summer. Also, I've never had a boss that cares so much about his employees and is invested in his life, and I appreciated that a ton. Definitely a far cry from my managers at Wal-Mart last summer.
I'm grateful to the Quad City DJ's for recording the Space Jam theme.
Maybe my favorite part of the summer was meeting all the camp teams from other schools, and there's a few that I am especially happy to have gotten know. First, St. Louis Christian College (Matt, Michael, Julie, Katie). We went to the 'ship. We won the 'ship. And we partied it up in a flooded St. Louis until the wee hours of the morning. This kids are so Penny Hardaway.
Kentucky Christian University (Erich, Arthur, Michelle, J-Fuzz): Getting a group rate at Six Flags by recruiting random people at the gate was the most unethical thing I've done in a long time. But also one of the best memories. I had never before been accused of being Chinese until I met these guys. But regardless, those two weeks in Indiana were awesome, and I miss them a lot.
Boise Bible College (Todd and Sam): I wasn't expecting to be part of a worship band at the beginning of the summer. And yet there I sat, banging on my djimbe while Todd and Sam did the real musical stuff. These are the best fellow cabin-checkers that I've ever had, and they were part of my first and only Dutch Bros. experience.
Hope International University (David and Wendi): I was with these two for three weeks. They've promised me a free trip to Disneyland if ever find myself in California. so that's solid. David has an great heart for ministry and an incredibly genuine spirit. I'm especially thankful for Wendi. She was my Dark Knight buddy.....twice, suffered from bubonic plague with me, and has become an awesome friend that I value immensely.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who was especially encouraging to me during the summer and that were praying for me. (At least they said they were. Maybe they lied.) Anyways, those people would be: my parents, Jackie, Kelsie, Becky, Jayne, and Charlie. They're all awesome and helped keep me going when I was wearing down.
Now I'm home for a week and a half before I head back to Joplin. I'm getting really excited to get back to Ozark, and I miss everyone there a lot and look forward to hearing about everyone's summer. The Olympics start in a couple days. Look for me on the water polo team. I'll be the one treading water.
I've had an absolutely incredible summer. I've gone through so many crazy experiences and have laughed so much. I've been buried in a pile of sticks while covered with Sharpie-dots. I've been surrounded by 100 high schoolers speaking in tongues, and I underwent a miraculous healing of head lice. I went to some sort of Christian rave that featured strobe lights, music, and milk and cookies. And now...I'm back in my basement.
This summer has likely been the most intense period of personal and spiritual growth that I've had since my freshman summer of high school. I've learned a ton about how God works in people. I've learned a ton about ministry. I've learned a ton about relating to others. I think it's going to take me a couple days of just laying around to sort out all the thoughts that have been banging around in my head for the past two months.
Being done is bittersweet. The way that I said to a few people is that I'm glad to leave, but sad to go. I'm happy to be home and to see my family and friends here, and I'm getting excited to get back to school and see everyone and get back into the flow of the semester. But on the flip side, I've met so many awesome people across the country that I'm going to miss a lot. Some of them I'll see again; some of them I probably won't. It's weird to think about how I spend a period of time working closely with people and getting to know them pretty well, only to go our separate ways at the end of the week.
I guess what I want to do is give out some thank yous to people who helped make the summer what it was. I think this might get long. But that's okay. So thank you to all these people:
Joni: Joni lives on a farm. Thus, she lives a life that gives me constant fodder for my sarcasm and ridicule. And she takes it and laughs, which I love. I learned a great deal from being around Joni this summer. Joni recognizes the power in prayer and prays for things very specifically. She also has a great sense for sensing opportunities for ministry and the courage to follow through on them. She has a heart the size of Wyoming, but near as desolate.
Kaylene: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says simply "Pray continually." When I think of this verse, I think of Kaylene. I have met very few people that are such persistent pray-ers as she is. In general, my prayer life sucks pretty bad, so I learned a ton from her. Also, Kaylene has a life where her spirituality is completely ingrained with the rest of her life. There's no compartments in her life, and I respect her for that a whole, whole lot.
Sy: If it weren't for Sy, I probably would've had a mental breakdown by Week 3. Throughout the course of the summer, Sy has become a great friend, and we had a whole lot of awesome moments together (which we catalogued in a list in my spiral notebook). It was a gigantic privilege to get to work with this guy. I've learned a ton about how to begin and maintain solid relationships with people from Sy. He's also twice the preacher/teacher that I am. I'm looking forward to our cooperation in the future: making movies, playing frisbee. Maybe we'll throw some ministry-stuff in there somewhere too.
Cliff: Our training for camp teams was intense. It often made me want to cut off my own arms. And I still have no idea how standing on a wooden plank for three hours helped me lead a small group or organize recreation. But somehow or another, Cliff definitely prepared us for the summer. Also, I've never had a boss that cares so much about his employees and is invested in his life, and I appreciated that a ton. Definitely a far cry from my managers at Wal-Mart last summer.
I'm grateful to the Quad City DJ's for recording the Space Jam theme.
Maybe my favorite part of the summer was meeting all the camp teams from other schools, and there's a few that I am especially happy to have gotten know. First, St. Louis Christian College (Matt, Michael, Julie, Katie). We went to the 'ship. We won the 'ship. And we partied it up in a flooded St. Louis until the wee hours of the morning. This kids are so Penny Hardaway.
Kentucky Christian University (Erich, Arthur, Michelle, J-Fuzz): Getting a group rate at Six Flags by recruiting random people at the gate was the most unethical thing I've done in a long time. But also one of the best memories. I had never before been accused of being Chinese until I met these guys. But regardless, those two weeks in Indiana were awesome, and I miss them a lot.
Boise Bible College (Todd and Sam): I wasn't expecting to be part of a worship band at the beginning of the summer. And yet there I sat, banging on my djimbe while Todd and Sam did the real musical stuff. These are the best fellow cabin-checkers that I've ever had, and they were part of my first and only Dutch Bros. experience.
Hope International University (David and Wendi): I was with these two for three weeks. They've promised me a free trip to Disneyland if ever find myself in California. so that's solid. David has an great heart for ministry and an incredibly genuine spirit. I'm especially thankful for Wendi. She was my Dark Knight buddy.....twice, suffered from bubonic plague with me, and has become an awesome friend that I value immensely.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who was especially encouraging to me during the summer and that were praying for me. (At least they said they were. Maybe they lied.) Anyways, those people would be: my parents, Jackie, Kelsie, Becky, Jayne, and Charlie. They're all awesome and helped keep me going when I was wearing down.
Now I'm home for a week and a half before I head back to Joplin. I'm getting really excited to get back to Ozark, and I miss everyone there a lot and look forward to hearing about everyone's summer. The Olympics start in a couple days. Look for me on the water polo team. I'll be the one treading water.
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