Archive | August, 2010
worship.
15 AugI participate in worship. I lead worship. I plan worship. I preach in worship.
Tonight I was able to just be in worship. I planned zero of the service. I sat in the back row. We worshipped outside in this gorgeous day, the break in the heat. I didn’t need to concentrate on the bulletin and remind myself to say this one part a certain way or be concerned about forgetting this part or that.
It was a worship service at the park to begin a bike fundraiser for our conference of churches to raise money for our sister synod in South Africa. A thoughtful message. Wonderful surroundings. Contemporary music. Focus songs that reminded me of worship at Luther College. I sang my heart out and loved it.
here is my rant.
15 AugI leave in two weeks.
I don’t want to leave.
I’ve just found friends.
I feel like I’ve only just completely adjusted.
I certainly don’t want to go to class.
This isn’t new. You’ve heard me say it before. But as I returned home from a social evening of sitting around a campfire with people I’m only just beginning to know, I rant again. As I celebrate the fun that was day camp last week and reflect on the productive, fun weekend I had, I rant. I complain. I start to cry. I start to say goodbye to people I’ve gotten to know … except I’m never great at actually saying goodbye. I’ll put it off for as long as possible. “Oh, well, we might see each other again.” Or, “I’ll try to stop back up again.” I’d rather leave ambiguously than with a strict farewell.
Two weeks.
The two-week motto: Little sleep. Much coffee.
These two weeks will go far too fast.
I don’t want to waste my time sleeping.
creation camp (2).
12 Aug
My current facebook status?
Lindsay S. labels day camp a grand success!
My last two days with the fifteen kiddos (and adult friends) were as pleasant and fun as the first! Mrs. Amanda, college roommate and BFF, came and helped out for a day, and Tammy had perfect attendance and gets a gold star for always cleaning up my messes. Creation campers created human sundials in the parking lot using the sidewalk chalk we had made ourselves, had water relays in the courtyard, and played lots of games. (‘My grandma’s big fat toe’ was easily the favorite. I’m hopeless at it as the skill involved is answering every question asked with “my grandma’s big fat toe” and not cracking up while saying it. What did you eat for breakfast? My grandma’s big fat toe. When you look in the mirror, what do you see? My grandma’s big fat toe. I can’t even make it through the questions before I start to smirk.) We painted birdhouses, assembled the remainder of the health kits, and took crazy pictures. I made them eat pudding cups without their hands or spoons, we shared our week of camp with the ladies at the assisted living facility, and ended our days together with one big group hug.
I received so much love from these campers in the last four days. They escaped secretly during snack to all go to the second floor craft area where they made me a poster that said, “We’ll miss you, Lindsey!” I don’t even care that they spelled my name wrong! I got countless hugs, lots of “I’ll miss you,” and gracious thank yous. Camper J. had to leave early for a fishing trip. His mom picked him up, they walked outside, and then she must have told him to come back inside and say thank you. He ran through the kitchen, past Tammy and I, threw back a “thank you!” and pointed to me while yelling, “Good pastor!” That, combined with everything else wonderful about day camp, completely made my week.
million + one
12 AugThe millionth plus one reason to love Dawson –
I was still at church at 6pm this evening. Day camp had concluded but other pastoral duties – the ones I had lapsed on for the beginning portion of the week – still needed attending to, including the choosing of hymns so the bulletin could be printed the following morning. La di da … I’m choosing hymns, hanging out in the main office by myself when Emily comes to get me. Apparently, there are storms. Tornado warnings. I’m oblivious to it all in my ELW-concentrated world. “Come with us,” Emily demanded (in the most caring way possible). Okay.
Dinner, a few beverages (You know. Milk.), and many laughs/hours later, I’m on my way home back to church to retrieve my car and head home. An unexpected good night. I will miss random, unplanned late nights at the Stelter’s.
creation camp (1).
10 Aug
I pled with the staff many months ago for the opportunity to hold a day camp. After a couple summers in Stillwater, I knew that I would miss the many camps and children/youth activities that I so enjoyed at church. Dates were put on the calendar, information mailed, a dozen kids signed up. Here we go.
We have all sorts of fun planned for the four-day camp, including but not limited to making ice cream in baggies, ridiculous games, holding competitions to bring no-waste lunches, opposite day fun, frozen tshirts, terrariums, decorating team creation sheets, and making sidewalk chalk.
Highlight of the last two days – the “everyone-needs-to-have-both-feet-off-the-ground-for-three-seconds-using-this-wooden-box” teambuilder. These fourteen first through sixth graders worked together in impressive ways to accomplish the task at hand. Really, the group has been amazing in so many ways. They get along splendidly, work to include everyone, and can easily begin and sustain a game by themselves. These first two days have been a complete joy and I only anticipate the next/last two to be the same. It’s been a blast and I hope the campers agree!
laughing.
6 AugI was reminded of the gift of laughter this week. The power of the belly laugh. The freeing feeling of a giggle. That laugh when you have absolutely no control, tears start forming, and you sound positively ridiculous. I spent time with a new friend a few nights this week and laughing was a staple of the evenings together. At one point, I remember thinking how absolutely hideous we both sounded but that was the best part! Even better – neither of us was able to stop. Watching a movie in some sort of mysterious fast-forward mode when the characters sound like munchkins will do that to you. I have not laughed so hard in a long while. I feel wonderful today; I think the laughing is to thank.
batty.
3 AugI’d heard rumors that this happens.
I should be prepared for it to appear on my desk someday.
I waited.
And waited.
And finally it appeared … on Karen’s desk.
A big one. A big bat. From the sanctuary.
Keith gets a mighty good laugh out of others’ squeamishness in regards to the creature-in-a-container.
I’m holding out for bat ashes in the mail next year. Then I’ll know I was truly loved.
meet Abby.
3 AugAbby is my roommate this week. I’m dogsitting for Kendall and Emily as they are off enjoying the landscape, friends, and adventures in Montana for the week.
Abby is a chocolate lab. She’s pretty. And pretty hyper. And pretty in love with her ball. And pretty much will play fetch for as long as you throw the ball.
It’s going pretty well. She ran off on me once. As I followed her down the street, she would look back at me, forgo any obligation to respond to my calling, and continue on her way. She ended up at Wager’s where she had a friendly little growling match with their dogs before I dragged her back by the collar to her kennel.
She sleeps in bed with me. I was told this would happen, that she would sleep at the foot of my bed. That’s how it started – the foot of the bed. I think Abby realizes that I’m a pushover and not her owners so she’s pushing her limits. She lays down on the side of the bed and won’t move to allow me to crawl into bed. I crawl over her and she lets me have the side by the wall. And once my alarm goes off in the morning (and I crawl over her to grab it off the bedside table), there are no snooze possibilities. Abby makes sure I’m up when I’m supposed to be.
It’s a nice change of pace. I can talk to Abby instead of to myself. Games to play. Attention to give and receive. I think Abby will be happy to see her owners return … and get rid of that woman who laughs at her when her ball gets stuck under the china cabinet and squeezes her face affectionately.
six things I learned at lunch today
3 AugToday was my last (… there’s that word again …) midweek communion service in Grace Hall. The midweek service is every first Tuesday that follows the first Sunday of the month. (It confused me too.) It is a welcomed service for our members who no longer drive (they can take the bus to church on Tuesdays but not on Sundays when it doesn’t run) or who do not feel comfortable with the actions of communion in the larger Sunday setting. We had a good crowd today – nine people including Muriel, our wonderful 91 year old pianist.
After the service, it’s lunch time. Coffee and bars. Or cookies. Or today – peanut croquettes – which is the first thing I learned today –
1. Peanut croquettes. I had no idea what these treats were previous to lunch today. Cake, covered with frosting, rolled in crushed peanuts. Slightly resembled a cake ball. Good stuff.
2. Peanuts in the 10 oz. bag? Now $2.37 at the store. Announced with extreme distain.
3. The former bakery mixed too many bread crumbs in their peanuts to cover the croquettes. Dislike.
4. Drink coffee slowly. I burned my tongue.
5. A bit too much community gossip and I was reminded of the fact that everyone really is related. “Oh, she was my aunt” or “well, yes, he’s my nephew” abounded.
6. Everyone knows I’m leaving. I think every person who came made some reference to my inevitable exodus from Dawson. sad. There was even a delightful pair of non-members whom I’d never met before who came to the service and said to me, “Well, we heard you were leaving so we figured we should come.” Well. Thank you for coming.
there's no place like gnome. 
