My Facebook

Someday, years ago, while I was working hard on a seminary paper, I ran across a website that a few of my friends had invited me to check out. I wasn't sure what it was exactly; it seemed to be a way to look at who attended the same school. In fact, it reminded me of a photo book that my undergraduate school gave out to all the freshman. It was a book that my friends and I enjoyed browsing through to discover the number of cute upperclassmen. As soon as one of the girls on the hall mentioned a guys name, we scrambled to search through the book to see what he looked like (it was never a really good picture - just their student ID photo). Ironically, the book of photos was called the Facebook.

I have to admit, the facebook website has changed my life. For better and for worse. Currently, I have 556 "Friends" on fb and at least 35 others who are awaiting my confirmation. I'm daily on the site - looking at pictures of people's vacation trips, holiday family gatherings, and wedding ceremonies; viewing the latest posted links, and scrolling through the feed on my home page (wondering what's the difference between "News Feed" and "Live Feed").

Because of this amazing website, I've entered into the worlds of individuals that I said good-bye to over 15 years ago. I find it very strange. When I graduated high school, I knew who I would stay in touch with and realized that nearly 95% of the people I knew during those four years would remain forever 18 in my mind. Although my personality lends itself to being loyal and remaining faithful to friends near and far, I accepted the truth that some friends come into your life for a season, a reason, or a lifetime. I understand that life carries us along; like the current of a river, we are whisked away down a path that branches off multiple times. With each turn in the path, we encounter new people. I use to joke when leaving a group of people that I had volunteered with or been at a conference with by saying, "It's been great! Good-bye! Have a nice life!" Now, with the invention of fb, there is a way to see these people on a daily basis and interact in some way.

But that's just it - I don't interact with a majority of my friends on fb. This website has redefined the meaning of friend. It has reduced it to a click of a button. This is the reason that I have not confirmed a number of people's requests. Just because our diploma says that we attended the same school 10 years ago, doesn't mean that we are friends.

So, I'm conflicted about this amazing networking site. I managed to never create a "myspace" and feel as though I missed out on absolutely nothing. Almost weekly I consider fasting from facebook for at least a month. It wastes my time and causes me to long for real friends and former places. Not only does it consume my time on the computer, but I find myself throughout the day thinking in "facebook status." While I'm going about my day, I think of what I would post on my fb profile. I wonder if anyone would care that I was enjoying the sunshine or was overwhelmed by life. It's a little bit ridiculous.

While I prefer face to face encounters and enjoy conversations over coffee instead of insant message, this is the world in which I live. I must adjust with the changing times and accept the reality that contacting with people is as easy as logging in and clicking "Add as Friend."

All Things Christmas

Christmas is a time of celebration and cheer, but above all, Christmas is about Jesus. It is about a rescue mission initiated by a loving father and carried out by a loyal son. Christmas involves trees, lights, carols, and sweets, but above all, Christmas is about the Gift. It is about the selfless sacrifice of one child for the many adopted children of Earth. Christmas gathers friends and families together for laughter, memories, and meals, but above all, Christmas is about seeking. It is about searching our hearts to find grace given by the Lord to share with other in our lives that are hurting and in need.

Here is my list of "Things Christmas":

Love of Christ
Joy of God's presence
Peace that passes all understanding
Hope that does not disappoint
Favor of the Creator
Life everlasting
Salvation coming forth from repentance
Selflessness
Generosity from one heart to another
Receiving the Kingdom
Seeking God's face
Praise shouted from mountain tops

Ordained

"Lord, if ordination is something you want me to pursue," I prayed, "then make it clear." As I stood to sing the closing hymn at the ordination service tears began to fill my eyes. Joyful emotions in part because the act of confirming ones call to ministry is moving; there is a sense of being apart of a sacred ceremony (much like a wedding), and other mournful emotions as I realized my own longing to have the special recognition of my personal call to ministry. My heart is saddened when I contemplate the belief that as a female, the Christian tradition that God used to bring about my faith, the tradition that nurtured my faith, even educated my faith practices, will never affirm my calling to preach my faith to others in the same way they will a man. Most of the time, I am satisfied in knowing that God is using me as he does my brothers in Christ, to shepherd young people in their walk with Him. It is God who calls and equips, ultimately. Yet, I struggle to understand why churches still hold to the belief that ordination is for men alone. Considering the sacrifices I have made to minister where God has called me to and the legacy in which he has already blessed me, I sense the injustice that a majority in my beloved denomination practices by withholding a blessing upon numerous ministers, called and equipped by the Spirit, simply because they have the wrong genitalia. It's not fair and scripture is not clear either way. Observing how Christ often went against cultural norms as he treated women with respect and identified women as a vital part of his ministry, I believe that he would honor and recognize females who serve him today in equal fashion as that of their male counterparts.

I won't put forth my entire argument for the ordination of women in this particular post, but I do have such an argument. All too often I choose to refrain from expressing it because I love my church tradition and not being ordained has yet to limit the scope of my ministry of sharing the gospel. I will, however, continue the story of my evening - actually skipping to the end!

After a dinner at the church, swing dancing at another church, beers at a hotel in Boston, I raced to catch the train before it pulled out of the Charles/MGH station. It was just after midnight, I was tired and I didn't want to wait for the next train. The car was packed so I stood near the doors, paying little attention to the crowd of young people until they got off at the next stop. As they exited one person asked another in the group, "Where are we going?" "I don't know, MIT, I think," was one guys reply. But I then heard a girl say, "I think we're going to the bathroom." This statement made me laugh aloud - primarily because it was late and things are way funnier after mid-night and two beers. A man stood in front of me and smiled at my laughter. He too had heard the girl and thought it a rather unusual statement. After a few comments shared about the crowd of kids, he pointedly asked, "What do you do?" It caught me by surprise, but I answered with my usual spiel about my work with high school students through the Christian mission of Young Life. He seemed interested so I continued to share about the dynamics of the kids I get to serve. When I asked what he did, he mentioned something about working in a cubicle. We shared a lot about each other in a short train ride and just as we entered the Porter Sq. station, he leaned over and said, "Does your organization take donations?" Before thinking, I smartly replied, "Yes, I don't know what non-profit doesn't. You can find us online at younglife.org." He then said, "Can I just give you the donation now?" With a look of surprise on my face as he pulled out his wallet, I smiled and said "Sure...but this is my stop." Hurriedly, he handed me a $20 bill. Baffled at what was happening, I muttered something about this being really nice and he doesn't have to do it. He then said, "It sounds like you're doing some great work." Still in a bit of shock, I stepped of the train, looked back and said, "So what's your name?" "Will" I gave my name, smiled, uttered the words, "God bless" before the doors of the train closed and I walked down the platform.

The rest of the way home, I praised God and thought about the ministry God has called me to and affirms on a daily basis. While it would be nice to have a certificate that says "ordained" framed and hanging on my wall, not having it doesn't hinder my ministry to teenagers and families. I will go where He sends me and in the end be satisfied in knowing I sought to be faithful to Christ over seeking the approval of man.

Time for Pics

This time of year, I look around at the trees and think, "oh, how I wish I could capture the brilliant colors of the leaves and hold on to their beauty all year long!" Now, I could pull out my new little green digital camera and take a few photos and have them sit on my computer for years to come, but what purpose would that serve. So, instead of taking pictures of the scenic view, I've taken photos of the amazing friends that I've spent time with this month.


Enjoy!

No Excuses

Okay, okay - only one post in the month of September...

"I've been busy!" No excuse - who isn't busy? Busy is esteemed high in our society.

"I've been out of town." No excuse - all the more reason to write about the adventures of being here, there, and everywhere.

"I've been tired." No excuse - watching three hours of television most nights (NCIS marathon) and then staying up late to watch highlights on Baseball Tonight can account for the lack of sleep.

"I've been lazy." No excuse - although closer to the truth, Proverbs 13:4 states, "the soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat."

"I've been consumed with thoughts." Somewhat of an excuse - this statement is very true; recently my mind has been engrossed with memories from the past, longing for what once was - friendships, relationships, opportunities, and activities. Of course, at times my mind is engaged in the present - tasks that must be done for the day, what I desire to accomplish by the end of the work week and how I'm going to pass the time over the weekend. Then there are those moments, more frequently these days, that I allow my mind to wander into visions of the future; longing to meet the man that will sweep me off my feet, hoping to have the means to travel to visit family and friends, knowing I need to obtain the financial resources to meet my most basic needs, praying that the Lord will give me the wisdom and discernment to know where He is leading and most of all, desiring to make an impact for the Kingdom of God in the hearts of those around me.

Please forgive me for not writing more often. As you can see, I have many excuses.

Some Thoughts on Youth Ministry

The past month my time has been filled with what I really enjoy - hanging out with teenagers. I think for most adults, spending time with anyone under the age of 18 is not on the top of their list of "favorite things", but for me, it excites me and reveals to me God's grace. Teenagers tend to be Real, at least when given the opportunity. Most of the time they say what's on their mind, if you'll listen and really hear what they're saying. If they don't like someone it will be revealed as soon as that person walks in the room. If they're not having fun, just wait until one of them gets a crazy idea. They're spontaneous! They like to laugh and be silly - often at the expense of someone else (but I try not to laugh unless that person is laughing too). For the most part, they aren't afraid to try new things and explore new thoughts. Teenagers can be serious and speak about what really matters in life.

As I look back over the past 15 years (yep, started working with youth my freshman year of college - almost exactly 15 years ago), the faces of so many teenagers come to my mind. Of course, most of them are now in the adult world - working full-time jobs, married, own a home, have a baby, etc. It's amazing and humbling to know that God allowed me to be apart of their lives - especially during the most formative years, when they were making decisions that directed their future.

This past month I've had the opportunity to get to know some new teenage friends. We laughed a lot as we hung out at Young Life camp. It was really awesome when some of them decided to begin a relationship with Jesus. Again, I'm humbled - knowing that it is God at work in them and not any of my own wisdom or persuasion. I'm also challenged - to nurture and encourage their faith, while sharing with the truth of what it looks like to be committed to Christ. I get excited as I think about where they will be in five years. Some of them will be serving in their church or even be a Young Life leader!

Sitting in my freshman dorm room, I blurted out to my dear friend and roommate, "what am I going to do with my life?" With great confidence she stated, "Sarah, your going to work with youth!" They way she said it, one would have thought that it was very obvious to her and it should have been to me too. Yet, it was a bit of a surprise to me, but it was a start of my journey in discovering what God had for me. I believe in her discernment and many other things over the years have affirmed her prophecy.

Youth ministry has a very special place in this world. Some day I will write a book about my adventures in youth ministry. Perhaps it will encourage other ministers. If nothing else, it will provide me with some good laughs and lots of tears (mostly of joy)! My heart is grateful to be called to such a vocation and I pray that I last another 15 years loving teenagers and sharing the truth of God's amazing love.

5 Years

I failed to acknowledge my blogiversary last month. It's been five years and one month since I first posted a message titled, "A few of my favorite things these days." In honor of that post and my tremendous accomplishment of not abandoning this blog, I will list again a few of my favorite things (some haven't changed):

Two cups of fresh ground coffee in the morning (black of course)

Long walks with Titus on the community path

Morning talks with neighbor/friend

Quiet time in the morning to listen to Christian music classics while reading my daily Bible passage

Talking to good ol' friends on the phone (even if it has been a long time)

Visiting the local dog park and watching Titus take off running

A large homemade frozen margarita

My little garden growing

Strolling up to Ball Square for a cup of ice coffee at True Grounds

Hanging out with a teenager as we talk about life and God's desire for her future

Being able to show up at Fenway Park on game day and getting a ticket (even if I only get SRO)

Receiving an unexpected donation to Young Life (no matter how big or small)

Five years later - it's summer again and life is good!