New Fun on the Horizon

Whew!! Man, has it been an intensive month or so! Apologies for my lack of posting, but life just got super-crazy, and I suppose I'm still settling in. I'm in the middle of my fourth week of school, and definately loving my classes. Here are some highlights of my life right now...

* School is amazing, but I'm ready to be out. I've officially decided to finish a year early, so after two summer school classes, I will be done with college. No, I don't have any clue what I'm going to do when I'm finished. I'll let everyone know as soon as I figure it out. I promise. For this semester, I am learning all sorts of fun things about exercise and health in my kinesiology class, acting Shakespeare, how to draft (draw/make) patterns for costumes, playwriting, round three of German, and how to better control my voice in performance.

* Church is even more amazing--we will be moving next week to our new location at La Trova House on Stoner Ave. Check the Shoreline website for details. Also, I will be helping to organize the children's' ministry which is quite possibly the most frightening thing in the world, but ridiculously exciting at the same time. I am so amazed by how many cool opportunities God has given me at Shoreline. I absolutely adore my friends there and am stoked about what He has in store.

* As for my "free time," I'm still working at Prep Center, where I tutor math and English to highschool (and those smart middle school) students. Also, I'll try to be as consistent as possible in my small group here at SC, where we will be going through Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge, as well as Quest on Wednesdays, my Shoreline ladies on Mondays, and prayer meetings on Thursdays.

So...we might ask ourselves...has Meredith lost her mind?? Maybe. Right now, things seem to be going along well, which brings me to a slight tangent (but an actual topic of discussion) for today's' post. Chrissie Wanke started a blog for the women of Shoreline, where I will hopefully begin contributing some. (PS--check out the post from Sept 6...I'd love to hear more thoughts on that topic!!) In our women's Bible study we are going to spend the year talking through the sermons each week. This way, we are able to really dig deeper into what Brian or Scott have to share with us on Sundays and discuss how to apply it to our lives during the rest of the week, instead of letting the message seep out as we head to lunch. Anyways...point I'm trying to make--Chrissie's latest post is about our discussion last night of what it means to live a truly full life. On the topic of busyness (remember, before Meredith began her awkward tangent, she was discussing all of her after-school activities, suggesting a potential burn-out on the horizon), looking at my schedule makes me wonder if I'm not over-doing things just a tad. And to think, after the sermon on Sunday, I was asking myself about how I could put more of my idle time to use for Christ. Am I too busy or too idle? Honestly, who knows? I sometimes wonder if I do a little too much contemplating for my own good. Here's how I really hash it out: granted, I attend formal church activities on Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thurs, along with my school and work commitments. Now before you start thinking I'm holy and fabulous or something, I should explain. In the wise words of my friend Will Neuman, "You go to church for the same reason I go to bars." As one who is revolted by the idea of going to church to pick up women (ok...or men), this statement should set me off. However, it was a comment following my explanation that many of my church activities were very socially geared. Yes, I go to church to hear God's word and learn more about Him, but there is a significant and important purpose to the communal aspect of church. These activities are more than just time fillers, but a place for me to relax and enjoy the company of women and men whom I love dearly. And what better topic to discuss than the amazing God we all serve? Conclusion: my crazy schedule should not induce hysteria, panic, or any otherwise upsetting physical reactions.

To wrap myself up...because I have a Bible study to attend...this year's blog posting will hopefully be frequent enough to allow everyone to see the craziness inside my head, ie: such mumbo-jumbo as that in the preceding paragraph. As I learn about how to teach children (young and old) and get taught all sorts of things myself, I hope to share my thoughts here about the kinds of stuff that bounces around in my brain. Please share your thoughts on my weirdo theories! I post stuff because I'm usually crazy and it's good to have someone put me in my place when I start to ramble (because my idea of editing is running spell-check). Get excited for all sorts of forum topics from ministry to theatre, children and women, and of course the ever popular topic...boys.