Progress!

Yay!!! I got an "A" on my first college paper in nearly 15 years! :)  And I'm pretty sure I got an "A" on my midterm this morning too!  All of this while having an emergency tooth extraction yesterday morning - turns out dentists' waiting rooms are good places to study :)  I can't wait to have insurance again!

I had a really great time at my Discovering Redeemer class last weekend, led by our pastor, Jason.  Turns out euker is a popular game here (I knew I liked these people) and there's an annual church-wide trip to Lake Michigan in May (there's only about 2-300 people at Redeemer, so it's not like they take over the entire lake like FBC would :)  I got to meet several new people, tho' most of us were in our late 20's, early 30's, mostly singles, a few couples - not complaining :)  It was good to meet people from such different backgrounds, and even a few from Goshen and South Bend!  It seems that Fiddler's Hearth is known far & wide :)  I'm praying about whether to join in time for the Easter membership class, or wait for a while.  I love the mission and vision of Redeemer - to be an urban city church among many downtown fellowships that work for the spiritual, social, and artistic redemption of the city - but still have a few questions.  In the meantime, I think I've found a couple community groups I can plug into on Sundays, since I work evenings during the week - I really miss my small group and those relationships!

Other than that, nothing much new...except my sister is nearly a certified EMT and got to save someone's life last week!  I'm so impressed with her passion for her work, and so proud of her for the commitment it took to do an entire EMT training course in 2 weeks!  And also really glad she did it close to me so I could take her out to celebrate (note:  if you like Italian food, you MUST try Buca de Beppo's!  You'll never look at Olive Garden the same way... :)

Sleepy Snowy Day

I don't have work or class today, so this is my view from the kitchen table as I study for my art history midterm on Tuesday, and catch up on my blogging :).  The cats are warming themselves on or near the radiators, and the snow looks beautiful when viewed from indoors :)  The weather is actually very different in Indy from South Bend - less snow, more ice and sleet, but I love my adopted home.

Tonight & tomorrow morning I am attending a membership/exploration seminar for my church, more studying tomorrow, and then my sister Dawn comes!  She is completing her 

EMT training in Bloomington and will get to spend Saturday & Sunday with me before heading back to her camp in Michigan - precious sis time :).  Next Friday I get to go with my friend Amanda to the Art Institute in Chicago - I've never been, and it has been free admission for the month of February - we will get to take advantage of the last day!

Last week I turned in my first paper for Art History, and have started on my first (mostly) self-designed project for my metalsmithing class - I've found that in studio classes, unless you get lucky, you are often working more with the instructor's aesthetic than your own :).  So I am working mostly in copper for now and hope to work in sterling more on my own and as my skills progress.  Still, it's my favorite class and I love getting up and going to play with fire and metal in the mornings! :)

My knowledge of heating, cooling, and ventilation progresses, as does my familiarity with the computerized energy management systems that control them - but I still feel like the not-very-smart kid in 8th grade science :)  I have to work really hard at understanding this stuff, but I enjoy the people I work with and I can't argue with the pay.  How completely random is my job history?? :)

God is very good to me and I'm still in awe that I get a "do-over" in life that is this much fun - I am blessed beyond measure!

My Church

I have been wrestling for the last several months (truthfully, the last year) with what it looks & feels like to be a single woman who belongs to Christ but longs for the trifecta - a physical, spiritual, & emotional relationship. It seems to get more difficult, not less, the longer I live in this reality.  I don't know what to expect or how to respond when God seems to delay or deny a desire He wired into me, yet I can truthfully say my life is very good and full, and I am hourly grateful for His gifts.

Our pastor, Jason, has been teaching through the Sermon on the Mount, and 2 weeks ago addressed lust/sexual sin.  I don't know quite how to phrase this, but the atmosphere among the congregation as he taught didn't have the "heaviness", almost grief, that it has sometimes carried when I have heard it addressed in other churches, perhaps because in this place, it seemed to simply be a part of our battle for sanctification, and so naturally something that we discuss, both from the pulpit and together - there didn't seem to be the embarrassment in talking about it that I have observed in other settings. Does that make sense?

Anyway, as is fairly usual, Jason primarily addressed the men as he taught, and the following week announced that he appreciates the feedback on his teaching that he usually gets, and that he had received a high volume of response letting him know that he had really blown it - he had failed to address the women and acknowledge that this is a major battle/sin issue for us as well.  He heard this from the women, and as he confessed this to us from the pulpit, there was much laughter acknowledging that he had indeed "blown it" and tacit agreement that this was indeed an issue for us.  There was humility and grace in the discussion, and free of drama and pretension, I find freedom from fear to come before God and confess my failings and fears and my honest desires and disappointment.

Later that week, I spent some time with a friend from Redeemer - she is 28 and will celebrate her first "birthday" as a child of God this year.  She is an artist and single, and her personal history is typical of someone of that age and environment.  She speaks very easily and honestly of what she has been redeemed from, describing herself as a born-again virgin, and it is very easy for me to be honest about my struggles as a physical, but sometimes reluctant, virgin.  She's also pretty clear about her disappointment and regrets and what she looks forward to in a relationship with a man who loves God and respects & loves her.  In these conversations, I find correction and encouragement without lecturing, and God channels His strength to me through this other daughter of His.