ahhhh life

school has started and thus wesley.
i love it!
i have a potential youth intern position at a local church...so i'm pumped about that.
here are some pics of us playing cards while alethea went out of town. jallen loves us all!!!

beling self-less

well today...even though i was late to the arrival (i needed a cheeseburger) i successfully donated blood. so yaaay. i cried...but i did it.

and while being approached in the drive thru by a man who was asking for money...i told my friend michael to just drive on by. he said something that made me raise my eyebrows 'lauren, we're still christians. we need to be nice and respect him'.
made me re-evaluate a lot of my actions.
also during the morning missions blitz sponsored by christ church there was a student there that i had worked w/ when i did the summer camp, and i was fully aware of his....unique behavior.
the director of the jr./sr. high youth made the statement about the youth.....
'he's just another chance to be more christ-like'

i've given my life a much needed re-evaluation. you should find the good in all....esp. in the things you do not like or that are difficult to you.

think outside the box

i don't want to label myself as a rebel...i'm hardly rebellious.
HOWEVER....i do like to make changes for the better, and it does bring a smile to my face when i can turn heads and drop jaws while in the process of making people realize there's a better way of thinking...

spoke on issues facing the church (universal and hometown) w/ dan, fuss, mike and this guy named drew today in front of what seemed like a partial congregation at Emmanuel UMC.
i think i saw an older lady give a puzzled look when i explained how i was finished w/ my undergraduate and was planning to pursue my m.div.
the...audience/class?? (not sure what to call it...i was late.) asked good questions...

my favorite one was "why do you think younger people like yourself (question is directed to all of us) shy away from ministry from the church? (then later ministry as a career)

i answered w/....well the problem is the church tries to fit ministry into a box.
the church says......this is how it should be because that's how it's always been....but church numbers are decreasing, so obviously that's not working anymore.
people/the world is changing and if the church can't/doesn't recognize that and is willing to do something about it then the church is ultimately can only blame itself for lack of attendance.
the church can't reach all 50, 10, 5, or even 2 people the same......you just can't treat everyone the same...that's NOT how you reach people.
you can't fit your congregation in this set box of ideals and character make up.....

i also brought to the attention the reason people kinda shy away from ministry as a career or look down on it as a career...first is hypocracy, second is the church. the church is not accepting well....they don't seem to respect younger ministers...the older congregations any way.
but eventually congregations will have no choice....all the ministers are going to retire or die....cause they're older.

most ministers choose ministry as a career after their career (therefore still starting older and having a shorter career).....so if anything the young ministers who are dedicating their entire life to this.....to answering the call, to making a difference....earlier. they should....be welcomed w/ open arms as if they had already been doing it their entire lives, because in the end whether they are old or young they are doing what God has called them to do....has given them the gift to do.
so embrace it....regardless of age.

this is all a part of justin's homework.....now i'm intrigued even more about the church and it's role in society.
seminary...bring it!

birthday season!!!! (+ bonus quiz from alethea)

so i think the last week and this one are going to be my favorite weeks.....three of my friends are having birthdays...which means i get to bake, and i like that a lot!
sadly though since alethea is out of town, justin has been keeping busy and has made it impossible for me to give him BROWNIES. (grrrrrrrr grandpa).

i've been super busy lately....mostly w/ work and scheduling in time for friends that work when i sleep. several of my friends have new careers and/or significant others now.
i am anxious to hear back from MTS.

......i took this from alethea. i can't sleep.
A: Attached or single? single...

B: Best friends? Jennifer, Jennifer, Mike.....the wesley ppl

C: Cake or Pie? depends. i like to make cake......but i'm a sucker for fudge pie.

D: Day of choice: tuesday...i don't have work and i get to go to wesley

E: Essential Items: cell phone + great friends

F: Favorite color? red

G: Gummy Bears or worms? i like the tropical aquatic life gummies at work...but other than when i'm at tfm i don't really eat gummy. i love choc. though....in many forms.

H: Hometown: Dyersburg, TN

I: Favorite indulgence: ice cream.....sadly though it doesn't feel the same way about me.

J: January or July: July...I love the summer, so July.

K: Kids: are awesome....

L: Life isn't complete without...? MY AMAZING FRIENDS

M: Marriage Date: n/a

N: Number of brothers and sisters: ....none

O: Oranges or apples: oranges

P: Phobia: needles, being lost in crowded public places

Q: Quotes: "They cannot hurt you unless you let them", "Do not be anxious for tomorrow, for today has enough trouble of it's own"

R: Reason to smile? I have a good life....great friends, caring family, and i am for the most part self sufficient.

S: Season? spring

T: Tag 5 people: i'd rather not

U: Unkown fact: i prefer skirts over dresses and fancy peep toe shoes

V: Veggie: asparagus

W: Worst habit: I too sigh a lot.....i say things before thinking a lot too

X: X-ray or ultrasound: whichever is needed....i guess

Y: Your favorite food? pasta.....in any form pretty much

Z: Zinc or sunscreen: zinc....? i'm going to say sunscreen

dan dan's cake + new job?

i just finished making my first cake from scratch.
this year i made dan dan a chocolate cake w/ dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and chocolate frosting for his birthday.
it turned out 1,000x better than the blackberry cobbler i made for him last year. last year we also all met at garabaldi's to celebrate dan, justin, and jared's b-days...however this year justin is going out of town to the beach w/ family, jared is....well (TBA), and dan wants to eat texas de brazil (thanks for stepping up here mr. r)
i will eventually post pictures of my two layer cake. i'm impressed w/ myself. esp. considering that my cookies did not turn out right for justin's cookout.

i was spatting off to amanda (middle mgmt) at church health center about two weeks ago about fresh market and how i want a more stable job. she informed me there was an opening downstairs in the building i volunteer in, so i sent in my request to HR and they contacted her. Tuesday she told me that i need to e-mail her my resume.
i did that tonight and we'll see what happens.
finish line called me......i didn't return the call. i've decided unless worse comes to worse i am never doing fashion retail again. it blows.
makes bread look like paradise....sides the people i work w/ are amazing....well a select few of them make it worthwhile anyway :-D

tuesday, tuesday, tuesday

thanks to an awesome friend for letting michael and i borrow his tahoe and thanks to michael and sam for helping me get rid of some unnecessary baggage.

apparently the softball game was canceled last night, so some ppl went over to chill at the gammel's new house. it's pretty nice. 3 bed room, 2 bath. i think the kitchen is my favorite room. i'm a sucker for the color red and stripes.
we watched....the heartbreak kid. OMG....i recommend it. funny, grotesque sexual humor.

went running and made it down to macon this time. i'm getting better. still no luck finding a stadium.
....tonight's agenda. volunteering for a few hours downtown then head over to jason's deli for the study of 'the letter to the romans'

i plan to bake a strawberry cake.....soon. i want to make my own cake and my own frosting. it should be an....interesting experience

i am currently job hunting. fresh market just isn't cutting it anymore. sides....i do have a degree now.

i love my friends. they're the best.....even when i sometimes don't deserve it.

summer-ness

even though i am working 50% less than last summer this summer seems to be so busy too. i miss summer softball (even though i kinda suck) w/ the wesley crew. being in the dugout pretending i know what's going on, standing in the outfield w/ my youth sized glove hoping a ball doesn't come my way so i don't have to look like a wus who can't really throw the ball more than 10 feet.....
i miss after game get together at sonic......between people acting like social plagues in my life and fresh market i am slowly spacing away from them....and that es no bueno mucho kidos.

i miss the kids from camp last year....no matter how annoying they were at times. i miss me being the super hero of hugs and popcicles

been rocking out to a lot of dashboard confessional and T.I. lately.
attempted to go running. i'd say i made it to 3/4 a mile before i decided to die. went on a hunt to find a stadium to run in....i found one i can squeeze in between the gates through...the problem however is if i get caught i might get in trouble...sigh
my best bets so far are cordova high and christian brothers high.....any other suggestions for some massive amounts of stairs?

i've discovered that i like baking.....esp when i'm not at work.

currently evaluating.....
Everything.

on the bright side. the pastor at church's dad (and the pastor is like....50 ish) was talking about female leadership roles and how they're important. not only for the husband/dad but the wife/mother to be involved in the church taking on things.
so hooooo rah for Jesus!

i'm excited about renovations at wesley....the place is going to look so flippin' fantastic.
also excited about it being summer.....SUNTAN!!!
....and excited to have my friends back. all of them.... :-)

key lime yogurt = a summer must
also....spinach queso is so bueno

methodist smesh-tha-kist

so i've been uber busy lately it seems. catching up w/ friends that i've been away from for awhile.
i finally sent off my app. for grad school.....
got off the phone w/ my mother which is always fun....apparently i still don't understand the magnitude of me entering seminary as a methodist. she claims ppl around the world will hear about this....i wonder if those same ppl are aware that my cousins are baptist/a few agnostic. (but still attend a chinese church....i guess culture outweighs demoniation)....in my mind then faith and passion should outweigh it too.

i left work early today....i feel extremely light headed.
tomorrow is dad's birthday....they don't celebrate bday's in dad's culture, so i got him a card and will mail it tomorrow for father's day. (also not celebrated there)....i will mention his bday also and get him a giftcard.
ahhhh life......sometimes you just have to pray, and even then you might not get the answer that you think will make things easier.
here's to being methodist-ish

a fresh start

i'm excited for tuesday....we're adding the last coat of paint to wesley....and maybe ripping up the old flooring.

dan, michael, april, and adam came over tonight after work. wii played games :-)
Sam came home sometime after i had fallen asleep while the guys played metroid prime 3 (or something like that).....
then we acted like we were 12 again....it was funny

currently looking forward to moving away from the crazy lady who lives underneath me.
also...i'm pretty pumped about this bible study we have going on tuesday nights.

Lovin' Jesus

so i was writing the required essays for grad school, for those of you who don't know i'm going to seminary (hopefully) in the fall.
and i've never had such a writers block. i haven't written much....but what i have written has quite a bit of meat.
questions like....'describe your spiritual journey', 'your reasons for wanting to study at a theological seminary', 'your perceptions of key issues confronting the church in the world today'....
along w/ the standard academic goals, personal goals...you know the drill

one is how can you distinguish 'christians' (as in ppl that go to church) from the rest of the world...ppl need to live their talk
more importantly numbers in churches are decreasing....ppl need to stop focusing on the established families and their children or at least focus on everyone equally.

amongst other issues that are seen socially unacceptable in the church, but have been more accepted by society.
ahhhh.....for deeper thought.