Summer's over

It's been a crazy summer, and I haven't blogged in two months, which is unfortunate since it's something that I very much enjoy. Currently it's 1:15 AM and when I wake up, it'll be Sunday morning. I should be asleep, for Sunday is the busiest (and bestest) day of my week, but unfortunately some Chinese food is prohibiting sleep, and since I happen to have internet access this weekend, I'll blog. Hopefully I won't miss as much time before the next writing occurs.

The past two months have been a tremendous time of learning and growing. Beth and I moved into our new "Hallment"-a unique combination of a hallway and an apartment. See, it's too big to be a hallway, but not quite big enough to be an apartment...somewhere inbetween. Other than the trains that scream by (about 30 feet away) and the lack of cat and personal laundry facilities, it's not that bad. Simplicity is something to work on and move towards...so we live in an apartment that's 14'x34'. We joke that it's almost too big for us and we should allow the hobos who ride the trains to live in the front room. We joke, and then we remember the people living on the Gulf Coast who still live in FEMA trailers and we stop joking. God is good, especially in our little hallment.

Things continue to fall into place in our new ministry venture. I'm learning to work with my wife...to mutually submit to one another's strengths and to constantly rejoice that God has not wired us identically. Someday we're going to write a book about working as a team, and the chapters will have catchy names like "Don't Send Your Wife to Wal-Mart", "When Matthew forgets all the important announcements-again" and "Telling your wife that crazy idea #948 really is impractical and somewhat far-fetched-A Case Study." Really catchy, huh? It's pretty incredible learning to work out of our strengths and allowing the other person to do the same. We connect with different kids, perform different tasks, have different roles and somehow we try to allow God to work through us to develop a Holy Spirit empowered youth ministry. In the midst of that I'm learning that I often work too much and pray too little, that I don't really understand at all the workings of God, that somedays I'm barely sure how to love Beth, let alone the numerous people (especially adults) who drive me batty, that I get caught up too easily in the tyranny of today and forget to think big picture and I hate newsletter deadlines. I'm learning to balance administration and relationship, I'm learning that I can preach really bad sermons that still have an impact (Thanks be to God), I'm learning that change comes slowly and painfully but God still asks us to do it and patience. Man, am I ever learning patience. Kids take a long time to get to know, and although I want to know them NOW and I want them to trust me NOW they don't...it's totally a work in progress, and I am often impatient. Bummer.

School starts on Tuesday. I'm as ready as I'm going to be, and that'll have to be good enough. Learning balance will take on a life of it's own, and that'll be OK although I'm nervous. I'll have to become much more disciplined with my hours and my life than I've been this summer and that's alright...just challenging.

Anyway, enough life lessons for tonight...tomorrow comes early...hopefully the Chinese will start to behave...That's the last thing I've learned this summer...I really LOVE Chinese food. A new development, and tonight, not a good one...Oh well...Live and learn.