Catalyst 2010

Last week the entire NCC staff packed up and flew to Georgia for the Catalyst Conference. It was incredible. The entire time was constant stimulation and honestly a bit hard to digest while we there. I am the type of person that needs a few minutes alone in quiet to process tough new information but that is not the dynamic of Catalyst. In the "down time" there were knives being thrown and a man shooting out of a cannon...not exactly relaxing reflecting time.

So in this past week since I've been home I've been trying to take time to review my notes and internalize the great things I heard. It's funny because I think some of the things that hit me most were the things that speakers said as a side note or off the cuff, not the actual topic of their discussions.

I also had a moment that as I sat there I realized that I get to be apart of something amazing. Obviously I have repeatedly had that thought since being in DC, but something about being in an arena full of people that are there for a common goal, does something for my soul. My heart longs for unity and for people that are willing to set aside differences to really reach the world. One moment that will stick in my mind for quite awhile is when Gungor was on stage. It was the end of the song Beautiful Things (which has been a favorite of mine for awhile now), when they just entered into this beautiful instrumental form of worship. I took a second to look around the arena and watch as all these people poured their hearts out to God. It was truly beautiful and I think it completely embodied the spirit of the song. We are all so flawed but God has taken us and turned us into something beautiful...a reflection of Him. I think I will be wrestling with some of the things I heard last week for awhile and I'm sure I will blog more about that, but I am hoping that feeling of unity is one that sticks.

A Decade

Today is ten years exactly since I graduated from high school. Yesterday marked ten years of being a legal adult. At first, the thought of my ten year reunion sounds ludicrous, but then...I began to reflect on this past decade. There are certain times when it is hard not to reflect on life, where it has gone, and where it is going...New Year's, birthdays, and ten year reunions.

Ten years ago I was a lost, uncomfortable girl working at Burger King just trying to figure out what was next after high school. Since then, I have lived in five different states, had three different cars, worked over a dozen jobs, lost and gained relatives, and made great and not so great friends. I have laughed until I cried and cried until I laughed. I have been a barista in Florida, insurance rep in Ohio, meat market employee in West Virginia, and supportive living specialist for the developmentally disabled in New York...and so much more. When I look at these facts it feels like a lifetime...and it gets me excited.

The thing about reflecting on the past is...it leads to thinking about the future. I am so ready for the next decade. I am ready for my next adventures. I already know that my next ten years will begin with me obtaining my masters degree, moving to Washington DC and beginning to immerse myself in the ministry I know I am called to, all within the first six months. How could a decade that follows that be bad? I know it will not always be easy or fun, but it will be full of truth and God. With these things, I am ready for whatever is next. I finally feel like I'm at a place that I am content in a way that is deeper than before. Perhaps it could be describes as a peace that passes all understanding...