Just know, wherever you go you can always come home.

Every road is a slippery slope, but there is always a hand that you can hold on to.

Looking deeper through the telescope, you can see that your home's inside of you.

There has been an awful lot of processing for me to do this past week.

I've tried to do a blog post TWICE and came up with nothing to say because I hadn't allowed myself to sit down and digest all that had happened.  It's been a long week, but definitely an amazing week.


I'll start with last Sunday. . .

My church is phenomenal.  I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to have such a wonderful group of people supporting my journey.  I have found, yet again, that the community I come from is one of genuine and caring people.  I am so blessed that God led me to FPCQ six years ago.

Enough gushing. . .

My commissioning service (at my home church) took place on the 17th.  For those of you that don't know what commissioning is, I'll do my best to explain.  Basically, my church sent me off into mission.  They asked me some questions. The one that sticks out the most in my head is "Do you declare Jesus Christ as your savior?" I'm going to be real honest: as soon as Mr. Chris asked me this question I thought it would be hilarious if I was like "eh."  I refrained for multiple reasons.  The most important is because, you know, you should never deny Jesus if you follow Him.  Pretty important.  After the questions for me, they asked if the church would support me and they said yes and then there was prayer.  It was short, sweet, and super awkward.

After service there was a church family meal for rally day, and so many people, many that I had never met, came up to me and were genuinely excited for me.  I was in awe of the amount of love I felt that day.  I've always known that my church community was fantastic, but it was just so amazing to see it again.

Now, I'm not going to lie.  Sunday was really rough.  I got more and more nervous and incredibly sad that I was having to leave.  It only got worse and I spent that night and the next morning making myself sick because I was so upset.  I cried the whole way to the airport, I cried at the airport, and I cried on the plane.  Once I got a short nap in I woke up and felt a lot better. At least I wasn't crying.

Orientation took place at Stony Point Center in New York.  I didn't take pictures of my own (sorry Lisa), so these are some I found on the Stony Point Center website and google images. The quiet space was found is found on this website from google images: http://www.spirituality-network.com/2013/06/stony-point-retreat-and-conference.html




The meditation space.



Now, I'm not here to write a review of the Stony Point Center, but I think that if you're ever presented with the opportunity to visit this beautiful space, do it.  Talk with Rick Ufford Chase and the others the live there.  The community is fascinating and wonderful.  Oh, and the food is FANTASTIC.

MY EXPERIENCE AT STONY POINT.

Sorry, I had to let you know that we were getting back on track.  I had an amazing time at orientation.   I met so many people going all over the world and I know that each and every one of them will be a blessing in their community and that God will do amazing things with all of them.

They tried to let all of us know that we wouldn't be changing the world.  That's too big of a task for mere humans, but I can promise you, if there were ever a group of people that can and will, I was in their presence this past week.  It's easy to look at the world today and think that it's doomed.  I do it all the time.  I'm the first to say that it wouldn't bother me a bit if Jesus came back today, but this week helped me to see that, even though things are horrible right now, there are people that care and want to make it better.

I've been asking for God to give all of my YAV class the insanity to believe that they can change the world.  I hope all of you pray the same.  We need a few more people crazy enough to believe that things can and will change.

 Each night we listened to a reading of the poem Passover Remembered.  I think it's important to include it in my blog because it was such a central theme.  If you're taking the time to read this blog PLEASE read this poem.  My history professors always told us to avoid block quotes because people skip over them most of the time.  I found the poem at this website: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/passover-remembered/.  It's by Alla Renee Bozarth and I feel empowered each time I hear it.  I realized after looking at this website that we only heard chunks of the poem, so this is what we heard each night.

Pack Nothing.
Bring only your determination to serve 
and your willingness to be free.

Don’t wait for the bread to rise.
Take nourishment for the journey, 
but eat standing, be ready
to move at a moment’s notice.

Do not hesitate to leave
your old ways behind—
fear, silence, submission.

Only surrender to the need 
of the time— to love
justice and walk humbly
with your God.

Do not take time to explain to the neighbors.
Tell only a few trusted friends and family members.

Then begin quickly, 
before you have time to sink back 
into the old slavery.

Set out in the dark.
I will send fire to warm and encourage you.
I will be with you in the fire
and I will be with you in the cloud.

You will learn to eat new food
and find refuge in new places.
I will give you dreams in the desert
to guide you safely home to that place
you have not yet seen.

The stories you tell one another around your fires
in the dark will make you strong and wise.

Outsiders will attack you, 
and some who follow you, 
and at times you will weary
and turn on each other
from fear and fatigue and
blind forgetfulness.

You have been preparing for this for hundreds of years.
I am sending you into the wilderness to make a way 
and to learn my ways more deeply.

Some of you will be so changed
by weathers and wanderings
that even your closest friends
will have to learn your features
as though for the first time.
Some of you will not change at all.

Some will be abandoned
by your dearest loves
and misunderstood by those
who have known you since birth
and feel abandoned by you.

Some will find new friendship
in unlikely faces, and old friends
as faithful and true as the pillar of God’s flame.

Sing songs as you go, 
and hold close together.
You may at times grow
confused and lose your way.

Continue to call each other
by the names I’ve given you, 
to help remember who you are.
You will get where you are going
by remembering who you are.

Sing songs as you go, 
and hold close together.
You may at times grow
confused and lose your way.

Continue to call each other
by the names I’ve given you, 
to help remember who you are.
Touch each other
and keep telling the stories.

Make maps as you go, 
remembering the way back
from before you were born.

So you will be only
the first of many waves
of deliverance on these
desert seas.

It is the first of many
beginnings— your Paschaltide.
Remain true to this mystery.

Pass on the whole story.
I spared you all
by calling you forth 
from your chains.

Do not go back.
I am with you now
and I am waiting for you.

I think it's an amazing thing for each of us to read over because God sends each of us on our own journeys.  

I'm skipping ahead some, but we had commissioning services at local churches this week as well, and I had the joy of visiting White Plains Presbyterian Church.  I wish I had taken a picture of the building.  It was absolutely beautiful.  According to a brick somewhere on the outside it was an early 20th century building, but I feel that the actually sanctuary was most likely older.  The congregation itself is celebrating their 300th anniversary! The pastor, Jeffrey Geary, and a member of the congregation, Kara Neal, came to pick us up and when we got to the church I felt the joy and excitement that the congregation clearly had every Sunday.  Noelle Damico, Paster Jeffrey's wife, is also an ordained minister and she and I had such an amazing conversation about women in ministry when she came along.  It was clear to me that this couple is such a blessing to the members of their community and congregation.  It was a joy to be a part of their service on the 24th.  

Also: on the 25th of each month the congregation, and many other people worldwide, wear orange to raise awareness for violence against women.  So, you know, do that! 

We arrived kind of late last night, and I haven't taken pictures of the rooms in the house, but the house itself can be seen on my Facebook.  

I feel like this blog entry is kind of long already, so I'm going to say good night.  I'll post again as our site orientation continues.  

XOXO