Morglopedia *: May 2007

I knew it had been a long time since my last post, but when I opened the browser and saw May 6th staring me in the face I was flabbergasted (which by the way might be the most fabulous word in all creation…).

It’s bad enough that I don’t remember more than a week passing since I last wrote…but it’s worse to note on a moment of reconsideration how much has actually happened in my life since then. Am I suddenly so far on auto-pilot that I’m losing touch with my own life’s story?? Heaven forbid. At any rate, it’s all coming back now and I’ll take this chance to use some full sentences in this post (which is something this page has lacked considerably over the past few months).

School ended well, with a great amount of stress but a sense of accomplishment that few other sensations can rival. Even Organic chemistry, which has been the bane of my existence these past 9 months, seemed moderately understandable (but perhaps that’s just because multiple choice tests are falsely comforting at times). As the week passed, I said goodbye to many friends for the summer…an event that is becoming common place and was not at all threatening. That is, until I realized that I was half-way through college. There’s nothing that seems to cue change like finally becoming comfortable with something. It’s as though God understands how hopeless I am at feeling superior and independent when I know what’s coming—it’s then that He consistently changes my view. In another year, I’ll be full steam ahead in the grad school search and wondering what happened to my college life. Lord, may I not take any of it for granted.

Matt came home right in the middle of finals week…an event that made time management not only impossible but essential. All things considered, I think I did pretty well, taking some much-needed breaks but blocking out intense study sessions as well. He did a good job keeping me on task but we also got to watch some movies and meet up with Zach and Tina a bit. Once I finally left the books behind we did a lot more catching up, game playing, talking, and hanging out with friends.

In the midst of this fun, I also began my summer research internship at Millikin by hauling 28 bags of potting soil to the 6th floor of the science building (no small task, even with an elevator) and planting 168 pots of soybeans in the greenhouse. These little beans represent my entire summer. I will water them, care for them, shelter them…then promptly succumb them to a large amount of damage via Japanese Beetles and hole punches. My charges will not die (at least I hope not) from this impediment, but hopefully it will tell me some things about how herbivory effects photosynthetic rates and, consequently, the overall growth of plants.

This job is going to be very different from my work at the hospital. In place of people, I get potting soil, and in place of coaxing, feeding, and cleaning, I will focus on creating life and then destroying it in varying ratios. Its going to be weird not constantly running up and down hallways, calling for nurses and measuring urine outputs and trying to bathe cantankerous women. I will likely see a maximum of 4 people during any given day. But the job will also give me lots of time to think, pray, listen to music, and do some manual labor. I’ll still work at the hospital in fits and starts if I can ever get ahold of my boss…but until then I’ll be content with my seedlings, praying that they grow strong.

Exactly a week after Matt arrived home, I left for Intervarsity training on the upper peninsula of Michigan. He left for drum corps while I was gone, and both of us shook our heads a little at the madness of going back to “long distance” so soon. Lord, guide our paths.

“Chapter Focus Week,” as it is called, is an intense week of training for chapters in a 5 state area. Our particular week housed more than 500 students and staff on two separate campuses for track training, team planning meetings, chapter prayer times, vision casting, evangelistic training, staff workshops, and large group worship and exposition. My main occupation for the week was sitting down with the 5 other members of core leadership at Millikin and working out a new vision for our next year together. This involved much evaluation, prayer, and planning for new ideas, new tactics, and new understanding of the calling we have on Millikin’s campus. It’s so hard…so easy to get caught in ruts and feel overwhelmed and helpless. It’s such a big job…things we have tried so hard on in the past just haven’t worked. Yet in other areas, God is opening up wide doors. We prayed a lot about learning to capitalize on these opportunities, about making new connections, about being agents of justice and compassion on campus. After hours of debate and planning we finally agreed on a cohesive focus and some main events, as well as themes for large groups, prayer meetings, outreach events, small groups, and retreats.

In the midst of the intense planning sessions, we also got a great chance to connect with each other on some very deep levels. It’s amazing to see how connection on the volleyball court or over some inside joke can play into meetings and other tasks. And, in the same way, as things got discussed and worked out in formal settings, our informal time became even more enjoyable. We marveled at the way God brought our diverse and dynamic group together into a unified and encouraging team. We laughed, we cried, we stretched our minds together and then competed on the soccer field. It was not a peaceful, restful week…but it was renewing and invigorating and frustrating and encouraging all at the same time.

I’m now home again, trying to get my life in order and realizing that summer is officially started. I’m so privileged to be home so much this summer, working hard and really having time (I hope) to connect with the people here…friends, old and new, and family. I checked on my soybeans today and found all but one of them growing well. Here’s to summer!!

Morglopedia *

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

People vs potting soil...

Sunday, May 06, 2007

See ya on the flip side...