All the Small Things

Mood:  rocking out


I learned something today.  You can't rely on a smart phone to wake you up during daylight savings time, at least if you're me.  Because, if you are me...you will wake up thinking you're early...then decide you have time to check your e-mail...only to realize that you have 20 minutes before you have to leave the house.  At least I can always rely on social networking for the truth (and while that worked today...please note sarcasm).

So after my rushed shower and dressing and running (literally) out the door....I had a few minutes in the car to calm myself down.  I did this by loudly blasting All Time Low and screaming along.  Yes, screaming.  Most people who work in a church eventually face the problem of what to do during the commute to church.  It is a question I have seen posted on facebook hundreds of times.  It's a question and struggle I've watched my mom have.  Me?  I don't have it.

Perhaps it's because I am not responsible for delivering a week's worth of faith to people (or...all their faith...cause doing it oneself is waaaaaaaaaaay hard).  Or perhaps it's because I don't believe that worship only happens in the church.  And that the church is really just another building.  

Or it could be this:  every time the question of how to best prepare during the commute comes up...my answer is always the same... just make sure it makes you happy.  Super helpful I know, since most people are asking for specific radio stations or CDs full of worship songs or classical music.  Often their goal is something very calm, serene.  But if I'm going to work on a Sunday morning when I'm already tired...cranky...and this morning LATE...I need something that is going to get me pretty freaking excited about my day.  If I'm going to inspire a bunch of kids to get excited...don't I first have to be excited?  I feel like it's totally unfair to ask them to come all pumped and happy to be there if I can't muster the same thing.

Thus, I do what makes me happy.  I listen to music that anybody else would soooooooooooo not chose as "preparation for worship" music.  I get excited.  I need to be a little...well...uncalm.  Which is an awesome new word.  Try using it in a sentence today.

The pump up music (hehe that makes me giggle cause pump up sounds dirty...) isn't just a Sunday morning thing.  It's an every morning thing for me.  The reason I chose to blog about it as my nice thing today?  Sunday is the only day of the week where I feel like I should be...well...more "normal" about my musical selection.  Because there is so much talk about how to best prepare oneself for worship when in a leadership position in the church.  So I always feel slightly....bad?....listening to my music.  I mean...Jesus probably wasn't rocking out to Blink singing about incest or how "it'd be nice to get a blowjob" (ps...one of the best Blink songs ever. hands down.)...but I KNOW that doesn't mean I can't.  Or shouldn't.


Isn't preparing for worship a uniquely individual thing?  And it shouldn't really matter how we get there...just that we do.  So....here's a little something that while I didn't start my day with...I'm ending with.  Because at the end of the day (did you see what I just did there?) my blog is...all the small things.

Meet Ashley....

Mood:  accomplished, tired, enthused, slightly lonely, vulnerable


As of today it's been 3 days of "real" work.  This, of course, has meant paperwork (health benefit forms are CONFUSING), going through old paperwork, and of course creating my own paperwork.  Which hasn't been all bad.  Sometimes I like to zone out to spreadsheets and writing exciting blurbs encouraging participation is sincerely enjoyable to me.  However, there's the need in me to create, and to be creative.  As luck would have it, I'm currently in a career that allows for a lot of creative expression.  And one of the best ways to introduce myself to a congregation is to creatively display hints at my personality.  Also, I'm shy so it's easy to have a piece of work to talk about.  So this went up:

Since the church is participating in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF I wanted to make sure people knew...it's the 60th anniversary and it's really important to me that youth know THEY can make a difference...it's not just up to "big" people to change the world.  The sooner you help get that message across...well the better.  And Caitlyn helped me make the pumpkins as well as helped with the actual putting up of the bulletin board so much thanks.


Once I had that bit of creativity done there was something left...so I put up a Happy Birthday bulletin board celebrating all of the birthdays for the month (but for privacy I will not post that pic here).  And, as the church has numerous bulletin boards, I wanted to get one more done before Sunday (my first OFFICIAL Sunday!!!).  I've always wanted church media (be it visual arts, music, decorations, etc...) to be "non churchy."  I know that sounds weird, but I have my reasons.  I mean you go to church and there are always generic "We Love Jesus" posters and "God is GREAT" signs and there is something comforting about them...but kids need to be "dazzled."  I know, I know part of me cringes at religion having to play games...but let's face it...we live in 2010 and sparkle, glitz, and glamour are attractive (regardless of your age if you're being honest).  So I've been updating what "church" bulletin boards look like.  Here's the one outside the church's library:

This pic went sideways...I can't get it figured out...and you can't see it in much detail...but there's a "Meet Ashley" section including some of my "favorites," inspirational quotes, and of course what major events are taking place this month. 


I'm going to work on becoming more assertive (slowly but surely) and in the meantime I'm going to take things one day at a time...continue to be creative...and do nice things for myself. 

(PS - finishing the bulletin boards before Sunday WAS my nice thing....)