First Impressions

Today was my first day on the job. Technically I began yesterday but all I really did was observe Sunday school, go to "big church," and go to a SNAC after the evening service. 

I'm not sure what SNAC stands for or if that's how the event title is spelled. It's an acronym for something...something referring to students going to someone's house after evening church to eat food, drink drink, and play games. Last night consisted of ... drumroll please... hotdogs, chips, watermelon, ice cream, and s'mores for food; icy cold coke, mountain dew, and water (or wudder for my jersey friends) for drink; and tetherball, tree climbing, driveway basketball, and a rather intense game of volleyball using what I believe to be a badminton* net. Fun was had by all, and I was able to memorize the names of all 30-35 students who attended. That's one of my goals, the memorizing names thing. 

This morning I kicked off my day with a bowl of fruit loops. Then I did my best to look hip and cool by swinging into starbucks on my way to church where I busted out my macbook and enjoyed a tall, decaf, caramel latte. if my jeans were tighter and i had thick-rimmed artsy classes i would have been the coolest guy ever. i was feeling good about my day until i left starbucks and turned the wrong way down a one way street. i don't care how tight your jeans are or how artsy your glasses are, going the wrong way down a one way street is never cool. because i had done my devo's**, god ordained that no cars would be driving towards me so i was able to quickly run a red light and get back on the correct street. 

i spent the rest of my first day setting up my office, filling out insurance and tax forms, listening to a sermon and reading. i read the first 14 chapters of ezekiel, some of the gospel according to john, and part of desiring god (for the record, desiring god is not a canonical book and no, john piper did not write the book of hebrews). Additionally i'm reading through the book why we're not emergent :: by two guys who should be. if you have no clue what emergent means or why two guys who are not say they should be, don't worry about it. just read the bible and believe that when God says something, he actually means what he says.

i speak on sunday for combined junior high and senior high. i'm not sure what i'm going to speak on yet. most of the sr. high is just coming off of one, if not two, mission trips so they are flying high spiritually. i'll post later this week after i have decided what topic to speak on/ "on what topic to speak" (your preferred sentence-ending prepositional phrase will depend on whether or not you believe prepositions are terrible things to end sentences with).

if you read this entire post, go take a break and reward yourself by watching michael phelps swim faster than everyone else in the world.

*i had to dictionary.com the word "badminton." does anyone ever pronounce the first "n" in badminton? i vote we get rid of that pesky "n," and also remove the "p" from raspberry. and the first "r" in february.

**please catch the intended sarcasm of this phrase and it's ensuing independent clause. while i am a firm believer in the sovereignty of God, i do not believe that my having or not having devotions this morning was a motivating factor behind God's blessing of not having a semi headed my way.