Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Commissioned

Last weekend was the commissioning ceremony for the new Resident Assistants at Biola University. Commissioning is about welcoming the new RAs into the Reslife community and publically acknowledging their future leadership.

For me, this ceremony marked the closing of two years of being an RA. As I lit the candles of the women who will lead Horton Fifth South during the 2009-2010 academic school year, I started to think about what this meant for me and how a change in leaderhsip should look. This tranfer of leadership means that next year Fifth South is no longer "my floor". It is not my place to critize a name change or a vision change or even individual events.

RA's tend to be territorial. It's understandable. We have poured our lives into a floor for a long year. Our hearts are engrained in the vision of the floor. Our sweat and blood (mine literally, due to shards of glass) were invested in the decorations. When it comes time to change RAs, some hold on to their floors and do not give the new RA's the space to develop a vision and floor name that they can get behind.

Part of finishing well means passing on the torch well. As my floor partner and I step down from our roles as RAs, I want to shift the focus from us to the new RAs. As I close out the year on High Five I want to prepare the girls who are staying on the floor to be accepting of the new leadership. I trust the wisdom of my RD and I know that she is putting the girls in good hands.

At the end of the ceremony, I respectfully blew out my candle not because I am done being an RA - I will always think about intentionality, seek out others to mentor and invest in, pursue whole person development and be kingdom minded - but I blew out my candle so that the new RA could be illuminated as the leaders of Horton.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Too much reading...

Lately, I have spent a lot of time reading.

Reading for school
Reading for pleasure
Reading for personal edification

There is a lot to be said about the gratification that comes from turning the final page of a book.
An Achievement.

However, sometimes that literary closure is soiled by having to go back and find symbolism where there wasn't any. I am currently taking my last general education requirement, a literature class (which is where this reflection is coming from). The essence of this class is to read assigned texts and then proceed to dissect them to find every power dynamic, greater meaning, and universal message possible.

I will agree that in some cases, literary analysis brings greater understanding to a piece of writing.

However, something that frustrates me is when people read too much into something. I think it's a little excessive when power, corruption and a loss of innocence are found in every nook and cranny of a text. You can make a piece of writing say anything you want it too because interpretation pulls a lot from personal experience. However, I just don't see writing that way...why can't a bear just be an angry force of nature? Why does it have to represent all forms of authority? Why does one line in the third to last chapter during a supporting character's reverie about painting a house have to be the hinge of the theme of the book? I'm all for the obvious and well labeled ;)

One of my good friends is an English major and she all but adores symbolism. I think she is crazy...in the most endearing way :) She thinks I don't appreciate literature. We have a beautiful friendship :)

Like I said before, symbolism and metaphors are helpful, but please, can I just write a paper about the strategy used by the woodland creatures to save a sleeping princess and not about the significance of the colors red and yellow?

Thanks so much for accommodating my lack of literary culture.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Small Pleasures

There is nothing quiet as beautiful as a rainy Washington day spent reading and basking in the glory of the Mariners a top the AL West



Break has been good to me so far :)

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Premature Hope?

The Seattle Mariners opened the regular season last night with some excitement. Our hometown hero, Ken Griffey Jr. made himself known with his 8th career opening day homer. With a dominating win of 6-1, the Mariners put a smile on all Seattle fans.

However...

Is it too soon to hope for a .500 season? Is it too soon to print the championship pennants? Is it too soon to wear the mariners gear?

We shall soon find out :)

Somebody save my little broken sports heart!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Summer Plans

It's official.

I'm committed.

For 6 weeks this summer I will be interning with Enterprise International, a division of Church Resource Ministries. EI starts businesses around the world for the purpose of using the business profits to support local ministries. They work to build up the indigenous church around the world.

For my internship, I will be going to Nairobi, Kenya for 3 weeks. While in Kenya, we will be doing business prospecting and conducting research to create a business plan for a new potential business to be started in Kenya. Then we will travel to Pretoria, South Africa for 2 weeks. In South Africa our team will be working with one of EI already established businesses.

I'm pretty excited about this opportunity :)