speeding toward the stop light...

the end of the year is in sight. in many ways, it is a huge sigh of relief for all the hard work that students have put into classes this semester. for me today, however, it feels a little sad that we're approaching the summer and regular campus life will change for 4 months. it is great to have the beautiful warm weather and the lighter schedule with more outdoor meetings, but in many ways i feel that there is such a great momentum for what is happening within our community that i wish we had a couple more months to see this thing out. i know it will pick up again in the fall but i just wish i had a better way of keeping us moving all together through the summer months.
i hope that city/script can play a bigger role in that this year. we are hoping to have at least twice as many students as last year attend and it serves as a great foundation to build things off of. i guess i'm just feeling that there is so much that God is doing, and so much more that can happen and it feels like it has a false ending right now because people will be heading separate ways for the summer. if only i could offer everyone a summer job so they could stay around campus for the summer. time to open a factory...

same old new beginning...

on saturday we had our first meeting with the incoming student leadership team for next year. i really enjoyed our day together studying some scripture and getting to know each other. there are only 1 or 2 students that i don't know very well on the team but it was exciting to see them all interact and start to bond as a team.
they all seem a little nervous and a little uncertain but they are definitely eager to get started. this is a common characteristic i have seen in each of the leadership teams i have worked with (this being #4). soon it will hard to believe they were even strangers. the jokes will fly, the trust will hopefully be strong, and i pray that God will be working miraculously through them on campus and in each other's lives.

sight to see...

walking on campus, i saw two unfamiliar sights. first, there were geese crossing the road. second, there were people smiling.
we've hit that time of year in the university calendar when reading week has passed and everyone is just waiting for exams to be over. it is so easy to just get caught up in the routine of campus and forget what the rest of the world is like. that's why geese become such a big deal. it quickly becomes noticable how campus only represents a small portion of life. don't get me wrong, our campus is very diverse, with people of all different backgrounds, beliefs, and lifestyles. there are just a lot of adults (or people striving to be adults) who seem to have convinced themselves that academia is the most important part of life. throw in a goose or two and you get a response from people that reminds you they are people. watch a child walk around campus and they will suddenly become the most imporant person there, and everyone is aware of their presence.
i too am hoping that exams are over soon (mostly because that means the weather will be warmer) but i hope we don't miss out on life in the meantime.