So I think the layout of these posts need to change a bit since I'm not in the office with free time. I'll try to experiment with it a bit and hopefully land on something.
The weeks that have been:
Busy. I have a new found respect for single parents. I never thought ill of them or looked down upon them before, but now my respect level for them goes way up. It has been quite an adjustment juggling Karis' varying schedule with the things that I hope to accomplish in a day. The first thing to suffer has been my blog and any reading time that I had. I am slowly working that back into my rotation. Karis is changing almost by the day whether it be new noises or new dexterity. She has recently discovered the mid part of her range and is constantly exercising it along with the high and low range from before. Another big change is that she is now grabbing for things, especially toys. She is just about ready to teeth so most everything she gets her hands on goes straight to her mouth. I get a kick just out of watching her grow up everyday.
Holly has officially started and has hit the ground running. She is in one of the hardest rotations that she will have in this program right off of the bat. This is both good and bad though. Good that she gets it out of the way, but bad that her first month is very hectic. We have heard that her next month is a bit more relaxed, so we look forward to that. The thing that I've had to adjust to is her being on call. Before this wouldn't have mattered too much to me, but now that means that I'm alone with Karis for at least 30 hours. I'm not worried about that nor do I not look forward to it, I really do, it's just that it can be a bit overwhelming at times. Luckily I'm slowly getting the hang of it.
One new thing that we have recently acquired is an elliptical machine. It came as a graduation gift for Holly from a few of her family members. We are both very excited about this as I hate to run outside and Holly (and I) prefer the elliptical over a treadmil. One funny/frustrating thing is that everytime I go to work out on it, Karis wakes up from her nap. It's a very quiet machine, but it never fails. I get about 5-10 min into my workout and she wakes up. I guess that's just a part of life with a baby.
What I'm reading now:
I'm working through two books that I have started. One is called "Recovering the Scandal of the Cross" and the other is called "The Evolution of God." The former is a book on the atonement which seeks to look at other metaphors beyond the penal substitution theory as a means for understand what exactly happened on the cross. The latter is a look at how the concept of God has evolved over time and I believe that he will culminate in the three Abrahamic faiths in hopes that they can find some sort of common ground. I'll be doing a review on this when I finish as it is a part of another blogging program.
Misc stuff
Does anyone out there know of something that I could do to make a little bit of money from home? I will kindly take suggestions.
Showing posts with label Weekly Update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekly Update. Show all posts
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
the life of Jared
The month that has been:
Sorry that I haven't posted anything in about a month. With all of our unpacking, saying goodbye, moving and subsequent unpacking I haven't had too much free time. Here's what I can remember us doing. Holly's graduation week was quite the whirlwind. It started off on Sunday with a going away reception at church in between services where I talked to a bunch of random people that I don't know that I even met in my four years on staff. I really don't like those things because of that, but I guess you have to do them. We finished packing the rest of that week and then had a staff going away lunch on Thursday. Funny thing, as I looked around the cafe I could only truly say that I was close to a few people that are left on staff. After an awkward "share your favorite Jared story" time with people that didn't hardly know me, we went home to change and then head to a formal dinner/dance for Holly's school. We had a great time at this event. I got to meet some of Holly's med school friends that I hear her talking about from time and time. It was good to also put faces to names as well.
Friday we had a graduation party for Holly at the home of some of our dear friends that we used to serve on staff with. We had a great evening hanging out with some of our closet friends in PA. The evening came to a close with the group praying over Holly and I. It is interesting to note that this evening felt like my staff going away reception as five of those present were ones that I had served at FVCN with. Man, we had some good times together. I left that event to pick up one of my best friends from the airport. He was flying in to help us with the move by driving my car back to TN on Sunday. Many, many thanks go out to "gangsta." On Saturday Holly's family flew in to PA to be present for the graduation ceremonies and help us finish packing. Sunday was the big graduation day! I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of my wife. She has put in so much time, energy and effort to get to this point. (And I've only been around first hand for the past 5 years.) I can honestly admit that I teared up as the med school class processed into the theatre. After an interesting and fairly lengthy ceremony, my wife is now an official doctor! Here an interesting tidbit, Holly's dad was able to hood her since he was a doctor as well.
That evening was perhaps one of the hardest nights that I have experienced in my ministry life. Saying goodbye to a great youth group. During the evening a few students stood up to share a few stories about me, some funny and some serious. We were surprised with a Wii as a going away present and some cash to put toward some things for Karis and our move. One other huge surprise came from our youth band. I had worked with these guys when they were sophomores and now they were graduating seniors who had really come into their own as a band. Anyways, last year when Doug was on sabbatical the guys wrote me a song on the last Sunday night that I was "on my own" as youth pastor. As a going away gift the guys made a music video of said song and played it for us. I'll have to say, they did an amazing job. I'll try to post it on here sometime soon. The evening concluded with me having many heartfelt goodbyes with both students, parents and leaders. I am truly going to miss the FVCN youth group.
On Monday I took Holly and her family to the airport, said my official goodbye at the church, picked up the moving truck, packed said truck with the help of a few awesome friends, cleaned up the apartment, painted it back to white, and then drove 90 min down the road. Sounds busy? Well it was. I arrived at my in-laws on Tuesday and spent the night there. We left on Wednesday to drive the final 90 min to Chattanooga and then proceeded to unload the truck and start the unpacking process. Once again I had some awesome help with that.
Our time here has consisted of all the normal moving requirements, Drivers License, new tags, utilities and the like. We have yet to spend a full weekend here due to birthday parties, golf scrambles and graduation parties. Holly starts her orientation tomorrow and her residency officially begins on July 1st. We are in the process of settling down and finding what our normal routine will be here in Chattanooga. Thanks for your patience in my blog posts, hopefully I will be able to carve out some regular time to blog in the future.
Last thing, I need to find some type of employment while staying at home with Karis. Any ideas?
Sorry that I haven't posted anything in about a month. With all of our unpacking, saying goodbye, moving and subsequent unpacking I haven't had too much free time. Here's what I can remember us doing. Holly's graduation week was quite the whirlwind. It started off on Sunday with a going away reception at church in between services where I talked to a bunch of random people that I don't know that I even met in my four years on staff. I really don't like those things because of that, but I guess you have to do them. We finished packing the rest of that week and then had a staff going away lunch on Thursday. Funny thing, as I looked around the cafe I could only truly say that I was close to a few people that are left on staff. After an awkward "share your favorite Jared story" time with people that didn't hardly know me, we went home to change and then head to a formal dinner/dance for Holly's school. We had a great time at this event. I got to meet some of Holly's med school friends that I hear her talking about from time and time. It was good to also put faces to names as well.
Friday we had a graduation party for Holly at the home of some of our dear friends that we used to serve on staff with. We had a great evening hanging out with some of our closet friends in PA. The evening came to a close with the group praying over Holly and I. It is interesting to note that this evening felt like my staff going away reception as five of those present were ones that I had served at FVCN with. Man, we had some good times together. I left that event to pick up one of my best friends from the airport. He was flying in to help us with the move by driving my car back to TN on Sunday. Many, many thanks go out to "gangsta." On Saturday Holly's family flew in to PA to be present for the graduation ceremonies and help us finish packing. Sunday was the big graduation day! I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of my wife. She has put in so much time, energy and effort to get to this point. (And I've only been around first hand for the past 5 years.) I can honestly admit that I teared up as the med school class processed into the theatre. After an interesting and fairly lengthy ceremony, my wife is now an official doctor! Here an interesting tidbit, Holly's dad was able to hood her since he was a doctor as well.
That evening was perhaps one of the hardest nights that I have experienced in my ministry life. Saying goodbye to a great youth group. During the evening a few students stood up to share a few stories about me, some funny and some serious. We were surprised with a Wii as a going away present and some cash to put toward some things for Karis and our move. One other huge surprise came from our youth band. I had worked with these guys when they were sophomores and now they were graduating seniors who had really come into their own as a band. Anyways, last year when Doug was on sabbatical the guys wrote me a song on the last Sunday night that I was "on my own" as youth pastor. As a going away gift the guys made a music video of said song and played it for us. I'll have to say, they did an amazing job. I'll try to post it on here sometime soon. The evening concluded with me having many heartfelt goodbyes with both students, parents and leaders. I am truly going to miss the FVCN youth group.
On Monday I took Holly and her family to the airport, said my official goodbye at the church, picked up the moving truck, packed said truck with the help of a few awesome friends, cleaned up the apartment, painted it back to white, and then drove 90 min down the road. Sounds busy? Well it was. I arrived at my in-laws on Tuesday and spent the night there. We left on Wednesday to drive the final 90 min to Chattanooga and then proceeded to unload the truck and start the unpacking process. Once again I had some awesome help with that.
Our time here has consisted of all the normal moving requirements, Drivers License, new tags, utilities and the like. We have yet to spend a full weekend here due to birthday parties, golf scrambles and graduation parties. Holly starts her orientation tomorrow and her residency officially begins on July 1st. We are in the process of settling down and finding what our normal routine will be here in Chattanooga. Thanks for your patience in my blog posts, hopefully I will be able to carve out some regular time to blog in the future.
Last thing, I need to find some type of employment while staying at home with Karis. Any ideas?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
the life of Jared (5/24)
The week that was:
Packing boxes and wasting time. That's my life right now. We did have a going away reception at church on Sunday morning that was nice. I talked to quite a few people that I don't think I've said too many words to in my 4 years at the church. Needless to say that some of the conversations were a bit awkward. I spoke for the last time at Solomon's Porch on Sunday night.
The week that is:
Busy. We have to finish packing, which is currently kind of hard because we ran out of boxes. I'll get more tomorrow from my buddy Sam at Chick-fil-a but as of now I'm at a stand still. But here's how the end of the week is shaping out. Thursday is our going away luncheon with the staff at church. Thursday night we are going to a Dinner Dance for Holly's graduation. Friday is Holly's graduation party at some of our dear friend's house. Friday night by buddy Ryan is flying into town as he is driving my car back to my in-laws on Sunday, which saves us like $400 in shipping costs. Saturday Holly's family is flying into town for her graduation on Sunday. Sunday is Holly's graduation and our going away party with the youth on Sunday night. Monday I take Holly and her family to the airport as they are all leaving me. Monday afternoon I pick up the truck and have a few guys coming over to help me load it up. I then leave Tuesday morning to drive to my in-laws place where we have our washer/dryer a few other things in storage. Wednesday I'll leave from there and pull into our new place and unload the truck.
What I'm reading:
I'm reading a book called "the Hole in our Gospel" right now in between packing.
What I'm listening to:
Nothing in particular.
What I'm looking forward to:
Being finished with all of this. I probably won't post next week due to the crazy schedule that I just talked about.
Talk to you in a few.
Packing boxes and wasting time. That's my life right now. We did have a going away reception at church on Sunday morning that was nice. I talked to quite a few people that I don't think I've said too many words to in my 4 years at the church. Needless to say that some of the conversations were a bit awkward. I spoke for the last time at Solomon's Porch on Sunday night.
The week that is:
Busy. We have to finish packing, which is currently kind of hard because we ran out of boxes. I'll get more tomorrow from my buddy Sam at Chick-fil-a but as of now I'm at a stand still. But here's how the end of the week is shaping out. Thursday is our going away luncheon with the staff at church. Thursday night we are going to a Dinner Dance for Holly's graduation. Friday is Holly's graduation party at some of our dear friend's house. Friday night by buddy Ryan is flying into town as he is driving my car back to my in-laws on Sunday, which saves us like $400 in shipping costs. Saturday Holly's family is flying into town for her graduation on Sunday. Sunday is Holly's graduation and our going away party with the youth on Sunday night. Monday I take Holly and her family to the airport as they are all leaving me. Monday afternoon I pick up the truck and have a few guys coming over to help me load it up. I then leave Tuesday morning to drive to my in-laws place where we have our washer/dryer a few other things in storage. Wednesday I'll leave from there and pull into our new place and unload the truck.
What I'm reading:
I'm reading a book called "the Hole in our Gospel" right now in between packing.
What I'm listening to:
Nothing in particular.
What I'm looking forward to:
Being finished with all of this. I probably won't post next week due to the crazy schedule that I just talked about.
Talk to you in a few.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
the life of Jared (5/18)
The week that was:
Packing, packing and more packing mixed in with a little bit of lazy unmotivated time. My office at the church is about 95% finished and we are making progress at home.
We also attended 2 cookouts last weekend. The first was with our former pastor and another family that used to be on our staff. It was a great time eating and hanging out together and catching up. I think we all lament that fact that we are spread out now, but we (or at least I) treasure the time that we spent together on staff.
The other cookout was with our small group. 3 of the 4 couples in the small group are moving away this summer and so this was our last time to be together. One of the couples moving away is trying to use up the meat in their freezer so we had pork and beef ribs that night. Now let me tell you about these ribs. They were not the wimpy ribs that you might get at your local chain restaurant. No, these were ribs on steroids and they were amazing. Thanks Gregg and Lisa.
The week that is:
Packing, packing and more packing. I hope that we are pretty much finished with packing by the end of this week. Our following week is going to be nuts, but I'll let you know about that in my next update post. I am taking my 9th grade small group to shady maple on Saturday morning. That will definitely be good.
What I'm listening to:
Nothing specific right now, mostly genius playlists.
What I'm reading:
I'm slowly working through the book, "The Hole in our Gospel." I hope to have a review of it after we get settled in Chatty. I definitely recommend this book, especially for those who are older and might be turned off by a Shane Claiborne or someone like that.
What I'm looking forward to:
Settling down. I'm sad to leave this place, but I hate seeing boxes everywhere. Also there is a new DMB album releasing on the day that I leave PA. Hopefully I'll be able to download it and listen to it as I make the trek to TN.
Packing, packing and more packing mixed in with a little bit of lazy unmotivated time. My office at the church is about 95% finished and we are making progress at home.
We also attended 2 cookouts last weekend. The first was with our former pastor and another family that used to be on our staff. It was a great time eating and hanging out together and catching up. I think we all lament that fact that we are spread out now, but we (or at least I) treasure the time that we spent together on staff.
The other cookout was with our small group. 3 of the 4 couples in the small group are moving away this summer and so this was our last time to be together. One of the couples moving away is trying to use up the meat in their freezer so we had pork and beef ribs that night. Now let me tell you about these ribs. They were not the wimpy ribs that you might get at your local chain restaurant. No, these were ribs on steroids and they were amazing. Thanks Gregg and Lisa.
The week that is:
Packing, packing and more packing. I hope that we are pretty much finished with packing by the end of this week. Our following week is going to be nuts, but I'll let you know about that in my next update post. I am taking my 9th grade small group to shady maple on Saturday morning. That will definitely be good.
What I'm listening to:
Nothing specific right now, mostly genius playlists.
What I'm reading:
I'm slowly working through the book, "The Hole in our Gospel." I hope to have a review of it after we get settled in Chatty. I definitely recommend this book, especially for those who are older and might be turned off by a Shane Claiborne or someone like that.
What I'm looking forward to:
Settling down. I'm sad to leave this place, but I hate seeing boxes everywhere. Also there is a new DMB album releasing on the day that I leave PA. Hopefully I'll be able to download it and listen to it as I make the trek to TN.
Monday, May 11, 2009
the life of jared (5/11)
The weeks that were:
2 weeks ago I was at our middle school retreat. I'll have to honest, most of the time I dread those weekends, but I really enjoyed this trip. The theme that Doug and I had come up with had great potential to be very meaningful for our students and we had some really cool activities planned at a different retreat center.
Our theme was centered around the fact that we are clay in the hands of the potter. We talked about how we were made by God and that God declares that we are good. In this session Doug took the kids outside and forced us to notice our surroundings and all that God had created. This is especially meaningful to many of our students because we were in the middle of the woods which is radically different than where most of them live. In our next session, we talked about how God readies us to be put on the wheel and then begins the process of shaping and molding us. We found an actually potter's wheel and Doug did a quick demonstration on how a potter had to center the clay in order to lay the ground work for the piece that they have in mind to make. We talked about how God wants us to be centered on the wheel and ready for how God wants to shape us. The next session was geared around how God can take the mess that we sometimes make in our life and is able to still make it into something beautiful. For this session we asked an art teacher from our local high school to come a do a real demonstration. Thankfully she goes to our church and was happy to come out and help us. She was awesome and it was amazing to see the students captured by her movements and how the clay was being shaped in her hands. Our last session briefly talked about how God shapes and molds us for a purpose to be used for the kingdom. Just how a plate, cup, bowl or vase has a certain purpose, so we have a purpose as we are being transformed by God.
All in all the retreat was awesome and our students were so well behaved. This was my last retreat with this group and it kind of made me sad. I have been so blessed to serve a great group of students. I will miss them and our awesome youth leaders greatly.
On Monday we boarded a plane to TN for the sole purpose of finding a place to live in Chattanooga. Karis slept the whole time at the airport and on the plane. Holly and woke up early on Tuesday morning in order to get to an appointment at 10:30 with a real estate agent. We saw several townhomes and actually wound up leasing the first one we saw. Here are a few pictures.
[caption id="attachment_258" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Kitchen"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_259" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Backyard"]
[/caption]
The rest of week we just spent hanging out in the 'boro with Holly's family and we flew home on Friday.
Lastly, this was Holly's first Mother's Day and we had a great time. We went on a family picnic to Valley Forge National Park, at Holly's request, and overall just had a lazy day.
The week that is:
Packing. I'm hoping to have most of my office packed up by the end of the week but the house is not packing itself like we want it to. We also have 2 cookouts with friends and our small group this weekend. Looking forward to that.
What I'm listening to:
Nothing in particular. I have listened to the latest Lincoln Brewster album quite a bit lately. It's a good one!
What I'm looking forward to:
All of the packing to be done and the move to be over. I'm not ready to say goodbye, but I dread this waiting process.
What I'm reading:
Nothing really. Pretty much all of my books are in boxes.
2 weeks ago I was at our middle school retreat. I'll have to honest, most of the time I dread those weekends, but I really enjoyed this trip. The theme that Doug and I had come up with had great potential to be very meaningful for our students and we had some really cool activities planned at a different retreat center.
Our theme was centered around the fact that we are clay in the hands of the potter. We talked about how we were made by God and that God declares that we are good. In this session Doug took the kids outside and forced us to notice our surroundings and all that God had created. This is especially meaningful to many of our students because we were in the middle of the woods which is radically different than where most of them live. In our next session, we talked about how God readies us to be put on the wheel and then begins the process of shaping and molding us. We found an actually potter's wheel and Doug did a quick demonstration on how a potter had to center the clay in order to lay the ground work for the piece that they have in mind to make. We talked about how God wants us to be centered on the wheel and ready for how God wants to shape us. The next session was geared around how God can take the mess that we sometimes make in our life and is able to still make it into something beautiful. For this session we asked an art teacher from our local high school to come a do a real demonstration. Thankfully she goes to our church and was happy to come out and help us. She was awesome and it was amazing to see the students captured by her movements and how the clay was being shaped in her hands. Our last session briefly talked about how God shapes and molds us for a purpose to be used for the kingdom. Just how a plate, cup, bowl or vase has a certain purpose, so we have a purpose as we are being transformed by God.
All in all the retreat was awesome and our students were so well behaved. This was my last retreat with this group and it kind of made me sad. I have been so blessed to serve a great group of students. I will miss them and our awesome youth leaders greatly.
On Monday we boarded a plane to TN for the sole purpose of finding a place to live in Chattanooga. Karis slept the whole time at the airport and on the plane. Holly and woke up early on Tuesday morning in order to get to an appointment at 10:30 with a real estate agent. We saw several townhomes and actually wound up leasing the first one we saw. Here are a few pictures.
[caption id="attachment_258" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Kitchen"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_259" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Backyard"]
[/caption]The rest of week we just spent hanging out in the 'boro with Holly's family and we flew home on Friday.
Lastly, this was Holly's first Mother's Day and we had a great time. We went on a family picnic to Valley Forge National Park, at Holly's request, and overall just had a lazy day.
The week that is:
Packing. I'm hoping to have most of my office packed up by the end of the week but the house is not packing itself like we want it to. We also have 2 cookouts with friends and our small group this weekend. Looking forward to that.
What I'm listening to:
Nothing in particular. I have listened to the latest Lincoln Brewster album quite a bit lately. It's a good one!
What I'm looking forward to:
All of the packing to be done and the move to be over. I'm not ready to say goodbye, but I dread this waiting process.
What I'm reading:
Nothing really. Pretty much all of my books are in boxes.
Monday, April 27, 2009
the life of Jared (4/27)
The week that was:
Where to begin? My mom and dad flew in for the weekend on Wednesday and they got to see Karis for the first time in person, which was cool. My sister and brother in law flew in on Friday for the weekend as well, and they also got to see Karis for the first time.
Saturday was my 30th b-day and my lovely wife planned a surprise party for me with a few friends. It was a great time hanging out with good friends. The highlight was probably when Stephen Porter walked into the room. He came all the way from South Africa, though not totally for me. He is in town for a couple of trips to DC to hopefully secure visas for his family so they can return to Angola and the missionary assignment they have there.
Sunday was a really busy day. It was our 30 hour famine Sunday at church which meant that Doug and I team preached in "big" church. We were both satisfied with the message that we challenged our church to be a part of the solution. I don't know if everyone "heard" what we said, but hopefully a few did. We called the church to a time of prayer at the end of the service in order to begin to dream about being a part of the solution and in both services the altars were full.
Also on Sunday Holly and I dedicated Karis. That was the main reason that my family came into town, and it was good to have them there. Doug dedicated her and prayed over her. It was cool to have him do that since I had dedicated and prayed over both of his kids. Man, I'm going to miss that guy when I move.
After lunch at a local Italian place we returned home to snap a few more pictures and then I took my family to the airport. I returned home for about an hour to only go back to church for Solomon's Porch, where I spoke again. In addition the kids had brought in a bunch of cupcakes to celebrate my birthday and one of our leaders painted a caricature of me that I'll take a picture of when I get it back. She wants all of our students to sign it.
The week that is:
I am currently gearing up for Middle School retreat this weekend. We are focusing on the Potter's house passage in Jeremiah. I'm really excited about this weekend and the impact that it'll have on our students. I just hope that they are open to hear what God has laid on Doug and my heart.
What I'm reading:
I'm finding it really hard to read right now. I don't know why, but I keep looking at the same 3 books and not making any progress with them. Because of that I'm putting off the Romans study until life gets a bit more steady. I promise that I will pick it up!
What I'm listening to:
Right now, Hillsong United. I like them, but can only handle em in doses. This will be my dose for the week. I really wish they would write more communal songs instead of everyone of them focusing on the individual. I listened to a little bit of Crowder this morning as well. I really like the Remedy album and the live one is great as well.
What I'm (Not) looking forward to:
Packing. I don't like packing at all. I need to start purging some clothes that I don't wear anymore and other junk that I've accumulated over the past few years. I'm going to try my best to get that done here in the next 2 weeks.
Housing. Do you know how hard it is to find a house when you are hundreds of miles away? We are blessed with my sister being in the town that we are moving to and my in laws a couple of hours away and willing to go on road trips, but this is really stressing me out. It seems like when we find something fairly good online, it's either in a bad area, not as good as the pics they posted, or too far away for Holly to commute. We are going down there next week and hope to come back to PA knowing exactly where we will be moving. Please pray that we can work out these details.
Update on Karis:
I can't believe how much she is changing. She is really starting to interact with us well. We have a few trigger words that always seem to bring a smile when she is in a good mood. I love my little girl no matter how much she screams in the middle of the night.
Where to begin? My mom and dad flew in for the weekend on Wednesday and they got to see Karis for the first time in person, which was cool. My sister and brother in law flew in on Friday for the weekend as well, and they also got to see Karis for the first time.
Saturday was my 30th b-day and my lovely wife planned a surprise party for me with a few friends. It was a great time hanging out with good friends. The highlight was probably when Stephen Porter walked into the room. He came all the way from South Africa, though not totally for me. He is in town for a couple of trips to DC to hopefully secure visas for his family so they can return to Angola and the missionary assignment they have there.
Sunday was a really busy day. It was our 30 hour famine Sunday at church which meant that Doug and I team preached in "big" church. We were both satisfied with the message that we challenged our church to be a part of the solution. I don't know if everyone "heard" what we said, but hopefully a few did. We called the church to a time of prayer at the end of the service in order to begin to dream about being a part of the solution and in both services the altars were full.
Also on Sunday Holly and I dedicated Karis. That was the main reason that my family came into town, and it was good to have them there. Doug dedicated her and prayed over her. It was cool to have him do that since I had dedicated and prayed over both of his kids. Man, I'm going to miss that guy when I move.
After lunch at a local Italian place we returned home to snap a few more pictures and then I took my family to the airport. I returned home for about an hour to only go back to church for Solomon's Porch, where I spoke again. In addition the kids had brought in a bunch of cupcakes to celebrate my birthday and one of our leaders painted a caricature of me that I'll take a picture of when I get it back. She wants all of our students to sign it.
The week that is:
I am currently gearing up for Middle School retreat this weekend. We are focusing on the Potter's house passage in Jeremiah. I'm really excited about this weekend and the impact that it'll have on our students. I just hope that they are open to hear what God has laid on Doug and my heart.
What I'm reading:
I'm finding it really hard to read right now. I don't know why, but I keep looking at the same 3 books and not making any progress with them. Because of that I'm putting off the Romans study until life gets a bit more steady. I promise that I will pick it up!
What I'm listening to:
Right now, Hillsong United. I like them, but can only handle em in doses. This will be my dose for the week. I really wish they would write more communal songs instead of everyone of them focusing on the individual. I listened to a little bit of Crowder this morning as well. I really like the Remedy album and the live one is great as well.
What I'm (Not) looking forward to:
Packing. I don't like packing at all. I need to start purging some clothes that I don't wear anymore and other junk that I've accumulated over the past few years. I'm going to try my best to get that done here in the next 2 weeks.
Housing. Do you know how hard it is to find a house when you are hundreds of miles away? We are blessed with my sister being in the town that we are moving to and my in laws a couple of hours away and willing to go on road trips, but this is really stressing me out. It seems like when we find something fairly good online, it's either in a bad area, not as good as the pics they posted, or too far away for Holly to commute. We are going down there next week and hope to come back to PA knowing exactly where we will be moving. Please pray that we can work out these details.
Update on Karis:
I can't believe how much she is changing. She is really starting to interact with us well. We have a few trigger words that always seem to bring a smile when she is in a good mood. I love my little girl no matter how much she screams in the middle of the night.
Monday, April 20, 2009
the life of Jared
The week that was:
Highlighted by our 30 hour famine event Friday over Saturday. It was amazing! It's funny how we can put all of this time, effort and energy into putting something together and then God does something totally different. Truthfully I was kind of bummed on Friday night as many of our kids came to check in and hadn't raised any money at all. In fact, as a group we had about 20 more people than last year and raised only half of the money. But over the course of the weekend many of our students became convicted of their lack of effort and have now decided to do anything they can think of raise money. It's great to hear feedback from our students about how God has been wrestling with them over simple things as our lifestyle and the things we eat. I'll try to put some of my many thoughts into a post sometime soon.
The week that is:
My parents, sister and brother in law are coming to town this weekend! This is a big weekend as my 30th birthday is on Saturday, Karis is being dedicated on Sunday and I'm team preaching on Sunday with Doug in "big" church. Needless to say my time is going to be pulled in many different directions.
What I'm reading:
Same few books. Nothing new here.
What I'm listening to:
I'm on a serious DMB kick lately. I've probably plowed through a few of his live albums both in my car and in the office.
What I'm looking forward to:
Well this past weekend I announced an upcoming move that Holly and I are making to our high school students and our youth leaders. For the most part everyone was very supportive. There were a few students who were totally caught off guard and are still processing through the news. This coming weekend the announcement will be made to the whole church, so on top of preaching and Karis being dedicated it should be a roller coaster day. All of that to say that we are now looking for housing in Chattanooga and it's turning out to be a difficult proposition. Please pray that we can find a place that we are comfortable with and that will be good for Karis to grow up in for the next 3 years. Also we are now starting to purge some of our junk and pack what we are going to take and I always hate this part of life.
Karis update:
She's over 8lbs now, which is awesome! She's also had a few long nights lately which is making things difficult for mom and dad. Hopefully this is just a phase and will pass soon, but we'll see.
Highlighted by our 30 hour famine event Friday over Saturday. It was amazing! It's funny how we can put all of this time, effort and energy into putting something together and then God does something totally different. Truthfully I was kind of bummed on Friday night as many of our kids came to check in and hadn't raised any money at all. In fact, as a group we had about 20 more people than last year and raised only half of the money. But over the course of the weekend many of our students became convicted of their lack of effort and have now decided to do anything they can think of raise money. It's great to hear feedback from our students about how God has been wrestling with them over simple things as our lifestyle and the things we eat. I'll try to put some of my many thoughts into a post sometime soon.
The week that is:
My parents, sister and brother in law are coming to town this weekend! This is a big weekend as my 30th birthday is on Saturday, Karis is being dedicated on Sunday and I'm team preaching on Sunday with Doug in "big" church. Needless to say my time is going to be pulled in many different directions.
What I'm reading:
Same few books. Nothing new here.
What I'm listening to:
I'm on a serious DMB kick lately. I've probably plowed through a few of his live albums both in my car and in the office.
What I'm looking forward to:
Well this past weekend I announced an upcoming move that Holly and I are making to our high school students and our youth leaders. For the most part everyone was very supportive. There were a few students who were totally caught off guard and are still processing through the news. This coming weekend the announcement will be made to the whole church, so on top of preaching and Karis being dedicated it should be a roller coaster day. All of that to say that we are now looking for housing in Chattanooga and it's turning out to be a difficult proposition. Please pray that we can find a place that we are comfortable with and that will be good for Karis to grow up in for the next 3 years. Also we are now starting to purge some of our junk and pack what we are going to take and I always hate this part of life.
Karis update:
She's over 8lbs now, which is awesome! She's also had a few long nights lately which is making things difficult for mom and dad. Hopefully this is just a phase and will pass soon, but we'll see.
Monday, April 13, 2009
the life of Jared
The week that was
Holy week was filled with both some good down time and also a few events. This has been a challenging lenten season and I'll blog about it sometime this week. The first part of the week was pretty uneventful with the latter part of the week being fairly busy. I have switched my day off from Friday to Monday to accommodate Holly's schedule with her last rotation. This has been a bit of an adjustment, but one I'm taking fairly well. On Thursday we had an open communion time where Doug (my co-youth pastor) and I manned a station. I love having the chance to connect with families in this way. We were able to serve communion to and pray with many of the families that either work with us or that we directly serve. On Friday our youth ministry held a tenebrae service at the same time one was going on in the main sanctuary. It was a very good service as we reflected on the death of Christ. The thing that I liked the most is that our students actually left the room in silence. I don't know if that has ever happened before! We had good services on Sunday as well. It was weird to be in the back and not involved, but it is also a welcome change.
The week that is:
Our student ministry is participating in the 30 hour famine this weekend in conjunction with another church. So this week is going to be spent mostly in preparations for that and Sunday. Our past two famines have been a huge success and I'm praying for the same again. I'm also in the process of securing housing for our family when Holly starts residency. This process is starting to stress me out a bit so please keep this in your prayers if you remember.
What I'm reading:
Ok, so I have a bit of ADD when it comes to reading lately. I'm still reading the book on the atonement, "Recovering the Scandal of the Cross". I have also started two others though. The first one is called "The Sacredness of Questioning Everything." The second one is called "The Hole in our Gospel." The last one is by the president of World Vision and he is writing about his own journey but also about how we in the western church aren't really living out the whole gospel. I picked this book up through a program that Thomas Nelson offers to bloggers. It's free, all I have to do is write a review on here and a place like Amazon.
What I'm listening to:
Nothing consistently. I've been taking advantage of the genius feature on iTunes lately. Man, I love that feature.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
I have a big and tough announcement to make this weekend. It's one of those bittersweet things that pop up in life. I just pray that God will be glorified in all that we say and do.
Holy week was filled with both some good down time and also a few events. This has been a challenging lenten season and I'll blog about it sometime this week. The first part of the week was pretty uneventful with the latter part of the week being fairly busy. I have switched my day off from Friday to Monday to accommodate Holly's schedule with her last rotation. This has been a bit of an adjustment, but one I'm taking fairly well. On Thursday we had an open communion time where Doug (my co-youth pastor) and I manned a station. I love having the chance to connect with families in this way. We were able to serve communion to and pray with many of the families that either work with us or that we directly serve. On Friday our youth ministry held a tenebrae service at the same time one was going on in the main sanctuary. It was a very good service as we reflected on the death of Christ. The thing that I liked the most is that our students actually left the room in silence. I don't know if that has ever happened before! We had good services on Sunday as well. It was weird to be in the back and not involved, but it is also a welcome change.
The week that is:
Our student ministry is participating in the 30 hour famine this weekend in conjunction with another church. So this week is going to be spent mostly in preparations for that and Sunday. Our past two famines have been a huge success and I'm praying for the same again. I'm also in the process of securing housing for our family when Holly starts residency. This process is starting to stress me out a bit so please keep this in your prayers if you remember.
What I'm reading:
Ok, so I have a bit of ADD when it comes to reading lately. I'm still reading the book on the atonement, "Recovering the Scandal of the Cross". I have also started two others though. The first one is called "The Sacredness of Questioning Everything." The second one is called "The Hole in our Gospel." The last one is by the president of World Vision and he is writing about his own journey but also about how we in the western church aren't really living out the whole gospel. I picked this book up through a program that Thomas Nelson offers to bloggers. It's free, all I have to do is write a review on here and a place like Amazon.
What I'm listening to:
Nothing consistently. I've been taking advantage of the genius feature on iTunes lately. Man, I love that feature.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
I have a big and tough announcement to make this weekend. It's one of those bittersweet things that pop up in life. I just pray that God will be glorified in all that we say and do.
Monday, April 6, 2009
the life of Jared (4/6)
The week that was:
Dominated by a quick trip to Charlotte for one of my college friends wedding. This trip/wedding was big for a couple of different reason. First, it was the first time that I have been away from Karis overnight. And it was two nights at that! It was really hard to leave but my friend only gets married once. Second, my friend who got married is the last of my close group of friends to do such. So we are all married now and many of us have begun to have kids as well. Third, I really love seeing all of my college friends and catching up with them. I so miss the community that I had with those guys and even some of the ignorance that comes with youth.
The week that is:
Well it's Holy Week that that means I have something going on Thursday and Friday night. Thursday we are having drop in communion at our church that the pastors are staffing and Friday we are doing a Tenebrae service with our youth. I really enjoy having the freedom to put together and execute a Tenebrae service. I only hope that the youth that do come will appreciate what we are remembering on that evening.
What I'm reading:
I'm all over the place with what I'm reading right now. I started reading a book on the atonement called "Recovering the Scandal of the Cross" and I'm enjoying it. I'm still kind of reading through "Crazy Love" but can only take the reformed theology in doses. I have decided to do a pretty extensive study of the book of Romans after Easter which I'm looking forward to. I'll try to blog on the things that I will learn.
What I'm listening to:
On my plane ride I listened to some DMB and John Mayer. I like listening to live albums on trips as it helps the time to pass quicker.
What I'm looking forward to:
UNC is playing in the national championship tonight. They completely destroyed MSU last time they played them, but I don't think this game will have the same outcome. The only thing that kind of scares me is that this is basically a home game for MSU. But I think our talent and execution will eventually give us the advantage.
On another note, I correctly picked 3 of the 4 final four teams which includes the match-up tonight. Aren't I smart?
Dominated by a quick trip to Charlotte for one of my college friends wedding. This trip/wedding was big for a couple of different reason. First, it was the first time that I have been away from Karis overnight. And it was two nights at that! It was really hard to leave but my friend only gets married once. Second, my friend who got married is the last of my close group of friends to do such. So we are all married now and many of us have begun to have kids as well. Third, I really love seeing all of my college friends and catching up with them. I so miss the community that I had with those guys and even some of the ignorance that comes with youth.
The week that is:
Well it's Holy Week that that means I have something going on Thursday and Friday night. Thursday we are having drop in communion at our church that the pastors are staffing and Friday we are doing a Tenebrae service with our youth. I really enjoy having the freedom to put together and execute a Tenebrae service. I only hope that the youth that do come will appreciate what we are remembering on that evening.
What I'm reading:
I'm all over the place with what I'm reading right now. I started reading a book on the atonement called "Recovering the Scandal of the Cross" and I'm enjoying it. I'm still kind of reading through "Crazy Love" but can only take the reformed theology in doses. I have decided to do a pretty extensive study of the book of Romans after Easter which I'm looking forward to. I'll try to blog on the things that I will learn.
What I'm listening to:
On my plane ride I listened to some DMB and John Mayer. I like listening to live albums on trips as it helps the time to pass quicker.
What I'm looking forward to:
UNC is playing in the national championship tonight. They completely destroyed MSU last time they played them, but I don't think this game will have the same outcome. The only thing that kind of scares me is that this is basically a home game for MSU. But I think our talent and execution will eventually give us the advantage.
On another note, I correctly picked 3 of the 4 final four teams which includes the match-up tonight. Aren't I smart?
Monday, March 23, 2009
the life of Jared 3/23
The week that was:
Sleep, sleep and more sleep. Holly's mom was here from Sunday thru Thursday so that meant that Holly and I got more sleep than usual. Thanks Brenda! It's funny what more sleep does to you after you've learned how to live without it. I found that my body didn't fully catch up to "normal" until Wednesday, but then it was back to business as usual on Thursday. Additionally we had our annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet at church last Friday night. Our theme was "The Greatest Church on Earth" and we ultimately put on a circus. That's right, I said a circus. I had a couple of parts to play in the whole shebang. I was the "6 ft. man eating chicken" (the important part of my costume was a box of Chick-fil-a chicken strips) and I was also a construction clown. We had a fun night entertaining our volunteers and showing them thanks for the many sacrifices that they make.
The week that is:
Nothing much going on here. Holly's cousin is coming at the end of the week for a quick visit and we have a Middle School event on Friday night as well.
What I'm looking forward to:
Vaguely, the future. As our families future is coming into more focus, Holly and I are looking forward to what the future holds. It's amazing that Holly is about to graduate med school and that she will be starting residency this summer. We are one step closer to functioning as a "normal" family that doesn't have to worry about schooling and not being settled. That is unless I go back to school in the near future like I want to do. But more on that in the future.
What I'm reading:
Since my class is finished I'm now free to read what I want. I'm thinking about plowing through Missional Church. Any other suggestions.
What I'm listening to:
I've been listening to some DMB lately as well as U2 and The Fray's new albums.
Sleep, sleep and more sleep. Holly's mom was here from Sunday thru Thursday so that meant that Holly and I got more sleep than usual. Thanks Brenda! It's funny what more sleep does to you after you've learned how to live without it. I found that my body didn't fully catch up to "normal" until Wednesday, but then it was back to business as usual on Thursday. Additionally we had our annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet at church last Friday night. Our theme was "The Greatest Church on Earth" and we ultimately put on a circus. That's right, I said a circus. I had a couple of parts to play in the whole shebang. I was the "6 ft. man eating chicken" (the important part of my costume was a box of Chick-fil-a chicken strips) and I was also a construction clown. We had a fun night entertaining our volunteers and showing them thanks for the many sacrifices that they make.
The week that is:
Nothing much going on here. Holly's cousin is coming at the end of the week for a quick visit and we have a Middle School event on Friday night as well.
What I'm looking forward to:
Vaguely, the future. As our families future is coming into more focus, Holly and I are looking forward to what the future holds. It's amazing that Holly is about to graduate med school and that she will be starting residency this summer. We are one step closer to functioning as a "normal" family that doesn't have to worry about schooling and not being settled. That is unless I go back to school in the near future like I want to do. But more on that in the future.
What I'm reading:
Since my class is finished I'm now free to read what I want. I'm thinking about plowing through Missional Church. Any other suggestions.
What I'm listening to:
I've been listening to some DMB lately as well as U2 and The Fray's new albums.
Monday, March 16, 2009
The life of Jared (3/16)
The weeks that were:
Nothing much has happened lately. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law came up for a quick Karis visit at the beginning of last week. My last class session was on Saturday. I'm kind of glad that it's over because I don't seem to have a ton of free time to put towards preparing for class, but I do enjoy teaching and the conversation that is sparked from what I prepare. This last session was on eschatology which is always an interesting topic.
The week that is:
My mother-in-law is here this week helping out. Karis has been really high maintenance lately with having her days and nights mixed up. I know that all babies go through this phase, but it's killer when they are going through it. Here's the funny thing though, Karis isn't consistent with her mix ups. Some days everything is normal, and then the next two will be flip flopped. Also this week is our annual volunteer appreciation banquet at the church. This year we are doing something brand new in that the staff is putting on a circus to honor our volunteers. It's gonna be pretty crazy and your truly is going to be a construction clown. Hopefully it will go off well but most importantly that our volunteers will feel very appreciated.
What I'm reading:
"Angry Conversations with God" I will be doing a post on Wednesday of this book which I recommend. I might even do a giveaway if you're lucky. I'm trying to finish Crazy Love since our students are having to read this for the summer mission trip.
What I'm listening to:
The new Fray album, the new U2 album and random DMB.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Holly and I find out where she matched for a residency program on Thursday. We are on pins and needles with anticipation about knowing where our next journey will be to. Once we do find out, then we have to start our preparations to move out of our crappy apartment. Now that I'm really looking forward to!
Karis update:
Other than the day/night mix up she's doing awesome. She's growing like crazy and is now starting to interact a bit with you. She won't focus too long on your face, but she will turn and look at you from time to time when you speak to her. I love seeing her develop right in front of our eyes. I know this is only the beginning of the many first that she will have.
Nothing much has happened lately. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law came up for a quick Karis visit at the beginning of last week. My last class session was on Saturday. I'm kind of glad that it's over because I don't seem to have a ton of free time to put towards preparing for class, but I do enjoy teaching and the conversation that is sparked from what I prepare. This last session was on eschatology which is always an interesting topic.
The week that is:
My mother-in-law is here this week helping out. Karis has been really high maintenance lately with having her days and nights mixed up. I know that all babies go through this phase, but it's killer when they are going through it. Here's the funny thing though, Karis isn't consistent with her mix ups. Some days everything is normal, and then the next two will be flip flopped. Also this week is our annual volunteer appreciation banquet at the church. This year we are doing something brand new in that the staff is putting on a circus to honor our volunteers. It's gonna be pretty crazy and your truly is going to be a construction clown. Hopefully it will go off well but most importantly that our volunteers will feel very appreciated.
What I'm reading:
"Angry Conversations with God" I will be doing a post on Wednesday of this book which I recommend. I might even do a giveaway if you're lucky. I'm trying to finish Crazy Love since our students are having to read this for the summer mission trip.
What I'm listening to:
The new Fray album, the new U2 album and random DMB.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Holly and I find out where she matched for a residency program on Thursday. We are on pins and needles with anticipation about knowing where our next journey will be to. Once we do find out, then we have to start our preparations to move out of our crappy apartment. Now that I'm really looking forward to!
Karis update:
Other than the day/night mix up she's doing awesome. She's growing like crazy and is now starting to interact a bit with you. She won't focus too long on your face, but she will turn and look at you from time to time when you speak to her. I love seeing her develop right in front of our eyes. I know this is only the beginning of the many first that she will have.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The life of Jared (3/1)
The week that was:
Fairly uneventful. Mostly my week looks like this. I work up until 1 and then head home and Holly goes to her rotation site. One of us is always at home right now with Karis. It is amazing how fast time flies when I'm taking care of Karis. Especially since she is spoiled and loves to be held. It's almost impossible for me to get any reading done.
We did have some friends over on Saturday night. That was a good release for Holly and I to have other adults to hang out with, plus they were loving on Karis the whole time.
The week that is:
Not much here again. Karis has a Dr.'s appointment to get a shot. Yuck. I need to keep pace on preparing for my class. Our last session is on the 14th. I really need to get on my taxes. I keep putting that off, but I know that's one of those things that will sneak up on you if you let it.
What I'm reading:
Two main things: "Surprised by Hope" by NT Wright. I am loving this book and the call that he is making to the church. "Angry Conversations with God" by Susan Isaacs. This is a book that I got a prerelease copy in order to write up a review when it is released. I am having fun with this one and you should really pick up a copy when it comes out in a couple of weeks. I'll do a formal write up then.
What I'm listening to:
Right now, the new U2 album that came out today. First impression is that it's pretty good. Kind of chill, but still solid. I also thinking about picking up an album that Don Miller recommended from a group called The Alternate Routes.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Carolina has two big games this week. They can wrap up the ACC regular season title with a win on Wednesday of Va Tech. Of course I'd also love for them to pound Duke. I'm a little concerned about their defense when it comes tourney time, but hopefully things will click here in the last week.
We are also now in the Lenten season. I will be doing a devotional blog on my church's website for our youth. Feel free to check it out and leave some comments.
Fairly uneventful. Mostly my week looks like this. I work up until 1 and then head home and Holly goes to her rotation site. One of us is always at home right now with Karis. It is amazing how fast time flies when I'm taking care of Karis. Especially since she is spoiled and loves to be held. It's almost impossible for me to get any reading done.
We did have some friends over on Saturday night. That was a good release for Holly and I to have other adults to hang out with, plus they were loving on Karis the whole time.
The week that is:
Not much here again. Karis has a Dr.'s appointment to get a shot. Yuck. I need to keep pace on preparing for my class. Our last session is on the 14th. I really need to get on my taxes. I keep putting that off, but I know that's one of those things that will sneak up on you if you let it.
What I'm reading:
Two main things: "Surprised by Hope" by NT Wright. I am loving this book and the call that he is making to the church. "Angry Conversations with God" by Susan Isaacs. This is a book that I got a prerelease copy in order to write up a review when it is released. I am having fun with this one and you should really pick up a copy when it comes out in a couple of weeks. I'll do a formal write up then.
What I'm listening to:
Right now, the new U2 album that came out today. First impression is that it's pretty good. Kind of chill, but still solid. I also thinking about picking up an album that Don Miller recommended from a group called The Alternate Routes.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Carolina has two big games this week. They can wrap up the ACC regular season title with a win on Wednesday of Va Tech. Of course I'd also love for them to pound Duke. I'm a little concerned about their defense when it comes tourney time, but hopefully things will click here in the last week.
We are also now in the Lenten season. I will be doing a devotional blog on my church's website for our youth. Feel free to check it out and leave some comments.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Life of Jared (2/22)
The week that was:
Taught class on Saturday where we talked about worship and the sacraments. We had a great discussion, especially about infant baptism. It's so much fun to be an integral part in helping people formulate their theology and helping them to rethink past positions. I also sold our living room set on Craigslist last week. I put all four pieces for $50 because I wanted to make sure it was sold by Friday when we picked our new sofa. Let's just say that I had a lot of interest since they were in such good shape. I wound up selling the set to a family who had refinished their basement for their two girls who are 15 and 10. The set sold for $100, because demand was driving the price up, and they pitched in another $20 when I helped them load it up. They seemed to be a nice family and I hope the girls enjoy the furniture as much as Holly and I did. Lastly, we picked up our new sofa and it is awesome! I feel so grown up with a new baby and a new sofa.
The week that is:
Lent starts tomorrow so I've been preparing for our Ash Wednesday service and our first week's message on Sunday. Hopefully things will settle down a bit, but with a newborn I don't think that's possible.
What I'm listening to:
Lots of different albums. Passion: God of this City, Downhere: all 3 of them, Chris Tomlin: Hello Love, DMB: Live at the Mile High Music Festival, The Fray: The Fray.
What I'm looking forward to:
I'm really anticipating lent this year as I'm fasting from something totally different than I normally do. I'll put up a separate post on it tomorrow, just know that it will stretch me quite a bit. I have also put together a lenten devotional for our students that I'd love for you to use if you need something. You can find it on our church website. Once it's up tomorrow I'll post a link. I will also be blogging through lent on the church website to try and generate some discussion there.
Karis update:
Here's a new category. Karis is doing really well. She's starting to learn to swat away things from her face that she doesn't like. Namely the suction bulb thing that we use to get boogers out of her nose. She's also starting to turn when you speak to her. She has also outgrown a few of her preemie outfits!
Taught class on Saturday where we talked about worship and the sacraments. We had a great discussion, especially about infant baptism. It's so much fun to be an integral part in helping people formulate their theology and helping them to rethink past positions. I also sold our living room set on Craigslist last week. I put all four pieces for $50 because I wanted to make sure it was sold by Friday when we picked our new sofa. Let's just say that I had a lot of interest since they were in such good shape. I wound up selling the set to a family who had refinished their basement for their two girls who are 15 and 10. The set sold for $100, because demand was driving the price up, and they pitched in another $20 when I helped them load it up. They seemed to be a nice family and I hope the girls enjoy the furniture as much as Holly and I did. Lastly, we picked up our new sofa and it is awesome! I feel so grown up with a new baby and a new sofa.
The week that is:
Lent starts tomorrow so I've been preparing for our Ash Wednesday service and our first week's message on Sunday. Hopefully things will settle down a bit, but with a newborn I don't think that's possible.
What I'm listening to:
Lots of different albums. Passion: God of this City, Downhere: all 3 of them, Chris Tomlin: Hello Love, DMB: Live at the Mile High Music Festival, The Fray: The Fray.
What I'm looking forward to:
I'm really anticipating lent this year as I'm fasting from something totally different than I normally do. I'll put up a separate post on it tomorrow, just know that it will stretch me quite a bit. I have also put together a lenten devotional for our students that I'd love for you to use if you need something. You can find it on our church website. Once it's up tomorrow I'll post a link. I will also be blogging through lent on the church website to try and generate some discussion there.
Karis update:
Here's a new category. Karis is doing really well. She's starting to learn to swat away things from her face that she doesn't like. Namely the suction bulb thing that we use to get boogers out of her nose. She's also starting to turn when you speak to her. She has also outgrown a few of her preemie outfits!
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Life of Jared (2/16)
The week that was:
Not a whole lot happened. My in laws came in for the weekend to see Karis and help out, which was appreciated. Holly and I were able to go out by ourselves for the first time since Karis came home. We went to a wedding of two of our youth workers, which was awesome. Then we went to a place called the Dump and bought a sofa! I led worship with Doug and spoke on Sunday night and enjoyed both very much. I hadn't played the guitar in over a couple of months and really missed it. I was also very please with my message on Sunday night in talking about God disciplining us. I just hope and pray that our students heard it!
The week that is:
My mother in law is here until Thursday helping out with Karis, so therefore Holly and I are working later to try and get caught up with other things. I am working to get our Lenten devotional together and starting to study for our lent series. We are going to be following the lectionary for the rest of the year, which I think will be fun. I also have class on Saturday so I've gotta get that all together as well. Our new couch will be here on Friday and I'm trying to sell our older pieces on Craigslist right now. So far I've had 3 bites!
What I'm reading:
Same old things for class and a secondary source called Ancient-Future Worship. I really like that book a lot! I'm also enjoying my new Wesley Study Bible.
What I'm listening to:
Today I was listening to a band that a friend of mine used to be in called Kurios. I was walking down memory lane.
What I'm looking forward to/keeping an eye on:
Sitting on my new couch. Teaching on Saturday. Lent beginning. Carolina creeping up to #1. Phillies starting Spring Training. Holly going through the residency match.
Not a whole lot happened. My in laws came in for the weekend to see Karis and help out, which was appreciated. Holly and I were able to go out by ourselves for the first time since Karis came home. We went to a wedding of two of our youth workers, which was awesome. Then we went to a place called the Dump and bought a sofa! I led worship with Doug and spoke on Sunday night and enjoyed both very much. I hadn't played the guitar in over a couple of months and really missed it. I was also very please with my message on Sunday night in talking about God disciplining us. I just hope and pray that our students heard it!
The week that is:
My mother in law is here until Thursday helping out with Karis, so therefore Holly and I are working later to try and get caught up with other things. I am working to get our Lenten devotional together and starting to study for our lent series. We are going to be following the lectionary for the rest of the year, which I think will be fun. I also have class on Saturday so I've gotta get that all together as well. Our new couch will be here on Friday and I'm trying to sell our older pieces on Craigslist right now. So far I've had 3 bites!
What I'm reading:
Same old things for class and a secondary source called Ancient-Future Worship. I really like that book a lot! I'm also enjoying my new Wesley Study Bible.
What I'm listening to:
Today I was listening to a band that a friend of mine used to be in called Kurios. I was walking down memory lane.
What I'm looking forward to/keeping an eye on:
Sitting on my new couch. Teaching on Saturday. Lent beginning. Carolina creeping up to #1. Phillies starting Spring Training. Holly going through the residency match.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The life of Jared (2/9)
The week that was:
Not much went on last week. I'm still getting adjusted to life with a baby at home. I'm the one who gets up in the middle of the night and changes/feeds her since Holly is pumping. The problem is that we aren't on the same schedule so we wind up waking the other up at various points in the night, especially if Karis happens to be fussy. I also taught on Saturday and had a great discussion over the philosophy of the church. It's amazing for me to think about how far we have gotten away from the vision that is found in the early church. I'll try to post a little more on that later.
The week that is:
Same old, same old here. Juggling job, baby, wife, class, etc all at once. It's fun and tiring. Karis has her next Dr's appointment on Thursday, hopefully she's still gaining a good amount of weight. Speaking of Karis, she's on my chest sleeping right now as I type. Pretty cool, pretty cool.
What I'm listening to:
I just picked up the new album from The Fray and it's pretty good. I usually have to listen to an album a few times to make a good informed judgement about it. But so far, I like this one.
What I'm reading:
Same old stuff for class but also at least one new book, Ancient-Future Worship by Robbert Webber. If he's able to deliver on this book what he claims in the opening introduction, I'm going to really like this book. Here's the cover and a link to amazon.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
North Carolina and Duke play on Wednesday, that's always a huge game. Go Heels! Other than that I'm out of touch with the happens of the world.
Not much went on last week. I'm still getting adjusted to life with a baby at home. I'm the one who gets up in the middle of the night and changes/feeds her since Holly is pumping. The problem is that we aren't on the same schedule so we wind up waking the other up at various points in the night, especially if Karis happens to be fussy. I also taught on Saturday and had a great discussion over the philosophy of the church. It's amazing for me to think about how far we have gotten away from the vision that is found in the early church. I'll try to post a little more on that later.
The week that is:
Same old, same old here. Juggling job, baby, wife, class, etc all at once. It's fun and tiring. Karis has her next Dr's appointment on Thursday, hopefully she's still gaining a good amount of weight. Speaking of Karis, she's on my chest sleeping right now as I type. Pretty cool, pretty cool.
What I'm listening to:
I just picked up the new album from The Fray and it's pretty good. I usually have to listen to an album a few times to make a good informed judgement about it. But so far, I like this one.
What I'm reading:
Same old stuff for class but also at least one new book, Ancient-Future Worship by Robbert Webber. If he's able to deliver on this book what he claims in the opening introduction, I'm going to really like this book. Here's the cover and a link to amazon.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
North Carolina and Duke play on Wednesday, that's always a huge game. Go Heels! Other than that I'm out of touch with the happens of the world.
Monday, February 2, 2009
The life of Jared (2/2)
I guess I should date these things for the few of you who care.
The week that was:
Not much happened last week. Time in the office, at the NICU, etc. We did have a snow day which was pretty cool, but Karis wasn't with us so that sucked a bit. I had a Middle School event on Friday night that went really well. Doug is battling a persistent form of strep so I told him to stay away. Besides he's covered for me a lot lately.
The week that is:
The doctors keep talking like Karis will come home sometime this week. Holly and I trying not to get our hopes up too much because they've talked like this before and then have said, "We want to keep our eye on her for a few more days." As I said in an earlier post, I want her to come home now, but also when she is ready. That's more important. I think I'm speaking for our high school kids this week on the topic of 1st temple Judaism, which I'm calling the Ultimate Home Court Advantage. Should be fun!
What I'm listening to:
Right now, Starfield. I've also listened to Los Lonely Boys alot last week. I love those guys. Wouldn't you like to create a whole new genre of music? There's is called Texican rock.
What I'm reading:
Still stuff for class, but one book in particular is called "Missional Church." It's awesome, pick it up and plow through it. I've also updated my book page on this blog. Pretty soon I'll get around to talking about each book, if you care.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Other than Karis coming home, not much else. Things are on cruise control in the youth ministry until March so I'm going to take advantage of that. I'm teaching again on Saturday which will be fun, assuming that I can get fully prepared.
The week that was:
Not much happened last week. Time in the office, at the NICU, etc. We did have a snow day which was pretty cool, but Karis wasn't with us so that sucked a bit. I had a Middle School event on Friday night that went really well. Doug is battling a persistent form of strep so I told him to stay away. Besides he's covered for me a lot lately.
The week that is:
The doctors keep talking like Karis will come home sometime this week. Holly and I trying not to get our hopes up too much because they've talked like this before and then have said, "We want to keep our eye on her for a few more days." As I said in an earlier post, I want her to come home now, but also when she is ready. That's more important. I think I'm speaking for our high school kids this week on the topic of 1st temple Judaism, which I'm calling the Ultimate Home Court Advantage. Should be fun!
What I'm listening to:
Right now, Starfield. I've also listened to Los Lonely Boys alot last week. I love those guys. Wouldn't you like to create a whole new genre of music? There's is called Texican rock.
What I'm reading:
Still stuff for class, but one book in particular is called "Missional Church." It's awesome, pick it up and plow through it. I've also updated my book page on this blog. Pretty soon I'll get around to talking about each book, if you care.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Other than Karis coming home, not much else. Things are on cruise control in the youth ministry until March so I'm going to take advantage of that. I'm teaching again on Saturday which will be fun, assuming that I can get fully prepared.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The life of Jared
Trying another name for this update thingy.
The week that was:
Not much went on last week. My time in the office was spent on preparing to speak to our youth after a few weeks absence and preparing for class on Saturday. I thought class went really well. Our topic was on Salvation/Sanctification and I think I helped to clear up a few misunderstandings/bad definitions that had been thrown around to my students. Every time I read John Wesley I am more and more disappointed at how we have twisted his thoughts and intentions. But I guess we do the same to the Bible, so why should Wesley be any different.
My in-laws flew in for the weekend too. We had a great time with them, even though it was short. They got in around 11PM on Friday and after we picked them up at the airport we took them to the hospital to see Karis. I taught on Saturday so Holly took them on Saturday to the hospital and then we went again after class was over. They went again on Sunday morning as I had to come to church so that I can still collect a paycheck. They flew out Sunday afternoon and then Holly and I spent the evening just hanging out. I love having downtime with Holly. She usually falls asleep and I watch TV or read, but I love just being close to her.
The week that is:
Pretty much nothing new this week either, except that Karis may come home later in the week. If she continues to take all of her feeds by bottle and shows that she doesn't need the feeding tube anymore, then they will consider sending her home with us. Holly and I will be happy when that whole ordeal is over. We both hate leaving her at the hospital, especially if she's awake. But we understand that she is getting the best care there right now.
We have a middle school event on Friday night that I will attend unless Karis comes home and there's a little thing called the Super Bowl on Sunday. I would love to watch that with Karis in my arms.
What I'm reading:
I have started reading "Missional Church" by Darrell Guder and others, for my class. I'm only part of the way through the 1st chapter and can already tell that I'm going to like this book. I'll post some thoughts as I work my way through it.
What I'm listening to:
Right now I'm listening to Shane and Shane, all of the albums that I have. I don't know why, I'm just in that kind of mood. Those guys are really talented and I especially love worshipping with them in person. They led one of the sessions at YS this year that was amazing.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Other than Karis, there's not much on my radar. Can you tell that I want her home?
The week that was:
Not much went on last week. My time in the office was spent on preparing to speak to our youth after a few weeks absence and preparing for class on Saturday. I thought class went really well. Our topic was on Salvation/Sanctification and I think I helped to clear up a few misunderstandings/bad definitions that had been thrown around to my students. Every time I read John Wesley I am more and more disappointed at how we have twisted his thoughts and intentions. But I guess we do the same to the Bible, so why should Wesley be any different.
My in-laws flew in for the weekend too. We had a great time with them, even though it was short. They got in around 11PM on Friday and after we picked them up at the airport we took them to the hospital to see Karis. I taught on Saturday so Holly took them on Saturday to the hospital and then we went again after class was over. They went again on Sunday morning as I had to come to church so that I can still collect a paycheck. They flew out Sunday afternoon and then Holly and I spent the evening just hanging out. I love having downtime with Holly. She usually falls asleep and I watch TV or read, but I love just being close to her.
The week that is:
Pretty much nothing new this week either, except that Karis may come home later in the week. If she continues to take all of her feeds by bottle and shows that she doesn't need the feeding tube anymore, then they will consider sending her home with us. Holly and I will be happy when that whole ordeal is over. We both hate leaving her at the hospital, especially if she's awake. But we understand that she is getting the best care there right now.
We have a middle school event on Friday night that I will attend unless Karis comes home and there's a little thing called the Super Bowl on Sunday. I would love to watch that with Karis in my arms.
What I'm reading:
I have started reading "Missional Church" by Darrell Guder and others, for my class. I'm only part of the way through the 1st chapter and can already tell that I'm going to like this book. I'll post some thoughts as I work my way through it.
What I'm listening to:
Right now I'm listening to Shane and Shane, all of the albums that I have. I don't know why, I'm just in that kind of mood. Those guys are really talented and I especially love worshipping with them in person. They led one of the sessions at YS this year that was amazing.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Other than Karis, there's not much on my radar. Can you tell that I want her home?
Monday, January 19, 2009
A peek into my world
Still not sold on the name of these posts. I will gladly take any suggestions.
The week that was:
I went back to work last week which was somewhat of a bummer. Doug was out sick the first couple of days so other than braggin on my baby I didn't have too many people of too many subjects to talk about. Holly's mom left on Tuesday to go back to TN and will return when Karis comes home. Holly went to the hospital twice each day and I went mostly once since I had to be in the office. We are still trying to adjust our schedules to Holly pumping which I think will help us once Karis does come home. I just think that we will be more responsive to a baby crying as opposed to an alarm clock going off.
Holly had a baby shower on Saturday with some people from the church and we got a lot of great outfits to Karis and other odds and ends and also the jogging stroller that we registered for. That is huge. Thanks ladies. While Holly was at the shower I took a good friend of mine, Petey as I call him behind his back and with Wendy and sometimes Doug, down to the NICU to see Karis. Petey and I used to have offices next to each other and developed a great relationship through deep discussions and working through sermons together. I really miss our rich conversations over theology and what is going on in the church, especially since he brought a conservative reformed background to the conversation. Anyways, we had a great time catching up on life and the craziness of his families life in response to him being let go from our staff. We also got to see Karis at one of her most alert times which was fun. Hang in the Petey, God is not through with you yet my friend.
The week that is:
Not much going on except for class on Saturday. I'm really behind on my reading and preparing for class so I've got to get busy. This session we are talking about salvation and sanctification so it should be very interesting. Other than that my days are going to be at the office and a part of the evening will be in the NICU. Man, I can't wait for Karis to come home!
What I'm listening to:
I listened to a great sermon by Rob Bell today. He is working through a series on Philippians and he did a sermon as Paul speaking to his congregation. It was really great. It was the sermon from Sept 7th if you are interested. Other than that I'm using the genius feature on iTunes which means that random things are popping up.
What I'm reading:
Stuff for class. Nothing special right now. I will be doing a review of a book that will be released in March sometime in Feb. Should be interesting.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Tomorrow is the presidential inauguration, no matter what your beliefs are on politics you should be interested in this historic occasion. Today is MLK, Jr. day. I know that I wasn't alive during his time, but what an impact he made on the social landscape of our nation. Hopefully we can continue his work to racial equality.
Karis' world:
Karis is over 4lbs now! She is steadily gaining weight. Hopefully they will begin to work on her suck and swallow reflexes this week. As soon as she can master those things she will be home with mommy and daddy. Let me leave you with a picture of her. She melts my heart.
The week that was:
I went back to work last week which was somewhat of a bummer. Doug was out sick the first couple of days so other than braggin on my baby I didn't have too many people of too many subjects to talk about. Holly's mom left on Tuesday to go back to TN and will return when Karis comes home. Holly went to the hospital twice each day and I went mostly once since I had to be in the office. We are still trying to adjust our schedules to Holly pumping which I think will help us once Karis does come home. I just think that we will be more responsive to a baby crying as opposed to an alarm clock going off.
Holly had a baby shower on Saturday with some people from the church and we got a lot of great outfits to Karis and other odds and ends and also the jogging stroller that we registered for. That is huge. Thanks ladies. While Holly was at the shower I took a good friend of mine, Petey as I call him behind his back and with Wendy and sometimes Doug, down to the NICU to see Karis. Petey and I used to have offices next to each other and developed a great relationship through deep discussions and working through sermons together. I really miss our rich conversations over theology and what is going on in the church, especially since he brought a conservative reformed background to the conversation. Anyways, we had a great time catching up on life and the craziness of his families life in response to him being let go from our staff. We also got to see Karis at one of her most alert times which was fun. Hang in the Petey, God is not through with you yet my friend.
The week that is:
Not much going on except for class on Saturday. I'm really behind on my reading and preparing for class so I've got to get busy. This session we are talking about salvation and sanctification so it should be very interesting. Other than that my days are going to be at the office and a part of the evening will be in the NICU. Man, I can't wait for Karis to come home!
What I'm listening to:
I listened to a great sermon by Rob Bell today. He is working through a series on Philippians and he did a sermon as Paul speaking to his congregation. It was really great. It was the sermon from Sept 7th if you are interested. Other than that I'm using the genius feature on iTunes which means that random things are popping up.
What I'm reading:
Stuff for class. Nothing special right now. I will be doing a review of a book that will be released in March sometime in Feb. Should be interesting.
What I'm keeping an eye on:
Tomorrow is the presidential inauguration, no matter what your beliefs are on politics you should be interested in this historic occasion. Today is MLK, Jr. day. I know that I wasn't alive during his time, but what an impact he made on the social landscape of our nation. Hopefully we can continue his work to racial equality.
Karis' world:
Karis is over 4lbs now! She is steadily gaining weight. Hopefully they will begin to work on her suck and swallow reflexes this week. As soon as she can master those things she will be home with mommy and daddy. Let me leave you with a picture of her. She melts my heart.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Peek into my world
Be careful peeking into my world, this has been a crazy week.
The week that was:
I became a father on Wednesday!!!! Does anything else top that? It was a crazy ride that brought Karis Olivia into the world which you can read some of my ramblings about that situation on this blog. Karis is doing well but in the NICU at Bryn Mawr instead of being home with Holly and I. Holly came home from the hospital on Sunday and now we are heading down to the NICU a couple of times a day to see our baby.
The week that is:
I came back to work on Monday, which I wasn't too happy about. I think I'm going to like being a stay at home dad when that happens. Holly has been going down to the hospital around 11AM to be there for that feeding. Then she and I plan to go for either the 5PM or 8PM feeding. They do this thing called cluster care where every three hours they change her, take her temp and feed her. We get to be hands on during that process as they want to make sure we know what we are doing when she finally gets to come home with us. Another cool thing is that we get to do what's called kangaroo care. It's where we hold Karis skin to skin for about an hour. It helps her to adjust to life outside of the isolette and also helps with bonding between baby and parents. Holly and I have been alternating doing this and it's great!
What I'm listening to:
With the craziness of last week I didn't listen to much. I did listen to a little Dave Matthews when I would go back to the apartment. For some reason their music calms me.
What I'm reading:
Stuff for class mainly. I'm also working through Wesley's "A Plain Account of Christianity" for class. Our next session is about salvation/sanctification. Should be fun!
What I'm keeping an eye on:
My baby of course! Plus football season is reaching it's peak towards the Super Bowl. There's this team up here that has exceeded most people's expectations. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Most people were crying for some sort of change all through the season, but I doubt that one will come now. Also Carolina has lost their first two ACC games. I don't know what's going on there but they better turn it around.
What's new in the world of Karis:
This is a new category that I will be adding. Well she was born so that's new. She's doing well and it was great to see them take off the CPAP machine so we could see her full face. The nurse last night said that she'll probably progress alot in the next few weeks as her IV is taken out and she moves to a regular crib and then the slow process of growing and learning how to eat and breathe at the same time become the focus.
The week that was:
I became a father on Wednesday!!!! Does anything else top that? It was a crazy ride that brought Karis Olivia into the world which you can read some of my ramblings about that situation on this blog. Karis is doing well but in the NICU at Bryn Mawr instead of being home with Holly and I. Holly came home from the hospital on Sunday and now we are heading down to the NICU a couple of times a day to see our baby.
The week that is:
I came back to work on Monday, which I wasn't too happy about. I think I'm going to like being a stay at home dad when that happens. Holly has been going down to the hospital around 11AM to be there for that feeding. Then she and I plan to go for either the 5PM or 8PM feeding. They do this thing called cluster care where every three hours they change her, take her temp and feed her. We get to be hands on during that process as they want to make sure we know what we are doing when she finally gets to come home with us. Another cool thing is that we get to do what's called kangaroo care. It's where we hold Karis skin to skin for about an hour. It helps her to adjust to life outside of the isolette and also helps with bonding between baby and parents. Holly and I have been alternating doing this and it's great!
What I'm listening to:
With the craziness of last week I didn't listen to much. I did listen to a little Dave Matthews when I would go back to the apartment. For some reason their music calms me.
What I'm reading:
Stuff for class mainly. I'm also working through Wesley's "A Plain Account of Christianity" for class. Our next session is about salvation/sanctification. Should be fun!
What I'm keeping an eye on:
My baby of course! Plus football season is reaching it's peak towards the Super Bowl. There's this team up here that has exceeded most people's expectations. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Most people were crying for some sort of change all through the season, but I doubt that one will come now. Also Carolina has lost their first two ACC games. I don't know what's going on there but they better turn it around.
What's new in the world of Karis:
This is a new category that I will be adding. Well she was born so that's new. She's doing well and it was great to see them take off the CPAP machine so we could see her full face. The nurse last night said that she'll probably progress alot in the next few weeks as her IV is taken out and she moves to a regular crib and then the slow process of growing and learning how to eat and breathe at the same time become the focus.
Monday, December 22, 2008
a peek into my world
So I've decided to rename the weekly update. I didn't like the title and I'm not completely sold on this one. Maybe my 4 readers, which could be an overstatement, can come up with something better.
The week that was:
Just what I needed. Slow. Relaxed. Nothing too big on the plate. The biggest thing that happened is that I drove to TN on Sunday after our middle school program. I left at 10AM (EST) and arrived at 10PM (CST). 13 hours baby! But I can't tell you how awesome it was to sleep next to my wife for the first time in a couple of weeks.
The week that is:
Not much going on down here in TN. I have some reading to do for class, some hanging out with family, Christmas, seeing old friends, etc.
What I'm listening to:
Wow, a 13 hr car ride gives you a ton of time to listen to things. The main things that I listened to were a new Dave Matthews Band CD, some praise and worship song that were generated by the genius feature on my iPod and the audio-book of "Jesus Wants to Save Christians." I'll post more about the book later this week.
What I'm reading:
Same old, same old. Stuff for class and I picked up the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I'm thinking this may be our required read for the mission trip this summer.
What I'm keeping my eye on:
The weather appears to be fluctuating quite a bit this week so that should be interesting. The Titans secured the #1 seed in the playoffs. The Tar Heels are looking really good this year in basketball.
Also, Holly, her mom, dad, sister and I saw our baby via ultrasound today. I just wanted to watch her move around and yawn and blink her eyes. I'm pretty sure that I will spend a lot of time just watching her when she finally arrives.
Lastly, I have quite a few random posts to put up this week thanks to the 13 hr car ride and much time to think. So stay tuned in!
The week that was:
Just what I needed. Slow. Relaxed. Nothing too big on the plate. The biggest thing that happened is that I drove to TN on Sunday after our middle school program. I left at 10AM (EST) and arrived at 10PM (CST). 13 hours baby! But I can't tell you how awesome it was to sleep next to my wife for the first time in a couple of weeks.
The week that is:
Not much going on down here in TN. I have some reading to do for class, some hanging out with family, Christmas, seeing old friends, etc.
What I'm listening to:
Wow, a 13 hr car ride gives you a ton of time to listen to things. The main things that I listened to were a new Dave Matthews Band CD, some praise and worship song that were generated by the genius feature on my iPod and the audio-book of "Jesus Wants to Save Christians." I'll post more about the book later this week.
What I'm reading:
Same old, same old. Stuff for class and I picked up the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I'm thinking this may be our required read for the mission trip this summer.
What I'm keeping my eye on:
The weather appears to be fluctuating quite a bit this week so that should be interesting. The Titans secured the #1 seed in the playoffs. The Tar Heels are looking really good this year in basketball.
Also, Holly, her mom, dad, sister and I saw our baby via ultrasound today. I just wanted to watch her move around and yawn and blink her eyes. I'm pretty sure that I will spend a lot of time just watching her when she finally arrives.
Lastly, I have quite a few random posts to put up this week thanks to the 13 hr car ride and much time to think. So stay tuned in!
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