Year 3

Need I say more?

This is year three, and before I had a chance to blog about all the wonderful (and daunting) tasks that come with a joint degree program, the degrees swept me off my feet.

After experiencing more emotional roller-coaster days than usual the last few weeks, I have determined that one semester should never hold all this at once: 5 graduate level classes, 15 hours of internship a week, evening baby-sitting, work study, church commitments, and the occasional social event. Let me back up. One semester should never hold 5 graduate level classes. Period. And adding more commitments makes me a little crazy. But what do I give up? SUCH A HARD decision. I knew I was going into a whirlwind the moment I said yes to two degrees, but the reality of time restraints is hitting hard....

So I've determined something for my own sanity. I say, "Emily, you are not allowed to do all your reading." WHAT? But the reading is so engaging, and I am new to social work. I simply must soak in every thought each article or chapter has to give!

But then I consider my sanity level, and sanity is worth more than knowledge.

So here I am, trying my hardest to be less of a good student than I am used to. Any graduate students share my experience? AJ says if I ever need advice about how to slack, I should just ask him. :)

Enough about my busyness. That's a boring topic. I am going to post pictures. Hmm, I do not humor myself by imagining that thousands of eager souls are awaiting these pictures (I haven't blogged in over two months!) but if you happen to be tuning in, enjoy!!!

Summer Recap (Penance for not blogging)

I'm a readhead. Need I say more?

Our newly painted (and acquired) red bookshelf. Love at first sight.

Jersey Shore when Nealy visited in August. No big deal.

A hurricane came along and left a few wretched marks.

My adorable niece Lizzy. LOVED my surprise visit to SD in August

AJ and I saw U2 in Philly. Also, no big deal.

AJ & I at a June wedding. I may have run into my ex-boyfriend's mother! (and she MAY have asked me why I broke up with him- 8 years later). :)

Girlfriends the Fourth of July- Fireworks in Philly!

My equally adorable other niece- Alexis is precious.

Friends and I at the Falls- gotta love the falls- and friends.

My work trip groupies! Love them.

My husband is always so happy

We canned a lot of original salsa with friends!

I painted this chair and created the cushions! Impressed?

Peace to my lovely friends, especially those who haven't given up on my blogging efforts. :)

Summer Flies- and I don't mean bugs.

Hello Friends,

I am requiring myself to write a blog entry today because I have yet to break my streak of writing at least once per month, and this will likely be my only free time between now and August 7^th. J I am feverishly planning for a mission trip to a church located outside Camden, in a town called Willingboro. We are essentially helping beautify (painting, landscaping, cleaning) for a small Reformed church comprised primarily of an older population. I’m sure the week will be wonderful; however, the planning has been a bit excruciating at times, given the non-committal nature of most of my congregants. In part I do not blame them, as many live day-to-day, looking for jobs and maintaining their livelihoods, and others have small children and cannot commit to a week! All in all, I have come to the realization that whomever comes will be perfect, because that’s how it has to be.

In addition to planning for the work trip, I have given two sermons (and planned both services) in July, and I believe they are posted on our website: www.rchighlandpark.org in case you’d like a listen. Beware, I may have cried a bit during the first one. J I thoroughly enjoy leading worship services, and this has been a firm validation of my call to some sort of church ministry…and we shall see how the future is unveiled.

Speaking of future, I am officially beginning my MSW in one month! The summer has flown by (see my catchy title for this entry) and soon I will become a student of books again. I am sitting here with AJ and my friend Karen in Panera Bread, and I just exclaimed how excited I am to be a student at Rutgers- my first state school experience! Although being a student at two schools simultaneously (hence, two financial aid departments, two insurance waivers, two of this, two of that) is a bit daunting, I am excited about a new genre of subject matter, and I will surely incorporate my experience together for a lovely “divine social work” angle. J

AJ’s mother came out for a lovely visit last weekend, which was AJ’s and my first time to the beach! We live so close to the shore, yet we hardly make time to enjoy it, so we appreciated her visit to spur us on toward appreciating our proximity to the ocean (I love the waves, BTW, and anyone wanting to come visit should come soon- or better yet, next summer!).

AJ just began a new job at Urner Barry Publications in Toms River, NJ- and he is really excited for the job. He is a market reporter for the company, and his first video interview with Cattlefax is Monday morning! Don’t ask me any more specifics. J

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time interning at RCHP, but in three weeks I will be finished with the internship (yet will continue attending for the next two years). I am beginning an internship with Enable, Inc. in the fall, which is an organization that works with people with disabilities. I am eager to begin this position, as I have much to learn regarding this population of folks, in addition to the world of social work at large.

What more to say, of course! I’m excited to be an aunt times 3 in the next few months. My sister Les is having a girl in less than a month (hang in there, Les!) and my sister Al is having a boy in around 3 months (wish I could be there)! Woohoo for being an aunt! Me- I’m consistent with birth control. J

On that note, I believe it’s time to wrap up. I hope everyone is experiencing God’s presence as life comes hurling by. May the grace of God and the presence of the Spirit be with us always as we strive to be patient in faith and hopeful in times of uncertainty.

Love, Em

Life Decisions

Hello Beautiful Folks,

I will not apologize for neglecting my blog, because I have been busy living life. This summer I immediately launched into my internship at Reformed Church of Highland Park, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience. With only four weeks of internship done, I took a 10 day vacation back to South Dakota, and now I am having a lazy Saturday morning, a perfect time to update my blog.

I can hardly express all the wonderful opportunities I have had at the church this summer. The congregation is so alive and full of needs, gifts, energy, and beauty. Everywhere I walk in the church I encounter different groups of people utilizing our building. In fact, over 35 different community organizations use our building space for meetings and worship....that characterizes the ministries of RCHP to a T. I am the general practitioner ministry intern, hence I am exposed to a little bit of everything. :) And I love it. One of my main events this summer is leading a mission trip to Willingboro, NJ (near Camden) and I have been making plenty of connections through the process of planning. In addition, I am helping with the youth group, meeting wonderful teens. I am also in charge of the "transitions" age group (18-30)- we meet for conversation and dinner, mostly- although last week we joined the "Alliance for the Disabled" for Karoke and dancing (going on in our fellowship hall)- and might I say it was a beautiful moment in my ministry.

In addition to my church internship, I had the wonderful privilege of celebrating my first anniversary with Mr. AJ Munger. We went to New Hope, PA for a fireworks show and stayed in a bed and breakfast town while perusing a local art show. It was wonderful to spend some romantic-y time with AJ, since he has also been super-busy with full-time work at Whole Foods, graduate courses, and making a little progress on his Small World Farms business.

So, to the life decisions component of my summer. I have been going back and forth regarding the Masters of Social Work degree at Rutgers, for plenty of factors that I will save you from at the moment. In any case, the important details is this: I'm Doing It! Yes, I am officially in for the long haul. Two more years in Princeton (well, NJ at least)....for a grand total of two masters degrees. Actually, I've already been offered a field education site at Enable, Inc....which works with children and adults with disabilities right in Princeton. I am grateful for this opportunity, as I contemplated pursuing a placement with this organization during my MDiv degree.

Let me recap- I am working toward graduating with my MDiv next year, and my first year of MSW work. I will graduate with the MSW in 2013. Woohoo! I can taste all the student loans already! :):)

Okay, that's my short recap of the past few months. I hope this post finds all of you enjoying the gifts God has given you- and might I say, my life is full of friends and family who are having babies left and right- I want to say my sincere congrats to all the happy families (and to remind everyone that AJ and I are thoroughly happy as a family of two at the moment) . :):)

Love to all in the name of our Loving God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit,

Emily

Nearly Summer....

One day away, but really it's already begun with a string of "sunny and 70" days!

Yep- summer officially begins as of 12:00pm tomorrow, May 12th. And I am particularly ready for my first ever NJ summer!!!

The past few weeks I have been juggling a few life events- finishing my May term class (which has been really awesome- interfaith youth leadership), attempting to help AJ with website work for his new business (Small World Farms), finishing my internship at the hospital (one day left!), and phasing into my summer field education at our church. I say phasing into, mostly because that's what I would rather be doing right now (planting a garden for my internship? OKAY!), but I've had so many other commitments, so I am juggling my responsibilities accordingly.

In case anyone was desperately waiting at the edge of their seat to see whether or not I have become a NJ resident....well wait no longer, because it's official!!! Not only am I the proud owner of NJ legal domicile (does anyone actually say that?) but I have been okayed to enter the joint MSW program as a result! This means I am embarking on a new educational road, and I am surprisingly okay with that. I thought after my MDiv I would be through studying, but I have once again deceived myself. Bring on the exams! God's got something going on in the area of social work, and I am about to find out!

So, yes, that means for anyone looking to make an east coast visit, you're in luck! We will be here another year, and you are always welcome to board with us while exploring NYC, Philly, the shore (JERSEY shore) :) or anything else that catches your fancy. You may even inspire us to get away for a weekend- something my crazy schedule has not afforded us for quite some time.

This summer I am looking forward to many things- hopefully a day at the shore soon. And working the church garden. leading a church mission trip. preaching at least 2 sermons (hmm, the Spirit better be moving, that's all I have to say about that). grilling with neighbors. building more consistent relationships with church friends. not studying (unless I take a summer MSW course, in which case, nix this). Visiting SD friends and family in June- and perhaps again in August. celebrating my 1st year anniversary! (that one deserved a "!" because I can happily say our 'year of transition' has been quite successful and I'm looking forward to the next). expanding my cooking know-how (my anniversary gift to our marriage is the addition of the Food Network magazine). being intentional about caring for my body and spirit (which are always interrelated, of course). enduring the heat of a NJ summer without complaining. :)

Okay, that's my long-term anticipation. Short term? I have more than a week off from responsibilities before I begin officially at RCHP, during which time one of our good friends will be moving in with us for the summer. Thus, I have some major apartment organizing to do! It's perfect, though, because we are helping him with rent costs, and in turn he will be helping us with utility bills. We have a spare bedroom, which currently hosts an office, but we are glad to transform it into a bedroom this summer! Party every day! :)

I need to catch the bus. Oops!

Sending love in the precious name of Jesus.

Emily

Finals Week- Holy Week- Really?

Yes, I have been negligent. My blog has suffered the same neglect as many other regular endeavors in my life....and my reason? The busiest semester of graduate school yet.

And now I'm to finals week. And holy week- wait, really? A seminary decides to take one of the busiest weeks for ministry to have finals? Yes, that's right. Thankfully, my field education is at a hospital, not a church. In many ways I can hardly believe it's finals week. The semester has rushed by faster than any other....it's almost May??? Wow.

Okay, enough back-tracking....here's what's up. I am officially 10 pages away from being through my spring long-term semester. After this Saturday, I will be done done done with three classes. Only one class awaits two and 1/2 weeks of my attention in May, and summer will officially begin. Whew! I'm really excited for my May class, but before that can happen, we have IYM APRIL FORUM!!!! Next week I will be insanely busy with the forum and the beginning of May term. So finals week this week does not entail celebration next week. I must wait until May 11th to officially celebrate.

That's a flash look at my life....let's see, I'm sure many interesting things have occurred since my last post. We have started the garden at church, which will continue to be my project this summer. I experienced a flurry of drama surrounding spring student government elections (nothing I intended, just a little tension I walked into as oblivious as can be). AJ & I are going to western PA for Thanksgiving and bringing along a friend of ours from church. AJ has been enjoying his work at Whole Foods, and I am enjoying the ability to eat with him on breaks- and the discount!!! I only have a few weeks left at the hospital, and at this point in my experience, I can see myself possibly working as a chaplain at a hospice center. Perhaps as far opposite as I might have expected. Well, that or a chaplain at a children's hospital! :)

Oh, and I'm still waiting on word from Rutgers about my residency status for the MSW program. I have been officially accepted, yet now I must prove I have legal domicile here in NJ. My entry into the MSW program is entirely contingent upon my legal residency. And I'm not so sure how strong my case is. Yuck.

Spring weather has been hit and miss lately. Our weather hasn't been horrible, but definitely not all days have been like today- mid-seventies and sunny. Beautiful! AJ and I just got back from a bike ride, a celebration of finishing my first final paper. Now I'm on to my last paper, a 10 page hermeneutical paper that I am semi-excited for! :) I better be finished by Saturday, because whatever is done will get sent in- and I am off for Easter- two days before the forum begins.

Whew- that's a lot in a little time. I wish you all the best, and I'm assuming I still have somewhat of a readership since I continue writing. If not, I totally understand. :)

Sending love on this particularly poignant Passion Week. May God bless you with experiences of resurrection in your own life.

Em

Lent, Transitions, Beauty

My wonderful friends and listeners...

I have a heart full of intention and peace. Today marks a transition of sorts in multiple ways. It is the first Sunday in our season of Lent- and our church service was particularly moving today. I cried multiple times, and the tears were refreshing. I find that I know when I am truly living by my tears. In recalling several momentous occasions in my life, I realize that tears were always a significant presence. My acceptance of Christ's calling on my life- check. My first break-up with a boyfriend- check. My graduation from high school- check. My second break-up with a boyfriend- check. My experiences on various mission trips- check. My graduation from college-check. My departure from Red Cloud- check. My wedding- check. The first Sunday of Lent 2011 while overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessings of solid relationships- check.

Today is also a transition of sorts in my schooling- I am finished with a very fulfilling reading week (more on that later), and I am now embarking on the final half of my 4th semester. Essentially, 2 1/2 more semesters to go, and I'm an MDiv recipient. Yep. Never saw that coming....ha. Okay, I did- but it has snuck up on me, and I find in this season of Lent a wonderful moment to reflect on my experiences thus far, and how my experience has been so enhanced by my relationships.

I LOVE people, in case you hadn't noticed before, and my time here in NJ has introduced me to all sorts of people. Quite a variety of folks in my life, and I love it! For starters, my seminary friends and companions along this journey are remarkable. I cannot say enough about how dedicated, faithful, fun, inspiring, and life-giving my seminary friends have been and will (I'm sure) continue to be. LOVE them. Also, my church family in Highland Park, NJ- I have grown SO much as a result of the compassion, energy, humility, and concern each person has shown me in his/her own way. I am thrilled to be doing my internship there this summer. Another major aspect of my relationships while here is the continuity with folks back home- family and friends whom I adore...and they aren't all 'back home' either. My social network spans the globe- so let me be clear- I truly thank God for skype, email, facebook, and cell phones. Whew- what would a girl like me do without these tools?

And finally- I will risk sounding cheesy in saying this- hands down the #1 most significant relationship in which I am continually blessed is marriage. In some respects, people expect this to be true of newlyweds. However, I know a fair number of marriages that might shatter people's expectations (well, need I point to the 50% divorce rate?)- Wow- I suddenly feel quite justified in celebrating my marriage. AJ is wonderful- but more than either AJ or myself individually- I would like to celebrate the beauty of our marriage. This journey is not without bumps- and I risk speaking of marriage in the presence of readers who are light-years ahead of me in that department...but I risk it anyway, because I am enthralled with my husband.

9 months in, and I'd have to say that marriage has taught me more than any single relationship I have ever experienced (well, mom and dad still win the longevity award) :). I am learning when to say yes, when to say no, how I might lay the positive path of affirmation rather than the receding path of negativity, and what it means to cherish my life partner. We are exactly that- partners in this life together...and as wonderful as are all the positive models of marriage in my life, nothing can replace first-hand experience. Okay- really I can go on and on, but this blog would become a big marriage-loving fest, so I will move on to other things...

I have to report the most beautiful surprise that awaited me at the beginning of my reading week- none other than the arrival of my sister Alison from Japan (well, Okinawa to be precise)...she had coordinated a two-day surprise visit through AJ, and I had NO CLUE. When Al, my sister who was suppose to be in Japan, knocked on my door last Saturday night, it took me a few minutes to actually believe it! Once the initial shock wore off, I invited her in (probably a good thing to do when your sister is at your apartment door) and we spent two glorious days catching up. She saw my basic surroundings, attended church with me (which was wonderful) and we did some good ole sister bonding! How beautiful!

The rest of reading week I spent socializing (a must, you know), catching up on sleep, and actually being somewhat productive with my studies! I am entering the next 5 week sprint feeling refreshed and loving life. How much more could I ask for? (even with the time change!).

This is a long account, which isn't surprising considering my neglect this entire past month! One more tidbit- during the month of March I have been recording my sleep habits (which aren't great, but not horrible I realize) with the intent of discovering my ideal sleep needs. I need a more stable rhythm if that's gonna happen in the next three weeks- but I'm hopeful! Plus, this practice will give me some good raw data for my final paper in my sleep, surrender, sabbath class. If I have one mission after taking this class- I would say to all of you: SLEEP. It's pretty darn important.

Okay- much love to you all on this Lenten journey, as we anticipate the coming of our precious redeemer, and recognize our humanity along the way.

With a peace-filled heart,

Emily

Sinking slowly...

This may sound strange, coming from someone who is entirely blessed and excited about my future...but I feel as if I am slowly sinking into the dense quicksand of a new semester.

Despite the fact that my courseload is quite similar to last semester- same two jobs, same number of credits, same husband, same friends, pretty much same everything- I feel more, well, rushed somehow, as if I've stepped onto quicksand and must find my way out immediately. Only I'm not on my way out- I'm on my way in...

One explanation for the feeling I am currently experiencing might be my propensity to add more social events than is somehow sustainable. A few of these so-called "social" events have actually been altruistic in nature (hosting weekly meals at the house in Newark, serving at the senior citizen 'high tea' at church, volunteering to speak with a friend's youth group about the reservation, cutting someone's hair...yes, that's right. I said cutting someone's hair). Even so, they tend to whittle my time down to a few spare minutes here and there, during which I am suppose to be a student.

I say all that to mention how attentive I must become to my schedule so as to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed. I've been truly overwhelmed before, particularly my senior year of college, and I vowed to never go back. The past few weeks I've been getting similar feelings of slight panic about my schedule, a clear sign I must prune. But the obvious question is- what? I enjoy everything I'm doing, and this semester's classes are quite interesting, so my reading is not only fun, but somewhat necessary for my well-being. I think I'm on to something though...we have been hosting A LOT lately at our apartment, which involves cleaning, cooking, more cleaning, and several hours of missed opportunity to be productive. If you know me, I of course think that hosting IS productive, so I'm speaking from both sides of my mouth, I guess.

I have a few other estimations regarding the reason behind my feelings of sinking slowly and the need to refocus my time...events have transpired recently to put my focus back on being a diligent student, and here they are!

1. I have officially applied to the joint program between PTS and Rutgers University through which I may receive a Masters of Social Work. I will not go into detail regarding this decision, but I will say that I am extremely excited about this opportunity to further my studies in the field of such practical ministry....It will only be one year extra, after which I will have received both my Masters of Divinity and my Masters of Social Work. Oh yeah- I know what some of you are saying (Katie...) that I'm deliberately being a professional student. Ha, this might be true, but for such a good price, why not? :):)

2. AJ has officially started his job with Whole Foods, where he is acquiring the skills of a meat-cutter professional! That's right, he works behind the meat counter- AND we get a 20 percept discount. :) This new addition to our lives means that our 'together time' will need to be much more intentional, but I guess we're facing what all couples face all the time....we were spoiled for 8 months of super-flexible schedules, and now we might have to actually...(gasp)...plan dates!

3. To top it all off, I have begun a class called "Sleep, Surrender, Sabbath" which has inspired me to focus on the amount of sleep I recieve and how I spend my time on a daily basis. Don't you think that's a little ironic- the week I start my "sleep" class I become extremely busy, and get a cold? Oh yeah- that's something else fogging my mind...I have a cold. First one since this past summer- is it also ironic that it's warmer outside today than is has been for several months?

Hmm, evidently I caught myself in a rather introspective mood today during my blogging moment. I hope you enjoy this somewhat murky post...complete with random tidbits and a slight amount of complaining. I really do know better, than to let myself sink slowly into the quicksand of life, sometimes I just need a reminder to rest myself on firmer ground.

May I seek to find my place of centeredness in the one true God that desires my complete trust. And I'd have to say that I do find peace amidst the chaos in knowing that God is in control, and my frantic human efforts really could be scaled back...who knows, it might even allow God to work in my weakness.

Here's to continually discovering new and frustrating parts of life, all with the deep and unfettered knowledge of a God who knows, loves, and cares for all of Creation- including me and you!

Emily

A New Semester Begins...

I have to admit- the past week I have been on break, presumably giving me ample time to update my blog. However, at this point I will refer you to my previous post. :)

To recap my past few weeks- I enjoyed my whirlwind of a class called Theology of the Lord's Supper. We really dug into the major theologians representing a majority of Christian eucharistic traditions....and we also studied our professor's suggested ecumenical approach toward church unity. I must say, it grieves me that we are so far away from unity as Christians, and as much as I respect attempts toward ecumenical dialogue, I really have serious reservations as to whether we are capable of allowing variances in tradition to exist without condemnation. Time will tell...

Last Saturday (well, after an evening of girl-time on Friday) I finally finished my paper, and starting Sunday I've been on a glorious break! I did have to spend two days at the hospital being a chaplain (which continues to be a really fulfilling experience) and an afternoon working at the institute for youth ministry...but overall I've been doing fun things- like hanging out with my husband, going to the gym on a 'free week' trial, digging out of 15 inches of snow (it began again about 15 minutes ago), helping host a birthday party for a dear friend, baking hundreds of cookies (seriously), and cleaning, organizing (if you know me, this is a good thing), and overall feeling great about life!

I have to brag a minute. Only a minute, I promise. A few weeks ago AJ and I were having some minor bickering argument, which had been occurring relatively frequently, and I went for a run...which was amazing...and during my stress-relieving run, I had an epiphany. AJ and I are SO LUCKY to be together. I decided right then and there that we should start acting like we believe it. And since that moment, we HAVE. Every time something minor comes up, all I have to do is remember that moment on my run- and I am overwhelmed with joy in marriage.

There, that's all the bragging I'll do for one day. Thanks for indulging me.

Well, another development has recently occurred in our lives. AJ spent a few nights last week up in Newark at a house for young men and women who were without a home and somehow connected with the justice system. It is a new housing initiative through our church, and this particular house is still awaiting a house mentor...as you might be able to imagine, some unpleasant happenings occurred in the house, and our pastor asked AJ if he could go monitor the house for a few days. While there, AJ developed a relationship with a few of the guys, and now we have decided to go up to the house weekly and cook a meal, stay the night, etc. It should be a fun adventure for AJ and I this semester!

I'm sure there's more to tell, but that's it for right now. If I were really cool I would have provided pictures of all the snow here (think- South Dakota!) :) Alas, I'm still leaving something to be desired.... :)

I hope you are all well, if you happen to be reading this blog. Since my lapse in writing seems to be progressing at a normal rate, I imagine I may have lost a few readers. In any case- much love to you all from this winter wonderland called NJ!

Emily

Remember when...

I used to blog regularly?

Yeah, I vaguely do too.

Except now I don't feel as inspired. Why?

Well, perhaps because what I do actually seems boring to write about.

Certainly I must have crazy stories from my winter break. But then again, I didn't spend winter break in Princeton. And this blog is suppose to be about Princeton.

Nor did I truly 'break' from anything in my travels back to SD.

Except reading and writing. I didn't read a single page. Nope. Okay, maybe a news article here and there.

Instead I saw plenty of friends and family- and my darling little niece, whom AJ now loves (she gives him kisses- it didn't take much more than a scrunched-up smile to win him over).

And now I'm back in Princeton, doing my boring ole' study thing.

Except lately I intersperse studying with visions of my next life. My life after Princeton. Maybe I'm not suppose to live in the future, but the present is too boring without visions of the future, when I, you know, actually do something with my life.

Don't get me wrong. I love seminary. I do. I love so many things about it. I love the people. I like the lectures. But I don't like writing papers, or striving for grades. Instead, I seek my 'meaning' in odd sorts of ways one really shouldn't say aloud. So... (in a whispered voice)... I practice speeches I will one day give to young people. It's true. I stand in front of a mirror and rehearse motivational speeches. There I said it. And you may have even heard, despite the lowered voice.

So, that's what I've been up to lately, with my husband gone again to a week of class in Kansas. I prance around our apartment pretending that millions of bright and hopeful young people are eagerly anticipating my next word. And it keeps me going....keeps me contemplating this enormous mystery of God- being people of God in a world littered with false messages of meaning. Oh- and I'm also studying the Lord's Supper...interesting, but pretty 'heady' and really dense reading.

Speaking of dense reading, I hear a few books calling my name. Off to my world of study that is painfully necessary to enhance my future vision of ministry. That's what we like to call seminary.

Love- with all the hugs possible,

Emily