hee hee...hoo hoo...hee hee....hoo hoo

No I'm not pregnant....the girl isn't even married
However, I am a bit stressed and in serious need of relaxation.

My coworker was out sick two days last week and then yesterday and today as well. I'm going CRAZY. I am running on coffee and adrenaline. There is no rest for the weary at work.

This feeling of being busy for 8 hours a day is not normal for me. Typically, I have more down time than I'd like whereas the yesterday and today, I've had almost zero down time. I guess that means I am a productive worker who is earning my salary but it also means that my mind is squished full of details that some details are slipping out. And it also means that I feel too busy to even take a break. Like this morning for example, I got a cup of coffee first thing upon arrival and even though I was ready and wanted my 2nd cup of coffee by 8:20am, it was about 9:30am before I finally allowed myself to pause and refill my cup. And my lunch hour...what lunch hour?

All I want to do is to collapse on my couch and lose myself in a novel or with a good movie. But as there is no rest for the weary, I find myself facing youth group tonight and know that I won't be able to collapse until about 9pm. May the good Lord breathe energy into my mind and body, lest I faint, throw a temper tantrum, or starting banging my head on a wall while hanging out with the youth tonight.

I think I can, I think I can...

**Oh, I just talked my coworker...there is a chance she may not be in tomorrow...**whimper, whimper**

The Power of Passover

At sundown yesterday, Passover began.

I've been reflecting a lot lately on Passover...mainly because I am going to be leading communion for a ladies' prayer retreat, I just taught on the Jewish Holidays yesterday to my middle schoolers and I went to a seder last night.

When Jesus participated in His last Passover with the disciples just hours before His death, was He reflecting on the fact that what were before Him (the lamb, the bread, the wine) were are symbols of Him? That soon, He would become the sacrificial lamb, the broken bread, and wine spilled out for us? As He served His disciples, did He silently think, "share with Me...it is for you that I will die"?

Passover has always been about salvation.
Through the blood of a lamb, the Israelites were saved. The Israelites were soon going to be freed from the rule of the Egyptians but Pharoah, whose heart was strongly against God, would not relent to God's command to free the Israelites. So God sent plagues to humble him...but nothing worked until God finally decided to kill all the firstborns (among men and animals). Salvation would be provided for anyone, both Israelites and Egyptians, if they sacrificed a perfect lamb and placed the blood on the doorways. That night, when the angel of death swept through Egypt, those with blood on the door were saved and those without, faced grief and loss. Passover was then celebrated, and still is, to commemorate God's salvation of the Israelites.
Through the blood of the Lamb, I am saved. When I choose to be identify myself through the blood of Jesus, through His death, I receive salvation. Death's power is gone. It's not that I won't still die but I will get to spend eternity with God instead of being apart from God. You see, Jesus was perfect. He never sinned, made mistakes, hated, envied, or the hundred of other battles that I personally face. He lived a blameless life and yet chose to die as a sacrifice for my sin so that I might be restored to God. How amazing is that? Even more amazing and humbling, is the fact that even if I was the only person in the entire span of time who sinned, Jesus would have still allowed Himself to be killed just for me! Who am I to deserve that? But that's the kind of love that God has for His people.

Really, it's all about identity. Just as the Israelites had to choose to put the lamb's blood on their doorway, so do I have to choose to let Jesus' blood provide my salvation. In the lamb/Lamb, there is freedom. And that is the power of Passover.

Tea and Company

I like hosting, hospitality, an excuse to cook/bake, and a time to chat with friends. (Although I dislike the cleaning that must always preceed these times. Maybe if I made more of an effort to maintain a clean apartment then I wouldn't have to go full force whenever I entertain...but that's another story...)

So, tomorrow I am having a tea (and coffee) party.

I am going to make miniature Pumpkin-Maple Scones, miniature White Chocolate Blueberry Scones (miniature meaning about 2-3 bites...at least that is what I'll aim for), and apple fritters. In addition to the bready items, I'm going to serve fruit (strawberries and pears). Any leftover bready good will be going to my parent's home and to work on Monday.

I am having 5 ladies come over...5 friends whose company I enjoy immensely. I am especially prayerful for one of the five. She has been having health and emotional problems for the last two months. I invited her because it is my hope that the rest of us can breathe encouragement into her heart and mind. I called her last night to see if she is planning on coming and she said that it is her plan to be there. But she did not sound good yesterday. I hope this whole thing won't be overwhelming and a cause of stress for her.

My apartment looks mostly lovely and tidy now. I have a few remaining things to put away. The only thing I have yet to really figure out is seating. I don't have enough seating unless I use my dining table stools. But then some people will be sitting on tall stools while others will be sitting near the floor on the couch, which could be a bit awkward. In the scheme of things, chairs will not make or break the sweetness of the gathering.

The thing I am most excited about is the fact that I will use my Polish teapot set. When I lived in Germany, I had the opportunity to go to Poland to shop for pottery. Some of those I went with bought entire place settings but I decided to go for a teapot set, which sits pretty in my display cabinet. I am looking forward to pulling it out and using the set for the 2nd time since I've purchased it. I can't believe I've only used it twice. It needs to get out more.

Another "european" thing that needs to get out more is my raclette set. I think I'll plan a raclette dinner in April. Sounds so good! But anyways...

This little shindig will probably be my last hosting opportunity in my single-living 1-bedroom apartment. I will most likely be moving in about three weeks and then I have to share my space, my hosting, and my ideas with my sister. I hope tomorrow is a blessing for all of us...a chance to laugh, celebrate, and pray for one another.

Because I need this...

Reasons I like my job or am thankful for my job:

• I can take off for doctor appts without any problem
• My boss sometimes treats us to Starbucks
• I get to listen to music while I'm working
• It pays for my expenses and schooling
• I have made friends with a handful of people who make me laugh
• We go out to eat for birthday lunches
• I get lots of encouragement and thankfulness that I am here
• I get coffee every day at work
• If we need something my boss is willing to listen and help
• It's close to my house...only about 20 minutes away
• I can walk in a grocery store and see things that I had a small part of
• Consistent hours, M-F, 8am-5pm
• Weekends off
• My boss lets us leave early on Fridays
• We have friendly (and good looking) UPS drivers
• I can get free samples of a variety of ingredients, if I want
• There are chocolate samples at work, which I raid periodically
• It's not the worst job I've ever had or could have
• I can wear casual clothes and walk around without shoes
• I can cook/bake things and bring them in to help them get eaten
• It allows me to maintain my blog...should I be admitting that???
• and finally, my boss brought doughnuts into work today

Weekend Flubs

The cooking gods were not with me this weekend.
I thought I'd try a two new dishes but an old one. Only one of the three came out decent.

1. Scallops and Pasta
I had never had scallops before but always thought they looked good. So I thought I'd try this little recipe. So what went wrong...

• Whoever designed my little 500 sq ft apartment put the smoke detector right next to the stove...what were they thinking???
• This recipe calls you to sear the scallops in a hot skillet. Maybe I had the skillet to hot but it started smoking and quickly filled up my little apartment with smoke which promptly set off the smoke detector TWICE.
• So while I'm fanning the detector yelling at it to "shut up," running to open the windows and sliding door, and plugging in my fan for a little air, my scallops were sizzling away...I think there were a bit overcooked.
• Plus, the recipe calls for White Wine, Beer, or Vegetable Stock. I had Salted Vodka (a work sample) and Beef Broth in my apartment...sure that would work, right?
• Salted Vodka and Beef Broth did not make the best combo.
• Overall, the dish was a dud, my apartment still smells of smoke and seafood (yum), and I threw most of it out. Live and learn.

2. Cast-iron Corn Bread
My cast iron skillet is a relatively new toy in my kitchen. I'm still very much playing with it and learning how to cook with it. This is the old recipe...I tried making it about two weeks ago and wasn't pleased with results so I thought I'd try again this weekend. So what went wrong...

• I'm thinking mistake #1 was the fact that I decided to make the corn bread after my Scallops and Pasta dud...both of which used the cast-iron skillet. Any suggestions on how to clean a cast-iron skillet appropriately? You're not supposed to use soap but just use hot water and towel dry the skillet in between uses. However my corn bread came out with an awful metallic, seafoody taste. Blech!

3. Zucchini-Layered Lasagna
I thought I could find the recipe online to link to this but could not...sorry. I'm sure I got it out out of a Martha Stewart magazine but couldn't find it on her website. Basically instead of noodles you use zucchini. This turned out really good. The recipe says I was supposed to let the tomato mixture reduce which I didn't do so the end product was a tad liquidy but the taste is yum! It will be my lunch and dinner.

All I know is that any cooking funk that I am in needs to be gone by Friday (along with the smokey, seafood smell). I'm having a tea party on Saturday and I have promised food with the tea.

All that is needed is a good night's sleep

**Update--Sleep helped and yes, God is more than enough.

It's days like this that are hard. Days like this when the fact that I am single is blantantly obvious and loneliness is my sole companion.

The last day or two, I have been missing my friends. And while I have friends around me here at home, my heart yearns for those who are far away.

I am someone who makes casual friends somewhat easily but deep cherished friendships are few. God has blessed me with at least one person from each place I've been but leaving them behind isn't easy. I usually try to console myself that God has given me this or that friendship for a season but during times like this, the past season doesn't feel like enough. Sparadoic emails or phone calls don't feel like enough.

And suddenly, my apartment no longer feels like solace but a cave. I'm here, alone, with no one to talk to, no one who cares, no one to understand/distract/listen to me. Yes, I know I could call half-a-dozen people who very much care about me. But they are not here now.

It sucks being 30 and single. I want so much more. And while I don't believe that a husband will solve my bouts of loneliness (or any other problem), there is a companionship, a friendship, a partnership that accompanies a marriage. A friendship that I would so love to lean on right now.

Instead, there is no one.
Except God.
Who should be enough.

Craving Connections

I joined a new network community-connection site. This one has many similiar features to Facebook but is considerably simpler and only for people who are planning (hoping) to be missionaries with the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination (which I'm a part of).

I find every once in a while that perusing these sites makes me feel lonely and isolated and disconnected, which is ironic because the whole point of them is to connect and network. But for me, on Facebook for example, I have over 300 friends and probably only 50 of those people live around me. The rest are connections from college, from ministry in Germany, and a few other random connections. However for most of the people, while I may be "friends" with them, I don't connect with them in a way that models or defines friendship. In fact, it is often when I looking over their pages, I find myself mourning for the friendship that was in the past or for the distance that separates us in the present. In those moments, it becomes obviously apparent that I am separated from many I love which makes me feel even more lonely, in the quietness of my apartment.

What I would love is for everyone I love and miss to come together for a weekend party, although if everyone came, a weekend would not be enough time. I want to chat, laugh, drink lots of coffee, re-acquaint ourselves with each other, share what God is doing, share our ups and downs, share memories, and laugh some more. I want my friends to become friends with each other. I want to see people from my Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and from the ends of the earth. I want to be completely exhausted from conversing, laughing, crying, rejoicing, and praying non-stop for a whole weekend.

Do you imagine that must be what Heaven will be like?
I sure hope so.

Just what I needed to hear, but didn't want to hear

One of the blogs I frequent regularly is Anne Jackson, author of Mad Church Disease. She's around my age and a talented writer/blogger. Her post today is worth me printing and posting all over my stinkin house, desk, car, etc.

http://flowerdust.net/2010/03/18/i-thought-it-was-love-but-i-may-have-been-wrong/

The Path Not Chosen

Do you ever feel like you've missed the boat?
That you've walked onto the wrong pier or got onto a wrong boat?

I've been wondering about that lately for my life. When I look at my life at a "step-by-step" basis, I still get to the same place I am today. But when I "zoom out" or even simply look at where I am today, I wonder if I should have gone left instead of right or maybe just waited at the fork a moment longer to see what might have happened.

I know it does no good to think about the "what ifs" or any should've, could've or would'ves.

But what if I had stayed in Germany another two years? Well, then I would have come home in 2008. I would have missed my one friend's final days and the chance to minister to her. I would be a year behind in my schooling, meaning I'd be done in 2011. I would have found healing and renewed joy, serving in ministry instead of floundering at home.

What if I had sought more counsel regarding my Master's degree or had just waited a bit longer before starting? Well, then maybe I would be working on an Old Testament degree instead of Intercultural Leadership. But then maybe not. I didn't realize how much I love teaching the Old Testament until I started working with the youth this school year.

What if I had sought a ministry-related position instead of going into the food industry? Well, then I might not have been able to afford school or my apartment. But I probably would have found purpose and joy in what I do compared to my current job. But then if I had, I wouldn't have the few good relationships that I have built through my job. And my job is a great opportunity for ministry...perhaps moreso than a ministry position. But then maybe I'd be further along in my missionary candidacy if I had been in some ministry position instead.

What if I have followed God all along and am exactly where He wants me to be? Then I can be confident that He has a plan for my life that is much greater than I can foresee right now and that everything that has been or has not been in my life are going to be used accordingly. And if I have missed some boat then God will use that too and will correct my steps as I continue to trust and listen to Him.

In that, I can breathe deeply and let go.

Mustard and a Date

So the mustard guy called again yesterday.

**I think I mentioned a long time past that at my job we get commissions from the companies who make the ingredients, off of the total dollar sales.

The mustard company buys a lot of vinegar and is looking into buying totes (330 gallons) instead of buying drums (55 gallons). This would save them approximately $13000 a year!! However, since we get commission of the total sales, this will hurt our company a little bit. The mustard guy actually inquired about this since this is not the type of thing I would ever mention to a customer. It was very kind of him to be concerned about our company and the commissions we make. I assured him that we understand, saving $13000 would be great, and they can do what needs to be done...I'll still be here to help. With a little bit of guilt in his voice he asked, "do you need any mustard?"

I started laughing and assured him that Friday's package was plenty for us but that if I ever needed more, I'd give him a call. And then,

MV: How old are you?
Me: 30
MV: (at which point he speaks off in the distance) hey MY, I've got a great single girl for you in Lynnwood, WA!
Me: (a bit shocked...I just started laughing)
MV: I better stop or I'll have both you and MY blushing.
Me: Well, good thing you can't see me then.
MV: Why? are you blushing?
Me: Yes (still laughing)
MV: Well, MY is a bit on the shy side so I thought I should help him out.
Me: Mustard and a date...wow, this phone call can't get much better!

I was chuckling (and blushing) for the next two hours. Some of the people I work with are so great and entertaining. They are what make my job worthwhile, in my opinion.

Heartbeats of Mine

I get to teach Sunday School to the Middle School students this upcoming Sunday and the following Sunday. Love it! Seriously...I should be a full time Old Testament Sunday School teacher or Bible Teacher...hey! maybe this is my life calling. And on the side, I can work in a coffee shop. Perfect!

This upcoming Sunday the topic is "Looking Ahead to the Messiah"...which basically means reviewing all the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah. Easy cheesy....hah! Seriously? We are talking about 39 books and over 100 prophesies to be squeezed into 1 hour. Yay me! I have some major work to do on this still. I have done my research and now just need to find a way to put it all together in a way that will work with Middle schoolers and effectively teach the necessary points. I'm confident it will work out just fine.

Next week, I get to teach on Jewish Holidays and Jesus. This is the lesson I am excited about. My heart beats Jewish (even though I'm not Jewish)...which is another story for another day perhaps....Anyhow, a great book that I love, love, love, that totally addresses the Jewish and Christian holidays is Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner. Read it! I promise you'll find it interesting and challenging. So for this lesson, I'm going to talk about 8 Jewish holidays/celebrations and how Jesus can been seen or is a part of all of them. Oh my...I'm excited for this.

I love teaching the Old Testament. I think churches today focus much more on the New Testament and tend to validate that more than the Old Testament. After all, the New Testament is about Jesus, the church, missions, and Christian living. But the Old Testament has just as much to offer the Christian church. The Old Testament consistently points to Jesus throughout its entirety! I think that is why I love studying and teaching about it. It is rich of God's character, His heart for those who don't know Him, and the need for Salvation. Every book speaks to those things. If it didn't require another 3-4 years of school or if someone offered to pay for full-time schooling, I would seriously consider getting an Old Testament or Hebrew degree.

For now, I'll be content to teach Sunday School.

A Present

I got a gift on Friday.

Back on Tuesday (I think), a customer who buys vinegar called me and asked if there was any way the vinegar company could ship him 55 gallons of vinegar the next day...it was an emergency...they didn't have enough vinegar and needed some as soon as possible. Usually the vinegar company needs more time but they were able to make an exception and everything worked out very smoothly. It really was no big deal, wonderfully so.

However, the customer was so thankful that he wanted to send me a gift (all I did was write the emails but sure, dote me with gifts.) The company that he works for is a mustard company. I'm sure they do more than that but mustard is their specialty...good German mustard.

So he asked what kind of mustard I quickly said, "Mild...you know, like the French's mustard type of stuff." I guess mentioning the competitor wasn't a smart thing because he scoffed as soon as I said the name.

Anyhow, on Friday, a box gets delivered to work. The label says the box weighs 11 lbs. Seriously??? 11 lbs of mustard? Here I was thinking he'd send me one little jar/bottle but once I opened it up, there were three dressings/sauces and 6 different types of mustard: Dill Mustard, Champagne Mustard, Smoky Onion/Garlic Mustard, etc.

I sent an email back thanking him for the box of goodness and I admitted that I shared the product. He teased back that I should have kept it all for myself to which I answered that as a single person, it would take me about 5 years (at least) to go through all of that. In this instance, sharing is good otherwise I would have had to get real creative with recipes in order to use it all up.

Stuck

I feel stuck in a rut.
Nothing really to share.

I am tredging through my TESOL (teaching english as a second language) certificate, however I am only one-fourth done...
I'm watching that silly Australian show...which I think I need to cut out of my schedule for a while...
I have thesis topic I have yet to work on...
Two upcoming Sunday School lessons yet to work on...

I need to change up my habits a bit.
I have a plan...
I'll write more later, if I actually do it.
Maybe that will unstick me.

Sharing an Apartment

Next month, I will be receiving a notice from my apartment complex saying that my lease is up and do I wish to renew, as a valued apartment customer?

I believe the answer will be, "not entirely."

My younger sister is one of the few people I can imagine sharing space with with. I shared a room with her for many a year when I still lived at home and we get along great, for the most part. And she is just about ready to move out. The perks of living with her will be:

• Spending significantly less (at least $200/month) on monthly rent...woohoo!
• Having someone to share cleaning responsibilities...woohoo!
• Having someone to hang out with more often.
• and sister-bonding time!

The cons of living with her will probably be the same as they were before (and still are, for some of them):

• She likes to be in control aka bossy at times.
• She isn't always willing to be flexible.
• She likes to take over. My bedroom at my parents was mine long before she even came into the room. When I went away to college, all of my stuff got pushed out of the room and it became her room even though it was still technically ours. This resulted in trauma and an identity crisis. "Who am I...what is my purpose in life?" (Come to think of , that could have just been due to my college age...)
• And she isn't really a peace & quiet type of person (and I am)

Overall, I think it will be good, for both of us.

So since the end of my lease is coming up, we've been talking about where to look and of course, finances. She works at Starbucks as a barista which means that while she has steady hours and steady paychecks, she isn't raking in the dough. Understandably, she can afford less than I can and needs an apartment that fits within her price range.

I have already offered to take the "Master bedroom" and will pay more rent for that, in order to give her a lower rent but I'm not sure financially what is fair. Is the Master bedroom worth just $50/month more or would fair be higher than that? Regardless of what I pay, I'm still coming out ahead and saving more than I am right now. So maybe I'll make another deal with her involving house chores to make it work for her.

This Saturday, we are going to check out the two bedroom apartments in my current apartment complex. I would love to stay there...it's been a good complex to live in for the two years and half years I've been there already. But we shall see...regardless, there are good time in store.

Can you feel the love?

I work with three other people and that is all.

When I got to work today, the two guys were already there. I said good morning to which my boss replied, "You're here?!?...K. was hoping you'd stay home today!" (All because of my cold...I think.)

They made such a fuss this morning about me showing up to work that I finally assured them that by the afternoon, if I feel sluggish or icky, I would go home. That seemed to pacify them.

Well, this afternoon is here and I think I might end up leaving soon. However what made me just smile was that I sneezed twice and my coworker (the other lady) said, "oohh...sounds like you need to go home."

Geez Louise! I've never had such a low-tolerance job before. All my past bosses have been like "unless you are puking, you better show up!" Instead this job is all but kicking me out and locking the door behind me.

They crack me up.

Brought to you by the letter M

Over the last 6 months, I've been sick three times now, which is not usual for me.

I am one of the healthy people in my family. It can be a span of two years or more before I grace the doors of my doctor's office for help and medication. I pay a pretty penny for "just-in-case" medical insurance...and that's fine with me. Better safe than sorry.

However back in October I was struck down by the swine flu (theoretically) and felt miserable for a week. Then last month when I went to California to visit my grandparents, I had some kind of 24 hour flu that was not pretty and involved me needing to empty everything from my internal system. And now, I have a cold.

I have the stuffy runny nose, I can't breath except through my mouth, my head feels bloated and weighted, don't start sneezing because I won't stop, and I have the cognitive alertness of a slug, type of cold. Plus whenever I have a cold, I can't even pronouce my own name correctly. Something about forming the letter "M" doesn't work when conjested. Good times.

Whenever I get sick or just feel yucky, there is one thing that normally sounds good to me.
Warm orange juice.
Trust me on this...warm orange juice tastes good, is soothing to the throat, and of course, offers the vitamins that the doctors ordered. Just pour some in a microwavable mug. Zap it for a minute, stir, see if it's hot enough and zap it another 30 seconds or so, if needed.
I had some this morning.
Now I just need to get through the day.

Going Ons in my Kitchen

I have been a cooking maniac these past two weeks. Some stuff are honestly not worth mentioning...experiments that turned out okay but not great.

But here is a sample of my recent menu:

Monday: I made curry chicken. Yum! I used the packet below, so I didn't do anything from scratch really. But if you love curry and can find this, buy it! So good and so easy. It comes in three heat levels...I usually get Medium Hot which isn't bad at all.

Thursday: I made Chicken Spinach Enchiladas with a Salsa Verde sauce. I made the Salsa Verde on Saturday and was looking for a way to use it. It turned out pretty tasty.

Tomorrow: I'm going to make a Pot Roast and at some point this weekend, White Chocolate Lemon Scones (see below--only I'm leaving out the blueberries this time and will use Lemon Juice and Lemon Peel instead).

White Chocolate Blueberry Scones

3/4 cup (175 mL) sour cream
1 egg
2 3/4 cups (675 mL) flour
4 tsp (20 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter or margarine
1 cup (250 mL) blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
white chocolate, coarsely chopped (no idea how much)
1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter, melted
1/4 cup (60 mL) powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Beat sour cream and egg in small bowl and set aside. In large bowl, measure flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles small peas. Mix in blueberries, sugar, and white chocolate. Add sour cream mixture and stir until soft dough forms. Using your hands, form dough into a large ball and place on floured surface. Pat out to 1" (2.5 cm) thickness. Cut in 4" (10 cm) rounds. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake scones for 15-20 minutes. The dough will be soft. It will seem to need more flour. And you will have to use a lot of flour to help roll out dough and cut into rounds.While still warm, brush with butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 8 large scones or 10-12 smaller ones. Enjoy!

Stories Worth Sharing

For those of you who blog, do you ever have your mind swirling with thoughts but nothing seems worthwhile to put down? That's where I am. So I'll just share two stories of conversations I have had within the last week. I find one hilarous and one full of warm fuzzies.

1. Background: This took place at the food show I went to last week. At these shows I get to meet people face-to-face that I have conversed with number times over the phone. At this last show, I got to meet one guy (I'll call him "D" for this post) from California whom I get along with fairly well. Here's our conversation:

D: So how are you doing?
Me: Doing well. Keeping busy with school. How about you? How's work?
D: Things are good. I'm looking for a new job though.
Me: Really? You want to change companies? What do you want to do?
D: Sales.Yeah, I'm looking around...seeing what's out there.
Me: Well, I know what you mean. I'm ready to change jobs too.
D: What do you want to do?
Me: I want to be a missionary.
D: For real? Are you a nun?
**Momentarily stunned, this is the part where I start cracking up.**
Me: No....no....no.
D: Do you have a boyfriend?
Me: No but I want to be married. I'm not going to be a nun.
D: Oh good. For a minute I thought I was making a pass on a future nun.
Me: Oh geez...

2. Background: Last year, I was attending two churches over the course of four months or so. At this other church, I was helping with their youth program. It got to be too much for my schedule and I stopping everything with the other church. However, they are without a senior pastor now and their youth pastor is doing some of the preaching. I told the youth pastor that if he ever wanted a break from the youth lesson, I'd be happy to be a guest teacher. I had my first guest-teaching time this past Sunday night. After it was over, I had this brief conversation with one of the high-school boys:

A: Mindy, are you going to start coming here regularly again or is this just a one time thing?
Me: No, this is just a one-time thing unless Jesse (the youth pastor) invites me again.
A: Jesse, you need to invite Mindy to come again.
Me: Ahh....that's so sweet.