I don't know about you, but my body does not let me sleep in past 11am. Most weekends, I can't sleep in past 10am, but oh how I long to do that! Last night before going to bed, I told myself that I was going to sleep in. Low and behold, I was up at 9:30am - bright eyed and busshy-tailed...which, that saying never made sense to me - am I a squrriel? Anyway, instead of sleeping in, I thought what's the next best thing if I can't sleep in? Stay in my PJs as long as I can!. It's 11:30am and I'm going strong! I enjoy lazy days. Speaking of a lazy day, talk about a lazy month!
After the hussle and bussle of the holiday season, my life brings me J-Term. As a student, I enjoyed it. Taking only one class, having lots of times to watch movies and goof off, and having most of my friends around me to make memories while ice skating down the sidewalks. Though I'm no longer an official student, one of the perks to working at a college is to experience J-Term as an employee. I think I might love it even more in this position than I did as a student! I have a whoppin' three meetings a week (compared to my 11 official meetings a week during the semester) and no classes to worry about. My job is to hang out with students, reconnect with those who have been a challenge to seek out during the normal semester, and of course keep Naugle Hall in line and up and running. Yes, I've watched more movies than I'd like to admit to and I have played enough rounds of Dutch blitz that I could probably go pro. But, what the heck - it's J-Term, so I'm livin' it up!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Seeking new treasure
Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will also be. - Matthew 6:25-27
What's my treasure? - What do I value? What do I talk the most about? How do I spend my resources (time, money, and energy)?
Tonight during my RA staff meeting, I did a cheesy excercise. The activity: "What's on your plate?" -- draw or write out how you spend the 168 hours that make up your week. After spending 15minutes jotting down these tasks/responsibilities/etc. I asked them to go around and list their top 5 most time consuming activities. Sadly, only three of the nine of us mentioned anything about our faith (Prayer/Bible study/Devotions/Chapel/etc).
I reminded them (and myself) that in order to do our jobs well, we need to be spending sufficient amounts of time with our King. The first task is that we actually make God our King (put Him first and give control over our lives). That's easier said than done. Excuses are so easy to come by. My calendar gets filled so quickly. I have to respond to others who need my attention. I have loans to pay off...I'll give next time. On and on it goes.
I desire to have Jesus my King, really I do. I'm seeking to please God in my giving, but also in how I do spend my time and energy. I want to be obedient and to love well. I just wish this was easier to accomplish. I guess you could say that I'm seeking new treasure, but how hard it is to give up things that I claim are near and dear to my life. It's a slow process, but I know that it'll be worth it. That's all.
In case you were wondering what my top 5 most time consuming things in my life currently are:
1. Sleep
2. Meetings
3. Reading and replying to emails
4. Meals (shopping, prepping, buying, cooking, eating...)
5. Hall Responsibilities/Activities
What's my treasure? - What do I value? What do I talk the most about? How do I spend my resources (time, money, and energy)?
Tonight during my RA staff meeting, I did a cheesy excercise. The activity: "What's on your plate?" -- draw or write out how you spend the 168 hours that make up your week. After spending 15minutes jotting down these tasks/responsibilities/etc. I asked them to go around and list their top 5 most time consuming activities. Sadly, only three of the nine of us mentioned anything about our faith (Prayer/Bible study/Devotions/Chapel/etc).
I reminded them (and myself) that in order to do our jobs well, we need to be spending sufficient amounts of time with our King. The first task is that we actually make God our King (put Him first and give control over our lives). That's easier said than done. Excuses are so easy to come by. My calendar gets filled so quickly. I have to respond to others who need my attention. I have loans to pay off...I'll give next time. On and on it goes.
I desire to have Jesus my King, really I do. I'm seeking to please God in my giving, but also in how I do spend my time and energy. I want to be obedient and to love well. I just wish this was easier to accomplish. I guess you could say that I'm seeking new treasure, but how hard it is to give up things that I claim are near and dear to my life. It's a slow process, but I know that it'll be worth it. That's all.
In case you were wondering what my top 5 most time consuming things in my life currently are:
1. Sleep
2. Meetings
3. Reading and replying to emails
4. Meals (shopping, prepping, buying, cooking, eating...)
5. Hall Responsibilities/Activities
Monday, September 14, 2009
Iron & Wine
Favorite weekend at MC thus far. Why? Two reasons:
1. Travis Yoder
2. Samuel Beam
Enough said.
Friday, August 28, 2009
People of Naugle
Well, I'm finally settling into life here at Messiah now that I've been here for just over four weeks. Things are going really well. I like where I live - Naugle Hall. It sits on top of the hill, so it has a great view of the "mountains". Not to mention that the inside was recently painted and re-carpeted. I think residence halls in general have a distinct smell and Naugle is no exception - it's not a bad smell, I just think that's odd that all dorms have one. My liking of this building goes beyond the walls and smells -- what I love the most are the people who live and work here.
I enjoy chatting with my Campus Events guy, Kent. Every morning Kent shares his schedule with me about what he's going to clean/fix in the hall. Then around lunch time, he strikes up a conversation - usually about baseball or restaurants, and shares stories starting with, "when I was your age..."At the end of the day, if I'm in my office at 4:15ish Kent leans out of his office door and says, "We're in the home stretch!" (he gets to leave at 4:30pm). This married man is 52, volunteers with the youth group, and he and his wife run a camp for youth during the summer. He has a big heart and sees his job of cleaning toilets, fixing door hinges, and telling students to pick up their trash in Naugle Hall as a ministry. What an example he is to the rest of us!
During the past 1.5 weeks, I've also been getting to know and love my RA staff. There are eight of them - 4 men, 4 women. They're all different, which I appreciate, but they all have the same desire to be in the RA position. They take their responsibilities seriously, but they know how to have fun...better yet, they laugh easily and often! A few of them have some growing up still to do, but I enjoy that -- maybe that's the "developer" in me (Strength's Finder anyone?!) I can't wait to see what other memories we'll make together as a staff.
Each new year, as stressful as it is and as time consuming as it is, I'm reminded of why I love this job - the relationships and growth that we all experience. To live life with 275 students and model Jesus for them -- what a great privilege that is!
The RAs dressed in their Naugle Blue. :)
I enjoy chatting with my Campus Events guy, Kent. Every morning Kent shares his schedule with me about what he's going to clean/fix in the hall. Then around lunch time, he strikes up a conversation - usually about baseball or restaurants, and shares stories starting with, "when I was your age..."At the end of the day, if I'm in my office at 4:15ish Kent leans out of his office door and says, "We're in the home stretch!" (he gets to leave at 4:30pm). This married man is 52, volunteers with the youth group, and he and his wife run a camp for youth during the summer. He has a big heart and sees his job of cleaning toilets, fixing door hinges, and telling students to pick up their trash in Naugle Hall as a ministry. What an example he is to the rest of us!
During the past 1.5 weeks, I've also been getting to know and love my RA staff. There are eight of them - 4 men, 4 women. They're all different, which I appreciate, but they all have the same desire to be in the RA position. They take their responsibilities seriously, but they know how to have fun...better yet, they laugh easily and often! A few of them have some growing up still to do, but I enjoy that -- maybe that's the "developer" in me (Strength's Finder anyone?!) I can't wait to see what other memories we'll make together as a staff.
Each new year, as stressful as it is and as time consuming as it is, I'm reminded of why I love this job - the relationships and growth that we all experience. To live life with 275 students and model Jesus for them -- what a great privilege that is!
The RAs dressed in their Naugle Blue. :)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Pennsylvania
I've been here for two weeks now. I think I'm finally settled into my apartment (pictures will be coming soon) and I am able to drive to select destinations without using a map - I celebrate the little things! Pennsylvania is starting to feel like "home"...kind of. I have enjoyed getting to know my fellow co-workers and other staff members here at Messiah. I love the scenary around here -- large hills, giant creeks, etc. It's refreshing. I even have two local grocery savings cards attached to my keychain. PA is treating me well, so I can't complain. However, the one thing that I miss most is my family and friends back in Indy. I've been moving out of my parents house during this time of year for the past 6 years, so this shouldn't feel any different, right? This would be true except instead of driving home on the weekends for Sunday lunch as a family, I have to wait until a major holiday to fly home. My Dad is no longer 2hrs away to help fix my car if needed (hopefully that won't be a problem with my new car!). My neice is no longer 2 hrs away from having a play date with her Auntie Kate. It's just different. I'm trying to embrace this change in my life. If you know me well, I don't do well with changes...at least big changes all at once. So here goes nothing...
Side note: I may not blog as consistantly, but I do post a picture a day. This might help you get a better idea of what some of the changes I'm experiencing here in PA. (www.flickr.com/photos/KRousop)
Side note: I may not blog as consistantly, but I do post a picture a day. This might help you get a better idea of what some of the changes I'm experiencing here in PA. (www.flickr.com/photos/KRousop)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
two weeks
Two weeks of packing. Two weeks of saying goodbyes. Two weeks left of living in my parent’s house. And then what? Well, I’m off to PA for the most permanent move I’ve made since I was 3yrs old. It still hasn't totally hit me yet. Maybe it will once I actually have a my own apartment, or when I don’t know how to get to the grocery store on my own, or when I see a name plate outside my office door that spells out all 11 letters of my last name. So really, who knows when it'll hit me...
I'm ready to be a “real” adult. Now I know that sounds bad considering I’m going to be working with 300 students who will claim to be adults because of their legal age of a whoppin’ 18 years old, but seriously. Don't get me wrong, I do love college aged students who act and want to be treated as adults, but there’s a lot more to becoming an adult than turning a specific age – I’m learning what that means still. I’m ready for a real job – one that has a salary and not a stipend. One where I have my own office and don’t share it with anyone else. A job that I chose and not one that is conveniently close to home or a position picked for me. (I do realize that one’s job does not define them as an adult...more on that later).
I’m definitely thankful for my time at home and at Taylor. These two places have shaped my life more than I could have imagined. I know that I am blessed to have been raised in a home where people love each other genuinely, who try to live like Jesus daily, and where I’ve been supported fully. I’m thankful for my time at TU both in undergrad and graduate school. A place where lifelong friendships formed, my faith was shaped, and where I first learned about my passion for teaching students. Now, I can officially say that I’m ready to take what I’ve had, experienced, and learned over the years and implement it into my daily job. I’m ready to minister to people (mostly students) who know Jesus but are apathetic about their faith. I’m ready to live day to day with students who never had a peaceful home life or parents who never expressed or loved them deeply. I’m ready to give a student a listening ear and possibly give them some advice or to challenge their ways of thinking. I’m ready to leave this place I love and to once again start anew.
In two weeks, I will become that so-called “adult” that my parents raised me to be - where the bills will have my name on it and not theirs. (In all honesty, I’m not ready for that part of being an adult!) In two weeks, PA will be my new permanent address and I will have my own office, apartment, title of my car, and finally a job that pays a salary paycheck. Ready or not, adulthood, here I come...well, in two weeks or so!
I'm ready to be a “real” adult. Now I know that sounds bad considering I’m going to be working with 300 students who will claim to be adults because of their legal age of a whoppin’ 18 years old, but seriously. Don't get me wrong, I do love college aged students who act and want to be treated as adults, but there’s a lot more to becoming an adult than turning a specific age – I’m learning what that means still. I’m ready for a real job – one that has a salary and not a stipend. One where I have my own office and don’t share it with anyone else. A job that I chose and not one that is conveniently close to home or a position picked for me. (I do realize that one’s job does not define them as an adult...more on that later).
I’m definitely thankful for my time at home and at Taylor. These two places have shaped my life more than I could have imagined. I know that I am blessed to have been raised in a home where people love each other genuinely, who try to live like Jesus daily, and where I’ve been supported fully. I’m thankful for my time at TU both in undergrad and graduate school. A place where lifelong friendships formed, my faith was shaped, and where I first learned about my passion for teaching students. Now, I can officially say that I’m ready to take what I’ve had, experienced, and learned over the years and implement it into my daily job. I’m ready to minister to people (mostly students) who know Jesus but are apathetic about their faith. I’m ready to live day to day with students who never had a peaceful home life or parents who never expressed or loved them deeply. I’m ready to give a student a listening ear and possibly give them some advice or to challenge their ways of thinking. I’m ready to leave this place I love and to once again start anew.
In two weeks, I will become that so-called “adult” that my parents raised me to be - where the bills will have my name on it and not theirs. (In all honesty, I’m not ready for that part of being an adult!) In two weeks, PA will be my new permanent address and I will have my own office, apartment, title of my car, and finally a job that pays a salary paycheck. Ready or not, adulthood, here I come...well, in two weeks or so!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
summer agenda
Things I want to do during these two months that I'm at home...
1. Read for fun - I'll start off with C.S. Lewis' complete series (6 books) of The Chronicles of Narnia. I just wish Tower was reading it to me, that would be amazing!
2. Attend several concerts - open mic nights at coffee houses, jazz bands on the canal, Coldplay/Snow Patrol at Verizon, and Symphony on the Praire to name few.
3. Get a tan - come on, it's summer time. What do you expect?!
4. Spend lots of time with family and friends - especially with Phoebe Rae!
5. Travel - Alaska, Chicago, Kentucky, Michigan and end with the final destination of Pennsylvania.
6. Monon Trail - I'd like to ride my bike or walk on the trail more often.
7. Only check my email twice a day max. - this will be a huge change from what I did during the school year.
8. Meet up with my high school Bible Study leader for coffee at least two times to catch up. I haven't seen her in two years...well, I saw her at a funeral but that doesn't count.
9. Learn to swim - my body just doesn't float well. I'll practice so I can use the pool at MC.
1. Read for fun - I'll start off with C.S. Lewis' complete series (6 books) of The Chronicles of Narnia. I just wish Tower was reading it to me, that would be amazing!
2. Attend several concerts - open mic nights at coffee houses, jazz bands on the canal, Coldplay/Snow Patrol at Verizon, and Symphony on the Praire to name few.3. Get a tan - come on, it's summer time. What do you expect?!4. Spend lots of time with family and friends - especially with Phoebe Rae!
5. Travel - Alaska, Chicago, Kentucky, Michigan and end with the final destination of Pennsylvania.6. Monon Trail - I'd like to ride my bike or walk on the trail more often.7. Only check my email twice a day max. - this will be a huge change from what I did during the school year.8. Meet up with my high school Bible Study leader for coffee at least two times to catch up. I haven't seen her in two years...well, I saw her at a funeral but that doesn't count.9. Learn to swim - my body just doesn't float well. I'll practice so I can use the pool at MC.
Oh the joys of summer! :)
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