Staff-less Week

The staff were gone this week, and I can say without a doubt that I loved every moment of it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy having the staff around, but the dynamic is so much different with them not here. We get to be more open, more vulnerable. We had the opportunity to talk about things that often got pushed to the side because talking about class was classified as more important. Class is important, but I can't tell you the amount of times that I said we needed to process our emotions on top of that. I'm big into analogies, so the one I often use is when you put a pot on the stove. It can sit there for a while and the water will begin to boil. We are often told that a watched pot never boils. The problem with this is that an unwatched pot can go from boiling to overflowing quickly. On Sunday, as a whole, we overflowed. All the emotions we weren't able to work through finally boiled over. The problem was, I saw it coming for a while, but I couldn't do anything about it. 

This week in class, we talked about academic faithfulness. The most important aspect I pulled from class was that there is nothing outside of God's design. So often, we feel that there is this perfect design for our lives, but there are just some things that cannot possibly fit into his design. So great a wrong was done that it has to be outside the design. The thing is, God just changes his design a bit. He doesn't take away our free will for our lives. We are human and we are going to mess up again and again and again. God still loves us in those moments. We didn't have to do anything to earn that love. We simply exist. That's it. The teacher even drew a nice picture to show what he meant. It looked like this:

There were some great aspects brought into the class, but that wasn't what was on my mind this week. What was on my mind most of the week though was the difference between leading and controlling. We came here to become better spiritual leaders. The problem is, what happens when leading turns into controlling? I looked up the definitions for the two, thinking it would help. This is what I found:
 -leading: providing direction or guidance
 -controlling: to maintain influence or authority over
They are similar, but there is also a big difference. With leading, the other person (or party) still has free will. They still have the choice to agree or disagree with what the other person (or party) wants said or done. The opinion can still be taken into consideration, but it does not necessarily have to be the expected way. With controlling, free will feels as if it is being taken away. What says, goes. There is no say. Control isn't necessarily a bad thing; it just depends on how the control is being used. 

Favorite Moment:
While the staff were gone, we pranked John and Randy. All of their belongings were gift wrapped. Hangers were taped to the ceiling. Broccoli was hanging from the ceiling (that's tied to a previous prank where we hid pieces of broccoli around John's side of the room, putting some under his pillow, under his sheets, on the shelves, pretty much anywhere we could think of). Over 1,000 cups of water were filled and put by the door, so that in order to get in, he had to pretty much overflow the room with water. It was beautiful. (I'm still trying to find pictures and videos, so I will add them once people send me some).

Strange House Concern:
What if we are unprepared? In two weeks, we head back home. We need to take what we learned here and implement it wherever we end up, whether that be at home, school, our local church, or somewhere else altogether. We don't want to be in a depressed mood, where we want everything to be exactly the way it is like here. That's unrealistic. We need to use this opportunity to grow and reach others. 

Featured Places of the Week:
-Jilly's T-Shirt Factory: I like this place mainly because it is one part of an ongoing chain. There is Jilly's Arcade, Jilly's Ice Cream Factory, and Jilly's T-Shirt Factory. When you spend $25 at Jilly's T-Shirt Factory, you can get a free lemonade. It is realistic to spend $25 because a custom t-shirt is about $19 (after tax). Many people in my group have gotten custom t-shirts from here. It's a good price and it doesn't take long to print. 

- The Wear House: This is one of my favorite places to go shopping. They have some fantastic deals. It reminds me a bit of Ross or TJMaxx, but the contents cycle through more frequently. Even if I don't buy anything, I look to see what is new. I found a new brand that I really like, called Silence+Noise (It's part of the Urban Outfitters brand). They have some really nice pieces. There was a pair of pants that I fell in love with and they were the right length, but they felt too tight. It was a sad time, but I'll live.

Favorite Quotes:
-"Mind Blown." -Harrison (every time he hears something he is surprised by during bible study or class

What I missed back home:

My sister just came back from her birthright trip to Israel. From what I've gathered, she had a lot of fun, filled with lots of adventures. She got to join an active archaeological dig, explore the many civilizations that called this land home, and discover what the past teaches us about our present.