Check it!

My first full week as an Intern at Flatirons has been crazy! There have been lots of people to meet, names to remember, and books to read this week, and that could very well be the biggest challenge I face. Reading three different books at a time could be very confusing, especially when you add these two gems that I have found on my desk into that mix.

 

Some of the highlights of my first week as an Intern:

• There is such a thing as too much coffee and sugar. I attended a surprise birthday party on day one that had cake, candy and pizza...all after 3 cups of coffee. Wednesday I drank water. 
• Work doesn't feel like work right now. Maybe one day it will, but right now, it doesn't. On our first day we stayed at our office way past when we really needed to be there.
• Experienced what goats do on a day to day basis.
• I painted a ceiling tile, a door frame, a floor, as well as did paint touch ups for the foyer of the basement for student ministries. 
• I got to serve in children's ministry for the first time where I met two super adorable little girls who I got to play with all morning. 
• I then got to help Ben and the rest of the West campus staff launch a youth program at West campus! What an amazing experience. Interacting with the staff, leaders and students for that was so crazy. 80ish middle schoolers and 57 high schoolers and I can't wait to see how God works in all of their hearts.
• Experienced a kids ministry teacher interview. 
• Named our house "the Babe Cave", started a group twitter (@fccinterns if you wish to follow our hilarity) and figured out why our doorbell doesn't work.

These are just a few of the many highlights of the week. Honestly I could write a few pages about each one and how they have impacted me.

Last week my small group discussed what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We talked about how that means giving up some things. For me, those things were certain friendships, smoking, relationships with men and the things associated with them. Sometimes being a follower of Jesus means doing the same things but in a different way. We discussed was drinking.  I had to reevaluate how I drink alcohol. I like beer, wine and tequila because I think they taste good. If I am going to spend $15 on beer I would rather by a 6 pack of craft beer than a 30 rack of keystone light to get me wasted. What do these things all have in common? They are all extremely uncomfortable. Being a follower of Jesus, an intern at Flatirons, a woman of faith in a modern world are all things that are out of my comfort zone and make me extremely uncomfortable.

When we become comfortable with someone, some thing, or at some place we get stuck in a routine that can be potentially dangerous. We are not challenging ourselves and we are not embracing the full life that Jesus intended for us to live. Jesus asked his 12 disciples to give up everything they owned, their families, friends and lives to follow Him. Coming into this internship I was unsure if this is exactly where I was meant to be right now. After the first week I am confident He has meant for me to give up my comfortable life to follow Him and to bring the light of Jesus into kids and teenagers at Flatirons.

Following Jesus is uncomfortable, and I've been so uncomfortable all week. I like to think I'm doing a great job at following Jesus, but I know I'm not perfect. I used to think there was this fine line to walk while trying to live life with grace for myself and others while still holding on to the truth. Ask anyone who is close to me (or asked me for advice after two glasses of wine) and they will tell you I am great at the truth part but suck at the grace part. Or I hit the nail on the head when it comes to grace, but I don't hold on to truth in a way that is beneficial for anyone. But Andy Stanley tells us in "Deep and Wide" (go ahead and make dirty comments, I bet you we have already thought it) that it's not a balance, it's 100% truth AND 100% grace. Talk about being uncomfortable.

God is so great, and uses some of the most unlikely people in the most unlikely ways. I am so humbled to be a part of this program and be able to do life with these awesome people that I share an office with, a home with, and a calling with. I am so grateful and so appreciative of all of my readers, friends, family, colleagues and supporters who have helped give me this opportunity to experience what ministry is life. I cannot wait to see how God transforms the hearts of the kids and students I will be with all year as well as the other interns and myself.