As part of our bible study, the book gave us a challenge to get rid of all media for 30 days that has any sexual messages. I told the girls I would participate but I practically swore I wouldn’t give up Grey’s Anatomy. Now it seems since it is such a struggle, it is the only right thing to give up. So I am. One of the older girls (who is as addicted as I am) is not going to watch it for 30 days either. We may be insane, but I’m hoping it jumpstarts some of the girls into getting rid of some stuff that they don’t really need to begin with and then they won’t miss when it’s gone. I don’t see it so much of an issue with the sexual content, but that I sent the message that I wouldn’t let it go because I was holding so tight to it. Too much of anything is bad and I want to practically send that message to them. I don’t think I’d be much of a leader if I didn’t. So here we go, 4 episodes to go.
bible study
8 months and counting
So we have a “situation” with one of the girls in bible study. This is not the same girl as I have talked about in the past. This one has gotten herself pregnant with a one-time thing with another guy in youth group. This girl I would already consider high-risk. She lives with only her mom and brother who aren’t very supportive of her anyway. I don’t know how she will deal with bringing a child into the situation. The father originally wanted nothing to do with the baby. The girl has a lot of tough decisions ahead of her. I feel so heartbroken for her.
The “other” girl looks like we will be setting up some counseling sessions for with a local dr counselor person. Hopefully that will turn out well. That girl has a rough family life to but I can see a lot of potential for her. Smart, independent girl who really wants to do that right thing.
I had no idea I would be getting into all this by taking on a small bible study with a few teenage girls.
LoA
Ladies of Axis (LoA) is the new name to our youth girls bible study. I went yesterday to the t-shirt printers and they should be ready by next Thursday when the youth group is having a huge lock-in. I had a graphic artist friend do the logo and used the same printing place that the youth group t-shirts were printed at. I have to admit it was kind of weird to get t-shirts printed for some reason. But I’m excited that they were excited. It was all their idea to get them done and I’m just hoping when the next one rolls around we’ll have even more participation.
Hope
So it looks like I might actually have found some help for the girl in my bible study. There’s some guy the state Baptist convention recommended. He’s some sort of dr but I haven’t talked to him so I’m not sure exactly what type of services he provides. I also found some books that I think would really help her. I see so much potential and hope for this girl. I hope she runs with all advice and help we will hopefully have for her.
another blah day
So work went awful last night. I’m having to put in emergency change controls today to get required software installed and I’m not totally sure that will 100% fix it. I know it needs it, but I don’t know that it doesn’t need something else. Ugh.
Bible study was pretty good last night. There was one visitor that came with a friend. She was a little rambunctious and outspoken and she left within 5 minutes of me starting. I don’t think she was up for what we were talking about. And “the girl” with “the problem” sucked a lot of the attention last night again. At least nothing was inappropriate like last week. I’m really going to try to get her some help. I think she feels really alone in her struggles and she needs someone who completely understands her issues to talk to her. So that’s what I’m going to work on today I hope. Our YP knows of a minister in the state that deals with this, hopefully he can talk to her or has some resources for her.
Catching up
This week has been intensely insane.
Monday was our first bible study. I felt very prepared when I was there and it went very smoothly. All the girls and leaders seemed to have good reviews afterwards. There is one girl who has, uh, issues and it might be interesting to see how that plays out.
So Tuesday I had something to do but I can’t think of what I did. Wednesday was the Parents dinner for the youth so I spent the whole afternoon and evening at the church. Thursday we did grocery shopping and went to Cracker Barrel with Mom and Dad before Mom and Heather left for Colorado. And Friday. Oh lovely Friday. I worked that morning and then left for work at 3:45 to do an implementation. I didn’t get home at 11:15 that night. Then sporadically worked until 5 on Saturday. In between, I went to see E in the hospital nursery and cleaned the house. Sunday was church and I took a nap in between church. I was up again at 6 this morning working when my pager went off multiple times. We have one more job today that runs at 5 that I need to verify. Hopefully it will not interfere with bible study tonight.
I feel a little less prepared for tonight’s bible study than last week. I’ve just been so busy with work that I haven’t had much time to prepare. I barely got through Sunday School on Sunday. Scott was there so he could help fill in some gaps a little. Or at least make me feel like I wasn’t a dork trying to teach by myself.
Pretty much, I’m exhausted. And we’re not nearly done with stuff at work. Bible study is another 6 weeks and of course Sunday School is the entire church year. I was thinking about entering some stuff in a Consignment sale this weekend but I just don’t want to add anything to my list of stuff to do. I really love studying for bible study and Sunday school and working on the youth group’s web site. If that’s all I had to do (except of course raising two children) and not have to work professionally, I think I would be set. Except of course those little things called bills. Oh well, here I go complaining again about such a wonderful job I have and I don’t want to, I just am feeling a little overwhelmed right now.