Thursday, November 20, 2008

A-travelin' and a-wanderin'...

I wanted to let you guys know the dates/times I'll be in Boiling Springs next week! And, since I know how often we all update this blog... this is obviously the most effective way to inform you all. ;)

I will be driving up to Greenville on Tuesday after my class lets out. I'll stay the night with my friend Carolyn Heaps. Wednesday morning I will arrive in Boiling Springs late morning, probably between 10 and 11am.

I will be staying with Jeff & Britt while I'm there, which will be Wed - Friday night. On Saturday, I'll go back down to Greenville for a night of downtown fun with Carolyn and our friend Chris, who I will have off dropped off with her thatTuesday night. You are ALL welcome to come and drink coffee and hang out and laugh with us in Greenville that night (Saturday), especially if I didn't get to see you while in BS, or you're living there (... Robbie!).

Love you and hopefully see you soon!!

Kaitlyn.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

school's a jerk lately...

Hey family.

I've really been struggling the past two weeks with understanding my classes and how to get back into the college mode. Life has been so good here since returning, like I mentioned in the e-mail, I am definitely encouraged daily by my housemates and many new friends I am getting to know, but classes are frustrating. They aren't hard as much as they are perplexing. It isn't the coursework as much as it is the professors... I honestly don't know how I managed to have a batch of cynical, perverted, unsympathetic professors, but such is the reality right now.

I really need prayer for endurance and having a joyful heart in a few of my classes. I've already gotten a C and a very low B in my two classes that only give us three total grades. Needless to say, I'll have to be working really hard to pull those two back up into the A range (and yeah, at FSU we get less credit for A- than we do A's...)

I want to maintain my high GPA to be able to get into a grad school of my choice, as my Masters is really all that matters in the Social Work field. I guess I've been feeling overwhelmed and confused as to why I'm getting such "terrible" (in my mind) grades this year.

Please pray for peace and the ability to understand how to turn these grades around and also how to love the "unlovable" teachers.

Thanks, family.

Love you!
Kaitlyn

Thursday, September 25, 2008

I think i should blog...finally.

Hello family.

Man, i really love you guys. I can honestly say that I miss living with each one of you AND even though I still live in the same town as some, I miss being in the same house with all.

These past couple of weeks have been incredibly stretching, tough, awesome, a little lonely, and yet completely indescribable. So many teachers have warned me that this would be the toughest year, EVER, of teaching. I have never been so busy in my life, yet I have also never had to persevere and feel so good about it, ever. I'm pretty sure that out of the 130 students that I have, 60 of them HATE me, 40 of them think I should teach Spanish honors because I'm so strict, 10 are frickin afraid of me, and 20 are indifferent. It's so strange being a person that dislikes attention, yet i daily REQUEST attention from at least 120 people. Caring about people liking me has gone out the window, but caring about these kids has become my life.

I have a pregnant 16 year old, and an 11th grader who missed three days in my class because his girlfriend just had a baby. A kid in my 3rd period Spanish 2 class often looks at me like he is going to kill me, and then a girl in that class that called me "gay" in a note that i caught her passing(not homosexual, just incorrectly using the word to say she doesn't like to listen to me). My students range from wealthy, to dirt poor; extremely academically gifted, to barely making it in English class (let alone Spanish).

Truth be known, a wide variety of students. But I can TRULY say that I am growing to love them. Sure I might want to strangle Steven for always making excuses about why he didn't do his work, but, I am also sincerely thankful for being about to be a father figure to this kid that lives with just his mom. Or theres Jessica, who always lays her head down on her desk in first period because "Spanish just isn't for me", but what is "for her" is figuring out why her best friend is now homeless and got kicked out of mom and dad's house for being a lesbian. I am daily seeing God's purpose for me to teach these kids. The compassion that the Lord has given for me for people, seemed not to fit in getting a teaching job. Maybe thats true, but it sure does fit here at Shelby (God knew what he was doing!)

Hard times are not over, but looking back of the hard times that I have already had, I can tell you the harder it gets, the more it's worth it. As other teachers have advised, this most certainly will be one of my toughest years teaching, but as I have quickly learned and am thankful for, this has been one of the most rewarding acts of service I have ever experienced.

Ok sorry this is so long cough cough Jeff cough cough... but at least i didn't add poetry, right? Jk. i love you all so much!

Monday, September 22, 2008

High School PE so I thought

So I called Friday the subbing hotline, afternoon after my Crest Middle Health classes were over, and what would you know...High School PE! 11-3 Monday-Wednesday. So here I sit in the weight room at Kings Mt HS. WOW, so I get here at 10:50 and they tell me I dont have to be here until 1, well, then they realize I have a class at 11:08. What class you might ask, HIGH SCHOOL MEN'S WEIGHTLIFTING! I only have two classes and they are both HSMWL. WOW! I am on my first break, did I really need one, not really, but Hey, I am getting paid! Yes, this is just rambling, but the real stories will come later this afternoon. I've got a great story friends, from last Thursday. I didnt actually work for a school that day, I was just home cleaning and chatting with KT. I dont have time to type the whole story now, but it will come when the time comes. I miss you all and am truly less with out you. I am joyful and sad all in the same moments somedays without you, adjusting to life after CDH, well I need time! Okay so I am going to go now before I cry. I dont know if I can blog everyday because it brings so many emotions every time. Sometimes I hate emotions! Anyways, I love all of you and may be able to share my amazing story from last week and will most likely have more stories after my last class today. LOVE YOU ALL, MOM!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

24 Hours of Booty exists!!

Here's a little treasure I found on YouTube... yes, apparently it is real and no, the news anchor didn't mess up, she just didn't know the news before she read it.

24 Hours of BOOTY!! <-- click that link to see live footage.

A little post from the blogging "professional"... only, not really.

Hey family! It's Kaitlyn.

I bet you were all were thinking that I was only capable of commenting, so I decided to show you that I really can post, too. Just takes me awhile...

Life in Tallahassee is good. I know that I've shared sweet moments with a few of you, but I wanted to let you know about the experiences and opportunities the Lord had waiting for me back here in FSU college-life.

I live with five others girls, all believers and all striving to live in community with the rest of us. I think that it's interesting to begin to understand what "community" means to people outside of CDH or CR or even Boiling Springs; so many of the people that run in the "Christian circles" in Tally say that they want to live "communally" or "have community" in their homes and friendships, but I find myself DAILY remembering what "community" looks like as it fleshes itself out. It isn't glamorous! We all know that, we've dissected it and proved it to be found in the seemingly insignificant moments of service for, loving deeply, and belonging to others. You want to know how many dirty dishes I wash everyday...? hah, you really don't! But praise the Lord, that so far I am able to do them joyfully and without trying to think about WHO left WHAT in the frigid, greasy, shallow-water-filled sink. Yuck.

This semester I am taking three social work classes, an advertising class, and an advanced writing workshop. My patience is tested in the first three, my teacher's a complete perv. in my ADV course, and my writing class is most definitely a gift for my present and future.

I am a news writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau (we just call it the FSView), our independent student-run paper at Florida State. I am assigned two articles a week, and am paid minimally, but it's an incredible portfolio builder, networking agent, and it offers me TONS of experience and advice. I am learning so much about writing and really being able to hear and receive critique in my writing this semester. And, I love it! So far I've covered two events, and written a preview. The last event I covered, I had a name badge printed and waiting for me, and I met a Nobel Award Winner that night and got to interview him briefly after his lecture. Exciting!

My new church is called Crossbridge and I feel at home already. I attend a weekly "community group" (nice name, eh?) on Wednesday nights where I am the youngest member! I've made a lot of older/married friends here already through Crossbridge, and I can't wait to begin serving in a specific area with them as well.

Tons of excitement with lots of typical college happenings. I've eaten TCBY and been on coffee dates more than I can count. But, I'm remembering discipline and that waking up every morning before the sun rises is good for me.

I love you! You still encourage me every single day.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Leave it to Jeff and Britt...

So here I am (Robbie)  After literally twenty minutes of typing Jgreer@ufl.edu no...Jgreercommunityof10 ...no  Jgreer 11  at community of 10... closer.    But I think I finally hacked into this blog. Then I start reading the blogs, wouldn't you know Jeff and Britt BOTH swearing in there blogs!  Those dirty mouths must run in the family.

  So I am obviously chillin up in my loft in g-vegas, it gets pretty lonely going from 10 to 1.  But thats what blogs are for right?? Things are going good at FPC alot of changes, we renamed the youth group  "The Umbrella" and yes jeff we played Ciara Under My Umbrella.  Things are great but I certainly miss each of you!  Great idea Jess with the blog.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

I'm apparently a blogger now

Hi, family. I love all of you. Thank you, Jess for making me what I always thought I would never be... a blogger :-)

I don't have too much to update you guys on. Today, after a month of job hunting, I GOT A JOB. Yes, Gentlemen and Ladies. Yes. God is Good. Ewing, Blackwelder, and Duce, Insurance Company hired me to be a Receptionist. I will be working full-time, 8am-5pm, with health and life insurance, and retirement. I have a real effing job!!! I don't even know how a 401k works, but my new employers match what I put into it up to 3% of my salary. What does that mean? It means I'm officially an adult.

I love all of you. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for writing on the blog so that we can all keep up with each other!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

took me a while to figure out how to even read the blog... and much longer to figure out how to post... why didn't i just read the email jess sent.... now i see that there were directions in the email... jess don't we live in the same house still? you gotta help me out girl.

well hello my sweet family. i love you all so much.

i'm working at the coffee shop... in shelby. i work M-F 7-4.... which means i go to bed early and get up early!! me and brent work the morning shift together and we really make a great team and have fun together... but i must admit that when people come in and order a cinnamon roll and a venti mocha, as i swipe their card i wonder if they have a lot of money and have 7 dollars to spend on coffee every day ($35/week, $1800/year) or if i'm sending them deeper and deeper into debt... anyways, food for thought. oh well, they get their drink, and i keep my job. that's how the economy works.

i'm adjusting to this new life here. it has been a hard but good transition...

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Quotes to share with you to remind you how great this town is!

So Jess, Jeff and I are sitting here in the coffee shop here in the rainy town of Boiling Springs. Jess wrote her first blog, Jeff wrote his first blog and now I am writing my first blog. So after Jess and Jeff wrote their first blogs we all high-fived in a circle! To create a visual for all of you! I love you guys and I love my husband and how funny he really is. I just wanted to remind all of you well, mostly Kaitlyn," I wont me a damn eagles egg." I just wanted to write that to remind Kaitlyn of a memory we had together so she could write about it in her next story. I also wanted to share with you a quote from a students shirt at Burns Middle last week. "We aint no DAGGUM water-girls." Amazing... I love and miss you all so much. Oh, and I am pumped about this blog! Thanks Jess for bringing us all together again!~Britt

life without cdh...or more importantly, cdher's

hello friends and family. this blog is going to be cool. only because its not facebook. and other people dont get to see what we write. so shit. and damn. take that facebook "wall". i miss all of you, some more than others, but nonetheless, all of you. jk jk. i will make a couple of promises early. one- there will be no poetry like jess on my posts. lame. and second- they will always be short. nobody wants to read all day. look forward to "talking" to all of you soon. peace, love and cusswords. bye.

jeff

It's a bigger picture than you think...

My CDH family I miss living life with you. Living here in Boiling Springs without all of you has been quit an adjustment. It's been hard. Hard not having a big family to come home to that is so loving, supportive and encouraging. Hard not having the scheduled family dinners together and many other random things that I miss. However, it has been really fun to learn how to be in this community outside of CDH. Starting new in a place that is now familiar. Anyways, I love living in South Glenn it is a great neighborhood and cool to continue to be apart of an intentional community. I just got a job at BCBG (a designer clothing store) which I am so grateful for, other job ideas didn't work out. It has been a trying time though to try to find a job. As some as you know I am going to India in December and Israel in the spring so I needed to find a job that was flexible. This is something that I wrote in the waiting and transitioning time the last month. 


It's a bigger picture than you think

"It is a bigger picture than you think
It is a bigger plan, purpose, story.
Your life effects more than just yourself.
You are interconnected like it or not.

Don't loose faith in the One who gave you the purpose.
The One who awaken desires.
The One who is showing you who to become.

My life is not my own.
Show me where to go, what to do.
Take these emotions of doubt, anger, and sadness.
Restore vision, purpose, what is important.
Please give me opportunity, use me, help me to chase after you and not the purpose.

Help me to have kingdom eyes.
Kingdom that is here.

"We are a broken people who need each other and God, for we have come to recognize the mess that we have created of our world and how deeply we suffer from that mess. Now we are working together to give birth to a new society within the shell of the old. Another world is necessary, Another world is already here."
- Shane Clairborne, Jubilee Declaration

What is the bigger picture for me?"



Be encouraged, I love you all so much!
Jess