I do do things...

Here is a short list of things that I have been up to recently (pictures to follow):

• Drive
• Be on staff
• Drive
• Do Devos
• Drive
• Talk to interesting people
• Drive
• Pray
• Drive

More pictures to come... I just wanted to post some sort of update so to change the blog up a little bit.

SEND KAITE MAIL!!!

I allegedly have a "home base" where I stay during the weekends. However, I've somehow managed to only visit for a cumulative 20 hours over the past month and a half, and I'm starting to the think that the staff may resent me for never actually staying with them.


There's one staffer in particular whose "angst" towards me I think comes from the fact that I receive more mail than she does, and I'm not even on staff in Lotts Creek!!


So, here is my plea: PLEASE SEND KAITE SALMI A LETTER. Actually, get a bunch of friends together, and send AS MANY LETTERS AS POSSIBLE.


Her (and my) mailing address is:


ASP Lotts Creek, Knott County
General Delivery
Bulan, KY 41722

Women in Ministry

How others perceive women in ministry has been heckling me severely these past few weeks.  

I hate that people can point to passages in the Bible and say, "See right here? No women preachers.  The Bible says so."  This argument presupposes that 1) I haven't read the Bible and/or am incapable of interpreting the Bible, and 2) any witness, works, or revelation from God I have must be false, all because of my reproductive anatomy.

I can get really riled up about this pretty easily.

What's even more frustrating is that arguing against this point of view and explaining my own point of view can't be reduced to a few Bible verses - I have to look at each book as a whole, and in its own historical context.  One Bible verse, quoted to me out of context on its own, is no longer sufficient for me.

Furthermore, I could chalk this disagreement up to conservative Biblical interpretation and fundamentalism in Appalachia, but I'm not willing to flippantly write off the conservatives and fundamentalists that I have come to love and respect in my work here. 

I therefore find myself in a vulnerable place:  I am doing the work that I know God called me to do, but I keep running into people (men and women) who would like to "enlighten" me, and all I have to say is, "Well, God told me to.  Who are you to say otherwise?"

However, a friend (and heroine) of mine pointed me to an episode of Designing Women, which I think does enough explaining for me.  It's the episode titled "How Great Thou Art," from Season 2 (Episode 20).  The youtube clip isn't great quality, but it's passable.  Watch here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onke0vpak7g

And then continued:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teIJeh4lPR8&feature=related

T-shirts

I've been busy (needless to say), so I haven't updated as much as I would like.  BUT, more pictures and such are coming soon.

However, I am very excited to make a shameless plug for my own fundraising attempt:  Chaplain T-shirts!!  

Shirts will be $8, and all proceeds go to supplement my budget as a support staffer.  (Ie, money will be used to do things for my staff that I can't really afford to to otherwise, like buy fresh produce, throw parties, beautify staff offices, etc.)

Let me know if you're interested!