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Still Swimming: RK: Week 4 Chapel Talks

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Monday, August 3, 2015. RK: Week 4 Chapel Talks. Last week, I got to share some of my heart with the day campers I am working with this summer. Every day, I gave a ten minute talk on people God used in the Bible, which was rad. Here are the talks I gave, sorry if they're long, oops. Have you ever done something that scared you? Something that you felt you had to do, because you were already too deep into it to back out? Something you were too involved in to move away from? Then one of my friends jumps.

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Still Swimming: August 2015

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Thursday, August 27, 2015. Dirty feet weary heart. I've learned kids can be ruthless, unsympathetic, and violent. That is what a lot of this summer has looked like. However, I can't just yell at them and say, "You know better! Will I be an effective teacher or will I just go home every night downtrodden? Is teaching really my calling [if calling is even a word I should be using]? Do I have a dramatic new chapter starting in my life? Joy is a kid saying he lost his marbles and needs help finding them.

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Still Swimming: December 2014

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Monday, December 15, 2014. Hey, guys, so time to plug a new book. But first, some back story. When I was a young tyke, my family and I lived a few years in Ohio. These were my early elementary years. At my school, there was a contest each year in which we could write a short story, format it like a book, and submit it. In my classes [throughout multiple years there], we would work on our writing skills through this project. This character was called Megan the Great. It's a magical thing to watch. I a...

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Still Swimming: gunshots & heavy hearts

http://www.stillswimming.net/2015/08/gunshots-heavy-hearts.html

Monday, August 3, 2015. Gunshots and heavy hearts. This was written at the end of June, but I never published it. I revised it today in hopes that it would still ring true.]. My heart is filled with grief. The recent shooting in a Charleston, South Carolina church hit me so hard. I'm just frustrated, I guess. I am frustrated because this keeps happening. There are so many shootings now. It's gotten to the point where we aren't even surprised when another happens. We're desensitized. Why are there so many...

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Still Swimming: anticipation

http://www.stillswimming.net/2015/05/anticipation_21.html

Thursday, May 21, 2015. I made a bad choice recently. I volunteered at camp, leading worship - for my first time, what up. I went out for the Father/Son retreat, held the same weekend as the Mother/Daughter, which was, like, a super rad idea. [Also, shout out to Urf for leading worship for her first time as well! Also, the perfect curse. The fact that I get to go home [to camp] in a few weeks is a beautiful thing. The other wonderful thing about being at camp is seeing some of my favorite people. Get...

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Still Swimming: June 2014

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Monday, June 23, 2014. Oh, Moody [Spokane], my heart is a flurry of emotion. I will not be returning to school with you all next fall. For a long time, I have wanted to pursue elementary education, but thought it would cost far more than it actually does to get the degree. [Lack of research, I know.] Moody no longer fits my needs in that capacity. There is no elementary education program, therefore it's not logical for me to return,. I'm not bailing on Jesus so I can go get plastered.

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Still Swimming: forced chill

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Thursday, April 2, 2015. If you've talked to me within the past month, you know I was stressed to the max. Twenty college credits really bit me in the rear when the end of the quarter came around. On top of that, staying up late for work - it was a long couple of weeks. And my body does this thing that's really sweet - it decides that, at the peak of my stress, I should be sick. I consistently get sick right when I need my energy most. Convenient, right? Forced relaxation is detrimental to my productivity.

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Still Swimming: August 2014

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Thursday, August 7, 2014. I sit here, on my front porch, with Iggy singing to me about how fancy she is. I have no campers begging me to let them go get a drink. No campers jumping across the table trying to grab food. The season for campers has come and gone. I go back in another week,. But there won't be campers. It's an odd feeling, being back in the "real world.". Instead of walking everywhere,. But not having to stand up every minute to grab more food. Going to sleep without any fart noises,. Every ...

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Still Swimming: January 2015

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Friday, January 30, 2015. I have been asked before what my biggest pet peeve is and, after thinking too hard, I replied,. 8220;intolerance.”. Over the course of the past few months, I have come to realize how guilty I am of this. For the longest time, I saw this flaw in everyone else, but it took me forever to realize it was me. Right now, I am on what I call a journey to rediscovering joy, and what has become a big part is this concept of respecting all opinions, all ideas, all people. LGBTQ community, ...

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Still Swimming: February 2015

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015. I am taking a class this quarter where we discuss a myriad of gender issues. The other day, it happened to be pornography, which is an interesting one to discuss. It’s also one that hits close to home, as myself and many close to me have struggled in this arena. It is an issue that can trap you for years, making you feel like you’ll never escape. 8220;I just don’t see why I should feel bad for the women in porn.”. Adult bookstores outnumber McDonalds 3 to 1. The average age of...