Allow me to go down the bunny trails…

[Disclaimer: each paragraph contains a fairly random and disconnected thought from the previous paragraph as well as parenthesis used incorrectly.  Multiple times.  I normally can’t handle that, but it’s how my brain is working today.  Roll with it… you’ll be okay, I promise.]

Jared’s internship has started well.  Mostly, he’s assisting with more administrative functions (i.e. it’s the off season, and everyone is shackled to their desks doing paperwork) for the first half of the semester and will be doing more facilitation and “hands on” experiences the last half of the semester.  The past couple days he has been reading through the summer staff manual and is editing and proofreading so that it can be split into two documents the way his supervisor desires.

Cooking and preparing food has been an interesting adventure so far.  At some point, we’re going to be able to eat in the dining hall (you know, that blissful place where other people prepare food for you and wash your dishes afterward.  i’m telling myself it’s blissful because i haven’t tried their food yet.  but the dining hall is cute, therefore i have decided the food must be good) but that hasn’t materialized yet.  (On another side note, Jared’s status is very odd, and Gordon staff never know what to do with him… is he staff?  not really.  is he a student?  not really.  but he’s not a staff member?  no.  well then he must be a student?  nope.  You understand the confusion then, and this is part of the reason that we haven’t yet enjoyed college dining food again.)

So anyway, our building doesn’t have a kitchen.  Or a deep sink.  And the microwave is pretty unimpressive (I don’t want to complain about the microwave, but it takes twice as long to do anything in there as it should).  Thus, preparing food has been an… adventure.  Seriously, it’s actually been kind of fun.  I had no idea the power of the crockpot!  It can do anything… granola, soup, bread (though my bread doesn’t actually fit in the crockpot so I had to walk over to the building with an oven) and later this afternoon I’m going to try brownies in it too.  I thought my creative baking juices my be hindered by our location, but instead they’ve just been challenged.

We are trying to appreciate the small things at this point.  We are seeking to be intentional about each day we have here.  In our last few months in Michigan we both cultivated a nasty sin of seeking the right “next step” from God instead of seeking the joy of our relationship with God.  During our time here, God has reminded us that when we are adoring Him instead of His plan He takes care of the plan.  So we’re trying to focus on the small things.  Adoring God.  Daily.

Someone (ahem, Jared) told me that the ocean has a calming effect on the weather, unlike “lake effect” in Michigan.  However, thus far there has been plenty of “ocean effect” as Gordon has cancelled school twice since we have been here due to volatile weather.  Thank you, Michigan, for preparing me for ocean effect.

(Tomorrow is Jared’s birthday.  I have a plan for the cake, but left the cake pans in Michigan.   I’m still figuring out how this is going to work in my head.  Wish me well.)