All of my logic and faith and optimism and coping skills are totally failing this week. I am a terrible person and miserable. It doesn't matter that they do amazing things every day. I don't know what to do with them or myself. I am out of control and scared. I might need counseling again.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Talk on the Beatitudes
In my church, there's no paid clergy. Everything is done by volunteers, and the work is spread around as much as possible in hopes that everyone will be able to share their talents. Right now, my main calling is that I'm the ward music chairperson, but last Sunday I also got to give a 20-minute talk in Sacrament Meeting.
(I'm not sure it was actually supposed to be quite that long, but the last time I gave a talk I undershot by like 13 minutes and the person after me had to make up that time on the fly (but it was Heath--he can take it). So this time I overcompensated and cut into the next person's time a little. Woops.)
Anyway, the topic I was given was the Beatitudes, which even now I can only spell right on the second try, aaahh. Researching it was a really cool experience (even though it's also always somewhat stressful). In the past, nearly all my talks and lesson plans (and speeches and presentations in college) have been only loosely outlined, with the exact delivery largely improvised. But this time I didn't quiiiite trust myself not to trip over my own tongue and land on the floor in front of the podium, so I decided to experiment with writing the whole talk out word-for-word. It took longer, but I think it was a lot better for that. And it means I can now post the whole thing here!
Other than a few places where I extemporized something minor or didn't want to look down for some reason, this is pretty much the talk I delivered. Obviously, the citations that aren't in the flow of the sentences were added just now (and not quite up to academic standard, because I'm lazy). Looking at it now as I prepare myself to fling it out into the ether, I notice it feels extremely chummy and informal for what people who haven't been to an LDS church service might expect from a quasi-sermon, but that's kind of normal (probably because of the whole lay-clergy thing itself). And it's definitely my style in general, especially when speaking in my home ward, where they've known me since I was a teenager. I do so love beginning sentences with conjunctions.
(I'm not sure it was actually supposed to be quite that long, but the last time I gave a talk I undershot by like 13 minutes and the person after me had to make up that time on the fly (but it was Heath--he can take it). So this time I overcompensated and cut into the next person's time a little. Woops.)
Anyway, the topic I was given was the Beatitudes, which even now I can only spell right on the second try, aaahh. Researching it was a really cool experience (even though it's also always somewhat stressful). In the past, nearly all my talks and lesson plans (and speeches and presentations in college) have been only loosely outlined, with the exact delivery largely improvised. But this time I didn't quiiiite trust myself not to trip over my own tongue and land on the floor in front of the podium, so I decided to experiment with writing the whole talk out word-for-word. It took longer, but I think it was a lot better for that. And it means I can now post the whole thing here!
Other than a few places where I extemporized something minor or didn't want to look down for some reason, this is pretty much the talk I delivered. Obviously, the citations that aren't in the flow of the sentences were added just now (and not quite up to academic standard, because I'm lazy). Looking at it now as I prepare myself to fling it out into the ether, I notice it feels extremely chummy and informal for what people who haven't been to an LDS church service might expect from a quasi-sermon, but that's kind of normal (probably because of the whole lay-clergy thing itself). And it's definitely my style in general, especially when speaking in my home ward, where they've known me since I was a teenager. I do so love beginning sentences with conjunctions.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Februiting
New month, new art-thing! Sort of!
I was thinking I'd devote February to trying to learn to cook, but toward the end of January, two days apart, a) my gaming group indicated that they're almost ready to begin the Fate game I've been tinkering with in the background, and b) my brother told me he'd like to draw at least the last pages of the chapter we were on when our comic went on hiatus. DUDE.
So I have some planning and organizing to do on both those counts, and it won't do to divide my attention tooooo much. If I run out of stuff to do for those, I'll just keep piping, because I've been enjoying that a lot anyway. Lots of potential for excitement! :@ Oh, I also have to give a talk in church in two weeks, and throw a bridal shower for my sister. Soooooo...hmm. Yup. I guess my attention will be super divided in any case.
I will claim that February's hobby is: incidental writing. Maybe I'll knock out a poem or two somewhere.
I was thinking I'd devote February to trying to learn to cook, but toward the end of January, two days apart, a) my gaming group indicated that they're almost ready to begin the Fate game I've been tinkering with in the background, and b) my brother told me he'd like to draw at least the last pages of the chapter we were on when our comic went on hiatus. DUDE.
So I have some planning and organizing to do on both those counts, and it won't do to divide my attention tooooo much. If I run out of stuff to do for those, I'll just keep piping, because I've been enjoying that a lot anyway. Lots of potential for excitement! :@ Oh, I also have to give a talk in church in two weeks, and throw a bridal shower for my sister. Soooooo...hmm. Yup. I guess my attention will be super divided in any case.
I will claim that February's hobby is: incidental writing. Maybe I'll knock out a poem or two somewhere.
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