Update from "Knoxvegas": Week 1

I would just like to preface this by saying I generally like to blog about the things I'm thinking rather than the things I'm doing, so writing an entry all about my activities of the last week seems a little self-indulgent, but since so many people have been asking for "the update," I suppose this is it. Here are the highlights:


Monday (2.16): I moved almost all of my earthly possessions from my sister's jam-packed minivan into a small house in East Knoxville. My house is less than half a mile from downtown, so I can bike to work when the weather gets to be consistently nice. I'm pumped about that because I can go green, save gas money, and get a little healthier at the same time! I have two roommates who are undergrads at UT - Amanda, and Charli, who owns the casa. Leave a comment/shoot me an email etc. if you'd like my snail mail address!


Tuesday (2.17): ...was my first day as the new Administrative/Communications Assistant at All Souls Church. It was a slow week because there was no staff meeting and besides Doug, the Senior Pastor, Travetta, the Worship & Arts Director, (and the only other person who is in the office on a regular basis) was on vacation. Throughout the week, different people asked me if the task list they gave me was overwhelming, but I reassured them it wasn't too much. Thankfully, they organized my responsibilities into daily, weekly, monthly, and ongoing tasks.

Thursday (2.19): I met up with an old friend from JBC, my hallmate and practically roommate, Elaine! I hadn't seen her in what felt like forever - my guess is probably 2006? We did coffee at Starbucks, and I got to check out her gorgeous engagement ring, hear about the plans for the upcoming July wedding, and the soon-to-be Emmanuel's plans to live in community in Saint Louis. It was wonderful to catch up with her! Afterwards, I traveled over to another fellow JBC-er's apartment (one whom I had never offically met, but connected with via Craigslist) to pick up a computer chair. I got to play with her adorable kitties and chat for a while - it it so great to move back to this city and have a frame of reference. I'm looking forward to running into and catching up with more JBC friends :)

Friday (2.20): A friend of CJ's/aquaintence from JBC, Nikki, invited me to have lunch with the Fellows while I was in the office on Friday. It was great to finally meet this group of people who have purposed to learn about, love, and serve the city of Knoxville for a year. I would encourage my graduating senior friends who are interested in doing a service year to check it out! When the Fellows went around the room and introduced themselves, I was reminded again of how small the world really is. Nikki's from Newport News (where my mom's parents lived for a long time), there was a girl who went to Furman (where my Gram JJ went to college), and a girl named Kate from Harrisonburg/JMU grad (H-burg is where my Grammie Vought currently lives, and Kelly goes to school at EMU).

I ended up going out with Friday night to dinner with Nikki and Kate at the Downtown Grill & Brewery, where CJ works. I love that they have happy hour appetizer and drink specials until 8! My dinner ended up costing less than $10 total :) We had planned to see Erin McCarley at The Square Room but didn't have our hearts set on it, so instead we met up with some All Souls people and apparently most of the Dirty Guvnahs (who've made a pretty big name for themselves in Ktown) at Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria. As the few friends that follow my twitter know, I had forgotten the Knoxville "going out" male dress code consists of button down shirts, jeans & baseball caps. Definitely not what you'd see at a Friday night at Kildare's in Philly!

Sunday (2.22): I attended my first service at All Souls as a resident of Knoxville. Doug began a sermon series entitled, "First Things: Six Truths Every Christian Should Know" (which you can check out and follow along with soon via All Souls Podcasts). I'm excited. I plan to check out other churches, but I think it will be a challenge to find a church that is a better fit in time (6 pm!) and mission ("Seek the Peace of the City"). There is a Vineyard Community a little ways away that I definitely plan to visit, although its gatherings are on Saturday nights (boo).

So overall, it's going well. Nothing too mind-blowingly amazing to share, but hopefully this will suffice for now! Hopefully another update will be on its way soon enough...

...In and Out the Window.

I haven't blogged in forever... I'm too busy living life, I suppose. It's sad when life becomes too busy to do the thing you love the most.

My Grandaddy Vought (mom's dad) passed away on Christmas Eve. I can't even begin to say what an amazing person he was, but this may give you a small idea. I came home from work today to find Go In and Out the Window: An Illustrated Songbook for Young People on my desk. It was opened to a blank page, on which had been written:

May 28, 1989

Given to Erika on her fourth birthday with the hope that it might provide her some of the same joy and amusement that these songs provided him from the time he was a small boy, right down to the present day.

With deepest love and affection,
Grandaddy Vought

We love you and miss you so much already...

beauty in brokenness.

Tonight, I participated in "An Evening with To Write Love on Her Arms" at Burlap & Bean, my favorite local coffee shop. If you don't know about TWLOHA yet, you should check them out. What an incredible organization. They exist to encourage people out of darkness and into light, out of fear and into hope. To start conversations about self-hate and cutting and depression and suicide and shame and brokenness and to tell people that this isn't all there is - that rescue is possible for them.

I don't have enough time to write about all that's on my mind before I crash tonight, but here is what I was left with/reminded of tonight, to be expanded upon later:

• We only have one life to live. What do we really want it to look like? It should be about building relationships and loving people... We were meant for community.
  
  
• There is beauty in brokenness. We tell our stories to bring healing to the hurts in other people's lives. If you never share your brokenness you may be preventing others from seeing that they are not alone, and that there is hope for victory.

[To be continued...]