Empty empty empty

So the music office is as empty as I think it has ever been while I'm working--only Dr. Doerksen is here. Deb, Diane, Heather, Michelle, Shelly, and Sasha are all on holidays which means if you're planning on trying to get anything done in the faculty, call ahead because it is very likely that no one is here to help you out. John, Odilla, & Janis all take Friday afternoons off in the summer in exchange for shorter lunch hours through out the week. That leaves Carol & Gayle who are both around the corner & down the hall from the main office. It's really strange having no one to distract from their real work--this is probably what I do best when I'm working here. I suppose I'll have some more time to think about Summerit this weekend.

Sad note of the week is that Richard Bradshaw died suddenly of a heart attack. You can read about him here: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070816/bradshaw_dead_070816/20070817?hub=Entertainment. In a nutshell though, Richard Bradshaw was the man who spearheaded, against all odds, to get a professional opera house built in Canada. The first and only one was completed last year in downtown Toronto and is called the Four Seasons Centre. He fought for government funding, and encouraged financial supporters from people like Margaret Atwood who has little relation to the opera realm. Unlike Don Quixote, he achieved his impossible dream, even after the project had been dead in the water for many years. He is an inspiration to many musicians fighting for adequate overdue performance spaces...

The day camp finished today and I have to say I'm fairly relieved that it is over--running around with seven kids under 14 proved to be more taxing than I remember. I'm glad I was able to get some more time in with the other leaders and I feel better about physically being in the building (no more almost-tears walking in like there were the first day!).

Listening to other big people at the day camp share their experiences with the young adults has been really reaffirming. It has surprised me though, the degree to which many of them will repeatedly continue to reach out given the minimal growth they themselves get from the whole process. I know these limits are different for many people and aren't wrong per se. I'm just surprised that mine are so different from some of the others. So it has got me thinking: are my expectations for people's desires to improve themselves too high? Are people lacking in an in depth relationship with God... in depth to the point where they aren't striving to please God but are behaving certain ways to reflect their amazing appreciation for the Father? If this is true, how does one counsel others to recognize the supreme importance of a close relationship with Jesus? To what degree do outsiders (like me) play a role in fostering this relationship?

I will probably come back and write more when I get bored again. I'm off to read a bit more of the "He Loves Me" book online & try and come up with a little bit of a better idea what we'll be doing for our Bible study times at Summerit tonight & tomorrow...