Suriname 07
So...anyone out there reading this blog who is involved in children's ministry or youth ministry? Ever thought of using your gifts & passions in a cross-cultural setting?
April 2007 we (a partnership between the Atlantic District and MW) are taking a team to Suriname, and I am getting super-excited. We plan to offer a VBS and a weekend youth retreat, as well as seminars for local workers. The team is starting to come together and I am thrilled to see who is coming on board. I'm still looking for potential participants, so if this interests you at all, please let me know! I would love to have some people who are currently involved in children/youth ministry, but wouldn't necessarily be the first ones to sign up for a missions trip. I believe many such individuals have much to offer and much to gain by being involved in similar ministries in a global context.
If you are interested, or have someone in mind that this made you think of, please let me know in the comments or email me at snaudca at yahoo dot ca.
PSE Factor
Anyone who has known me for long at all is likely aware of my biggest fear...I would even say phobia. Spiders. For as long as I can remember, the sight of a spider was enough to instantly shoot adrenaline to the tips of my toes and perhaps even bring tears to my eyes, depending on the intensity of the encounter.
It is completely irrational, I am the first to admit. One of my pet peeves is definately those obnoxious people who try to tell me all the reasons why it doesn't make sense for me to be afraid of spiders. I feel like saying, "Wow...thanks for pointing out that daddy long legs are harmless and probably more afraid of me than me of them. I wish the thought had occurred to me. Or if only someone had told me previously..." Idiots!
It seems to me that just about everyone has at least one irrational fear. Roller coasters, the dark, clowns, needles, snakes, heights, dogs, plaid. Some are just better kept secrets because they are not often encountered. Sometimes I wish I could trade my irrational fear for someone else's that I would only encounter every few years (ie. needles) as opposed to almost daily in my carport.
On the other hand, I'm quite happy that it's not very life-altering like some people's fears can be. But I do frequently rate activities on a "
PSE Scale". It's a self-invented measuring device that is less than scientific. It's largely based on personal experience and perceived threat.
PSE = Probability of Spider Encounter. Blogging is quite low on the PSE scale. Stacking firewood tends to have a very high PSE factor. The PSE factor does weigh on the enjoyability of different activities, and so in a way I suppose it could contribute to choices I make, and thereby be slightly life-altering.
Spider encounters vary widely in intensity, based on a variety (or combination, ughh) of the following factors:
1. Population. Multiple spiders is scarier than one. Being outnumbered always makes this worse.
2. Size. I think I've determined that if a spider is smaller than the very tip of my pinky finger, I can handle it. The rest are scary, and of course increasingly so according to size.
3. Movement. A spider on the move is worse than a spider at rest.
4. Proximity. It stands to reason that a spider six inches away is scarier than a spider at the other side of the room.
5. Height. If a spider is on the wall at torso level, it could potentially fall onto my leg or foot. Yuck. If the spider is above my head, aaaahhhhh...very scary. It could fall into my hair or onto my shoulder and out of sight where I panic while determining the wherabouts. The floor is almost always the best place for a spider.
6. Footwear. (Mine, not the spiders) This is related to #5. If I am barefoot, a spider on the floor is still very scary because I'm virtually defenseless. Sandals are better, but still scary because what if I step and miss and the spider somehow ends up on top of my foot or between the bottom of my foot and the sandal? Closed-toe shoes are much better. Steel-toe boots are best.
7. Clothing. Encountering a spider while wearing shorts and a tank top is scarier than in pants and a long-sleeved shirt. The more skin exposed, the greater the likelihood of the spider touching me directly.
8. Ugliness. There isn't any spider that I find cute, but stripes or a fat body or hairiness all make a spider scarier.
These are the factors that I've determined thus far. I will amend the list if other factors come to mind.
So, what are some of your ridiculous fears?
