These lovable little creatures arrived in the mail yesterday. . . much needed snuggliness and smelling of home : )
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
25 Random Things About Me.
Imported from Facebook, for the benefit of those of you who haven't discovered the true art of procrastination and distraction.
1. I always back into parking spaces... that's right guys, my dad taught me well!
2. I already started a collection of things for my home someday.
3. I hate roller coasters... and therefore, most rides at amusement parks.
4. I have an insanely long list of "want-to-read" books.
5. I love to decorate.
6. I'm in love with writing to-do lists... crossing things out... writing new lists... adding things to the list I already accomplished, just so I can cross them off... you get the idea.
7. I have 4 beautiful lucky bamboo shoots.
8. I allow hot chocolate to ferment in my mug a few too many times. gross.
9. I used to hate cooking, but am slowly being changed and accumulated at least 4 cookbooks over Christmas.
10. I'm a huge fan of simplicity, and desire to live simply.
11. My feet are about 1/2 inch different in length... talk about shoe-shopping problems.
12. I'm quite possibly addicted to cheese. Specifically yellow cheddar cheese.
13. At home I sleep with 4 blankets, a hoodie and sweatpants. Nice 'n cozy. (dorm room is too hot for that!)
14. I'm a sucker for black and white photography.
15. I hate coffee.
16. At the moment, I'm addicted to Hillsong and Hillsong United... and the free music on NoiseTrade.
17. I love going to the zoo.
18. I have a knack for finding random (but wonderful!) items at yard sales and bargain stores---for really cheap!
19. I don't like English/grammar. As has probably been evidenced.
20. My journal and listening to music saved (and continue to save) my sanity repeatedly.
21. I love to have spontaneous, long conversations, one-on-one or in small groups.
22. House churches, as a ministry of a larger church, fascinate me.
23. My dream house is not big, but has room for an extra person---in case they need to a place to live.
24. I am continually writing down quotes and song lyrics.
25. I love wild and "home-grown" flowers.
1. I always back into parking spaces... that's right guys, my dad taught me well!
2. I already started a collection of things for my home someday.
3. I hate roller coasters... and therefore, most rides at amusement parks.
4. I have an insanely long list of "want-to-read" books.
5. I love to decorate.
6. I'm in love with writing to-do lists... crossing things out... writing new lists... adding things to the list I already accomplished, just so I can cross them off... you get the idea.
7. I have 4 beautiful lucky bamboo shoots.
8. I allow hot chocolate to ferment in my mug a few too many times. gross.
9. I used to hate cooking, but am slowly being changed and accumulated at least 4 cookbooks over Christmas.
10. I'm a huge fan of simplicity, and desire to live simply.
11. My feet are about 1/2 inch different in length... talk about shoe-shopping problems.
12. I'm quite possibly addicted to cheese. Specifically yellow cheddar cheese.
13. At home I sleep with 4 blankets, a hoodie and sweatpants. Nice 'n cozy. (dorm room is too hot for that!)
14. I'm a sucker for black and white photography.
15. I hate coffee.
16. At the moment, I'm addicted to Hillsong and Hillsong United... and the free music on NoiseTrade.
17. I love going to the zoo.
18. I have a knack for finding random (but wonderful!) items at yard sales and bargain stores---for really cheap!
19. I don't like English/grammar. As has probably been evidenced.
20. My journal and listening to music saved (and continue to save) my sanity repeatedly.
21. I love to have spontaneous, long conversations, one-on-one or in small groups.
22. House churches, as a ministry of a larger church, fascinate me.
23. My dream house is not big, but has room for an extra person---in case they need to a place to live.
24. I am continually writing down quotes and song lyrics.
25. I love wild and "home-grown" flowers.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Radical Alternative?
Tomorrow I will be faced with the opportunity to present Christian pacifism (or should we say the "Third Way"---active nonviolence) as I understand it. I will be discussing this with about 25 other people, most of whom grew up with just-war theory and believe just-war to be the solution. Some have never heard of Christian pacifism; some have heard of it from angry, aggressive "pacifists." I will undoubtedly be dealt ever-so-familiar questions: "What would you do if..." "What if we hadn't fought in WWII and stopped Hitler..." "How can you sit back while thousands of innocent people are oppressed..." "What about 'there is a time for everything, a time for peace and a time for war'..."
Here are some of my thoughts.
Pacifism is not only choosing against war, or choosing not to participate in the military. Pacifism is a lifestyle, an attitude towards life and others... which some tend to neglect.
"Ethical humility reminds pacifists who sometimes slip into moral pride or the illusion of perfectionism that they too stand before God in daily need of his forgiveness and grace." (Choosing Against War, John Roth)
Conflict, violence and the sin of human nature will not be resolved until the kingdom of God transforms the globe. But we are still called to be peacemakers---to be in the world, but not of it.
The kingdom of God is the radical alternative to the kingdom of the world. Do we truly believe this?
Are we placing more confidence in the ability of Christians to influence society by political means or by distinctly kingdom-of-God means?
If we are to live according to the kingdom of God, providing a radical alternative, what is the difference of a Christian going to war and a non-Christian going to war?
As the sun rises tomorrow, I pray that God will grant grace and courage to present the third option in love. I'd appreciate your prayers, especially around 1:00 p.m.!
Here are some of my thoughts.
Pacifism is not only choosing against war, or choosing not to participate in the military. Pacifism is a lifestyle, an attitude towards life and others... which some tend to neglect.
"Ethical humility reminds pacifists who sometimes slip into moral pride or the illusion of perfectionism that they too stand before God in daily need of his forgiveness and grace." (Choosing Against War, John Roth)
Conflict, violence and the sin of human nature will not be resolved until the kingdom of God transforms the globe. But we are still called to be peacemakers---to be in the world, but not of it.
The kingdom of God is the radical alternative to the kingdom of the world. Do we truly believe this?
Are we placing more confidence in the ability of Christians to influence society by political means or by distinctly kingdom-of-God means?
If we are to live according to the kingdom of God, providing a radical alternative, what is the difference of a Christian going to war and a non-Christian going to war?
As the sun rises tomorrow, I pray that God will grant grace and courage to present the third option in love. I'd appreciate your prayers, especially around 1:00 p.m.!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Crisis.
It is so easy for us to become so consumed with the day-to-day requirements that we forget to look beyond the weather here, the this morning, the to-do list this afternoon, and the party tomorrow evening. We forget to look beyond ourselves to a world that is dying before our eyes.
Violence in the Middle East.
Hopefully that statement comes as no surprise to anyone; violence is present in so many areas of the world, and especially concentrated in the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia. However, I think many of us overlook a now-21-day crisis in Gaza, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Not many of us are aware that more than 1,100 Palestinians have died, more than 5,000 Palestinians are injured, countless others homeless refugees. Not many of us are aware that at least 13 Israelis have died and others are injured. Not many of us are aware that it seems as though each day humanitarian aid (food, health supplies, shelter, etc) are turned away or destroyed in attacks on Gaza. Not many of us are aware that each refugee is only given 6 pieces of bread each day.
And we have the audacity to fear and complain about our "hopeless" economic times? Yes, we are in a different position than we were several years ago, economy-wise. But, we are still blessed beyond what we deserve. How can we possibly complain when there is a deadly, heartbreaking crisis happening in Gaza?
Perhaps this is my soapbox for the day, for the week or for the month. I'm not sure why this crisis touches my heart and mind in this way. I've never gone to the Middle East, I don't know anyone personally who lives in Gaza, and I'm not typically one to keep up-to-date on political/national/global events. Certainly violence is nothing new to our minds (although many of us cannot imagine the physical and emotional horror of it), and certainly not to this area of the world. But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't care. So what part of this story gets to me? I'm not sure.
But I am sure that we should be on our knees concerning this situation. We have brothers and sisters in Gaza who are hiding, avoiding and fleeing attacks for their lives.
I am sure that we should be relooking at our current financial state and praising God for His provisions, even now in these "difficult times" (by Western definition, of course).
I am sure that we should be writing Gaza on our hands, on our mirrors, on our doors to remind ourselves of the life-threatening crisis in the Middle East.
Please pray for a strong ceasefire and peace in Gaza. They need us to be their brothers and sisters, even in the midst of our busy schedules of Western lives and worries.
Violence in the Middle East.
Hopefully that statement comes as no surprise to anyone; violence is present in so many areas of the world, and especially concentrated in the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia. However, I think many of us overlook a now-21-day crisis in Gaza, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Not many of us are aware that more than 1,100 Palestinians have died, more than 5,000 Palestinians are injured, countless others homeless refugees. Not many of us are aware that at least 13 Israelis have died and others are injured. Not many of us are aware that it seems as though each day humanitarian aid (food, health supplies, shelter, etc) are turned away or destroyed in attacks on Gaza. Not many of us are aware that each refugee is only given 6 pieces of bread each day.
And we have the audacity to fear and complain about our "hopeless" economic times? Yes, we are in a different position than we were several years ago, economy-wise. But, we are still blessed beyond what we deserve. How can we possibly complain when there is a deadly, heartbreaking crisis happening in Gaza?
Perhaps this is my soapbox for the day, for the week or for the month. I'm not sure why this crisis touches my heart and mind in this way. I've never gone to the Middle East, I don't know anyone personally who lives in Gaza, and I'm not typically one to keep up-to-date on political/national/global events. Certainly violence is nothing new to our minds (although many of us cannot imagine the physical and emotional horror of it), and certainly not to this area of the world. But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't care. So what part of this story gets to me? I'm not sure.
But I am sure that we should be on our knees concerning this situation. We have brothers and sisters in Gaza who are hiding, avoiding and fleeing attacks for their lives.
I am sure that we should be relooking at our current financial state and praising God for His provisions, even now in these "difficult times" (by Western definition, of course).
I am sure that we should be writing Gaza on our hands, on our mirrors, on our doors to remind ourselves of the life-threatening crisis in the Middle East.
Please pray for a strong ceasefire and peace in Gaza. They need us to be their brothers and sisters, even in the midst of our busy schedules of Western lives and worries.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Not Just Numbers.
The following is a blogpost from Peter Miller, one of several MCC workers in Palestine who are keeping a blog to shed some light on the crisis in Gaza. This is staggering; please pray for peace.
Other contributors to this blog have noted how pervasive news coverage of
Gaza is within Palestine. On buses, the radio seems to constantly be tuned to
the latest update from Gaza. At the grocery store, the TV behind the counter
shows clips of rubble and mangled limbs and IDF spokespersons. At the internet
cafe, computers display Facebook groups announcing the next demonstration. In
this whirlwind of images and sounds and information, we wait for the numbers.
The numbers of the dead, the numbers of the injured, the number of days that
this catastrophe has continued. These numbers are always changing---always
growing.
These are the numbers that I am encountering today (unless otherwise noted,
figures are from the United Nations):
19 days of death and destruction
971 Palestinians dead
----311 children
----76 women
4,418 Palestinians injured
----1,549 children
----652 women
9 Israeli soldiers dead
4 Israeli civilians dead
58 Israeli civilians injured
4 UN staffers killed
6 UN staffers injured
49 UN buildings damaged or destroyed
4 aid convoys attacked
3 rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel this morning
8 shells fired back at Lebanon from Israel this morning
35,520 Gazans are displaced due to the fighting6 pieces of bread given to each displaced person each day by the UN
38 of 47 bakeries have been closed due to shelling
28 of 58 Palestinian Ministry of Health healthcare centers have been closed due to shelling
1 Christian health clinic completely destroyed by an air strike
½ million Gazans do not have running water
170 babies born in Gaza every day
56% of Gazans are children under age 18
100,000 Spanish demonstrators demanding an end to attacks in Gaza
1.5 million people live in Gaza (similar to the population of Idaho)
139 sq. miles--the size of Gaza (twice the size of Washington, D.C.)I have a hard time keeping track of these numbers. After a while they start to lose their strength and their meaning. After 19 days of tallies and analysis, it is easy for me to forget that every number has incalculable meaning to someone else.
The difference between 5 pieces of bread and 6 pieces of bread means something to
someone in Gaza. Healthcare center number 32 used to be just down the street
from a family in Gaza and now they have to take their sick and injured
elsewhere. The fourth Israeli soldier killed in this conflict has a mother who's
life will never be the same. The 170th baby born later today—if she survives the
coming weeks—will grow up in a devastated society. Protestor number 87,312
believed that he should skip work to march through the streets of Madrid as an
act of solidarity with Gazans.These numbers matter.
Behind every number is a story and a person.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Write It Down.
You want a man who will lead you down the beach, with his hand over your eyes, just so you can discover the feel of the sand beneath your feet. You want a guy who will wake you up at dawn, just bursting to talk to you---he can't wait another minute just to find out what you'll say.
from Runaway Bride . . . I think that's the right movie . . . ?
from Runaway Bride . . . I think that's the right movie . . . ?
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Here and Now.
How would I know the sunrise, if I knew not midnight?
I just finished listening to a song that is currently one of my favorites, Sunrise, by Nichole Nordeman. To me, it's a powerful song speaking to the point of struggles, pain, heartbreak, "valleys". . . all those things that we use to describe the difficulties in life. It seems we are always looking on the other side of the fence, wishing we were somewhere else, wondering why we have to experience this, now? I certainly find myself asking that, and I'm not even out in "real life" yet.
We need to learn to live in the here and now. Not obsessively so, but sometimes we (especially my peers and I) get so focused on tomorrow, next week, next year, that we forget to watch how God is working right now, we forget to learn what He is teaching right now. Too often we rush through today to get to tomorrow, because either we hate the realities of today or long for the dreams of tomorrow. Living fully today does not mean that we resign to the thought that tomorrow will be exactly like today and nothing will ever change. It just means accepting today, for now, serving the most through it and gaining the most wisdom, strength, grace and patience from it.
Sometimes this also means living with the questions of today without needing to know the answers. A friend shared a quote with me about this from Rainer Maria Rilke:
Who knows, maybe today is meant to make tomorrow even more beautiful? Maybe midnight today will make tomorrow's sunrise even more breath-taking. . .
I certainly hope so! : )
I just finished listening to a song that is currently one of my favorites, Sunrise, by Nichole Nordeman. To me, it's a powerful song speaking to the point of struggles, pain, heartbreak, "valleys". . . all those things that we use to describe the difficulties in life. It seems we are always looking on the other side of the fence, wishing we were somewhere else, wondering why we have to experience this, now? I certainly find myself asking that, and I'm not even out in "real life" yet.
We need to learn to live in the here and now. Not obsessively so, but sometimes we (especially my peers and I) get so focused on tomorrow, next week, next year, that we forget to watch how God is working right now, we forget to learn what He is teaching right now. Too often we rush through today to get to tomorrow, because either we hate the realities of today or long for the dreams of tomorrow. Living fully today does not mean that we resign to the thought that tomorrow will be exactly like today and nothing will ever change. It just means accepting today, for now, serving the most through it and gaining the most wisdom, strength, grace and patience from it.
Sometimes this also means living with the questions of today without needing to know the answers. A friend shared a quote with me about this from Rainer Maria Rilke:
"Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in
your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like
books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They
cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of
experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you
will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer,
some distant day."
Who knows, maybe today is meant to make tomorrow even more beautiful? Maybe midnight today will make tomorrow's sunrise even more breath-taking. . .
I certainly hope so! : )
Friday, January 09, 2009
Back.
The semester has started, with quite a whirlwind. Following a long-enough drive back to campus and a late night unpacking, I woke up Tuesday morning with a not-so-happy stomach. Thought it was just nervous and excitement about starting the new semester... until it lasted all day. Ugh. Thankfully, Wednesday was better.
But, Thursday arrived and whatever the bug was (I know... so "professional" and "educated" of someone in nursing school!) hit me with a vengeance. However, typically treatment: rest, clear fluids, rest and clear fluids helped and (so far) I've been feeling much better today.
The forecast: Lots of reading this semester, which I am not necessarily looking forward to. And, otherwise, the syllabi seem overwhelming.... but, then again, they always do in the first week!
But, Thursday arrived and whatever the bug was (I know... so "professional" and "educated" of someone in nursing school!) hit me with a vengeance. However, typically treatment: rest, clear fluids, rest and clear fluids helped and (so far) I've been feeling much better today.
The forecast: Lots of reading this semester, which I am not necessarily looking forward to. And, otherwise, the syllabi seem overwhelming.... but, then again, they always do in the first week!
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