As part of my reflecting on my time at EMU, I started making lists of notable aspects of the past four years. So, to start, here are the classes that I currently consider to be the best ones I've taken.
1. Social Psychology (Judy Mullet)
This is one of the few classes whose key concepts still come back to me regularly. If you ever do anything with people, this class will be helpful to you.
2. Creative Writing (Kirsten Beachy)
So much imagination, philosophizing, and hilarity contained in one class. Words are a vessel, and this group of writers carried some interesting things.
3. Worldview Seminar (Ken J. Nafziger)
We get to choose what we do each class period. We get to talk about interesting ideas and experiences and worldviews in a group of honors students. We get to laugh and be serious. We get to wonder about life.
4. Native American Lit (Andrew White)
I've liked most of my lit classes, but this one was especially fascinating to me. I loved the ideas immediately, and soaked in this new understanding of oppression and disadvantage. The Native American philosophy seemed so right to me, and I was inspired by the emphasis on circularity and balance between all living things. If I believed in reincarnation, I would say I was a Native American in a past life.
5. Chamber Singers (Ken J. Nafziger)
A constant of my college experience, and yet different every semester. I've learned to appreciate many, many styles of singing, and it feels like we've done a bit of almost everything.
Our concert last night was bittersweet, but absolutely beautiful, as always. As we sang "No ways tired" (with the words "I don't believe he's brought me this far just to leave me"), I looked out at the audience, at so many faces with smiles and tears, and I felt tears beginning in my own eyes as I realized, We are all a part of each other. This is my community, which I love.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Lesotho reflections: #3
October 1, 2012
I wish you could see what I see now. I'm sitting in front of my two-room house in Malealea village. It's been warm today, but it's late afternoon and the sun is just starting to cool. On my right, there is a row of huge aloe plants separating our house from the neighbors'. A group of three small children, one with a baby on her back, just ran by and we talked a little in Sesotho. They laughed gleefully in their four-year-old voices; the youngest one jumped up and down when she told me her name. At the end of the aloe row, I can just barely see the pump where we draw our water. There are women gathered there with brightly colored plastic buckets to carry water.
I can see three buildings ahead of me, round brick homes with straw roofs. Straight ahead there are trees in a row, but to the left the trees and bushes are lower and I can see the mountains. They are massive, a jagged ridge against the blue expanse of sky without a single cloud. The mountains here are not covered with trees; instead they are a gray-brown color from a distance, like rock chiseled into slopes and pyramids and dusted with a light cover of grass.
Everyplace with grass is covered with the same yellow flowers. The soil is richly clay-colored, but dusty. Sometimes you can see a faint sheen of dust on the air. The entire village is connected by small dirt paths, so people often walk past, sometimes wrapped in a seana marena, the traditional blanket of the Basotho people. I see a horse grazing, and I would only have to walk a few steps to see chickens, pigs, and dogs. Any direction you look gives you a view of the mountains rising taller than anything, far above the plateau of our village. When the sun sets behind the mountains, their ridges turn dark in a stunning clarity against the still-blue sky. I wish you could see what I see.
I wish you could see what I see now. I'm sitting in front of my two-room house in Malealea village. It's been warm today, but it's late afternoon and the sun is just starting to cool. On my right, there is a row of huge aloe plants separating our house from the neighbors'. A group of three small children, one with a baby on her back, just ran by and we talked a little in Sesotho. They laughed gleefully in their four-year-old voices; the youngest one jumped up and down when she told me her name. At the end of the aloe row, I can just barely see the pump where we draw our water. There are women gathered there with brightly colored plastic buckets to carry water.
I can see three buildings ahead of me, round brick homes with straw roofs. Straight ahead there are trees in a row, but to the left the trees and bushes are lower and I can see the mountains. They are massive, a jagged ridge against the blue expanse of sky without a single cloud. The mountains here are not covered with trees; instead they are a gray-brown color from a distance, like rock chiseled into slopes and pyramids and dusted with a light cover of grass.
Everyplace with grass is covered with the same yellow flowers. The soil is richly clay-colored, but dusty. Sometimes you can see a faint sheen of dust on the air. The entire village is connected by small dirt paths, so people often walk past, sometimes wrapped in a seana marena, the traditional blanket of the Basotho people. I see a horse grazing, and I would only have to walk a few steps to see chickens, pigs, and dogs. Any direction you look gives you a view of the mountains rising taller than anything, far above the plateau of our village. When the sun sets behind the mountains, their ridges turn dark in a stunning clarity against the still-blue sky. I wish you could see what I see.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Changing perspectives
Bad luck: having a gigantic splinter rip itself into my left hand, right where it touches the neck of my violin, and then having to teach a violin lesson before I could take it out.
Optimism: feeling thankful that it didn't happen five hours earlier, when I was about to walk onstage to perform.
Cynicism: griping because of the new sign stating that students aren't allowed to use the microwave in the music office.
Humbling: getting an email that there's now a new microwave for student use in the music lab.
I feel like my perspective is changing a lot these days, as I'm reflecting on the parts of my identity that will need to be relinquished in the next few months...and the new parts that will be added in the months after that. I have no idea what some of these changes will be, but I know they're inevitable. Ambiguity is not the most comfortable house to live in, but it's a house that everyone visits. At least I'm not alone.
Optimism: feeling thankful that it didn't happen five hours earlier, when I was about to walk onstage to perform.
Cynicism: griping because of the new sign stating that students aren't allowed to use the microwave in the music office.
Humbling: getting an email that there's now a new microwave for student use in the music lab.
I feel like my perspective is changing a lot these days, as I'm reflecting on the parts of my identity that will need to be relinquished in the next few months...and the new parts that will be added in the months after that. I have no idea what some of these changes will be, but I know they're inevitable. Ambiguity is not the most comfortable house to live in, but it's a house that everyone visits. At least I'm not alone.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
peacemaking day by day
Instead of loving what you think is peace, love other men and women and love God above all else. Instead of hating all the people you think are war mongers, hate the appetites and disorders in your own soul which are the causes of war.
-Thomas Merton
-Thomas Merton
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Lesotho reflections: #2
A poem of sorts, which I wrote as a reflection the day before we left Lesotho.
Lesotho:
Children, and orphans
dirty, poor, neglected --
and beautiful.
not many opportunities --
but will they be happy?
Poverty: can I understand it?
Lesotho: development
the complexities of "helping"
teaching independence
"We don't give anything for nothing."
Dignity.
Lesotho: What does it mean for me?
simplicity
life without technology, electricity,
running water, cars --
and I was happy.
How can our world be different?
interconnectedness
between the privileged and the disadvantaged
an end to oppression?
Constructive confusion.
Thoughts about living overseas
less fear of the unknown.
I might not believe in "strangers" anymore
only people I don't know yet.
Lesotho:
Children, and orphans
dirty, poor, neglected --
and beautiful.
not many opportunities --
but will they be happy?
Poverty: can I understand it?
Lesotho: development
the complexities of "helping"
teaching independence
"We don't give anything for nothing."
Dignity.
Lesotho: What does it mean for me?
simplicity
life without technology, electricity,
running water, cars --
and I was happy.
How can our world be different?
interconnectedness
between the privileged and the disadvantaged
an end to oppression?
Constructive confusion.
Thoughts about living overseas
less fear of the unknown.
I might not believe in "strangers" anymore
only people I don't know yet.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Lesotho reflections: #1
While living in Malealea, Lesotho (the mountain kingdom), I wanted to capture my surroundings in some way, but found pictures to be inadequate. These words may not do it justice either, but it was the most fulfilling way I had of helping myself to remember how we were steeped in beauty.
October 13, 2012
I wish you could see what I see. I'm sitting on a rock on the northwest side of the plateau of Malealea village, our home this month. In front of me, the ground falls away steeply in a rocky mountainside; far below, it reaches a stream gorge hollowed out over time by water erosion. The stream curves all around the plateau and also branches out straight in front of me, carving into the vast mountains. These mountains surround the plateau completely, forming layers as far as you can see. The nearest ones are dizzyingly enormous and so close I can see the details of the sides: bare rock some places, small shrubs dotting the green of short, prickly grasses. Though I'm only a few minutes' walk from the village, the only sounds I can hear are a distant rush of water, bird caws and chirps, and a faint clink of cowbells -- probably a flock of sheep grazing on the mountainside, tended by a herd-boy.
The sun is still bright in the late afternoon sky, but it is nearing the tallest ridgeline. Entire mountains cast shadows hundreds of feet long on their neighbors; other places the landscape is dappled with shadow and warm golden light. The air is thick with peace; the breeze carries it to you and you breathe it in. I wish you could feel it.
October 13, 2012
I wish you could see what I see. I'm sitting on a rock on the northwest side of the plateau of Malealea village, our home this month. In front of me, the ground falls away steeply in a rocky mountainside; far below, it reaches a stream gorge hollowed out over time by water erosion. The stream curves all around the plateau and also branches out straight in front of me, carving into the vast mountains. These mountains surround the plateau completely, forming layers as far as you can see. The nearest ones are dizzyingly enormous and so close I can see the details of the sides: bare rock some places, small shrubs dotting the green of short, prickly grasses. Though I'm only a few minutes' walk from the village, the only sounds I can hear are a distant rush of water, bird caws and chirps, and a faint clink of cowbells -- probably a flock of sheep grazing on the mountainside, tended by a herd-boy.
The sun is still bright in the late afternoon sky, but it is nearing the tallest ridgeline. Entire mountains cast shadows hundreds of feet long on their neighbors; other places the landscape is dappled with shadow and warm golden light. The air is thick with peace; the breeze carries it to you and you breathe it in. I wish you could feel it.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
South Africa Itinerary
Please pray for us now and throughout the semester!
Aug. 29 Chapel, departure for Dulles Airport
Aug. 29 Chapel, departure for Dulles Airport
Aug 30 –
Sept. 2 St. Benedict's Retreat Center – Rosettenville
Cultural history lectures, language study
Sept. 3-22 Homestays - Soweto
Field trips, history/cultural lectures and discussion,
language study, involvement in community.
Sept. 23 St. Benedict’s Retreat Center
Sept. 24-27 Malealea Lodge – Lesotho
Language study, history and CC lectures, hiking
Sept 28-
Oct. 19 Homestays – Malealea Village, Lesotho
Immersion in local villages
Oct. 20 Malealea lodge: rest, skits and dramas
Oct. 21-28 Royal Hotel – Bethulie, S.A.
Lectures on politics, history and culture, Boer war
Oct. 24-26 Homestays – Bethulie
Immersion in community
Oct. 29 Addo Elephant Park – Addo, S.A.
Oct. 30-31 Albergo Lodge – Plettenberg Bay, S.A.
Reflection, discussion, drama groups
Nov. 1-6 Free travel
Nov. 7-8 Banghoek Lodge – Stellenbosh, S.A.
Reflection /discussion small groups
Nov. 9, 10 Ashanti Lodge – Capetown
Nov. 11-
Dec. 2 Homestays – Capetown
Series of lectures at University of Cape Town
Immersion in community
Dec. 3-6 Banghoek Lodge, S.A.
Dec. 7 Leave from Capetown International Airport
Dec. 8 Arrive at Dulles Airport
Sunday, August 5, 2012
anti-senioritis?
Here's the thing: Once you hit a certain point in the summer (like, August, for example), it becomes odd to keep saying, "I just finished my junior year." So then you find yourself saying, naturally, "I'll be a senior this year." Which is the cue for the other person to exclaim, "Oh! What will you do after you graduate?"
Laughing uncomfortably is not really an adequate response, it turns out.
So I now know that I need to somehow formulate a response that does not either take an in-depth, lengthy conversation to explain, or sound like I'm going to be living in a cardboard box. My extended family (who I was with at the beach last week) is pretty great, so they've seemed to understand when I babble for a while about my various options after graduation...and they've encouraged me that it's okay to have a lot of ideas and not very many plans. But I'm already doubting my stamina when it comes to explaining this to every single person who will ask me this question.
The interesting thing is, it doesn't scare me at all to have so many possibilities. There are many directions I could see myself going within the next year, and I'm okay with that. I might not be ready to leave EMU yet, but that's okay, too, because I still have another year.
For now, I can use the excuse of going to South Africa this fall (in 24 days!), and not have to think about it too much. But eventually I'll have to come up with some sort of creatively framed answer. At the beginning of the summer, I panicked while filling out a staff bio and wrote "follower of Jesus" under "Career path". Maybe that can be my fallback answer. In truth, it's much more than a fallback -- it is a way of living, and maybe we all need to be a little more okay with ambiguity when it comes to seeking out Christ's path.
Laughing uncomfortably is not really an adequate response, it turns out.
So I now know that I need to somehow formulate a response that does not either take an in-depth, lengthy conversation to explain, or sound like I'm going to be living in a cardboard box. My extended family (who I was with at the beach last week) is pretty great, so they've seemed to understand when I babble for a while about my various options after graduation...and they've encouraged me that it's okay to have a lot of ideas and not very many plans. But I'm already doubting my stamina when it comes to explaining this to every single person who will ask me this question.
The interesting thing is, it doesn't scare me at all to have so many possibilities. There are many directions I could see myself going within the next year, and I'm okay with that. I might not be ready to leave EMU yet, but that's okay, too, because I still have another year.
For now, I can use the excuse of going to South Africa this fall (in 24 days!), and not have to think about it too much. But eventually I'll have to come up with some sort of creatively framed answer. At the beginning of the summer, I panicked while filling out a staff bio and wrote "follower of Jesus" under "Career path". Maybe that can be my fallback answer. In truth, it's much more than a fallback -- it is a way of living, and maybe we all need to be a little more okay with ambiguity when it comes to seeking out Christ's path.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
To my father
This is written in appreciation of my father. I hope you will consider the people in your own life and why you appreciate them.
Like my mom, my dad has instilled in me a desire to do the best I can with what I have. Both my parents have mentored me in following Christ and caring for others, and I aspire to be like them.
My dad teaches middle school special education for students with emotional disabilities. That means that he regularly puts up with verbal attacks, violent behavior, and resistance to authority, and still comes home smiling most days. He's one of the most caring, patient, servant-hearted people I know.
When I wanted to learn how to throw a football (so P.E. wasn't so embarrassing), he was always willing to practice with me. We went to many UVA football games together, and I could yell the team cheer with the best of them. He taught me how to drive and how to keep track of money. He makes the best omelets. More than anything, I love to laugh with him.
In the face of life decisions and career choices, I am especially grateful for the presence of my dad. Many people act as if making a career change would be up there with flea infestations and getting a concussion. Because the idea of picking something and sticking with it for 30+ years has never really appealed to me, I often find it difficult to respond to this type of attitude.
But I know my dad majored in accounting, worked for five years as an accountant and didn't like it, and switched rather drastically to a career as a school counselor, all before I was born (or old enough to remember). And later, I watched him switch to teaching special ed because of a job opportunity and end up loving it.
All this has taught me about following your passion, even if there are obstacles in your way. In less than a year, I will graduate from EMU and be an alleged "adult" (heh heh). At this point, it's hard for me to see myself choosing a career path and sticking with it for 40 years -- and it means a lot to me to have a role model who has navigated these life changes with grace and perseverance.
All in all, my dad has been a supportive, calming, and quietly inspirational presence in my life. Perhaps what speaks the most to me is that he rarely exerts his influence of character with words; instead, he inspires me with his life.
Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you.
Like my mom, my dad has instilled in me a desire to do the best I can with what I have. Both my parents have mentored me in following Christ and caring for others, and I aspire to be like them.
My dad teaches middle school special education for students with emotional disabilities. That means that he regularly puts up with verbal attacks, violent behavior, and resistance to authority, and still comes home smiling most days. He's one of the most caring, patient, servant-hearted people I know.
When I wanted to learn how to throw a football (so P.E. wasn't so embarrassing), he was always willing to practice with me. We went to many UVA football games together, and I could yell the team cheer with the best of them. He taught me how to drive and how to keep track of money. He makes the best omelets. More than anything, I love to laugh with him.
In the face of life decisions and career choices, I am especially grateful for the presence of my dad. Many people act as if making a career change would be up there with flea infestations and getting a concussion. Because the idea of picking something and sticking with it for 30+ years has never really appealed to me, I often find it difficult to respond to this type of attitude.
But I know my dad majored in accounting, worked for five years as an accountant and didn't like it, and switched rather drastically to a career as a school counselor, all before I was born (or old enough to remember). And later, I watched him switch to teaching special ed because of a job opportunity and end up loving it.
All this has taught me about following your passion, even if there are obstacles in your way. In less than a year, I will graduate from EMU and be an alleged "adult" (heh heh). At this point, it's hard for me to see myself choosing a career path and sticking with it for 40 years -- and it means a lot to me to have a role model who has navigated these life changes with grace and perseverance.
All in all, my dad has been a supportive, calming, and quietly inspirational presence in my life. Perhaps what speaks the most to me is that he rarely exerts his influence of character with words; instead, he inspires me with his life.
Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
summer, part two
I've learned an incredible amount from volunteering the past six weeks, especially from the people I've worked with -- and not just about gardening or running a fair-trade store; I've learned a lot from them as good-hearted, beautiful people. Being at home has been wonderful, too. I've spent time with my family and many friends, and it has been a mix of restful and happy and vivid. So really, this stage of summer has been everything I could have hoped for.
On Monday I start training at Highland. I could be sad to leave this relaxed, life-giving period of time, except that I know that my time at camp will be every bit as inspiring.
As a third-time counselor, I know the basics of what to expect: spending every minute of every day outside, throwing ourselves into lots of high-energy activities, bringing laughter into almost every situation, and letting the craziest parts of our personalities come out. It's an amazing 2-month period to anticipate. The best, in fact: I know, without a doubt, that I will be completely and indescribably happy.
But, as a third-time counselor, I also know that not everything can be anticipated. The reason so many people spend summer after summer as a camp counselor is because the role is never static. Each week brings a new set of campers, and with them, a new set of challenges and joys. Every day allows you to experience something beautiful and transforming, if you are open to being transformed.
I have no regrets about any of my experiences as a counselor, and yet I know with certainty that I could be better in countless ways. So I'm praying that this summer I will be more patient, more open, and more giving with the girls in my cabin groups, and that I will be receptive to what they need. I'm praying for closeness as a team of staff, and for friendships that will last for years. Most of all, I hope and pray that Highland and its family will be a community of people following Jesus, showing God to everyone who visits. Pray for us as we start another journey this summer!
On Monday I start training at Highland. I could be sad to leave this relaxed, life-giving period of time, except that I know that my time at camp will be every bit as inspiring.
As a third-time counselor, I know the basics of what to expect: spending every minute of every day outside, throwing ourselves into lots of high-energy activities, bringing laughter into almost every situation, and letting the craziest parts of our personalities come out. It's an amazing 2-month period to anticipate. The best, in fact: I know, without a doubt, that I will be completely and indescribably happy.
But, as a third-time counselor, I also know that not everything can be anticipated. The reason so many people spend summer after summer as a camp counselor is because the role is never static. Each week brings a new set of campers, and with them, a new set of challenges and joys. Every day allows you to experience something beautiful and transforming, if you are open to being transformed.
I have no regrets about any of my experiences as a counselor, and yet I know with certainty that I could be better in countless ways. So I'm praying that this summer I will be more patient, more open, and more giving with the girls in my cabin groups, and that I will be receptive to what they need. I'm praying for closeness as a team of staff, and for friendships that will last for years. Most of all, I hope and pray that Highland and its family will be a community of people following Jesus, showing God to everyone who visits. Pray for us as we start another journey this summer!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
favorite Bible verses
Inspired by one of my inspiring roommates, I contacted most of my family and extended family (my parents, their siblings, and my grandparents) and asked them to send me their favorite Bible verses. After receiving many responses, including their words of explanation as to why those verses have been influential and life-giving, I decided to formulate a similar list for myself. In no particular order, these are the Bible passages that have shaped me the most and given me a vision for my life.
Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech...
This psalm describes beautifully the way I feel about nature.
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear?
...One thing I ask of the Lord; this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling...
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
In the season of my life when I most needed a refuge to cling to, this psalm calmed my discouraged, fearful heart.
Isaiah 58: 6-14
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free....If you do away with the yoke of oppression...and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land...
This is the vision that inspires me every day.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
1 Kings 19:11-12
The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountaintop in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, bu the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
As someone who has trouble slowing down to hear the gentle whisper of God, these verses have helped me learn to listen.
Matthew 19:23-24
Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven."
In tenth grade, I did a research project & presentation for my Bible class on the question "Should Christians be wealthy?" Looking back, I think it was one of the most beneficial projects I did in high school.
Luke 9:23-24
Then he said to them all, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
Luke 10:27
He answered: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."
Romans 12
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship...
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...Live in harmony with one another...
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Philippians 1:3
I thank my God every time I remember you.
This reminds me to be constantly thankful for the beautiful people in my life.
1 John 3:1-3
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
We studied these verses in my baptism class, and it was the kind of promise I needed at that time in life.
Colossians 3:14-15
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech...
This psalm describes beautifully the way I feel about nature.
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear?
...One thing I ask of the Lord; this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling...
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
In the season of my life when I most needed a refuge to cling to, this psalm calmed my discouraged, fearful heart.
Isaiah 58: 6-14
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free....If you do away with the yoke of oppression...and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land...
This is the vision that inspires me every day.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
1 Kings 19:11-12
The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountaintop in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, bu the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
As someone who has trouble slowing down to hear the gentle whisper of God, these verses have helped me learn to listen.
Matthew 19:23-24
Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven."
In tenth grade, I did a research project & presentation for my Bible class on the question "Should Christians be wealthy?" Looking back, I think it was one of the most beneficial projects I did in high school.
Luke 9:23-24
Then he said to them all, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
Luke 10:27
He answered: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."
Romans 12
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship...
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...Live in harmony with one another...
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Philippians 1:3
I thank my God every time I remember you.
This reminds me to be constantly thankful for the beautiful people in my life.
1 John 3:1-3
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
We studied these verses in my baptism class, and it was the kind of promise I needed at that time in life.
Colossians 3:14-15
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
To my mother
Whether or not you know her, I hope this will make you thankful for the important women in your own life.
My mom taught me that you can be a mom and have a full-time career, but that your family is more important. She taught me how to love and be angry at the same time. She taught me that nothing is more important than being honest. She taught me that it is possible to always challenge yourself, try new things, and continually grow to be a better person, even after age 40.
Both my parents have done an incredible job of modeling life as a follower of Jesus. I'm still trying to figure out how they instilled their values and faith in me so well. They conveyed to me how important these values are, but not so that they felt forced upon me. My mom is a wide-minded idealist who doesn't think any dream is too big, and who isn't afraid to take a few stumbling steps to find the path she's searching for.
She's funny and quirky, but knows how to get along with everyone. She's often said she's not good at small talk, and it's because she wants to talk about things that matter.
If you want someone to listen to you, especially if you have a question or dilemma, and give helpful suggestions, there's no one better. In all my growing up years, including all four years of high school, my mom was the person I would go to for ideas and advice about projects, relationships, and decisions of any kind (and often I still do). For a while I wasn't sure how I would survive at college without her always there to help me brainstorm.
It's funny sometimes how much we resemble each other -- not just in looks, but also in voice, mannerisms, personality, and quirks -- but I never mind claiming this, because I am honored to be like her.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you.
My mom taught me that you can be a mom and have a full-time career, but that your family is more important. She taught me how to love and be angry at the same time. She taught me that nothing is more important than being honest. She taught me that it is possible to always challenge yourself, try new things, and continually grow to be a better person, even after age 40.
Both my parents have done an incredible job of modeling life as a follower of Jesus. I'm still trying to figure out how they instilled their values and faith in me so well. They conveyed to me how important these values are, but not so that they felt forced upon me. My mom is a wide-minded idealist who doesn't think any dream is too big, and who isn't afraid to take a few stumbling steps to find the path she's searching for.
She's funny and quirky, but knows how to get along with everyone. She's often said she's not good at small talk, and it's because she wants to talk about things that matter.
If you want someone to listen to you, especially if you have a question or dilemma, and give helpful suggestions, there's no one better. In all my growing up years, including all four years of high school, my mom was the person I would go to for ideas and advice about projects, relationships, and decisions of any kind (and often I still do). For a while I wasn't sure how I would survive at college without her always there to help me brainstorm.
It's funny sometimes how much we resemble each other -- not just in looks, but also in voice, mannerisms, personality, and quirks -- but I never mind claiming this, because I am honored to be like her.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
becoming part of New Community Project
Many of you probably know that in an effort to learn more about the world, engage in the local community, and make both a better place, I decided to volunteer with two different organizations and learn how they do what they do. The main criteria were for a clear mission to build up the local and global communities, a small enough size that I could easily learn about different aspects of their work, and close enough for me to bike to.
The two I ended up with are Artisans' Hope and New Community Project. Very different, but both awesome and doing great things to help build a healthy and beautiful world.
Today was my first day at New Community Project, working in two of their gardens. I have many reflections that are only seeds right now, but here is a small effort at sharing what today was like.
I gathered dripping lettuce in my hands and thought, This is amazing. This came from the earth. Everything we did today, from dropping tiny beet seeds into dark soil to transporting bins full of compost back from the food co-op on bike trailers, helped to enrich the earth and make it better.
Did you know bronze fennel tastes like black licorice and feels like soft hamster fur? Did you know comfrey plants contain so many nutrients that soaking the leaves in water will produce fertilizer for a garden? Did you know you can put rose petals in salad mix?
It's going to be a good summer. :)
The two I ended up with are Artisans' Hope and New Community Project. Very different, but both awesome and doing great things to help build a healthy and beautiful world.
Today was my first day at New Community Project, working in two of their gardens. I have many reflections that are only seeds right now, but here is a small effort at sharing what today was like.
I gathered dripping lettuce in my hands and thought, This is amazing. This came from the earth. Everything we did today, from dropping tiny beet seeds into dark soil to transporting bins full of compost back from the food co-op on bike trailers, helped to enrich the earth and make it better.
Did you know bronze fennel tastes like black licorice and feels like soft hamster fur? Did you know comfrey plants contain so many nutrients that soaking the leaves in water will produce fertilizer for a garden? Did you know you can put rose petals in salad mix?
It's going to be a good summer. :)
Sunday, April 22, 2012
snapshots
I want to remember two moments from today.
First, a moment from our Chambers service at Zion this morning. In the song "I love the Lord", one line says, "Oh let my heart no more despair, while I have breath to pray," and when we sing it, I can feel the despair just as much as the overcoming. At that moment, I looked up and saw a father swinging his three-year-old daughter by the hands out in the hall, back and forth. And the look of delight on her face perfectly matched what I imagined the song to mean.
And second, the moment during our Chambers evening concert when Nels ducked in the back door of the sanctuary while we were singing a hymn. It wasn't the way I thought we would welcome him home from Guatemala, but it still made this run-through of "We Sing to You, O God" the happiest ever. :)
First, a moment from our Chambers service at Zion this morning. In the song "I love the Lord", one line says, "Oh let my heart no more despair, while I have breath to pray," and when we sing it, I can feel the despair just as much as the overcoming. At that moment, I looked up and saw a father swinging his three-year-old daughter by the hands out in the hall, back and forth. And the look of delight on her face perfectly matched what I imagined the song to mean.
And second, the moment during our Chambers evening concert when Nels ducked in the back door of the sanctuary while we were singing a hymn. It wasn't the way I thought we would welcome him home from Guatemala, but it still made this run-through of "We Sing to You, O God" the happiest ever. :)
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
springtime glory
I stared a little too long at an almost impertinently violet tree today. It stared back with flippant confidence, daring me to reach that same shade of shocking purple.
These days I am constantly amazed at the life that is bursting forth from the earth. I was captivated by the trees by the outdoor track -- delicate light pink blossoms birthing deep red leaves, all over the tree, each one down the line the same. Nature blows my mind.
The little things make me glad to be alive. Like the music games I played with my violin student today (and the inside-joke Easter basket she gave me); like the promise of many church services and a bonfire this weekend; like lying on a couch late at night and laughing with my roommate.
It is good to be alive, it is good to be here.
These days I am constantly amazed at the life that is bursting forth from the earth. I was captivated by the trees by the outdoor track -- delicate light pink blossoms birthing deep red leaves, all over the tree, each one down the line the same. Nature blows my mind.
The little things make me glad to be alive. Like the music games I played with my violin student today (and the inside-joke Easter basket she gave me); like the promise of many church services and a bonfire this weekend; like lying on a couch late at night and laughing with my roommate.
It is good to be alive, it is good to be here.
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