[hey world...]

i love knowing people with amazing tastes in music... props to Rev. Emily Joye.

[is this real life?]

Most days I have a hard time believing this is my real life...

[this we know]

This we know:
All things are connected
Like the blood
Which unites one family.
Whatever befalls the earth.
Befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life:
He is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web,
He does to himself.

--Chief Seattle

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We are connected.

All things.

All people.

All places.

All structures.

All societies.

All life.

All death.

All thoughts

are connected.

[space and darkness]

Here is my March Congregationalist article in a little more detail.

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When I was brainstorming about what I was going to write for all of you at first I thought maybe something not so serious was in order. Month after month I'm reflecting on hard situations at work or deep issues that are rooted in societal corruption or Biblically based concepts that show their worth in my work. And who wants to read any of that?

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Just kidding. This month is something a little different than the several months that have passed, but it has it's own deep questions that go along with it. Let me start with what may seem a little bit off the beaten path.

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As I write I am reflecting on yesterday. Yesterday I woke up, walked downstairs to the living room. I grabbed a match, lit a few candles and brought them to the bathroom with me. I did my usual routine: brushed my teeth, washed my face, took a shower and got dressed. Then I pulled my hair up in a bun, put on a headband, blew out the candles and went to the kitchen. There I poured a bowl of cereal, sat down at the table and ate my breakfast (for those of you keeping notes: a banana cut up on frosted flakes with a glass of OJ). I proceeded upstairs where I grabbed my Joyce Rupp book, got back under the covers and read for about fifteen minutes. I realized it was 8:14 and I needed to leave for work. I grabbed my bookbag and headed out the door, down Irolo, then seven blocks down Olympic. As I'm walking down Olympic I see three buses pass my stop. It was then I realized, I'm going to be late. The bus finally came and it continued down its usual route: Western to Hollywood, stopping every few blocks. I got off at Hollywood and Western and walked the last five blocks to work.

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For any of you keeping tabs on my Facebook or my blog, you know that my community has now deemed Tuesdays as "No Tech Tuesdays." We refrain from using our computers, phone, lights, and other electronics on Tuesdays from now to August. On February 3rd I wrote a blog entry that had to do with, well, a lot of things. But I also listed the re-commitments our community made. We found ourselves at a place of complacency and ease. JVC wasn't as hard as we thought it would be. However, in discussing our lack of challenges as a house, we decided that we are going to get out of JVC what we put in... and quite frankly, together, we weren't putting in much.

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With that said, I learned several things on our first Tuesday. First I realized that time doesn't stop for anyone, especially not someone without a phone. Because I didn't have my cell phone to see what time it was, I didn't pay attention to whether or not I was late to work. And better yet, I didn't worry about it. I understand that cell phones have become somewhat a necessity in our lives, particularly for emergencies. But when I'm walking and not listening to my iPod or texting with my Mom, I come to realize my surroundings more fully. I was taking it all in. And at the end of the journey, fortunately, I was only 10 minutes late to work. Also, when you don't have lights or TV or the Nintendo on, it creates space for fruitful silence and organic conversation. Seriously, how often have you just sat in the presence of your loved ones by candlelight... and it wasn't because a storm took out your power? Similarly, when it's dark everything seems still. With lights and electronics on, the space seems "busy." But when I was getting ready in the dark, it felt still. It felt serene. It was nice to not blow-dry and straighten my hair for once. Everything seemed peaceful. Lastly, helps you focus on the important things. I got to read in the morning instead of mindlessly stare at my computer for 15 minutes. I prayed on my way to work. I spent some quality time with my community. I read a book at lunch.

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Taking away these distractions is unbelievably liberating.

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Before I end, let's clarify something: I totally understand the wonderful uses of technology and electricity. (Duh.) However, I think that when we consume less and engage more, we experience something greater, something beyond ourselves. Try it... and let me know how it goes.

Peace, love and all things good.

[I don't know why]

I don't know why, but I find myself surprised when ANOTHER street kid walks in...

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I feel like there just shouldn't be this many homeless youth...

oh wait, there shouldn't be...

[Ezekiel, Breath, and Hope]

Go read Ezekiel 37:1-14 right now.

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This morning I picked up Joyce Rupp's book, May I have this Dance? I have been meaning to read it since the beginning of January, but somehow haven't found the time to delve into it. It's wonderful because it goes through the year, month by month, with beautiful, reflective words about the time of year/physical season/liturgical season and provides opportunity for meditation and prayer. She asks you to do a lot of self-reflection in various forms: prayer, writing, drawing, meditating, etc. I will hopefully go back to the chapter for January soon, but this morning I started with February. I felt the need to start my day with a guided meditation and the one for February felt more necessary than that of January.

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For February, Rupp chose to write about Ezekiel and the bones. The guided meditation asked me first to read the verses, which I did. (And I have to admit, I laughed when I got to v.3 when God says, "Mortal, can these bones live?" and Ezekiel says, "Oh God, you know." As though that was going to get him out of it.) The meditation emphasized breath, which I am realizing more and more that I seem to forget about breathing intentionally and deeply. Short and shallow breaths tend to rule my day, so it was (no pun intended) a breath of fresh air to read Rupp's words and pay attention to my breathing... pay attention to deep breathing... pay attention to silencing the mind. And here in the scripture God calls Ezekiel to "prophesy to the breath" telling the breath to shake the bones and cause them to rise up and to live. And to continue quoting scripture, God goes on to tell Ezekiel what to say to the bones: "And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act."

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I love this for two reasons. First, it speaks to my blog post from yesterday. God is working on it. I just need patience. This came in the Sojourners Verse and Voice email... Enuma Okoro wrote, "And the work of God is rarely dull, but it's not always necessarily what we think. Transformation is hard stuff. Seeking to bring about the kingdom of God-- caring for the poor, feeding the hungry, visiting prisoners, caring for the sick, renouncing demons in God's name-- you don't do that in a 15-minute lunch break." She's right. Transformation requires patience, perseverance and hard work. Here's to working slowly on transformation...

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The other reason this passage is significant to me today is because last night our house had it's first real "agenda meeting" since before Christmas. JVC asks us to do agenda meetings once a week to figure out house issues, cooking schedules, and personal schedules for the week. We all commented at our Re-Orientation this past weekend that we haven't really challenged ourselves. This year has been easier than anticipated. With that said we sat down and honestly talked about what we wanted to change. We made a slew of suggestions and changes to our lives... It sounds overwhelming when you look at it all but we are committed to it and excited about it.

Here are the changes/challenges:

• We commit to No Tech Tuesdays (using next-to-no electricity all day... so no cell phones, lights, computers, stove, hair dryers, straighteners, etc.)
• With that, we will commit to doing a simple/cold meal Tuesday nights.
• We will re-implement spirituality and community nights, alternating them each week, and that night will be Tuesday nights.
• We will re-implement agenda meetings each Sunday night (or whatever night before we go back to work).
• We will plan out our meals and who does dishes in an attempt to create more one-on-one time. This means assigning two people to cook and two people to do dishes. This will take more time to plan but it is more intentional... and after all, we are an intentional community.
• We will also plan out who goes shopping each weekend... two people who will find time Saturday/Sunday to go to the grocery store.

I believe that's everything. It sounds like a lot but we are really excited about it and are definitely looking forward to spending more intentional time with each other.

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To get back to Ezekiel, this meeting and these commitments have breathed new life into our community. God has poured out her Spirit into our community and we have finally grabbed hold of it in an attempt to be a more faithful community of volunteers. We have, with the help of God, pulled ourselves out of the graves of individualism, ease, comfort, and anxiety.

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Praise God for honest conversation about needs and challenges.

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I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. (v. 10)

[we've had enough]

Psalm 12: 1-6 (The Message)

^1-2 Quick, God, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down,
All the friends I depended on gone.
Everyone talks in lie language;
Lies slide off their oily lips.
They doubletalk with forked tongues.

^3-4 Slice their lips off their faces! Pull
The braggart tongues from their mouths!
I'm tired of hearing, "We can talk anyone into anything!
Our lips manage the world."

⁵ Into the hovels of the poor,
Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:
"I've had enough; I'm on my way
To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched."

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I'm having a hard time believing that God is saving my kids... in this area of work it isn't difficult to feel like there is no improvement. I don't want to feel hopeless. I don't want to feel like the world is closing in on my clients. I want there to be relief. I suppose I just need to keep working... and working... praying... and praying in hopes that the work we are doing will "heal the ache in the heart of the wretched." The homeless youth of Los Angeles and all around the world are groaning. They want change. They need help. They're craving real community.

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So God, we've all had enough. We're sick of it... I know you're not only on your way but that you are already here doing what you can through us, your faithful people. Continue to move through our words and our actions so that these youth may come to know Resurrection... Life... and Love.

Amen. and Amen.