God is good
ALL THE TIME.
ALL THE TIME
GOD IS GOOD!!!
(Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Not only did all the stress this week get me an A- on my Bio test, but my finger, which 5 days ago couldn't hold weight, can now swing a golf club :])
It's funny how much it takes for me to believe in the power of prayer. I go in these cycles of prayer. But this whole week I've prayed for these two things (among other which I may never see the result) and look what happened! Now, still, part of me makes me want to say... yea, coincidence... but I'm slowly learning to appreciate the good and gracious natures of God.
Love it.
Peace, shalom, salaam.
(If only the homework ended. I have a paper to finish writing. One due next friday. one due in three weeks and a sermon to prepare. Things are winding down :])
Friday, April 25, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Oh, Jesus
So, I had a revelation while reading for homework the other night. My next post after this will expand on the idea, but I want to hear your thoughts...
I read a quote by Dorothy Day who was the founder of the Catholic Worker House and Paper. She said, "It is cheering to remember that Jesus Christ wandered this earth with no place to lay HIs head. The foxes have holes and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
Jesus never had a place to live!
(that's not an exclamation point like HAHA JESUS DIDN"T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE! but more like whoa, Jesus really didn't have a place to live)
Think about that and tell me what you think....
I read a quote by Dorothy Day who was the founder of the Catholic Worker House and Paper. She said, "It is cheering to remember that Jesus Christ wandered this earth with no place to lay HIs head. The foxes have holes and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
Jesus never had a place to live!
(that's not an exclamation point like HAHA JESUS DIDN"T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE! but more like whoa, Jesus really didn't have a place to live)
Think about that and tell me what you think....
Thursday, April 10, 2008
+=hmm=+
Here's the Verse and Voice of the day from Sojourner's Magazine online (sojo.net)
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,look around and take note!Search its squares and seeif you can find one person who acts justly and seeks truth--so that I may pardon Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 5:1-1
Those who have created the evil are those who have made possible the hideous social injustice our people live in. Thus, the poor have shown the church the true way to go. A church that does not join the poor in order to speak out from the side of the poor against the injustices committed against them is not the true church of Jesus Christ.- Oscar A. Romero The Violence of Love
I love the voice... but the verse is what is making me ponder... what does that mean, just one person can free jeruslem? ALL of Jerusalem... How is that possible? What does that mean for us today??
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,look around and take note!Search its squares and seeif you can find one person who acts justly and seeks truth--so that I may pardon Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 5:1-1
Those who have created the evil are those who have made possible the hideous social injustice our people live in. Thus, the poor have shown the church the true way to go. A church that does not join the poor in order to speak out from the side of the poor against the injustices committed against them is not the true church of Jesus Christ.- Oscar A. Romero The Violence of Love
I love the voice... but the verse is what is making me ponder... what does that mean, just one person can free jeruslem? ALL of Jerusalem... How is that possible? What does that mean for us today??
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Back to the Future
Lots of thoughts floating around in my head, especially about how I really need to be going to bed so i can be rested for another full day tomorrow. And then my roommate reminded me of my mantra-- you can sleep when you die. So, therefore, here I am.
I realized yesterday (again) how anxious I am for the future. I currently have three countdowns going on right now. The first is until my internship at SYI in Pittsburgh this summer. Currently: 83 days, 14 hours, 39 minutes. The second is the end of school : 43 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes. And the final one is the end of school one but the days are being counted down post it by post it note on our wall. It actually looks pretty cool. I'd take a picture and post it if I had the energy. Maybe in the future...
ALL this to say that I need to stop looking ahead. and start living in the moment. I have one life to live. Thusfar, I can easily say I've lived it cautiously. Granted, I'm not a daredevil and that won't change. But I want adventure. I think that's why I'm really bucking to go to New Zealand. To have adventure. But then again it scares the hell out of me.
I can't be satisfied with myself. with who I am. Currently, I am...
1) trying to lose weight
2) stop biting my nails
3) stop touching my face (too much oil!)
4) become more spontaneous
5) become less of a procrastinator.
That's a lot for one chunk of time, but I need all of it to better myself... especially my confidence. I'm not happy with who I am physically or mentally. I feel inadequate, in a few ways.
I'm getting off on a trail... ok. It's just that I'm so excited for the future I can't be excited for what might happen in my day. It's one thing to say I can't wait till my test is done. It's another to say I can't wait till seminary. Because it's a lie. I CAN wait till seminary. That's going to mean harder work, preparing for a job, living on my own, REALLY, on my own, and then some. So I can wait. But I want to get past this petty college stuff. I like college. I LOVE IT. But all the gen eds that are making me frustrated and giving me poor grades. I just want to study what I like.
For heaven's sake, my blog is titled "live here... right now..." after a song I really like. Why can't I do that?
What would that look like?
Spontenaity?
Happiness?
I don't know. But it sounds appealing, whatever it is. I have to quit wanting to get back to the future and worry more about staying in the present. Why is that so hard? We are so much about getting ahead... progressing... It's the same reason EVERYONE moves forward when we are sitting at a red light. One person moves forward, then the next person behind htem, then the next, and then....
WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE GOING THAT YOU NEED TO BE THERE IN SUCH A HURRY?!
--------------endthought--------------------
I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD!
NOW!
DOING ANYTHING!
EVERYTHING!
ONE PERSON AT A TIME.
WHATEVER IT TAKES.
WHY IS IT SO HARD?
----------------ENDBOLDTHOUGHT-------------------
ON A FINAL NOTE. I want a significant other. As I type this, my roommate is on the phone with her boyfriend whom she calls "babe" constantly. It's annoying. But I want someone to call my own. At this point, I'm afraid of dating because 1) I have such high standards but also 2) whoever I date in college, if i lower standards, may most likely not be my significant other forever and that I don't want. I'd love to have a boyfriend for just a while... ANYTHING. It's getting frustrating. Everyone around me... my parents have started asking me consistently. I'm not aggressive when it comes to this. I like for them to come to me. I'm not making first move. That's dumb. They can do it. Maybe i'm intimidating? Hardly... I think?
Oh, well...
---------------------------enditalicizednaivethought-------------------------------
I realized yesterday (again) how anxious I am for the future. I currently have three countdowns going on right now. The first is until my internship at SYI in Pittsburgh this summer. Currently: 83 days, 14 hours, 39 minutes. The second is the end of school : 43 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes. And the final one is the end of school one but the days are being counted down post it by post it note on our wall. It actually looks pretty cool. I'd take a picture and post it if I had the energy. Maybe in the future...
ALL this to say that I need to stop looking ahead. and start living in the moment. I have one life to live. Thusfar, I can easily say I've lived it cautiously. Granted, I'm not a daredevil and that won't change. But I want adventure. I think that's why I'm really bucking to go to New Zealand. To have adventure. But then again it scares the hell out of me.
I can't be satisfied with myself. with who I am. Currently, I am...
1) trying to lose weight
2) stop biting my nails
3) stop touching my face (too much oil!)
4) become more spontaneous
5) become less of a procrastinator.
That's a lot for one chunk of time, but I need all of it to better myself... especially my confidence. I'm not happy with who I am physically or mentally. I feel inadequate, in a few ways.
I'm getting off on a trail... ok. It's just that I'm so excited for the future I can't be excited for what might happen in my day. It's one thing to say I can't wait till my test is done. It's another to say I can't wait till seminary. Because it's a lie. I CAN wait till seminary. That's going to mean harder work, preparing for a job, living on my own, REALLY, on my own, and then some. So I can wait. But I want to get past this petty college stuff. I like college. I LOVE IT. But all the gen eds that are making me frustrated and giving me poor grades. I just want to study what I like.
For heaven's sake, my blog is titled "live here... right now..." after a song I really like. Why can't I do that?
What would that look like?
Spontenaity?
Happiness?
I don't know. But it sounds appealing, whatever it is. I have to quit wanting to get back to the future and worry more about staying in the present. Why is that so hard? We are so much about getting ahead... progressing... It's the same reason EVERYONE moves forward when we are sitting at a red light. One person moves forward, then the next person behind htem, then the next, and then....
WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE GOING THAT YOU NEED TO BE THERE IN SUCH A HURRY?!
--------------endthought--------------------
I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD!
NOW!
DOING ANYTHING!
EVERYTHING!
ONE PERSON AT A TIME.
WHATEVER IT TAKES.
WHY IS IT SO HARD?
----------------ENDBOLDTHOUGHT-------------------
ON A FINAL NOTE. I want a significant other. As I type this, my roommate is on the phone with her boyfriend whom she calls "babe" constantly. It's annoying. But I want someone to call my own. At this point, I'm afraid of dating because 1) I have such high standards but also 2) whoever I date in college, if i lower standards, may most likely not be my significant other forever and that I don't want. I'd love to have a boyfriend for just a while... ANYTHING. It's getting frustrating. Everyone around me... my parents have started asking me consistently. I'm not aggressive when it comes to this. I like for them to come to me. I'm not making first move. That's dumb. They can do it. Maybe i'm intimidating? Hardly... I think?
Oh, well...
---------------------------enditalicizednaivethought-------------------------------
Sunday, April 6, 2008
What shall I do with my life?
This comes from the end of a sermon given to Boston U. students in 1939 by Howard Thurman. The first phrase in one he repeated thrice in the sermon (once for each temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11).
"I love Jesus for the shaft of light that he throws across the pathway of those who seek to answer the question, What shal I do with my life?
Give me the courage to live!
Really live-- not merely exist.
Live dangerously,
Scorniging risk!
Live honestly,
Daring the truth--
Particularly the truth of myself!
Live resiliently--
Ever changing, ever growing, ever adapting.
Enduring the pain of change
As though 'twere the travail of birth.
Give me the courage to live,
Give me the strength to be free
And endure the burden of freedom
And hte loneliness of those without chains;
Let me not be trapped by success,
Nor by failure, not pleasure, nor grief,
Nor malice, nor praise, nor remorse!
Give me the courage to go on!
Facing all that waits on the trail--
Going eagerly, joyously on,
And paying my way as I go,
Without anger or fear or regret
Taking what life gives,
Spending myself to the full,
Dead high, spirit winged, like a god--
On... on... till hte shadows draw close.
Ten even when darkness shuts down,
ANd I go out alone as I came,
Naked and blind as I camm--
Even then, gracous God, hear my prayer:
Give me the courage to live!
"I love Jesus for the shaft of light that he throws across the pathway of those who seek to answer the question, What shal I do with my life?
Give me the courage to live!
Really live-- not merely exist.
Live dangerously,
Scorniging risk!
Live honestly,
Daring the truth--
Particularly the truth of myself!
Live resiliently--
Ever changing, ever growing, ever adapting.
Enduring the pain of change
As though 'twere the travail of birth.
Give me the courage to live,
Give me the strength to be free
And endure the burden of freedom
And hte loneliness of those without chains;
Let me not be trapped by success,
Nor by failure, not pleasure, nor grief,
Nor malice, nor praise, nor remorse!
Give me the courage to go on!
Facing all that waits on the trail--
Going eagerly, joyously on,
And paying my way as I go,
Without anger or fear or regret
Taking what life gives,
Spending myself to the full,
Dead high, spirit winged, like a god--
On... on... till hte shadows draw close.
Ten even when darkness shuts down,
ANd I go out alone as I came,
Naked and blind as I camm--
Even then, gracous God, hear my prayer:
Give me the courage to live!
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