On Bicycling and the Outdoors

This is the second day I've had off in a row... its been beautiful. Yesterday I did absolutely nothing of any value (aside from reading) until 5pm. :) Today however, I rode my bicycle doing random errands and trying not to get too soaked by the rain that was falling, realizing again how much I enjoy being out on my bike. I do complain once in a while about not possessing a vehicle but truly I am thankful that I must ride instead. It makes me slow down and notice things; I fear that if I had a car I would find it even more difficult to take it easy and notice people.
I found a great little bookshop today, tucked downstairs in the huge building on the corner of Western and Selby, near the Cathedral. A woman who came into my work a couple weeks ago told me I should look for it because I told her how much I love books. I would recommend it.
The trees are great! I was coming down my road here in Frogtown and noticing how some of them have changed over to that red/orange and some are still in that green/brownish state. I could literally smell fall.

Clarity Shmarity

I remember the days

When life was easy, carefree,

Questionless. Now all

I have are the questions,

Following me.

Taunting me,

Answers that seem

So correct

But yet not so.

I yearn for clarity.

Could it be that

Questions are

Given to grow me, given to

Carve and mold me?

Thoughts

I am reading Serve God, Save the Planet by J. Matthew Sleeth. Its been an eye-opening book, a good read, and challenging. Near the end he talks about how America spends more on health-care for our dogs and cats than Africa does on her own people. I just quoted it to my room mate who is sitting nearby and her response shocked me a little and then saddened me. She said basically that she doesn't pay attention to things like that (the cry for help, for change) because there is nothing she can do about it. Why learn about all the things going wrong on the earth now? I can't do anything about it!
You NEED to know! You NEED to care! How can you be so apathetic? If we all were to have her feelings, how would anything get done? I read so that I can know about the things going on, so I can see the wrong and be an advocate for change (by praying if nothing else).
I thrive on reading...
Can someone please explain how people think this way?

Dang apathy.

My thoughts seem so scattered sometimes, its kind of really annoying. :) Can I please just straighten myself out and figure out who I am and what I want?
This setting is prime for adventure... I can do just about anything I want with my life at this point. There are SO many options! Sometimes I wish that someone would just come along and tell me what to do...
I'm thinking/praying about going back overseas! The church I've gone to most during my time in MN, Upper Room, sends two people out from the congregation to live in the Congo for an entire year to work with Heal Africa.
How amazing would that be??
My job description would include: support for Heal Africa, planning short term trips for UR, and corresponding with UR about the work through updates and pictures.
I'm sure there is more involved but that's what I know for now.

hmm...

"...for some who awaken to the call for healing, the weight of privilege and the weight of probable responsibility for systemic global injustices can be overwhelming. Because of this there is a temptation to believe that everything is wrong- what we buy, how we eat, where we live, the vehicles we drive. An acute sense of free- floating guilt haunts and paralyzes the person. In this state we become the worst kind of activists or moralists, motivated by shame instead of love and imagination. Our efforts at compassionate action need to go beyond mere sentimentality and translate into daily actions." (The Emerging Manifesto of Hope)

can you relate to this at all? i for sure can. at times i've found myself really frustrated with organized religion and the Church within walls and allowed myself to live believing that "everything is wrong". maybe its ok to see these faults, but i think that needs to motivate me in the other direction, toward love and action and sacrifice and vulnerability and other things that essentially produce life not death.

I was just sitting looking through some of my photos and reminiscing... here are a few of them.


This is Aaron Glenn and I at Jenna Grey and John Shomler's wedding. It was a good wedding.



This one was taken in Thailand last year. I tutored these kids for almost the entire time I was there... (the other chic is my best friend, megan). This is one of the outings the family took me on; we're at the Queen's Botanical Garden. The middle brother didn't want to be in the photo.


These are some of the children in the Darien jungle. This picture was taken in 2004.

Word

Did you ever think about how Jesus' words actually make sense? I know, surprise, surprise... :)
His commands: don't steal and don't kill are both things that obviously cause pain and suffering in any sense; love others like you love yourself shows respect for someone's value as a human; and turning the other cheek brings out humility and reminds us not to demean people in return. I love that His words are SO incredibly life giving! If we are honest, I can't see anyone (this includes those who don't follow Jesus) arguing with the fact that sleeping around is destructive, that its better to give than to receive, that judging others causes harm.
I love this.
I think that if I weren't a Christian I would still follow Jesus.