"teacher, what shall i do to inherit eternal life?" (luke 10:25)
"you shall 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 your neighbor as yourself" (luke 10:27)
"and who is my neighbor?" (luke 10:29)
jesus replies by telling the story of the samaritan who despite cultural and ethnic barriers, assists a man who was robbed, beaten, and left on the side of the road. a priest and a levite, men from his own ethnic background, passed him by. but the samaritan, a man who had no business interacting with a jew, stopped to take care of the beaten man. he touched him, cleaned him, lifted him onto his own beast, put him in an inn, and paid for him....
who are our neighbors? are we stopping by the side of the road to touch, clean, lift, and pay for someone other than for people of our own kind? are we crossing cultural and ethnic barriers to love your neighbor as yourself?
the message at church this morning was powerful.... since childhood i've been familiar with this story, but wow, did it ever have an impact on me this morning.... i've been struggling with explaining why i've chosen the MA that i have... because it seems vague, too big, idealistic.... and yet, these verses in luke are my heartbeat.... i've chosen to pursue a MA in sustainable development and social justice because i've been commanded "to love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." what other reason than to equip yourself to do this even more so. our God is a God of Justice! this next step in my life is tied to obedience - obedience to follow God's command. open my eyes, lord, to see people the way you see them, may i not be held back by cultural differences, poverty, pain, or status... may YOU be glorified!
31.7.05
26.7.05
separation....
"To feel loss and longing, you have to feel intimacy. What you miss the most about someone who isn't there is their presence in the physical world - touching them, smelling them. You miss their skin, their hair, the way they made you feel. That's what you want back."
~ bruce springsteen
it's been only 3 days since my caballero left... but it seems like an eternity. may the LORD give us HIS strength, joy, and patience as we are apart for at least a year. i miss him terribly... the saving grace is an upcoming trip to mexico to see him for two weeks.... then i pack my own bags and move to vermont.... life can be so twisted sometimes.... just when you come to grips with finally feeling at home in a place or with someone, it changes.... and yes, i know.... it's good to change... helps prevent being to comfortable or becoming stagnant.... but wow..... it's hard and it hurts...
...in terms of moving.... you would think that i would be used to this by now.... in the last 10 years, i have lived in 8 different houses - one of which was in sweden for a year. in the last 3 years i've been in approx. 16 countries.... yet it's only been in the last year that i have finally felt at home... somewhat settled in my own home in the woods.... and now it's time to pack up and move again, time to transition...
i have this weird thing going on in my mind.... sometimes i think that it's wrong for me to long for a place to be home.... to be settled down and to have a family... part of me is terrified that if i become too comfortable in location, i will miss out on the blessings the LORD has in store for me. i think it's a personal thing i struggle with.... it's not that the LORD would not bless me if i settled... but i think, i've been stretched by a lifetime of transition and crosscultural moves in order to be mobile... there is a reason for all of it.... and HE will make that abundantly clear in HIS time. i admire friends and family who know where home is... and who are not stagnant. settling is not wrong... if the LORD should ever give me that blessing of 'being home,' then may i be ever ready to go when HE says it's time to go. may i never be tied to a place - instead, may my heart be tied to the LORD JESUS CHRIST and the call to see HIS glory proclaimed throughout the earth.
despite transitions and separations, HE is faithful! (remember that, caballero de mi vida!)
~ bruce springsteen
it's been only 3 days since my caballero left... but it seems like an eternity. may the LORD give us HIS strength, joy, and patience as we are apart for at least a year. i miss him terribly... the saving grace is an upcoming trip to mexico to see him for two weeks.... then i pack my own bags and move to vermont.... life can be so twisted sometimes.... just when you come to grips with finally feeling at home in a place or with someone, it changes.... and yes, i know.... it's good to change... helps prevent being to comfortable or becoming stagnant.... but wow..... it's hard and it hurts...
...in terms of moving.... you would think that i would be used to this by now.... in the last 10 years, i have lived in 8 different houses - one of which was in sweden for a year. in the last 3 years i've been in approx. 16 countries.... yet it's only been in the last year that i have finally felt at home... somewhat settled in my own home in the woods.... and now it's time to pack up and move again, time to transition...
i have this weird thing going on in my mind.... sometimes i think that it's wrong for me to long for a place to be home.... to be settled down and to have a family... part of me is terrified that if i become too comfortable in location, i will miss out on the blessings the LORD has in store for me. i think it's a personal thing i struggle with.... it's not that the LORD would not bless me if i settled... but i think, i've been stretched by a lifetime of transition and crosscultural moves in order to be mobile... there is a reason for all of it.... and HE will make that abundantly clear in HIS time. i admire friends and family who know where home is... and who are not stagnant. settling is not wrong... if the LORD should ever give me that blessing of 'being home,' then may i be ever ready to go when HE says it's time to go. may i never be tied to a place - instead, may my heart be tied to the LORD JESUS CHRIST and the call to see HIS glory proclaimed throughout the earth.
despite transitions and separations, HE is faithful! (remember that, caballero de mi vida!)
18.7.05
south manitou island
"The Chippewa Indians legend tells us of the mother bear, Mishe Mokwa, who fled a great forest fire in Wisconsin with her two cubs. Mishe Mokwa reached the Michigan shore and climbed a steep bluff to await her cubs. The cubs, exhausted by their long swim, never reached land. The mother bear waited day after day to no avail. Finally she died. The Great Spirit Manitou marked her resting place with the Sleeping Bear Dunes and raised North and South Manitou Islands from the spot where the cubs perished."
eight adventurous souls crossed the waters to south manitou island on the july 4th weekend to camp, hike, and play. smi is approximately 17 miles out into lake michigan and part of the sleeping bear dunes national park.
it was my third time back to smi and it's still as beautiful as ever! after weathering a rough thunderstorm in the early morning, several of us hiked 8.5 miles across the island, up the dunes, down the dunes, and back around along the shore line. If you ever have the chance to camp/hike there, do it (and don't forget to invite me along!!)
eight adventurous souls crossed the waters to south manitou island on the july 4th weekend to camp, hike, and play. smi is approximately 17 miles out into lake michigan and part of the sleeping bear dunes national park.
it was my third time back to smi and it's still as beautiful as ever! after weathering a rough thunderstorm in the early morning, several of us hiked 8.5 miles across the island, up the dunes, down the dunes, and back around along the shore line. If you ever have the chance to camp/hike there, do it (and don't forget to invite me along!!)
holsbybrunn
in preparation for my upcoming stint in a grad program out in vermont, i've been experiencing these flashbacks from the last school i attended http://www.holsby.org. it's crazy to think of all the eclectic personalities that were called to sweden that year.... many of us having no idea why in the world - sweden. and yet, when i think about the relationships formed, the support, encouragement and friendship still experienced over the last three years, i realize that each of us was called on purpose and that in years to come it will continue to be evident why we spent a year in the woods of sweden, studying the WORD, digging deeper, being refined in sometimes blazing fires, and building a network of folks from around the world. by far it wasn't always a mountain top experience, yet, may the lessons (in and out of the classroom) continue to take root in our hearts and minds. may we continue to worship the One and Only, and may His glory be all that matters.
15.7.05
poor pip
strudel and pip went off to the vet today... after their usual check ups and shots, the vet discovered a very loose tooth in pip's mouth. poor kitty... one of his fangs was about ready to fall out.... now we know the source of that foul smell wafting from his mouth.... ugh! the good vet pulled an inch long tooth from my kitty and now pip has a somewhat crooked smile. (that is if cats can smile).
he's definitely a happier kitty; i on the other hand feel like such a terrible owner... how could i not tell that his tooth was loose.... ahhh... if only cats could talk.
if you own a cat, go home and check his/her teeth!
he's definitely a happier kitty; i on the other hand feel like such a terrible owner... how could i not tell that his tooth was loose.... ahhh... if only cats could talk.
if you own a cat, go home and check his/her teeth!
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