Thoughts while Traveling

My world as a student this semester is revolving right now around a research project with a group of people that have quickly become family....that's a whole story in itself. God is so weird, unexpected, and creative. It's almost maddening sometime when I sit and try to figure out His thought process. Like that's possible..."Your ways are higher than our ways..." Anyways, what a can of mixed nuts...Lori, Jon, Melinda, Dez, and lastly...me. What a cornocopia of ideas, personalities, and walks of life. I am blessed to have made contact with these individuals.

Ok. Back to the project. We conducted a focus group on Saturday morning and ended up with quite a diverse group of people that discussed drama and theatre arts within the church. It was very interesting. Some of the more intruiging responses were:

"This (drama presented in church) is not expected to be professional!"

"If you can't put your best foot forward, don't do it."

"We are presenting the King of Kings here. We should be the absolute best salespeople that exist."

"Drama is one of the best teaching tools that exist. We should be following Jesus' model of storytelling."

Typical views from various sides, congregations, geographics, races, etc...All in all, good stuff to think about when approaching this issue.

Anyways, life is a whirlwind. There's my random and recurring thought.

Everybody voting on Tuesday? One of my recent pet peeves (never spelled that before?) are preachers who use the pulpit to pronounce their personal political views. In fact, it quite enrages me. I can't stand it, and I want to scream when it happens. Give me a break...


Another thought, totally unrelated:
We went to a contemporary Anglican church this morning. Episcopal. I enjoyed it. I will admit, I had to supress a smile when walking back to my seat after taking communion. Wait, before you label me a heathen, let me tell you why. Upon realizing that the "blood of Jesus that what shed for me" was not the grape juice I was expecting, but instead a nice red wine, I had a bit of a flashback. Family reunion this year...Neva telling Justin, Sarah and I that she attends a certain church because "They have better wine..." Hmmmmmm.....maybe that's not a bad approach...?
Kidding.

I spoke to a voice from the past today. A dear friend and a kindred spirit. One of which I have no need to be afraid. It was a blessing. Maybe that wasn't another lifetime...? Sometimes I wonder.

Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures: it leadeth me
beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz: it leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction, I will fear no Equal ™: for thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the prescence of
Juan Valdez: thou anointest my day with pep; my mug
runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days
of my life: and I will dwell in the House of Maxwell
forever.

Desmond, when I read this, I thought of you first. Enjoy!

I have not written in a long while. I think it takes too much energy. What is there to say, really? Sometimes I wonder if I have anything to say at all. Life changes. People live and they die. The trees grow, leaves fall, and then they are bare. I keep hearing a melody playing inside of me that sounds like it has been carried through the wind and over hills and valleys...and it's almost like a memory itself. I want to be there again...
]
"I've been feeling kind of restless. I've been feeling out of place. I can hear a distant singing, a song that I can't write, but it echoes in what I'm always trying to say. . There's a feeling I can't capture. It's always just a prayer away. I want to know the ending, things hoped for but not seen, but I guess that's the point in hoping anyway. . Chorus: Going home, I'll meet you at the table. Going home, I'll meet you in the air. You are never too young to think about it. Oh, I cannot wait to be home . I'm confined by my senses to really know what you are like. You are more than I can fathom, more than I can guess, and more than I can see with human sight. . But I have felt you with my spirit. I have felt you fill this room. This is just an invitation, a sample of the whole, and I cannot wait to be going home. . Chorus . Face to face how can it be? Face to face how can it be? Face to face how can it be?"

The mood has changed. The seasons have changed. I know I have grown older because the days have turned into months and the months years. But still, I ask..."where am I?" Sometimes I find it hard to believe that "HOME" really exisits...but...it must! And one day I will be there, free of all this...
Where I was created to exist. A place where I fit...one voice in a mass of worshippers ...wth one goal, one objective, one focus. No division, no awkwardness, no "reading between the lines..."

Freedom.

I just ruined breakfast. I've never ruined breakfast before. Usually if nothing is going my way, culinarily speaking, I can turn it around and it will come out finr in the end.

But not today. It's a first. My wife is in the kitchen right now making the most out of my disaster.

I ruined breakfast and it depresses me. The Yankees lost to the freaking Red Sux (typo intended) and that depresses me. Also, it's Saturday morning... remeber when you lived for Saturday morning? Saturdays were the Allied troops busting into the Nazi camp that was your normal everyday life. Saturdays are not what they used to be. Come to think of it, Saturdays have been evolving since the beginning of childhood. Remember when your only responsibility was to watch cartoons and maybe pick up your toys? Then you started getting older and you could help clean more- less cartoons. Then you start adding more responsibility to your Saturdays because there are things you have to do that you can't do in the week.

I'm not bitter. I think all this is just because last night we saw some friends who have a little child. This little child was wearing pajamas- and those pajamas had the feet on them. Why did they stop making those once you reach a certain age? Doesn't everyone want their feet covered? I know I do. It represents a simpler time. You didn't have to be reminded to put your house shoes on or put on some socks- they were ATTACHED! Sweet stuff of life!

Ok, my wonderful wife has fixed one of my messes again and so I must breakfast.

Us with Nicole and Melinda... looking like drowned rats right after our interesting adventure through the woods during a cold rain / hail storm whilst being lost on the appalachian trail. It was a fun day, even amidst the mishaps. Good excercise, new friends, a bit of rain, a little sunshine, and beautiful fall colors make for a refreshing getaway. I sound like a postcard...anyways, being in nature forces one to see how creative God is. Breathing in real air...the way air was supposed to smell.
More pics from the adventure:

So I have decided to vote. But first, I have decided to educate myself a bit more in politics, as much as it makes my eyes droop in weariness. I have browsed many sights, looked through magazines, watched a little news, and even the first debate( fell asleep halfway through)...and I think I know which way I headed, although I am not committing quite yet. The most recent bit of information I read was, well...rubbish, if it's at all true:

Regardless of the outcome of Mr Rove's strategy, America looks ever more divided along cultural lines. The Republicans are becoming the party of committed Christians, the Democrats that of committed secularists. The 2004 election could well turn into a choice between Michael Moore's “Fahrenheit 9/11” and Mel Gibson's “The Passion of the Christ”. Hardly an appetising development for those who didn't warm to either film.

Let us think through what a committed Christian is. Not in the sub- culture we call Christianity (Christian music, TV, etc...whatever, don't get me going on that) but more in a WHO DO WE WANT TO BE MOST LIKE kind of way. Perhaps a WHO DO WE LIVE FOR or a WHOSE KINGDOM DOES THIS WORLD BELONG TO ANYWAY kind of way. Think beyond the kingdom of men. How would Jesus approach these issues, and much more importantly, the people behind them (think social, moral issues)?

I refuse to say any more. I was warned by my very wise father (the earthly one) to not talk about politics, especially where I am working and going to school right now. If I share in this blog, it will be as abstract as possible, however I am challenged by all of this....not to be a pharisee or the like, but to be more like Jesus.