turtles can fly, the maker of noses and monarchs

This weekend I watched "Turtles Can Fly". It is a distubing, haunting and moving portrait of refugee children. It's a good one.

Occasionally I come back to the fact that Rich Mullins was really an amazing person. Heather mentioned one of his songs the other night, which made me fondly recall listening to "The World as Best as I Can Remember It" volumes one and two on cassette tape in my room in junior high and highschool. The anniversary of his death is September 19th. I think he is one of my heros. If you haven't read "An Arrow Pointing to Heaven", the book about his life, I recommend it. One of my favorite songs of his is "Waiting":

"And I can't walk away
Though the truth is that it can be so hard to wait
When a million voices whisper, and they tell me I should leave
Into the shadows that the moon casts
On these alleys and these streets
But I know that chasing shadows won't get me anywhere
'Cause I've been there

So I stand on the promise, 'cause I know that the promise is sure
That it comes from beyond us and tells us again
That there's a whole 'nother world
Well, the one I'm in keeps spinning 'round
But I want to stay right here 'cause I found You"
Rich Mullins, "Waiting"

It echoes some verses I've been coming back to frequently for the last six months or so:

"We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you."
Psalm 33:20-22

Photo courtesy of Monarch Butterfly USA.

In other news, the monarchs have been appearing on their southern journey, although I've only seen a few early birds. Watch for them in their lilting fligt in a midwestern sky outside your door.