Hooray!

This post is in celebration of wireless at home! Thanks Pops!!!

Classes started today and I think it's going to be a good semester. I have Crisis & Transition, New Testament History & Theology, Psychological Disorders, Cross-Cultural Communication, and Humanity, Christ & Redemption. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the semester holds.

I was talking with a sweet friend today about anxiety, and she commented about how it seems like everyone around seems to be anxious about one thing or another. It seemed sad and strange to us that this would be the case, seeing that supposedly we have peace, joy and hope. We decided to pray together on a regular basis, which I'm very excited about, because I go through seasons of talking about prayer more than actually praying, which is a problem!! I read a really good book a few years ago called The Reign of Graceby Scotty Smity that dealt with all kinds of themes. Some words in it that have stuck with me:

"Do you know what the most frequent command in the Bible turns out to be? What instruction, what order is given, again and again, by God, by angels, by Jesus, by prophets and apostles? What do you think--"Be good"? "Be holy--for I am holy"? Or, negatively, "Don't sin" or "Don't be immoral"? No. The most frequent command in the Bible is "Don't be afraid." Don't be afraid. Fear not. Don't be afraid." N.T. Wright

This one's for you, Keen...Last Wednesday night closing the library I hit myself in the face with a door, which was exciting (but not as graceful as dodging the wire dangling precariously in the middle of NSC Bose Road, just before the slippery dog spot). It (the running into the door) made about a half inch split on my forehead and was kinda bloody, and funny after it stopped hurting. But it was a really fantastic day other than that, because of news from this favorite buddy of mine, and free dinner from Pei Wei.
This movie scene, which I'm watching right now, never fails to crack me up in a serious way: "Start the fire, the feet are goin....I make the pizza...Hips are always goin...Can't get enough hip!"


photo from: Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers
Starting to dig these guys....thanks to a wonderful review recommended by Dassler and written by a talented fellow who makes his home and living in our hood.

Aight. Random post over. Time to get myself signed up for SKYPE. All you skype using kids out there, buddify me, ok?

Go, go, go see this movie! It's a great story. The soundtrack is quite wonderful as well. I am looking forward to exploring music from some new sounds on there...including this band:
the moldy peaches.

We sent Jess off to Nepal, which was very happysad. He seems to be settling in and doing pretty well so far.



I've been enjoying reading The Chronicles of Narnia, and am currently smitten with the noble unicorn Jewel, from The Last Battle, who says to the King: "If Aslan gave me my choice I would choose no other life than the life I have had and no other death than the one we go to."



Talking with a friend last night, she pointed out this great passage when we were talking about trust: "1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you." Deut. 8:1-5

This first month of the year I have been reflecting on manna, and the means by which God provides in ways we could never expect. If you need a good kick in the pants, read through Exodus and Deuteronomy.

Not much to say, too much to say. Life feels a bit slow-motiony and surreal right now. Now we see imperfectly, but then we will see with perfect clarity. Is this--this struggle and wrestling, this sometimes straining sometimes half-hearted listening, this moment by moment surrender--what living faith and hope and love look like? It seems an embarrassing amount the time I feel deaf, baffled, befuddled, surprised, and at a loss. Occasionally, the bright light shines in my eyes and by his light I see everything (Lewis), the Words penetrate as deep as into marrow, and something deep within the tiny universe I walk around in reverberates with His voice, whirs from his fingerprints. The ache of eternity and a joy too profound to speak, written on our hearts.

I watch as those around me navigate this as well--learning and live in obedience, faithful to the calling God places in their hearts. Made alive by his love, there have no choice but to follow the Beloved's voice and trust his goodness.

"You have been given questions to which you cannot be given answers. You will have to live them out--perhaps a little at a time." Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow

"The voice of God is silence, exerting a pressure that is infinitely light, never irresistible." Paul Evodokimov

People didn't believe me when I said I saw a rat the size of a small dog in my neighborhood in Calcutta. Whoa nelly. My friends who live there now found this in their bathroom on Christmas Eve. Squeaky the long lost reindeer. This is serious business, kids.

Jess & I took a 38 hour whirlwind megabus trip to Chicago. We were tired. It was cold. We spent lots of time walking around the big city and at Borders thawing out and drinking coffee. Our gracious friend Brian put up with my inability to figure out purchasing tickets for the el and our sleep-deprived moods, and we went out for Chicago style pizza at Giantonis (opposed to "hot cheesy cracker" that St. Louis calls it's signature "pizza."). Mission accomplished: one 10 year Indian tourist visa and a bit of relief for the travel bug.

My cousin Annie was in town this past weekend for the New Year, and we had a blast! Great coversations, thrifting at Value Village and the blind store, hanging out, a visit to Cahokia Mounds, cozy times in the house watching movies. She brought along the movie "Sweet Land" which was a beautiful story. Lovely, lovely time.

I worked on a series of Bible studies last semester and incorporated several songs from this band, and now they have a new album coming out. Their lyrics are poetic and worshipful. Supposedly, this guy is working on a new project too, and some of his songs from Chair and a Microphone Vol. 2 were included in my project as well. It was my favorite thing that I worked on this first semester of school.

Now, it is back to work at the ol library. It's mighty quiet in here tonight. One lone fellow, probably working hard on Greek. And I'm missing house church, which is sad. Not much to say. Chicago pics to come. Maybe.

Happy 2008, friends.