i was just doing my usual internet surfing, checking friend's blogs and the news. i came across this article: More than 1 billion people going hungry, UN says. i read the first line, and i fell back in my seat and breathed a low "wow."
how do i respond to such a thing? i hope the next breath includes a "God have mercy!" prayer. and yes, God, have mercy! have mercy on these people, have mercy on the rest of the world that is fed and overfed, and have mercy on me, one who has more than i could ever need. God come, have mercy. enlarge the place where this truth fits.
i read an article this past week by walter brueggemann.* he describes how (based on Old Testament passages) we have the option to eat and be satisfied, or eat until we're fat. in one option, we are citizens, in the other, we are consumers. depending on our mindset, we either operate out of our recognition of God the Creator who sustains us, or we think that we're somehow in control, but we fear losing that control, so we take all we can while it's still available to us. we reduce ourselves to consuming for our own benefit, rather than participating with humility and a proper view of where our sustenance comes from, and our dependence on one another to serve and be served.
i need this to be my governing perspective. i am a dependent creature. i am dependent on my Creator to sustain my life. i live because of God's goodness to me, and i am unable to provide for myself. furthermore, i am dependent others, on my community. i trust that as they, like myself, are dependent on the One true sustainer and trust Him, we will take responsibility to look out for one another. if i am certain God will provide for me, i am no longer bound by selfish consumerism and can freely give to others. indeed, as Brueggemann says, "It is clear of course that when creatures opt for only consumerism and forget that larger reach of citizenship, the need and entitlements of widow, orphan, and illegal immigrant evaporate in an ocean of self-preoccupation.”
i am not a self-sustaining person. i cannot live this life completely independently, like i try to convince myself sometimes. i am bound in a covenantal relationship to my Creator, and by extension, to His creatures. i am placed in a community and i have obligations to them. i cannot extract myself from them, nor should i! i am dependent on them, just as they are dependent on me. and it is a beautiful relationship, even if it is broken.
yes, Lord, enlarge the place where this truth fits!
*Bruggemann, Walter. “Options for Creatureliness: Consumer or Citizen.” In Horizons in Biblical Theology, Vol. 23 (2001), pp. 25-50.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
from my reading for "Christian Ethics"
from "Theological Foundations for Male-Female Relationships", by Stanley J. Grenz
(Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 41.04 pp 615-630)
"To summarize our second conclusion: Godly relationships between men and women emerge as we direct our life together toward the highest human task--namely, reflecting the divine character and thereby being the image of God. God's goal for us arises out of the procession of the third Trinitarian person, the Holy Spirit who, as the concretization of the divine love, is the one who creates that character in us. God's loving character becomes visible as we love one another, whether as partners who share the exclusive love relationship of marriage or as participants in the more inclusive nonmarital bonds that bring persons--both male and female--together within the context of Christ's fellowship. Within this fellowship our task is to help others, in the words of Vanier, to 'grow toward wholeness and to discover their place, and eventually exercise their gifts, in a network of friendship.' This requires, he adds, 'the integration of one's sexuality in a vision of fellowship and friendship. It implies that each one, man or woman, in his or her sexual being, must learn to love others, entering into relationships of communion..., tenderness and service, using their genital sexuality only in that particular covenant which is blessed by God.'"
(Jean Vanier, Man and Woman, p 97-98)
(Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 41.04 pp 615-630)
"To summarize our second conclusion: Godly relationships between men and women emerge as we direct our life together toward the highest human task--namely, reflecting the divine character and thereby being the image of God. God's goal for us arises out of the procession of the third Trinitarian person, the Holy Spirit who, as the concretization of the divine love, is the one who creates that character in us. God's loving character becomes visible as we love one another, whether as partners who share the exclusive love relationship of marriage or as participants in the more inclusive nonmarital bonds that bring persons--both male and female--together within the context of Christ's fellowship. Within this fellowship our task is to help others, in the words of Vanier, to 'grow toward wholeness and to discover their place, and eventually exercise their gifts, in a network of friendship.' This requires, he adds, 'the integration of one's sexuality in a vision of fellowship and friendship. It implies that each one, man or woman, in his or her sexual being, must learn to love others, entering into relationships of communion..., tenderness and service, using their genital sexuality only in that particular covenant which is blessed by God.'"
(Jean Vanier, Man and Woman, p 97-98)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
National Parks
Is It "Elitist" To Try to Visit All 58 National Parks?
(thanks, Chad)
What do you think?
National Parks of the US:
(the ones I've been to are bolded)
Acadia National Park ME
Arches National Park UT
Badlands National Park SD (I've driven through, got the official map, but it was after dark, so I didn't really see it.)
Big Bend National Park TX
Biscayne National Park FL
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park CO
Bryce Canyon National Park UT
Canyonlands National Park UT
Capitol Reef National Park UT
Carlsbad Caverns National Park NM
Channel Islands National Park CA
Congaree National Park SC
Crater Lake National Park OR
Cuyahoga Valley National Park OH
Death Valley National Park CA, NV
Denali National Park & Preserve AK
Dry Tortugas National Park FL
Everglades National Park FL
Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve AK
Glacier National Park MT
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve AK
Grand Canyon National Park AZ
Grand Teton National Park WY
Great Basin National Park NV
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve CO
Great Smoky Mountains National Park NC, TN
Guadalupe Mountains National Park TX
Haleakala National Park HI
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park HI
Hot Springs National Park AR
Isle Royale National Park MI
Joshua Tree National Park CA
Katmai National Park & Preserve AK
Kenai Fjords National Park AK
Kobuk Valley National Park AK
Kings Canyon National Park CA
Lake Clark National Park & Preserve AK
Lassen Volcanic National Park CA (maybe? I can't remember...)
Mammoth Cave National Park KY
Mesa Verde National Park CO
Mount Rainier National Park WA
National Park of American Samoa AS
North Cascades National Park WA
Olympic National Park WA
Petrified Forest National Park AZ
Redwood National Park CA
Rocky Mountain National Park CO
Saguaro National Park AZ
Sequoia National Park CA
Shenandoah National Park VA
Theodore Roosevelt National Park ND
Virgin Islands National Park VI
Voyageurs National Park MN
Wind Cave National Park SD
Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve AK
Yellowstone National Park ID, MT, WY
Yosemite National Park CA
Zion National Park UT
Saturday, October 10, 2009
i am not superwoman*
i can't do everything. i want to. i try to. if it looks interesting, if it looks like a good cause, if it looks like fun, i want to do it. but i can't do everything.
i am constantly on the brink of being overwhelmed. and then i want to add something else to my already busy schedule. at some point, i have to say no. i have to either live with the regret, or be content with being faithful with what is in front of me already.
i can't even wrap my head around all the special events (one-time or parties or something) that are happening in october. i almost can't wait for november simply because i think that life will somehow slow down then.
ao in a way, it comes down to priorities. what do i really think is the most important thing in life right now? and why don't my choices line up with that?
and part of my choices has to be realistic, too. if i don't go to a party on a saturday night, i'm probably not going to be doing homework, anyway. or maybe i should discipline myself a bit more and actually DO homework on a saturday night!
i definitely want to take advantage of unusual circumstances. for instance, a friend of mine who doesn't own a car was loaned a car for the weekend, so she suggested we use it to drive someplace we can't normally easily reach and go hiking. i really really wanted to go, as i love exploring new places, i love hiking, i love my friend and i love hanging out with her. but i have had a busy week! new things popped up each day, and i barely had any "down" time, much less much study time. and i have to be at work in 1.5 hrs, and i haven't touched that school work yet, but i definitely had some down time, and i got a few things done that needed to be done that i wouldn't normally prioritize (but are definitely really important!).
i have a few things rumbling around in my head that i need to decide about:
1) i have a job interview monday, and i'm going back and forth on whether i really want the job or not.
* because it's a job with the school, i'd have to give up a few things to take the job, for ethical reasons, which may be the piece of sanity i need to maintain a busy schedule. (i can't represent the school as both an employee and an unbiased student.)
* the hours would also limit a possible service opportunity for my life group from church, which is just getting started. so that could either be a closed door for that service opportunity, or it could kill the group with one fell swoop. ok, maybe not that dramatic, but it's something to consider.
* it could be a great opportunity to put on a resume and would give me experience in something i think i'd be good at, but haven't really tried. or, simply because of the title of the job, it could be inadvertently disastrous for future opportunities.
* the pay would be comparable to starbucks, but a strict 20 hrs/week. at sbux, i can change my hours to work less some weeks and more other weeks, which is helpful. but also stressful when i need more hours but am scheduled for fewer hours. it's a tossup... i think sbux is a little more profitable in the end.
* i am trying to build a budget, but it's hard to keep track of since i am paid in cash (tips) once a week, and i'm not good at keeping track of where that money goes. i basically use it to buy groceries and go out to eat with friends. it's not like that money just disappears into superfluous places, i just can't merge what i actually do with it into the website (mint.com) that i'm using to keep track of the rest of my finances, which is a bummer. SO, if i take the new job, i wouldn't have to worry about that, since i'd just get a "real" paycheck and no tips to worry about.
* starting a new job is hard. it's learning a new system, new people, etc. at sbux, i already know how everything works, even if i don't like how it all works.
* i suck at interviews. i really really do. i haven't had a successful (first) interview since i worked at the salvation army in college, which puts that interview in sept '03. and that interview was more a "are you sure you want to work here? we'd understand if you change your mind."
* a few other smaller considerations....
it kind of sounds like i should go to the interview just for the practice, then withdraw myself from the pool of candidates. or maybe i'll realize at the interview that i would LOVE this position. i'll let you know how it goes.
2) i have another huge topic rumbling around in my head that i can't publish in any kind of documented way. if you're curious, please talk to me, and i'd love to get your opinion on the matter. taking a few steps on this issue is a good chunk of how i spent my morning. it feels good to be moving on it!
3) i am SO stinking excited for Christmas. i really am. it's weird, i know. i am SO excited to be with my family in san fran!!! i am SO excited to show my parents around my adopted home/town. moreover, i am excited to have finished all my classes by then! it's a little sad to be glad to have classes over before they've even really begun, but considering i have 2 incompletes hanging over my head from summer, by dec 11, all will be finished! it will be the first time since the end of june that there won't be any "i should be working on that paper"-type thoughts guilting me in the back of my mind. yeah, can't wait.
4) i'm still trying to figure out a way to get back to VA for that week or two between when i'm done with classes and when i'm meeting my fam in san fran. i'm checking plane tickets with some frequency, but in reality, i don't have the money to pay for said plane tickets, nor do i have enough financial flexibility to skip those 2 weeks of pay that i'd be gone.
5) i had the joy of speaking to some old friends this week. when i think about it, they still make me happy. ;-) but i've also come to the realization that michael w. smith may have had it wrong. friends are not friends forever. i probably listened to him when i was a kid tell me that lie, and now i have unrealistic expectations of friendship. i just realized that i contacted several old friends this summer that i never heard back from. and now, i don't ever expect to speak to them or hear from them again. which is a little sad, but a little bittersweet. it releases me from being disappointed about expectations that will never be met. on the other hand, i have several phone dates that i owe people that i DO intend to keep in touch with.
so if you read this, please be praying for all this stuff. sheesh, i exhaust myself!
* this line, i believe i stole from this week's episode of glee.
i am constantly on the brink of being overwhelmed. and then i want to add something else to my already busy schedule. at some point, i have to say no. i have to either live with the regret, or be content with being faithful with what is in front of me already.
i can't even wrap my head around all the special events (one-time or parties or something) that are happening in october. i almost can't wait for november simply because i think that life will somehow slow down then.
ao in a way, it comes down to priorities. what do i really think is the most important thing in life right now? and why don't my choices line up with that?
and part of my choices has to be realistic, too. if i don't go to a party on a saturday night, i'm probably not going to be doing homework, anyway. or maybe i should discipline myself a bit more and actually DO homework on a saturday night!
i definitely want to take advantage of unusual circumstances. for instance, a friend of mine who doesn't own a car was loaned a car for the weekend, so she suggested we use it to drive someplace we can't normally easily reach and go hiking. i really really wanted to go, as i love exploring new places, i love hiking, i love my friend and i love hanging out with her. but i have had a busy week! new things popped up each day, and i barely had any "down" time, much less much study time. and i have to be at work in 1.5 hrs, and i haven't touched that school work yet, but i definitely had some down time, and i got a few things done that needed to be done that i wouldn't normally prioritize (but are definitely really important!).
i have a few things rumbling around in my head that i need to decide about:
1) i have a job interview monday, and i'm going back and forth on whether i really want the job or not.
* because it's a job with the school, i'd have to give up a few things to take the job, for ethical reasons, which may be the piece of sanity i need to maintain a busy schedule. (i can't represent the school as both an employee and an unbiased student.)
* the hours would also limit a possible service opportunity for my life group from church, which is just getting started. so that could either be a closed door for that service opportunity, or it could kill the group with one fell swoop. ok, maybe not that dramatic, but it's something to consider.
* it could be a great opportunity to put on a resume and would give me experience in something i think i'd be good at, but haven't really tried. or, simply because of the title of the job, it could be inadvertently disastrous for future opportunities.
* the pay would be comparable to starbucks, but a strict 20 hrs/week. at sbux, i can change my hours to work less some weeks and more other weeks, which is helpful. but also stressful when i need more hours but am scheduled for fewer hours. it's a tossup... i think sbux is a little more profitable in the end.
* i am trying to build a budget, but it's hard to keep track of since i am paid in cash (tips) once a week, and i'm not good at keeping track of where that money goes. i basically use it to buy groceries and go out to eat with friends. it's not like that money just disappears into superfluous places, i just can't merge what i actually do with it into the website (mint.com) that i'm using to keep track of the rest of my finances, which is a bummer. SO, if i take the new job, i wouldn't have to worry about that, since i'd just get a "real" paycheck and no tips to worry about.
* starting a new job is hard. it's learning a new system, new people, etc. at sbux, i already know how everything works, even if i don't like how it all works.
* i suck at interviews. i really really do. i haven't had a successful (first) interview since i worked at the salvation army in college, which puts that interview in sept '03. and that interview was more a "are you sure you want to work here? we'd understand if you change your mind."
* a few other smaller considerations....
it kind of sounds like i should go to the interview just for the practice, then withdraw myself from the pool of candidates. or maybe i'll realize at the interview that i would LOVE this position. i'll let you know how it goes.
2) i have another huge topic rumbling around in my head that i can't publish in any kind of documented way. if you're curious, please talk to me, and i'd love to get your opinion on the matter. taking a few steps on this issue is a good chunk of how i spent my morning. it feels good to be moving on it!
3) i am SO stinking excited for Christmas. i really am. it's weird, i know. i am SO excited to be with my family in san fran!!! i am SO excited to show my parents around my adopted home/town. moreover, i am excited to have finished all my classes by then! it's a little sad to be glad to have classes over before they've even really begun, but considering i have 2 incompletes hanging over my head from summer, by dec 11, all will be finished! it will be the first time since the end of june that there won't be any "i should be working on that paper"-type thoughts guilting me in the back of my mind. yeah, can't wait.
4) i'm still trying to figure out a way to get back to VA for that week or two between when i'm done with classes and when i'm meeting my fam in san fran. i'm checking plane tickets with some frequency, but in reality, i don't have the money to pay for said plane tickets, nor do i have enough financial flexibility to skip those 2 weeks of pay that i'd be gone.
5) i had the joy of speaking to some old friends this week. when i think about it, they still make me happy. ;-) but i've also come to the realization that michael w. smith may have had it wrong. friends are not friends forever. i probably listened to him when i was a kid tell me that lie, and now i have unrealistic expectations of friendship. i just realized that i contacted several old friends this summer that i never heard back from. and now, i don't ever expect to speak to them or hear from them again. which is a little sad, but a little bittersweet. it releases me from being disappointed about expectations that will never be met. on the other hand, i have several phone dates that i owe people that i DO intend to keep in touch with.
so if you read this, please be praying for all this stuff. sheesh, i exhaust myself!
* this line, i believe i stole from this week's episode of glee.
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