Somehow, it came already.
"As I stand on the edge of "what in the world is next" and "how do I put this education to good use," I thought, "Man, I spent a lot of money on this degree. Was it worth it?" And I just came to the conclusion that it was worth it. Simply by the fact that I am cherishing these friendships and the memories of both living in L.A. and the times since, I wouldn't change the past, I cannot regret the dollars spent on grad school. These people have inspired and challenged me and whether they know it or now, they are helping me change, shaping me every day.
And they make me laugh. Every day."
Thanks, Jackie.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Test #1
Um, hi.
This is a test.
I am a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. But will it stay? Will the old person resurface inside of me? Will old habits, thought patterns, insecurities find space again in my heart and mind?
This is a test. Pray for me.
This is a test.
I am a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. But will it stay? Will the old person resurface inside of me? Will old habits, thought patterns, insecurities find space again in my heart and mind?
This is a test. Pray for me.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
back from China
It strikes me as ironic that my URL is "India on my mind", but I just returned from 2 months in China. A friend there suggested that few people like both India and China, they usually hate one and love the other. I neither loved nor hated China, and I have yet to go to India. It makes me wonder how I will like it!
So I've been back on US soil for less than 48 hours, and already I hate re-entry. My first few hours were great. My friend Libby picked me up from the airport and we went straight to my friend Eric's going away party. He is moving to Scotland, and I've already been planning my trip to the UK! It was great that I got to see him before he left, and it was fun to see a few other friends, too.
Yesterday I didn't leave my apartment all day. I spent most of it vegging on the couch. I didn't have the mental capacity to start my schoolwork yet, but I did unpack and do 4 loads of laundry. However, I foolishly didn't go to bed until 5am, then slept until 2pm. I'm already regretting that one! I didn't sleep that well. For the second night, I kept waking up, confused about which Asian city I was in! I think if I had gone to bed by a decent hour, I could have avoided the jetlag thing entirely.
So it's now 5pm, and I've gotten out of bed once: to make a pot of coffee to stave off the caffeine headache. It's strange to not have a job to go to, or any other commitments that require my presence at a certain time and place.
My friend Brian called me at 3pm. He was on his way home from work on the East Coast, I still hadn't gotten out of bed. He asked about China, but I'm already tired of talking about it. I'm sure I'll get into a routine - find a speech and repeat it over again to everyone who asks. If you read this and talk to me about China, it will probably be better for both of us if you ask me a more original question. I will appreciate the opportunity to think about a different aspect of my trip, and you'll get more than the standard reply. ;-) But I promise to answer even the more boring questions.
Thanks for checking back into my blog after a 3-month hiatus! There is more to come, I think, now that I'm state-side and job hunting!
So I've been back on US soil for less than 48 hours, and already I hate re-entry. My first few hours were great. My friend Libby picked me up from the airport and we went straight to my friend Eric's going away party. He is moving to Scotland, and I've already been planning my trip to the UK! It was great that I got to see him before he left, and it was fun to see a few other friends, too.
Yesterday I didn't leave my apartment all day. I spent most of it vegging on the couch. I didn't have the mental capacity to start my schoolwork yet, but I did unpack and do 4 loads of laundry. However, I foolishly didn't go to bed until 5am, then slept until 2pm. I'm already regretting that one! I didn't sleep that well. For the second night, I kept waking up, confused about which Asian city I was in! I think if I had gone to bed by a decent hour, I could have avoided the jetlag thing entirely.
So it's now 5pm, and I've gotten out of bed once: to make a pot of coffee to stave off the caffeine headache. It's strange to not have a job to go to, or any other commitments that require my presence at a certain time and place.
My friend Brian called me at 3pm. He was on his way home from work on the East Coast, I still hadn't gotten out of bed. He asked about China, but I'm already tired of talking about it. I'm sure I'll get into a routine - find a speech and repeat it over again to everyone who asks. If you read this and talk to me about China, it will probably be better for both of us if you ask me a more original question. I will appreciate the opportunity to think about a different aspect of my trip, and you'll get more than the standard reply. ;-) But I promise to answer even the more boring questions.
Thanks for checking back into my blog after a 3-month hiatus! There is more to come, I think, now that I'm state-side and job hunting!
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Community Takes Time
So I've been in Pasadena for 20 months now. And I've potentially only got between 6 weeks and the rest of my life left. ;-)
I got out of my apartment this morning to attend the "Peace and Justice Concerns" meeting. My friend Sara invited me to hear her speak about her recent trip to Haiti, about 6 weeks after the earthquake. I loved hearing her own words about her experience, and she also shared a Lament for Haiti, written by the president and CEO of Food for the Hungry, Benjamin K. Homan. It is a moving piece that I would have loved to have read during my Old Testament Writings class when we studied Lamentations. The modern application of the Scriptures is transformative for me. I'm grateful for this example to use as a model for the suffering I will undoubtedly come across in my future.
As I left the meeting, I passed by a few friends. I chatted with Katy about what classes and assignments we are working on this week. I caught up with Bryant, the professor of one of my classes, to clarify with him what our final paper is supposed to be about. I then came to the library and found Matt, with whom I discussed the same paper and our plans for the weekend. Now as I sit near the entrance, I am able to wave to friends as they pass by to study.
A few of these people I met my first quarter here, but many I've met in recent weeks. With some I am able to share deeper things that I am working through, and with some I have more surface-level conversations.
I went camping this past weekend, in celebration of my friend Eric's 30th birthday. Of the 9 of us there, by the end of the weekend, I was the only one still in my 20's. :-) Most of the group is a part of the same small group that has existed for 6+ years. These people have been friends a long time! Even though I had just met them, I could see they shared deep friendships. They were comfortable with each other and confident in their friendships. There was an intangible quality of love and security that wasn't limited to their group, but included me and another friend who wasn't part of their small group. It was so refreshing to me to included and accepted into this group of mature friendship.
So as I reflect on my time here in Pasadena, I can see how true community takes time. It takes commitment to one another beyond the demands of school, work, and family. It takes a selfless love that doesn't leave room for competition or jealousy. It takes sustained months and years of continued relationship, and I was so grateful to witness that in this group of friends.
As I think about my impending departure, I am sad that I won't have the opportunity to build those deep friendships and relationships. I will still stay in touch with many of my classmates and friends here, and time will deepen those friendships as long as we stay in touch. But it isn't the same as living together, of doing life together. Nor does it discount the friendships that were only just made. I am thankful to get to know the new students this quarter and share life with them, if only for 10 weeks. That shorter relationship still has value.
But true community takes time, and I am grateful for the community that I left in Virginia that still has a deep hold on my life.
I got out of my apartment this morning to attend the "Peace and Justice Concerns" meeting. My friend Sara invited me to hear her speak about her recent trip to Haiti, about 6 weeks after the earthquake. I loved hearing her own words about her experience, and she also shared a Lament for Haiti, written by the president and CEO of Food for the Hungry, Benjamin K. Homan. It is a moving piece that I would have loved to have read during my Old Testament Writings class when we studied Lamentations. The modern application of the Scriptures is transformative for me. I'm grateful for this example to use as a model for the suffering I will undoubtedly come across in my future.
As I left the meeting, I passed by a few friends. I chatted with Katy about what classes and assignments we are working on this week. I caught up with Bryant, the professor of one of my classes, to clarify with him what our final paper is supposed to be about. I then came to the library and found Matt, with whom I discussed the same paper and our plans for the weekend. Now as I sit near the entrance, I am able to wave to friends as they pass by to study.
A few of these people I met my first quarter here, but many I've met in recent weeks. With some I am able to share deeper things that I am working through, and with some I have more surface-level conversations.
I went camping this past weekend, in celebration of my friend Eric's 30th birthday. Of the 9 of us there, by the end of the weekend, I was the only one still in my 20's. :-) Most of the group is a part of the same small group that has existed for 6+ years. These people have been friends a long time! Even though I had just met them, I could see they shared deep friendships. They were comfortable with each other and confident in their friendships. There was an intangible quality of love and security that wasn't limited to their group, but included me and another friend who wasn't part of their small group. It was so refreshing to me to included and accepted into this group of mature friendship.
So as I reflect on my time here in Pasadena, I can see how true community takes time. It takes commitment to one another beyond the demands of school, work, and family. It takes a selfless love that doesn't leave room for competition or jealousy. It takes sustained months and years of continued relationship, and I was so grateful to witness that in this group of friends.
As I think about my impending departure, I am sad that I won't have the opportunity to build those deep friendships and relationships. I will still stay in touch with many of my classmates and friends here, and time will deepen those friendships as long as we stay in touch. But it isn't the same as living together, of doing life together. Nor does it discount the friendships that were only just made. I am thankful to get to know the new students this quarter and share life with them, if only for 10 weeks. That shorter relationship still has value.
But true community takes time, and I am grateful for the community that I left in Virginia that still has a deep hold on my life.
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