6 posts tagged “awesomeness”
This is one of the most remarkable videos I've ever seen. Granted, the song playing in the background does a lot for it, because otherwise it's just a silly guy doing a silly dance all over the world with lots of different people. But you know what? It's refreshing to see that everyone can be silly, that everyone can dance, and that everyone can smile. It shows that the crooked timber of humanity isn't totally bent, and that we all have a shared humanity and a Creator that loves us and put care into making each of us.
Also, I want to travel as much as this guy has. He's lucky, and you should check out his website to learn how he pulled this off. Till then, my summer program is going well (although the kids can be a hassle) and I can't wait to be back at the beach. God bless you!
Today was an amazing day. In fact, the last few days have been pretty awesome. In part, it's because the weather is getting nicer. The first week or so of April was dreadfully rainy and just ugly outside. Granted, we're in a drought down here in the South, so it was very needed, but it still wasn't really nice. I don't do too well in the rain. I don't mind if it's hot or cold, but I need sunshine every now and then to make me feel good. There was no sun for a good straight week, I'd say, and that wore on me. Not to mention I'm still dealing with the break-up between myself and Hitch. I'm really doing fine (much better than most people get when they break up, that's for sure), but it was still weird not having that comfort around. Oh, and I had a literal ton of schoolwork to do. Paper after paper, reading assignment after reading assignment. It really was a lot to take on for a week, and I was so busy I didn't have time for hanging out or working on my own writing projects.
But anyway, the great thing about that kind of stuff is that you know it will end eventually. The assignments, though stressful, were completed on time (well, mostly on time). The rain stopped and the past two days have been absolutely spectacular. Hitch and I went out to dinner last night, just as friends, and it wasn't awkward at all. In fact, I'm confident that I'll remain one of his good friends, though of course only time will tell. I think we'll be better as friends than we were as a couple, simply because our differing beliefs won't be thrown into conflict. I'm genuinely appreciative for his friendship. Also, one of my good friends is coming to my college next year. She came down and I gave her a tour of the campus. Then we hit the beach, and then we went downtown and got ice cream. If that's not a good few days right there, I don't know what is.
It's easy to praise God when things are going well. It's easier to be spiritual when it's nice outside and your homework is done and you have a pleasant weekend to look forward to, free of drama and stress. But now that these wonderful days are here, I feel bad for not having praised God enough when it was miserable outside, when I was stressed out over homework and dealing with a break-up. Yes, I praised Him. I read my Bible and prayed and went to Campus Crusade and church and all that, but my heart didn't sing. Today and yesterday, the days of beauty as I call them, my heart felt like it was just singing Psalm 104 all day long. Constant praise. Constant thanks to God for all that He has given me. I want that more often. I want it even when times are tough (and let's face it, I'm an American college student with a good family, friends, and a warm bed; times are never really tough).
So that's what I aim to do. When things are looking down, I need to praise God for all that I have anyway, because it's a lot more than the vast majority of the people in this world have. Even if I can't find it in my heart to praise Him for that (and I really shouldn't be so spiritually immature), I can at least praise Him for the coming wonders. Rain doesn't last forever. Stress doesn't last forever. Heartache and grief don't last forever. So you praise God for what is to come, for the sunny days and the peace and the companionship of friends and family. Isn't that what praise is all about? Aren't we praising God for allowing us to have that one fine day at the end of everything, when the gloom that was our lives here subsides and we finally get to see the sunny day that is the Kingdom of God? Isn't that why we cry out, "How long?" I guess the same thing can be applied on a smaller scale. The rain stops eventually, but even while it's pouring (in a multitude of ways), we can still praise.
Autumn is back in North Carolina, and as always it's a big hit in my book. I love the cool breezes and the clear blue skies. The natural world may begin to die in autumn, but to tell the truth I'd be hard-pressed to find a time of year that filled me with a greater sense of warmth, newness, truth, and light.
Today I was walking back from my old dorm towards my apartment. As I walked, the sun shone right in my eyes. There was just so much light! I saw people out--some I knew, most I didn't--playing soccer, tennis, volleyball, and basketball. People were out walking, running, riding their bikes, playing with their dogs. It was just all so nice, and to think this happens all the time and I barely notice it. I also had the song "Wind" by Japanese pianist Akeboshi in my head. Despite the fact that Akeboshi's thick accent is hard to understand, it's still a beautiful song. Either way, I could really feel God's presence there with me.
I wonder if I can feel like that every day, when the sun is not in my eyes and the weather isn't as perfect. How about when I'm caught in the rain, when I'm stressed out, when my life isn't going the way I want it to, when there are no good songs in my head. Can I still feel God's presence then?
Surely I can, for He is always with me. A beautiful God, He takes me as I am, though others may not. No wonder I would give up love and family to serve Him. To feel everyday the way I've felt today--even when the September high passes--would be worth it.
Starting Monday, I will be in my last week of classes for the year. After that are final exams, and so, in less than twenty days, I will be home, and my freshman year of college will be completely over. Period. End of discussion. I really didn't know time could pass this quickly. It's simply unreal. I don't know if this will be my last post of the semester. I really hope it isn't, but just in case it is I wanted to get some things off my chest.
Last night I just decided to go through all of the pictures I had taken this past year. I also just wrote down all the random memories of the whole college experience that couldn't be captured in photographs. By the end of it, there was just this really strange (but familiar) rising in my chest. I guess "joy" is probably the best word for it.
By no means was this year perfect. I am still human, after all. I'm still a sinner, and I have sinned and felt the consequences of those sins in this past year. But I have also grown in my relationship with God. Where I am weak, He is strong. Where I have done wrong and hung my head in guilt and shame, He has been there to forgive me and get me back on my feet again. I can't even begin to describe how that feels sometimes. I'm not even sure there's a word for it. It just feels like grace.
I am trying right now, as hard as I can, to look upon this past year and take in everything that happened in equal regard. Both good and bad were part of the experience, because life is both good and bad. The bad helps us learn and grow, the good gives us something to look forward to and a reason to keep going. So I look back and remember both the cherished times with friends and the petty fights. I remember the spiritual highs and the lows. I remember the parties, the dances, the movies, the books, the classes, the quiet times, the loud times, the clubs, the coffee shops, the midnight runs to Target, the holidays, the deaths of family members and friends, the new life of my niece, my father and mother and brother and sister. I think back on it all.
Even if you aren't in college, I recommend that. I recommend just taking a moment and thinking back on your year. Think back on your entire life if it suits you. And do not judge it or weigh it or take any part as irrelevant. Because though some of it may not have been right or good, it all mattered. Every little event does something to shape who you are today. And if you like who you are today (and I certainly do) then you owe it all a nice big "Thank you."
And that's why right now I'm telling God, the Lord of my wondrous life, "Thank you." That's all, and that's enough. I'm telling all of you thank you, too, because you've been with me all this year and I hope you'll stay with me in the summer, and maybe next year too (we'll see if this blog lasts until then). I'm eternally grateful to everyone.
You know, the title was supposed to be a reference to the saying "All good things come to an end." It was supposed to be a reference to this year, which is sadly coming to a close. But you know what? It's not really ending. The memories, and the impact they have on me, are still with me, and they'll never be gone. I guess all good things just keep on going. Wonderful, ain't it? Have a blessed day, everyone.
Amanda honored me by listing me as one of the five bloggers who make her think. So, now it's up to me to give that same honor to more bloggers. I think I'll go a step further than Amanda and list the reasons these people make my list, because I'm just in that kind of mood tonight (no offense Mandi!) The following are in no particular order.
1. Disputed Mutability: This woman is sharp as a tack and probably has one of the smartest Spirit-centered blogs that I've ever come across. She handles gay and ex-gay issues with a poise that I wish I could muster, and I have to say that I agree with almost everything she's ever written. When I was starting out I didn't agree with the Calvinism stuff, but as you can see that's changed now. :)
2. Warren Throckmorton: Once again, intelligence, eloquence, and rationality are things I admire, and Dr. Throckmorton exemplifies them all.
3. Willful Grace: I honestly don't know where I'd be without this woman's blog. Her testimony, compassion, and sense of grace are things that I wish all people had. I'm working towards being more like that, too.
4. Resolving Realities: I just discovered this blog, and I have to say I was blown away. David can really write and I really need to stop by and comment more over there. It's interesting to hear the story of someone who, on the surface, is going through the same situation you are, but is doing so from a different angle.
5. Tin Man and the Lion: Their story and journey of faith as a family is something that I find so fascinating and, sometimes, even inspiring. I may not agree with everything, but it is definitely a blog that makes me think, and just judging by some comments, I think Tin Man is a really cool guy.
I tried to avoid putting people who had already gotten props on the list, but Randy Thomas and La Shawn Barber are definitely honorable mentions. That's it, then! Let the game continue.
P.S. I hope no one feels snubbed after this. ;) I know Amanda and Randy are the only two VOX bloggers on here, but I figured that if the other blogs made me think, then maybe some of you all would like them too. Enjoy!
I am terribly sorry that I didn't "live blog" from New Orleans as promised. The hotel where we stayed did not offer free Internet access (I could buy it for $5.00 an hour, though: yeah right). To be honest, I probably wouldn't have blogged even if I could have. There was simply too much to do and I was too tired most nights. Therefore, I hope this little wrap-up will do justice to that absolutely amazing week.
I might as well start off at the beginning: the sixteen-hour drive we had to take to get from NC to Nawlins. Raised in a somewhat Bohemian household, I know how to appreciate the wonders of travel and being on the road (5AM gas station runs, heading to fast-food places right before closing time, etc.) Still, it is a little tiring after awhile, especially when all you're seeing is hours of indistinguishable interstate. The best part of the drive was the great music I listened to from everyone's mixtapes. As soon as I got back to NC, you best believe I started downloading some Imogen Heap, Iver, The Appleseed Cast (Peregrine rocks!), Modest Mouse, and the soundtrack to Wicked (Idina Menzel is a stage goddess, by the way).
The organization that I went to New Orleans with was my campus' chapter of Campus Crusade for Christ, an excellent group that I've written about before and am blessed to have found. There were over 300 volunteers from "Cru" in New Orleans for Spring Break, some driving from as far away as Maine and California. We all stayed in the downtown Hilton, a hotel that seemed rather ritzy for a bunch of college-aged volunteers (of course, we later learned that "Cru" was given a discount, as are many other volunteer groups). I'll admit it was very nice and I hadn't been looking forward to sleeping in tents like the volunteers last year did anyway. However, it felt wrong to return to a hotel with two heated pools, tennis courts, and lavish room service every night after viewing the utter devastation that most of the city was still dealing with.
And Nawlins was definitely devastated. I was expecting there to have been a lot more rebuilt than what actually turned out to be the case. The majority of the houses have barely been touched since Katrina, and from the estimates I've heard, only about a fourth of the city's original population has returned. It was sad, and almost overwhelming, to see the devastation. Driving around in the Ninth Ward was like being in an abandoned, war-torn city. There was literally nothing there except rubble and the remnants of houses. I almost cried.
I almost cried after finishing my week of volunteer work, too, but that was because I was really sad that it was ending. My team (of about 15 students) did a little bit of everything throughout the week, from house gutting to yard work to cleaning up the cafeteria and playground at an elementary school. I met such a wonderful sampling of people, and the hope I could see in them was almost too much to bear. There was a man who lost his album collection (of over 200,000) and Catholic man with a Jewish fiancee who were going to get married in the garden of their newly reconstructed house (by an "Episcopalian Wiccan" friend of theirs, no less). There was a very chatty waitress at Cafe du Monde and several cafeteria ladies with thick Creole accents, and an old woman who knew everything about everybody in her neighborhood, and a Baptist minister who led us in prayer and then fixed pina colada smoothies for us after we had finished working. And then there were some AmeriCorps hippies who were living in a warehouse downtown and who invited us to a bonfire on our last night (where we also heard a musician named "Sista Otis" play).
It was, in a word, magical. And the whole experience brought me closer to God and closer to other people. I'm sure I missed something profound that happened, because there was so much that was important to me that I can't fit it all in one post. All I know is that it was a great time, and I definitely want to go back. Peace out.
P.S. I have a lot of post ideas hitting me right now, so check back every other day or so for them. I promise I'll get them done this time. Nawlins really energized me to, you know, do that "W" word. :)
