- The weather was nice to us, in the 40s most days, with rain far less than anticipated
- Traveling in a group is NOT overrated- I'll stick to my independent travels anyday!
- ^^That being said, it was priceless to have great friends (old and new) with me to share the experience with. Especially since they'll still understand and laugh at new jokes with me now that we've returned!
- I am more of a Wesleyan than I thought. I LOVED seeing, touching, "feeling" the presence of the Wesleys in the historic places in England. This was truly a Methodist pilgrimage... and it was amazing.
- My favorite moment was when all 14 in our group + Jennie (Assoc. Pastor at City Road Methodist Church) gathered in John Wesley's private prayer room in his house for a time of reflection an prayer. It was a holy moment; the presence of God among us was thick, and I believe all but 2 were moved to tears (I was NOT one of those 2!). I live for moments like that... moments when the closeness of God is intense, so real...
- Least favorite moment, though its funny now, was "getting" to go outside in the cold in the middle of the night for a fire alarm in our hotel the night before we left. 2 alarms, actually- but at least I got a "souvenir" hypothermia blanket! :)
- There is no place like home. A warm, cozy bed, pure, blissful silence and "alone time." It can't be beat!
- From the airplane (or Heather...), I picked up a cold. Its not terrible yet, but I hope it doesn't get any worse!
- Trips away are NOT restful. The first night upon arrival to Chicago I was allowed to both go to bed early AND sleep in, I slept for 13 hours straight with no interruption. Accidentally, of course (8pm-9am), but I am thankful for the opportunity because I must have needed it!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Home from England
England was absolutely lovely, and I am glad to have finally made it to our mother country. Since I can't write a long review, here are a few things worth noting:
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Cambridge is beautiful!
Greetings from Cambridge!
England is a wonderful, beautiful country! I am so glad to have finally made it here!
We're staying in Cambridge and spending our days in lectures at Wesley Church. Today we had a bit of time to walk around in Cambridge, and it is SO beautiful! I can't wait to have more time to go into the Cathedrals, see more places, just roam the streets. The best part of being in England is the architecture. Its so distinct, so elegant, so beautiful!
We also made it to Ely today. The Cathedral was beautiful, but I didn't get many pictures as I spent so much time marveling in it, that by the time we really had a chance to, it was getting dark. *sigh*
It really was a brilliant idea to study the Wesley's and early Methodism from England. Our British lecturers have been brilliant, and I am quite sure I would not have been so engaged had we sat in a classroom in the US to hear something of a far different perspective from an American. And as we fight jet-lag, that's really saying something!
I'm looking forward to the rest of the trip: seeing more of Cambridge, spending time in London, Bristol and Oxford... it is going to be great!!
Surely there will be more udpates, though not necessarily until I after I return. (the internet here is EXPENSIVE!!)
oh...and how could I forget? Happy Birthday, Aaron! (my little brother turns 22 today!). That, and I can't wait to hear how the primaries go tonight in New Hampshire...
England is a wonderful, beautiful country! I am so glad to have finally made it here!
We're staying in Cambridge and spending our days in lectures at Wesley Church. Today we had a bit of time to walk around in Cambridge, and it is SO beautiful! I can't wait to have more time to go into the Cathedrals, see more places, just roam the streets. The best part of being in England is the architecture. Its so distinct, so elegant, so beautiful!
We also made it to Ely today. The Cathedral was beautiful, but I didn't get many pictures as I spent so much time marveling in it, that by the time we really had a chance to, it was getting dark. *sigh*
It really was a brilliant idea to study the Wesley's and early Methodism from England. Our British lecturers have been brilliant, and I am quite sure I would not have been so engaged had we sat in a classroom in the US to hear something of a far different perspective from an American. And as we fight jet-lag, that's really saying something!
I'm looking forward to the rest of the trip: seeing more of Cambridge, spending time in London, Bristol and Oxford... it is going to be great!!
Surely there will be more udpates, though not necessarily until I after I return. (the internet here is EXPENSIVE!!)
oh...and how could I forget? Happy Birthday, Aaron! (my little brother turns 22 today!). That, and I can't wait to hear how the primaries go tonight in New Hampshire...
Friday, January 4, 2008
Reading, Writing, and Diet Coke
Reading. Writing. Drinking too much caffeine. This is what I have been doing for the past 3 weeks.
Sleeping. Exercising. Eating healthy. Relaxing. These are things I have not been doing enough over the past 4 weeks.
This fall semester was by far the most difficult term I have ever faced. This difficulty came for a variety of reasons. I took an overload of very demanding classes, I had just returned from the trip of a lifetime... Feeling refreshed and "ready to go," I took on extra tasks readily and energetically.
Then I discovered that the life I led all summer in South Africa- a life that included working hard at different sorts of challenges than I had ever previously faced- also allowed for something I have never before taken enough time for: rest. Work is done best- and is most effective- when the worker has also taken proper time to rest and to care for their whole self. I was able to do that all summer.
Returning to the States with a new (albeit unintentionally) mindset, I have concluded that pushing myself "too hard" does more harm than good. So my boundaries have been reinforced. In terms of school work, this has meant I put into practice these ideas:
*When I am up studying at night and can't keep my eyes open, I should sleep.
*My work will be there in the morning. Some things are just more important than reading an article or writing a paper by a specific deadline.
*My grades will not make or break me as a future leader. What is important is that I am learning, not that I can make it look like I'm learning by having "good grades" on paper.
*Caring for only a part of oneself is not wholly beneficial. Physical, emotional, and spiritual well being should be cared for by one another side-by-side, not "one at a time." Sometimes, this means sacrificing other things in life... but it is worth it.
*Community is essential. While I do not rest my self-worth, etc on how others see me, I do recognize that without community and the power/encouragement/support/knowledge of the collective, an individual can do far less.
*Big change doesn't come overnight, and it can't work on "a plan." It requires a lifestyle change through and through- whether something as "small" as a diet (I've lost 12 pounds since 1 November!) or as important as spiritual practices, it takes time, prayer, and persistence to see change.
Why, then, have I been neglecting these new "life rules" by which I have been living over the past few months? Unfortunately, my overload of work has caught up to me... well, that, and with an upcoming trip to England, I don't want to be bogged down by intense amounts of work (and books) in a hotel room while there. In an effort to get as much done as possible, I have resorted to caffeine as my drug of choice and taking only one extension- which I intentionally (whether intelligent or not) set the due date as such that I HAVE to get it done before leaving for J-term.
For better or worse, I will be caught up soon. (and sleep deprived while still high on caffeine. Yes, it really does effect me that much, as I otherwise try not to drink it often).
Next semester will be different. Somehow.
Sleeping. Exercising. Eating healthy. Relaxing. These are things I have not been doing enough over the past 4 weeks.
This fall semester was by far the most difficult term I have ever faced. This difficulty came for a variety of reasons. I took an overload of very demanding classes, I had just returned from the trip of a lifetime... Feeling refreshed and "ready to go," I took on extra tasks readily and energetically.
Then I discovered that the life I led all summer in South Africa- a life that included working hard at different sorts of challenges than I had ever previously faced- also allowed for something I have never before taken enough time for: rest. Work is done best- and is most effective- when the worker has also taken proper time to rest and to care for their whole self. I was able to do that all summer.
Returning to the States with a new (albeit unintentionally) mindset, I have concluded that pushing myself "too hard" does more harm than good. So my boundaries have been reinforced. In terms of school work, this has meant I put into practice these ideas:
*When I am up studying at night and can't keep my eyes open, I should sleep.
*My work will be there in the morning. Some things are just more important than reading an article or writing a paper by a specific deadline.
*My grades will not make or break me as a future leader. What is important is that I am learning, not that I can make it look like I'm learning by having "good grades" on paper.
*Caring for only a part of oneself is not wholly beneficial. Physical, emotional, and spiritual well being should be cared for by one another side-by-side, not "one at a time." Sometimes, this means sacrificing other things in life... but it is worth it.
*Community is essential. While I do not rest my self-worth, etc on how others see me, I do recognize that without community and the power/encouragement/support/knowledge of the collective, an individual can do far less.
*Big change doesn't come overnight, and it can't work on "a plan." It requires a lifestyle change through and through- whether something as "small" as a diet (I've lost 12 pounds since 1 November!) or as important as spiritual practices, it takes time, prayer, and persistence to see change.
Why, then, have I been neglecting these new "life rules" by which I have been living over the past few months? Unfortunately, my overload of work has caught up to me... well, that, and with an upcoming trip to England, I don't want to be bogged down by intense amounts of work (and books) in a hotel room while there. In an effort to get as much done as possible, I have resorted to caffeine as my drug of choice and taking only one extension- which I intentionally (whether intelligent or not) set the due date as such that I HAVE to get it done before leaving for J-term.
For better or worse, I will be caught up soon. (and sleep deprived while still high on caffeine. Yes, it really does effect me that much, as I otherwise try not to drink it often).
Next semester will be different. Somehow.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Iowa Caucus Results are In!
Ahh, caucusing. Politicians began their campaigns well over a year ago, and we’re now down to the final moments (read: months) of battles from within each party…
As I don’t have TV to watch from home and decided to stay home and attempt to keep working (read: attempt- I was far too distracted by the caucuses to actually get any work done), I found myself constantly refreshing internet pages to see the results as they poured in of the first night of primaries: The Iowa Caucus.
The Democrats at least had it together for persons like myself who were anxiously awaiting results from the internet. iowacaucusresults.com offered results as they came in, automatically updating every 30 seconds. I was surprised to find Edwards in a strong lead in the beginning, with Hillary in an (almost) close second and Obama in a far third. This didn’t last long, though, as gaps were quickly closed and by 8:00 Clinton was pushed back into third place where I predicted she’d be, with Edwards slowly falling further behind Obama. By the time all results were in by 10pm, the results were as follows:
Obama 38%
Edwards 30%
Clinton 29%
The Republicans did not have such a friendly site... I eventually found a neutral site, but their statistics were slow and not as up-to-date. It did have Huckabee in a decent lead from the beginning, though, just as I expected. He maintained this lead throughout the night, and by 8:20 they were calling it a win for him. While Huckabee had a similar % vote to the Democratic ‘winner’ Obama, the rest of the Republican vote was much more split. The results as such:
Huckabee 34%
Romney 26%
Thompson 13%
McCain 13%
Paul 10%
No big surprises here... I did expect Edwards to do a little better, but as you can see below, this is pretty much what I predicted. Nothing like a kick-off to a new year with early elections!
This is so beautiful, truly even though this is only the first of many primaries, this is a huge step for our nation. "Stand for Change" is Obama's slogan, and indeed change has begun. For the first time since 1988 (Jesse Jackson), a primary has been won by an African American. Hillary Clinton- a woman- is still in the top running, practically tied for second place in the Democratic race. Of the top 3, only ONE is our typical "white male" - how beautiful is that?!?!
Obama began his Victory speech with this:
If you wish to see all the final results (better than the "neutral site" I used above), I thought this local news broadcaster did a great job updating all night as well. (and of course... within hours, every national news station will have the results listed as well).
Peace be with you as we move forth and anxiously move forward to more nights like this one as we continue to seek the change our nation needs.
As I don’t have TV to watch from home and decided to stay home and attempt to keep working (read: attempt- I was far too distracted by the caucuses to actually get any work done), I found myself constantly refreshing internet pages to see the results as they poured in of the first night of primaries: The Iowa Caucus.
The Democrats at least had it together for persons like myself who were anxiously awaiting results from the internet. iowacaucusresults.com offered results as they came in, automatically updating every 30 seconds. I was surprised to find Edwards in a strong lead in the beginning, with Hillary in an (almost) close second and Obama in a far third. This didn’t last long, though, as gaps were quickly closed and by 8:00 Clinton was pushed back into third place where I predicted she’d be, with Edwards slowly falling further behind Obama. By the time all results were in by 10pm, the results were as follows:
Obama 38%
Edwards 30%
Clinton 29%
The Republicans did not have such a friendly site... I eventually found a neutral site, but their statistics were slow and not as up-to-date. It did have Huckabee in a decent lead from the beginning, though, just as I expected. He maintained this lead throughout the night, and by 8:20 they were calling it a win for him. While Huckabee had a similar % vote to the Democratic ‘winner’ Obama, the rest of the Republican vote was much more split. The results as such:
Huckabee 34%
Romney 26%
Thompson 13%
McCain 13%
Paul 10%
No big surprises here... I did expect Edwards to do a little better, but as you can see below, this is pretty much what I predicted. Nothing like a kick-off to a new year with early elections!
This is so beautiful, truly even though this is only the first of many primaries, this is a huge step for our nation. "Stand for Change" is Obama's slogan, and indeed change has begun. For the first time since 1988 (Jesse Jackson), a primary has been won by an African American. Hillary Clinton- a woman- is still in the top running, practically tied for second place in the Democratic race. Of the top 3, only ONE is our typical "white male" - how beautiful is that?!?!
Obama began his Victory speech with this:
“They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set to high. They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned to ever come together under a common person…On this night, you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do..."Well friends, "they" were wrong. Praise God for the big wins and the united front with record highs in turn-outs to the [Democratic] primaries. Republicans, Democrats, Independents alike all came together- I have never before seen such a united front for any candidate on either side. This gives me hope.
If you wish to see all the final results (better than the "neutral site" I used above), I thought this local news broadcaster did a great job updating all night as well. (and of course... within hours, every national news station will have the results listed as well).
Peace be with you as we move forth and anxiously move forward to more nights like this one as we continue to seek the change our nation needs.
My Political Profile
As caucusing/the first primary election is going on right now (and you better believe I'm anxiously watching!), I thought it appropriate to take this "political quiz" that was sent to me. I think the results are interesting, for better or worse... and certainly different than they would have been 5 years ago! Of course it can't be accurate when its a true/false kind of question (and there are lots of grey areas), but its interesting, all the same. :)
| Your Political Profile: |
 Overall: 10% Conservative, 90% Liberal Social Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal Defense and Crime: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal |
A Political Life
Today is a busy day, indeed, with lots to think about.
Sad news has arrived today. It has been announced that Dr. Sujin Pak, a history professor here at Garrett, will be leaving her post to move on to teaching at Duke University. She is one of our strongest faculty (or at least one of my favorite), and she has been greatly missed this semester as she was on sabbatical/maternity leave. I wish I could squeeze in another class with her before she leaves, but my schedule is already overbooked for the spring...
Caucusing starts tonight in Iowa. I wish I were there! I am looking forward to finishing enough work that I can sit in front of a television and watch history unfold tonight. I "feel" like they're going to go with Obama, with greatest competition from Edwards. Sorry, but I just don't think Hillary Clinton is going to swing Iowa. She didn't "show her face" enough to those Iowa really cares about- the rural communities, the farmers, the "nobodies" that don't live in cities. Edwards and Obama did a great job at this, and I think Clinton's add campaign last night during every 6pm news broadcast in the state may have been "too little, too late." But I guess we'll see! (I also have to say that I LOVE Dennis Kucinich, but he's so far from winning I wouldn't want to "waste" a vote on him...)
*Republicans? I'm not sure... it seems a lot closer (though maybe that's because I'm so indifferent?). I would guess Mike Huckabee in first, with Mitt Romney behind him. I don't feel like the Republican party has any outstanding candidates this time around. Maybe they'll prove me wrong and in the next 11 months before the election someone will somehow impress me?
I'm still praying for Pakistan as investigations continue and decisions are made about their elections...
I am still in shock and distress and deeply saddened by the turmoil in Kenya. With over 300 lives lost and 70,000 displaced since Sunday's election, I can't imagine what they are going through. Unfortunately, this kind of unrest is not incredibly unfamiliar to many parts of the world, but somehow this struck me a little harder than usual, and I am weighed down by it. Perhaps this is good, as it has allowed for me to stay in prayer with and for them. I just hope President Mwai Kibaki's promise to speak to his opposition is not "too little, too late," as he has refused to speak to them until the violence has ended. May God be with Kenya, her leaders and her people...
Politics. That's what our lives come down to. No matter how much we may or may not want them to, they dominate us. There is no avoiding it. Even in the Church we are political. In many ways, we must be. Jesus surely was. Let us come together in this season of change, that we might work toward a greater change in all of our communities, whether local, national, or global. Starting and participating in politics locally in Christ-like ways: this is the key to effecting global change. Whoever said the power of one has no power at all, lied to you. Every big change that has ever happened has started with the power of one person who believed they could make a difference. That's why I'll be calling our politicians into question this election year. I'll be making my ONE vote count. I hope you'll do the same.
Sad news has arrived today. It has been announced that Dr. Sujin Pak, a history professor here at Garrett, will be leaving her post to move on to teaching at Duke University. She is one of our strongest faculty (or at least one of my favorite), and she has been greatly missed this semester as she was on sabbatical/maternity leave. I wish I could squeeze in another class with her before she leaves, but my schedule is already overbooked for the spring...
Caucusing starts tonight in Iowa. I wish I were there! I am looking forward to finishing enough work that I can sit in front of a television and watch history unfold tonight. I "feel" like they're going to go with Obama, with greatest competition from Edwards. Sorry, but I just don't think Hillary Clinton is going to swing Iowa. She didn't "show her face" enough to those Iowa really cares about- the rural communities, the farmers, the "nobodies" that don't live in cities. Edwards and Obama did a great job at this, and I think Clinton's add campaign last night during every 6pm news broadcast in the state may have been "too little, too late." But I guess we'll see! (I also have to say that I LOVE Dennis Kucinich, but he's so far from winning I wouldn't want to "waste" a vote on him...)
*Republicans? I'm not sure... it seems a lot closer (though maybe that's because I'm so indifferent?). I would guess Mike Huckabee in first, with Mitt Romney behind him. I don't feel like the Republican party has any outstanding candidates this time around. Maybe they'll prove me wrong and in the next 11 months before the election someone will somehow impress me?
If anyone hasn't been following the elections and would like more information on any of the candidates, a good place to start would be The Washington Posts's brief run-down on leading candidates- the links above will take you to this profile. Or you can check out the NY Times coverage on the candidates and the main issues... these are only 2 of many sites with their own biases and agendas that are trying to cover the issues. NPR is also doing a great job at covering the election news... but as always, I suggest taking the time to google the candidates you're interested in for more information.
I'm still praying for Pakistan as investigations continue and decisions are made about their elections...
I am still in shock and distress and deeply saddened by the turmoil in Kenya. With over 300 lives lost and 70,000 displaced since Sunday's election, I can't imagine what they are going through. Unfortunately, this kind of unrest is not incredibly unfamiliar to many parts of the world, but somehow this struck me a little harder than usual, and I am weighed down by it. Perhaps this is good, as it has allowed for me to stay in prayer with and for them. I just hope President Mwai Kibaki's promise to speak to his opposition is not "too little, too late," as he has refused to speak to them until the violence has ended. May God be with Kenya, her leaders and her people...
Politics. That's what our lives come down to. No matter how much we may or may not want them to, they dominate us. There is no avoiding it. Even in the Church we are political. In many ways, we must be. Jesus surely was. Let us come together in this season of change, that we might work toward a greater change in all of our communities, whether local, national, or global. Starting and participating in politics locally in Christ-like ways: this is the key to effecting global change. Whoever said the power of one has no power at all, lied to you. Every big change that has ever happened has started with the power of one person who believed they could make a difference. That's why I'll be calling our politicians into question this election year. I'll be making my ONE vote count. I hope you'll do the same.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Post-dated entries
For anyone who may notice the sudden change in posts on this blog...
As I have been away from the internet for a couple of weeks, I have not posted any new entries. However, I have been writing them. So I have post-dated several entries and finally posted them tonight. Enjoy!
As I have been away from the internet for a couple of weeks, I have not posted any new entries. However, I have been writing them. So I have post-dated several entries and finally posted them tonight. Enjoy!
Happy 2008!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
It is hard to believe it is 2008 already! 2007 was a phenomenal year for me, and I only hope 2008 can be better!
I spent my New Year’s Eve with friends over dinner, to the tune of live entertainment by our friend Andrew Collins.
It is hard to believe it is 2008 already! 2007 was a phenomenal year for me, and I only hope 2008 can be better!
I spent my New Year’s Eve with friends over dinner, to the tune of live entertainment by our friend Andrew Collins.
After dinner, a few of us headed to downtown Chicago 
at midnight . It couldn’t have been more perfect… the snow was falling (also meaning it was warmer…), the park we went to watch in had virtually no tourists (they all went to the Pier) so it wasn’t busy… we walked, laughed, snapped a few photos, and smiled about all that is yet to come in the new year. It was beautiful and wonderful, and I would have wanted to spend it no other way.
at As I am not big on making “New Year’s Resolutions,” I have only 2 desires for the coming year.
1- To keep living my life as fully as possible, making room for surprises and new possibilities to truly LIVE and explore the opportunities God places in front of me (whatever that may be). (This certainly came true last year, from traveling (South Africa, Niagara Falls, DC, etc- lots of new places!) to vocation (Holy Covenant, missions, Blood:Water volunteering), etc.)
2- To keep focusing on my health in positive ways. This includes everything from making sure I’m taking proper “me time” to continuing to go to the gym on a regular basis (at least 4 days a week!) and trying to eat healthy. Its not about dieting, etc.- its about a lifestyle change. For me, that change has meant I dropped 12 pounds since November 1, and I definitely haven’t been dieting!
The most important (global) event I keep thinking about for 2008? The presidential election in November. 384 Days until GW Bush is out of office forever!!!
I wish for you the very best in 2008!!!
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