Thursday, May 31, 2007

I See Three Convertables

Yesterday I took the kids I babysit to the pool. On our way back to the car one of them said, "I see three convertables." I looked around and saw the rather nice cars in their neat parking spaces.

3 months ago convertables were not a part of my life. Things were different, things seemed harsher. I went from the inner city to the Keith Hills Country Club pool. I went from public transit to parking amongst convertables.

I look at my life and see privelage. Not necessarily financial, but in security, relationships, and opportunity.

Maybe I'll stop taking it for granted.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Articles on Homelessness

Check out these articles that were on time.com. The first one is a little lengthy, but both are definitely worth a read. Let me know your opinion.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1625097,00.html

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1575776,00.html

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

So I am going to participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I first saw an ad for this while riding the L back in Chicago. I was interested, but figured it was something I wouldn't do. Well, as it turns out, it is something I'm gonna do. This October I will be going to Charlotte to walk either 26 or 39 miles over 2 days.

I would love to do 39 miles, but seeing that I've never walked this much at a time before, I am going to consider just doing the 26 miles. I am going to an informational meeting soon in Raleigh.

I'm very excited about this. It's not that I am trying to brag, I am just trying to share this experience. If you want to walk, or donate, or help in any way, let me know!

Check out the website:
http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_homepage

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Turtle in the Road and then a Better Part of the Entry

I was driving to the Divinity School hooding ceremony and I saw a turtle in the road. That is a prime animal rescuing incident. So I pulled over, in a rather stupid place, and felt my car strongly leaning to the right as I was about halfway in a ditch. Upon righting my car and moving up to park in a driveway, perpendicular to how driveways normally run, I realized there was a couple sitting on their porch watching me.

I hopped out in my dress and told them about the turtle, to which they responded that they thought my car was gonna tip over (when I became friends with the ditch) and that they thought I was going to run over the little guy.

I ran up to him on the back road and realized he was a honking huge fella. He went in his shell, I picked him up (standard turtle rescuing procedure), but then he started to go crazy and I dropped him. He scurried off into the grass. That's all.

Now for a more important portion of this entry. I recently read Hebrews 11. A lot of us know it as the Faith Chapter. In fact, I was pretty sure I knew what it said that I didn't necessarily feel like I needed to read it. But then I did read it and was like, whoa! I read it in the NIV and here are some verses that stood out:

"For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ~verse 10

Now this verse talks about Abraham living in tents in the wilderness, but I love how it relates directly to me too. Keep in mind that I am called to urban ministry. I just spent the semester in Chicago and it's pretty awesome. Amazing buildings, tons of people, so many cultures in one geographical landscape. But in my future Heavenly city the architect and builder is God! Whoa! I mean, cities now are great, but when they are designed and built by God!?! That is super amazing. Can you imagine?? Huge cities like Chicago and New York are nothing compared to the city God's got for us!

Other verses:

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earch.....Instead, they were looking for a better country- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." ~verses 13 and 16. Guys, we're temporary residents of this earth....there's something so much better! The heroes of the faith said as much and were looking forward to a heavenly country. God was not ashamed to be called their God! That is awesome enough to leave you speechless.

"God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." ~verse 40. I mean, wow! These amazing men of faith...some of them martyrs....need us, their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to be made perfect! God doesn't only use the gifts of the local church, he uses the gifts of the church throughout all time! Just makes me marvel.

It's absolutley fascinating to read through account after account of people acting on faith. Some of the stuff sounds pretty crazy, but they did it!

Seriously, read through this chapter and respond with a comment about what verses spoke to you. It's amazing how well we think we know something and then we go back and see so many different ways we can apply it to ourselves. God's word never ceases to be relevant.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Untitled

I'm pretty used to having the city at my fingertips. Nothing to do one afternoon? Hop the L and head down to the Loop. While living in NC isn't bad, it takes some getting used to.

I don't think it's easy to understand the transition that takes place. I'm not crying, I'm not sad, I'm not wishing I was still in Chicago. I have to say, prayer is working because this transition has been fairly easy compared to others.

But sometimes I just want to share a funny story or an insight I gained. Then I fear looking like I think I know it all. I know I am far from being close to knowing it all.

After 3 1/2 months of being around people with individual personalities, I am now in another environment full of people with their own personalities. Less than half a year ago it was totally normal to me, but now it's a little more foreign than I would have expected.

I find myself highly adaptable.....so much that it isn't always healthy. If I see a play or a movie I sometimes begin to take on the mood or a similar thought process as the characters, at least for a few minutes.

Sometimes I adapt to the people I am around. I try to fit into certain senses of humor or speech or ideas that I seem to lose a little sight of myself. When I do that it's just not good.

I wrote in one of my last email updates from Chicago about the issue of trust. Am I seen as trustworthy? I want to be. I hate gossip; it tears us apart. And yet, there I am, contiributing to it sometimes. Hold me accountable, ok? If you're reading this, hold me accountable. If it takes a village to raise a child then it takes a whole support network to nurture an individual.

I regret some things, but don't we all? It's the things I cherish that take greater precedence. What if I could really strip myself of selfishness?

My friend Mariko from Breakthrough had this to say, and I value it:

"may god bless you with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.....may god bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really can make a difference in this world, so that you are able, with god's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done."

Amen.

Friday, May 4, 2007

Roadside Encounter

Well, I was totally planning to see Jimmy Wayne in concert tomorrow night. In fact, I've been missing opportunity after opportunity of seeing the man play his guitar in person. The reason this time? My car.

I was driving home from an appointment in Fayetteville when I realized my "check gages" sign was on. After spending some time at a Jiffy Lube (where they told me what needed to be fixed but they didn't fix radiators)I figured it was ok to drive home because they gave me some coolant for my overheated car. That's didn't work out as well as planned. I pulled over at another gas station to discover that smoke was coming from underneath my hood.

The tears started to come because I was frustrated about my car, but mostly about not being able to drive 2 1/2 hours the next day to go see my favorite singer. A man wandered over and asked if I needed help. I said I was fine, but he insisted. So he began looking at my car and assuring me that God takes care of us.

He mentioned that he was homeless and told me that some people think homelessness is a joke. I imagine that he assumed I hadn't thought twice about homelessness. I could have told him I was in seminary or that I had just gotten back from a semester on the west side of Chicago. I could have let him know that I am a Christian.

But I didn't. I simply nodded my head when he told me that God takes care of us and thanked him. I think I was too upset to do much explaining, but maybe that was good. Maybe it was his turn to be in a teaching role and it was my turn to listen. Maybe I should just be happy I have a car and a place to sleep and worry a little less about seeing Jimmy Wayne.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

One Year

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." ~Joshua 1:9

These are words God spoke to Joshua, but I also beleive they are words he is speaking to me. Even when I am away from an environment I love, God is still with me. I find myself in this odd place. Who am I in the context of Buies Creek now that I have experienced what I've experienced?

This wasn't my first time living in the urban neighborhood I was ministering with and to, but this is probably the first time I don't doubt my calling. Of course there are the questions of what city, but I don't doubt my calling to a city.

Edward Gilbreath mentioned in his book, Reconciliation Blues, that he had to figure out who he was as a black Christian in a predominately white setting. I didn't get that at first, but I sure do now. Who am I as a Christian called to the urban and living in the rural?

One year. Time has shown how that flies by. I have one year in this environment and then its over. Sure I'll visit, I've got roots here. I'm starting to have roots all over the country.

One year. What amazing things is God going to do with this next period of my life? I look forward to finding out.