Today I stopped at a farmers market on my way home from work. I was excited to buy mangoes, since I hadn’t eaten them for awhile. Before I left Cambodia they weren’t quite ripe, and as the kids ate them green and dipped in chili and salt, I never found it to be quite the same!
I found them in a basket; soft, ripe and perfect. As I peeled one earlier, I thought about Cambodia. Mango season is in full swing. It’s a lot hotter than it is here. I miss it.
Cutting up a mango reminds me of the way I sometimes felt when I was there. Sometimes my life seemed perfect on the outside.
(well maybe not perfect, but almost!) Cutting it open, with a bit of a struggle, it got messy, sticky, and difficult to get rid of the peel. Many of my days reminded me of these things in myself. I was faced with my own shortcomings, sin, weakness, and messiness in daily situations. This was difficult and sometimes discouraging. My peeler wasn’t sharp enough and I needed a knife. I felt like sometimes the Lord had to use more difficult things to break me when His more gentle efforts didn’t work, and I was left discouraged, broken, and tired. My hands were a mess, but I soon had the mango cut apart and ready to eat. The mess was worth the sweetness of the fruit, and I am already excitedly awaiting my return to Cambodia.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
voting and good friday
Today I went down the street to the Multnomah County Elections Office and registered to vote in the state of Oregon. I had been previously registered, but needed to update my information. Reregistering was actually a bit symbolic, because this time I was excited as I walked out of the office. Let’s just say I was never particularly excited about registering to vote the last time I did, or excited about voting itself for that matter. I think it was done a bit more out of obligation.
If you know me well you know that I have never been much into politics, or interested in elections or keeping up to date with a lot of things going on in the world. I hate even admitting this. I don’t know why it was not important to me, but I admit it was not. I am happy to say this is different now. I am not, by any means, claiming to be an expert or all of a sudden miraculously informed and totally up to date with all of the current events in the world. But now my mindset has totally changed, and for that, I am excited.
Today we celebrate Good Friday, the day Jesus died for us.
Yes, the connection. I’m getting there.
I felt like my time in Cambodia made the world look totally different to me than it previously did, which you might think is a given. Well yes. But I realized in a new- more clear-way through interaction with Cambodians and other people from all over the world the power of the United States. The decisions we make as a nation and as individuals matter to people in the furthest corners of Asia, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Africa, and on and on and on around the world.
Again, this is an obvious fact, but for some reason was only recently made very real to me.
Our decisions DIRECTLY affect these people that Jesus died for!
How can we NOT be concerned about the decisions our nation makes?!
I am not advocating support of the democrats or the republicans, or even getting into some of the issues of importance. I am just making the connection. The United States controls the world on many different levels, and as citizens of this country, the least we can do is stay informed, pray, and help to make decisions on behalf of those who don’t get the opportunity to do so, but whom our decisions directly affect. It seems so painfully obvious to me now I feel awful it took me twenty five years to finally get it.
Jesus died for you, for me, and for the woman I passed on the corner today holding a “homeless with a child” sign. He also died for the genocide victims and perpetuators in Darfur, for the soldiers and civilians in Iraq, and for those in Asia worshipping Buddha. I might not know these people or ever be directly involved in their lives. But if Jesus cares enough for each of them to die, I think He commands me to care, too. He died for each of us in the midst of our sin and selfishness, so who I am to judge my neighbor? At the very least I can be informed, so as to be involved in making decisions independently and with my nation that make a direct difference in the lives of those Christ died for. And most of all, so I can serve them better in prayer.
Lord, give us soft hearts to care about the world and individuals the way You do. Forgive the times our egocentrism, judgment, apathy, and ignorance prevents us from loving and caring for Your children. Amen.
“Teacher, which command in God’s law is the most important?”
Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion, prayer, and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and in the Prophets hangs from them.”
Matthew 22:36-40 The Message
If you know me well you know that I have never been much into politics, or interested in elections or keeping up to date with a lot of things going on in the world. I hate even admitting this. I don’t know why it was not important to me, but I admit it was not. I am happy to say this is different now. I am not, by any means, claiming to be an expert or all of a sudden miraculously informed and totally up to date with all of the current events in the world. But now my mindset has totally changed, and for that, I am excited.
Today we celebrate Good Friday, the day Jesus died for us.
Yes, the connection. I’m getting there.
I felt like my time in Cambodia made the world look totally different to me than it previously did, which you might think is a given. Well yes. But I realized in a new- more clear-way through interaction with Cambodians and other people from all over the world the power of the United States. The decisions we make as a nation and as individuals matter to people in the furthest corners of Asia, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Africa, and on and on and on around the world.
Again, this is an obvious fact, but for some reason was only recently made very real to me.
Our decisions DIRECTLY affect these people that Jesus died for!
How can we NOT be concerned about the decisions our nation makes?!
I am not advocating support of the democrats or the republicans, or even getting into some of the issues of importance. I am just making the connection. The United States controls the world on many different levels, and as citizens of this country, the least we can do is stay informed, pray, and help to make decisions on behalf of those who don’t get the opportunity to do so, but whom our decisions directly affect. It seems so painfully obvious to me now I feel awful it took me twenty five years to finally get it.
Jesus died for you, for me, and for the woman I passed on the corner today holding a “homeless with a child” sign. He also died for the genocide victims and perpetuators in Darfur, for the soldiers and civilians in Iraq, and for those in Asia worshipping Buddha. I might not know these people or ever be directly involved in their lives. But if Jesus cares enough for each of them to die, I think He commands me to care, too. He died for each of us in the midst of our sin and selfishness, so who I am to judge my neighbor? At the very least I can be informed, so as to be involved in making decisions independently and with my nation that make a direct difference in the lives of those Christ died for. And most of all, so I can serve them better in prayer.
Lord, give us soft hearts to care about the world and individuals the way You do. Forgive the times our egocentrism, judgment, apathy, and ignorance prevents us from loving and caring for Your children. Amen.
“Teacher, which command in God’s law is the most important?”
Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion, prayer, and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and in the Prophets hangs from them.”
Matthew 22:36-40 The Message
Thursday, March 20, 2008
post secret
I was in a bookstore the other night, and came across the book “Post Secret.” I couldn’t resist sitting down right there in the aisle and paging through it. Although I had seen it before, I had forgotten how fascinating it was. It is an artistic book that was started as a community art project in which people write their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard and mail them to "post secret," with an address in Maryland. It has been an ongoing project ever since it began in 2005, with new postcards recieved every day. People disclose all sorts of secrets: some easy to understand or relate to, and some not. One of my favorites said something like, “Sometimes I steal little things from my friends’ houses so I can hang them up and be reminded of how much I love them.” (I don’t steal things from my friends, but I thought that was so sweet! :)
I discovered there is a blogsite for Post Secret that is updated once a week. I added it to my links~ check it out!
I discovered there is a blogsite for Post Secret that is updated once a week. I added it to my links~ check it out!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
my best friend's wedding!
yesterday my little lamb got married!
what a fun day!
i love you my best friend...
(and your new, very sexy name... ;)
congratulations!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
gratitude
today I am thankful~
the newspaper~ never ending new good books to read~
a morning vanilla latte~ voice mail~ friends~
lunch at a random hole in the wall~
hanging out in the afternoon with nothing to “do”~
great conversation~ angel food cake and diet coke~
meaningful e-mails~ running in the rain~
the smell of the woods; damp and fresh~
good music~ time~ opportunity~
the newspaper~ never ending new good books to read~
a morning vanilla latte~ voice mail~ friends~
lunch at a random hole in the wall~
hanging out in the afternoon with nothing to “do”~
great conversation~ angel food cake and diet coke~
meaningful e-mails~ running in the rain~
the smell of the woods; damp and fresh~
good music~ time~ opportunity~
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
running in Portland
Views from Washington Park, one of the best places to run in Portland... seemingly endless miles of trails through the woods... the only killer is the hills! But I'll take them over traffic any day....
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Portland!
You know you are in Portland when:
The local Starbucks barista has jet black hair spiked into two devil horns... and a big smile.
On the corner of a busy street on Saturday marched a group of young people with all sorts of signs: “Honk for peace” “End the war” etc etc etc...
The elementary school a few blocks away has a mural painted on the side of the school by the children: “We are good stewards of the earth.” There is also a compost bin painted by the children in the corner of the playground.
Many city restaurants are teaming up tomorrow night for a local campaign “Dine for Darfur,” in which 25% of all proceeds will be sent to Darfur for aid relief efforts.
There are bumper stickers everywhere! I Vote Democrat, rainbow flags, Buy Organic, Recycle, Coexist, etc etc etc...
The “Eco-Green” store down the street sells organic paint.
All sorts of people hang out on the streets... they are playing various musical instruments, selling art, playing chess, telling ghost stories...
The punk college kid sitting at Starbucks with his Ipod shares his food and his time with a homeless man who has nothing in particular going on.
Every house in the neighborhood has the yellow “Portland Recycles” bin outside on the curb on Monday mornings.
It’s raining....but green and beautiful!
Just moved back “home” to Portland after being away for over a year!
It’s SO good to be back!!
The local Starbucks barista has jet black hair spiked into two devil horns... and a big smile.
On the corner of a busy street on Saturday marched a group of young people with all sorts of signs: “Honk for peace” “End the war” etc etc etc...
The elementary school a few blocks away has a mural painted on the side of the school by the children: “We are good stewards of the earth.” There is also a compost bin painted by the children in the corner of the playground.
Many city restaurants are teaming up tomorrow night for a local campaign “Dine for Darfur,” in which 25% of all proceeds will be sent to Darfur for aid relief efforts.
There are bumper stickers everywhere! I Vote Democrat, rainbow flags, Buy Organic, Recycle, Coexist, etc etc etc...
The “Eco-Green” store down the street sells organic paint.
All sorts of people hang out on the streets... they are playing various musical instruments, selling art, playing chess, telling ghost stories...
The punk college kid sitting at Starbucks with his Ipod shares his food and his time with a homeless man who has nothing in particular going on.
Every house in the neighborhood has the yellow “Portland Recycles” bin outside on the curb on Monday mornings.
It’s raining....but green and beautiful!
Just moved back “home” to Portland after being away for over a year!
It’s SO good to be back!!
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