Community

My sister just returned from a trip to Mexico where she spent a few days working in a colonia, alongside several of her close friends from church. "George" also just returned, after visiting our dear friends, the Smiths, in China. In "debriefing" with each of them it was clear that the most remarkable and meaningful part of their trips was the relationships that were built or nourished during the time with friends/new acquaintances and through the experiences they shared with those people. They both came back tired, but not weary. They were refreshed and encouraged.

It reminded me that community is vital to the believer - vital to the health of the human soul. Without true and meaningful community our lives grow stagnant as our souls starve for fellowship and purpose. We need relationships where we are investing in one another's (daily) lives at levels which bring about true change, growth and strength... through admonishment, encouragement and a deep residing knowledge of one another. In our culture, we do not naturally cultivate true community. We are often emotionally and thus spiritually isolated. So I think the challenge for each of us is to figure out how we're going to live contrary to our cultural model and relate differently to those around us, working to build meaningful, lasting and Biblical community.

Factoids

Favorite spice: cinnamon
favorite board game: Pictionary
favorite thing to bake: chocolate chip cookies
favorite place to walk/hike: Oak Creek Canyon
favorite movie: "Amazing Grace"
favorite discussion topic: human interaction (i.e. relationships)
favorite wild animal: bears (obviously)
favorite speed to drive: 4 miles over the speed limit
favorite birthday gift: Muffy
favorite state to live: Oregon
favorite song: "It is Well"
favorite age: 19

Least favorite spice: (flavor) Anise
Least favorite board game: Risk
Least favorite thing to bake: bread on a rainy day (because it always falls flat)
Least favorite place to walk/hike: Phoenix, Arizona - too hot and dry
Least favorite movie: Liar, Liar
Least favorite discussion topic: Systematic Theology
Least favorite wild animal: Hyena
Lease favorite speed to drive: unstable stop-and-go traffic speeds
Least favorite birthday gift: frumpy sweater which didn't fit
Least favorite state to live: New Mexico
Least favorite song: "I wanna talk about me"
Least favorite age: 17

Looking forward

One thing I've noticed is that looking forward to things (events, activities, relationships, interactions with people/animals) keeps me motivated and gives me the ability to work through almost any amount of drudgery or difficulty. I seem to gauge time by events (happenings) rather than through any day by day calendar passing. I'm most easily discouraged when I don't have my eyes fixed ahead or outward (on other people).

Some things I'm looking forward to, right now:

1. Tuesday - lunch with my co-worker (she's going to share her testimony with me!)
2. Tuesday night - dinner with my sis - catch up time!!!
   
3. Wednesday afternoon - lunch with my sis who is coming to get a tour of my office
   
4. Wednesday night - George comes home from China!!!
   
5. Thursday evening - making Christmas presents
   
6. Friday - the last day of the work week and the start of the weekend
7. Saturday morning - ride on my favorite horse
   
8. Saturday night - who knows for sure, but I'm guessing something fun will happen!
   
9. Sunday - George comes home from California
10. Sunday - volleyball with a bunch of great friends
11. Monday - the start of a week where all of us will all be in town!
12. December (near the end) - Christmas!!! The parents and little sis are coming to Austin! Yippee!
13. January something-a-rather - baby horse will arrive!
    
14. ETC...
    

Life is most fulfilling when it is lived through interaction and in relationship to others, whether they are nearest and dearest or recent acquaintances. That's based on personal experience...

Curious George goes Abroad

It's true. And I miss him more than words can say. It has just dawned on me how pathetic I've become about being away from that boy. I guess I'm rather fond of him lately :-). It seems we've grown rather inseparable but I've only just become undeniably aware of it now that we're separated by so much distance. I suppose that's why they say distance can be good for a relationship? I don't know how much I agree with that statement. Isn't there something in the Bible that says husbands and wives should never be apart for longer than 12 hours at a time?

Well, this post isn't all about pitiful, pathetic, poor, pouty, pining me. :-) George is having a marvelous time with the Smiths and I think this trip was planned providentially. Thank you for your prayers for him, as he travels. We are both grateful. He will be blogging with stories and details of his trip when he gets back!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Guilt free chai...

Today I went to Starbucks to get a hot tea, which somehow I feel I can justify since it's cheaper than any of the other extravagantly priced items on the menu, and it really is pretty OK health-wise. On my walk over, I realized that I had a $5 gift card from someone, which I still needed to use. My desire for a chai tea latte rapidly overcame any logical reason (i.e. one chai latte can be purchased for the price of 2.3 hot teas) and by the time I arrived at SB's, 2 minutes after leaving my office, I had emphatically decided upon a frothy, calorie-filled, warm, venti chai tea latte. Mmmm... And the best part is that I could justify it - GUILT FREE - because I wasn't going to have to pay the $4.23 for it!

However, when the "Fairista" (see Madison's blog) swiped my gift card and then told me it was expired, I no longer felt guilt free. Of course, I didn't change my mind about the venti chat tea latte... I just made the plunge, handed over my "other form of payment" and decided that this is one chai I'm going to really savor - guilt or no guilt!