Glory to God in the highest, in this season of celebration!
Here is a version of 'Bring A Torch, Jeanette Isabella' that I recorded.
listen to me
Featured instruments are (my badly out of tune) piano, (my dad's old) nylon-string guitar, melodica and ukulele. And my voice.
I enjoy the background noise that you can hear sometimes. People talking, babies murmuring and gurgling. Everything was recorded in about 2 takes, and I just fooled around with some stuff on Garageband. No mystery here.
My mom and I were talking today about how wonderful it is that we can forgive others, because God has forgiven us. Be blessed, my friend.
(p.s... the title's the part from the bible that Linus reads, in the Charlie Brown Christmas special.)
("i'm sort of a boring person.")
so I was hanging out with my grandparents the other night and we were talking about the good old times.
I love conversations that take you down a rabbit trail, where you're talking about one thing and the next thing you know you're talking about something else and you forgot how you got there. Perhaps one day that won't be so novel! But for now, it is.
My grandpa and I were talking about music (as that is what I study) and he asked me if I liked country music (I forget why) and I thought about it and said, "I like old country music, like Hank Williams."
and then he pulled out this Patsy Cline tape and he put it in on real loud in the other room, because that is the only tape player they have that works. If you had asked me before, I wouldn't have thought that I liked Patsy Cline!
But man, she is good! Check out this song. It is (unfortunately) not a Christmas tune, but it does have some real nice slide guitar licks. Her voice is great.
ps. tomorrow is Christmas eve. nuts!
I love conversations that take you down a rabbit trail, where you're talking about one thing and the next thing you know you're talking about something else and you forgot how you got there. Perhaps one day that won't be so novel! But for now, it is.
My grandpa and I were talking about music (as that is what I study) and he asked me if I liked country music (I forget why) and I thought about it and said, "I like old country music, like Hank Williams."
and then he pulled out this Patsy Cline tape and he put it in on real loud in the other room, because that is the only tape player they have that works. If you had asked me before, I wouldn't have thought that I liked Patsy Cline!
But man, she is good! Check out this song. It is (unfortunately) not a Christmas tune, but it does have some real nice slide guitar licks. Her voice is great.
ps. tomorrow is Christmas eve. nuts!
how we be
WHOA, hey!
so Jesse and I got each other some instruments for Christmas. We did presents early this year because of timing with seeing each other and everything. I got him a second-hand (steel-string) lap slide guitar and he got me a melodica!
So awesome!!
please take note of our Charlie Brown Christmas tree. It is elegant, I think.
also, you know, I've decided it's okay to sometimes get a little personal on here... I mean, I'm assuming only people who actually want to read this, read this - versus me publicly posting my thoughts and feelings on something like facebook where people see what I am doing with my life whether they like it or not.
That being said, I wrote this in my journal the other night, and I want to share it here. I was writing it and even kind of thinking about my blog and everything. Maybe it can be encouraging, or challenging. I hope it is:
so Jesse and I got each other some instruments for Christmas. We did presents early this year because of timing with seeing each other and everything. I got him a second-hand (steel-string) lap slide guitar and he got me a melodica!
So awesome!!
please take note of our Charlie Brown Christmas tree. It is elegant, I think.
also, you know, I've decided it's okay to sometimes get a little personal on here... I mean, I'm assuming only people who actually want to read this, read this - versus me publicly posting my thoughts and feelings on something like facebook where people see what I am doing with my life whether they like it or not.
That being said, I wrote this in my journal the other night, and I want to share it here. I was writing it and even kind of thinking about my blog and everything. Maybe it can be encouraging, or challenging. I hope it is:
Dec. 19
You know, life is just too short to live it miserably.
And with everything I know, with the information I have, I choose to believe in freedom, living fully. Understanding that God is fully pleased with us. I want to believe in miracles. Miraculous transformation, people changing, lives being completely turned around.
I want to infuse all of my actions with a sense of deep hope. Like the french verb espoir -- hope with a sense of certainty .. with a faith not dependent on myself but in God. A faith in God that leads to a belief, an adherence to the fact that yes, I am worth loving. People are worth loving.
I don't know. I'm sitting in church and I just feel this sense that these past few months I've been only living to half of my capacity.
I just think so much in this life pulls us forward, pulls into reaching our full potential. And that takes imagination, to literally visualize ourselves where we are not, but were made to be.
10:00 - 12:00
hey!
I watched Casablanca.
I had heard it was a movie about love. I had no idea it was set in the time of WWII and was made during that time, too.
What a love story!
What a good movie.
I watched Casablanca.
I had heard it was a movie about love. I had no idea it was set in the time of WWII and was made during that time, too.
What a love story!
What a good movie.
in my little life.
I'm sitting here on the cozy queen-sized bed in my parents' guest room. I blog because I can! I'm helping my mom remove the awful teddy bear border that surrounds the walls and the (almost) instant gratification of it reminds me of vacuuming or sweeping, and it's fun.
I've lost 5 pounds in 4 days. Which isn't that much or anything, and I guess that means I'd like to put up some pictures of my face post-wisdom-teeth-surgery. I aimed to recover as quickly as Rodney did -- he stopped bleeding a few hours after, didn't need any of the prescribed painkillers and was eating nachos the same afternoon his teeth were pulled. (!)
Alas, it seems we all cannot be so fortunate. My recovery hasn't been so smooth, but it has been alright, too. My mouth was bleeding the whole day of the surgery, my right cheek has swollen and bruised about an inch off my face and I can't really chew. I even missed the tacky-Christmas-sweater party hosted by Stef. It sounded like a good time.
Anyways, surgery is surgery, and in my little life, I am so glad to be home. I am so glad to have several places to call home this Christmas. It can be a hard time for me. Is that too personal for a blog? It's interesting to notice how I've become pretty accustomed to the vibe of my life in London and being surrounded by 20-year-olds, and now it's strange to be spending time in places like Toronto and Orangeville.
I think I am growing up quite a bit right now. This weekend I decided that I don't think I'd need to be living in Toronto in order to be happy. For me, it's way more about nostalgia, culture, and feeling hip than anything else.
Rather than changing, I think I always need to be willing to grow. It's hard to talk about this and not sound cheesy, but it's okay because I do it all the time. I met a girl in Vancouver who said that we don't really change as human beings because to change means to "make or become a different substance entirely." Changing literally implies that we break down everything that exists and start all over again. As humans we are still the same at the core of who we are (which is good, that is what is intended) but noting that, we cannot be stagnant.
We cannot do things the way they've always been done. We cannot become resentful because that leads to bitterness. We must forgive ourselves and we must forgive others. We must encourage others. I say these things because I know bitter people. It seems we live and exist only to please ourselves. But I don't know, let's do it different. Let's at least, try.
I mean, what does it matter, though. These are just thoughts in my head that I put on the internet.
Rodney showed me this. It makes me think about blogging differently.
So far, in December, I listen to this song almost everyday:
I've lost 5 pounds in 4 days. Which isn't that much or anything, and I guess that means I'd like to put up some pictures of my face post-wisdom-teeth-surgery. I aimed to recover as quickly as Rodney did -- he stopped bleeding a few hours after, didn't need any of the prescribed painkillers and was eating nachos the same afternoon his teeth were pulled. (!)
Alas, it seems we all cannot be so fortunate. My recovery hasn't been so smooth, but it has been alright, too. My mouth was bleeding the whole day of the surgery, my right cheek has swollen and bruised about an inch off my face and I can't really chew. I even missed the tacky-Christmas-sweater party hosted by Stef. It sounded like a good time.
Anyways, surgery is surgery, and in my little life, I am so glad to be home. I am so glad to have several places to call home this Christmas. It can be a hard time for me. Is that too personal for a blog? It's interesting to notice how I've become pretty accustomed to the vibe of my life in London and being surrounded by 20-year-olds, and now it's strange to be spending time in places like Toronto and Orangeville.
I think I am growing up quite a bit right now. This weekend I decided that I don't think I'd need to be living in Toronto in order to be happy. For me, it's way more about nostalgia, culture, and feeling hip than anything else.
Rather than changing, I think I always need to be willing to grow. It's hard to talk about this and not sound cheesy, but it's okay because I do it all the time. I met a girl in Vancouver who said that we don't really change as human beings because to change means to "make or become a different substance entirely." Changing literally implies that we break down everything that exists and start all over again. As humans we are still the same at the core of who we are (which is good, that is what is intended) but noting that, we cannot be stagnant.
We cannot do things the way they've always been done. We cannot become resentful because that leads to bitterness. We must forgive ourselves and we must forgive others. We must encourage others. I say these things because I know bitter people. It seems we live and exist only to please ourselves. But I don't know, let's do it different. Let's at least, try.
I mean, what does it matter, though. These are just thoughts in my head that I put on the internet.
Rodney showed me this. It makes me think about blogging differently.
So far, in December, I listen to this song almost everyday:
thoughts on nudity and nakedness
these are just a few highlights from this incredibly profound blog post on nudity and nakedness (thank you Jared and Andrew):
And in almost all of my relationships, even my super important ones, I feel like I lack a connectedness.
But I guess sometimes, in order to understand and desire a connectedness, we need to tangibly experience what we lack.
"Nudity only requires the removal of clothes, but nakedness requires the removal of much more: our personal shields, our walls of solitude, the barriers we put up to keep others at a safe distance.
...
We’re living in the most clothed period of time history has ever seen, but are we any more modest? Are we any more moral? Are family values any more protected?
...
Surely all of who you who are married have been nude with your spouse, but how often are you genuinely naked with each other? How often do you deeply, humanly connect with the essence of who your spouse is?
And beyond marriage, how often do we as people deeply, humanly connect with each other? As friends, couples, even family, how often do we let ourselves be truly vulnerable with each other?"
I know I talk about this stuff a lot, but it's so important.
Actually connecting with each other is so important.
Actually connecting with each other is so important.
And in almost all of my relationships, even my super important ones, I feel like I lack a connectedness.
But I guess sometimes, in order to understand and desire a connectedness, we need to tangibly experience what we lack.
advent(ure)
This picture is totally the background on my laptop right now.
Check out that mullet! Really, not much has changed since I was little.
And Kyle's face is funny, too.
Check out that mullet! Really, not much has changed since I was little.
And Kyle's face is funny, too.
Man, you definitely don't see mountains like that here in Ontario.
and it would be me!
So, I went to Vancouver last summer. And I am hoping to go to France next summer.
Ideally, I'd have some connection with someone there who would say, "hey, do you have any Canadian friends who want a place to crash in France for a few months?"
and it would be me!
Unfortunately, I haven't found anyone like that yet. (If you know anyone in France saying that, let me know.) So I'm looking into volunteering again with YWAM. It would be neat to spend some time with the Taizé community, too.
Oh, man! I picked up a nice little assortment of used books for 50 cents each the other day. The French department is is having a book sale and they had such nice, old books. Poetry, and books on linguistics and classic novels and stuff. The pages were yellowed and smelled of dust, and history.
I realized those pictures I scanned and put here - those pictures of me when I was kid - don't make it look like I was particularly happy. I might scan more. I think I was a shy kid but I smiled sometimes, too.
I am getting my wisdom teeth out this Friday. Please keep me in your prayers for things to go well!
Today is the last day of classes, and that means Tuba Christmas in the music building lobby, as part of the music faculty tradition here at Western! Hooray for cramming as many people as we can in the lobby, selling festive treats, tubas and euphoniums playing carols, and then, collectively singing carols ourselves!
Oh, man! I picked up a nice little assortment of used books for 50 cents each the other day. The French department is is having a book sale and they had such nice, old books. Poetry, and books on linguistics and classic novels and stuff. The pages were yellowed and smelled of dust, and history.
I realized those pictures I scanned and put here - those pictures of me when I was kid - don't make it look like I was particularly happy. I might scan more. I think I was a shy kid but I smiled sometimes, too.
I am getting my wisdom teeth out this Friday. Please keep me in your prayers for things to go well!
Today is the last day of classes, and that means Tuba Christmas in the music building lobby, as part of the music faculty tradition here at Western! Hooray for cramming as many people as we can in the lobby, selling festive treats, tubas and euphoniums playing carols, and then, collectively singing carols ourselves!
nostalgia is progressive procrastination
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full.
One for my master, one for my dame,
and one for the little boy
who lives down the lane.
I grew up singing that nursery rhyme to myself, and I grew up watching Star Trek (DS9). I grew up watching Stickin' Around and I liked reading my dad's old copies of MAD magazine.
I totally dug this little magazine put out by the Toronto Blue Jays. I liked the drawings and the dog, too.
If I remember correctly, Rodney and I liked Sonic The Hedgehog 3 better, but we played the second one more often. I was always Tails and he was always Sonic.
I remember when we got our first computer in the summer of 1998. It was a "286" and somehow my dad had heard of a guy getting rid of them from behind this one building in downtown Toronto (which is now where the Four Seasons Centre For the Arts is situated).
It totally ran on MS - Dos and I can recall the family event of seeing how the computer worked, and what would happen when you typed things in after the pixelated white C:/DOS> letters on the fully black screen.
Eventually, we upgraded (it was exciting) and I remember, one time, going 'into' a chatroom and lying about my age and talking to a girl in the States about jazz music. I was nine years old.
Remember those big 8-inch floppy disks?
I remember going to the Christmas parties held by the doctor's office we went to. They always had Chinese Santas (and Garfields apparently, as well). Our 'Hello, my name is' stickers always had numbers instead of names.
I remember playing by myself for hours, I remember playing 'House', I remember seeing how high I could go on the swing before it would jump a little bit at the top. I remember reading anything I could get my hands on, I remember the amazing sweaters and the treats from the dollar store my grandparents would give me and Rodney.
Man, childhoods are pretty good.
he calls it "truth"
I subscribe to an acquaintance's, stranger's, if you will, someone I know through a friend-of-a-friend's blog. And I really like his last post. And I am going to re-blog it, so to speak. Because it is true, and interesting, and powerful. These are not my words, but Andrew's.
"Genesis 2:18-24 -
I think God knew our propensity as humans to push away community, relationship, and pursue independence. It's interesting that God brought Adam all the other created creatures and no suitable helper (or, as it's sometimes translated, partner) was found. God knew that Adam would need someone created as his equal (not the same as him but equal to him) to be his partner or helper.
It's also interesting that God took a part of the man's side for Eve to be created. I believe that God's choice of body part was highly symbolic. He didn't use Adam's foot, which would have symbolically put Eve below Adam. God didn't use a part of Adam's head, which would have put Eve above Adam. God chose a part of Adam's side (traditionally, his rib). I believe this symbolically put Eve beside Adam in the things of life, under his arm for protection, and near his heart.
In contemporary society, we praise independence and we pursue casual relationships that cost us little and have nearly no benefit to our lives. God's plan for us is that we would live in families and communities that were close-knit. In these environments, accountability flourishes, deep friendships bless us, and we are given a safety net in case of life's upsets."
"Genesis 2:18-24 -
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
I think God knew our propensity as humans to push away community, relationship, and pursue independence. It's interesting that God brought Adam all the other created creatures and no suitable helper (or, as it's sometimes translated, partner) was found. God knew that Adam would need someone created as his equal (not the same as him but equal to him) to be his partner or helper.
It's also interesting that God took a part of the man's side for Eve to be created. I believe that God's choice of body part was highly symbolic. He didn't use Adam's foot, which would have symbolically put Eve below Adam. God didn't use a part of Adam's head, which would have put Eve above Adam. God chose a part of Adam's side (traditionally, his rib). I believe this symbolically put Eve beside Adam in the things of life, under his arm for protection, and near his heart.
In contemporary society, we praise independence and we pursue casual relationships that cost us little and have nearly no benefit to our lives. God's plan for us is that we would live in families and communities that were close-knit. In these environments, accountability flourishes, deep friendships bless us, and we are given a safety net in case of life's upsets."
why real life is better than screens
me:
"so I'm reading about the Jesus People movement on wikipedia."
Jesse's mom, Linda:
"Hello-o? I was in it. I was there. You don't have to read about it."
YES.
"so I'm reading about the Jesus People movement on wikipedia."
Jesse's mom, Linda:
"Hello-o? I was in it. I was there. You don't have to read about it."
YES.
life!
Days escape me, weeks fly by, and months come, and they go.
There are exactly two weeks left of first term.
I hear Mendelssohn christmas tunes in my head, I imagine conducting patterns, I analyze texture and orchestration for band pieces, I sleep (sometimes), I eat, I talk, I listen, I learn, I bike to school and think "hay muchos árboles" because that's all my mind can come up with in Spanish, I imagine what I will be doing in 2 years, I pray, I feel, I wish I could take pictures more often, I wish I could have more conversations with people, I make to-do lists, I self-evaluate (then hand it in), I work with kids and one teen, I live life.
I really like the sound of using the dull edge of a piece of lead in a mechanical pencil, I like the squeak it makes.
I spoke to my French literature professor today. He is from Quebec and I asked him how he ended up teaching in London. He said he came here "for love." They were happy for a little while, then they split up because they were both doing their PhD's, and I guess there's this whole thing that people say that you either do your PhD and break off with whoever you're dating/married to, or you end up dropping out, and stay with the person you're seeing.
That's what the people who've done their PhD's tell me, at least! Such devotion!
At least, to brighten your day, look at some neat art by an American guy from the Midwest! He is inspired by nature. His name is Micah Lidberg.
facts.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that some the following facts are, in fact, opinions of the respective blogger.
number one:
Despite my avoidance of all the hype for Spike Jonze's new flick I somehow had stumbled upon a track of the song featured in Ca Va Cool's fall mixtape (cleverly titled Fall Be Kind.)
The soundtrack for Where The Wilds Things Are is fantastic.
It's one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a long time. YYY's Karen O (ex-girlfriend of Jonze) wrote and did the vocals for these original songs and man, it's good! The songs are fun and accessible, and more importantly, musically interesting. The instrumentation of guitar, the interesting percussion and the ambient backdrop from the movie create a spacious and quirky atmosphere in my ears.
It's received some criticism. But I like listening to it while I create things and also in the mornings when I am getting ready.
Hidaway's gotta be one of the best tracks.
number two:
In other exciting discoveries, the Vanier Institute of the Family has recently discovered that divorce is losing its appeal! In Canada, at least. People say all the time that half of marriages end in divorce these days. Which is mostly true in the States, where 44% of marriages end in divorce, and in Quebec, where the number is as high as 48%.
(Only) 38% of married couples in Canada will divorce by their 30th anniversary.
According to the study divorce rates peaked in the 1980s and since the '90s the numbers have stayed the same. This has also been affected by falling marriage rates due to cohabitation where the breakups of these unions aren't captured in divorce stats. (Which may mean that "couple dissolution" has actually increased.)
It's just kind of cool to know.
(I know where I'm going to be (...and stay) married.
... just kidding.)
number three:
My last fact for the post is that documentary Food Inc. is pretty dang interesting and also kind of disturbing.
It's one of those things everyone needs to watch.
While there were some pretty horrific scenes of the actual production of food, what was more appalling was the impact on our society, humanity, values and health of an industry we know almost nothing about.
Essentially an obsession with efficiency, profit and technological advancements seems to have been a huge factor in the diminishing quality of our food. It's become an industry about doing things with as little effort as possible for the maximum amount of profit.
There's so much to it. You just gotta watch it.
but, okay, my last fact is that lining gloves with fleece has proved to be not as overwhelming a task as I had previously thought. My hand-knit gloves are pretty much done and I am excited to have super warm hands!
number one:
Despite my avoidance of all the hype for Spike Jonze's new flick I somehow had stumbled upon a track of the song featured in Ca Va Cool's fall mixtape (cleverly titled Fall Be Kind.)
The soundtrack for Where The Wilds Things Are is fantastic.
It's one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a long time. YYY's Karen O (ex-girlfriend of Jonze) wrote and did the vocals for these original songs and man, it's good! The songs are fun and accessible, and more importantly, musically interesting. The instrumentation of guitar, the interesting percussion and the ambient backdrop from the movie create a spacious and quirky atmosphere in my ears.
It's received some criticism. But I like listening to it while I create things and also in the mornings when I am getting ready.
Hidaway's gotta be one of the best tracks.
number two:
In other exciting discoveries, the Vanier Institute of the Family has recently discovered that divorce is losing its appeal! In Canada, at least. People say all the time that half of marriages end in divorce these days. Which is mostly true in the States, where 44% of marriages end in divorce, and in Quebec, where the number is as high as 48%.
(Only) 38% of married couples in Canada will divorce by their 30th anniversary.
According to the study divorce rates peaked in the 1980s and since the '90s the numbers have stayed the same. This has also been affected by falling marriage rates due to cohabitation where the breakups of these unions aren't captured in divorce stats. (Which may mean that "couple dissolution" has actually increased.)
It's just kind of cool to know.
(I know where I'm going to be (...and stay) married.
... just kidding.)
number three:
My last fact for the post is that documentary Food Inc. is pretty dang interesting and also kind of disturbing.
It's one of those things everyone needs to watch.
While there were some pretty horrific scenes of the actual production of food, what was more appalling was the impact on our society, humanity, values and health of an industry we know almost nothing about.
Essentially an obsession with efficiency, profit and technological advancements seems to have been a huge factor in the diminishing quality of our food. It's become an industry about doing things with as little effort as possible for the maximum amount of profit.
There's so much to it. You just gotta watch it.
but, okay, my last fact is that lining gloves with fleece has proved to be not as overwhelming a task as I had previously thought. My hand-knit gloves are pretty much done and I am excited to have super warm hands!
no soy perezosa.
man, you know, I'm done with being lazy.
It's too easy.
I was sitting in choir the other day, beside my friend Janessa. I looked over at her music, and in the top of one of the pages of the songs we were singing, she had written something along the lines of,
you are too talented to not give it your all
or ...something like that.
it's resonated with me. The second I read it, I applied it to myself and I thought about all the talents God has given me, and how it's just a damn shame if I don't do something with it.
tonight, I helped a boy get excited about math. I never thought that would be possible, but I love making things exciting - making things understandable and relatable, and interesting.
man! I have so much to do, but I just want to do with complete joy. What if my life comprised of doing menial tasks like raking leaves and mulching tree branches into machines? I would hopefully find a way to do it joyfully, because I would be serving God.
it's kind of nuts. there's no going wrong, when we're serving more than just ourselves.
so, here's a song that I like, too.
It's too easy.
I was sitting in choir the other day, beside my friend Janessa. I looked over at her music, and in the top of one of the pages of the songs we were singing, she had written something along the lines of,
you are too talented to not give it your all
or ...something like that.
it's resonated with me. The second I read it, I applied it to myself and I thought about all the talents God has given me, and how it's just a damn shame if I don't do something with it.
tonight, I helped a boy get excited about math. I never thought that would be possible, but I love making things exciting - making things understandable and relatable, and interesting.
man! I have so much to do, but I just want to do with complete joy. What if my life comprised of doing menial tasks like raking leaves and mulching tree branches into machines? I would hopefully find a way to do it joyfully, because I would be serving God.
it's kind of nuts. there's no going wrong, when we're serving more than just ourselves.
so, here's a song that I like, too.
sights/sites
I like finding interesting things.
These three sites are pretty interesting:
unurth: street art
learn something everyday
made in england
Hooray for wasting time on the internet!
These three sites are pretty interesting:
unurth: street art
learn something everyday
made in england
Hooray for wasting time on the internet!
two things
Whoa!
I learned the word
mamihlapinatapai
(mah-mee-la-pee-nah-ta-pie)
in my Spanish class today. It's a word from the Yaghan language of a place called Tierra del Fuego.
It's listed in the Guinness book of world records as the 'most succinct word.' It describes "a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start."
Isn't that interesting?
speaking of Spanish, this is thing I have been uber excited to share about.
José Antonio Abreu has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Venezuela's poorest children. The story goes, 33 years ago he met with 11 kids in a parking garage and started making music. They call it "El Sistema."
As an economist, politician, pianist and music educator, he saw a need for something where nothing had existed.
Children attend each El Sistema center (each "nucleo") for free - in Venezuela, 90% is government funded. As young as 2 or 3 they can begin and they attend up to 6 days a week. There's a whole system, man!
It's simple, yet complex. Watching him explain it himself is the most fascinating. He describes how the act of creating organized music is a microcosm of an ideal world - learning, supporting, teaching, creating, persevering.
It's amazing.
It's spreading to different countries now and it's super exciting to see something that captures two areas of huge interest for me, music and social justice.
Lives have been changed individually, communities are being impacted through orchestra rehearsals, through music education.
this is the El Sistema USA site. It has nice colours.
This is the big picture of arts and music education.
Isn't this so exciting!?!
I learned the word
mamihlapinatapai
(mah-mee-la-pee-nah-ta-pie)
in my Spanish class today. It's a word from the Yaghan language of a place called Tierra del Fuego.
It's listed in the Guinness book of world records as the 'most succinct word.' It describes "a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start."
Isn't that interesting?
speaking of Spanish, this is thing I have been uber excited to share about.
José Antonio Abreu has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Venezuela's poorest children. The story goes, 33 years ago he met with 11 kids in a parking garage and started making music. They call it "El Sistema."
As an economist, politician, pianist and music educator, he saw a need for something where nothing had existed.
Children attend each El Sistema center (each "nucleo") for free - in Venezuela, 90% is government funded. As young as 2 or 3 they can begin and they attend up to 6 days a week. There's a whole system, man!
It's simple, yet complex. Watching him explain it himself is the most fascinating. He describes how the act of creating organized music is a microcosm of an ideal world - learning, supporting, teaching, creating, persevering.
It's amazing.
It's spreading to different countries now and it's super exciting to see something that captures two areas of huge interest for me, music and social justice.
"The program is known for rescuing young people in extremely impoverished circumstances from the environment of drug abuse and crime into which they would likely otherwise be drawn."
Lives have been changed individually, communities are being impacted through orchestra rehearsals, through music education.
this is the El Sistema USA site. It has nice colours.
This is the big picture of arts and music education.
Isn't this so exciting!?!
It's amazing a love that transforms.
A love with its distinct qualities, with a distinct flavour of the person from whom this love flows.
A love that brings freedom where any unrest once existed.
I experience this love in my own relationships.
I trust slowly, I give of myself when I sense that it is safe to do so.
A love with its distinct qualities, with a distinct flavour of the person from whom this love flows.
A love that over time, completely alters the way we see the world, that compels us to integrate itself into our plans, into our desires, into our very being.
A love that brings freedom where any unrest once existed.
I experience this love in my own relationships.
I trust slowly, I give of myself when I sense that it is safe to do so.
More often I wish I could be like a child, without reserve or hesitation about asking a stranger what their name is.
Often through the rhythms of my life I see a restlessness.
"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."
That's what St. Augustine has written.
hello! I am twenty.
Hooray for being able to have the number 2 in my age for the next ten years or so.
it's fun to be celebrated, just my presence and being alive.
so, I am writing in here in my blog, in the library at school, but I should be playing piano.
this next month and a bit are going to be so busy with school that it's crazy. I'm not even the busiest person I know. my friend is doing a triple major, all in 4 years.
I just really love peace and quiet, solitude, too. I love having time to read and play guitar and go on walks and have long conversations and stuff.
I've been getting in pretty grumpy moods lately, partially due to my busy-ness.
It literally just occurred to me that I can be either a) busy and stressed-out, or I can be b) busy and happy. I choose b).
I was walking down the hill, thinking stressed-out things, and I decided to just stop thinking them. It's interesting how much choice we have with our thoughts.
there is something that I'm super excited about that I want to share on here for everyone to see, but that'll have to wait.
this is my hundredth post!
kick-ass!
Hooray for being able to have the number 2 in my age for the next ten years or so.
it's fun to be celebrated, just my presence and being alive.
so, I am writing in here in my blog, in the library at school, but I should be playing piano.
this next month and a bit are going to be so busy with school that it's crazy. I'm not even the busiest person I know. my friend is doing a triple major, all in 4 years.
I just really love peace and quiet, solitude, too. I love having time to read and play guitar and go on walks and have long conversations and stuff.
I've been getting in pretty grumpy moods lately, partially due to my busy-ness.
It literally just occurred to me that I can be either a) busy and stressed-out, or I can be b) busy and happy. I choose b).
I was walking down the hill, thinking stressed-out things, and I decided to just stop thinking them. It's interesting how much choice we have with our thoughts.
there is something that I'm super excited about that I want to share on here for everyone to see, but that'll have to wait.
this is my hundredth post!
kick-ass!
amarillo
so, it's been known for centuries that autumn, particularly in southern Ontario Great Lakes area, is a beautiful time of year.
I am just discovering this again.
I had a nap here the other day, it was nice.
I love the vibrant colours best.
I am just discovering this again.
I had a nap here the other day, it was nice.
yes.
I love the vibrant colours best.
Look at the shadows on the leaves!
I love those moments where it's both sunny and cloudy outside.
everyone's heard of PostSecret, I guess.
they published an article in the school newspaper of the new PostSecret book. it looks interesting. I like the blog.
the secrets are read better en masse, I find.
they published an article in the school newspaper of the new PostSecret book. it looks interesting. I like the blog.
the secrets are read better en masse, I find.
hi!
I saw a really nice sunset today. My favourite time of the day is that time where it's not yet night and it's not quite day -- it always catches me off guard. It's so fleeting, too, those moments of in-between.
But, this is a sunset I saw once in Vancouver. I was talking to a friend today who had spent her summer on the west coast of Ireland and I asked her if she would ever move there. She said yeah, but then said that it's kind of nice to just keep some places just the way they were as you remembered them, without bringing all the mundane everyday stuff there.
it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day, tomorrow, too.
But, this is a sunset I saw once in Vancouver. I was talking to a friend today who had spent her summer on the west coast of Ireland and I asked her if she would ever move there. She said yeah, but then said that it's kind of nice to just keep some places just the way they were as you remembered them, without bringing all the mundane everyday stuff there.
it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day, tomorrow, too.
process!
if someone were to ask me right now if I find my life exciting, I would think about it, and then say, "yes."
I am learning so much about music, I am seeing new and wonderful things in the nature around me everyday, I am learning so much about the people surrounding me, learning to fully love, and all of that.
my friend Mika and I have talked a lot in the past about how we feel so compelled to live different lives. no status quo for us - that's already been done. it's like there's something in me that just refuses to live this simple little life of graduating, getting a job, a house and kids and saving for retirement - I need to revolutionize, I need to travel and do, I need to create. this isn't new news for you, though! you already knew that.
but, I'm on this journey, you see.
so, I've stated my case. this ailment, this syndrome; a fear of feeling like I've not lived my life to the fullest if I don't DO something spectacular with myself. it probably doesn't help that so much of our worth and the shape of our identity seem dependent on our vocations and the decisions we make in life.
this is where I respond to my now-expressed afflictions; allow me to preface this response by saying that:
Relationships are beautiful things.
my boyfriend, Jesse, has this ability to love people in a pretty quiet and magnificent way. he is easy to talk to, easy with which to relate, he accepts people as they are.
having said that, I have realized that I am a terribly judgmental person, generally mostly to those who I perceive that have it together - whether it's spiritually, emotionally, or financially.
what I mean by that, is that I find myself judging those who seem to live very comfortable lives, because I perceive that there can't be a trust for God if their bank accounts are full of money. if someone lives in a really nice house with lots of nice things and speaks really well and dresses really well, then they're probably unaware of all of the poverty in the world because they are so comfortable.
they're not doing enough; they can't be.
I've been starting to see the huge connection here.
this is huge!
this is monumental! I mean, I guess it's fairly simple. the more I judge myself, the more I judge others.
and I don't want either, at all, ever, really.
I have been spending time with God alone, disciplining myself to just be in his presence and to completely banish all of my worries, to not think about anything that needs to be done that day or later, but to picture myself, sitting cross-legged in his hand, being completely useless in terms of my performance, and literally telling myself that God is completely pleased with me.
I have found this incredibly freeing.
to release myself from the need of doing, to create a space for myself and for others where we are free to be more of who we are, and less of what we do. this is a good chapter of life. I am liking these themes.
there's this line from the movie Before Sunrise. the character, Celine says:
man! the stuff that lasts, the stuff that is exciting, is stuff that involves relationships. because, I think, these relationships point us to the richness and to the total goodness of God.
I am learning so much about music, I am seeing new and wonderful things in the nature around me everyday, I am learning so much about the people surrounding me, learning to fully love, and all of that.
my friend Mika and I have talked a lot in the past about how we feel so compelled to live different lives. no status quo for us - that's already been done. it's like there's something in me that just refuses to live this simple little life of graduating, getting a job, a house and kids and saving for retirement - I need to revolutionize, I need to travel and do, I need to create. this isn't new news for you, though! you already knew that.
but, I'm on this journey, you see.
so, I've stated my case. this ailment, this syndrome; a fear of feeling like I've not lived my life to the fullest if I don't DO something spectacular with myself. it probably doesn't help that so much of our worth and the shape of our identity seem dependent on our vocations and the decisions we make in life.
this is where I respond to my now-expressed afflictions; allow me to preface this response by saying that:
Relationships are beautiful things.
my boyfriend, Jesse, has this ability to love people in a pretty quiet and magnificent way. he is easy to talk to, easy with which to relate, he accepts people as they are.
having said that, I have realized that I am a terribly judgmental person, generally mostly to those who I perceive that have it together - whether it's spiritually, emotionally, or financially.
what I mean by that, is that I find myself judging those who seem to live very comfortable lives, because I perceive that there can't be a trust for God if their bank accounts are full of money. if someone lives in a really nice house with lots of nice things and speaks really well and dresses really well, then they're probably unaware of all of the poverty in the world because they are so comfortable.
they're not doing enough; they can't be.
I've been starting to see the huge connection here.
a) I don't think of myself as DOING enough, therefore
b) other people are never DOING enough, either.
b) other people are never DOING enough, either.
this is huge!
this is monumental! I mean, I guess it's fairly simple. the more I judge myself, the more I judge others.
and I don't want either, at all, ever, really.
I have been spending time with God alone, disciplining myself to just be in his presence and to completely banish all of my worries, to not think about anything that needs to be done that day or later, but to picture myself, sitting cross-legged in his hand, being completely useless in terms of my performance, and literally telling myself that God is completely pleased with me.
I have found this incredibly freeing.
to release myself from the need of doing, to create a space for myself and for others where we are free to be more of who we are, and less of what we do. this is a good chapter of life. I am liking these themes.
there's this line from the movie Before Sunrise. the character, Celine says:
I had worked for this old man and once he told me that he had spent his whole life thinking about his career and his work. And he was fifty-two and it suddenly struck him that he had never really given anything of himself. His life was for no one and nothing. He was almost crying saying that.
man! the stuff that lasts, the stuff that is exciting, is stuff that involves relationships. because, I think, these relationships point us to the richness and to the total goodness of God.
and the leaves are falling
kids fidgeting, learning music, looking right at you without reserve. singing, learning rhythm, learning sixteenth notes, these are the things that will make up my Thursday afternoons.
thanks to the volunteer program that is available to me by being a music education student.
a group of grade 5/6 students come in the classroom and one of the boys looks at me and says to his two other friends, "I think it's a boy."
I couldn't help but laugh! So I told the teacher, "they think I'm a boy" and she introduced me, intentionally using "she," and they whispered about it. I guess the button up shirt and the loafers didn't help, but I mean, it's kinda funny.
that, and my grandma's reaction to my hair ("What did you do to your hair? ...You were so pretty!") has probably made the shave worth it.
(last night's walk; guess those people really like to keep their lawn pretty clean.) oh, life is so, so beautiful.
please wake up tomorrow and feel so joyous, please rejoice(!), because.
by the way, did you know that the Bowerbirds play with a nylon stringed guitar with a pick-up?
monday nights.
so I am sitting here in the United Church surrounded by my friends.
my friend Brad leads this Monday night thing called Emmaus, us "young adults" get together and we talk about God. I am using his computer because I left my own computer charger at my boyfriend's house.
tonight, we talked about God. again!
tonight he mentioned this C.S. Lewis quote - I need to find it verbatim but I did it find it quoted in various places on this internet thing here -
he said that, prayer doesn't change God, really. prayer changes us. it causes our hearts to grow. we pray to God, we talk to him about anything in our heads, anything we feel, and it transforms us more than anything else.
because, a lot of people, sometimes feel like they don't pray enough. our small brains think so "cause + effect" that we think our actions have to do with the "good" or "bad" things that happen to us.
God is way more mysterious than that, I can't seem to figure him out.
and I'm pretty glad about that.
either way, we never really do enough, we are never really good enough people.
but it's okay! because it's really the grace(!) of God that is the point. i think.
unconditional love!
it's funny 'cause as humans, we're really terrible at unconditional love. there's always conditions. always. yet, a God who is pleased with us at any point in our lives, at any time, is a pretty cool guy.
how fun!
read/watch/listen
I was recently very struck by this article I read the other day in the National Post.
here's the few lines to intrigue:
oh, hey, here's the link, again!
it's a bit long, but it's so well-written.
Please read it!
also, this is a great cover of a great song:
here's the few lines to intrigue:
Parents often complain that kids grow up too fast these days. But many parents, it seems, aren't growing up at all. From middle-aged women dressing like high-school fashion victims to daddy's X-Box addiction, modern adults are reverting to childish habits en masse. In a week-long series, Grow Up, the National Post comment pages examine this annoying phenomenon. In today's inaugural feature, Christine Rosen examines mommies and daddies who put hipster posturing ahead of responsible parenthood.
oh, hey, here's the link, again!
it's a bit long, but it's so well-written.
Please read it!
also, this is a great cover of a great song:
do vs be
is that not what 'enlightenment' is?
the courage to believe that our mere existence is -- needs to be -- enough, in and of itself?
what if we made lists of things to be,
rather than lists of things to do?
otherwise, will we ever feel satisfied, with our ever-growing list of
things to be done?
this is something I'm still learning, still figuring out.
'cause I have this idea that if life doesn't involve many things being done, it won't be exciting.
but that idea isn't essentially a freeing idea.
and God is about freedom. and he's freed us from things that don't allow us to fully live life.
to fully be,
is to fully live.
because, just being,
is enough.
the courage to believe that our mere existence is -- needs to be -- enough, in and of itself?
what if we made lists of things to be,
rather than lists of things to do?
otherwise, will we ever feel satisfied, with our ever-growing list of
things to be done?
this is something I'm still learning, still figuring out.
'cause I have this idea that if life doesn't involve many things being done, it won't be exciting.
but that idea isn't essentially a freeing idea.
and God is about freedom. and he's freed us from things that don't allow us to fully live life.
to fully be,
is to fully live.
because, just being,
is enough.
photo, shoot!
so, my friend Alayna is sort of an amateur photographer. We have double bass class together and the other day a few weeks ago, she says to me, "I like your look, let's have a photoshoot." we both like stuff like that, and I guess I am a willing subject, and she a willing photographer.
it's kinda weird to put photos up of just me, on my blog, on the internet! but I just really like that photography is ART - creative, interesting, and fun.
so she just snapped some shots.
a day in the life, clearly. life is happening around us all the time.
we threw this blanket on me, and I've always liked those trees out that window.
so yeah, it's funny because it's like that piece of art with the guy and the pitchfork, right? Mark bought that huge bottle of whiskey for a hundred and twenty dollars.
both Alayna and I like the juxtaposition of natural femininity and the kind of harshness of a shaved head.
and then, I grabbed the little dolphin figurine off of Mira's shelf.
it's kinda weird to put photos up of just me, on my blog, on the internet! but I just really like that photography is ART - creative, interesting, and fun.
so she just snapped some shots.
a day in the life, clearly. life is happening around us all the time.
we threw this blanket on me, and I've always liked those trees out that window.
so yeah, it's funny because it's like that piece of art with the guy and the pitchfork, right? Mark bought that huge bottle of whiskey for a hundred and twenty dollars.
both Alayna and I like the juxtaposition of natural femininity and the kind of harshness of a shaved head.
and then, I grabbed the little dolphin figurine off of Mira's shelf.
gee thanks!
Why do I do what I do?
Why am I studying music?
What am I good at? How do I do well in school? How I do get A's? Other than getting accepting at my preferred teacher's college, is it all worth it?
Do I want to go to teacher's college?
How do I practice more? How do I not waste my time?
What does all of this mean in terms of the worship I seek to give to God?
Truth is, I'm tired of seeing the tests, seeing the dates in my calendar highlighted with colours, telling me when I am going to be tested on something. I am tired of learning things for tests. For marks.
I want to defy what is now the norm -- at least on a surface glance -- the post-modern, school-for-the-sake-of-a-future-vocation sort of mentality. I don't know if I want to teach music.
But I want to go in each class I have, and act as if I do. I want to practice piano like a piano major, I want to practice bassoon as if I am taking private lessons, I want to conduct as if it is my passion. I want to learn Spanish with (real) hopes of going to a Spanish-speaking country one day.
I want to do that, because I want to love what I do right now, I want to always make things new.
ps. that's god.
life in photos
It all began with this one guy, named Sufjan. My life since September 25th, that is. I mean, he's pretty awesome, I guess. (!!)
Oh, and I guess he's been working out, by the way. He's ripped! Check'em out.
He is also super talented.
His band kicked butt. I like when he messed up and then smiled. If I was up close, I would've been able to see the gap between his teeth.
Flash forward to Friday, October 2nd. Me and Quinn are in that crazy costume store on McCaul. She puts the plastic policeman hat on my head and I turn around and grab this centipede. Then, she takes a picture of me.
This woman! Busking around Toronto, man!
If I were her, I would've gone out the night of Nuit Blanche, too. She even played some Joanna Newsom from her little music player.
Hey, new clothes! Hey, new purse! Nice to meet you!
We were at Dundas Square, waiting for our friends. This was one of a few photos of some shots dedicated to mocking the super hipster fashion site 'Lookbook.' (which are not, here)
Quinn looks real cute, though. You know?
They opened up the back of the old city hall.
Who knew that such beautiful stained glass existed in its courtyard?
But I was more interested in the clock, and then, the moon, too.
Right in the middle of the new city hall, some artist put up these lights. The words kept changing.
Some pretty apocalyptic music was playing.
We created art ourselves!
We created art, ourselves!
These nails have been in city hall for a long time, probably. Then, Ana let some pennies fall, and they went,
'plink, plink, plinkplinkplink'
And then, a bunch of people started doing it, too.
And it sounded so pretty.
Finally, at Ryerson, an artist had this neat idea of asking all these different people for their wishes. She compiled them and put them on stickers, on pennies.
It was really cool to see all these different wishes.
The best part of life is the people, I find.
It is a really good time to be alive.
Oh, and I guess he's been working out, by the way. He's ripped! Check'em out.
He is also super talented.
His band kicked butt. I like when he messed up and then smiled. If I was up close, I would've been able to see the gap between his teeth.
Flash forward to Friday, October 2nd. Me and Quinn are in that crazy costume store on McCaul. She puts the plastic policeman hat on my head and I turn around and grab this centipede. Then, she takes a picture of me.
This woman! Busking around Toronto, man!
If I were her, I would've gone out the night of Nuit Blanche, too. She even played some Joanna Newsom from her little music player.
Hey, new clothes! Hey, new purse! Nice to meet you!
We were at Dundas Square, waiting for our friends. This was one of a few photos of some shots dedicated to mocking the super hipster fashion site 'Lookbook.' (which are not, here)
Quinn looks real cute, though. You know?
They opened up the back of the old city hall.Who knew that such beautiful stained glass existed in its courtyard?
But I was more interested in the clock, and then, the moon, too.
Right in the middle of the new city hall, some artist put up these lights. The words kept changing.
Some pretty apocalyptic music was playing.
We created art ourselves!We created art, ourselves!
These nails have been in city hall for a long time, probably. Then, Ana let some pennies fall, and they went,
'plink, plink, plinkplinkplink'
And then, a bunch of people started doing it, too.
And it sounded so pretty.
Finally, at Ryerson, an artist had this neat idea of asking all these different people for their wishes. She compiled them and put them on stickers, on pennies.
It was really cool to see all these different wishes.
The best part of life is the people, I find.
It is a really good time to be alive.
opinion(ated)
I am addicted to the radar.
I am addicted to understanding things, making things in my head make sense.
All of these thoughts ... I’m trying to think what is at the root, at the basis, of any disapproval of another person’s decision?
What would make me disapprove of same-sex couples?
It’s too easy, it seems, for Christians to say, “well, the bible says not to ...”
As if that means anything to someone who doesn’t see its relevance or significance. I assume, of course, its relevance.
What I do know, is that every person is here on the earth to glorify God. In absolutely everything we do. I believe it is written on our hearts, it has been woven into our very skin and in our soul to have a desire to matter to those around us.
It has been woven into our being to desire relationships with others. Because ultimately, the relationships given to us have the potential to glorify God.
We were not made to be alone, to feel lonely, to do life by ourselves. We were made to find companionship. A desire for close relationships, to be truly known, is imperative to our very being.
It glorifies God because in these relationships we sense a deep joy, a sense that our little lives are important to those around us. It reveals the truth. That we matter.
Therefore, it is not the fact that two same-sex people are together that causes my confusion. It is the fact that I believe that any romantic relationship we are in should absolutely bring glory to our Father.
Which requires tough questions sometimes, to find out whether a relationship does.
I believe sexual intimacy has the power to bind two people together in a way that no other form of affection can. I believe that taking the responsibility of sex lightly can desensitize us. Eventually, we become accustomed to obtaining closeness with someone using sexual intimacy as a tool. Because of the weight that sex has, I believe this is damaging in anything that is temporary. Anything that doesn’t last forever, really.
That is my little sister. Sometimes, I miss my bangs.
I am addicted to understanding things, making things in my head make sense.
All of these thoughts ... I’m trying to think what is at the root, at the basis, of any disapproval of another person’s decision?
What would make me disapprove of same-sex couples?
It’s too easy, it seems, for Christians to say, “well, the bible says not to ...”
As if that means anything to someone who doesn’t see its relevance or significance. I assume, of course, its relevance.
What I do know, is that every person is here on the earth to glorify God. In absolutely everything we do. I believe it is written on our hearts, it has been woven into our very skin and in our soul to have a desire to matter to those around us.
It has been woven into our being to desire relationships with others. Because ultimately, the relationships given to us have the potential to glorify God.
We were not made to be alone, to feel lonely, to do life by ourselves. We were made to find companionship. A desire for close relationships, to be truly known, is imperative to our very being.
It glorifies God because in these relationships we sense a deep joy, a sense that our little lives are important to those around us. It reveals the truth. That we matter.
Therefore, it is not the fact that two same-sex people are together that causes my confusion. It is the fact that I believe that any romantic relationship we are in should absolutely bring glory to our Father.
Which requires tough questions sometimes, to find out whether a relationship does.
I believe sexual intimacy has the power to bind two people together in a way that no other form of affection can. I believe that taking the responsibility of sex lightly can desensitize us. Eventually, we become accustomed to obtaining closeness with someone using sexual intimacy as a tool. Because of the weight that sex has, I believe this is damaging in anything that is temporary. Anything that doesn’t last forever, really.
That is my little sister. Sometimes, I miss my bangs.
call/loss
I am reading Jean Vanier's Befriending the Stranger and it is really thought-provoking. I read this bit last night:
I scanned this leaf the other day. Man, leaves are cool.
God's call is different for each one of us
and yet it is the same.
It is a call to grow in love, in wisdom and in inner freedom,
and thus to bring greater love, peace and freedom into the word.
Once we have recognised our call and found our place --
which takes time --
then we need to learn to put down roots
and to be faithful to that call.
Each person has his/her role in building the community.
Each has to deepen his/her sense of being called.
It takes time for choices to deepen, to mature and to bear fruit.
Each call is unique
but we are all called to give life
and to give life together, as a community.
...
When we discover and welcome God's call,
something beautiful happens in us:
we experience the love of God for us
and a whole new world opens up inside us.
We also realise that it is a very demanding call.
We are invited to leave our former, familiar world,
and let go of what we used to know and hold on to;
all this implies loss.
We receive something new
but at the same time we must let go of something else.
When a woman decides to marry a man,
she is saying no to thousands of others!
When someone is called to a long-term commitment in l'Arche
that means that she has to let go of her former way of living,
the freedom to do what she wants with her day, with her friends, etc.
Grief and loss are inseparable from the call.
If we accept the call but not the loss
we will live in contradiction.
...
There is the call
but there is the loss.
But who wants the loss?
When I left the navy more than fifty years ago,
I sold everything I had,
which wasn't much, and gave it to the poor.
Today I do not have much to sell
and I doubt if anyone would want what I have!
But the call and the loss continue.
Today I am called to let go of other things: attitudes, fears,
prejudices, security, certitudes,
the need to be in control ...
There is a daily "letting go"
because each day Jesus is calling me
to become more loving, more compassionate,
more present to people,
more fully a child of God, more free from fear.
...
Let us take quiet time to listen to God's call,
To hear God call us by our name.
Let us rediscover our first love,
re-live our first call, our first "yes" to Jesus
or perhaps hear for the first time Jesus' call to follow him,
to love him,
to welcome him "into our home", into our hearts.
thing is I love music, a lot, and more than some people I know, I wouldn't hesitate to make it part of all aspects of my life, maybe even at any given time. I mean, maybe not when I'm sleeping, though.
but I lost my headphones and it's just been really nice to listen to the noise around me. especially if it's silence.
just sayin'.
hair today
My housemate Mira and I were talking last night about identity and what makes us who we are. She directly inspired something I needed to write down in my notebook today:
that being said, both of us shaved our heads last Saturday, and here are some pics.
Amy goes in for the kill. Take that, ponytail.
Haha, this picture makes me laugh out loud. Mira looks like Friar Tuck.
DUDE I have a mohawk.
Two pals. Bald and beautiful. See ya, hair. Who needs it?
humans are not fixed beings. who we are is changeable, different things at different times, different with different people.
utterly fragile.
able to adapt to any circumstances, if willing.
the fragility in our nature lends us to constant growth; our mind and its precepts and presuppositions able to be altered when challenged.
it just takes time.
that being said, both of us shaved our heads last Saturday, and here are some pics.
Amy goes in for the kill. Take that, ponytail.
Haha, this picture makes me laugh out loud. Mira looks like Friar Tuck.
DUDE I have a mohawk.
Two pals. Bald and beautiful. See ya, hair. Who needs it?
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