Word

If you wonder, "Why is animal sacrifice over now? Does that have something to do with Jesus?" Well please turn in your Bible with me to Hebrews 10.

I really do miss it all...

My mother insists that BO is going to bring about the apocalypse. We'll see.

My new camera is treating me quite nicely. I'm uploading photos all the time now on this thinger- http://flickr.com/photos/theelfdance/

Working at 4:30am is a drag. I'm really over working at Starbucks. I really want a real job now. And to be back in Milwaukee. Oh, how I miss my home. My community. Most of all, my sweet love Karen. I thought finding a job would be easier. It's been really discouraging. The future is so uncertain. Except I'm so thankful to know Karen will be right by my side through it all.

Speaking of my sweet love, Karen, I want to post this picture because I think it is the most adorable picture ever. We had a picnic that day, in the late sunlight. The leaves were crisp, and it was a bit chilly. Karen surprised me with some Gelato. We just do the most fun things together. People just stop and stare because we're so cute.

I'm still learning. I'm trying to make it a priority to be in the Word learning every day. I'm listening to lectures, reading books, and spending time in devotion. I picked up some new things. The timely, "Jesus for President", which is such a great read. And Shane Claiborne is so true to the early spirit of the peculiar, nonviolent, and non-stately Church. A Church that actually lived a new way, with its focus on revolutionary "enemy love." Something so strange to American Christianity. Maybe more on this later.

I'm listening to lectures by Rob Whittaker. Sermons by Rob Bell and Danny Parmelee. And music (which gets me in a deeply spiritual mood) by Copeland. These things keep me sane in such a strange new situation. Living at home again.

Anyway, I want to write here about what I'm learning as well as what I'm thinking. And what I'm doing visually with photography. And the beautiful things I'm reading. So keep reading you.

I miss you.

-m

Wow so much is going on. I'm staying afloat with school work, which is a miracle. I should be ok for graduation. This is week is going to be hard because I have to write a 15 page lit review, which is going to take a lot of work. I will probs have to shut myself off from my friends to do it. So see you guyz later.

I got a bike for my graduation present. It's a fixed gear track bike. Bike of my dreams, basically. Which is going to make it hard to focus on school, cause basically I just want to ride it all day. I'm so glad I have it, cause now I dont have to walk anywhere, and I can explore the city again.

Getting work done is also going to be hard because I just want to hang out with my new awesome friend, Karen. She is my special friend. Love to hang out with her and sing copeland songs really loud too and talk about life and struggles and drink tea together. She's another reason I want to stay in Milwaukee. I really hope I haven't made so many awesome friends and relationships just for me to leave them. I'm really praying God would have a place for me here. I really feel that this is the place for me to be.

There is a constant struggle between emotions and truth. I want to rely on my emotions, but that usually doesn't end well. I may feel like Milwaukee is the place for me to be. But if God is calling me somewhere else, I may be blind to that as a result. I want to follow Him, and not my emotions. So I'm left just feeling confused. We'll see what happens.

My bike, yo.

Veggie Bus and mewithoutYou

Haha Aaron Weiss is so cool!

BH: And could you talk about how your tour bus runs for a minute?

Aaron Weiss: Yeah, it runs on vegetable oil, which we get from restaurants when they’re done frying food in it. We collect it, and then we filter it and heat it, and we put it through our diesel engine, which is what the diesel engine is built for. Right now, most of them run off petroleum-based diesel, of course, and we know that that’s running out. And, also, we hear that there are wars being fought over who has control of oil, and that’s another thing that I don’t want to be a part of. At present, I don’t think there are any wars being fought over waste vegetable oil.

Love on each other

Livejournal was kinda for high school, and yea... college too. But I think I want to switch to this now that I'm graduating. LJ is kinda exclusive, especially since I made all my posts friends only. But everyone can read this. And maybe I can use it for ministry. =)

God's been using me to bring comfort to people who really need it. I'm glad I got to go out for coffee with Alex last night and just be someone to listen and care about her in the bad situation she's in at MIAD. I could tell it was such a relief to her heart that she could talk to someone who listen with concern. She deserves that.

People, we need to listen to each other and love on each other. People are hurting out there. Just providing that basic support can do so much good. And offering love in the face of pain is such a blessing. God gives it to me so abundantly, and He desires me to give it freely too.

I heard about a Parish in Oak Park--St. Giles--in Illinois that needs a new Youth Minister. I called up Anne (current Youth Minister) and left a message. She's out of town, but she'll soon get back to me. Their websight shows that the youth ministry is pretty cool; they do a lot of service and fun things, with peer ministry too. It's in a close suburb to Chicago (good location for me!) and I could really see myself setting up there. I've been getting really excited, kinda picturing myself there, but I know these are all my plans and I'm waiting on the Lord's provision of His plans for my life. I'm so excited to see what those are going to be, and if He has a place for me at St. Giles, then I am ready to go there for His name and His kingdom.

03.15.08

For an audience of one I was on that field
Two others present, but I wanted You alone
This golden atmosphere makes our skin glow
Its new warmth keeps me hopeful