I canoe, can you

Wow.  So much in my life has changed since the last post.  I have been married for going on 2 years, which means I have been with Michael for two and a half years.  I re-read some of my older posts and I laugh quite a bit.  I evidently used to have very much to say.  

This weekend Michael and I spent some time with some middle school students from the Champaign area.  He taught them archery, while I did team building.  Then we took them canoeing.  Some of these kids had never really ventured far from their neighborhood.   LSCA was very much outside their comfort zones.  One young lady dropped her paddle and had a melt down.  One girl wanted to get out of her canoe so badly that she jumped from her canoe into one that was closer to shore.  Luckily they were both very close.  

This reminded me of the Marva Collins canoe fiasco of 2003 on Long Lake at Honeyrock.  IT was a blustery (literally snowing) October 1st.  My group leader partner (Dennis) and I had chosen to use the group canoes.  A couple of our colleagues, chose the regular canoes.  Needless to say, these 5th and 6th grade students from Milwaukee we canoeing to any bit of shore they could get to and flailing themselves upon the ground in tears.  Canoes and students were collected by van... all over the lake.  Ha.  I wonder if those kids will ever canoe again... they are nearly adults now.  I also wonder how they might tell the story.

A good paddling experience for all....

K

JPUSA scents and Baklava

After 9 years of living in the Chicago land area, then moving away... I finally made it back to visit a JPUSA church service. That is... the Jesus People USA. It is a church, an intentional community (that's church talk for commune), a ministry, an old building in the midst of renovation, and a space that collects alot of odors. The church itself was not so different from any other that I have visited. There was singing... some familiar songs, some not so. There was preaching... by a woman, that was different, but not a first (they have rotating teachers - I dont think she was the sole pastor there)... it was sort of an "academic" approach which isn't that unusual either. There was communion... with real bread - way better than those little stale wafers. The difference was mostly in the people there. I wonder how many of them lived there and how many live nearby or were just passing through. There was definitely a sense of "anti-materialism" and a general indifference about appearance. This made me feel very superficial as I had wrestled with what a person is to wear at a JPUSA service... the real answer: NO BODY FREAKING CARES. How do I get to that place in my life... not the unkempt part, but the part that says, who cares if my shoes have a stain, they are still shoes or if my jeans aren't trendy, they are still jeans or if my shirt is a little faded or my purse (gasp - I carry one sometimes) doesn't match my outfit. I want to be in that place... not the physical place of JPUSA's Friendly Towers, but the place that values faith, people and community above all else. They are living outward and upward, like I have only talked about living. It was convicting and inspiring.

We (Ginger and I) also did some fun stuff. We went to Greek town and had gyros and baklava. We went to Wheaton and back to the city. We took the "L" to downtown... ate at the Billy Goat on lower Michigan, took the "L" back to where we were staying, then headed to Aurora the next day, then the Morton Arboretum. It was a very full 36 hours... especially since nothing was planned except the JPUSA visit. At the end of these trips, though, I am always disheartened at the thought of not being around many people again for a few days. I love road trips with friends... I guess its time with friends that I love. Maybe I am communal... but I still like showers on regular intervals.

8 legs

There has been an influx of spiders in my life lately. (as I typed that I realized that my beloved box of milk duds is propped dangerously close to where many have been sighted). ... ok, mild duds saved. But what in the world... they are everywhere. If I leave my front door light on at night, I fear they will attack me every time I enter or exit. Today, I saw a most colorful specimen of spider. It had a very bright yellow and black body, but reddish colored legs. 8 reddish colored legs. It was pretty, the way disgusting things can be pretty.

Also, today, I took the Forester to the Subaru place to get it inspected, have the oil changed, etc. Well, last time I went to Firestone, they told me that I needed a new tie-rod and new struts totalling around $1500. Subaru, on the contrary, said my car was in pretty good condition, it just needed it 90k check up. So now, firestone is on my you know what list... that is right... my spider list. Much like entering and exiting my front door, I feel I may be attacked. Subaru was more like the pretty but gross spider. Firestone is the creepy one. Which one would you go to?

Belle of the Lake is here... and I'm back!

She could care less that she smells bad when she gets wet. She does not care that she drools when she is eating. She barks when she feels inclined to do so. She is completely taken care of by another... with no care in the world. She is bitch... the true meaning of the word. And sometimes I suppose I do with that I could live with such a carefree attitude... but, I am woman and only occasionally "bitch". :-)

I was reading the old blogs today. I had completely forgotten about some of the things on there, and I was inspired to write them again. I don't even know if they will ever be read... well, maybe by my sister... Thanks, Ann.

Jesus was a Democrat

Ann, do you like that title?

So its just a title I was thinking about for this social justice thing I have to teach for the Ace Team. Its a little "crazy" for the the AG church kid, but ya know. Just for the record, I dont think Jesus would have bothered himself with our political agendas. They are all corrupt afterall. He was, however a political revolutionary. And, his slams that were not against the government were definitely against the religious institutions - where does that put our "religious right" today?

My personal political affiliation, of which my family muses and debates and accuses me of, is unknown to even me. I will grasp on to my old "religious" roots here and just claim that I am conservative Mennonite in this area and not bother myself with politics. What we all must bother ourselves with, however, are social issues. Are children working in sweat shops so I can drink the coffee that I love or buy the jeans that I think fit me best? How do my consumption habits affect others? How could I possibly vote for a candidate that spent millions of dollars just bashing another candidate when there are still people trying to hold on to what little they have left after Katrina.... not to mention all the stuff everywhere else in the world. And am I living my faith if I ignore any of it? Jesus was a friend of the marginalized... the outcast... The early church grew because of its care and concern for the same. The Church is not growing like it once was. Could it be because we politicized our faith instead of living it?

k

I'll get better... I promise

So... its true, I have not updated my blog for a while. Evidently I have a fairly uneventful life these days... at least nothing that needs to be "blogged". Lets see: I am currently hooked on the tv show Lost. That makes 3 shows that I really enjoy - Lost, Grey's Anatomy (sadly) and Gilmore Girls. And I will admit that each one has made me cry at least once. Why this surprises people, I do not understand. Am I so cold that people do not expect me to cry? In fact, I cry quite easily. Not that I am sad or depressed you understand, maybe just a little tired :-)

I taught kids church today. It is wierd that we make brutal Bible stories the stuff of what kids rooms are decorated with. For instance, Noah's Ark. Hardly a children's story, yet how many decorate with that them for their babies. It was a time when GOd so harshly judged the world that he destroyed every person save about 8. Then Noah got drunk and naked and was shamed by his son... yep, definitely a kid's room theme. Speaking of 40 days of rain...

My roomates (at least 2 of them) and I are training for a 10K. Yesterday was the longest run on the training regime to date. It was a 75 minute run. It poured on me the entire 75 minutes... well, maybe not the first 15 minutes, or I probably would not have gone. After just over a month of running I still do not understand why people enjoy it. You runner types are an enigma to me.

stay dry

Kerma

"Christian Singles Resources"...

Have you ever looked at what this might be if you googled the words? Well, unless you are single, then probably not. And even if you are single, you probably do not consider yourself "a single" until at least the age of 29. Anyway... I typed in these very words the other day only to be fairly impressed at the amount of info that google brought up. Please do not stop reading here as I am far from done.

So I checked out one of the sites... a well known "crossdaily". Do you know what came up under "Christian Singles Resources"? Well, it starts with an "E" and it ends with "Harmony". I was so freaking mad! (there may have been an explicative involved). Lets discuss the basics of eharmony for a moment.... IT IS NOT A CHRISTIAN SITE!!!! This however, seems to elude many Christian websites that endorse said match maker. Secondly, While I may be seeking a spouse and would like thato be married some day... it is not the ONLY thing I could possibly be looking for, nor the only thing that I, or any other single, needs. What I do need is a nice site that informs me of what to look for in an honest mechanic... tips on cooking for one... great ideas on how to celebrate holidays with friends... what to do for a vacation as a single person... and maybe some encouraging books about how I do not need to be married to fulfill what God might have for me. I am done with my rant. Thank you for your support.

THEREISMORETHANEHARMONYTOSINGLELIFE

good night

k