Kindred

Jeni arrives today.

Photo Courtesy of Annie Blanc

No, seriously, watch this

This is so beautiful. I orginally viewed the video here. I don’t even know this woman, but I know she has great taste, and I read her blog incessently, she doesn’t know that though…ah the beauty of blogs. This video made me cry and laugh at the same time (Thanks Kate!), which just so happens to be one of my favorite things of all time. So, I had to pass it on. Share the love.

“S” is for Summer!!

Which means several things are happening:

-I am eating more than my fair share of gelato.

-I am reading a leisurely pace anything ol’ thing I want to.

-I am selling my entire life and only packing what fits in the trunk of a friends car.

-I am T minus 28 days and counting until Kenya.

-I am a better person all around because I will never experience another Chicago winter.

American Tour

This is pretty much all you need to know about my last 4 weeks…They were amazing.

Birds

Here is a short reflection I wrote for my final field education class, I thought I would share it with you.

The pastoral image I return to consistently is the one of a table of celebration and thanksgiving. At this table, we are all pleasantly fully, free in our identities and possess all the patience and courage to engage fully and authentically with people. Maybe it is simply my love of food and fellowship that makes me return to this image, I can not seem to escape it.

However, over the course of the semester, I have thought a lot of about birds and the importance and beauty of them. Birds are a wonderful, beautiful creation of God; we can look at them and easily recognize the creativity and care that went into making each one. Their song is beautiful and almost always joyful and full of life; save for the magpie or crow, but these serve a purpose to. Birds remind us the joy we are called to give and the appreciation we should exemplify at the gift of life.

Even though I am enthralled with birds and their beauty, it is not the solitary bird that inspires me most; it is the idea of a flock of birds. A commune of solidarity and interconnectedness in which all are attuned to the movement and needs of the other. They fly graciously, courageously and without fear. A flock of birds has a leader, one who creates the movement and space, but rarely do you know who that leader is because the movement of the flock is subtle and harmonized. And while the song of one bird is beautiful and unique, it is a chorus of birds responding in love and joy to one another that inspires me the most. Their communal song, in which they respond and harmonize with seemingly little effort or concern, is what creates a beautiful image of solidarity and fellowship for me.

This image of a flock or fellowship of God’s beautiful and unique creation inspires me to higher standards in my own community and in my social justice work. To remain focused on joy and celebration, victory and to respond in harmony to the needs and joys of the other. To harmonize with my fellow birds and to stay attuned to their movement, to use the air from the flap of their wings to fuel my own journey, and to remember the unique and intricate beauty each of us possesses.

fin.

Now what am I going to talk about? How about spring time in Chicago? And spending time with friends and family? Moving to Kenya? Yes. That’s better. More time for writing and blogging. Good.

And….breathe

I am done. Save for the 5,000 words I need to finish of my thesis before next Thursday, but whatever. I am done with graduate school forever. I already feel more sane, seriously, this is gonna be great. The next weeks are going to be jam packed. Tentative itinerary follows.

April 25th- Leavetaking Ceremony at Institute of Pastoral Studies

April 26th- Wild Woman Party

April 27th- Birthday brunch with friends at Victory’s Banner

April 27th- Emma’s Revolution Concert/Sing-a-long with a bunch of ol’ hippies

April 28th-May 1st- No sleep and thesis writing

May 3rd- Mummsie and lil’ sister arrive

May 5th- Get a tooth pulled

May 7th- Dad, Shannon (plus offspring), Shawna, Edrick arrive

May 8th-Graduation

May 9th-Graduation Party

May 14th-23rd-California

May 23rd-29th-Spokane/Seattle

I think that is enough for now. You get the idea. I live (in the words of Eric) a ridiculously charmed life.

Bad student

I am in class right now, my last class of graduate school, ever. And I am reading blogs listening attentively and not thinking about the next 3 months of my life at all.

Life choices

Tonight I left two slices of red pablano pepper on my plate because I was afraid I wouldn’t have room for chocolate bundt cake would explode.

Marc Chagall

There are many reasons to love Marc Chagall, not the least of which are the stained glass windows at the Art Institute of Chicago (which unfortunately have been under construction since I moved here). I wanted to give you a few reasons to fall in love with this man and his art.

Images courtesy of Google Images