Free from the cage

I'm going to start by saying, I have many amazing friends (and family of course) that I would have an incredibly difficult time living without! In fact, I could not. No one can survive alone. One such friend has inspired me ever since I met her in middle school. She's in Maryland these days doing research, but paid a visit recently. When she returned to her current home she ran a marathon and qualified for Boston. I told you she was inspiring! Anyway while she was here, she gave me a book and chocolate. (This girl knows me well.) Plus she lent me another book. It's Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. I love it! It's definitely what I needed right now. It makes you think. It's a good book to use to give you a fresh perspective and in so doing, evaluate your life. It's not just something to read; it's something to challenge the way you are living.
For Argentina, I'm adopting the mantra: Otro dia, otra adventura (Another day, another adventure.) I want to break free from the mundane and routine and passionately pursue God every day. Faith is a grand adventure and every moment of life is precious.

The book reminded me of the "ordinary" miracles we are surrounded by and take for granted--the earth reliably spinning in orbit, water's amazing life-sustaining properties, stars, amino acids, etc. Occasionally, I stop long enough to ponder these mysteries and be grateful, but not nearly enough.
Some other good quotes: "I want to see God do things in me and through me that I am absolutely incapable of so I can't possibly take credit for them." How awesome would that be?
"We don't really start living until we find something worth dying for." Jesus lived because he had a lot to die for.
"Live today like it is the first day and the last day of your life."

"New places open us up to new experiences. They get us out of our routine and help us see God with new eyes." This is so true. It explains why trips and retreats are so effective at refreshing us and changing our outlook on life. It gets me even more excited for Argentina. The newness I will experience in going there will open my eyes to seeing God more fully.

Did you know that Sabbath means "to catch one's breath"? because I had never thought of it in those terms. I know it has a very religious connotation with being a holy day.

When I think about taking a day regularly to rest, it seems counterproductive, but we need that time to catch our breath, don't we? After a while the pace of this life wears us out. Pace is important. You can't start a marathon sprinting or you'll be hurting.

The chase has begun. I'm ready.

Senses

I don't know why--brains work in funny, mysterious ways, but as I was picking out pumpkin seeds tonight, I was reminded of the "would you rather" questions. (In Colorado Springs, during free time we would ask each other questions that tell you a little bit of random, mostly useless info about the other person.) So, would you rather go without one of your senses completely or have all of them, but only half as strong? I thought I would pick having all of them, but tonight, I decided it might be better to lose my sight.
Even though I love being able to see, after all it allows me to visualize creation--beautiful things such as a rainbow arching over the red stone of The Garden of the Gods in Colorado, and the flaming colors of fall in Wisconsin, and the smiling faces of friends--that same sight is what I use when I size up a person. In examining people based on appearances, I am guilty of almost instantaneously making judgments about them. I think it is a fairly natural tendency of humankind; we seem to be very good at classification.
On another note, this post kind of connects to my friend's brilliant blog idea of "Flashback Friday" since I returned to my time spent in Colorado recently. To be perfectly honest, I think I'm still processing all that I learned and experienced while there receiving excellent training for cross-cultural missions. Here's the whole group of us going all over the world with The Navigators:


One of my favorite songs right now is my prayer regarding my sight. I want it to be transformed like the rest of me:
Give me Your eyes--Brandon Heath
Look down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight

Touch down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos

All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what’s underneath

There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work, He's buying time

I’ve been here a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just move and pass me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
I need a second glance
Give me a second chance
To see the way you’ve seen the people all along

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

New

There's something a bit disconcerting about starting a brand new blog. At first I didn't know what site to choose to use in expressing my thoughts. (Blogspot wins for being easily available.) Then there are seemingly endless choices to personalize it. Finally, it's intimidating having a fresh blank surface to paint...I mean write on. ;) I'm sure it will be a work in progress. I enjoy writing. Sometimes I think I can express myself better that way.

Anyway I think it's best to begin with expectations. I plan to use this blog to communicate myself and my adventures. Be warned--it will be a real raw and honest perspective. You should know that I'm going to La Plata, Argentina. Primarily, I will write about that. It should be an incredible experience. It has been already and I'm not even there yet! I have a couple posts from earlier that explain a touch more about that. Thanks for checking in to read my ramblings. I enjoy answering questions if you have them.