Last night I went to my childhood church for Good Friday Services. The pastor of my childhood gave the sermon, and it was one of those that hits you right where you are and reminds you of what life is about. It was especially poignant last night. On Maundy Thursday last year my pastor's wife died, and as I watched him throughout the service, I could see that it was weighing on him. How could it not? The sermon was titled "Learning how to Die," and it was about learning how to die so that we can learn how to live.
I was convicted. I have not lived as I should. I have falled so short of living as I should.
But then I took Communion, and remember what this weekend is all about.... Jesus, and how he willingly went to the cross. For me. Because I fall short.
Tomorrow I'll go to church and be reminded of the rest of the story, my favorite part of the story. Resurrection, and Christ's triumph over sins. For me. So that I can live triumphantly.
Isn't our God so great?!
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Saturday, March 12, 2005
God's Newest Gift to Austin
Yesterday evening I discovered the most amazing new place in Austin...a new Half-Priced Bookstore. It has to be the biggest Half-Priced Books I've ever been in. When I walked through the doors, I had to make myself keep walking and not just stop and stare in awe. I think one of the cashiers noticed my wonderment and probably had a good laugh at my expense. I don't care, though, this place deserves the appreciation of booklovers. It had a large section of rare & collectible books...really old books that have been loved. Those are my favorite kinds of books. Old ones, with inscriptions on the inside covers and writing in the margins.
My parents gave me three such books for Christmas. I was with Mom when she bought them at a used bookstore. The woman who owned the store knew the history of the books, which makes them even cooler to me. They're all poetry: Shelley, Tennyson, and Browning, and they had belonged to an English professor at Baylor, and they have her notes scribbled all over them. The Browning has an article pasted in the back of it about a trip the professor took to England where she visited the places Browning had lived and written. Very cool stuff....
So, yeah, I'm a big nerd.
In other news...hello from Memphis. One thing I like about hotels is unlimited Internet access. I spent some time this evening flipping through the CUA blogring on Xanga. Got distracted on the LCMS blogring....found a few of my applicants. That was kind of fun. It's an interesting way to gather info. Hmm...just confirmed it again: I'm a big NERD. But, and this is fun, I managed to find my brother. Who knew he had a blog?!
My parents gave me three such books for Christmas. I was with Mom when she bought them at a used bookstore. The woman who owned the store knew the history of the books, which makes them even cooler to me. They're all poetry: Shelley, Tennyson, and Browning, and they had belonged to an English professor at Baylor, and they have her notes scribbled all over them. The Browning has an article pasted in the back of it about a trip the professor took to England where she visited the places Browning had lived and written. Very cool stuff....
So, yeah, I'm a big nerd.
In other news...hello from Memphis. One thing I like about hotels is unlimited Internet access. I spent some time this evening flipping through the CUA blogring on Xanga. Got distracted on the LCMS blogring....found a few of my applicants. That was kind of fun. It's an interesting way to gather info. Hmm...just confirmed it again: I'm a big NERD. But, and this is fun, I managed to find my brother. Who knew he had a blog?!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
An Old Dream
When I was 11 or 12 I had a dream that I was walking through the Walmart parking lot. It was night, so the lights in the parking lot were on, and it had just rained, so the pavement was wet. The lights shinging on the wet pavement made it look like water. In my dream, I thought, "Cool! It looks like I'm walking on water!" And then I realized that it was water, and that I was walking on it. Just like Peter. Just like Jesus.
It was the most amazing feeling, and it was so intensely real that when I woke up I was completely disoriented. And so disappointed to only be lying in bed and not actually walking on water.
I remember very few of my dreams the next morning, much less years later. (In fact, I can think of only one other dream that I still remember.) This one was so real that I sometimes feel like it actually happened, that it's a memory of something I did once rather than a dream I had once.
Ever since that dream, walking on water is something I've wanted to do again, but awake, not dreaming. There were so many times when I was lifeguarding at camp one summer that I was so tempted to just step off the end of the dock and go strolling across the lake. I never did (there were lives to guard), but I often thought about what it would feel like.
I imagine the water as cool and smooth as silk under my feet, but walking on it would be almost like walking on a trampoline...not bouncy but resilient. I don't imagine that I'd get very far. I'd probably pull a Peter and go splashing into the water.
But still, to have walked on water, even if only so briefly.... Can you imagine?
It was the most amazing feeling, and it was so intensely real that when I woke up I was completely disoriented. And so disappointed to only be lying in bed and not actually walking on water.
I remember very few of my dreams the next morning, much less years later. (In fact, I can think of only one other dream that I still remember.) This one was so real that I sometimes feel like it actually happened, that it's a memory of something I did once rather than a dream I had once.
Ever since that dream, walking on water is something I've wanted to do again, but awake, not dreaming. There were so many times when I was lifeguarding at camp one summer that I was so tempted to just step off the end of the dock and go strolling across the lake. I never did (there were lives to guard), but I often thought about what it would feel like.
I imagine the water as cool and smooth as silk under my feet, but walking on it would be almost like walking on a trampoline...not bouncy but resilient. I don't imagine that I'd get very far. I'd probably pull a Peter and go splashing into the water.
But still, to have walked on water, even if only so briefly.... Can you imagine?
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Home
I’m home.
Overall, I had a good trip. The sun came out Friday morning, so I spent about an hour sitting by the pool & writing that afternoon. That’s the kind of life I could easily grow accustomed to…. Sitting around, writing, soaking in the sun. It may sound lazy to some, but for me, it was time well spent. I got some good writing time in sitting by that pool.
I did not make it to the beach, but I did do some shopping. And a lot of driving.
I was hoping that on this trip I’d get a convertible for a rental car. That would have been fun. Everyone else in the office has had one at least once (Lee’s had a couple and he’s only been there 6 months!). I figure I’m due a convertible. No such luck, though. I got a Kia Optima, which is definitely not a convertible. Still, it wasn’t too bad. When I picked it up Wednesday night, it only had 5 miles on it, so I got to be the first person to drive it and break it in. When I took it back, it had about 350 miles on it. Kind of fun driving a new car, but still, it was not a convertible.
I saw “Jonnie V” on Sunday…went to his church & hung out with him that afternoon. It was fun catching up and reminiscing.
Then I came home.
And you know, there are few things nicer than coming home. I love to travel, but I think my favorite part is coming home, sleeping in my own bed with my own pillows that don’t smell funny….just being back in my own space.
Overall, I had a good trip. The sun came out Friday morning, so I spent about an hour sitting by the pool & writing that afternoon. That’s the kind of life I could easily grow accustomed to…. Sitting around, writing, soaking in the sun. It may sound lazy to some, but for me, it was time well spent. I got some good writing time in sitting by that pool.
I did not make it to the beach, but I did do some shopping. And a lot of driving.
I was hoping that on this trip I’d get a convertible for a rental car. That would have been fun. Everyone else in the office has had one at least once (Lee’s had a couple and he’s only been there 6 months!). I figure I’m due a convertible. No such luck, though. I got a Kia Optima, which is definitely not a convertible. Still, it wasn’t too bad. When I picked it up Wednesday night, it only had 5 miles on it, so I got to be the first person to drive it and break it in. When I took it back, it had about 350 miles on it. Kind of fun driving a new car, but still, it was not a convertible.
I saw “Jonnie V” on Sunday…went to his church & hung out with him that afternoon. It was fun catching up and reminiscing.
Then I came home.
And you know, there are few things nicer than coming home. I love to travel, but I think my favorite part is coming home, sleeping in my own bed with my own pillows that don’t smell funny….just being back in my own space.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
On the Road Again
Hello from Orlando, Florida!
One of the things I've really enjoyed about my job in the last year and a half is that when I travel, I get to go to some great places. St. Louis, Denver, Chicago, now Orlando, and Memphis next weekend. I've been to some less cool places, too.... Little Rock (going back there next week), Omaha, Kansas City. I have nearly doubled the list of states I've been to, which is getting me closer to my goal of visiting all 50 states. I think I'm up to 13 (16 if I'm allowed to count states where I've had a layover flight.) After next week's trip, it'll be 14 (or 17). I'm trying to convince my mom that when we're in New York this summer, we need to take a day trip into Pennsylvania, then swing over into Ohio, cutting through a sliver of West Virginia on the way. She's not buying into the idea.
I'm noticing a trend with the travel I've done this school year. It has rained everywhere I've been this year. I spent most of today driving in rain, which is such a bummer. I'm in FLORIDA! It's supposed to be SUNNY so I can go to the BEACH!
I think the sun is supposed to come out by Sunday, just in time for me to leave.
So, Josh and Karl have both blogged about Cocnordia's proposed move. (Look at that! I figured out how create a link inside a post! I didn't know I had such geekiness in me!!) Here's an update on it:
Yes, this discussion has come up a couple times in the past, but this time it's much more serious than it has been previously. We've been offered a chunk of land (about 80 acres) in a great location. No decision has been made yet, and it's going to be a while before it is made. In addition to moving, we're looking at another option that would involve some serious improvements to our current campus. It would be really cool to move and build a new campus from scratch, with room for athletic fields, a performing arts center, more dorms, new classroom buildings, etc. At the same time, I can't imagine Concordia without our chapel, or Studtmann, or Killian, or even leaky Kramer.
Anyways, it's going to be a while before this decision is made, and in the meantime, I have students to recruit.
And right now, I'm doing that in ORLANDO!
One of the things I've really enjoyed about my job in the last year and a half is that when I travel, I get to go to some great places. St. Louis, Denver, Chicago, now Orlando, and Memphis next weekend. I've been to some less cool places, too.... Little Rock (going back there next week), Omaha, Kansas City. I have nearly doubled the list of states I've been to, which is getting me closer to my goal of visiting all 50 states. I think I'm up to 13 (16 if I'm allowed to count states where I've had a layover flight.) After next week's trip, it'll be 14 (or 17). I'm trying to convince my mom that when we're in New York this summer, we need to take a day trip into Pennsylvania, then swing over into Ohio, cutting through a sliver of West Virginia on the way. She's not buying into the idea.
I'm noticing a trend with the travel I've done this school year. It has rained everywhere I've been this year. I spent most of today driving in rain, which is such a bummer. I'm in FLORIDA! It's supposed to be SUNNY so I can go to the BEACH!
I think the sun is supposed to come out by Sunday, just in time for me to leave.
So, Josh and Karl have both blogged about Cocnordia's proposed move. (Look at that! I figured out how create a link inside a post! I didn't know I had such geekiness in me!!) Here's an update on it:
Yes, this discussion has come up a couple times in the past, but this time it's much more serious than it has been previously. We've been offered a chunk of land (about 80 acres) in a great location. No decision has been made yet, and it's going to be a while before it is made. In addition to moving, we're looking at another option that would involve some serious improvements to our current campus. It would be really cool to move and build a new campus from scratch, with room for athletic fields, a performing arts center, more dorms, new classroom buildings, etc. At the same time, I can't imagine Concordia without our chapel, or Studtmann, or Killian, or even leaky Kramer.
Anyways, it's going to be a while before this decision is made, and in the meantime, I have students to recruit.
And right now, I'm doing that in ORLANDO!
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