we like to text

There's something almost magical about the "buzz, buzz, buzz," of my cell phone every time I get a new text message.  This buzzing makes me happy.  Someone wants to talk to me, who could it be?  I know that I'm not alone in this.  We like to text!  Some of us enjoy it because it's simple, takes much less time than a phone call.  Texting allows us to multitask.  Some of us also like texting because we can have conversations that last for hours and hours.  We go about our days with cell phones in our pockets, constantly shooting messages that may or may not have substance back and forth.  We love it!  We also like our other forms of instant communication: skype, email, instant messaging...why?  I love talking to people in person, but at times seem almost addicted to "text-talking."  And I know many individuals who are even worse than me with it!  I want to explore this about myself.  Could it be that my enthusiasm for being able to talk to someone always is part of my nature as a human being.  God did not create us to do life alone, and more importantly, he did not create us to do life without his continued guidance.  See, there is someone who I'm supposed to be constantly communicating with.  I love the instantaneous conversation, because God has put it in my heart to love it.  We're commanded to "pray without ceasing."  The connection should always be open.  Prayer links us immediately to our God and, much like texting can be done anytime any where (okay, so I wouldn't suggest texting while skydiving or taking your SAT, both places you can/definitely should pray, but you get my drift).  Unlike texting though, the results of prayer are always fruitful even when we can't see them.  Also, during prayer, you know the person on the other end is giving you His undivided attention.

barefoot trust

A warm spring afternoon
Just a day after rain
Will the ground be wet and muddy?
Are there sharp rocks?
Could there be glass or other trash?
Barefoot trust
The best way to play is with free feet
Sock and shoes in a pile
Abandoned while we chase the kite
Then to bubbles and catch and frisbee
And no one looks back
Barefoot trust
Can I expose my feet in front of you?
Do you see that blister-wound?
That ugly callous?
Are you judging the shape of my toes?
Grown-up worries
Barefoot trust
In the shower, worn out after the day
That we played as happy children
Not minding that my feet are stained brown
Because you took off your shoes and ran alongside
Trusting me
With barefoot trust

the best

"The greatest enemy of that which is best, is the which is simply good."  At first this quote meant to me that we should never just settle, that we should only content ourselves with what we believe is the "best" from God.  What if we started asking straight out for God's "best"?  Yes, I like that.

"Adventuerers Beware!"

Adventurers beware
I must warn you
About what could happen
If you choose to come exploring with me
Brace yourself
We may require a map
Be prepared
The journey may last longer than planned
Look out
There might be some make believe
Also
Make sure you dress for the weather
Adventurers beware
I like to travel
To the brink of peril
We just might
Have to link arms as we cross the frozen tundra
Or sit quiet and still in the ship
So as not to be seen by our enemies
Chance are
We'll look like fools
And chances are
I'll make fun of your Dread Pirate Roberts mustache
Or try my best to knock you off your feet
But chance are
We'll have the greatest fun
Adventurers beware
I must warn you
About what could happen
If you choose to come exploring with me
The day
Will be one of our best
And our friendship
Will radiate light

On "It's Time"

The time has come...my blog needs a new name. I've changed significantly in the years since I began writing and I think this blog should reflect that. I'm searching for a new name, something not so cutesy. Suggestions??

On a middle-class life

Sorry that this post is so terribly long; it's an assignment that I had to do for my sociology class. We were supposed to write about our experiences with social classes and social inequality then explain what the two terms meant to us. I'm not really sure that I successfully answered the prompt, but I like the way it turned out so I'm sharing:
I come from what used to be a very small town; the community is growing and inches more and more towards becoming suburbia every day. You can’t expect to know everyone, but you can expect to discover at least one person you know every time you go to the grocery store. It is a town where the friends you make are close ones, and to me this means that the people of the community like being there for one another, no matter the circumstances. The majority of the population falls in the middle-class financially. Because of the particular experiences of my family, I associate living a middle-class life with living in a community of neighbors who share your struggles and your successes and are available and willing to offer any needed help. From my childhood, my parents have instilled in me a compassion for the needs of others as well as a sense of duty to try my best to alleviate those needs. They emblazoned this on my heart not through lectures, by through the example of their own actions.
One example that I remember most vividly because of the way it affected me as a child, is when my parents gave away their mattress. A family from the church we attended needed a new bed after the traumatic death of a family member. Immediately after learning of the need, my parents shoved their own mattress out of the house, into an awaiting trailer, and then to the home of the family. This particularly affected me because in the weeks before they bought a new mattress, my parents slept in my bed and I had to take on less comfortable lodgings. Being young, I didn’t understand the need my parents felt to make such a sacrifice. Since then however, I realize that from that experience I gleaned that helping others at one’s own expense is something that’s just expected in my family and to some extent in my town. Though my family did not immediately have the funds to buy a new bed, the need of the other family was more pressing and now that I am older, I see the sacrifice of my parents as less strange. I now believe that living in a middle-class community requires pulling together to share resources.
Another episode, which occurred when I was much older, brought me to another conclusion about social class. In November 2005, my town suffered a devastating tornado. The storm flattened the homes of many families; the neighborhood just behind my home was almost completely destroyed. Although we lost 26 trees from our backyard, my family was blessed to have our home still intact. The morning after the storm, my mom and I piled a wagon with sodas, coffee, and sandwiches then headed for our neighbors. In the neighborhood behind us, I saw the desperation on the faces of those who had just lost their homes. They stood amongst the rubble and were so grateful just to get something to drink. These people were my community, and I felt their anxiety, but I could not entirely sympathize. Suddenly these devastated people became “the poor” and “the needy” in my eyes. Overnight a neighborhood of ordinary middle-class folks had become those I pitied. This sense heightened when buses came to take these families to hotels or relatives. The road to get to the neighborhood was blocked by fallen electrical lines. With my parents’ permission, the families pulled their suitcases and wheelbarrows, full of their salvaged belongings, through our backyard, past our home, and to the awaiting buses. All I could do was to sit in stunned silence as the people filed passed our open kitchen door. My neighbors now seemed like charity cases. My family suddenly seemed to be of a higher social class because we had resources that those around us did not. Looking back on this event, I now believe that social class is determined by perspective.
From these experiences that I have described, I have gained my understanding of social class and social inequality. To me, social class is a general term to describe one’s status in his or her community. Because of the way our brains work, humans are more comfortable when we can put things into groups. The grouping of people in our minds is often based on our perceptions of social class. While statistics can determine someone’s comparable financial status, most social classes are relatively unspoken but tremendously felt based on one’s perceptions. Social class is all about the possession or lack of resources; this can be literal or simply perceived. All of the connotations and behaviors associated with the different “classes” in this country have their roots in the differing of resources. This partially feeds my perception of the middle-class as those who help others. I believe that this association is quite logical. The middle-class is most equipped to offer aid. Those in the middle-class have relatively stable finances and often the resources to aid those in need. They also are not exempt from struggles with money and can empathize when others need assistance. Those in the lower-class can better sympathize with need, but do not have the resources to meet needs. Those in the upper-class have plenty of resources, but cannot identify with their neighbors who struggle. I believe that social inequality is the thoughts and actions that arise from our perceptions of differentiated social classes. I experienced this after the tornado, when I saw my neighbors in a new way. My new impression of these people as having “less” than I did, placed them in a different category than myself. Social inequality becomes a major problem when an impression like the one I felt that day affects lawmakers and other people of influence. This term has negative connotations, but truly comes from a very I instinctual place in the human mind that feels the need to make associations. These groups we mentally create foster social inequality, but is that a tragedy? If my parents had not been able to make these distinctions, would they feel so inclined to always offer help? Do some of our perceptions of social class inspire our actions to “make the world a better place”? If there was no social inequality, could there be helpful, closely knit communities like mine? These questions will follow me into further exploration of social class and inequality.

On I hear you, I see you

I recently had a slight problem in one of my classes. I emailed my prof about it and never heard anything back. When I asked her about my situation at the next class session, she told me not to worry about it, that it would get resolved. I thanked her but asked if she could reply to my email anyway, "I have been having issues with my messages not being received and I want to make sure my email is working properly." That was a complete lie. My email was working fine...I was just wanted a response. She never did reply to that email, or resolve (so I thought) the issue. So a couple weeks later, I sent another message. People are busy, especially profs, right? It makes sense that one email got overlooked. Still no response after the second email and I'm starting to get upset. I need this problem solved. My third, and slightly more direct (fine rude!) email finally solicited a reply. In reading her message, I found no resolution to my problem, but still I was elated. Despite the fact that she had provided basically no help, I was thrilled to receive a response. Why did this matter to me so much? Apparently (because now I'm completely at ease) I cared more about receiving some kind of acknowledgement than I did resolving the problem. Again, why? The idea that I was not being heard made me extremely uncomfortable. How did you miss my messages? Even a quick reply of "I don't know" would have placated me. When my prof finally did respond, I relaxed and realized how obnoxiously single minded I appeared. I needed that acknowledgement! That, "I hear you, I see you." Is that due to a personal insecurity...or is this a natural thing? I know that there's no perfect analogy, but I feel like this situation has some faith applications. Can you think of somebody else who often has to go without getting acknowledged? Doesn't it just sting a little when you get that, "Wow, now you know how I feel everyday" ? Geez, huh? I hear You, I see You.