This is important

I wanted to post my ethics paper for you all to read. 1 down 3 more to go.

While stem cell research, gay marriage, and abortion are on the top of everyone’s list of things to advocate, the environment is getting left behind. The Religious Right and politicians are sending the message that the environment does not matter and that we all must turn our attention to a few hot-button issues that affect only a small percentage of the population. However, the condition of our earth affects everybody. Christians are often likely to assume that the environment is someone else’s problem and terms like “environmentalism” push people away because they are seen as politically or liberally motivated. It is a Christian’s duty to care for and protect the environment as stewards of God’s creation.
For decades we have been aware of the environmental problem. There is a growing lack of natural resources to heat our homes, provide us with electricity, and run our cars. Lands have been stripped of forests, agriculture has farmed the soil until it is rendered useless, and oil and coal are constantly being removed from the earth. One-fifth of the world’s people live in industrialized countries, but they consume more than two-thirds of the planet’s resources. An average American consumes as much as 2.1 Germans, 12.1 Columbians, 28.9 Indians, 127 Haitians, and 395 Ethiopians. These resources are not infinite and will one day run out, yet there is little attention being paid to develop safe and sustainable ways to replace these resources.
This extensive use of our resources is being compounded by the constant increase in the earth’s population. As of December 2006 the world population is over 6.5 billion, 300 million of which live in the United States. The simple problem of too many people and too few resources exists, but it also goes beyond that. The world’s people and the status of the earth are interdependent on each other. We need to consider the connection between our lack of resources and our consumption levels responsible for the status of the earth. The world’s population has grown more since 1950 than it had in the previous four million years. This population growth has caused one-third to one-half of the Earth’s land surface to be transformed into living space. It has also contributed to the extinction of animal and plant species at the rate of at least one species every twenty minutes. Water supplies are becoming scarce and stressed, including the contamination of 40% of the United States ground water. Also, although the United States accounts for only 5% of the world’s population we consume 25% of its resources.
The increased population and consumption leads to another serious environmental problem. We are continuously and recklessly polluting the earth. Pollution comes in many varieties, including air, soil, and water. Daily activities like driving our vehicles, disposing of our trash, and consuming products that are mass-produced contribute to the pollution of the earth. Perhaps the biggest issue here is that people are generally unaware of the fact that the way they are living is contributing to this destruction.
As Christians we must turn our attention to the scriptural evidence and what the Bible says about our relationship with the world and the God who created it. Those who lived in the Biblical world were much closer to the earth and to nature. They witnessed the beauty of creation every day; their landscape was not blocked by skyscrapers or factory smokestacks and the stars sparkled vividly at night without being blocked by smog and city lights. When we first look for biblical support for nurturing the earth, it is easy to be satisfied with Genesis 1:28, “God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth’” (NRSV).
This dominance, given by God over all of creation, must be looked at critically. The earth is not ours to utilize and destroy as we please; it was created and belongs to God, Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (NRSV). Humans were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and were given a position of dominion over all other creatures. Therefore we must provide the same care, as God would give to the natural world, a world created with all things good.
We are charged with stewardship over the earth, which means caretaking, not abusing. In the Hebrew Bible it is commanded that fields and vineyards shall be sown and harvested for six years, but lay fallow on the seventh in order for the land to be at rest. Leviticus 25:2-4 says, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a Sabbath for the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land, a Sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard” (NRSV).
There is less evidence in the New Testament of our connection with the natural world. However, it is clear that Jesus and his disciples followed the basic views of the Hebrew Bible. They lived close to nature and enjoyed it. Jesus used examples of nature within his teachings. Jesus and his followers were more interested in the relationship of humans with one another than with nature, but it is most likely that there was no need to mention the proper care of the earth because it was already taking place.
The 2004 United Methodist Book of Discipline discusses that “natural world” in its Social Principles. The introduction states, “All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God’s creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings. God has granted us stewardship of creation. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect” (¶ 160).
Evangelicals are becoming involved in the environmental movement. Most prefer to call it “creation care,” which is what the Washington Post used in an article titled “The Greening of Evangelicals.” They take the lead from a pastor in Seattle who says the term does not “annoy” conservative Christians for whom the word “environmentalism” connotes liberals, secularists and Democrats. In 2004 the National Association of Evangelicals adopted an “Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility” which states, “We affirm that God-given dominion is a sacred responsibility to steward the earth and not a license to abuse the creation of which we are a part. Because clean air, pure water, and adequate resources are crucial to the public health and civic order, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from the effects of environmental degradation.”
The Emergent Village is a website devoted to producing information and developing the emergent church. Emergent Village Values and Practices says “To honor creation and to cherish and heal it.” The weblog at the Emergent Village posted “Earthkeeping Resources” on September 1st. This entry is an extensive list of local, national, and international Christian organizations devoted to the care of the earth. From this list it is clear to see that Christians everywhere are saying the same thing in many different ways. We must take care of the earth.
So what is a Christian to do when faced with the reality of the condition of the earth and the charge of stewardship over it? There are the obvious and immediate actions.
• One could investigate his/her local recycling program, learn to sort, manage and recycle materials.
• One could reduce his/her household energy consumption by replacing tradition light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. They cost a bit more but last longer and save money on one’s electric bill.
• One could reduce vehicle emissions by utilizing public transportation and by walking or riding a bicycle. In an area where public transportation is not available, one could consider sharing rides and also consider eco-friendly options when purchasing a new vehicle.
• When one visits the supermarket, he or she could look for locally grown foods. When food has to travel fewer miles from the farm to the plate there is less pollution involved in getting it there. While at the store one could look for recycled products and environmentally friendly cleaning agents.
• One of the fastest and easiest ways to determine if one is living environmentally friendly and for more suggestions one could take the Ecological Footprint Quiz at www.earthday.net/footprint.
Environmental stewardship is a Christian’s responsibility. Humans were given dominion over creation not to use and destroy as we please, but to take care of and nurture. We should not only take care of the earth for our time but for the sustainability of the future.

a haiku

no food or clothing
compares to that of the fields
strive and God will give

matthew 6:25-34

Federal Funding???

I came across this article from the New York Times. It's long, but basically what it is saying is that religious organizations in prisons and other institutions are recieving federal funding to indoctrinate their beliefs.

I believe that this is inappropriate. I also believe that fact that these programs are being federally funded are making it next to impossible for programs to teach, rehabilitate, and support prisoners and others on a voluntary basis, which in my opinion religion should ALWAYS be voluntary and ALWAYS be accepted.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/business/10faith.html?ex=1323406800&en=7050d803b8c42f05&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

I'm having a hard time publishing, for some reason it won't let me do what I want. So here is the link...hopefully it gets your there.

Anyone who can help me out, blogger doesnt' do the same thing in Safari as it does in Firefox, and I can't figure it out.

Graciously Reminded

As I was so graciously reminded by my Christian Ethics professor, I have not updated my blog in quite awhile. It's really quite embarrasing to have people come to my sight and not have updated in all this time, but FOLKS, i've been busy. Just wanted to give you a run down of what has been going on out here in Ohio.

I returned from Thanksgiving very ill, body and joint aches, and very fatigued. I went to the doctor that tuesday and they ran blood test, taking drawing close to half of my blood.... (not really obviously). Got news back yesterday, "All my tests were in normal limits." So I was out of commission for a week without any real results and still having some issues. But I'm back into action.

This weekend I had my first experience as a home brewer. Ryan and I spent an afternoon at the Van Tassels and brewed an IPA that should be ready around the time we return from Christmas Break, I'm so psyched.

Besides that fabulous activity not much is going on here, it's the Christmas season which means BIRTHDAY season. I will soon be entering my 25th year, w00t! We will be celebrating with manicotti at the Chordi house and then driving HOME!

Sitting between me and my birthday are 4 final papers, count them 1-2-3-4.... ARGH. Hello Library, Goodbye sleep.

I REALLY want to write something meaningful and good for the order of those who read this blog, however my brain is fried... so I will give you a topic to discuss amongst yourself.

Was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ neccessary for our salvation?

Exhausted yet renewed

I just spent the weekend in Jacksonville Flordia at Exploration 2006. It's a conference put on by the GBHEM of the United Methodist Church for young people considering a call into ordained ministry. I had attended as a Junior in college back in 2002 and jumped at the opportunity to go and facilitate a small group as well as represent MTSO.
It was extremely exhausting seeing as when we left for the airport at 5am on Friday morning I had not been to bed yet. However, spending a weekend helping others recognize their call as well as contemplating my own, I felt refreshed when I returned home.
Some of the highlights were having an AMAZING small group, praying more than I have in a long time, seeing my cousin Jestie as well as my friends from the Wyoming conference, being approched to pray with a Buckeye fan after a Victory over Michigan, having a goregous view and a balcony, and renewing my hope for the future of the United Methodist Church.
Some of the downsides were not sleeping enough and having to listen and watch a praise band "perform" during worship.
It is now Thanksgiving break and we are heading home on Wednesday afternoon, might not post again until after that, but I promise something really great soon.

White Castle Crave Case

So here I am in my Introduction to Christian Ethics and if I'm lucky I've had 3 hours of sleep last evening. I didn't get to sleep till 5 the last few nights... mostly because my body is SCREWED UP!
Besides my paper that I wrote this week I had a pretty impressive Friday night and I promised my Friday night companions that I would blog about it. It's slightly late, but sit back and enjoy.

I anticipated Friday night all week. Steve (aka Dr. Cool) did not have to teach so Science Club was promised to be exciting. We arrived at 6:45 and consumed our first barley based beverage under the happy hour price(this story is not about how much alcohol was consumed, but the quality of fun that was had). Over the course of the next several hours approximately 16 people attended Science Club, ate, drank, passed gassed, and left.

Slightly before 10:30 we gathered our things (darts, children, coloring books) and headed off to play darts at Byrnes (sans children and coloring books). However when we arrived there was a fantastic, but in the way Irish band playing. Onlookers were watching from tables in front of the dart boards, which could have put a whole new spin on the game. Present was B-Ruce, Matt, Ryan, Steve and I. We (read Drunk Matt and Pete) decided that we would head to another establishment where there was promised dart boards and popcorn. Ryan, Bruce and I waited for Bobby (who had promised his attendance) to arrive. After a fair amount of time and Bobby not arriving we moved on with a few detours and what not.

At arriving at this new establishment the "Pointe Tavern" I immediately noticed the absense of popcorn (which is always my favorite part of Friday evening.) The next few hours contained much of the same Friday night activities, beer, darts, farting, swearing, and did I mention beer. Besides our posse there was one noticable "Loud Girl" in the crowd and regular bar goers. At sometime close to closing time I entered a bathroom stall to find 20 BUCKS lying on the floor! It was an amazing moment for me and I secretly hope (not so secretly when I said it out loud to Steve and Ryan upon returning) that it had belonged to "Loud Girl."

Sometime after 2am we were forced to "CHUG" in a very irritating fashion and vacate the premises. Having promised Steve and Matt that we would take them home after Pete punked out on us, we all piled into the tiny Sunfire. Ryan as the DD for the evening, so needless to say Matt, Steve, and I were not very functional and we are all STARVING.

Out here amoung our friends (the Maggots) there is a legend of White Castle, in which it's SO GOOD, but only if you are drunk. So we headed over to a White Castle drive thru on High Street to find the line unbelievably long. Matt took several trips to pee on things, we all changed our minds a hundred times on what we wanted to eat, when we just decided to purchase a Crave Case and a diet Coke. For those of you who are not familiar with White Castle a Crave Case is 30 (yes 30) slider sized burgers, in our case cheese burgers. After about 45 minutes of drive thru glory Matt was so excited to get his food he opened the box upside down. We proceeded to Steve's.

By this time I SERIOUSLY had to pee and I was laughing so hard that I could not get out of the back of the Sunfire. After many tries of standing and falling back into the car I finally emerged and raced into the house with Dr. Cool to pee. When I was finished I returned to the front porch and the the boys were having a White Castle picnic. Probably 1/3 of the box was gone by that time, so I sat and ate. A number of short minutes later the box was gone and it was soooooo good. To recap 4 people ate 30 burgers in probably a period of 10 minutes.

The weather was so nice and it was amazing to just sit and chill on a front porch, something I probably hadn't done since college. Steve said he was going to tell his students about our escapades and they would never believe him.

So perhaps this was a gotta be there to even understand it moment, but it as pretty amazing. I pretty much live for Friday night.

For Your Enjoyment!

Talking Pennsylvanian ...
Once a Pennsylvanian, ALWAYS a Pennsylvanian!
About Pennsylvanians:

You've never referred to Philadelphia as anything
but "Philly" and New Jersey has always been " Jersey"
You refer to Pennsylvania as "PA" (pronounced
Pee-ay). How many other states do that?

"You guys" is a perfectly acceptable reference to
a group of men & women

You know how to respond to the question
"Djeetyet?" (Didyoueatyet?)

You learned to pronounce Bryn Mawr, Wilkes-Barre ,
Schuylkill , the Pocono's, Tamaqua, Tunkannock, Bala
Cynwyd, Duquesne & Monongahela.

You know what a "Mummer" is, and are disappointed
if you can't catch at least highlights of the parade.

You know what " Punxsutawney Phil" is, and what it
means if he sees his shadow.

The first day of buck & the first day of doe season are school holidays.
You know how to get 'rid' of things and how to read up.

You can use the phrase "fire hall wedding reception" & not even bat an eye.

You can't go to a wedding without hearing the
"Chicken Dance," at least one polka & either an
Italian song (sung in Italian,) or "Hava Nagila."

At least 5 people on your block have electric
"candles" in all or most their windows all year
long.

You know what a "Hex sign" is.

You know what a "State Store" is, and your
out-of-state friends find it incredulous that you
can't purchase liquor at the mini-mart.

You own only 4 condiments: salt, pepper, mustard &
ketchup.

Words like "hoagie," "crick," "chipped ham,"
"sticky buns," "shoo-fly pie," "pierogies" &
"pocketbook" actually mean something to you. That's
PA slang for purse!

You can eat cold pizza (even for breakfast) and know others who do the same. (Those from NY find this "barbaric.")

You not only have heard of Birch Beer, but you know it comes in several colors: Red, White, Brown, Gold.

You know several places to purchase or that serve Scrapple, Summer Sausage and Hot Bacon Dressing


You can eat a cold soft pretzel from a street vendor without fear & enjoy it. It almost always
comes with mustard.

You know the difference between a cheese steak & a pizza steak sandwich, and know that you can't get a really good one outside PA. Except Atlantic City on the boardwalk.

You live for summer, when street & county fairs signal the beginning of funnel cake season.

Customers ask the waitress for "dippy eggs" for breakfast.

You know that Blue Ball, Intercourse, Paradise ,
Climax, Bird-in-Hand, Beaver, Moon, Virginville,
Mars, and Slippery Rock are PA towns. (and the first
3 were consecutive stops on the Reading RR)


You know what a township, borough, and commonwealth is.

You can identify drivers from New York , New
Jersey , or other neighboring states by their unique & irritating driving habits.

A traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a horse-drawn carriage on the highway in Lancaster County .

You know several people who have hit deer more than once.



You carry jumper cables in your car & your female passengers know how to use them.

You still keep kitty litter, starting fluid, de-icer, or a snowbrush in your trunk, even if you
now live in the south.

Driving is always better in winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

As a kid you built snow forts and leaf piles that were taller than you were.

Your graduating class consisted of mostly Polish, German, & Italian names.

You know beer doesn't grow in a garden but you know where to find a beer garden.

You also know someone who lives "down the lane"

Vote damn it!

Tomorrow is election day, please get out and have your voice count! While I do have my own opinions and ideals about what this country should be and who should be in office, that's not what this post is about. It is simply about being an American citizen and voting in this election.
Earlier this week someone told me that they don't vote in "little" elections, I almost punched her. Whether you live in Ohio or not, this election is not little, no election is little. Elections aren't just about who is going to be president, but about who is running your local government, who is representing you in the state house of representatives, and who is speaking for you in Washington... I don't see anything little about it.
So just do it...and make wise decisions. Don't vote for a candidate just because your spouse, your partner, you brother or your friend is voting for them, vote for a candidate because they are the candidate that you want to speak for you. There are many "hot button" issues out there like gay marriage and abortion, but their are so many other important things to consider like poverty (and don't forget the environment, that is important too)! Vote Damn it!


Here ends the rant.

Sacred Space of the Week

Several weeks ago I decided that I wanted to include a weekly feature that highlighted Sacred Spaces as I see them. I believe that a Sacred Space does not have to be a church or anything related to a particular denomination, nor does it have to be named a Sacred Space by another person. What is important is that to each individual it is a place where you feel closer to God, where a conversation between individual and God takes place and where one can listen to the calling of God.

The MTSO Outdoor Chapel This weeks Sacred Space of the week does happen to be a type of a chapel. Several times a year chapel services are held here by different studend organizations. I've had two opportunities to be involved with services here. One in the evening with the Young Adult Seminarian Network. It was dark and the setting included tiki torches, candles, grapes, cheese, and crackers. The chapel was built and dedicated to a former maintence director at the school and is a very important part of the campus here at MTSO.

Panera Bread Ministry

I have had the opportunity to participate in a really amazing minsitry here at MTSO. As a member of the Community Enrichment and Empowerment Network (CEEN) I am partly in charge of the Panera Bread Ministry. Every evening when at closing time Panera donates their left over bread for that day to a different charitable organization. On Sunday evenings the community of MTSO gets to benefit from this program. Last night I took our new trusty truck to pick up the bread. We waited and waited and it was taking way longer than normal to pack up all the bread. Finally the manager told us we could start loading up. When all was said and done, the entire bed of the truck was full of bread. FULL! How rediculous is that?!
Normally we have enough bread to fill about 5 plastic containers. We had twice that amount this week, it consumed the coffee shop! I took pictures but have not uploaded them yet. I will include them in a further post.

Big News

I've been a rather irresponsible Blogger recently, but alot has been going on here. Ryan got in a car accident back in July, it was the other guys fault and their insurance company totalled it out, sending Ryan a check. The guy told him he could still drive it however, so that's what he's been doing. On Tuesday morning the Saab did not start causing Ryan not to be able to get to OSU to teach his lab. Normally only having one car is fine, but on days like Tuesday when we both had places to be, it stressed me out a little. So last night we went car shopping.....

Pumpkin Carving Victory!!

We have achieved great admiration and love of all of our friends here at MTSO. Ryan carved a very kick ass pumpkin to enter into the MTSO pumpkin carving extravaganza. Great fun as had by all and everyone won a prize. We just happened to get best over all!! SUCKERS. Just kidding, everyone did a fantastic job. I will not reveal the secrets of skill just to say it involved power tools.
What a great holiday. About half the children on campus are dressing up as witches and another family is dressing up as Susan, Lucy, and Aslan from Narnia. We will be attending a party as wet Buckeye fans, but it should be a good time.
Everyone stay safe this weekend and have a great time!

Fall here in Ohio

Yesterday was a bright sunshinning beautiful day. The color on most trees were rich and vibrant and although the ground was slightly cool I took a stroll around campus barefoot to snap some photos.
Today is a different story all together. When I left my apartment at 10:30 I was wearing a Mickey Mouse t-shirt and a winter hat to keep my wet hair covered. I spent a few hours workin in admissions and then went out for lunch. It had gotten slightly colder and was starting to rain, so I put on a fleece jacket and took my hat off, hair being dry. After lunch I walked back to the office and thought I was going to freeze to death. Now as of 4:45p.m. it is in the low 40s and raining. It is definatly Fall in Ohio.
I have a feature on my new computer that with one click of a button shows me the tempeture and what it's "looks like" outside. Yesterday the icon had a bright pulsing sun. Today raindrops are dripping onto my computer screen, it's rather depressing.
Regardless I have posted a picture of what yesterday looked like....because it makes me much happier than the appearance of today.
Peace and Blessings on your journeys.

The Methodist Theological School in Ohio

Awhile back Rachel asked me to write about school and I'm finally getting around to it now.
I am in my second semester at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio seeking my call into ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. I love it here, God could not have put us in a better place. Between classes and organization meetings there exists a beautiful community of people. They come from all kinds of backgrounds and have an enormous varities of interests. I found myself giving a tour today and talking about all the opportunities for families and kids, and the guy looked at me and said, well I'm not bringing a family with me. We kind of laughed about it and I related my experience of being brought into the family here at MTSO. While not every experience here is wonderful and life changing, it provides a real space to grow and learn.
Class wise this semester I am taking The Church's Educational Ministry, Introduction to Christian Ethics, Ministry For/With/By Youth, and Church History. They are all challenging, but with each class comes new opportunities.
Recently for a youth ministry paper I was required to have a conversation with a youth. We weren't given a list of questions or guidelines for the paper, simply that we listen for at least an hour. I got the opportunity to meet the sweetest kid named Steven. Steven really makes me feel great about the future. His sense of confidence, his warm smile, and his incredible work ethic was amazing to me. He has attended church off and on and he told me he likes it "if it's not too long or boring." It's cute, but it totally makes sense. The youth of today were raised with incredible amounts of stimulation present at all times: television, computers, gameboys, radios, etc... To hold any one youth's interest there needs to be a reason to be there that isn't too boring. I'm not going to give any kind of answer to what this is should be, beacuse for everyone it is different, but it's definatly something to think about. He's a good kid and I really believe he will get the spiritual guidence he needs to become a good Christian and a fabulous adult.
My biggest challenge here at MTSO has been discerning into what I'm really being called. There is no doubt in my mind that I'm truly being called to do the work of the church, but where is that call leading me. Someone told me today that God doesn't want to see me just floundering around and that I will get an answer... BUT WHEN?!
I guess that's enough about school for now. Peace out homies!

Super Crazy Weekend

This weekend proved to be an interesting one. At the same time I hate myself because I am seriously behind on all my work and stressed out. But here's how it went. Ryan and I went to a Bowling For Soup concert on Friday night at a bar called Flannigan's. It was an AMAZING concert, they played all my favorite songs, and their new album sounds like it is going to be great. They encouraged the crowd to sing along and they did. Seemed that everyone in there knew all the words. I honestly can't remember what order they played their songs in or which were the best. I just know Ryan and I had a great time, especailly singing "Ohio" in Ohio.
The bar was great too, we ate some food, drank some beer and chatted with some other concert goers. It was totally and over 30 crowd, which makes sense because the band is over 30. It just wasn't expected. This is when I realized that I would rather be in an over 30 crowd, people my age and younger tend to get cocky when in bars and at concerts. Most folks over 30 aren't trying to prove anything to anyone, which makes the show much more enjoyable for others. I spent the entire concert kneeling on a bar stool, which made my knees really sore the next morning.
Saturday, we got up early and went to the Ohio State/Indiana football game. OSU pretty much beat the pants of their opponents, but it still made for a great game. My favorite highlights were Pettrey kicking a 51 yard field goal that was perfect and my mand Teddy Ginn throwing a touchdown pass to Nicol. It was a beautiful day in the upper 50s with plenty of sun beating down on C deck. I know have a quite impressive sunburned racoon face.
After the game I changed into some concert going clothes and went to see the Indigo Girls with Michele and Jesse in downtown Columbus. I really didn't know much about the Indigo Girls and had a vague familiarity with their music, but I truley enjoyed myself. It helped that I was with two amazing girls who made the night wonderful. The opening band was different, but the lead singer was AMAZING and she even came on to sing some songs with the girls towards the end of the concert. The girls played for quite awhile and we didn't leave the concet till after 11. I had volunteered to be the DD, so I drove Michele's Honda around in circles until we found a bar called Wall Street that we got free passes to at the concert. The girl who handed us the passes advertised it as a Lesbian bar, but assured us that straight girls could go to. Teehee, it was fun to watch the look on her face when Jesse asked her if she had to be a Lesbian to go. After Wall Street, we headed to another bar that I had gone to with Michele one other time. It was completely dead and one woman insisted it was because of the Indigo Girls concert, to which we replied that we had been there. She then said that the football game probably had something to do with it, which I replied that I had been to the football game as well. Then everyone laughed at my sunburn.
Around 2 am we decided we needed breakfast and I drove Jesse and Michele on their first ever trip to Steak and Shake. It was yummy, I got home around 4 and slept wonderfully.
Sunday Sucked!! I'm so far behind on all my work and stressed out and really trying to get something done, but what is really happening is that I'm gettign nothing done. I wish I had pictures to post of the Indigo Girls or the football game, but I don't. I've posted a few from Bowling for Soup.
Peace.

I'm not surprised, I know two of them.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 670 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

My new computer

This afternoon at about the time that I realized I would not be able to attend the Michigan- Ohio State game in November, which is THE GAME OF THE YEAR!! My laptop keyboard stopped working. It was on it's way out and would not always turn on, so I bought (read: charged) a new MacBook Pro. So far so good, it's going to take a while to get use to. I got a Mac because I want to start doing some more serious stuff with my pictures. But I'm not going to write any more tonight, because I have too much to do.

The ONE Campaign

Hey Folks, Take a minute to check out this website and sign the declaration. The ONE Campaign is standing to Make Poverty History. You can find it here at The ONE Campaign.

I found the ONE Quiz particularly interesting.

Ecological Footprint Quiz

Just came across this quiz, it's very interesting. I'm definatly not as ecologically friendly as I thought I was.

Take the Quiz Here

Composting Pictures

I wanted to post some pictures of my compost bins for Rachel and Matt said that he would like to hear about my composting. So here is the deal: Both Ryan's and my families have always composted (thrown all our kitchen scraps in a pile in the backyard.) When I moved out on my own it was wierd throwing everything away, it made the trashcan smell and made unneccessary wastes in landfills. We put some scraps down the garbage disposal and it clogged often and as Rachel would say "it's not doing much good down there anyways." I see composting as a great way to treat the environment better, plus it will be great for my spring flowers and veggies. Finding simple instructions on the internet was difficult because everyone has their own ideas about what makes a compost bin and what should go in it. I consulted my good composting loving friend Rachel and asked her opinion. And this is what we came up with: We bought two Rubbermaid Roughneck 30 gallon garbage cans and drilled several small holes to allow air flow. We then spray painted our name on the top so noone was steal them or mistake them for garbage. Inside we layered torn newspaper, yard clippings and kitchen scraps (everything but meat and greasy things.) Through this process I've realized my impatience, I want it ot be finished compost now, but it will take several months before I can use it.

You Decide

I'm having a hard time trying to decide what I should write about next. Here is a list, let me know what you think:
Whitey-my dad
Environment
Composting
School
Faith
Everyday activities
Likes
Dislikes
Politics

The Body Knows

So after an incredibly busy couple of days and a really great interview this morning by body crashed this afternoon. It told me to stop moving and REST. So I did. I skipped out on Church History, while it being my favorite class I really couldn't handle it. I slept for several hours and now have a sore throat and feel like crap. Hopefully if this is an illness I can get over it fairly quickly. All week my throat has been sore but I thought it was just allergies, it might be more though. Lots of work to do this week! Hope to hear about the job soon!

I love my friends and family!

I'm home and am enjoying every bit of it. Went to Twigs, the hot spot of Tunkhannock, this evening with some really great friends. Am heading up to Ithaca for a few days to spend some time with Stacey and Johnny. Will be flying home again on Sunday, I'm a little less nervous this time. I promise when I get back I will have some more meaningful posts.

I'm flying tomorrow..

And I hate it. Please keep me in your prayers. Also I'm going to charge conference to be recommended for candidacy. So big things are happening.
Probably won't write much more htis week.
Peace

Be nice to the environment!

Just do it, it's not that hard!

I could post a link to a good artilce or a good website that talks about taking care of the environment...but really, google it yourself!
Thanks and have a nice day!

I want you all to know what it feels like

Lately I've been having issues. I am young, married, and do not have children. For some reason this seems to be a lonely place to be. Ryan and I have alot of friends, mostly married, mostly with children. We see our friends on a fairly regular basis in the comings and goings of everyday campus life. However, actually spending time with these friends is next to impossible. If you invite them to do something, they can't because of the kids, and if they are making plans to do something, it's usually with other couples who have kids. So, therefore Ryan and I are stuck with nothing to do. I love these friends, but I don't think they understand what they are doing. Leaving Ryan and I out of their lives, simply because we do not have children.

On the other hand, our single friends, who when making plans with their other single friends do not invite their married friends along...these friends will come over when invited, but you have to be able to find them to invite them anywhere, they are usually already out with other single people. Again we love these friends, but it's hard to spend any time with them.

So, Ryan and I make our own plans and go about on our own life, without any real life friends. When we are around our apartment or do get to talk to people we are referred to as "anti-social" but it's hard to be social when noone ever invites you anywhere. Come on people. This all just really sucks for us. And I want you for once to know what it feels like.

All Church People Look Alike

Mothers with tapered legged jeans and white haired women with elastic waist bands in their pants.

Confessing my love...

I want to take this opportunity to confess my love to a few people and a few things. First I suppose I should mention my husband, since we are eternally bound by the vows of marriage. I love him, he's my best friend and I don't know what I would do without him.
Second, I love Rachel Ann! She seriously has become one of my best friends and we hardly see each other. But I think she's amazing, we share a lot of common thoughts and respect each other when we disagree.
Third, God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I don't say this enough, these three (in one) completely consume me, form my life, and shape my beliefs. Because of my beliefs there a few other things that I love:
-The Environment, God's creation. I continually feel an overwhelming urge to do good things for the earth and make sure others do as well. My favorite term for this has recently become Creation Care and I plan on forming a website, company, newsletter or something around this idea.
-Others, God's children. If you know me at all, you know I'm a lover. I truly love everyone, I might get frustrated with people and irritated because they are not contributing to society the best way that they can, but I always care about them and continue to pray for them.
-This love for others also includes the "other." The minority, the oppressed, the poverty stricken, the immigrant looking for a home, and the forgotten on the boundaries of society.

Today I wish I had more money. Not to buy a new computer, which I kind of need, and not to buy groceries, which I definitely need, but to give away to the people who have even less than I do. To give to the church, who needs it desperately just to exist. To give to important political campaigns, for the politicians who are fighting for me and those that I love.

However I don't have this money because I am attending school to hopefully make an even bigger difference in the future, than that my money could make today. So I encourage you, my readers to give what you have, money, time, effort, joy, just give it and love that fact that you are doing so.
Peace.

What is family?

Right now I am seriously bogged down with schoolwork and the like. I've wanted to post all weekend, but am just now getting around to it.

My family was here this weekend, a large number of relatives even. About 15 people came in from NY, PA, MD, and VA to visit Ryan and I in Ohio.

So I've been contemplating "What is family?"
These people who came to visit aren't immediate family, I'm not even positive how we are related. Some of them are children of cousins of my grandmother. Regardless we are close and I love them. We make it a point to get together once a year. After these get togethers which always consists of lots of eating, talking, laughing, and loving I get a little depressed. They are such a wonderful group of people and we only see each other once a year.

I'm just a little beside myself right now. Must get back to work.
Peace.

Because I Feel Better About This

Here I am, starting yet another blog. It's not because I'm trying to be cool or popular, but because I really have things to say. I do some writing over on Myspace, but it's really not cutting it for me. I spend too much time learning about people's private lives and not saying what I have to say, which is sometimes important. Also I wasn't spending enough time outside...I wasn't enjoy nature, God's creation. Now I am trying to spend much less time on the computer and much more time among the trees.
I am here to post my opinions and tell the world what I have to say. Please comment if you have something to add to the discussion, even if it's disagree with what I have to say. Nothing will never get resolved if there is no dialogue.
Peace