I’m sitting in the library

without shoes on. I didn’t wear shoes today. Oh no, I wore my galoshes. The brown ones with aqua blue/teal coloured polka dots. Yep, those ones. Because it is drizzling quite steadily today. And at one point, if you stood really quietly in the wlak in closet in Anna and Caitlin’s room, it sounded like rats were running on the roof.

at least, that’s what Caitlin says. I’ve never heard rats running on the roof.

But galoshes, let me tell you, are horribly uncomfortable after sitting at a desk in the library for 3.5 hours. NOw I’m just waiting for Caitlin to finish up whatever she’s working on (nursing? Anatomy? UFDN? Stats?) and then we’ll head home, just as the library closes.

It’s so awe inspiring to me, to sit in this building surrounded by so many books. for a couple reasons: we write books and books and books, and what do we even do with our lives but read other people’s books and then critique them and then write our own? Really, I am at this point in my life where I am all about action. I can’t talk theology with people anymore. I’m tired of talking and reading and writing. I want to go out and live. Second, holy cow! There are a lot of books, and none of them say the exact same thing! We have so much going on in our heads, so many things to say, and we are finite beings! How many books could God write? A LOT! Third, how much money do we spend on these books, and how could that go to so many other people in so many different ways? Not that all the books we have is wrong, I think it’s good to be educated and learned. But really, I think it’s interesting to imagine all the ways this money could have been spent outside of these books. We did this in my political/economic development class today. Did you know, that with the money we’ve spent on the war in Iraq, we could have bought everyone on the planet an iPod? I’m not discounting the good things done in Iraq, but still. That’s just an interesting way to look at the money, and think of it.

that’s all folks. I got nothin else. The library closes in 12 minutes. They just flashed the lights again. I think they want us to leave. They want to kick us back out into the rain.

Where did my galoshes go?

 

I’m still here

Yes ladies and gentlemen,

sara has not left the big CO. I am still lying here, in my own sort of purgatory, awaiting my eventual, and inevitable return to Seattle.

In other news… I’ve read some more books. Last of the Mohicans: very different from the movie, but wonderful all the same. Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Cout: amusing, I found Hank irritating, until the end. When I felt superbly sorry for the poor chap. I’m now reading Fresh Encounters, and Changing the Mind of Missions. The former is interesting, the latter, um, boring. Basically, I’m rereading stuff I already know. [ah the glorious beauty of having missionary/pastor parents.] Oh, I also finished Exiles which I started while at school. Let’s talk about htat one.

You know, the first three chapters, if you read that, you’ve read the book. That’s where Frost lays out all his theory on the incarnational church. (ie: not grace chapel, for my co readers) But I enjoyed the rest of the book as well, because it got into the more practical aspects of how to apply the theory to real life. There were some chapters though, where I had a hard time agreeing with Frost. Some of that was hard stuff to hear and acknowledge. But, then I thought that so many people turned away from Jesus, after saying, “Rabbi, this is difficult teaching.” Jesus didn’t run after them to make it easier. And I don’t want to be one of those people. I’m not puting Frost on the level of God, either. But it did make me think about his more heavy practical ideas. Checking clothing companies to see where they make their merchandise, for instance. I mean, that’s just plain time consuming, and I hardly buy clothes anyway… but, it’s true. I should be concerned about child labor, so, I hsould take an interest in where Gap and Target get their clothes made. Who cares if it takes up my time? I still need to be responsible in caring for God’s creation–humanity.

And I have started attending an incarnational model church. Oh, glorious day! I am actually excited to go to church again!

so yeah. that’s about it. If you want more info about incarnational church stuff, let me know. I wrote this really long message to a friend recently, to explain what I was talking about. If you want to know more, I will give you that. Heck, if I get around to it between packing and cleaning for Kelsie coming to visit… maybe I’ll just post it so you cna know what I am talking about. Also, I am here until the 17th, so… if you want to have coffee and talk about missio/incarnational church stuff, please, lets. it’s one of my favorite topics.

 

Another book done.

I just finished House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. It was an unplanned read this summer. I saw it at the store while visiting a friend, and in order to look like a customer (so I didn’t get her in trouble) I carried it around. And then I bought it… It was good. Not as good as some others I’ve read by the same authors, but decent. The characters were similar to others that I have read by these two, but it was a different situation and a different use of spirituality. So that was interesting, it had a fairly decent twist at the end, though I won’t lie and say that I hadn’t thought it out. I mean, in some ways, Susan’s identity was always obvious. And the line “he who has ears….” followed by Jack not hearing the rest of hte admonition, well it gave a few things away. All the same, it reminded me of certain sin issues, and how we can let sin get out of control if we just ignore it, even to a point where it entirely takes over and rules our lives–though not in a necessarily overt way.

 I have two chapters left of Mohicans. And a clean room to boot.

 

wow.

I just finished 24 pages on an allegory I just started about…two weeks ago. (okay, maybe it’s three, I can’ recall)

what’s surprising isn’t hte number. I mean, I’ve written more than just those 24 pages on this allegory. and I’ve been working on other things as well. so it isn’t the number at all. but it is the number, because I was just jotting down some thoughts, thinking that it would be anice easy peice to work on later, maybe during the school year or next summer even. and then I just couldn’t stop. 24 pages! when I thought I was just jotting down thoughts.

shabat shalom

 

hiya.

alright:

 Skin was really great. I enjoyed the plot twists, and I wont lie, I actually did not see the end coming at all. (By end, I mean the revealing of the villian.) I thought it was good, but my one complaint against Ted Dekker: many of his characters begin to run together. I feel like many of them are very similar. But maybe that’s because, you know, you are writing from yourself. I mean Jane Austen has similar characters and plot lines. I’m sure quite a few of my characters seem alike. Because (in my opinion) good writers write from their heart. And even as you grow and change and learn, there are some basic things that stay the same in every person. So it’s not a complaint against Dekker, just an observation.

No, I have not yet read Silmarillion. Right now I’m working through Arabian Nights and Principles on Philosophy. After that, I’m doing The Last of the Mohicans and A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Those should be faster. We’ll see where I’m at when I finish those. I still plan to read Sex God, though I wouldn’t mind (terribly) waiting until it comes out in paperback. I’m a big fan of cheap.

shalom

 

More books!

because I love Ted Dekker:

Skin and The Martyr’s Song.

I’m also cutting out Tale of Two Cities. I never did appreciate Dickens, why put myself through it? I might take on St. Thomas Aquinas instead. As well as some Tolstoy or Dostoevsky.

Maybe I should tell you about the books rather than just list them off? Okay, here are some basics. I read a couple fantasy books from Nick. They were really good, picked up some new ideas for my own writing. A Severe Mercy was pretty incredible. I loved the ideas on time and service. It was very interesting and I highly recomend it. All the Ted Dekker books were high paced, and thought provoking. They dealt with spiritual and worldly ideas. The physical vs the spiritual world and peeling back the layers so that we can see what is really going on, rather than what we think is going on.

 yep, basics. I recommend them all. a lot.

shalom shalom shalom

sara

 

Summer Reading List

(thus far)

 Books from Nick

Showdown

A Severe Mercy

The End of Poverty

Augustine: Confessions

Descartes

Tale of Two Cities

The Sillmarillion

Sex God

Through Painted Deserts

maybe Shake Hands With the Devil… that’s undecided

and probably rereading Screwtape Letters

also have to finish up Exiles and The Shaping of Things to Come

well it’ll be a busy summer, and some pretty provocative, probing things. I’ve already gone through all my junk thanks to the book on poverty… and thanks to living in seattle, and being friends with Kelsie and Sarah. Yeah. But I have Thursdays and Fridays off of work. So who knows what can get done? This may even be a short list! Considering, I have three done…