Food for Thought

This made me think a little. Thought I'd share.

Shout-out to Quality

As you may have noticed, I recently discovered the joys of the blog world. Sad, since it's been around for years, but I seem to have a little more time to committ to the online realm of communication nowdays. I've stumbled onto some excellent conversations, and find more daily. If you think of a blog that I may enjoy, feel free to post a comment and let me know about it!

Here are two that I think deserve a special shout-out.

Wonderings of a Wanderer

"As I am writing this, it seems, that I am simply rehashing a few Sunday School clichés. But there is such reassurance when you let the truth sink in. These last couple of weeks have been trying to say the least. But we have to remember that the life we have been given is not our own. God has purpose in everything. And his purposes are good."

KJ commentary: This is a blog of dear friends from my community. Not only does Eric have the best blogroll around (to keep me entertained if he hasn't posted for a few days), but his honest thoughts and opinions always encourage me in my spiritual journey.

Movement, Movement

"What if we were just for a hypothetical moment to consider some of our most entrenched beliefs to be wrong? What would life look like through that lens? What would our friends and family look like though that lens?

Would we, in knowing we could be wrong, be more honest? More transparent? More humble? More graceful? More dependent on each other?"

KJ Commentary: Now I wish I could say I know this guy. I feel like I do most days. Most of my friends have him listed on their blogroll so I stumbled into the relationship. Amos keeps my day moving forward with his entertaining comments, photos, and videos. Thank you, blogger, for telling me when there's been an update.

The unfortunate thing about this online realm, is that I don't have the priveledge of having in-person conversations with some of these people. But there are great joys in having the opportunity to know someone I might not have met before. So - stop reading my page and read theirs! You won't be disappointed.

Calling

Career v. Calling
Job v. Vocation

What can I do with this moment?

If God has called me to something, nothing in the world will stop that from happening.

Pray.

Don't force life to happen.

Experience.

Journal.

Engage in conversation.

I'm busy thinking about a lot of things these days. Nothing new, I suppose, since my mind is always traveling faster than my body. After a conversation with a friend over dinner last night, I was reminded of some of the thoughts above. Did you know there is a difference between job and vocation? These are all thoughts I've had before, but that have been lost somewhere in the weeds along the path I've been on the last year.

It's been a rough one, the last year. For many of us. Life continues to suprise us. When we think we've got everything figured out, something new creeps into the pathway. What great joy it is to accept what each day has to offer. It's so easy for me to be frustrated or anxious about what I don't know. It's nice when a friend gently encourages me with a reminder, in a new way, that I live for Christ. And He loves me.

Keilah

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When I met my new friend, Eric, he asked me what my name meant. I gave him the same answer I've always given. "It's from the Bible. 1 Samuel. David saves the city of Kyla".

Everyone has always been okay with that answer. But no, not Eric.

"A biblical name. That's cool. Where is the city of Kyla?"

Where?
Is?
It?

You'd think by now someone would have asked me that. But nope. And I've never thought about it, either. An Old Testament city. End of statement. End of thought.

Eric, being the cool guy that he is, encouraged me to do some research. So I skipped writing the grad school essay after lunch and did just that. I love the internet.

Apparently, it's located in Israel/Palestine, somewhere in between the cities of Beersheba and Hebron. That's not very specific, but hey -I'll take it. There are several descriptions of where it is located, but that research isn't happening today. Let me know if you are an expert in the area and can draw a map. For now, Maps.Google is going to have to suffice.

Reading Material

Two years ago, I read The Alchemist for the first time. The next summer, I read it again. And now I'm picking it up once more. It's amazing to me how this book manages to challenge the core of me. Each paragraph somehow relates to my life at the moment, encouraging me where I'm at. This year, among other things, the more I read the more I'm convinced that I should be reading the Bible constantly. If The Alchemist can reach my innermost thoughts in only 167 pages, God's word must be able to do so much more. Yet somehow I keep putting it off, as author Paulo Coelho has my mind completely immersed in the journey of Santiago.

If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. Originally written in Portuguese, its been translated into fifty-six languages and sold millions of copies. I'd let you borrow my copy, but it's got all of my personal thoughts scribbled through it. Get your own.

"We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand." p.76

Things I'm Thinking About

Here are a few (okay, many) things I've been thinking about:

- How little I know about what it really means to be healthy

- What does it mean to not run away

- Sometimes it's okay to run away.

- February looks like a good month to buy a house

- Should I buy a car first

- I question the sanity of all persons running for President

- I am really sick of DTRs

- I need to finish that grad school application

- I'll study for the GRE...tomorrow

- Finally, I'm doing things I've always wanted to

- Time for the yearly read of The Alchemist

- My best friend lives too far away

- What does it truly mean to live for today

- How do I love and support those that are close to me

when they make decicions that are opposite my beliefs

- What's for dinner?

There is no place like Nebraska

Dear Old Nebraska U (There Is No Place Like Nebraska)

Words and Music by Harry Pecha, class of 1924

There is no place like Nebraska,

Dear old Nebraska U.

Where the girls are the fairest,

The boys are the squarest,

Of any old school that I knew.

There is no place like Nebraska,

Where they're all true blue.

We'll all stick together,

In all kinds of weather,

For dear old Nebraska U.

I went back to my old stomping grounds over labor day for a short weekend with my family. My friend Molly made the 12-hour trek with me, and we filled up the weekend watching my sis in the UNL marching band and hanging out at the Nebraska State Fair. My camera is currently out of commission, so you'll just have to imagine the pig races for yourself.