Mercy Ministries

I had the priveledge of having lunch with the ladies of Mercy Ministries. An organization I've known about and followed for awhile. I was led to their site this week and that set off a series of events. Enjoy the following description, and, if you're not involved in giving financially to an organization yet, I highly recommend this one.

"For over 25 years, Mercy Ministries of America has provided hope and healing to generations of desperate young women who are seeking freedom from life-controlling problems such as:
Drug & Alcohol Addictions, Eating Disorders, Depression, Unplanned pregnancy, Physical & Sexual Abuse, Self-Harm.

Our free-of-charge program serves a diverse population of young women from various socio-economic backgrounds, aged 13-28. Many of the girls, who come to Mercy for help, are facing a combination of debilitating circumstances and have been in various treatment facilities with unsuccessful long-term results. We are committed to providing the young women we serve with the most excellent program services that allow them to recognize their self-worth and prepare them to reach their full potential. Our non-conventional approach to healing allows young women to permanently stop destructive cycles and prepares them to take hope out into their communities."

Check them out.

Purpose and Affirmation

Yesterday during lunch, God and I had a little discussion. It consisted of me being frustrated with the purpose of life. Not just life in general, but my life. Through some of the things I've been reading lately, I'm seeing the world in terms of people groups, not individual people. This made me angry with God (or more specifically, angry at my lack of understanding) that he has created the world in a way where large groups of people matter, but individuals don't so much. Repeatedly, I thought of the people we never hear about - 13 year old Israelite girls who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, 11 year old girls in the middle of the Congo who are caring for all of their family during a war, etc. The people that God allows to be tortured and suffer, along with their families. For what?

Then back to me - where do I fit in this world? What is my part besides living every day, attempting to pay off my school debt, and being kind to the people around me? Is there really any point to it all? Combine these thoughts with my own insecurities, and I was feeling just plain lost and frustrated.

Last night I went to my final CASA training. The last few weeks have been glorious as I've gone through this training. As time-consuming as it was, each class just filled me with joy as I saw that this is what brings me joy and fills my soul with passion. So at the last class a few things happened. There was a poem. Written in spanish, translated into English. As the only Spanish speaker in the room, I read it out loud, and was greatly encouraged when one of the CASA employeers pulled me aside and expressed that I speak beautiful spanish. Where did I learn it? This is going to be so good and helpful.
Fast forward 30 minutes to a group activity.

We were practing parts of a investigating a case. The group was to select a spokesperson to deliver the rest of the information. When we sat down to get started, the first thing someone said was "before we even get started I think Kyla needs to be our spokesperson, so let's just get that out of the way now". Okay, this might seem small, but felt significant. The last few weeks I've been slowly gaining confidence in my abilities, and only a few minutes before the group had eloquently given my thoughts about the quote "Work for justice, act with mercy". I have been affirmed over and over through this class that this is the field I was created to work in.
Sense of purpose? Affirmation and love from God?
I think He deserves some credit on this one. Father, thank you for loving me enough to give me affirmation and encouragement exactly when I need and ask for it.

Libertion Theology

Currently reading...
Here's an excerpt from the introduction, page 14.

"Third world Christians think that people like us read the Bible from the vantage point of our privilege and comfort and screen out those parts that threaten us. They tell us that the basic viewpoint of the biblical writers is that of victims, those who have been cruelly used by society, the poor and oppressed. They further tell us that they are the contemporary counterparts of those biblical victims, cruelly used by contemporary society, the poor and oppressed. Consequently, when they hear the Bible offering hope and liberation to the oppressed of the ancient world, they hear hope and liberation being offered to them as the oppressed of the contemporary world. If God sided with the oppressed back then, they believe God continues to side with the oppressed here and now.

Is that what the Bible is really all about? Enough third world Christians are saying so, and living changed lives as a result, to impel us to explore the matter and see whether there might be a new word for us as well. We will do this by taking ten familiar biblical episodes and trying to see them through new eyes. The passages have been chosen both because they are important to third world Christians and because they are familiar to us. The texts give us a common meeting ground to compare different interpretations. As we see how others read the Bible, we may get a new understanding of what the biblical message says to us."
Unexpected News: Reading the Bible with Third World Eyes, Robert McAfee Brown

Word Made Flesh

"We are called by Jesus Christ to birth communities which practice the presence and proclamation of the Kingdom of God among the poorest of the poor. These Kingdom communities will be placed and nurtured within the Two-Thirds World mega-cities. We believe nationals have the greatest opportunity for the intense identification necessary for on-going transformation among the urban poor.

Our method is incarnational.

Our means is community.

Our involvement includes advocacy for the poor, ministries of compassion and proclamation of the Good News. We exist that Jesus, the Living Word, be made flesh. Word Made Flesh seeks to enter these regions and others, to serve the poor by pioneering and partnering in mission while seeking to make Jesus, the living Word, flesh among the poor."

check it out: Wordmadeflesh.org

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.