Better never begin; once begun, better finish.

The best stories are about leaving home.

Think about it. I could name a few. I just watched Into the Wild (twice).
Lord of the Rings, Pilgrim's Progress, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Through Painted Deserts (nonfiction), We're enthralled by the character that feels constrained by the normal. That breaks free and dives into the unknown. We find wisdom in the story. Our spirits are lifted.

But we rarely see what life is like for the protagonist after the journey. After ordinary becomes ruined. Are we to believe they lived content after such adventures?

Tolkein probably had it right when Frodo suffered in the Shire from wounds received in the journey and the feeling of being out of place until setting off on the sea.

What about the character that left, accomplished, and suffers? Where is the movie about him?

Old Brown Book, Long Been with Me

I have a nice brown leather book that was written long ago. It followed me through Kalamazoo. It waited for me while I lived in a faraway land. It now keeps me company in Baltimore. In all this time, it has served chiefly as decoration. In the odd event that I did crack it open, it's binding quickly found relief as it closed again. It was purchased from the cheap "should just give it away" rack in a bookstore on Westnedge Avenue.
I opened it again the other day and learned immediately that wisdom hid within its pages all that time but that wisdom must be received in the right time and place to be recognized for the truth it brings. If the student is not ready, he will not learn. Here are some words I found... and if you know me and my life... you'll understand...

"When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means."

"God's order has to work up to a crisis in our lives because we will not heed a gentler way... If the crisis has come to you on any line, surrender your will to Him absolutely and irrevocably"

"He forecast in his mind where the test would come, and the test came where he did not expect it."

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost For His Highest. Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, 1963.

Revival for mine blogging spirit?

I think it is time to write again.

Bloggin' while in Vietnam...

One Story Written in Hanoi

Shane Claiborne on NPR's Speaking of Faith

The NPR program "Speaking of Faith" hosted Shane Claiborne back in May but I just found it. It's well worth a listen. Shane shares many of the same stories from his talks and his book but Krista Tippett's different questions and reactions were refreshing. Great to hear the news of the revolution getting out into different streams of media and culture.... http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/newmonastics/index.shtml

It's True...

I am leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam on August 9th.

Summer Reading List

To make up for my poor performance in Ms. Feldt's AP English summer reading program senior year of high school.... I'm voraciously reading thru June and July. Life is changing and I'm growing and here is the water and fertilizer.

In progress

Mountains beyond Mountains - Tracey Kidder - The biography of Dr. Paul Farmer, an infectious disease physician, idealist, and founder of Partners in Health, an international health and social justice organization. This book was given to me by an amazing woman on her way out of the country to help save the world.

Vietnam: A Dragon Embattled Vol. 1- Joseph Buttinger - It seems like it would be advantageous to learn more about this country this summer. This volume, the first book I've checked out from the library for non-paper writing reasons since I was a kid is an old, cloth bound tome that just feels good to hold in your hands.

Christianity Rediscovered - Vincent J. Donovan - Written by a Catholic missionary in Tanzania who abandoned the traditional "mission compound" approach to evangelism in favor of bringing the naked gospel to the Masai tribes and letting it grow and redeem within their cultural context. I loved this book two years ago and it has taken on new meaning to me now.

The Voice of Matthew - Lauren F. Winner - Lauren's retelling of the Gospel of Matthew in more narrative form with her interpretations included. It's a refreshing way to re-read my favorite Gospel.

No Greater Love - Mother Teresa - An amazing book. The Gospel according to Momma T. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."

Coming up next

The Lives of the Desert Fathers

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Vietnam: A Dragon Embattled Vol. 2

Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream - Barack Obama

Survival Kit for Overseas Living

The World is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman

Remember...

I'm posting this more for me than for anyone else so that I may remember there is more going on in our lives than we usually perceive.

Well, this sucks...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2053020,00.html

A dim view of the future from the UK's Ministry of Defence.

Whole Foods

In my quest to get "back to basics" so I can make wise, healthy decisions about where my life is going, I'm working to return to eating right. So, I went to the grocery store two nights ago and got hooked up! Hummus, tomatoes, mangoes, bananas, cantaloupe, brocolli, peas, tofu, all grains are whole wheat, OJ, Bolthouse Farms fruit purees, eggs, Kashi cereals. I can't wait to make bruschetta, tofu stir fry, black bean pizza, and spaghetti. Good, whole meals that make me feel great and save money by keeping me from eating out.

On the subject of eating out, I will not be eating anywhere except for home, Food Dance Cafe, Chin Chin, Sushi Ya, or one of the two Lebanese restaurants in town. It is impossible to find anything the least bit healthy at any other Kalamazoo restaurants. (that I am aware of anyway)

Remember food is medicine you take every day. If you need ideas, here is a great place to start...

The World's Healthiest Foods

The diagnostic test tells me I need to eat more boiled spinach and romaine lettuce. I can't say I was exactly estatic about that.

Do the right thing this St. Patrick's Day