“Through nonviolence, courage displaces fear; love transforms hate. Acceptance dissipates prejudice; hope ends despair. Peace dominates war; faith reconciles doubt. Mutual regard cancels enmity. Justice for all overthrows injustice. The redemptive community supersedes systems of gross social immorality. Love is the central motif of nonviolence. Love is the force by which God binds man to Himself and man to man. Such love goes to the extreme; it remains loving and forgiving even in the midst of hostility. It matches the capacity of evil to inflict suffering with an even more enduring capacity to absorb evil, all the while persisting in love. By appealing to conscience and standing on the moral nature of human existence, nonviolence nurtures the atmosphere in which reconciliation and justice become actual possibilities.”

Although this was written by James Lawson, an African-American nonviolent activist in the 1960s, its content applies to many battles our society is still fighting today. I love the relevance of this quote then and I love the relevance of this quote now.

Being on a college campus five days a week, I am now way more in tune with current events than I ever have been. Grand Valley has an excellent LGBT organization and strong push for acceptance of diversity on campus. This is one of the things that I really like about this university. One current event has particularly caught my attention. In recent weeks, there have been seven suicides of LGBT students. All under the age of 19. All boys. They all ended their lives because of bullying, cyber-bullying, hate crimes and prejudices. This is so sad. I want to stand up for these boys and tell them that they are loved. The fight against hatred towards those who are “different” than us is way more extreme than people realize.

This is the reason I love this quote so much. It applies just as much today as it does the day it was written. This is my heart, I had to share. Here are a few links to check out if you want more on this…

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130326132&ft=1&f=10617064

I am being taught by everyone around me it seems. I don’t know if my mind has been turned on by my recent return to the land of academia, but I am constantly discovering new. A few shout-outs, (because that is what I do…) Theresa Rowland, one of my Liberal Studies professors, is continually teaching me to challenge every social/habitual norm that is set before me, also, to always demand social change. Eric Kuiper, a friend and teacher in many ways, for teaching me to see and hear story in an entire new light. Ally Jester and Jill DeVries, two dear friends, for engaging in meaningful, challenging and purposeful dialogue that is headed somewhere and makes us better for each other and better for this world. Eva Teresa, a new-found friend, for showing me how to expand my mind and view of diversity, for challenging me on difficult topics.

I was talking with a friend the other day, looking through some pictures of my travels, and realized that all of that happened over a year ago. For the longest time I was saying, a year ago I was in New Zealand, or a year ago I was in Cambodia, but now that is over. I can’t believe time has passed by so quickly. I love relating that time to now. I can’t help but wonder how that will continue to unfold. I am still learning from all of the experiences that happened then. When I was right in the middle of that I never thought that I would be where I am now but I couldn’t be happier with my state of community and of progression each day.

Although I have never been so tired, I am enjoying this new pattern I have discovered. I just realized I haven’t taken my shoes off since 7 am this morning and it is now 7:14 p.m. That may be normal for some, but has never been normal for me. I don’t mind it. My mom recently sent me a forward of “funny adult phrases” and one said, “I don’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least a little bit tired.” I have never related to this more-so than I do right now. Although consistently tired, I have never felt so accomplished or productive with my days.

So, here’s to blogging, writing and sharing! May I do it often, do it well and do it forevermore!

Cheers.

I also want to comment on ArtPrize. Yes it has begun! All in the name of art. This city, my city, has come to life in the past week with over 1700 pieces of art on display around town. Brilliant!

I am a student.

(A thanks to both Heidi and Chad for challenging me with this.)

So here goes. This has been a summer of heat, humidity, coke slushies, late nights, long hours, questions, new things, change, growth, climbing trees, silly bands, spontaneity, kisses, laughter, songs, train rides, naps, stamps, crafts, cheese and sunshine. That should catch  you up on things.

I also want to share this video for the following reasons… 1) I am in love this not only this song but this band, Frightened Rabbit. 2) This seems like something I would try and make, simple idea, but still highly rewarding to watch. 3) I have never seen a time lapse where the clouds are so still. 4) I love time lapses. 5) I dedicate to Beau Davidson, who I know will read this and watch this and appreciate this. Somehow this made me think of you.

Cheers!

monday afternoon

I just spent a week with my mom and dad and older brother. They came up to Grand Rapids for a wedding and got to spend some time on my turf. It was a great visit. Really great. The conversations I am able to have with my mom about who I am, who she is and how we have influenced each other to be where we are now. To see my dad look at me with adoring eyes, they speak and I know I am so well loved with the absence of words. It is this stuff that keeps me going.

Again.

“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”

(The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath)

I now choose to drown out those calming sounds with some familiar Michigan music to accompany my thoughts as I write tonight.

I cannot stop thinking about Rob Bell’s sermon last Sunday.

“One day the men of the city said to Elisha, ‘You can see for yourself, master, how well our city is located. But the water is polluted and nothing grows.’ He said, ‘Bring me a brand-new bowl and put some salt in it.’ They brought it to him. He then went to the spring, sprinkled the salt into it, and proclaimed, ‘ God’s word: I’ve healed this water. It will no longer kill you or poison your land.’ And sure enough, the water was healed- and remains so to this day, just as Elisha said.” 2 Kings 2:19-22

Curses are made to be broken. Here, Elisha is ushering in an entire new era. A new word can be spoken. History does not decide, it describes. History does not decide, it describes. There is going to be a new day. This is the new day! These words have been resonating in my mind ever since they were spoken over the congregation on Sunday. God is moving, here and now. It isn’t a matter of what happened yesterday, or a year ago, or ten years ago, it is a matter of the present. God is a God of the present. His presence is present. That is what He has been teaching me over and over and over. I can’t seem to totally grasp on to it. I feel like I have been learning just that for well over a year. Reminded and reminded again. It is slowly becoming real to me.

In this 2 Kings scripture there is salt and there is water. Two physical reminders of spiritual realities. God is so faithful! Jesus wants to rewrite our stores and He has freed us to do so, to create new. The salt in this story ushers in a whole new age. This is such a beautiful symbol to me. That is it. It happened. Now something new is going to happen. I choose Jesus. I choose to walk this way.

What I think about the world around me and about myself dictates the way I live. My world “lens” deeply shapes the way I think, trust, perceive, understand, appreciate, react and exist. It matters so much. These things navigate my everyday life. Scripts, patterns, voices, cycles, words, beliefs, narratives, arguments, histories. They all bind me to the past. I allow them to shape who I am instead of releasing all of that and repenting. I want to exercise my mind to think and to comprehend in a whole new way. I want to break out of this mold that has been created around my mind and see new, speak new, hear new, feel new, create new. Hallelujah.

Throwing salt into the water.

Healing and creating new.

“Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.” 1 Peter 2:11-12

I am rejoicing in this renewed soul I have been given by my Heavenly Father.

History doesn’t define, it describes.

play day with the kuiper boys!