the dominican republic

I am currently sitting in my room, all packed and waiting to go to the airport.  It has finally hit me.  I'm leaving today.  I've had such mixed feelings about this trip ever since I decided to go, but I felt God's call and knew I needed to go.


"It's only 12 days, what good can I really do in that short amount of time?" I can't even count how many times that thought has crossed my mind.


Today, as I write this, I think I finally know the answer.  None.  I can do no good in that short amount of time.  I mean sure, I can probably bring some joy to a few kids, I'll be able to teach young women about one out of sixty-five books of the Bible, and maybe I'll repair someone's roof or floor or something.  But you know what?  Then I'll go home and there is a good chance I will never see any of these people again. 


So it's a good thing this trip isn't about me.


Because I wasn't called to the Dominican Republic to fulfill any plans of mine or anyone on this earth for that matter.  I was called to the Dominican Republic do God's work.  I am called to join with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I have no idea what is going to happen on this trip, nor should I.  God's plan is so much bigger than I could ever comprehend and if I put my trust in that, God will do more good than I could even imagine. 


And that is what this trip is about.

God must love Harry Potter

I had a dream last night that I was getting ready to go to the midnight showing of the last Harry Potter Movie (I want to pee every time I watch that trailer by the way.  I know, it's a weird reaction, but it happens).  Anyway, in this dream I made an outfit to look like Hermione.  Well, when I woke up I realized that everything I used to make the outfit in my dream I actually own.

It's clear in the Bible that God can speak to us through dreams.  Just ask Abraham, Daniel, Ezekiel, Joseph, Paul, etc.  So, I mean, whoever said that Harry Potter is evil should probably think again.  Clearly God wanted me to have the perfect costume to wear to the premier, so He must kind of like it.  Just saying...

art.

"stop and smell the roses,"

I hear it all the time.

"because beauty is right under our noses!

and the view from the top is worth the climb."

running down my street today,

with sun rays sinking in my skin,

I noticed the trees arranged in a stunning way

a way I suppose they've always been.

but our busy lives can leave us blinded

and I know it sounds cliche,

it's just that sometimes it's nice to be reminded

because earth without art is just eh.

Newton's Third Law

I never thought I would learn one of the most valuable lessons about humanity from one of the greatest physicists to ever exist, but I am.

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

-Albert Einstein

Maybe Newton's third law applies to more than just physics equations.  "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."  Physics was not my best subject in school, but if this is a so called "Law of Physics," doesn't that mean it applies to everything?  I think so.


I guess what I'm saying is that we never know how our actions are going to effect the world.   We can't know how, but we must know that they will.  All we can do is wake up every morning and pray that God will use us in a way that will help those around us and be open to follow what he tells us.  And if we do that, hopefully we will be able to widen "our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."