there's something about music

i just love music so much. i enjoy discovering new bands. i think i enjoy music so much because lyric is so powerful. music is an art i've been discovering for a while. i think i appreciate it more and more everyday. do you ever feel downright privileged to be learning the things you do from the music you listen to? or just to be able to pleasure in the gifts and abilities God's given to people? What incredible creativity--beautiful art! Ah, I love it. Right now my favorite "newly discovered" artists are: Antje Duvekot//Right Away, Great Captain//Fleet Foxes//Bon Iver//Will Stratton//Redbird (the album)//Breathe Owl Breathe (not new but finally listening to more)//Rosie Thomas. so if you are looking for new listening, i recommend these.

whew. i think i'm finally over my cold/flu. After going to bed three nights in a row by 8pm this week i think i kicked its butt. Im still pretty tired. luckily PCM is later tomorrow so i can sleep in. in 10 minutes I'm going to iNfOrMaL--our improv group. They're usually super funny and put on a good show. should be fun.

I'm reading In The Beginning by Chaim Potok. I decided I need to get into a novel again. I am really enjoying it, as always. He's a brilliant author. I think i could be content to read every one of his books. sigh. I'm also rereading The Suffering of God by Terence Fretheim. I wanted to read it more in depth. It's a fabulous book that challenges my faith. Reading it while taking this Theology of Suffering class is especially powerful and provoking. I've been thinking much about metaphor--specifically our metaphors for God. So much of the time people's metaphors for God are desecrated and destroyed by suffering and pain. So we, as ministers of healing, must learn to introduce new and meaningful metaphors that will bring wholeness again. Wholeness to theology, faith, life. Hmmm. i find this entirely captivating and fascinating.

Can a person eat too many oranges? I've been eating a heck of a lot of oranges...

Last week at PCM Mariah and I were invited to stay for lunch. So "our" wonderful Iraqi family made us lunch. It was DELICIOUS. They are so kind. I love them. I miss traveling. I miss being among other cultures. I am forever grateful to be a part of this PCM and feel deeply privileged to enter the home of refugees here in America. I hope I get to do more of this in years to come.