new understanding

My dear friend and roommate Kimmy and I had just left a pot luck dinner after each giving a speech at an induction ceremony on what is considered "Mountain Campus" at Berry when the sunset struck me and we had to drive to one of my favorite spots to enjoy it. To the left is a picture of me and then a picture of just the sunset each taken between dancing like we were in Merry Christmas Charlie Brown and making fools of ourselves just because we could. The sunset was unbelievable, especially with the mountains, trees, and a small resevoir in the foreground.

This week has been something else... I've arrived at a few bits of new understanding. Not only have I had the unusual priveledge of having four classes canceled and a paper due date extended, but it's been an interesting chain of events and learning. Monday and Wednesday I picked up my friends' 3 year-old daughter Josey from school and was able to spend the afternoon with her. We played in the leaves and marveled at the crunching; we colored pictures of snowmen families; I cooked dinner while she sat on the counter, soaked it all in, and learned about coffee makers and ice; after dinner we watched Tom & Jerry; she played in my kayak after learning how to wash dishes (but getting bored after a few) and needless to say I think - I loved every minute of it and am thankful for the opportunity to love on this precious little girl. If you know me at all, you know this was the highlight of my week!

On top of hanging out with Josey, having coffee with dear friends which of course included beautiful conversation, I've been learning a ton inside and outside my classes and being able to relate it to my life. The quote of the week is from a cute little old lady that is in my History of Christianity class... "This whole diversity within religion thing just makes sense, as Christians we have the same core belief when we take off all of the different stuff that we pile on top of it." She's so right. I thought about it - my core beliefs are: I believe in God, God created all that I see and don't see and did so out of love, God is love and has shared that love through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and is continuing to share it through the Holy Spirit within us, I am called to love and serve God and others. That's about what I've got... Now on top of that I, and you too, have layers of things that I do as my practice of these beliefs and that's totally fine. We've all got our unique ways that God shows us that we are to live out our lives and faith.

That's where I'm at.