Of travel and tribulation

I must confess my mild envy today...my new friend, Mark, has gone off to the Big Apple today. This is, of course, a slight setback to me in our "travel war", however, i'm sure to think of something good to get even soon...no worries.
How I love travel! I'm still not certain exactly what it is...i cannot help but long to leave, to discover, to learn, to meet new people, to grow, to do my part. The emotion of it is surprising...as emotion often is to me. Yet this is a chance to think and feel at the same time. It is a risk, a dare, a chance. There is something about it that makes me feel as though I am here for a reason, fulfilling my purpose...those are things i know anyway, but never does it actually feel more real than when i'm travelling. My step is light, my eyes bright, mind wide open to feel, see, hear, think, smell, touch, taste...it is a beautiful feeling.
Most people who know me also know that i hope to live abroad one day. It's really something i have a peace about, and it's not because i hope to live in constant "travel bliss". Because that does not last... I of all people know that! All the beautiful feelings fade away after a while...and then you must choose. Will you do what you have been placed here to do? Will you make the difference that you travelled all this way to accomplish? Will you learn the great life lessons from this moment? Those are the questions, the choices, that confronted me during my fifth week in Greece last summer. I'm still not certain that i did all i could, but i know i learned lessons i will not soon forget.
My mom recieved an email today from some missionaries we know in East Africa. They sound extremely discouraged. There's a lot going on with them; they've been living and teaching in Africa for over 10 years. Just from reading their email, i could hear all the doubts, feel the stress...how much more overwhelming would it be to actually experience that?
Knowing all this, why do I still travel?
Because I think I must. As stated before... a risk, a dare, a chance. Not merely to feel...for that fades. But also a chance to prove myself...to go beyond all boundaries. To allow my life to be something more than the unfulfilling materialist dream of stability and comfort. I defy that. I overcome it. Yet when all this ambition fades, there is still more to battle, and my courage wavers. Then - and only then do i see the clearest example of how Christ comes through, in all his strength and glory, carrying my weary soul through the trials and restoring my joy. That is why I want to keep going on to new places...i'm outside the bubble! Not only do i see the world more clearly...but also Him....when there are so few distractions of my ordinary life to insulate and isolate me. For me, it is life as it is meant to be... yes, hard and full of trials, yet the victory of Christ is seen through every circumstance.
Woo hoot! Where's a plane ticket? No money? Then where's my car keys? Let's hit the open road! Where shall I end up next? Does it matter? Who's coming with me?

Those lazy...Americans...

I had a laugh at ck's adventure in atlanta..and i had some fun of my own at the Atlanta airport a couple of weekends ago, too. My flight from Boston made record time to Atlanta, so I arrived 3 hrs. before my flight to Savannah was scheduled to leave. So i headed over to the Delta desk to ask if i could get on an earlier flight.
"I don't know...there might be some complications...how many bags did you check?"
"None" i replied.
"Really? Wow, well, then no problem..."
"Excellent."
"Um, the next flight leaves from terminal A, and you're in C right now."
"That's okay."
"Can you make it there in 45 minutes?"

Of course i can...i can even sit down for dinner on the way, lady! Have we become so lethargic and lazy that we can't carry our bags on our back and get through 2 terminals in 45 minutes? Jeepers.
But calmly..."oh sure. just put me on the flight."

On The Value of Philosophy

I think I must often astound people by my various interests...majoring in Spanish, yet completing pre-medical reqirements, travelling anywhere possible, yet living at home, and the list could go on... I know i have my strange quirks, but lately one thing that i never thought would bother people seems to be an issue for some.
"Philosophy? Why do you like philosophy? Liberals like philosophy."
"Tell me again...Why on earth do you want to take Medieval Philosophy next semester?"
"Why don't you just stick with your science classes?"
Oh, and the one that really ticks me off:
"You can't question too much now, just be content with what you've been taught..."
ARG! Yes, people really do ask me questions like this. (Can you tell I'm in a southern church...and family...with lots of super-conservatives?)
Not that I hold a grudge against them, but I find that quite a few Christians seem to have a dislike for "the love of wisdom". Of course, there are many ways that i could answer these questions, but in order to set it straight in my mind, i shall enter a brief discourse on the matter of the value of philos sophia.
Why should i, or anyone else for that matter, study philosophy? For me, i belive God has seen it fit to give me joy in using my mind and logic to arrive at conclusions based upon research, logic, and sometimes, leaps of faith (kierkiegaard has thoughts of interests on that one, but another time perhaps). Yet He has given each of us an intellect, and it, like all other gifts He has endowed to us through His unrequited grace, must be used for His glory. Would He have given us a mind if it was not meant to be used? Furthermore, would He have given us a mind if it did not have the potential to be used by Him for His glory? Of course, i can perhaps understand that the objections previously raised to philosophy may stem off of this one. If a mind, correctly used, can be used for God's glory, then cannot a mind improperly used be in rebellion against God? This may seem evident, but I think that some who have objected to an interest in philosophy could inadvertently be taking this to extreme, thinking that ANY use of the mind in the realm of philosophy must be rebellion against God. Perhaps they merely misunderstand my intentions...it is not to question insofar as it is to know more.
Perhaps they are worried about the tendency in philosophy(for example, dostoevsky) to elevate man, even in his nastiness, over God. Yet it is in humility that we find Him, for God does not despise a humble and contrite heart, but rather gives grace to the humble, and if any find themselves lacking in wisdom (and it takes humility to recognize that), we may ask it of God, just as Solomon did. And speaking of humility and philosophy, i cannot help but think of Augustine's Confessions.
"It was first your will to show me how you resist the proud and give grace to the humble, and how great is your mercy in showing men the way of humility, for the reason that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among" men. Therefore, by means of a certain man puffed up with most unnatural pride, You procured for me certain books of the Platonists that had been translated from Greek into Latin..." Augustine continues in this chapter to describe that the things he read there helped him his long journey of learning about God, and counts philosophy as one of the ways that God pursued him.
In conclusion of all these thoughts, I again turn to Augustine.
"Everywhere, O Truth, you give hearing to all who consult you, and at one and the same time you make answer to them all, even as they ask about varied things. You answer clearly, but all men do not hear you clearly. All men ask counsel about what they wish, but they do not all hear what they wish. Your best servant is he who looks not so much to hear from You what he wants to hear, but rather to want what he hears from You."
Perhaps this does not answer the question, and if i were to make a full argument i realize i would need to reasearch more, yet in this i find yet another thing that draws me to the discipline of discussion...there is always more to be found, said, discoverd, analysed, and discussed. It is an endless adventure, and knowing my taste for such, i cannot help but be drawn to philosophy.
(Thus end the present philosophical ramblings of a certain insomniac who realizes how little she truly knows about philosophy or Christ, and how much more she must learn to know a fraction of the wisdom she desires, and even more than that how much more she must rely on her merciful, gracious, and just God to see her through the perils of her life and mind so that His name may be glorified in her mind, words, actions, and life.)

Ye requested pirates, ye recieve pirates!

My university has this great thing once a year when all the groups on campus dress up and have crazy things going on. This...was my group...the Honors Program.

One Saucy Sea-dog

Here's a preview of what to expect from my pirate adventures. the video's a-coming! Arrgh, matey.

Fall Break

Ah, fall break was so refreshing. It's amazing what good 2 days off from school can do for you! I was able to get so much work done...sleep late..and even read a little philosophy and write down some of my thoughts. Now, back to the grind. But, i "look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God". (Heb. 12:2). That's such a great chapter and speaks of endurance, and lately i've learned by reading this that i must look to Christ, who suffered and endured so much more than i've ever had to. So i set my eyes on Him, and i keep on running.

Dah da dum...part 2

It's finally here. The long awaited (eh,maybe not for that long) part 2. Reminder to those who haven't seen any of boston video...watch part 1 first. it actually does matter.
Enjoy!

Part 1

Here it is. Too big even for youtube, i had to cut it into 2 segments. Oh, and i apologize, i shouldn't have used english measurements, since so many of my readers are out of the U.S.! So, some approximate translations: 90F ~ 36C, 60F ~ 15C, 1 lb(pound) ~ 2.2 kg, and 70 miles ~ 120 km. yep, off the top of my head. Woo hoot! Enjoy, ya'll.

New pics!

Come on over here to see my boston pics. Still editing video, but it'll be up soon.

Alright, so i have returned safely from Boston. It was incredible! The cadavers, the food, the friends i met...all amazing. The hostel i stayed at was a ton of fun. My roommate was from Holland, I met a Welsh guy named Tim and a girl from London named Rebekah. And Luis and Raphael from Mexico (yay for spanish-speaking skills!) Ever heard of a hostel missionary? Well, i think i could become one. To travel the world, stay in cheap hostels, meet people, talk to them, learn about them, their lives, their needs, and share mine with them, too, and hopefully be an encouragement to them to seek their meaning in life in Christ. Yeah, that sounds amazing. I'd have to think of some strategies for evangelism in such circles. Any of you theology/ chrisitan college people got any suggestions?
Oh, and pictures are soon to follow. And episode 2 of "i'm outta here"!

Oh, the nastiness

Wow. This is the "cadaver exhibit" i was speaking of. It's in boston right now, so i'll get to see it! It's been called a controversial blend of art and science. All these people authorized the use of their bodies for this!


Just so you know, I have an excuse to be fascinated. I want to be a surgeon.
Okay, no more about this because I want you all to still be my friends...