So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

Hebrews 12:28

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”

"They are deeply traumatized, but laughing; wounded, but healing; afraid, but taking significant
steps toward trusting again."

http://www.madebysurvivors.com/

Hike!

.HOMEWORK.

Coffee and Sufjan and limited focus.
(Sufjan's Songs for Christmas, in fact!)

I have made this post for the purpose of collecting the thoughts produced as a result of this dysfunctional study session, that I might put a cap on their distraction, yet remember them for later.

- I would kind of like to get a haircut

- It would be nice to get together with someone for some guitar and singing time...
I feel my voice getting stronger lately!

- Christmastime always makes me wish I had a special boy to be extra merry with (especially when I hear thosecouple of definitive Hanson Christmas songs ) but it occured to me tonight that not so having will allow me to focus even more on the friends and family already in my life, and on making their seasonal celebrations as sensational as spiritually and lovingly possible.

- I will not get any work done if I keep searching Hanson Christmas songs.

Draw Near to God

"I will heal their waywardness
and love them freely,
for my anger has turned away from them."
Hosea 14:4

"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful."
Hebrews 10:23

He cares for his people and will redeem them.

youve got a friend

You get to sitting for very long,
you begin to think you're the only one;
God, thanks for reminding me
it's a big world out there.

Current personal mission:

find cocount tea

and mint yerba mate

blend?

(h)mmmmm :)

Pomegranates

I just had what may be among the most enjoyable experiences of my life.




Beautiful pomegranate.
Unassuming, mysterious.
Humble fruit of hidden treasure.
Sufficiently, satisfyingly sweet.

Fending me from free radicals,
Snappy between my teeth and tongue,
bursting with bursts;
you give and give.

Vivid fade that far outshades the entire Crayola collection...

God, these all are so telling of You.

(Photo by sweetbeetandgreenbean)

Hooray, Thomas Merton

Brother has some cool thoughts.

http://www.octanecreative.com/merton/quotes.html

Simple Thoughts are not so Simply Thought

Reflection is so important to quality life.
How many times do I need to remind myself to savor?

Life Enjoyments

- New toothbrushes
- Rice and beans
- Fluffy towels

I've Got a Feeling

Kava and the book of James

... tonight's going to be a good night.

James 1:27

In my 'General Epistles and Revelation' class we just finished up with the book of Hebrews (too quickly, but our time is pretty limited). As a result, we are just getting into the book of James. This evening gave me a special point of reflection in verse 27:
"religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

and I realized that we need to be close to (orphans and widows) (the hurting and disadvantaged) to know of their distress
and so act in love rather than on principle.

I don't think there is anything wrong about doing good to do good, but I want my heart to be in it. I want to do good because I love good, and even more, the people that could use some of that good in their lives. The way is looking a little clearer, now.

ouroots

with the exception of dendrophobes I think there is some innate part of all of us that cherishes trees

To enrichment!

This fall marks my reintroduction into the educational 'long haul.' I will proceed thankfully and with joy, as I am blessed to spend time with subjects that will study and shape me as much as I study and shape them. It is a lovely exchange and one that I hope to steward well.

accepted!

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee
every hour I need Thee!

instant coffee

this morning i drank it. yes, instant. it expired a few months ago but i just found it in the pantry and am happy to stay it still incites feelings of warmth and love so it's okay... even if the taste is a little woo woo.

it's about time i caught up on here a bit. in the way of noteworthy mentions:

i have applied to return to school in the fall! the application just made it there last week so we're still waiting to hear back, but whether this semester or next hosts my acceptance, i'm feeling good about putting it out there and letting everything proceed however it needs to.

a friend recently introduced me to Project Playlist. there is nothing else to say except that you might really like to check it out!

yesterday i made a couple of realizations;
- Life really is SO much like bread... someday i'll have to take inventory.
- Sin is like library fines.

what more...
Verse of the day:

“This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
-Jeremiah 33:2-3

during my lentil soup preparation this morning an overwhelming sense of joy and peace and love filled me up and i realized how valuable and delightfully precious are friends and family to our lives. they make life deep, valuable, fulfilled and sincerely amazing. i think we're all just what each other needed. thank God for this, and for making it complete...

"God, how did you know?"
"I wanted it, too."

happy day.
peace and love,
ashley :)

I'm smiling at the light of God's promise,
the hope that fills my heart
the assurance that tomorrow will always be better than today
(which is lovely because these todays are great)
and I know my heart will be filled more and more with his love
through community and friends and family

It is nothing more than hope
but his word is good.
and true!
and all the beauty in the world.

I am alight with hope in him!

New, Exciting Development!

Thanks to some positive, proactive encouragement from a Mr. Rick who afforded me the pleasure of talking with and learning from him on a recent visit to Stauf's, I have decided to be a little more committed to this blog. Or at least to writing more consistently. While I still have not decided on one particular theme from which to base the lot of my future grace paced writing, I have just come up with an idea that I would like to explore in the regular course of my days and document / expound upon here.

After coming across a couple old artworks I realized how satisfying it was to mull over Bible verses and later spread them out in some artistic form. So far I have mostly only realized this in a visual way, through doodles and paintings. It would be good also, though, to work out similar thoughts through writing. A good practice and discipline! This will be my goal as I progress through this blog, to focus on the Lord and His words with every bit of artistic ability I have. In thought and action and artistic interpretation; in heart, soul, and mind. Woo hoo!

Many good ideas come...

when you are ready for bed! Better than none at all, huh?

Most of us have heard that good things come to those who wait --

What is the foundation of this most hopeful of phrases?
After some investigating, I found that this quotation is derived from the Bible; specifically Lamentations, chapter 3 (verse 25).
"The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him."

With that, what is the 'good' to which these wise words refer?
Things? (What things?) Favor? A higher level of understanding, perhaps? Refined faith?...Does he grant his goodness after a certain amount of time? Is it a matter of time at all, maybe more of the heart? If this is so, can some 'wait' more effectively than others? Why do we wait in the first place?

This was kinda nice...

"God, the one and only --
I'll wait as long as He says.
Everything I hope for comes from Him,
so why not?
He's solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul..."
- Psalm 62:5-7

Pretty reassuring. That was the Message version.
From another, more traditional version (NIV) it says:

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge."

So from here we might gather that these 'good' things include hope, assurance, protection, honor and salvation.

With provisions like that, who is worried about specifics?

This may as well be the best
post-firework
highly caffeinated
late-night-drive home album

music
has
to
offer
.

Personal Discoveries

In my heart is gratitude for David and Bathsheba and Psalm 51 and a good, gracious God who works in and with and through us at our dirtiest to compose a heftier purity than ever imagined possible.

Think on these synonyms for renewal... rejuvenation, restoration, rebirth, awakening, revitalization... only He can do that!

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." - Galatians 5:13

Very recently I discovered what I would like to study, to do, who I would like to be . . . and this discovery has progressed beyond the desire to grow in knowledge about counseling into a devotion to displaying to everyone with my words, my actions -- my life! -- God's goodness, and purity. His patience and forgiveness and kindness. The depths of His consideration for us! His LOVE!

More and more I am learning the importance of reading the Bible and savoring all it has to offer, in taste, texture, satiation. May it be increasingly more satisfying, more trying...more nutritive.

Beyond this, I am needy for the good company of other likeminded individuals. We may try to go about it alone, but are not made to.

May we grow and love and live completely this new life, so everyone might see how ineffably admirable God is.

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind."
Philippians 2:1-2

"The nights of crying your eyes out give way to laughter."
Psalm 30:5 (Message version)


Photo credit to Flickr's *MizzEl*

Food

Mom recently appealed to the frugal conservationalist in me by suggesting that we work on eating what food is already in our posession before purchasing more. Our fruit supply has dwindled (blueberries, 4-6 raspberries and some apples that taste like celery...[shared crisper space]) so I immediately started thinking... inside the box.
The buckwheat pancake box, that is. To the pantry I went, only to find that the mix was expired. Normally I wouldn't mind this sort of thing but a long time ago an email was going around advising against using expired mix, as it was making people very sick... so I disposed of it and moved on. That's when I found the Malt-O-Meal. High in calcium, folic acid and most importantly, IRON!, this intriguingly bizarre boxed concoction has stuck around the pantry for those days when we're feeling especially vitamin-and-mineral-ly deficient. Today I noticed the recipe on its side -- "Magic Malt-O-Meal Muffins."
Add a few of the previously mentioned berries and there was some decent breakfast potential.


Magic Malt-O-Meal Muffin Monster





They turned out great, surprisingly! I like muffins to have a bit of a harder exterior, rather than be soft and fluffy-limp, and these certainly did. Also, the Malt-O-Meal added a nice texture.

So nice in fact that I have already eaten four! Goodness knows that I don't need that many, and perhaps I can redeem the quantity by considering the muffins a two meal brunch rather than just breakfast. But in the future when I bake I should probably be more intentional about taking only what I need and making a point to retain a certain amount to share with others.

This all brings me to a few realizations

...

In life we do well to make the best use of everything we have been given. Instead of spending ourselves and our energies on searching for something more, perhaps the better thing to do is to really invest our efforts toward looking into and around ourselves and identifying what we have to work with... and savoring it!... especially before it goes bad.
Once we do realize what we have, we should enjoy it, but not all by ourselves. We should also share it with others, to bless and encourage them!

Praise God for life and simple things... and the good lessons He can make of them.

Muffins, anyone?

On Flying

New song up!

http://www.youtube.com/user/GoDioSmiles



Gloria a Dios!

I'm determined to make the most of this awkward stage in life.

You're alive, you're alive, you're alive

In many more ways than one!

Shine, shine, shine!

Hello goodmorning

sun.

Galatians 6:7-10 ...God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up...let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.



P.s. you are missed by the lot of us, Chris Rubadue! Have fun reaping and sowing on those 13,000 acres and continue to grow otherwise, as well. Peace amigo.

I Can't Tell You

how good today was! But you can bet I will try.

It all started when I woke up and remembered that yesterday's purchases included NEW SHAMPOO! The carrot stuff pretty well ran out and as such I was searching for something new and equally jazzy. Preferably banana. They did not carry any such product at Whole Foods (if not them, then who?) but I did find a couple of reasonably-priced bottles of herbal mint shampoo and conditioner in banana's fruity stead. This was a particular treat, because it happens to be the scent of summer and productivity, as similar savory hygenic goods were freely dispensed in the showers at the pool where I spent a recent couple of summers lifeguarding. After early morning swim-instruction we would rest in the hot tub for a few minutes, whenceforth I often-as-possible snuck off to the shower [naturally for the sole purpose of using the shampoo] before claiming my share in the coming shift's responsibilties. Not only this, but it is all quite natural!
How thrilling to think that this is how I can start my tomorrow, too.

Next came two great church services. In the college class we started a series called Blemished, which focuses on the book of Malachi. "Ma la chee," you (I) may ask (asked)? "And what does that have to offer?" So far, the realization that we today are a lot like the folks back in the day that didn't quite trust and love God the way He deserves. The series' author made a lot of enlightening connections between then and now, and I look forward to further enrichment through more of these connections. After this was third service, during which we had a really valuable, well-timed lesson about investing our lives in what really matters... "Do not store up for yoursevles treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21

After church was lunch at my favorite Indian restaurant, followed by a nice time at Highbanks, resting and digesting and taking a few photos in some of the wooded area.

Tim and Melissa (uncle, aunt) were at Grandma and Grandpa's along with Hunter and Isabelle (cousin, cousin) so it was nice to see them all for a brief while before heading to Veritas...

where there were so many wonderful people with whom to enjoy fellowship and God's goodness along with one of the most EXCELLENT messages I've learned from to date. Nick did a great job of appealing to God to open our hearts that we might grasp the power of the truth about Jesus that our minds have so passively managed to weaken and disregard. He basically reestablished that Jesus is truly the purpose/foundation/rationality/hope/aspiration/salvation of all creation. Once we really get that -- with our hearts, beyond our minds -- our whole lives will joyously respond in giving God all the credit possible in every way possible for every beautiful characterization of Himself that Hes made apparent in each other, nature, His word, relationships, the food we eat, events and ourselves. Not to mention... everything else.
He is amazing and deserves everything we have to offer in response to this truth.


A good-sized group met and ate at Fabian's after church (m to the mm) and on the way home we all got to enjoy in some fashion an excessively beautiful sunset and great evening weather. My particular style involved a breeze-filled commute back to Marysville in the delectable company of a melding of stuck-together gummy bears and U2/ Copeland. The combination effortlessly coaxed a most delighted sqreal (squeal/scream) from the very bottom of all the gratitude my soul had to offer, express to and at the disposal of God Himself.

Praise God for such goodness and fullness of life.

I couldn't be vegan, I like cheese too much

not to mention yogurt. And mango laasi! And many more.

Nevertheless, I made vegan cinnamon rolls this morning. I think I'm going to puke.

Haha not really, now -- they're just so stinkin' sweet... I found the original recipe while searching whole wheat cinnamon rolls in the google engine. These popped up and as it ended up, had reidence on a vegan, fat-free recipe website. They looked pretty good, and were the only ones I could find that did not require the yeast dough-mixture to sit for "1- 1 1/2 hours" before further manipulation. May as well give it a shot, right?

Well, I guess. After my eagerness to get going on the recipe had far outweighed my desire to continue the search, I realized it called for pastry flour (of which we have none.) As far as I know, the only difference is that is is very fine. For a brief moment I contemplated food-processoring some whole wheat flour, but then suspected that might be a bad idea... and came up with an even better one! For the three cups of flour, I processed three cups of oats with just a few walnuts until fairly fine. That would have to do the trick.

As a result, they turned out pretty mealy rather than fluffy puffy... as the song goes,
ain't nothing like the real thing.

Next time I'll get up earlier.


At least they look cool :).

Officious Internship Record # 6

I haven't posted about the internship for some time! (Busy, busy I guess..)

also,

the internship is over!

Waiting can be beautiful

if we let it.

Please God, give me patience. Bless me with your vision...


(Flickr, applesquash)

Re-Imagining

is a practice well-promoted in the book Soul Graffiti by Mark Scandrette. To re-imagine is to envision and ultimately restructure our lives within the context of God's kingdom -- how do we fit in, what dreams have been set to which we can faithfully aspire? As Dallas Willard is quick to mention in The Divine Conspiracy, each of our lives counts for something amazing and unique in this present time -- we each have a valuable skill that can be used in helping others live full, complete lives. It is said that this skill or talent is God's gift to us, and what we do with it is our gift back. What might yours be?


(Props to flickr's JusaJus for this picture)

Remind Me

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
- Proverbs 3:5-6

Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

How awesome is God?

This is a picture of fungus.

"As Christians, we are required to love justice, encourage the oppressed, demonstrate love to our neighbor, and preach the good news to the poor."

Simple enough?

Oh, the simple things

Connections are everywhere!
Connections are.
Everywhere!

Officious Internship Record # 5

Today we washed eggs (a new wonderful tradition,) hosted students for a field trip,organized some shelfage, did a good amount of weeding and unsuccessfully attempted to guide a wayward cow back into his pasture. (Somehow he escaped!) Fortunately good farmer Jeff knew just how to get him back. With this I learned that cows don't really respond successfully to being "feed-led" (bribed to follow their food from your hand... we may have employed this method) because they're primarily interested in all of the green green grass that, at this time of year, exists only sparsely in their own pasture. The great news for everybody is that soon the cows will move to the currently unoccupied pasture (which has been resting, that it might gather many lovely greens!) and away from their rapidly tiring former home. This not only benefits the old pasture as it will now have a chance to recover, but is also very nice for the cows who will be happy to feast on all of the great green stuff. Farmer Jeff says that once they are moved the Jerseys will not have any desire to escape because everything they could want will be right in their own home! On the down side a transition of this nature might remove from the interns' day some element of surprise and opportunity for learning experience... but surely the farm will find other ways to compensate :).

That's pretty much it for now. In other news I made soymilk tonight and granola is in the oven! I haven't tried it yet but it's so easy to make that if it does turn out it would be difficult to justify paying sooooo much for it in stores... I'll have to follow up on this!
*Later-added granola notes: nice, but not very sweet!
**Second time around: most excellent! Tried Alton Brown's recipe
***The soymilk... was disgusting. Uuuugggghh definitely going to continue to buy mine unless some experienced person teaches me how to make it correctly. Uuugh.


Peace and carrots,
Ashley :)

Ps, below are some egg-washing photos from earlier this week. Fun fun!


dirty poopy eggs


clean open sink


careful willing hands (eeew the pooooop!)


trusty labled cartons

voila!

It's Amazing

what God has done for us, what he does for us...
Pray! He answers.


"...Their destiny is destruction, their God is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies and make them like his glorious body."
- Philippians 3:19-21

"...I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
- Galatians 2:20

By the power and grace of God, I am in for something big. Everything I am is totally his. The process will not be easy or always sunny sunny but it will be awesome and,
furthermore,
it will be worth it.

!

This week at the farm seems to have gone really fast!
Three new experiences:

Washed eggs!
Picked up a chicken!
Lead my own field trip group!

Fun fun :).

I think I would like to be involved in agricultural missions.

Gloriaadios

Officious Internship Record # 4

... This time with pictures!

I should first inform you that there are two coordinators for the education operations at my place of internship, both of which were gone last week to observe a new environmental education program that they are looking to begin at our center. One returned this week, though, and I have been working with her since Monday, my first 'official' day as an education intern!

As educators, our primary duty is to acquaint visiting students / adults / teachers to nature, fostering within them a great(er) appreciation for the land and nature itself. In the spring, the bulk of this occurs within the context of field trips, ranging anywhere from 1 to 4 hours, depending on the age of the visiting group.
Prior to their field trip we conduct a previsit, which entails our going to the school and presenting an introduction to the class of what they can expect and what they have to look forward to!

My first previsit was Monday! One of the directors and I visited a really lovely Jewish day school, bustling with excitement and lots of pretty artwork all over the place. Fortunately I did not have to conduct this previsit (which is great because frankly I had little idea of how they are to go down,) so for this one I just observed and got a feel for how it went and what information was important to mention. I've come away with a much better feeling about doing it myself someday soon.

Following the previsit is, of course, the field trip! Today was a nice and beautiful (overcast and sprinkly) day for the students to visit, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to shadow a guide to once again learn how to properly conduct this particular area of business. I expected the field trips to be very regimented, with specific points of discussion and times for transitioning from one part of the farm / preserve to the next... but to my surprise it was quite the opposite! Very mellow and relaxed with little structure, yet still incredibly educational (if not mroe so) and productive. Leading these should be fun!

Here is a little more of what else has been going on lately...


This is Butterfingers, the farm family's daughter's pet rabbit. It likes people and behaves itself as a dog or other friendly household animal.


Here is the little greenhouse. My time really enjoys my spending it here.


Future tomato hosts.


The BIG greenhouse!


This is chickweed. It is cute but rather obtrusive, and as such happily took a couple hours right out of my fingertips a few days ago as I set about weeding as much of the large greenhouse as possible (before sweating my concentration away [almost]... the place is a sauna of oxygen and green.) I repaid its kindness by tossing it to the chickens, who happen to L O V E it, and many other greens for that matter!


More to come... have a happy day :).

Officious Internship Record #3

There is a sizable stall in the barn, formerly the exclusive home to the male goat that bred all our lady goats. His work is done, and now hes gone home.

All winter long, this male goat pooped.

All day long today, I scooped.

My work is done, and now I'm home.

Now I am also

pooped.

Lately

"A man's steps are directed by the Lord,
How then can anyone understand his own way?"
- Proverbs 20:24

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed."
- Proverbs 16:3

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
- Proverbs 3:5-6

These verses have helped me a lot to make sense of life and relax and take it as it comes, they are gems. But recently its occurred to me that maybe my life will make more sense if I focus it not on what it means for me, but on applying this life I've been given to what Jesus has intended it to accomplish.
In order to understand this, I need to learn about Jesus; who he was, what he taught, how he lived. It is so foundational to what I 'believe' but, admittedly, something I've been so far away from discovering all these years.

The more I learn about Jesus lately, the more I realize that there's a lot I've been missing. I love what God says about him through Isaiah:

"Look well at my handpicked servant,
I love him so much, take such delight in him.
I've placed my Spirit on him,
he'll decree justice to the nations.
But he won't yell, won't raise his voice;
there'll be no commotion in the streets.
He won't walk over anyone's feelings,
he won't push you into a corner.
Before you know it, his justice will triumph;
the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even
among far-off unbelievers"
- Matthew 12:18-21 (Message Version)

Biblegateway.com's verse of the day seems especially appropriate as a conclusion to this thought:

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:5-8

May we all continually be learning and loving more.
Peace.

Fun Fact #12

For a good bit of time before my vanilla soymilk days, I ate cereal with a fork to drain my every bite. Also, I prefer crust to the softer part of bread.


Amendment, 3.14.2012
Today we had a 'Saturday Morning Cartoon' themed movie night, with various cereals as our featured treat.  After I returned from the kitchen, Riscilla held up the big spoon she had quickly chosen earlier; one with slots!  She didn't realize she had chosen that one.  I asked her if she didn't like milk :).

Also, I'm digging the unsweetened vanilla almond milk these days.  Today at the store they only had sweetened.  It's sweet.

Officious Internship Record #2

Tuesday:

We toured the greenhouses (!) ['small' and big],
took a walk through the children's garden,
visited the very large compost heaps,
walked out to the pond (where I learned you can eat cattail!)
saw the bird blind,
buzzed by the bee boxes (they are fascinating,)
and took a little hike down the Hush Trail (an old apple orchard - turned - trail --
should be a neat spot to search for morels later on,) past the sugar shack and
back to the classroom where hot water and Christa's delicious apple cake were
waiting for us :).


After all the future guides left, I got to do a little more seeding! This time of:
- Red Russian Kale
- Spinach! [Very big seeds]
- Leek and
- Celery [VERY small seeds]

It was a good day.

In other news, only a couple of classes tomorrow and a few exams Monday and Wednesday and the quarter is d-o-n-e. Wowwee that was fast.

There are still a few minutes left in tonight so I'm going to enjoy them because they'll likely go quickly, too!

Peace :)

Officious Internship Record #1

This year I have the pleasure of spending the spring season out of classes and in the middle of nature's lessons. I figured it'd be fun to keep account of what goes on day-to-day so that I might look back and remember how everything has developed, including my own personal growth.

The 'first' day was a training day, during which we were introduced to the history of the land we will be serving, as well as some of its feature areas (greenhouses, some of the trail system, the vernal pool, barn and chicken coop) and fine animal inhabitants -- A few jersey cows (we climbed the fence to enter the pasture and found they were indeed very friendly, with no qualms about walking right up to us!), a mother milk cow and its calf, goats, a couple pigs and the guard llama. We also visited the chicken coop where we learned not only that there is dye in the egg tract which colors the egg as it passes through (neat!) but also that chickens LOVE greens of any kind. There are also a few audacious but loving cats.

After the training meeting was over I stayed to learn how they tap the maple trees for the sap that is used to evaporate into all of the delicious maple syrup they used at the festival this weekend! And also seeded some broccoli and brussels sprouts in the greenhouse connected to the classroom. I think it is my favorite area there so far.

This weekend we enjoyed good food and the company of good people at the festival, where so many volunteers helped the event flow really smoothly. I personally did a few demonstrations and cleaned more than a few plates. But happily! as it just meant that that many people were enjoying a good meal and a beautiful day and learning lots!

Next training day is Tuesday :).

Everything is Illuminated

Is a premium film.

Live, Dream, Hope, Trust, Plant Vegetables

In a recent [December 16th] entry I expressed my fairly newfound intrigue by and appreciation for agriculture, along with the wistful hope of perhaps pursuing that interest further by giving myself some time away from school to learn in a different context, say perhaps through Echo (echo echo) or wwoof-ing for a bit. I also hoped that might include working with animals -- like goats! -- and even learning how to make cheese.

Since then I joined wwoof, ended up going to a conference where Echo was one of the sponsors(!)

... and got an internship!

While this internship is not based in Ft. Myers Florida (like Echo), or extending to the rest of the continental US [slash world] (like wwoof), it is no more than thirty minutes from home, full of learning opportunities, and plentiful in farm animals and organic produce to care for. It is a great place to start, and is a step I believe has wonderful potential to prepare me for Ft. Myers. (And maybe even the world!)

... and they are offering a cheese-making class this spring.

:)

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

Live, that you may dream,
Dream, that you may hope,
Hope, that you may trust,
Trust, that you may find life

Wonderful

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13

Fun Fact #10

I really really like popcorn

Self-Education?

A recent conversation with one of my coworkers opened my mind to an insightful reality:

School is expensive,
library books are free.

Last night I dreamed I had a rhinocerous as a pet. It was very affectionate.

The good thing is...

that God's brought me around to dissatisfaction with my present state.
Can't do anything about something until you know something about...it.

I often feel like a failure for not living the completely new life that Jesus has made possible for me, or at least the life I picture should be the result of his awesome self pervading everything I know -- the life of burdenless vitality, marked by productivity, extraordinary relationships and complete well-being.

Instead I sit down to watch a movie mystery in lieu of cleaning my room, wander the entire world wide web rather than take the slightest peek at my homework, go long periods of time without exercising and occasionally forget to text people back.


I could use some help, a little motivation maybe? I want to please God with my life, to live like I appreciate everything Hes done for me... it's just.. where do I start? Is my failure to live a set-apart, distinct life rooted in something deeper? Perhaps I understand what Hes done for me, but only in my head, not in my heart...

Change my heart, oh God...

You are the potter
I am the clay
Mold me and make me
This is what I pray