Missing Kansan Spring!

I am used to thunderstorms, hail, lightening, and tornado watches, but THIS???




AND, yesterday was in the 80's! =)

Called to the Periphery

So a couple of things have happened in the past week that led me to this post.

First, I was riding the bus to school. Every Tuesday I take the #40 down Colorado Boulevard to the Colorado Station where I transfer to the #21 that takes me to Iliff. So I'm on the 40 and a gentleman gets on the bus and starts talking to people. I'll admit I was uncomfortable and secretly hoped he would leave me alone. I'm not sure if he was homeless, differently abled, or both, but he was chatting it up with the bus driver...asking him where he went to the barber and other such questions.
There was also a man who got on, sat down across the aisle from me, and pulled out a package of bologna! He started rolling up slices of bologna and eating them whole.
And I caught myself smiling. Because it suddenly occurred to me that if we had a modern-day Jesus, he wouldn't be hanging out at Iliff with me and my theology-studying friends. He'd be hanging out on the 40 eating bologna....

And the second thing that happened was I'm reading a pheomenal book for one of my classes called, "Announcing the Reign of God" by Mortimer Arias. I absolutely adore this book and have worn out my highlighter reading it, but I thought this particular section was "blog-worthy..."

Arias writes "There are peripheries in the world and in the global economic system, and there are also peripheries in central countries and areas of the world. Wherever the periphery is, there we are called to be...to be in solidarity with the suffering people of the world. In their witness to the Kingdom of God in words and deeds the churches must dare to be present at the bleeding points of humanity and thus near those who suffer evil, even taking the risk of being counted among the wicked. No less than this is necessary if we want to announce--credibly and authentically--the kingdom as gift."

A Sunday Hike

We finally got some decent weather here so decided to take the dogs to Dinosaur Ridge for a hike. It was beautiful and a great break from studying! =)






A view of Red Rocks




I think she's tired!!!

A Prayer from Prison

A prayer for...
Friends, family, foes
Strength for those who feel weak
Guidance for those who feel lost
Love for those who feel unloved
Peace for those who feel like warring
Softening for those whose hearts are hardened
Rising for those who suffer death


This prayer was written by a female inmate at the Adams County Jail outside Denver. Iliff has a group called "The Beatitudes Society" and today at our meeting, we read the prayer concerns given to us from inmates at the Adams County Jail. Many prayers were for family members of the incarcerated persons and many expressed concern over upcoming trial dates. This prayer was the one I was given to pray with and I thought it was amazing, so I'm taking the liberty to post it.

Jelly beans, peanut butter, popcorn and some perspective

I went to pick up David from work. He had a patient die today. News like that offers perspective.

And I found some popcorn in the pantry.

Thank God for grace...

Jelly beans and peanut butter

Tonight I opened our cupboard and we had jelly beans and peanut butter. I can actually feel my body craving fruits and vegetables, but produce is expensive and I try to save it for David so he can eat it during his shifts. I miss having two incomes. I miss our house. I miss our backyard. I miss our dishwasher. I miss having produce in our fridge. Right now the cost of discipleship feels very high...

Spring Quarter Schedule

Yesterday was a long day! I left my house at 8:45 to catch the bus and get to school in time for my first class at 10:00. David picked me up after my night class.
10-11:30 Christianity in the Middle Ages
1-3 New Testament: The Gospels
6-8:30 Religion and Human Transformation: Religion and the Ancestral in African American Art

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my New Testament teacher! She has a background in education and you can tell. She moved us into a circle and before class, she introduced herself to us individually. She even put us into groups for a short discussion! One of our assignments is to sign up for a time slot with her so she can buy us coffee and "get to know us." I know it's grad school, but it still feels good to know your professor cares about you as a person! =)

My Human Transformation class is going to be good as well. My professor is Dr. Rachel Harding, the daughter of Dr. Vincent Harding, the first African-American professor to teach at Iliff. The Harding family was very close to Martin Luther King, and Vincent wrote Dr. King's famous Riverside sermon he delivered one year before his death that protested the Vietnam War. Rachel is equally impressive and I am excited to learn from her.

Today I have colloquium and at 3 I have "Mission and Evangelism." (A required class for UM ordination) I think it will be a good quarter! =)