Posts
The transition has been moving forward. We’ve had our ups and downs, and I am sure they will continue. On my mind a lot lately has been the hassles of organizational politics. Since I left my last job, I have vowed to stay as far away from gossip and bad politics as I can. My hope is that I can stay out; I think I’ve been doing well so far.
The flow of life is so very different here. If I want to go eat dinner at 3am, I have more choices than Denny’s or IHOP. If I want to go see a movie at 11pm, I can do it. If I need to go to a store on Sunday…it will be open until at least 9pm. It really is a change.
I recently picked up The Story of B by Daniel Quinn. It is one of the few books that have had a significant impact on how I view the world.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
Exciting New Blog
I just read over at Sonafide that there is a new blog on the block that is geared towards the more "progressive" or "liberal" christian. The blog is God's Politics and is from Jim Wallis and others.
Hopefully this blog will increase the visibility for the other side of Christianity.
Hopefully this blog will increase the visibility for the other side of Christianity.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Life and Times
I am still trying to get into a routine. To those who read on a somewhat regular basis, I apologize for the sporadic posting.
Moving and starting a new job is a difficult transition. This is the third such transition for me in my life. Each one has presented different obstacles and trials, but have been difficult nonetheless. This transition has been of particular stress because of a variety of things. 1) We spent a week here before we were able to find a place to live. 2) My job is very time consuming, and I started the day we moved into our place. 3) Jenn has been struggling to find a job that is in education, pays well, and that she is not over qualified for. 4) We are attempting to solidify a social network early on in our time here. 5) We had never been to this city before, everything is new. 6) We are trying to grieve our move and at the same time emotionally move ourselves away from the things we did not like about ourselves in Arkansas. 7) Move on from my old job. I had a really good friend from long before Arkansas get the job I just left. Its difficult to think that this person is now where I was, working with the people I worked with, and seems to be having a better go at some of the aspects of the job than I did. Despite all of the obstacles, we are still very happy to be here, and love this city.
I don't like the difficulty of transistions. But fortunately for me, most of the people I work with are in a very similar situation. It makes things easier for me, but still does not make it easy. I am thankful for my job. Just a couple days ago, I went to a speaker who was talking about incorporating humor into the work place. He asked the attendees to think about the things at work that stress them out. I am so fortunate that right now, and for the first time I can remember, the only thing that stresses me is out is that I have a lot do, and am not really sure how to get it done. This is the best stress I can imagine having right now.
I enjoy being this age and being able to learn from my past experiences. I am hoping to take this opportunity to regain the things about me that I have forgotten, to live a life of someone my age, and to make new friends while re-building bridges to old friends. So I guess this is the official start to a new chapter in my life.
Moving and starting a new job is a difficult transition. This is the third such transition for me in my life. Each one has presented different obstacles and trials, but have been difficult nonetheless. This transition has been of particular stress because of a variety of things. 1) We spent a week here before we were able to find a place to live. 2) My job is very time consuming, and I started the day we moved into our place. 3) Jenn has been struggling to find a job that is in education, pays well, and that she is not over qualified for. 4) We are attempting to solidify a social network early on in our time here. 5) We had never been to this city before, everything is new. 6) We are trying to grieve our move and at the same time emotionally move ourselves away from the things we did not like about ourselves in Arkansas. 7) Move on from my old job. I had a really good friend from long before Arkansas get the job I just left. Its difficult to think that this person is now where I was, working with the people I worked with, and seems to be having a better go at some of the aspects of the job than I did. Despite all of the obstacles, we are still very happy to be here, and love this city.
I don't like the difficulty of transistions. But fortunately for me, most of the people I work with are in a very similar situation. It makes things easier for me, but still does not make it easy. I am thankful for my job. Just a couple days ago, I went to a speaker who was talking about incorporating humor into the work place. He asked the attendees to think about the things at work that stress them out. I am so fortunate that right now, and for the first time I can remember, the only thing that stresses me is out is that I have a lot do, and am not really sure how to get it done. This is the best stress I can imagine having right now.
I enjoy being this age and being able to learn from my past experiences. I am hoping to take this opportunity to regain the things about me that I have forgotten, to live a life of someone my age, and to make new friends while re-building bridges to old friends. So I guess this is the official start to a new chapter in my life.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Life in the City
Wow...things are going fast and its hard to keep up.
I am feeling very removed from things going on in the world, but at the same time feel a little closer, because now I no longer live in the middle of nowhere.
Students came back this week, so it was the first time I've been able to meet some of the students I will be working with. I am excited for the year, and the possibilities it holds.
I am feeling very removed from things going on in the world, but at the same time feel a little closer, because now I no longer live in the middle of nowhere.
Students came back this week, so it was the first time I've been able to meet some of the students I will be working with. I am excited for the year, and the possibilities it holds.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
We Have Arrived
We have arrived in our new hometown, and have been searching for a place to live in this hot, yet not at all humid, climate. Its been fun running around town seeing everything, but it would be so NICE to have a home.
Thought I'd update, let you know more will come soon as consistent computer access commences.
Thought I'd update, let you know more will come soon as consistent computer access commences.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
The Moving of the Cheese
In less than a week I will no longer be living in this state. I will no longer be living in the south. In less than a week I will be back “out west”, although a little further than west than I have lived before. Although this blog is by no means anonymous, I do wish to keep a few things a little more unknown to the random blog visitor. For that reason, I am not really up for revealing where I am heading off to.
The move is exciting, both personally and professionally. It will give me a chance to start fresh, and will provide more opportunities for Jenn than she had here, and best of all, we will be living in a real city.
Its funny, only in the end of our time here were we able to realize the support structure we had. Part of me understands that when the end comes, people you know will go out of there way to do things with you that they never would have before. When the end is indefinite there is always tomorrow. It has been a very interesting time to reflect on the last three years. I am not the same as I was three years ago. Sometimes I look in the mirror and see someone who I never thought I would be. I am pretty happy with the person I am now, but I never did expect this.
It may be a while before another post, but I will be back as soon as I get settled.
The move is exciting, both personally and professionally. It will give me a chance to start fresh, and will provide more opportunities for Jenn than she had here, and best of all, we will be living in a real city.
Its funny, only in the end of our time here were we able to realize the support structure we had. Part of me understands that when the end comes, people you know will go out of there way to do things with you that they never would have before. When the end is indefinite there is always tomorrow. It has been a very interesting time to reflect on the last three years. I am not the same as I was three years ago. Sometimes I look in the mirror and see someone who I never thought I would be. I am pretty happy with the person I am now, but I never did expect this.
It may be a while before another post, but I will be back as soon as I get settled.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Independence Day, 2006
It irritates me to no end referring to Independence Day as “the 4th of July”. The holiday is Independence Day, and it is celebrating true freedom from oppression and true liberty.
230 years ago, the British Colonies of America declared their independence from the rule of King George and Great Britain. The impact of this day should be fairly obvious, noting that the United States of America is still operating free from British rule. However, if you follow the mainstream media in the USA, you would think Independence Day is more like Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day. Independence Day is not just a day to remember Veterans and those who fought for the USA. (Do not get me wrong, I am a HUGE supporter of Veterans, and have the utmost respect for those who have fought for our country). Independence Day is a celebration of those ideals of which our country was founded on. The ideal that, as the so eloquently written in our Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. This is a day to remember the principles that founded our country. This day is not another day to show “blind patriotism” or chant the slogans of the propaganda machines. This is a day to reflect on the principles of our country, and to investigate whether we still possess our unalienable rights.
It is ironic to me that 230 years later the American people are still dealing with a “King George”, a ruler who is more interested in lining the pockets of his friends than protecting the rights of all people. We have become complacent about our rights, and the usurpations of our rights. For some reason our rights have become less valuable because we are in a “time of war”. Our fourth President, James Madison declared that, “there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations”. I think these words could easily be spoken today, and that frightens me.
As another one of our country’s founders, Ben Franklin, said "those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
UPDATE: Wow...the political party who allegedly loves America refers to this holiday as "The Fourth of July". Check out Grand Oil Party website.
230 years ago, the British Colonies of America declared their independence from the rule of King George and Great Britain. The impact of this day should be fairly obvious, noting that the United States of America is still operating free from British rule. However, if you follow the mainstream media in the USA, you would think Independence Day is more like Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day. Independence Day is not just a day to remember Veterans and those who fought for the USA. (Do not get me wrong, I am a HUGE supporter of Veterans, and have the utmost respect for those who have fought for our country). Independence Day is a celebration of those ideals of which our country was founded on. The ideal that, as the so eloquently written in our Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. This is a day to remember the principles that founded our country. This day is not another day to show “blind patriotism” or chant the slogans of the propaganda machines. This is a day to reflect on the principles of our country, and to investigate whether we still possess our unalienable rights.
It is ironic to me that 230 years later the American people are still dealing with a “King George”, a ruler who is more interested in lining the pockets of his friends than protecting the rights of all people. We have become complacent about our rights, and the usurpations of our rights. For some reason our rights have become less valuable because we are in a “time of war”. Our fourth President, James Madison declared that, “there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations”. I think these words could easily be spoken today, and that frightens me.
As another one of our country’s founders, Ben Franklin, said "those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
UPDATE: Wow...the political party who allegedly loves America refers to this holiday as "The Fourth of July". Check out Grand Oil Party website.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
