starburst yahtzee

i woke up this morning needing a long walk to clear my head after a weekend that seemed more like a few weeks than just three days...strange how time warps when our schedules are disturbed. i walked my usual route eastward from my house and was able to pray again, a habit which has been rather touch-and-go over the past...several years. my spiritual health in general has quite accurately mirrored my prayer life, as might be expected. i've probably even been operationally agnostic and highly secularized in my day-to-day living (and by this i mean not that i've made poor choices that have highly detrimental consequences but rather that i've lacked in my desire for and pursuit of goodness). of course, all this in reaction to the stagnant 'evangelical Christianity' i've known. ...anyway, the walk was a step in the right direction.

upon my return i showered and then made my way to search out a professor whom i'm hoping will mentor me over the next year as i apply for grad school in journalism. my search, however, was to no avail as his presence seems to be scarce around campus during the summer months. the receptionist noted that he'd get back to me, but i'd probably have to be a bit patient. [sigh.]

and so i walked again, this time north instead of east. i prayed more and was graced to realize how being part of the Mars Hill community -- recognized as one of a few progressive Christian communities against an otherwise familiar American church landsape -- has left me, as an aspiring Christian leader, vocationally homeless. the seminaries can only prepare me for a career i see now as passe (or at least needing significant redefinition, the pastoral role, i mean), and even if these seminaries could prepare me for the work the church is now needing, there simply aren't other communities out there that would resonate with the thinking i've come to own during my time at Mars. ...and so i as an young Christian leader am homeless. so i think i'll incubate in another career until this movement takes more shape and from it emerges vocational potiential.

what else? my clothes are spread out from my closet like christmas presents spilling out from under a Christmas tree. this phenomenon tends to occur when life is happening either too fast or too sporadically for me to keep in stride with it.

and so for the third walk of the day, mi cuarto de casa (housemate) and i walked to coffee and then stopped by our friends' house. there we discovered them playing yahtzee and eating loads of starbursts. we joined them and i royally lost in yahtzee but managed to down plenty of starburst along the way. ...they make me feel young; she makes me see that i don't put up a good fight, and i wish i did.

other notable mentions: ***g8 starts tomorrow (i'm hoping for the best in trade negotiations, as debt relief and aid may do more to enable than to empower the African nations in their development while fairer trade still requires something and so won't perpetuate the very problem it seeks to alleviate). ***my brother called and needed help working through the death of an acquaintance (i think he called less because i've been through the death thing but more just because i'm his sister; that's what sisters are for). ***i think if i ever get a dog i'll call him yahtzee...great word to yell. just give it a try.