Resumes and Rivers

"A brutal rebel group responsible for countless atrocities, the Lord's Resistance Army continues to wage war against the Ugandan government, whose undisciplined army has committed crimes against civilians, the very people they are supposed to protect, with near-total impunity. Today, as the war continues into its 19th year, 1.9 million displaced civilians in northern Uganda remain isolated, ignored and unprotected, vulnerable to abuses by both rebel and army forces."

The UN undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland describes northern Uganda as one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters—and least known. While certain aspects of the war such as the LRA’s mutilations and abductions of children have received occasional media coverage, comparatively little has been done by the Ugandan government and the international community to alleviate the suffering of the more than 1.9 million people forced from their homes in northern Uganda to a precarious existence in government displaced persons camps.

OK, so basically for 4/5 of my life, a war has been continuing in Uganda, and kids my age are now leaders of a rebel army that sneaks in late at night and kidnaps 7 year olds in order them to train them into murderers.
How do we live day in and day out without knowing these kinds of stories? Do you know how much it took for me to hear about this. Why do I feel like I'm living in a bubble. To quote Kevin, "I'm so tired of it."
I mean, why not me? Why wasn't I taken hostage at 7 and handed a gun and forced to shoot someone or die myself? And since it's not me in that position, why am I just sitting here?
"How long, O LORD, have I cried to thee, unanswered? I cry, 'VIOLENCE!', but thou dost not save. Why dost thou let me see such misery, why dost thou let me see wrongdoing? Devastation and violence confront me; strife breaks out, discord raises its head, and so law grows effete; justice does not come forth victorious; for hte wicked outwit the righteous, and so justice comes out perverted." (Hab1.2-4)

Why am I making a stupid resume for a stupid job I don't want--spending all my free time reading about genocide and injustice and wishing for a chance to do something? This is my dilemma today...put forth effort for something i don't want to do, or sit and read about something i can't get enough of (not suggesting that injustice must continue so that i have something to do...don't misunderstand me).

I just feel like a fish out of water right now. I feel stagnant. I believe God is doing things I cannot sense or see right now. Job talks about this when he says that God comes in during the night and basically rearranges his thoughts so that Job wakes up a more Godly man and so that he won't just walk straight into the pit of hell each day. I guess this is what Christ meant when he told us to pray to be delivered from temptation. Because we naturally drift toward evil, much like a piece of wood caught up in the current drifts toward a bigger body of moving water.

But I feel like one of those pieces of wood that gets caught on the brush from the bank, and the water is rushing all around me, and some nights there are big rain storms and I get beat by the wind and water, and some days I'm ok just being idle.

The woman in Proverbs 31 "does not eat the bread of idleness." I feel like I'm dining on it three meals a day. This is not a good feeling. But it's allowing my zeal to grow. Jim Elliot says that a busy schedule filled with mundane tasks is death for the zeal of the Lord. I agree...so I guess I should enjoy this time and nurture my zeal rather than beat it to death with menial tasks.

Therefore, why am I making a resume again? Maybe one day this resume will get me a job where I can sit and know about the pain in the world and have the means to do something about it. Maybe that's what this resume is for...it's like that stream leading to the bigger body of water.

Some of my Favorite Non-Nashville People (not and exhaustive list)

Names will be changed to protect the innocent.

Dietrich B.


Dr. Hoot


Miranda (me...which makes the title of this blog a big fat lie)


Mouth


Criminal Mind


i sure do miss you friends. stay out of jail. and God bless you a million times a minute. Thanks for the going-away fun!

Hello, my name is Simon.

This is my friend Simon. He works at a Buddhist orphanage in Malawi, Africa. He was a Buddhist monk in Myanmar, and I met him when I used to teach his friends at their monastery. Simon and I had really long conversations about life and the world and God. Every tuesday I would go to his monastery and he would teach me how to play chess while we listened to Bob Marley cds. We would cook vegetarian meals together and we'd get lots of cups of coffee together.
He loved me very much. He is like my brother and he always treated me like a sister. Even to this day he calls me sister in emails.
About 10 months into my time there, Simon got sad. He stopped being a monk and we went shopping for normal clothes, not monk robes. He ate dinner with me every night and we'd sit around watching Lauryn Hill concerts.

I love this man so much. He is priceless. He loves the Bible. He was named after Simon Peter. His mom was a Christian.
When I found his picture on the website (www.whfm.org), I cried. He is trying to get involved with the blood:water mission work in Malawi. He's got the biggest heart in Africa.

Today is BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY day.

So i took the scenic route today. I had the absolutely brilliant idea of driving all the way from waynesboro virginia to asheville north carolina via the blue ridge parkway. I'm a loyal visitor of the Natchez Trace, so I figured I should pay my respects to the fellow national parks.
It was so gorgeous. For 10 hours I drove alone down this thing. It took me 3 hours to go 100 miles!!! But 400 miles later, I found myself refreshed and at peace. I laughed. I cried. I screamed at Satan. I screamed to God. I sat in silence. I listened to loud scottish music. I drank infinite cups of bad gas station coffee. I stopped no less that 20 times to go to the potty, and another 20 times for pictures. No wonder it took me 10 hours!
At one point a cricket just hopped into my car through my sun roof. I should have taken his picture.
I found out that colonial reinactments freak me out. Like Williamsburg. It's a cool idea, but I think I'm in a wierd place when it comes to old timey stuff. It makes me feel very lonely.
Speaking of lonely, I was dining at Cracker Barrel, tracing my way down my BRP map. In walks an old couple. You know me with single old men, my heart just breaks. Well today I found something that breaks my heart even more. And that is a old couple who sit and don't even talk to one another. This couple sat down and the wife started saying something to her husband. He totally snapped at her in his broken Virginiain hick english. I looked over in astonishment and caught her embarassed expression coming my way. It was the "my husband sure does suck" look. And he's just sitting there trying to beat himself in the peg game. She should have called him an Eggnoramous. I couldn't take it. I literally wrapped my sausages in my napkin, stuffed it in my purse, and left. After a month of lots of solitude, plus a 10 hour drive down a road where I passed MAYBE 20 cars the whole day, the last thing I wanted to see was this miserable old couple living together in isolation. I'd rather be alone the rest of my life than live with someone who I don't even talk to. Yuck.

Here are some pictures for you of my day!!! Enjoy them. Roll your windows down while the weather is nice!!!

today's sun setting in north carolina. i felt like i was in lord of the rings.


paths cross.


is this wierd to anyone else? it totally caught my attention as i drove by. it looks like this man is falling backward off the rainbow. what a rough way to go! you better believe i took that curve carefully.
and is anyone else wondering why he took his bike? this man was not very smart. too much peg game at cracker barrel.


this was an accident picture but it's kinda cool.

26 in DC

I spent all day Saturday in Washington. My friends took my for a belated birthday gift! It was so fun!!! I think it's maybe one of the coolest cities I've visited. At one point, we saw a game of kickball in front of the Washington Monument! I love kickball!!

Here are some pictures for you of my Happy 26 day for September!


Walking through National Mall towards the capitol building


Me at the capitol

Lincoln is there, even in the

darkWhat a picture! The Washington Monument from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where MLK gave his "I have a dream"
speechAs we drove to DC, we kept saying "DC is where it's at". Naturally, 2 turntables and a microphone were in order. Check the elbows!

My birthday cake in a smores form!

My reflection in one of the walls of the Vietnam Memorial

Waiting for the Metro to arrive

I have really fun friends who do spontaneous things. You know who you are!
Thank you all for these memories. I know you must really love me, and I am forever thankful to God for such a gift. I'm going to miss you all so much. I'll pray for you constantly and I'll see you again someday!

"The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." Job 1:20
"But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these tihngs will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33
"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:5

Today

Please pray for me. Today is a big day and I feel a little sick to my stomach.

Old Blind Dogs bring sight to my eyes

Last night myself and 4 friends all drove down to D.C. for an Old Blind Dogs concert. It was held at Jammin' Java coffee shop, almost as bad a name as the Elbow's maiden name--the one that I refuse to say.
We had a blast. Amanda was there, but she's not in the picture below. The music was incredible. If you don't know the Old Blind Dogs, please find a way to hear them. They are so talented. Originally from Scotland, their music includes pipes of all sorts, a bass and acoustic guitar, fiddle and violin, harmonica, turkish drum and jimbay, cymbals, etc etc etc on the drums (see below). An article written about the event said "An enthusiastic audience made it a fun night for the boys..." Probably all those giddy Jesus girls in the crowd, bopping up and down to each song.

If there's one thing I love without end, it's live music. I've kept a varied musical interest most of my life, and it's always so fun to go with a group of friends to a live show. With my soy latte in hand last night, in the dead middle of 4 amazing friends, I couldn't have been happier.

I naturally started thinking about Christ (don't we all when are hanging out with talented, intoxicated Scottish artists?!). There was a "J" emblem on the wall behind the band and I used that to really focus on the presence of Jesus. I imagined him there with us, clapping or closing his eyes. I really did. I think he would have loved it. The reason I think this is because of what God revealed to my own heart last night: Christ was "with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:2-3). "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible...He is before all things and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:15-17). "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36).

Christ is the Great Composer, the Leader of the Orchestra, the Symphony Conductor, the Master of all Music. He created music. He created song. He created fingers and lips that make instruments work. He designed the minds that designed the violin, the guitar, the percussion. He authored thoughts about treble clefs and bass notes and pitch and tone and range and half notes and quarter notes and whole notes and staffs and melodies. He is in all these and BY HIM they hold together. If he wanted, he could silence these instruments, these minds, these magical fingers that we praise and covet.Christ was most definately there last night, enjoying his creation, leading me to pray that one day it would praise HIM rather than a bottle of whiskey or a historical victory for Scotland.

Later today I was sitting at lunch with one of the girls who went. She started sharing how God had finally broken her heart last night for someone: the Old Blind Dogs. She said all she thought about was how they didn't know what she knew and she knew Christ wanted to have their lives and talents much like he has her own. She said, "Ashley I don't usually think about that. I don't usually feel heartbroken if someone doesn't know Christ. But last night I did. And i realized, if I love and care for someone or something, I want that person or thing to be intertwined with Jesus." God was most definately there. And as you can see, He authors thoughts in our heads that lead us to think of Him. Last night he did this to both me and my friend at the same time!!

So we concluded that relationships are one key way God works in our day. Through knowing someone, we come to love them. And through loving them, we desire them to know God. It's not in-your-face and it's not hellfire talk, it's just the witness of Jesus and his importance from one sinner to another. It was a cool revelation!!!

Go dance the jig with your grandmother!!!
(www.oldblinddogs.co.uk)

African Worship. And Trees. And New Coffee Shops.

Here's our prized find: a cool, independent coffee shop in Richmond. It may take us 40 minutes to get to it, but it's got Soy milk and good music. And it's in a cool part of Richmond.


This is me in front of the South African flag. I really want to go to South Africa. More and more each day.



I drew this on Amanda's journal the other day when I was bored out of my mind. We had been in session after session. I spent a whole day in Anthropology class. Then the next day in Buddhism class. Then three days of memorizing Bible stories and learning how to tell them without the Bible in front of you. Then a class about prayer. I was so braindead. I wanted to climb a tree.

Then we had African worship tonight and I spent the last 10 minutes staring at this tree, trying to see how I could best climb it. I think it can be done. Or at least I could draw it and climb it sometime in the future.


These are "my little friends" playing the jimbay tonight at African worship. It was all outside, barefoot, screaming and hollering and dancing and singing. I wish I could do this everyday!!!

We spent the evening outside, learning worship songs from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Then we had a preacher from Ethiopia tell us Bible stories. We got to dance around on each other's blankets and say "Holla" alot. It was so cool.

And here is me this afternoon at the Daily Grind, taking pictures with my fun new camera. I just thought this was a cool picture. There is no spiritual significane behind it, although I'm sure I could think of something! How about 1 Corinthians 13: Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror...then, we shall see face to face.
I wish I could see all of you face to face. But believe, me God is working and coming to take us home. I'm not prophesying or anything, I just know what the Word says.
Make sure you reflect the right person.

Silent before Him

I've been quiet all day, locked up in my room:
resting and reading and praying and writing.

I miss everything. I miss them because I know God is removing them all from my life.
He's evidently taking them out, like a surgery.
Not that they were toxic. Many were his blessings.
But I refused to leave them as such.
And now they provide me too much of what God alone should.

Goodbye!! I'm doing this, If I am wrong, God is bigger than my screw up.
Goodbye!!

But, with a smile I scream, "He's knows what he's doing!!"

More joy later. Today is God' day to talk. Not mine.
Speak, O Lord

I'm Smiling Because......

acts 9.29 "He (paul) talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him."
This sentence makes me smile.



Jim Elliot makes me smile.



Chris and Miller, 2 friends who've stepped out in faith, make me smile.



Martin Luther King Jr and his writings make me smile. So does his voice.



Baldie Gandhi makes me smile.



This woman of faith and her small boy have impacted my life in indescribable ways. I smile when I think of them.



The smile on my face right now is HUGE. Mike's walked through a dry place requiring faith--and assurance of something hoped for but unseen. Mike tends to make me smile.


The list of people who make me smile would take 80 blog sites.

But because of the example of these two people, I know what it means to be joyful in your suffering and to love your enemies. If there was one thing I never lacked in my life, it was their faces, dressed in a smile.



Go make someone smile. You never know, you might end up on their blog page!
(ps--arls, victory, amy jacobs and becca the conqueror...you kept coming to mind as I did this. Beauty is defined by your faces when you smile.)

Invisible Children of Uganda

Two of my friends here are Marlee and Amanda. Both have just graduated from Golden Gate Seminary with a dual degree in theology/intercultural studies. This is the program I was applying to before I decided to move to Asia. However, I've been spending lots of time with these girls and they have me ready to move to go there one day. This program is like that dream program you live your life wondering about, thinking "how would i ever find a school with a program that is exactly what I want." Well, I've found my match.
They teach you how to set up a refugee camp! Seriously, could there be a cooler education than that?

Anyways, these two girls are starting a nongovernment organization (NGO) in Uganda in a few years...a development from the ethnographic research they did in school, and the inspiration which would naturally come from such an academic pursuit. Marlee has been spreading the word about this documentary on the child soldiers in Uganda called "Invisible Children". We just finished watching it. OH MY GOSH! Find a way to view this film. It will change your life.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed its the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Love in Every Language

" "Let the earth keep silence before Him," rather than He keep silent at all the wrong of earth. Let the Word run and be glorified, Lord." --Jonathan Edwards, Journals.
My new friends, who will soon run alongside the Word of God to the ends of the earth, each wrote "love" in their new language on my forearms today at house church.


and I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (english)

y que arraigados y cimentados en amor, seáis capaces de comprender con todos los santos cuál es la anchura, la longitud, la altura y la profundidad y de conocer el amor de Cristo que sobrepasa el conocimiento, para que seáis llenos hasta la medida de toda la plenitud de Dios (spanish)

pentruca, avînd rădăcina şi temelia pusă în dragoste, să puteţi pricepe împreună cu toţi sfinţii, care este lărgimea, lungimea, adîncimea şi înălţimea; şi să cunoaşteţi dragostea lui Hristos, care întrece orice cunoştinţă, ca să ajungeţi plini de toată plinătatea lui Dumnezeu (romanian)

Kristo aendelee kuishi ndani ya mioyo yenu, ili mkiwa mmesimama imara na kujengwa katika upendo, mpate uwezo wa kuelewa, pamoja na watu wote wa Mungu, upana na urefu na kimo na kina cha upendo wa Kristo; na mpate kufa hamu upendo huu, ingawa unapita upeo wa maarifa, na hivyo mpate kujazwa kabisa na ukamilifu wa Mungu mwenyewe (swahili)

使 基 督 因 你 们 的 信 ， 住 在 你 们 心 里 ， 叫 你 们 的 爱 心 有 根 有 基 ，
能 以 和 众 圣 徒 一 同 明 白 基 督 的 爱 是 何 等 长 阔 高 深 ，
并 知 道 这 爱 是 过 於 人 所 能 测 度 的 ， 便 叫 神 一 切 所 充 满 的 ， 充 满 了 你 们 (chinese)

đến nỗi Đấng Christ nhơn đức tin mà ngự trong lòng anh em; để anh em khi đã đâm rễ vững nền trong sự yêu thương, được hiệp cùng các thánh đồ mà hiểu thấu bề rộng, bề dài, bề cao, bề sâu của nó là thể nào và được biết sự yêu thương của Đấng Christ, là sự trổi hơn mọi sự thông biết, hầu cho anh em được đầy dẫy mọi sự dư dật của Đức Chúa Trời (vietnamese)

e oro para que vocês, estando arraigados e alicerçados em amor, tenham poder, juntamente com todos os santos, para compreender a largura, o comprimento, a altura e a profundidade, e conhecer o amor de Cristo que excede todo conhecimento, para que vocês sejam cheios de toda a plenitude de Deus (portugese)

لِيَسْكُنَ الْمَسِيحُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ بِالإِيمَانِ؛ حَتَّى إِذَا تَأَصَّلْتُمْ وَتَأَسَّسْتُمْ فِي الْمَحَبَّةِ، تَصِيرُونَ قَادِرِينَ تَمَاماً أَنْ تُدْرِكُوا، مَعَ الْقِدِّيسِينَ جَمِيعاً، مَا هُوَ الْعَرْضُ وَالطُّولُ وَالْعُلْوُ وَالْعُمْقُ، وَتَعْرِفُوا مَحَبَّةَ الْمَسِيحِ الَّتِي تَفُوقُ الْمَعْرِفَةَ، فَتَمْتَلِئُوا حَتَّى تَبْلُغُوا مِلْءَ اللهِ كُلَّ
(arabic)

Don't Take me Out.

Tea Cake may have gotten rabies, but not us. We're protected by the Shrek bandaids.

Much like Peter Pan, we eat invisible hamburgers and hang out with "lost boys". Brilliant!!!

Cartoon Amanda must have seen Seths' Kairos video.

Plastic plate faces make eating hard, but we do all things with joy!

He's ALIVE!!!!!!



We have many things to learn. God, teach us.
We have many fights yet to loose. God, be our conqueror.
We have many questions left to ask and answers to never find. God, be the thief of the answers which will unknowingly hinder us from you.
We have many moments left to realize that doubts never die. God, be the hand of time which ushers false assurance away.

In all things, at all times, we are given and we are removed from things of joy or pain.
We are in constant motion, swaying with the vulnerability of faith.
God, give us faith to commit to something we don't see the fullness of, and give us the complete loyalty to what you've called us to do.
God, continue tomorrow the strength with which you have infused me today.

Praise you. You are all that we have.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills--
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.
He will not let your foot slip--
he who watches over you will net slumber; indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you--
The LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm--
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
(psalm 121)