Painful Growth, Part 20
“I’m a load of destitute headed on a road to nowhere“ I used to read this blogger who then compiled a book about the blog who then quit blogging.  He was a top chef in a fancy restaurant and wasn’t happy.  He started volunteering at a soup kitchen and ended up quitting his job and working at the soup kitchen full time.  His pen name is rhymes with kerouac.  He wrote beautifully and from his heart.  In a time of madness in my own life, he provided words to what I couldn’t quite put my finger on.  He wrote the quote above that struck me cold.  It was in response to someone asking him about christianity.  RWK didn’t ha

My open letter to Donald Miller
Dear Donald Miller, First off, I have to say that I never write to famous people.  I go to book readings and don’t wait in line for the autograph, I know I should write my congresswoman but it’s just so easy to hit ’send’ on those generic websites we get these days.  Now I will admit I did attend Imago Dei one time in PDX and maybe I hoped to catch you in the crowd, but it was Sunday and I was in PDX, where else was I supposed to go? I first found you at Borders bookstore.  I was living in Ames, IA and every once in awhile, I’d spend my Saturday morning embracing the world of books at my fingertips.  I had a ritual—

Looking up
I had an epiphany this morning while driving to work.  I was mulling over the past year and thinking about the things that I want to change in my future.  What I realized is that in hindsight of the past 6 months, what I thought I wanted in life was in fact not the path that I should be on.  Maybe I had set lower standards for myself in order to reach the goals, maybe I didn’t take enough time to look farther ahead or at the bigger picture to what my reality should be versus what it could easily be.   Or maybe the goals themselves were wrong and not great enough for who I am supposed to be in life. I’m reading this book by Park

Time to take a look at your own yard
You know the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side”?  I heard the second part  a couple years ago:  because you are too busy staring at that yard to take care of your own.  I truly believe that and it seems every time I slip into looking longingly at the other yard, God seems to be showing me the reality of that yard to remind me of what I have in my yard is pretty good too. I’m in the midst of a serious growth phase in my life.  Clinging to God, looking for Him everyday, cherishing the lessons I’ve learned in the past month.  Reanalyzing everything I thought was true and realizing the divide between my reality and His reali

Solitude and community, all from the seat of a bicycle
I did the MS150 this weekend, except it’s 160 here and I decided to do the century the first day.  So 150 became 183 miles in 2 days!!  As painful as it sounds, it was one of the best weekends I’ve had in a loooong time.  The weather was practically perfect (except for that mean headwind we faced on the way back), the farms and countryside were peaceful and serene (even though I know all that corn is Monsanto BT corn), the riders upbeat and encouraging (just don’t ride too close because a lot aren’t that experienced!), and excellent company (I mean excellent!!) I was supposed to do the ride with the ex, so there was the foreboding feeling of w