Entries by David

I'm planning on making a big move in May and as such I've begun preparing to sell most if not all of my stuff. I've already made $300 selling my books on amazon (less the $95 spent on shipping). I want to get rid of everything. Everything! Sell Sell Sell! Now, life doesn't happen in a vacuum and the Jesus Moment of the week was me deciding to stay in Rensselaer for the next two semester (and not move to Lafayette and save $200-$300 a month). I just couldn't bring myself to benefit myself personally at the cost of hurting others (through my polluting). I wasn't sure about the decision until today's readings: Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Colossians 3:1-11 & Luke 12:13-21.

"Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot" Imagine that you woke up one morning and you discovered you had no birth-certificate, no driver's license, no proof you own your home. No-thing that identifies you as you. Who are you? What is your identity? Are we merely the sum of our possessions or are we something more? Are we the sum of our retirement accounts or do we have something inherently human that makes us.. us?

It's hard to make such a claim in a society that values materials, fame, unreasoned pleasure (see Cicero), or wealth. Everywhere around us we are constantly told that the reason we do things is to get better things. What would happen if no one could own anything anymore. How would we define our society and identity?

So, I've been spending some time playing with making soap and meditation pillows. Well, with all of this stuff I thought I would actually sell it. I've created a website to do so. I've named my business "Metaphysical Farms" and what's really cool about the site is that you can design your own soap and I'll make it. I've been able to connect the site to google-checkout as well as paypal. I'm still working on the design and layout of the site as well as updating the pictures. I'd really like to know what you think! What suggestions!

I'm also looking for people that want to sell hippie stuff too. My mom has these awesome homemade garden planters she has been selling that I'll be listing and Levi has a friend that is wanting to sell some oils or something like that. Do you have anything?!

Here it is: http://www.metaphysicalfarms.com/

Recently, I was asked to play a flying squirrel puppet named Skyler for a vacation bible school (VBS) program in Rensselaer. It is a joint effort by the Presbyterian church and the First Christian church. The theme has lots to do with lifting off, hot air balloons, and flying squirrels. Each night has a different focus. So far they have taught about trust and listening (to God). Now, the reason I'm writing this entry about VBS is not so much to inform you about the inner workings of such a program but rather an observation I made last night while listening to my side-kick 'Scoop' improvise on 'why' we should trust God, listen to God, etc. His reason was to make your life always joyful and happy; to live a life without pain or suffering; to get a place in heaven. The only thing I could do to rebut this obviously 'prosperity gospel' reasoning was to grimace the face of my squirrel puppet—unbeknownst to Scoop. I can understand all the reasoning behind giving this explanation to children but I have such a revulsion to this overly-developed deficient theology that I couldn't help but feeling I was helping further the destructive consumer-individualized quagmire of our society.

So I leave you with this question asked by a child... it so simple and yet most of us don't ask it because we've been told not to: 'Why should we trust God?' My favorite was when the child, after getting his answer that I cringed at, responded back, 'You're confusing me.'

I'm recently reading the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. The English is amazing in that work:

Whan that Aprille with his shoures sote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open eye-
So priketh hem Nature in hir corages;
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;

The moral satire in the general prologue is hilarious and it got me to thinking how much the words of language have changed over just 600 years in English but the ideas are still able to be comprehended. English is still changing. For Example, prepositions are now acceptable in a sentence to end with. The difference between less and fewer has been thrown out the window at most grocery stores. I think correcting grammar is very necessary when the words get in the way of conveying the ideas but when the rules get in the way of the ideas well enough alone should be left.

While trying to escape my driveway this morning (which is completely clear of snow) I found myself stuck in the snow off to the side of my driveway. Another student had stayed the night with my roommate and was blocking me in and I didn't want to wake him. I tried to un-parallel park but being that I have only front wheel drive my front wheels got stuck. My roommate ended up strapping a rope around his car and mine and pulling me free. Nice story and all but it got me to thinking.

What other situations in my life have I become stuck in? What parts of my life do I think I can handle alone but really that would only cause me to get myself into a situation where I'm stuck? I was just thinking this morning about how the Faculty at SJC would get a lot more done if they didn't fear for their jobs and I should start making noise to help support the students. Then this happens... was that you Jesus?! Maybe I should be a little more shrewed and gather the support of other faculty before I sally forth.

You are a Social Liberal (71% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (6% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

As I was laying on the couch with my cat on my lap basking in the beauty of the sun coming in through the livingroom window, it struck me how funny it is that we as human beings can let animals cast all forms of affection upon us and we return in kind without even a hint of "passion" crossing our minds but we don't allow that type of interaction between people. Why is it there is something "sexual" if I were to lay next to a friend and nap holding that person? Why is it "sexual" if I caress someone's face or back? Why is it "sexual" for intimate touch? It seems we as humans are so deprived of such a connection with others that we have relegated all such touch or contact into a specialized category. We need to lighten up and open up to the wonderful world of human interaction. Hug someone, kiss someone, nap next to someone, massage someone... be a true friend to someone.