roundup.

I have 7 more weeks here. It doesn't sound long enough, but new adventure is already teeming.

note: adventure in the sense that most people mean it, not like Yvon in the film 180 Degrees South I saw yesterday with some friends. It was about a man seeking the great outdoors. Yvon, founder of Patagonia clothing company and general outdoors/adventure/hippie sort, explained adventure as being the point at which everything in a planned voyage has gone wrong and now new decisions and plans need to be made.

Yes, regular adventure sounds good for now. If that's an applicable phrase.

I recently met up with a professor at Northwest University in Kirkland. You know you are in a good place when a.) the public transportation buses are old charter buses and b.) when you miss your stop, the bus driver happily explains how to request your stop and tells you just to yell at him if necessary. Not that I needed to do that. But, I thought I did, and got off, walked to the wrong place, only to find out I got off quite near the real place. Good thing I'm becoming a grown-up and got to the campus an hour before my appointment, plenty of time to mill around and realize I didn't know where to go. So God in His serendipitous ways allowed me to meet a student at the university, the only one walking around in fact, as classes are out for the summer, and she was very kind in helping me find my way. In fact, she walked me down the street, into the building, and knew the professor with whom I met, so we all enjoyed conversation together. If nothing else it is always encouraging to meet like-minded people that realize the world is going to chaos without the intervention of sensitive, loving action.

I also missed my bus stop on the way back from the school, but went with the old saying and made lemonade. As in, I went downtown to the International District instead and got some rice! I love rice. Especially sticky rice, which is precisely the kind I bought. A friend, possibly some more friends if I am enthusiastic enough, and I will be fasting on rice and beans next week, if you'd like to join. As Ecclesiastes illustrates and the Byrds confirm, to everything there is a season.

This past Saturday we had our site's third house dedication since starting our term. This house was special because it was the first one we started from step one, excavation of the foundation, and saw to completion. We also got to know the homeowner quite well, so it was nice to see her momentous time be shared in celebration with other homeowners as well as members of the Thrivent Build team that contributed funds, labor, food, and prayer to the house. It was wonderful to team up with such a supportive group and encouraging that they did all of it in Jesus' name. I had the pleasure of contributing a prayer reading at the impromptu prompting of the group's lead pastor. After mentioning one lunch during the build months ago that we forgot to pray before the meal, I've been the designated backup pray-er. I'm cool with that. Highlights include an inspirational speech from a member of Thrivent, one of my most enjoyable volunteers from the build, a German woman who knows what's up and isn't afraid to share it. Also, Chris gave a heartfelt speech that left more than one attendee teary-eyed.

^ two of the reasons I'll miss Seattle.

This past Sunday at my church was the last week of our Spilling Hope event, a post-Easter time to give up excess and live more simply, for our own benefit and also to raise awareness of the global water crisis and funds for wells in Uganda. From going to churches in many regions of this country, I've realized that vernacular culture emanates a pastor's thinking and sermons. Seattle is a very chill city with relatively few problems, visible at least, compared to many others. Sermons tend to focus on improving the self and I think these two are connected. This is crucial though, so it's good to remember. Fibonacci spiral, baby. In order to impact your family, friends, community, world, it starts with the heart. And thankfully this is where God resides. Richard stressed to 'live fully awake' - that out of right values come meaningful decisions. This coincides with the Spilling Hope mission; we were to give something up in order to gain something new (the old is gone, the new has come). Abstaining for its own sake is still dull and lifeless. But gaining something new - the full life of whole adventure as Christ means for our lives - is our blessing and privilege.

Let's see. Oh yes! Sasquatch Music Festival is this weekend. I get to enjoy the sweet melodies of MGMT, Passion Pit, She & Him, Camera Obscura, Band of Horses, and others at the Gorge in George, Washington. It'll be fantastic, just wait.

interesting space near my house - abandoned or celebrated?

Lastly, I started reading a book about a man's missionary travels to Kenya. It ends up he's from Issaquah. The odds!

Grace and peace to you.

May we live in justice, peace, mercy, reconciliation - the way God intended.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!

II Cor. 5.17