Love

Sometimes, like today, I have a hard time loving people. Why do some people have to condescend and put others down? Sad. I need to learn to watch my sarcasm and wit... it should never be used to make me feel greater at the expense of another.

Barack Obama on Race and a More Perfect Union

Barack Obama spoke today on race and the continuing improvement of the United States of America. Some are calling it a masterpiece, life changing. I'll call it inspirational. This is a man fit to run our country. This is the first time in my life that I have believed in a presidential candidate. The qualities he displays through this speech show that he is far greater than the rest of American politics. He states that while he does not agree with his pastor's remarks, he is none the less friend to the man himself. He is standing by a good man who made a mistake, in place of cutting and running like the rest of the US political world. He is tackling the single most polarizing issue in American history with grace and an understanding that shows his heart, soul, and undeniable ability to lead the United States forward in a time when our next steps could decide the future of international politics and the fate of western society.

http://my.barackobama.com/hisownwords

The EPA: America's Newest Criminal Mastermind

It seems to me that the EPA is violating, quite specifically, a law designed to hold them accountable. As far as I understand, they are required by the Clean Air Act to take into account the ramifications against the health of the American people as the only measure by which they determine air quality standards. Clearly Mr. Johnson is not interested in only the health of the American people. He obviously wants to take into account the financial cost of implementing the new air quality standards. Plainly put, the economy of the United States won't matter a lick if the people are dying or spending thousands of dollars to combat failing health due to poor air. Let us not forget that by not declaring carbon dioxide a pollutant, which is a power given to the EPA last year by the supreme court, Johnson, in my opinion, is guilty of crimes against the American people... tyranny.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1722343,00.html?cnn=yes

Wilco

This is an interesting commentary on migraines, life, and music by the lead singer of Wilco: http://migraine.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/shaking-it-off/index.html

Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona

The title above is the name of my new VISTA site. I couldn't continue going into work at the Southwest Conservation Corps every day, feeling completely miserable.

Joel wrote me an email yesterday encouraging me to walk in a spirit of prayer, trying to discern my reason for being here in Tucson and my role in the worship band at Northminster. I suck at spending any time in prayer, or in a spirit of anything besides "just getting by." It's annoying, really. I feel like I'm totally lacking passion in my life, and that I'm literally trying to survive until VISTA is over. What's next, though? If I live my life in that way now, what is going to stop me from living for the next change or the next new thing? There will always be something off in the distance that I think will try its best to determine my worth, or capture my time and attention. What needs to happen to really fully enjoy living my life moment by moment, in each one, starting now and continuing until the day I die? That is the secret to happiness, life, everything- enjoying the passage of time. Thank you James Taylor. But, how do you go from dreading being at work and living for the evening, only to start dreading the daily during the evening, hoping for the ever too short weekend that leads right back into the daily that is dreaded?

How does one just enjoy the passage of time?

Olu was in town this weekend. It was good. We hiked Romero Pools and rode bikes around the city all day- fantastic.

Mikey and I are starting a recycling program at the church, woot.

Would "walking in a spirit of prayer," thankfulness, awe, love be the key to enjoying the passage of time?

Life is only so long, and it makes no sense to spend any amount of time hoping for it to pass as quickly as possible- cherish the moment. Why is it so hard?