Mending 'Broken Thought'

Sometimes I think,
as if I can figure things out.
Sometimes I write,
like I know what I'm writing about.
Sometimes I feel,
as if feeling could change the world.
Sometimes I speak,
having something "important" to say.

But sometimes...
I breathe deeply, remembering what it feels like to inhale.
I sing at the top of my lungs in the middle of a crowd, as if I were all alone.
I dance, confident with my bosom and my hips,
not seductive, just free.

And I recline into another's lap, one like a mother.
She is warm and wet, and I suppose this is like a womb.
So I feel safe.

That's when I know what believing is about.

blog-worthy blessing of the day

this morning i was once again amazed by the providential care of God. i have been contemplating the idea of purchasing a new laptop. mine is a 1998 IBM Thinkpad. it is very thick and heavy. and don't even think about buying a wireless card. alas, there would be nowhere to put it.

so, this morning i innocently inquired with one of my computer-savvy classmates for some advice about what kind of computer to get, etc. instead of advice, he offered me a FREE Dell laptop, much newer and thinner than my current model, complete with wireless capability and windows XP. turns out it was given to him as a gift, and he doesn't need it. he already has a nicer laptop of his own. so, that's right, he offered me a FREE laptop.

so, this post is about saying thank you to generous, generous people (thanks, Chuck!), AND recognizing that God is the ultimate source of "every good and perfect [and free] gift."

Back in Black

"back" meaning back to school. "black" being a color i have worn a lot this week. i have noticed that for some reason i tend to wear colors in phases. red for a few days, then black, then purples and blues. what does all this mean? perhaps you can tell me.

i think it is going to be a good semester. on the study agenda for the coming week:

african traditional religions (not all of them. that would be utterly exhausting. yoruba mostly.)
a theology of pastoral care & counseling
Mark 2 in its original Greek expression
paul riceour's hermeneutics and the human sciences
(but only about 10 pages, because that's all we can handle in one week's time)

i am also beginning an internship with the Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. the CLC works on a wide variety of public policy issues in texas, including but not limited to criminal justice, environment, education, and campaign finance reform. they also do interfaith work, and i will start my internship by focusing on Christian/Muslim dialogue. next week i'll be attending a forum on this issue that is sponsored by the texas council of churches. my plan for this blog over the next year is twofold:
1 let ya'll know what i learn about the inner workings of the texas legislature, various policy issues, and the interfaith community
2 prove that all baptists are not closed-minded, fundamentalist, republican, etc. (widespread misconceptions here)

Hope

Today a flood of danger swirls about us.
Today the tides of sorrow rush our home.
Just one tomorrow may not heal this devastation.
But one day we'll be singin' victory songs...