Its a Long Way From Timeout to Contemplative Prayer

The other day, my niece was put in time-out after disobeying her mom, despite her attempted escape from punishment in the form of saying "Obey...obey" meaning, 'now that I see that you are going to punish me I want you to know that I am going to obey, just don't go through with the punishment.' Naomi was forced to sit without playing with or saying anything for one minute which for my curious and energetic niece seems forever. It made me wonder if timeout is a helpful way to discipline. From early on, she will associate being still and silent for extended periods of time with punishment.

Tri-Authored Garden Poem

This is a poem written by a couple of friends and myself about a garden. With the common theme of the garden we took turns writing one line after another, not seeing each other's work until it was complete:

Roots stretching into the earth drink in life

bulb and seed, hidden deep and sent, but asleep

Society of coloured races race to breath the living air

We are fed from the dirt-real life into our bodies

Buds, full of invisible verve

Mighty green army thrusting green blades deep into the air

My hands touch the benefit-seed has become nourishment

All this remains incipient Eden till actualized by tongue and teeth

Floating on the ground cloud, rising to the lonely mouth, filling and running in.

Of Adventures with Poetry in Woods

1) Having carefully crossed the raging river on a snowy fallen tree, we paused seeking comfort in the words of Emily Dickinson. Alas, Emily foretold of dangers to come:

2) The Kiss of Death, only recently classified, hid waiting for another victim. Morgan could not resist this visual Siren call.

3) Having fatally kissed this new wonder, Morgan's initial euphoria quickly turns to hallucination.

4) Halfway to our journey's end we rest, looking at the mighty giant's backbone we have just trekked. Pocahontas (who was, as it turns out, many other people all at the same time (this may not make sense to any who were not there)) ponders this half accomplishment.

5) The troll stick, aka, my temporary walking cane, was freaking Morgan out so I decided to part with it.

6) We were moving so fast on the way back that my shoes caught on fire. Journey's end.

Spontaneous Trip to Niagara Falls

1) Convinced Renae to spend the day with us, leaving for Niagara Falls around 2:30 PM and returning to Pittsburgh around 3:00 AM. She has a ten page paper due today. But thankfully she is crazy on a regular basis and has become accustomed to such shenanigans. There are no dull moments with Nae Nae :) I would trust Charley with my life but it was funny, the first time Charley drove my car he stalled out after we talked about the fact that he could indeed drive stick.

2) This is the farthest north I have ever been, been pretty far south (Brasil) and East (Israel). The only direction I have yet to go is West (have every intention of going to Hawaii though).

3) We wondered...what would someone think and feel just before going and then going over the edge. Charley suggested that it would be more than just a simple fear of death. I agree. Surreal place.

4) Cheers! To doing what we say we are going to do. Charley and I have talked about wanting to go to Niagara Falls since last semester. In this restaurant we enjoyed delicious pizza and beer (so American of us and I guess Canadian too :)

5) On our way home I discovered that I have my own village.

The Abbey of Gethsemani

There is Hope

On Labor Day I was canoeing with my friend Charley and a 15-year-old girl that was in our group. As we were paddling along in the middle of a lake she said "This is a good way to get away from my cellphone...I am usually always playing with my phone or on the computer." She was enjoying creation and said so. Honey to my ears.

Angels Appearing?

A couple of nights ago my house-mate Todd and I were hanging out with Todd's girlfriend, who was visiting from out of town, and a couple of other friends. I was tired and came on home to sleep and indeed fell into a deep sleep (on the awesome queen-size-pillow-top bed I found in the beer barn). Todd and Stacy came on back to the house for a bit and then Stacy left to go to the house she was sleeping at. As Todd was walking Stacy to her car she closed the door as Todd was telling her not to close it because he did not have his keys with him. So Todd was locked out and had to come around back to my bedroom window which has been open since we moved in. The head of my bed was, until I rearranged things this morning, right next to the window. I woke up to Todd calling out, "Wes...Wes..." and I woke up in a daze, looking around my room but seeing nothing and still hearing this voice and became, for a few long seconds, frightened at what I literally thought was some sort of angel or something speaking to me in the night. I was thinking of several stories in the Scriptures about angels appearing and or speaking to people whose reaction was always fear. I now understand what it is like to have an unusual presence present in your most comfortable place. Homiletics 101.