k.e.g. on tap: life, quotes, and random musings

Unfortunately tragedy has befallen many parts of the world. Climate change is causing extensive damage to many parts of the world. Some places in the United States are being pounded by overwhelming hurricanes.  Other areas are experiencing horrific wildfires. Still other parts of the world are facing earthquakes, droughts, famine, and flooding.  People's homes have been destroyed. Many families and individuals have lost everything they own. It seems reasonable that citizens could look to their government for support and encouragement in the midst of these tragedies. Yet, numerous elected officials in the United States are balking at their responsibility to care for the people, all people, in this country.  It seems that providing assistance to those affected by these tragic circumstances isn't worth their while.    If the weather catastrophes weren't enough, hate, bigotry, and racism are running rampant all across the United States.  Many of us would like...

  There is a homeless gentleman named Sean who I see quite frequently when I go downtown.  He usually is somewhere on the Magnificent Mile between the Walgreens and Water Tower Place.  I first met Sean with my dear friend, Laura, back in June.  Whenever I see Sean, I try to stop by and say hello.  I don't always have the ability to do more than that.    A few weeks ago I stopped to say hello to Sean as I do, things were different with him.  He seemed beaten down by his life circumstances. His friendly, jovial disposition was gone. What he said that night has stuck with me and really caused me to think about what we are called to do in this life and who we are to be.     Sean told me that he was mad at God.  That despite all the prayers he has prayed and all the prayers others have prayed with him and on his behalf, he is still out on the streets.  He went on to say that God is not going to do all the work on his/her own of ge...

I am in awe of God's power to move us into action.  Tonight I had a sense of God's powerful "nudging"--a push into action.  It happened this evening while I was walking home from class.  Normally I have friends who drive me home, and who, once again, graciously offered to do so tonight.  However, I felt a desire to walk.   About half way home, I encountered a gentleman named Lawrence who was asking for money.  I have seen Lawrence  in the neighborhood before. He's a friendly man.  Tonight, he asked me if I could give him just $2 to catch the bus to the homeless shelter for the night.  It was the only way he would have to be warm this evening.  I had no money on me and told him regretfully so.  At that moment, I look down to see Lawrence's hands, callused and cracked from long exposure to the wind and cold of the day.  In that moment, I was moved by God's "nudging" into action.    I didn't stop to think.  I di...

So first of all, hello! I know it has been ages since I have written!  I suppose I felt at a bit of a loss as to what to write about, and I wasn't really certain that anyone was reading.  However, I have a question that was posed to me today that is weighing heavily on my mind that I would like to put out there in the hope that it will trigger thoughts and conversations of value in others (and hopefully with me).   I am in the midst of my second year of seminary as a Masters of Divinity student. I came to seminary with the idea that I would not be pursuing a traditional ministry path in the parish, which I still have no intention of doing.  I do not feel as though this is where God is calling me or where my strengths are.  However, I did come to seminary with the (what now seems crazy) notion that I should pursue homeless and hunger ministry options because of my work as an AmeriCorps VISTA member and the experiences I had at a local homeless shelter during my ...

So I had a bit of a minor revelation today about my love/possible obsession with school today while setting up my new (functional) printer and testing it out. Here is some background info on the revelation: In case you didn't hear, I decided to pursue my Masters of Divinity degree at McCormick Theological Seminary beginning this month. As of now, I am about 2 weeks into classes as a seminary student. Additionally, as some of you know, I have often said that I think the ideal job for me would be to be able to get paid to take classes at colleges and universities around the world. At the end of each term, I would critique the overall class experience and provide extensive feedback for the instructors on ways to improve their courses and better reach their students. Awesome--I know!!! Listed below are the top ways I realized you should know you take school seriously. See what you think! Your desk is about 3 times larger than your kitchen table. (See picture for proof) You are willi...

This came to mind today after completing my most recent post...is anyone out there actually reading this? Blogs seem like this potentially awesome way of sharing your life experiences with others. I can't help but wonder this after seeing my 6 (ish) followers listed. Does anyone really care? Or is my blog more of a way for me send thoughts about my life into an endless oblivion? Is it essentially an online journal--one that keeps me from getting to those deep, challenging emotions--just in case someone actually does get around to reading it? We have all these incredible technological advances, and people always say that we are better connected because of them. I can't help but wonder if this is really true. Are we really better connected? Or do we just think that? How well do you really know your "friends"? Do they really know what is going on in your life? Is technology just a means of keeping people an arm's length away from us at all times under guise of ...

15 days. That is all that is left of my VISTA year (including weekends). Where has the time gone? In some ways it seems just like yesterday that I attended PSO (Pre-Service Orientation) in Lombard, Illinois before officially starting as a VISTA (volunteer in service to America). I have spent the last 11+ months volunteering/working as an Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA in the Office of Service-Learning and Campus Engagement at Coe College (long title, I know). It's hard to believe I have just a few weeks left. So much has changed in the last 11 months--personally, professionally, academically, etc. I came into this position knowing that I had not fully completed my education. I think I have known from a young age that I would be going to grad school. I just didn't know what degree I would be pursuing. Philosophy? Religion? Student Affairs? Seminary? I think it is quite possible that I considered all of those and several others during my time here at Coe. Choosing wha...

I have always known that friends come and go in one's life. It seems like a natural part of life. There are some friends who are meant to be there for a long time, and then there are others who are only in our lives for a short time. Then there are those friends who you think will be there for you for a long time, but life sometimes has other plans for those friends. I am thinking of one friend in particular. I met this individual my first few days at Coe. Things seemed pretty great. We had a lot in common, hung out all the time, and got to know the inner workings of Coe together. I always imagined that she would be one those friends that I would have in my life for years to come. That all seemed to change right around the time I graduated from Coe. Suddenly our priorities in life seemed completely different. I was worried about what I would be doing with my life after college, and she was worried about who her next boyfriend would be. I realized that we were drifting apart and wa...

Ever think that big cities can be confusing to drive? Lots of traffic, hard to read street signs, no sense of direction, feeling turned around? These seem to be pretty common issues that people face when driving in larger cities that they are unfamiliar with. I know that I have had some interesting adventures while driving in Chicago, St. Louis, etc. However, I would not think that somewhere like Pella, Iowa could be as infuriating to drive in as a huge city. I mean, in all honesty, Pella only has about 10,000 people within its city limits. How confusing could it really be? Well Pella itself was not the issue tonight. In fact, Pella has great streets with little windmills and all. They are easy to read. The roads seem pretty much straight--no strange or unexpected turns due to rivers and what not. The issue came in tonight due to the following issues: the individual in charge of the logistics of the conference did not provide attendees with the address of the college president's...

"Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine." -- Buddha "Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return." -- Mary Jean Iron "To be nobody-but-yourself -- in a world which is doing its best night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." -- e. e. cummings "Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, "Grow, grow." -- The Talmud "To have striven, to have made an effort, to ...

Upon meeting me, I think it is generally quite evident that I care about the people around me. I am always conscious of how people feel. I work hard to make others feel included and as if their views matter. I try to be polite and acknowledge those around me (even if they are not favorite person). This all stems from my view that we are all human. That in itself requires us to treat everyone with respect and dignity. That is not to say that we must like every person we encounter or that we need to agree with everyone's position on volatile issues. We do, however, need to recognize our joint humanity and respect that. This is something that has been on my mind since sometime around August, when my co-workers and I took a personal leadership assessment. It was at this point that I was designated as the "touchy, feely" one in the office. I didn't see anything wrong with this. So I care about those around me in addition to doing a good job. What is the problem wit...

Howdy hey there! So I realize it's been quite awhile since I've written. I guess I just haven't felt inspired to write about anything lately. Today that changed... Here are a collection of random thoughts for the day It is super freakin' fanstastically awesome when you find that someone has dug your car out of the 1 1/2 feet of snow that surrounded it! Thank you Verlyn!!! You are a rockstar at life! It is also fantabulous when that same person lets your dog ride shotgun in their snow plow after she invites herself in for a ride! People who live in your building should not steal your favorite pink and green socks from laundry and then wear them around the building (especially when there are only 8 girls in the building). It's just not cool! I now have 2 incomplete pairs of socks. I refuse to wear one pink sock and one green sock. They need to match!!! Students should not walk around a common area in only their boxes that are literally falling apart. Being connected...

So I am all for the use of reusable grocery bags. I think there is no need to waste resources and to make so many plastic bags. They will probably just end up in a landfill anyways. I can't say that I am always the best at remembering to take them to the store, but I have been getting better at it. I went grocery shopping the other day and took 3 of my reusable grocery bags with me. I didn't have a ton of groceries, and they would have easily fit within in three bags. They lady who was checking me out asked, "how heavy do you want them?" I said, "Just spread the groceries between the 3 bags. I don't want them to be heavy." I guess she wasn't listening or thought she knew better. She ended up cramming all my purchases into only 2 of the bags. As a result, they were overly heavy and awkward to carry. In the end, one of them ended up ripping. This isn't the first time this has happened. It hasn't been at the same store either. Why is...

I have noticed that in recent days it has not taken much for my mood to change from positive/optimistic to frustrated and downtrodden. I have not been a fan of how much it has been happening. Generally, I am extremely optimistic and peppy about life. I like being like that. It keeps me going even during the rough patches. I have been trying to figure out what needs to change so that I can continue to be the peppy person that I have the tendency to be. I don't know that I have figured out exactly what needs to change, but I feel like I am taking steps in the right direction. I found a quote today that I think is going to be helpful. It should help keep things in perspective! Dennis & Wendy Mannering once said, " Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching? " I suppose at first glance, this isn't the most astounding quotation ever, but at the same time, if you stop to think about it, it is quite profound. If you have a negative attitude, why would pe...

Why is it that everyone assumes that a philosophy major is instant career suicide? Do people honestly not realize that philosophy is the backbone of pretty much everything else in the world--math, science, religion, business, ethics, law, psychology, etc. According to Merriam-Webster, philosophy can be defined as "a : pursuit of wisdom b : a search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational means c : an analysis of the grounds of and concepts expressing fundamental beliefs." Stop giving me some BS line about how your business degree is so much more "practical" than my philosophy degree! I can do anything I want with my degree. You know why BECAUSE I CAN THINK!!! It's a hell of a lot more practical than it gets credit for. It's not my fault you couldn't hack the intro class. I stuck it out for the whole major. It influences the way I think of just about everything. I love studying ...

I suppose I have always had certain assumptions/plans about how my life would go. Elementary school, middle school, high school, college, career... I figured it would be a pretty straightforward/nothing too exciting existence. Surprise, surprise. It hasn't really worked out at all as I had assumed. The great thing about that is that is SO MUCH better than I could have ever imagined. There have, of course, been some less than ideal moments all throughout, but on the whole, life is great!!! I have had the blessing of getting to attend not one but 2 colleges that I have absolutely love! I had the opportunity to spend 4 incredible months abroad in Italy with the best host family anyone could ever ask for. I have a great position at a school I love working in an area that I am passionate about. The best part about all of it is that I didn't expect any of it. All of these great opportunities seemed to come out of nowhere. They weren't in the original plans. They came up a...

In light of recent events in the lives of an individual very close to me, I have spent a great deal of time contemplating the value of the advancement of technology in our lives. Does it really do more harm then good? Does it really simplify our lives? Does it create unnecessary stress? Are we becoming closed off from the world around us? If so, these are serious implications. I don't know that I can safely say I am comfortable with all of the answers I have come to. Here are my reflections thus far... Topic #1: Facebook I will honestly say that in most instances I could be considered a sizable fan of Facebook. I can keep in contact with friends from Texas, Indiana, Cottey, Coe, my study abroad experience in Italy, and even my host mom. I love the ability to connect with people in a different way than just an email or text. In some ways, now that I am out of college, Facebook does not seem to be a great a part of my life as it was in college. My levels of free time has ...

So a week ago tomorrow, my boyfriend and I went to see Slash in concert. I had no idea what I was getting myself into going to this concert. I can't say that I knew too much about Slash before this concert. All I knew was what Eliot what had told me about the guitarist from Guns n' Roses. In getting dressed for the concert, I asked Eliot what to wear. He response was something along the lines, "Just wear what you normally wear." So I did. Not exactly the smartest move I have ever made. I pulled the top clean shirt out of the draw and a nice pair of jeans. What did I wear to a Slash concert? 1 bright pink shirt, jeans, a daisy necklace, and a pair of cute shoes. I realized the error of my ways when we got to the venue. Pretty much everyone else was wearing torn jeans, black t-shirts from bands like Metallica and Guns n' Roses. A lot of people had interesting piercings and tattoos. Initially, I felt really awkward about being there. I thought the openin...

It wasn't the reward that mattered or the recognition you might harvest. It was your depth of commitment, your quality of service, the product of your devotion -- these were the things that counted in life. When you gave purely, the honor in giving, and that was honor enough. --Captain Scott O'Grady

It's hard to believe that it's already time for first year students to move in today. I can't help but reflect on my time in college (which I realize was not that long ago). I remember how nervous I was to start college. It turns out (no matter how cliche it sounds) to be the best years of my life so far. I made awesome friends from all across the country and globe. Many of those friendships will be lifelong relationships. I don't know where I would be today without my Cottey girls and the awesome people working at Cottey. Coe is/was great too. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to study abroad and meet my amazing host family. I can only hope that I can help the students I encounter through this position to have an equally great college experience. Here's to a great year!