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

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...