Underrated

Simplicity is so underrated in our culture. Most attempts to make our lives easier, only make them more complicated. Why don't we seek out a simple life? Why do we strive to get more and more, better and better, and sometimes just newer and newer. Keeping up with the Jones is the push and it takes it's toll.
What do we lose? I think we lose direction. We miss the opportunity to live lives of signficance - lives of substance that can impact and benefit others. We lose joy that comes from being content with having our needs met. Suddenly our 'needs' grow and the line with 'wants' becomes blurred. 'Want' becomes equated with 'need.' Not surprisingly the list of things we need to attain that next level of 'happiness' never seems to end or even plateau. Credit cards come to be; credit cards get maxed out. The new things we acquire that excite us momentarily and/or make us feel good about ourselves rapidly become the old things that bore us and weigh us down.
I wish I were above all this Jones business, but I'm not. I'm in the thick of it. I guess I'm at least concerned about it, thinking, and praying what to do about it. What does that look like for me? If my education culminates in where it's supposed to, I'll soon be in a very different income bracket. This excites and disturbs me.
Money begets power. Not that I'm going to be a millionaire or anything near it, but that doesn't make me exempt. This new earning potential will allow me many new opportunities. It's up to me what I do with it. So this excites me, because it increases my giving potential. I can no longer claim 'poor student - have pity on me' status. All the good causes and charities that I've wanted to support, but haven't been able to will have another able donor.
On the other hand, I've been told that when people experience income boosts they don't end up with bonus money. Instead their standard of living increased proportionately with the additional revenue. So I'm scared that I'm too weak to swim upstream, to go against the grain, and to successfully fight the consumeristic, materialistic culture I live in that screams at me that the only way to happiness is to have this latest, newest, best item. This item, more likely items, will make me happier, sexier, more relaxed, and more fulfilled. Maybe I will even live longer!
From what I've seen in my few 27 years is that the happiest people I know aren't the people with the most, or the best, or the most expensive, or the newest, but rather those that are content - content with what they have, content with who they are. Instead of hoarding things, these odd folks look for opportunities to give things away. Somehow it doesn't seem like a struggle either. They seem to view their things not as their own. They don't identify with their possessions, that is, the possessions don't define them. Possessions, in their minds, are merely to be used and whoever can get the best use out of them should have them.
God is good. God provides. He makes the lilies of the field look beautiful and meets the need of the sparrow. How much less does He care for me?
I want to hold things loosely. Won't you join me in this crusade to be a rebel? To be someone who puts people above things. I've heard it said: People are meant to be loved and things used, not the other way around. But our society is so backwards that the latter occurs more prevelantly than the former. Sigh... Let's band together! We can effect change!
I'll leave you with some burning words from James about what God thinks of a culture and attitude like we have...
"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. You gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter." --James 5:1-5
This passage brings up the issue not simply of hoarding things, but that we can hoard money in an attempt to give us security in an uncertain world. However, no amount of money will give us the security we seek, only God can give us that security. God didn't give us money to store it up and see how much wealth we can accumulate, but instead He wants us to use it for His glory, His purposes, to benefit others. God, help us!!!

Making it happen

Do you ever have tension in your life? A little internal conflict or struggle perhaps? I do. Right now there's probably a lot of it in my life, but who said that life is simple or makes sense? The questions could just keep coming and coming...

I suppose tension is a natural and maybe even healthy part of life that reminds us that we need to find balance, avoiding the extremes.

So that's all vague enough. One specific area that's on my mind frequently, if not constantly, is this tension I feel between the call of the wild, the mountain, the great outdoors, and adventure of God's beautiful creation contrasted with my desire to have close, meaningful relationships with friends and family. I'm nearing that crossroads where I decide to move away or decide to stay (I guess go back since I'm currently in CO). And I'm feeling it. Really feeling it. I wonder if there's a right decision. Does God really care? Doesn't he care about us learning to love Him more? Does it really matter where I do that from, or where I work? Does he really care if I work in a hospital, a clinic, people's homes, a gym, a school? Does he care if I'm in Washington or WI or CO or Idaho or Canada or in an inner city somewhere? Can't I represent Him anywhere?

So being away has me lonely. It's not a constant feeling, but it's certainly far more present than when I'm in WI. I guess I have a lot more free time here. The freedom to do what I want, sort of. I can do what I want, but most of the time I'll have to do it alone. I can't be with people anytime I want, which I can often do in Madison.

I've had to fight that inertia of once I get home from work, just sitting around, eating, turning on the TV (darn cable TV!), and incessantly checking email (darn wireless internet at home). Just sitting around gets me feeling down pretty fast, especially watching TV. Other people don't seem to share that drain from the Tube, but I do. So I'm trying to get out and do things and make those first awkward attempts to get connected, to get plugged in, to make a difference in my life and the lives of others. So I've been doing some form of exercise each day. I called Habitat for Humanity to see if I can volunteer there a time or two before I leave. I went (ALONE) to the "Door" which was an amazing young adult service at Canyonview Vineyard Church here in Grand Junction...and I was blessed for going. God's speaking to me. I guess God requires us to do a little in order for Him to move. The faith of a mustard seed. Faith is evident by action, so I'm trying to step out and get outside of myself somewhat.

So apart from going to the Door tonight, I also drove up to the Grand Mesa, the flat top mountain here, to see if I could find some snow. I heard rumors that it was snowshoe-able. Is that a word. Sure enough it was. It was a further step to trying to get out of the funk I've been in. It was beautiful, pristine, quiet, so quiet. God and I had a good chat. Of course, I wanted to share some photos with you.

Above: Blue, dry skies giving way to clouds half way through my trouncing.

Below: A solitary "flower" in the snow

Above: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. It started snowing and blowing pretty good as I headed back. My green fleece was not so green anymore. I can't believe that I got to play in all this snow in October and then drive back down to non-snow life in Grand J. Pretty sweet.

Exploring the Neighboring Monument

So I haven't gotten out much yet, but I have made it 2x to Colorado National Monument which borders Grand Junction on the south. I took a drive midway through this week near sunset.

Below: The view north at sunset from the Monument overlooking Grand J towards the Bookcliff Mtns. The cliffs turn red each night from the setting sun.

Yesterday I went to the Monument again. This time hiking with my 2 classmates who are also here - Bekah and Becky.

Hopefully I will get off my duff in the next few minutes and head out mtn biking for the first time here. And almost 1st time all year!

Headed West

So I left wonderful Madison, WI, again. Well, I guess I haven't lived in Madison for 5 months, but I lived there every other weekend the last 2 months. Where else could I take in the amazing talents as the individual picture below. He was awesome. I don't know if he's a staple on State St now, but this Brit was a fantastic 1 man band playing Dylan and the Beatles. And I've got video to prove it.

So I headed West solo loaded down in the Supersube. I overnighted in KC and got to stay with my cousin, Jeremiah and his family and visit with other cousins and my aunt and uncle. Very nice! Then I crossed the line. I'm in CO! I overnighted 2 nights with my good 'ol friend Anne in Denver, did some hiking, and experienced some city night life. I love the live music and the price was right $6!

Ever driven across Kansas? Well...don't. One word...BORING! It looks something like below, although eastern CO looks remarkably similar.

My parting shot for this entry will be the view through my windshield as I made the descent down the Western slope of the Rockies to Grand J. It's pretty pretty in it's deserty, canyony kind of way!