Here's a little download of events, thoughts, and general brain vomit:
- One of the things I'm most excited about lately is a group I've been serving with for about 4 months now, called Food for Thought. The group has actually been around for around 7 months, and it's exploding at the seams. The short version is that a group of 10 people with a shared vision of taking sack lunches downtown to the library and giving them away (the first Saturday they took 50 lunches, and it took them 2.5 hours to get rid of most of them) has grown into also providing hygiene products, coffee/hot choc/soup, warm clothing, blankets, refurbished bikes, and the occasional bus ticket or referral to a service for the next step out of living on the streets. It now only takes about 45 minutes to give away 250 lunches, made and distributed by over 30 (often more) volunteers. The best part of it all are the relationships that form; as this week's newsletter stated, "The people we serve can get a meal at several other places. They come to us for the care and the dignity we give them."
- I'm learning that it's hard to make room in your life for real relationships. One of the things that hurts me is so often being on the fringe of others' lives. I'm a high priority with very few people. This is not to say that I want to be high maintenance - I just want to feel embraced. I want to feel wanted. (Don't we all?) I really only know a couple people that do a great job of making me feel welcome. (Thank you!) Yet, this line of thinking brings me about to two things: 1) do I worry so much about coming off as needy/clingy and try to act so self-sufficient that I repell those who would otherwise be more inclusive; and 2) how well do I embrace other people? Am I opening myself up enough so others can warm up to me and feel cared for by me? I'm afraid I'm not a terribly friendly person. :(
- Judging by my spam folder in my work email, I must enjoy sending myself offers for unbelievably discounted viagra and cialis. (We're talking up to 76% off here!) Wish I was as prolific at sending myself offers for unbelievably discounted clothes. I could use some...
- I have friends who, even though I should be used to it by now, continually amaze me. Pastor Steve and Tricia are buying a house in Vancouver, WA (just on the other side of the Columbia River from Portland, OR), the same town in which our friends Laura and Tim live. They're also going through the process to become adoptive parents to a special needs child. They have a great blog going here, and let me extend the invitation to you to pray for them and their future kid(s). I love these folks, even if they are exhausting. :)
- So I don't think I placed at all in that poetry contest, since I haven't heard anything from them. Thanks to anyone reading this that voted for me. It was nice to make it into the finalists. I have notes I took in the summer on a poem which I think is worth writing someday soon.
- These posts are always full of I, I, I... It would be nice not to be so self-centered. :P
That's it. I'm tired and it's past time to hit the sack. Smell ya later.
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