thus is life.

I went out into the great city of Seattle, WA yesterday with a few friends of mine. It was Tuesday. That makes it experience new things in Seattle day. We went to Volunteer Park in Capitol Hill. Let me tell you about it.

First of all we got there and soon found out that there was a green house open to the public there. We went inside. It was full of plants. Tropical plants, desert plants, flowers. bromiliads, the works. It was AMAZING. I got poked by several cacti and in general experienced a large variety of awesome things that God has made. He made some amazing things.

Next we went over to look in the Asian Art Museum. They wanted money. We weren’t into that. So, we didn’t see the Asian Art. If it’s so great they should make it free…or next time I should remember to bring money. Whatever.

After the Asian Art museum we went to this awesome water tower that is now a free lookout. It was hailed on the internet as “the best free view in Seattle”. It was pretty awesome. Full 360 view of the surrounding city. On a scale of 1 to wicked-awesome…it was about a 8.5. The trip was then celebrated with a pint…of Ben and Jerrys Dublin Mudslide Icecream…So good.

Okay. Just a second. I’m listening to U2 right now. U2 is a great band. Think that over. Maybe you should listen to them soon…

A few weeks ago I was at my brother’s wedding and I realized something. I like having little kids in church and at weddings and funerals. They always do a good job of helping us to take ourselves less seriously. It bothers me in church when ladies look all grumpy at little kids. They’re 3. They don’t get the message. It’s okay. I’m not saying that crying babies should stay places while they cry. But I don’t think that people looking at them should get fiesty. Jesus loves the babies too. I’m sure He doesn’t appreciate your angry glances at babies who are still learning to be people (just like you).

So, in class I talk. It’s what I do. But also in so doing I often make a fool out of myself for mainly one reason: I think while I talk. So I raise my hand and start asking a question, but by the time I get to the end of my question I either already know the answer or logically talked myself in a circle so that I find my question being really stupid. Sigh. I need to talk in class, but I’d also love to know what I’m going to say before I say it. Sadly, I don’t do that. I’m okay with it though. I think that sometimes in life you’re just left with yourself, no matter how much you want who you are to be different. I guess that’s where Jesus comes in and loves you anyway. What are you going to do about it?

Along those lines I wonder sometimes what it means to be a follower of Christ in the context of job-land. In sociology there’s this phrase called “master status” this means that there is one status that a person holds that superceeds all the others. I think that for Christians our relationship with God is a master status. That makes our relationship with God the most important thing. I think this implies that we have to be okay with being less than perfect at everything else because at some point Christ may call you to do something that doesn’t make you the best Real Estate Agent or musician or plumber or something else. Then you’re going to be not a great whatever, but you might be a great follower of Jesus. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says this: “This is what the LORD says:
       “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
       or the strong man boast of his strength
       or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this:
       that he understands and knows me,
       that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
       justice and righteousness on earth,
       for in these I delight,”
       declares the LORD.”

I think that’s something all of us can do well to remember. What do I boast in? What do you boast in?