Celebrate Diversity

So I realize fully that I am in school, but no one, including my parents, and even some friends who see me every day really knows what I'm getting my degree in. Oh, they've asked many times. I explain with large words... small words, try to paint pictures, use modeling clay, it's of no use. So I think my parents believe I'm going to be a counselor. That's ok. I'll just let them believe that. Maybe I'll send them to counseling when they figure out the truth.

My major is housed in the College of Human Sciences. Recently we (I being included since I am a part of the college, though the dean did not call for my opinion on this particular matter) decided that we (refer to earlier statement) should form a "diversity committee". I really supported this idea. If I were going to be here another year, I probably would have been on it. I love it. Yeah diversity. I sallute thee. So, to go along with our committee we decide to make a video. In the video people from the college come and say different statements. My statement was something to the effect of "To be a truly educated person, I believe that I must listen and understand other people's perspectives". Yes! I really do believe this. I started thinking about travelling and talking to people from so many different parts of the world and trying to understand the way that our differences bond us. I even blogged about it when I was in Italy. I love different perspectives. Really I do.

Then, as we were talking about it, one of the professors said, Oh, I picked up some bumper stickers for us. They had a rainbow in the back and said "Celebrate Diversity" and all of a sudden, I was taken aback. In all my celebrating, I didn't see the slippery slope that I was stumbling down. Please don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Celebrating, against Diversity, or against rainbows, but all of a sudden I was slapped in the face with the idea that tolerence has been matched with truth and they are pitted against each other as mutually exclusive ideas.

If I am not accepting of "alternate lifestyles"- a man and a woman living together unmarried- then I no longer know how to celebrate? Am I now lamenting? I was thinking about this on a walk home the other day, and I started to think about Jesus and the woman at the well. What if Jesus had said to her, "I know that the man you are not living with is not your husband, but you know what, Child, that's ok. Whatever makes you happy." NO! He said, "Go, and sin no more!" Jesus never made the gospel easy. He told the truth, indicating that what she was doing was not right to him. I don't think that I'm called to be Jesus and tell people to go and sin no more, but I also don't know that I'm allowed to misrepresent the gospel by saying that there is no truth.

So tonight. It's late, but I do celebrate diversity. I celebrate that in Italy they eat meals that last four hours. I celebrate that people in the northeast say "wicked". Tonight I celebrate that love crosses races, income lines, cultural lines, and continents. I celebrate that Giraffes are crazy looking and that the United States, as powerful as we think we are, are but a drop in a bucket among the nations to God. I celebrate that we are a kilidepscope of different colors, tongues, talents and hairstyles all across this globe, and I celebrate the the creator knows, sees, and desires the hearts of us all. I believe in truth. And tonight, I celebrate diversity.

Thesis monster

I want to say, first off, that it's 12:30 at night and I'm sitting in the computer lab pretending to work on my thesis. Ok, now that I have that off my chest... we will proceed.

I have not posted in a while, and I am sure that all of you local supporters have been enraged. Fortunately you are few, and I think in a dark alley if you decide to attack, I can handle you.

I have expereinced so much in the past MONTH that I have not posted. I went to Memphis and painted a house with 13 other kids (yes, I think I'm still a kid, too, though I think I was supposed to be the adult this time). I worked on my thesis, entered some data, went to a wedding of some pretty stinkin amazing people, and came home to... my thesis. Do we see a theme of what has been lurking in the dark shadows everywhere I turn when I have a free moment? Thesis monster is there... waiting to attack... or at least his sidekick... you're-not-working-on-thesis-guilt monster. It's a scary place to live... here in my skin, but I mean, someone has to do it, and I am willing to be the one. Better me than you, right?

YUM

Today I woke up and I was pretty hungry from the night before, so I stumbled downstairs and ate some Oreos. Quick, easy, and light, right? Then I decided to face the day with a short seven mile run. As I was running, it was crazy, I kept thinking about food. I had big plans for lunch, though,baby. A big bowl of pasta, or maybe even Niffers.

But somehow I got so busy, I didn't have time. There was the most interesting thing on TV! I grabbed a diet coke on my way out the door, thinking that my afternoon would be light and I would get a break later. By this time I was definately loosing steam. My stomach was talking, and my legs weren't really moving very fast... and i wasn't in the best of moods, but I really thought that my day was almost over. Then a friend came over, and wanted to go walk for a couple of miles. I couldn't really say no, so I went.

By this time I was famished, but i was so tired. My day was over, so I just wanted to go to sleep. I layed down, but as soon as I was about to go to sleep the weirdest thing happened. This guy comes and wants to fight. I was like, dude, I'm tired, and I'm just not ready for this right now. But I think he knows that... so he practically pushes me out of bed. And so we fight.

My very bones are aching for food.

Am I still silent?

Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

What are you eating?