Well, it's been a while. So this could get juicy. Perhaps I should separate it into themes?

Theme Song:
Oh my goodness. I cannot express how music continually affects me, but it has made a huge impact on me in the last week. I don't even know how to go through the round-about details of how I found this song, but Shadowfeet, by Brooke Fraser? Phenomenal. It makes me wish that I could write/sing/play like that, but then it also makes me think - there are so many fantastic songs out there that I haven't even heard of! (The Glory of Your Name, and Knees to the Earth by Watermark for starters ... I visited iTunes a little this week, which is funny if you follow the instructions under the 'Thematic Vowels' section.)

Theme Park:
I don't really live that far away from the Church. Well, really, it's probably just a little bit shorter of a walk than it would be for me to walk from my home in Seattle to UPC, I just never do it. But last week the days were too gorgeous. The colors on the trees left me speechless. Just take a look!
Sports Theme:
Well, if you know me, then you know I'm not really a sports fan. But I'll totally pretend and even have a good time if I get a free ticket. So that being said, I did indeed attend a Cougar Football game. I had to leave at half-time so that I could walk home in the daylight, but hey, it was fun while it lasted. I also got to see a Rugby match today as well! And frankly after watching rugby, football is stupid. And wussy. All that padding and time-outs. Whatever.
Theme Night:
OOOH we had a game night! Fantastic! We played "All In the Family" (maybe just called the name game? or the family game?) and "The Game" plus some Trivial Pursuit. It was fabulous. I'm also headed to a theme night tonight in preparation for Halloween, we'll see if there are pic's worth posting ...

Thematic Vowels:
I don't really know what those are ... I just wikipediad (new verb? like googled?) 'theme' for other suggestions, and there it was at the bottom. But the point is, I gave the talk at the INN last week, so perhaps you should listen and see if I used any .... first theinnatwsu.com , and then go to 'talks'. I'd love feedback. I was surprised at how much fun it was to write the talk, and how good it is to practice with Bill and Claire beforehand (as well as telling it to empty rooms a few times) to get rid of my nerves. It was fun! In any case, I think it was encouraging for steps toward seminary. I just need to get moving on those applications ....

Oh Seattle ...

Home is strange. It's familiar, and yet so distant. And visiting home is such a quick and delicious moment. I mean honestly, it's like getting to lick a popsicle and then having to give it away. A nice lime popsicle too. It's weird because it feels like it was a lot longer of a trip than it actually was, but I think that's because I pack in as much as I can in one weekend. So on to the events ... Picture please!

Yup, that's me and Roderick going to see Spamalot. FAN-tastic. It was pretty hilarious, I mean sure they used a lot of the same jokes as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but they are pretty funny jokes. And the songs are hilarious as well. Good time had by all. As for the rest of the weekend, it included movie watching, guitar hero playing, pancake serving and soup making. Plus some coffee grabbing near the end, which is a great example of my ambitious 'I need to see you before I leave' nature - Monday I got up at 6:30 so I could fit in about 4 different catch-ups before leaving for Pullman at 11:30. Pretty ambitious. The only bummer thing was that although I spent my whole Sunday at church, it was all spent in Larson Hall, none of it at a service or visiting The ROCK. Thus, bummer.

And now back to Pullman ... We came back Monday afternoon, which was just kind of weird because it felt like the weekend but wasn't the weekend, and of course ... Hello Tuesday! You have lots of work for me to do? Dang ... Needless to say, there was a lot to do Tuesday, but it all gets done. I'm much more efficient now that I've gotten into the swing of things, and this ministry thing is really pretty much awesome. To be in relationship with students, as friend/mentor, also doing admin type work, and constantly engaging my mind to think of new ways to encourage students or reach out to them and invite them in. Sometimes I feel like I'm not really experiencing ministry because I'm supposed to help with the 'sending out into the world' rather than the 'being in the world' thing. Not like I'm not experiencing ministry, but it's not hanging out with non-christian friends and things. It makes me think of Rob Bell as he operates in ministry, while still being acquainted with the world outside of church. Same idea with intentional communities. I think it is so beautiful to realize that within the work place you can be the presence of Jesus. But I feel more called to be in these relationships, to be in these places, to be engaged in our youth or young adult communities, because they need that encouragement, and to be asked some hard questions!

Speaking of which, I started up a Bible study last week. It's a drop-in deal, but its also an apologetics themed study. So, it kind of builds on itself week after week. Which can be difficult for a drop-in. Well, this is all experimental but here it is - it's important to me that students know how to respond to people that aren't Christian. That we can sound like intelligent people and still be spiritual. You know? And how exactly do you advertise that to students and make it sound worthwhile and attractive? Maybe I should just say it like that. Although now we're two weeks in ... oh, and I suppose you're wondering how it went? Well, one guy came, not really for the study but really because he stayed around after something else. We did however have a pretty good two hours of discussion and study, but still, come on guys, I know this is interesting stuff, most students I've talked to have already agreed. So show up already. And isn't that funny, what is made available to us when we just show up. Such a simple principle that can change your life.

This could be the start of something new ...

Check out those pumpkins. It is indeed October, and apparently in Pullman October means REALLY COLD. Actually, brief aside – does anyone else think they kind of got lazy when they were naming months? Like, Oct meaning 8 which correlates to the 8th month in the Roman calendar, etc. Not too imaginative. Oh well. But fall means beautiful color here as well, and Claire and I went to the Public Market in Moscow this morning. Aren’t the colors on those pumpkins magnificent?

I feel like there isn’t too much news to report – I haven’t watched any more mind stretching movies to put me in a philosophical mood, although I did watch High School Musical again. Hey, come on guys, I know I’ve seen it a lot but sometimes you just need a good pick-me-up! It makes you feel so good! I did finish reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, and thought it was fantastic. Such a perspective I am not able to conceive on my own. I love books. I’m in quite a book reading mindset right now. Wonder if that comes along with autumn.

OH! Cara and I went and visited the Grizzly bears here on WSU’s campus. Yeah, that’s right, they have Grizzly bears. Can you believe that? Part of me is like ‘they shouldn’t have these magnificent creatures fenced in, in Pullman of all places’ and the other part of me is like, ‘DUDE! There are GRIZZLY BEARS HERE!! How stinkin’ awesome is THAT?!?!’ so needless to say I’m a little torn … But here are some pic’s! One got kind of close but my camera is kind of deteriorating in functionality so I just got a butt pic of it walking away. Ever since I threw my camera in the sand on the beach, it just won’t look at me the same. I told it it was an accident, but apparently it won’t self-clean for me. When I use the zoom, you can listen and just hear this horrible grinding that happens because there are for sure still granules lodged inside. Oops.

UMin Sunday is next weekend, so I’ll be heading back to Seattle for that. I just get such a kick out of the fact that home is so close and yet so far away. And it’s always kind of strange to return home, because it feels so familiar and yet so foreign. I guess that’s what life feels like every time you experience change. ‘Home’ is something new, and everything keeps moving without you. I remember coming back from deputation – 2month stint in Ireland – and being frustrated because everything seemed the same after I felt like I changed a ton, and yet everyone had had their whole summer full of experiences that I wasn’t a part of. So strange. This paragraph is starting to feel a little self centered, and I don’t mean it to be, I think it’s probably just a normal characteristic of humans to merely focus on the lives they are living rather than the living that goes on in places they are not. Make sense? Doesn’t really need to, I know what I mean. Oh, and I'm learning to drive a manual.

I'm Not Looking in a Mirror, But I'm Feeling Quite Reflective ...

Well, it’s been awhile. And awhile means there’s plenty of time for thinking. And I don’t mean to get all philosophical or anything, but honestly that’s where my brain is headed. And this leads me to say, you’ve got some good reading to do, and I don’t mean my words. Read on …
1. I just finished the book Searching For God Knows What. I can’t believe it took me so long, because I started it back in the spring, but didn’t get very far due to that whole graduating thing and the busyness stuff. But WHAT a GREAT book. And I mean one of those that gets you riled up sometimes and agreeing sometimes, and sometimes thinking to yourself ‘I have been trying my darndest to put that into words and there it is.’ The ending really did me in. It was so beautiful. And when I finished it, my whole day just seemed beautiful. Do you ever have those days when everything is just beautiful? I read Hosea as well and it made things all that MORE beautiful. One of those days when it’s not about me, its not about what’s going on for my life, but kind of a God nudge saying ‘Hey, do you see what I’ve done in this world? Do you see what I’m doing? I’m so glad you want to be a part of it.’
2. I’ve always been interested in the God vs. Science debate, always wanted to hear the different angles and contest them on my own. But honestly I don’t really have a background that certifies me to know that much. BUT you have GOT to read this article - God vs. Science from Time mag last fall. it is fantastic. Francis Collins knows his stuff, and just reading what he’s said makes me feel smarter. I know I shouldn’t take other people’s words flat and praise them without thinking critically, but honestly I think he is right on. He’s also recently written a book that I’m reading with one of my Core Groups (Bible studies) called The Language of God. I’ll let you know how it goes. So far? 1st chapter = Ace.
3. I just watched the movie Babel. And honestly, I think it wasn’t as good as Crash, but was getting at the heart of the same message. That no matter where you’re from, what you do, or who you are, we all face similar issues, experiences, pains, hopes, etc. And it’s funny because even after finishing the movie and thinking it’s not THAT great, I feel really reflective. Maybe because it’s tying so many different people together it just reminds me of how huge the world is and how many people there are and problems in the world, and how ignorance is one of the worst. Right now I’m reading a book called A Thousand Splendid Suns (okay, so maybe I like reading … a lot …) and it is really good. It sends you into a different culture and a different way of thinking. I love that immersion. I had a dream a few nights ago that I’m pretty sure was influenced by it, in which I am married off, in an arranged marriage. My attitude in the dream was not to scoff, not to protest, not to try and get out of it, but comply with the ceremony and the life that was to be ahead. Really weird, but interesting. Not to say I now understand arranged marriages, but I had this attitude of ‘let’s make the best of it’ which is something I think (here comes the stereotype) as Americans we don’t really try to do. Which is funny, because I think the original American dream was that we can make the best of what we have, no matter how small or insignificant, and make it into something great. And now Americans (my generation?) have an attitude of ‘well I deserve better, I deserve more’ or ‘I’m stuck in a bad spot and woe is me, send your pity, can you believe this happened to me?’ Not an attitude of, ‘alright, we can make this work, we just have to try something else.’ What happened? We started taking the things that are privileges and try to make them into our rights. Weird, don’t you think?

Anyway, sorry this got so long. I should probably have put it all in a journal but here it is. Thank you, World Wide Web. That’s cool too huh, world wide. Oh, and I think I’m beginning to miss some of my own community – not to say these people aren’t ridiculously fun, but those people at home, who already know who I am, and all of our inside jokes. Plus the ability to have conversations about #1,2, and 3 up above. But don’t worry, these people are truly amazing, we’ll get there. And here, I’ll end this thing with another beautiful image of beautiful people …

Oh to be an Arrowsmith ...

My sister has lost her name. Well, not so much lost it as embedded it further into the middle part of her name or something. If anything she just made her whole name longer. Okay, long story short, she got married. My dad labeled it as a compex ceremonial process which occured on the 15th, but I like my version better. I just don't see why we have to give up our awesome last name of Arrowsmith during the marriage process. No offense to Nathan, but Bales? Really, we should have voted on it or something. Oh well.

As for the actual wedding, SO MUCH FUN. Although I didn't use my camera once. But my dad did, and he had front row seating for most of the events, so he got some pretty good shots, don't you think? I don't think I got to have any breakfast that day, thus the hand in the bag of chips, and weddings wouldn't be weddings without your favorite stuffed animal! I really like the dresses, and they are totally useable for events later on. Since everyone else has decided to get married. Did someone put chemicals in the water or something ...

Anyway, I think the best part was getting to see so many wonderful people all gathered together in one place. My favorite relatives that I never get to see! I guess that's the problem when you spread across the country. But it was so wonderful to get to talk to them, especially after I've been in contact with them about my internship this year. That's really been one of the most encouraging things - I sent out my support letter with my graduation announcements, and made the executive decision to not censor sending the letter to only the members/family friends who I believe are somewhat religious. It went to everyone. And it has only blessed me! Everyone is so encouraging, and even excited about the path I have chosen so far, and it feels really unifying. I also entered into this weekend figuring I'd put any thoughts of seminary on hold until after the weekend was over, but was actually fed more information about it through random interactions with people. I've also been able to chat a bit with the female pastor here at Pullman Pres and it has been really encouraging. I found out this summer that I am very much a verbal processor when it comes to thoughts and ideas, and talking with her about my love for ministry and experiences in it has really helped confirm that calling in my life. But I always still feel a little aprehensive to say I've been called into it because I feel like that makes it sound like I'm putting myself up on a pedistal. But really it just means it's something that I'm extremely passionate about, and all parts of my life seem to come together in this greater idea of it. Make sense? Anyway, my musings have gone a little long this post, but needless to say I have had a very good week, and I am very thankful that my sister had a glorious celebration that brought everyone out. Plus I got a brother!! Woohoo! I think this last picture is hilarious too, thanks Daddy.