Excuse Me Mr. Mayor, can we make the trains quieter?

Today I had the privilige of being a part of the group that got to converse with Riverside Mayor Loveridge.

I honestly had no idea what to expect... but i didn't expect a few of the questions that were asked. For example... where is the nearest location to recycle our cans? (It is at Stater Brother's down the street btw)

(This is in no offense to the people asking the questions... they were only representing the students)

But it did give me a few thoughts and observations about both our students and about the city of Riverside...

1. The majority of college students (and perhaps Americans in general) are looking for ways to consume rather than give back. Could this be why it is so counter-culture when we want to be involved in service? Why it is hard to reconfigure our schedules to fit in time where we intentionally engage the community along with balance our classes?
2. Mayor Loveridge pointed out that on average leadership will recieve 1500 persuasive messages a day. 1500.
3. How then, do we not only sort through these (as from their perspective) but be able to be one of those that rises to the top?
4. The Mayor also pointed out that he is impressed by people who do things out of the ordinary. Not that we are seeking to impress people, but to "make our mark" no matter what it is for... we must do things out of the ordinary... which makes sense because since when were followers of Christ supposed to fit into the mold of "ordinary"...
5. Statistic: 80% of high school dropouts go to prison.
6. Statistic: The majority of those were influenced most in elementary and middle school.
7. That is the biggest area where the Mayor said we need volunteers and investment... specifically he mentioned Liberty Elementary School.

What would it take for the majority students to not only WANT to be involved, but to be active in investing in our hurting community?

Diagnosis: Sick and Sorry

I have a new appreciation for duct tape:

For some reason unbeknownst to myself...

a diagnosis is comforting even when results are slow in the coming...

Lastly a Russian Literature laugh for the night...

The shadow of earth and sounds of tyrone

Last night was occupied with perspectives homework... so today I reflect on yesterday... and today...
I am going to have to shorten my blogging style if I am ever to succeed at this.

The Story

• To begin, I am not sure it was coincedence that at the exact time the lunar eclipse was to be seen, clouds blocked our CBU view, making the only possible view available from 15 miles south in Corona.
• Naturally, being the naturalist that I am, Aubrey and I hopped in my gasoline chugging saturn and headed to the 15. After arriving at the Magnolia exit we realized... we were 5 minutes away from her Oma's apartment. Our choice was difficult. Waste gas staying warm watching the moon on an offramp, or drink tea with her Oma from a balcony with a better view.
• It was an adventure for the night - in that it was very not expected.
• It is a great feeling - realizing that a simple action really resonated in the heart and lifted the spirits of one you spent time with.

The Lesson

• A lunar eclipse is knowledge that should be retained from high school. In the case of a sudden loss of memory, make sure a cell phone is nearby, with an expert in astronomy on the other line. In this case, Tyler Green.
• Definition: When the earth's shadow (which it always has, but can not always be seen) covers part of the moon. When it turns colors it is because it is reacting to different states of the earth's atmosphere which it has neared.
• For Future Reference: It happens pretty much every year.
• It is another reminder of how very small we are. And how no matter what is going on in this place we call our world... There is still peace... and control... in the Lord who created it all.

The Aftermath

• Tyrone Wells: Amazing. A great introspective musical denoument of the night :)
  

In the near future I will be blogging on the modern mission movement... when I understand it, along with the emerging church. Today my mind has been too preoccupied to really process everything ... but that is why I have a blog! Strangely this seems like it could be a strange form of word vomit, but at least the readers are choosing to continue.

Rather than attempt to find answers, here are questions I am posing for today:

If we are in between the modern and postmodern period, how are we to foster an enviroment for church that meets the needs of both generations?

Can a church exist that meets the needs of both? When is a church plant, or "organic split" neccesary?

What does community look like in a large church setting?

How many current Southern California Churches are open to the movement of the Holy Spirit?

Why can the sole sound of rushing water be soothing... and the sound of silence, deafening?

How can California have three of the largest ports for sex trafficking in the United States... ?

How is it that in a class at Christian University I can still see large effects of the "American Dream" on what we are taught to pursue...? This is not a critique of the University, but a question of how much we have let culture affect us, and how we have affected the culture.

On a more personal note...

How on earth can I use my life to be a part of the Story of the Glory of the Father... love those who have gone ignored and unloved... fight for justice... learn to write, to do graphic design, videography... strive to be in constant conversation with the Lord... and accept grace while passionately pursuing change...

And the last question for tonight... (and least profound, but most paranoid)

What exactly are symptoms of bronchitis?