OfF for a fun filled night of Karaoke...

i am wearing my lucky overalls... and i am feeling that tonight it is all about hip hop songs! wink wink...

i freaking love karaoke!

lil' wayne and nikki minaj my two favs at the moment... so much fun to try and pose them!

PEACE!

So i didn't realize how even in the way i take myself to work how individualistic i am. I spout off all the time about how "community be where its at" ... but on closer examination i find that in loads of way my actions do not support community living but individualism.

I go to work 5 days out of the week... and up until this point, i have zoomed there in my not so little car. Its fast, its convenient, and i get to crank my music as loud as I want.

due to a series of misfortune events, my car was inaccessible for a few days and I was forced to take the bus. Public transportation? Seriously!?!?! I'm American... we don't do that.

so i was completely impressed by the community that I have encounter simply on the bus. Every night at 1015 pm I'm standing in Bus Bay B along with some growing familiar faces.

Every morning as i get off work at 6am, I'm running to the express bus stop, to again meet city commuter all united in the simple purpose of traveling together... (does this sound like a practical way of living out that 'journey with people idea'?) As i greet people in the morning and hear little bits of their stories, how they started working in the city, how long they have used the buses, what books they are reading, the non-profit organization they work for... its a little glimpse into their world. It also makes it so much easier when i sit down to pray for Seattle to have specific types of people to pray for... lawyers that work at non-profits, engineers that work for the city, teachers that inspire today's youth, young people attending school...

all in all, its like this bus adventure was God working out a really practical way of me stepping more into my community and being more about that community living I keep yapping about.

plus sense this month i am on such a "lets be socially responsible and take care of the earth kick".. public transport is like uber times better for the environment and way more cost efficient.

Bus adventures for life!

so i've been in grad school now going on my third semester. Every semester we spend more time being educated about the evils of this world, how the system is broken, and how people (especially the extreme poor) are exploded for the wealthy few.

every semester my guilt rises more and more as i realize how every day i feed into this abuse in simple ways like how i choose to spend my money, my time, and my life. I thought i was a pretty social responsible person, but i'm just realizing more and more how far away i stand from being "socially responsible".

Last semester we read a book by a catholic priest, Groody, called "Spirituality, Globalization, and Social Justice". The book was actually amazing. It dug into some really deep problems and disgust some of the ways we can go about resolving these issues. But the author concluded this book on social justice by reminding us that the only way we are going to be able to change the world is if we start by changing ourselves. A transformation of the heart. He talked about eight different disciples, that totally reminded me of Richard Fosters Celebration of Discipline.

All eight disciples really hit home for me... but one of them i was so confused by... Solidarity. I had to look up the definition in the dictionary.

"A union of interests, purposes, or sympathies among members of a group; fellowship of responsibilities and interests" (www.thefreedictionary.com).

i have been so confused by how i can do this... how do i have solidarity with the poor!?!?

then we had the owner of a coffee company come speak to our "social entrepreneur" class... he was so challenging about how we need to value life and add value to things. He also really challenged my choices as a consumer.

Sense i have just moved to a new part of the city and really consider this a new phase in life... i thought maybe it was time i stop making all the excuses for why i can't actually stand up and be socially responsible.

I know there are loads of ways that i am socially irresponsible, but for the next month i decided that i am only going to shop for food in a way that is completely socially responsible. I did a little research and found a co-op near me.... This Co-Op makes it a point to only sell products that treat people respectfully, pay fair amounts for products, and are environmentally friendly.

I went yesterday for my first shopping experience. I actually had a physical battle of emotions in the bread section... the cheapest loaf was $4 dollars... that 4x what i normally spend... as i buzzed my way through this "socially responsible market" i kept asking God "is this really worth it?"... i seriously had my doubts.

as i trucked myself home with my little (emphasis on the little) bag of expensive groceries... i just kept asking God... "is this what its all about!?!"

God wasn't saying a lot... but then all of the sudden the loudest voice rang out "you want to learn about solidarity Tina... for such a time as this... for such a time as this..."

i just laugh internally.

I am not sure i completely appreciated what i have gotten myself into, but for the first time as i stocked my selves with my purchases i felt like i added something to the world instead of just taking, for the first time food was a valued commodity that i was determined not to waste, for the first time i experienced a little bit of Solidarity...

Yeh!!! I love Cinco De Mayo! the parties, the margaritas, the NACHOS!!!!

all in all going out for mexican food was amazing... it was a bit chilly as you can see... i was personally all wrapped up in a blanket... but the guac and salsa was amazing... and the food here was amazingly cheap!

so even tho my feet went numb by the end of dinner.. ... TOTALLY WORTH IT!


plus i got to hang out with tiffo... who pretty much is amazing! Thanx Tiff Tiff for putting this togethz!

p.s. i had to go straight to work after this, so i didn't get to celebrate with a margaritas... so i'm thinking this weekend should totally be a redo! it's only fair... you can't celebrate a mexican holiday and leave out the margaritas!!!!

I find good-byes hard... always. it doesn't matter if i know its time to say good bye... or if the time has well passed... even if i am excited for the next step... the thought of all the good memories... the ways i have connected in this place... the incredible way that God has provided... the intimacy God and I worked on in this place...

good- byes are hard....

ALWAYS!




My new address:

1628 Bellevue Ave
Apt B7
Seattle, Wa
98122
USA

Please God I pray for inspiration for my thesis... i don't want to write a paper... i want to do something practical... yet it has to add academically to the world.... a paper would just sit on my hard drive after i spend the next year and a half writing it... i want to use my thesis...

but what can i do?

prayer, community, hostels, pilgrimage, labyrinths, saints, europe, youth, home, gardens, social justice, hospitality, discipleship, tourism, going green, photography, the bible.....

HOW DO YOU ALL FIT TOGETHER!!!?!?!?!?!?!