the big read

I just read this list on Dave & Beth Bryan’s website and thought I’d try it out myself. The Big Read was a 2003 survey carried out by the BBC, with the goal of finding the “Nation’s Best-loved Book” by way of a viewer vote via the Web, SMS, and telephone.The Big Read figures that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books. How do you stack up? (I’ve read 37, which is only about a third of the books there.) Let me know what you think about any of these books and whether you think they are worth reading or not (by adding your comments).

How to Play:
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE, or in my case I put a star by them (as I can't figure out how to underline here.)
4) Reprint this list in your own blog so we can try and track down these people who’ve read 6 and force books upon them

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien*
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible*
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Phillip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien*
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens*
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett*
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery*
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo*

I think I have my mom and high school teachers to thank for most of the books I read because most of them were read while I was in high school, some in college, and many of the italicized books I own or have owned but have yet to get around to reading. As Dave wrote on his blog, I also think there are some books that are missing from the list.

Here's Dave's list:
Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
The Discovery of Heaven, Harry Mulisch
Beloved, Toni Morrison
A Farewell to Arms or something by Ernest Hemingway
The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Doestoevsky
The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner

I would definitely agree. And would say that The Brothers Karamazov and something by Hemingway are definitely good reads.

Pnin - Vladimir Nabokov
The Last Catan - Matilde Asensi (The spelling might be off because I have it in Spanish.)
A Long Way Gone - Ismael Beah
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
Kaffir Boy - Mark Mathabane
Don Quixote - Miguel Cervantes
The Ugly American - Eugene Burdick & William Lederer

My SOULarium

I am procrastinating going to bed. Somehow thinking about taking another driving class doesn't sound super appealing and in my illogical subconsciousness I think that if I stay awake then I can put it off. I know it makes no sense. It's kind of like when I realize that I begin to think that if I don't look at someone then they can't see me or won't notice me. It was proven untrue when I was little, so why do I keep on acting as if it might work?

But despite the fact that I should be sleeping right now, I thought of one more thing to blog. My Soularium. It's a webpage that shows both the surveys we're doing on campus and the pictures which we're hoping to blow up to a meter high. Anyway, if you go to http://mysoularium.com/ you can look at the pictures and even see some of what students in Madrid have been saying. (Hopefully in the next few weeks we'll enter some more of the surveys we've done, as we have done many more than the 29 recorded.) If you go to the "Advanced Filter Viewing Options" and then enter in Universidad Complutense de Madrid then you can see the most common photos students picked for each question and you can also see what students picked a certain photo for, the things they said about it, etc.,

I'll write more about all of this, but when I am not procrastinating sleep (which I actually desperately need). And the sound of my neighbor snoring is (yes, I can hear it through the ceiling or window or something) reminding me of the joy of being fast asleep.

Faith is...

I have been realizing this week in particular that I have been lacking in faith as of late. I have been loosing sight of the One who I have placed my faith in - that He is POWERFUL and MIGHTY, that He is able to do the IMPOSSIBLE, that He is able to MOVE mountains, to CREATE out of nothing, to DO exactly what I fear most. He is the AUTHOR, the PERFECTER, the BEGINNING and the END. He is GOD and MAN. HE is Lord of lords, King of kings.

Instead of fixing my eyes on HIS ability, I have been focused on my inability to sway the hand of man, my inability to know what will happen, to do things perfectly so that people will listen, have interest, come,... you name it. I have begun to replay all the things that have gone badly this past year, even if they are minute details and not the big things nor the million other details that went well. I have forgotten all that the Lord HAS done and how again and again he has reminded of his presence with me and his infinite, intimate, passionate love for me and for the world. These details are what remind me that it makes complete sense to believe the IMPOSSIBLE to BE POSSIBLE and for God to intercede on my behalf and on behalf of the thousands of students and people in this town, on campus, and in this country, this country that I have grown to love and for which my heart often aches immensely.

Forgive me, Lord, for my unbelief. Help me to see things through YOUR eyes, help me to see things through eyes of faith. Help me to be certain of things unseen and to be sure of that which I hope for, certain and sure NOT because I am able nor because I wish for something hard enough BUT because my faith is placed in a MIGHTY and GRACIOUS and LOVING God who came to earth, dwelt among us, lived, died, and rose again, all this so that we could be FREE and that God would be glorified. Praise you, Lord! Amen.

We Want YOU - to VOTE!!!

Just some of the posters featured at: http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/selected-posters-2008

My Cousin is Running for... School Board

I just read an e-mail from my cousin's husband to say that Michele is running for school board in Gretna, Nebraska. They just recently moved there from North Carolina. Anyway, I'm excited for her, even if she is presently just a "write-in" candidate. Ánimo, Michele!

One more thing... about driving classes

Okay... one more thing... after complaining a bit, my roommate reminded me that when I was 16 and my dad took me driving that I also came back frustrated many times. So, it is normal that the same would be true now. The only difference is that I am now correcting all my imperfections, instead of really learning from nothing.

My list of things to change or improve:

(1) Only using the brake when stopping until the absolutely last moment, when I put in the clutch.

(2) Always downshifting through ALL the gears, not skipping any no matter what.

(3) Using the mirrors and (while I'll probably still turn my head to check for sure) making sure I use the mirrors more. (I remember learning to turn my head, but here they like you to just use the mirror, which I think is virtually impossible and a bit unreliable.)

(4) Honking my horn more if there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk and I have a green light. Doing that instead of breaking (even though by nature and habit I am more concerned about hitting him than breaking), an instinct I have to change.

(5) Paying more attention to the yield signs and the fact that I may have the right of way for awhile and then the next street may look exactly the same, but there is a little yield sign along the side of the road. (In part why I need to learn the area where they give the driving tests better.) And also just being more conscious of the million signs and things going on around me. Multitasking while driving after three years of not driving is no longer my forte.

(6) Relaxing even when I am told every tiny little detail I do wrong. Learning to hear my "Good job!" even though no one else is going to say it.

Ahh, the joys of learning to drive a second time. AND being tested on it.

Okay, things I do well. One more list, just humor me:

(1) Parallel parking. No problem. (I probably have to work on left side parallel parking, for the many one way streets. Just in case.)

(2) Driving in general & driving a manual car. Again, no problem (despite spanish urban myth about americans).

(3) Driving in the city. Again, I actually like it, most of the time.

(4) Spanish. Not a problem.

(5) I'm sure there are more things I do well. And, God-willing, it won't take me too long to change the little bad habits that I have.

learning how to drive, again

I just got back from my first driving class. It is nice to actually be driving a car, but as of right now I'm not the hugest fan of driving classes. Apparently, or so says my instructor, that they will take off points if you put the clutch in too early or don't change gears the way they want. (For example, when you stop you have to go through all the lower gears, not just shift from 5th to 3rd to 1st or whatever.) I've been driving for, what, 16 years and so changing my habits is a little hard. The entire time I was driving he kept saying, "Why are you putting in the clutch there? You need to wait." And by the end I began to change a bit, but if I do things by reflex, I do it the way I do it. Yet, according to him, I HAVE to change or they'll take off a point each time I do it a bit wrong. Uffff!!!

The good thing is that next time we are in fact going to where they give you the exam, in Móstoles. And, at least I am changing little by little.

The other reason I am not a bit stressed out by the whole thing is that after parallel parking (or parking en linea), I pulled out and didn't have as much room as he would have liked (after him having said that I didn't need to back up to get out), so he put on the brake on his said and told me I had just hit the car to my front right. I hadn't and in fact had about a foot of room between us, which while not a ton, was plenty. Granted I could easily have left more room, but him having just said that I didn't need to back up after I did a bit, made me a bit anxious and so I left less room than I normally would have. Then he blamed me.

Obviously, I'm just letting off a bit of steam. In reality it went fine. I got used to the clutch on this car, realized there is a huge blind spot right by me and that to reach the clutch I practically have to be on top of the steering wheel (which is not the most comfortable). And I also realized that I tend to adjust the mirrors while en route, which means I get them almost right before we take off and then just have to live with how they are.

I guess at least I've begun this second half of the process... I'm sure I'll have more to say before it's all over. As for now, I'm off to the university.

A book survey

I just saw this on a friend's blog and so here you go...

1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?

I think I've always loved to read. It probably came from my dad reading to me when I was little. It's interesting because I think everyone in my family has a stack of books by their bed or favorite chair that they are reading, a stack, not one or two. My sister may be the exception but I almost doubt it. So, it is probably genetic.

2. What are some books you read as a child?

I remember my dad reading to me the Chronicles of Narnia and the Hobbit. I remember Freckle Juice, Judy Blume books, a host of golden books, the Babysitter's Club, Wuthering Heights, and many others.


3. What is your favorite genre?

This is why I tend to have a pile of books. I like learning about other cultures, preferably in narrative form, I like some fiction, books that help me to live out my faith, and then some novels.

4. Do you have a favorite novel?

Not really. I don't really have a favorite novel. My favorite books are nonfiction books on spiritual things and actually even there I have a hard time picking just one. I think I am somewhat the same with books as with movies in that I would tend to rather something new than something I'd already read or seen. The exception is the Bible (which may sound super-spiritual, but is actually just the truth), which I am continually seeing and learning new things from. I don't really ever get tired of it. If I had to pick a favorite novel, though, or present favorite novel I'd pick either the Hobbit, one of the Lord of the Rings books, the Kite Runner, or A Thousand Splendid Suns.

5. Where do you usually read?

On the Metro or bus or train, in transit, or in my bed or on the couch. I wish I had a hammock because I most love to read sitting or lying in a hammock on a porch (like I did when I lived in Lawrence, KS).

6. When do you usually read?

While in transit (bus, metro, train), at night before I go to bed, on the weekend, on vacation...

7. Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?

Yes, almost always, although I am trying to actually finish more books than I start. It doesn't help that I try to always be reading a Spanish book, so that adds at least one more book if I'm reading something in English.

8. Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?

Some nonfiction is for research, so I just read the pertinent parts although it usually makes me want to read more. Nonfiction that I just read I often read more slowly so I can take it all in and ponder as I go. I tend to read fiction or something related to prayer or God before I go to bed, more recently the latter two.

As for where, it just depends. If it's something that I really have to think on or that I don't want to be interrupted in, then I keep that to reading at home when I have a bit of time. If not, if it's either very readable or a light read, then it's easier to take on public transportation and to read as I go in short chunks.

9. Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?

I tend to borrow or buy books (or receive them as gifts). I love buying used if possible and wish I checked more out of the library, but hate having a due date and fearing that I may forget when it has to be back by. If I went on a regular basis that wouldn't be a problem, but I presently don't (my excuse is lack of time).

10. Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them?

Yes, unless there is someone good to pass them onto or I didn't like it or I no longer have room for them (and thus have to weed out). In the latter two cases I try to sell (or give them) to a used bookstore closeby.

11. If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Nope, not yet, no kids.

12. What are you reading now?

Non-fiction: Praying Backwards, Don't Waste Your Life (in Spanish), Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Calvin's Institutes, and Simply Christian.

Bible: Psalms, Proverbs, Sermon on the Mount, 1 Peter, Isaiah.

13. Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?

Kind of... I always seem to have way too many on the list. Some depends too on the books people have to lend me, which sometimes trump others due to wanting to get it back to them sooner than later. Also, some depends on my mood or what I need at the time.

14. What’s next?

First I need to finish the one's I've begun.

15. What books would you like to reread?

Richard Foster's Celebration of the Disciplines, the Lord of the Rings books, some of the classics, Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov.

16. Who are your favorite authors?

Hmm... I'm not sure right now. The ones I would have said before still are authors I like, but it's been awhile since I've read anything of theirs. Right now I'm really liking D. Martin Lloyd-Jones and John Calvin.

Movies...

We are in the process of planning several events for this semester. One is a cine forum, where we will watch a film and then talk about some of the themes from the film. The various themes are beauty, relationships, freedom, spirituality, and I think I'm missing one. If you have any suggestions on films for beauty, freedom, or spirituality, I'd love some help. Right now my brainstorming (which is definitely brainstorming, not anything set) includes the following...

Beauty - August Rush, Il Postino / El Cartero (1990, The Postman (of Pablo Neruda))

Relationships - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Freedom - Amistad, Bloody Sunday, Garden State

Spirituality - Dieu est grand, je suis toute petite (2001, God is great, I am small, with Audrey Tautou))

This is what I have so far... I'd love some help if you have any ideas.

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier

Here is a video that you really should check out - "i got soul, but i'm not a soldier". Somehow this is one of the songs that has been stuck in my head on and off for the past month. It's by the killers. Anyway, if you want to know more about child soldiers, check out either previous posts of mine under the "child soldier" tab at the bottom, or check out the divine inheritance website to give to rescue kids from this.

Aquí estoy yo

This morning at church, here is one of the songs we sang, which both connected with my heart and some of what the Lord has been teaching me (for another post). Disfrútalo!

"Aquí estoy" (Here I am) - Jesús Adrian Romero

No quiero perder, las cosas que me quedan por hacer
(I don't want to miss out on the things that I still have to do,)
las cosas que me quedan por vivir en ti
(the things I still have to live in You.)
No quiero olvidar las cosas que planeaste para mi
(I don't want to forget the things that You have planned for me,)
Los sueños que me diste lograre por ti
(The dreams that You gave me to carry out for You.)

CORO (Chorus): No tienes que buscar a nadie más
(You don't need to look for anyone else...)
yo quiero ir, aqui esta mi tiempo aqui estan mis horas
(I want to go. Here is my time, here are my hours.)
Aqui estoy yo. Mi vida es para ti y en ti la quiero yo invertir
(Here I am. My life is for You and in You I want to invest my life.)
Aqui estan mis manos, aqui esta mi voz
(Here are my hands and here is my voice)
Aquí estoy yo, aquí estoy yo
(Here I am, here I am)

Listo quiero estar,
(I want to be wise.)
los dones que me diste voy a usar
(The gifts you gave me, I'm going to use.)
los años que me has dado vivire por ti.
(The years you gave me, I'm going to live for you.)
Voy a conquistar la tierra que me diste y sin dudar
(I'm going to take the land you gave me and with out doubt...)
hare lo que me pidas vivire por ti
(I will do what you asked me to do, I will live for You.)

CORO (Chorus): No tienes que buscar a nadie más
(You don't need to look for anyone else...)
yo quiero ir, aqui esta mi tiempo aqui estan mis horas
(I want to go. Here is my time, here are my hours.)
Aqui estoy yo. Mi vida es para ti y en ti la quiero yo invertir
(Here I am. My life is for You and in You I want to invest my life.)
Aqui estan mis manos, aqui esta mi voz
(Here are my hands and here is my voice)
Aquí estoy yo, aquí estoy yo
(Here I am, here I am)

At home

Over the past week it has occurred to me that my home is finally a refuge. When I am here I can really rest. I have two great roommates who are amazing. When I was sick a couple weeks ago, Chery offered to make some soup for me (which I probably would have taken her up on, other than the fact that I had just made some soup from the little I had in the fridge - gazpacho, veggies, noodles, rice, red curry,...it was really good) and they both bought some orange juice for me. Recently I've appreciated the fact that they take equal responsibility for cleaning and getting things repaired, etc., They are a huge blessing. I really can't begin to express how much I appreciate them. My apartment is actually a refuge, a place I can rest well. In fact I've noticed over the past couple weeks that I have been having the most vivid dreams and it's clear that I'm sleeping well again. All this is a very nice change.

Prayer

Recently I've been praying through a prayer in "the Valley of Vision" (prayers of the puritans, which are really profound and rich with lots to meditate upon) both when I wake up and when I go to sleep and whenever I need to quiet my heart and think on Jesus. I've also begun to write out a Psalm in the morning to help put myself in a prayerful frame of mind, to have something to meditate upon during my day, and to help bring myself into a place where I can really hear from the Lord as I pray and study the Bible. It's really been helpful.

And, after beginning to read "Praying Backwards" by Bryan Chapell, it was nice in a (misery loves company way) to know that I am not alone in needing to reframe my thoughts and quiet my heart a times. Chapell shared that during a time when he had a lot on his mind, things to do, concerns, etc., he began to pray the Lord's Prayer (found in the Bible) whenever his mind needed to be refocused, or when he needed to remind himself of God's presence and might. He said that after a little while it became a very rich time of prayer because the words actually began to take root and change him. And I think praying the prayers of the saints of old (normal people who walked with Jesus) and meditating on the Psalms slowly is changing me as well. I want to be still and know that the Lord alone is God. I want to rejoice in Him and desire above all else that His name be glorified. For He and He alone is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Creator of all things, the Lord God Almighty, the Holy One, my King, the One who loves me and who died for me, Jesus. Praise be the Lord!

Forgiveness - Perdón

The past day and a half I have been a bit distraught. My friend and I talked and she kind of unloaded all the reasons she had been angry with me, but it felt like quite a load, particularly since, from my perspective it was all misunderstandings that got blown out of proportion. And since it felt like a whole dump truck full of rocks poured upon me and since it had been a month since we had last talked, and all I really wanted was for us to be reconciled, I apologized, shared what came to mind and asked where that left us, if there was any hope of moving forward. She forgave me and yet it has since occurred to me that I have a bit for which I need to forgive her. And since there is a lot of pain involved, I'm finding it is a bit harder than I had expected. I care greatly for her, she is my best friend, BUT the way in which this whole situation was dealt with really did hurt me and has left me a bit angry. I want to just push it all under the rug, but am realizing it is something we need to talk about AND it is definitely a choice to decide to forgive her.

And in thinking about it all, it makes me realize that forgiving her means letting go of everything connected with the whole situation. It means acknowledging that, yes, she did something wrong and that it hurts. But at the same time, Jesus came to forgive her. And Jesus came to forgive me for all the things for which she was mad at me. And Jesus is able to reconcile both us to Him and us to one another. And Praise the Lord for that. I am so much, so very much still in process and learning both how to forgive, how to be forgiven and how to run to Jesus and to cling to His love, His grace, His acceptance, and the life He and He alone gives.

These are two songs I happened to listen to as I was thinking through all of this and which were pretty timely. The first because it reminded me of what is true and the second because it was a bit of how I felt in the midst of wrestling through this with the Lord.

"Es por tu gracia" (It's by your grace)- Jesús Adrian Romero

Cuando nadie me ve, en la intimidad
(When no one sees me in the intimacies of my life)
Donde no puedo hablar más que la verdad
(Where all I can say is the truth)
Donde no hay apariencias
(Where there are no more mere appearances to hide behind)
Donde al descubierto queda mi corazón
(Where all is laid out on the table and my heart is laid bare)
Allí soy sincero, alli mi apariencia de piedad se va
(That is where I'm my self, where my "good" appearances disappear)
Alli es tu gracias lo que cuenta
(That is where Your grace is all that counts)
Tu perdon lo que sustenta para estar de pie.
(Your forgiveness is what sustains me to remain standing.)

Y no podria dar la cara si no fuera porque soy
(And I couldn't show my face if it weren't for the fact)
revestido de la gracia y la justicia del Señor.
(that the Lord's grace and justice cover me.)
Si me vieran tal cual soy, se enterarian que es Jesús.
(If they saw me as I truly am, they would see that it's really Jesus.)
Lo que han visto reflejado en mi, tan sólo fue su luz.
(The good they've seen reflected in me, was only His light.)
Es por tu gracia y tu perdón, que podemos ser llamados instrumentos de tu amor.
(It's by Your grace and Your forgiveness, that we can be called instruments of Your love.)
Es por tu gracia y tu perdón, mi justicia queda lejos de tu perfección.
(It's by Your grace and Your forgiveness because my justice is far from that of Your perfection.)

Y no podria dar la cara si no fuera porque soy
(And I couldn't show my face if it weren't for the fact...)
revestido de la gracia y la justicia del Señor.
(that the Lord's grace and justice cover me.)
Si me vieran tal cual soy, se enterarian que es Jesús.
(If they saw me as I truly am, they would see that it's really Jesus.)
Lo que han visto reflejado en mi, tan sólo fue su luz.
(The good they've seen reflected in me, was only His light.)
Es por tu gracia y tu perdón, que podemos ser llamados instrumentos de tu amor.
(It's by Your grace and Your forgiveness, that we can be called instruments of Your love.)
Es por tu gracia y tu perdón, mi justicia queda lejos de tu perfección.
(It's by Your grace and Your forgiveness because my justice is far from that of Your perfection.)

"I'm not ready to make nice" - Dixie Chicks

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I'm not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting

I'm through with doubt
There's nothing left for me to figure out
I've paid a price
And I'll keep paying

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and
I don't have time to go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
'Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can't you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don't mind sayin'
It's a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Sayin' that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and
I don't have time to go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
'Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and
I don't have time to go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
'Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I'm not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting

John Piper talks on Abortion

I recently listened to this talk by John Piper on Abortion. It is really good and worth watching. Disfruta!

High Pressure Sales

A few days ago someone called asking if they could bring me a free book and for me to do a short questionnaire. So, today a couple shows up at my door with the "free" book, that only costs 3 Euros for the cost of production and the " short questionnaire" which took about an hour and a half. Throughout the whole presentation and hugely biased questionnaire (where she virtually fed me the answers she wanted) she continued to say that they weren't selling anything and that it was a marketing promotion.

It all started out nice, just a normal marketing questionnaire. And then she began to offer me all these great gifts she wanted to give me for "free." The only cost would be the cost of their production, of course. But the cost was a joke it was so little.

She was going to give me a camera, a breadmaker, a water purifier, two sets of books, and I don't know what else, for a low low price of 1,500 Euros, of course at a low monthly price of 54 Euros for two and a half years. I then told her that I didn't think I was interested, that it seemed like a lot of money to me. She of course reiterated that it was a very low price and that it was only a small monthly price, not to even look at the total. As I continued to say "no," she began to act shocked and offended and, as I half expected, she then offered me half the stuff for half the price, a mere 750 Euros in total.

It was interesting how the tone changed completely when I told her that I didn't think I was interested, that if she wanted to give me some time to think about it I might change my mind, but frankly that it was stuff that I'd love to have, but that I don't need and that I would rather spend that money elsewhere. She told me how I was going to regret this decision and that she couldn't believe I was passing up such a great offer. The guy with her agreed and said, "You know, it is a really good deal." And it may actually be a fairly good deal for all that you get, but it is still the fact that I don't want to spend the money on what they are selling and that I really don't like to be pressured into buying anything.

I really can't stand telemarketing and door-to-door pressure sales. If I don't say "no," I generally regret it, at least a bit, and if I do say "no" I feel fairly frustrated after the whole transaction. I usually feel bad for them and for the time they've spent and yet it infuriates me that they try to then make me feel bad.

And let me just say that it would be nice if they could actually listen to you and what you are saying, since they act as if they care. And I kind of hate the fact that the whole bate and switch, they say they need your help for one thing and then end up trying to sell you things (even if they say that they are merely in the marketing department).

walking home tonight

As I was walking home tonight I saw a couple things that were a bit disturbing. First, upon passing the grocery store which apparently had just gotten in their new batch of food, I saw one of the dumpsters turned on its side and about seven what appeared to be south american men frantically searching inside for food. All the surrounding dumpsters were upright but with countless hoards of what seemed to be south americans (most likely a mix of legal and illegal immigrants). I happened to pass about the same time a week ago, I'm guessing, or a few days or something and saw something similar.

I crossed the street to see the homeless man who lives on the corner and just about anytime of day is seen sitting on a cardboard box drinking beer and chanting (obviously in spanish), "a little money for a sandwich." The picture was pretty intense. This man is asking for money, while across the street, less than 75km away there is a plethora of food being dug out of dumpsters by poor immigrants who are trying to just get by. Now granted I know that this man's problem is not really his needing food, but still. A bit fuerte.

It seems that recently I have been struck by the stark contrasts living side-by-side and also those here verses those in other places.

Note: It was interesting that as I looked for a picture to put here, I found several sites dedicated to dumpster diving. In fact one group in Toronto puts on a free dinner on the street on a semi-regular basis all made from their findings in dumpsters. They take others' waste/ trash, find what is salvageable and use it to feed people. And they had pictures and lists of their findings (which were pretty large quantities). It makes you think a bit.

"I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."
Psalm 9:1-2

Human Dignity

quote from The Weight of Glory, by C.S. Lewis...

"It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. ...It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of the kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously--no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinners--no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat, the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden."

---

i was talking with some students both yesterday today and in different ways the value God places on humans and human life came up. on one instance, we talked about how often we are quick to snub the poor who live in the streets and who we often see drunk or high while they ask for money for "food." and yet at the same time they have a life of great value, for they are made in the image of God. and likewise with other groups or classes of people we put ourselves "above."

this quote by c.s. lewis has been going through my head again and again. how blessed we are that the Lord cares for us tanto (so much). it is absolutely amazing - his grace, his love...

and as such, his love and grace (obviously along with the Holy Spirit's working and power within us) should compel us to live differently. by the power of the Holy Spirit there should be fruit produced in our lives of love, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. we should not live as we always have. we should not live as selfish, self-absorbed, materialistic, holier-than-thou, nor so separate that we rarely touch actual, everyday life.

Contemplating Life

Recently there have been two blogs that have made me think a bit. One posted an article entitled "Married to the Job" and the other post was "The right to a normal romance.. if any..." which refers to a book by the late Mabel Williamson, "Have we no rights? - A frank discussion of the "rights" of missionaries".

This summer I heard a great several sermons on the parable of the prodigal son (which sometime i should type up my notes and also look back over them), spending significant time looking at the father, the son and the older brother. it was good in terms of asking what rights we feel like we deserve when we come to God. do we think that by our "goodness" we have earned anything or deserve anything in particular from him? it is something good for me to contemplate.

In this book (which is online, just follow the link above) in the last chapter talks of Jesus not claiming his rights (as talked about in Philippians 2 and elsewhere) and then talks about us and I'm guessing summarizes, in part, the book. As a disclaimer, I'm not really a fan of the way she uses the word "right" in terms of our "right to Jesus. I think it is not a right at all, for we did nothing and He did it all. So, with that, here is an excerpt:

"He had no rights. And I?

A right to the "comforts" of life? No, but a right to the
love of God for my pillow.

A right to physical safety? No, but a right to the security
of being in His will.

A right to love and sympathy from those around me? No, but a
right to the friendship of the One who understands me better
than I do myself.

A right to be a leader among men? No, but the right to be
led by the One to whom I have given my all, led as is a
little child, with its hand in the hand of its father.

A right to a home, and dear ones? No, not necessarily; but a
right to dwell in the heart of God.

A right to myself? No, but, oh, I have a right to Christ.

All that He takes I will give;
All that He gives will I take;
He, my only right!
He, the one right before which all other rights
fade into nothingness.
I have full right to Him;
Oh, may He have full right to me!"

My friend Christy wrote (in part) after reading at least part of this book - "Tim Keller talks about a woman coming to grips with the gospel in his church and suddenly being really disturbed because she realized that if the gospel is really all about grace.. and Jesus did so much for me.. and there is nothing I can do in return.. than actually .. I have no leverage or bargaining chip with him. My life is bought with a price and there is not anything He cannot ask of me. That is a scary idea. Do we say that? Do we believe that? Is the gospel so real that I know and believe and live.. that there is nothing to scary or hard or difficult that Jesus cannot ask of me.. because I am his. Even into the realm of relationships.. a normal one.. or if any..."

---
The other article, published by Christianity Today, on their ChristianSingles.com site is really good. Also something that has gotten me thinking. Yes, I can work a ton. In part because I really believe in and enjoy my job. Secondly, because it has no clear finish. It is by no means a 9-to-5 job, in fact it is not uncommon for me to get home somewhere between 21:00 (9pm) and 1:00 am. Much of my job happens when students have time, nights, weekends, lunch, dinner, etc., But this article got me thinking. Do I use my job as an escape? or as a way to keep myself from feeling lonely? If I'm honest with myself and with God, reality is that sometimes that is exactly what I am doing and becomes a bit of an idol, in the respect that it is what I run to to give me a sense of worth instead of to Jesus. Oh, Lord, I want YOU to fill this place. I want to NOT have any other idols before you. For you ARE enough, more than enough. I just at times forget.

Here's an excerpt:

"I know I'm not alone in this singleness workaholism struggle. Just the other day, a single friend told me he realized he'd been working too much of late and was trying to strike a new healthier balance between work and play. And when I went in search of stats about singles and workaholism, I stumbled on this quote from author Richard Gosse, "Workaholism is a frequent problem among single people. Work enables you to escape the fear, loneliness, and boredom that often plague singles." Ouch!

When I look at my work patterns of late, I realize this is exactly what I've been doing—escaping some evening loneliness and boredom by staying at work later and later. Sure, the pattern started when our staff experienced a recent crunch time. But, I have to admit, it's partly continued out of laziness and escapism. And sure, there are much worse things to fill our downtime with than too much work. But I wonder if sometimes God wants to meet us in those silent moments we're often quick to fill with work, or any other number of distractions. Or maybe that awkward evening time is just the motivation we need to seek out a new ministry pursuit, friendship, or extended prayer time.

The funny thing is, I fell into this overwork pattern so subtly and since no one sees and holds me accountable for my daily comings and goings, I didn't even realize what I was doing. That is, until it recently dawned on me that I'm now on a first-name basis with our company's nighttime janitor."

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe."
Proverbs 18:10

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place in ages past.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
Psalm 90:1-2

"My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." Isaiah 32:18

Be Still, and Know That I Am God

"God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah" -- Psalm 46


Last February a friend introduced me to the celtic tradition of praying certain prayers every morning, midday and evening to keep one's mind on God. The past few days as I have gotten up, I find my head a muddle and find it hard to concentrate and to really be still before the Lord. As I pray through these prayers of old, it helps to quiet my heart and helps me to come into the Lord's presence as I agree with these words and add those of my own. So, here it is again. May it be a blessing to you as it has to me and may it help you allow the Lord Jesus to enter every moment of your day and every area of your life. May God be exalted in our lives and in the world. Grace & peace to you today!

---

Morning Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Call & Response

Who is it that you seek? We seek the Lord our God.
Do you seek Him with all your heart? Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek Him with all your soul? Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek Him with all your mind? Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek Him with all your strength? Amen. Christ, have mercy.

Declaration of faith

To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.


Scripture readings, Meditation, Prayers for others


Canticle

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
---

Midday Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening Sentences

Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. Establish Thou the work of our hands; establish Thou the work of our hands.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name;
Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen

Declaration of faith

We believe and trust in God the Father Almighty.
We believe and trust in Jesus Christ His Son.
We believe and trust in the Holy Spirit.
We believe and trust in the Three in One.

Canticle

Teach us, dear Lord, to number our days;that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Oh, satisfy us early with Thy mercy,that we may rejoice and be glad all of our days. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish Thou the work of our hands. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish Thou the work of our hands, dear Lord.

Blessing

Let nothing disturb thee,
nothing affright thee;
all things are passing,
God never changeth!
Patient endurance
attaineth to all things;
who God possesseth
in nothing is wanting;
alone God sufficeth.

In the name of the Father,and of the Son,and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
---

Evening Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.

Call & Response

Out of the depths I have cried to You. O Lord, hear my voice.
With my whole heart I want to praise You. O Lord, hear my voice.
If you, Lord, should mark iniquities: Who could stand? who could stand?

I will wait for the Lord. My soul waits, and in His word do I hope.

Expressions of faith

Lord, You have always given bread for the coming day;
and though I am poor, today I believe.

Lord, You have always given strength for the coming day;
and though I am weak, today I believe.

Lord, You have always given peace for the coming day;
and though of anxious heart, today I believe.

Lord, You have always kept me safe in trials;
and now, tried as I am, today I believe.

Lord, You have always marked the road for the coming day;
and though it may be hidden, today I believe.

Lord, You have always lightened this darkness of mine;
and though the night is here, today I believe.

Lord, You have always spoken when time was ripe;
and though you be silent now, today I believe.

Scripture readings, Meditation, Prayers for others

Canticle

In the shadow of Your wings I will sing Your praises, O Lord.

The Lord is my light, my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the refuge of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

In the shadow of Your wings I will sing Your praises, O Lord.

One thing I ask of the Lord, one thing I seek;
to dwell in the presence of my God, to gaze on Your holy place.

In the shadow of Your wings I will sing Your praises, O Lord.

I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. O wait for the Lord! Have courage and wait, wait for the Lord.

In the shadow of Your wings I will sing Your praises, O Lord.

Blessing

See that ye be at peace among yourselves, my children, and love one another. Follow the example of good men of old and God will comfort you and help you, both in this world and in the world which is to come.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

I've been reading Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, which I would highly recommend. I wish I could just transpose it all here for you to read, but if you follow the link, you can actually read it online via google books. Enjoy!

Music Revisited

Okay, this is actually much later than the date says, but I'm finally getting around to filing the music I've been listening to recently. And since it isn't actually what is presently true, or not fully, I figured I should post the list I've had and start again, the same as I've done with movies and books. Enjoy!

Music I've Been Listening To Recently (in no real order):

"Across the Universe" Soundtrack
"Once" Soundtrack
Leigh Nash
Black Eyed Peas
Jesús Adrian Romero
Carla Bruni
Interpol
Assemble - my brother
Ni Uno Bueno
My Dear Flotsam
This Grace
The Shins
Guster
Caedmon's Call
Derek Webb
Alternativa
The Shins
Norah Jones
Colony
Paul Oakenfold
Rojo
Rescate
Julieta Venegas
Weezer

Books to read

I'm doing the same thing with my list of books.

Here is the list from 2007-08 (although by no means exhaustive, this I was a bit better about adding and taking from). In light of all of this "housecleaning", I may have to keep the lists down to a monthly list, more or less, but we'll see. If a book or movie is really good, sometimes it's just hard to take it off the list unless it's all in one fell swoop.

So, here goes... here are my lists of books from the past year...

Books Recently Read:

In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day - Mark Batterson
There Is No Me Without You - Melissa Fay Greene
a Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah
Kaffir Boy - Mark Mathabane
The Master Plan of Evangelism - Robert E. Coleman
Kite Runner - Khaled Hossini
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hossini
Joshua - in the Bible
Matthew - in the Bible
1 Peter - in the Bible
Sex. God. - Rob Bell
Velvet Elvis - Rob Bell
Surrender - Nancy Leigh DeMoss
La Tesis de Nancy - Ramon J. Sender
When People Are Big And God Is Small - Edward T. Welch
Exiles - Michael Frost
La Sombra del Viento - Carols Ruiz Zafón
Manual de Normas, Señales y Seguridad Vial - aka Spanish Driving Manuel & Practice Tests

Presently Being Read:

No Deperdicie Su Vida (aka Don't Waste Your Life) - John Piper
Studies In The Sermon On The Mount - D. Martin Lloyd-Jones
Institutes of the Christian Religion - John Calvin
Systematic Theology - Wayne Grundem
Christian Dogmatics - John Mueller
The Reason for God - Timothy Keller

Books In My Pile Of Books To Soon Be Read, Reread, or Finished:

The Return of the Prodigal Son - Henri J.M. Nouwen
The Bible Jesus Read - Philip Yancey
The Master Plan of Evangelism - Robert E. Coleman
The Holiness of God - RC Sproul
Not On Our Watch - Don Cheadle & John Prendergast
Hudson Taylor - Vol. 1 The Growth of a Soul - Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor
God's Continent - Philip Jenkins
The Wounded Healer - Henri J. M. Nouwen
Manifest Presence - Jack Hayford
How People Grow - Henry Cloud
Istanbul - Orhan Pamuk
Cien Años de Soledad - Gabriel García Marquez
For Whom The Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway
The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
The Shaping of Things to Come - Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch
Conexión Posmo - Felix Ortiz
The Master Plan of Discipleship - Robert E. Coleman
Witnessing Without Fear - Bill Bright
Questioning Evangelism - Randy Newman
Evangelism Explosion - James Kennedy
His Intimate Presence - Bill Bright
What is the What - Dave Eggers
Reading Lolita In Tehran - Azar Nafisi
The New Faces of Christianity - Philip Jenkins
Tell It Often, Tell It Well
The Forgotten Ways - Alan Hirsch
Three Cups of Tea

Films to see

I am realizing that both my lists of movies & books are getting entirely too long. While it isn't actually the beginning of a new year, fall is much more like new year's to me than January 1st. Thus, I am retiring my previous list an starting a new one, which is presently blank.

Here is the old list, 2007-08. Enjoy!

Movies I've Seen Recently & Would Recommend (in a purely random order)

Once
August Rush
bella
Across the Universe
Innocent Voices (Voces Inocentes)
The Great Debaters
Sicko
Blood Diamond
The Cult of Sincerity
Proof
White Oleander (La Flor del Mal)
Emma
No Reservations
Mansfield Park
Surf's Up
Martian Child (the name may sound cheesy, but it really is good)
Kite Runner
Freedom Writers
Take The Lead
Save The Last Dance
Narnia - Prince Caspian
Reign Over Me
The Ultimate Gift
Definitely, Maybe
Maid of Honor
Baby Momma
Smart People
Volver
Crash
27 Dresses
Peregrinos

"Do you ever get the feeling you were meant
to do something extraordinary?" - Heroes

"Where does change come from and how do you know when it happens?" - The Air I Breathe, movie

Otoño - Fall

i love the fall. while there are no fallen leaves or leaves that have changed color quite yet, there is so much i like about the beginning of a school year, the starting again. i guess it is the beginning of a new year and the hopes of what that year will bring.

i love the energy of people getting ready for new classes, the new semester, and all that comes along with that.

and after summer break, i am always ready for the hustle and bustle of the university campuses to return to normal, to come back to life from the quiet, deserted days of summer. you can just smell the excitement of fall in the air.

"To love another person is to help them love God." - Soren Kierkegaard

Mi Día Espectacular

So... today was a great day! First, I went to take my written driving test and... first of all, they let me take the test (something not to take for granted after last week), second... i think that it went well, very well, in fact it really wasn't that hard since i practically have all the questions they could ever ask me memorized along with the choices they might give me and the answers. So, if all went well, I passed and can move on to phase two, actually driving. :-)

Second, I went and talked to my friend and it went well, actually really well. I won't go into detail, but things are pretty much back to normal and we understand each other a little better. I have my best friend here back. Praise the Lord, really, it was totally God's gracious hand.

Third, the semester began on university campuses around Madrid and my life is returning little by little to normality.

Fourth, I was showered with love in terms of notes and text messages of encouragement or ánimo for my driving test. And then on the way home a friend asked, "So, are we going out to celebrate or not?" I, of course said yes, even though I didn't get home until 21:00 (9pm), so we went out for tapas which was great - my friends Nora and her husband, Carlos, my roommates and me. Great fun.

And I'm sure there are other things I've left out, but a very full, but very good day.