political activism BS!

So outside the library there was a really cute older women with a terrier dog and they were handing out pamphlets. All anyone could see of the pamphlets was the back. It had a pretty picture of animals in green grass and the "compassion" on the top. I took one thinking it was about pet adoption - which I advocate for rather then breeders - I was wrong. 

I looked at the pamphlet I had so naively taken and to my astonishment - it was about cruelty to farm animals raised for food in factories. 

So I read it, and I kept an open mind while my mind was getting assaulted with the worst images possibly found. I knew it was time for the conclusion as the pages were getting less and less. I turn to the last page to see the words, "What Can You Do?" I look down with a little anticipation to see a informed solution and I see "BOCA" and "Gardenburgers". 

I laughed.

I was expecting some awesome ideas on sustainable farming, and how Oregon should quite growing grass and actually make some food, but no I was suppose to support the corporate vegetarian companies. 

TO YOU THAT MADE THE PAMPHLET: you lost all my respect and the empathy I built up while looking at disgusting pictures of the food I hold very dear to my heart. You suck. 

One of my favorite Poems

Silent Noon

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass, -- 
The finger-points look through like rosy blooms: 
Your eyes smile peace. The pasture gleams and glooms 
'Neath billowing skies that scatter and amass. 
All round our nest, far as the eye can pass, 
Are golden kingcup-fields with silver edge 
Where the cow-parsley skirts the hawthorn-hedge. 
'Tis visible silence, still as the hour-glass.

Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragon-fly 
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky: -- 
So this wing'd hour is dropt to us from above. 
Oh! clasp we to our hearts, for deathless dower, 
This close-companioned inarticulate hour 
When twofold silence was the song of love. 

My Favorite line "Your eyes smile Peace"...

I hope you enjoy it too!

It's Sunny!!!

I have a lot to say but first...

I want you to know that I am deeply touched by my friends. One wrote something recently that my ego will say was for me(because it filled me with emotion), and one said "inspired" by my last blog. And thank you to all of you that actually read this stuff! 

I have grown up in music,as you probably know, and it is my life! But one thing that I never really appreciated was poetry. I had a hard time understanding it. But as I have matured I have a growing fascination with poetry and I hope to present some soon. But I have a class soon so I have to make this short...

I think that every student studying music should be required to take a poetry class. It is truly an art form and has so many relations to music they are almost inseparable! 

I implore you to read a little poetry every day!

Saturday...

Sometimes clouds make everything look sad and dim, there seems to be a lack of color in winter. Today could easily could be one of those days. It's a typical winter Saturday here in Corvallis - low thick clouds and the threat of rain hangs on everyone. This campus is filled with oak and maple trees - which means that it is gorgeous here in the spring, summer and especially fall, but winter... you have to be able to search out beauty. I have always known that clouds make a great backdrop for photographers and today I see why. 

I am in the 5th floor of the Valley Library (to my cascade friends - this building would take up the soccer field and all of campus, it was made to hold like 4 thousand students) anyways, I look out the window and there is a old growth cedar tree taller then the 6th floor of this building, but what is amazing is the color of the tree against the clouds. something about the clouds make the green just glow. It is beautiful.

I wonder what would happen if we could look for, or better yet, search for beauty on a daily basis. even on the cloudy days of our life. how much better would life be? 

What if beauty was defined as happiness, fulfillment, love, peace, grace, or all of those in one - a smile?

How much better could life be???

Looking for green on a grey day.

Still motivated

I woke up a half hour later then I wanted to. I expected to do that last night at 11:45 when I couldn't fall asleep, but I was still annoyed. Not only annoyed that I had subconsciously hit the snooze twice before I consciously hit it, but annoyed that I was SO tired. Nevertheless I got up had a shower, drank some coffee and still was only 5 minutes late. 

I enjoy sleeping very much! BUT I hate the amount of time that I use to do it. I would give my left arm to be a person who can sleep 6 hours every night and be fully functional. Yesterday I was helping my minister friend prepare for his class and while he was talking to me I started snoring. Literally, fell asleep on his couch, in his office, mid-conversation. I wasn't completely my fault: His couch is very comfy and his office was at least 10 degrees warmer then it needed to be. Still, last night when I was finally in my bed, I couldn't fall asleep. Luckily neither could my wife so we were able to talk a little before finally saying goodnight.

My Friends, today is a new day! 

...and I am still tired.

BUT I HAVE HOPE. I have just decided that this is going to be my theme for the term...

 

Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope
fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
   -- 1 Peter 1:13

and I am still motivated to get up, get my stupid homework done and finish my last year as an undergraduate strong.

As one of my favorite people in the world writes,

grace and peace.

think about it.

What a monday.

School started today. What else is there to say???

I have always enjoyed the first day of school. I enjoy trying to look my best (you have to impress), seeing friends after a long break, but most of all I have this amazing feeling of hope for the new term. I imagine the end of the term with good grades and a feeling of accomplishment. The problem is holding on to that for the whole term. I always seem to get burnt out about week three, regroup in week five and then slump again with the "Seven Week Blues" and then cram for finals. At the end I never get the grades I wanted, but today I have strait "A's". I like that. 

Oh, Yeah. So the one day off a week that my wife has off from work is Thursday's. Guess what? I start classes at 8:20 and don't get done until 7pm. how awesome is that! ok so it sucks, hard. 

But over all it is going to be a great term. 

TTYL - 

peace.