paint well

Some friends and I were talking the other night, and someone mentioned that The Fray ("How to Save a Life") is a Christian group. Today I found this article about them that I really liked. I especially like what Isaac Slade (the lead singer) says about how important it is to meet people where they are at when it comes to faith. My favorite part of the article is when he says, "If you're a painter, paint, but you don't have to have Jesus in every picture. Paint well, and if you paint well enough, they might ask you why you do that."

I thought it was really well said, and just like St. Francis who said
"Preach the Gospel at all time. Use words when necessary."

The lives we live will often say enough...

we need spring!

All of my plans for today were pretty much canceled because of the ice/snow that we got... bummer. So I'm watching the Oscars now, and just saw a commercial for making your own M&M. Pretty crazy! Another great way I found to pass some time is to pop online bubble wrap. No kidding.

From my last two posts, can you tell I'm ready for spring? :-)

On a more meaningful note, tonight I also read a great reflection by CS Lewis on my friend Ryan's website. Thank you Ryan for sharing the gift of your sincere faith-- I love reading about how you and Sarah are doing in Guatemala, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you this summer. (We'll have better weather for you by then!!)

saturday update

**UPDATE** We started off watching '30 Going on 30' and then watched 'Notting Hill', 'My Best Friend's Wedding', and now we're finishing with 'Sleepless in Seattle.' Delilah would be proud!!

"matty, matty.... it's thriller!!"

Today is my kind of Saturday... just sitting here with my roommate Amy about to do nothing for the next few hours. We decided to watch one of my favorites... 13 going on 30. My favorite? The thriller scene of course.

Looks like I'm not the only person who likes this scene... I couldn't believe when I found this!



Check out the whole dance, and this one is good too. Gotta love youtube!

inspiring nd students

One thing I love most about working at Notre Dame is getting to know the students. Brennan, one of our student workers in the Haiti Program, just sent us a link to her interview with Dr. Paul Farmer when he was on campus with Jeffrey Sachs for the Global Health Forum in September. Dr. Farmer founded Partners in Health, and works to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. Brennan did an excellent job with her interview!


I've also recently been able to meet Meg who has helped to found the Touching Tiny Lives Foundation to care for HIV/AIDS impacted children in Lesotho. Reading the stories of the children they have helped is truly incredible. Meg just won a Marshall scholarship and plans to work on building peace through international health.

It's such an honor to work with students like Brennan and Meg, and they are both an example of why I love Notre Dame. It's a place full of people who inspire me everyday. What a blessing...

jimmy carter

About a month ago I started working with the Notre Dame Haiti Program. Today a student I work with sent me a link to a very moving article about Jimmy Carter's work to end riverblindness, which is an infectious disease in many ways similar to lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), the disease our program is working to eliminate in Haiti.

The article states, "After leaving the White House, Mr. Carter ended up “adopting” diseases like Guinea worm disease, river blindness, elephantiasis, trachoma and schistosomiasis that afflict the world’s most voiceless people. These are horrific diseases that cause unimaginable suffering, yet they rarely get attention, treatment or research funding because their victims are impoverished and invisible."

This morning I wanted to share this article and awareness about these horrible diseases caused by the conditions of extreme poverty. May God bless those who suffer from such diseases, and inspire all those who can work to change the situation.

imix

I just made my first imix. I started out with over 150 songs I wanted on it, but eventually got it down to 20. Anyway, here are some of my favorite songs (and if you want the other 130, just let me know!!)

love

1. I saw this today, and had to share. Hope you all have a wonderful day!
   
   "For God so loVed the world,
   That He gAve
   His onLy
   BegottEn
   SoN
   That whosoever
   Believeth In Him
   Should Not perish
   But have Everlasting life"
   - John 3:16

chris tomlin

Last night I had the chance to go to Chris Tomlin's concert in Chicago. I've been looking forward to this for a long time, and it was incredible...
I was sitting in the 3rd row, and could see all the joy and peace on his face as he was singing. It's something so genunine that comes from a heart full of love for God. It was truly beautiful, and I had to share these few pictures that I took.



Tonight he's at the Grammy's, and up for two awards. Good luck Chris!

open hands

I read this the other day, and had to share it...

"To wait openhandedly is an enormously radical attitude toward life. So is to trust that something will happen to us that is far beyond our imaginings. So, too, is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life, trusting that God molds us according to God's love and not according to our fear. The spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, trusting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination, fantasy, or prediction. That, indeed, is a very radical stance toward life in a world preoccupied with control."
- Henri J. M. Nouwen

I am learning how to use "youtube" and just posted the first video that I made from my trip to Rwanda in '03...

a great weekend

This past weekend I got to help lead NDE (Notre Dame Encounter with Christ) #92. It was a wonderful experience, and I am just amazed at how incredibly awesome the students are who I got to know over the weekend. Here's a picutre of the "purple group" at the end of the retreat. Thank you all for an awesome weekend!!