conversions and connections

"Happiness isn't measured by how much you can acquire, you know. I think it's maybe how much you can let go of. The more you let go of, it seems, the more you have.."
-- Gerry Straub, documentary filmmaker, San Damiano Foundation

Many beautiful things happened while I was in Los Angeles this past weekend. God continues to work in mysterious ways, as I had the chance to connect with a wonderful man named Gerry Straub. Gerry used to be a network television producer in LA, but left it all behind after a powerful conversion in 1995. Gerry now heads up the San Damiano Foundation, and lives to put the power of film at the the service of the poor.

Mr. Straub has lately felt particularly called to Haiti, and so our conversation was both rich and exciting, as I stood back in awe of how the Holy Spirit is ever-present and at work for the life of the church.

Check out his story of conversion and testimony to the fullness of life that he has found in giving his all to Christ. Thank you Gerry... you are an inspiration.

ice skating...guestblog

As Nicole headed out to LA to visit her friends she asked me to guestblog. I tried and then with some quirk in the internet i thought i had deleted the blog...now after a brief tutorial i feel cautiously optimistic in reposting.

So as Nicole enjoyed time in the warm and balmy weather with her friends in LA it was in the 20s here in the Bend but Amy, Beth P, Alli and myself tried to make the best of it. We headed to Barnaby's for some pizza and then to Howard Park for ice skating. It was a great time, if you could ignore the fact that snow was rapidly accumulating on the ice. Here is a picture from the event:



Even though it had been since the last millennium since some of us had been on the ice we made it around the rink more than once and nobody even fell, quite an accomplishment. Amy by far performed the best even making 1/4 of a lap backwards!

While i would much prefer to be enjoying the sun in so-cal the end of winter should be near! Although it is not here yet unfortunately, as Nicole left my place tonight snow had accumulated during her short visit. Spring cannot arrive fast enough for me (or Nicole based on her frowning face as she left tonight!)

Also don't forget to check out the guestbook on the top or bottom of the blog. The questions will be changing every now and again so be sure to check back often!!

Think Spring :)

blessings

I just returned from an amazing weekend in California with some of the people I love most in this world...
It was hard to leave after such an incredible reunion with people I love so much and see far too infrequently, but I know that I will never forget this weekend. In the words of Kahlil Gibran, "When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain."

Thank you to Danielle, Beau, Michael, Jenny, Anthony, Ben, Naomi, Christina, Cliff, Dan, Rosey, Aubry, Grandma Marion and many, many new friends for a beautiful, unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime weekend!!

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!!

getting to know your friends '07 edition

I just got an e-mail that I thought would be fun to answer on my blog.

"Welcome to the 2007 edition of getting to know your friends. Change all the answers so they apply to you, and then send this to a whole bunch of people including the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends, if you did not know them already."

1. What time did you get up this morning? around 7:00
2. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? we are marshall
3. What is your favorite TV show? alias (still sad it was cancelled), 24
4. Favorite cuisine? italian
5. What is your middle name? marie
6. What food do you dislike? hot-dogs and coleslaw
7. What is your favorite CD at the moment? norah jones
8. What kind of car do you drive? a white saturn (148,000 miles and still running!)
9. Favorite sandwich? turkey w/tomatoes and mustard on toasted rye
10. Favorite item(s) of clothing? right now it's my new winter coat, because it was -10 degrees with the wind chill today!
11. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go? italy
12. What color is your bathroom? white
13. Favorite brand of clothing? banana republic
14. What was your most memorable birthday? turning 21 at the grotto
15. Favorite sport to watch? football and baseball
16. Favorite saying? hmm.. maybe "coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous."
17. When is your birthday? may 17th
18. Are you a morning person or a night person? a little of both
19. What is your shoe size? 8
20. Pets: none but would love a golden retriever some day.
21. What did you want to be when you were little? annie. other than that, i think a teacher or a ballet dancer
22. What is your favorite candy? does cherry garcia ben and jerry's frozen yogurt count as candy???
23. What is your favorite flower? tuilps and roses
24. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? hmm... february 10th- chris tomlin concert in chicago

trick plays, proposals and potatoes

My good friend Ryan O'Connor takes a break from his adventures in Guatemala to break down "the state of the (ND) nation" in his latest blog. I know a lot of ND fans, but Ryan takes it to a whole new level...


While I'm talking football, I have to take the chance to wrap up my '06 season comments. There's not too much to say about the Sugar Bowl, but on the brightside I did get to watch the greatest bowl game ever complete with a thrilling last minute TD to take the game into overtime, a coach that went for the win and came up big, and of course, the after-game marriage proposal. My new favorite? Jared Zabransky. The best part about him? He grew up on a potato farm, and his claim to fame is that he can throw one 80 yards. A potato that is.

I know I'm probably guilty of jumping on the bandwagon with this one, but looks like I'm not alone. As the Boise State president recently said in a press conference, the admissions office has seen a 135 percent increase in online inquiries and graduate school applications have soared. “The week after New Year’s normally produces about three to four applications a day for graduate school, this week 30 to 40 applications arrived at our door every day.'

Do you think they have a med school?

the work of Christmas

I am reminded every year in the days following Christmas by this poem I found a few years back that "the work of Christmas" begins again each new year. I pray that 2007 will be a blessed year for all of you!

The Work of Christmas
by Howard Thurman

When the star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and Princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins.
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoner,
To teach the nations,
To bring Christ to all,
To make music in the heart.

cutdown '06

Back in October Beth told us about her family's tree cutdown tradition, and we had to check it our for ourselves. This is why I love the midwest!

favorite day

I've been out of town for the last week and haven't had a chance to write in awhile, but I wanted to be sure to remember one of my favorite days of all time, December 5th, 1842. One hundred and sixty four years ago this week Fr. Sorin wrote these words to Fr. Moreau, and so many lives have been changed forever because of it!


December 5, 1842

Beloved Father,
When we least dreamed of it, we were offered an excellent piece of property, about 640 acres in extent. This land is located in the county of St. Joseph on the banks of the St. Joseph River, not far from the city of St. Joseph (Michigan). It is a delightfully quiet place, about twenty minutes from South Bend. This attractive spot has taken from the lake which surrounds it the beautiful name of Notre Dame du Lac. . . . It is from here that I write you now.

Everything was frozen over. Yet it all seemed so beautiful. The lake, especially, with its broad carpet of dazzling white snow, quite naturally reminded us of the spotless purity of our August Lady whose name it bears, and also of the purity of soul that should mark the new inhabitants of this chosen spot . . . . We were in a hurry to enjoy all the scenery along the lakeshore of which we had heard so much. Though it was quite cold, we went to the very end of the lake, and like children, came back fascinated with the marvelous beauties of our new home. . . . Once more, we felt that Providence had been good to us and we blessed God from the depths of our soul.

Will you permit me, dear Father, to share with you a preoccupation which gives me no rest? Briefly, it is this: Notre Dame du Lac was given to us by the bishop only on condition that we establish here a college at the earliest opportunity. As there is no other school within more than a hundred miles, this college cannot fail to succeed. . . . Before long, it will develop on a large scale. . . . It will be one of the most powerful means for good in this country.

Finally, dear Father, you cannot help see that this new branch of your family is destined to grow under the protection of Our Lady of the Lake and of St. Joseph. At least, this is my deep conviction. Time will tell if I am wrong.


E. Sorin