Hello, this is my first post here, so I thought I'd just say something. I'd wanted to get a blog for quite some time now, and I thought it was time to do something about that... I really love writing, and I think it would be nice to express my thoughts and dreams, and whatever is on my mind like this. This blog will be about anything - at least for now.

I am thankful for...

...Eric. I am thankful for having Eric in my life, and for the opportunity to share every day with him. He is all I could ever dream of in a partner, and I love him with all of my heart.

Eric and I had thanksgiving dinner at the Spiral Farm with Frank heading up the cooking with a menu of Indian food, and Matte deep frying a farm raised turkey. Company was enjoyed, nearly full moon on a cloudless evening was admired and we went home stuffed and happy.

turkey a-fryin'....


two pages of Indian recipies!


baby naan....


and by the time we headed home, it was pretty chilly out....

all gone!....continued

What, you're not satisfied with a shot of my amputated braid? You want to know what my remaining hairs look like? Alright, here you go....

Another Emoboy with a Heart

Got this tru email. Another hot emoboy with a really nice emo hair. His name is Charles Brindle. Visit his myspace profile and be inspired.. He also cut his own hair and do the same for his friends.. talented..

I'm a fairly extroverted person who enjoys reading, hanging out, poetry, artwork, and computers. I spend a lot of time working on artwork and reading particularly. You'll find me in coffee shops most of the time, probably working on one of these things. I absolutely love coffee and without it I probably wouldn't get as much done as I do. Starbuck's frapicinos rule 2, along with BK Joes, and Sheri's coffee. Helps to curve my ADD anyway (at least that’s what I keep telling myself.)

Right now I'm running a small business and trying to make my way through college. Life for me is usually crazy but I've been living in a mad world so long I find it more enjoyable then a boring life. Better to live your life as an adventure then not live it at all. I also really like to help people out however I can. I personally think that the greatest way to spend your time is to be spending it helping others.

If you feel like you ever need someone to talk to, send me a message and I'll do my best to get back to you. The time I spend here is not to judge people, just here to help them out as best as I can.

I've got a lot of problems and I'm far from perfect. Actually I'd say I'm a pretty screwed up person and I'm trying to rebuild my life from the ashes of other people’s mistakes. But God is there to help me along the way, and I believe I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today without Him. If you don't believe in God or share this view that’s okay. I think people should have the choice to believe in what they want (shouldn't everybody have the right to that?)

-Charles Brindle

Another Emoboy with a Heart

Got this tru email. Another hot emoboy with a really nice emo hair. His name is Charles Brindle. Visit his myspace profile and be inspired.. He also cut his own hair and do the same for his friends.. talented..

I'm a fairly extroverted person who enjoys reading, hanging out, poetry, artwork, and computers. I spend a lot of time working on artwork and reading particularly. You'll find me in coffee shops most of the time, probably working on one of these things. I absolutely love coffee and without it I probably wouldn't get as much done as I do. Starbuck's frapicinos rule 2, along with BK Joes, and Sheri's coffee. Helps to curve my ADD anyway (at least that’s what I keep telling myself.)

Right now I'm running a small business and trying to make my way through college. Life for me is usually crazy but I've been living in a mad world so long I find it more enjoyable then a boring life. Better to live your life as an adventure then not live it at all. I also really like to help people out however I can. I personally think that the greatest way to spend your time is to be spending it helping others.

If you feel like you ever need someone to talk to, send me a message and I'll do my best to get back to you. The time I spend here is not to judge people, just here to help them out as best as I can.

I've got a lot of problems and I'm far from perfect. Actually I'd say I'm a pretty screwed up person and I'm trying to rebuild my life from the ashes of other people’s mistakes. But God is there to help me along the way, and I believe I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today without Him. If you don't believe in God or share this view that’s okay. I think people should have the choice to believe in what they want (shouldn't everybody have the right to that?)

-Charles Brindle

all gone!

I did it! The ponytail is off to Locks of Love, and I am experimenting with orange peel sculpting goo... My head is finally free!

Hip Hop and Worship

Last Sunday and today I worshipped at Church Under the Bridge here in Waco. CUB is an interdenominational church that gathers outside under the I-35 bridge every Sunday, rain or shine. The congregation is truly multicultural and consists of homeless brothers and sisters, a local biker group, Baylor students and faculty, high school kids, etc. As I walked up under the bridge I watched as people from all walks of life greeted each other with the peace of Christ. How beautiful is the body of Christ!



As the band finsihed up, Pastor Jimmy Dorrell (director of Mission Waco and Truit Seminary proffessor) approached the microphone and spoke of the man posessed by demons that Jesus cast out into the pigs. Jimmy and I have worked together in the past and as I try to expose my students to people that are different than them he has been very instrumental in bridgeing the gap between "the us" and "the them." He took 15 of my students on an "other side of waco" exposure tour, where he drove us around town to the places that most Baylor students do not usually get to experience. As we came back to Mission Waco, Jimmy pointed out the youth building. Graffiti was purposefully sprayed on the side of the building (words like peace and joy) and Jimmy explained to us that he hopes to turn one of Mission Waco's buses into a HipHop Christian Party bus.



This week I have been thinking about an article that Jimmy wrote about HipHop church services. He feels that there is a great need for these types of services. In fact, CUB holds HipHop church services from time to time.

I was informed that in South Bronx, an Episcopal church that has a HipHop service and Father Alex at the Episcopal Student Center let me flip through his copy of the HipHop prayer book.

(excerpt) Psalm 23 as adapted by Ryan Kearse
The Lord is all that, I need for nothing.
He allows me to chill.
He keeps me from being heated
and allows me to breathe easy.
He guides my life so that
I can represent and give
shouts out in his Name.
And even though I walk through
the Hood of death,
I don't back down
for you have my back.
The fact that you have me covered
allows me to chill.
He provides me with back-up
in front of my player-haters
and I know that I am a baller
and life will be phat.
I fall back in the Lord's crib
for the rest of my life.



Some say that the HipHop church thing is weird and too strange, possibly too much. Some say that it is the embodiment of loving people, and that you have to be truly intentional about getting to know those that are different than you.

I think I'm going to take this week to reflect on what Paul means when he says to "be all things to all people."

(photos by Matt Lester)