2012
Surrounded by God
I recently went to the doctor because I was having trouble breathing, they prescribed me an inhaler and in teaching me how to use it emphasized the importance to exhaling before using it so that my lungs were empty and then taking a long and deep breath so that the medication could completely fill and penetrate to all parts of my lungs, in order to “heal them” or help me to breathe easier. Later when I was trying to think of where I see God and how I experience God I realized that God is a lot like an inhaler.
He fills us, and in different ways for different people. Personally when I listen to music I feel filled and surrounded by something greater than myself, which is able to take me away from any mental place I may feel stuck in. And I think it is fair to say that that something that I feel filled by is God. I also feel filled by God when I am having a conversation with a friend or participating in community. It seems that God knows us, and knows what mediums in which to come to us and fill us, whether it be through music, through another person, when doing yoga, or when standing at the summit of a mountain.
So in conclusion, God is a lot like an inhaler. Many times in order to fully feel his presence and healing power we need to empty ourselves of our burdens and stresses (which I realize is much harder than exhaling). But then he is able to fill us through the things around us, such as through music or conversation. But no matter what, whether we inhale or exhale, look for him or don’t, God finds a way to seep through.
2012
Tuesdays Together
I had the absolute privilege to volunteer along side some fellow LCM leaders on Valentine’s Day this year. We are on the “Tuesdays Together” service team that volunteers at a community event that takes place the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the Center for Changing Lives. It is a program all about creating community and building relationships with families in the Phillips Neighborhood. The second Tuesday of February this year happened to be Valentine’s Day, so we had a lot of fun coming up with crafts and activities to do with the kids! We found that you can have some great conversations while decorating and coloring!
(be sure to click on the title of this post “Tuesdays Together” to see some photos!)
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-Valerie
2012
Loaves and Fishes
I have always known that poverty is prevalent in many large cities, but it is a very eye opening experience to see how close to home it really can be. This past Wednesday, I traveled with Andrew, Mark, and Hannah to the Holy Rosary Church where a monthly community meal is held. We were there to help serve food and provide assistance wherever we were needed. The number of volunteering staff was slightly lower than they had expected, but they all welcomed us in as one of their own.
Until last Wednesday night, I hadn’t really experienced the face of Minneapolis that was before me. Perhaps I had limited my image of the city to just the U of M campus and uptown Minneapolis. Maybe I thought that poverty only existed in Denver or Chicago. Whatever had been my source of unawareness was now gone. There are people within our closest communities who are not as fortunate, who may not be able to eat a hot meal every night. It becomes too easy to think about problems dealing with hunger in other countries and overlook those who are in our own neighborhoods.
It is also clear that some people have trouble asking others for help when it is most needed. I will agree that I am guilty of this more often than I am willing to admit. It becomes hard to know what is truly the best course of action to deal with hunger in our community, because we don’t always know who is in need, or how we can help them. When it comes to hunger, I am often reminded of Matthew 25:35. It reads; “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” This shows us how important it is that we must help those who are in need, and how any small amount of love you give to someone can have a profound impact on their life.
Joe Carlson