Shalom fragments

A new ipod for me!! She is orange! She has 8x more gigs than my old one :)
Old one

New one-named...are you ready for it...The Queen


I am reading Kurt Vonnegut's "Armageddon in Retrospect" and it is brilliant! My first Vonnegut read and I am head over heals in love. I am sure I am not the first, or the only person to feel a deep connection with this man. How I wish I could have had coffee with him. Sat down and talked to him, maybe a Tuesdays with Mourie kind of relationship (I actually haven't even read that, just aware of its social impact...)


I haven't slept this week. All five of my teachers decided that I should have a week of finals two weeks before finals! I have been reading, writing, and studying-only taking a few hours of sleep for five nights each night.

Tuesday: a man with the "belt of truth" and a large sign stood on the freedom of speech lawn at school. This sign said, "DON'T GO TO HELL" and was followed by a list of people who are going to hell: Jews, Muslims, Mormons, mouthy women, girly boys, etc... I was deeply offended. I am deeply offended. Hundred of my peers crowded around, taunting this man. The police were near, the President and Dean of Student Affairs, teachers and an ambulance all joined in the spectacle. Some of the student shouted they would rather go to hell than not know where the hell they were going. Others yelled that he had the swine flu. People were talking about it all over campus. They called him names. Called him a bigot and then shouted, "fucking bastard!"

I wanted to go up and apologize to every non-believer and make them know that this man was NOT representing Jesus. But I was working, so I prayed. I prayed for his heart and I prayed that my fellow student's ears would be closed from his lies. At that moment, I realized I was falling in love with Jesus. It felt personal that Jesus, on all sorts of levels, was being accused of hate.

Wednesday: the Spring Art Festival was held in the quad. The day before, the atmosphere on campus was hostile and cold. Wednesday, the air was full of peace. Students and teachers handed out canvases and asked people to paint what was beautiful. There was live acoustic music and a giant canvas where you could throw paint-filled balloons and create Pollock-like art. Even though Wed. was my longest and school-filled day- I hadn't felt so relaxed. Jesus' presence was on campus.


I still feel a little delirious from the lack of sleep I have had. This morning was a radical Bible study with my old and very good friends. I only went because I was strongly urged by a beautiful young woman whom I love.
I realized that the presence of G-d is good. And it is promised to me. It is promised to a lot of people.

We talked about a lot of things. We talked about fear. I fear a LOT of things. But I have a defense from Jesus. He defends me. My mom said to me today that she is ashamed of what I've done. But she adores who I am. And that is the difference. That is what I've been looking for all these years. I have been looking for a Jesus who understands that I need forgiveness, but who loves me. That's why He loves me.


A guidance is my mentors voice.
A protection is the breathe I just took.
A presence is the PEACE of Jesus.

So as I finish reading Vonnegut and continue to day dream of what it would be like to be close with someone who is brilliant, I will remember that though Vonnegut and I care about what people think of us, though we want to be passive, quiet and sad (when we are not), I will remember that Jesus is wholeness. He is the life.
Vonnegut gives advice to young writer and says to never use semi-colons.
I do not want to live a semi-coloned life (even though I do).
Jesus represents complete sentences.