the commotion of change....

At some point or another in life I think we all come to realize that change is not something that ever stops. Sometimes its you in the thick of it... and other times it swirls around you. I feel like that right now-- standing at the edge of my yard, watching change roll in like weather from across the valley. Starting to feel the smack of raindrops on my cheeks. I know things will be fine. I know no feeling is final. But tonight I am sad for the changes.

I realized something else tonight. I bought a new song on iTunes (a loud, angsty song to feed my mood...) and for some reason it didn't fully download. It plays for about a minute, but then skips to another song driving me BANANAS. I kept replaying it, hoping it would magically work, but was just getting increasingly frustrated. About the third time, it flipped to an old Neil Diamond song. Sure- go ahead and laugh, but I was born and raised on that rich new york voice and quirky lyrics, and I love them. "Lost... On a painted sky... Where the clouds are hung... for a poets eye... You may find him. If you may find him.... BE. As a page that aches for a word... which speaks on a theme that is timeless... And the one God will make for your day." It was like finding something rock solid. something absolutely known. A hook to hang all that change on, and keep going.

So a cup of tea. A digestive biscuit (A Robinson's number one coping mechanism), the weird and wonderful voice of Neil Diamond to give me some assurance, and a painted sky.

Triathlon...

The last three weeks I felt like I was running a triathlon... go go going from one big thing right into the next without a break or the chance to catch my breath. I somehow find I have arrived on the other side of it all (a feat which seemed impossible several weeks ago)- rather exhausted mentally and emotionally, physically sore, and not quite sure what to do with myself, but man, it was a GOOD run!

Leg 1: Rwanda (April 19-28) Leading a group of 32 students/staff through 9 days in Rwanda.

Leg 2: Debrief (April 29-May 2) Four days in Entebbe, debriefing the semester with the students and preparing them for reentry to life in the US. Of course there was the incorporation of color and circles to aid in the process!

Leg 3: Mt. Elgon (May 3- 10) I participated in a Spiritual Disciplines class with Mark this semester. The culmination of the class was a hike up Mt. Elgon. Fourteen thousand feet, baby! HOOOOWEE. Hard work, but it was utterly spectacular. 

More on each of these grand adventures later, perhaps one by one as life settles down a little bit around here.