The Scattered Thoughts of Me

I had pizza from Domino's for supper tonight. It's called "Hawaiian chick" and it has chicken, bacon, pineapple, cheddar and mozzarella, and barbecue sauce... everything good I could ever think to put on a pizza... except hot sauce. But this pizza doesn't need hot sauce, because it already has barbecue sauce. It is so good! I could eat 6 large pizzas of this type! Not really....

I went to a thing today way out there in Tultitlan. It was on the far side of the northeast section of Tultitlan, mind you. We were at a church for a training session for church planters. The point of this is that every person in the church is not only a church planter, but a trainer. Each one trains others to plant house churches, and those who are trained will in turn train others. That is the focus now here in Mexico City... with our mission anyway. It was long... long... very long.... But it was good. And I really enjoyed the music. The microphones and instruments and everything were just unnecessarily loud, but sometimes that can be a good thing. Because I enjoy singing loudly but don't sing well, with so much noise to drown me out I can sing as loud as I want and bother no one with my horrible off-key squeaky singing. We sang one of my favorite Mexican songs "Te Alabaré," as well as a bunch of songs I had never heard before. I don't go to churches very often that have music like that where I can blast out like I enjoy doing from time to time.

I am reading the book "Shadow of the Almighty" right now. I tell you what, Jim Elliot was a genius. The book is composed primarily of excerpts from his journal and letters written to his friends and family. Most of what I've read so far was written in the late 1940's. That was a time when letter-writing was still an important form of communication, and his letters are incredible to read in their density and depth. His journal entries are perhaps even more dense and deep, because of their distinctly "spiritual" nature. And he wrote all these things while he was still in college. I've been out of college for 4.5 years now, and I can hardly write a silly blog entry. I wish I could quote whole pages from the book here for you. You'll just have to read it. While you're at it, read "The Screwtape Letters" also. If you've already read either or both of those, read them again. They're worth it. May I point you specifically to Screwtape's letter number 12?

It is raining here. It hasn't rained all month. But it's January, and it's not supposed to rain. It's okay though... I'm sure the ground will appreciate it. And with all the dust in the air, maybe this rain will settle the dust, for a day at least. And the guys who wash cars at the grocery store parking lots will have a busy time during the next few days. They actually stay pretty busy all the time. It is rare to see a dirty car here. My car is an exception. I'm usually not planning on spending enough time at the store to get my car washed, and I don't know any of the people in my neighborhood who wash cars, so my car is usually quite dusty.

I guess I'm rambling. No need for that! So I'll stop abruptly...... right..... now!

It's almost the end of the second week since we returned to school after the Christmas break. It is going well so far. There was an incident last week, but it seems like things have cleared up there. We had a mission function last Saturday, and there is another one this Saturday. I'm probably weird for saying this, but I actually like the mission functions. It gives me a chance to see people that I don't see very often. I don't like meetings, but I like talking to people I don't normally get to talk to. I also like eating, but there aren't any big meals during these two things. Last Saturday at the thing, I was surprised at how everyone rushed off so quickly. I would like to have stuck around and talked longer, but I guess most people have "more important" things. What could be more important than talking to me? I couldn't imagine.

Little things... a caffe mocha from Starbucks and a piece of carrot cake from El Globo... pizza with hot sauce... cool breezy night walks through my neighborhood or around Satélite.... I don't know much about the "big things," so I guess it's good that I can enjoy the "little things." For now... I keep looking forward, but I'm not sure if that's what I should be doing. Because then I start to wonder how strong I am to endure the little things without the big things. But I guess that's the wrong question. I should be asking how strong is the one who gives me strength. Stronger than strength... that's the answer to that one.

This probably seems like a strange blog entry to you. I guess I'm in one of those moods... introspective and abstract... public and private... wanting to share but not wanting to reveal... one of those moods.... So I apologize for the weirdness here. Thanks for enduring! I've really been trying to write, but my thoughts just won't translate to words I can put down. Why can't I think straight?

So how long has it been since I've updated my blog? Seven weeks? That means it's... no way... it can't be January already. It can't be 2005. Not yet. I guess it can and is, eh? So that's enough lamenting the time that's passed... enough lamenting the plans I didn't realize... enough lamenting the things I didn't do. And yeah, I've had the intention at times during the last several weeks to write something here. But my problem (besides the problem of laziness) is that I always want to write something good, something meaningful, something insightful. If I don't feel like I can put something on my blog that's actually worth the time I spend writing and the time you spend reading, then I shouldn't waste my time or yours. But then sometimes I throw that out and just sit down and type, like tonight. Maybe I could write something like I wanted to write around Thanksgiving. Maybe I could write something like I wanted to write around Christmas. Maybe I could just go ahead and write my New Year's blog entry... I'd only be a few days late on that one, as opposed to weeks on the others. Maybe I'll do something completely different. Booga booga boo! Bet you didn't see that coming!!

While I was in Tennessee (and Alabama for a few hours) during my Christmas vacation time, I had a number of conversations (over food) with friends. Some were old friends, some were old old friends. I've even had a few conversations with newer friends since being back in Mexico. But during some part of these conversations, we've gone to my situation: where I am, how'd I get (back) here, what I'm doing, and what in the world comes next. A brief answer to each of these four questions: Mexico City, not quite sure, teaching math and science, and I have no idea. But I think I mentioned every time how glad I am to be here. I feel blessed beyond measure to be here where I am, doing what I'm doing. I know what it's like to be in a place I don't like; I know what it's like to do something I don't like doing, or to not have anything to do at all. This is an amazing blessing I've been given. So much so, that my statements about living outside the USA have sometimes been taken as offensive by people who don't understand the difference. Don't get me wrong... there are definite advantages to living in the USA, and there are definite advantages to living elsewhere. I happen to be very thankful that I am living elsewhere for the moment. That's all I can think to say about that.

Five random thoughts:

1. I like Coca-Cola signs. You know, the big huge neon ones like we have here in Mexico City. There is one on the Periférico near the Toreo, and there is one on Viaducto. There are probably others that I don't see very often because I don't drive those roads much. This city is so big; there could be a hundred of them out and about in the city and I'd never find three-fourths of them because I'd never have a reason to go to those parts of the city.

2. There are some things that I would force everyone to do if I had my way. For example, I would make everyone watch the Godfather movies several times. Just parts one and two though... part three would be optional. I was thinking recently that if I could make people do things, I would make everyone go out and buy the new Caedmon's Call cd, "Share the Well," and listen to it a thousand times. I think I am about three-fourths of the way through my thousand listens. It is very good.

3. I like the writings of C.S. Lewis. I don't know why I like them so much, but I do.

4. Four great songs by Skillet: "Safe with You," "I Can," "You Take My Rights Away," and "The Thirst Is Taking Over"

5. I like eating tacos. I like real Mexican tacos and Taco Bell tacos. They are very different, but both very good. One of them is authentically Mexican, while the other claims to be but is not; but that doesn't mean that both can't be tasty.