Beauty???

It has been a long time since I updated.  Life around here get going and just to sit down and think and write is hard for me.  I tell people that I was a chemistry major which means I cannot write my way out of a paper sack but I can certainly blow it up. 

I was off this last weekend, I went to Luzern with Jeff a fellow RA.  Going with Jeff anywhere is like going on a weekend long photo scavenger hunt.  The guy enjoys photography so much, which is great as do I.  We captured everything about Luzern on film.  As I was thinking about all this photography it came to my mind that we are trying to capture the beauty of this Earth to share.  Then "What is Beauty?"  (this is going to get philosophical pretty quick).  I find a mountain range beuatiful, a tree lined path covered in freshly fallen colorful leaves beautiful.  A winter evening with freshly fallen untaited snow whihc carpets the earth in the soft glow of white, a smile of a young child who is experiancing the many aspects of life for the first time and finds joy.  (Ladies take this in teh best way possible)  Any young lady dressed in an evening gown glowing in the radiance of the night.  Any sunset no matter where I am causes me to stop and ponder and be amazed that I have never seen the colors the landscape of the clouds in that particular way before.  As humans we always want to enjoy beauty and absorb it and being a part of it.  I believe that is why we want to touch any animal we see, we cannot experiance the whole animal until we lay our hands on it.  We draw beauty, we write music whihc becomes beautiful symphonies, jazz pieces, or songs, we ourselves make ourselves beautiful.  So then what is beauty?  Is it different for everyone?  Can Jeff take a picture he finds beautiful and I don't?  When I say that I do not find it beautiful he might take offense to my comment. So it hits us at a deeper level.  So what is it?  I just looked it up in a dictionary and it says: "the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest)."  I think what gives us this deep pleasure?  A longing in our soul?  So my definition of beauty is: a recoginition of God's vivid presence in creation.  As we find something beautiful it is his presence in someway reflected upon creation in a form whether is nature, picture, words, or music.  It is God's presence which made it beautiful.  We are also wanting God in all ways because of the gapping hole in heart that sin is caused.  So we try to absorb as much of God's presence as possible.   Well, there is my philosophical thought for the month.  Dr. Reed would be proud!!  Until later keep enjoying the beauty you find around you.

Currently Listening Songs in the Attic By Billy Joel see related

My Life in a Nutshell

Currently Listening Era By Era Ameno see related

Returning

So yesterday and Sunday the students came back.  Oh how much fun it is just hanging out with them and the dorm is exciting again.  There is nothing more eerrie then a huge dorm with no students in it, it just is bad.  But everyone is back, and people are seniors which is strange to see them in that role.  I remmeber them coming in as sophmores small, hyper, scared and unsure of life and themselves.  Now they are tall, muscular, still hyper and some wisdom and self esteem and self worth there.  It is excited see them work together.  Icannot wait for the year.  As for the new students:  they are here and excited but great.  I got to see some old parents in whihc I have not seen in a year  and some brothers of students in other dorms.  This year I get Sam, Serge, Moonie, David and Marc on my floor it is going to fun.  We had to remind Mikey that lauren lives on his floor for the first time last night and so not to walk around in his .... you get the picture (some more then others and sorry for that).   THE BOYS ARE BACK and the Greenie is happy.  Bless to all. 

To the seniors of yore it is strange not to see  you in your rooms.  But you are where you should be in college getting smarter.  I miss you seeing you. 

Currently Reading Pride and Prejudice (Penguin Classics) By Jane Austen, Vivien Jones see related

One of my friends from the states sent me this and it was fun to do.  I did it with Sarah Dredge the mighty well traveled Canadian.  See what you get.  I checked more boxes in Europe then I did in the states it was weird and I have only lived here two years.

Your Travel Profile:

You Are Very Well Traveled in the Midwestern United States (75%) You Are Well Traveled in Western Europe (57%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in the Southern United States (31%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in Eastern Europe (20%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in the United Kingdom (13%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in Latin America (7%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in Southern Europe (7%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in the Western United States (5%) You Are Untraveled in Africa (0%) You Are Untraveled in Asia (0%) You Are Untraveled in Australia (0%) You Are Untraveled in Canada (0%) You Are Untraveled in New Zealand (0%) You Are Untraveled in Scandinavia (0%) You Are Untraveled in the Middle East (0%) You Are Untraveled in the Northeastern United States (0%)

Currently Listening Can You Hear Us? By David Crowder Band see related

Meeting the Rome Welcoming Committee

This summer I was able to get a ticket and fly to rome for a week to visit a friend.  So last night I just got inot Rome and was waiting at a bus stop to go to my camp site.  I was stopped by aman asking for directions to the metro and then a person walked up so us and told us that he was a cop and flashed some ID before I could get a look at it.  I have never seen a Italian police ID but I am guessing after this episode that was not it.  So akss both of us for ID and and everything well after fubbling through my bag I show him my drivers lience and then reached to find my passport.  He also wnated to check our money forgery and check it and gave it back so I was thinking nothing but it was weird After some very strange line of questioning we were excused.  I thought the whole thing strange.  I finally get to my campsite after getting lost on the streets and walking like 5km in dark alleys of Rome.  I checked my pockets and found that my ATM card was gone.  I called then bank to find out 250 Euro was taken out that night.  So I cancelled use of the card and then tahnks to theft protection the money was refunded to me.  So I guess no harm no foul after all that.  SO all you seniors going to ROme in October, don't be alone and then run from anyone who stops you they are up to no good.  I feel like an idiot but ok. Hopefully brighter days are with me in rome. Until LAter.