Interesting perspective

So tonight we had another speaker. She is the mother of one of the guys that is going to Ireland and she spoke on the conflict in Palestine and Isreal. She is an expert on this subject because she was born there and has lived there for 13 years and still has a lot of family there.. It was interesting to hear a Palestinian perspective on the conflict. Some of it I had heard before because I have Palestinian friends that I have heard their views on it. Now it would be interesting to hear an Isreali view. It is interesting how often times these things are more complicated then we can ever understand unless we are in these kind of situations. It is kinda like the Colombian war in that it is to complicated to really explain well. I am looking forward to hearing peoples views and stories when I get to Colombia.

here are some of the people

here are some people in my RAD group. The first is Melina and Rachel at a cafe on a Friday night, the next is me. Melina and Rachel are 2 of the girls who are going to Colombia with me. I will post more later

beauty in the city

I I just thought I would show some pictures of some of the scenery I see everyday. There is a picture of the lake as well as some beautiful sunsets and the statue known as the bean in Millenium Park

more of my personality traits

So we took the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Test and I discovered that I am in the middle of ESFP (Extroverted-Sensing-Feeling-Perceiving) and ENFP (Extroverted-Intuitive-Feeling-Perceiving) and so I decided to share with everyone the characteristics of these 2 types. I can definately see many of these characteristics (on both types) in myself.

ENFPs generally have the following traits:

Project-oriented
Bright and capable
Warmly, genuinely interested in people; great people skills
Extremely intuitive and perceptive about people
Able to relate to people on their own level
Service-oriented; likely to put the needs of others above their own
Future-oriented
Dislike performing routine tasks
Need approval and appreciation from others
Cooperative and friendly
Creative and energetic
Well-developed verbal and written communication skills
Natural leaders, but do not like to control people
Resist being controlled by others
Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it
Usually able to grasp difficult concepts and theories
ENFPs are lucky in that they're good a quite a lot of different things. An ENFP can generally achieve a good degree of success at anything which has interested them. However, ENFPs get bored rather easily and are not naturally good at following things through to completion. Accordingly, they should avoid jobs which require performing a lot of detailed, routine-oriented tasks. They will do best in professions which allow them to creatively generate new ideas and deal closely with people. They will not be happy in positions which are confining and regimented.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ENFP:

Consultant
Psychologist
Entrepreneur
Actor
Teacher
Counselor
Politician / Diplomat
Writer / Journalist
Television Reporter
Computer Programmer, Systems Analyst, or Computer Specialist
Scientist
Engineer

my personality

so since I found out that I am in the middle of ESFP and ENFP I decided to share the characteristics of both so here is the ESFP side of me

ESFPs generally have the following traits:

Live in the present moment
Are stimulated and excited by new experiences
Practical and realistic
Warmly interested in people
Know how to have a good time, and how to make things fun for others
Independent and resourceful
Spontaneous - seldom plan ahead
Hate structure and routine
Dislike theory and long written explanations
Feel special bond with children and animals
Strongly developed aesthetic appreciation for things
Great people skills
ESFPs are good at many things, but will not be happy unless they have a lot of contact with people, and a lot of new experiences. They should choose careers which provide them with the opportunity to use their great people skills and practical perspective, which will also provide them with enough new challenges that they will not become bored.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ESFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ESFP:

Artists, Performers and Actors
Sales Representatives
Counselors / Social Work
Child Care
Fashion Designers
Interior Decorators
Consultants
Photographers

Another quick update

Well here I am after my Saturday morning cleaning has been done and I find myself with a little free time before lunch. I have really enjoyed Chicago and living in the city and working in the retirement home. Yesterday at work we had a birthday party (which they have every 3 months) and we also played bingo. Since I am the only other person (besides the housekeeping and kitchen staff) that speaks pretty fluent Spanish I get asked a lot to translate for the Spanish residents that speak little or no English. I have done every translating from convincing a resident to go down for a meal to translating during an activity. Yesterday I was helping one of the residents play bingo. She is from Mexico and she gave me a history lesson about Mexico and the Catholic church (I work for Catholic Charities) as well as some words of wisdom all completely in Spanish and I understood about 90 percent of it! I was quite pleased with myself and I know the retirement home is delighted to have us as they have expressed their appreciation in many ways including calling our director and telling her what an amazing job we are doing there. Then last night we met as a group at a coffee shop and the director bought us all supper. We sat and talked there for 2 hours! Then a group of us (including our director) decided we wanted to go swimming. So we drove to the beach (yes I did say the beach, with sand and everything) on the north side of the city and went swimming in Lake Michigan. This was 10pm! The water was cold and fairly shallow in the swimming part (although some parts of the lake can be close to a mile deep but that is way out in the middle) but there was also a warm breeze blowing so it felt alright.

We are also working on our visas for Colombia. Most of the paper work was done by Aaron and Laura Kauffman in Colombia and yesterday we recieved a packet of papers that they sent to us. Now we have to go to the Colombian consulate here in Chicago and submit our applications for the visas. Then we have to go back later for interviews. So keep praying that everything will go well and that we will get them.

My plan for today is to be a tourist for the day and visit Michigan Avenue which is a big shopping street in the financial district. I highly doubt I will buy anything but there is stores such as a 3 floor Gap, Macy's, and more so I will just have fun looking around in different stores. So that is my sfternoon, tonight I am not really sure what I will do.

cool witnessing opportunity

So I was at Millenium Park today and sittin along Lake Michigan trying to think of something to journal about and having trouble coming up with something to write when I noticed a person walking closer to me (they would go a couple feet, sit down then get up and walk closer. ) So as I was thinking about what to do if they started talking to me I felt God saying that it was ok to talk to them and so I finally talked to them and it turned out that I was able to use that conversation as a way to witness to them about God. As the conversation went on I learned a little more about this person's life and was able to present God in such a way that wasn't threatening but yet still gave them the idea of who God is. Anyway it was interesting how simple conversations can be turned into witnessing. Again I say...(and quoting Jaci Velasquez)



Ev'ry brief encounter that You send my way
Is a chance to show the love You gave me.
I see their troubled faces, a hunger deep inside
But I depend on You to touch their lives.
Light what burns within me, let Your truth shine through my life.

forced spirituality

So I went to the Church of God church today and had a rather interesting but kinda disturbing experience there. It started out good with the singing and then the spirit started to move. I feel like people got a little to carried away and actually tried to force people to be slain in the spirit. I believe that people can be genuinely slain in the spirit but I also believe it can be taken to the point where it is forced. Here is why I say that.... I was sitting in church letting the spirit wash over me when all of a sudden I felt a lady take my hand and drag me up front. This was disturbing because I did not feel like i was supposed to go up front for prayer at the time. Then to continue my story, I had my bible in my hand and this lady yanked it out of my hand and set it on the seat...then she proceeded to lift my hands up over my head and hold them there. I felt uneasy because I didn't feel like God wanted to speak to me in that particular way today. I just felt like it was forced.

thoughts

Well I just thought I would give an update before I start my usual Saturday cleaning routine. I just finished my first full week of volunteering in a retirement home in one of the northern neighborhoods. I have definately noticed a few things, such as it is very easy to tell what kind of neighborhood a person is in by the majority of the people that enter and leave the buses. For example my work place is in a Spanish neighborhood so when we get close to there I noticed that I hear a lot more Spanish spoken on the bus, however I live in a African American community and I can tell when we are close to home because my work partner and I are the only whites on the bus. People might think this would be awkward, however I have found that nobody really cares whether you are white or black or pink (haha) because everyone has their own agenda to worry about. Also a lot of schools here have uniforms even if they are public schools. I think school uniforms are a good idea because everyone looks the same and no one can judge a person based on their cloths because everyone is wearing the same clothing. I have also noticed that my hair and skin feel a lot more dry here then in Pennsylvania....maybe this is because I am up north more. At any rate I love Chicago. I think I am gonna spend the afternoon exploring the city since today is a free day and I am confidant enough with the transportation system to venture out on my own during the day. Maybe I will check out the locations of a few churches that I found online and make a decision about what church to go to tomorrow. There is also a Celtic festival going on that I might check out.......Well I have to go clean now.

song interpretation

So I mentioned on my last post that I would mention why that song speaks to me so much. This particular song is like a prayer for me. I am not sure why God has chosen me to do his work but I am willing to do it. Obviously God knows what he is doing. I can only trust that God will give me the right words to say when I need them. I have seen many opportunities to spread God's love (not just here in Chicago but in Lancaster as well) and I see people who so desperately need hope and peace that they can only find in God. My life is a reflection of who God is and his light can be shone through me. There are other songs by Jaci Velasquez that really speak to me. I will post them from time to time. Well I have a meeting so goodbye for now

song by Jaci Velasquez

here is a song that really speaks to me as do most of Jaci Velasquez's songs. I will share more about this later but for now just meditate on the words



What have I to offer to a world in need?
Yet, for some unknown reason, You have chosen me.
Lord, You've set my journey, You've prepared the way.
Still, I'm desp'rate for the words to say, and
'All I am is willing; all I have is in Your hands.'

Speak for me; this my plea.
Say the words I can't express.
Sing for me a heavenly melody
That the people will be blessed.
Speak for me.

Ev'ry brief encounter that You send my way
Is a chance to show the love You gave me.
I see their troubled faces, a hunger deep inside
But I depend on You to touch their lives.
Light what burns within me, let Your truth shine through my life.

Speak for me; this my plea.
Say the words I can't express.
Sing for me a heavenly melody
That the people will be blessed.
Speak for me.

Sing for me, set me free,
They will see Your holiness.
Speak for me.
'Cause Your love will lead them on to heaven's gate
Where they can look upon Your face.
Light what burns within me, let Your truth shine through my life.

(Speak for me; this my plea.
Say the words I can't express.)
Oh, this is my plea
(Sing for me) a heavenly melody
That the people will be blessed.
Speak for me.

Sing for me, set me free,
And they will see Your holiness.
Speak for me, sing for me, speak for me.
You're all I have to offer to a world in need. Oh...

Isaiah 55 :6-13

Seek the Lord while he maybe found, call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts declares the Lord, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. As the rain and snow came down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater so is the word that goes out of my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. YOU WILL GO OUT IN JOY AND BE LEAD FORTH IN PEACE AND THE MOUNTAINS AND THE HILLS WILL BUST INTO SONG BEFORE YOU AND ALL THE TREES OF THE FIELD WILL CLAP THEIR HANDS..Instead of thornbushes there will grow pine trees and instead of briers myrtle will grow. This will be the Lord's renown for an everlasting sign which will not be destroyed.............

As i think about what I want this time in Chicago to be for me I realize some of my goals for these next two months include learning to really see the heart of God and what his purpose is for me. Trusting that his ways are best and even though people (including my family) might not always understand (I might not always understand the why's of things)I still want to be able to follow my intuition and faith that what I feel is God's calling really is and that even though I don't always know everything I can be comfortable with that. One big example of living by faith is the team that was supposed to go to Sweden. They ended up not being able to go to Sweden due to visa issues so for a few days they were left in uncertainty about where they were going, however today they found out where they are going......

I continue to see God's beauty in Chicago. As we did our service projects today (we ripped up carpet and helped to fix up a priest's house as well as box 2,105 lbs of bread to be shipped out to local food pantries, salvation armies, schools, etc...) I saw the greatful smiles of the people we were helping and the thanks that we recieved in many forms ranging from a simple smile to the priest offering to buy us pizza for lunch. These are some examples of beauty that I find in the city. Another example of the beauty that I saw here would be on labor day in the evening when a group of us decided to go to Millenium Park (a park in downtown that is by lake michigan) to a free jazz concert for the jazz festival that they had last week. While listening to the jazz music I took notice of the patterns that were made on the chicago skyline (the patterns of the skyscrapers against the sky and the patterns that the lights made coming from the buildings) as well as the multitude of people that were of all ages, races and gender seated and listening to the music, the sound of the jazz band and at the end of the concert there was fireworks....Such beauty. Such a movement of God here.

conversation reflection

So I had a really important conversation with Nanen tonight that put us back on somewhat of the same page. I started out by apologizing for treating him like crap over the summer to which he responded with "don't worry". It was nice to be talking to him like we used to talk. I have always loved the fact that I have been able to open up to him about anything. Though his flexiblity drives me nuts sometimes I realize that that is one of the reasons I love him......Guys and relationships....so complicated........Nanen and I will always have a special connection to each other due to the amount and seriousness of some of the things we have been through....I love how he can always make me laugh and cheer me up even after a serious conversation or when I am upset about something all he has to do is look at me and I will start laughing and make a small comment and I will start laughing. Though he can be serious when he needs to be. I love his supportedness in me and my calling. Overall i am just very appreciative of him

thoughts from worship class

So I had my first class this weekend. The topic was worship and it is a subject i found really interesting. Here are s
some points that i found especially interesting.

---worship is a way to connect to God
---when we worship we worship for an audience of one
---sometimes when we worship our worship expectations are like our shopping expectations we want things that don't cost much, fit our needs, and are easily accessible
---God is looking for people who know that worship is about God
---when God is being worshipped and I refuse to worship because it is not "my thing" then my thing has just become my god.
---"It's all about you Jesus, all this is for you. It's not about me as if you should do things my way, you alone are God and I surrender."
--- Does God put desires in us based on what we are good at or did God make us good at something based on his plan for us?
--- As we get better at worship, worship almost always becomes a response to God