|
|
|
February 19th, 2009
11:24 pm - 15 Albums
~15 Albums that have had a strong influence on me (whether on my aesthetic, my musical tastes, my sense of poetry, my spirituality...)
Albums appear in something not dissimilar to chronological order
* denotes deeper personal resonance and impact
DC Talk- Nu Thang DC Talk was revolutionary, and this was my favorite of their albums because of spiritual depth and variety
*Robin Mark- Revival in Belfast Was my favorite CD for a good while, when I would sit at my sister's desk with my portable CD player and headphones and take in the lush, worshipful music which so resonated with my soul.
Jars of Clay- Jars of Clay Personal and youth group favorite for a while, until I realized that generally their lyrics aren't that great.
POD- Fundamental Elements of Southtown
Stavesacre- Speakeasy These two drew me in to harder music.
Further Seems Forever- The Moon is Down So good! Reminds me of winter, driving, high school, New Year's day.
Project 86- Truthless Heroes For some reason caught and kept my attention, even though it has a reputation for being depressing.
*mewithoutYou- [A-->B] Life Where to start... This album is wonderfully dramatic, and deeply rooted in God in a way I hadn't encountered before.
*Norma Jean- Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child I got this album at the same time as [A-->B] Life, and played the two in rotation as a I gardened. I am still very amazed by this album and almost always enjoy it on the rare occasion that I put it on.
*mewithoutYou- Catch for Us the Foxes Beautiful and sad. Hit me hard, but God eventually bid me let go of this sort of spirituality. I still honor it in my CD collection, but don't listen to it much at all.
Foxhole- We the Wintering Tree Very little-known band with striking layered instrumentals. I find it quite edifying. Probably put me on my way to liking Sigur Ros, also.
*Radiohead- Kid A My brother /loved/ Radiohead, and it had a big influence on me, I think. In the past few years I have acquired most of their albums, but this one has most memories for me. Our family listened to it in our Ford Windstar on the way to the hospital on the night my grandma died. My brother and I danced to "Idioteque" at my sister's wedding.
*Brother Danielson- Brother is to Son Unique as can be. Made from a deep spirit of sonship.
Joy Electric- The White Songbook, Legacy Vol. 1 So epic.
*Sufjan Stevens- Illinois
Sufjan Stevens- Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State A new sort of musical aesthetic for me, honest and beautiful and human. Poetic narrative. I would still say that Sufjan is my favorite musician.
Sigur Ros- Takk Some of my favorite songs ever are on this album. Not as pure as Foxhole, but more varied and often as beautiful.
Denison Witmer- Happy Birthday Denison Along the same lines as Sufjan, but more toned down and more searching.
|
December 22nd, 2008
11:00 pm - The best Sprite I ever had
The best Sprite I ever enjoyed I had on December 17, 2008 in the Kotoka airport in Accra. It was dispensed for one cedi twenty pesewas from a machine that only accepted coins. Fortunately, I had a one cedi coin, and made the hard decision to part with it. The Sprite was canned in Algeria.
|
November 17th, 2008
10:46 pm
Inspired by R.H.:
In a group
I go alone:
lead, follow, or listen
In my room
time slips by
distracted, acted, fiction
I go out
I walk
I am so dressed
I get tired.
I think
I'd rather be known
than be admired.
|
November 11th, 2008
05:38 pm - May God be your light.
11-9-08
The weather here is pretty well the same as it has been the whole
semester-- around 90F during the day and right about 80F and breezy at
night. The prospect of sleet and snow that I am hearing about in
Michigan is so interesting to me right now.
I have been learning a great deal-- about myself, about Ghana,
about
politics, about religion, about poverty (and privilege), and about
life-- both inside and outside the classroom. God permeates it all,
sometimes more or less obviously. My time here is more than half-way
through. As far is school is concerned, I am amazed to consider that
less than three weeks remain-- three weeks which it seems to me now
must of necessity become little else than a flurry of reading and
writing. These seasons of school are always seasons of being humbled
and laid low, during which I learn to put my hope and trust in the
Lord. When I'm through I'm sure I'll tell you I'm grateful for the
learning process. At the moment I'm praying for grace and diligence,
and anticipating the onslaught.
God has blessed me very much in the area of health. I've
experienced no notable or debilitating bouts of sickness all semester.
And currently, for the first time in a while, everyone in our group is
fairly healthy as well.
I have gone most Sundays to the Catholic parish on campus
here, with which I am generally very pleased. Getting anywhere takes a
long time, so thus far I have not ventured off campus for church,
except one time when our Calvin group went together. Even just
walking to the church on campus takes about twenty minutes. I have also
attended a couple of the many other church gatherings on campus, and
enjoyed both. The tone of
worship is very vibrant in most situations. Most everyone sings
strongly, and varied clapping rhythms and dancing are common.
Charismatic spirituality is very common as well. Some evenings on
campus you find large numbers of students loosely gathered on a
football field praying out loud or in tongues or singing, either in
small groups or as individuals. I recently stumbled upon such a
gathering, and decided in my own way to join in for a while. Quite fun.
Despite our extremely irregular and relatively demanding schedule, I
have made attempts at connecting with the Charismatic Renewal group in
the Catholic church,
and have really enjoyed the few meetings I've been able to make.
Everyone here is expected to tend to their religion, and generally one of the
things that means for Christians is going to church every Sunday. This produces
a dynamic we have in the States that I did not expect to find here-- a number of
people who engage their religiosity as they are expected to (even fervently), but
don't necessarily let it affect the way they live from day to day.
Prosperity gospel preaching is widespread, especially in the neo-Pentecostal/"Charismatic" churches.
I can't say the morning prayer gathering I started has been soaring.
I've been doing it by myself most mornings lately, when we don't happen
to be traveling. I just re-announced it, however, and we're trying a
new location starting tomorrow morning.
We traveled to the northern region of the county recently for a
week, mostly spent driving about to various places and visiting NGOs.
The north is socially, economically, and ecologically quite different
from the south. We concluded the time "up north" with a night in Mole
National Park, framed on either end with walking safaris, during which
we searched in vain for elephants. I alone spotted some elephants in my
dream that night. Maybe my eyes will behold some elephants when I am in
Kenya this January.
God bless,
-Ross, who loves lions.
|
September 29th, 2008
10:14 pm
29 September 2008
Greetings,and may the Lord be with you.
I am having a good time of it here. I recently purchased wireless internet access
for the semester here in the hostel, so I now have more frequent access to
online information and communication— though the connection is usually quite
slow, cannot handle various websites, and often cuts out completely.
I've been spending a lot of time with my Calvin College comrades, going to classes, eating
together, and adventuring around the greater Accra area. We've been in smaller groups to
various markets, a sweet art gallery called The Loom, and a couple of days ago went
to the beach (extraordinary).
This past Wednesday night we all went out together for my birthday, in search of a
Jazz club called Jazz Tones, doing our best to follow a map in my Lonely Planet
West Africa guidebook. After about 45 minutes of public transport and walking
around in the dark, 17 clueless obrunis (white people—actually, only 16 of us are obrunis), we found someone
who led us to the place where Jazz Tones was
a year or two ago. Wow. We laughed, and regrouped. I decided we should try out
the nearby Shangri-La Hotel. It was relatively pricey but well worth it for the
beautiful setting, comfortable accommodations, and nice menu. I had a drink
called "Blue Paradise", and also shared a good quality pizza with a
few others.
The classes I am taking are as follows:
Politics and Development in Africa- really fascinating lectures
Global Democratization- taught by our Calvin professor/program director; my most challenging
class
Culture and People of Ghana- guest-lecturers ~2x per week, plus excursions and various other
cultural experiences
Twi- (pronounced
"chuee") the most prominent of the many local languages
African Drum and Dance- each week we have one session of drumming and one session of dance; we
are learning the various complimentary drum parts for a certain dance, and then
learning various dance moves to go with the music.
I implemented my idea about having a regular morning prayer gathering. It's still
in experimental stages as far a time, content, and especially place are
concerned, but so far it has been going very well. God is present with us each
day. We've been doing it from 7:30am-8am Monday-Friday for six days now, and
there have been one to four other people besides myself each time. At this
point I don't feel comfortable advertising it generally to all residents of the
hostel because there are no good consistent gathering spaces in the hostel to
which I could send people. There is a reading room, where we currently try to
meet, but about half of the time there are people inside studying, leaving us
to improvise a meeting place elsewhere. Please pray we find a good place.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
Shalom,
-Ross
|
09:55 pm
10 Sep. 2008
Greetings from Ghana. May God grant you his peace.
We arrived
here late last Wednesday evening, almost exactly one week ago, after
30+ hours of traveling. We were welcomed by persons from the Kwame
Nkrumah Institute for African Studies, and also given a reception right
away at a nearby hotel by some emissaries and officials from the Ga
West district, with which Grand Rapids has a sister city relationship.
After this we moved into our lodging and slept. Six days of orientation
followed, including various tours around campus and the Accra area, a
Twi lesson, health and safety briefings, and a two-day stay at the
Akrofi Christaller Institute for Theology and Mission. We heard some
excellent lectures on: primary religion and its relationship to
Christianity in Ghana, Christian-Muslim relations in Ghana, and
customs, courtesies, and gender roles in Ghana. Our group, consisting
of 17 Calvin students and 1 Calvin professor, also did some intentional
get-to-know-each-other sort of stuff there.
We are staying in one of the two International Student Hostel
buildings on the Legon Campus of the University of Ghana, which is the
premier university here. I have a Ghanaian roommate whom I have enjoyed
getting to know a little bit in the short time that we have shared a
room together.
I don't believe Ghana is a very imaginable until you have been
here. The same probably goes for any country and continent. I don't
think that I am one who goes into situations with a lot of precise
expectations, but I do find that things here are both more majestic and
more strange to me than I had expected. And perhaps I could say that I
am more of a stranger here than I had expected to be.
One of the most striking things about this place is the dirt. It is
usually a red-orange color, and packs into a firm but somewhat dusty
layer wherever traffic is heavy. Where traffic is not heavy, it
supports lush green grass or thick foliage, either of which tend to
hide it completely, the large termite mounds excepted.
Besides the dirt, there are plenty of other fascinating things--
Legon campus in general, the markets, people carrying things on their
heads, monkeys (I've seen two), cats (amazing as always), foods, water
in bags, trees and plants, the way in which people dress (very well on
campus), and so on.
It has been a warm welcome, and I am enjoying the time very much.
Our group is solid and we seem to be getting on well together. On the
other hand, building relationships with Ghanaians has proved a
challenge, as might be expected in a new place and a different culture.
This is slowing breaking, but especially in the first number of days
when we were traveling in large groups and walking through markets
every day I felt like my engagements with Ghanaians were almost all
primarily matters of economy, because I wear the color of privelege, or
matters of business, because I am new and people get paid to help
orient or serve me.
Another difficulty is names. I seem to have no capacity to recall
Ghanaian names, which I find very maddening. Even those names which I
hear clearly, and repeat over and over both aloud in conversation and
silently in my head, and think I will surely be able to remember, I
cannot recall half a day later. I have made a few good acquaintances,
however, for whom am very grateful.
I am planning on starting up a regular morning prayer opportunity in our hostel. Please pray for me for this.
God is great and beautiful.
Shalom,
-Ross
|
August 29th, 2008
12:12 am - Scattered thoughts
So many thoughts in my head. Obama's speech was extremely persuasive, stirring even. Despite all of the good promises (and most of them are good, or at least sound good- a healthy economy, jobs, affordable education, affordable health care, peace, opportunity, safety, social security) he still is urging us hope in the government, and not in the Lord. O America, I would rather you hope in the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore.
I also doubt that such things as he promises can be delivered.
I also must stand firm with the Church in defending the unborn.
I also don't know that all of his criticisms of Senator McCain and of the present administration are valid.
I dislike rhetoric, because it confuses me. In some ways I am easily swayed. I am empathetic, and I refuse to demonize people. I am compelled to hear people out. Rhetoricians specialize in playing to these traits, and I realize this (education is good for your soul). The good thing about this realization is that it sometimes drives me to seek out the truth about the things people say. The bad thing is that I become cynical about persuasive rhetoric, and end up dismissing most of what I hear, which means it's really hard to rally me to a cause. I don't trust causes. Causes are so often unfaithful. They bend the truth. I don't even trust myself to follow the right cause.
I trust in the Lord. I trust in his Word. To some extent I trust the Catholic Church (inasmuch as it is guided by the Holy Spirit). But what good does that do in the world? How does that reach the government? Scattered thoughts. One vote.
|
May 11th, 2008
10:59 am - The Savior's name
Our Lord and Savior has many names: Christ, Messiah, Jesus, Son of David, Prince of Peace, Lamb of God, Lion of Judah, Good Shepherd, the Word, and so on. So great.
The name "Christ" usually flows most easily out of me when I speak or write. It's a short and beautiful name, and I can easily associate it with the transcendent. However, I have been making an effort to use the name "Jesus" more often, because in my mind it is much more personal and human. It reminds me that Jesus is a man. He's not merely a man, of course, but he is a man. It reminds me that our heavenly Lord is also a historical figure, whom we believe to be God incarnate. Jesus is God. Jesus is Lord of all.
Current Mood: We believe
|
May 4th, 2008
12:24 am
Son Lux show at Calvin (Gezon Auditorium) was ASTONISHINGLY good. One of my favorite concerts of all time, up there with Sufjan Stevens + Anathallo @ Calvin FAC, Project 86 @ Skelletones, and the Psalters @ AAAG.
|
May 3rd, 2008
02:56 pm - A year later, here's the plan
God will carry me through finals and end of school year obligations as if on a breeze. [The "on a breeze" part is a joke-- I don't anticipate a breezy time, but perhaps in hindsight this perspective will seem to have a semblance of truth. Regardless, God will certainly carry me through. (See how convoluted I have become at this moment!)]
The last day of school is May 15th. I help close the dorm on the 16th and celebrate with my friends/coworkers. On the 17th (two weeks from today) I will move to Detroit to live with the Servants of the Word and to participate in the Detroit Summer Outreach program. During this time I will be serving, learning, and living a pretty structured life. I won't have much contact with the outside world except perhaps by mail. This program ends July 25/26, and I have pretty much all of August free. I'll have family vacation, and otherwise will just try to hang out with Jesus, friends, family, books, and cat in Ann Arbor, mostly, while preparing for the fall.
I will leave September 2 to spend the entire fall semester in Ghana (if you don't know where it is, look it up). I'm thinking of staying in Africa through Christmas and New Years and then hooking up with another Calvin-sponsored trip in Kenya.
Spring 2009 will be my last semester at Calvin.
Lord willing.
Our God is merciful.
God grant you his peace,
-Ross, who experiences rain as a joke.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/opiummmm/foxies/indescribable.gif) indescribable
Current Music: Son Lux (check him out), Yann Tiersen
|
March 1st, 2008
02:30 pm
I have recently heard it said that a person's strength is not that activity which the person is good at, but rather that activity which makes to the person feel strong, that which keeps the person's attention, the activity for which the person feels like she or he is made.
For me to "feel strong" is to feel within me God's strength at work.
God be with you all,
-Ross, who has recently been discovering the the value of "library."
Current Mood: indescribable
|
January 3rd, 2008
07:36 pm
I think perhaps I will start a journal (the paper sort). Writing helps me be more ready to speak, and to speak well; and I certainly need what help I can get when it comes speaking with people. It also helps me connect with God, and gain a coherent-ish perspective on what is happening in life. Because I tend to see life as randomly placed bits of track that no meta-train (story) could honestly and coherently follow, I tend to have difficulty talking about life, or even drawing stories from it. I don't remember stories, I remember events. I pray that you would be greatly blessed. God came and dwelt among us.
Current Music: Vineyard, The Chariot
|
November 25th, 2007
04:38 pm - Autumn
Autumn is a beautiful time in which to live. I delight when there is a strong wind pressing on my face and stirring through my hair. I've really enjoyed the leaves. If you come by my room you'll see I have a small collection of them displayed under my antique bench-table. I took a half-semester long soccer course earlier this fall, which was a /great/ blessing; and now I'm taking Folk/Square Dance, with a bit of swing instruction also interspersed in the course. God does a pretty good job with the skies. I always find them pretty helpful, pretty lifting. I've experienced kittens and cat as great joy. Kittens are easier to share.
School is a blessing, though I have to /choose/ to say that, because it can be painful at the same time, learning how (literally) slow I am, how inept sometimes to get things done well, being and/or feeling perpetually behind, always knowing there's more I could/should be doing; but it's great! knowing God who works through weak souls, and who by his grace has prospered me thus far (ebenezer, thank you), whom I can always trust (may he grace me to remember). It's a cool process. Plus school is fascinating, and I am gaining knowledge.
RAing has been a similar sort of blessing. It's a great life, and I'm enjoying it, though I could/should be doing two to eight times better.
Below are some selected thoughts that I wrote down this Autumn.
Dative
Be warmth and light
in my frail body.
Be warmth and light
in my eyes and in my heart.
Be warmth and light
in my decisions (my comings, my goings, my travels)
for your sake and for your glory.
The back side of a leaf is sometimes shiny.
The wind the leaves the coolness
lights me
and I am free, or a tree?
He likes me.
Joy is beautiful, [because] joy unshared is no joy at all.
It is God's delight to share his joy with us.
There is no real joy on earth that is not shared at the very least with God almighty.
Every joy is multiplied in it's proper sharing (particularly when it is intentionally shared), and every true joy is disposed to sharing.
"We can trust the Father's heart." -Mary Hulst
Lord, I can't love all people unless Your Spirit empowers me, and I sure as hell can't love anybody well without your grace.
You're the initiator...
make me to be like you (an initiator).
"Call me outside"
somehow, make my existence
to dwell in your beauty
[in] your presence [to delight]
I love you
Current Mood: indescribable
Current Music: Foxhole
|
October 20th, 2007
05:03 pm
Kitties are crazy beautiful.
They are held, and receive affection well. They sleep and play and try hard.
We the bride,
His desire is for us. He loves us, unwaveringly.
Current Music: Son Lux, Danielson
|
March 27th, 2007
06:23 pm - Here's the plan
In the next month or so I'll be making some major decisions. (That is, I'll be choosing a major.)
The last day of school is May 15th, after which I'll spend a few weeks in the deuce.
This summer I'll be a Storybrook Counselor at SpringHill camp in Evart, MI, working with 1st-3rd graders. I start training June 8th and finish up at camp August 10th or 11th.
Next school year I will be an RA in the dorms here at Calvin (specifically in the Noordewier-Vanderwerp dorm complex). Training starts Monday, August 13th.
Maybe I'll play tennis or badminton or foosball occasionally.
That's that.
God, I commit all these things to you. (You know how I need you.)
All glory to God in the highest.
Shalom,
-Ross
|
February 25th, 2007
12:53 am
For a service auction in my dorm a guy on my floor sold a dinner at his parents' home, which a good friend and I purchased for $30. Both of the parents are professors at Calvin, and one of them I have had a class with, and have established somewhat of a relationship with. The friend I went in on with for it is an extraordinary man of God, and one of the few people here with whom I feel a deep spiritual connection. He and I have had similar experiences or church, similar attitudes toward college, and most importantly we've both experienced God, and have been entirely changed because of him. When he expresses an opinion my gut response is almost always, "exactly." I don't know if there's anything he's said around me with which I really disagreed. He's passionate about God and centers his life on him. Not that we hang out all that much or know each other super well. I just feel a connection with him because he knows and loves God.
So the two of us had this dinner at these two professors' house tonight. It was an extraordinary, wonderful, beautiful time; it could not have gone better. It was a delight to connect and share with them. The Lord answered my prayer to bring the conversation around to Himself. Both my friend and I were able to share about our experiences with and passion for God. The two professors were in a short time able to extract (and understand) more quality information about me and my life than most people can in weeks or months of knowing me. I really appreciated that. I have this (albeit selfish and probably inordinate) desire to be known. (Not so very many people know me well, especially at Calvin.) Anyhow, it was a great blessing to me. We also spent a goodly amount of time talking and laughing about life and culture in western Michigan and at Calvin College. The food was elaborately prepared and fantastic. There was something about the smallness, family/household setting, gracious and expert hospitality, Christ-centeredness, maturity, and Christian care present during our time there that made it an experience of the Kingdom of God on earth. Praise God.
Thank you Jesus.
|
January 16th, 2007
12:31 am - Going to sleep
Saturday night lying in bed I had one of the most profound spiritual experiences. My roommates and I had just prayed together, "goodnight my brothers," and I had subsequently finished saying my own prayers and gotten in bed. I began wondering at God. A very short time had passed when my roommate came over in the dark, touched my arm, and said to me, "God bless you."
"God be with you as well."
"You're a beautiful, beautiful person. I really admire you."
I wanted to reciprocate somehow, but didn't know what to say. "Thanks, B."
He went to bed, and I wondered all the more at God, who can make things beautiful. And I laid there and adored him and loved him and trusted him, and I gave everything over to him with deep joy and a vast peace. I reveled in this state, in the love and grace of my maker, turned on my side, "Jesus I trust in you," and I fell asleep.
D. Williamson prayed for this for me. Even for a while before he prayed for this for me I have had great joy in going to sleep. It has been such a wonderful and profound time of surrender and trust in the Gracious One who sustains, even as I demonstrate my own weakness, being helpless and needy of rest (which I do not deserve). And I am always humbled before God as I pray before bed, and am racked with such desire for him, even though I so much fail to (seek to) fulfill that desire with His presence during the day each day. But such desire! and he is so good! and he yet lavishes me with his grace- it's amazing. I trust in him. He is faithful! and he sustains me. The last thing I do is to look at Jesus and say, "Jesus I trust in you."
Going to sleep is such a wonderful thing. And I'm pretty sure Saturday night was the most wonderful such experience I've ever had. Thanks B. for your kind word. Thanks D. for your prayer. Thank you Lord for your great love!
"grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace
grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace grace"
-The Chariot
Love,
-Ross
Current Mood: indescribable
|
January 3rd, 2007
09:01 pm
I am so delighted to be back in school. Today I simply reveled in the times I had in class and lecture and seminar.
God teach me to be a servant and a friend and a blessing on this floor and in this dorm. Oh, and in class as well. You are glorious.
|
November 11th, 2006
05:08 pm - Life
"I am come that they may have life, and they they may have it more abundantly" John 10:10
There you have it.
This life is so precious a gift.
Thanks be to God.
Current Mood: indescribable
|
October 22nd, 2006
04:56 pm
En generale,
things have been good.
My parents came out Friday: Ice cream, Improv show, chat, retire, Saturday, bookstore, lunch, Saugatuck, hike, dinner, Fall Music Festival, Fish House, prayer together!, goodbye
Prayer together: I feel like I have never been connected with my parents on a spiritual level, despite our mutual love of God, so this was somewhat of a breakthrough. Praise God!
Foosball: Like last year, it has taken a while to get a feel for who on my floor and in my dorm was interested in (and decent at) playing foosball. I've been pleasantly surprised to find a number of folks on my floor are pretty decent, and fun to play. One person in particular is more than decent. After having played a few hours with him, and him having had the chance to get used to the table and to learn a few things from me, he seems to have surpassed me. Two times ago, I won five out of six games. Last night, he won three out of four games (one of the games he won 10-2). This is exciting. I saw it coming, but perhaps not so quickly as all of that.
School: Sort of rough in that I feel like I almost always need to be pushing back one or two courses in order to work on the other one or two, thus leaving me perpetually behind. It is a good exercise for me, however, since it keeps me relying on and trusting in the Lord for all of my academic work, making up for me where I lack.
Future (in terms of school): In the next 8 days I have to choose classes for next semester.I'm thinking: Greek 102, some PE class like tennis, badminton, volleyball, dancing, bowling, something like that. Chem 104? My parents think I ought to take it. What else? I don't know.
Future (in terms of major/career/life): Science? Social Science? Humanities? Parkour? Ministry? Missionary? Doctor? Professor?
You run ahead
I'll follow behind.
You see the game-plan
ahead of time.
Vision is yours.
Excitement is mine.
Let's have our hand in hand
all the time, the time.
-Danielson, "Animal in Every Corner"
God bless,
-Ross, whose hope is in this: He has won.
Current Music: Danielson, Katinas, Third Day, Sufjan Stevens, Danielson
|
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
foosforchrist's journal