Wow, I nearly cried when I saw the pictures Birgitta sent of her and Emil. Sweden looks like a winter wonderland right now. Her wedding will be on July 30. Since they chose a summer wedding, I guess I won't get to see snow in the Nordic countryland. But I was there last July. I like Sweden's long sun intense days.

Imagine having to plan your wedding around the harvest time and the calves being born. Ah well, I'd probably plan mine around final examinations.

Cherio!

More of Emil's Pics

I heard a joke that Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America. It's a shame but true. On examining my own heart, I know there is a lot of resentment and distrust.

As complicated as my feelings are and the whole racial situation is, I realized that I need to pray about it. I've been in a whirlwind of emotions, but God is so much bigger than that. Tonight I was reading Romans and I nearly jumped when I saw this verse:

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

I've seen this verse so many times. But that one sentence caught me by surprise. The whole passage reads:

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy." (Romans 15)

This was written during the time of the Roman empire. The Jewish nation was being occupied; I really can't imagine the division between the Jews and Gentiles. I don't know if it's the same as the division we have today. But God accepts us all through Christ - so we should accept each other.

Most importantly, the spirit of unity will come from a God who also desires to give us endurance and encourage us. It's really amazing that I was reminded of this passage tonight.

Cherio!

Last summer, I visited my friend in Sweden. She grew up on a dairy farm, and we spent an evening at her parents' farm.



I love the history of an old country like Sweden. We visited castles with moats and jousting arenas. Birgitta's a musician for the Swedish church and she played for a wedding. They didn't even need to decorate the church very much. It already looked like a fairy tale.



She just got engaged herself. I can't wait to see her married. She's the happiest person I know. I can't imagine her on her wedding day.

More Swedish Pics

I'm trying to watch a scary movie. Well, scary for me. I won't say the name because you'll laugh at me. I've been trying to watch this movie for the past week. But I literally keep stopping it at scary parts and going off and doing something else. I was waiting for my cousins to come over and finish it with me, but they're two hours past when they said they'd get here, and I was bored so I watched ten more minutes. But I couldn't keep watching. It helps to watch scary movies and do lubrication (fluids) problems at the same time. But it's starting to get dark. Ahhh.. :-(

This is creepy, I think I'll find out where my cousins are.

Cherio!

For years, I've had an idea to open a school and be a teacher for kids who are being "left behind." Baltimore is a good example of a place where that is happening. The exciting thing is that two days ago I actually stumbled on a program that coordinates volunteering for several Title 1 schools in the area. I talked to someone at one of the schools and visited today.

It was like stepping into a different world. Most of the kids' families are at poverty level so they give out free snacks. You don't see parents picking the kids up, they just walk off after school or grandparents/guardians pick them up. Yet right behind the school is the wealthiest areas in the city -- who's kids go to private schools.

Anyway, I'm going to start tutoring in some after school programs next week. I'm so looking forward to it. To be honest, it's a relief to leave Hopkins and go there. I always feel angry when I drive through the neighborhood on my way to Hopkins. It's not fair.

This afternoon, I was sitting in my car under a tree when a little squirrel came up with a wrapped mini hershey’s chocolate bar in his mouth. He ran up the tree and sat on a low branch, held it in his paws and started chewing at the top of the candy bar with the rest still wrapped. So cute.