The All Seminary Council picked the theme of "Unity" as Fuller's focus and commitment for the 2005-2006 school year. They are focusing on unity over three areas, fall quarter is racial and ethnic unity and this winter quarter is theological and denominational unity.
Coming to LA from the Southeast was a culture shock as I was confronted with a much wider spectrum of races and ethnicities than I had ever encountered in Richmond. LA has been called a "city of minorities." One of the reasons I choose Fuller Seminary was because of the racial and ethnic diversity. However as I had spent a few weeks here I realized that increased numbers does not equal reconciliation.
This Wednesday assistant dean of Fuller's Hispanic Studies Program, Juan Martinez, spoke at All Seminary Chapel. Using John's vision of heaven in Revelation 7:9-17, Martinez challenged the faculty, staff and students at Fuller to dream God's dream about reconciliation in the world, more specifically Los Angeles and even more specifically at Fuller.
"...A great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb..."
Martinez said that there is not a "Melting Pot" vision in heaven but instead each culture is worshipping God in its distinctiveness intermingled with other cultures worshipping in their distinctiveness. He asked how can we dream about the present racial and ethnic situation with the future in mind? Is it a problem or an opportunity?
Monday, January 30, 2006
Monday, January 16, 2006
narnia, chocolate fountains, the 80s, koreatown, and crittle!
While I've written several posts since I've been back in CA, I don't think I've said yet that I'm really glad to be back. During our first day of classes during the Wednesday chapel I realized how blessed I am to be at such an amazing school, with brilliant professors, with the friendships that are continuing to develop. There have been lots of fun times that I haven't posted about so here are some pictures and stories from some of those times...
Sarah, me, Sophie, Denise, and Rebecca at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. The El Capitan Theatre is owned by Disney and whatever Disney movie is out at the box office is featured at the El Capitan. Right now, it is Narnia! If y'all haven't seen Narnia, I highly recommend it--it is the first story-The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. The El Capitan had all kinds of special effects including snow falling inside the actual theatre during the movie! There was also a tour of props and costumes from Narnia after the movie. The theatre was decked out with minature versions of the frozen statues and monsters heads--way cool stuff. I still can't get over the fact I live down the road from Hollywood--so crazy!
So my roommate is a little crazy at times and bought a chocolate fountain. Yes, I thought she was nuts at first but after our chocolate fountain party I realized what a smart girl she truly is. Is there anything more fun than dipping marshmallows after stawberries after peanut butter covered preztels in chocolate? Mmm! We had a lot of the girls in our apartment complex over for a huge chocolate fountain fest. So yummy! This is a picture of Emily admiring her chocolate fountain.
Happy 25th Sophie! As Sophie turned a quarter of a century, we had to celebrate in style--80's movies style that is! I realized that I really don't remember a whole lot from the 80's considering I was only 7 when the 80's ended. I found this fabulous hat and was going to be Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman until I was informed that was made in the 90's. Convinced I had to wear that hat, Sarah, Sophie, and Crittle helped turn me into Bette Midler from Big Business. This picture is of me, Sarah from Pretty in Pink, and Becca from Revenge of the Nerds.
Koreatown! One of the best meals I have ever had--Dan showed us the ropes of Koreatown. We went to a fabulous Korean BBQ place where the waiters continuously brought out more food than I've ever seen in my life. We then went to a Korean ice cream place and then strolled around Koreatown to walk off our full bellies. In the picture--Crittle, Paul, Steffi, Alicia, me, Marie, and Dan.
While I love my new life in Cali I miss my Spiders! Crittle stopped by to visit for a couple of days on her way back to Berkeley. We had a blast catching up, exploring the city a bit, chilling, and of course some Crittle cooking lessons. She made the amazing dish below from the random ingrediants she found in my fridge. I walked back from class to a homemade dinner--it was amazing! It was also amazing to hang out out with one of my favorite senior girls and share where life has taken us in the last couple of months...thanks for visiting Crittle!
Sarah, me, Sophie, Denise, and Rebecca at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. The El Capitan Theatre is owned by Disney and whatever Disney movie is out at the box office is featured at the El Capitan. Right now, it is Narnia! If y'all haven't seen Narnia, I highly recommend it--it is the first story-The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. The El Capitan had all kinds of special effects including snow falling inside the actual theatre during the movie! There was also a tour of props and costumes from Narnia after the movie. The theatre was decked out with minature versions of the frozen statues and monsters heads--way cool stuff. I still can't get over the fact I live down the road from Hollywood--so crazy!
So my roommate is a little crazy at times and bought a chocolate fountain. Yes, I thought she was nuts at first but after our chocolate fountain party I realized what a smart girl she truly is. Is there anything more fun than dipping marshmallows after stawberries after peanut butter covered preztels in chocolate? Mmm! We had a lot of the girls in our apartment complex over for a huge chocolate fountain fest. So yummy! This is a picture of Emily admiring her chocolate fountain. 
Happy 25th Sophie! As Sophie turned a quarter of a century, we had to celebrate in style--80's movies style that is! I realized that I really don't remember a whole lot from the 80's considering I was only 7 when the 80's ended. I found this fabulous hat and was going to be Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman until I was informed that was made in the 90's. Convinced I had to wear that hat, Sarah, Sophie, and Crittle helped turn me into Bette Midler from Big Business. This picture is of me, Sarah from Pretty in Pink, and Becca from Revenge of the Nerds. 
Koreatown! One of the best meals I have ever had--Dan showed us the ropes of Koreatown. We went to a fabulous Korean BBQ place where the waiters continuously brought out more food than I've ever seen in my life. We then went to a Korean ice cream place and then strolled around Koreatown to walk off our full bellies. In the picture--Crittle, Paul, Steffi, Alicia, me, Marie, and Dan. 
While I love my new life in Cali I miss my Spiders! Crittle stopped by to visit for a couple of days on her way back to Berkeley. We had a blast catching up, exploring the city a bit, chilling, and of course some Crittle cooking lessons. She made the amazing dish below from the random ingrediants she found in my fridge. I walked back from class to a homemade dinner--it was amazing! It was also amazing to hang out out with one of my favorite senior girls and share where life has taken us in the last couple of months...thanks for visiting Crittle!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
don't rain on my parade!!
Every since I can remember I watched the Rose Bowl Parade on television New Year's Day. This year I was very excited to go to the parade because it is held in Pasadena--where I live! I flew back to Pasadena on the 31st. As my plane was descending in the LA area, the pilot announced the weather as 55 degrees and rain. I was sitting in an aisle seat and thought the pilot was joking--it doesn't rain in LA! After three weeks on the East Coast I was dreaming of walking around in my flip flops in sunshine. It was raining the 31st and did not stop. I woke up at 6am on the 2nd dressed in the most rain-proof clothes I have out here (not much...I don't even have an umbrella!). I talked with the friends I was going with and we were all still game--determined the parade would be fun in the rain! Starting at 7am we stood on Colorado Blvd across from the Super Target waiting for the parade to begin. We were about 1/5th into the parade route so we didn't see the parade until 8:30am even though it started at 8am. The floats were breathtaking--made with all natural ingrediants. The bands were fun to listen to and awesome to see most of the country and various parts of the world represented.
Then the rain started coming down hard. And harder. And harder. 3 hours into the parade we had stopped chatting, stopped taking pictures, and stopped being dry at all. Every inch of our bodies were sopping wet. I stood in the gutter as my feet were completly covered in rushing water--the water covering made my feet warmer. The saddest part about the rain was watching the flag girls. Some groups only had on leotards and no umbrellas. Some girls were diligently marching along forcing a smile as they cried in the rain. The entire parade route was 5 miles long--I don't know how they made it all the way! The first time in 51 years that it had rained on the Rose Parade. All in all I'm glad I went, it was a lot of fun--although I'm not going next year unless it is warm and sunny! Major, major props to all those who marched in the Rose Parade
this year!
Part of the group that went--before the parade started
Look at the amazing detail on the floats--absolutely beautiful! This was the "Rain Bird" float-hehe very appropriate
Notice th
at the rain is completely covering our feet.
Towards the end some of the floats started to break down--first one: The Disney float!
I don't this the picture capture how wet and cold it was--but here is sophie and I--I couldn't move to push the hair out of my face.
Then the rain started coming down hard. And harder. And harder. 3 hours into the parade we had stopped chatting, stopped taking pictures, and stopped being dry at all. Every inch of our bodies were sopping wet. I stood in the gutter as my feet were completly covered in rushing water--the water covering made my feet warmer. The saddest part about the rain was watching the flag girls. Some groups only had on leotards and no umbrellas. Some girls were diligently marching along forcing a smile as they cried in the rain. The entire parade route was 5 miles long--I don't know how they made it all the way! The first time in 51 years that it had rained on the Rose Parade. All in all I'm glad I went, it was a lot of fun--although I'm not going next year unless it is warm and sunny! Major, major props to all those who marched in the Rose Parade
this year!
Part of the group that went--before the parade started
Look at the amazing detail on the floats--absolutely beautiful! This was the "Rain Bird" float-hehe very appropriate
Notice th
at the rain is completely covering our feet.Towards the end some of the floats started to break down--first one: The Disney float!
I don't this the picture capture how wet and cold it was--but here is sophie and I--I couldn't move to push the hair out of my face.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
"Home"
"You know that point in your life when you realize that the house that you grew up in isn't really your home anymore? All of the sudden even though you have some place where you can put your stuff that idea of home is gone... it just sort of happens one day one day and it's just gone. And you can never get it back. It's like you get homesick for a place that doesn't exist. I mean it's like this rite of passage, you know." --Garden State
I liked this quote when I first heard it spoken in Garden State but after the past couple of weeks on the East Coast, I like it even more. On Dec. 10th I flew into Richmond, VA. The very next day I went to Third Pres (my home church) and was welcomed by many! It was wonderful to be in a church that I was familar with after attending a different church nearly every Sunday in CA. After church I headed to University of Richmond to watch a basketball ball game and hang out with some of my favorite people. It was a whirlwind of seeing 20+ people in the course of a few hours after being on a different side of the country just 12 hours earlier. As I began to feel the tiredness of the time difference I realized that I love Richmond and the people in it--but it isn't where I'm suposed to be right now. Richmond was too comfortable...CA is not comfortable at all, but it is my new "home."
That idea was confirmed over and over again throughout my 3 weeks in Richmond. I went to Moe's (mmm...love that queso!) and Starbucks in those 3 weeks hanging out with different people more than I've been to those places in the last year. From high school friends to friends still at UR to the youth group I grew up with to UR grads and even reunions with extended family I was overwhelmed with extreme socialness after the anti-socialness of finals. Despite being exhausted, I loved seeing everyone.
While the social idea of "home" was expanded, the physical location of my "home" also changed over break as my parents moved from the house I had lived in over 10 years. Much of my break was spent first packing and then unpacking the many boxes of my parents' stuff. Their new house is beautiful and I'm very happy for them.
Thank you to all the Richmonders for a fabulous break!
Here are some of my Christmas break pictures:
My adorable cousins: Robert and Catherine
Reunion with my Dad's sister family
My parents new house!
High school friends: Ashley, Amanda, Alice, me
Moore Hall Staff Reunion: Tiffany, Fiona, me, Courtney, Christin
I liked this quote when I first heard it spoken in Garden State but after the past couple of weeks on the East Coast, I like it even more. On Dec. 10th I flew into Richmond, VA. The very next day I went to Third Pres (my home church) and was welcomed by many! It was wonderful to be in a church that I was familar with after attending a different church nearly every Sunday in CA. After church I headed to University of Richmond to watch a basketball ball game and hang out with some of my favorite people. It was a whirlwind of seeing 20+ people in the course of a few hours after being on a different side of the country just 12 hours earlier. As I began to feel the tiredness of the time difference I realized that I love Richmond and the people in it--but it isn't where I'm suposed to be right now. Richmond was too comfortable...CA is not comfortable at all, but it is my new "home."
That idea was confirmed over and over again throughout my 3 weeks in Richmond. I went to Moe's (mmm...love that queso!) and Starbucks in those 3 weeks hanging out with different people more than I've been to those places in the last year. From high school friends to friends still at UR to the youth group I grew up with to UR grads and even reunions with extended family I was overwhelmed with extreme socialness after the anti-socialness of finals. Despite being exhausted, I loved seeing everyone.
While the social idea of "home" was expanded, the physical location of my "home" also changed over break as my parents moved from the house I had lived in over 10 years. Much of my break was spent first packing and then unpacking the many boxes of my parents' stuff. Their new house is beautiful and I'm very happy for them.
Thank you to all the Richmonders for a fabulous break!
Here are some of my Christmas break pictures:
My adorable cousins: Robert and Catherine
Reunion with my Dad's sister family
My parents new house!
High school friends: Ashley, Amanda, Alice, me
Moore Hall Staff Reunion: Tiffany, Fiona, me, Courtney, Christin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
