kill your tv!

Ok, I participated in the discussion panel for KCTS Connects earlier this evening. Even though I was such a nervous train wreck, I believe I had enough steam to get through it! It was such an amazing and humbling experience to be in the presence of such experienced and eloquent panelists. I just hope that I was able to advance rather than impede the discussion with my simple comments. Thanks to everyone for all your encouragement! I have the segment recorded on video, so if you want to make fun of me while watching, give me a call!

"campus-min" style

Rollie & Josh, I think it's really great that both of you two will going on the Search retreat! I wish I could Search again to hang out at Camp Don Bosco with you two, but please know that my prayers will be with you both on that weekend.

Overall, a great day today... learned some stuff, worked a little, celebrated my birthday "campus-min" style, hung out with friends... I am bummed though that I'll be missing the PIE meeting tomorrow. I'll miss you dears dearly! If you bite your lip at the meeting, you'll know why. I offer my apologies in advance!

in good company

Yay! Finally, I saw Josh today! He turned in his Search application into campus min while Jeff & I were breaking bread together. Woo hoo! Josh, I think it's great that you're going on this retreat. Wish I could go again and retreat with you!

After Josh left, Jeff & I had a discussion about the papacy and God's calling for our lives. Jeff, thanks for sharing your insights! I enjoyed our conversation and hope to return to it in the near future. Also, for those of you who haven't heard, check Mr. Jeff Ryan out in the Seattle Times!

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pope/
2002229483_localpopelegacy03m.html

a void left, a mark left

Today at mass, we celebrated the Anunciation and held a memorial for Pope John Paul II. It was a liturgy of mixed emotions with the joyful herald of Christ and with the sorrowful departure of the pope's soul. Even though much joy can still be derived in that the pope now joins the honored of God's paradise, I nevertheless feel a void. Having been born in the year of three popes, I have only really known one vicar of Christ. I know now that whenever the title of "pope" is to be invoked, I will first & predominantly see one face. No matter how hard you try to conceive a rose by another name, the image associated with that name has been burned into your mind.

My blessings go with you, Holy Father. We carry your mark upon our faith and upon our spirits. Thank you for being such a solid foundation.

Whew!

Talk about close calls today! I was working on the PIE website and updating some files earlier. Fortunately, I had backed up the directory onto the desktop of my home network because Kat's computer, the laptop on which I was working, crashed for the second time!

Rolls & Tiff: Sorry about missing out on the conference. Hope it was fun!
G, Sheila, & Ryan: Great seeing you at the evening mass. (G, welcome back from the retreat!)
Carla: How was dinner with the boys and the fam?
Josh: Dude, where are you these days! =)
Hong: Hope you're not working too hard at Starbuck's over the weekends!

Beginnings

As we begin this spring quarter and as we near our depature date, I can't help but think of the opening prayer read at the first general meeting.

"Above all, trust in the slow work of God… your ideas mature gradually – let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste… Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense & incomplete."
~ Fr. Pierre Teilhard DeChardin, S.J.

It has indeed been a long journey, and that "slow work of God" has been taking shape! Much has been accomplished, and much still needs to be done. With each day now, I increasingly feel that anxiety of suspense and incompletion. However, I trust that God continues to hold our hands, and that feeling manifest itself most in the presence of you, my amazing PIE family and my wonderful friends of PIE. When I'm with you, I see Christ shining from your spirit. Just like the parable of the mustard seed, we have been nurturing the seeds of the kingdom of God within each of us for over a year, and as I write this entry, I can hardly contain the happiness I feel while reveling in those forests we've grown thus far! Thank you so much for embracing the anxiety with me! In your embrace, I have found community through friendship through love.