It’s something else.
Had a stimulating discussion w/ the team @rooseveltcc about mental illness in the Northwest and how getting healthy becomes almost like a full-time job for those with mental illness. If I am candid enough I can say that I understand this, partially. I’ve suffered from depression and anxiety attacks since as early as 13, sitting in the middle school boys room hunched over, beset by some strange overwhelming, irrational sensation. Since then I would have 2 more major “episodes”, one in college and one post-college, which averages out to one every 4 years or so. The last time I had a depressive episode was Read more…
We had a discussion among our staff about the art of Makoto Fujimura this morning. He’s a New Yorker. He’s a Greenwich Village artist (my old haunting grounds back in the day @ Parsons School of Design). He’s asian (yay!) And he’s a Christian. So it intrigued me to watch an emerging figure who represents two worlds I inhabit, as an Asian-American as well as a Christian within the arts. So I did some homework only to find this little endorsement here to the left that he receives from CT mag, and to find out that he’s received some accolade from some great sources. See his blog here and professional page here. So I’m thrilled for this guy who is making a statement in numerous ways – as an urbanite, a religious person, an ethnic person – just thrilled. But the one question that seemed to echo in our group was: Read more…
This from a friend, pastor Jonita (Jay) Johnson: Read more…
I was listening to some radio preacher here in VA and thinking “preaching is so different out here compared to the west coast”. It was refreshing, until I realized it was John MacArthur. Isn’t he from LA?
At any rate, whenever I return to the Big Apple I see the pointed differences between East and West sides. A decade has changed me. People dress differently, even to church, think differently, work differently (you can’t get by on a single-income in metro NY). Music tastes are different. I won’t go into the nuances but one of the things I’ve noticed is even the theology – it would seem people on the east coast are more grounded, erudite, and historically educated on things theological, whether Arminian or Reformed, but especially the latter. Any West coasters beg to differ?
Back in NY for a few weeks.
Been feeling the nostalgia of the day I left home back in 2000. The above song was all I listened to at the time. Looking back, leaving was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. Like I related in sermon last Sunday, when faith came back to me after the confusing years, it came in force attached w/ an “irrational pull westward”. I looked as far as China, ended up landing in Seattle. And then Bellingham. But back home in NY reminds me of the things that I miss most as well as the reasons why I left in the first place. To this day it remains in the top 2 or 3 hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. How about you? Have you “left” home? How difficult was it? Were you the prodigal, or the sojourner, or the exile?
Big in WA state right now is the convo on physician-assisted suicide.
It’s kind of amazing that I live in a state now that is actually considering the legalized suicide thing; I believe OR is the only state to have approved this and no wonder; we share a border with them. Still; I know we’re progressive and all, but is WA ready for Initiative 1000? Read more…
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