Thankful4

Abundant Leaves

God of Cana feast and autumn reaping
Your children blessed with gifts unceasing
Daily your presence near; great thanks we give
Joyful, in your pastures, we ever live.

4 tales of strangers who became my neighbors today

1. Bus Companion—We’ll call him Eric. As we rode the otherwise empty S bus from the hospital parking deck to the business school, Eric told our bus driver how much he appreciated her, and how patient bus drivers have to be to endure routes filled with construction and sometimes grumpy passengers. Then, he just asked me how I was, how my day was going so far. And I asked about his day, what was in store for him. We parted with one of the most sincere “have a nice days” I’ve ever heard.
2. UNC Professor—We’ll call him Paul. I got a call from Paul mid-morning, asking for assistance setting up a new computer. When I arrived, he made a point of making me feel welcome in his office. He even cracked a few bad jokes for my benefit, a pleasant change from the stressed graduate student I had just finished helping. He was gracious when I was unable to solve all his problems, and thanked me for my effort. Later that afternoon, I was walking to main campus, late for a meeting, when Paul pulled along side me to say thank you, and asked if I wanted a lift. I am thankful for Paul’s kind and generous personality, as well as his lead foot.
3. Senior Administrator—We’ll call him Dean. A busy man with a lot to do took the time to shoot the breeze during lunch.
4. BJ the Great —We’ll call her BJ the Great, since that is how she introduced herself. BJ works at the ID card office at UNC, and I came to fix a misspelling on my work ID card. She took my picture, made my new ID card, and as I was about to walk out the door, she told me she liked the way I pronounced things. She asked what I was majoring in, and then what I planned to do with a degree in philosophy. My response about going to seminary led to a 20 minute conversation about her experiences growing up in the faith, her favorite sermon ever, and her disgust at the hypocrisy she sees in so many churches, including her own. BJ the Great is well aware of the log in her eye, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t see the speck in your eye too. “You should leave church with your feet hurting” she told me, “cause God should have stepped on your toes a little.” Who knew spunky grandmotherly prophets worked at Carolina?

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Thankful for a new pair of eyes

Hail Gladdening Light

Above, gentle gladdening light
The lesser orb to rule the night
Fields and trees join in the song
Tranquil till the coming dawn

1. Celtic Daily Prayer–Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote that ‘the renewal of the church will come from a new type of monasticism.” The folks at the Northumbria Community seek the Lord in just this type of radical, intentional community.
2. The Valley of Vision–Best Puritan prayer book I’ve every read; I never leave home without it. Always a great source of spiritual helps.
3. Anthony DeMello–This Jesuit priest and practicing psychologist has taught me an awful lot recently about how I let things determine my happiness. The process of discovering my programming and eliminating my attachments has been tough, but it is worth it. Of all the books my Dad has given me, those of Father DeMello may be the best.
4. The Practice Of The Presence Of God–Brother Lawrence  helped me to see that you can wash dishes to the glory of God and how to “live as if there was none but He and I in the world.”

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On this Thanksgiving Day, “In the Lord, I’ll be ever thankful, in the Lord I will rejoice…”

1. Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts–I really don’t know what I would do without them; part of my new emphasis on efficiency and GTD.
2. OpenDNS–Best browsing related decision I’ve made in a long time.
3. StrongLift–Part of my exercise routine for the summer. Along with listening to this guy.
4. Honors Program @ UNC-Even if they didn’t invite me in when I first came to Carolina, they have graciously allowed me to take PHIL 110H in the fall.

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Also thankful for gainful employment. Or at least the gainful part…

1. UNC Honor Court–We’re all about student self-governance at Carolina. And even if I won’t be playing The Instrument this year, I’m so very thankful we have it.
2. Sub Free Learning Community–My home at college; Joyner is where it’s at. And I’ll be coordinatin’ it all next year.
3. Tech and Web Committee of Student Government–Don’t get me wrong, I love Academic Affairs, but everybody agrees that T&W is the coolest committee in E-Branch.
4. InterVarsity-Special shout out to the Kenan Community Co-Ed small group!

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Also thankful for sleep, which he will be enjoying momentarily. Morning is his destination.

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1. Letters to the Editor (Vol II)–And I’m not talking about the back page of The Daily Tar Heel. Andrew Osenga’s second EP of songs co-written/conceived/produced/funded by his loyal fans.
2. Google Calendar–College is busy, and without GCal, I would very literally not know where to go everyday.
3. YouTube–It can be a waste of time, but it lets me see and hear some of my favorite people whenever I want. Special thanks to Gene Galin for making these videos, and a whole lot more, available for Chatham County and beyond. Vote Galin for School Board!
4. Emergen-C-I’m confident this stuff is one of the main reasons I kicked my cold in just a weekend. Try it sometime!

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Also thankful for the beautiful weather today. Fall is here friends.

1. Joyner Hall–So, so much better than Craige, which is where I was originally assigned to live. Joyner has A/C, bigger rooms, nicer furniture, and is substance free to boot! The coolest feature of my new dorm however, is the same as the key principal of real estate: location, location, location.
   

   Prime location of my new home at Carolina.

   I’m now much, much closer to all my classes, the dinning hall, the libraries, the student stores, and the student union. And more importantly, closer to my friends.

2. Upperclassmen–I won’t name them hear without their permission, but they know who they are. What a wonderful source of inside information, tours, tips, tricks, and helpful connections. Made my first day on campus a whole lot easier. I really don’t know what I’d do without them.
3. capCap–Best accessory for my Nalgene. Ever.
4. MySpace.com–This one makes the list only because of the fact that Sandra McCracken has songs from her new album up for your listening pleasure. I’ve already pre-ordered my copy of Red Balloon and am anxiously awaiting September 30th. “Lock and Key” is an early favorite. More tunes from the WebbCrackens here.

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Also thankful for his family, for helping him move in, and for just being his family. Mom, Dad, and Matt–I love you guys. Just don’t turn my room into a storage closet

1. NearlyFreeSpeech.NET–Thankful4′s hosting provider of choice. Great service at an even better price.
2. WordPress–Thankful4′s blogging platform of choice. Wonderful software, fully customizable, and great development community.
3. GoDaddy.com–Thankful4′s domain registrar of choice. I’m not crazy about the company’s commercials, but they’ve got excellent customer service and nice features.
4. Showers–The idea for Thankful4 came to me with shampoo in my hair.

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Also thankful for the beautiful weather this morning: 55 @ RDU.