Maybe I'm too naive, but...

I really like that this guy, Tim Tebow, is using his success for a good thing. He's now a star for the Florida Gators, but he was raised by missionary parents in the Philippines, and he has used his success to raise money for an orphanage there. The story is here.

Well, I did something

Okay, whew, it's not quite a week since I last posted, so I don't have to endure the eye rolling, haha. Well, maybe I do...I didn't quite manage to take advantage of any volunteer opportunities. BUT, I did apply for a job! It's with a non-profit that promotes HIV/AIDS awareness, called TIHAN. They wanted someone to sort of create pamphlets for the religious communities in Tucson to increase their awareness of the virus. I don't know if I'm quite what they wanted...but hey, I put my resume out there!
Also, I did at least go to the local library, even though I forgot to ask about volunteer opportunities when I was there. Well, at least there's some movement in that direction, eh?

Back in Town

Well, I am back in Tucson. Yay!!!! The last year's journey has been a long one, but it has finally brought me home.

We had a long drive down from Idaho. My friend Julie came up to help pack, and drive, and generally to exert her calming influence over me and my parents. The first few days in Tucson were spent at the Seneca House (where Julie lives) while my roommate Tamaki and I looked for an apartment. Luckily, the one that Tamaki had already found ended up working out best, so it was easy to just sign the paperwork and hand over the money.

Our new apartment is beautiful! It has large rooms that are easy for me to navigate, and an especially large bathroom across the hall from my bedroom. It is silly, not to say sometimes depressing, how much my life revolves around having an accessible bathroom...but God has really blessed me with that, in our new place.

So, now it's time to get down to business: facing my same old problem of being a new graduate from college who doesn't have a job. It's funny how that is still there, in spite of everything that's happened. I'm thinking I'll start out by finding a place to volunteer, like reading books to kids at the library or something. Anyway, building up momentum to even visit or call those places always seems to be the hardest part...if I don't post something here about volunteering in the next week or so, you have my permission to roll your eyes at me.

Free Coldplay

I really enjoy Coldplay. I have this really magical memory of listening to their song Clocks while driving fast down a long, almost-empty road at night with some high school friends. It was the night after the last day of school, my sophomore year in high school. There were clear stars up above and green fields all around, so the air smelled like fresh green things and had that coolness that comes from a breeze off the river. I stuck my hand out the window and let the wind passing the car blow it up and down...I remember that every time I listen to the song.
Coldplay recently put out a live album as a thank you to their fans. You can download it for free on their website, coldplay.com.

Support Using Adult Stem Cells!

FDA Violates Mandate - The Philadelphia Bulletin Archives

Shared via AddThis

I was informed about this article on a website (www.apparelyzed.com) for people who are paralyzed. It is very interesting; the basic message is that the FDA is preventing companies from researching adult stem cells by calling them a "drug." Adult stem cells are one of the most promising lines of research for curing many disorders, including neurological ones like mine. Most of you are probably familiar with embryonic stem cells--these are similar, but don't involve the destruction of a human embryo to obtain them. In fact, they are taken out of a person, cultured in a lab, then reinserted into the same person. Seems like a pretty simple solution to a major ethical problem.

If you want to know more about the issue and/or support doctors in their efforts to get the FDA to change its rules, go to SafeStemCells.org.

This makes me happy

My friend gave me a link to this website where a guy draws postcards for people that send him reasons that they are unhappy. This is my favorite, probably because I like eating burgers and taking naps:



An anonymous person is just sad.

I made this postcard to cheer you up. It has a fox and a burger. The burger is packed with nutrients that are an important part of a fox diet and this makes the fox very happy. The fox will eat the burger and then take a nap.

The website is here.

Yearning

We're going through Job at Bridgepoint, the church I attend. I read a little of that book today, plus part of a psalm the pastor paired with it.

I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him,
with my own eyes--I and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
-Job 19:25-27

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
-Psalm 33:22

Here's my response, in an acrostic poem:

You promise us faith, love and protection
Every hour, every day;
And every hour, every day, this world claims a little more of our bodies, hearts and minds.
Resting in the knowledge that this will
Not always be true of our existence

Is so hard, Lord!

No person is yet perfected--
God, let your mercy be upon us.