lately ive been more and more excited to sit down at the piano and worship. it seems to really calm and nurture my soul. it also seems to be a more natural way for me to tune in with my Maker. I'm not afraid to boldly admit that worship speaks more to me and i can express more to Him through it than by reading / hearing His word. i believe the word of God is holy, but i believe there are many ways to understand and worship God. There is only one way to God, but there are many ways to build a relationship.
on this joyful note, i was blessed beyond words today. today i found out that my major concern has been "taken care of". as you know, i just graduated college. with graduation comes the full expectation to pay off loans. as you also know, i am doing volunteer work and am not receiving an income for a while. going against the system of american society is highly discouraged and i was really nervous in making these loans get put on hold. today i found out i have been graced with forbearance, which means i don't need to start paying my loans until my service ends! what a blessing...
what a wonderful Maker
what a wonderful Savior
how majestic your whispers
And how humble Your love
With a strength like no other
And the heart of a Father
How majestic Your whispers
What a wonderful God
(wonderful maker, chris tomlin)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
the pittsburgh project
This past Wednesday our seminar was a trip to the Pittsburgh Project. The project (not to be confused with the term “the projects”) is located in an old catholic school/church layout. When all the shifts in population/economy were happening with the steel mines closing, the school diminished in number and decided to close. The catholic church closed its’ doors and combined with another catholic church in another part of the city. What was left and created was an opportunity in a soon rough part of town.
In the north side where three gang areas collide, one can find this Pittsburgh Project. Starting as an organization to restore homes, its services have now expanded into afterschool programs, community gardens, and more. (four focuses: Service Camps, Youth Development, Homeowner Services, Community Outreach) for more information, visit their website
While there, we got a tour of the agency. It is huge! While renovating several buildings, they are also formulating ideas to renovated desolate city land around their area. Across the street was once a worn down playground where drugs and prostitutes were common. With a lease and some care, the project has turned the playground back into a family-friendly place. Some areas of it are still rough, but if the project keeps up its surveillance and care, troubles dissipate.
I was amazed at how much they are doing. With the Union Project, and now the Pittsburgh Project, I am amazed at how well they use every amount of space they have. No place is useless. A steep slope turns into portion-off gardens. An un-used classroom turns into a music room/dance studio. A clay-ridden baseball field turns into a massive community garden.
The latter was what I was most impressed with. Did you know that if you dig a trench down through the clay, filled it with rotten trees, old and new compost, and returned the clay on top, the ground restores itself? Clay will not hold water well because of its small pores, but the dead trees and compost soak up the water. If the clay sees the sun and hardens quickly, the trees return the water to the clay. It’s like this awesome balance factor! The trees also create a great place for organisms to live, which also restore the soil. I was amazed at how cool God’s creation was / is! A lot of seemingly useless stuff (rotten trees, food peels/dead leaves etc. that make compost, and crappy soil) combined turn into a beautiful creation (it produces plant life instead of puddles)! What a great metaphor for life! No matter what you bring, your baggage and all that make up you, God can turn it into something beautiful. Something I noted in church yesterday: God lets nothing go to waste, not even bad experiences.
And the stories that have come out of this place! God is truly at work when you hear that once a current gang leader worked grounds for the project, did a side job that got him in trouble, went to jail and while in, resisted killing someone who killed his cousin. And his reason? “God loves him too”.
May we all be refreshed in spirit to be creative with our space, our resources, our actions, our time, in order to worship our creator. May our hearts break for what breaks His heart. May we come to truly know Him in everything we encounter.
In the north side where three gang areas collide, one can find this Pittsburgh Project. Starting as an organization to restore homes, its services have now expanded into afterschool programs, community gardens, and more. (four focuses: Service Camps, Youth Development, Homeowner Services, Community Outreach) for more information, visit their website
While there, we got a tour of the agency. It is huge! While renovating several buildings, they are also formulating ideas to renovated desolate city land around their area. Across the street was once a worn down playground where drugs and prostitutes were common. With a lease and some care, the project has turned the playground back into a family-friendly place. Some areas of it are still rough, but if the project keeps up its surveillance and care, troubles dissipate.
I was amazed at how much they are doing. With the Union Project, and now the Pittsburgh Project, I am amazed at how well they use every amount of space they have. No place is useless. A steep slope turns into portion-off gardens. An un-used classroom turns into a music room/dance studio. A clay-ridden baseball field turns into a massive community garden.
The latter was what I was most impressed with. Did you know that if you dig a trench down through the clay, filled it with rotten trees, old and new compost, and returned the clay on top, the ground restores itself? Clay will not hold water well because of its small pores, but the dead trees and compost soak up the water. If the clay sees the sun and hardens quickly, the trees return the water to the clay. It’s like this awesome balance factor! The trees also create a great place for organisms to live, which also restore the soil. I was amazed at how cool God’s creation was / is! A lot of seemingly useless stuff (rotten trees, food peels/dead leaves etc. that make compost, and crappy soil) combined turn into a beautiful creation (it produces plant life instead of puddles)! What a great metaphor for life! No matter what you bring, your baggage and all that make up you, God can turn it into something beautiful. Something I noted in church yesterday: God lets nothing go to waste, not even bad experiences.
And the stories that have come out of this place! God is truly at work when you hear that once a current gang leader worked grounds for the project, did a side job that got him in trouble, went to jail and while in, resisted killing someone who killed his cousin. And his reason? “God loves him too”.
May we all be refreshed in spirit to be creative with our space, our resources, our actions, our time, in order to worship our creator. May our hearts break for what breaks His heart. May we come to truly know Him in everything we encounter.
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