Coffee

Coffee is a grownup thing. This cliché statement essentially sums up my feelings and sentiments regarding the dark, brewed drink of the adult world. I feel that it somehow by acquiring a taste and a palate for this drink; one essentially passes from the world of childhood to adulthood. It signals a right of passage, if you will. I sadly feel immensely grown and mature when I can proudly brew my own coffee and drink it with wondrous satisfaction or when I can order it at restaurant after a meal and sip it with pleasure. This "adult" drink has somehow brought me into a world of late night studying and deep conversations, early morning revere and much more. In reality, all of this existed before, but it somehow seems more novel and wonderful when accompanied by a good cup of coffee. I have arrived...where yet I do not know...

The "ship"

This thing called relationship is essential. Our lives consist of relationships; it cannot be escaped. We are born into relations and are forced to remain linked to those, our family, until death parts us. As humans, we generally form friendships-another form of relationship. As sexual beings, we also generally link ourselves to a member of the opposite sex and form a dating, marriage, or partnership-yet another “ship.” Very few people in any given civilization live apart or in complete seclusion, at least not forever. Life is commonly spent in communities, building and maintaining relationships. It is in these relationships that life consists.
Familial relations assist in forming and shaping our person-for good or ill. Friendships are another step in maturation. This type of “ship” is not bound by the same rules as that of familial relationship and thus places different expectations on an individual, producing differing levels of behavior and growth. An opposite sex “ship” is the most intimate of human relations. It surpasses familial and friend. Levels differ, depending on life position and the level of intimacy, but generally this type of relationship is the final step in the communal, relational stage of human development.
Essentially then, human beings are bound to one another through this thing called relationship. We are born into it and die in the bonds of the “ship,” and for those who believe in life beyond this present material world, we will then proceed on to the best relationship which encompasses the shadows of all other relationships. We will no longer want for any other “ship” in which to grow; we will have found our final and most fulfilling relationship. We will have come home…

Materialism

Things, things, things are everywhere...I am overwhelmed by the mass of people. I am a material girl-as the song said in a store I shopped in today. I felt ashamed. I do not want things to define me. I am myself, alone and in Christ without anything else. Why then do I strive for worth and value in clothes, things, stuff? I am lied to and believe-just like the rest of the world. We seek fulfillment where it cannot be found. We are empty and fill ourselves with further emptiness. Identity-where does it originate...who and what is my identity...?

Old Irish Women

They are funny and sweet, wise and quirky, they are old Irish women. I have met several since being in Ireland and they are all charming and adorably pleasant. They are infinitely helpful, loving and more than willing to stuff you full. They give you directions, laugh at your accent and do whatever they can to help you. They talk to themselves, read funny books and put on eye liner while riding a bus. They make you tea and squeeze your arm, they are in a word-precious...

Rain

The rainy days are beginning to set in here in Northern Ireland. You have to wonder whether its actually morning when you wake because there is so little sun to indicate the time of day. We have lecture in the boy's house and today was particularly rainy and blustery. The wind howled about the house, moaning and sighing its way through our studies. It matched well the subject matter-W.B Yeats and his inquiries of death and the after life. Our professor, Derrick Bingham, read with passion his lecture notes about Yeats and his life as the rain danced upon the window pains.
These days require an umbrella and raincoat for any out of door activities. The wind and rain chase you indoors as soon as possible, out of the elements. Tea has particular appeal as of late. A cozy house, a warm radiator and a delicious book are most attractive to the senses on rainy days in Ireland...

Autumn in the fish and chips shop

The first thing I noticed upon entering the shop was the mesmerizing Jack-O-Lantern which sat perched atop the counter, its face grinning facetiously at me. The fish and chips shop smelt strongly of grease and fried things. I sat against the window smelling the fish as it fried in the oil. Glowing, orange, smiling pumpkin faces tittered above my head in a string of lights. A hideous looking witch hung suspended in the corner of the window, welcoming the customers. The sly grins of the various Jack-O-Lanterns spoke of the arrival of autumn and the coming holidays. The first day of October, the harvest has come and the leaves will soon change, altering more than simply the countryside. This fall will bring with it change and alteration as colorful as the season…

Solitude...

It is a beautiful thing solitude. The noise of the world ceases, the voices of obligation desist and one is alone. The beauty of nature surrounds, its occupants, ones only companions. The expanse of the sky stretches out before, leading, enticing, and calling one forever away from the madness of the world. The ocean waves ebb and flow crash and recede, spilling over ones weary mind. Prayer outflows and a plethora of thanksgivings ensue. One can contemplate and reflect, think and pray in the quiet and retreat of solitude. No wonder Christ so often sought solitude...