More Good Music

So, as I said last week-check out the John Butler Trio if you haven't yet. This week, I am proclaiming the music of one Damien Rice, Irish troubador. He has incredible lyrics and music, an amazing vocalist sings with him named lIsa Hannigan. If this thing works, I have embedded a video of a song from his first full length album, "O." His second, "9" just hit the store maybe a month ago. You're doing yourself a disservice (in my highly subjective and opinionated opinion) if you don't at least listen to a little bit of it. Enjoy!

Enough for the seriousness already!

So I figured that after the last few, maybe we needed some light-heartedness. Here is a picture of some of my students, and my best Tibetan friends. Also is a picture of a rinpoche I met a few months back...cool guy. Okay then-Enjoy!

Thoughts Born of a Confession

Today I was standing in the post office to pay my gas bill (don't ask, just how it works here), when a nomad woman, much like the one in the picture, came up to me. She was begging, asking for money, which is not uncommon here, especially as the year turns cold and the nomads come off the grasslands. And, to my great shame, instead of just giving her the first bill that I touched in my pocket, I rooted around and could find nothing small (smaller denominations are also physically smaller here), and so I said "duibuqi, meiyou"-which means "sorry, don't have." The reality of the situation was that I did in fact have money. Plenty-I had just been to the bank. But I confess I didn't want to give her a large note, but that I wanted to give her something like 5 mao, or 1 kuai (kind of like 50 cents or 1 dollar)-not that 100 kuai note I touched. Why?! I say that I love these people, and when a real, tangible way to help comes along, I say "no." I do love these people, and I do want to help them. So why did I do that? I think that in the West, anywhere, not just the States, we have a warped view of reality-we are rich. Even if we are poor, we are rich. I'm not saying it's bad-I could care less, honestly. But these people here-the nomads I love, the Tibetans I love-Khamba or Amdo-right now, no matter-they are poor. And since I have been here in China or Tibet, or whatever you want to call it, I have seen things that a Western mind simply cannot compute fully-and I haven't even seen the really bad stuff yet. The reality here is that many of these people are dirt poor in a way that we can never understand. The nomads come in off the grasslands in the winter because of a very, very real battle with death-by starving or by the brutal cold. I like the cold because it's a challenge. The cold kills these people because they have nowhere else to go. How's that for an incredible priority miss-match? They come in and beg on the streets. Why? They have nothing but yaks and tents-those don't work so well in the city. Children and old women with what amounts to rags wander the streets asking for money so they can buy food. The faces of these people are burned into my mind. They fill my sleep. As a Westerner, with all the things I come from, all the glitz, glamour, and things my culture and I deem as "essential"-gear, iPods, computers, cars-I, and we all, have no common ground. None. In time we gain it. After years, not months. We filter through the mindset of "they should just get a job." The can't-they didn't go to school. They don't speak the right language. And they aren't the right race. But you know something? The nomads, these beautiful people-they know why they have to beg. They know why I said I was sorry, in their own way. And they don't hold it against me, or us (mostly). Instead they smile. They have an inner joy, despite all their outer suffering. Maybe they aren't happy, but they have joy-that's why the lady could look at me and smile at me with a smile full of deep joy that I have never had, though she saw right through me. Why are they joyful? They love their life in way that seems impossible-the grasslands give them life, and death. Their families offer safety. And most of all-they smile. And all I could do was say "meiyou." So confess this to anyone who reads this, and to the nomad woman who will never read this. And from on I will just reach and give, and not look or be concerned. Would Christ be concerned? I don't think so, but I may be wrong. I have so much, so much. And they have nothing, in the true sense of the word. I'm called to love them. We are all called to love people. So love someone today in a way you never have, in a way Christ would. Unconditionally. And please don’t make my mistake, and say "Sorry, I don't have."

A Paradox In Christian Thought and How It Helps Us to Attain How We Are Called to Live By Christ Jesus

As Tozer has said, the Christian life is somewhat of a paradox. While many would argue that our belief in Christ and His virgin birth, and then His death and subsequent resurrection are in themselves a paradox in our postmodern world, I find these seemingly impossible (and to some, implausible) truths quite easy to understand and to believe. These things, a sincere Christian of necessity must take on faith, believing in the Word of God and those who were called to set it on paper in a manner that mere created beings would be able to understand. What I have in mind is on the surface what appears to be a simpler paradox, one that deals with the Christian’s daily life and circumstance as well as his personal walk with the Lord.
We are called to be content in our lives. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians of his ability to be content in any circumstance that he had been placed in: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” While Paul talks of being content, he at the same time speaks of continually seeking and striving after Christ. Here emerges the paradox. Quickly followed by another closely related: To finally have found God, to accept His call and then to continue to pursue Him and His great love...why, in the human mind, that doesn’t follow a logical pattern at all. Yet still, we are given this command: Be content. Yet while you are content, seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added. Do not be anxious Christ says, but ask for everything. Why then has the apostle, and even Christ Himself, given us this command? I believe that it goes back to the relationship between the church, the Bride, and Christ, the Bridegroom. We can even see examples of this in our daily lives, though they are faulty. A lover, even after he has secured the affections of the one he has his eye on, will rarely cease the pursuit. Why? He loves her. He wants her to know this. What better way than to continue the pursuit. As time moves on, the pursuit changes. It changes in tone, fervor and intensity. In a healthy relationship, these all become more and more intense as the years go by. The same is what we as believers are called to in our walk and striving after God. As our lives with Christ progress, we must always be seeking new knowledge of Him. We must always be questing after new facets of His love. As He called us to Him, and still calls us into the depths of His love and person, each bit of new knowledge, new insight, new dimension of love should continue to call us deeper into love with Him. Yet always we must be content with what He has revealed to us, always remembering that He gives us what we need, in the time we need it and the measure that we need it in. He is the great Provider, and lover of our soul. He will forever and always give us what we need-prompting us to be content in our life. But never should we be stop seeking His heart, striving for a deeper love for Him, striving to continue to grow in His ways, to grow in righteousness and continue to quest after a blameless walk, to grow in faith and become like Abraham, who was called a friend of God.

Random animals!

So welcome to badgers! I don't really know anything about badgers, aside from what from I know from The Wind and the Willows...I just like them, and thought we should all see a picture of a badger. So here ya go!

Hello Austrailia.

So those of you who know me fairly well, you know that I like music, pretty much all kinds (but not all). About this time last year I was introduced to this particular group, the John Butler Trio out of Austrailia. They are pretty freakin' sweet if you ask me, so I'm indebted to the person who introduced me to their music. I highly recommend it, especially if you like floksy, groovin', jammy style music...great lyrics, great songs. Just plain great. And the lead singer, none other than John Butler himself, has dreads....and let's face, who doesn't like a guy with dreads?
Check out his site at johnbutlertrio.net. From there you can link out from his audio section to a site where you can find free (legally free mind you) live shows from the last few years.
Enjoy!

The Genius of the '80's (and it's not Reagan!)

Slick lyrics, stylin' clothes and flashy guitar all make for the ultimate rock star. That's why today I bring you none other than the man, the myth, the legend-Rick Springfield. With songs like "Jessie's Girl," who can forget this hard-rockin' hiptser from the '80's? With lines like "You know I feel so dirty when they start talking cute, I wanna tell her that I love but the point is probably moot," who can deny the power and emotion this man has? Okay then....well, seriously, though he may not be Bob Dylan or the Boss, Rick has his own charm. If he didn't, all those Japanese people wouldn't still be going to his concerts...Despite my poking fun at him, I do enjoy listening to the occasional "Jessie's Girl." Viva Le Rick!

Warm Jackets and Seemingly Near Death Experiences

So here is a picture of my Tibetan jacket....most likely the warmest thing that I have ever encountered in my life (save a few things that are just odd...). I think it weighs 7 or 8 pounds (for you freakish metric nuts, I have no idea what that is...look it up). Throw some heavy wool, six or seven lamb hides, and some colorful trim...and well, a smelly, warm jacket...but it's the height of fashion on the grasslands (and it's warm.....really warm). Also, this other picture is of the crazy crane outside my window....and when it swings around, it's at exactly the right place to feel like it will come swinging through my window...unnerving the first time or two. I thought it was going to join me in my house....would have been rather awkward I think.

Christmas in Tibet

So Christmas in Tibet! Thanks to the efforst of my mom (a huge fan of Christmas), my sister and my dad, I have some Christmas decor to smile about. Hopefully soon there will be some delightfuly tacky chinese stuff up around town...
Merry Christmas!

Music, Hippies, and Just Plain Good Times

So often times I think that we forget how great the simple things are. Living here in China has definitely made me appreciate alot of things I just kinda took for granted back in the states...like good music (and going to shows), crazy people (otherwise known as the modern variety of "hippies")...and, of course, a good beer or whiskey drink among the crazy people while listening to the good music. So here's to those times (if I had a decent beer, I would drink to it...but China is lacking in that department).

PIctures of Me, and My Girlfriend

so here is my girlfriend (the one with blonde hair), and i'm the wacko with long hair in the other pic.