Perspective

Oh, Texas! How does the weather drop from 85 to 27 in a matter of hours? At the gas station last night, a nice truck driver laughed as the wind blew my hair over my face and made me shiver in my dressy girl clothes. He said, "I bet they don't have weather like this in California." I don't think a response was necessary, but a teeth chattering, "Definitely not," and his laugh confirmed that he already knew the answer.



These are pictures of the Blossom Trail at home. Every year near the end of February and beginning of March, all of the orchards bloom with soft white or pink blossoms and make for an enchanted adventure land. I loved to walk in the middle of an orchard, climb a tree and pray or write. It is amazing to take pictures because the sky provides amazing contrasts and colors. However... as I sit and gaze at the brick houses next door (which don't have front doors) and the gray sky, I can see a whole other perspective of beauty. I love Texas.
I've been reading the news and doing some research on the history of Iraq and Islamic culture. I decided it was time to stop being ignorant, and I felt like some of the western bias was seeping into my Pacifism and Jihad class, so I thought that I would become educated. It has changed me completely. The world is so much bigger, so much more expansive in thought and philosophy, religion, passion, and culture than I ever imagined! There is something in a culture so preserved from any modern influence that shows men in a state that requires God. Think about it... the state of their nation is so much like the Israelites, a nation that was led by God. They have had human leaders, and presidents acting as the prophets did, but ultimately it is a nation that is subject to god. There isn't laziness, helplessness, a false sense of security, comfort, or a cushioned life that much of the rest of the world enjoys. Their life is real: God, food and water, family, sacrifice, and survival.
In California, thousands of students are not able to graduate from high school because they cannot pass the state exit exam either because the educators are not capable of conveying the necessary information, or the students are English speakers only as a second language. The state is receiving lawsuit after lawsuit against the education system, teachers, the test requirement, etc.
Other regions of the world are experiencing mudslides; Paris Hilton is a new target for Animal protection agencies because of her furs, gay rights demonstrations are beginning world wide, Central and South American countries suffer under tyrannical and backwards governments...
The world is so large, and so is my decision about what to wear today, whether or not to complete my homework, ride my bike or drive. I was being sarcastic. I know that God has a purpose for placing me here, so I won't discredit timing and just pack up and move to Africa, but it is my prayer that I will be focused on my responsibility as a Christian and that my life would follow the pattern of Iraqi citizens: God, food and water, family, sacrifice, and survival.