Quotes

"Already Africa is God's. God did not wait for me to bring Him. I found Him in every village." David Livingstone, 1857.

Could not the same be said for every corner of the world, from every mansion to tiny hovel, from the jungles to the alpine, from the poor to the rich? "The earth is the Lords and all it contains: The world, and those who dwell in it"(Psalm 24:1). How astonishing it is that God allows us to participate in the expansion of His kingdom!

"We can add nothing to the Gospel, for this is an eternal gift of God; but Christianity is always a beggar seeking food and drink, cover and shelter from the cultures it encounters in its never-ending journeys and wanderings"(John Mbiti).

The Fields are Green

The drive from Fresno to Oakhurst is a hair's breath away from its prime green condition. I felt supremely happy driving up, drinking in the lupine-sprinkled fields, and knowing that I was soon to be in a place where the sense of knowing and being known is deeply refreshing. Today Ginger, Nattie, and I head out in search of snow. Whether we find it or not is irrelevant. It is enough just to be in the stillness of the Sierra. Ahhhhhh....Spring break 2007!!!!

I've Been Robbed!

Ironically enough, my roommate and I were robbed on the same day, both on Fuller campus. Her wallet was stolen from the library when she left it for just a few minutes, and within the hour they were racking up $1000 at Best Buy and Target.

My story is less traumatic, as it does not involve my wallet, but it holds quite a bit of irony with a pinch of Murphy's Law, so I will share it. The month before, my wonderful Starbucks coffee pot broke, and I was sad until I realized that there was a voluntary recall on it because it had started a few fires. "Ah Ha!" thought I. "This indeed is good news. I'll send the coffee pot into Starbucks, get a check PLUS a free pound of coffee. My coffee fortune was looking up. Well, the check finally came in the other day, and I stopped in at Mervyns because there were having a Grand Opening Sale. I came out proudly carrying a brand new coffee pot that included a Stainless Carafe plus two travel mugs. I was positively smug at the fact that I had gotten 55% off of my prize after the rigmarole of applying for a Mervyn's card. So, I popped it in my car and drove to school.

Well, I'm sure you can guess the end of the story. I actually didn't realize it was gone until I got home. I came in, ate my dinner, and thought, "Oh, I want to take a look at my brand new shiny coffee maker!" At first, seeing my empty car, I thought I was merely dreaming the whole Mervyn's episode up. That is, until I noticed the receipts still nicely stacked on the seat where the coffee pot used to be. To make matters more certain that someone had indeed been in my car, I noticed my CD player was gone.

The fascinating thing is, the thief had re-locked my car after getting in. There was no scratches on the locks, so this person was no novice. My theory is that there was a pair of them working campus that day...but what are the chances that both my roommate and I got targeted? Little do they know I've read a lot of mystery detective novels.

The moral of the story is...don't count your chickens before their hatched...or rather, don't brew your coffee before it's safely on your counter. I'm thankful I still have my French Press!

And for People's response.....

Dear Ms. Wachsmuth,

Thank you for taking the time to share your opinion with PEOPLE. We
sincerely value your feedback and appreciate your thoughts.

As you know, PEOPLE is a national magazine which is read by millions of
people across America each week. The values and tastes of our readers
vary widely. What one reader finds offensive, another may well
embrace.
I understand that you found the bluefly.com advertisement offensive,
and
I apologize if you thought it was in poor taste. PEOPLE does its best
to accept advertising from reputable advertisers whose products are
lawfully sold in the U.S. We certainly have no intention of offending
any of our readers.

We value you as a reader and once again thank you for your feedback.

Sincerely,

Judy McKenna
PEOPLE
Customer Service Manager

Bluefly's Response

I received an email from Bluefly regarding my friendly, yet critical email(if you have no idea what I'm talking about, please refer to two posts back). I thought I would share it with y'all:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding the images used in our ad. We
appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

We certainly do not mean to portray the imagery that you suggest in
your critique. Our intent is to share a passionate love story fueled by
fashion -- we live, we love, we shop (and not always in that order!).

Thank you for your interest in Bluefly.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth
Bluefly Customer Service

Can somebody please explain to me what they mean by a passionate love story fueled by fashion? And is the only possible description of a passionate love story a naked woman's body?

Update on the ad

If you read my previous post, saw the advertisment in People, and feel equally outraged, I urge you to send a quick email message both to Bluefly(the originator of the ad) on their website(Bluefly.com) and to People magazine at editor@people.com to let them know that you are unhappy with their method of advertising. I was inspired by my friend Jamie Barker to realize that if no one ever says anything to these companies about their marketing techniques...why should they be motivated to change? It only takes about three minutes....

Spittin' Mad at People Magazine

I was waiting in line at the grocery store and idly picked up the new People magazine with Reese Witherspoon on the cover(come on, we all look through the cheezy magazines in line). I flipped open to a full page ad with the caption "Nothing to Wear to Work". Taking up the whole page was a completely nude woman holding a purse, standing slightly to the side so at least some things were not exposed. I felt a surge of anger course through my German veins...when did this become standard fare for magazines? How can they get away with such a picture? I feel like starting a petition against People magazine. Maybe I am overreacting, but I am so exposed to the objectifiction of women down here that I kind of max out on the whole thing. Anyone who reads this...check it out and tell me if it makes you angry or if you just want to say: "Get over it, Mel".

Quote of the Day

"When a person grows aware of a new way in which to serve God, he/she should carry it with him/her secretly, and without uttering it, for nine months, as though he/she were pregnant with it, and let others know of it only at the end of that time, as though it were a birth."

Martin Buber, Jewish mystic of the early twentieth century

Restraining Lawlessness

My favorite professor for the quarter gave yet another inspiring speech in my Culture and Transformation class based on 2 Thessalonians 2. Paul talks about the "mystery of lawlessness" already at work, and a "he who restrains it". My professor was talking about the lawlessness prevalent in structural corruption...evident in the slave trade William Wilberforce was working against, evident today in the fight for oil resulting in oppression and poverty across Chad, Nigeria, and other places. He encouraged us to be part of the "restraint of lawlessness" ...to stand against the structures and institutions that breed widespread suffering and corruption. As Paul says: "Stand firm!" I really think everyone needs to sit through one of this man's classes!