Welcome to Advent

Sadako Sasaki

Located in Seattle's University District, Peace Park is a memorial to Sadako Sasaki.

Sadako was 2 years old and living in Hiroshima when the atomic bombs were dropped. She consequently developed leukemia and, in the hospital, began making paper cranes.

The Japanese saying is that one who folds a thousand paper cranes will be granted one wish. Sadako only made it to 644 before dying. She was 12.

Sadako's story is a symbol of the perils of nuclear war and has been used to promote peace in many parts of the world. The paper cranes that people draper over her statue symbolize the yearning for peace that exists in this world.

Bohemian Rhapsody + Muppets

= AMAZING

Flip Side

A little while ago I wrote something for Insight for Living's LifeTrac blog. In a nutshell, it was about how our prayers sometimes go unanswered and that we should be ready to pray "your will be done" and actually mean it. Sometimes that is a really difficult thing to do.

Anyways. I bring that up because I want to balance it out a bit. Today I want to talk about something related but different, something joyful. It involves a small piece of the story of my life, which I'd like to share...

I started following Jesus when I was 11 or 12 years old. Since then, I have probably spent more time talking to God about my mom than any other subject. I don't intend to do any mom-bashing, so suffice it to say that she has had some really wild years and that some people, herself and myself included, have had some painful experiences during those years. She comes up a lot when I talk to or listen to God - I have always just felt like I need to pray about her more than other people.

God, I want my mom to know peace that passes understanding. It exists, I've experienced it. But can we please find a way to let her experience it, too? ... I want so badly for her to know how much she is loved. That she is loved far more deeply and completely than the world tells her she is. ... God,  I want to believe that amazing things can happen, but this seems impossible. Maybe she won't ever know that you are the source of these things. Can you somehow make it so that she can feel your peace and love, even if she doesn't know it's you? Please?

I have said these sorts of prayers over and over, with great sincerity, for the past 12 years or so. Then, a few months ago, in mid-August, something kind of crazy happened. My mom simply yet profoundly realized that nothing in this world compares to the love that God has for his children. She completely restructured her life around the love of God and she has an inexplicable feeling of peace about her new life. In a day, 12 years of prayers were answered and continue to be answered.

All of this has left me with my jaw on the floor, completely in awe of God. It blows my mind every time I think about it. I think it will for a long time. It is just so good.

I guess what I'm getting at is that God is good. And he has good plans. We can join in on all that goodness when we talk to God about stuff. How sweet is that?

Last Night: 2 Things

1. There was a storm and it was SO loud! Erin and I couldn't even talk to each other for awhile because the noise was so massive. HUGE house-shaking thunder, HUGE lightning, TONS of hail, TONS of wind, lights flickering... it was awesome!!!

2. I had a slumber party with my bestest friend in the whole wide world. I love Skype! (And friends.)

Slums are real....

http://www.theplaceswelive.com/

This website is pretty incredible... it takes you on a tour of the homes of different people who, for one reason or another, have had to make lives for themselves in slums, which are housing a higher and higher percentage of the globe's population every year. Life in the slums is very real and I think it is worth our time to take a look at the way over a billion people are living today.