Half-formed Thoughts & Week 1 in Chi-town

My bike glides effortlessly through tree-lined streets, past houses and neighborhoods intricate in their design and presence. I propel seamlessly through the stream of traffic and weave in and out of cars, all the while experiencing the city and its diversity from an experiential perspective. I am one with the city, and my sweat hangs in the air and eventually collides with the ground.

Despite the ease with which I have gotten around the city, my return ride back to my home in the neighborhood of North Lawndale reminds me that the privilege of movement is not as easily accessible to the residents who have always lived in this part of town. There is poverty, there is injustice. There is violence, and there is drug abuse. And yet, there is hope.

Many of my thoughts are half-formed and I know that I'll have much more to say as I continue to work at Lawndale Christian Health Center as a complex care coordinator. I ended my first day at work today and I honestly feel like God dropped a box full of puppies into my lap; indeed, it has been a joyful week moving in and getting to know the people I'll be living and working alongside. Being here feels so right and I am amazed at what the Lord is doing and where he is leading me. I feel at home at Lawndale - this is the Lord's community and I am a proud member of it. Home: feels good to say it.

History is like a waterfall, ceaselessly falling and as much as we want to capture the past, there are many moments that slip through our outstretched fingers. And yet, there is a God who captures every single passing moment. Thus, there is such a thing as divine moments in every single day, in every single waking moment.

Vegan Smoothie Recipe #1

I've been making some stuff off of Oh She Glows - a vegan cookbook/blog that has some great stuff. Had some random stuff around the house and threw it all into a blender and out came a pretty yummy dessert smoothie. The frozen banana and pumpkin puree add texture and make it extra thick. I tossed some ice cubes into the blender to make the drink a bit less thick and a bit more cold. I'm gonna make some for my sister and see what she thinks. Also, frozen raspberries would be a great garnish and I think it would go really well with the chocolatey flavor. Whooo 

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup Almond/Coconut blend milk

Half a frozen banana 

1/2 cup pumpkin puree 

1 tsp cinnamon 

4-5 ice cubes 

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

AM I BEAUTIFUL?

It's a question that is on the lips of many young women (and men) today. It is the catalyst that drives numerous efforts that quite rationally, don't really make sense. Honestly, rationally, does it make sense to go under the knife and change certain things about your appearance? The question of whether you are beautiful is rooted in the weightier question of whether or not you are lovable. Physical attractiveness only gets you so far and the mirror will only tell you the standards that are accepted by the culture of this society. Beauty is a thing that has been manipulated by society, and as women living in this society, our beauty will always fall short. 

Let's go back to the question of whether you and I are lovable, because quite honestly, isn't this what we really want to know? Isn't this what we really want to hear and be reminded of? The answer to this question will never cease to amaze me. Yes, we are lovable - not because of our loveliness, but because God is Love. I am able to sense His love for me in the late nights and early mornings as I lay in bed, in the solitude of my quiet times, and in the rhythms of daily life. God is Love, and my mind cannot fathom, my heart cannot fully comprehend the extent of His love. I grasp unto the glimpses and I desire for more.