Amazing day today + brainstorming

It's 70 degrees, sunny with literally not a cloud in the sky. Wish I could enjoy this, instead I'm stuck in the library writing an experience report for my religion class. Not that, that isn't fun (I prefer writing on experiences over writing a research paper, it comes easier) but I don't know what to really write about. Hmm...

Over the past few weeks my assignment was to "love your neighbor and love your G-d". Fair enough. The only problem is that I don't know how to do said assignment. I've been struggling with the question of love eversince I realized what being a Christian meant. How do you, exactly, love a G-d? Loving a person is fine, but a G-d? Maybe I could discuss this in the first half of my paper...I could discuss my efforts at knowing G-d this past week, and maybe briefly bring up my history with G-d over the past year or so. I've been meditating, trying to sort out everything that happened so far.

Ok, to be honest, I've been studying more than focusing on the research project. I mean, I have 2 exams and a quiz next Friday (Structure and Function, Modeling Algebra, and Religion), a project presentation Monday along with a progress report about a College Writing project our group is doing (which is why I'm in the library, waiting till 5pm when our group is supposed to meet). S&F has been taking up most of my time though, our last exam was 2 weeks ago in that class. I've written two papers in two weeks and done a ton of math homework. Did you know that they named every little groove in the body? I've taken a midterm in S&F lab on all the bones and muscles in the body and their functions. From small things that you can't see unless the lights are just right to big holes. But that's it for the ranting. Back to the research paper.

I'll try to break it down into more of a list type organization, hopefully that will get these neurons firing (if you want to know how they do that, I can tell you in depth...just leave a comment if you're serious, I've been studying neurons for at least 3 weeks). Boy I wish I kept a journal. :P

Loving G-d over the past 3 weeks. I figured if we love G-d first, the love will show to those around us, based on John 4:8.

1. Meditating by the riverside (again), for just a little bit though. Around 15 minutes.
2. Praying every morning in the share, it's a daily confession I've been doing every day for the past year or so.
3. Paying attention at church, singing songs with a full heart.
4. To be continued....

Loving People over the past 3 weeks. Hardest point for me, I am more shy by nature than anything.

1. Can talk about what happened this Monday. I was all committed to try something new in loving somebody, but when I saw someone struggling with their car my shyness stepped in and told me to not do anything. I went back to see if they need help though, but the guy was gone by the time I got there.
2. Can talk about my failure to do simple things, like opening doors for others
3. Can talk about my success in trying to love my family more. Trying to spend more time with my brothers and mother, helping out in homework, trying to get to know what's going on in each of their lives.
4. Being more understanding of others, etc. but that is more my nature than a part of the project.

Conclusion, sort of.

1. Try to work towards this: I haven't been that able to love others and G-d as much as I wanted to, but the class discussions on (especially) the historicity of Jesus helped a lot. It seems as if I've been too preoccupied with the thought that G-d might not be real, and then all of this would be going to waste. But even if He's not real, it's not going to waste. People out there really need love, and we need to give it to them.
2. Halfway realizing what Brother Rogers (of Taize, France)
3. My increased resolve to go to Taize

Remember, stuff that the professor doesn't want to see in the paper.

1. Chatiness, it's a sure sign that you didn't do the project. So while I want to talk about Taize and about my past, I can only mention them. Half the paper cannot be about what Taize is, or how I want to go there. It must stick to the topic of loving G-d and others and how you attempted to do that during the past few weeks.

Stuff to reference, either links or verses or class notes. Especially for analization of the experience from a Jewish perspective.

1. http://www.taize.fr/en_article7353.html
2. John 4:8
3. The notes on the historical Jesus

Alright, I think that's about it for now. I'm going to go eat something in about 5-10 minutes and then come back to find a table to sit at while I wait for the rest of the group.

I do apologize for the rather depressing mood of this post. And no, I still couldn't figure out how to post a video I made of that porcupine in our trash can, hopefully my brother's USB will work somehow.

May G-d bless,
the sc