Hunger Challenge Retreat

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Ft. Collins for a weekend hunger challenge retreat.  We will be fasting all weekend and discussing issues of poverty and hunger and how Christians can respond to these crises.  I'm really looking forward to it.  I find that my eating habits are getting very sloppy, especially now that I'm by myself.  (Jeff is still working in Winter Park)  I don't put the care and attention to what I put in my mouth like I do when I'm with Jeff.  Why is that?  Do I think that by myself, I'm not worth it?  I don't think so.  It's just harder to get excited about making a nice meal when I have no one to share it with.  I know all of you single people know what I'm talking about.  

Anyway-- a time of fasting will get me in a meditative mode.  Hopefully I'll journal to keep my mind off my rumbling stomach.  I know that it'll help me get back down to the basics -- like the sacredness of food.  It's something we all need and something we all can share with one another.  And why don't people have enough and why do some people have way too much?  

I'm also going to be teaching a "body and prayer" class during the retreat as well.  We'll be looking at scriptures that use body as an avenue toward a closer relationship to God.  Then discuss how we use our own bodies to further this relationship.  I'm hoping that it will be a complex discussion -- because it is a complex topic.  The bible has just as many negative scriptures on body as it does positive.  Our society certainly gives us mixed messages about whether or not we should love or hate our bodies.  Surely, many of us have these same tensions within our own bodies.  

The second half of class I would just like to explore ways we can use our bodies as prayer -- mostly through yoga.  Hopefully, people will take to it.  We'll see.

By the way, if any one would like to sponsor me, the money will be donated to Outreach International.

Winter Park snow shoeing

this is where Jeff is put up when he works at the Winter Park clinic.  Pretty nice huh?

big sunglasses are SO hot right now

well, hello there

well, hello there.

(i'm skipping the apologies for not writing in awhile)

I'm in Winter Park for the week.  Jeff has been working in the clinic relocating dislocations and stiching up chins.  I've been working on my thesis (which is coming along swimmingly by the way).  Pretty soon, Jeff will have four days off so we plan on skiing, snowshoeing, tubing and-- when we don't feel like freezing anymore-- sitting at coffee shops for hours at a time.  I'm excited.

Today I decided to work from the condo so I'm hanging out in my pajamas snuggled under a blanket on the couch.  I'm looking out of the sliding doors to the evergreens and mountains of snow and alternating my drinks of coffee and orange juice. (yes, i have a cold).

That's about it.  I have lots to write about because I've been thinking about the spiritual practice of eating lately.  But I'll leave that for another day...when I'm feeling a bit more loquacious.  Until then, I just wanted to say hello and get myself back into the blogging mode.