grace.kindness.peace.disruption.pain.processing.rinse.repeat.have a nice day.

One of my professors introduced me to Def Poetry Jams several weeks ago. Many thought-provoking and moving poems from the show can be seen through YouTube. Here are a few:

I should be in bed, but I thought I'd accomplish one more thing that I've been meaning to do for a while. This week marked the end of my 7th week as a graduate student. It's seemed like so much longer than seven weeks. I've read more during this time than in any year of my undergrad, if not more. There's been a lot of good stuff to read … and then there's been Foucault. This short time has provided some of the most challenging moments of my life – and I say so without hyperbole. It's hard. If only it was the academic part that was the most challenging. Don't get me wrong, it's not undergrad work, but it still pales in comparison to the difficulty of deconstructing yourself – determining how you interact with people, think of yourself, think of others, and think of God. It is very challenging to look into your own heart looking for the brokenness and darkness … and to sit with it, hold it, and offer it to others around you. When you are laid bare before yourself and others, there is nothing behind which to hide. You see how little you love, how poor your faith is, and how you lack true hope. And you sit there humbled. But you're not alone – it would be a hell if this were not the case. These seven weeks have been but the start of a very painful, yet good, process.

I'm very much looking forward to this coming week – Reading Week. An undergrad fall break is replaced in grad school (at least this one) with a week to allow you to catch up on reading, work on term papers, and to read ahead (Lord willing) for the later half of the term. Into this whole mix I'm throwing a birthday party attendance, going to hear a top-notch theologian named Jürgen Moltmann speak, bilateral knee surgery (yep, both knees), going to hear Tony Campolo speak, and an apple picking adventure. Those are in order, so the attendance at the events after the knee surgery is questionable.

It's been far too long since I've uploaded some snapshots. Click on the image below to see a small, but ever-growing Picasa album of my photos.

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1:30 p.m. PT – Seattle

I pulled in to the new house just in time to go out for a tasty bite of lunch with a couple of my new roommates and one of their fathers. Good times already. The car is almost empty and the shocks have yet to stop thanking me. I'll post some before and after pics of the car for giggles, your giggles.

Thanks for all of your prayers, phone calls, and text messages. The drive out really wasn't that bad. I think that I could do it in two days on a more direct route. But thankfully I will not have to test that hypothesis for a long time.

9:20 a.m., MT: Buford, WY

After a splendid visit to the greater Denver area, during which I was able to meet up with Micah DeKorn, esquire, the lovely Amy Nixon, and the rugged manly men Lucas Steever and Brent Mueller, I am yet again on the road. I stopped off in the "town" of Buford for the moment and am surprised that despite its population of 2 (that's right, 2), there is free wireless Internet access. Considering that there is only one grouping of buildings in the Buford city limits, the entire town has wireless Internet access, making Buford ahead of its time.

I'm hoping to repeat my  feat of 1,000+ miles from two days ago, putting me somewhere in northern Oregon or southern Washington this evening. No matter how I end up today, tomorrow will be the day of new beginnings in Seattle. Game on. Roll out. Stay classy.