Our blog sucks.

I know it's not a competition.

But really...our blog sucks.

We started this to keep a "running commentary" of our lives in California and the insights we learn.

But after re-reading all my archived blog posts, and comparing them with others I read, I realize how incredibly lame ours is. (not to mention its void of any visual aesthetics or multi-media appeal).

And I think I know why.

We aren't being us.

(Well that, and we are really busy).

Some blogs are fun, some are informative, some are guilty pleasures. and a few are brilliant displays of whit mixed with social commentary. Some have a purpose, some don't. Some tell the future, some reflect on a meaningful past. Some post 3 times a day, some post 3 times a year. Some update, some inspire.

But every blog I enjoy reading, is an honest expression and reflection of the bloggers themselves...however quirky or deep they are.

Our blog...is NOT that.

Jody and I, aren't being us. We aren't expressing HALF the insights, experiences, memories, and stories in our lives. And we aren't doing it our way.

And maybe the convenient truth is that we are really busy.

We really are.

We are trying desperately to balance working on four Masters' degrees at one time, while both working A LOT just to survive in expensive CA. We are trying to develop new friendships here, while maintaining our old ones. We are trying to discover, refine, and apply our passions to a missional context. Plus, continusouly working on our young two-year-old marriage.

But we don't share much of this through our blog. We don't share the struggle this life has been for us. And we rarely share the equal joy that comes with it.

We don't tell the hilarious stories we have; nor do we share the inspiring ones we see almost daily.

I know a stupid blog doesn't define you....

But honesty defines a good writer. And THAT is something I want to be.

We'll work on that.


Stay tuned- whoever is out there!

love-j&e

Accepted

We just found out our Zacatecas research was accepted to be presented at the HERA conference, Humanities Education and Research Organization. Myself and a few members of our cohort will travel to El Paso, TX mid-march for their annual academic conference and present our findings. It's a big deal. : )

I am so proud of our hard work, and am SO excited to share our findings with the audience of HERA. This is a HUGE opportunity for our cohort (we are the first MAIS cohort to ever have their research presented outside of the University.) It's a huge honor to present our findings to an academic audience, and it will be great to participate in a conference that encourages interdisciplinary work.

Today is Christmas at the Harper house....I can't wait to give everyone their gifts! : )

love,
e

Complete.

Third semester of grad school complete. We never really got a summer vacation since our research work carried on after our trip, so we have a lot of rest to catch up on. It's been an especially exhausting semester for some reason...Made it home yesterday for the annual "Christmas tour" where we will spend a week in Louisiana, a week in Texas, and then a week recruiting in St. Louis.

Feels so good to be here. I think we slept 12 hours last night. While we are hoping to rest while we are visiting, we have a few projects we are also hoping to work on as well. Capstone research is on our minds primary....but we also want to spend some quality time reflecting on and preparing for whatever God has in store the next year at our church/ministry. Plus...I want to kick back up this running thing I have been trying to do. (over 10 weeks, build up to running 12 miles/week.) And there are about 12 movies I am dying to see and even more books I want to read. We will stay busy enough.

Also, during the break, Jody and I are going to St. Louis to recruit at Urbana, kick off our third year of marriage, and visit some dear Missouri friends of ours.

Finally, check out photos from our presentation last month. (Thanks Jill and mom!)

Don't we look sharp!

















































































much love,
j and e

Questions

I have a lot of them.

I am currently doing a comparative study on Karl Barth and Carl F. Henry and their views of God's answers to our questions for my theology class. I am loving the project and reading these old theologians conflicting views!

Below are some quotes I have read and recently stumbled upon that speak to questions.

“The Bible seeks people who can and will ask about God. It seeks those who are capable of letting their little questions mergne in the great question about the cross, that is, about God...Our questions about human life, even in their highest forms, are mere questions to which the answers sought are additional and must be matched to them.

But as the Bible takes these questions, translating them into the unescabaple question about God, one simply cannot ask or hear the “question” without hearing the answer. The person who says that the Bible leads us to where finally we hear only a great NO or see a great void, proves only that he has not yet been lef thither. This NO is really YES. This judgement is grace. This condemnation is forgiveness. This death is life. This hell is hevan. This fearful God is a loving father who takes the prodigal in his arms. The crucified is the one raised from the dead. And the explanation of the ecross as such is eternal life. No other additional thing needs to be joined to the question. The question is the answer."

-Karl Barth The Word of God and the Word of Man

and also....

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart...

Try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms

and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue.

Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you

because you would not be able to live them.

And the point is, to live everything.

Live the questions now.

Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it,

live along some distant day into the answer."

--Ranier Maria Rilke

keep asking,

e harper

Happy Birthday Mom!

Can't wait to see you in less than two weeks!














I love you!















e

Polysemy

"Polysemy ([pəˈlɪsəmi] or [ˈpɒliˌsiːmi]) (from the Greek: πολυ-, poly-, "many" and σῆμα, sêma, "sign") is the capacity for a sign (e.g., a word, phrase, etc.) or signs to have multiple meanings (sememes), i.e., a large semantic field. This is a pivotal concept within social sciences, such as media studies and linguistics"....and MAIS students.

In 2 weeks, Cohort Eight will be presenting a portion of our qualitative inquiry case study of Zacatecas, Mexico and we invite you to join us.


I am getting exhausted just thinking about all we have to do to prepare...but am also getting excited to finally present what we have spent almost a year developing. I remember looking at the cohort 7 presenting last year and thinking,"We will never get there..." But lo and behold...we have. And its going to be great!

Come see what the Harpers have been up to over the last year and a half, and hear a slice of our research findings from this summer.

If you can't make it, I would be happy to email you our LARGE text document for your enjoyment. : )

j and e

Evil

I am aware of evil in the world. Are you?


http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/28/california.gang.rape.bystander/


Pray for her. Pray for them. Pray for Richmond. Pray for the Bay. Pray for healing. Pray for justice. Pray we will have courage to stand up for what is right. Pray for Jesus to transform.


broken,
e harper