Here Comes Santa Claus

We have arrived in Wuhan and are eating lunch with my good friend Fiona. We spent last night in Beijing, walked the city around our hotel, found a small market (which Bob loved), then ate dinner at the hotel. I packed all my stuff in a carry on - yes, I can pack for nearly three weeks in the carry-on. I have two bags full of stuff for Fi and her family. I felt like Santa Claus bringing goods down the chimney. We unpacked the bags and Fiona felt like it was Christmas, too. Santa Claus has come to town...he even shows up in China in May.

Another one bites the dust...

As of last night, semester number two of my PhD program is complete. Hallelujah! The last two weeks have been insane! It's hard to believe I have successfully completed my first year. It's actually gone pretty quickly.

Today, I get on an airplane to my hometown. I'll do some planning for wedding reception number three on Friday. Then early Saturday AM I'm off to China. This will be my first visit to China. I have very low expectations of the trip. I get to see a very good friend who's living there, but the country itself isn't of much interest to me. My friend says that means I'm really going to love it, because I don't expect much. I'm told they won't believe I'm American because I'm not blonde or white. I wonder where they will think I'm from? Maybe, India? They have a very definite opinion of what an American should look like when they visit China and I don't fit the mold. That will be interesting.

Since I will be out of the country for nearly three weeks, I likely won't be updating my blog. Expect to hear from me when I get back.

Women of Distinction

Last year I was nominated by one of my students as a woman of distinction...it was an honor just to be nominated. Ironically, I had nominated the same student that year and she was selected. Well, this year I was nominated by one of my professors and selected. Kenyon asked if I get money for it. No, I don't. I get my photo taken for a calendar (it is very tastefully done and we are fully clothed) and they write up our accomplishments next to our photo. I can also add it to my resume as an award or accomplishment - out of a large number of women, I was chosen as a woman of distinction.

The semester is almost over. Friday I completed and turned in my large, and very painful, paper. I have one more small paper to do, then I'm finished with school until June when the summer semester begins. I cannot wait to be done!

I leave Thursday for New Mexico. I'm stopping there for one day on my way to China to visit my good friend for nearly three weeks. That is my deadline - Thursday. I must be done by Thursday.

Walk for India

The walk for India was a success. Twenty-five students, plus their friends and families showed up for the event. The weather was beautiful! One of the few beautiful days we've had this spring. The students raised enough money to purchase two uniforms for the 50 children we are taking in to the new orphanage this summer.

Consequences...

I've been thinking a lot about consequences lately. Last week I heard a Christian business woman speak about her horse business. She views the company as a ministry and she said one of the biggest things she can teach is consequences for actions - step behind a horse, get kicked. Parents often have the responsibility of teaching about consequences - touch a hot stove, get burned; disobey, get punished. This is purely opinion based on observation, but I think this is one of the lessons we are lacking in our society. We don't think we should suffer the consequences of our actions - I can do this and get away with it, escape the consequences "it won't happen to me;" or we have a sense of entitlement believing we are owed something by someone "I deserve this;" or we pass the buck, it isn't really my fault "it was a result of (fill in the blank) - my abuse as a child, or whatever it is that someone else did to me." You've heard these before, maybe you've even said them yourself.

It seems logical to me that we suffer consequences for our actions. Like a law of nature. I remember in physics class in high school the teacher talking about every action in the universe has an equal or opposite reaction. That could be applied to people and relationships. Our actions have a reaction; a consequence. It just seems natural and logical. I like logical, if consequences just stayed between those two affected parties than I could accept that.

Unfortunately, consequences don't work that way - they have a far reaching ripple effect. Our actions can impact so many, far beyond the immediate relationship. I've felt this ripple effect many times in my life - some one's choice to do something ended up effecting my life in unexpected ways. Most recently it happened with my work in India. My pastor's choice to have an affair, extended all the way to India. Premdas is a man of God. I describe him as a great man - the only great man I've ever had the privilege of meeting. I've read about great people; Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Theresa, Jesus - people who changed lives and challenged others to be more than they are today. I classify Premdas among those. Just being in his presence makes me want to be a better person, others have said he has the same effect on them.

Premdas and a small group of volunteers have been working on starting a new orphanage for vulnerable children in India. Our scheduled start date was May. Everything seemed to be on schedule. We'd even witnessed miracles in fundraising and felt God's hand moving this project forward. Then, BAM! Everything changed because of one man's selfish decision to choose pleasure over character. I had the unfortunate task of telling Premdas our plans were postponed due to struggles within the church to pick up the pieces left behind by the pastor's choice. This choice has affected thousands. It didn't just hurt his wife and kids (though that would have been enough) - it hurt the congregation, the community, and to my surprise the consequences reached way beyond that into other parts of the world.

These kind of far reaching consequences are much more difficult to accept, that is where my character is tested. Will I sit down and say, "this just isn't fair?" Or, will we stand up and say, "in spite of this unexpected difficulty I will persevere with what is right, choose what is good and make sure my character stays in tact?" I choose perseverance and character. It isn't easy, but in the end it is the wise, biblical, and best choice. I also believe the consequence of a wise choice brings positive things into my life; like truth, love and grace.

When I have kids, I want them to learn about consequences and pray they make wise choices to save themselves and others the pain of poor choices.