one path.

Father, take me where you want me to go.

i long to follow you.

let Your will be done.

and when i am led astray,

by my own selfish desires especially,

draw me in.

and set my eyes on You.

next year brings many possibilities. many paths.

help me to choose the one that will bring my soul closer to Yours.

the one that will bring glory to Your name.

the one that will bring heaven to earth.

amen.

wow, what a night.

i thought i was going to spend my evening with some classmates at the alachua county fair, shooting photos for an assignment.

thankfully, the weather was terrible and we postponed it,

because i was now able to attend the UF Student Senate meeting instead.

and tonight, they were debating a resolution urging Aramark (a major food provider) to meet with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

i wasn't really sure what to expect; i had never been to a senate meeting before.

but, as soon as i arrived, i realized this was a far bigger deal than i had thought.

there were about 200 people there. half of which were UF senators.

immediately, it was brought to our attention that those of us who were there in solidarity with the CIW, were going to be there for quite some time.

one student senator mentioned that these meetings tend to go until 1 or 2 a.m. (it started at 7:30).

not to mention, the first motion made was to push our bill further into the meeting.

the first part was public debate, which was incredible!

so many people came out to support the resolution and say a few words.

it was incredibly frustrating though to watch a handful of people make snide comments and remarks under their breath or roll their eyes when students were speaking about the situation in Immokalee.

unfortunately, this one guy was directly in my line of vision.

and i am not proud to say that i spent a lot of my time being unbelievably angry with him.

i had to continually pray for a heart of mercy and grace.

thankfully, i didn't have to sit and listen to the first couple of bills, including funding for the gator skim club's special event. and yes, skim as in skimboarding.

(and no, i'm not even going to go on about how ridiculous it is that this was motioned to be debated before the CIW bill.)

a friend had brought wendell berry's "sex, freedom and economy," which was quite nice to read instead of dreadfully listening to funding for beach trips.

(i'll have to post some of berry's inspiring words later.)

anyways, about 3 hours later the CIW/Aramark resolution bill was brought to the floor for debate.

when it was previously debated in the past, a majority had voted for it, but a majority wasn't enough. we needed 2/3's of the vote.

so this time around, the debate was a fairly heated one.

several sponsors and authors of the bill began by presenting it to the senate once again.

next, was the question and answer section.

then the pros and cons.

all i could do was pray.

and pray.

and pray.

i prayed unceasingly as students debated back and forth on whether or not we should support ending modern-day slavery.

i prayed that the Spirit would move in those whose hearts had been hardened.

i prayed that the Father would enlighten those whose minds had been conditioned.

i prayed that His will would be done.

i prayed for peace. and justice. and mercy.

after what had seemed like the longest debate i've ever witnessed,

the decision was made. 57 to 19.

we won!

i can't even begin to explain the joy that filled my insides.

it was a tiny, yet sweet victory. so sweet.

every man is a part of the main.

"Every Christian is a part of my own body,

because we are members of Christ.

What i do is also done for them and with them and by them.

What they do is done in me and by me and for me."

-Thomas Merton

life of the spirit.

being made aware of our own real selves.

and being placed in the presence of God.

discovering from within.

loving God.

loving others.

losing ourselves - a death and a resurrection.

[notes from No Man is An Island.]

justice in the fields.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers are taking their Campaign for Fair Food a step further. The farmers, along with the support of the Student Farmworker Alliance and local friends, rallied yesterday at the University of Florida. The CIW is currently calling upon Aramark (the university's food provider) and Publix to sign an agreement for fair wages for the farmers of Immokalee.

In the past, the CIW has successfully made agreements with Taco Bell, Burger King, McDonald's, Whole Foods, Subway, Compass Group and a few others.

They are asking for these corporations to pay the tomato farmers 1 cent more per lb. of tomatos. This may not seem like a lot to the average person, but it is a huge increase for the farmers' salaries.

They are also asking Publix and Aramark to sign an agreement requesting that they not do business with growers who partake in any form of modern-day slavery.

There have been many recorded cases of farmers being held against their will, beat, and chained up over night.

Not to mention the terrible conditions in which they are forced to live in.

Last night, a woman spoke of a two-room trailer with rodents and cockroaches. She said they typically put 7-8 people in each unit because they can't afford anything else.

Please, if you have any free time, use it to educate yourself a little more about this.

You can read all about their past and current struggles in the fight for fair food here.

i'll try to remind you.

without You, everything is pointless.

nothing of this world matters.
and too easily do i dwell in these things that are fleeting.

may i only be comforted by You.
nothing else.

for nothing can satisfy me, but You.

lift up my soul, oppressed by the weight of sin.

may i be honest enough to face my weaknesses.
deliver me, Father.

may i always be found in sanctifying grace.
for that is the only pathway to Heaven.

may You be love in me and through me.

amen.

short, but sweet few days.

texas friends.

orlando friends.

new friends.

porches.

storms.

surprises.

roofs.

fires.

prairies.

farms.

gardens.

adventure.

fall.

cool weather.

fellowship.

hold on to what you know is true.

life is beautiful.

i am forever grateful, Father.

all of my life.

in every season.

You are still God.

and so i will bring praise.

it's funny how inconsistent our emotions can be sometimes.

i read something she wrote from last spring.

i felt overwhelmingly uneasy afterward.

i think it's because i can identify with her.

with her feelings. her words.

so much so, that i acquire her feelings now,

that she wrote down on paper then.

i hope her heart is better now.

my daily bread.

[My child, the person who esteems anything for itself alone, forgetting My goodness and love, will always be small and inferior like the things which he values.]

[Let others seek whatever else they desire besides Me. As for you, let nothing please you except Me alone, your Hope, your Eternal Salvation.]

[No tongue can describe the peace which God gives to those who sincerely want His Will above all else.

Many never find this peace because they lack the trust and courage to live entirely God's way.]

Father, help me live each day, moment after moment, pleasing You.

help me to turn from everything and anything that displeases You.

help me to know Your will.

help me to love Your will.

Amen.

new sleeping at last video.
it's beautiful. and amazing.


you should check it out.
you should.

the field.

[...your fingers wrapped around me
and you cool me down
and i lay here as we're breathing
in rhythm now

and you hide me in your acres
in fields so green
no gravestones in the soil here
no choking weeds

lay me down there
while the sun's high in the sky
where the grass grows green and high

lay me down there
we'll share a common block of stone
just don't let me lay alone

maybe we'll have babies
and raise a family
and you tell me not to worry
because i will still be me

well i'll take you to the mountains
i will build a home
and you'll tend to the garden
kept in stone...]

-besides daniel.

can't get enough of them.