Real Power

The reunion at George Fox was fantastic! I didn't really know what to expect but was thrilled with the break out sessions they had. After the meeting all together downstairs, you had the choice of professors you could go hear speak about various topics, take a break, and go to another. Many of my friends were there and we all chose different professors to start with. After the first session when we ran into each other in the hall, we all grinned and exclaimed, "This is SOOO cool!!!" We loved getting to hear our favorite professors speak again about topics of great interest and relished in the feeling of being there together again like we were years ago.

For the first session, I went to hear MaryKate Morse speak on her new book, "Making Room for Leadership", the book I'm waiting to read until I fly to Milwaukee. For the second, I went to hear Dr. Laura Simmons talk about her experiences of reconciliation when she went to visit Ireland, South Africa, and Rwanda. We all were choked up by the time she finished. Going to those two presentations was an interesting juxtaposition. MaryKate spoke about leadership, power, and servanthood, including a lot on how we physically carry ourselves, expressing or not expressing our power. Then Dr. Laura told us stories deeply heart breaking and others of forgiveness that made us cry. It made me think, there is a lot of power in forgiveness, a lot of opportunity to be a leader and a servant. It seems to be all three rolled up into one. Power like that moved us so deeply we could only silently cry. Power is how you carry yourself and how you physically weild that power, power is also in what we do, it is in forgiveness and in love. In fact, love and forgiveness is the most powerful force of all.

I had only been there mingling for a few minutes when Dr. Laura approached a group of us and gave us all fliers for a class she's teaching as an intensive in the fall, "Contemplation and Reconciliation" which any alumni who has taken her reconciliation class can audit for $50. She certainly knows how to take advantage of getting the word out! I think several of us will be joining her for that. I know, if I audit all I want to this fall, that will be 5 credits. But if I do, I will be getting all the book lists well beforehand so I have time to read a bit ahead of time. Besides, I really need the intellectual and spiritual challenge. I know I've said this before, but that part of me just feels like a shriveled up plant that I haven't bothered to water. I have started a book, "Dark Night of the Soul" a psychologist's look at the relationship between darkness and spirituality. (I finished the personal finance book this afternoon.) It's really good so far. The author is right, John of the Cross not only states the feelings I'm feeling, but he explains them. I love that. His book made a world of difference to me when I was going through my dark night. I can hardly wait to go back to the library and exchange these books for some more!

(Happy Half-Birthday to me!)

365-09 #136