Join the Living!

I have very fond memories of my collegiate experiences at TTU. A lot of them begin with "You'll never believe this, but when I was a stupid college kid..." and end with "but I'm really glad I did it, anyway." Many of these stories include my friend, Carol.

In college I spent a lot of time at the Wesley Foundation, a campus ministry that operates under the Methodist Church banner, a place where I met some of the most incredible people I know. See, for example, Rich. And the incomparable P-ta! I've briefly introduced you to Carol, whom I also met at the Wesley house, in a long-winded Easter memory that I wrote last year. After several years of missing her with good intentions to reconnect, I think I'll finally be able to do so now that I've read a certain article about her and her recent creative shenanigans.

I adore the awesomely vibrant Carol and have always been inspired by her. Some of my memories with her include helping her establish the Renaissance Coffee House (a little experiment that attempted to bring folks of all faiths together in a spirit of community -a new beginning- and was successful for a few years), experiencing the joys jumping on the coolest trampoline ever in Perry, OK, and watching Waiting for Guffman 3 (or was it 4) times in a row and laughing until all the oxygen was gone from the universe. Carol and I were not afraid of socks and Birkenstocks and she was one of the first people with whom it was easy for me to sit in silent, prayerful meditation without feeling intimidated or self-conscious. She has that ease about her, that peace. She has always had vision.

Thanks (again) to P-ta who posted a news clipping about Carol, I am working to reestablish contact. She is currently on a mission of sorts. She and her partner, Kate, have decided to go on a journey to "Join the Living." Their goal is to travel cross-country for four months in a truck that runs on recycled vegetable oil that they borrow from the trash containers of various fast food establishments along the way. This pilgrimage is the launch for their newest project called Join the Living. The project's aim is to build an imaginative, spiritual community full of new found leaders who use their gifts to better the world. Check out the links to see exactly what Carol and Kate are doing on this journey, how they are doing it, and with whom. I think you'll be inspired by their encounters. Check out the new mag called Bread and Oranges that is currently being assembled and that will be released in print in 2008.

The Join the Living project makes me want to do more with these hands of mine. I do have some projects in the works (baby-steps), and maybe this will be the inspirational boost I need to get the stagnant cogs moving.

Cheers Carol!