1> The City

I cant seem to decide on music this morning. The location demands something appopriate. Something urban like some Miles Davis beat tracks, but the tinkling of George Winston is calling to me...

It was dark when we landed. The sprawling size of the city was made more apparent by the sheer numbers of lights that spread to the horizon and greeted us with a soft orange glow. But the day would have hidden the size. Riding the "L" to downtown, the lights inside the train make it all but imposible to see out the window. We reached downtown with out so much as going outside so the cold reality hit us when we went outside... its winter here. The condensation of our breath, nipped fingers and ears, and the fogging up of glasses seem to be reminders that we are not in Cali any more. In my hotel room this morning it seemed not to matter if we were in California or Chicago. A hotel room is a hotel room. Untill you draw the shades and reveil the urban landscape of scuring people and bustling cars, and concrete and trees and buildings. The archetecure here is amazing. The buildings are old by my standard, though in most parts of the world they would be considered new construction. There was a church that we saw last night that was over a hundred years old. It was made of rough hewn stone and decretive masonry with large leaded windows and the most amazing wood doors you can immagine that made me take off my glove just to touch it and feel the texture. 

There is a overall buzz in our group though it seems we all are a bit tired this morning. Some of its the time zone differance and some of that is the ride on the airplane yesterday. I'm not sure that they had people of my size in mind when they were designing the seating arangements. I pray for unity and discernment for our group as tiredness lends itself to all other sorts of things, like irritability, short tempers and an overall exageration of expression and emotion. I pray for a unity of our group and an overwhelming sense of growth and expectation to outway anything else that might be happening.

The city provides this overwhelming distraction to me and I relized this morning that this town is no differnt than my own, people living out their lives, either in line with God's plan, or ultimatly set against it. There are strugles and joys living side by side and sometimes in the same momment. Its just the the stage for their lives has a much different backdrop. 

So I settled on the winston and his piano. Winter into Spring.
Later All
Adam