FRGV ME PLS?

I thought this was an interesting article from Reuters online yesterday. A thief in Beijing returned a woman's purse, phone, and money after receiving several sympathetic text messages from her. What struck me as most impressive about the story was the content and emotional connection in the messages. Where as most people would think to text something along the lines of "Return my stuff you stupid @#*$!", this woman sent messages saying

"You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you,"

and

"Keep the [money] if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To err is human. Correcting your mistakes is more important than anything"

I really liked her perspective of wanting to encourage and sympathize with the thief. Many in her situation would choose anger and want retribution, but her focus was on compassion and reconciliation. It reminded me a lot of a Ravi Zacharias sermon from who knows how many years ago. (At least I think it was Ravi... I could be misremebering, sorry.) But it's about the idea of radical reconciliation and taking attitudes of forgiveness that run so countercultural to our society that people have no choice but to stand up and take notice. I can't say whether or not the woman in the article is a Christ follower but I can say that her heart is in line with Jesus' mission. Read the full story for the outcome and the thief's reaction. Definitely a lesson to learn and a model to follow.

Just for Laughs

"I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've traveled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won't fall down." -Mitch Hedberg

Carmen Sandiago?

So here's my own take on a "Where in the World" blog/livejournal meme that I've seen going around. (And with my own criteria I say you can list any city that you've spent more than 5 consecutive hours in - not just driving through or flying over - in the past year, mostly cause I'd rather not indicate my home town.) Here's where I've been:

(in alphabetical order)

Aurora, IL
Bloomingdale, IL
Burbank, CA
Camarillo, CA
Channel Islands, CA
Chicago, IL
Dodgeville, WI
Gettysburg, PA
Gurnee, IL
Hollywood, CA
Irish Hills, MI
La Habra, CA
Lisle, IL
Naperville, IL
Palatine, IL
Romeoville, IL
San Antonio, TX
Spring Green, WI
Springfield, IL
Sterling, VA
Universal City, CA
Urbana, IL
Washington, DC
Winfield, IL

At least it's not just me....

So things have been really crazy busy at work lately and today the PhD that I do most of my work with said to me, "I think we have a little too much on the table right now." Oddly enough, that frustration laden statment was perhaps the most affirming thing I've heard at work in quite some time because at least now I know: it's not just me.

Happy New Year! (Again!)

Wow. 2007 already. Hopefully it will be a good year to be inspired. For those that are the resolving type here's a great quote to start us all off:

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities."
- Dr. Seuss

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to those that choose the wrong end of the telescope and if we can all resolve not to take life too seriously this time around the sun, I think it'll be a great year.