Thomas Merton penned these words a number of years ago – No man is an island - Merton was an interesting man who lived a pretty wild life, or so many think, before becoming a monk. Much of his life is told in the book Seven Story Mountain. Merton was also the last monk allowed to become a hermit. Somewhere along the line the church realized living totally alone, in silence, was not a healthy thing. As a matter of fact in all of creation there’s only one time the Creator said “This is not good.” Those words were uttered when He saw Adam was lonely. He said “This is not good” and Eve was then created.

We live in a world where many people try to be islands. We have our work cubicles, our small cars, our little apartments, single serving dinners, and half a loaf of bread. Add on top of that the computer and the Internet, and suddenly many in the world today simply don’t interact with people. Sure, we have our many networks which give us a sense of connection, but reality is, if there’s no human connection, is there really a connection at all?

I find it interesting that in the midst of the singleness of the Internet with one person sitting in front of a computer screen, there’s an explosion of social networks on the Internet. Just today I received yet another invitation to another social network I didn’t even know existed. Someone sent me an invitation to a network called Reunion. Just what I need, another social network ID. Of course since I know the person who invited me, I went ahead and joined. Now I’m on Facebook, MySpace, Plaxo, LinkedIn, MyBlogLog, and a host of other bookmarking sites that enables me to list friends! When will the madness end?

In the midst of all the social networks, I suddenly found myself pondering the words of Thomas Merton once again – No man is an island – Could it be there’s something built inside each one of us that longs for some kind of relationship? Some kind of network? Some kind of interaction with others? Even if it’s via a blinking cursor on a computer screen, there’s something built inside each one of us that longs for some kind of human contact.

Aside from all the social networks I’m part of, I also have a Twitter account. It’s amazing to watch the Tweets among all my “friends.” But, what’s even more amazing is to watch those friends connect with other Twitter friends in their own area. Tweet-ups take place every day. Not a day goes by that I don’t see something like — So and so is meeting with @name, and @name and maybe @name too!

Once again, I find myself pondering the great truth uttered so long ago in the garden — Adam was lonely, this is not good.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

Randy over at the Cultural Watercooler asked the question today – What’s your favorite restaurant? Wow! So many to choose from, so little time. I had a great time reading some of the other blogs who’ve already taken part in Watercooler Wednesday and then figured it was time for me to talk about my fav restaurant.

I guess I’ve always loved Italian food. Since pizza is one of my favorite food groups, any restaurant with the word pizza in it ranks right up there as my favorite restaurant. There’s Pizza Hut and then there’s the little known Pizza Shack. We found The Shack right around the corner from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York. As a matter of fact, as a married couple with a one year old child, the Shack was the first place we found food when we arrived on campus. What a day, or should I say night, that was.

After being called into ministry I left radio and headed for Roberts Wesleyan College with my wife and our first born son. After a long day of travel, where the border guard didn’t want to let our furniture cross into the United States with us, our car that broke down, and just about everything else one might imagine happened, we found ourselves sitting on the floor of our little two bedroom apartment. It seems everyone of importance forgot we were moving in as Resident Advisors of Gamma building. It was way past dark, the moving truck was unloaded, our friends were heading back for Canada, and we found ourselves wondering what in the world had we just done. Alone with a crying baby hours away from home, in what was supposed to be our new home.

Hungry, tired, and surrounded by boxes we decided to look for something to eat. We didn’t even know our way around campus, let alone off campus. Since school was not in session yet, the campus seemed more like a ghost town than a college town. But, we headed out to find some food. Driving around a couple blocks we spotted a place called The Pizza Shack. It was a little place, but we figured, “pizza, what can they do to pizza that would make it bad.” We turned into the driveway, got out of the car, and walked into a little greasy spoon like restaurant.

It was only take out and since it was summer, it was unbearably hot inside. The counter was well worn, the fans were running, and little notes were posted all over the walls, and counter. We ordered our pizza, which arrived a short time later, and we headed for our apartment. By the time we got home the grease looked like it was already seeping through the bottom of the box. “What had we just done?” questions starting running through our minds again. But, we were hungry. Only God knew where the plates and other utensils were securely packed away in boxes, so we didn’t wait to find anything like that. We were hungry. We dug in, and it was great!

Yes, I do mean that. It was, and probably continues to be to this day, the best pizza we’ve ever had. Lots of cheese, just the right amount of pepperoni, thick crust, and yes, grease. Nothing like it! The sad thing is, we drove by there a few months ago and discovered The Shack is closed. What a bummer, now generations of college students at Roberts Wesleyan College will never experience what is probably the best pizza around.

This post is taking part in Randy’s Water Cooler Wednesday!

 Be sure to check it out!

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

I know, the subject heading is a little tacky, and also a direct steal from that ever so popular song many people love to hate, Don’t Worry, Be Happy. I found myself reminded of the song when going through some of my Tweets on my Twitter feed. One person I follow is on the road traveling and he said he woke up to someone whistling that very song outside his motel room door this morning. He alluded to the fact that it didn’t really upset him, he just wished he could sleep a little longer.

But, as tacky as the phrase may seem, there’s great truth in those words. Now I’m not saying we should live in a world of escapism where we ignore everything around us that might make us feel uncomfortable. However, I am saying we tend to live in a world where many people simply worry too much. Yes, there are plenty of things to cause worry today. High gas prices, housing foreclosures, falling dollar and simply trying to make ends meet in a world that seems to be spinning out of control. Then, if you toss in family issues, wild teens, fighting spouses, or whatever else might be going on, stress does indeed seem to linger around every corner.

In this fast paced world, some crave for the good old days when life was slower and everything seemed calmer. However, a return to the good old days accomplishes little. As a matter of fact, the good old days had its share of issues too. Reality is this, no matter what time period one may long for, every time period had its share of problems. Some two thousand years ago, when you might think life was grand, people were encouraged to not worry about tomorrow. If the birds of the air are cared for, rest assured humans will make it through whatever a new day brings too.

As trite as it may sound, when life seems to really be pulling you down, try humming a few bars of Don’t Worry Be Happy. Who knows, it might just change your attitude a little so you can smile.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

The second installment in the C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia series hit the big screen over the weekend. Prince Caspian took over the number one spot on the box office list for its opening weekend, dethroning the comic book superhero Iron Man. While some Hollywood analysts are lamenting the fact that Prince Caspian didn’t pull in really big numbers, Walden Media and Disney aren’t too concerned because they figure it will have a long run in theaters. After all, it’s based on the classic book series for kids and we’re heading into a Memorial Day Weekend. Then there’s the long summer when many kids are simply looking for something to do.

The life lessons in Prince Caspian are many. It’s C.S. Lewis, and that was his whole plan while writing the children’s books. He was looking to present strong life lessons for kids, through the use of allegory, fantasy and story. Lewis was a master writer and an incredible storyteller. Of course the Chronicles of Narnia series have proven this fact as they’ve turned into not only a classic collection of stories, but have also set the tone for what other writers aim at when attempting to write a children’s series.

I must admit I leaned over to my wife about half way through the movie and said I really need to head back to the books and re-read them. It’s been a long time since I’ve read the entire Narnia series. I easily tracked The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe movie because the book is so popular. But, I’m sure like many people, the remaining books in the series become fuzzy simply because they weren’t as widely read. With Walden already in pre-production for the third Chronicles movie, I think it’s time to blow the dust off my book series at home.

But what about the lessons learned from Prince Caspian. As I already mentioned, there are many, but for me, one lesson really stood out. Many times as we journey through life we want to recreate a certain situation or event so life will continue to move forward smoothly. In the midst of this political season many are looking for a return to the Reagan era. Others want a Clinton era, and still others simply want an era of change. Whatever the case may be, all too often we try to make things the same, expecting life to work out just like it did in the past. Now, I’m not saying we can’t learn lessons from the past, but we must remember this is called a journey. What does a journey mean? We somehow keep moving forward.

With this in mind, the strong lesson in Prince Caspian comes as a recurring theme experienced by Lucy as she searches for Aslan. Her question is always, “Why have you not helped us like you did before?” Aslan responds by saying, “Because I never do things the same way twice.” Wow! What an incredible reminder that something “new” is always ready to “spring up” right before our eyes. The words of Aslan in Prince Caspian reminded me of the words from Isaiah which declare, “See, I am doing a new thing.” While the new thing may be a scary new reality, when we understand and learn lessons from the past, the new thing will always strengthen us through this journey we call life.

A Fellow Sojourner,

Dr. Rus

The past couple weeks have been very hectic in the Jeffrey household. We’ve had a few emergency room visits and that of course adds to an elevated stress level. One of the visits revolved around my wife who sprained her ankle. It’s been said a sprain is worse than a break. At first you wonder how that could be. But, now that we’re living through a sprain instead of a break, we’re beginning to understand that line of thinking. At least with a break you get a full cast which you can walk on. The sprain ends up in a half cast, which you can’t walk on. So, that means Sandra has been moving around the house using a desk chair with wheels.

You can well imagine how this changes the overall chores in the house. And, since I’m up at 3:30am every morning to make it into the radio station for the morning show, I’m starting to notice a lack of sleep. I’m at work now, but it feels like I’m just sleep walking through the morning.

As I pulled into the parking lot of the radio station I glanced up toward the sky and noticed all the stars. It really made me stop for a moment as I pondered the words “and I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars.” I’m not looking for more kids, but the thought did cause me to remember just how in control God is no matter what might be going on in our journey through life. Many times when we think the cards are stacked against us, we’re reminded of the fact that God is in control. It may not look like it at the time, but He really does know what’s going on. In the vastness of the universe, He has a plan. Not only does He have a plan, and not only does He know how many stars are in the sky, but He also knows how many hairs are on our head.

Somehow, as I gazed up at the stars this morning, I was reminded that God does know what’s going on in my life right now. He’s in control, and He is guiding as I journey through this little episode in life.

A Fellow Sojourner,

Dr. Rus

Iron Man continues to pull in incredible dollars at the box office. Now the slow selling Playstation game is even doing well. It seems Iron Man mania is sweeping not only the nation, but the world. I’m sure Robert Downey Jr. is pleased that he’s connected with such a blockbuster hit. After all, he’s someone who’s had his share of ups and downs throughout his somewhat rocky career. He’s a good actor, but unfortunately he fell into the trap of drugs and alcohol. But, with that behind him, maybe he’s opened a new chapter not only in his life, but also in his career.

Iron Man is a very strong movie. It gets off to a somewhat disjointed start, but in the end, it comes through with great special effects and a good story line. In a nutshell, without any spoilers here for those who have not seen the movie yet, Iron Man is created after Tony Stark, an arms dealer, has a change of heart and decides to right some of the wrongs his weapons company created. Of course this doesn’t go over very well with some inside the company, but this does not deter him from creating the Iron Man superhero.

Now I know what you’re thinking – How in the world can we find an encouraging message from a comic book hero? But here it is. In the middle of the movie Stark’s assistant asks him why he’s so determined to create Iron Man, even if it means he may die while trying to right his wrongs. In a somewhat off-handed comment, we discover a great truth. Downey Jr.’s character says, “Maybe this is why I didn’t die when I was kidnapped.” Wow! What an amazing statement. Tucked away in the middle of this sci-fi comic book hero come to life movie, we discover a statement about purpose and destiny.

Could it be Downey’s statement, via the character Tony Stark, speaks of purpose and destiny not only for Iron Man, but for himself as well? Who knows. But I do know this, the nugget of truth concerning purpose and destiny in the Iron Man movie is a strong message for anyone who hears it. It is true, we do all have a purpose and destiny. While we may not be a superhero, we can do our best to positively influence those around us.

A Fellow Sojourner,

Dr. Rus

Randy over at the Ethos – A Cultural Water Cooler asked the question on this Water Cooler Wednesday- “What’s your favorite web app?” Well Randy, I’m gald you asked.

You’re right, there are a truckload of apps out there and sometimes trying to make your way through the sea of apps can become very confusing. But, some do indeed rise to the top. I’m in the midst of revamping all of my blogs, moving them from Blogger to my own server where I’m now using WordPress. The reason for the move mainly centered around the fact that Blogger has no backup! In the words of Homer – “Ahhhhh!” What happens if Blogger goes down. I lose all my postings!

During the revamping and retooling stages, I’ve been finding some really cool apps. The first one is an ap for apps! It’s called MyBlogLog and if you want to see my favorite apps, just look at the “My Services” panel in the “About Me” section of this blog. Aside from the many other features with MyBlogLog it gives you a cool widget app to display all your other service apps.

My second favorite app I’ve discovered is SpringWidgets. Like the name implies, this site is a collection of widgets. But, you can customize the widgets to better suit whatever page you’re putting the widget on. Many people, including you Randy, are flying a new Twitter widget. I agree, the current widget from Twitter is nothing more than a bulky looking RSS feed. The new Twitter widget many people are using looks cool, but I got an even cooler one from SpringWidgets! Once again, if you want to see my Twitter widget, just scroll down this page and you’ll find it on the right panel. Also, while you’re looking for my Twitter widget, you’ll see another cool SpringWidget with a Daily Bible Verse in it.

So there you have it Randy, and the rest of the fine folks at the Wednesday Water Cooler. A couple of my favorite apps, which actually provide you with a look at some of my other favorite Internet apps too.

This post is taking part in Water Cooler Wednesday!

Happy widget hunting!

Dr. Rus