Road Trip

( Saguaro National Park)

In a little bit I will help my parents load up the truck with our three dogs, hop in, put on some tunes, open a Vault energy drink, and keep my dad awake until 5 am. We are leaving for a road trip to Tuscon, Arizona. We will drive 20 hours one way, stay there on Saturday, and head back home on Sunday. We're picking up a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser my dad bought. I'm excited for the road trip and to get the hell out of Willard/Springfield for a little bit. I think the change of scenery may be just what the doctor ordered. Plus Saguaro National Park is right there too. I'm excited to go there.

I've been listening to Alana Grace all day today and her song The Tunnel is just one of many I identify with:

Oh, I wanna know, I wanna go/
where the air will clear my soul/
to see the light/
I will find a way through the tunnel.
(Alana Grace, The Tunnel)

On the drive there I will be reading up on Judaism. Istudied it somewhat extensively while in undergrad (that and Islam), and I have the opportunity to help teach it at my church next week. I'll miss this Sunday, so I gave the college pastors some material that they can use to teach from. Next week I get to cover modern Judaism in all it's complexities: the different types, spirituality, modern practices, anti-Semitism, and the Arab-Israeli conflict....all in one hour. Not sure how that's going to happen, but I'm excited for the opportunity to use my degree for something. I will also be teaching Sunday school for each of the major world religions. The objective of this study is to explore the religions in order to learn how to best communicate and ultimately evangelize to people of different faiths. I don't agree with the evangelism aspect at all, but I'm excited to teach my peers about these religions since they wouldn't study them otherwise. Hopefully I can do a good job. My father, who is an awesome teacher, has offered me advice to help curb what he thinks is my opinionatedness and elitism.... Heh. I know I struggle/thrive with those two things. *shrug* It will be a good opportunity, nonetheless, and I really hope to teach everyone as much as I can about Judaism (which just rocks!).