Dear Calvin Castaways

I have successful vacated my panicky pre-med world if only for a couple of days. Yes, I am a pre-med major and not one of those fake ones either, those that are pre-med for say a month or a semester. This May I will graduate with one of those intimidating -ology degrees, well Biological Chemistry to be exact.

I have a weird obsession with Chemistry. Maybe its the way the pages of my text smell after hours and hours of study. Maybe I like to have holes in my clothes from residual HCL on the lab counters (should have wore a lab coat). Who really knows (mystery of the universe)? Anyways, I usually spend my moments shoving information into my head much like the last pair of shoes you can't really fit into your suitcase. Just pack'em in and hope you don't break the zipper.

How did I escape the world of molecular absorption spectrums and meticulous details of ribosomal subunits and steps of translation? I attended Calvin College's festival of faith and literature. They told me to start this blog, so if you have a problem, I will outsource to Calvin College. They will eventual say that you really were pre-destined to dislike my words, only the few are chosen. Sorry as Stephen King would say, "Everything's eventual". Some of us were lucy enough to catch some life impacting quotes and I would love to share some here, giving of rights of the ideology to Snowl who did it first.

Quotes that may or may not change your life....PAY ATTENTION!!!

"It's not enough to say prayer, one must become prayer."

"God is like your mother... you clean your room to shut her up" -Sharon Flake

"If God put you somewhere, Don't leave." -Sharon Flake

"Name whatever's wrong" -Paul Willis

"We are entrusted with a with experience, a story is the burden of our witnessing."

"We must steward the afflictions God has given us."

"Write fiercely... a cloak to the shivering."

"We have just enough religion too hate.... and not to love"

"When you pick up a novel, you are entering a long term commitment" -Brady Udall

"Man plans, God laughs" -Yiddish saying

"You are designing a slaughter house" -Brady Udall Building a Novel

"If you are compelled by it, do it" -Brady Udall

"I just had a moment with a squirrel" - Bookseller in Grand Rapids

"No writing is wasted" - Stephanie Kallos

"To write social justice, you have to live it yourself." - Lisa Samson

"Sharing food is a subtle way of saying I think your life should go on. " - Lisa Samaon

"Transgression is more interesting." -Peter Manseau

"Transgression, the accidental sacrament of my childhood." -Peter Manseau

"To tell a story is to own a story." -Peter Manseau

"This is my bro....," points to shirt "That is were I live too man!"- Drunk man by the pool pointing to Martin's shirt which says "S1N"

This is a small portion of the life changing experience I have had. But seriously, I have forgotten how beautiful words can be... I have been too busy looking up the medical terms....