Olympics; packing light

The 2008 Beijing Olympics are now over. I really enjoyed watching the closing ceremonies on TV. I think these Olympics were the most enjoyable to me since I was a kid, and perhaps even more so. Of course, it helps that I could watch events in the afternoons and stay up late each night. But, I also think these Olympics meant more to the host country, China, than to previous host countries, including the U.S. I am very, very grateful to be an American, but I am glad China got to host these Olympics. And they did a great job.

But now that the Olympics are over, I think I'm a little sad. Fortunately, this upcoming weekend is the Penny Arcade Expo!

And of course, I shouldn't forget my three main reasons for leaving my job and moving to Seattle: searching for God/truth, writing a particular computer program, and getting to know relatives here.

I hope this picture will help illustrate my attempt at simpler-living: it's pretty much everything I brought to Seattle. Amazingly, it all fit in the trunk area of my Scion xB! Starting from the big translucent box in the lower-left, going clockwise: all my files/papers, Wii Fit, shoes, oatmeal/vitamins, office supplies, suitcase containing some books and clothes, and a bag of clothes. Not pictured are the Wii and my MacBook, which didn't take much space either.

Of course, I'm very lucky that my cousin had an extra bed, pillows, blankets, desk, and chair. However, in church today the pastor said that if we want to experience God more often in our lives, perhaps we must *expect* to experience him more often. (He was preaching from Psalm 63.) That teaching spoke to me, in terms of acting in faith: doing what is right, giving beyond sacrifice, following the call, and ultimately trusting in someone good beyond this world. Right now, it's just one day at a time.