I am heart broken to realize how long it has been since I have updated this and with free travel beginning tomorrow I figure that now is the time. (please forgive typos and the lack of contractions since I am on an Italian computer and I cannot find the dart apostrophe key).
I cannot rightly update on everything in the limited amount of time I have to do this but I will say that I am unsure about the upcoming free travel time. I do not really know the people I am going with very well. They do not seem like bad people mind you just not people I know well, but I am sure that is bound to change.
We have just returned from our trip to Rome which was an interesting one. So many sights in such a short time, but I loved it. The highlight of my trip was today (the last day) when a group of us Loftis, Bump, Rumbo, Jacob, Riley, Beck and me climbed the dome of St. Peters Basilica (*stupid* no apostrophy-having keyboard). 551 steps one way. The most intense stair climb I have ever done, and what is truly amazing is that I only stopped once! Less than a month ago I climbed Torre Grosse (literally "big tower") in San Gimignano and I stopped something like 4 times on the way up. I think my lung strength and physical shape are getting somewhat better (one roommate said my snoring is getting better). And the view at the top was simply amazing all of these enormous monuments were so small! It made the choice not to cut out 150 steps with an elevator so sweet.
On a similar note I have not done so much walking since our Florence walk, and I cannot believe how good I feel lately I cannot really explain it except to say that I am feeling better physically and it is overflowing into the other aspects of my life.
It all relates to something John Riley told me after that Florence walk when I mentioned the awful blister on my foot. He said, "You have got to let your blisters become calluses." I thought he sounded silly at the time, but that blister has become a callus and all of the things that were once so difficult for me to do physically, mentally, behaviorally, spiritually and really all over the place have become...easier. That is todays word by the way "facile" means "easy." Now I am by no means done, but I am now more excited for the journey of growth I have set before me.
A presto,
-matt
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Facade
We've done some different things in the past few days but the big deal was today we went out into Florence to go to a few more places. Including San Marco church, San Lorenzo church, and The Acadamia (though not in that order).
Honestly I didn't have much to say about the San Marco church it was nice but not necessarily mind blowing, that contained a bunch of works dedicated to an Artist named Fra Angelico. What was mind-blowing was that he was a monk (Fra=brother), and unlike most artists of the time he didn't take any money for himself. In fact he was unique in that he never corrected a "mis-stroke" or any perceived defect in his paintings, because he believed that the beauty he was making came from God and was as He intended it to be.
When we went to San Lorenzo it was a portion of Florence I was at least familiar with, but I was also familiar with the exterior of the church. A brown unattractive exterior, which is almost grotesque when compared to Santa Maria del Fiore or many other churches we've seen, and the tour guide did say that looks are deceiving, but wow. The inside is mind blowing. I really couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. I've learned my lesson.
The word for today "facade" comes from this all of the buildings are made of that brown stone but most are covered in a fake, a facade, of marble. I think there is something beautiful about the lake of that in this case it makes you appreciate the inside more.
We also went to the Academia (which is a big deal art museum world renowned). What it is best known for is that it was built for and holds, Michelangelo's David. Yes, the David statue. And it is a piece of work. Beautiful to behold and enormous (5 tons and 17 feet tall). I took a picture of it (which is incredibly against the rules). I think it's really interesting that Michelangelo believed that the Sculptures he was creating, were contained inside the blocks of marble already just waiting for him to free them. He was quoted as saying that all he does is chip away at the extra.
I wonder if that is how God sees us sometimes. As something beautiful and amazing that and all he needs to do is chip away the extra. Think of it this way. When God issues to us instructions on how to conduct our lives, it isn't that he takes from us what is a part of us. Rather he takes away what is not a part of us to allow the masterpiece within to show. Unfortunately most of us aren't like David, at least I know I'm not. No, I think I'm much more like one of the Prisoners.
Attached to things of which I'm not a part, or rather that aren't a part of me. Holding on tightly until the sculptor's chisel helps me to remove them. Yeah, maybe someday I'll be a David.
Honestly I didn't have much to say about the San Marco church it was nice but not necessarily mind blowing, that contained a bunch of works dedicated to an Artist named Fra Angelico. What was mind-blowing was that he was a monk (Fra=brother), and unlike most artists of the time he didn't take any money for himself. In fact he was unique in that he never corrected a "mis-stroke" or any perceived defect in his paintings, because he believed that the beauty he was making came from God and was as He intended it to be.
When we went to San Lorenzo it was a portion of Florence I was at least familiar with, but I was also familiar with the exterior of the church. A brown unattractive exterior, which is almost grotesque when compared to Santa Maria del Fiore or many other churches we've seen, and the tour guide did say that looks are deceiving, but wow. The inside is mind blowing. I really couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. I've learned my lesson.
The word for today "facade" comes from this all of the buildings are made of that brown stone but most are covered in a fake, a facade, of marble. I think there is something beautiful about the lake of that in this case it makes you appreciate the inside more.
We also went to the Academia (which is a big deal art museum world renowned). What it is best known for is that it was built for and holds, Michelangelo's David. Yes, the David statue. And it is a piece of work. Beautiful to behold and enormous (5 tons and 17 feet tall). I took a picture of it (which is incredibly against the rules). I think it's really interesting that Michelangelo believed that the Sculptures he was creating, were contained inside the blocks of marble already just waiting for him to free them. He was quoted as saying that all he does is chip away at the extra.
I wonder if that is how God sees us sometimes. As something beautiful and amazing that and all he needs to do is chip away the extra. Think of it this way. When God issues to us instructions on how to conduct our lives, it isn't that he takes from us what is a part of us. Rather he takes away what is not a part of us to allow the masterpiece within to show. Unfortunately most of us aren't like David, at least I know I'm not. No, I think I'm much more like one of the Prisoners.
Attached to things of which I'm not a part, or rather that aren't a part of me. Holding on tightly until the sculptor's chisel helps me to remove them. Yeah, maybe someday I'll be a David.
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