HIGHER GROUNDS COFFEE HOUSE

Our free, fairly traded and organic coffee will be available throughout finals and throughout most evenings.  There are lots of quiet nooks in which to study, and wi-fi is available. Higher Grounds makes for a sane place in an insane time, so come visit! 

REVIEWS

Royal weddings:  One grumpy guy's opinion 

   So Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is lovely and the couple seems happy, but the problem with these royal weddings is that they become the model for other couples wanting to get married.  While most couples don't have a $20 million dollar budget, they do figure that they can replicate the trip down the aisle, the groomsmen and maids of honor, the flower girls and so on.  Yet all of the pageantry is mere window dressing.  They are a reflection of a time when women were considered their father's property until "given away" and when marriages were more often about cementing relationships between royal families than love.  Unfortunately, the wedding industry (and it is an industry) has gotten most Americans to think that imitating royalty is normative and desirable, leading to weddings that cost a fortune and leave little room for personal expression. Moreover, the processional and recessional, the dress and the flowers become the focus, and not the simple act of standing before God, family, and friends and committing one's self to another.  There in that declaration of love is the truly holy thing about matrimony, because it is, at its best, a reflection of the burning love God has for each of us.  So fooey on the trappings; focus on love, both God's love for the bride and groom and their love for God and each other.  That's what matters.

   And yeah, I'm a little ticked I didn't get an invitation.  And what's the deal with those hats?  And what exactly did Prince Phillip do to earn all those medals, except be married to Elizabeth?  And does she sing the national anthem, "God Save Our Gracious Queen," and if she does, does she sing, "God Save Me, the Gracious Queen"?  And really, how many of those cops are actually named "Bobby"?  I'm glad these spectacles come around only every 30 years or so.  They raise too many questions.

Robby's Ride Around the World: 

Robby is a graduate student in geography here at Texas State and has a most ambitious plan.  He intends to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe entirely under human power.  Pedal power, to be precise.  He will bike the land masses and use a pedal-propelled boat to cross the oceans.  If he weren't such a nice guy and obviously thoughtful about the project, you might dismiss him as a bit daft.  But Robby has the physical ability and the will to make it happen.  Check out his plans on the link below: robbysride.org.

While our last dinner for the semester will be on May 8th at 6:15, we will continue to hold Sunday evening worship services at 7:00, with an occasional break for the 4th of July and other times to be announced.  Pastor Jaime will be available and in office at varying times, but can always be reached on his cell phone at 512-557-8836.  Look for special events to be held during the summer, such as a tubing trip if it ever rains again.

Hint: Remember that it's not all about you