7: Stuff

In a long overdue attempt to reflect on how the book, 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, is changing my outlook on my faith, decisions and real life - check this out.


STUFF

"I have come to see that the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor, but that rich Christians do not know the poor." ~Shane Claiborne 

For the chapter on our possessions, Jen Hatmaker gives away 7 things a day for 1 month to see what changes this causes in her perspectives and attitudes. Our small group decided to take on this challenge in a similar way. Rather than a specific number, we were struck by the way she gave stuff away. Jen sought out organizations that needed her stuff. She prayed over the items she gave away and she sought to get things into hands of those who actually needed it. Goodwill has its place in all this, but isn't the only solution. More on that in a second.

So I transformed my dining room into a center for give-aways. I put post it notes on my walls and brown grocery bags on the floors and started sorting - much of it was clothes after just examining how much I actually own. Other stuff was housewares mostly.

With the help of several friends who were spring cleaning we sent stuff to:

• Cook Elementary School, one of my churches partners, to inspire kids to think about college by giving them college Tshirts
• El Buen Pastor one of my churches partner organizations, does an annual yard sale so we donated some of our nicer fall clothing for the women as well as some housewares. 
• World Relief in High Point  - We gave housewares including linens, towels, pillows, blankets, artwork, shelves, shoe racks, toiletries, kitchen utensils, and a rice cooker to help furnish refugee families' houses when they get to America with nothing more than a suitcase. This awesome organization is actually holding a donation drive this month. If you're doing any spring cleaning - consider helping out!

Give on June 20th!!

• Hope Phones who are "an innovative way to fund the global efforts of Medic Mobile, parent organization that advances healthcare in 16 countries with mobile technology." - We sent 11+ phones to Hope Phones. *Perk - they let you print a packing slip and doesn't require a trip to the post office! 

our contribution to Hope Phones

• An urban high school - I gave some coats and clothes that match the SMOD to some high school girls through their school counselor. 
• Goodwill did get a lot of donated clothes, which is great, but I did wonder - does everything we take there actual get sold? And if I have clothing that isn't in that great of shape, what should I do with it then? Then I ran across this video and learned why we should send any textiles there, even if they can't be resold in their stores. You should take 4 minutes to watch this video.
• Dress for Success was on my list, but after volunteering to sort some of their current donated goods, I decided to send my business clothes elsewhere. They have tons of stuff at the moment, so I'm working on getting UNCG to officially partner with them as a referral agency instead :) I took those items to the Shalom Project, a clothing closet as part of the ministry from Green Street Methodist Church.
  
• My credentialing body for Nationally Certified Counselors sends counseling textbooks to countries without established counseling training programs to help them have understanding of theories, practices, treatment plans, etc. So between a few of my counseling friends and I we donated 21 books to be sent to places like Bhutan, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cyprus, Greece, Jamaica, Kenya, Macedonia, Malawi, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugual, Romania, Tanzania, Turkey and Uganda. :)
• The Reynold Library took my old issues of Real Simple, Rachel Ray, Health and Women's Health to be sold and make money for the library. 

That whole process took about 6 weeks total. My dining room was kinda crazy during this time and I was spent by the end. It was both inspiring and disheartening at the same time. I was inspired by the many places I learned we could take things that we don't use anymore, both from a "reduce, reuse, recycle" standpoint (a future blog) and a "getting things into the hands that need them most" standpoint. But I was also disheartened that I had so much stuff I could part with and still have so much stuff. I've already reassessed the space in my drawers and have another bag to take to Goodwill.
This book is making me really look at my life and the ways I place values on things instead of relationships or "kingdom work." I do hope and pray that the places I sent those items will make a positive impact in God's economy. And I pray that I continue to let it sink into my marrow that things don't define me and that my "blessing" those less fortunate with my cast-offs doesn't make me any more righteous or good. Jen left us with these questions, which I know pose to you -

• What do we do with our riches? 
• What do we do with our privileges? 
• What should we keep? 
• What should we share?

Advent week 1

Today starts the church's Christmas season. While consumer America has been at it since Halloween, I now feel justified in listening to Christmas music and  baking unhealthy and delicious items. But one thing that I have already finished and am now simply fighting the pressure for "more" is my Christmas shopping.

For the 1st year ever, I am done with my Christmas shopping before Dec. 1. Hooray! I get weird about our focus on gift giving during this holiday. I don't like feeling like I'm giving out of obligation; I want to find the perfect gift; or I have trouble sticking to a budget. The past several months I've come across a number of awesome products that help someone else, in addition to giving you a gift to on Christmas morning.This is a way for me to feel a whole lot better about the gift I give and the purpose of this season. It makes my money matter more than the item that gets shipped. It allows me to live out my values of care and concern for a hurting world. It gives me a neat way to give to people I know and love, and people that some may consider unlovable or forgotten.

A few examples have been added to one of my Pinterest boards - Shopping that's Worth It. I LOVE being able to help someone in need while loving my friends and family through gifts at Christmas. I hope you'll check out some of the ideas and sites included there and give me more suggestions.

Merry Christmas!

Kiva Opportunity

Today is my sister's birthday and today she's helping empower an entrepreneur to start their new business. It's a great day. 

Have you heard of Kiva? Kiva is a non-profit organization working to alleviate poverty by connecting people through lending. Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. It's pretty awesome.

Maybe 3-4 years ago I received a Kiva account as a birthday present from a sweet friend. I then applied the loan to a group of women in Ghana and they got started with 72 other people's help from around the world who also gave their micro loans toward this group.

Then I was repaid the amount I put in and was able to lend it again to a woman in the Philippines who got to start her retail business.

This was so fun I decided to pass it on. So for Father's Day last year, my Dad got to choose an entrepreneur to support. He had fun reading the different kinds of businesses and getting to make an investment in someone he chose. I loved that we got to share this.

At Christmas this year, he mentioned it again and how cool it was. :)

Now Angela is in the group too and I'm excited to see what kind of impact our small contributions can make.



If you need a gift for someone in the future, Kiva is a GREAT idea, if I say so myself. Check it out

Coffee Lovers? Drink Coffee that does Good :)

I drink coffee every morning. Usually my roommate gets to the kitchen first and brews our coffee. I add creamer in my travel mug and head into my daily commute with a hot cup that helps me ease into my day.
When I buy coffee, I usually go for one that's fairly traded and organic. This is a recent development in the last couple years, as I've grown in my awareness of the kind of consumer I want to be. My roommate usually shops at Whole Foods, so that's the kind of coffee we drink daily.
I ran across this blog post and wanted to pass it on to anyone else whose day isn't complete without some coffee and a cool way to give back without changing much :)
Global Hope Network International - Drink Good Coffee? - this month and next if you buy coffee from Coffee Without Borders, $2 will go back to this great organization to give more access to clean water to people in rural India. I'm going to order mine today and would encourage you to try it out too!
 Order here: http://www.coffeewithoutborders.com/

Peace ya'll

Shalom.

This week in Advent is the week of peace. Peace is something we can pursue actively and seek to create around us, rather than something we hope for in a distant future or in a distant land. It's something we can experience through Christ and something that we can maintain through the Holy Spirit. I'm having trouble holding onto it though, especially when I see pictures like this:

I was taken aback when I saw this on my newsfeed on Facebook. Neither of the people in these contrasted photos have peace. I pray we might stop this Advent season to reflect on the ways we can pursue peace in ourselves, with God and on behalf of people like those pictured above.

Peace be with you.

P.S. Consider giving a Kiva loan as a Christmas gift this year or purchasing something from Mercy Corps on behalf of someone on your Christmas list.

Thanks and giving part 2

I have several friends who've posted each day in November a status update on Facebook that says something they are thankful for. I appreciate those friends who remind me how important gratefulness is in our daily lives. I know I overlook it often and tend to settle my thoughts on things I want to be different.
TI says at the beginning of Live Your Life -

You gotta be grateful for what you got / 

Stop lookin at what you aint got  / 

and start being thankful for what you do got /

So here are my 30 things to be thankful for in November*
*(although I do want to try to increase my own awareness of the blessings in my life more often than this one month of the year)

I am thankful for:

1. The use of my body in ways it was created - hands for helping others, mouth for speaking love and eyes for seeing others as unique individuals (Thanks Margot Starbuck for that reminder in Unsqueezed)
2. My new appreciation for beer so that occasionally I can buy it instead of the more expensive wine option.
3. Friends like Matt and Tara Brown who love me well, host great get togethers and are preparing to go to Burkina Faso to identify further ways to love people well. I'm so excited for them to go. 
4. Friends like Ryan and Erin Bennett who are faithfully preparing to serve God in France through church building. They are also just great people and I wish I saw them more often. 
5. The Kiva Loan program that provides micro-loans to people with business ideas in impoverished nations like Kenya.
6. Lazy Saturday mornings that allow for reflection, delicious food and quiet moments to simply 'be' (with a cup of hot coffee in hand)
7. Twin City Diner that I affectionately call "Cheers" because I want to have a "local hangout." Their food is always good.
8. The 2 pair of house slippers I got from my mom and sister when I moved into a house with hardwood floors. They make my house cozier :) 
9. My friend Lisa Tandan and her husband for wanting to get different furniture. I am satisfied with my couch and chair, all thanks to them! 
10. The beach, which I'll soon see again with my own eyes - yay for Thanksgiving with family
11. My family that lives on the beach - you chose well and I am grateful
12. Seeing Susannah at Elon. Such a blessing to see my former high schooler loving college life. 
13. Our farm share co-op that has made me healthier and more creative. I've also been forced to slow down and cook so as not to let anything go to waste. 
14. The Peace Sign magnet on my car. I got it to support the Hunger Site, but it also helps me quickly spot my car in parking lots.
15. My notebook I'm keeping lists like this in. 
16. A good pen 
17. The NCCDA conference I recently attended. It's always confirming that I'm in the right profession for me.
18. My roommate's family mountain house, Ben Haven. It's really a great place to get away.
19. CNN's breaking news Twitter feed, otherwise I might not know what's going on.
20. Children's books like Max Lucado's Wemmicks series. 
21. Freshly shaven legs.
22. Days like yesterday where it occurs to me that I love NC. The weather was positively splendid.
23. Visiting college campuses. This weekend I actually saw Elon, NC State and Meredith within 48 hours.
24. My lavender and chamomile neck warmer. It's wonderful after a long day. 
25. Salem Lake where I do my long runs. My soul finds peace there. 
26. First Pres and how every night in December they commit to volunteering at Samaritan Inn
27. Tent camping and how I got to do it twice this year :) 
28. Pumpkin muffins of only 2 ingredients - spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin
29. Walking across a college campus between classes. I love observing the life happening around me and feeling part of something much bigger than myself.
30. My advisory board of undergraduate students, Bryan Career Leaders. I'm enjoying having their insight and ideas to help all the business students. 

Hey that wasn't so hard! I could keep going. That's something else to be thankful for!
Do you have a list too?

Thanks and Giving

I saw eggnog at Harris Teeter the other day. I even saw eggnog creamer. I said to myself sarcastically "tis the season" and realized the season has already taken over. It's too bad that "the season" is not Christmas or Thanksgiving, it's Materialism and Consumerism in my mind. 

Recently I've been thinking about a lot. 

• I'm working on a list of 30 things to do before I'm 30 - and I have more than 1 year to work in them ;) 
• I'm making lists in this book covered in Peace Signs and thinking about my dreams.
• I've even signed up for a purpose and passion workshop at work in December. 

With all this renewed inspiration to conquer and pursue goals, I've also wanted to think about gift giving this Christmas to avoid such negative feelings about "the season." One thing that always comes to my mind is the Greater Good Network (which is a great name btw). They run the Hunger Site and provide ways for anyone to give to someone who really needs it, while purchasing items that are Fairly Traded and make thoughtful gifts to increase awareness of faraway places. Last year I bought a few items for my family and also provided food to people I've never met. 

The Hunger Site provides simple, effective, feel-good ways to address an urgent, specific humanitarian need: the eradication of world hunger. More info on who they give to is available here 

I encourage everyone to look at the site for gift ideas and look for ways to help. They partner with Breast Cancer, Literacy, Animals, Veterans, Autism, and Rainforest causes as well. An easy thing to do to help them right now is "like" the Hunger Site on Facebook. You can do "Free Clicks for Food" where each day you go to the site and click through some of their sponsors (you don't even have to purchase anything) and you're giving toward the cause to end world hunger. 

In addition to purchasing things in a more responsible and meaningful way this year, I'm also looking at purchasing less and making things :) I want to experience the heart of Christmas - claiming the joy in the birth of a Savior, not giving gifts as a cultural norm and buying into all the hype. I think the time I spend making something from my heart or purchasing a meaningful gift and food for someone in poverty will be much more of an investment in my faith and keep my center on the "reason for the season" (lol. I am aware of the cheesiness of that phrase). 

Consider Redefining Christmas. Let Harry Connick Jr. convince you :)