An unfinished story: bookstores, Africa and my love of food.

When I started this blog I wanted to set it up to share stories - stories of my own or others that impact the world for the better. I hoped it would promote me to live a good story. I'd say that's still being determined, but in the meantime check out this series of events:

Spring 2012

• A friend of mine got pregnant and I was invited to her baby shower. 
• I absolutely LOVE the Jesus Storybook Bible and like to give to new moms, so I stopped in Barnes and Noble one day. 
• There, as in all bookstores and libraries, I got sucked in to reading the various titles and back covers of potential reads. 
• Once I got a smart phone I began the habit of adding book recommendations to my Amazon wish list so I don't forget them. I did this in the middle of B&N next to the new releases section.
• I added The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind to my collection of "to read someday" 

Summer 2012

• I participated in a Walk for Water Africa 5k with that benefited a sweet couple from WS who felt called to go and serve in Malawi.
• My friends and I stayed in touch with the couple and helped them create "dignity kits" for new mothers in Malawi to have some sanitation in the birthing process. 
• We started receiving their newsletters. I realized I'd met them at a Earth Day Fair in 2010. 

Fall 2012 

• My friend, Marissa Joyce, volunteered the youth group at my church to help facilitate the next run in Summer 2013. By way of being a youth leader, I'm also helping.
• I finally read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba which is a memoir of a Malawian youth who lived through 2 famines and through self-education provided electricity to his rural home. It's a truly profound story, especially when I think of his life in contrast to mine - he's just 4 years younger than me. His upbringing was drastically different than my own. And like most good books, it changed me. 

Winter 2013 

•  My small group and I started reading the book 7, a mutiny against excess, by Jen Hatmaker and we are going to do her challenges to help realign our lives to the Gospel rather than simply being products of our over indulgent materialistic culture. The first one is to fast and we are adapting it to eating food similar to what is eaten in poverty-stricken countries - rice and beans. 
• I instantly thought of William Kamkwamba and George and Phyllis with a Sure Foundation in Malawi and how I can purposefully sacrafice variety in my food for 7 days to further empathize with those who never get more than 7 options for their next meal. 
   
  It starts Sunday. I'm apprehensive about the whole - eating only oatmeal for breakfast (plain), rice and beans for lunch (plain) and a dinner that helps me understand what other parts of the world might eat. I resonate with the author as she struggled through 31 days of eating only 7 foods. She loves flavors and variety. This was difficult, and I anticipate that even in a week's time I will struggle through and hopefully come out a little more aware of others and less focused on myself.

All because of 2 candlesticks

On Christmas day my family likes to go see movies at the local theater. This year my sister and I were already preparing to go see the new Les Miserables and took my parents along. Just before we went I ran across this Gospel Coalition blog on Twitter - Law and Grace in 'Les Mis'  and probably cried more in the movie than I would have regularly.  This post is definitely worth a read!

It's truly a beautiful story of redemption, set in a backdrop of obvious social injustices. It moved me to tears because I see truth in it. I see our broken world and the unbalanced rules we are subject to, even in our present day world. It motivated me once more to speak out when I see injustice, to examine what I can do in my life to fight injustice, and to search for God in our world so I can be a light and part of His story.

I see in Jean Valjean someone who must overcome his past and choose to accept the grace given him in the form of 2 candlesticks. The lavish grace God gives to his children if only we will come to him. I see that in my own life and in the lives of so many I know and have heard about. Grace is freely given, yet how hard it is for some to take hold. His character shows that so well.

This movie came at a time where I was reading Kisses From Katie, a story of a young girl who chose to live a life in Uganda as a single mom to 14 children rather than the life of comfort and predictable mediocrity in TN. So my compassion and empathy radar was on high alert as I watched the story of Les Mis unfold and heard the timeless songs. I was also more moved by the sweet love of a father for his daughter that develops, given Katie's love for her adopted children and God's adoption of us into His family.

fanpop.com

I was reminded of my love of good literature, themes, and how a good story can speak on so many levels at once. It can reflect our own souls in each character. I saw myself in Jean Valjean as he sought to live the blessed life he was given. I saw myself in the inspector Javert as he was blind in his pride to uphold what was law. I saw myself in Eponine as she struggled with unrequited love and in Marius and Enjolras as they sought ways to bring about change.


This movie reminded me of how compelling emotions can be and how terrific Broadway and song are ways of expressing those emotions. I was truly impressed with the actors abilities to sing and cry at the same time. :) Check out this video on why it was so profoundly moving. Ah I love it and want to see it again.

A Year with my Motto

So about a year ago I attended a seminar called Finding your Passion and Purpose at UNCG. One of the activities we completed was to create a motto for our lives. We spend 2 days doing self-reflection activities to help us discover our purpose. So this was the culmination of the 2 days. Our guidelines were to choose words that have meaning to us and for it to only be 7 words. Apparently there is some evidence to prove that 7 words is easy for us to remember. The result of that task was my motto which now appears in my signature line for any personal emails I send, and is referenced often. I thought it would be fun to look back over this past year of having this motto to see how it has been worked out in real life. So here ya go: 

  Live Intentionally. 

                                      Be For Others.

                                                                      Cultivate Peace. 

Live Intentionally: 

• I created a 30 before 30 list. and have been intentional about creating space in my life to do the things on the list (not always succeeding, because sometimes its easier to watch TV than to read a book a month...)
• This year I've heard several friends remark on my being intentional with them - seeking out time to spend with them or doing something specifically for them (again I am not sure I always succeed in this area, but that's what "they" say)
• I've paid more attention to how I am intentional. I really do have reasons for almost all the things I do. This year I've had some tough conversations with people who have questioned my intentions and I've had to evaluate them. This hasn't been fun, but actually very important. 
• I have noticed this year, since having a motto, that I do in fact live my life with intention in a way that some others don't. This can make my life more exciting sometimes, and more boring other times. But I noticed it most when I meet new people and they comment on something I do or say in a way that reminds me - oh yea, it's because I'm intentional...Ashley Porter knows what I'm talking about in this regard. :) 

Be for Others:

• I went to Greece to be a counselor for missionaries. So while Greece was awesome and traveling is one of the great joys in my life - I went to serve. I wanted to use my skills and education in counseling for the benefit of the body of Christ, and what better way than with those whose job titles are the body of Christ in motion. 
• I responded to a basic need for water by raising $1400 for Rwanda and a new project that gives clean water access to people living in Rulindo. This is exciting because as the project is completed we will get to receive updates on how the money was spent. I was able to get my network of friends and fellow advocates to be for others that we will most likely never get to meet. But we have changed their lives forever. 
• I am trying to simplify my life by getting rid of the superfluous stuff in my house. I've been to Goodwill more this year than any other. I have tried to find good ways of getting rid of stuff, and even paying more attention to what gets recycled and what doesn't.  So I hope I am able to be for others who buy the things I take to Goodwill.

Cultivate Peace:

• This year I think I've had the most trouble seeing this one in my life. Probably because cultivation can take a long time. I may be planting seeds of peace in small ways and won't know about them for a long time. I did put a cool bumper sticker on my car in hopes of helping - it says "Love > Fear" and goes wherever my car goes. So that's something lol.
• I hope I am able to cultivate peace through my work with the high school ministry at my church. I love those students and seek to show them God's love and grace in this world. I find a lot of my time is spent encouraging and reminding them that God's got this, hopefully in turn bringing about some of that "peace beyond understanding" that only God can provide. 

 So I'm very thankful for my motto. I am grateful to God for making me someone who loves language and finding words that resonate with my soul and provide a "soul check" on how I'm living. I like having a motto that makes me question -  Is what I'm doing in a way that fits with how God made me and living into my motto - or do I need to realign myself with who I really am and who I want to be.

If you're still reading to the end of this self-reflection - thanks and enjoy this nostalgic take on the importance of a motto.

Wine, Resumes, Margins and Metahpors - Oh My.

Do you ever stop to think about what you want to be like? Stop to mediate on what God has uniquely gifted you with? I hope so. When I do, I usually reflect and see things in my life that don't reinforce the "me I want to be" (thanks John Ortberg) Recently the word margin has been ringing in my ears as I scramble to increase my productivity in work and life. I need more margin but I also want to make good use of the life space I have.

I edit resumes all the time. I mean all the time! And I've come to have my preferences when it comes to formatting - .7 margins, 11pt font, no extra spaces after paragraphs, the black circle bullets, etc. These preferences have purpose - increase readability, attractiveness, inviting, clean and concise. In my conversations with students I find I have to help them reword, prioritize, and eliminate excess, unrelated or superfluous words.

Right now I need a life resume review :) I was told many years ago to "work smarter not harder" and have tried to hold to that ideal and create healthy work boundaries. So far, I think I've done this rather well. I have consistently maintained a social life while adjusting to my work life after college. I've even found myself helping others face this reality. I've made hard choices in how I spend my time. I've done it.

The thing I notice now is - while I have done it, it doesn't just stay done. I have to stay on guard by sneaky margins and misplaced punctuations.

Tonight I attended a talk from author Doc Hendley who is founder of Wine to Water, a nonprofit that provides clean drinking water to people all over the world. Tonight he spoke primarily to college freshmen who read his book as the summer read. It was a fun environment full of earnest and hope. The students had good questions and were engaged in what he had to say. He was clear that he's just a normal guy who chose to try something and it turned into this nonprofit that has helped thousands of people and perhaps even saved their lives. His passion is obvious and each time he quotes a statistic on access to clean water or the realities of not having it, I get choked up and have to bite my lower lip to keep from confusing all those around me who aren't getting emotional. Something just resonates within me and I know the Holy Spirit is doing something. I have wanted to go to Africa for a while and in the past year God has brought me more and more opportunities to explore others stories, learn more history, see films and read books regarding Africa. I even know some people who live there. When Doc spoke about his time in Darfur and Uganda, he had a few slides of photos. Each one I saw my stomach clenched and I just kept thinking - I need to go and see it. I just do.

Right now I am in the in-between of 1. knowing I need more margin to give the Holy Spirit more room to move and 2. living in overdrive pursuing things that are important, but maybe not MOST important. Steven Covey always talked about "keeping first things first" and it's so much easier to say than to do. As soon as I want a break from being intentional, my priorities get skewed and my life gets rearranged into something not worth writing about. I want to go to Africa before I'm 30 (or at least have the money and the date arranged by then). I want to do it now because I think it's somehow part of my story. I've LOVED the travel God has brought to my life and every time I go someplace new I'm changed a little. I need more margin to allow room fro God to change me more into the "way I was made" (thanks Chris Tomlin).

Until next time. Oh and you can bet I'll be buying some wine from Wine to Water soon :)

To leave your comfort zone - go to a new time zone

 “And once you live a good story, you get a taste for a kind of meaning in life, and you can't go back to being normal; you can't go back to meaningless scenes stitched together by the forgettable thread of wasted time.” ― Donald Miller

TinTin is a great example of a character who lives a good story. TinTin's willingness to follow a lead toward an adventure is admirable. He is a reporter whose livelihood is based on having good leads but he's also the kind of character that actually follows them. Staying in his comfort zone doesn't trump his sense of adventure. His stories take him around the world and back, usually doing something of historic proportions. 

 

I was 17 when I left the United States to travel Europe as a "Student Ambassador" with People2People. Something profound happened when I had to navigate another culture and country with their different language, food and customs. I gained a much larger view of humanity and our similarities and a greater appreciation for all our differences. It forever changed the way I looked at the world and influenced the path of my own life.

 Since high school I've had the opportunity to slide down deep into a salt mine in Austria, eat homemade pasta in Italy and sleep in a 12th century palace. I found my way through Vienna's ring roads and navigated train stops on a quiet Sunday afternoon in Cortona. I took risks in asking for directions in South Korea where everyone looked different from me or engaging with college students in a large Russian city.

For me travel has been one of the ways I've stretched out of my comfort zone and it has increased my appreciation of God as creator, the interconnectedness of humanity and my own self-efficacy.

A good story the way we see it in literature isn't every single day of a person's life. We hone in on the events and characters that move the plot forward. For me, travel has been some of those events. One of the vivid memories I have from my study abroad in Austria is sitting alone on a bench in the neighborhood where I was living. The bench was off the street, secluded and overlooked a babbling brook. It was bright afternoon and I didn't need to be anywhere for a few hours. I sat there so absolutely contented that I still reflect on that time as a blessing and reminder of the importance of being present and having stillness in my days. That moment is part of my story because it's one of God's ways of beckoning me back to His presence - in the stillness and quiet of His plan and His strength that is never spiraling out of control. So to this point, I've lived a pretty good story with several factors that have moved the plot along including - growing up with sisters, moving away to college, being baptized, working in full time ministry, traveling around the world, being dumped and only being competent in individual sports (nothing with hand-eye coordination). Each of these could be scenes in the story that I've lived to this point. It just feels far from over. So when asked if I'm living a good story - Yes. Only it's not a best seller...yet. 

"We live in a world where bad stories are told. Stories that teach us life doesn’t mean anything, that humanity has no great purpose. It’s a good calling, then, to speak a better story. How brightly a better story shines. How easily the world looks to it in wonder.” Donald Miller

Today I am answering the question, “What does it mean to live a good story?” along with other writers at Prodigal Magazine. I believe the answers are as broad as the stories that show us. Why don’t you share yours too?

Fishing as a metaphor

I don't know anything about fishing from first hand experience. Anything I know comes from movies. Even people I know who have told me about fishing fail to say it in a way that has compelled me to participate or with enough illustration for me to grasp it. Recently though I saw Salmon Fishing in Yemen and was delighted. I'm adding fishing to my life list as of today.
So here's 1 part movie-review and 1 part metaphor-for-life.

Linda while camping

Ewan McGregor plays a fish expert with a boring marriage who gets suckered into an unlikely project. A rich sheik asks him to have faith and work with him on creating salmon fishing recreation in Yemen, a mostly desert place. Emily Blunt gets to manage the project as a consultant who doesn't know anything about salmon. It's a beautiful and funny tale and I found myself smiling the whole time. I went to see it by myself at Aperture, our local indie theater. I thoroughly enjoyed the shared experience. Here are my take-aways:

1. Salmon swim upstream and its in their nature to do this. So while it's "normal" for them, it's not normal for other fish. They swim against the current when it's time for them to leave their mark and procreate. They are highly adaptable and go in both sea and river water. It seems the life of a salmon is quite the adventure with multiple names throughout their life span. I learned that here. Upon learning that and having the story from Yemen running through my mind, I felt even better about going to the movie alone. I didn't go to movies alone until just a couple years ago after a friend told me how much she enjoyed it. It's super liberating to go alone because it's a cultural expectation that there would be others with you.
2. Ewan's character Fred has a moment where he wants to "go upstream" to change the course of his life. To do the harder thing for the potential added value it could bring. He takes a risk. Salmon do that all the time. Ever seen those pictures of Alaskan bears eating sockeye? Those fish are bold instinctively and are great role models for us. 
3. Like any good story, there is romance in this one. I love how they integrate it into the plot. Without giving anything away, I just want to point out how attractive it is when someone swims upstream, against the norms. We are drawn to people who think independently and are driven by a passion to live for something more. The sheik is such an appealing character for his confident faith - it draws people in.
4. The movie reminded me how sweet it is to have hope in something, faith that something can be realized even when the odds are against it. I have unmet desires and unrealized dreams, as do we all and this movie is a sweet reminder that the faith in those dreams spurs people on to do extraordinary things. In the words of Donald Miller - live a good story!  The hope in this story was in the salmon and the sheik, but we should all pause to think what we put our faith in and examine our actions to see if they line up.

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. - Teddy Roosevelt 

40 Days without Cheese pt - 3

A few ironies I noticed during my 40 days without cheese.

During Lent, while I was abstaining from cheese, I saw a friend's Facebook status say how convicted he was that he got frustrated by the lack of room in his fridge for his groceries. I paused at the utter honesty in that short phrase and how privileged it is for me (and most people I know) to choose to refrain from eating something. So many people don't have that choice.

Fight Hunger: http://hungergames.wfp.org/

The youth group I volunteer with went to see the Hunger Games in opening weekend and I didn't get a chance to eat before getting to the theater. I saw Hunger Games while eating popcorn, in a theater full of others eating and drinking concessions. While reading the book, I remembered how detailed the author described the decadent food and the gluttonous attitude of the people in the Capitol. The contrast of colors and availability of resources among the districts in the movie was striking, and for good reason. Her book is a commentary on our culture and I was "feeding" right into it through my behavior. I was ashamed to identify with the people in the Capitol.

"The Biggest Loser" series has become a worldwide hit airing in over 90 countries and produced in 25 countries. It normally comes on just before Parenthood (my favorite TV show) so sometimes I catch the tail end of an episode. I avoid watching this show because, like Extreme Makeover Home Edition, it never fails to make me weep with empathy and compassion. That can be exhausting and it's already difficult to stay up watching Parenthood :) #gettingolder. Anyway, back to the irony - the Biggest Loser comes on TV on Tuesdays. Thursdays around the same time Ardmore Methodist opens its doors, just around the corner from me, offering food and clothing to people who need it. Pause for a moment and consider the PSA below. (P.S. I chose Taye Diggs on purpose ;))

We have got to shine a light on this disconnect between having shows like the Biggest Loser run on prime-time and the family that lives in your neighborhood who hopes you don't see them when they go to the food pantry on Thursday night. I don't have all the solutions and will continue to mull this over and share on this blog. I want to end with 2 things - a powerful message about Famine from the ONE campaign (which is doing GREAT things) and a parable from Jesus that (for me) is a call to action.

The Sheep and the Goats - Matthew 25: 31-46 (msg)
"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
   I was hungry and you fed me,
   I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
   I was homeless and you gave me a room,
   I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
   I was sick and you stopped to visit,
   I was in prison and you came to me.'
Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—
   I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
   I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
   I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
   I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
   Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'
Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help? He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me. Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward."

40 days without cheese- pt 2

Do you remember the movie Chocolat? It came out in 2000 with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche. It's a romantic comedy, but when I think of Lent and fighting temptation I can't help but picture the scene below. I include it here for a couple reasons. 

1. This scene is when Mr. Judgy-McJudgerson (my nickname for him) can't withstand the temptations of the flesh and ends up being the very thing he was judging. He is a picture of where legalism gets you. Lent, in my opinion (not a theologian, btw) is a time of reflection the sacrifice Jesus made for us. He didn't give in or give up when faced with the cross. He didn't start pointing fingers at those who deserved to be crucified. How grateful I am that he fought through his prayer in the garden and died for us all. 
2.  My 40 days without cheese didn't look quite like this scenario, however I realized how common cheese is in the foods I eat and how tied to my culture that is. For example, eating out is a common occurrence in my friend group. Chances are, if we aren't going to an Asian restaurant, there's a lot of cheese on the menu to choose from. Because of the cultural norms that exist around me, I had to raise my awareness of cheese, and intentionally not choose it. The culture in Chocolat was normed on Alfred Molina's character and his preferences. They weren't questioned until someone intentionally chose differently. I think the same could be said about hunger. Statistics are powerful, but they don't change lives. We have to intentionally choose to act outside our established norms - give more away, speak out against injustices, join with causes we care about, and make ways to love and reach out to those who need us.

The very end of this clip shows Binoche's character extending grace through a glass of milk. Jesus did it through a cross, and we can do it everyday in some form. Just last week, UNCG held it's annual Empty Bowls sale and I won a raffled bowl. It's a beautiful symbol of extending grace in actions, not just words. Let us continue pursuing ways of intentionally choosing to push back on the things that don't lead to life, grace and more of God's glory in our world. 

It's not too late to participate in an Empty Bowls project in Winston Salem - April 25 it is being held at the Millennium Center. If you can go, I highly encourage you to do so.

40 days without cheese - pt 1

Growing up in a Catholic church, we gave up something during Lent. I remember years where my sisters and I would give up candy, chocolate, desserts, ice cream, anything in the realm of sugar, really. We would discuss it shortly before Ash Wednesday, get the ashes on our foreheads then be diligent in keeping our commitments to abstain from whatever chosen confection we decided upon. Catholics don't take Sundays off during Lent. We were all in for 40 days.

This tradition has stuck with me as an adult. Lent 2012 included giving up pizza, most Mexican food, and my favorite dish at Village Tavern - Chicken Colorado (covered with cheddar). I had to think a lot more about my meals. My salads had to be ordered specifically. I had tacos instead of quesadillas and no queso with my chips. I made bacon and eggs rather than a quiche and I went without almost every kind of Italian food. It was (and still is through Easter) a challenge. God used the challenge in an interesting way this year than any other Lenten season. Because I thought a lot more about what ingredients made up my meals, I started thinking about food and how we as a society use it.
About 2 weeks ago I was commuting home and considering my options for cheese-less dinner. While I was brainstorming and driving along, my stomach let out a loud growl (even with the music on). At that moment I was consumed with the thought of my bodily response. I was hungry. I had breakfast that morning and a late lunch on the run from one appointment to the next, and now I was hungry again. I found myself putting my foot harder on the gas and looking around my car for a snack. When finding none, God put a profound and simple thought into my heart and I was dumbfounded. Far too many people live with this feeling everyday. Hunger is defined as "A feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat." and almost 1 billion people suffer from hunger regularly in our world today. This is the same year I gave up cheese and the year I didn't have a snack in my car.
I'm working on "sitting with it" when God reveals something to me, so I'm not sure what to do about these thoughts, but do want to continue reflecting on them in hopes of bringing others into the conversation, investigating what can be done and what my role should be. I'll be in touch.

Check out this infographic from the World Food Programme regarding some facts about hunger.

Lent - Sacrafice - Calling - Captain Planet :)

This Lenten season I've been following the World Vision ACT:S Relentless Acts of Sacrifice series that has emailed me weekly challenges that help me to consider sacrifice and incorporate it in different ways into my life. It's been overwhelming and awesome. I've participated peripherally and have saved everything so that I can continue to consider all the components they've compiled. It's great stuff.
One thing I watched tonight was a video on this week's theme: Sacrifice What Calls You. As a career counselor and someone intensely interested in our calling as Christians, I watched :) I want to share it with you because it's one man's story but he has some awesome points to ponder. And he uses great metaphors :) Here's one.

"I was disapointed by my calling and the perfect metaphor was Monty from Captain Planet."

It's a Vimeo and you can watch it here




And for an overview of this week's challenge (and some great comments by activists on calling) see this one

I want to be more like these people and look for ways to use my gifts, job, life, choices to pursue justice for our world in light of Jesus' love and sacrifice.

Sprout - to begin to grow

Spring is here. I saw it on I-40 last Wednesday. I saw it in the purple blooms all along the highway and even the calf walking with its mother in a pasture (seriously, it was cheesy but I truly saw these things in succession and said out loud - Spring is here.). Spring always brings about new life, in nature and a new sense of vitality in my life.

You know the time in the life of a flower when it's come forth from the ground, but not yet bloomed? That's where I am in terms of one of my goals (on my list of things to do before I'm 30 - be a counselor to missionaries). Through my roommate, Kate, and her family I learned about the International Mission Board annual meeting for their missionaries each summer. This summer it is in Athens, Greece July 17 – 24th. There will be over 500 families who are missionaries around Europe gathering for worship, fellowship, and renewal. I have been accepted to serve as a counselor on the Member Care Team and meet with individual missionaries to help them process their experiences – the good, bad, and ugly. 

As many of you know, I have a background in career counseling, ministry, and a deep passion to help others develop themselves to the glory of God. Back in 2007 when I was with Campus Crusade for Christ International, I had the opportunity to be part of the conference team running logistics for their European STINT (1-year missionaries) Mid-Year conference held in Spain. I was involved in organizing the schedule and witnessing all that God was doing in those teams. One of the greatest things I witnessed was the incorporation of counselors who met the STINT members individually. I got to speak with the counselors about their experiences and loved what I heard. They were helping people in such a great way. It was one of the confirming moments for me that I should pursue a degree in counseling. It also became one of the things I wanted to do in my own career, one day.

Since then, I’ve finished my degree and have my Nationally Certified Counselor credential. I now work with current college students and get to discuss with them what their goals are. Then I work with them to meet those goals. It is a rewarding career and one that has allowed me to really utilize the gifts God has given me.

Now I'm so excited to see how several things in my life and personality are overlapping in this experience. I now get to do one of the things I've wanted to do since I realized it existed in 2007. It amazes me to see examples of God's faithfulness and His provision for our desires. I pray I don't forget this realization when faced with other unmet desires (like wanting to be married already). God plants seeds so intricately we don't even know they are there until they start sprouting!

Timelines

The new timeline feature on FB is not my favorite thing, but it looked like this is the future of FB and I'm not one of those people who chose to give it up for Lent, so I went ahead and converted.

As I was figuring out the nuances of the new look and feel, I thought "what a strange way to reflect on my life." Seeing what I posted to FB in 2007 vs. 2011 and noticing things like how many friends I added was weird. Status updates from last year and my "likes" filled the screen. I say it's strange because we choose what we put on Facebook, it's not actually us. You, as my FB friend, aren't able to see how a situation actually was, only to hear my take on it.

The timeline even told me how many people wished me happy birthday in 2009 and every other year. What am I supposed to do with that information? I deleted it, but could have started adding meaning (remember the name of this blog) and comparing my life to the # of well-wishes I received.

The photos that FB has held onto over the years also cause me to stop and reflect - how accurately do these photos represent the way I'm actually living my life? This of course sent me on a bunny trail of thoughts including a scene from Just Married. 

The scene that popped in my head was toward the end when Ashton Kutcher's character goes to his father for advice. His father provides this wisdom:

"Somedays your mother and I loved each other. Other days we had to work at it. You never see the hard days in the photo albums, but those are the days that get you from one happy snapshot to the next."

Our stories include non-photo worthy moments that challenge, teach, frustrate and provide movement to moments where saying "Cheese" is a pleasure :) I'm also reminded of the Biblical metaphor of being in a valley or on a mountaintop. I was reminded of how important valleys are recently - they are where the sheep are nourished and gain strength to climb the mountain. Not much actual work is done on the mountaintop. The view is important, but I'm in a valley now and I say - bring it on! I'm ready to work.

A day in the life

So sometimes I have moments (usually in the car) where I check in and wonder to myself -
would anyone want to watch my life today? 
what would the plot-line be and is it in line with who I want to be?
Occasionally I take it a step further and wonder
what would the soundtrack be?

How I answer these questions depends on the day. Here are some of the options (not a complete list)
"Yea maybe I could get my friends and family to tune in to this."
"I don't care who watches, I would watch it today"
"Nope, I like shows like Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy which are WAY more dramatic than my life."
Then I ran across a couple things that reminded me that everyone has a story to be told. We can learn so much from other people's stories!
1. A Day in the Life (on Hulu)
2. RoadTrip Nation (PBS)
3. Read the book To Be Told
4. Read the book Millon Miles in a Thousand Years
And to end, enjoy:

Once Upon a Time

I love this new show on ABC - Once Upon a Time

• If anyone knows me, they know I'd prefer a drama or sitcom over all the reality TV that shows up on broadcast (and I don't have cable). So this show is already my kind of thing. 
• I love Jennifer Goodwin and want to claim her as my doopleganger. :) It's also great that she plays this Snow White whose back story is a bit more empowered than a damsel in distress. 
• I like adding meaning to things and was hooked by something that is said at the beginning of every episode. 

The show is set in Storybrooke Maine a small American town with no happy endings. The 10 year old the story centers around says in the pilot everyone in the town has "forgotten who they are." While that frames the story and helps the plot move forward, I am taken aback by how true that statement may be for all of us.

I don't believe we are all fairy tale characters. That's not where I'm going.What may be worth considering is that we have forgotten who we are because we've forgotten whose we are. One of the best books I've ever read is Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson. In it, he reflects on what was lost for all future mankind after the fall in the Garden. Succinctly put, we were:

1. Accepted by God unconditionally and got to walk around naked
2. Secure in who we are because we could walk and talk with God
3. Significant to God and to each other (there were only 2 people).

The reality we live in now, is that we live in a fallen world (with some similarities to Storybrooke) and are seeking to fill these voids - we fear rejection (because we lost the feeling of being full accepted); act out of insecurity, seeking others approval and putting others down; and are constantly striving to make a contribution where we feel known or recognized as having value.

In Once Upon a Time, the characters slowly begin to make choices that reveal who they were meant to be. The plot hooks me each week as they unravel the back story and intertwine it with current events in Storybrooke. I can't help but become like a kid rooting for the heroine to win over the wicked witch. I grieve when the villain gets the upper hand and never stop believing that good will win out.

With my faith, I hold to the same values with one significant difference. Good has already won through Jesus Christ.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. " 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_king_jr.html#ixzz1jgKjPTya  

my life motto

Thanks to a cool workshop I had the opportunity to attend just before Christmas break, I've had lots to share with family and friends over this Christmas break. I attended Finding your Passion and Purpose (great title, hence why I chose to do it) at UNCG and now have a life motto. Hooray! Shouldn't everyone have a life motto? Haha. I know it's kinda cheesy, but now that I have one, I actually do like it and am excited at how it suits me. This motto came after 2 days of self reflection.
Here's the motto...ready?

  Live Intentionally. 

                                      Be For Others.

                                                                      Cultivate Peace. 

I'll post a pic of my vision board later.  In the meantime, I pray the hope that is in Christmas penetrates your soul in a new way this year and that you enjoy togetherness with family. I just got back from a fun family tradition of going to see a movie. This year we saw We Bought a Zoo. It was heartwarming and perfect for a family outing to the movies on this Christmas day.

Nativity

The weekend after Thanksgiving my good friends Marissa and Daniel Joyce had their son, Colton. I got the sweet opportunity to meet Colton when he was only 21 hours old. The beautiful picture of a doting dad and new family unit was awe inspiring. Then the following week, I saw The Nativity Story and was reminded so beautifully of the history of my faith. This Advent season is a time of remembrance and expectant hope for Christians. The month of December is "pregnant" with anticipation and we are hearing songs with lyrics like "let every heart prepare him room." That movie reminded me how very precious my faith is to me. And that I still didn't own a nativity as part of my Christmas decorations. I took care of that though. :)
Throughout the ages many have artistically shared what the miracle of Jesus' birth means to them and I recently was re-introduced to this Christmas poem from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow written in 1867

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Take a second and read this again: the wrong shall fail, the right prevail. What hope is there in Christmas!

Finding Hope

Proverbs 31:8: Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

I ran across this verse this evening as I was further investigating organizations that already exist to fight human trafficking and pursue justice. When I re-read it, I was reminded of these women who have the opportunity to actively pursue justice around the world. Check out what they are up to!

Kate Hughes Around the world in 11 months
Jess Marchand Geneva Switzerland
Kristen Paulick Cambodia
Anna Linhart Uganda

Their stories inspire me. They are a sign of hope much like a flower pushing through the dirt.

I am full of earth
You are heaven’s worth
I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity
You are everything that is bright and clean
The antonym of me
You are divinity
But a certain sign of grace is this
From the broken earth flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt

You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to be holy like You are

You are everything that is bright and clean
And You’re covering me with Your majesty
And the truest sign of grace was this
From wounded hands redemption fell down
Liberating man
But the harder I try the more clearly can I feel
The depth of our fall and the weight of it all
And so this might could be the most impossible thing
Your grandness in me making me clean 
-David Crowder Band "Wholly Yours"

my new thing

A brief timeline:

• June 2011 - Getting used to my job and remember the employee "perk" of up to 6 credit hours of class for free for employees. I look through the UNCG course bulletin. 
• August 2011 - I decide to enroll in Global Human Rights, an online graduate level course. Feeling good about my decision and excited to create time and space to look into this more fully.
• September 2011 - I get an email from some list serve and decide to read it. A concert invitation and someone is taking donations for Water Hope, a nonprofit that raises money to provide more people with access to clean drinking water. 
• October 8, 2011 - My friend MaryHil and I travel to Carborro to hear Boyce Avenue play at Cat's Cradle. The opening act is a stellar band called  Green River Ordinance (GRO). I hear a song they wrote for Water Hope and tear up a little. I speak with the lead singer afterwards and find out he simply met one of their people at a benefit and decided to collaborate in this artistic and awesome way. 
• October 17, 2011 - My online course begins and the professor doesn't assign reading. He just suggests using our graduate level brains to filter through 2 textbooks, numerous online resources, articles and PDFs of many pages, videos and government documents. I feel overwhelmed because, per usual, I also have something planned socially every night. 
• October 31, 2011 - I made it through the first 2 assignments and this week is all about human trafficking and the sex trade in Thailand. I have watched numerous videos and am starting to put some ideas together. I tear up at least once during each video. 
• November 2, 2011 - I sort through my old CDs to remember I purchased a "Freedom" CD to benefit International Justice Mission and it included a DVD documentary narrated by Danny Glover. I watch it for the first time. The end concludes with a song by GRO! I cry at the sadness of slavery, the realness of it...but also the hope for an end and a sense of responsibility. This is heavy stuff. 

Take Aways: 

1. I'll be sharing more about what I'm learning in this class. I've told friends, even before it started, "this class might change my life" 
2. Everyone should buy this song to support Water Hope: http://amzn.to/sbGLGq OR this CD to benefit International Justice Mission http://amzn.to/t0tkZl
3. I like finding patterns in my normal life. I want to change the world. 
4. The song from the DVD: 

Meaning in the making.

mean·ing [mee-ning] noun
1. what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated

2. the end, purpose, or significance of something

Sometimes I listen to pop music and make these moderately ridiculous connections to a Biblical principle or proverb and am derailed from simply enjoying the tune. Sometimes I even stop and share that connection with my roommate or other lucky person who gets hear my discourse on the human condition and our fundamental needs that get convoluted by our culture. So I thought, "why not make a blog to share that with even more people?"

In addition, I hope to bring your attention to others who are making positive meaning out of their lives; living good stories; living beyond their preconceived limits; loving well and living with intention. 

This came from months of a "sacred echo" (more on that later) simply called "story."

Perspective: 

Watch this video from Donald Miller and read To Be Told by Dan Allender.