Water - taking the plunge

I took the plunge and started something. I've been thinking about it for a while, praying about it even. I've been asking God - what should I do? I care about the world and there are so many ways its hurting. What are you asking of me?

For over the last 3-4 years I've asked those questions, learned more about social issues affecting our world, and made some small changes (give more money, buy more fair trade, tweet about it, etc.). But as I was thinking of how I might celebrate living n Winston Salem for 5 years, I remembered a friend who celebrated his birthday by "giving it away" to an organization called Charity:Water.  This was a few weeks ago and I came across their September Campaign. They do a major project every year around their "birthday" and this year it is in Rwanda. So I took the plunge.

I want to help them. My mission is to raise $5000 in the next three months. I started the campaign through Charity:Water because it's time for me to do something. And to watch God bless the effort. And to see lives changed for the better. There are millions of people who walk miles every day just to get water to drink. Consider the children who skip primary school to lug 40-pound Jerry cans on their backs. The family members who try to nurse their brothers and sisters back to health after a waterborne illness has infected them.

So I'm asking anyone who can to donate for clean water. Every penny you give will go straight to building water projects in developing nations. And just like I have all of you as friends in my own community, we'll be able to see the community we impacted when the projects we funded are complete!To give go to http://mycharitywater.org/lindapollock

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 :)

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: