Through anothers eyes...

I'm reading a book right now (fiction) about a princess from Saudi Arabia and the life she lives. If it is at all accurate, which I'm guessing it has to have at least a hint of authenticity to it, then I'm realizing just how sheltered I am from the state of lives of those in other cultures.

You go on a couple of mission trips and you think that you start to have this picture of the rest of the world. But honestly, I think until I have lived all over the world and experienced the lives of others first hand I will never get a complete picture of what it is like to live outside of the US (probably not even then). The idea of torture is something I can't fully wrap my head around. Or women being required to cover themselves when in public. How about children running through the streets starving and mutilating themselves in hopes that those who pass them by will have more sympathy and give them money for food - or drugs even. Or even simply not having the internet available at your finger tips whenever you want it. Clean water - I turn on the tap and don't even question that fresh, clean water will come out. It's the little things that we take for granted and expect out of our cushy world here in the middle class. What would it be like to have grown up in another country not as fortunate as my own? It's a question to ponder and remind me of how fortunate and blessed I am.

Even from my experience this summer, working in a small town just up the road my eyes were opened to how blessed I am. I have two parents that genuinely love me and want the best for me. They have always provided the necessities and have even gone above and beyond my needs. I grew up feeling safe, secure, loved, knowing that there were high expectations for my behavior and attitude towards my parents and others. It wasn't a question as to whether enough food would be on the table that night. I didn't have to wish that I had a toothbrush and tooth paste but rather was "forced" to brush twice a day. Again, it's the little things that are so eye opening sometimes.

If you're feeling down, just watch a few of these...

they should bring a smile to your face.

The world looks different from up here.

Growing up is hard. It involves all of these decisions and choices and much responsibility. Suddenly, when you walk across that stage and shake the big mans hand a weight of expectations is set on your shoulders and the world looks at you anticipating direction and answers from your life. No more can you have no clue about where you're headed in life, no more can you act stupid just because, suddenly you're an adult and should thus act as one. Again I say, growing up is hard.

Not only is it hard but it can also be a little scary. You're stepping into a new role and have to figure that out as well as most likely starting a new job, new life, making new friends, living in a new place. I mean, the life you once knew is no more. Sometimes I get this urge to just leave it all - the expectations, ideas from others, the weight thats been unwillingly placed on me - just get in the car and drive off to live life as a nomad, never settling down just being with friends and having new adventures. Then, I stop day dreaming and realize that running away is not the answer.

Not only is growing up hard and a little scary but its also very exciting at times. You DO get to start a new job, make new friends, live in a new place - suddenly you get to start over, start fresh. Leave all of the baggage behind and begin again. Starting fresh has this adventure to it, you never know who you're going to meet or what's going to show up right around the corner and that can be really exciting. All of my past adventures were filled with each of these emotions and thoughts, but the one thing that runs consistent through all of them is looking back at those feelings of fear and unsureness and also seeing them mixed in with excitement and memories that I wouldn't trade for anything.

New things are always filled with mixed emotions, but if there's one thing that I've learned is that if you can push past those fears and uncertainties at the beginning then it's usually worth it in the long run - and I have a feeling that adulthood is going to be no different.

God smiled at me today, a couple times actually.

Do you ever have those moments where you secretly wish for something that you know will never happen and then somehow...it does? Well I had one of those moments today and it was lovely. For me it wasn't a big wish or even a very important one really, but it was a wish none the less and the Lord smiled at me and made that wish a reality. I don't know, maybe it's silly but knowing that something like that has such a small likelihood of happening on its own leads me to believe that when it does indeed happen it was the Lord trying to brighten my day.

I think that the Lord speaks to us everyday is little ways but we might not always notice it. For me on a rough day that I get a hug I take that as the Lord saying, "I love you." Or when you get that text from a friend right at the moment when you need to hear those words most, the Lord is saying "trust me, I've got you." Or how about when He uses YOU to brighten someone elses day in a little way? That's Him saying "come as you are."

The Lord speaks everyday, in little ways and big. This week my challenge is to see the Lord more as He shows his love for me and who knows,  maybe He'll even choose to use my life to brighten someone elses...

Watch out for the fountain...

Saw this video today. It definitely gave me laugh, sad to say at the expense of the poor lady, but lets be honest, how many of us could that have happened to? I know that I can be caught regularly suddenly freezing up in the middle of a conversation with someone because my phone goes off. Or all of a sudden you stop walking and just start staring down at your phone. How many of you have had near encounters with something almost just like this? No? Well maybe you did but you just never noticed because you were looking at your phone.

I've recently decided that it really bothers me when people look to their phone to answer a text or what have you in the middle of a conversation (ok maybe I didn't just decide this but I have recently been reminded of it). Because of this video and my recent reminders it has made me that much more adamant that I will not be one of those people to let my cell phone dictate conversations with others or my walking patterns. So, know that you have the complete freedom to call me out on this should I slip back into old habits when you are around. Really, I'll appreciate it more than you know.

All I'm saying is that it really helps in a conversation if you're actually listening to the person and it really helps when walking if you look where you're going...don't be the next one to fall in a fountain.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work I go.

What a glorious day today has been. Big things are happening here in Asheville and I am so blessed to get to be part of them and to not only see it happen but also help make it happen. I kinda feel like the top is about to pop off of some huge stuff the Lord is doing here right now, I can feel the excitement building and can see the Lord aligning things for His glory. Oh man, I'm so excited!

This past summer I had the pleasure of getting to know some kids who haven't been as fortunate as I have to grow up in a house with two loving parents, food on the table at every meal, and all my needs provided for. These kids opened my heart up in whole new ways and I can't even begin to tell you all the ways they've changed me. I had the opportunity to work with, on average, 30 underprivileged kids from the ages of 3-14 years old for 9-weeks, oh what fun it was! I'll also say though, that it was incredibly challenging and probably one of my hardest summers yet. As a result of it though I feel that I have grown more as a person from those 9-weeks than I have in any of my other summers. Let me tell you about some of "my kids."

Isaac: 4 years old and full of spunk and attitude like you would not believe. This little guy has been through the fire and back and you honestly couldn't tell from all the life and excitement that is in him. You never know what's going to come out of his mouth or what he's gonna do but you can always expect to see a smile on his face and get a laugh out of him. My favorite quote: "I ain't gonna BE a girlfriend and I ain't gonna HAVE a girlfriend!"

Hannah: This girl melted my heart. When she and her siblings first started coming to our program she wouldn't leave her brothers side and would barely say a word. As the weeks progressed, slowly she would play a game or do a craft and eventually it got to where she would leave her brothers sight if she was with me, but only with me. By the end of the summer she was off playing on her own only to check in with big brother every once in awhile. Her shyness resonated so well with me because I was just like that as a child. Shy as all get out (and if you ask certain people they might even tell you that I was still like that up until a few years ago, but that's another story for another time). The big thing about Hannah and her siblings that really hit my heart was how it felt like they had been forced to grow up quickly and were already losing the days of just being a kid. Hannahs big brother wasn't older than 10 and yet he was in charge.

Anita: Sweet as could be, she was a clinger, haha. It took her awhile (a couple of weeks) to warm up to anyone new but once she did she loved to be loved and held. By the end of the summer Anita was practically permanently attached to my hip because I held her so much. She has the prettiest smile between the dirt smudges on her face and was always showing it.

The thing about these kids that melted my heart was their desire for attention and love. The way that our program was set up volunteers were constantly coming in and out and the kids were regularly getting to know new faces and names, I was the only one that was there daily. As a result of this, by the end of the summer I knew most of the kids well and they knew that they could come to me with problems, when they wanted to play, or if they just wanted a little more attention and a safe person to go to. I loved my job in many ways but also hated it because I knew that at the end of those 9-weeks "my kids" would go back home and not have a place to go in the afternoons to be loved and kept safe. They melted my heart and it's because of them that I now have a huge passion and desire to find more kids such as them and make sure they know they are valuable and loved and are still kids thus should be allowed to have a childhood.

Here's a picture of just a few of them showing off their artwork. :-)

Let me introduce you to a couple of "friends"

I LOVE this video. Don't know why but I just think it's cute as could be. Thought I would share it for your enjoyment.



oh and p.s. toms in the rain - not a good idea. Just saying.

ALSO...I just found this video, which I also love.

Excuses, excuses...

There's been alot on my mind lately. Thoughts of life, the Lord, my place in this world, and the past among many other things. I'm in a period of waiting - a time in my life where I have free time, yet responsibilities - friends, yet needing to continue to meet new faces - a time where I'm currently allowed to live each day as I choose. Lately I have chosen to do little, sleep much, and ponder a great bit. In some regards it has been perfect but in others lonely. Though there is all of this free time in my day the Lord is pushed aside and put on the back burner. Do you ever wonder why, when there's tons of free time, the Lord seems to go to the bottom of the list? It's then that excuses are made - ok, maybe not just then. I'm starting to realize that I am full of excuses for every area of my life. I don't have enough time, I'm not around the right people, I don't FEEL like it (as if feelings should define our lives), I'm too tired, not in the right mood, don't care, etc. The list goes on and on. There's always an excuse or an out - regardless of whether it truly is your fault or not. 


Lately, the Lord has been one of the many to get excuses from me. I run out of time, or I'll do it later then later turns into tomorrow and tomorrow turns into this weekend and this weekend turns into Monday and the cycle continues. Having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ should not be something that is on our to do list, it should be something that we get excited about doing each day. Having a relationship with Him is like having a relationship/friendship with anyone, it requires time and attention. 


Last semester my friend Amanda and I decided that we wanted to make a change in our spiritual lives and start pursuing the Lord regularly so we decided to hold each other accountable to this. We agreed upon reading through the Psalms together and doing at least 30 minutes each morning before we started our day. I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it has been to have someone in my life that I KNOW is going to ask me if I have been in the word lately. It has changed so much of my walk with the Lord. Being back home has brought back old tendencies of putting off the Lord lately but I am committing to pushing through those old tendencies and creating new ones - ones that don't allow for excuses. 



Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  -Philippians 3:12-14

Attempt #2

I've tried a blog before...but it didn't turn into much. Rather it was full of letters about my adventures in life. Hopefully on this second attempt rather than having amazingly long letters every couple of months I will be able to share life regularly.

So to start off with I think I'll share about my latest and greatest endeavor for my life in Asheville. See, I've recently moved back to the town that I grew up in and while it is a lovely place to live, it is also full of many memories and people that I know but don't really KNOW if you know what I mean. SO, seeing as how there are some memories that I just do not wish to bring back up (such as my first middle school dance which was filled with, of course, much drama and little dancing) I have decided to create some new ones. To get a jump start on doing this an "Asheville Bucket List" has been created, it is as follows (though it is not complete by any means):

1. Drum circle encounters are a must
2. Take a class - woodcarving perhaps?
3. Become a "regular" at a local coffee shop
4. Contra dancing - make an attempt at dancing with James franco?
5. All night dancing extravaganza with the camp ladies
6. Learn to Kayak
7. Checkout this whole "outdoor wind tunnel" deal
8. Experience at least one new local talent each month

That's all I've got so far but suggestions are ALWAYS accepted and will be seriously considered.

Also, I think that I might try and do a verse of the day maybe, is that lame? Oh well, don't really care if it is cause I'm gonna attempt to do it anyways. Happy Monday - or Tuesday rather since I guess Monday is technically over.

Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
-Psalm 66: 8-12