To Travel is to...

[copied this pic off of Kristin's computer..]

To travel is to go.
To travel with an open mind is to learn.
To travel with an open heart is to grow

So I know this quote isn't epic or anything, but I came up with the thought in Costa Rica last month. I had lots of time to ponder/refresh in my room each night. It was kinda nice not to have technology and just enjoy reading...writing...and dancing a lot like an idiot :)

But yeah, the quote: In CR I learned so very much.

Step #1 I went.

Step #2 I opened my mind. Sometimes it was difficult as we had lectures on history and learned horrors about our own country and exploitation of those in Central America, but I had to keep my mind open. I couldn't plug my ears, run, or hide in shame. I had to listen, swallow it, and remember it. Let it sting, you know..Let it break my heart and initiate some change.

Step #3. While in CR I was also introduced to some new views on faith, God, worshiping, and all that stuff. Again, sometimes we want to turn away from different views, but I was intrigued and this was the easiest step :) As i was engulfed in the idea of much of Latin American theology, I felt my heart changing, I felt that growth.

So I guess what I'm saying is this:: Travel! go! But don't just go...don't just take lots of pictures and write a few journals. Seek knowledge, learn from the culture, meet people, hear stories, let your heart burst and let it break, but most of all...let it grow.

Blog terminated, journey initiated.

So in an unfortunate turn of events [so I believed]..all of my blogs but one from 2010 were deleted!

Thank God, literally, for Kristin who found a computer nerd way to save them. It's taking me quite a while and my comments are gone forever, but eh, who cares...I'll be slowly but surely rebuilding the archive.

As i am doing so, I started from the beginning...wow. It's so interesting to see how I've changed and in some ways how I haven't. Both are intriguing. At some points I wanted to delete some of my old posts, but then I realized...they were a part of me. A part of my journey. A part of my "wandering." I shouldn't be ashamed of what I once thought or how i perceived life, I should rejoice that I am always growing, thinking, exploring and have so many layers to still dive into.

So even though some of the blogs I will re-post don't necessarly represent me now, they represent a piece of me that has evolved. A person is not just a current state--they are a piece of art. They are worn in with marks of pain and wrinkles of laughter. Their eyes have witness both wondrous joy and heart wrenching scenes. But all...all of these things make up a person, a soul, a life.

Not that my blog is my life by any means, but it is a small glimpse into viewpoints and inspiration.

goodnight world.

22 things for 22 years

[[--sylvia plath ]]


[[courtesy of kristin hayes]]

well, it's official. I'm 22 years old. Technically it's really official around 4am since that's the time i literally popped out of the womb. But anyway, i figured in honor of my birthday i would record 22 things i've learned, cherish, or believe in. For some, i may elaborate, but for others, no explanation is needed.

here we goooo... [they are in no particular order, by the way]

1. Don't be bored. Louie Giglio once said, "there is no such thing as being bored, only boring people." explore. read. listen. grow. There is always an adventure waiting for you!
2. Travel...and do it on a budget! Hostels are cheap, and you're sure to meet a new, interesting friend! Take public transportation, and by all means, don't just hit up the tourist spots. Be a local for a day!
3. Stay true to your roots. It's like this, if everyone is always running away from their community because of the problems and issues, how will they ever get solved? It isn't the coolest, most glamourous thing to do, but it really can change the world. Sure, sometimes moving is necessary but just something to think about :)
4. Show up. i cannot even begin to describe how thankful i am that i showed up to events or places that seemed to be insignificant but changed my life.
5. When you feel inspired, don't delay. put off the homework for a second and jot down your idea, sketch your picture, or do what you do!
6. Be committed. My generation struggles with this so badly..including myself. Start something and finish it. Stick something out. When you promise someone, keep it. In a world where Facebook RSVP's translate like this: yes means maybe. maybe means no. and no means absolutley no...break the cycle :)
7. Find out where your stuff comes from. Did someone in a sweatshop make those sneakers? Did your diamond ring come at the cost of a life? Dare to google these things. And prepare to maybe make some changes!
8. Be aware of your waste. Skip the straw. Avoid the styrofoam. Make a compost pile!
9. Take the scenic route. It's good for your soul.
10. Dance at weddings.
11. Never skip out on a deep conversation just for an extra hour of sleep or to finish some homework. Life isn't about stuff, credentials, or working--it's about relationships.
12. Love someone long after it's fun, easy, or cool.
13. Listen to old people.
14. Shop local. it's way better than any wal*mart, target, or starbuck's.
15. Be honest. It's the most liberating thing in the world and the glue to the most beautiful friendships i am a part of.
16. Be informed, but don't watch the news too much. You will get sucked into a deep hole of negativity. Balance it out!
17. Have a hero or maybe 10. But know all about at least one of these people. Their life story, their struggles, their goals. And know that you put your shoes on just like they did, you breathe oxygen, and you, too have 24 hours in each day to make a difference.
18. Ask "why not?" It's a question that can rock the whole world. And surround yourself with others who ask this same thing on a regular basis.
19. If there are no nay-sayers around, reevaluate. If no one is harping on you or complaining about any aspect of your life--check it out. Dare to challenge. Dare to bring things out of the light. And remember that the fire only refines :)
20. Look at the stars. Please.
21. Don't take summer classes.. if at all possible!! This is a very personal opinion, but i think summer is a time to breathe in the warm air, drink lemonade, be barefoot, and travel the world.
22 Sing in the shower. And maybe even throw in some dance moves ;)

What if the next time they threw a war, no one showed up?

my friend Matt posted this article about war. I enjoyed it a lot.

It is an interesting thing to consider, or at least I find it to be interesting. War is such a confusing thing because in our fallen world today, it sometimes seems necessary. But i truly can't believe that darkness will drive out darkness. I truly can't believe that killing can cause peace. I just...can't. And although this will be a life-long debate with people of all faiths everywhere, for me, at this point, i cry out for peace. i cry out for now more war. no more violence. no more guns. But not just peace. Peace meaning good will to all, is a great thing to desire. But my boyfriend, will, made a good point to me the other day--the opposite of war is actually creation. War is destruction. Peace is not the opposite of war necessarily. In fact, creation really would be the more literal anytonym.

So let me rephrase:: not only do i desire peace--goodwill toward all--I desire creation. Creation of friendships, art, atmospheres of acceptance and diversity.


I'll end this post with a quote that I have read before but was reminded of in this article. Always gets me thinking::

You, my church, told me it was wrong to kill … except in war.
You, my teachers, told me it was wrong to kill … except in war.
You, my father and mother, told me it was wrong to kill … except in war.
You, my friends, told me it was wrong to kill … except in war.
You, my government, told me it was wrong to kill … except in war.
But now I know, you were wrong, and now I will tell you, my church, my teachers, my father and mother, my friends, my government, it is not wrong to kill except in war. It is wrong to kill. --George Mizo

Lifeee

my friend/roommate Kristin pasted this little baby in my inspirational books she made me for Christmas.

And I loove it :)

I'm baack!

I have been so neglectful of my blog lately! Goal in 2011:: One post every 2 weeks.

It's a start at least :) I'd love to post each week, but let's not get too lofty.

Kristin and I took a very spontanous roadtrip to Lexington, KY just to get away for a day. While there we visited some really cool shops like Third Street Stuff, Lucia's, and Common Grounds. Kristin is always good at finding things of this nature. Anywho, the trip was extremely refreshing. In one of the used book stores we frequented, we found this little treasure:::



It's called Seasons of Hope. Printed in 1970.

I'd like to share one of my favorite excerpts:

“The answer is to rely on youth, not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. The cruelties and obstacles of this swiftly changing planet will not yield to the obsolete dogmas and outworn slogans; they cannot be moved by those who cling to a present that is already dying, a who prefer the illusion of security to the excitement and danger that come with even the most peaceful progress.

It is a revolutionary world which we live in, and this generation at home and around the world has had thrust upon it a greater burden of responsibility than any generation that has ever lived. Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills. Yet many of the world’s great movements of thought and action have flowed from the work of a single man.

A young monk began the protestant reformation. A young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth. A young woman reclaimed the territory of France, and it was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and the 32-year-old Thomas Jefferson who explained that all men are created equal.

These men moved the world, and so can we all. Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.

Each time a man stands for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustices, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.

And crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

–Robert Kennedy

Final Reflections from Swaziland

On Thursday Sara (who is here with her family thru AIM and is also a nursing student) and I went to Skhalini, one of the most rural carepoints, to set up a mini clinic. We laid some mats down under a tree, set up all our supplies (lots of medicine, bandages, stethoscopes, etc), and formed a system for children and others to come one by one and sit down and tell us their symptoms (Nombali, our wonderful translator was also sitting with us on the mat).

As we were still setting up and people were gathering around, I felt someone behind me, it was a small girl. She was kind of leaning on me and as I turned to interact with her, the gogo spoke to her immediately and obviously told her to get up and go away as she quickly retreated. I didn’t think much of it and went back to the task at hand.

We saw about 10-12 people, which was a nice number because we got to treat each person in a non-rushed way. We saw coughs, skin lesions, headaches, sore throats, and everything in between. As we were on our last patient, I was listening to her breath sounds to make sure her lungs didn’t have fluid and Sara was just sitting to the side. The same little girl from the beginning plopped down. With a stethoscope in hand, and experience to be gained, Sara figured why not listen to her little heart?

Thankfully she did.

Her pulse was very high at 180 beats per minute and it was bounding. You could listen to any spot on her abdomen and hear it clearly. As we took a closer look we discovered her breathing was very labored and she even had a fever. Soon our previous patient was handed medicine and our focus became this little girl.

As it turned out, she was 3 years old but had no older sibling, cousin, or gogo to represent her. Whereas all the previous kids we saw had that. She had come the carepoint by herself entirely. No one was there to put her in the front of the line. No one was there to even bring her to the mat to let us know she was ill. And for that matter no one even knew she was sick (as they shooed her away unknowingly). After a little more assessing and a phone call to a more experienced health care professional, we determined she was dehydrated and probably also needed an antibiotic for her ailment. We didn’t have the antibiotic in hand, but we did have something for her fever and some water. This particular carepoint is very far from a water source, so we had packed a jug, and sooo glad we did as we poured a cup and she just chugged it. Then another. Then the medicine. She was one thirsty little girl.

We sat there a little longer with her and told the gogo’s to make sure she had water the next day too (we left the jug), but as I reflect, this story is symbolic of so much more than just giving a little girl water.

So many times in life we have a system to serve people. Think about it, whether it’s a church outreach or feeding people at the city mission—there is structure. And sometimes structure is completely necessary, but serving doesn’t need to only occur in structure. Because of our system we were creating, the gogo obviously saw this little girl as a mere distraction to our “mission”. She didn’t see her need, her sickness, or her thirst. She just saw a hang up in the smooth operation. And if we only focus on operations, outreaches, and structured events, we are missing out on so much!!

Serving people, loving people, being the hands and feet of Jesus is not always convenient, efficient, or easy. It does not only occur in planned settings, missions trips, or camps. Nor should it. Serving should not be a once a week event…it should be a mindset. But before we can serve others, we must know the need. And knowing the need takes a little time and effort. We must open our eyes or ask God to give us His eyes. We must be mindful of those around us, not just so focused on our own agenda that anything aside from our desire is a “distraction”. The biggest step however, is after knowing the need, practically meeting it. So often WE are the answer to the prayer we lift up. So many times we think that a system or structure should be put in place to solve a problem, but really…maybe it’s as simple as a cup of water. Maybe it’s as simple as giving that homeless man a cheeseburger. Maybe it’s as simple as visiting your Grandma. And maybe the cups of water and cheeseburgers and visits will add up and make something beautiful. Something people see, something that is contagious, something that is bigger than ourselves.

So may we not be distracted by details today. May we not be bogged down with outlines and itineraries—although very useful sometimes. May we see the pain around us whether it be under our same roof or across the ocean, and may we respond with it in confidence knowing that we can’t do everything, be each of us can do something, and something is always better than nothing!