December 28, 2012
December 27, 2012
Meet me in St. Louis, Louis!
Heading off to St. Louis in two hours to exhibit at the Urbana Mission Conference.
Yes, I packed insulated boots, ethical chocolate, and earrings crafted by disadvantaged Kenyans.
Looking forward to visiting a new state, meeting other exhibitors (although 200 is a swarm), and testing my Patagonia down trench. Cheers.
Yes, I packed insulated boots, ethical chocolate, and earrings crafted by disadvantaged Kenyans.
Looking forward to visiting a new state, meeting other exhibitors (although 200 is a swarm), and testing my Patagonia down trench. Cheers.
December 14, 2012
First World Problems
Thinking a lot during the holidays about "First World Problems" --
How to conjure enough self-control not to scarf the multitude of desserts cropping up at every occasion.
Red and green are automatically "Christmassy" -- what to wear?
What can I possibly find to give my grandma?
Dozens of email ads about holiday sales...
Annoying music playing incessantly...
Trying to focus on Who inspired the holiday...
Wealth manufactures a strange set of "problems," doesn't it?
How to conjure enough self-control not to scarf the multitude of desserts cropping up at every occasion.
Red and green are automatically "Christmassy" -- what to wear?
What can I possibly find to give my grandma?
Dozens of email ads about holiday sales...
Annoying music playing incessantly...
Trying to focus on Who inspired the holiday...
Wealth manufactures a strange set of "problems," doesn't it?
December 7, 2012
Name That Tune
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| National Geographic (Spanish Musician) |
a.) Killing Me Softly
b.) El Condor Pasa
c.) Silent Night
d.) Imagine
December 3, 2012
A Love Poem
J.S. Bach: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140
(Cantata for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Trinity)
4. Chorale
Zion hears the watchmen sing,
her heart leaps for joy within her,
she wakens and hastily arises.
Her glorious Friend comes from heaven,
strong in mercy, powerful in truth,
her light becomes bright, her star rises.
Now come, precious crown,
Lord Jesus, the Son of God!
Hosannah!
We all follow to the hall of joy
and hold the evening meal together.
5. Recitative
So come in to Me,
you My chosen bride!
I have to you
eternally behtrothed Myself.
I will set you upon My heart,
upon My arm as a seal,
and delight your troubled eye.
Forget, O soul, now
the fear, the pain;
which you have had to suffer
upon My left hand you shall rest,
and My right hand shall kiss you.
6. Area - Duet (Dialogue - Soul, Jesus)
My Friend is mine,
--and I am yours,--
love will never part us.
I will with You
--you will with Me--
graze among heaven's roses,
where complete pleasure and delight will be.
(Cantata for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Trinity)
4. Chorale
Zion hears the watchmen sing,
her heart leaps for joy within her,
she wakens and hastily arises.
Her glorious Friend comes from heaven,
strong in mercy, powerful in truth,
her light becomes bright, her star rises.
Now come, precious crown,
Lord Jesus, the Son of God!
Hosannah!
We all follow to the hall of joy
and hold the evening meal together.
5. Recitative
So come in to Me,
you My chosen bride!
I have to you
eternally behtrothed Myself.
I will set you upon My heart,
upon My arm as a seal,
and delight your troubled eye.
Forget, O soul, now
the fear, the pain;
which you have had to suffer
upon My left hand you shall rest,
and My right hand shall kiss you.
6. Area - Duet (Dialogue - Soul, Jesus)
My Friend is mine,
--and I am yours,--
love will never part us.
I will with You
--you will with Me--
graze among heaven's roses,
where complete pleasure and delight will be.
December 1, 2012
November 26, 2012
Quoteables IX
"He commutes. You can't have a life if you commute. [Smoothly preempting my protests...] You're weird. Don't use yourself as an example."
~ Co-worker #208
"What he lacked in face [while subconsciously swirling the ASL sign for "beauty"], he made up for with his sense of humor."
~ Friend A, describing, of all men, a Jungle Cruise tour guide at Disneyland.
"Well, that makes sense. You're a whole soul. There's a bunch of you."
~ Co-Worker #89 discussing using both the right and left sides of the brain (intuition and logic) in living out one's faith
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| Credit "One of these days, I'm just going to go in there and tell them exactly how they are being hypocritical! ...But I'm too nice. It's the curse of the pastor's heart." ~ Anonymous  |
November 23, 2012
November 21, 2012
Splitting headache?
As a frequent contemplative of theological paradoxes, I appreciate the thought below. The quote is by John Piper (renowned modern Calvinist) comparing his similarities to G.K. Chesterton (Roman Catholic adamantly opposed to Calvinism).
"And we both believe that paradox is woven into the nature of the universe, and that resisting it drives a person mad. 'Poets don’t go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. . . . The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits.'"
November 13, 2012
Girl, Age 5-9
Just created a nostalgic moment by packing a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse. Hopefully my box is not sent to Mongolia because I didn't select gloves this year. Com'n, I live in Southern California; Dollartree was light on layers but brimming with plastic. Getting fancy, I opted for a barcoded label and will receive an email in a few months telling me the country to which my specific box was delivered. High-tech evangelism!
November 8, 2012
Long journey ahead?
Just a little inspiration to think outside the box. (Email subscribers click here for the video above.)
November 6, 2012
November 5, 2012
Te digo una cosa...
What if God is not Who I want Him to be? What if I've been mistaken through all these prayers, and His real character is something...abhorrent to me? Though a bit of theological upheaval may be appropriate, wrestling through other's constructions of God should prompt us to spend more time in the company of the One we claim to love. Rather than personal context, I offer the following excerpt from Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion written by Gregory Boyle. (Father Boyle is a Jesuit priest and the founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries.)
...What seems to vex us is our tendency to conjure up a tiny God. I remember arriving at a CEB (base community) meeting in my very earliest days at Dolores Mission. Spanish, in those days, was more of struggle than it is now. When I arrive, an older lady, Lupe, strong and influential in the group, has gotten her hands on this tiny brochure. It's a message from the Blessed Mother, and, boy, is Mary pissed! There apparently was an apparition somewhere in New Jersey. A woman is calientando a tortilla, and when she flips it over, Ay, Dios Mio!, there is an image of La Virgin in all her glory. So apart from imminent plans to build a cathedral, say, right in this kitchen, Mary has come with a message. This little brochure explains it all. So Lupe is holding us hostage and has completely derailed our meeting. Mary is gonna let us have it, she tells us, and she is not one bit pleased with the state of the world, and everybody is going to hell on the "Dynamite D" train. This is the gist. I feel hopeless to bring us back on track, no match for the fluidity and command of Lupe. She has us in her thrall for some time, until Socorro, a respected and elderly "church lady," a sacristan and gentle soul, pidio la palabra. She daintily poises her finger in the air, asking to be heard. The only power I have in the group, at this point, is to permit her to speak.
"Well, you know," Socorro begins with a quiet strength and humble tone, "I am from a ranchito in Mexico. I've never been to school. I can't read the Bible. I certainly can't read that fine foleto you've brought to our meeting, Lupe." Then she pauses as if to employ some other unseen second engine. She gears up and rears up and looks straight at Lupe. "Pero, te digo una cosa, Dios no es asi." (I'll tell ya one thing, God is not like that.)
...What seems to vex us is our tendency to conjure up a tiny God. I remember arriving at a CEB (base community) meeting in my very earliest days at Dolores Mission. Spanish, in those days, was more of struggle than it is now. When I arrive, an older lady, Lupe, strong and influential in the group, has gotten her hands on this tiny brochure. It's a message from the Blessed Mother, and, boy, is Mary pissed! There apparently was an apparition somewhere in New Jersey. A woman is calientando a tortilla, and when she flips it over, Ay, Dios Mio!, there is an image of La Virgin in all her glory. So apart from imminent plans to build a cathedral, say, right in this kitchen, Mary has come with a message. This little brochure explains it all. So Lupe is holding us hostage and has completely derailed our meeting. Mary is gonna let us have it, she tells us, and she is not one bit pleased with the state of the world, and everybody is going to hell on the "Dynamite D" train. This is the gist. I feel hopeless to bring us back on track, no match for the fluidity and command of Lupe. She has us in her thrall for some time, until Socorro, a respected and elderly "church lady," a sacristan and gentle soul, pidio la palabra. She daintily poises her finger in the air, asking to be heard. The only power I have in the group, at this point, is to permit her to speak.
"Well, you know," Socorro begins with a quiet strength and humble tone, "I am from a ranchito in Mexico. I've never been to school. I can't read the Bible. I certainly can't read that fine foleto you've brought to our meeting, Lupe." Then she pauses as if to employ some other unseen second engine. She gears up and rears up and looks straight at Lupe. "Pero, te digo una cosa, Dios no es asi." (I'll tell ya one thing, God is not like that.)
November 4, 2012
October 31, 2012
Remember the Important Things
My desk at work sports a small note reminding me to "Remember the Important Things." An agile mind tends to over-analyze and be easily diverted by new details. Wistful conclusion? --One of the most delightful aspects of heaven will be the lack of distractions. Here are some timely thoughts on choosing focus: http://www.ccef.org/voices-vie-your-heart.
October 30, 2012
Momentum
A few "Graceland" songs did me proud this evening as I puttered about preparing for the Not For Sale Global Forum. My extra green button down sweater is rolled into my suitcase and Google directions are sitting on my purse. Tomorrow as everyone pulls out their latex werewolf heads and seven-legged spiders, I will be jaunting up the Central Coast, dreaming of freedom for all. Here's to like-minded activists, fair trade gourmet coffee, and sunlit waves.
October 26, 2012
Who is rich?
Who is rich? He who rejoices in His portion.
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October 16, 2012
Paris
Paris 2007
A skeptical small-town girl from Southern California finds herself escaping a crazed bus tour led by a skin-tight jeans party girl and sleep-deprived driver to wander the streets of the City of Lights. Face to face with Renoirs, chocolate croissants, and the Eiffel tour, will she claim her place with the aesthetes of history or simply snap a few obligatory tourist poses with the stalwart Aussie at her side?
Paris 2013: The Sequel
Romance and light-hearted traipsing ostensibly behind her, our heroine finds herself returning to Paris for some much needed repose. Will she regain her verve by ogling art and sipping lattes with her sister or does adventure wait on the steps of the Sacre Coeur?
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| En route to Paris via Dover ferry 10/2007 |
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| Sacre Coeur |
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| Notre Dame |
P.S. Don't bother calling me the last two weeks of February because I will be in Paris. This time I'm packing a black trench coat with a waist belt, an e-reader, and "Fifty City Walks".
October 12, 2012
The Freedom Commons
Want to help end modern-day slavery? Click here for some easy steps from International Justice Mission.
"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?"
Isaiah 58:6
It's a multi-step process. You and I are not responsible for the fate of the world, but we are responsible to freely share what we have been given. Use your voice; use your dollars; use your votes.
"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?"
Isaiah 58:6
It's a multi-step process. You and I are not responsible for the fate of the world, but we are responsible to freely share what we have been given. Use your voice; use your dollars; use your votes.
October 9, 2012
You Have Made Me Glad
I've had this song stuck in my head since Sunday night. Not a bad selection...
"I will not be moved
And I'll say of the Lord
You are my shield, my strength,
my portion, deliverer,
my shelter, strong tower,
my very present help in time of need."
Funnily enough, I had no idea it was called "You Have Made Me Glad." I suppose if you repeat the chorus enough times, you do come to that conclusion.
October 7, 2012
Television Filter
I've been watching quite a bit of online television as my sinus infection makes it difficult to concentrate or retain much energy. Today after church I made it outside to check on my (withering) succulent garden. Replanting a farmer's market purchase, I reflected on the allure of television. Escapism is frighteningly easy to the point where you almost forget that building your own life, one thirsty pink and green plant at time, is infinitely richer than watching pictures of someone else's.
October 5, 2012
October 4, 2012
40 hr/wk
It's hard to explain what I do as Coordinator of Cause 4 Life Global Missions and Internships. The purpose (Gospel, justice, training) gets mixed up with the who (Joni and Friends, people with disabilities, interns) and especially with the continually evolving what (buy plane tickets to Port au Prince, explain Matthew 25, respond to emails from Indonesia, order background checks, scope out the counter height in hotel rooms). Check out our newly posted 2013 internship opportunities for an overview of the program. We had 40 interns in 2012 and are expecting at least ten more next year!
Last day of the Ministry and Missions Academy this summer
It's a Conspiracy!
Email subscribers click here for the video above.
I gave up gift-giving last Christmas for pecuniary reasons. Simply, the occasions for gift-giving (birthday, baby, new home, graduation, wedding, just because) multiplied beyond my proverbial means. Although the occasion of greatest significance, Christ's birth seemed the least personal reason for giving gifts. Making the decision even easier is the matter of the "least of these". Matthew 25 and Isaiah 58 are pretty persuasive in detailing what God wants from us. Celebratory gifts without a lifestyle of justice are worse than empty to Him.
Enter Advent Conspiracy partnering with the International Justice Mission. The message of this video is not that gift-giving is atrociously evil but rather that we should strive to be intentional with our gifts. What is more beneficial: possessions or time? Luxury for me or justice for someone else? These are daily decisions magnified by the manufactured generosity of the holidays.
October 3, 2012
85% Oxygen
The heat + perpetual air conditioning has been exacerbating my chronic sinus swelling, and my energy levels have been low for the past two weeks. Last night my lungs screamed more than usual while exercising, and the proof of diminished oxygen flow finally convinced me to ask Kaiser for antibiotics. Here are some recent topics of contemplation from my (temporarily diagnosed) rhinitis infested brain:
People need time to grow, but some people are too selfish or scared to ever change. Over the past two years, I have developed noticeably more patience for people "in progress" and less for people who are disinclined to humbly seek more of God's character. Now I am working on deciding how close to stick to people who are not growing lest I become stuck with them. (Yes, bad pun.)
Is it important to keep up with political events? Knowing that I will research the candidates and propositions on my sample ballot, how would society benefit from my being informed year-round? What would I have to sacrifice to become informed?
The amount of time I spend on weekly personal upkeep is absurd: teethbrushing, shampooing, deodorant, exercise, diet, physical therapy, washing, clipping, dressing, shaving, moisturizing, stretching, hydration, supplements, etc. etc. etc. Sometimes it is hard to believe that being unhealthy is more work in the long run. If I am this run-down in my mid-twenties, what appalling amount of attention will my body demand when my years have doubled? How do people cope? No wonder age is a full-time occupation.
What makes Clif's kids bars so addicting at night? Maybe the chocolate brownie flavor not-so-disguised by the whole grains? Clif is so clever!
Today I am grateful for organic cat food, American Airlines only charging $26 to change a return flight, ikat print, sick days, gluten-free bread, and the letter K.
People need time to grow, but some people are too selfish or scared to ever change. Over the past two years, I have developed noticeably more patience for people "in progress" and less for people who are disinclined to humbly seek more of God's character. Now I am working on deciding how close to stick to people who are not growing lest I become stuck with them. (Yes, bad pun.)
Is it important to keep up with political events? Knowing that I will research the candidates and propositions on my sample ballot, how would society benefit from my being informed year-round? What would I have to sacrifice to become informed?
The amount of time I spend on weekly personal upkeep is absurd: teethbrushing, shampooing, deodorant, exercise, diet, physical therapy, washing, clipping, dressing, shaving, moisturizing, stretching, hydration, supplements, etc. etc. etc. Sometimes it is hard to believe that being unhealthy is more work in the long run. If I am this run-down in my mid-twenties, what appalling amount of attention will my body demand when my years have doubled? How do people cope? No wonder age is a full-time occupation.
What makes Clif's kids bars so addicting at night? Maybe the chocolate brownie flavor not-so-disguised by the whole grains? Clif is so clever!
Today I am grateful for organic cat food, American Airlines only charging $26 to change a return flight, ikat print, sick days, gluten-free bread, and the letter K.
September 29, 2012
Lime and Strawberries
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| National Geographic |
September 21, 2012
Who do you believe you are?
Warning: Extra potent for those of us whose love language is words of affirmation. (Email subscribers click here for the link to the video above.)
September 20, 2012
Oh Happy Day
Thank you to everyone who took the time to recognize the anniversary of my birth. I value your thoughtfulness!
The pictures below capture a momentous accomplishment--this is the most joy I have managed to muster before 9am in perhaps two years. Many thanks to MJ for the kind idea and momentum, BW for final execution, and MC for capturing the moment.
The pictures below capture a momentous accomplishment--this is the most joy I have managed to muster before 9am in perhaps two years. Many thanks to MJ for the kind idea and momentum, BW for final execution, and MC for capturing the moment.
September 15, 2012
Blog Update
Today for the first time I
...bought a down parka
...ate Sherpa CurryGoat (title presented here exactly as printed on the menu)
...used the less intimidating version of the Neti pot to give myself a sinus rinse
...updated the look of my blog!
So, what do you think? (About the new look, not the Sherpa food). Too dark, too much contrast, too full of myself? Or does it not really matter since you subscribe by email or RSS feed?
...bought a down parka
...ate Sherpa CurryGoat (title presented here exactly as printed on the menu)
...used the less intimidating version of the Neti pot to give myself a sinus rinse
...updated the look of my blog!
So, what do you think? (About the new look, not the Sherpa food). Too dark, too much contrast, too full of myself? Or does it not really matter since you subscribe by email or RSS feed?
Last Weekend
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| Les Miserables at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza (Thursday night) |
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| Curly-heads at B's going away party (Friday night) |
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| Praying for B before her departure to Norway with YWAM |
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| My siblings taking their usual self-portraits (Saturday) |
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| Dear friends and family singing folk and Gospel songs at my birthday party (Saturday) |
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| Selected "photo booth" pictures (Saturday at party) |
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| Ninjas with fur? |
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| Potential family Christmas picture? And on Sunday we delivered my brother to college. Whoosh! |
September 12, 2012
To Whom Shall We Go?
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John Chapter 6
Often my mind and heart are overwhelmed with stories of global suffering. The evils inflicted on one man by another crumple my self-constructed explanations, and I am forced to return to the "foolishness of the Gospel." So many questions, but His truth is the only thing I know that brings healing and wholeness into this shattered world. No matter how pouty and hurt and generally like a three-year-old I become with the Lord, sooner or later my heart reflects To whom shall I go? He's the best thing I have going for me.
Email subscribers click here for the song shared above.
Often my mind and heart are overwhelmed with stories of global suffering. The evils inflicted on one man by another crumple my self-constructed explanations, and I am forced to return to the "foolishness of the Gospel." So many questions, but His truth is the only thing I know that brings healing and wholeness into this shattered world. No matter how pouty and hurt and generally like a three-year-old I become with the Lord, sooner or later my heart reflects To whom shall I go? He's the best thing I have going for me.
Email subscribers click here for the song shared above.
September 8, 2012
Caring for the Widow
Every year I "donate" my birthday to bring awareness to a different nonprofit. On the verge of departing for a party celebrating both yours truly and the International Justice Mission, I discovered this video about their work in Uganda. Take two and a half minutes to join me in a modern day view of Isaiah 58.
(Email subscribers click here for the video above.)
(Email subscribers click here for the video above.)
Silent Servants
What is wealth? Is it choices? Opportunity? Material possessions? Services? By American standards, I am a middle-class citizen. However, by any measure I am one of the wealthiest people ever to have lived. Think about the experience of grocery shopping. Your horseless carriage brings you smoothly to the front of the establishment, where you pause to grab a basket suspended on wheels. Then the doors automatically open to let you into the temperature controlled environment, music softly playing in the background. You wander down aisles and aisles of choices with perishable food kept fresh by humming servants who never sleep. Having made your selections, your purchases are automatically tallied and bagged, and an employee politely offers to bring them to your carriage. My Lords and Ladies--King Solomon himself did not experience such daily ease!
Continually, I marvel that I am living in a time in history when silent servants are the norm. We have machines to wash our clothes, clean our dishes, dry our hair, create light, cool and heat our homes, transport us, play music, and entertain. We even have machines that turn on our other machines so that we not have to rise from our seats! Truly, we have embarrassingly more than enough. My question today is not whether or not we appreciate what we have, but whether or not we are good stewards of the exceptional riches God has given.
P. S. Public restrooms make me laugh; I don't have to lift a finger to flush a toilet, turn on water, or pull a towel, but engineers still refuse to design a stall that doesn't squish the user from the swing of an inward-opening door.
Continually, I marvel that I am living in a time in history when silent servants are the norm. We have machines to wash our clothes, clean our dishes, dry our hair, create light, cool and heat our homes, transport us, play music, and entertain. We even have machines that turn on our other machines so that we not have to rise from our seats! Truly, we have embarrassingly more than enough. My question today is not whether or not we appreciate what we have, but whether or not we are good stewards of the exceptional riches God has given.
P. S. Public restrooms make me laugh; I don't have to lift a finger to flush a toilet, turn on water, or pull a towel, but engineers still refuse to design a stall that doesn't squish the user from the swing of an inward-opening door.
September 4, 2012
Leave to leave?
Okay, friends--I know it's traditional to announce in advance if one plans to take a leave of absence from narrating one's views online. My apologies. However, in my defense, may I state that I did not plan to take a leave of absence? Rather, a doctor's appointment here, a workout there, a night with friends at those fabulous, breath-taking venues we frequent--life intervened with my best intentions. Before I knew it, I had become one of those people that came home and watched a TV show (albeit online) to empty my mind from the events of the day. Horrors! An empty mind? My little gray cells revolted before they became revolting; I shut down and stowed my laptop for a week. (Granted, I stare at one eight hours a day for work, so my eyes have not been deprived of their usual strain.)
Yours truly is finally getting back in the swing of things over here after perhaps the busiest summer of my brief existence. This week also marks an epic musical performance, two bon voyages, and a Summer Spectacular. And with those tantalizing nouns, I depart!
Yours truly is finally getting back in the swing of things over here after perhaps the busiest summer of my brief existence. This week also marks an epic musical performance, two bon voyages, and a Summer Spectacular. And with those tantalizing nouns, I depart!
Choose your caption:
A.) A Study in Gray
B.) The Black Stallion's Harem
C.) Ben Hur II: the Chariot Race After-Party
D.) Yet Another Reason We Should All Visit the French Coast
August 25, 2012
"Will work for someone else's freedom"
Two weeks ago I attended the Global Human Trafficking Conference in Los Angeles as a volunteer for the International Justice Mission. Here are some of my favorite quotes.
"In a time, a place, a city where we celebrate celebrity and elevate the relatively insignificant, I am glad to be here with you."
~ Russ Bermejo, IJM Fellow and former Clinical Director of My Refuge House
Growing up reading stories of pre-Civil War slavery in America, Patrick wondered "...how could you do nothing? And when I first heard about [modern day slavery] I realized how easy it is to do nothing."
~Patrick McCalla, Former CEO of Streetlight USA
After serving for many years in Washington D.C. as a lobbyist for human rights issues, Holly heard about the darkest human atrocities every day.
"...but [human trafficking] was the issue that cracked my heart, and I said 'That's it, I'm not having this, and I'd better go work for IJM at some point.' And I did, about three years later." ~ Holly Burkhalter, Vice President for Government Relations at IJM
"Human trafficking is not a labor issue, it is a human rights issue. ... Take whatever talent you have and stand in the gap." ~ Mary Heller, Chief of Police in Denver Metropolitan Area and former IJM Chief of Investigations in Chennai, India for three years
"[While in slavery] I couldn't believe there were people like all of you here to help me." ~ Sex trafficking survivor
Want to do something? Get involved with International Justice Mission, start buying fair trade, contact your government representatives, and pray!
"In a time, a place, a city where we celebrate celebrity and elevate the relatively insignificant, I am glad to be here with you."
~ Russ Bermejo, IJM Fellow and former Clinical Director of My Refuge House
~Patrick McCalla, Former CEO of Streetlight USA
After serving for many years in Washington D.C. as a lobbyist for human rights issues, Holly heard about the darkest human atrocities every day.
"...but [human trafficking] was the issue that cracked my heart, and I said 'That's it, I'm not having this, and I'd better go work for IJM at some point.' And I did, about three years later." ~ Holly Burkhalter, Vice President for Government Relations at IJM
"Human trafficking is not a labor issue, it is a human rights issue. ... Take whatever talent you have and stand in the gap." ~ Mary Heller, Chief of Police in Denver Metropolitan Area and former IJM Chief of Investigations in Chennai, India for three years
"[While in slavery] I couldn't believe there were people like all of you here to help me." ~ Sex trafficking survivor
Want to do something? Get involved with International Justice Mission, start buying fair trade, contact your government representatives, and pray!
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| Staff and volunteer of My Refuge House--check out their blog post here! |
August 10, 2012
August 6, 2012
Peter
Peter is a confident worker: determined trundler of miniature metal chairs over concrete, deft handler of stray crayons and squashed stickers, clever collector of school supplies and small toys carefully stowed in personal containers. He visibly analyzes his tasks then gets to work with a focus that tolerates interruptions but remains largely uninterested. Sometimes when you're working alongside him, he looks up at you with an unencumbered smile curving up the left side of his face as if to say, "We've got this, haven't we?" He would rather work on something he understands than learn something new, and his open attempts at patience are amusing to watch--the patronizing wince of a sixty-year old in an elementary-age boy. Perhaps it was this combination of innocence and assurance that drew me to him particularly.
Peter lives in the Home for Special Children, Inc. in the Delmas neighborhood of Port au Prince, Haiti. Abandoned by his birth family because of his Down Syndrome, Peter shares his modest home with about thirty other children who have a wide range of physical and developmental disabilities. Madame Marie, the steadfast founder of the orphanage, provides the children with food, clothing, shelter, and care in partnership with Connect 2 Ministries. Almost every child is hand-fed, changed, and bathed by the staff. Education and therapy are rudimentary due to lack of funds and training. The challenges are many, and outside encouragement is insufficient. Yet, the beauty of the children shines steadily through the heat, noise, and confusion.
By most standards, Peter is not a shining, superlative child. He is not the cutest, smartest, lithest, brightest child in even the small population of the orphanage. He doesn't have the biggest eyes or grin or the most endearing mannerisms. He doesn't even have the most challenging disability. However, Peter has an incredible gift craved by most of the world: contentment. He knows his strengths and desires, and he is good at being Peter. There is no manipulation in either his smiles or his frustrated slaps. There are good days, and there are bad days, and Peter takes life as it comes.
Peter's calm independence in the midst of great need and significant communication barriers is not unheard of in children with Down Syndrome but is no less wondrous considering the condition of the average human. Sure, he gets frustrated when the staff remembers that he is a kleptomaniac and confiscates his latest stash. Sometimes he is hungry and sick. Often he pulls a chair up to the white metal gate of the orphanage enclosure and stares curiously at the unattainable bustle of the street. As you can imagine, his circumstances are less than ideal, but he does not comprehend this.
With my daily experience of wealth, I wish I could give Peter a private tutor, fresh clothes, salmon and arugula, Disney musicals, and--most of all--a family. I want to expand the limitations of his disability as well as the limitations of his country and culture. I want every good thing for him, and I pray that others come along who will teach, provide, and love in ever increasing doses. Yet as I trudged away after five days of visiting the orphanage, I could not grieve for Peter. The boundaries of his experience are tight, but God has smiled on him. Peter then turned that sideways smile on me, and I know I'll have a uniquely dear friend in Heaven.
Peter and Me
August 2, 2012
As Time Goes By
Am thinking about the spectrum of life today. Saturday morning I awoke to the thumping noises of my friends' nine-month old surrendering to gravity's superior morning strength. His head and chest would lift eight inches off the crib mattress and then flop immediately downward like a beaching seal. After an hour of sympathizing with the reluctant riser, the remainder of the day was spent in the company of my peers, several of whom live with physical disabilities. Sunday brought our church service at the convalescent home, marked with a room visit to one of my favorite residents who is suffering through chemotherapy treatments at age ninety-five. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the paradox of human experience: so much variety within one story line.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:13-14
July 22, 2012
And all the time...
Over the past two years, I have been learning to believe that God is good regardless of circumstances, regardless of pain, regardless of misunderstandings. This goes for me but also for other people's narratives. This summary by Beth Moore spoke to me tonight:
Are you ever tempted to think that this whole human thing is rigged? That God formed us with souls that seek well-being yet shuns us when we do what comes naturally?
What if we understood down to the marrow of our bones that His is the only plan that really does end up prospering us? What if we really believed Jesus when He said that those who insist on finding their own lives will lose them and those who lose them for His sake will find them? (Matt 16:25) What if we really believed, that if we seek God's kingdom and His righteousness, everything else of true value would be given to us, too? (Matt 6:33) What if we really believed that “He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?” (Romans 8:32) What if we really believed that “godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim 4:8)?
What if we really believed that God is not only great, He is good?
God's Masterpiece
For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
July 16, 2012
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July 10, 2012
...I'm back
No diarrhea
No accidents
No lost interns
No mosquito bites
25 special needs children in and out of my arms
612 foam stickers from Dollartree bedecking said children, yours truly, and concrete floors
3 hour church services with 15 hymns
I'm back from Haiti.
June 28, 2012
You Make Beautiful Things
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| National Geographic Photo of the Day |
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| Kendi Everyday |
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| Source Unknown |
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| Brooks Family |
You make beautiful things...out of the dust. You make beautiful things...out of us.
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