Busy Day!

I am jumping out of my skin with anticipation of the next few days.

Thursday: Class, taking a friend to our favorite market for coffee for her birthday, Clinic, Then off to Adventure #1.  I am kidnapping another friend to go see two of our favorite bands - State Radio & John Butler Trio.  She has no idea & it is going to be one hell of a show!  I am so ready to get my hippie on.

Friday: Class, then Adventure #2:  I am heading up with mom to San Francisco for little brother's birthday. He is going to school in Napa Valley, and we are going to hang out in my favorite city by the bay for the weekend.  Can't wait to enjoy some quality fam time, good food & city sights!  Too bad my favorite boys will be in my town this weekend instead of theirs!

Which means, that being the end of the quarter, I have an awful lot to accomplish today!  Have a lovely weekend!

What are you famous for?

Savannah is on the right

Today I was talking to one of my best friends, aka former student at Mount Ellis.  She was telling me about how upset she was with the annual awards brunch, even though she was among the few to get awarded.  As she sat there, she thought about how meaningless the awards really were - no one in 10 years is going to remember who won academic achievement or MVP of the soccer team.  But what bothered her most, is she didn't want to be remembered or acknowledged for these things, and she thought, maybe nobody else does either.

So in her Savannah way, she is creating awards for every single person in the school (there are about 100 kids).  As she was going through her list, some are funny, and some are serious.  Savannah has always inspired me, she is way wise beyond her years.  It got me thinking, maybe I should start acknowledging people on a daily basis, either thanking them, or telling them how much appreciate them.



Also, if I got an award, what would I want it for?

What would you want it for?

Weekend.

I had an incredible weekend.  Saturday night, I sat at the feet of the most brilliant people I have ever met and listened - My Aunt Loree and Dr. Wil.

My Aunt Loree jetted home for a quick trip.  She is changing the world.  Literally.  She is a general in the army and has created a program/organization that is focused on treating Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the soldiers returning home.  In three years she has begun to change the military's culture of dealing with mental health and has removed some of the stigma of mental health issues.  It is incredible.  I don't think the change is going to stop there.  I believe her work will impact the culture of America as well.  Glenn Close & Ron Howard have jumped aboard, and invited her to be a part of a PSA that will be airing soon about mental health & stigma.  Incredible.

Dr. Wil is a close family friend and a remarkable man.  Every time I am near him, I feel I am a better person for it.  He is 88 and is such a progressive thinker and so loving.  The two of them bantered and discussed, and it was thoroughly stimulating.  It had been awhile since I had been a part of something so mentally stimulating, I was so energized.  On the way home, I was wishing I could be stretched like that more often.

Sunday evening, my mom stopped by Loree's quickly to give her a book.  As they were recapping the evening, Loree had a brilliant idea that someone should record all of Wil's stories and insights.  And, she thinks that person should be me!  I couldn't be more thrilled!  I am so excited and honored to spend time with Dr. Wil.  I know my life will be forever changed.  I can't wait to share with you the tidbits I learn from him.  I think we are going to start the project this summer.  I'll have more details as the week goes on!

Here are some pictures from Saturday night & the PSA

I still can't figure out how to embed a video, so here is the link: PSA

23 Things In My 23rd Year

I have been so inspired by all of these bucket lists I have been seeing lately and tired of my own talk and no action.  So, I created a list of my own to enjoy a few weeks ago and have been meaning to post since.  Without further ado, here it is in no particular order:

-California coast road trip

-Take a cooking class

-Take a trip on a train...even if it is just to San Juan Capistrano

-Take a real yoga class  (I love love LOVE the vinyasa class at 24, but it's not your typical "yoga")

-Watch a sunrise in it's entirety )

-Watch a sunset in it's entirety

-Go to a literature reading (an author reading an excerpt, a poetry night, anything similar)

-Go on a trip, by myself.  Not to visit friends.

-Send a message in a bottle

-Sleep under the stars

-Go fruit picking (Can you believe I have never done this before?!?)

-Make a 4 course meal, and serve it at a fancy schmancy dinner party for friends

-Create my own cookbook, just a compilation of favorite recipes & pictures of the year

-Genuinely pray with someone

-Find myself an old-fashioned pen pal

-Play in the sprinklers

-Play a gigantic game of tag

-Visit a friend

-Build a bike

-Travel to an entirely new place

-Make a new friend from a different generation

- Learn to knit & make a blanket for some sort of shelter


Will be trying to post fairly regularly now.  AND I received a camera for my birthday, so there will be pictures from now on too!

Karma Cards.

I LOVE these!  Michelle from Oh, Mishka posted this yesterday, and she grabbed it from Sarah Von from Yes and Yes.  Not only are they aesthetically pleasing, but I am even more in love with their idea of spreading the love.  They are challenging their readers to place them in public places to inspire others.  Brilliant!  Even if I don't win, I am going to buy a few packs and place them on public bulletin boards in coffee shops, bathroom windows, with the tip in the bill folder at restaurants, in windshield wipers of cars on campus, and i my beloved library books.  Even though they are to go to strangers, I want to anonymously mail them to friends.

  http://ohmishka.blogspot.com

Passion

My apologies, this is bound to be a very long post.

I belong to an online community of others wanting to make the world a more beautiful place.  Every morning a daily challenge is sent out to the members.  This morning’s was to write a list of 25 passions and live accordingly.

passion – an intense desire or enthusiasm for something; an uncontrollable emotion

1) Loving God – sometimes it isn’t my greatest passion, but I find when it is, I truly am happiest…there’s a peace that passes understanding.

2) Loving Others –  Although I am more on the introverted side, I really do love people, making new relationships, connecting with others, playing with children, …this really probably is my greatest passion, but I find it so much easier/have so much more love when I am focused on loving God.

3) Beauty in the simple things – Every day I try to find at least one thing beautiful around me whether it is the birds singing in the morning (I LOVE SPRING!) or flowers on the side of the freeway to witnessing a small act of kindness…I believe it keeps me human, it keeps my heart open.

4) Wisdom – I am passionate about finding wisdom in nature, in words, in people, in experiences…

5) Music – I am passionate about music.  Although I am really not musical, I am surrounded by it, I love listening to it, learning more about it, and especially experiencing it live.

6) Baseball – I have an intense enthusiasm for it…especially the San Francisco Giants….especially Tim Lincecum

7) Books – I LOVE books, I love that it is such a personal experience and a book can be so different for everyone.  I love the feeling after a good book when you realize how much you have grown for having read it…or the feeling that you just made some really great lifelong friends…(if you never have had that feeling – The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society is a MUST)

8) Food – I am passionate about good food. I love eating it, I love making it, I love watching it being made, I love talking about it, I love reading about it…yes, I think that means I am passionate about it.

9) Adventure – I love to travel and experience new cultures….It doesn’t have to be exotic, but I love to explore new places…even if it’s exploring new coffee shops and boutiques in my own neighborhood or hiking a new trail somewhere nearby

10) Spontaneity – I LOVE having freedom to do what I want, when I want.  It keeps me sane to do the unexpected…I am not much a fan of routine…

Coming up with a list of 25 Passions was really difficult for me, because I realized so many fall within my first two of Loving God & Loving Others.  I am passionate about building relationships, working with children and helping them realize their potential, and nurturing their innocence…I am passionate about falling more in love with Jesus, seeing Him in the world around me, learning just really how truly Great He is…and how Grace is so much bigger, better than I could ever imagine.  I am passionate about sharing that with others just by simply loving them…I am passionate about this life I live.  I am excited to see what happens next.

my trip to vegas was cooler than yours.

Tuesday night around 10:00, my aunt asked if I would drive out to Las Vegas with her for the following night.  One of the casinos downtown had hired her to be a leprechaun for St. Patty’s Day.  She needed the money, but didn’t want to drive out alone.  Wednesday around 1:30pm, we were off.  I was not exactly excited about being in Vegas “alone”, but I figured I would make the most of it…

We got in a little before 5:30, checked into the hotel, and she started working.  I hung out in the room for a bit and then headed out to Fremont Street to check out the party and people watch.  About an hour later, I headed back to the hotel to finish my book & eat dinner.  After awhile, I heard a U2 cover band playing, so I went to check them out for something to do.  On my walk back, I saw some kids with “Free Prayer - Youth With A Mission” signs.  As they passed, I told them I had volunteered with YWAM in San Francisco and a conversation was struck up. 

They invited me to hang out with them for the evening.  My new friends were the Mission Adventure Leaders of YWAM, and they had a team from Kansas University doing outreach on Fremont last night, so they checked on them throughout the next hour, and we hung out by the pool of the Golden Nugget.  It was a surreal experience – I felt like I had known them for years.  We talked about ministry and struggles of church-going. 

I went to their debriefing, and it was a neat experience to see these kids (they are the same age as I am) talk about their first experience with 2X2’s.  It was so neat to see their views of evangelism change and see them make these connections.  I was so blessed by their sharing.  Afterward we went to In & Out, and then I got a tour of the base.  Numbers & FB info exchanged as well as invitations to come back to Vegas/visit California.

Last night was incredible.  God spoke to me in so many different ways and taught me so much, from how He takes care of even the smallest of our needs, to just simply drawing me closer to Him…

I’m not sure if our meeting served it’s purpose last night, or if it’s part of a bigger picture.  But I was reminded that God works in incredible ways and is still alive.