Kaleidoscope

I will not be posting on this blog as consistently as I was before (...I have slowly been posting less and less as it is!)  I am now working with my church's outreach blog.  

My church has something really awesome going on right now.  We have a thrift shop that helps fund our outreach ministries.  What I love about it is that the money is going right back into the people who shop there.  And, it's becoming this awesome community center.  Homeless people show up and in exchange for work, Burt (the guy in charge) will give them food, clothing/furniture, and even put them up for a night depending on their need and how much time they have put in.  Trust me, it's way cool.

Anyway, I was hearing about some of these awesome stories through Burt's mother-in-law and I asked her how others find out about what's going on & how they can get involved, but she didn't have an answer for me.  So I went to talk to Burt, and long story short - we both believe a blog is the best platform for sharing this info and trying to plug others in.  

So...I am now helping Burt out with Re:Live Thrift's blog...I won't be writing every post, but I will be trying to organize consistent posting, researching other outreach opportunities in the area, and coming up with some "just fun" posts like crazy things you can find in the shop, or best outfit contests...Maybe even some giveaways too, because that seems to be the thing to do on blogs...

If you want to follow us - relivethrift.wordpress.com

Thanks!

Also...a bit ironic that my "Good Bye" post is also my "100th" post!

Peace.

This weekend has been a roller coaster to say the least...

Downs
-NO parents showing up to parent openhouse Friday night...
-Mothers who were downright nasty in their complaints when they had actually come to help
-Ended up not being able to "zoo" on Saturday


Ups
-I had 6 kiddos and 1 dad show up to work at our church's thrift shop & the kids LOVED it!
-One incredible mother is going to bring an entire crew to next week's First Serve event!
-an early Thanksgiving dinner and catching up over pumpkin trifle
-My mom & boss backing me up with those mean mothers
-2 community kids who were "first timers" to church having a blast and leaving with a smile on their face
-Pumpkin pancakes for dinner Saturday night
-an evening of painting
-Coffee & "Church" with Samuel & Stephanie this morning in LA!
-A new-to-me FREE surfboard in my garage
-a BEAUTIFUL, clear, warm day

Ok..clearly this weekend was incredible...what was I thinking, trying to complain??

Living.

Health

by Rafael Campo 

While jogging on the treadmill at the gym,

that exercise in getting nowhere fast,

I realized we need a health pandemic.

Obesity writ large no more, Alzheimer's

forgotten, we could live carefree again.

We'd chant the painted shaman's sweaty oaths,

We'd kiss the awful relics of the saints,

we'd sip the bitter tea from twisted roots,

we'd listen to our grandmothers' advice.

We'd understand the moonlight's whispering.

We'd exercise by making love outside, 

and afterwards, while thinking only of

how much we'd lived in just one moment's time,

forgive ourselves for wanting something more:

to praise the memory of long-lost need,

or not to live forever in a world 

made painless by our incurable joy.

Here's to savoring Life!

Seemed appropro for today

Enough by Jeffrey Harrison  It's a gift, this cloudless November morning warm enough for you to walk without a jacket along your favorite path. The rhythmic shushing of your feet through fallen leaves should be  enough to quiet the mind, so it surprises you  when you catch yourself telling off your boss for a decade of accumulated injustices, all the things you've never said circling inside you. It's the rising wind that pulls you out of it, and you look up to see a cloud of leaves swirling in sunlight, flickering against the blue and rising above the treetops, as if the whole day were sighing, Let it go, let it go, for this moment at least, let it all go.

If you aren't a fan now...

I especially love the part about passing it down from fathers to daughters...gets me every time!

Sorry about the quality, it's cleanest I've been able to find so far!

Ray Lamontagne

The man is a genius.  His music speaks to my soul in ways that few musicians have.  What I find so incredible about him, is he didn't initially set out to be a musician.  While working in a factory, he heard Stephen Stills', "Treetop Fliers", and thought, "I could do that too," and yes, yes he can.

In a small way, Ray Lamontagne has made my life a little richer.  His music feels like a warm, cozy blanket on a drizzly, foggy morning.

While listening to him this morning, I was wondering what the world would be like if we followed our hearts.  What would happen if we did those things that made us happy, regardless of the risk involved?

Here's to the heart-followers....we definitely need more of them!

God works in INCREDIBLE ways!

Ok - this is bound to be a long post, but here it goes!

I previously mentioned that I met up with my YWAM friends at the youth ministries convention in San Diego a few weeks ago...what I didn't mention is that they invited me to go on an incredible mission trip to Mumbai, India!

YWAM (Youth With A Mission) is a world-wide organization that serves the community in which each base is located as well as teaching people through their discipleship training schools (5 month long courses/outreach opportunities) and mission adventures (1 week long programs of learning evangelism/witnessing & outreach opportunities).  The Las Vegas base is starting a new discipleship training school focused on human trafficking.  At the end of it, they are taking 2 outreach trips to Thailand and to India.  They have invited me to come along to the one in Mumbai!  We are going to be working with victims of human trafficking, running a "vacation bible school" program, and teaching in schools & churches...It's going to be nothing short of life-changing.

Saturday afternoon during the youth convention, they invited me to come, but it's May 20-June 4.  The 2 weeks prior to Finals.  Normally, my practical self would have said, "Thanks, but no thanks." But not this time.  The idea was still toying in the back of my head.  I was trying to answer the question - why are we in each other's lives? Why have they made such an impact in mine when I've barely spent any time with them?  Saturday night I prayed about it, Sunday morning I prayed about it.  And when we went out for dessert, I told them I was going.  (Bold!)

I came home and emailed my advisor & head of the graduate program at my university asking for a meeting to talk to her about how feasible the trip would be.  We met a few days later and she didn't say no! She was going to present my case to the rest of the faculty at fac. meeting next week and they would either sanction the trip or not.

This past week I've wavered between being scared out of my mind to leaping out of my skin with excitement.  I've prayed that God would either open doors or close doors and that He would put me where He wants me.  I specifically asked God to let this faculty meeting be my "fleece" - If they said "yes" - green light, "no" meant it wasn't meant to be.

AND

I got an email this morning telling me they have approved my trip!! They are going to let me go!!

So now, comes the true leap of faith.

As posted earlier, nothing has changed in my financial status.  But I truly feel that God is telling me to walk by faith, that He is going to take care of this for me, that I need not worry.

Just because I'm not worrying doesn't mean money is going to suddenly grow on trees, but I'm currently trying to come up with ways of fundraising.

So far - I've got a garage sale, odd jobs, and recycling.  I might make greeting cards & thank you cards too.  I'll make a few this weekend & post them next week.  I could also make my tea pots (super cheap & quick to make!)

Anyways - I'm bursting at the seems with excitement and had to share!  Have a fun weekend & GO GIANTS!! (National League Championship Series starts tomorrow afternoon!)

Hope to meet little ones like her!