"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions."

-Martin Luther King Jr.-

Thanskgiving Weekend in Portland

took the train down to portland to see Callie and Brandon-i love the portland train station...it's beautiful. night shots are tricky so it's a little blurry but you get the idea...and hoorah for not sitting in 6 hours of traffic :D
had this KING size bed all to myself-it was glorious.

cooper is a weiner dog. i'm not really a small dog fan but this little guy was so cuddly that he stole my heart. here he's just joining me for a little quiet morning reading...

the boys figuring out the seating arrangement for 11 people (ryan, brandon, alex)

le chefs-9am to 3pm cooking-and we definitely called our moms for advice :D

callie basting the turkey

mashed potatoes...peelin' peelin' peelin', keep those 'tatoes peelin'...

the turkey was exceptionally juicy and moist-nice job, callie!

playing Chicken Foot Dominoes with the gang

ok, seriously?!

he found me in the morning again...

this is the amazing front porch...i spent a good amount of time in those rocking chairs enjoying the cool air and fresh rain :)

Thurns and Taxis-the game they bought when they visited me in Seattle

alex was part of brandon's small group in CO and now goes to school in portland...he spent half the weekend with us-great kid!

ah-the simple life of a dog...

took the Tri-Met downtown to watch the Tree Lighting-i love public transportation!

love love love this girl...she makes me a better person and brings joy to my soul!

75' tree that was 50yrs old...gorgeous.

pretty downtown buildings-i love that portland feels a little bit more 'small town' than seattle when big gatherings like this happen...

lots of people

lots more people

dear friends who always feel like 'home' when i visit :)

i love the star on top

HOORAY! Christmas is on it's way :D

another look at that porch

Thanksgiving Warm-Up Dinner

the weekend before Thanskgiving, about 40 of us gathered together to have our own Turkey Day celebration before we all joined family or other friends to celebrate-we had a blast!

-my fellow photo documenter, tara-

thank you, girls of The Villa, for hosting all of us! :D

$10,000

new Water4Christmas total: $10,000

wow. that means we hit water TWICE. twice, people.

that is amazing...and apparently the $10 Friday this last week brought in $2000. hooray!

note: read this about BLACK FRIDAY that jody wrote. something to think about as the mayhem of Christmas shopping begins...

"harried traveler"

there are lots of stories and pictures of this Thanksgiving weekend to come but i just had to share this one early..


i missed my train to portland.
because of traffic.
fortunately they got me on the next one and it arrived at the same time.
but not before someone from the AP caught this photo of me that has been distributed ALL OVER THE NEWS-ha!

oh yea, baby, i'm famous!!

"Emily Wermel looks over an Amtrak schedule with operations supervisor Lewis Wise after Wermel missed by just a few minutes her train to Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008, at the King Street Station in Seattle. Amtrak had added an extra train for the usually busy travel day and Wermel, traveling to see friends for Thanksgiving, was able to change her ticket for the trip to just an hour later. It is the first decrease in holiday travel nationally since 2002, and the largest since the Thanksgiving that followed the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001."(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

on the web HERE

this is funny...

FOCA

there's much talk going around about Obama's views on abortion. i don't intend to get the political argument between parties going again. this is posted to get discussion about LIFE going.
take a look at Richard's post. it will take a little bit of time but i think it's important. we can't just check out because the election is over. there's still lots to participate in.

WE HIT WATER!!!

from jody:
"WFC figuratively hit the water of our first clean water well on Tuesday of last week.
Good work, people. Good work.
I don’t have the complete numbers from Friday yet. We will have them on Wednesday hopefully. But we are on our way to the second well for a village, for families, for children in Liberia."

I AM SO EXCITED!! look at the change that we're making...this is extraordinary.

this was made by Kari




this has also been the best mail week ever!

word is that the ornaments are on backorder until after thanksgiving...so check back HERE for those later.

you can get the H2O bottles HERE (only 50 left-HURRY!!)

*i am encouraged and inspired, people. my childhood dentist, and former track coach, called up the other day to ask about water. he wants to join this campaign for clean water. and he's calling his orthodontist friends to get them excited about clean water. it continues to spread...my boss at work found out what we're doing and wants to do $10 friday's with me. it's small but it's clean water.

a number of times in the last 3 weeks, i've wanted to 'cave'...to say, "my part is done...can i just buy coffee and soda and tea now?? it's more convenient that way." nope. there's still some wells to drill and clean water to give. they NEED that to survive-i most certainly don't NEED coffee to survive. clean water is life. that's worth it to me.

• there's still 4 Friday's until Christmas.
• 4.5 weeks until we celebrate the One who came to give us life.
• He is the Living Water.
• we have the privilege of bringing life-giving H2O those in Liberia.

will you continue to join with me in this quest??

P.S. i found out that American's spend $20 billion dollars a year on ice cream, alone. ice cream, people. just a little dose of perspective that hit me kinda hard...

Merry Monday!

it's a merry monday because...

1. only have to work 2 days this week! i love nov/dec because of all the holidays :D

2. it's november 24th and we continue to have the most beautifully sunny, cold days...it's rather remarkable for this time of year up here and i'm LOVING it :D

3. i'm eating one of my 'secret ingredient' chocolate chip cookies right now. DELICOUS. i'm sorry you're not eating one right now too but it's making me so happy that i just needed to share. and no, i'm not going to tell you what the secret ingredient is...

REMINDER: it's $10 Friday, again!!

don't forget to go HERE, scroll towards the bottom of the page and click on the red donate button.

last week we missed building a well by just $1800-let's make it happen this week!!

clean H2O for life. for LIFE people...

for roughly 1/3 of the cost of ONE SINGLE AVERAGE AMERICAN CHRISTMAS.

if for one year, we put aside our own preferences, we can make this happen...

*all photos courtesy of Water4Christmas website*

lilies

i'm a flower kind of a girl. i love them. i love to look at them. i always stop to smell them. and most of all, i love it when there's a fresh bouquet in my house...it's just my thing, i suppose.

well, when i was younger i always loved tulips-they're beautiful but they last for about a day, maybe a day and a half if you put some pennies at the bottom of the vase. there's something about the stems absorbing the copper makes them stay alive a little longer...must some soil, geology sort of thing :) [yes, i say VAH-SZZ not VAY-SSS-it undeniably sounds more fancy :)-which way do you say it?]

next i moved on to gerber daisies...they're positively cheerful and brightly colored...seriously, you can't be grumpy around those ones!

then lilies started to creep into the picture...for a while, they shared the podium with the gerber daisies...

BUT they've officially stolen the blue ribbon in my mind now! there is no flower that compares to the elegance of this one. not only are they gorgeous, but have you ever smelled one? or a bouquet? you can't help but notice when you walk into a room with lilies in them...

i had some company over the other night, and of course, i needed to have a fresh bouquet to welcome them and guess what??!! i found one of the most beautifully colored bouquets i've ever seen. it was just perfect for a mid-fall gathering, and i had to share them with you :) they're just the right amount of rust, orange, pink, barn red, copper, mmmm mmmm delicousness :D

(i don't know how my shoes snuck into this shot...)

(note: no 'enhancements'/'editing' was done to these photos...these are SOOC [straight out of camera])

i'm so glad we don't live in a black and white world anymore...

p.s what is your favorite flower??

TOMS shoes

ok, folks. i've known about TOMS shoes for almost a year now and really think it's quite remarkable what they do...again, this is a practical easy way to get involved and make a difference that could mean life or death for someone.

watch this:

“Inspired by an Argentine shoe with a hundred year history and the continent’s poverty and health issues, TOMS was created with a singular mission: To make life more comfortable.
TOMS accomplishes this through it’s ultra lightweight design and the company’s commitment to match every pair purchased with a donated pair to a child in need…there are no complicated formulas, it’s simple…you buy a pair of TOMS and the company gives a pair to a child on your behalf. The vibrant colors and patterns in the debut collection depict Blake Mycoskie’s life changing experiences in his travels to South America where he embraced the lifestyle wholeheartedly and therefore gave back by creating TOMS-shoes for Tomorrow.” (from the website)

“Since it’s beginning in May 2006, TOMS has given over 10,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina and 50,000 pairs in South Africa through the purchases of our caring customers. In 208 TOMS plans to give 200,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world.” (from the website)

--there are all kinds of styles for WOMEN...

*this women's boot was just profiled in a a cutting edge design magazine*

MEN...

and KIDS!! (seriously, how awesome to get these for a little one, knowing that another little one somewhere in the world is wearing a matching pair??-that's what kids should be growing up learning...)

One for One.

it's that simple.

your kids get shoes, an ethiopian child gets shoes.

you buy a pair for yourself, an argentinian child gets shoes.

you buy one for a friend, a south african child gets shoes.

the list goes on....

the possibilities are endless...

change is possible: one shoe-aholic at a time :D

I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex.-Oscar Wilde

Ornament Orders

those ornaments went quick!!

if you are interested in ordering some, leave me a comment and i'll give you the email address to send your order to.

look at these BEAUTIFUL ornaments

you guys.

seriously.

these are GORGEOUS!!

WATER FOR CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS!

besides being exquisite, the $ goes to a good cause (duh)...

AND with the economy, i know many of us are on a tight budget...this is an excellent gift for someone because it's only $6.50!

go HERE to buy it...and go fast because i think they're gonna be snatched up...

thoughts.

i'm in the middle of a couple books that are really really challenging me to think. here's a few things that stuck out to me today:

From The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen, "Only in the context of grace can we face our sin; only in the place of healing do we dare show our wounds; only with a single-minded attention to Christ can we give up our clinging fears and face our own true nature."

..............................................................

From Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, "Our speech, whether it is about others or to others, tends to tear down or build up. It either corrups the minds of our hearers, or it gives grace to them." (italics mine) [that's pretty powerful-that everything we say is either edifying or destructive...there's really not a neutral, is there?...there seems to be plenty of awful things that people say about one another; as i sit here thinking about this, i'm at a bit of a loss as to why we choose to participate in that-yikes; whether it is due to our lack of sensitivity to the words coming out our mouths, or the 'reactionary' sort of speech we fall prey to when we ourselves may be offended or unjustly treated by another. regardless, neither of those are excusable. words are things we can never take back. sure, we can apologize for the poor choices we make in our speech but what is once said will forever be irretreivable...]

the best place on earth

i don't know why everyone in the world doesn't live in seattle. it's the most astounding place to be on a sunny day. i don't have any pictures but i'll try to use words to share this slice of heaven with you.

sun streaming into the apartment this morning. warm, mid-60's, slight breeze tossling my hair as i step outside. i cinch my scarf a bit tighter around my neck and shove my chilly hands into my pockets. the sky beckons. a vastness of blue with whispy clouds sprinkled throughout. i don't go to the eastside very often but i drove across 520 to do a few errands. lake washington was like glass. boats were silently cutting through the water, sending ripples for what seemed like miles. mt. rainier was brilliant. to the north, the white tips of the cascades boast of fresh snow for the upcoming ski season. the hillside displays lingering shades of autumn.
as i drove back towards seattle a few hours later, the lake sparkled like undulating diamonds. i donned my sunglasses for the first time in a while, and as i crested the ridge back into town, my breathe caught in my throat. a low hanging layer of clouds kissing the foothills of the olympics left the jagged peaks silhouetted against the sinking sun. golden beams were cascading over the city as the burning ball of fire made its final descent. the clouds were lit from below and changing by the minute from gold to orange to grey/purple.

i'm telling ya-it's a slice of heaven up here...

REMINDER**updated totals at bottom**

it's $10 Friday...give clean water. help us build a well. many many lives PERMANENTLY affected by this...



go HERE and click on the red 'donate' tab.
**looks like we got around $3200-pretty awesome!! 160 Africans get clean water for 20 years. it was almost a well...we're just getting started and next friday holds even more potential. thank you for those that participated!**

black thumb

(this is not my plant)

so my mom is pretty much a 'master gardener' without the title. my dad is the tree growing fiend. my sister's house looks like a greenhouse. and my brother, well, he's a little too preoccupied to grow things right now but he kept a lovely bonsai tree and a few succulents that my mom planted for him alive.
me? i'm the 'black thumb' of the family. i have no idea how i missed the 'gardening' gene. it's tragic really...i try. over and over again. but houseplants don't like me. i either give them too much H2O or too little H2O; too much sun or not enough sun...can't plants just be easy and low-maintenance??
well, SCCA (seattle cancer care alliance) who is one of my biggest and most loved clients at work, gave me a plant one day. just because. it was so nice and i was determined to keep it alive. it was a gift, for heaven's sake! well, i kept it on my desk at work and watered it too much at first. then not enough. and it got looking so pathetic and dillapidated that my colleague 'rescued' it from my desk. it's now sitting in the 'spa unit' of her window sill at home, trying to be revived. she's also going to repot it for me...hopefully after she returns it to me, i won't kill it. keep your fingers crossed...

(just for the record, i do alright in real gardens-so don't even go there; it's just the houseplants-they're finnicky, i swear!)

Sarah called it $10 Friday's & I like it-so I'm copying...

for those of you that read sarah and jody's blog...sorry, there's a lot of cross-'marketing' going on in that circle but i loved the last update i got about this cause.

there's now a facebook group for it with almost 900 members-SO EXCITING. what i like to call a 'FRIDAY PLAN' has just unfolded and this doesn't apply to only facebook, so listen up!

from jody: "So on Friday, if every member [or person interested in supporting this cause] donated $10 at http://www.water4christmas.com/ -we could build a well.

It’s that easy when people come together.

We’re extending the challenge for this Friday and the following Fridays before Christmas.

$10 on Friday.

A well built. Hundreds of people with access to clean water.

If we get 1000 members [or have 1000 people participate either through facebook or the website], we’ll build two wells on Friday.

A couple people told me it won’t happen.

I think it will.

charity:water will send me the donations update on Friday’s so we’ll be able to see if we make it…

So if you haven’t joined us on Facebook and you’re up for a challenge..join us on the Water For Christmas group. [if you're not part of facebook, just go to www.water4christmas.com and donate]

$10 on Friday.

Water. For clean water"

**remember to scroll down to the bottom of the Water4Christmas web page otherwise the donation won't count specifically to our campaign.

ohhhh, i'm SO EXCITED! i just know that Friday is going to be extraordinary-thank you for listening. is it friday yet??...

• 3 lattes=$10


• 2 magazines from Barnes & Noble=$10


• 1 happy hour meal/drink with friends=$10


• Clean Water=PRICELESS

confessions of the not-so-fashionable

i love shoes. i really do. there's just way too many cute ones out there to be worn and only so much time..BUT when it comes down to it...down to the nitty gritty...
i'm a socks-and-sandals type of girl...that's fashionable, right?! a separate category of style?? (work with me here, people...) you pretty much couldn't find me in much else this summer: socks and chacos or just chacos...tragically my workplace hasn't adopted this native northwestern style so i had to turn my back on this delightful combination in the name of employment...

back to the task at hand...i do love cute shoes...but they only get me so far. if i have the option between cute and comfort, i'm most likely gonna pick comfy...now, fortunately, many shoe companies are finally getting that girls don't like to be uncomfortable to look cute-novel concept, i know...

two weeks ago i bought my first pair of Dansko's :) (those are fashionable, right? or am i that out of the loop??-yikes!) the only problem with this is that i haven't been able to convince my tootsies to slip into any other shoe...i'm not kidding. i think i've worn 'other shoes' twice in the last two weeks. HA. now it doesn't take rocket science for me to realize that no matter how cute shoes are, wearing them everyday for 2 weeks is NOT FASHIONABLE. but seriously?? have you ever had a pair of these?? please tell me i'm not the only one in love with these shoes...and i promise to wear another pair of shoes starting tomorrow...

WFC update

ok, folks. there's been a ton of activity on this WFC campaign and it's EXCITING!!
i've added the official website link (Water for Christmas) on the right in my 'interesting things' category; remember, you can also get there by clicking on the icon at the top of my sidebar.
there's also a link to a place where you can buy t-shirts (at the very top of my sidebar) to get the word out. adorable kids t-shirts too! last, there's another blog link (that will give you links to all kinds of products that are being made to not only promote this cause but obviously to support it through the $$ amount you pay for these items...cute stuff like bracelets, red aluminum water bottles, etc...) - you can access it HERE.

ok, last i wanted to tell you that i've committed to drink only H2O when i go "out on the town". that means coffee dates, errand runs, work meetings at the cafe across the street, meals at a new restaurant, happy hour, EVERYTHING. i will put that $3-4 that i would spend on a coffee or $1-2 for a soft drink or $6-7 for a beer/cocktail to this cause.
i am telling you this only because when i first thought this up, it felt so small and stupid and insignificant. is it really a sacrifice? is it really enough to make any sort of difference? YES! it is. this campaign is about getting uncomfortable. facing this big problem and takin' a big swig of the "not so pretty" in this world. it's about realizing, truly, how blessed we are; how much we can cut out before we barely even begin to understand what it means to 'want'. it's about taking away our default 'comforts' for a time to participate in a larger story. it's about realizing, truly, how collaborative community can become a powerful force in this world.
as i was talking to my mom about it tonight, i couldn't help but feel a bit paralyzed on how to start. stories are pouring in about people donating their skills to make merchandise to sell. businessmen doing a drives at their places of employment. parents and teachers inviting schools to participate.
and i felt measley. small. and powerless.
YET we have to remember that it's about quality not quantity. each of us have our own unique spheres of influence. each of us will apply this differently. each of us will be profoundly affected by it if our hearts are in the right place.
that has been the premise of this whole campaign, that jody and her friends have given us the opportunity in which to participate. the heart condition.

don't do it out of obligation.
don't do it out of duty or to make yourself feel good.
don't do it for the tax write-off. that's not the point.

do it because you want your life to reflect His heart for ALL people.
do it because you sincerely care about people having access to basic life necessities.
do it because you believe that change is possible. it is.

every time i turn on the kitchen faucet, take a shower or even refill my water bottle at work, i remember that so many are without what we take for granted and have in abundance. let's stop talking about making a difference and actually participate.

i, for one, have entirely lost my appetite for the overindulgent American version of Christmas. don't get me wrong. i don't think America is evil or that gift-giving is wrong. i don't think that at all. it's just mind blowing to me that 2% of 1 single Christmas season spending in America can provide clean H2O for everyone. 10 billion, people. it's a lot. but that # never gets smaller if we don't start chipping away at it...

1986

(provided through facebook by Uncle Louis)

ha! all the cousins on my mom's side together in 1986...boy, we're so fashionable! what's with my untied shoe and pouty cheeks?? :D i was only 3 years old. i can't stop smiling. this is classic.

sad day for the PBR

isn't this a FANTASTIC picture?!

two of the most legendary bull-riders had their final bull rides this afternoon...20 year careers that completely revolutionized the sport and have entirely shaped and inspired the younger ones...

Adriano Moraes Justin McBride

for a long-time fan of bull riding, this is a sad day.

Latvian Art @ The Nordic Heritage Museum

my grandma, who immigrated from Latvia, wrote me a letter telling me that this museum had a Latvian Art Display. i made for the last day it was on display!

this is kinda small but i think if you click on it, it gets bigger and you can read about art during the Soviet Occupation-as usual in many of the countries that have been occupied over the centuries, the art is often the first thing that is suppressed and controlled...it's amazing that in each country, Latvia included, a thread of resilience sustains this creative expression, so that when independence is regained, the heritage of their art and culture also remains...it's quite extraordinary.

it was a small collection contained in one room yet the variety of styles and time periods represented was cool to see.

here are my 3 favorites from the collection: a charcoal drawing of NYC...

dancing women in traditional Latvian garb-there's so much fluidity and movement portrayed here and the color palette is quite pleasing and entertaining to the eye... (can i just say that it's really fun to wear all the traditional clothing but once you get dancing, it's HOT!)

a beautiful apple orchard...

christmas card idea

look at what i found!! i got a paper-source catalog and was so pleasantly surprised to find this brilliant idea for Christmas cards...

PAPER BAG CARDS

use all those paper bags that are collecting under your sink (only the clean ones, of course!)...

reuse and recycle them...the brown color is the perfect neutral background for any kind of color scheme you want to put on it...

and it has kind of a rustic twist to it...
all kinds of pattern ideas for this upcoming season...

this is one of my favorites...

then you can just purchase fun colored envelopes...

let the creative juices flow :D

(all images from Paper Source website)

i've been obscurely fascinated with this terribly informative and entertainingly progressive magazine for a number of months now...anybody else read this?

i walked into the hair salon...

...and said, "do whatever you want" HA! first question she asked me was, "do you still want your ponytail?" (she knows me well :D)...to which i replied, "uh, i don't really care"...so she started snipping and this is the result! i really love it...still getting used to it-haven't had short hair since 6th grade (and don't even ask me about that disaster of a haircut...let's just say my teacher thought i was a new boy in class...yep, i said BOY. it was awful.)...but i think it's gonna be super easy which is perfect!

Matt Nathanson Concert

tonight i got to see Matt Nathanson in concert :D he is charmingly, witty and extraordinarily talented-and i got to sit front row-it was awesome!

Water for Christmas

you may have noticed that i added a tap to the side of my blog "water for Christmas". this is a REALLY REALLY big deal, folks. my friend jody and some of her friends have been dreaming up projects, feasible projects, that really display the heart of Christ in this world. i'll just copy what she wrote because it would be a disservice to rewrite.
read it. think about it. pray about it. and LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE. this is soooo small. yet so huge. yet so doable.

here it is:

“A pessimist, they say, sees a glass of water as being half empty; an
optimist see the same glass as half full. But a giving person
sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who might
be thirsty.”
(G. Donald Gale)

You guys ready?
We’re digging for water.
The lack of access to clean water is the leading cause of death in underdeveloped countries.
Try to imagine walking on a three hour journey…twice a day…to collect a liquid which shares “two diabolical identities–life mixed with death. It is both cure and poison.”(Dan Haseltine)
Inside the containers of millions of people around the world is a mixture of “water, dirt, algae, cow and goat feces, bacteria, mosquito larvae and other insect eggs and parasites and various waterborne diseases waiting for a host.” (Haseltine)
They are forced every day to make the choice…drink and die.
Or don’t drink and die.
And die they do.
4500 children die EVERY day due to water related diseases.
Did you get that?
4500 children every day.
And the solution lies simply below the surface…in a relatively inexpensive and permanent solution.
And for these reasons, we knew from the beginning one of our projects was going to be an attempt to dig a fresh water well.
This is hard for us to imagine because WATER is NOT something we worry about.
But again, please try. Eyes open

We found the above mentioned organization to partner with and were so excited about a well-digging opportunity.
But as the holidays approached, we got nervous. We feared everyone (including ourselves) would start holding their money a bit tighter as Christmas approached. We didn’t want to commit to building a well and then have to come up short.
We thought about it and prayed about it for several weeks.
I was absolutely consumed by it.
Then it hit us.
Isn’t that the point?
It’s the point of all these things. All these projects. To force us to loosen our grip on earthly consumption. To strengthen our resolve to issues of justice. To keep our eyes open. To give more. Sacrifice more. To keep the world from changing us.

Then it was these statistics that sealed the deal—
Americans spend 450 billion dollars on Christmas every year.
It would cost 10 billion dollars to give the whole world clean water.

Are you kidding me? (my jaw dropped at this point too!)
Unacceptable.
That was it. We were no longer digging one well. We were launching in the middle of holiday season. And we’re going for 10 billion.

Water For Christmas.
We’re buying Water For Christmas.
We are doing it because we want to. Because it resonates with who we want to be.
And we are inviting everyone to join us.
If you want…individuals, families, churches, businesses.
We can all give up something.
Little somethings.
Big somethings.
This holiday season.
In order that people can have clean water.
We have a web page set up with Charity Water where donations can be made. water4christmas.com. 100% of our donations go directly to digging wells. Donations can be made there or by check and/or cash collection. Through them, we will be able to track our progress.

They said they have a huge need in Liberia right now. And well, where the needs are is where we want to be.
So we are working on well projects in Liberia.
Charity Water provides the post-drill training in maintenance and repair to the local community. A very important piece of long term impact.
We will wrap this campaign up on Dec. 31st.
It’s not hard to imagine what Jesus would desire from us in the celebration of His birthday–
“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me….To the extent that you did it to one of these, even the least of them, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:35,40)
It’s His heart. And I want it to be mine. (mine too!)
And so this year I am asking for Water For Christmas.
I know these issues are on the heart of many of you as well. If we joined forces we could begin to make a serious dent.
And sometimes we just need the opportunity.
So that is the point of Water For Christmas…to unite people from all across the country in a common goal. Clean water for all people.
We also know that when we come together in heart and mind, “there will be no needy persons among them.” (Acts 4:32-34)
Clean water is within the reach of this generation.
For goodness sake, it’s 2% of American’s annual Christmas spending.
We can do that.
And we’re starting with Water For Christmas.
Our friend Pastor Larry in Maryland was one of the first to join us in Water For Christmas commitment. It’s a cool story and you can read it here. He says this perfectly so I’m just going to steal it–”So, if you want to join me in saying, “All I want for Christmas is water,” great, but don’t do it out of guilt or obligation or anything like that or else you will have a miserable Christmas. Do it because you want to. Maybe you will want to give up one gift for water. Or simplify Christmas dinner and give the savings to Water for Christmas.”
This is going to look different for everyone.
But we can all put water on our radar of things to care about.
I can say personally that since I have decided to think water and simplify Christmas a great deal this year…excitement and not stress have been reigning in my heart and mind. We’re still pulling out the tree and hanging lights. Just not buying any new decorations. We have plenty. We will buy the kids gifts…but probably just one. One meaningful gift. Andy and I will forego trying to come up with something to buy each other…and instead buy water. And watch our money tip the scale ever so slightly from consumerism to compassion. We’re still thinking about continued ways we can incorporate water into our Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I can tell you I think about it every time I turn on the faucet, or fill a glass with ice, or take a hot shower, or turn the cap of a brand new water bottle.
And in the next two months, each time we make a sacrifice or a reduced spending effort, we will donate immediately to Water4Christmas.com.
And if we all did something, we would be well on our way to world change by Dec. 31.
I do not see this as another token charity that we pull out at Christmas time–appease our conscience–and then carry on as normal. This is not meant to replace or compete with the programs already in place in your churches and family traditions. I guess I kind of want us to feel it. To give up something. Not to do this in addition to overindulgence. Sacrifice something. Make it’s absence felt. Mother Teresa said, “I hope you are not giving only your surplus. You must give what costs you, make a sacrifice, go without something you like, that your gift may have some value before God. Then you will be truly brothers and sisters to the poor who are deprived of even the things they need.” (Believe me, I’m squirming as I type that too.)
$20 gives one African clean water for life. $5,000 dollars digs a well for a whole village.
10 billion dollars gives the WHOLE WORLD clean water.
So the only thing standing in the way of life and health for millions of people in Africa the inability to pay for the drilling to clean water.
We can do that, people.
In Africa, “Water is Life.”
We can give life.
And that’s what we are going to do.
Water For Christmas."

you can click on the links in this post or the one at the top of my sidebar...it will take you to the website. think about it, people. i'm thinking about it and trying to figure out how this becomes part of my life. i don't totally know yet but i am CERTAIN that it will be part of this holiday season. please join me, jody and so many others in this network that are seeking to give. to know more about the heart of our sweet Lord Jesus. and to help those in need.

please.

i have this quote at the top of my blog but i think it's so fitting so i'll write it again,

"How wonderful is is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." -Anne Frank

thank you.

{you can click on the "jody landers" link on my sidebar for additional ideas on how to implement this-she posts ideas as they come in to her from others and has a few links on her sidebar too}

President #44

The 44th president of the United States has been elected. Change awaits. It would have awaited, to some extent, with either candidate. I find myself towards the ‘middle line’ when it comes to politics -you can pick who you think I voted for but I’m not going to say because I don’t think that’s the point. Honestly, I was most frustrated that I had to pick between two candidates that I didn’t love. Neither of them inspired me to put 1000% of my support behind them. Bummer. Both had good ideas on some things. Both had bad ideas on some things. But it’s all said and done now.
I’ve not heard a more gracious conceding speech nor a more sober acceptance speech. Interesting.
What’s inspiring is being part of a country that gives us freedom to have a voice. To vote. To be part of a collective group of people who all love their country dearly. I am cautiously hopeful. I always get really excited after elections and usually end up both pleased and disappointed over the course of the term…so I suppose I shouldn’t expect things to be any different this time around. After all, we’re all just human; even the president.
But what I love is that this isn’t the “end of the world”-no matter where on the political spectrum you find yourself-it’s just another election. It was a big deal but each election is touted as a ‘big deal’-and rightly so as this is the leader of our great nation we’re choosing. It’s our duty and privilege to have an educated voice in it.
BUT amidst all the hype, our calling supersedes this world. Our primary responsibility is to the One who knew the winner before the world even began. This neither proved to be ‘the obviously right and blessed choice’ (for those who picked him) nor did it take Him by surprise (for those who didn’t pick him)…
Frankly, I think it’s quite remarkable that our country, which has been so indelibly marked by skin color differences, has moved past that to realize that we each should be valued, respected and equal citizens in this country because of who we are inside: our minds, our hearts, our ambitions. There’s nothing so ridiculous to me as people getting their panties in a bunch over skin color-black, white, and everything in-between…it makes no difference; and how does that in any way affect what we are all capable of as individuals? Ok, I’m going to stop before I end up on a soap box…but how wonderful to see in such a monumental way, that we’ve finally gotten past an issue that has defined our nation since its inception. Truly wonderful. We’ll see what the next 4 years brings, huh?!

rummaging.

i spent tonight sorting through a whole bunch of old files that were collecting dust in my garage. sounds like fun, huh?! it actually was! for 2 reasons: i love to throw things away that i don't need :) & i found some fun things of the years gone by...

1.) my birth certificate...floating around in some random file of who know what else...EMILY! that's kind of important...you better put that somewhere for safe keeping. being born only happens once, you know?!

2.) an old Sonics ticket (who?? the oklahoma what are they called now??-oh geez, don't even go there...)-after finding that, i realized that i've officially been to at least one game for every professional sports team that is (or was) in seattle :) {now the dilemma: to keep or not to keep? for posterity? will it be worth something someday? oh wait, it's the sonics we're talking about-i better just recycle it!}

3.) a whole dadgum thick folder full of stuff for the Mortar Board...what?! i couldn't really even remember what it was or why i was part of it in college...i think i mostly did it so that i could wear a special medal during graduation-you know, flair...i think it probably was an accomplishment at the time and i'm keeping the stuff but the best i can surmise, it was some sort of honor society thing. did i ever mention that i used to use my "national honor society duties" in high school as an excuse to get out of english class and wander the halls with my friends?? shhhhh, don't tell my parents...

4.) my support letters and notes from friends/family members before going to do disaster relief in Sri Lanka-memories of that beautifully devastated place flood my mind. that trip forever changed my life...

5.) a birthday card from my brother that says, "It's Your Birthday! When they made you, they broke the mold! {open card} "Rumor has it they beat the hell out of the mold-maker, too! Oh well, Happy Birthday, Anyway!" HAHAHA. wow...brother, you're the best :D

6.) two of my favorite quotes: "We too often forget that faith is a matter of questioning and struggle before it becomes one of certitude and peace. You have to doubt and reject everything else in order to believe firmly in Christ, and after you have begun to believe, your faith itself must be tested and purified." -Thomas Merton
"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing an attempt." -William Shakespeare

i think i have a problem...

this is what i came back from Chicago with...
this is what somehow ended up in my basket at B&N tonight...

oh dear...

"Steadfastness, that is holding on;

Patience, that is holding back;

Expectancy, that is holding the face up;

Obedience, that is holding oneself in readiness to go or do;

Listening, that is holding quiet and still so as to hear."

-S.D. Gordon

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

you seriously can't beat these awesome tights!

jazzercise? 80's groupie? deb from Napolean Dynamite? you pick...

jem and the holograms + 2 groupies (kiks and me)
just practicing

the misfits

the party we went to had the theme of 'versus'-as in, opposing forces. we saw everything from 'boxers vs. briefs' 'jonah vs. the whale' 'sarah palin vs. ...'