New Uniforms at Kind Hearts School in Ethiopia!

     

     During the Spring Break of my Senior Year in high school (2012), I was blessed with the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I worked with two schools, Kind Hearts and Trees of Glory, that had been built and currently are run by the organization Children's Hope Chest. The kids living in the communities we visited were (and still are) surrounded by desolate circumstances: parents who are either dead, dying, or working constantly to help their families survive, low opportunity for occupation, lack of sanitation, disease run rampant, tough political and economic situations, etc... Experiencing this all first hand was shocking to say the least. My heart ached for the people I encountered, people who seemed so helpless and starved of life. Leaving the kids on that last day of the trip was one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life because I felt as though I was leaving them in the dust, destined to graduate from adolescence into the poverty that surrounded them. But my attitude changed 
drastically when I came back a second time. This past Spring Break (2013), I revisited the two schools. Immediately my heart lept when I recognized the children from the previous year--they looked like completely new kids! Their bodies contained more muscle mass, their hair was growing in thicker, their eyes weren't yellow, their skin wasn't ashen, and their smiles were bigger than ever! They were speaking better English and they knew various stories from the Bible that we acted out for them! Needless to say, I left that second trip with a completely different attitude than I had my first year. I left knowing that the schools that these children were attending were making a difference; it gave me hope and inexplainable joy to know that they do have a "hope and a future" that God promises in Jeremiah 29:11. These schools do wonders for the children who attend. The workers/teachers there (who are all Ethiopian!) give the kids food, medical attention, an education, hope, and most importantly, the love of Jesus Christ. These schools mean more to these children than I will probably ever be able to comprehend. 

     Which brings me to my main point: Nearly two years ago, school uniforms were provided by sponsor families for the kids at Kind Hearts and they have been wearing them with pride every day since. For many of the kids, those uniforms have seen better days. They have become ragged and stained with use and time, and many of the children have grown out of their uniforms and have since passed them on to a younger child. With the recent addition of 60+ new students, it would be a blessing to provide a new school uniform to each and every child.

     In Ethiopia, a school uniform is a requirement at most schools. For children who cannot afford a uniform, it can mean the difference between attending school ... or not. For the kids at Kind Hearts, a school uniform not only provides a much-needed change of clothes, it also signifies that they belong at Kind Hearts and are getting a highly valued education that they can be proud of!

     I can personally attest to the priceless value of these uniforms. These kids are starving for education and find an immense amount of joy and pride in attending their school. Belonging to the family at Kind Hearts creates unity among the kids while symbolizing the unity of the Body of Christ, and uniforms are a huge part of that unity! 

     Kind Hearts School currently has an enrollment of 195 kids. Each uniform consists of dark blue pants or skirt, with a white shirt and a light blue sweater and costs $20. 195 kids x $20 per uniform equals a total of $3900. WE CAN DO THAT! If you would like to donate to help these kids receive a uniform you can visit the link below and make your secure donation. This is REAL, I have been to these two schools and experienced the transformation in the kids attending! Thank you for reading. Regardless of whether you give money or not, please pray for the children and staff of these schools! 

Donate Here!

Listen to His Voice

I love to sing and I love to write, so you would think that writing a song would be easy, right? WRONG! I don't know what it is about me, but it takes me a while to put together lyrics and a melody that I'm pleased with. So as a prequel to my songwriting days, I decided to take a song that already exists, in this case DHT's 'Listen to Your Heart', and change the lyrics. So here is my song, "Listen to His Voice", which is about being open and quiet enough to hear God's calling and bold enough to live it out. Hope you enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAGFLPuR6BM

Feel free to leave some comments!

Things My Mother Has Taught Me: To Cook

     My mother is an excellent cook. I didn't fully come to this realization until my senior year of high school when I helped my mom plan and cook the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. There is so much more to being a good cook than the taste quality of the food! There's picking every dish that will be prepared based on the occasion, those attending (allergies, dislikes, favorites, etc.), availability at the store, the timing of cooking each dish, and how the dishes complement each other. Then there's the basic yet stressful task of bearing the craziness of a grocery store around the holidays to buy all the necessary ingredients. Next comes sitting down to plan out hour by hour when each dish needs to be prepared, when food needs to be put in and taken out of the over, stove, crock pot, or microwave, when the tables need to be set, and when a shower needs to be taken! All of this before one item of food is prepared. Then comes the cooking itself, which seems pretty facile compared to what went in to picking that food in the first place. Finally comes the task of plating the food and serving it to the guests. Eating the meal is enjoyable but the role of the cook doesn't end when dinner begins- there is always a dish to be restocked, a drink to be refilled, and potentially a new course to bring out. And don't forget about clean-up!
     All of this said, I know that my mom would say that it's worth it and she loves to cook. Granted, not every meal is a Thanksgiving or Christmas extravaganza, but every meal she creates is a masterpiece in some shape- well thought out and executed with prestige.
     I've had the pleasure to observe my mom's cooking technique particularly for the past two years and I have learned so much in that time! She has always taken time to teach me things about cooking from the time I was little. The first thing I learned how to make on my own was banana bread; a simple recipe with basic ingredients and a small prep time. I remembering being so excited and beaming with pride when I began making banana bread for the first time without any help from Mom. She was out of the house and didn't know I was making it- what a pleasant surprise would be waiting for her when she walked in the house to the smell of freshly baked banana bread! I had baked this bread so many times before with my mom that I almost had the recipe memorized, so I attempted to bake the bread without any help from that little "unimportant" piece of paper. Everything went great: we had all the ingredients, I didn't burn down the house, I cleaned up the kitchen to be pristine when Mom walked in, the bread smelled amazing, and boy was I feeling good! Then I took out the bread. My beautifully created masterpiece was about an inch thick, not quite the banana bread I was used to pulling out of the hot oven. I sat the pan down on the stove and went over the recipe over and over in my head, trying to figure out what went wrong. Achieving no success, I finally pulled out that "unimportant" piece of paper to see if I did anything wrong. That's when I realized that I had forgot two small yet extremely important facets of the recipe: baking powder and baking soda, ring any bells...? Yeah, my first experience cooking completely on my own without any help from my master teacher yielded a beautifully yet unfortunately dwarfed banana pound cake. Mom loved it all the same :)
     This all to say that I am so grateful for the time and effort that my mom put into to teaching my how to cook and teaching me to appreciate those who do cook. Through all our kitchen experiences, she taught me so much more than just how to put a meal together, and for that I am eternally thankful.

     Last weekend, Mom and I experimented with a new recipe we got from a family friend. A casserole with penne pasta, hamburger, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, Ragu, and mozzarella cheese on the top. Amazing...

Story-Worthy?

"Life is about experiencing all the things

you find interesting and fascinating.

Just get out there and experience as much as

you can. Participate in life."

- Louie Zamperini

I love this quote for many reasons:

1.)   It comes from someone who has experienced life and can attest to this ‘philosophy of living’

2.)   It embodies an active approach to life

3.)   It excites me!

4.)   I found it in Runner’s Magazine (okay, maybe not quite as deep as the other three, but I think it’s significant…)

I was having a conversation with a friend last week about grandparents and the crazy stories that they tell. She had a collection of her grandfather’s most famous sayings that her family had pooled together after he passed away and had used them in an art project. With each quote came a story and with each story came an even better story- running down abandoned railroad tracks, spending an entire day lounging at ‘the lake’ with friends, hitchhiking across the country, dancing with the girl of his dreams in a jazz joint somewhere in downtown Detroit, and the list goes on. That conversation, compounded with epic adventures portrayed in TV, film, and print, has spurred in me this desire to do something fun and daring. Not something careless just something out of my comfort zone or maybe just something novel- adventures that I will look forward to telling my kids about someday; adventures that just might end up in my grandchild’s art project 60 years from now…

The author of the above-mentioned quote: Louie Zamperini was an outstanding runner. “He set a US high school mile record that stood for 19 years and an NCAA mile record that lasted for 20. As a teenager in 1936, he placed 8^th in the Olympic 5K. By 1940, he was an Olympic 1500-meter favorite, the man many predicted would be the first to break the four-minute mile. But the Olympics were cancelled due to WWII. Zamperini became an airman and crashed into the Pacific on May 27, 1943. He was then captured by the Japanese. They beat him, starved him, conducted medical experiments on him, and would soon enslave him. Once they found out he was an Olympian, they forced him to race. Hoping to humiliate him, the guards summoned a Japanese runner to face him. Zamperini had no choice but to run; had he refused, every captive would’ve been beaten. Running on legs so slender his skin hung loose around them, Zamperini soon fell behind. But as he ran, other captives began gathering to watch. They were exhausted and sometimes broken men, victims of relentless torture, but as they watched the runners, the hollowness left their eyes. Zamperini saw it in their faces: They needed him to win. A prisoner’s slightest infraction could get him beaten to death, so Zamperini knew he could die for winning. But on his final lap, the captives began cheering him on. He made his choice. Zamperini pushed hard, passed his rival, and won. The last thing he heard, as the guard’s club swung into his skull, was a chorus of voices shouting in triumph.” (Taken from Runner’s World magazine, January 2013, “Lifetime Achievement: Louie Zamperini” by Laura Hillenbrand)

Louie, now 96, made an impact on that prison and continues to impact people with his story today. How cool is that??? The amazing thing is that God has an epic story written out for each one of us. He has a “good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2), we just need to beware of conformity. Transformation by the “renewing of your mind” (also Romans 12:2) is God’s way of starting our epic story. I’m super stoked to see what He’s written out, aren’t you?

Craziness

     It's in the craziness of life that God seems to reveal the "messages" that I don't want to hear. Initially, it usually consists of addressing the question of what am I busy with and is it worth being busy with. Once that hits me and keeps me thinking and steaming for a while, then He starts to work on me in more specific ways. I am knocked off my straight-shot pathway to accomplishing "x, y, and z" and begin to reflect on my day. His still, small voice becomes more audible as I let down my physical and emotional barriers that have kept me going like a red bull in a coffee shop, and the result of this is incredible. A certain unexplainable peace comes over me and everything makes sense! All the stress accompanying my packed schedule melts away with the realization that my life is in His hands and my ultimate purpose is to bring Him honor and glory. Thanks, God, for that interaction today!

Colorful Dialogues

"Perhaps my words get in the way,
     Of the ultimate purpose You decree,
          To show your glory off on display,
               And your love for all to seize.

               I try to make sense of this dizzy mess,
          But all in my own futility,
     Your Word declares that you won't regress,
 So why do I wallow in self pity?

               Hope and passion flow from Your Truth,
                    It's a joy to be called one of your own!
                         The daily reminders are more than proof,
                               That out of simple obedience your light has shone.

                         How freeing it is to let go of worry,
                              The doubt in myself 'And I doing enough?',
                                   Again knowing it's all about Your glory,
                                        The more you get out of polishing the rough.

                                                                                     I'm no expert in the ways of living life,
                                                                                But I'll always be there to listen,
                                                                           To the joy, the wonder, the dreams, the strife,
                                                                       Trying my best to never miss them. 

                                                                            Do you ever wonder if there's someone alive,
                                                                       Who cares about you truly?
                                                                   I can't promise that we won't say goodbye,
                                                              But I vow that your story will move me.

                                                              Relationship is a tricky word,
                                                                   One that's been abused, confused, misused,
                                                                        It's true rawness viewed as absurd,
                                                                             That two lives through love be fused.

                                                                             Purpose boils down to a simple concept,
                                                                        Expressed by the Son in dire circumstances,
                                                                  With open arms to the poor, accept,
                                                            With a heart and spirit that dances."

Mirror Mirror...

          Last night, a group of about 40 guys gathered together for a retreat through the Christian Campus House. It was AWESOME! Food, competition, sports, worship, small groups, truth-speaking, etc... What more could a guy ask for??? After a couple hours, a certain smell started to permeate throughout the gym where we were staying, but you got used to it after a while... Smelliness aside, there is something about hanging out with a bunch a guys that sparks certain thoughts, conversations, and realizations that don't occur while in mixed company; it's just the way things are. We sensor ourselves while in the company of women and for good reason! But some things get left unsaid and undiscussed that should be expressed in at least one setting.
          It was great to see guys open up and communicate what was on their hearts last night. That 40-minute small group session was just plain awesome for 2 reasons: 1.) Every guy in my group opened up about something that needed to be expressed for their sake and benefit 2.) Everyone, including myself, was able to relate with something that someone else said and share their thoughts, stories, advice, etc. We talked about family, friends, school, girls, college life, struggles, triumphs, experiences, future aspirations, and God's love and power. If nothing else, each one of us realized that there is someone out there who is going through the same or at least a very similar situation as us. That group allowed us to build community.
          Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." I always took this verse to refer solely to accountability about the sin we fall into. But last night Joe, who I wrote about in a previous blog post, presented this in a more expansive way. He mentioned that the sharpening that takes place can also be encouragement. Yes, as men we need to help each other out by calling out the sins of our close brothers in love and helping them achieve success in these areas (though God is the only one who brings these successes), but we are to just as passionately "encourage one another and build each other up." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 We talked about this same concept in my education orientation class Thursday. This idea that as teachers, we have a tendency to focus on the downfalls of our students (or nicely: "how they can improve"). There is nothing wrong with pointing out the flaws in our pupils, but the encouragement we give them in celebrating their successes makes just as big of a difference as improving their faults. The reasons I believe I don't do this more often with my friends is I let my pride get in the way. I build up this insecurity by standing in front of a mirror (whether physical or mental) and pointing out each imperfection. My focus becomes me.
          This brings me to the second big truth that Joe revealed last night. He was talking about how guys and girls alike share this common theme of being dissatisfied with themselves in some way, shape, or form. Whether physically, academically, occupationally, relationally, or spiritually, we find ourselves discontent with our bodies, minds, successes, lives. But what if we deliberately decided to stand in front of that same mirror and take a new perspective- the perspective of a child of God. We were created IN HIS IMAGE! God created each one of us individually as unique members of His grand family with gifts and abilities to change the world for His glory! Yes, we have our shortcomings, but those don't have to be our focus. CS Lewis once said, "Humility isn't thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." Spending countless amounts of time, energy, and emotion pointing out every flaw that I possess is exhausting, depressing, and produces no beneficial effects whatsoever. Instead, I'm going to use that time to realize that God created me special and for a purpose, and I'm going to attempt to recognize just what He has for me to do with this unique pallet of abilities I've been entrusted with.

Creative Niche: Coffee-style

     Donald Miller, an author and creator of My Storyline, once wrote that each person has a setting in which his/her creativity is free to flow- that one place or scenario where thoughts, ideas, imagination, and creative passion naturally forms and pours from his/her mind, heart, and soul into words on a page, sketches on a canvas, conversations with a friend, etc... This could be a particular place such as a peaceful office or a tree house. It could be a particular setting such as outdoors surrounded by raw nature or any heavily populated area with lots of public "buzz". It could also be a particular time such as after all the "necessary" is completed or in the middle of the night when no one else is stirring. Whatever it may be, Miller claims that each person has their creative niche.
     Mine happens to be a coffee shop in downtown Columbia, Kaldi's. I swear I spend AT LEAST 15 hours a week at this place! I discovered it by doing what any college student would do when they move into a new town, I Googled "good coffee shops in Columbia, MO". Kaldi's was the first one to pop up (well, after I sifted through all fifteen Starbucks located within a ten mile radius...). Conveniently located right off campus, Kaldi's sits at just a 5 minute bike ride away. When classes are done for the day, I pack up my homework, computer, and a book into my backpack and set my course for the quaint establishment.
     The things I like about Kaldi's: it's always filled with the "right" amount of people- empty enough so a seat is always available yet crowded enough to provide that necessary "buzz" of casual conversation, the diversity expressed in its customers never ceases to amaze me (one day I was studying with two French ladies conversing in front of me, a chess club deeply lost in the confines of their games to my left, and a women's Bible study meeting to my right), it's not widely known (I love things that are unique/individual), the coffee is GREAT, and here's a little peek at what the place looks like!
     Among these qualities my brain just lets loose and creates. I focus more easily on the task at hand, but more significant than that is how the setting causes me to want to dig deeper into whatever I'm doing. Whether it's doing homework, reading a leisure book, blogging, or sending someone a text, I feel that I approach them all with a sense of deeper meaning when I'm at Kaldi's. The setting also provides me a clarity of mind that often gets lost in the stresses of everyday life.
     So I encourage you to find your place; find your creative niche. It may be a variety of things, but whatever it is IT'S YOUR'S! Make time to indulge in that niche at least once a week and let that creativity find its way out of your heart and into something physical. God gave you that part of yourself; He created you uniquely and in His image so let yourself out! I can assure you it will be rewarding for you and for those who are happen to be blessed by your creative production.

     One more thing: I would LOVE to hear what your creative niche is! If you wouldn't mind, leave a comment describing your place, scenario, or setting where you go to let your imagination flow and/or gain a certain clarity of mind.
   

Zero Dark Thirty Days of Prayer

          War. Violence. Hatred. Anger.
                          All things I've never really dealt with on a personal basis. Don't get me wrong, I'm aware that war and violence happen and are happening all around us and I know that hatred is sometimes as common as joy in parts of the world (including the US), but in my own little box which conveniently resides in St. Joseph, MO I don't have the slightest clue.
                          This all occurred to me last night during my 12-minute car ride back from the movie theater. I saw the movie "Zero Dark Thirty" which documents the hunt for and eventual killing of Osama Bin Laden, and I was initially thrilled with the brilliance of the movie. Jessica Chastain showed great emotion, the sound effects of the explosions literally made me jump out of my seat (just ask my comrades...), and the storyline was effectively expressed. But something hit me when I took my exit onto Interstate 29 that I was not expecting- I began to think about the lives of those involved in such awful situations.
                          I began to view each life individually, from the CIA agents to the Navy SEALS to those involved in terrorism to the civilians being impacted by terrorists, and I became very overwhelmed. Because initially it is so easy for us to build up anger, disgust, perhaps even hatred against those involved in such terrible acts, and I'm not saying that righteous anger against evil is wrong, but all I could think about was how each one of those men and women involved in the murder of countless innocent lives must be so void of love and stripped of joy that they would resort to such evil actions. I will probably never understand their life circumstances: how they were brought up, who they were influenced by, what they were taught to do with their lives. So it's hard for me to grasp this colossal level of hurt and moral destitution. Who am I to say that if I was in the same exact situation and upbringing as them that I would be doing any differently? All I know is that these people need Christ.
                        The love of God is the only thing that can penetrate the evil barriers hardening the hearts of those involved in terrorism. I am so thankful for the freedom we have in the United States of America and I am in no way undermining the work of the military in its dealing with terrorism, that's not what this is about. I just realized how important it is to pray for our world; I realized how important it is to pray for people, for love, for joy, for God's presence to invade the hearts and lives of those across the Earth so that they might know the grace, glory, mercy, and power of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ so that the evil in this world would be diminished and those involved in such acts as terrorism could find purpose in life rooted in the hope of Christ.
                         It's so easy for me to crawl back into my little box and pretend like evil doesn't exist in the world. That certainly makes life more comfortable. But scary enough as it is, God didn't call us to live a life of comfort. As Christians, we have the gift of God's love and the gift of feet, hands, and mouths to spread it! For me right now, this means thirty days of constant prayer for those involved in terrorism. That God will work in ways that I can't even imagine and that life change will occur because of it. Our world is in need of Change- let's do it.

Blog Exposed

     Until today, I have used this blog as an electronic journal of sorts. Journaling has been an escape for me since the fourth grade, allowing me to express emotion and idea without the criticism, spoken or unspoken, of others. With the gift of my new laptop for college, I soon discovered that I could type my thoughts much faster than I could write them. So I created this blog around the beginning of this school year and have made entries once in a while. But in my prayer time this morning, I felt that God was asking me to open up. I felt and still feel this desire to share with people how Christ is shaping my life and encourage others that He can work through them as well! So if you read no more than this post alone, please know that God can and will work through you no matter your past, your shortcomings, your worries, etc.
   
     So here it is, my blog. Feel free to comment on anything and everything- that is my desire! Go back and check out the other posts, let me know what you're thinking/feeling.

For His Glory!

Make a Difference

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... 
                I took the one less traveled by, 
                           and that has made all the difference."
                                      - Robert Frost

     Isn't it interesting that the road less traveled is usually the one that leads to greatness? You look at examples such as Mother Teresa, President Abraham Lincoln, and the Apostle Paul (a few of my favorites) and it's easy to see how each "achieved" greatness by going against the flow of current culture. Mother Teresa spent her life serving others with every inch of spirit she had, taking no consideration for her own comfort or pleasure other than serving God by serving others. President Abraham Lincoln fought for the abolition of slavery in a time where the idea of black freedom was opposed by over half of the country and in the midst of a civil war. And the Apostle Paul changed his life calling from the "hunter of Christians" to the "commissioner for Christ". I imagine that I would be reading very little if anything at all about these three revolutionists if they had decided to live a comfortable life, directed by their culture. Paul wouldn't have written over half of the New Testament; Mother Teresa wouldn't be known as Mother Teresa but as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (which I'm not even going to attempt to pronounce); and I doubt President Lincoln would've made it on any five dollar bills. And what's crazy to me is how each life before mentioned appears to be driven by a humble passion. No personal gain was sought after but no small outcome was acceptable.  

     I want this for myself. Not to be great myself but to do great things. To be passionate and courageous and daring and humble and God-focused enough to do great things for the Kingdom of God. 

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 

           2 Timothy 1:7 

     Being a male, I tend to want to be the best and the biggest and the most competitive at whatever I do. Most of the time, this gets me in trouble because it leads me to become prideful and focused on myself. But when it comes to furthering the Kingdom of God, I'd like to focus all that competitive drive into something meaningful and worthwhile. But not for my sake- only for His. With all this talk to New Year's Resolutions, I decided to come up with a few simple ones for myself:

                               1. Live a Life of Necessity

                                        - I'm tired of living a luxurious life of excess. Although I am very thankful for   what I have, I am aware that materialistic possessions can easily become a distraction for the life Christ has called us to live. I heard a quote this past week, "Be aware and beware of blessings." What's the point of being "blessed" with affluence if I am the one benefitting from it? I have no problem with people  (including myself) having money, IF it's being used to further the Kingdom of God. What does that look like for me? I'm still trying to figure that out...

                               2. Quit Wasting Time

                                            - As a college student, I have a lot of free time. And what do I do with that free time you might ask...nothing. I sit on my butt and watch TV, play volleyball for 3 hours every day, sleep, etc. I have nothing occupying my free time that is worthwhile to the Kingdom (I use that word/phrase a lot but I suppose that's the best way to describe what I'm talking about). So I've decided to start a few "projects" to utilize my free time with that will hopefully impact the world in different ways for the Cause of Christ. I'm really excited and nervous about these at the same time, but I want them to grow to the point where great enough things happen that can only be attributed to the glory and power of God! 

                              3. Less Talk, More Do

                                            - Now this one is obviously very broad and involves the two that I have already mentioned, but I felt that it was important enough to list as it's own. I have a huge tendency to say that I'm going to do a lot of things and then not follow through. I have been talking about living a life of necessity for the past year but haven't really done anything about it; I've been dreaming about numerous projects and drives I want to start and haven't done anything about one of them; I have put on the face of one who is devoted to Christ's commissions to go and make disciples of all nations but my work has been nonexistent. Well that ends today!

2013, here I come with a Spirit-driven, friend-encouraged, family-supported, God-empowered, self-devoted, and action-minded passion that will REACH THE NATIONS!