Friday, June 24, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Do..Wear your underwear
"You must do the thing you think you cannot do" Eleanor Roosevelt
What a quote...one of my favorites, for this chicken little of a girl from SC. Quoted by a woman that clearly did many things she probably never fathomed. I can be quite fearful of a lot of things, and so Sunday night, I dove head-first into one of them.
For the first time in a looong time (and I mean long), I attempted to write a song with two of my dear friends. We have been discussing the act of writing for a long time, and I always find a reason to push it back.
It scares me to death, its like standing in front of a bunch of people with your underwear on..people you don't know, that you particularly don't want to be seen by in your underwear either..and the underwear is probably not the best ones you own. Yep, that sums it up perfectly...
So, we ate and visited and then retired to the living room, and then he pulled out his guitar, and she pulled out her computer, and I braced myself for the shots from the firing range..I started to sweat..(I don't sweat unless I am working out really hard). And then we started talking and he started playing, and we started CREATING..and it was joy and passion and it felt wonderful. Because, as my crazy friend Billy says, "we create because we were CREATED"
And the beauty of it was...I forgot about being scared. I let go of my fear, and afterwards I felt lighter, and whole, and I could feel God smiling down on me, saying "that's my girl". What feels better than that, knowing your Creator, your Father is looking down on you and being pleased, because you left your fear behind and lived in what He CREATED you to do, even if it was just for a moment?
And it's Tuesday, and I was one big ball of anxiety today...work, stuff, etc., it all gets to us, it gets to me. And we FEAR...and push back the things that we are CREATED to do.
But, I want to continue to exist in the passion of what I was created to do, which is many things, but most of all, it is to live my life without fear. With courage, and PASSION...LOTS OF PASSION. Because passion cannot be manufactured, people. And believe me, it is contagious and easily recognized, and it draws others in, like a moth to a flame.
What do you think you cannot do? You probably CAN do it..give it try.
And if you are scared, I will stand beside you in my underwear too..
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Pockets
It is very easy to look at the injustices of the world and the disasters that are swirling around us, and start to get very overwhelmed. If we stand underneath the umbrella of poverty, global natural disasters, war, genocide, AIDS and the many other factors that leave our world broken, we can start to wonder if we will ever make a difference and even put a dent in these issues.
I am starting to believe there is an answer to this burden, and a tangible way for each of us to really make a difference in our world.
Find a pocket... And what I mean by "pocket" is simply this: find something you can directly put your hands to, it may be in your own community or through a global network. Something that may seem small to you, may be the one factor in changing the life-path of another human being forever.
I talk to people all of the time that feel as though they have to do something BIG to be significant and the more I work in the social profit sector, I see that the answers for change aren't always in the BIG IDEAS. Yes, there are people who birth visions, and they grow into movements that really do cause a shift in people's thinking and actions, and this in turn, changes society. But, not everyone is a visionary and is meant to do something on a grand scale. And the sad thing is that our world is conditioning us to the fact that in order to "count", you have to do something big....AND IT IS JUST NOT TRUE.
Find a pocket in your world and start right there. Maybe you have a heart for children, have you ever heard of Big Brothers, Big Sisters? Minimum commitment, and the possibility for greatness is virtually endless. Or sponsor a child through Compassion, or World Vision. What it would cost to have a great dinner can sustain a precious boy or girl somewhere in this great, big, small world...and these organizations are FULL OF INTEGRITY AND TRUTH.
Maybe it is even simpler than this...maybe it is stopping and getting breakfast or lunch for the homeless person near your job, and actually having a conversation with them. Acknowledging their life by giving them a few moments of your time, and a hot meal. Or, serving a single mom or dad in your life with babysitting so they can have a night off.
Let's get even simpler, what about your co-workers, your boss, your family...just speaking words of kindness into their life, and having extra patience...what if this was done by us every day, the possibility for change is ENDLESS...in this little pocket.
So, I hope you can see that there are pockets of possibility all around us for making the world a better place. There are enough charities, I honestly don't think the answer lies in starting another one. I truly believe that the answer for changing our world lies in our own hands, in our own worlds, in our own pockets.
What will you do?
I am starting to believe there is an answer to this burden, and a tangible way for each of us to really make a difference in our world.
Find a pocket... And what I mean by "pocket" is simply this: find something you can directly put your hands to, it may be in your own community or through a global network. Something that may seem small to you, may be the one factor in changing the life-path of another human being forever.
I talk to people all of the time that feel as though they have to do something BIG to be significant and the more I work in the social profit sector, I see that the answers for change aren't always in the BIG IDEAS. Yes, there are people who birth visions, and they grow into movements that really do cause a shift in people's thinking and actions, and this in turn, changes society. But, not everyone is a visionary and is meant to do something on a grand scale. And the sad thing is that our world is conditioning us to the fact that in order to "count", you have to do something big....AND IT IS JUST NOT TRUE.
Find a pocket in your world and start right there. Maybe you have a heart for children, have you ever heard of Big Brothers, Big Sisters? Minimum commitment, and the possibility for greatness is virtually endless. Or sponsor a child through Compassion, or World Vision. What it would cost to have a great dinner can sustain a precious boy or girl somewhere in this great, big, small world...and these organizations are FULL OF INTEGRITY AND TRUTH.
Maybe it is even simpler than this...maybe it is stopping and getting breakfast or lunch for the homeless person near your job, and actually having a conversation with them. Acknowledging their life by giving them a few moments of your time, and a hot meal. Or, serving a single mom or dad in your life with babysitting so they can have a night off.
Let's get even simpler, what about your co-workers, your boss, your family...just speaking words of kindness into their life, and having extra patience...what if this was done by us every day, the possibility for change is ENDLESS...in this little pocket.
So, I hope you can see that there are pockets of possibility all around us for making the world a better place. There are enough charities, I honestly don't think the answer lies in starting another one. I truly believe that the answer for changing our world lies in our own hands, in our own worlds, in our own pockets.
What will you do?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Copper John...
If you go to Little Five Points In Atlanta, you find a small man there named John. He has skin the color of hot chocolate, with a gray beard and chances are he will be wearing brown Converse high tops. He sells his jewelry there, necklaces and bracelets made with gold, silver and copper wire formed into intricate pieces. Some holding precious stones, and rings that wrap delicately around your fingers. He is an artist, he is homeless, he says he "retired" from crack after nearly half a lifetime of fighting that addiction.
I googled him tonight and the photos are of a very different man than the one I met yesterday. His eyes twinkle now, he is not as gaunt as the pictures show him to be. Hope is etched into his face.
I believe in divine appointments, and yesterday was one for me with Copper John. He was one of the last to come in for shoes at the Distribution in Atlanta, and I knelt in front of him to fit him for shoes. He was dressed like an artist, and around his neck hung a long charm with a black stone. While I fitted him (he chose the Brown Converse sneakers), I asked about the necklace, and 10 minutes later, he brought some of his treasures down for me to see.
He told me how his jewelry literally had healed him, and kept him alive, and that after years of being addicted to crack, he decided to "retire", and is going through a rehabilitation program in Atlanta. His voice, his face, his body language, EVERYTHING showed me someone who had been lifted out of a dark pit, and he KNEW it, and was grateful for it. He also is keenly aware that God has gifted him with a talent to create beautiful things that can be worn, and what a story to share to someone if you have a piece of his craft. "Copper John made this, let me tell you about him"
I cried, of course, and hugged him after I picked a bronze charm with an amethest stone. And I hugged him again, and held the moment close because moments like this don't come around every day. Again, they are DIVINE. I was mindful of my moment with him, and chose to sit in it, and be blessed by this sweet man who had overcome so much.
This morning as I left Atlanta, I had to pick something up that I left at the mission, and as I turned at the light, Copper John crossed the street, with his rolling backpack, headed to work in little Five Points. I rolled down the window, and called to him and he smiled that sweet smile. I pulled over and got out, and spent 10 more minutes with this precious human being. I told him "John, you were my reason for being in Atlanta". We hugged, and smiled, and talked some more. I left in my car with tears just rolling down my face, so thankful that he walked in and got some shoes, and left me with SO MUCH MORE.
I can't truly verbalize what those moments are like, I just hope and pray the few of you that read this are able to have those moments in your lifetime.
And if you go to Atlanta, and stumble upon little Five Points, find Copper John. Take home a bracelet, necklace or ring. Listen to him and see the light in his eyes, and you will leave with something precious. I promise...
I googled him tonight and the photos are of a very different man than the one I met yesterday. His eyes twinkle now, he is not as gaunt as the pictures show him to be. Hope is etched into his face.
I believe in divine appointments, and yesterday was one for me with Copper John. He was one of the last to come in for shoes at the Distribution in Atlanta, and I knelt in front of him to fit him for shoes. He was dressed like an artist, and around his neck hung a long charm with a black stone. While I fitted him (he chose the Brown Converse sneakers), I asked about the necklace, and 10 minutes later, he brought some of his treasures down for me to see.
He told me how his jewelry literally had healed him, and kept him alive, and that after years of being addicted to crack, he decided to "retire", and is going through a rehabilitation program in Atlanta. His voice, his face, his body language, EVERYTHING showed me someone who had been lifted out of a dark pit, and he KNEW it, and was grateful for it. He also is keenly aware that God has gifted him with a talent to create beautiful things that can be worn, and what a story to share to someone if you have a piece of his craft. "Copper John made this, let me tell you about him"
I cried, of course, and hugged him after I picked a bronze charm with an amethest stone. And I hugged him again, and held the moment close because moments like this don't come around every day. Again, they are DIVINE. I was mindful of my moment with him, and chose to sit in it, and be blessed by this sweet man who had overcome so much.
This morning as I left Atlanta, I had to pick something up that I left at the mission, and as I turned at the light, Copper John crossed the street, with his rolling backpack, headed to work in little Five Points. I rolled down the window, and called to him and he smiled that sweet smile. I pulled over and got out, and spent 10 more minutes with this precious human being. I told him "John, you were my reason for being in Atlanta". We hugged, and smiled, and talked some more. I left in my car with tears just rolling down my face, so thankful that he walked in and got some shoes, and left me with SO MUCH MORE.
I can't truly verbalize what those moments are like, I just hope and pray the few of you that read this are able to have those moments in your lifetime.
And if you go to Atlanta, and stumble upon little Five Points, find Copper John. Take home a bracelet, necklace or ring. Listen to him and see the light in his eyes, and you will leave with something precious. I promise...
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Disaster Relief for Fleetwood Baptist Church, Cottondale, AL-Your help is Needed!
Hi Everyone!
I will be traveling down to Fleetwood Baptist Church in the Tuscaloosa suburb of Cottondale, AL, Saturday June 18th. I worked with them the Saturday after the tornado and I am returning to help some more with tornado relief clean-up, plus I will be staying over and leading their worship service Sunday, June 19th. This relatively small church is very dear to me, I watched this congregation run meals and much needed supplies in the wake of a horrible disaster with so much passion for their community, love and energy. They are an official distribution center in the community (one extremely hard hit by the tornado) in spite of losing a congregation member in the storm, and having physical damage to the church.
I want to bless them when I return. They have given me a list of items needed for their community relief and my plan is to take a JAM PACKED Soles4Souls SUV down to Tuscaloosa. But, my dream is to have to rent a UHaul to drive down everything that your generous souls will donate.
If you donate items to Hope4Souls, a new division of Soles4Souls that provides miscellaneous items to our partners in need (toys/books/children's strollers to name a few), I can make sure that you are provided with a tax receipt for your donation. Fleetwood Baptist is an official distribution partner with Soles4Souls.
I will need to have the items by Wednesday, June 15th so that I can determine my vehicle situation. You can get them to me in a variety of ways:
Hopepark Peeps:
You can deliver them to Andrea Harris-Kenney and she will get them to me (just include your Name, Address, Email and items donated so that I can get a tax receipt to you)
Local to Nashville, you can drop the items off at:
Soles4Souls Headquarters: 319 Martingale Dr. Old Hickory, TN 37138
Out of Townies, you can also ship these items to:
ATTN: Tiffany Johnson
Soles4Souls
319 Martingale Dr
Old Hickory, TN 37138
Thank you in advance, for whatever you can contribute! I will be sure to send a follow-up email of how the weekend goes! The items are below!
FLEETWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH RELIEF SUPPLIES
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
PAPER, folders, binders, etc.
Wide ruled notebook paper
Marbled Composition notebooks
Spiral notebooks wide ruled
3”x5” index cards, ruled and plain
Plain folders (red, blue, greed, yellow, orange, purple)
Dividers with tabs
Multi color construction paper
Copy paper
2 inch three-ring binder
Mead primary journals
Pencils, crayons, markers, etc.
#2 pencils
24 ct crayons
24 count Crayola crayons
Washable Crayola markers
Colored pencils
Black sharpie marker
Highlighter
4 ct Expo Dry erase markers
Scissors, glue, etc.
Packs of glue sticks
Fiskar scissors
Small Elmer’s glue bottle
Cleaning supplies, paper goods, bags etc.
Kleenex
Liquid hand soap
Baby wipes
Quart sized Ziploc easy zipper bags
Gallon sized Ziploc easy zipper bags
Wet Wipes
Germ-X hand sanitizer large size
Sandwich bags
3 pack paper towels
Brown lunch bags
White lunch bags
75-ct Clorox wipes
Misc.
Plastic pencil box
Pink erasers
Clipboards
Plastic shoe box
4 ct crayola washable finger paints
4 count classic color play doh
Sugar free singles drink mix
KITCHEN AND BATH SUPPLIES
Kitchen kits:
dishes
pots and pans
silverware
glasses
kitchen towels/dishcloths
kitchen utensils
Bath kits:
towels
washcloths
shower curtains
shower curtain hooks
*ONE SPECIAL REQUEST-They are in need of about 250 clear backpacks, and I am working on it....but this is greatly needed for back to school and they HAVE to be clear!
I will be traveling down to Fleetwood Baptist Church in the Tuscaloosa suburb of Cottondale, AL, Saturday June 18th. I worked with them the Saturday after the tornado and I am returning to help some more with tornado relief clean-up, plus I will be staying over and leading their worship service Sunday, June 19th. This relatively small church is very dear to me, I watched this congregation run meals and much needed supplies in the wake of a horrible disaster with so much passion for their community, love and energy. They are an official distribution center in the community (one extremely hard hit by the tornado) in spite of losing a congregation member in the storm, and having physical damage to the church.
I want to bless them when I return. They have given me a list of items needed for their community relief and my plan is to take a JAM PACKED Soles4Souls SUV down to Tuscaloosa. But, my dream is to have to rent a UHaul to drive down everything that your generous souls will donate.
If you donate items to Hope4Souls, a new division of Soles4Souls that provides miscellaneous items to our partners in need (toys/books/children's strollers to name a few), I can make sure that you are provided with a tax receipt for your donation. Fleetwood Baptist is an official distribution partner with Soles4Souls.
I will need to have the items by Wednesday, June 15th so that I can determine my vehicle situation. You can get them to me in a variety of ways:
Hopepark Peeps:
You can deliver them to Andrea Harris-Kenney and she will get them to me (just include your Name, Address, Email and items donated so that I can get a tax receipt to you)
Local to Nashville, you can drop the items off at:
Soles4Souls Headquarters: 319 Martingale Dr. Old Hickory, TN 37138
Out of Townies, you can also ship these items to:
ATTN: Tiffany Johnson
Soles4Souls
319 Martingale Dr
Old Hickory, TN 37138
Thank you in advance, for whatever you can contribute! I will be sure to send a follow-up email of how the weekend goes! The items are below!
FLEETWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH RELIEF SUPPLIES
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
PAPER, folders, binders, etc.
Wide ruled notebook paper
Marbled Composition notebooks
Spiral notebooks wide ruled
3”x5” index cards, ruled and plain
Plain folders (red, blue, greed, yellow, orange, purple)
Dividers with tabs
Multi color construction paper
Copy paper
2 inch three-ring binder
Mead primary journals
Pencils, crayons, markers, etc.
#2 pencils
24 ct crayons
24 count Crayola crayons
Washable Crayola markers
Colored pencils
Black sharpie marker
Highlighter
4 ct Expo Dry erase markers
Scissors, glue, etc.
Packs of glue sticks
Fiskar scissors
Small Elmer’s glue bottle
Cleaning supplies, paper goods, bags etc.
Kleenex
Liquid hand soap
Baby wipes
Quart sized Ziploc easy zipper bags
Gallon sized Ziploc easy zipper bags
Wet Wipes
Germ-X hand sanitizer large size
Sandwich bags
3 pack paper towels
Brown lunch bags
White lunch bags
75-ct Clorox wipes
Misc.
Plastic pencil box
Pink erasers
Clipboards
Plastic shoe box
4 ct crayola washable finger paints
4 count classic color play doh
Sugar free singles drink mix
KITCHEN AND BATH SUPPLIES
Kitchen kits:
dishes
pots and pans
silverware
glasses
kitchen towels/dishcloths
kitchen utensils
Bath kits:
towels
washcloths
shower curtains
shower curtain hooks
*ONE SPECIAL REQUEST-They are in need of about 250 clear backpacks, and I am working on it....but this is greatly needed for back to school and they HAVE to be clear!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A Beautiful Beginning
I love it when my day starts like this. I just got a phone call from a lady in the Southeast that reached out to us a few weeks ago in need of a pair of shoes. We try to fulfill individual requests when we can, although it is not always possible. This precious woman is in Cardiac Rehab, and was in dire need of a pair of athletic shoes to continue her therapy by walking on the treadmill.
I sent the shoes to the Cardiac Rehab Dept. in care of her nurse, and they came back…so we resent them and the hospital even called, unsure of where to deliver them. Each setback I was able to intercept… (Providence is indeed a lovely thing) and today, she called me…
The lightness of her voice, her excitement as she told me of how well they fit, and how she was able to begin walking on the treadmill was absolutely “golden”. She just exuded joy…and was so grateful, so thankful, that she had new shoes to continue her therapy in. She also promised me a photo of her on the treadmill.
I ended the call with two assignments for her: to continue to strengthen her heart to get better, and to PAY IT FORWARD (Little did she know she JUST DID by calling me). And she laughed excitedly and promised she would.
All of this was from a simple pair of shoes. Or, better yet, from the fact that this person felt loved and cared about, and the tangible gift of a pair of shoes communicated to her that she IS loved and valued…and from that, JOY AND HOPE was heard in her voice. And felt in my heart.
Yes, what a great way to start Thursday, June 2, 2011.
I sent the shoes to the Cardiac Rehab Dept. in care of her nurse, and they came back…so we resent them and the hospital even called, unsure of where to deliver them. Each setback I was able to intercept… (Providence is indeed a lovely thing) and today, she called me…
The lightness of her voice, her excitement as she told me of how well they fit, and how she was able to begin walking on the treadmill was absolutely “golden”. She just exuded joy…and was so grateful, so thankful, that she had new shoes to continue her therapy in. She also promised me a photo of her on the treadmill.
I ended the call with two assignments for her: to continue to strengthen her heart to get better, and to PAY IT FORWARD (Little did she know she JUST DID by calling me). And she laughed excitedly and promised she would.
All of this was from a simple pair of shoes. Or, better yet, from the fact that this person felt loved and cared about, and the tangible gift of a pair of shoes communicated to her that she IS loved and valued…and from that, JOY AND HOPE was heard in her voice. And felt in my heart.
Yes, what a great way to start Thursday, June 2, 2011.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Dot Connectors
Sometimes I end up on the phone with people that I may never directly work with, in a conversation that could last 20 or 30 minutes, merely connecting them with other networks or individuals that could be a better fit, or solution to their initial reason for reaching out. Often, our conversations and meetings lead to a future relationship that proves to be valuable to both of us. But I am learning that no connection, meeting, introductory email or phone call is EVER a waste of time....it is a DOT that we will connect eventually to something else.
A few years ago I had the privilege of meeting an amazing woman who started an apparel company to benefit non-profits all across the US. I saw her shirts at a local festival, and went back excited about the prospect of the possibility of having shirts made for Soles4Souls. This actually happened, and in the process, Ruth and I built a relationship from the start...mass production of t-shirts or not, we developed that connection.
She is now building her brand and moving to Nashville, and it is so exciting for her! Our friendship is growing, and each time she is in town, we have dinner. When she was in town over a month ago, she was telling me of an upcoming visit to Jerusalem to see her daughter and family, and I mentioned that Soles4Souls had recently partnered with an orphanage there to distribute shoes. She suggested that I "connect" her and the Orphanage Director, and I sent an introductory email. As providence would have it, the shoes arrived on Easter Sunday..about a week before she arrived, and Ruth ended up staying just minutes from the orphanage.
She was able to go and meet the sweet boys, see their shoes, and capture their thankfulness, energy and excitement! She sent pictures of her visit, and was so touched by the experience. In a later meeting with the Orphanage Director, Ruth discovered through connecting the dots of relatives and friends, that HER OWN UNCLE was responsible for installing the air conditioner units in the orphanage she visited! They had a plaque in his honor, and Ruth was able to take photos of this, and share this experience with her Mom (that was HER BROTHER). Ruth got teary-eyed telling me, as I did too!
WHAT.. A.. SMALL.. WORLD..
The point of my story is simply a POINT....A DOT. We are dots, so WE NEED TO CONNECT, and WE WILL CONNECT IF WE LET OURSELVES! Every relationship, business contact, email....answer it, foster it, grow it, AT LEAST TO A POINT...you never know what may happen...it may not directly happen for you...but it was such an enormous blessing to be the line between those DOTS, all the way in Jerusalem, at an orphanage for neglected boys. An adult businesswoman from Chicago was able to see what her family accomplished in her homeland...all because of a DOT.
Pick up your pen and connect the dots, what are you waiting for?
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