Day 2 of our Haiti Distribution Trip proved to be busy and definitely eye-opening! We arrived last night to our mission hostel in Terre Noire and after a great dinner and a time to get to know each other as a group, off to bed we went!
This morning we set up the shoes we brought for the distribution at the School located on our Mission Compound. This school has a student body of over 500 students, and we were able to distribute shoes to every class. As the children came in this morning for school, I could definitely sense everyone's excitement about the day ahead. We spent the next 5-6 hours washing their sweet little feet and fitting them in brand new pairs of shoes, making them laugh and telling them how wonderful their new shoes were. I heard "Merci" 10,000 times and I will never tire of hearing it! While we were fitting the older elementary school classes, I think we hit the jackpot with the soccer cleats we had. The size range was perfect for them, and the boys and girls(!)wanted them (soccer is a pretty big deal in Haiti)! It was awesome to see the little girls with their gingham school dresses on, bows in their hair and cleats on their feet!
We took our group down to the Presidential Palace afterwards to see the distribution left from the earthquake nearly one year ago. There is still SO much to be done, and so much heartbreak...but the spirit of this country and of the Haitian people is so strong and so full of joy, it is absolutely amazing!
And Soles4Souls will continue to be here and make a sustainable difference here...it was awesome to pull up yesterday and have the children and teachers recognize you and call out your name. And that's because we are in it for the long haul.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Reflections on 2010
I just did something really great, and I would encourage you to do the same as well. Review 2010 for yourself, take about an hour or so and reflect on the year that just passed. I just did it and I am so very glad I did. And THEN....leave it behind. Check out Michael Hyatt's blog post on this. I just cut and pasted the questions in a Word Document and spent about an hour or so meditating and writing.
Click on this little thingee here: Seven Questions to Ask About Last Year
Happy New Year Ya'll!
Click on this little thingee here: Seven Questions to Ask About Last Year
Happy New Year Ya'll!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Little Closet Cleaning Never Hurts Anyone...
This was something I tweeted on December 17th:
"Sometimes we have to clean out the closet of our heart to allow more good things inside"
I have been chewing on this little statement for a while and felt that it needed more than 140 characters. I do love Twitter, I must confess, but I wanted to share more when it came to this. Cleaning out our closet is not just about confession, although that seems to be the first thing we think of.
I don't have a huge closet at home, thank God. That regulates my shopping. And I find myself cleaning it out a couple times each year. Sometimes, I find things that I just don't wear anymore, because of various reasons (they don't fit, they are dated, they look too much like something I already had) and I make a choice to part with them. I make that choice to eliminate clutter, and to make room for something better.
I believe that our hearts need much the same. We hold on to things sometimes that we have absolutely NO reason to. And IF we just let go, I think we would all be made better. We would have much more room to accept, enjoy, make peace and live life joyfully with the items we CHOOSE to hold on to. We would give our "closet" (our heart) room to hold more, and store things that mean the most to us, instead of housing items that take up unnecessary room and are not needed or utilized.
And you know what I have learned from cleaning out my closet? I have learned to be wise with what I choose to put in there from now on. I choose more carefully now what I let in, and I guard and care for what is in there.
I did some closet cleaning this year in my heart. It freed me up to love with more conviction and intent, it gave me more peace than I had before, and it opened my eyes to the things I really needed. Sure, it was hard to part with a few things, but in the end, I didn't really need them anyway.
Will you clean out your closet? Will you allow yourself to part with things that clutter your life and make room for the things you need the most?
"Sometimes we have to clean out the closet of our heart to allow more good things inside"
I have been chewing on this little statement for a while and felt that it needed more than 140 characters. I do love Twitter, I must confess, but I wanted to share more when it came to this. Cleaning out our closet is not just about confession, although that seems to be the first thing we think of.
I don't have a huge closet at home, thank God. That regulates my shopping. And I find myself cleaning it out a couple times each year. Sometimes, I find things that I just don't wear anymore, because of various reasons (they don't fit, they are dated, they look too much like something I already had) and I make a choice to part with them. I make that choice to eliminate clutter, and to make room for something better.
I believe that our hearts need much the same. We hold on to things sometimes that we have absolutely NO reason to. And IF we just let go, I think we would all be made better. We would have much more room to accept, enjoy, make peace and live life joyfully with the items we CHOOSE to hold on to. We would give our "closet" (our heart) room to hold more, and store things that mean the most to us, instead of housing items that take up unnecessary room and are not needed or utilized.
And you know what I have learned from cleaning out my closet? I have learned to be wise with what I choose to put in there from now on. I choose more carefully now what I let in, and I guard and care for what is in there.
I did some closet cleaning this year in my heart. It freed me up to love with more conviction and intent, it gave me more peace than I had before, and it opened my eyes to the things I really needed. Sure, it was hard to part with a few things, but in the end, I didn't really need them anyway.
Will you clean out your closet? Will you allow yourself to part with things that clutter your life and make room for the things you need the most?
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
35 Candles...
In honor of my (ahem) 35th Birthday, I decided to make a list of items that are "candles" in my life, points of light that burn bright in my heart and life, whether it be a friendship, good cup of coffee, or a defining moment forever living in my memory. So, here goes, and of course, they are not in order of importance. WARNING: some will be very poignant and some of them may be ultra shallow...but still, they have made me happy or given me joy in some way.
1. Leading Worship at Hopepark and offering that gift up.
2. Making my Momma pee in her pants.
3. Going to the register only to find that the clearance is an additional 25% off.
4. Kneeling in front of someone and fitting them with a new pair of shoes for Soles4Souls
5. Meeting my soulmate someday.
6. Being around the house when the Today Show comes on and being able to hear the theme song and watch the opening credits.
7. Making a baby smile.
8. Getting random texts or letters from people in my life, near and far. It's like a butterfly kiss.
9. Dreaming about my future and what my story is left to be.
10. A great cup of coffee from Starbucks.
11. Hearing my friend Tami laugh.
12. Hot Wings...VERY HOT WINGS.
13. Looking back and seeing how something difficult in my life has made me grow....
14. Days when my Bible Study is a DIRECT correlation to my present circumstance. When God does that, I am always floored.
15. People who humbly share their story with authentic passion.
16. Paxville, SC Sunsets
17. A letter from Leigh-Ann McCune that she wrote to me when she was a teenager.
18. When my furbabies snuggle with me when it's cold.
19. My true-blue friendships
20. A really good pair of jeans (True Religion)
21. Serving in Shoe Distributions side by side with Wayne
22. The Zodiacs
23. The smell in the air when fall is just around the corner.
24. The first time I hear a really great song.
25. How I feel after I have served another person...the absolute best.
26. My Mom's Chicken Tenders, Gravy and Cabbage
27. Nude Lip Gloss
28. High Heels
29. Magazines
30. Finishing Well.
31. Singing "Jesus Never Fails" every night of the Truth Farewell Tour
32. Seeing someone I love happy
33. Chicken McNuggets
34. Having Peace.
35. Anticipating what is yet to be...
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Under Construction
Sometimes we have those "lamp" moments. It is as if someone pulled the switch and we can "see", you know? Today, I had yet another as my friend shared this amazing quote with me:
"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.
But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.
You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself."
C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity
What do I say in response to this? I have always loved the thought of a sweet little cottage, but if I can be a palace....well, alrighty then.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Just around the corner...
YWCA Distribution-November 2010
On a beautiful fall day I traveled to the Davidson County YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter to distribute shoes on behalf of Soles4Souls. With about 20-30 pairs in my car, I arrived at the shelter to distribute shoes to the current shelter residents.
As we prepared the shoes for the women in the shelter to come receive them, I learned that there are over 20 women and roughly 15-20 children currently living in the shelter. These women and children come to the Y to flee domestic violence situations, some of them with just the clothes on their back and shoes on their feet. They come to an undisclosed location for safety, so that they can rebuild their lives without continuing to live in the physical, mental and verbal abuse many of them have suffered from.
As the ladies came out, I was greeted by friendly faces that enjoyed choosing a new pair of shoes that fit just right. Many of the shoes I brought were from Red Wing, and they were perfect shoes for some of the women that had started new jobs where sturdy, protective footwear were just what they needed. One woman was overcome by emotion as she received her new shoes, stating that her new pair now made 2 pairs she had to wear now. The gratitude and thankfulness in their voices made me well aware of the need they had for shoes, and just how much they appreciated it.
I fit two young boys, brothers 9 and 11, with new shoes as well. Seeing their eyes light up over new sneakers and being able to lace them up tight was a great experience! They were so thrilled to have a nice, new pair of shoes to go to school with.
I was reminded as I left the YWCA that day that although Soles4Souls distributes to over 125 countries worldwide, there are SO many needs here in the US as well. We never know what our neighbor, co-worker, or even close friend may be going through. Sometimes something so simple as the gift of shoes can help change their world for the better. Someone not TOO far from you is hurting, and is in trouble.
Every time I go on a distribution for Soles4Souls, I again realize the importance of our mission and it always puts everything into focus for me. You cannot out-give, out-love, out-serve.
On a beautiful fall day I traveled to the Davidson County YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter to distribute shoes on behalf of Soles4Souls. With about 20-30 pairs in my car, I arrived at the shelter to distribute shoes to the current shelter residents.
As we prepared the shoes for the women in the shelter to come receive them, I learned that there are over 20 women and roughly 15-20 children currently living in the shelter. These women and children come to the Y to flee domestic violence situations, some of them with just the clothes on their back and shoes on their feet. They come to an undisclosed location for safety, so that they can rebuild their lives without continuing to live in the physical, mental and verbal abuse many of them have suffered from.
As the ladies came out, I was greeted by friendly faces that enjoyed choosing a new pair of shoes that fit just right. Many of the shoes I brought were from Red Wing, and they were perfect shoes for some of the women that had started new jobs where sturdy, protective footwear were just what they needed. One woman was overcome by emotion as she received her new shoes, stating that her new pair now made 2 pairs she had to wear now. The gratitude and thankfulness in their voices made me well aware of the need they had for shoes, and just how much they appreciated it.
I fit two young boys, brothers 9 and 11, with new shoes as well. Seeing their eyes light up over new sneakers and being able to lace them up tight was a great experience! They were so thrilled to have a nice, new pair of shoes to go to school with.
I was reminded as I left the YWCA that day that although Soles4Souls distributes to over 125 countries worldwide, there are SO many needs here in the US as well. We never know what our neighbor, co-worker, or even close friend may be going through. Sometimes something so simple as the gift of shoes can help change their world for the better. Someone not TOO far from you is hurting, and is in trouble.
Every time I go on a distribution for Soles4Souls, I again realize the importance of our mission and it always puts everything into focus for me. You cannot out-give, out-love, out-serve.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Little Pieces
I'm 34 years old, soon to be 35. I find it HIGHLY unlikely that I will have children and I'm completely OK with that. But some people in my life are not so ok with it, and have even asked me "But who will take care of you when you are older?" I know they meant well, but having a child does not guarantee that I have adequate care when I am a senior citizen and unable to care for myself.
Some people think its a little unusual that I don't pine over having a baby. I love babies so much, love other people's babies and caring for them. But that doesn't mean I need a baby.
I look at it this way...what if by not having children I can go out and love on so many children and individuals who do not have a mother or someone to love them? What if that is my legacy?
"If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it may be because pieces will feed a multitude when a loaf would satisfy only a little boy" Elisabeth Elliot
I love this quote, I have for over 10 years. When I read this quote above, I interpret it many ways: Yes, when we are broken before God, He basically divides and conquers with the pieces of our life. I also see this quote as an explanation, somewhat, over the BABY question in my own life.
I want to touch AS MANY HURTING PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD AS I CAN. And I think the solution for me to do that is to be freed up on some levels that others are not.
And God has been SO gracious to me to put people into my life that I have been able to "mother" and pour myself into, and this fills me and gives me so much joy.
I think everyone has their own unique path. Sometimes it is not 2.5 kids, a pool and a SUV.
People will see me holding a baby sometimes and say "That is a good look on you". And you know what? They are right. Loving another person and showing compassion and tenderness is a good look on anyone.
It looks the same as:
Kneeling at the feet of a homeless man with no teeth and fitting him with shoes
Putting on rainboots and gloves to clean out a flood ravaged home
Having a friend over late into the night because she just needs to talk
Watching a young woman grow into adulthood that you have had the honor of mentoring for 10 years
And I'm not finished...I want to DO SO MUCH MORE...and expend myself more. Love more, care more....nurture more.
Whoever you are, Wherever you are, children, no children, its OK!
Just remember, everyone has a different path....but I think we all hope for the same destination.
Some people think its a little unusual that I don't pine over having a baby. I love babies so much, love other people's babies and caring for them. But that doesn't mean I need a baby.
I look at it this way...what if by not having children I can go out and love on so many children and individuals who do not have a mother or someone to love them? What if that is my legacy?
"If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it may be because pieces will feed a multitude when a loaf would satisfy only a little boy" Elisabeth Elliot
I love this quote, I have for over 10 years. When I read this quote above, I interpret it many ways: Yes, when we are broken before God, He basically divides and conquers with the pieces of our life. I also see this quote as an explanation, somewhat, over the BABY question in my own life.
I want to touch AS MANY HURTING PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD AS I CAN. And I think the solution for me to do that is to be freed up on some levels that others are not.
And God has been SO gracious to me to put people into my life that I have been able to "mother" and pour myself into, and this fills me and gives me so much joy.
I think everyone has their own unique path. Sometimes it is not 2.5 kids, a pool and a SUV.
People will see me holding a baby sometimes and say "That is a good look on you". And you know what? They are right. Loving another person and showing compassion and tenderness is a good look on anyone.
It looks the same as:
Kneeling at the feet of a homeless man with no teeth and fitting him with shoes
Putting on rainboots and gloves to clean out a flood ravaged home
Having a friend over late into the night because she just needs to talk
Watching a young woman grow into adulthood that you have had the honor of mentoring for 10 years
And I'm not finished...I want to DO SO MUCH MORE...and expend myself more. Love more, care more....nurture more.
Whoever you are, Wherever you are, children, no children, its OK!
Just remember, everyone has a different path....but I think we all hope for the same destination.
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