Thursday, January 26, 2012

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHRISTIAN DEMONSTRATION







so i was surfing facebook the other day and saw a post that ended up leading me to this story.




it put a smile on my face and made me say FINALLY..  



A group from The Marin Foundation, a Christian group whose goal is building bridges between the religious and LGBT communities, set up in an area adjacent to Chicago's Gay Pride parade over the weekend, writes Nathan, a Director of Pastoral Care at the foundation, in a blog post:
"I spent the day at Chicago’s Pride Parade. Some friends and I, with The Marin Foundation, wore shirts with 'I’m Sorry' written on it. We had signs that said, 'I’m sorry that Christians judge you,' 'I’m sorry the way churches have treated you,' 'I used to be a bible-banging homophobe, sorry.' We wanted to be an alternative Christian voice from the protestors that were there speaking hate into megaphones."

He stopped dancing. He looked at all of us standing there. A look of utter seriousness came across his face. And as the float passed us he jumped off of it and ran towards us. In all his sweaty beautiful abs of steal, he hugged me and whispered, “thank you.”

Before I had even let go, another guy ran up to me, kissed me on the cheek, and gave me the biggest bear hug ever. I almost had the wind knocked out of me; it was one of those hugs.I think a lot of people would stop at the whole “man in his underwear dancing” part. That seems to be the most controversial. It’s what makes the evening news. It’s the stereotype most people have in their minds about Pride. Sadly, most Christians want to run from such a sight rather than engage it. Most Christian won't even learn if that person dancing in his underwear has a name. Well, he does. His name is Tristan.
Nathan discusses the various reactions to the group as people read their signs and "got it", but was most touched by one parade participant:
However, I think Jesus would have hugged him too. It’s exactly what I read throughout scripture: Jesus hanging out with people that religious people would flee from. Correlation between then and now? I think so.

im a fan. God is love, and i want to love people like him.


*  disclaimer* i am not a member of this church nor am i advocating for them. i just like what they did at pride and wanted to bring some attention to a different kind of christian demonstration than we are used to seeing. 

Monday, January 23, 2012

my favorites from 2011



                        moldova- gypsy kids playing                                                                    

one of my shadows while at the orphanage in india

a swaziland smile

nepal work ethic.. never seen anything like it

sharing a coke with some girls after school- swaziland

south africa.. too close for comfort :)

sister love- cambodia

former drug addicts proclaiming their freedom-the boys of teen challenge

little cambodian boy bored at church
                                   

feeding the homeless turned worship hour- australia 

  a thailand beauty

prayer time in cambodia






just missing the race this morning
 feels like a dream. 







Saturday, January 21, 2012

guilty


so here is a little confession from yours truly.. it isnt pretty..




So i have been tryin to do this lately.. 
im trying everything possible to replace this fear 
i have of the unknown with anything i can grab on to..
and curiosity seems to be ok for now.. 

wait what? 

i need to be shaken..  this picture looks creative and cool and almost had me fooled for a second.. but i see through its unique and artistic allure of just go with the flow mentality, be curious, dont fear.. 

being curious is not wrong bad or dangerous.. but not giving something up to the Lord can be..


and im guilty 

it was after i posted this picture to my facebook that i realized i am a daughter of the most high.. WHAT AM I DOING?  i dont fear.. and i most certainly dont need to cover up a feeling with another more glamourous version.. i need to cling to the cross in my desperate moments and realize im not giving him everything.. 
im still trying to carry my burdens..  im still trying to have control..  and im definitely not dealing with the real issue, which is my lack of faith and my ever growing unbelief.. 


i need to surrender and be honest with God about the fear and lack of trust ive been carrying around. 


see you cant say your trusting in the Lord and be sweating bullets due to the amount of stress and anxiety you have.. i dont think it works that way.. 
when you truly are trusting in the Lord there is an ease and peace that comes in the midst of chaos and the unknown.. thats how i know it anyway..

and i have been believing and trusting with my mouth but not with my actions.. my spirit hasn't been at rest since i've been home..  i feel like i have been treading water..  i have been doing everything just to stay afloat.. 

ding ding ding*

God is just waiting for me to tucker out, and say i cant do this anymore.. im tired.. its yours..  i feel like a sign of my immaturity as a believer is that i still fight in giving him stuff... geerr i dont even realize im doing it until i'm out of breath and at the bottom of the pool.  

i need to remember what i have been promised.. 
i am chosen. i have refuge in him. i have purpose. i am never left nor forsaken.


i need to take a deep breath and TRUST... and not with my words.. but with my actions and with my spirit. 


so whats your cover up?  mine was fear of the unknown covered up with curiosity.. i encourage you whatever it may be, big or small, give it to the Lord and allow him to exchange the pressure, the burden, the hurt, the anxiousness with his peace, his assurance, his promises, his goodness and his faithfulness.  


love,
a ex- missionary just trying to figure it out one day at a time : ) 

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

in love!

here are the women of Sseko Sandals ...







arn't they just lovely? i miss waking up to beautiful smiles like theses.. 

so who is Sseko ? 
(all the same shoe, 6 different ways to tie.. so fun!) 
      


Sseko \say-ko\ Designs was created to help these bright young women continue their education. The Ugandan school system is designed with a nine month gap between secondary school and university. These nine months are intended to allow time for students to earn money for tuition before continuing on to university. However, in an impoverished and male dominated society, many of these young women struggle to find fair work during this time.
Sseko Designs hires recent secondary school graduates for this nine month period to live and work together, while earning money that will go directly towards their university education. These women will not make sandals forever. They will go on to be doctors, lawyers, politicians, writers and teachers that will bring change and unification to a country divided and ravished by a 22 year-long war.
Every sandal has a story. 



why women? 




lets go shopping girls*!! : )


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

new band alert

  ALL SONS AND DAUGHTERS


                                                                  
                                                         Image of Brokenness Aside EP 



check check check.. check it out : )
i just happened to stumble upon them this last week and i think there fantastic*

Sunday, January 15, 2012

wise words from lindsey gay


Free Condoms.

I recently heard this video on YouTube (which I'm sure you have all seen.. if not i posted it below ) 

where the guy in it refers to the "church" as a hospital for sinners........Which I think is what it is supposed to be, but I went to church this morning.

I was sitting there and as I listened to all of the "I's", what "I" can do to fix myself, what "I" can do to make it work, what "I"....... the list went on and on. 

I left the church feeling a bit empty. The sermon was on Depression, and lets just say I left feeling a little depressed. 

We were told all of these things about how depression affects you and some steps to change your thinking. 

The message today was a "SELF HELP" sermon. Not a spiritual encounter with my God and how his great power will change you. 

At no point did we ever call up people who felt depressed and pray over them and declare in Jesus name that the evil spirit of depression and the way of thinking be cast out. 

I just felt like I wasn't in a hospital. If you have ever gone to a hospital you don't leave the hospital with and open wound and have them tell you to come back next week. You would never stand for that. You would expect someone to look at the wound and say "AHHHH... lets clean that thing up and freaking stitch it together before you bleed to death!" .... you would expect everyone to be on their A-game and get to work right? Call the head Doctor!!! and nurse, and anesthetist and therapist......Not just tell you how you got the cut and then ways to prevent it next time??? 

Instead, I felt as though I was in a Free Health Clinic and they were passing out condoms. A safe way to live, not beneficial in anyway, but its got some protection, and it makes you feel a little better about the way your living. Here, do what you please, but just be sure you use this and do this, and you will be fine. When in reality we never fix the real problem......

I just think that as we see things like this happening in the church we should stop and reassess our views on God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Aren't they the ones who are supposed to fix us? Yea we do things to get there, but we can't do it on our own. And for those who don't think praying over someone is okay in church and should be saved for another time. Check yourself.  

my sister makes some good points.. 



Thursday, January 12, 2012

k i n d n e s s


Noun:
  1. The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate

so an old friend of mine from high school just turned 25, her name is Ashley and this year she put a lil twist on her birthday... and its become contagious*! instead of making it all about her she made it about others and i love that.. i love that on her special day she wanted to make others feel loved, appreciated, thought about, and special..  

kind·ness/ˈkīn(d)nis/


ashley did 25 random acts of kindness on the day she turned 25

im obsessed with this idea..

it got me thinking..

it got me inspired..
and it made me want to share in hopes that it touches you and encourages you as well : )


here is a list of the 25 RAOK ashley did on her birthday
1. Write someone a note, just because
2. Send someone happy mail
3. Leave a happy note and small gift for the mailman
4. Pay for the person behind you in the drive through at Starbucks
5. Make and donate dresses to Little Dresses for Africa
6. Make and donate cards to Operation Write Home
7. Make and donate hats to Caps for Cap Haitian
8. Buy canned goods and deliver to food bank
9. Buy materials to make blessing bags for the homeless and deliver or keep in car.
http://kwavs.blogspot.com/2011/05/blessing-bags-how-to.html
10. Leave happy notes on bathroom mirror and stalls.
11. Tape quarters to a vending machine
12. Leave happy notes on car windows
13. Donate clothes
14. Buy encouraging cards to send to Joey Caretti--an 11 year old child who is battling cancer for the 3rd time and has a wish to receive 1000 cards.
15. Give a Target gift card to someone random
16. Leave a Chilis gift card on somone's table.
17. Buy a Barnes and Noble gift card and leave inside a book.
18. Leave compliment posters on bathroom mirrors.
19. Hide dollar bills in the dollar store
20. Buy coloring books and crayons and deliver to a local hospital
21. Buy vases and flowers and deliver to a local nursing home
22. Tape quarters on toy machines
23. Make and donate blankets to Project Linus
24. Deliver a meal to someone.
25. Call an old friend just because
 



                                                 




oh the difference we can make in someone's day.. hmmmm*

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

one for one

ok people so i may be a little behind on this, but i just found out that TOMS is at it again

they have a new project out ..




    and of course im in love : )

    with every pair of sunglasses you purchase, TOMS will give sight to a person in need!!!!

    take a second and thumb through their lookbook.. everything is super cute
    im already obsessed and picking out my favs.


    here is a lil video on how the design came about.. 




    cheers to lookin' fly and changin' the world