Giving. Has it become a commodity?

So this weekend I along with a friend and her husband I went to The City. We took BART in and walked a few blocks to get to the GREEN Festival. Call me a hippy at heart, but I had a great time. There were a ton of booths about how to green your home, fair trade goods, and renewable living choices; but for me it wasent just about the booths. God had a few people in mind for me to meet.

As I strolled around the main floor of the festival something caught my eye. There was a booth with African baskets for sale. I stopped by and took a look. They were stunning baskets handmade in Rwanda. After chatting with the nice lady running the booth I kept going. Little did I know that just a few booths down God had something for me. There was a both called "African Mamas." It was full of colorful shirts, beads, and more from all over Africa. There was some Kenyan beads that just sent me back to the hot orange sun of Kenya. I smiled and kept looking. The lady running the both came up to me and we started to talk. I asked if the beads were Kenyan and and with a surprised response she said they were. We started talking more about our lives. I told her I have been to Kenya off and on for the last three years and at the end of this up coming summer I would be moving to Africa (Thank God she did not ask what country....because I still don't know). I got a few things (one is a great Christmas gift) and she asked me for my name and email. She said she is always looking for contacts that know Africa. As I was about to leave a young lady stopped me. She said she had over heard my conversation and would love to hear more about the orphanages in Kenya I have worked with. She is starting one in Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala. She is looking to talk to other that have start orphanages to get ideas of what she is getting into. It was a great time talking and exchanging contact info. As I walked away I felt God's hand on me, leading and guiding every step I took at that event. God is so good but that is not what I wanted to write about. He is and we all know that He is but there is something that HIT me.

Tonight I was checking out the website of the young lady I meet starting the orphanage. I loved reading about her, seeing her pictures form the last trip she took, but the thing that got me the most was the video she had listed under inspirations! It is the founder of a micro loan website speaking on how the nonprofit came to be. She talked about how she learned of the poor in her Sunday School class. How she knew she was asked to help. Filled with excitement and passion she started to do so but then learned that Jesus said the poor will always be with us. She started to see the poor as an never ending line of people asking for things. She started to give out of guilt and then the guilt was replaced with a new feeling. Somehow the giving became a commodity. As I heard what she said I was floored! How can giving become a commodity? But then as I listened to how she described it and what it had done to her it was crystal clear. And it made me start to think.

In today's world giving has become a commodity. People do it because it makes them feel good. There are gift giving catalogs that make it simple to give someone in need something as a gift for other. We seen the commercials on TV all the time for organizations asking for money so they can give it to others. The more and more I thought about it the more my heart broke. We have high jacked something that God asked us to do n order to bring glory to ourselves (there is a deep pit in my stomach right now). Where did we make the turn of doing something for someone in the name of US insetd of Jesus?

The video goes on to say that the founder had learned so much when she packed up and moved to East Africa for three months. She learned how the people just wanted a a little help more so then a hand out. The movie does come full circle and gives hope but I am still hung up on the fact that, we as humans have lesson-ed the meaning of giving. Truth be told there are many great givers out there that give with the intend that God has designed. But this thought of how giving has become a commodity just rocked my world. What about you?

True North

Every one knows there is a true north and a magnetic north....I see it is our north and God as the TRUE north. We all walk around with a compass in our lives but what north are we following?

Even the best made plans are ones that are driven by our own magnetic north. We might have set off following the True north but some how along the way through our wants, wishes, and dreams lead the magnetic north to have a stronger pull on our way. We can convince ourselves that we are walking in the way of the True north even when we know with out a shadow of a doubt we are not. Others are more then willing to hold your hand on the path telling you that you are doing what is right and pleasing for the True north. But the hard cold truth is we KNOW we are lost and wandering among coordinates that are not meant for us.

We can stop walking, get our barrings straight, and start walking towards the True north once again. There is no one that has not needed to get their barrings straight now and again. This world we live in is one that has an supernatural pull towards the magnetic north of our lives. There is no shame in talking a few steps back or even starting the whole journey over. By any means it maybe a hard thing to do but the True north does not waver or miss lead because the traveler has walked another path.


What north are you following? Are you praying and holding on to the True north? Well you are not alone! Life is a ball of confusion and I am right there with you. On this journey and in this time of a lack of clarity I pray for us. May the one and ONLY True north make it all clear so we can get back to trekking this journey called LIFE!

Call+Response

Today there are more slaves in the world then any other time! There is a movement to spread the word of what is happening to over 27 million peoples all over the world. There is a screening of the film at Fremont Community Church Oct. 17, 2010 at 11am. I hope you all come and bring a friend. We are all created in the image of God and we all have the right to freedom in who we are through Christ, salver is not what God indented for His Children. You can also see the trailer online at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxOyPGE9Nns

A Good Laugh

I am not going to ask you if you have ever had a day were you just wanted to laugh.....I know you all have! Well, today is my day of just wanting to laugh, and laugh at everything. As I was on my way to work the car next to me, a sports car, almost hit me. Come to find out they were on the phone. That warranted a laugh. When I got to work and made my oatmeal and started to set up my class room. I needed sand for a project and went outside to get one. A kindergartner said "What are you doing here? You belong on the other side!" Well, I kindly reminded him I was a teacher and that I can go where I needed to go. I also tried my best not to laugh. At the children's nap time there was a little one that was more wiggly then a worm. I asked " Do I needed to glue you to your bed?" To my amazement he nodded his head yes! I composed myself long enough to talk to him about how he needs to lay still and rest (without laughing...but now that I am sitting working in my classroom I can not HELP but laugh)!

So here is a toast (I have some Ice Tea) to the days when you just want to laugh. You may not be able to laugh when the moment hits you I hope you all get to laugh at the end. It is the best! It even helps your health! A hearty guffaw will burn more calories than a nervous titter, but researchers at Vanderbilt University found adults burn an average of 1.3 calories per minute while laughing with their friends. That’s about the same number of calories you burn while taking notes in a classroom or standing and talking on the phone. But laughter has other benefits besides burning calories, including relief of emotional stress and a workout for the muscles of the diaphragm, abdomen, back, and shoulders.

SICK!

Of course I am sick...I have a thousand and one things to do and a in a wedding this weekend! The day started like any other but then I had to go home in the middle of one of my long days because I had fever. So for the last few hours outside of sleeping I have 5 glasses of water, 2 cups of cold care tea, and my cold kicking herbs! Tomorrow is a new day and I need to be at work so send prayers my way! Thanks for love and thank you God for your healing touch. (Oh a good bath with herbal salts doesn't hurt too.) :)

If you would like to get some herbs and vitamins to help you next time you get a cold try:
Zinc
Vitamin C
Spirulna
Ecanasia

Also the tea I drink is:
Traditional Medicinals Gypsy Cold Care

One Step Closer!

Hi Y'all! It has been a while but things are changing in my world right now. At the start of Aug I started my new job....new old job. The Lord has lead me back to teaching preschool. I love it! We started the new school year just this week and it is great.

I also have been working on following the leading to Kenya full-time. Just tonight I have been booked on a flight in Nov to attend a week of training at AIM (Africa Inland Mission) headquarters in New York. There is really no way to put into words the way I am feeling right now. Every day I wake up and I can see the changes taking place in my life. Before I start teaching again God really made me stop and think about how much I trust Him and follow even when He says JUMP. As far as I can tell I have jumped and landed where He wants me. :)

For now things are just about getting in the routine of the new stage I am living in. With love and support of friends and family it is all coming together. When things slow down I am hoping to get thrifty and crafty ASAP! The Holiday weekend is coming up so I hope to finish a few projects I started but never finished......stay tuned to see how they all come out!

Fun, Easy, and Green

How many of you have thought...."I wish I could make that!" Well I thought that with the packets of dye for tie dye. When I was in Kenya working with my friend's amazing family we tie died some shirts. The kids has a blast and it was really easy. It was not much money but I did have to bring over the dye.

So last week I was thinking about how much fun I had dying the shirts with the girls and seeing their faces was a great moment. A friend of mine will be celebrating her little man's 1st birthday this upcoming weekend and I wanted to get a fun gift. I really wanted to make him a tie dye shirt but I did not want to go buy the dye.

With the internet as my guide I found some info on making natural homemade dye from spices, plants, and food! So I looked around to see what I had and found I could make yellow, orange, blue(ish), and brown.

For Yellow:
I took 2 lemons and took the peal off and boiled them in water (2 1/2 cups) for 1hour. Flitered it and stored in a glass jar.

For Blue:
I peeled one red onion and placed the peals in water and boiled for 1hour. Filtered it and added one drop of blue food coloring and stored in glass jar.

For Orange:
I boiled water with Paperkika (3Tlb) for 1hour. Filtered it added one drop of red food coloring and stored in a glass jar.

For Brown:
Boil 1/4 cup of used coffee grounds for 1hour. (I had a three year old wanting to get starting with the dying process so I did not let it boil for an hour. Because it was a very light brown I added one drop of blue food coloring. It became more like a ocean green. It was fun and worked in a pinch.) Filter and store in a glass jar.

To make fun lines, shapes, and what not add your rubber bands to a white shirt. Make use the bands are tight. I placed some of each color into glass blows (if you are seeing I use glass a lot, I do! They are green and reusable and the color will not stain it.) Now that the colors are in blows....HAVE FUN! Dip the part of the shirt you want in each color. Dip over and over again to make the color darker. When you are done place the shirt in a plastic bag. Let it stand as long as you can. The longer it stands the stronger the colors will be. When you are ready take the bands off and rise in cold water.

Have fun with your new shirt! I know I will have a great time giving the cute little guy his tie-dye birthday gift! If you have any questions please feel free to comment or contact me.