….is what the San Francisco Giants were screaming after the Astros cleaned the field with them.
Yes, today was fun. Mainly because I got to hang out with my buddy Natalie…she’s very cool and some genuine quality time was definitely over due with her . We went to the Astros game. Here’s a quick recap…
Game tied 3-3 until the 6th inning
Giants pull ahead by one run in the 6th..score is 4-3
We answer that run in the 7th, tie the score 4-4
8th inning…its go time…Berkman hits a two run homer, then another run scores making the final score 8-4
Astros sweep the series. Heck yes they did!
Baseball is, always has been, and always be my favorite sport. I love everything about the game and the atmosphere of the park. Some more things I love are:
They still sell peanuts and Cracker Jacks at the park.
Today, hot dogs only cost $1…as they should…even though I didn’t eat one, it’s a good thing.
The take home cups.
Foul balls.
Playing the fun games on the big screen between innings.
Seeing Hunter Pence dress like an old school ball player.
Double plays.
The cool music they play between batters.
And one word…Brandon…
If you haven’t seen your favorite team play this season, do yourself a favor…go.
My, my, my…how this summer has flown by. Next week, I will begin in-service and the following week the kids will be back. I will be just as nervous as they will be because I will be at a new school, in a new position. I will be 9th grade Campus Support Specialist for GPHS…sounds fancy…but its really not. I get to help struggling readers become better, and hopefully pass their TAKS test. I also get to mentor and help the four English teachers…as I see it, this is all in preparation for what God is doing in Ethiopia. He just happens to be training me in America…for now
Today I sent out a mass e-mail to a lot of people. People I grew up with, served with, went to seminary with, and worked with. Its funny how God puts people in your life for purposes undenounced to us, for the furthering His Kingdom. I don’t stay in constant contact with many of these people, yet they (we) still can work together for advancing the gospel….I find that very cool.
Knowing that I will be returning to Ethiopia in what is now less than a year away has put a since of urgency on me. I am studying religions that are dominant in the areas in which we frequent, hoping to gain a better understanding on how to minister in love to these people. I am also waiting on God to provide the means in which I can purchase some CD’s and DVD’s that will teach me the Amharic language…all in His timing, but I am ready to learn!
I don’t think I have ever began support raising this early before a trip, but again, the urgency God has placed on my heart is great, and I really feel the timing is right….please join me as I pray for these Ethiopian people; those I have already met, and those I have not. Pray too for those who I have contacted here in America…pray that they, through my words, pictures, and e-mails, can somehow experience the love and join me in this movement….
Last night I saw a movie that contained a very profound line…
The scene was like this: An older lady was hunched over, underneath the hood of a car, apparently fixing it. Her granddaughter approached her and asked if she knew what she was doing. The lady replied ” cars are easy, it’s people that should come with a manual”.
God is teaching me so much about myself and relationships lately, its crazy. The importance of getting into someones life and really learning how to love them unconditionally is quite refreshing actually. Vulnerability is scary, but vital if we really want to get to the heart of God. God wants us to love people. Love them. Them. Their junk, their baggage, their problems, their quirks…call it what you will, but Jesus died for them, and he wants us to do the same. Am I saying die for people? Yes I am. Die to self. Get past yourself and ask God to allow you to see the people he wants you to love the way He sees them. Die to judgment. Take a look at yourself and then see if you still have stones to throw. Die to tradition. So its not trendy or socially cool to befriend those people who have chosen different paths as you have? Who look different? Smell different? Have different lifestyles? Befriend them anyway, in God’s eyes, they are no different than you.
I’m not just talking about the underprivileged or social outcasts in this post. I’m also talking about the people with whom you interact with and socialize with on a daily basis. Have you allowed yourself to get past the *survey questions with them and really begin doing life? Community happens when we do life. Healing happens when we do life. Radical Christian living happens when we do life . Unconditional love happens when we do life. We must love people and love them well, and as I see it, its what God is calling the church to do.
I know God has given me a heart to mentor and love people, and I also know that there are a select few that I want to pour into and really do life with…I am still figuring out who they are, and what I am supposed to do exactly. Don’t get me wrong, we should make an effort to meet people where they are at in order to love them well, but Jesus only had 3-4 in His inner circle, so I know there are different levels of friendship. Don’t worry if you don’t make someones inner circle….its not a contest…just love them and let them love you.
Peace. And yes, Words of Love is a Beatles song…
* Survey questions: questions that are relatively insignificant when trying to really get to know somebody. Although they do serve a purpose on a first date, at a party where you don’t know many people, or when you get put into a group at school, they really don’t allow real knowledge of who a person is to take place. ex; my favorite color is blue, I love reading, I am a writer, I love the ocean, etc…
Random thoughts since I have been back from Ethiopia..
WARNING!!!
Many of the following words/phrases/etc. will not make sense to you unless you were with me. But I wanted to give everyone the golden chance to read it anyway
The words”golden opportunity” will forever make me smile.
Juice tastes better in Ethiopia, but ice cream tastes better here.
Never underestimate the importance of shoes.
Beef Balls
Love knows no language
OK…ready?….ready???
HOME!
Now, I officially LOVE “doing what I feel it”
I will never sing the song “All in All” again and not remember playing it in church.
Picture time!! Where’s Berhano?
What????? His church got crayons and ours didn’t?? I’m telling Afework!
Ordering food in an Ethiopian restaurant is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you will get.
French Fries…chips
Never ride in a van with a live animal tied to the top…its not worth it.
I enjoy all my bites of food.
Dial up internet still exists. And is used on a daily basis. And people are ok with it,
I have to wait a whole year for a good macchiato.
Rubber shoes just don’t have the same feel here.
In Ethiopia, colon cleansers aren’t necessary
“You’re gonna die, Charlie”
“Quit eating all the pop tarts…this ain’t no buffet table.”
If you want to get children excited, use a drum. Works like a charm.
To-ta
Spraying off in your eye really hurts
The Dark Lord is real
Shashamene hotel = College dorm room
Sarah Jimmy
Having hot tea poured in your lap really does take your breath away.
35 birr? No way…33
Bob Marley is the MAN!
Wacky Weed.
TONY!
“Who’s got the green bag?”
“Does this hotel have pepper steak?”
Ummm, Ambo.
If you wondered who won the last power uno game or what you ordered last week for lunch, just ask Sarah.
I could probably keep going but I need to take a shower…without wearing shoes…with a hot water guarantee…that won’t give me some dreaded disease if I accidentally swallow some…
In light of a blog I wrote a few days ago, about loving people and loving them well, I have begun asking God how exactly I should go about this. I believe He gave me some answers and I wanted to share them with you.
Yesterday, I had lunch with some friends, and I couldn’t eat it all…so I got the remainder of my food to go. I had an errand to run, and ended up in the Upper Kirby district (love that area, btw). I came to a stop light, and there was a guy walking in the street, weaving in and out of cars, coming right over to the windows. He held a sign. It had one word on it. Hungry.
As I began rolling down my window and reaching into the back seat for the to-go container, I wish I could have photographed his face…the look of excitement mixed with gratitude was more than my heart could handle at the moment, and it almost brought me to tears. He took the food, and sat right down on the side of the street and began eating. I thanked God and prayed the man would soon have spiritual food placed before him and that he would consume it in the same manner…wish I could have witnessed to him more, but the light turned green, and I had to leave…
Opportunity number two happened this afternoon. I just bought a new Jeep, and it rained yesterday. I took it over to the car wash to spray it off and a guy came over and asked if he could wash it for me. I smiled and told him that I was sorry but I really wanted to wash it. He then asked if I could give him money so he could eat. I told him that no, I usually don’t give people money, but that I would gladly go get him some food…I asked him what he wanted to eat and he told me Popeyes. I already liked this guy because he knew exactly what he wanted and was bold enough to tell me. So, after I rinsed off the Jeep, I got his dinner. Now, as I was driving, it occurred to me that I very rarely carry cash and that I hoped I had enough with me….I searched my wallet and found $8.00. His meal cost $7.99. I’m not kidding.
When I brought it back to him, I found out that his name was Robert. He thanked me and I told him that I was doing this because Jesus loves him. He smiled and said he knew Jesus too and that he was a Christian. He then asked for a dollar so that he could catch the bus, and I told him I didn’t have anymore cash and again, that I don’t usually give out money. As I was pulling away, I noticed the change that I didn’t use when I rinsed off my Jeep, and yes, it was 4 quarters. I backed the car up and rolled down the window to give him the money. He said “the reason you’re doing this is because we both know Jesus.”
Now, was this guy for real? I don’t know. Did he go and buy alcohol with the change I gave him? I don’t know. Does he really know Jesus? Again, I don’t know….but this I do know…..I asked God for opportunities to love unconditionally, and He gave me some. If these men weren’t for real, thats not for me to decide, God can deal with their hearts. As I write this, the following passage comes to mind from Matthew 25:35-40:
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
If you’ve made it this far, I want a response from you. Not a comment telling me “good job” or “way to go”…I know I did a good thing and God gets the glory, I don’t need an accolade….the response I want from you is this: YOU ask God to put people in YOUR path that you can love well and love unconditionally. Keep your eyes open, because if you’re serious, He will do it…let me know how it goes.
I got a tattoo the other day. Its significance is great, so I felt it blog-worthy. First, I feel the need to explain why now, after waiting for so many years, I decided to do this.
I am a gen-Xer. I am of the generation following the biggest in American history, the Baby Boomers. Generations fascinate me and I have recently began reading about and researching them. Being raised by two Boomers in a very conservative home, many things were looked down upon and judged. I am not faulting my parents in any way for my upbringing, I actually think they did a very good job. What I am saying is that for many years….most of my life actually, I have held back from many things simply because I knew I would be judged. I feel like I reached a point of not caring and a place where I can finally be me, and who God created me to be long ago…but never cared about something enough to place it permanently on my body. Until now.
While in Ethiopia, God placed a family with a great need in my path. I had been actively praying about sponsoring 2 children through an agency called Compassion International, but I hadn’t decided who the kids would be. I found the two kids while in Ethiopia. Their mother is single and she cannot afford to sent them to school. God not only allowed me to meet and begin building a relationship with them, He also told me to take care of their schooling for the next 12 years. So I am. Their names are Berhan (6 years old) and Nesanet (5 years old).
Berhan (light) Nesanet (freedom)
Aren’t they precious? While I was there, I found out what their names meant and how to write them in Amharic. Hence my tattoo:
I chose the sun because of the obvious reference to light, and this type of sun in particular looks almost Aztec in nature, and I am partly Indian. To the left of the sun is Berhan’s name in Amharic. I chose the wave because I feel that this freedom began in my life while serving in Hawaii, and God spoke (and continues to do so) through His creation…namely the ocean. To me, freedom is symbolized by the ocean and all that it entails. So to the right of the wave is Nesanet’s name, which as I said means freedom. I chose the colors because they were not so bold and somewhat feminine, and the location being my foot because I had on the shoes of peace when I came to Ethiopia, and hopefully peace is what I brought this family. I do know this to be true for their mother at least, not only because of the financial burden of their education being lifted, but she found peace because she prayed to accept Christ while we were there. All glory to God.
Anyway, there you have it. Oh, and in keeping with my Beatles song titles for my blogs…I chose Octopus’s Garden because of the ink factor If you still don’t get it, revert back to Jr High Science.
Well, Ethiopia 2008 is now part of my past. Part of my pilgrimage. My journey. And it has forever changed my walk.
I haven’t really felt like writing about it until now, due to all the changes my body is dealing with physically, mentally, and spiritually. The big question I always ask after trips such as these is “why am I still here in America”? Gods word says to be willing to go, and I am willing, so whats the problem? God whispered something to me yesterday that gave me rest in this question and I want to share it with you. He told me that there is no problem.
My day began at 4:30am (gotta love jet lag) with a bowl of cereal and several unanswerd emails. At about 5:15 I realized that I hadn’t seen the sunrise over the gulf in a very long time, and that it would be the perfect place to spend my quiet time with God. I was right.
God actually began speaking before I even reached the island. He told me to pay close attention to the color and majesty of what I was about to see. I realized as I watched, that even though the sun rises at different times in Ethiopia and here, its still the same sun. If I find a body of water in Ethiopia, Lake Awassa for example, and watch a sunrise on any given cloudy day, I am likely to see the same colors and setting as I saw before my eyes. Hence, He is the same God here and there. He had a task for me there and He has one for me here. This thinking led me to ponder the needs that I saw over the last 5 weeks compared to the needs here in America….I came to the conclusion that they were basically the same.
Love. Thats it. People need love. They need to know they are loved. They need to know that someone (who doesn’t have to) cares. They need to be shown that love in practical ways. When we love, people see Jesus Christ in action.
As I traveled down the roads of Ethiopia, I found myself wondering how the people would respond if we took them to America. Just packed them all up and brought them here. How would they respond to what they saw? I came to the conclusion that they don’t need what I have to be happy. They don’t need the comforts that we have because quite frankly, I didn’t have those comforts for a few weeks and I was just fine. Do they know that they are living in poverty? Of course they do. Do they wish to change this? Of course, we all want things we can’t or don’t have because thats our nature…but my point is this: What they really want is what all of us want…to know that they are loved, regardless. They want to know that they matter. When we show people that they matter to us, they are more likely to see that they matter to the God who sends us. Thats what I attempted to show these past five weeks, and God showed me that is what I must continue to do here in my country.
God puts a lot of people in my path, daily. Some are more challenging as I figure out how to love them as Jesus does, but I am learning. Others, are a true joy to be around and I can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to invest in them and them in me. Regardless, God called me to love. And I want to do that well.
I’ve heard it said that wherever you are, be all there. Well Houston, I am back, all back, and ready to love.
Thanks God for your big ocean, the bright sun, and the opportunity to see them collide.
The other day, I was sitting at the edge of the coast watching the waves. I do this often but that day was different. The waves were as big and frequent as I had seen them in a long time, and the wind was really blowing hard. I watched as the white caps would roll in, flatten out as they reached the sand, and seemingly stop. On the surface, the ocean looks like a constant motion of “forward”. The way it constantly rolls in and forward almost looks therapeutic. The top of the ocean, or the part we can visibly see is actually quite predictable. Selah.
Anyone standing about knee deep would probably disagree when I said the main activity was on the surface. They would feel the sand shifting under their feet, the water rushing back out and the pull of the undertow. To the eye, we cannot see all that goes on the minute that wave stops on the sand and begins its journey back out to sea. The process of making the wave, the rip tide, the undertow; is all taking place and is done underneath what we can actually see. Can we see the pull underneath the wave? No, but we can certainly feel it if we get in the deep water…
For this upcoming Ethiopia trip, I think the same holds true. On the surface, we have made preparations, packed all the necessities, have a plan, and schedule. These are significant and important but these are only things we can see on the surface. I have a feeling that when we get into it, the hand of God is going to be like that undertow and show us that the trip is so much more than what we can actually see. Its bigger than teaching English. The teaching is only the surface, but what is going on beyond that outweighs anything we can imagine. The real work, the real movement, and the real outcome will be done below what seems apparent. I have a feeling God is going to do something huge. I don’t pretend to know what, but this I do know…the ramifications of it will be felt long after I leave the country. It will be felt in the hearts of those who are going with me long after they leave as well, and I dare say they will be forever changed by what is about to begin tomorrow. Even those of us who have been there before…
Yes, this trip is going to be huge…and if you will pray along with us, you will be just as much a part of it as we are. All glory to Him…see ya when I get home.
I chose the title today because that statement has become so very true these last couple of years. I used to be in the corporate rat race, making my way to the top, and achieving success at a very young age. Those of you that know my testimony know my story, so I wont go there…but we live in a society where people will do whatever they can for the all mighty dollar. Not only do they have jobs that they don’t love, but they do almost anything to keep and climb in that job, just to increase the zeros at the end of their earnings. Its sad.
Yesterday was the last day with my students at GPMS, and today was the last day with my colleagues. I got more hugs than I could count yesterday and a genuine sense of knowing that kids had grown because of Jesus. Today, again, more hugs and some tears. I can’t tell you how many teachers donated stuff for the Ethiopia trip next week…I honestly can’t wait to give it all away. I looked around my empty classroom this morning; the bookshelves were bare as well as the walls, the desks were empty and the room was quiet. I thought of all the smiles and love that God brought in and out of the door, and I prayed for the teacher who would be serving there next year. I prayed that the students would feel the Holy Spirit there and the teacher would show them Jesus no matter the cost. I prayed for God to get the glory and that His name would continue to be made great on that campus. I prayed for peace because I honestly love that school and all it stands for.
Closure.
Yesterday, I went over to my new place of service, GPHS, and unloaded some of my things. The place is HUGE. I don’t know anyone and they don’t know me…but as I was putting boxes in my office, I knew that this was my next step and that this was where God wanted me to be. This is deeper water, but my Life Preserver is the same. I will cling to Him everyday and pray that these high school kids will see Him in me, and become better readers in the meantime.
As you read this, I hope you understand one thing: what you do with your life isn’t about you or what you make of yourself…its about Him and constantly seeking His calling over your life. Remember, the need is the call and when you see a need that YOU can fill..thats your calling. The money, the provisions, the support, the encouragement, all that stuff will come…. It will come His way and in His time. Remember that things aren’t always as we picture them or how they seem…nobody could have told me 5 years ago that I would end up being a school teacher, and I have no idea when my love for kids began…but here it is….
Do what God created you to do, and no way will you be disappointed. All glory to Him as I prepare this week to take my calling halfway across the globe and spend half my summer in Ethiopia. I can’t wait to see what He does.
