Become a HERO Youth Ambassador!

I was recently contacted by a member of the HERO Youth Ambassador program. The program was developed to provide comprehensive school-based support to orphans and vulnerable children living in HIV/AIDS-affected African communities.

Now, HERO is looking for 20 students (ages 16-19) from across the US and Canada to be selected as 2008 HERO Youth Ambassadors. Students chosen will travel to Africa in 2008. The deadline to apply is March 1st, 2008. If you know of a young person who is interested, feel free to pass this information along. Click the links below to find out more info!

You can learn more about this program here:

http://www.beinggirl.com/en_US/heroes/hero_landing.jsp

You can also check out some of the Youth Ambassador’s personal experiences in a series of webisodes here:

http://www.youtube.com/BeinggirlHERO

If you're NOT interested in applying for the program, get involved anyway! Click the link below to find out more!

http://www.beinggirl.com/en_US/heroes/Get_Involved.jsp

The Road Not Taken

When I was a little girl, I often thought about the GREAT things that I wanted to do. For so long in my youth, I wanted to GET OUT of South Bend; I always thought that this place had nothing for me. I wanted to move into a BIG CITY somewhere, anywhere…anyplace but here…

However, as I’ve grown up, gotten married, finished college, and began my pursuit for these ‘GREAT’ things, the focus has somewhat shifted…the ‘GREAT’ has taken on a new form…I am reminded that sometimes, the little things are what matter most. Sure, being in the spotlight might be appealing to many, because really, we just want someone to notice; notice what we do and NOT take it for granted…but deep down, I think we all want to have made an impact on someone…to say someone else’s life is better because we took the time to LOVE them…

I believe that no matter where we're at...whether in a BIG CITY, in a small town, or in South Bend, LOVING someone is the key to being 'GREAT'...even when sometimes, you're the ONLY one who knows it...

The following is Robert Frost’s poem, ‘The Road Not Taken’; maybe you’ve read it, maybe not, but I must say, the words are poignant and give the sense that the ‘road less traveled’ does indeed, ‘make all the difference’! Believe in miracles...

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

'People'...they are Amazing Creatures!

Sorry for the LONG pause in posts...it's been extremely busy with work...life...you guys know the routine!

Anyway, just a thought I had today...

It's rather amazing to me how 'alone' people appear, how transparent they are. Maybe, they are just as unsure as I am or perhaps, they are afraid of connection. It’s a bit hard to read people at times, bit it also is so relevant, vibrant, and revolutionary when you do...

Melt ME Away...

Take my heart, take EVERYTHING that is NOT of You away...

Melt my doubts away, give me strength to withstand the day...

Help me to understand Your ways, Your undeniable love for me, Your dreams for me alone...

I Have a Dream...

You probably know what today represents; what it STANDS for…it’s so much more than a day OFF work, or a day AWAY from school…it’s a celebration of a man that decided to be IN this world and make a difference…

It’s amazing what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did so many years ago. He was a man of action, a man of character, a man that changed humanity.

How lucky we are to know about this man, who changed the course of history; who changed the outlook for so many people in his time...

His words and his actions still speak volumes today, as we are reminded of what he gave each of us...

…Dr. King choose to ACT instead of SIT back and do nothing…he stood LOUD and PROUD for the dream, that one day, WE ALL could stand together, join hands, and work and 'be' as one...

Remember this man of GREATNESS…

...and most importantly, REMEMBER his DREAM:

"… I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, 'My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.'

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'"

Just To Be Noticed...

Sometimes I like to watch people. I like to watch them walk down the street; I like to watch them as I sit for a cup of coffee at the local Starbucks; I like to watch them when they think no one is watching them. We are amazing creatures and I am reminded of that each time I look at someone.

When you go to a big city, there are a LOT of blank stares; people brush past you, you brush past people. There always seems to be a destination in sight, with no bother to look to the left or right; it’s just straight ahead…

Well…this is just a thought…what if the next time you were in a Big City, or…in the heart of the city you live within, and you DO look to the right and left…with a smile. The thing is…you NEVER know what that could do for someone…you never know what YOU paying attention to someone else could do…not only for them…but for YOU as well.

A good friend of mine recently went to England for vacation. When he returned, he told us of story that I’ve thought about A LOT; Please CLICK HERE to read it.

It basically tells the story of a young girl; a girl who wanted someone to KILL HER. She was so desperate, so distraught from SOMETHING in her life that she asked someone to take her life. It’s a rather heart-wrenching story because the person that she asked this question told her to ‘Piss Off’. After that desperate attempt, and yet another rejection, she jumped from a bridge, ending her life. I don’t understand it…I don’t understand how someone could be so callous and NOT try and ask this young woman what he might be able to do to help her in such a dire moment in her life.

I suppose there are many stories out there just like this one; stories of desperate people taking desperate measures, JUST to be noticed.

So...maybe watching people isn't your thing...but the next time you decide to look straight ahead...your destination the ONLY thought in your mind...PLEASE notice someone…

Ah...hogwash!

So I haven’t written for awhile. Perhaps it’s lack of something meaningful to write about; or, the fact that I’m trying to do more creative writing. I would really like to enter more writing contests. Not sure why…just a desire to write something...something more than just my meaningless thoughts…

…to be continued…

Believing For Change...

I often think that I’m pretty naive when it comes to the matters of the world. Not because I don’t believe they exist, but because I want to believe that they can change…

Discrimination and hatred towards others is probably the biggest naivety on my part. I want so much to believe that we ALL can get along…we all can make this world a better place, together…but I’ve come to learn that our differences are sometimes looked at as negative…I don’t by this!

I believe we all are unique and beautiful in our own way…we ALL have something to offer this world…we ALL have something to offer to someone else…so, why is it so difficult to accept those differences that make us so unique and beautiful in the first place?

I recently saw an incredible film that truly depicts a pivotal moment in history, but also overcoming adversity in the midst of change.

The year was 1935; the place was Marshall, Texas at a little college called Wiley; the innovator was a man by the name of Professor Melvin B. Tolson…

Tolson was a man of great character, a man of action. During such a volatile time in the depths of the Deep South, as you can imagine, he choose to make changes, look past the differences in others, and unified not only a group of young people, but an entire community.

His story is now a major motion picture called ‘The Great Debaters’.

The film revolves around the efforts of Tolson at historically black Wiley College. His intent was to place his Debate Team on equal footing with whites in the Deep South, but he did so much more than that…he brought together four young college students and taught them the power and authority of words. He gave them the tools to make a voice for themselves in a world that didn’t except them because of the color of their skin.

As I sat and watched this film, I thought about our society today and sadly, how much hasn’t changed in regards to acceptance towards ALL people. Yet, I think about what Tolson did, what these four young debaters did, and I believe that we can make a difference if we fight for it.

The story of ‘The Great Debaters’ is a powerful one, a remarkable tale that speaks great volumes of the perseverance and fortitude of someone who wants to change the norm…

So...addressing the present day...if we want to see change, we must ACT for change...we must first accept those who might be different from us and see them for the beautiful creations that they are...that we ALL are...

...perhaps then, being a little naive, isn't such a bad thing? After all...believing in change is perhaps the only thing that keeps me optimistic that in fact, change is even possible at all...

The Pages of Life...

So I’ve learned there are many things in life that you just CANNOT control. Perhaps you think that’s a good thing; perhaps not. But I think that we all want to have a little ‘surprise’, maybe a little ‘spontaneity’ in our lives. It keeps us guessing…and believing for that next GREAT thing…

I don’t think life has to be ALL planned out…what do you think?

I believe that God intended for us all to make choices, sometimes good and bad, to learn something. Whatever that something might be…LIFE LESSONS are what keep us moving…they give us hope and help us understand the ‘tomorrows’…those lessons help prepare us for whatever it is our future holds.

I guess we could ALL consider ourselves as authors; we’re writing the book of our lives and it’s a daily process. We write the day as the day goes…then, after the day ends, our pens are put away and we prepare for the next page…without ANY expectations, but hope that we will somehow, some way, make a difference…

Make the pages of your life matter...make them a story that MUST be read...because sometimes, things JUST happen and maybe, that's JUST the way God intended!

A Thought for the New Year...

In the words of the GREAT Winston Churchill...

Happy New Year everyone! Be diligent in your dreams, and steadfast in TRUTH...Be blessed...

Love Someone to God...

I’ve often thought that to SHOW love, we first have to BE love. Let me explain…

You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘Actions speak louder than words’; but do people really ‘act’? Do people really understand what it truly means to LOVE people first?

My friend Dave has come up with this profound revelation: ‘LOVE SOMEONE TO GOD’; a magnificent thought; perhaps absurd, but isn’t that what Jesus did? When He came to this earth, His whole purpose was to show the love of God; show the love of his Father, who choose, to send His ONLY son to this earth to die for us. He knew that his son’s fate was inevitable; He knew His ONLY son would have a dire death, but He still sent Him anyway; and Jesus accepted this destiny because He loved us that much, without even knowing us. What love? What grace and forgiveness? I’m baffled by this over and over again…

I often think that the least we can do is LOVE people without any conditions…because again, isn’t that what Jesus did all along? He didn’t even know us, but He died for us anyway…he LOVED us first…

Sometimes, words spoken from our mouths are needed; however, what a thought to LOVE SOMEONE TO GOD without saying a word…think about it…

Does it Matter?

I recently read a profound excerpt in a book called Balcony People; it's written anonymously, but I think, it could register with EVERYONE...because sometimes, what EVERYONE needs, is someone…

I was hungry and you formed a humanities club to discuss my hunger.
Thank you.

I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel to pray for my release.
Nice.

I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
What good did that do?

I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
But I needed you.

I was homeless and you preached to me of the shelter of the love of God.
I wish you'd taken me home.

I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me.
Why didn't you stay?

You seem so holy, so close to God; but I am still very hungry, lonely, cold, and still in pain.
Does it matter?

-Anonymous