CRASH...

Have you ever seen the movie Crash? It’s one of those films that shake your senses, your beliefs, and really makes you stop and think about who you really are…

“Its’ the sense of touch, life, any real city you walk in, you brush past people, you bump into people…they bump into you…In L.A. no one sees anyone; we’re always behind this metal and glass; I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into each other just to feel something…”

It causes you to question your understanding of those who are different than you, those who are NOT like you, not like me…it perhaps, reinforces stereotypes, but also defies them, which I think, is the point…

"Moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other." We collide because we need to…sometimes, those collisions bring out the best in us, while other times, they bring out the worst. They cause us to think about not only ourselves, but also those around us, moving just as fast as we are…

…We all want someone to love us; we all want someone to care enough to stop and take a moment and meet us where we’re at…

It's a 'crash' that perhaps we all need from time to time...

Unbreakable...

Sometimes I wonder about the very nature of why we exist. We often underestimate the power that we have over ourselves, and ultimately over each other. It’s a rather unique phenomenon; how we limit ourselves…perhaps that’s what we are taught? In America, we have extreme expectations…overpowering expectations…it’s quite unbelievable, the limitations we place on each other and mostly, ourselves.

The unbelievable…perhaps it’s not so implausible to achieve the very thing that you thought you never could…BECOME UNBREAKABLE…and start to DREAM again…NEVER underestimate the power of YOU…

...Thankful...

During this time of ‘Thanksgiving’, I’m reminded of how much I have; how much I have been blessed to receive.

I know this is so simple, but so many times we focus on the things we DON’T have, that we forget about the things that we’ve been incredibly blessed to be given.

So, again, as simple as it may sound, take a break from the chaos around you, and be thankful for LIFE…

A Success ...

"Try not to be a man of success, but rather a man of value." ~Albert Einstein

Been thinking a lot about success lately…how does one measure the success of another? Is it in the job or position they hold? Is it in the material possessions that they have? Is it the designer clothes that they wear?

I’d like to think that success is so much more than those things…it’s not about the things we have, the things we consume…it’s about the moments in LIFE that somehow, make LIFE livable…and without them, LIFE wouldn’t be complete.

I don’t know what those moments are for you, but for me it’s meeting my husband, marrying him and beginning a life together…it’s spending time with my sisters, whom I cherish more than anything…it's the time spent with my mom and dad, which without them, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today…and perhaps, another moment will emerge in the future, of raising a child to become whatever it is they are born dreaming about…

I believe success isn’t in the material things, but the moments that breathe LIFE into us…

Constant...

Sometimes things can be so complicated. You think, you ponder, you wonder and wish…it gets so overwhelming at times…

It’s just not as easy as it seems…LIFE, just isn’t as easy and ROSY as sometimes people portray. I don’t know why feeling like this is relevant, I just know that sometimes, LIFE is LIFE, no matter how you look at it.

Jesus is amazing however…in those moments when you are in a rut, it’s comforting to know that He is right there with you, right by your side, going through the wondering, pondering, and wishing, that sometimes is a constant. I suppose that’s the amazing part about it. Jesus is the ONE constant that WE ALL can count on, even if our thoughts and LIFE consume us...

A Thought...

I’ve often thought that being a servant takes more than just DOING something for someone else. It’s about the attitude that you have when doing it…

Just a thought for today….

ALIVE...

I recently began working with middle school students through a program called Five Star. It’s a fairly new program, about four years old this year. (Check it out http://www.fivestarlife.org/)

The essence of the program is providing kids with an after-school option, rather than mindless video games or getting into trouble.

There are five basic principles that we will touch on throughout the three-season program. Dream, Excellence, Integrity, Responsibility, and Service are the five principles Five Star is based on. Currently, we are talking about dreams with the kids, and it’s quite inspiring to hear what some of the girls want to do; not only with their current living situations, or family situations, but with their futures.

It’s been an amazing journey thus far, and I must say, I’m so excited that there is more to come…

I have eight girls in my group, from Brown Intermediate Center. They are remarkable young ladies, and I can’t say it enough how lucky I am to be a part of their lives.

We started nearly four weeks ago and two Saturdays ago, we took nearly 130 kids to a camp called Manowe, located in Sturgis, Michigan. There, we were able to do a number of activities with our kids, including a high-ropes course. I must say, it was intimidating to look at and I’m 27! I can’t imagine a 12, 13, or 14-year-old looking up, saying, ‘I can do this’.

However, the strength and perseverance of these kids’ continues to amaze me to this day. And probably will for a LONG time.

As we get strapped in for our adventure, a number of the girls opted to not complete the course. However, after a little encouragement from us, their coaches, the girls, their peers, began cheering them on. Some still decided not to complete it, but a number of them tried. They tried and conquered. I guess it goes back to chasing a ‘dream’. It takes steps to get there and with a simple element, like a ropes course, they ALL took steps to get to the next level…even if it was only getting to the top and NOT completing the course. They were able to get to a level, that in the beginning, they thought wasn’t possible to get to. Amazing…these kids are amazing…

We were all meant to live for something, something that brings us ALIVE...which in turn, brings others ALIVE…

So…'don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come ALIVE, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come ALIVE'...

Uncertainty lingers...

It's that thing that runs through your mind on a daily basis...

The nagging, unprecedented uncertainty lingering around every turn you take, every choice you make...

We run this race called life so hard, that sometimes we miss the point, the angels that give us hope and make the race easier to take on...perhaps easier to run...

As you gaze upon the vastness of the next blue sky, or star filled sky, take a moment to remember why you're here...don't take this thing called life for granted, embrace every moment, embrace every memory...

Have you got it in you?

Have you got it in you?

Yeah, you!!!

How many times have you sat at the very place you are sitting now…how many times have you stared at the screen in front of you…how long have you been waiting to act instead of react???

Have you got it in you?

Why do we talk, but never act…why do we speak, but never listen…why do we have fear and never overcome it???

Have you got it in you?

STOP YOUR HESITATION...

Oh my God...

Lyrics to songs are sometimes parallel to life; they reflect at times, what we might be thinking, yet haven't spoken...this song, by Jars of Clay does just that. It's a cry, it's a plea, it's something relevant to this moment...this time...it's called 'Oh my God'...

Oh my God, look around this place
Your fingers reach around the bone
You set the break and set the tone
Flights of grace, and future falls
In present pain
All fools say, "Oh my God"

Oh my God, Why are we so afraid?
We make it worse when we don't bleed
There is no cure for our disease
Turn a phrase, and rise again
Or fake your death and only tell your closest friend
Oh my God.

Oh my God, can I complain?
You take away my firm belief and graft my soul upon your grief
Weddings, boats and alibis
All drift away, and a mother cries

Liars and fools; sons and failures
Thieves will always say
Lost and found; ailing wanderers
Healers always say
Whores and angels; men with problems
Leavers always say
Broken hearted; separated
Orphans always say
War creators; racial haters
Preachers always say
Distant fathers; fallen warriors
Givers always say
Pilgrim saints; lonely widows
Users always say
Fearful mothers; watchful doubters
Saviors always say

Sometimes I cannot forgive
And these days, mercy cuts so deep
If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep
While I lay, I dream we're better,
Scales were gone and faces light
When we wake, we hate our brother
We still move to hurt each other
Sometimes I can close my eyes,
And all the fear that keeps me silent falls below my heavy breathing,
What makes me so badly bent?
We all have a chance to murder
We all feel the need for wonder
We still want to be reminded that the pain is worth the thunder

Sometimes when I lose my grip, I wonder what to make of heaven
All the times I thought to reach up
All the times I had to give
Babies underneath their beds
Hospitals that cannot treat all the wounds that money causes,
All the comforts of cathedrals
All the cries of thirsty children - this is our inheritance
All the rage of watching mothers - this is our greatest offense

Oh my God...

Actions Speak Louder Than Words...

I don’t understand the essence of why things happen the way they do...I am continually dumbfounded by the chaos and commotion that life can bring…

…what is wrong with people? What is wrong with ‘Christians’? That term is used MUCH too often. Almost to the point where Christians choose NOT to label themselves as such, because the label just doesn’t fit what ‘Christians’ have become. I’d like to think of my self as a Jesus lover, Christ follower, God-fearing woman. When someone asks me if I am a ‘Christian’ I respond as such...

Is that wrong? I don’t necessarily believe that; however, I do believe that a revolution of sorts needs to happen…perhaps in the church itself, but what if a revolution happened OUTSIDE of those walls? With people who are tired with ONLY talking about it, but wanting to DO something about it? So often times, ‘talking about it’ is where it’s left. No ACTION is ever taken. Perhaps it’s fear, maybe it’s evil seeping though the cracks of our fragility, I don’t know…I DO know though that God is real; He is real to me; my heart pushes me to react instead of sit back and watch a world in peril.

We talk and talk about global warming, but what about the affects of what we are doing to souls? Does anyone ever ask THAT question? I don’t discount those who believe our planet is in danger if we do not stop our callousness, but again, what about the very nature of our human selves? We can talk all we want, but I truly believe that it’s what we DO that makes our lives matter; our ACTIONS make our lives represent the beauty and love that God so evidently displayed to each of us…on a cross…it was His ACTIONS that spoke more than words…

Perhaps I’m a little naive, but I think it’s our ACTIONS that speak much louder than ANY words that come out of our mouths...

Words of Enlightenment...

ENLIGHTENED PERSPECTIVE; all WORDS below were written by Andy Rooney, a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words…

I've learned....That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned....That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned....That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned....That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned....That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned....That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned....That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned....That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned....That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned....That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned....That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned....That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned....That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned...That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned....That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I’ve learned....That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned....That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned....That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned....That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned....That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned...That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned....That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned....That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned....That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned....That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned....That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned....That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned....That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned....That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done...