live generously.

I found this campaign for generous living and am just really impressed with the simplicity and effectiveness of it.

If you have a few minutes, I'd encourage you to check it out.
Worth a few minutes of your time.


I like _____.

a new name.

This week I shot a video on adoption. These two little cuties were the stars.
I was blown away to hear about how these precious boys were basically left for dead.
Unwanted and uncared for.
And how a family brought them into their home and loved them as their own.
It's an incredible story of grace, unconditional love, and hope for a better future.

I couldn't help but think of these words in the Bible...

"Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him - his name is the Lord.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land."
Psalm 68: 4-6

I stood listening to these parents tell their story and was humbled and challenged. They didn't change the entire world, yet they changed everything in these boys' little world forever.
At the end of the day, through the sweat and the paperwork and the dirty diapers and the messy kitchens...they can say "We did what we could. We loved in the ways we knew how."

Floored.

show me. please.

"Lord, as my heart and days were full of doing “the will of him who sent me” in Kenya, may they be that way here. Give me eyes to see the need and the work there is to do around me--where you have planted me for now. Give me x-ray vision to see through the neatly manicured lawns, the crisp, freshly laundered wardrobes and nicely-kept homes and businesses to the deep-seated need. For I know that the fields are white for harvest."
- Lauren Chandler

Kenya Votes Today

Big day for Kenyans! I have been reading reports from friends there who all seem to say things are going well so far. 

This may be the most interesting picture I've seen so far...

Those are the lines of people waiting to vote! Insane.

Despite all of it's inefficiency and craziness, I miss this place more than a little blog post can say.

every day.

Fill in the blank with something you're passionate about.
Doing things that I love keeps me motivated to work hard and pursue my goals. It also helps to stay diligent through the mundane tasks of life.
Plus it makes for a better life.
Sure, life is not simply about our happiness, but I do believe we should make time for the things that make us feel most alive.

My blank would read something like...

run every day.
serve every day.
be outside every day.
pray every day.
talk with a friend every day.
eat candy every day. ;)
laugh every day.

Okay, it's getting borderline cheesy now, but I really do like this concept. :)

Find out what you love, what you're passionate about, what your gifts are...and be intentional to do them!

steady.

"God takes our steady faithfulness to create great movements."

When we faithfully love people, God creates in us a sense of empathy, a heart that cares, a mind that discerns the needs of others, and the willingness to act on their behalf.

This has been my prayer for this week. During a week where, honestly, I am tired. Tired of caring.
A week that started with me wanting to throw in the towel.
I was in a place where I felt underappreciated, taken advantage of, and spread entirely too thin.
We've all been there.

And sometimes the easiest option is to walk away. But the easiest option is not always the best.

It's one thing to give up on a project or task, but what does it look like to give up on people? To stop trying to love and serve others well? I'm not entirely sure, but I've concluded it's not a pretty picture.

I'm thankful for the people in my own life that haven't "thrown in the towel" with me. That have loved through my mess-ups and craziness and fickleness. Moreover, I'm thankful for a God who's heart and affection towards me is unchanging and surely not fleeting.

Keep on keepin on, people.
It's worth it.





what she said...

beeday.

Last year I spent my birthday here.

This year I spent it here.

Ha. Quite the difference.
Or maybe not.... ;)


I had a wonderful birthday.
Still can't believe I'm 25...yikes. 25 rounds up to 30.
But I am very thankful.

Thankful because it's been a good 25 years. I have no regrets in how or who or what I've invested my time and essentially my life in. My prayer is that I can say the same after the next 25.

Live with intention.
Live unsettled.