Monday, October 17, 2011
Haiti Mission Trip: Day 3-5
So sorry it has taken me this long, but work has been a bit busy and then I went out of town this past weekend, so let the story continue...
Monday morning was our first day to run the clinic. Our morning started at 5:45 AM, because Kristen forgot to adjust her alarm the time change, so that provided a good laugh when Georgia, who is 11, corrected her:) We had oatmeal, bananas, bread, peanut butter, and jelly this day. I think this was the day I tried my first peanut butter and banana sandwich, not too bad. I couldn't really stomach the oatmeal, as it was basically the sweetest oatmeal you have ever tried, Kristen said, "it tastes like playdough," I thought that was funny, as personally I haven't ever tried playdough.
Around 9 AM We headed down to the clinic with Jaques. Patrick, Tony, and Kevin all went to the hospital this day, so they let Jacques (family practice doctor), Kristen, Mary Alice, Beth, and me handle the clinic that day. It was a little overwhelming being the first day, but I was able to keep up and fill all the prescriptions. Beth and Mary Alice were the amazing triage team, and we couldn't have pulled it off without them:) Jaques and Kristen made quite the team, and they saw 38 patients that day. He even did some simple procedures, so that was pretty impressive, we quickly learned how valuable or appreciative the patients were for tylenol. Honestly, I had a moment back in the pharmacy thinking these people have waited in triage/waiting area for hours all for a bag of tylenol; something so many of us take for granted. A lot of the kids needed oral antibiotics, so I went back to the days of mixing up oral suspensions. In addition, we also had to mix IVs, so I used my knowledge from the oncology pharmacy at UNC Hospitals and was able to help in that area as well. We did not have power after about 2:30 pm this day, so imagine running a medical clinic with head lamps/lights and no running water, it was quite challenging at times. I had to hold a little baby to get her weight at one point during the day, who couldn't have been any older than 9 months and it hit me that she did not have on a diaper or anything, just a dress. Little things like this are an everyday thing there, but it was hard to process at times. We didn't think to take cloth diapers or any kind of diapers, and I felt so helpless. I gave lots of doses of tylenol to little kids, but one stood out, he was five years old and only weighed about 22 -24 pounds. He was so tiny, and I just wanted to pick him up, hold him, and feed him.
We returned to the guest house around 6, so this was quite a long day and we had dinner served by Mia. We had carrot slaw (which I really liked), rice and beans, fried plantanes, and meat balls. No one seemed to know what meat was in the meatballs, but I thought why not try it. It was the only meat that I tried the whole time. I didn't have another one. Our power was very spotty this night, but it finally came back on around 9pm and we were all able to shower and sleep:) Pastor Lewis came by to speak to us this night as well, while Jackson played a movie, Finding Nemo (in French) for the kids. They LOVED it:) Pastor Lewis was able to share with all of us the mission and vision for ESMI.
Tuesday, Day 4, started at 6:30 AM. We had french toast for breakfast, can we say i loved it, oh yes:) I don't even get that at home, because I am too lazy to cook that in the morning. This was the day that Jazmine came to join me, she was such a great little helper. She would wipe down the pill counters with alcohol wipes or throw stuff away. I could tell she didn't feel well the first day, and all the days that I saw her, she was always so tired. I gave her a very small dose of tylenol and made her a palette on the floor, a concrete floor, made of a few surgical drapes and she slept there for like an hour. It was one of those things where you are happy that she is sleeping, but I was kind of sad that it meant that her sleeping conditions at the girls dorm are probably worse than a concrete floor. When she woke up from her little nap, I asked her if she knew Jesus Loves Me. She didn't talk very much, so I was expecting her to say no or not understand me, but she surprised me, and she started singing Jesus Loves Me in English first, then I asked her to sing it in Creole. It was beautiful. I had tears in my eyes, but quickly pulled it together. Patrick came in and tried to sing with us, but she got a little shy:)
When we got back to the house, we had dinner, which was rice with broth/sauce (yummy), squash, and beat salad, oh goodness I tried it but was not a fan, haha. Unfortunately, this was a rough night for me, as we lost power at maybe midnight and I just couldn't cool off. Wednesday morning I was so on edge, as I hadn't slept a lot, and still couldn't cool off, so I had a moment where I had to really put things into perspective. On a side note, some of my best friends had all written letters for me each day that I was there, so I will say this helped tremendously Wednesday morning.
Wednesday, Day 5, we opened the clinic for half a day, as the second half of the day we were going to La Savan (sp) or the slums. The first four hours at the clinic were really hot, and I could barely cool off. A bus was waiting on us to take us, and I had a bad feeling. I didn't have any dramamine that day, and I was hoping/praying for the best. You see, the roads and traffic patterns (or lack there of) are a bit crazy, so the bus ride, the heat, and the bumpy roads provided a great combination for this girl to get a little lightheaded and sickly feeling. We arrived at the church plant, which is basically a warehouse, with no power, no bathrooms, and lots of people already waiting on us. I had to set up the pharmacy, but everything I did made me feel like I was going to pass out, so I had a moment when Kristen came up and was like, are you alright? I started crying and said I think I am going to pass out. All the docs and Kristen took great care of me, and got a fan off the generator and were fanning me with whatever they could find. They gave me their cold water, whatever it took. About 15 minutes I was back to normal. The heat there is no joke, yall. The medical team saw so many patients that we ran out of a lot of our medications, ran out of baggies to put the meds in, and we had to close the clinic around 4 in order to get back to Cambry. The poverty in this area definitely could not be put into words. Lots of very small children ran completely naked through the streets unattended to.
We returned to the house and Mia had dinner served to us. The only thing different this night was fish; I decided to pass on that. We also had an animal cracker baggie production line going in the dark:) I seriously loved the team I served with. Melissa had a great idea to divide evenly all of our animal crackers, which I gladly did the math, and we put 9 in each ziplock. It was a lot of fun, Mary Kate and I worked on this together, as she had her flashlight with her:) This day I prayed a lot for the kids that we all fell in love with to get a good night's sleep. It is like all that you see day in and day out, is so difficult for us to process... I would return to the guest house, showering with bugs, lizards, spiders (maybe), sometimes with power or without for some of us, and feel so defeated, but then quickly realized that I have so much to be thankful for and that this guest house is nice in comparison to what the children leave in. By the last day, I will say I had grown better accustom to the conditions and realized how selfish I was being.
Okay, stayed tuned for Day 6-8 soon:)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
My Trip to Haiti: Part 1 (Day 1-2)
So, I am going to do my best to sum up my trip in a few blog posts, I don't think I can do it in just one, but I will say this. I don't think you can really put into words all that you experience, all that you see, all that you feel emotionally, and all the hope and despair you see all at one time. My heart is forever changed and there are many times when I am doing something that I do in my everyday life and think of one of those little kids. I wish little Jazmine could be here with me, or I could see her again, but I trust that God is in control and looking after all of the kids at Cambry.
We started our trip on Saturday morning, October 1, 2011 at 4:00 AM. The Charlotte airport is pretty dead, but we got on our plane to Miami with no problems:) I could already tell we were going to have a great time, and our five younger girls were already providing lots of entertainment. We landed in Miami and had a few minutes to get some breakfast, so Kevin, Kristen, and I headed to an all you can eat buffet:) So, our last meal was fantastic and we were set for Port au Prince. We arrived in Haiti, and customs/immigrations was a little chaotic. Praise the Lord they didn't go through our medical bags, so once we got outside, we were bombarded with men trying to help us. They all want to help you, so they can make the money. Ted, who helps with the orphanage and is a translator somewhat, helped us and we got on our bus with all of our bags and we started on our bus ride to the orphanage. After about 4.5 hours and one bathroom break, we made it Cambry. The kids were SOOO excited to see us. We first had to unload the bus and get settled into the guest house, but after that and dinner, we headed down the hill to meet the kiddos for the first time. I was a little overwhelmed, but at the same time, so excited for the week ahead.
The next morning we woke up around 5:00 AM (yes, this girl, the non-morning person) was up in this hour almost every day. We had two church services to attend. We went to the church that Pastor Lewis preaches at in the community of Les Cayes. It was definitely one of those moments where you put things in perspective. It was SO hot in that service, but all of the people were so joyful and ready to praise God. They could have worshiped God all day long, regardless of the conditions. I felt horrible as I knew in that moment how spoiled we are. I thought, what if we showed up at church and it was nearly 100 degress outside and we had no AC and no fans, would we stay and praise our Lord and Savior? Although we didn't understand a word that was being said, it was a good experience to see all praising God. After this two hour service, we returned to the orphanage for breakfast.
After breakfast, we walked down to attend church with all the kids at the orphanage:) It was this day that I met little Jazmine:) If any of you saw any of the pictures that Blessback posted, she was the little girl that I was always holding. She stole my heart:) She fell asleep on my lap at church. To hear the children singing and praising God in Creole and we were singing in English, was just a glimpse of maybe what Heaven will be like:) I could have listened to the singing all day long. After church we went to the clinic to get ready for the week... LET THE FUN BEGIN.
Many of you know that one of my gifts is organization, so the pharmacy definitely needed it. Melissa and I were happy to get to work, but we could not have finished without Jaques, Patrick and Jackson. Such team work:) We cleared off two whole countertops/tables and that made my day. If I could work in an organized place, that would help me tremendously. I think the pictures show it best. They are in my photo albums on FB, but here are just a few. I will post Days 2-4 tomorrow, hopefully.
To be continued...
Sunday, September 18, 2011
my car may be possessed...
so this weekend i headed down to wrightsville beach, nc for a wedding of my friend alison and her now husband, dustin. i had been looking forward to a weekend at the beach especially after the past couple of weeks (can we say my job has been a bit stressful) and hanging out with my friends from college. the wedding turned out great, the weather held out, and we all had a lot of fun at the reception... we jumped in my car after the festivities were over to drop off cars and head out to a local bar to continue hanging out (i wanted to watch some football, haha) and my battery light was on... to top it off, the engine sounded very odd to me. holly helped me not freak out and said, it is probably just the battery don't worry...
this morning we were to head out, and of course the light is still on, yippee! the engine or something that has sound still sounded very off to me, but we headed on towards holly's lake house. once there, holly's dad looked at things briefly, and i headed on my way. i called my dad and he said to immediately stop... i didn't want to because i had my last team meeting for my Haiti trip that is in TWO weeks, and that caused me to be beyond irritated. i decided it would be best to stop and when i pulled in, the auto zone people determined the battery was bad and that i needed a new one.... i was fully prepared for the 80 or so dollars, but no, she says, "It will be $120." Now listen, I get inflation, but I bought a battery in 2007, and it was around 80 dollars, that is literally a $40 increase, what in the world. Are these batteries laced in gold? I was so mad. don't worry for all that know me, i told her what i thought, no foul language, but i was not happy. a single female walks into an auto shop or body shop and it is like these people do a happy dance. the guy installs my battery, and i think we should be good to go... you know that hunch i had with the engine not sounding right, well i should have known it would not be that simple. the light stayed on after the new battery was installed, so i was in somewhat of a prediciment. i continue driving, oh how fun 74 is:)
once i finally get on 485 and about 3 exits away from the first ballantyne exit, i can feel car completely shutting down and about to start freaking out. i am trying not to panic, but let's face it... dramatic could be my middle name. i was going about 75 or so at this point, and the car completely FREAKS... the gas pedal stops responding, the brakes aren't working, all the lights start flashing on the dashboard (the emergency brake is flashing like i have that on), the ABS light is on, everything and i am like what in the world do i do. if i try to get off on the shoulder, this isn't going to help because i can't stop the car. i manage to get off on rea rd, but i am now in the middle of the exit ramp with no control, i can feel the engine shaking out of control and hood is visibly moving up and down... at this point, i am thinking the freaking car is going to explode. the brakes start working again, but the gas did not. i am not sure how i managed, actually i do, GOD totally protected me and i am pretty sure jumped in that car with me and got me into the target parking lot at stonecrest.... i didn't turn the car off immediately, as my dad is telling me to go to auto zone again, haha... "I am thinking, I am not going a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e in this car, it is about to explode." the engine or something under that hood is shaking more and more at this point, so i am forced to turn it off. i never turned it back on, and the tow company came and got it.
thankfully, kasey came to the rescue and got me and all my stuff from the weekend so i could go get a rental car... goodness, i don't know what i would have done without her. i would have been stranded in the target parking lot with like 10 bags waiting on a cab.
while this was a completely stressful day, i missed my meeting, there are still a lot of things to be thankful for:
1) that i was able to make it basically home before it completely bombed or wigged out, that i wasn't on the side of the road in some no name town i had never heard of
2) that even though i missed my last haiti mtg, that my friend kristen who is going with me was able to provide me with a great summary
3) that i have a great best friend who came to get me and took me to get my rental car
4) that my dad called and answered all of my frantic phone calls today and took them like a champ... seriously, if you don't know things can be life or death with me, when they probably shouldn't be, but this was scary to me
goodness, so thankful to be home:) i need sleep now!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
getting a little personal:: confidence
But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. Jeremiah 17:7 NLT
so, anyone who knows me knows that i've struggled pretty much my whole life with self-confidence/self-doubt or straight up negativity when it comes to my life. i like to call it, being realistic, but a while back someone told me that my "realistic" attitude is actually doubting God and it really made me stop and think.
unlike most people who struggle with confidence and self-doubt, they have very distinct memories from their childhood like they were afraid to try something or do something for fear that their mom or dad wouldn't be there. for me, this is certainly not the case. my biological father did pass away when i was seven years old, but my step dad married my mom when i was seven and he has been there for me every step of the way. my mom worked a lot when i was younger, so my grandparents helped raise my sister and me. i honestly cannot remember a time when i felt as though someone wasn't there for me. the one thing i do remember was a constant need to compare. from a very early age, i wanted to be like everyone else. i wanted to fit in and have the brand name things and my mom tried her best to provide the best for us. i'm not really sure where this need to "fit in" came from, but i remember it continually got worse as i went through elementary, middle, and high school.
in middle school, there is a thing called junior cotillion, and you have to be invited. i remember, i wasn't invited and i was crushed. pretty much all of my friends were at least invited, and i didn't understand why I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH to be asked to participate. i am fairly certain that my parents would not have been able to afford it, but it made me feel so insignificant at 12 years old to not be invited. i guess you could say that this was a pretty significant memory for me.
for one of my last projects in high school i had to write an autobiography. one of the chapters had to be about an area that we need to improve upon. i remember sitting in my living room, asking my mother, "what do you think my weakness is?" without hesitation, she said, "Your pessimism or negativity." i knew it was true, but didn't want to face the fact that i needed to improve, i just wanted to be truthful and realistic. my best friend lindsey is the internal optimist, which i used to say, she lived in a cloud or was floating in la-la land. not this girl, not a dreamer, just a straight shooter, so i guess we needed to find a balance between the two of us.
i went off to college, and thought i would find my confidence there. here i was, a small town girl from lincolnton, nc carrying out her dream to go to unc. i loved college, but it brought lots of emptiness. i ran from God in college; i gave Him the occasional Sunday, but I was not where I needed to be. after graduation, i lived in Raleigh, and things got progressively worse. i hadn't had a boyfriend in years, i had gained nearly 40 pounds since college, and i was depressed. i was searching for any type of significance on this earth, but i found nothing...
luckily, i found Hope Community Church and my small group which was my saving grace my last year in Raleigh before moving back to Charlotte. God was preparing my heart and teaching me things, laying foundation for things to come. i had already decided to move back closer to home, so i moved thinking this was going to be my big answer, it was going to solve all of my problems.
i've been in charlotte for about three years now, i absolutely love it here. how i am feeling, yeah? i've made significant progress many times in the past three to four years; however, i have had many setbacks. i have a huge fear of rejection; every time i am rejected, it is like every irrational thought comes flooding back. no matter how much i try to combat the enemies lies with God's truth, it is like Satan wins. last April I went on a Women's Retreat, i had a divine appointment one of the nights and completely laid all my fears, my lack of confidence, self doubt, and fear of rejection at the foot of the cross... no one knew what i wrote on my card except me. Amazingly, while I was giving my fear of rejection/lack of confidence at the cross, God was providing encouragement to me through my friend Lica, who was busy writing one of the sweetest letters i have ever received in my whole life. she comes over to me and hands me this letter and says, i have no idea why, but God told me to give this to you. (Lica, if you are reading this, don't worry I won't share it with the world, ha.) Seriously, though this is one of those things where if you ever doubt that there is a God, please don't... it was like He used Lica's hand to write the letter, but that letter is like a LOVE letter straight to me from Him:) i felt so loved, so free from that bondage, and so ready to move forward with my life.
here we are nearly a year a half later, and i am not free. i am still struggling. tuesday was not a good day for me; i felt so trapped, like how can this be? that fear of rejection that i spoke of, the thought that i am never going to be good enough for anyone, that i am the ugliest person, every one of these irrational thoughts filled my head and made my heart hurt all day. i was mad at myself that i couldn't rely on God's love and that i was so sad. luckily God provides us with friends who can love us, encourage us, speak truth to us, and comfort us, i needed them on tuesday, but i am glad they know me well enough to encourage, but not dwell. wednesday, i wake up and my devotion for the day was on confidence:) oh yeah, God was totally looking out for me. i know that MY GOD loves me, he wants me to be free from this:) I WANT TO BE COMPLETELY CONFIDENT IN CHRIST:) i want to fully trust HIM:) i know that God has a plan and starting this week, i am going to work on reading His word and ultimately never believing the enemies lies about my self-worth again. i started a book today called, A Confident Heart by Renee Swope. i am so excited about it, and i am pretty sure God is going to change my life forever through this book:)
Here is the prayer from the first chapter:
Lord, I pray that You would give me a confident heart in Christ. Take me beyond believing in You to truly believing You. Help me rely on the power of Your promises and live like they are true. You say blessed is the one who trusts in You and whose hope and confidence are found in You. Those who hope in You will not be disappointed, because You work all things together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.
When self-doubt tells me I can’t overcome my insecurities, I will believe Your promise that all things are possible to whoever believes. I will not throw away my confidence, because You say it will be richly rewarded. I will persevere so that when I have done the will of God, I will receive what You have promised. My confidence is in Christ and I am no longer one who shrinks back and is destroyed, but one who believes and is saved! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
so, anyone who knows me knows that i've struggled pretty much my whole life with self-confidence/self-doubt or straight up negativity when it comes to my life. i like to call it, being realistic, but a while back someone told me that my "realistic" attitude is actually doubting God and it really made me stop and think.
unlike most people who struggle with confidence and self-doubt, they have very distinct memories from their childhood like they were afraid to try something or do something for fear that their mom or dad wouldn't be there. for me, this is certainly not the case. my biological father did pass away when i was seven years old, but my step dad married my mom when i was seven and he has been there for me every step of the way. my mom worked a lot when i was younger, so my grandparents helped raise my sister and me. i honestly cannot remember a time when i felt as though someone wasn't there for me. the one thing i do remember was a constant need to compare. from a very early age, i wanted to be like everyone else. i wanted to fit in and have the brand name things and my mom tried her best to provide the best for us. i'm not really sure where this need to "fit in" came from, but i remember it continually got worse as i went through elementary, middle, and high school.
in middle school, there is a thing called junior cotillion, and you have to be invited. i remember, i wasn't invited and i was crushed. pretty much all of my friends were at least invited, and i didn't understand why I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH to be asked to participate. i am fairly certain that my parents would not have been able to afford it, but it made me feel so insignificant at 12 years old to not be invited. i guess you could say that this was a pretty significant memory for me.
for one of my last projects in high school i had to write an autobiography. one of the chapters had to be about an area that we need to improve upon. i remember sitting in my living room, asking my mother, "what do you think my weakness is?" without hesitation, she said, "Your pessimism or negativity." i knew it was true, but didn't want to face the fact that i needed to improve, i just wanted to be truthful and realistic. my best friend lindsey is the internal optimist, which i used to say, she lived in a cloud or was floating in la-la land. not this girl, not a dreamer, just a straight shooter, so i guess we needed to find a balance between the two of us.
i went off to college, and thought i would find my confidence there. here i was, a small town girl from lincolnton, nc carrying out her dream to go to unc. i loved college, but it brought lots of emptiness. i ran from God in college; i gave Him the occasional Sunday, but I was not where I needed to be. after graduation, i lived in Raleigh, and things got progressively worse. i hadn't had a boyfriend in years, i had gained nearly 40 pounds since college, and i was depressed. i was searching for any type of significance on this earth, but i found nothing...
luckily, i found Hope Community Church and my small group which was my saving grace my last year in Raleigh before moving back to Charlotte. God was preparing my heart and teaching me things, laying foundation for things to come. i had already decided to move back closer to home, so i moved thinking this was going to be my big answer, it was going to solve all of my problems.
i've been in charlotte for about three years now, i absolutely love it here. how i am feeling, yeah? i've made significant progress many times in the past three to four years; however, i have had many setbacks. i have a huge fear of rejection; every time i am rejected, it is like every irrational thought comes flooding back. no matter how much i try to combat the enemies lies with God's truth, it is like Satan wins. last April I went on a Women's Retreat, i had a divine appointment one of the nights and completely laid all my fears, my lack of confidence, self doubt, and fear of rejection at the foot of the cross... no one knew what i wrote on my card except me. Amazingly, while I was giving my fear of rejection/lack of confidence at the cross, God was providing encouragement to me through my friend Lica, who was busy writing one of the sweetest letters i have ever received in my whole life. she comes over to me and hands me this letter and says, i have no idea why, but God told me to give this to you. (Lica, if you are reading this, don't worry I won't share it with the world, ha.) Seriously, though this is one of those things where if you ever doubt that there is a God, please don't... it was like He used Lica's hand to write the letter, but that letter is like a LOVE letter straight to me from Him:) i felt so loved, so free from that bondage, and so ready to move forward with my life.
here we are nearly a year a half later, and i am not free. i am still struggling. tuesday was not a good day for me; i felt so trapped, like how can this be? that fear of rejection that i spoke of, the thought that i am never going to be good enough for anyone, that i am the ugliest person, every one of these irrational thoughts filled my head and made my heart hurt all day. i was mad at myself that i couldn't rely on God's love and that i was so sad. luckily God provides us with friends who can love us, encourage us, speak truth to us, and comfort us, i needed them on tuesday, but i am glad they know me well enough to encourage, but not dwell. wednesday, i wake up and my devotion for the day was on confidence:) oh yeah, God was totally looking out for me. i know that MY GOD loves me, he wants me to be free from this:) I WANT TO BE COMPLETELY CONFIDENT IN CHRIST:) i want to fully trust HIM:) i know that God has a plan and starting this week, i am going to work on reading His word and ultimately never believing the enemies lies about my self-worth again. i started a book today called, A Confident Heart by Renee Swope. i am so excited about it, and i am pretty sure God is going to change my life forever through this book:)
Here is the prayer from the first chapter:
Lord, I pray that You would give me a confident heart in Christ. Take me beyond believing in You to truly believing You. Help me rely on the power of Your promises and live like they are true. You say blessed is the one who trusts in You and whose hope and confidence are found in You. Those who hope in You will not be disappointed, because You work all things together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.
When self-doubt tells me I can’t overcome my insecurities, I will believe Your promise that all things are possible to whoever believes. I will not throw away my confidence, because You say it will be richly rewarded. I will persevere so that when I have done the will of God, I will receive what You have promised. My confidence is in Christ and I am no longer one who shrinks back and is destroyed, but one who believes and is saved! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Friday, August 5, 2011
mid year progress report
let's just get to the things that were carried over from 2010:
1. This is probably the most important one to me in 2011. I want to trust God and go where HE leads and go on a mission trip. I attempted this is 2010, but the trip was canceled. I have tried to not let this be completely discouraging, so I pray that God will provide an opportunity where He wants me to be, the passport is ready:)
UPDATE:: I am going to Haiti in October of this year, so excited for this opportunity and for what God is going to do through me in the lives of the children. I am so ready to grow, serve, love, and be forever changed.
2. Still working on this bedtime thing... I will go to bed earlier. My normal bedtime is 1:00 AM or later, so my goal is to get in bed by 11:00 PM each night.
UPDATE: Still trying to improve, but in the past week and a half, I have been in bed by midnight, which is in the 11 o'clock hour, woohoo. I say it is progress.
3. I will get up and do my quiet time in the morning, instead of doing it at night.
UPDATE: Piggy backing off of the last one, this week surprisingly I have gotten up and done my quiet time in the morning, I have been a little tired, but small steps. I am determined to do this as I know my days will be better if I start out spending time with God:)
4. Running made it to the list last year ( I did learn that I will never be a sprinter), but this year my goal is to actually complete a 5K. My goal is to complete one in the cooler months, as I hate to be extremely hot, hehe. [ I do think I am going to need someone to run this with me to hold me accountable. ]
UPDATE: Well, I ran a 5K in March:) Don't worry I didn't finish first, but I didn't finish last. My main goal was to not walk, it had about seven big hills, so I did take like 10 or so steps (walking), but overall I was so proud of myself. I want to run another one in September for CampCare, so I'll keep you posted on that one.
5. Sewing thing, needs improvement. I need lessons, maybe I will take a class. Seriously, I want to get better at this, it means so much to me because my grandmother was so good good. The dress I wanted to make last year didn't happen, so maybe this year.
UPDATE: I did take a beginner's sewing class, learned a few things, but I need to continue. Wish Whit still lived here, she would take classes with me.
6. Make turkey and dressing this year. We will see who will let me be this adventurous, hehe.
UPDATE: Yeah, let's move on.
New this year:
7. Since I tried a new food every month last year, this year I will cook something new every month. If I can try a new food still, that would be awesome. I am sure after seeing the new foods list, you know there are many foods out there I still haven't tried.
UPDATE: Well, the first five months, Lindsey and Crystal were onboard with me, we would alternate who cooked the main dish and it was awesome. With Crystal's wedding in June that made June super busy, but I have been cooking new thing on my own:) I will show pictures at the end of the year!
8. To go zip lining with my family. I am somewhat cheating on this one, as my brother Chris and I got this for him for Christmas:) I cannot wait though, it is going to be so much fun. I will also go with my friends, as we had talked about this, and it is so much, so why not?
UPDATE: Well, the certificates for mom and dad have been purchased, don't know when they are going, hoping I'll go with them. Hoping I can go with my friends, but we tried for Casey's bday and it didn't work out. REALLY want to do this:)
9. Complete the Crown Financial Class, as I want to make smarter financial choices.
UPDATE: Did this and learned so much. I need to apply these principals daily:)
10. Create a collage of old pictures of my great grandparents, grandparents, and parents in my stairwell. I am very excited about this project, as my Momaw and Popaw Abby (great grandparents) , my Momaw Saine (great grandmother), and Mom (my grandmother) meant so much to me.
UPDATE: Did this and oh my gosh, I love walking down my staircase now... these pictures make my heart smile.
11. Give blood as many times as I can in 2011. As many of you know, my grandfather was diagnosed with a type of lymphoma this year and had to have several blood transfusions. I only gave blood like once in 2010, and it is really such a simple thing I can do to help so many who need it. It really could save someone's life... if helped my grandfather!!!
UPDATE: Found out I am a candidate for double reds, so yes I have already given once, you actually can't give as often as a double reds, but my next appointment is in August. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give for a year once I go to Haiti, but I will start again after that year.
12. Read a book a month. To most of you, you are probably thinking that is nothing, but I am really not a big fan of reading.... I am just a slow reader. January = the me I want to be, February = Mark of the Lion Series, then I'll see how I am doing, hehe
UPDATE: Well, I have not done so well in this category, but I did read Heaven is for Real and Sweet Caroline and yes that is all, haha
13. Work resolution: I am going to try EXTREMELY hard to do my reports ahead of time and not on the last day, no more procrastinating. I think this will be huge for my work/life balance and going to bed earlier.
UPDATE: Started out strong, made some improvements, got slack and trying to do better again:)
14. Challenge myself to not eat out for a whole week, not one time. Also, to most, this probably wouldn't be hard, but for a girl who doesn't like cooking and doesn't think much of eating out every day (especially because I am out of town most days for my job), this will not be easy. If I get good, I'll try to do this once a month.
UPDATE: Kasey and I did a no-spending challenge and I did it:) I only ate out once that whole week for Kathryn and Gilbert's graduation, woohoo:)
15. Only allow myself two starbucks a week. It will help me save money too.
UPDATE: Well, yeah this problem is out of control, haha. Completely 100% addicted to my starbucks.
16. Be a little more confident when it comes to guys, I am sure all of my good friends are laughing at this one, as we all know this has never been something I have been good at... maybe we can all pray together on this one or maybe it will provide more funny stories.
UPDATE: Started a book today, ironically, called A Confident Heart, excited for all that God is going to teach me:)
17. Watch an old movie that I haven't ever seen before (1 a month ) there is a list so long it isn't even funny:: Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, Big, Sixteen Candles, Star Wars, Iron Man, etc
UPDATE: I have watched the following so far:: Sixteen Candles (loved it), Breakfast at Tiffanys (didn't really care for it), Men of Honor (cried the whole time), Can't Buy Me Love and I know there have been more but I can't think right now
18. Lose 10 more pounds, don't worry this is a personal goal and if I don't, I won't lose any sleep over it, but I do want to lose these 10 pounds to be at an ideal weight for my height.
UPDATE: Will let you know at the end of the year:)
19. Try a yoga class, probably going to stay away from a hot yoga class, haha.
UPDATE: Does it count if I did yoga with Casey at her house?
20. Try five new restaurants this year. Should make it more, but we will start with five.
UPDATE: I know I have tried something new, just can't think right now, haha.
21. Get up two days a week, possibly Wednesday and Thursday, and workout before work. Maybe I could do another boot camp:) It was great discipline and got me out of bed.
UPDATE: hahahahahah
22. Go to the mountains, enjoy a hike, and take in God's beauty. Prefer to do this with friends:) Let's plan a trip.
UPDATE: Glad there are still a few months to go in this year, it hasn't happened yet.
23. Make my bed each day, sounds silly for someone who keeps her house extremely clean, I mean, I am OCD about the cleanliness of my house, but this is the one thing that I do not do, haha. So, when I get up, I will make my bed daily:)
UPDATE: Forgot I put this on there, need to do this.
24. Start reading the Bible all the way through, I'm staring Jan. 1. I'm going at my own pace and excited to learn more and grow.
UPDATE: Still need to do this.
25. Spend quality time with grandfather. He is the only grandparent that I have left.
UPDATE: Love the time I do spend with him whether it is on Sundays or Saturday at BBQ King:)
26. Visit a new city, preferably for fun, not for work:)
UPDATE: Well, I did go to Waycross, GA for work, but I hope that is not my new city for 2011, it was a dump:(
27. I haven't scrapbooked much in 2010, get back to it, I really enjoy it.
UPDATE: Made a scrapbook for Whit for her wedding, so that was great. Organized a bunch of stuff so I could scrapbook, but just haven't yet.
28. Be more spontaneous/maybe we will go with adventurous... just go with the flow. I can be creative with this one, I'll blog about my adventures in 2011.
UPDATE: Don't know what I have done that is spontaneous or adventurous, haha
29. Simple: Be more thankful, you only get one life and I shouldn't spend my life dwelling on what I do not have, but thanking God for all the blessings in my life.
UPDATE: I am so unbelievably thankful for my family, friends, job, my church, and the opportunities that I have each day:) I need to remember this more often:)
1. This is probably the most important one to me in 2011. I want to trust God and go where HE leads and go on a mission trip. I attempted this is 2010, but the trip was canceled. I have tried to not let this be completely discouraging, so I pray that God will provide an opportunity where He wants me to be, the passport is ready:)
UPDATE:: I am going to Haiti in October of this year, so excited for this opportunity and for what God is going to do through me in the lives of the children. I am so ready to grow, serve, love, and be forever changed.
2. Still working on this bedtime thing... I will go to bed earlier. My normal bedtime is 1:00 AM or later, so my goal is to get in bed by 11:00 PM each night.
UPDATE: Still trying to improve, but in the past week and a half, I have been in bed by midnight, which is in the 11 o'clock hour, woohoo. I say it is progress.
3. I will get up and do my quiet time in the morning, instead of doing it at night.
UPDATE: Piggy backing off of the last one, this week surprisingly I have gotten up and done my quiet time in the morning, I have been a little tired, but small steps. I am determined to do this as I know my days will be better if I start out spending time with God:)
4. Running made it to the list last year ( I did learn that I will never be a sprinter), but this year my goal is to actually complete a 5K. My goal is to complete one in the cooler months, as I hate to be extremely hot, hehe. [ I do think I am going to need someone to run this with me to hold me accountable. ]
UPDATE: Well, I ran a 5K in March:) Don't worry I didn't finish first, but I didn't finish last. My main goal was to not walk, it had about seven big hills, so I did take like 10 or so steps (walking), but overall I was so proud of myself. I want to run another one in September for CampCare, so I'll keep you posted on that one.
5. Sewing thing, needs improvement. I need lessons, maybe I will take a class. Seriously, I want to get better at this, it means so much to me because my grandmother was so good good. The dress I wanted to make last year didn't happen, so maybe this year.
UPDATE: I did take a beginner's sewing class, learned a few things, but I need to continue. Wish Whit still lived here, she would take classes with me.
6. Make turkey and dressing this year. We will see who will let me be this adventurous, hehe.
UPDATE: Yeah, let's move on.
New this year:
7. Since I tried a new food every month last year, this year I will cook something new every month. If I can try a new food still, that would be awesome. I am sure after seeing the new foods list, you know there are many foods out there I still haven't tried.
UPDATE: Well, the first five months, Lindsey and Crystal were onboard with me, we would alternate who cooked the main dish and it was awesome. With Crystal's wedding in June that made June super busy, but I have been cooking new thing on my own:) I will show pictures at the end of the year!
8. To go zip lining with my family. I am somewhat cheating on this one, as my brother Chris and I got this for him for Christmas:) I cannot wait though, it is going to be so much fun. I will also go with my friends, as we had talked about this, and it is so much, so why not?
UPDATE: Well, the certificates for mom and dad have been purchased, don't know when they are going, hoping I'll go with them. Hoping I can go with my friends, but we tried for Casey's bday and it didn't work out. REALLY want to do this:)
9. Complete the Crown Financial Class, as I want to make smarter financial choices.
UPDATE: Did this and learned so much. I need to apply these principals daily:)
10. Create a collage of old pictures of my great grandparents, grandparents, and parents in my stairwell. I am very excited about this project, as my Momaw and Popaw Abby (great grandparents) , my Momaw Saine (great grandmother), and Mom (my grandmother) meant so much to me.
UPDATE: Did this and oh my gosh, I love walking down my staircase now... these pictures make my heart smile.
11. Give blood as many times as I can in 2011. As many of you know, my grandfather was diagnosed with a type of lymphoma this year and had to have several blood transfusions. I only gave blood like once in 2010, and it is really such a simple thing I can do to help so many who need it. It really could save someone's life... if helped my grandfather!!!
UPDATE: Found out I am a candidate for double reds, so yes I have already given once, you actually can't give as often as a double reds, but my next appointment is in August. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give for a year once I go to Haiti, but I will start again after that year.
12. Read a book a month. To most of you, you are probably thinking that is nothing, but I am really not a big fan of reading.... I am just a slow reader. January = the me I want to be, February = Mark of the Lion Series, then I'll see how I am doing, hehe
UPDATE: Well, I have not done so well in this category, but I did read Heaven is for Real and Sweet Caroline and yes that is all, haha
13. Work resolution: I am going to try EXTREMELY hard to do my reports ahead of time and not on the last day, no more procrastinating. I think this will be huge for my work/life balance and going to bed earlier.
UPDATE: Started out strong, made some improvements, got slack and trying to do better again:)
14. Challenge myself to not eat out for a whole week, not one time. Also, to most, this probably wouldn't be hard, but for a girl who doesn't like cooking and doesn't think much of eating out every day (especially because I am out of town most days for my job), this will not be easy. If I get good, I'll try to do this once a month.
UPDATE: Kasey and I did a no-spending challenge and I did it:) I only ate out once that whole week for Kathryn and Gilbert's graduation, woohoo:)
15. Only allow myself two starbucks a week. It will help me save money too.
UPDATE: Well, yeah this problem is out of control, haha. Completely 100% addicted to my starbucks.
16. Be a little more confident when it comes to guys, I am sure all of my good friends are laughing at this one, as we all know this has never been something I have been good at... maybe we can all pray together on this one or maybe it will provide more funny stories.
UPDATE: Started a book today, ironically, called A Confident Heart, excited for all that God is going to teach me:)
17. Watch an old movie that I haven't ever seen before (1 a month ) there is a list so long it isn't even funny:: Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, Big, Sixteen Candles, Star Wars, Iron Man, etc
UPDATE: I have watched the following so far:: Sixteen Candles (loved it), Breakfast at Tiffanys (didn't really care for it), Men of Honor (cried the whole time), Can't Buy Me Love and I know there have been more but I can't think right now
18. Lose 10 more pounds, don't worry this is a personal goal and if I don't, I won't lose any sleep over it, but I do want to lose these 10 pounds to be at an ideal weight for my height.
UPDATE: Will let you know at the end of the year:)
19. Try a yoga class, probably going to stay away from a hot yoga class, haha.
UPDATE: Does it count if I did yoga with Casey at her house?
20. Try five new restaurants this year. Should make it more, but we will start with five.
UPDATE: I know I have tried something new, just can't think right now, haha.
21. Get up two days a week, possibly Wednesday and Thursday, and workout before work. Maybe I could do another boot camp:) It was great discipline and got me out of bed.
UPDATE: hahahahahah
22. Go to the mountains, enjoy a hike, and take in God's beauty. Prefer to do this with friends:) Let's plan a trip.
UPDATE: Glad there are still a few months to go in this year, it hasn't happened yet.
23. Make my bed each day, sounds silly for someone who keeps her house extremely clean, I mean, I am OCD about the cleanliness of my house, but this is the one thing that I do not do, haha. So, when I get up, I will make my bed daily:)
UPDATE: Forgot I put this on there, need to do this.
24. Start reading the Bible all the way through, I'm staring Jan. 1. I'm going at my own pace and excited to learn more and grow.
UPDATE: Still need to do this.
25. Spend quality time with grandfather. He is the only grandparent that I have left.
UPDATE: Love the time I do spend with him whether it is on Sundays or Saturday at BBQ King:)
26. Visit a new city, preferably for fun, not for work:)
UPDATE: Well, I did go to Waycross, GA for work, but I hope that is not my new city for 2011, it was a dump:(
27. I haven't scrapbooked much in 2010, get back to it, I really enjoy it.
UPDATE: Made a scrapbook for Whit for her wedding, so that was great. Organized a bunch of stuff so I could scrapbook, but just haven't yet.
28. Be more spontaneous/maybe we will go with adventurous... just go with the flow. I can be creative with this one, I'll blog about my adventures in 2011.
UPDATE: Don't know what I have done that is spontaneous or adventurous, haha
29. Simple: Be more thankful, you only get one life and I shouldn't spend my life dwelling on what I do not have, but thanking God for all the blessings in my life.
UPDATE: I am so unbelievably thankful for my family, friends, job, my church, and the opportunities that I have each day:) I need to remember this more often:)
Friday, June 17, 2011
God is providing an amazing opportunity... I'm going to HAITI
so, i've been praying for more than a year now for God to provide an opportunity for me to go on a mission trip. i've always enjoyed the comforts of home (seriously, i love some air condition and am thankful that God allowed someone to create it); however, I have felt God calling me out of comfort zone and like He is ready for me to experience His love somewhere, i just didn't know where.
i first signed up to go to Senegal (in Africa) for a trip that was scheduled to go in October of last year; I was excited about that opportunity and waited on the trip to begin planning, fundraising, etc. Unfortunately the trip was canceled, so I immediately began praying... I doubted and wondered if God really wanted me to go somewhere or if it was my own desire to go somewhere. I feel like God has blessed so much, and I want to give back to others. It is the least I can do.
In February of this year, I go to my eye doctor's appointment. My eye doctor (who said to call him Chuck) or Dr. Knudson was so nice and very personable. He ask me a question, and somehow I mentioned my desire to go on a mission trip, and he got really excited. he said, i have a friend who organizes trips to Haiti and i think it could be perfect for you. i mean, are you kidding me, God totally shows up at my eye doctor's appointment. long story short, my eye doctor emailed his friend, george, and now i am traveling to Haiti with BlessBack Worldwide:)
God is soo good. I just needed to be patient, he had something in store for me all along. I cannot wait to love on the children in the orphanage, to help where needed (if that is painting, cleaning, triage, filling prescriptions, etc). I know that God is going to use me, and I will be praying daily for my trip.
What can you do, you can pray for our trip and team. We are going October 1-8th. I know that there will be specific prayer requests as we get closer to the time we are going, but for now, please pray for our team in general.
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
i first signed up to go to Senegal (in Africa) for a trip that was scheduled to go in October of last year; I was excited about that opportunity and waited on the trip to begin planning, fundraising, etc. Unfortunately the trip was canceled, so I immediately began praying... I doubted and wondered if God really wanted me to go somewhere or if it was my own desire to go somewhere. I feel like God has blessed so much, and I want to give back to others. It is the least I can do.
In February of this year, I go to my eye doctor's appointment. My eye doctor (who said to call him Chuck) or Dr. Knudson was so nice and very personable. He ask me a question, and somehow I mentioned my desire to go on a mission trip, and he got really excited. he said, i have a friend who organizes trips to Haiti and i think it could be perfect for you. i mean, are you kidding me, God totally shows up at my eye doctor's appointment. long story short, my eye doctor emailed his friend, george, and now i am traveling to Haiti with BlessBack Worldwide:)
God is soo good. I just needed to be patient, he had something in store for me all along. I cannot wait to love on the children in the orphanage, to help where needed (if that is painting, cleaning, triage, filling prescriptions, etc). I know that God is going to use me, and I will be praying daily for my trip.
What can you do, you can pray for our trip and team. We are going October 1-8th. I know that there will be specific prayer requests as we get closer to the time we are going, but for now, please pray for our team in general.
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
Sunday, June 12, 2011
the results of the spending challenge
so a week of not spending any money, what did i learn? several things:
1) that i have self control and that i did it
2) contrary to my belief, i can eat at home (every meal, except the meal i paid for kathryn and gilbert's graduation - monday night)
3) that all of these things on earth are just that, material possessions that i do not need; however, i did not lose my ability to spend, i went to target tonight and oh my, haha
4) God totally provides little surprises... i had a meeting with one of the pastors at my church about leading a lifegroup and he bought me a coffee, i was totally having withdrawls from no caffeine, haha. also, my mother purchased lunch for me yesterday so i wouldn't break the rules:)
kasey did a great job too, she only had to buy stella (her cat) treats during the week as she didn't feel the need to torture her cat:) I did have to go to target and get my two prescriptions, as i didn't have time on sunday to go by and get them and i ran out on wednesday. the good news is, i didn't have to fill up my gas tank this week, so i used gas sparingly; i told kase and em today that not spending money kind of changes your social life too.
all in all, it was a great challenge that made me evaluate how i eat out way too much, buy starbucks way too much, and just spend when i want, i need to make smarter, wiser choices (this will start post my target trip today), hehe.
if you feel like challenging yourself for a week to see if you can do it, i encourage you too.
kasey even sent along some bible verses throughout the week that she felt spoke to her; i'll share them with you.
Jeremiah 10:23-24
23 Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."
1 Timothy 6:608
6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,7 for we brought nothing into the world, andt we cannot take anything out of the world.8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
"Which commandment is the most important of all?"29 Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 12:30-31
1) that i have self control and that i did it
2) contrary to my belief, i can eat at home (every meal, except the meal i paid for kathryn and gilbert's graduation - monday night)
3) that all of these things on earth are just that, material possessions that i do not need; however, i did not lose my ability to spend, i went to target tonight and oh my, haha
4) God totally provides little surprises... i had a meeting with one of the pastors at my church about leading a lifegroup and he bought me a coffee, i was totally having withdrawls from no caffeine, haha. also, my mother purchased lunch for me yesterday so i wouldn't break the rules:)
kasey did a great job too, she only had to buy stella (her cat) treats during the week as she didn't feel the need to torture her cat:) I did have to go to target and get my two prescriptions, as i didn't have time on sunday to go by and get them and i ran out on wednesday. the good news is, i didn't have to fill up my gas tank this week, so i used gas sparingly; i told kase and em today that not spending money kind of changes your social life too.
all in all, it was a great challenge that made me evaluate how i eat out way too much, buy starbucks way too much, and just spend when i want, i need to make smarter, wiser choices (this will start post my target trip today), hehe.
if you feel like challenging yourself for a week to see if you can do it, i encourage you too.
kasey even sent along some bible verses throughout the week that she felt spoke to her; i'll share them with you.
Jeremiah 10:23-24
23 Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."
1 Timothy 6:608
6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,7 for we brought nothing into the world, andt we cannot take anything out of the world.8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
"Which commandment is the most important of all?"29 Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 12:30-31
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