On The Willows

     For all you hard core Blog readers out there, a new blog was started just a few weekends ago that you might be interested in. On The Willows is a blog for women that discusses a range of topics from movie reviews and Etsy to deep spiritual matters and the nitty gritty challenges of everyday life. It was created by my good friend Stephanie and has contributers from all over the country post about what's on their hearts and minds. While most are women from the West Coast or Northeast, I'm holding it down for the southern gals out there! In fact, you can check out my debut post here! The blog is meant to be both an enouragement to women and a form of Christian community amongst ladies from all over. If you're in the mood for some interesting reading, check it out!

Happy Monday!

That Magical Time of Year...

Let's be honest, January is a pretty boring month. Unless you have a birthday to spice it up or plan some fantastic get-a-way for MLK day, January stinks. The holidays are over, it's cold, spring break and summer are still forever away. Boring. That is until you make one very important realization...something quite magical rolls around each year at this time and it makes me smile from ear to ear. That's right ladies and gentlemen, it's Girl Scout cookie season!!! *cheers and loud applause*

Doesn't your heart secretly leap for joy when you see the first cookie stand outside the grocery store? Don't lie. It does. One of my fabulous former students up here in Boston is a Girl Scout superstar, and I was delighted to buy several boxes of cookies from her last week. This year we went with Thin Mints and Caramel Delights...both staples of course...and a new little treat, the Lemonades. And let me say, I highly recommend them! If your daring enough to stray from your usual favorites, the Lemonades are worth a try! If that makes you nervous, just remember the old Girl Scout tune you sang as a child, "make new friends, but keep the old...one is silver and the other's gold." You don't have to give up your old favorites, just add to your cookie repertoire!

Speaking of favorites...what's yours?

Returning to the Dark Side

We are inside a month until our trip to Africa...whoop whoop...and thus I've begun the last minute preparations. Suitcases are already being packed, and we are pumped!! If you've been friends with me long enough to remember my first trip to Africa, you may remember something was a little different about me...

You got it! I was rocking a deep brunette look for the first time in my life. My sister thought it might be a good idea since standing out in a foreign country isn't always the best thing for an American to do, and there aren't exactly a ton of blondes bopping around Kenya. So I abandoned my traditional southern blonde and went over to the dark side. While I quickly transitioned back to blonde upon my return to the states, I've enjoyed looking back on my brown hair from time to time. I'm not going to lie, brunettes do have a lot of fun too!! Or maybe the fun was in being in such an amazing place...but who's to say? The big question now is...what about this time? Do I dare going dark again???

Oh I dare...

Welcome back you brunette locks of intrigue...welcome back.

Chatterbox Kids

While I've stepped away from my Etsy store at the moment (too busy babysitting and tutoring this school year), my sister has stepped up to fill the family craftiness shoes (although let's be for real...she was always the more crafty one anyway!!). Rather than monogramming and embroidery, she is a master seamstress, sewing precious clothes for her little inspiration, MC. If you're a facebook friend of mine, perhaps you've already seen the amazing T-Shirt quilt she made me for Christmas. PERFECTION!! If you haven't, here it is again:

Now back to the main point...Terri is starting her own Etsy store. She's a hard-working, stay-at-home mom looking to make a little extra cash for her family and for some of their favorite charities as well. Through her Etsy store, people can buy baby/toddler/elementary age girl clothes and choose one of three great causes to support. Here are her causes and coupon codes:

2020Clarke- 20% off and 20% of the purchase price will be donated to Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech in Jacksonville. Until May 2012, this donation will be tripled by a private foundation. That means Clarke will receive 3 times 20% of your purchase price. On a $12 purchase, that adds up to $7.20! 

2020Uganda- 20% off and 20% of the purchase price will be donated to Boanerges Deaf Initiative in Uganda through Commissioned Believers Deaf Ministry. These donations benefit children who attend a school for the deaf in Kampala, Uganda. The outlook for deaf children in developing countries is typically tragic. Children are often outcast, abused, and have no access to language of any kind. Ministries like Boanerges provide hope and access to the world through sign language, education, and the good news of Jesus. 

2020Adopt- 20% off and 20% will be donated towards the adoption of a child with special needs.

And HERE are some pics of items for sale on her Etsy store:

Super cute, right?! She makes little jumpers too and is working on getting everything put on facebook/Etsy. She can make any of the skirts in larger sizes for older girls as well, just send her a message on Etsy. And if you don't have any little ones to buy for...help us out and "favorite" her items on Etsy so they begin to show up more for others to see. You can also "Like" her facebook page: Click here! OR "pin" her items on Pinterest so they link to her Etsy site.

Thanks so much everybody, your support means the world! : )

What if you lost your most treasured possession...

What is your most treasured possession? A family heirloom passed down through generations? That shiny new iPhone you just bought? Perhaps some rare collectors item? Each of us have special items that we seem to enjoy more than our other possessions, whether they be gifts from loved ones or things we worked hard to buy. We admire these things. We love them. We take care of them. We treasure them. 

One of the things I love and admire the most on a daily basis is my engagement ring. Although I've worn it for a good 3.5 years now, I still catch myself gazing at it, commenting to Jarred about how much it sparkles in certain rooms. I absolutely love everything about it. I love that my sweet husband had to save up and work his rear off to buy it for me because I had to have this one. It's unique and rare, from a collection that's no longer being made. It's petite and delicate and the perfect ring for me. But what if I didn't have it anymore? 

This question became a reality for me this past weekend. As Jarred and I were preparing to take a weekend trip up to New Hampshire and Maine, we had a bit of car trouble. Well, to be more accurate, we straight up knocked our side mirror out of its holder backing down our alleyway too fast because we forgot our camera at home and were too eager to get on the road. Thus started a downward spiral of events. We hit a pole, out pops the mirror and crap...we aren't going anywhere until this is fixed. But hark, what do I remember? I have some special car putty that I can use to put it back on! Yay! I get the putty, start working it in my hands and think to myself, "oh goodness, I don't want to get this stuff on my rings!!" Of course not, right? Off go both my engagement and wedding bands, which are soldered together to make one ring, and my Clemson ring. I set them on the car to finish my repair job. Finally the mirror is back in place and we are on the road, flying up I-95 to  new adventures on the horizon.

Once we checked into our hotel for the night, right at the New Hampshire/Maine border, we start thinking about dinner options. As we're getting ready to go eat, I start rubbing some lotion on my hands. Now ladies, you especially know that you have to be careful putting on lotion because it can get all up in your rings! Just as that thought crossed my mind, my face went white and I gasped. Poor Jarred didn't know what was going on. "MY RINGSSS!!!, MY RINGS, oh my goodness my rings! They're gone, Oh my gosh, they were on top of the car!!!!! I didn't put them back on. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh...they're gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!" My thoughts were racing 90 miles an hour, which is almost as fast as we were going up the interstate when my rings were ON TOP OF THE FLIPPIN' CAR! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

After the initial startling realization of what happened, my "calm in emergencies" phase kicked it. I immediately started thinking about what to do next. Should we go home? Could the rings have fallen off the car immediately when we started driving? Perhaps they're lying in our parking space? Would the scavengers who roam our alley looking through trash have noticed them yet? It was dusk where we were and would be completely dark in Boston within 30 minutes. There was no time to go home and still have daylight to search. Ah-Ha! Call the neighbor. Maybe she'll look. Who else? The folks I babysit for, they'll look! Sari, my co-teacher, surely she'll go look! Oh my goodness my mom is absolutely going to FREAK (and is probably doing so right about now as she reads this for the first time...eeek!).

As the search party was being sent out in full force, my stomach started to do flips. That sinking feeling just wouldn't leave. I NEVER take off my rings, how could this have happened?! I sleep with them, shower with them, and only rarely take them off for cleaning. What a disaster!

But then, in the exact same moment, something quite profound happened. I thought...this is not a disaster. In the grand scheme of life this is not even a big deal. There are people losing loved ones to cancer. The children I'm going to visit next month in Kenya don't have enough food to eat. I am so ridiculously blessed. These frivolous pieces of rock and metal are not something to freak out over. I know it may sound crazy, but...Perspective, it washed over me. I was more concerned with the fact that I probably should be flipping out more than I was. But then again, should I? No, not really.

Over the years I've actually wondered a good deal about whether or not I loved that ring too much. It's a mere material possession that I won't be able to take with me when I leave this world. In the Bible it clearly says that we should not treasure possessions here on this earth, where thieves can steal and rust can destroy... or in my case...that I can leave on top of my car and send flying to only the good Lord above knows where. But rather we should glorify the Lord with our lives so that we store up eternal treasures in Heaven. While I was sad that my rings were gone, I also had a calming peace that it was okay. It was almost a freeing feeling to be without them because in that moment, I realized the answer I'd been wondering about. No, I don't love my engagement ring too much. I am okay without it, and without my Clemson ring too. I don't need them. During the stress of it all, in my heart I was truly thankful for the time I got to have them, for the time to enjoy them and admire them, but okay with moving on ringless. Clarity is a great thing.

Now let me also say that I'm not delusional enough to think that in my sin I don't have other idols in my life, things I treasure far too much. I definitely do, and I pray God will show me those things in time. But this story is about rings...and it's not quite over yet...

The phone rang several times over the next 45 minutes with updates from my search party, but never to inform me that my rings had been found. That is until my precious husband decided to go join the search party himself, not back in Boston, but in the hotel parking lot. He went out to examine our car and think about the trajectory the rings might have taken. As he was walking out there, an idea hit him, and immediately he knew there was a chance! Low and behold, safely tucked away in the crack between the trunk and back window, to what to his wondering eyes should appear...BLING BLING!!! My engagement ring and wedding band!!! They had traveled from the top of the car, straight down the back window and gotten stuck in the crease. Can you believe it! They made it all the way up the interstate to Maine. How insane!! Praise the Lord, what a gift!! Isn't it funny how that works? More than once in life I've had to realize I was okay without something before the Lord decided to give it to me. Interesting.

Unfortunately my Clemson ring is still at large. Lots of searching but no luck yet. I'm pretty sure I've seen the last of that one. But again...I learned my lesson, and I'm A-Ok! Perhaps I should ponder the meaning of it's absence...perhaps it's Clemson I love too much!

In Loving Memory...RIP Clemson Ring, you were loved...

Midweek Confession Time...

As inspired by my friend Meagan on her blog, it's midweek confession time...

1) I desperately want someone who knits to make me a nose warmer, perhaps with little elastic bands that go around my ears to hold it on. And no, I'm not kidding. My frozen nose and I am quite serious. Heat = $$$, and money can be spent on so many other more wonderful things like flights home to see family.

2) I am now 100% addicted to seltzer water. No I don't mean flavored sparkling waters, while those were my gateway drink, I now only drink the hard core unflavored carbonated seltzer water for the worst addicts. I blame this on fancy pants Boston. Everyone here drinks sparkling waters. At first I couldn't stand it...and now...there's no going back.

3) During this week's Bachelor episode, I had a mini hissy fit over Kacie whipping out her baton in the middle of her date to impress Ben. I mean, how dare she steal that from me?! Now what am I going to do when I get on a reality show one day? She totally stole my quirky thing! Dang it. But somehow I love her for it at the same time. We do share a special bond after all. Never mind that she's actually had training...

Okay, there are my confessions for the week, who's next??

Boanerages Deaf Initiative - Uganda

Hi Friends!

Last night Jarred and I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting a very special Ugandan named Joel. He is the director of two schools for the deaf in Uganda and has a beautiful heart for helping those who cannot speak up for themselves. Joel has been in the US speaking to various groups and participating in a Deaf Expo out in California. It was such a blessing to hear from him about all the work he's doing. It was also heartbreaking to hear some of his stories...

His heart for the deaf was originally born out of tragedy. Joel had a deaf brother who was burned to death by members of their community who didn't understand him. Since that time he's dedicated his life to serving those who are misunderstood and taken advantage of. He tells the story of a little boy he met in his travels around Uganda. When Joel asked the parents of the child what his name was, they stared at each other with blank expressions. They'd never bothered to name the boy. But later, when Joel asked the name of their family dog, the parents replied its name in unison. Deaf children are thought of so poorly in Uganda that many are not even given names. If that doesn't break your heart, I don't know what does. The boy has since been named by Joel and is now learning sign language at school where he is loved and supported. There are hundreds more children with stories just like his. 

Joel also told me about a wonderful girl from Nebraska who followed God's call to leave her comfort zone here in the US and travel around the world to volunteer at his school. Before her visit, the community in Uganda around the school had never understood why Joel would care for the little "cursed" children. Many Ugandans think deafness is contagious and would rather stay far away from the kids. However, mzungus, aka foreigners, are widely respected in the community. When the girl from Nebraska came to play and interact with the children, the community watched with wide eyes. They started making connections that if this girl whom they respected wasn't afraid to interact with the deaf kids, maybe they shouldn't be either. Even Joel's own mother who had never visited his school said, "did that girl come all the way from America just to see your school? If she did, maybe I should too!" His mother now does all that she can to help the students and has even proudly handed out certificates those who've graduated. An entire community has begun to change its opinion of deafness just because one girl from America volunteered her time to hug and love on a few children who needed love the most.

If you'd like to learn more about helping the Boanerages Deaf Initiative, please let me know. There are many needs, but Joel trusts that the Lord will raise up the support the school needs. Currently his school in Kampala has 40 children and just 1 teacher. Although Joel has worked hard to train more teachers, he is not able to pay them, so they leave. Just over $3 a day or $100 a month would pay for a teacher to be able to live comfortably and have the freedom not to worry about food or shelter. For $1 a day you could feed a hungry child. And by a visit, you could help change an entire community. Prayerfully consider if there is something you'd like to do to help.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." -Proverbs 31:8-9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huFaOYpIa7c