Guatemala!

For those of you who don't know (our sincerest apologies for that), we are moving to Guatemala! In 8.5 short days, we're boarding a plane and joining a brand new community. I am taking a position with Mayan Families and am really excited to work alongside a group of people so committed to fighting poverty among indigenous families.

David and I have been to Guatemala several times, we actually met there on a missions trip in 2006. Don't we look young?

The longest I've been in the country is 3 months, so this time will be different, more permanent (we've never bought one way tickets before!). During our Guate travels, we're usually based in Antigua with a wonderful host family (I've stayed with them four times).
However, we're going to be living about 2.5 hours west of Antigua in a city called Panajachel. Pana is beautiful because it's right on a huge lake (Lake Atitlan) and is surrounded by hills and volcanoes (inactive - don't worry!). Here are a few pictures of past travels to Pana and Lake Atitlan: As you can see, there's lot to do on the lake (ziplines, kayaks, hiking, boat tours) and there's a lot of history in this area of Guatemala. The small villages that surround the lake have done very well at maintaining their Mayan heritage despite colonization and the civil war that cost many Mayan their lives. So it's a dynamic area and we're really excited to learn more about it and its people. And, as you can image, it's a great place to visit!

Q of D

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
             -Mother Teresa

A Toast to Football

NFL football was on lockout earlier this year due to contractual disputes, but now the season is set to start as scheduled.  NFL is a huge money-maker, and often fills many people's schedules (time watching the games, looking at stats, playing in fantasy leagues), but let's not forget the basics, the fundamentals of the game (aka do away with all the money talk)...so watch this humorous film by the character "Borat".

Preface: The character of "Borat" is culturally ignorant, and contains frequent inappropriate and crude comments; He does help bring about societal issues in enlightening ways. Please be advised that the last minute of the clip below is not worth watching.

Let's play some football...

Beautiful Things

In this post you will find song lyrics and a music video by the artists that form as "Gungor" in a song called "Beautiful Things".  I think it is awesome, so I write my own words and inspiration at the end of this post.

All this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us


All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
......

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

.....................................

The simplicity of the song really gets to me, and as I listen, imagining that beautiful things are actually made from dust leads me to just Praise Him!  As the song plays, the message of hope and beauty teach me that these beautiful things are not the beautiful things that we allow the world to fill us with.  Sure there are nice cars and fashions that consume our thoughts and money, but it is us [humankind, nature] that we ought to be recognizing as the beauty, because that recognition could lead us to not relying on those worldly beauties, or to not seek other desires outside of our purpose or needs.

I once heard a caller on a radio station share a story, explaining the beauty of God and the beauty of a relationship.  He said, "God doesn't want a clean you [referring to his battle of addictions], He just wants you."  I can't help but feel excited to hear the inspiration and to imagine the impact of the message "give yourself to Christ first, then your life will be changed" rather than "change your life, then you can receive Christ."  When I heard the song for the first time, I thought the line was "you make beautiful things out of the dark" instead of "dust".  This caller's story helped me understand that beautiful things can be made out of our "darks".

A New Chapter

As summer is nearing an end, David and I are also closing a chapter in our lives. We've cherished these past 10 months as we've created our first home together and were blessed by our Indy community. But all good things must come to an end (or so they say) and we have packed up all of our earthly belongings and stored them with our parents. It was a happy home, but we know it's time to move on. Chapter closed.

But a new chapter is already being written. I look back on our short lives and see so many chapters that have come and gone. Sometimes saying good-bye to certain moments in life is painful (I miss my childhood when both of my grandfathers were living), sometimes ending a certain phase is a reason to rejoice (I never want to return to middle school), but in the end each moment is necessary. And, if you're attempting to be an optimist (my never-ending goal), all of these transitions are good in some way. As fun as my college years were, it was necessary and good to grow out of them.

But that's kind of what makes life funny, isn't it? Once you get accustomed to a stage in life and begin to feel comfortable in your niche, life plays a funny trick and it's time to move on. Time to grow and be stretched. Time to relearn everything you just learned. Time to let go.

So here's to another chapter! As we all move through the chapters of our lives, may we remember our loving author who helps us write these chapters with purpose and meaning and love. And may we rest assured, knowing that He gets to write the ending.

Too Late? and S of D

Can you relate to the "down times"?  When things aren't going the way you'd like, or when you're aware of mistakes you've made but don't have the courage to fix it?  How do those "down times" ever get better?  Is it simply a matter a time when things start turning around, implying it's a waiting game, or can we actually control, influence, or have a say in our lives?

Let's inspire each other...

It's not what you did, it's what you're going to do!

"Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess." - Philippians 2:11

...it's not too late...

Q of D

"The bad news is time flies.  The good news is you are the pilot."

        -Michael Altshuler

Buy-It-Forward

Be the difference maker for charity organizations, and do it simply by doing the shopping you'd need to do anyways!  The recently launched Buy-It-Forward site (www.buy-it-forward.com) offers browsers and customers with the opportunity to shop their favorite stores, learn about new stores, and donate a percentage of their purchase cost to a charity listed on the Site...at no extra cost to the buyer (customer).

Donating has never gotten any easier, plus given the economic struggles found in the non-profit world, the timing for Buy-It-Forward couldn't be better.  Do your shopping now, for holidays, daily routine needs, or simply to fulfill the enjoyment to "window shop"...all the windows can be accessed through the click of a mouse!

As you visit the Site, recognize that you have options to search for stores through an Alphabetical List or through Categories (such as Babies, Crafts, Clothes, etc).  All store links can be accessed through the "Shop These Links" tab on the menu bar.  Then vote for charities, provide feedback or suggest your own charity, and connect with Buy-It-Forward and other customers on Facebook!

Enjoy your buying, so Charities can enjoy your forwarding...

S of D

Proverbs 30:7-9
"Oh God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.  First, help me never to tell a lie.  Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!  Give me just enough to satisfy my needs."

Q of D

"Those who presume don't listen." - Anonymous