Dance, dance, dance

Since my dream of becoming a b-girl is likely wishful thinking, I decided I would just dance around the world like this guy. (I'm sorry about the offensive title...just scroll down so you don't have to see it. And make sure you click on the link to view it in high quality.)

growing, growing, GONE!

And she's off! I'm so proud of my 13-and-a-half-month-old niece, Madison. She is beginning to take her first steps on her own! Wobbly as she may be, and as hard as she can fall, she is absolutely captivating to watch.

Not only does Maddie like short walks in the living room, she also now enjoys other grown-up things, like evening rides in her Daddy's truck,

cheering on the Greensboro Grasshoppers,

talking on her cellie,

and perusing an assortment of reading selections.

I can hardly believe how quickly the past few months have gone. It has been an indescribable joy to watch this little one grow every day! Thank you, God, for Maddie Grace!

a wedding, a hike, and a poop

My birthday was yesterday, so besides being thankful for so many things in my life, I got to be with two of my closest friends from high school and celebrate one of their weddings in Boone. (I am grateful to have seen two Christ-centered weddings the past two weekends. How refreshing to know that despite an impure world, people can still love Jesus and each other, and commit their lives to one another in purity!) It was a beautiful ceremony and there was bluegrass muisc and contradancing at the reception...so much fun! God is so good to be supplying me with time with people I love but rarely see. Congratulations, Emily and Isaac!

I wanted to take advantage of being in the beautiful Boone area today, so besides doing a little shopping in the very cool downtown stores, I drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway to find a trail to hike. I ended up going to one I'd been to before, which is great for me since I have a tendency to get lost. A good ways into the 3-mile loop I realized I didn't bring my water bottle along. Even though there's less humidity in the mountains, it's still NC and I was pretty durn hot and parched. So what's a thirsty girl to do but drink from a stream? There's nothing like handfuls of fresh spring mountain water to refresh the body...or should I say, cleanse it. Not more than ten minutes later, my stomach was yelling at me. No biggie, I thought. If I gotta go, I can make it to a gas station on the way home after I enjoy my hike. Nope--no waiting. So there I was, bare-butt off the hiking trail, taking a you-know-what, praying that no one would walk by. I didn't bring any water, much less any sort of paper product to finish the job. But no worries...a couple leaves did the trick nicely. Toilet paper, schmoilet paper. Thank the Lord those leaves weren't poisonous! And it was a close call; probably a minute later, I passed several groups of people. Phew! I enjoyed the remainder of my hike thirsty but pain-free.

It really was a lovely weekend! (Minus..well, you know.) I've been praying for God to prepare me for leaving and adjusting in Bolivia. I got to see some friends I won't see again probably until I get back in the States. And my incident reminded me of what is meant when traveling to other countries by "Don't drink the water." God uses everything for good, right? I still immensely enjoyed the hike, the scenery, and being in nature...just God and me. I hope to take many a hike in the mountains of Bolivia. But then I'll be sure to take along some water.

Adios, Glenwood

I moved out of Glenwood, my old neighborhood, last weekend. It was a pretty abrupt change, and I'm mourning the loss of some wonderful neighbors, the awesome diversity there, being nearby some students that are involved at my church, and two amazing housemates who became some of my closest friends. I've been struggling with how me being there was effective for such a short period, but perhaps it was not so much for the benefit of others, but for what God wanted to teach me. I've learned a lot in the past few months about God's heart for the poor and for racial reconciliation, about incarnational and relational ministry, about loving beyond my limits, about patience and getting out of my comfort zone, about fear and the one who conquers it, about living communally with others who share your vision, and about how to listen to the Spirit's leading. And what's exciting is that I have so much more to learn!

Even though leaving Glenwood is pretty heartrending, I've moved back in with my sister, brother-in-law, and my beautiful niece, which makes me joyful and thankful! They have been so flexible with all of my life changes this year. I'm grateful for this time with them before I leave for Bolivia. However, whenever I drive around my old neighborhood, I still feel like that's home. I'm trusting that God will make a way for my new place in La Paz to feel like home, too.

Thank you, Lord for Glenwood, for changes, and for the people you put in my life, even if only for a short while.

happy belated, kel!

I neglected to do my other post on Monday of this week, which was my big sis's birthday. Alas, my life story is "better late than never." So even though I celebrated with her, I wanted to give a blog shout-out to my homegirl Kelly. The form of this little ditty isn't meant to be taken seriously (not like the beautiful poem she wrote for her daughter), but the words are sincere. Think of it as white-girl rap. Or maybe a second grade poem. Regardless, I praise Jesus for your life, Pookey! I love you!

If you don't know this girl, you're missing out

because she's one of the coolest ever. When I was about

three years old, I thought she was best ballerina in the world.

She wore a pretty tutu and I wanted to dance and twirl

just like her. So I followed in her footsteps gladly.

I remember when we fought in the backseat of the car, madly

glaring out the window

with a wall of pillows

in between us to keep us enemies from hitting again.

Then five minutes later she was my best friend.

I think even then I realized how much forgiveness and love she had for me,

her younger sister that could annoy her incessantly.

I recall when I was in elementary school

and she wasn't too cool

to hang out with her little sis. In fact we shared secrets and laughter

and even friends. I recognized after

that she could have neglected me. But never did she

abandon me. That kind of sister love is something you don't see

every day. Every day of middle school I wanted to be

just like her. So much so that I borrowed her clothes religiously

and teachers called me "Kelly." I was a cheerleader then and

it was largely because I had watched my sister in the stands

cheering on the team.

I wanted that to be me

because I so much admired her. In high school when life starts getting rougher

I assumed our relationship would suffer

because my best friend and sister had moved away

to college. But it did not. She has a way

of making the distance seem shorter with cards,

calls, and emails, full of love and life, even though she was such a far

distance. Although we grew as individuals during that time,

and even though those years were supposedly her prime,

she never failed to be there for me,

encouraging me, giving me advice, loving me

so well. She's one who allows me to speak and knows when I should refrain.

Her gentle spirit validates yet speaks the truth in love, even if it's painful.

She's been heart-broken for me, prayed with me,

and stayed with me

as my best friend through it all.

And she doesn't realize at all

what an impact she makes by simply being her,

the beautiful, wonderful, joyful her,

the listening, loving, and nurturing lady,

the wonderful mommy, the faithful wifey, compassion never fading,

a delighted-in, treasured, precious daughter of the King,

the beloved of Christ over whom he sings.

Kel, I cannot express adequately in words or rhyme

how blessed I am to have had the time

I have had with you, sharing a friendship with no end...

always my sister, always my friend.

it's so hard to say goodbye

Yesterday was bittersweet. I took my ol' faithful dog Jesse to a new home. He'd been staying at my parents' house out of town for a few months because he was just too big for my little house with no fenced-in yard. Every time I visited my folks, I looked forward to him running out to my car, chasing me around the yard, and snuggling with me like he was a 65-lb stuffed animal. He is quite possibly the sweetest, most gentle animal in the world. But since I leave for Bolivia in a couple months, and since he was a little high-maintanence for my parents, I had to search for a good, new home for my friend. Last night was his first night with an incredible family who will no doubt treat Jesse like a prince! I couldn't have imagined a better home for him..and he probably couldn't either. What dog wouldn't want free range of the house and a one acre backyard? Still, I think I was secretly and selfishly hoping for the family not to like him so my parents could keep him and I could still see him.


It is very difficult, sometimes painful, to say goodbye. Only when it's gone does it seem that I really appreciate what I had. Maybe this was God's way of preparing me to say goodbye to people in a couple months. Although he's sending me to a new home and new family in Bolivia, there's nothing that can replace the space in my heart for my family and home here.

I am trusting that God is going to take care of my friends and family in my absence the way he is for Jesse. I want to cherish every moment I have with the people I love, try not to take them for granted, and let them know how thankful I am for them in my life. So to the handful of people that actually read this, I appreciate you and thank God for you. You have blessed me in more ways than I can express. As the reality of leaving the continent (sounds slightly more drastic than leaving the country!) for a couple years settles in, I want to remember Jehovah Jireh and his provision for people I love and for me. Friends and family, thank you for loving me so well. In the words from "Annie," "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

But no need to be too sad yet...I still have about two months. :)

Who are the people in your neighborhood?

I think that Sesame Street song would sound a little different if written about the people in my neighborhood. (For starters, it'd have to have a good beat to it so you could bump it in your car and make the windows rattle.) I live in an area near downtown that's very diverse, but most of the youth I know come from families that are lower SES, single-parent (usually mom or grandma) homes. I've discovered a tiny bit of what life is like for them. Sometimes in my (often self-righteous) anger, I get frustrated with people who make derrogatory or hateful comments about people in situations like those of my neighbors, and I think, "What do they know? They just don't get it. If they only had to walk a mile in a pregnant teen's shoes or be a single mom working three jobs to make ends meet, they might have a little more compassion."

But recently, I've had to evaluate my attitude. Even though I live in this "rough" part of town, do I know really understand what life is like for my some of my neighbors? Have I ever had to go without electricity because I couldn't pay my bill? Have I ever had to take public transportation because I couldn't afford to get my car fixed or because I had no car? Have I ever had to go without a meal, hoping the next one would come in a couple days after a paycheck? No. And these are only obstacles in the physical realm, not even including the feelings of desperation, despair, neglect, hurt, and oppression that seem to cycle through some of these families.

Can I ever fully relate to the issues these families face? Probably not, since for whatever reason I am blessed with friends and familiy who would never leave me out in the cold, figuratively or literally speaking. But I can ask the Lord to continue to show me glimpses into my neighbors' lives and ask him to break my heart for them. Not only does he answer my requests, but then he reminds me of his redemptive plan for these families. And although he is the only one that can save and redeem, he allows ordinary Joes (or Janes in my case) to see these situations of hurt and sadness and act for change. He has allowed me this year to see the needs of the marginalized, and develop relationships with them. Even upon befriending them, I will never completely understand what life is like in the "hood," but I'm forever grateful for opportunities to bring the hope of Christ to hopeless lives. Jesus completely understands their life circumstances, and I want so much to communicate that to my friends here by the way I live. With only a couple more months in my neighborhood, I want to seize every opportunity to allow God to open my eyes to the needs of his people, and respond in a manner worthy of the gospel.