Haiti

I don’t have internet or TV at home.  So it wasn’t until yesterday that I kinda started to hear about the quake in Haiti.  Last night in small group, it really made me realize how devastating this is for Haitians.  I guess I didn’t realize the tragedy often times until I see the pictures of it.  This morning before work I took the time to find out more about this tragedy.  Seeing the pictures helped it to become more of a reality for me.  I learned this morning that Jamaica is on the same fault line – meaning this could have easily happened in Jamaica.  I guess going to Jamaica, helps me to relate and understand how bad it is in Haiti.  It breaks my heart that all of these people are ready and lined up to help, but are being turned away due to the airport being too full or ports being destroyed by the earthquake so that there is no where for ships to dock.  I wish that I could just pack up and go there to help out where ever I could, even if it was just sitting with someone and praying with them for comfort.  Perhaps some day I will be in a position that I can do this.  But for now, I will just pray for the people there and help in anyway I can from where I’m at.

Quote

I like this quote a friend sent me . . . “When God takes something from your grasp, He’s not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better”

Proverbs 3:1-12 ~ The Message

Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you; take to heart my commands.
They’ll help you live a long, long time,
a long life lived full and well.

3-4 Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well
in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.

5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
a father’s delight is behind all this.

Simple Living

So I’ve been throwing around this idea of camping for a month or two this summer.  It first popped into my head when my friend said that she was going to camp for a little bit to save money.  My lease ends at the end of June and so I was thinking that would be a good way to save up some money for the next place I live.  It cost so much money to move into a new place.  Around here it’s typical for the landlord to ask for 1st month’s rent, last month’s rent and deposit (which usually is a month’s worth of rent.)  That’s a lot of money to have up front.  So camping for a month or two and not paying rent is a good way to save up for that. 

I was also thinking camping for a month or two would be good for me.  It would cause me to live simple and to appreciate the things I have.  It’s more work to cook a meal and clean up after it.  It’s more work to get ready for work.   I’m also excited to be living in nature.  To have God all around me.  Not that He isn’t already.  But I would be more aware of Him.  I look forward to coming back to the campsite and reading a book instead of watching TV or surfing the internet.  Or going to bed when the sun goes down.  I look forward to camp fires, and cooking a meal over a camp fire.

I just hope this all works out for the best.  I just need to figure out what to do with Jake and Lacey while I’m gone at work.  Because I worry that a bear or mountain lion may come walking through the campsite and kill them.  That would not be good.  Or I worry that they might get loose and cause trouble.  But I have to remember, it will work out in the end.  I need to stop worrying about these things.

Can’t wait for July!

Jamaica

It has now been a few weeks since my trip to Jamaica.  What an amazing time in my life!  So many things happened before the trip, as well as on the trip and afterwards.  I feel the need to express some of the amazing things.

Pre-Trip

I had a conversation with a Realtor who is a Christian about sharing my faith in the work place.  I had expressed to him that I was scared about letting people know I was a Christian because of how they would perceive me.  It’s interesting how God took that and worked with that.  I gave one of my letters to another Realtor who I work with that is not a Christian.  She asked me if she could share what I’m doing with other people at work and I agreed.  I had no idea that she would announce that I was going on a “Sabbatical” (as she called it) in Jamaica.  Many people began to come up to me and ask me what I was doing – thus opening the door.  I decided that it would be a good idea to send an email to people at work asking if they could provide swim suits for the Jamaica teens.  I was really surprised by the out pour.  That opened the door even bigger.  I was amazed at how many people supported this cause.  Even more amazed with the conversations I had with people at work about Christianity.  I’m still in awe about it.  Mainly because I never meant to share with people at work my views and faith. 

The Trip

What can I say about the trip?  I had an amazing conversation with my fellow teammates on the 3 hour car ride to the airport.  I hope that I can never forget that conversation, because I don’t think I’ll have another conversation like that with them.  It really was a rare moment. 

This year in Jamaica for me was a lot different than last year.  I think mainly because a lot has happened in my life in a year.  Last year I was coming out of my depression so I felt like I was taking a lot of things in, figuring out stuff.  This year was more of an outpour of myself.  I was by myself with 7 girls and I gave all that I had to give.  What a great group of girls!  I think it was good that I was by myself, because it gave me the opportunity to concentrate on only them.  I didn’t have much time to think about anything else but them.  I’m amazed at how fast we bonded and how there weren’t any issues that needed to be address.  The first night at break out sessions one of my girls took over and started talking to the other girls in patwa . . . something about being a clean vessel for the Lord.  Whoe – I never expected that.  You would never hear me telling my girls that they need to be a clean vessel for the Lord.  Mainly because I’m not that up front with me faith.  I try to let me actions speak for me, rather than my words.  I guess that first night really sets the tone for the rest of the week.  We had so much fun together, yet God orchestrated many beautiful blessings.  One of my girls became a Christian.  One of my girls expressed interest in getting to know God and maybe become a Christian.  Tony, the camp pastor, lost his voice for most of the week, yet despite that there was an outpour of teens becoming Christians.  This is so interesting to me, because telling these teens about Jesus was not my goal for coming on the trip.  My goal for coming on this trip was to teach them the life skills they need to succeed in life after the orphanage and to just love on them.  I remember on Wednesday getting so frustrated because I wanted so much for my girls to understand how important it was for them to get these life skills.  One of my girls kept falling asleep in the morning and evening sessions.  I felt horrible, but I made her stand for the whole session in the back so she wouldn’t fall asleep.  But she is the one that expressed interest about finding out more about Christianity.  As frustrating as Wednesday was for me, it was also good because Julie came into my life.  Julie is a scholarship student who grew up in the system and is soon finishing her business degree.  She spoke to the teens about her life and attitude.  I remember being blown away by her and wishing I could get to know her.  The scholarship students who come to speak only stay for a couple of hours before they have to leave.  Imagine my surprise when Julie wanted to stay and she became a counselor with me.  Best thing that happened!  We had so much fun together.  She even taught me how to dance with attitude.  She has been such a blessing in my life because she is so full of life.  When you are with her, you feel so confident . . . she brings that out in people.  It’s amazing!  It was hard to say goodbye to her and my girls on Friday, but I know the memories will last.

Post Trip

Can you say 1^st class?  That’s right; some of us got to fly in 1^st class on the way home.  I have to say it’s a blessing for me, because I only had $25 to spend on the whole trip.  That’s $25 to cover any food, souvenirs, or tickets to get into places.  I brought food to eat at the airport, so I didn’t have to buy expensive food at the airport.  When I got on the plane in Jamaica to fly back to the States, I only had $2 to my name.  Flying in 1^st class you get these wonderful free meals.  So I didn’t have to worry about how I was going to eat on the way home.  Blessing!  Also I had another amazing conversation with my teammate that was a follow up with the conversation we had on the way there.  All I can say is realize your potential!  Since my time in Jamaica I’ve had amazing conversations with friends and people at work.  Not always about what happened in Jamaica, but things that have spurred off of a conversation that started with Jamaica.  Wow – it’s been so amazing for me.  Yet hard at times. . . I miss the people I was with on the trip.  I loved being with them 24/7 and getting to know them better.  I wish that I can continue to be with them 24/7, but that isn’t how life is.  We all go back to our regular lives and spread the love and knowledge we experienced in Jamaica.  Some days I still have a longing and wish I could just spend the day with just my teammates.  Hopefully over time that longing will go away and be replaced with something more positive.

My Jamaica Girls 2009

 

A lot swarming around my head

It’s been a while since I’ve written on my blog. But as I sit here at work alone there are all these thoughts swarming around my head and I need to land them somewhere . . . how about my blog. Today is a cloudy day in Durango and it’s fitting for my mood today. Today I say goodbye to a dear friend. It’s not really goodbye, but its goodbye to the way things are and hello to change. She is moving to the Denver area. I know I’ll see her again and will keep in touch with her often. But it’s hard to adjust to that when I see her every day, when we do a lot of things together, when we share each others joys and burdens. Some times the fact that I care deeply for people is a curse for me rather than a blessing because it hurts so much when I have to say goodbye. There are so many people I’ve allowed myself to get close to, only for them to move away. And each time it’s devastating for me. I went through a phase where I didn’t want to allow myself to get to know anyone, for fear they would move away. Then someone told me, “Kim, you’ll never know the impact they may have on your life, or that you may have on their life if you don’t open up even if they end up moving out of you life.” My friend has made a huge impact on my life. More than I think she knows or I know. She has been there for me, always lifting me up. Not once has she failed me. She always looks out for me, blessing me with gifts I don’t deserve. She knows my needs and fulfills them without me saying anything. I can never repay her for all the things she has done for me. All I can do is pray that God pours many blessings over her and her family for the way she has blessed me. I am happy for her and the new chapter of life she will face. She will make a wonderful mother. I remember talking to her about the dreams her and her husband had for their lives a little over a year ago. And it is amazing to see those dreams come true – one of them being to have children. This puts a smile on my face!

I will miss you my friend, but I know amazing things are coming together for you!

Pain – who knew it is such a good thing.

Last night and today I was thinking about my faith and the recent events of my life.  I was thinking through what Matthew’s House has taught me over the years.  And about what God has taught me recently in my life.  I am thankful that God just let me go.  Let me do my own thing, go my own way.  That he didn’t force Himself upon me.  That he let me choose.  I was thinking about Christian parents raising their kids.  And I almost wonder if it would be better to give them the Christian foundation as they grow up, but once they are in their teen & college let them decide what they believe instead of forcing it on them.  I can say that I am so thankful that I don’t feel religion forced upon me.  I think it is good to let a child critically think through what they believe – to make it their own.  I think that eventually we all wander back to God.  How much more are you thankful for your relationship with God then when you come home like the prodigal son and learn that God never stopped loving you?  Now that you’ve experience the pain the world and realize that Jesus is the only healer of the pain.   Joe at Matthew’s House talked about pain this past Sunday.  Pain – who knew it is such a good thing.  Some times I think our society does a good job of hiding the pain, numbing it.  What good is that until you understand what cause of the pain is?  Until you know who can heal it?
 
 

 

 

God is so good!

Today I was driving to work and the car 2 cars in front of me, slams on his brakes and proceeds to turn right into a drive way.  The car in front of me swerved to the right to avoid hitting him and then almost hits him when he was trying to turn right into the driveway.  I stopped in the lane that I was in.  The car behind me swerved to the right as well, but clipped me.  The car behind him came to a screeching halt just a foot within hitting me.  I pulled off to the side and got out of the car.  When I looked I my bumper I expected to see it dented in and an ugly mess.  Instead I only found black rub marks!  The guy that clipped me was really surprise too.  He was so nervous that I was going to be upset.  But I told him it was no big deal and I was thankful it was just marks.  I told him to try to have a great day, and I think his was shock and relieved that I wasn’t upset.  Praise God that it was only marks!  I really see how God protected us all.  I know that God kept his car from slamming into mine.  It was remarkable that there was no damage!

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!

Exciting news!

Okay I haven’t posted in awhile . . . but there are somethings I’m really excited about.

1.  http://www.freecycle.org/ 

I did a search for a group in Durango and found one!   I’m so excited there is so many neat things on this.  The Durango group is through yahoo groups and you have to join to see the post of free things.  BUT it’s SOOOOO neat!  You can even give away stuff for free too!  Check it out.

2.  Earth Hour  http://www.earthhourus.org/

It’s a world wide event of turning of the electricity for one hour on March 29 at 8pm your own local time to promote energy conservation.

How to kiss someone with braces

I came across this article today on ehow.com.  I laughed so hard, I thought you might enjoy it too.

 

Introduction

Advancements have been made in orthodontic braces through the years. It isn’t as hard to kiss someone with braces as it has been in the past; however it can still be a little tricky. Follow these steps to safely kiss someone with braces.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step One   Relax. If you’re too stressed out about kissing someone with braces, you won’t prove to be a very good kisser. Take a deep breath and know that if your first kiss doesn’t go perfectly, it’ll be alright.

Step Two    Wait at least a month or so after someone gets braces to kiss them to ensure that most of the initial soreness is gone. The person in the braces will be more comfortable kissing you.

Step Three    Approach your partner with your lips closed when you kiss. Nothing takes the fun and passion out of kissing more than smashing your teeth up against metal.

Step Four   Kiss your partner gently. If you kiss too hard, you could hurt your lips against the metal or even damage the braces. Start off slowly and gently so this doesn’t happen.

Step Five   Move your tongue gently in the mouth if you are French kissing. Avoid touching the braces with your tongue. Though the current types of orthodontic braces have improved over what was used in the past, depending on what kind of braces your partner is wearing, you can still cut your tongue on a sharp bracket or tie.

Tips & Warnings    Don’t worry. There is no evidence that two people with braces will get them stuck together if they kiss.  If you are having problems with your tongue or lips getting cut on your partner’s braces, suggest to them to that they ask their orthodontist to smooth out the rough spots on their braces during the next visit.