January Book List

"When my friend Jim Wallis was a seminary student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School outside of Chicago, he and some of his classmates did a little experiment. They went through all sixty-six books of the Bible and underlined every passage and verse that dealt with poverty, wealth, justice, and oppression. Then one of Jim's fellow students took a pair or scissors and physically cut every one of those verses out of the Bible. The result was a volume in tatters that barely held together...So central were these themes to Scripture that the resulting Bible was in shambles...Jim's Bible was literally full of holes. Hole (n.) - a hollowed place in something solid" 

-The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

The VanderNerd in me has been utterly giddy lately. Having just finished reading When Helping Hurts  by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert with four dear friends, we've just ordered our next book: Generous Justice by Tim Keller. I also have at least four books on my nightstand that I'm paging through and several tabs open on my browser with case studies, theses, and articles on the topic. I simply can't get enough of others' commentary on the fields of missions, volunteerism, globalization, and international development.

How neat is it that my work and personal interests are the SAME? What a gift.

I wanted to share a list of things I'm checking out right now (some thanks to my brand spankin' new Nashville Library Card!):

• The Hole in Our Gospel - Richard Stearns
• Toxic Charity - Robert D. Lupton
• Walking with the Poor - Bryant L. Meyers
• The End of Poverty - Jeffrey Sachs
• The Bottom Billion - Paul Collier
• Serving with Eyes Wide Open - Livermore
• The White Man's Burden - William Easterly
• The Poor Will Be Glad - Peter Greer
• Cross-Cultural Servanthood - Duane Elmer
• Dead Aid - Dambisa Moyo
• This article on the "Short-Term Missionary vs Vacationary Debate"
• This study about international volunteer service by the Center for Social Development, one of the first comprehensive studies on this topic (focused on two agencies with which I've volunteered in the past - awesome, right?)
• This assessment about the impact of volunteers through a leading volunteer-sending organization
• This commentary from an advocate of short term missions and his blog

What are you reading? Any books or favorites that I'm missing from my list?

To NOT Be Known

Remember how important it seems to be known?

I've started noticing this new phenomena of NOT being known. I'm sure some of you can identify.

This weekend, I found myself in a room of brand new people, only a few of which had ever laid eyes on me before. We began the ritual dance of getting-to-know you questions and casual laughs displaying our friendliness. It was nice.

But as we sat around playing board games, I realized all the things these people did NOT know me for. They didn't know me as "that Vanderbilt grad." They didn't know me as "that girl who lived in Namibia." They didn't know me as "the Chicagoan" or "the music major" or "the girl with only one parent." And even after answering their questions, I was still only known as "the girl who works at the nonprofit."

How do I identify myself? (good question for 2012, right?) In my About Me section, I describe myself as a twentysomething...Christian...musician...traveler...optimist...and more. Others have pegged me by my alma mater, my neighborhood, my career, or my friends. Even growing up, I was known in some way - as a kid from Henking/Hoffman, as someone who went to GCC, as Sue McGee's daughter.

As we venture out into unchartered waters and travel around the States and world as adults, we are increasingly NOT known, and the things by which we've been identified all our lives suddenly become obsolete.

How do we continue to introduce ourselves to people who do not know us? How do I want to be peripherally known as an adult?

To Be Known

A week ago while catching up with old grads, one of our friends who has done his fair share of travelling and living, and has recently decided to spend time back in the States, said something profound in his search for "what's next":

"It's not a question of knowing people; it's a question of being known."

How important it is for us to be known, and how challenging it is for us when we are not known. I've watched friends struggle with it since graduation - you move to a new place and don't know a soul, but even after six months, when you've hopefully at least established friends to say hi to and maybe even hang out with, you still are not deeply known. I've watched myself fall into the same unknownness in Namibia. It usually takes a long time to get to the point of being known. Rarely is it something that happens at a fast pace, and when it does, what a surprise and gift it is. "I feel like we've known each other forever."

We are loved by a God who knows us. And He surrounds us with people who know us and who we can know. People who anticipate how we will react to new situations; people who know when to write a card or buy us a cup of coffee because it's been a hard week; people who know how to pray for us when we don't even have the words. What a treasure these true friends are.

How important it is to surround ourselves by people who know us, especially coming off of a sad season, an extended time away, or an hard trial. It's easy for many of us to get to know people, but hard to plant yourself in a place where you are known.

The Year of Anticipated Stability

Guess what? I don't really know what stability feels like anymore. Despite growing up in the same friendly suburb - and essentially the same house - for the first 18 years of life, the last six have brought nothing but change, change, change. Moving to and from home & college for four years; packing up for a month in Africa; changing majors and lifeplans; moving in and out of dorms and storage units in Nashville; graduating; moving home; moving back to Nashville; two internships; moving to Namibia; moving back to Nashville; working full-time. It's enough to give me whiplash just thinking about it!

As I was having coffee (at a great new coffeeshop!) with a friend last week, we were talking New Years and resolutions and what this year may bring. In that moment, I realized that this is the first time that I get to look forward on a year of relative stability. I'm not planning on leaving Nashville, leaving my job, moving homes, getting married, or having a baby. Surely, any one of these things has the potential to change. But it's the first time in many years that I'm not anticipating change or planning on picking up my life and spinning it around.

Let's all breathe a huge sigh of relief and expectation.

So in addition to aforementioned resolutions, 2012 is looking to be a year of stability. Which may bring me as much trouble as saying "it can't be worse than 2011." But I'll take my chances.

Glory be.

NamJams

Oh my WORD, am I excited to share this with you!

NamJams. Namibian music you love to listen to. This was my favorite song in Namibia. We used to play it on repeat from the shebeen jukebox while on holiday in Luderitz. It was so ubiquitous that you could practically guarantee hearing it on every taxi/combi/hike. Needless to say, I've already listened to it about 379 times since Peace Corps Namibia Volunteer and fellow Vanderbilt alumna Claire posted it earlier today.

It's the best. "I just wanna live my life the best way I can."

Listen. Enjoy. Repeat.

Obligatory New Years Post

Every good blogger writes a New Years post. When January 1 came and went, I sighed and resigned myself to being a terrible blogger. Later, I decided that there's no better way to start of the new year than with a little procrastination; I would simply write my big post a week later.

(PS does New Year(')s need an apostrophe? Hmm...)

In mid-December, I started making the harrowing mistake of telling friends that "there is no way 2012 can be worse than 2011." This past year was the most trying of my life: circumstantially, emotionally, developmentally. I have had dark seasons before, but nothing that has so engulfed a specific calendar year. Surely things have to get better this year, right?

2011 was a year in which I lost myself. While my firm foundation in Christ has steadfastly prevailed, I've spent an entire year not recognizing myself. Who is this person who quits major commitments? Who is this girl who would rather stay home every night than plan relentless social ventures? Who is this person who struggles to feel the joy and enthusiasm that shined so brightly from 1988-2010?

Thus, I've decided that 2012 is going to be a year of rediscovery, healing, and hope. I pray to learn the lesson of continual deepjoy that Christ preaches. I am eager to know the woman that the Lord knit Karen McGee to be - not just in place and profession, but in personality, emotions, reactions, love, strengths, weaknesses, and desires. I am desperately in need of soul-healing after this past year. I'm hopeful that I can remain hopeful in the midst of whatever 2012 throws at me.

In that vein, while I did not have any resolutions when the clock (or "moonpie," as it happens in Memphis) struck midnight last weekend, I have pondered long and hard and come up with three simple things I'd like to do in the next 358 days:

1. run a full marathon
2. immerse myself in the word daily
3. learn to play the hammered dulcimer

Join me in hoping without disappointment as we kick of 2012.

The Second Annual Christmas Pajama Party: Sweets & Treats!

Aside from the best Hot Chocolate Bar and a plethora of cookies, we had many other sweets & treats at the Second Annual Christmas Pajama Party. Actually, only two that were photographed. These are both super easy to make any time of the year, so, uhh, please don't be offended if I start to eat these year-round

Schnuggles

Ingredients:
Hershey's Kisses (I used regular chocolate, mint chocolate, and peppermint)
Square pretzels (the ones that look like windows)
Christmas M&M's

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange square pretzels on the parchment paper so they are all facing up and not laying on each other - do not use broken pretzels. Place one unwrapped Hershey Kiss on top of each pretzel. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until the chocolate is soft. Remove from oven and immediately press one M&M onto the top of each Kiss, flattening it. Place parchment paper with Schnuggles on top in fridge until they harden. Enjoy!


Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:
Chocolate (I used one bag of dark chocolate chips and one bag of white chocolate chips)
Candy canes, crushed

Directions:
Melt chocolate in the refrigerator, one variety at a time. Begin by heating the chips for 30 seconds and stir. Continue heating in 10-second intervals, stirring each time until they are melted. While chocolate chips are melting, cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Crush candy canes in a plastic bag. As soon as the chocolate is melted, immediately pour it onto the aluminum foil and spread using a knife. If you want to make marble peppermint bark, pour the dark chocolate and white chocolate side by side and swirl them together with a knife. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top and press into chocolate if needed. Allow chocolate to set on the counter or in the refrigerator. As soon as it is hard, break it into pieces and enjoy!