Happy Halloween!

Happy holiday of jack-o-lanterns, candy galore, pudgy tummies, and costumes.

Tonight, I'm sitting in our cute, very welcoming house waiting for trick-or-treaters to arrive. It's nearly 7 and I've only handed out 7 pieces of candy so far. I'm learning the importance of living on a block with a sidewalk - something I'll definitely look for in my next residence.

All this non-trick-or-treater time has given me time to reminisce on pre-adulthood Halloweens. I loved setting up Jack in our living room - a fake jack-o-lantern with multi-colored bulbs inside that cycled through all the colors of the rainbow. I loved trick-or-treating for the full four allotted hours in our neighborhood - even if my sister refused to go with me; even if it was miserable outside, as most Chicago Halloweens are. I loved dressing up as this pink bunny, Bambi, Minnie Mouse (several times), a tree, Dumbledore, a pumpkin, a princess, a superhero, a hippie, and more. I loved stashing my candy in my closet where no one else could find it and rationing it out through Easter.

So Happy Halloween, y'all. May your evening be filled with more sugar than you initially planned on consuming.

Inspired

Fall has been a season of intentional inspiration. There are two types of inspired people: active and passive. Passive inspirees like to "pin" things on "Pinterest." Gets your heart giddy but doesn't get you anywhere. Active inspirees see something great and go do it.

I'm in a season of the latter.

As friend & former roommate Mallory so articulated: "As someone whose mind wanders easily (and often into the worry-zone), it's a breath of fresh air to be so focused on an activity that I don't see the time passing and I forget about everything that's annoying or stressful."

So, thanks to supportive roommates, many of our walls are adorned with fall 2011's art projects. I am not an artist. But I've enjoyed taking part in creation these last few months.

Framed Twine Noteboard

This project is super easy and looks much cooler than the classic bulletin board. I found this great frame on clearance at Hobby Lobby in Madison a few months ago. It had no back or glass, so it was perfect for this project. Though its original dark wood was nice, it was a bit damaged, so I painted it a bright coral color.

I took some leftover twine from hanging things in Namibia and strung it across the frame, creating perfect spaces for hanging things. Attaching the twine was the bulk of the project: in the end, I had stapled, tied, and hot glued every end of twine. Perhaps there was an easier way to do this...but at least I know it will never fall apart!

I also found some great mini clothespins at Hobby Lobby with which to hang things that I eventually plan on painting.

To hang it on the wall, I wrapped the twine around the corners and twisted it to make a thicker rope from which it could hang.

It's the perfect place to display save the dates, wedding invitations, notes from friends, prayer cards, and baby shower invites (gasp! how are we old enough to receive those?).

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Over the summer, I saw a brightly colored canvas painting of the state of Texas with a giant heart in it. Of course; everything is bigger in Texas. This got me thinking...why not extend the concept of loving your state the other 49? And why not put the heart specifically over the city you so love?

The first "Home Is Where the Heart Is" that I painted was of the great state of Tennessee - that's where my heart is, after all.

My roommates loved it so much that they urged me to paint four more state paintings: one for each of the places we're from.

For a bit of a closer look...

Glenview, IL

Syracuse, NY

Menlo Park, CA 

Boise, ID

These have been my biggest project this fall. In fact, I love making them so much that I've gladly taken up requests to paint more for other people. I'd love to extend the concept to even more states and countries around the world - but that would be too much canvas at once for one house, so I'll have to wait for commissions.

Mumford-Inspired Wood Letters on Canvas

This is my favorite gem of a creation. It was simple enough: wooden letters painted and glued on canvas. The general concept is to paint the wooden letters the same color as the canvas, making them pop. However, this lyric is so intense that I wanted to throw in some color contrast.

"Sigh No More"

Listen to this and skip on forward to 1:50 if you're short on time:

Hope you're feeling inspired today!

Deep October

Last night, the chill of winter's fast approach started nipping at my heels. Deep autumn has finally settled in in Middle Tennessee. No longer do we have bright orange leaves set against a backdrop of turquoise skies, comfortably swaddled in warm temperatures. Grey skies and near-freezing temperatures have blanketed the city, accentuating the brilliant colors of autumn and finally necessitating those things we love most: hot drinks, thick blankets, warm socks.

The depths of autumn have been weighing on my mind ever since reading these thoughts. I'm especially struck by this passage:

I beheld contrast upon contrast. Each life manifest in its individuality, because this is what happens in the season of death. The green has gone, the true has come. The covering of the corporate is no longer.

Autumn is the season of death. Death of trees, bugs, grass, and the long days of summer. And it's beautiful. As the leaves die and fall, they burst into brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows and slowly waft towards the ground. They may lie there for weeks before disintegrating and becoming the dust of the earth.

I'm reminded of deaths in my own life. How acutely painful they always seems. But when thought of in the framework of autumn, these deaths have been beautiful in their own time. To savor the slow - and sometimes all-too-fast - petering of a life is precious.

For one, those dear ones who have been overcome by illness. I don't discount the pain and anguish of these journeys. But a sweet thing about being keenly aware that death is on its way is how we get to savor every moment with those we love. To see the depths of sweetness in their disposition, the gifts they embody, the pleasant corners of their personalities. Even though these qualities have always always present, we don't notice them as well in seasons of ease.

And then there are deaths of seasons of our lives, of expectations, of dreams. As we rounded the corner and quickly approached our graduation from college, the fear and sadness was nearly paralyzing. But those relationships and moments were so accentuated and special - so much more so than at the beginning of college when our time seemed endless.

Autumn is a reminder of this. In the midst of this season of death, we are overwhelmed by sensory beauty and appreciation. We are barreling quickly towards winter and know our days of lounging outside and keeping our jackets stowed in the closet are coming to an end. We know the hibernation days of winter are on their way. Why focus on the heaviness of winter when we can rejoice in the slow beauty of autumn? Why mourn the impending death when we can savor today?

So, as we hunker down and draw friends near in deep October, may we be reminded of the preciousness of our mortality and the brilliant beauty of dying and being reborn into our new lives. It is sweet, for sure.

Drum Roll Please...

It's been 2 months and 11 days...alright already. I'll tell you about my job!

The fall before I left for Namibia, I had the blessing to get to know Travis Gravette and his organization, Global Support Mission, and did a little on-the-side intern work with them. Fast forward to 2011 and packing up to move back to Nashville. I had no idea what I was going to do in moving, but knew this blessed city was where I was being led to. On a whim, I emailed Travis to see if he knew of anyone who might be hiring. Because, let's face it, the prospects for a recent graduate are grim indeed these days.

Within one day, he emailed me to set up a meeting over coffee.
Within three days, we were sitting at a table in Fido and he spoke some powerful words to me - "we'd love to have you join the team."
Within a week, I took the leap and accepted his offer...and embarked on the ever-intimidating road of fundraising my complete salary.
Within two and a half weeks, I had raised enough money to start working full-time - by the grace of God and His very generous and faithful servants.

And here we are - 2 months and 11 days later.

I am beyond grateful to be part of the team at Global Support Mission. We exist to see a movement of compassion wipe out hunger, disease, and extreme poverty. To do this, we partner with local leaders who have already begun movements in their communities, and we work with them to train, equip, and resource them to better carry out their mission and serve their communities. Right now, we are partnered with two incredible affiliates in East Africa - one in Kaihura, Uganda, and the other in Mombasa, Kenya.

Global Support Mission includes several exciting initiatives. Our two biggest programs right now are Red Earth Trading Co. and Know.Think.Act.

Red Earth Trading Co. is a direct-trade company; we work with local artisans in East Africa and then sell their products around the States through house parties and online. This promotes continued economic development in East Africa and supports the operational needs of Global Support Mission. We recently kicked off The Exchange Tour in which we have two interns on the road taking Red Earth into homes, businesses, schools, and churches around the U.S - so exciting! And if you order anything from our website, yours truly is the one to personally package every order. So go buy something now!

Know.Think.Act. is a web-based giving platform that connects people at home directly with the needs of our affiliates in East Africa. 100% of donations go directly to the need and it's a great way to get communities here with communities in need halfway around the world.

In addition to these programs, we also have an International Volunteer Program, a Leadership School for our affiliates in Uganda, and Legacy Partners, which enables people to partner with supporting the operational needs of Global Support Mission on a long-term basis so we can continue to fulfill our mission & purpose. If you're interested in becoming a Legacy Partner, please let me know. We would love to get you involved and have your support.

As for me, I am serving as the International Volunteer Coordinator & Office Manager for Global Support Mission. I get to get my hands dirty in almost every area of the organization - from back end financial work to Red Earth inventory to sending our enthusiastic volunteers to Uganda to writing personal thank you notes to our donors on Know.Think.Act.

All that to say, I am thrilled to be a part of this movement and to be working in my dream job at 23. Global Support Mission's work is sustainable, effective, and really exciting these days. We are growing quickly and have some really awesome things to come in the next few months and years!

Want to know more? Just ask! And visit all the links above - our media department has done a great job on all our sites...after all, that's how I fell in love with GSM.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. And today, praising him for 2 months and 11 days of His provision of employment, passion, and new friends.

TIA Tuesday - It Is Finished!

Check out these happy campers! 

Amy's classroom in Namibia is COMPLETE! Praise the Lord! It has been a long, arduous journey, but thanks to her hard work and your faithful prayers, it has come to fruition. Check out these photos!

The old Grade 4 classroom

The pile of rubble on the right is the "before photo"

After! The door is painted yellow for the school's colors.

I am immensely proud of Amy's perseverance through this entire project and for God's grace to see it through. I couldn't be more grateful to have a friend like her in Namibia who would use all of your funds to improve her community and learners' lives after I was unable to stay. These 4th graders (and all the ones to come) will now have a safe, dry, quiet place to learn for years to come. 

It's been hard, and as Amy says on her blog, ask her if you want the full story - frustrations and all. But it is finished. Hallelujah!

October Visits Us All

Earlier this week, my favorite writing community, The Rabbit Room, published a short essay written by the articulate Rebecca Reynolds. Not knowing who this girl was and in a rush to lessen the number of things in my Google Reader, I set upon scanning through it. 

Whoa, Nelly. This is not scannable. No sir-ee. Like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, her words should deserve ample time to seep into your soul. The Lord has clearly given her the gracious gift of language.

Stay tuned for more later this week. I'm blown away...and four days hasn't been enough to form articulate thoughts yet.

Don't be surprised if you get chills at the end. Is it the autumn breeze or the beauty of the Truth? For your sake, I hope it's a bit of both. 

Four months ago, the hillsides tumbled green upon green. Valleys and rises were determined by a narrow spectrum of shadows and brights. More or less, the landscape was monotone, summer lazy, and supple. Confident maple leaves hung in all their twenty-something vigor, acquainted with hearty rain and heated winds, thinking they knew what there was to know. 

I remembered being that age, so I didn’t laugh. Instead, I was tender, because October visits us all. 

Yesterday, thrown handfuls of yellow leaves hung like stars against a navy green wood. Spots of light clung to branch with newfound brevity, sensing their weakening connection to familiarity. That which has nourished will release. In the glory of dying, in the flame of brilliance, each little golden body realized that it would pass through the womb of falling to the earth. 

I beheld contrast upon contrast. Each life manifest its individuality, because this is what happens in the season of death. The green has gone, the true has come. The covering of the corporate is no longer. 

Ochre grasses were painted willowy and bowing in their individual lines. There were tufts of silver grey, slices of red, bushes burning like a hearth. White seed pods cast their children upon hope of spring. Shrubs fussed over their holiday decorations, and fifteen stubborn trees held desperately to the last of their lime like thirty-nine-year-old women. 

Autumn awakens. Here, depth is defined by variation. 

Most of my life, I have walked among a summer’s faith where two-dimensional promises were made by a pleasant Western culture: “Jesus will perfect my marriage. Jesus will make my children wise, and strong, and moral. Jesus will help me obtain financial abundance. Jesus will make me confident, exegetically sound, and able to collect a little flock of admiring disciples. Jesus passes out health in twelve steps and truth in five points. I will walk manicured and full of my own right choices into a ripe old age of comfort.” 

Perhaps. Yet often we imply that the Jesus we worship would never allow us a season of uncertainty, or vulnerability, or war. We think he wants us to be fat, full of ourselves, and sure. We know belief tumbling in summergreen strength through valleys and heights, simple and monotone, making promises of happily ever earthly after. 

It is a breed of faith easy enough to manage among wealthy people expecting pleasant things. That is why the anomalies are so horrifying: sicknesses, disasters, misunderstandings, prisons of all sorts, Novembers in June. The story shouldn’t go this way, we think. Dyings are such a shock, for the Jesus we have loved is pleasant and easy, and we shop for him until we find him sold our way. 

A thousand times I have read the words, but who ever believes them without October skies grown low and grey? You have died. The old has gone. The new has come. The old shell must be sucked of its green juices and tumble down, resigned to the contrast. For there is another world, and it is often winter here when spring there rises. 

The veins of fallen leaves read like hymns, yellow-running, red, and holy. They are prophets of a new dimension. 

My life is gone. 

Behold what is left: 

Brilliance.

S*** That Siri Says

Super Sassy Siri is the pride & joy of the iPhone 4S. She is just as fun to use for real things as she is to play around with. I will admit that I've already used her many times to ask what the weather will be like as I'm running around getting ready in the morning, to find directions while I'm driving without using my hands to thumb through the apps, and to set timers and alarms.

For our amusement, here are some verbatim conversations between Siri and I as I tested her out in our first few days of friendship, a la this funny website that took off in the days surrounding the phone's release.

"What is the meaning of life?" [a question that I tested her on several times, with all these responses]
"That's easy...it's a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of life or existence in general."
"I don't know. But I think there's an app for that."
"All evidence to date suggests it's chocolate."
"42."
"Life: a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings. I guess that includes me."

"Siri, will you marry me?"
"We hardly know one another."

"Who are you?"
"I'm just a humble virtual assistant."

"Where are you?"
"Wherever you are, that's where I am."

"Open sesame!"
"Ever so sorry, Karen...I'm not allowed to do that."

"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck?"
"It depends on whether you are talking about African or European woodchucks."

"Knock Knock."
"Knock Knock. Who's there? Karen. Karen who? Karen, I don't do knock-knock jokes."

"Beam me up."
"OK. Stand still."

"What is the best phone?"
"I think you've already answered that question, Karen."

"I love you, Siri."
"Oh, stop."

"What are you wearing?"
"Wearing?"
"Yes, what are you wearing?"
"Why do people keep asking me this?"

"Tell me a story."
"Once upon a time...no, it's too silly."

"Who is on first"
"That's right."
"Who is on first"
"Correct."
"Who is on first"
"Right. Who is on first."

"I need to hide a body."
"What kind of place are you looking for? Dumps, metal foundries, reservoirs, swamps, or mines?"


"You're sassy, Siri."
"I don't really like these arbitrary categories."

What fun questions would you ask Siri?