from us to you. :)

  

The holidays have been very busy for us, as has getting back into the swing of things with school since I've been pretty sick for the past week. I'm not sure when I'll start back posting regularly, so I just wanted to share a few pictures from Christmas and say that I hope everyone had a very wonderful holiday season and happy new year! :)

I hope you are all able to reflect on the past year and go into 2012 with a fresh outlook and new goals. And that you have a very blessed new year.

From our family to y'all, thanks for following and sharing in our lives with us! And we can't wait to see what's in store!

shoeboxes!

So I haven't posted on our OCC Project in awhile, but I have a short update. We've FINALLY started getting all of our shoeboxes together. We're going to local shoe stores and asking for any extras they might have. By doing this we don't have to spend any money on boxes or containers and we're able to put all our money toward the items in the boxes.

On our first trip, we only got three boxes, but it was still exciting! And super encouraging because the manager told us to keep coming back every few days. And of course, I took a picture to commemorate the occasion.

On another note, the wonderful Laura over at unpunctuated life has joined up with Nate and me in our challenge and wrote a great post about her experiences with Operation Christmas Child and what she and her husband are doing to give this year. You should definitely head over to her blog and check it out! And maybe it'll inspire you to get involved too. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. ;)

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." - Nelson Mandela

Our Uncomfortable Giving Challenge!!!!!

Our Giving Challenge

Steph and I truly enjoy the process of giving to those in need. Especially when it involves children. We have been scheming and strategizing a giving challenge that will stretch us and we think we have come up with a pretty fun project :-) We have given shoe boxes filled with Christmas presents for needy children all across the world as part of Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child in the past and it is a rewarding experience (if you have never participated, give it a shot this year!). All we have to do is fill shoe boxes with lots of presents and goodies and make a small donation and Samaritan’s Purse makes sure the gift puts a smile on a needy child's face somewhere around the world (they even say you can track your shoe box now! How awesome!). Their mission is totally aligned with Steph's and my values:

"The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ."

Here is a link to their FAQ and a video if you are interested!

Steph has been in a really giving mood lately and it has been contagious for me. While I was running on the treadmill last night it came to me, "STEPH - LET'S JOIN OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD AND GIVE A BUNCH OF SHOE BOXES TO NEEDY KIDS THIS CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!”

She was sold on the idea pretty quickly. I mean it involves helping children the world has forgotten so I am pretty sure I could have said, "Let's sell everything we own and help the children" and she would have said yes... ;-) We agreed on a goal that feels very UNcomfortable for us: 50 shoe boxes. It just kinda feels impossible (and maybe it is). That's kind of the point of any challenging goal. It should feel just on the edge of impossible! But we don't really care and we are going to do everything we can with family and friends to make this project come true. What's the worst case scenario? We only get 29 boxes sent out for children who wouldn't otherwise have Christmas presents this year?! Only 29 children were able to see the warm caring smile of a Samaritan’s Purse volunteer reach down, give them a gift and tell them about the greatest Gift of all: Christ Jesus? Seems like a win-win situation any way you slice this deal!

So here goes; the shoe store will be our first stop to see if they are cool with giving us a bunch of free empty shoe boxes :-)

FYI if you want to join us with this project just shoot Steph an email (or call) and she will hook you up! We’re pretty sure our family will be jacked up about the idea as well (they have been giving through Operation Christmas Child for years).

YEAHHHHHHH BOYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! We are really excited about this.

We will definitely make sure to keep you updated as we start filling shoe boxes.

LET GO OF THE PEANUTS MONKEYYYYYY; and Something about Scrooge!!!

A friend of mine was telling me a pretty awesome story the other day about how African hunters catch monkeys. Basically they hollow out and put a hole on one side of a coconut. They then place some peanuts or oranges etc. into the coconut and secure it to a tree. Along comes an unsuspecting monkey slipping his hand into the coconut to get his treats. The problem arises when he makes a fist to pick up the food his hand can't get out of the trap... The monkey will jump all over the place trying to get out of the trap -- little does he know that if he would only let go of the food his hand would slip right out... Along comes the hunter. Finding the monkey still with his tight fist in the coconut; the hunter now has dinner :-)

That story always reminds me of how we can be with money (and material things.... and time.....) sometimes. I think it’s human nature to hoard and stake out "what's ours"... We get new clothes but struggle to let go of some of the pieces, “We might wear someday”. We want new cars; we want a new house; we want new furniture to put in the new house; we want our kids to have the best the world has to offer. We aren’t hurting anybody, but we want what we want and we want it now! The irony is that it's only when we LET GO that we truly experience what it’s like to be FREE (just like the monkey my friend told me about haha)! We have to take care of ourselves and provide for our families of course. But once our needs are met -- it is truly a freeing experience to begin helping meet the needs of those around us.

Ever seen how OVERJOYED Scrooge was in the story of A Christmas Carol when he finally opens his tightly held grip over his money and possessions? The guy is on cloud nine, he is literally a new man!

Giving has not always been easy for me or Steph. While we have never been like Scrooge (I hope!), we sure have passed up many opportunities to help those around us when we have the ability. And let's be honest, as citizens of the United States of America most of us (not all) have our basic needs met every day. We have not always actively engaged in giving as we do now. Honestly (and selfishly) we knew it was something we should do more of, but we didn't realize the fringe benefits of giving: joy, peace and contentment that surpasses logical understanding.

In the last couple of years God has truly given us a heart for people. We love people. We love you. We love these children we don't know (and probably will never know); we plan on helping make a difference in their lives this year. I hope you too are enjoying making a difference in someone's life today (this week, this year...)!

Your Giving Challenge

My challenge to you is to start giving. Period. I can't tell how significantly it will change your life to let go of something you have and invest in the life of another human being. Best investment you will ever make. It doesn't really matter if it's buying the meal for the person behind you in the drive-through @ Chick-fil-A or WHATEVER. The act of serving and helping others through giving will CHANGE YOUR FREEKN' LIFE!!! Do you have $5 in your pocket? Give half of it to someone in need today and see how it makes YOU feel (not to mention how the other person feels). You may change someone else's life through your generosity; you most certainly will change your own. I promise you that. If it doesn't, give me a call and I will pay you back every red cent you used to help someone else.

Just try it -- start with $5 and get rolling baby!

Tell us about your experience with giving. Who did you help? What did you give (time, money, skills etc.?)? HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL? We really want to hear your stories so bring them on.

PS. Hey - Steph here! :) If any of you would like to help out, go to the the top and check out our OCC Project page for how you can help and for my contact information!

dreams.

Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write down your top three dreams. Now write down what’s holding you back from them.
(Author: Michael Rad)

It's been awhile since I've done a trust30 post. I had committed. I was sticking to that commitment. And then I just let life get in the way of it. But I'm getting back on track now. No clue how long it will take to get through all of the prompts, but they WILL all be done.


Anyway. To my top three dreams.


ONE.
To have at least two children and stay at home with them until they are in school. Right now, this dream hasn't been fulfilled because Nate and I are waiting until we're in a more stable living environment where we actually have room to at least put a crib. We're living somewhere cheap now to save money so we can move to that more stable place soon. We're also working on saving money so we can afford for me to stay home with the children and better provide for them. So maybe these things aren't keeping us from fulfilling our dream, but rather helping us to reach it more quickly?

TWO. 
To more seriously pursue my artwork. Currently, I feel like I'm not doing much to reach toward this dream due to lack of time. I feel like there are so many other things I need to be focusing my time and energy on that I push this to the back burner. I keep telling myself that once I get these other things figured out, then I'll start focusing on my art. I have a feeling that if I started focusing on my art more, I would probably be more productive in my everyday life because I would have a creative outlet. I just haven't done anything about it yet. I'm going to make that an actual tangible goal this week. I am going to start spending at least one hour a week creating. 

THREE. 
To be in charge of whatever it is I am doing as a teacher - whether it means having my own classroom or doing behavioral therapy and creating my own programs. I have been working for two years now under the supervision and direction of other educators. I have a BA and a M.Ed. and experience and a good bit of knowledge (I think) and I have so many things that I want to do with my children. I am ready to have that responsibility. With the job I found most recently, I was finally given a taste of that responsibility and it was WONDERFUL. Unfortunately, it was just for a summer extension program and due to the fact that it is a private school where there is already an amazing staff, I might not be able to stay into the fall with a full-time position. And due to the job market and the way things are in the education world right now, it has been difficult to find the job I'm looking for. But I'm still looking. And still pushing forward. And despite the things that might be holding me back, I am going to continue pushing until this dream does come true.

What are your dreams?

 

invent the future.

So. Here is day seventeen of the trust30 challenge.

A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

My favorite quote of all time is Alan Kay: ‘In order to predict the future, you have to invent it.’ I am all about inventing the future. Decide what you want the future to be and make it happen. Because you can. Write about your future now.

(Author: Cindy Gallop)

Well, this one is going to be short. To be honest, I don't know what the future holds. And I'm not big on spending hours dreaming up exactly what I want my future to look like. Because it's not in my hands. You know what they say, 'We plan. God laughs.'

I've said it before. I'll say it again. I want to be serving the Lord. I want to be the best wife and mother I can be. I want to be working with children who have special needs. I want to be able to spend a lot of quality time with our family. I want to be able to spend a lot of quality time with our friends. I want to pursue my art. And I want Nate and I to be able to do the things that are important to us. To me, that's a pretty bright and successful future.

And I think we're making that happen right now.

What do you see for your future?

one thing.

Here's day fifteen of the trust30 challenge.

Do your work, and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reinforce yourself. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take a moment, step back from your concerns, and focus on one thing: You have one life to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted. Sounds simple, but when you really focus on it, let it seep into your consciousness, you realize you only have about 100 years to get every single thing you’ve ever wanted to do. No second chances. This is your only shot. Suddenly, this means you should have started yesterday. No more waiting for permission or resources to start. Today is the day you make the rest of your life happen. Write down one thing you’ve always wanted to do and how you will achieve that goal. Don’t be afraid to be very specific in how you’ll achieve it: once you start achieving, your goals will get bigger and your capability to meet them will grow.

(Author: Colin Wright)

I don't have a lot of goals in life, just a few specific ones. I've achieved quite a few, and I'm well on my way to accomplishing one or two more right now. But there's one in particular that I've put on the backburner for awhile now because I have been so focused on other things.

I want to be an artist. Not in the sense that I'm famous or that I have my work in galleries. I just want to consistently put time and effort into my work. I want to experience growth.

I want to create.

Over the next week, I'm going to take some time to figure out what I can do to accomplish this. And then I'll get back to you with my list.

And now I ask you...what is the one thing you want to do in your life?

alternative paths.

Today's trust30 prompt:

When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name; the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The world buzzes about goals and visions. Focus. Create a vivid picture of exactly where you want to go. Dream big, then don’t let anything or anyone stop you. The problem, as Daniel Gilbert wrote in Stumbling Upon Happiness, is that we’re horrible at forecasting how we’ll really feel 10 or 20 years from now – once we’ve gotten what we dreamed of. Often, we get there only to say, “That’s not what I thought it would be,” and ask, “What now?” Ambition is good. Blind ambition is not. It blocks out not only distraction, but the many opportunities that might take you off course but that may also lead you in a new direction. Consistent daily action is only a virtue when bundled with a willingness to remain open to the unknown. In this exercise, look at your current quest and ask, “What alternative opportunities, interpretations and paths am I not seeing?” They’re always there, but you’ve got to choose to see them.

(Author: Jonathan Fields)

Where do I want to be in ten years? I want to be a wife. I want to be a mother. I want to be serving the Lord. I want to be working with children who have special needs. I want to be an artist.

I don't have a ten year plan, or a five year plan. I don't even have a plan for a year from now. I know what I want to accomplish within the next two months. And I'm taking that one day at a time, as God continues to reveal His will to me. But there are no decisions that are set in stone. And I'm not closed off to any paths to the goals that Nate and I have, or so focused on reaching them in a certain way that I miss out on alternative routes.

Life is good right now. And we're heading in the direction we want to be, and the direction that seems to be right. And I think we're going to be okay. :)

fear.

trust30.

These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Is fear holding you back from living your fullest life and being truly self expressed? Put yourself in the shoes of the you who’s already lived your dream and write out the answers to the following:

Is the insecurity you’re defending worth the dream you’ll never realize? or the love you’ll never venture? or the joy you’ll never feel?

Will the blunder matter in 10 years? Or 10 weeks? Or 10 days? Or 10 minutes?

Can you be happy being anything less than who you really are?

Now Do. The Thing. You Fear.

(Author: Lachlan Cotter)

I guess the obvious answer to all of these questions is no. It's not worth giving up my dreams, love, and joy because I'm holding on to insecurities. And boy, do I ever hold on to insecurities. I am the queen of insecurity.

Mistakes I make now most likely won't matter down the road. At least in the negative sense. As long as I don't let them. It's up to me to decide how I let my mistakes shape my future. I can choose to let them bring me down or I can choose to learn from them and let them drive my personal growth.

It's entirely my choice whether I let those times I screw up feed into my insecurity or I turn them into learning experiences that help me move toward my goals in life. And I'm working very hard to choose the latter. I don't always make the right decision, but it gets easier as I grow as a person and get closer to my goals.

I think it's really hard to be truly happy if you aren't fully being yourself. There's a discontent that comes along with not living up to your full potential. Until you can begin facing your insecurities and start pushing yourself forward in spite of then, I'm not sure that happiness can really be achieved.

What do y'all think? I feel like this could go quite a few different ways...

divine idea.

officially on day eleven of the challenge.

Imitation is Suicide. Insist on yourself; never imitate. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write down in which areas of your life you have to overcome these suicidal tendencies of imitation, and how you can transform them into a newborn you – one that doesn’t hide its uniqueness, but thrives on it. There is a “divine idea which each of us represents” – which is yours?

(Author: Fabian Kruse)

I don't know that I necessarily have the tendency to imitate others. I think my tendency is more to blend in. If I see that I am different than whoever I am around in some way, I start to automatically tone down that part of my personality. I don't like to stand out and be different. It scares the living daylights out of me. So instead of letting things about myself that people might actually like shine through, I dim the lights until I'm at a brightness where I just fit in with everyone else. 

I think this tends to stifle my growth and my potential as an individual. Actually, let me take that back. I KNOW it does. It's something I'm working extremely hard on. I have a quote on my Facebook that I have to read daily, sometimes more than once a day, that I'd like to share with y'all because it helps serve as a reminder that I should never be ashamed of who I am or try to hide who I am.

“Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘who am I to be so brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God: Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson

I don't know that there is one specific area of my life in which I tend to hide my unique self. I think I pretty much do this across the board.

I would say that my goal is to continue to step out of my comfort zone professionally, spiritually and artistically. And now that I have addressed this prompt I'm definitely going to look at how I can do that more specifically.

Gah. These prompts aren't easy. It's more difficult than I thought it would be to think through these topics and then put my thoughts out there.

Thoughts?

your personal message.

trust30.

To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is burning deep inside of you? If you could spread your personal message RIGHT NOW to 1 million people, what would you say?

I think my message would be pretty simple. It would be that God loves you. No matter what. No matter who you are. No matter what you've done. No matter what issues you have or what your situation is.

HE. LOVES. YOU.

Enough to sacrifice His son for you. Enough to taken on all your sin and the punishment for all of that sin for you. And enough to forgive you for every single bit of that sin. Every little thing you have done in the past. And every little thing you will do in the future. Gone. Washed away. So far away. Down to the ocean floor. If only you're willing to recognize that you are a sinner and accept Him and all that He has done for you into your life.

There's more to the story, but that's really the important part.

I know it's a pretty controversial message. I know not everyone agrees with it. But it's my message. And it's my truth. And it's what I live my life for. And it has changed my life. So I really can't keep it to myself, can I?

As for my 'post-it' challenge, I figured out a couple small steps I can take to put myself on the right path:

• I have started waking up at 6:30 every morning NO MATTER WHAT.
• I have started every morning with a quick devotion. Since I tend to need motivation from somewhere else, a quick Bible verse and inspirational read will give me that drive I need to start the day off right.
• I have started carrying around a small notebook that I can use specifically for ideas I have or for things I think of throughout the day that I want or need to do. I so often forget about these things because I tell myself I'll write them down later or do them later and then never do.

So, there are my first three small things. Not much, but it's a start.

So, do you have a personal message you would like to share with the world? Or at least with the few people who read our blog? ;)

dare to be bold.

and here's the next trust30 prompt.

Our arts, our occupations, our marriages, our religion, we have not chosen, but society has chosen for us. We are parlour soldiers. We shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Next to Resistance, rational thought is the artist or entrepreneurs worst enemy. Bad things happen when we employ rational thought, because rational thought comes from the ego. Instead, we want to work from the Self, that is, from instinct and intuition, from the unconscious.

A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. Its only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” - Steven Pressfield, Do the Work

The idea of “being realistic” holds all of us back. From starting a business or quitting a job to dating someone who may not be our type or moving to a new place – getting “real” often means putting your dreams on hold.

Today, let’s take a step away from rational thought and dare to be bold. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to accomplish but have been afraid to pursue? Write it down. Also write down the obstacles in your way of reaching your goal. Finally, write down a tangible plan to overcome each obstacle.

The only thing left is to, you know, actually go make it happen. What are you waiting for?

(Author: Matt Cheuvront)

This one is hard. Really, really hard. I think I'm doing all the things I want to do right now. But I know I need to be constantly pushing myself.

I've been thinking for two days but I need to think some more. I'm going to have to get back to you on this one.

come alive.

This trust30 prompt was a tough one.

Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive.

Bonus: How can your goals improve the present and not keep you in a perpetual “always something better” spiral?

(Author: Jonathan Mead)

I don't think I put myself out there enough. I think I have big plans for that, but I'm constantly telling myself that I'll do better tomorrow. I just need more motivation, more confidence, more time. But I guess the thing is, I'm really not guaranteed that time - am I?

I'm a big to-do lister. Just ask Nate. I make list after list after list. I'll add things I want to do and I honestly plan on doing with every good intention. But most of the time, they never get done.

I think that in order to truly put myself out there, to truly get things done and make a difference, to truly LIVE I need to start putting those things that are hardest for me and that I know deep down at the end of the day aren't going to have a line through them at the top of my list. And I need to force myself to complete those things before I even touch anything else. Because once I've faced what I think can't be faced, it becomes just a little bit easier and I can begin to live just a little bit more each day.

I have to thank Nate, in part, for these revelations. He's been placing some of these ideas in my head bit by bit for awhile now. ;)


And as always, I open the topic up to the readers. Any ideas on this topic?

travel.

Now that Nate and I are back home from our wonderful weekend in Savannah celebrating two crazy years of marriage (that I wouldn't trade for ANYTHING), I am back to the trust30 project. At some point in the near future, I will also include some everyday life posting as well. But I can't pinpoint exactly when that will be as I have a TON of lesson planning to do before next week. (In case you didn't hear, I GOT A JOB!)

Anyway. On to the writing challenge.

If we live truly, we shall see truly. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Not everyone wants to travel the world, but most people can identify at least one place in the world they’d like to visit before they die. Where is that place for you, and what will you do to make sure you get there?

(Author: Chris Guillebeau)

I have always wanted to visit Italy. And I always said it was the one place I wanted to go if I couldn't go anywhere else. And believe it or not, I have already been blessed enough to make that trip. If I could get really specific, though, I would love to be able to take Nate back with me just to visit Assisi. It was quite possibly my favorite place in Italy and it would mean so much to me to be able to share that with him. It has so many spiritual connections for me that I would love to be able to make that happen.

But if I had to pick somewhere new, somewhere I haven't been yet? I think I would want to go spend time somewhere working with children in need. The children I help now have so many resources available to them. While there are still so many obstacles for them to overcome they have families who love them, teachers who work hard with them everyday, doctors and support systems. There are so many children out there who are missing most, if not all, of those components to life. So I think that would be it. I think that before I die I want to travel somewhere that I can devote my life to working with children.

And, as usual, I ask...What about you?

committed.

So life had been getting a little crazy. And when life gets crazy, its less important aspects get neglected. Unfortunately, this blog was one of those things that were neglected. But things are starting to get back in order now. And I am committing to four days a week on here from now on.

For today, I have an announcement to make. When June 6th rolls around, Nate and I will have been married for TWO WHOLE YEARS! And to celebrate those TWO WHOLE YEARS! we will be traveling to the beautiful city of Savannah, GA.

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! :)

PS - A blog style update is coming soon as well. It is obviously no longer winter and the snowflakes are just a little out of place.

resolutions.

I NEVER make New Year's resolutions. But I think I am going to change that in 2011.

Our goals for the coming year are coming soon. But while Nate and I are coming up with ours, tell us what things you hope to accomplish this year. You don't necessarily have to post a resolution. A goal you have works just as well. But please share! We want to know! :)

‎"Know thyself," said the old philosopher, "improve thyself," saith the new. Our great object in time is not to waste our passions and gifts on the things external that we must leave behind, but that we cultivate within us all that we can carry into the eternal progress beyond. - Edward Bulwer-Lytton