No Tooth Fairy for Her

I am really excited to be helping out with a group this summer in downtown High Point. It's called "Learning Together/Aprendiendo Juntos," and it's a program for mothers to learn English while their children get childcare and also learn. (Thanks to Tom Bost and Paula Thomas at Christ Church for letting me know about it!)

Most of the women who come are actually refugees from Sudan with a few Latina women as well. Tonight was my first night, and I'll be working primarily with the kids (some born in Sudan, some here)- letting them play outside, snack time, reading books with them, etc.

It's a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to getting to know these families more. The kids are so sweet. Definitely rambunctious (ages 2-9), but also very loving. As I learned from working with the kids in Anacostia, D.C. this Spring Break - it is HARD work!

But they win my heart. And I have so much to learn about their lives. Like when Mira* laughs proudly when they talk about her brother being in jail. Or when Pati says he wants to be a criminal when he grows up.

Yet these are the same kids who lovingly share the tricycles with each other. And there are some kids like Saira who wants to be a nurse or Jasmine who wants to be a teacher. Wheat and weeds.

Jasmine was especially interesting tonight. She's a cute snaggle-tooth. When one of my fellow volunteers asked her if the Tooth Fairy came to visit her she laughed and matter-of-factly said that "No, I just threw them away." Fair enough. No celebration of baby teeth departure in her home.

But when I asked her how she lost them she simply stated, "My brother punched me." And then went on gleefully riding her tricycle.

I have a lot to learn about their lives.




*All names were changed in this post.

Salvation?

Thank you, Derek Webb.

(P.S. There's a link to an article in his name.)

Webb is just one of many voices that I am discovering that join in proclaiming the true gospel of a Kingdom come. Recently I read This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley. Now I am halfway through The Irresistable Revolution by Shane Claiborne. Next up: Practical Justice by Kevin Blue.

Thank you all for a Gospel that I can live out. A Jesus who speaks to the whole world, and not just a tiny subculture of it.

He offers more than just personal salvation for a coming eternity.
He offers restoration of broken places here on Earth.
He offers Life and Love.


.....

the kingdom of the heavens
is now advancing
invade my heart
invade this broken town
the kingdom of the heavens
is buried treasure
would you sell yourself
to buy the one you've found?
two things you told me
that you are strong
and you love me
yes, you love me

your love is
your love is
your love is
STRONG

our God in heaven
hallowed by thy name
above all names
your kingdom come
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven

-jon foreman, "your love is strong"

.....

Dos Decades

Yesterday I completed two decades of life on this Earth.

Contrary to popular opinion, I am not quite 21 yet. But as I have reached the monumental double decades, I would like to make a top 20 list of the best moments of my 20th birthday as brought to you by amazing friends:

20) Pranks from the 1st Floor of Joyner: funny, however extremely juvenile they were
19) 131 birthday wishes from Facebook (??)
18) Professor Croce assuming I knew what I was talking about in Finance
17) Andrew Morgan's birthday wishes without the knowledge of Facebook - impressive
16) My first meeting as CUAB Film Chair going swimmingly - amazing committee
15) Karen Mesoznik, my director, announcing my birthday to the entire Cast & Crew listserv :)
14) Sushi lunch in the "Gryffindor Common Room" with the Grilled Cheese King
13) Dinner @ Maggianos with the HJ Ladies from Freshman year
12) Eating Maple View ice cream at sunset with my dear Ashley Nicole & Liz "#1" Pittman
11) Kristopher Eric's card
10) Call from Grandma Jeannette!
9) Kate Jessup & Ashleigh Greene wanting to take me out for my birthday!
8) Ashley Nicole's cupcakes & brilliant producer gift!
7) Lunch at Ye Olde Waffle Shop with my amazing family
6) Cake with my fun-loving Bible study in Cobb (also Happy Birthday to Emily, thanks to Cara for the cake, and thanks to Mariane for sharing my icing fetish ;)
5) Walking around campus with Rebecca Ashley and talking about Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution
4) Gentle rain in the afternoon
3) Katie coming to find me and bringing a sweet gift from Sugarland
2) The "you have 7 minutes left of your birthday" adventure with Kris
1) And the unbeatable, cherished always moment - Betsey's thoughtful door decorations/pictures


As my friend Dallas Morgan used to say, "Thank you for these beautiful people I get to do life with!"

Yes, thank You indeed.

My Own "Daily Dose"

Noted: I saw a deer and its baby in the woods today.

Quoted: "The only way to gain much is to risk much." -Finance professor M. Croce

Somebody's Baby

I’m crying and I don’t know exactly why. It’s just worthy of mourning.

I’m listening to “Somebody’s Baby” by Jon Foreman. It’s about a homeless woman.

This Sunday I thought a lot about what it means to be in that position and what my role is as someone who does have means to care for those who don’t. How does that play out in a generous yet wise way? Not just a handout to take my mind off of the real problems, but understanding what’s driving these problems. Getting to know people, and investing some time, not just throwing money at someone’s plight.

“More than just your cash and coin, I want your time, I want your voice.” –Derek Webb

I love my family and I’m so glad they visited me. But I see the people we passed on the way to our nice Sunday lunch. I see the woman on the side of the road with a broken down car. I see the supposedly homeless guy with his dog. We didn’t stop for them to see if we could help – make sure the woman was okay, see if the guy who wanted money would like a meal instead. I wish we would have.

Here are things from the song that get me. Snippets that make this woman real to me (Full lyrics here):

“if you were homeless, sure as hell you’d be drunk…when people don’t want you…”

“her name was November”

“every now and again when she’s sober, she brushes her teeth”

“she’s somebody’s baby girl, and she’s somebody’s baby still”

A good book on the subject I read a year ago is Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski. Here’s the book on Amazon. Here’s their website.

Thoughts? Reactions?

What is Home?

I am a sovereign prince of Egypt
A son of the proud history that’s shown
Etched on every wall
Surely this is all I ever wanted
All I ever wanted
All I ever
Wanted
-The Prince of Egypt

This is such a poignant song of longing and belonging sung by the character of Moses in this recent adaptation of the age old Exodus story. But the true beauty of this story, is that these sentiments are not the end. Character development, right?

Up until now, this is all that Moses has wanted. To belong here in this comfortable household. But God is calling him out into the unknown. Out on this journey that will through all its hardships and joys, teach Moses that his desires were in fact, too small. He actually will come to desire the LORD in that way. Surely THIS is all I ever wanted.

I think of Moses’ journey and this song especially right now as I’m nearing so many changes in life. Though I am not graduating in 3 short months, many of my close friends are. Their lives (and mine) will be altered forever. I follow in little over a year to a place of being uprooted from this dearly beloved and comfortable haven of Chapel Hill. What I have once considered home, will be so no longer.

I’ve gone through this before, when I left Jamestown to come to Chapel Hill. It was a process of letting go of my original concept of home, and realizing where my TRUE home lies. I think as humans it’s easy to find contentment where we are and in the comforts that surround us. The fact that I’ve lived in Joyner for two years is comfortable to me. I’d like to stay here. Walk past Davis library and on up the steps into my home. Have a cup of cider in my room, across from my lovely, funny, vibrant neighbors. Go for a run in the forest. Stay up until 2 a.m. in the first floor lobby – a veritable living room of sorts. So much like I imagine the Gryffindor common room.

But God periodically calls us out of our comfort so that we will realize our dependency on Him, just like He called Moses. Right now my vision has been for Joyner and Chapel Hill as “all I ever wanted.” Through the next few years, God will be painfully prying loose my fingers from what I hold dear, to see that only He is “all I ever wanted.”

I can follow Him next year to Connor, or wherever else I end up living. It will be a precursor to the even bigger move of following Him into the utter unknown of Los Angeles the year after.

I am excited to see “the change You sow” as Caedmon’s Call sings. I can’t wait to see the incredible things God does in my life and the lives of my friends. Change is exciting for the possibilities and also because it stands in direct contrast to the “Only One” that never changes (like Lifehouse sings).

For anyone interested in reading what I thought about the concept of “home” at the end of my freshman year of college, check out my old Xanga here. Another interesting post is what I wrote right after my first semester of intense transition. That link is here.

Have a beautiful day, my friends! Be shaken up by the unsettling Love.

Unplugged

I just turned in my computer to be fixed. When your fan sounds like a lawnmower, it's probably time for a tune-up.

Thankfully, ITS here at UNC will repair it for free since mine is under warranty. However, they are currently out of loaner computers.

So, I am without a computer for a day or so. I still have my hand-held Palm calendar, my jump drive full of files, my iPod, and obviously I have internet access because I am typing this at a library computer. BUT, after this, I'm going to try and rough it for as long as possible.

It's kind of exciting and freeing to be somewhat unplugged in these days of zeros and ones.

Maybe I'll read more.
Enjoy face time with people.
Go outside.

You know, things that people do when they aren't plugged into technology 24/7.

Be liberated and full of grace today, my friends.