Merriest Christmas

My babies with me for Christmas for the first time in our lives. Makes me so merry.

things that keep me awake at night

not knowing how i would get my cats out of the house in a fire.

being the church

Check this out:

I have been carrying this newsletter around in my school bag for over a month waiting to post it to this blog.
Do you see what I see here?
Four Thank-Yous on just ONE page: for working together to clean the church building, for being a top contributor to a children's home, for prayers and acts of kindness toward local teachers, and for feeding a high school football team.
This is not trivial! I have kept this with me and planned to post it because it is such an incredible testimony of the power of God to work through His church to encourage a community.
And, see the announcement in the bottom left corner? Last week, I was there for that fall festival with my mom and my niece. And I saw for myself that what is represented in those thank-yous is really real. Their little church parking lot was packed out with faces young and old, MOST of which I had never seen before. This is my home church. If anybody is a regular attender, I have seen his or her face. There were HUNDREDS of faces from small Sandersville (population 6000-7000) that I had never before seen at this church. Hundreds of faces from a community encouraged by a church living its calling. And you know what really impressed me? It was FREE! This church opened itself up, gave out smiles, laughs, hugs, candy, and a full meal FOR FREE!
It has been a long time since I have seen such a small church so selflessly give of itself to pour into its community.
I am so proud of my home church for being the church in their community.
Thankful for you, Sisters Baptist Church.
Refreshed,
mo

"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement,because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people." (Philemon 7)

let's face it

Next week, I turn 30. 30 short years, 30 long years. 30 years. So, in true third-life crisis form, I am looking back and looking forward. Remembering and planning. As of last Friday, there were only 2 things left on my before-30 bucket list. One of them -- getting a Ph.D. -- I am working on but cannot make happen before 30, so I transferred it to the before-31 list, which works for me. We'll reevaluate this time next year. :) The second thing on my before-30 list I marked off today. See video, then keep reading below.






I could try, but I would never be able to describe to you my skydiving experience. The physical experience itself is unbelievable and indescribable. In addition to that is the act of defying fear and living life without regret. There are so many reasons I should not have jumped from that plane today. Among them: 1) it's crazy to jump willingly into freefall from 10,000 feet; 2) i had a lot of work i needed to get done today; 3) i definitely don't have $169 lying around to spend on doing crazy things. But, there is one better reason I should have jumped: I wanted to. And because I wanted to, I needed to.

My dad's response to my jump: "Crazy fun! Way to go. But is this the little girl who used to squeeze my hand off on airplanes?"

Yep. I'm that little girl. I distinctly remember, though, in 2001, that somehow God gave 16-year-old me the wisdom to decide not to let fear come between life and me. I had the option of not going, but I chose to squeeze my daddy's hand and cry during take-off, turbulence, and landing all the way to Israel that year. I chose to live in spite of fear and without regret. I remember making that choice consciously. And, I remember the incredible experience of walking where Jesus walked.

Since then, I have experienced three weeks in Europe, three trips to Liberia, and several trips across America to visit family. Experiences made possible by a conquered fear of flying.

Today, it happened again. I experienced. I jumped from a plane I never would have been in if it weren't for that 16-year-old wisdom. I jumped because I have wanted to know what it would be like and because I knew I would regret not jumping. I jumped in spite of fear, and in spite of fear, I experienced life in a new, exciting, and amazing way.

I can only hope to carry this wisdom into my next 30 years and to continue truly to live.

Take my word for it. It's worth it to live. It's worth it to know fear and to experience life anyway.

Actually, don't take my word for it. Try it.

FDR's quote is cliche only because it is so true: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Fear stands between life and us. Our options are to turn and run from fear, thus running from life, or to face it and run toward fear and toward life. I choose life!
-mo

Useful

How To Drill Straight Holes with a Hand Drill (Using Lego)
 http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Drill-Straight-Holes-with-a-Hand-Drill-Usin/ 

Need women's suitsy now

This Business Suit Onesie Is Ingenious Laziness In Clothing Form http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/readwriteweb/~3/SZEyVMRhSXE/suitsy-business-onesie

Facebook targeted ads

Ha!

Also desperation

Tonight, I am emotional and sleepless in my emotion. I have received word that my Liberian family are stuck in their homes in fear and without food because of the rapidly spreading Ebola virus.

I feel guilty that I enjoy a peaceful, bountiful life here while they suffer.

I feel powerless that all I can do is pray for them.

I commit to a day of fasting and prayer for my west african family, and I challenge you to do the same.

They are stuck in their homes without food. The least we can do is pray one day without food.

Fast with me this week. I will be fasting on Friday. I have friends who will fast other days.

Choose a day before next Sunday and commit to fasting and prayer for the people of West Africa.

Our Great Physician can heal and will heal if we call on His name.

Fast with me.
-mo

Desperation

People's desperate need for Jesus has become increasingly apparent in Liberia.

May we all sense the urgency of a world lost and dying without Him.

God, our healer, heal West Africa. To God be all glory in sickness and in health.
Amen.
-mo

Size matters.

Jesus.

Be the reason the world wants to know Him.
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Be a living invitation to experience what cannot be explained.
Live love. Err on the side of grace.
Live Jesus.

Nothing else matters.
    which is why everything matters.
-Mo

My boy

I love this handsome man cat.

SCOTUS Hobby Lobby Decision

I actually agree with the Court here, and not just because I am pro-life and religious.  This decision resonates with me politically, regardless the specifics of the issues involved.  Not forcing companies to provide contraceptive coverage is not the same thing as allowing companies to keep employees from accessing said contraceptives.  Condoms, the pill, Plan B, and whatever else you want to use to avoid pregnancy are all readily (and relatively cheaply) available without company contraceptive coverage.  The Court's decision does not keep any of these products off of shelves or out of citizens' reach.

The Court even recognized the importance of making these contraceptives available to Americans.  They just refused to require that a person or company be held responsible for what the government has decided is important. If the government thinks people should have free access to contraceptives, the government should provide it.

In fact, I would argue similarly for universal healthcare. If we believe in what our Declaration of Independence calls the inalienable rights to life and the pursuit of happiness, I argue we owe every American a level of healthcare that supports those rights. But if we also believe in the third listed inalienable right: liberty, we should not force a free man, woman, or enterprise to be responsible for footing the bill of securing individuals' rights.

If voters believe these rights are important, then voters (i.e. taxpayers) should provide for their security.  We should all be responsible for protecting and providing for the unprotected and unprovided-for among us. In effect, Hobby Lobby, by paying taxes, would end up giving its share toward contraceptive coverage, but executives would not be forced specifically to make a choice contrary to their beliefs or preferences.

The way I see it, this is a question not of religious liberty but purely of liberty. The government should not be in the habit of forcing upon individuals its own responsibilities.

Handicapped parking at Furkids

Mother's Day

Grateful.

Spring Shower

Enjoying a soft, spring rain. One of God's gentlest whispers.

Prove Me Wrong

I can pinpoint the beginning of the phase almost exactly. May 29, 2012. My first day of Fitwit, one of several things I had written off without more than a glance and a feeling, or perhaps even an educated guess, that it would not work for me. On that day, I accepted the challenge of allowing experience to prove wrong my preconceived notions:

Fitwit
Preconception: I hate exercise. I can't do athletic things. I definitely can't afford Fitwit.
Experience: I love exercise that is structured and fun. I may not be the best at every workout, but when I commit to doing what I can, I will be surprised by and proud of my progress. If I put fitness where it belongs on my list of priorities, it become worth much more than the cost of Fitwit camps.

Megachurch
Preconception: Megachurches are not Biblical churches. Knowing all other church members, especially one's pastor, is essential to the church experience as it was intended by God. People really are okay with watching their preacher on a screen???
Experience: God led me to attend Buckhead Church in spite of my preconceptions. And in spite of my preconceptions, I have fallen in love with it. God can speak as well through a preacher on a screen before thousands as through a teacher face-to-face with a handful. I love being part of a church that my non-Christian friends love to attend with me, and Sunday is once again my favorite day of the week.

Trader Joe's
Preconception: hip grocery store for grocery snobs who will pay more for the same groceries just because they come from a hip grocery store.
Experience: I went to TJ's for the first time a couple of weeks ago and, other than the hip part, was completely proven wrong. I found really interesting products that are not available elsewhere. I still only bought my normal stuff, though. I drove immediately to my normal Kroger with my TJ's receipt and found that I had saved a good chunk of change while also being hip.

Paleo diet
Preconception: There is no way cavemen didn't eat grain and drink milk. Even if this diet is true to the way they ate, I prefer today's life expectancy over the much shorter paleolithic one. And while we are discussing preferences, I always prefer cheese.
Experience: Giving it a shot. Will let you know how it goes. Paleo, prove me wrong!

What made the difference?

This book is so compelling. I read it because it was left on my kindle by Anderson, my friend who had to read the book for school. I am OCD about having to read any book that is purchased on my kindle, so I read this one. I don't regret it.

It is not the most exciting book to read, not exactly a page-turner. But, it will make you think and emote.

The subtitle really tells the story. Two Weses grow up in the same city, almost on the same street, at the same time. But their stories quickly diverge, and one ends up in prison while the other grows up to - among other tremendous accomplishments - deliver a speech ahead of Barak Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

What made the difference?

Maybe a better question is Who made the difference?

What can you and I do to be the difference for the Weses in our lives?
-mo

The stuff nightmares are made of

Foster Updates

Lazarus and Salem were adopted this weekend. (Pictured above with their new moms)

Not counting my most recent batch, now ALL of my foster babies have forever homes. Praise God.

I always pray for them to find homes in which they both give and receive joy and that their lives will always bring glory to their Creator. I am thankful for so many answered prayers!
-mo

doggie in the window

I love this gorgeous dog. He/she is always in this window as I walk Annie and Ginny (dogs I sit) around the neighborhood. The collie gets so excited and jumps around in the window whenever we walk by.

Well done, Aunt Ruth.

My family and I went to my (great) Aunt Ruth's funeral yesterday. It was a small service with mostly family in attendance. But, a couple of things stood out and inspired me:

1- She was described as "a woman who prayed about everything." What an incredible legacy!

and

2- Of the handful of non-family members who attended the service, two introduced themselves. One was her lawyer, and the other was her investment banker. Her lawyer gave the eulogy, and her banker made remarks during the open-floor time. Aunt Ruth and Uncle Don moved around a lot in their lives, and Aunt Ruth's last home was in Florida. So, the fact that few friends were at her funeral in Norcross, GA, is not a huge shock. What is impressive is the obviously positive impact Aunt Ruth had on the people she encountered in her everyday life outside church. Amazing that a woman with such strong faith would have made the most lasting impression not in the church but in the world. What an incredible testimony!

We should love serving God in His church, and we should strive to leave a legacy there. But, if only two people are at your funeral, and if they only have one thing to say about you, I think you will have lived well if your lawyer and your banker are there to say you prayed about everything.

Well done, Aunt Ruth.
-mo

from A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of A Boy Soldier

Rice and okra soup. My favorite African dish. Thankful my meals have never been interrupted by war. Pray for peaceful dinners across the incredible continent of Africa.

Home!

Immy met me at the airport with this sign. :)