Language of Love

March 8, 2013No comments

Here in Haiti, there are many reasons for an American to feel frustrated.

When I brush my teeth, I have to remember to use bottled water instead of the faucet. I’m not allowed to put any toilet paper in the toilet. At night, the electricity if cut off. I have very limited access to the internet. And bugs! There are a lot of annoying bugs.

But so far, I think I am adapting very well… except for one thing. And that one thing frustrates me to no end. The language barrier.

Even as a teenager, I dreamed of international travel. I wanted to play professional basketball in Spain. (Hey, the WNBA hasn’t always existed!) I had foreign exchange student friends in Argentina. I even considered vacationing on a Caribbean beach in Mexico. I never knew if my dreams would be a reality, but I found myself drawn to Hispanic cultures. I went as far as minoring in Spanish when I was in college. I was fluent enough in the language to communicate comfortably.

Several years later, I started to become interested in missions. I had a lot of friends who were traveling to places like Nicaragua, Mexico, and Brazil. The more I learned, the more I felt pulled into mission work.

Jump ahead to today. I can’t help but laugh. God has such a sense of humor! The one place that He sends me to do His work is a country that speaks its own language. Yes, I’m on an island called Hispaniola… shared by a country, the Dominican Republic, that speaks Spanish. But I’m in Haiti. Haitian Creole is nothing like Spanish. It actually is very similar to French. So, aside from an occasional hello, thank you, excuse me, and goodbye, I am literally at a loss for words.

Ginny has raised her daughter to be bilingual, so it has been very easy for me to interact with her. The two foster girls only speak Creole, though. I want to interact with the teens but am struggling to figure out how.

Fortunately, God has raised His children to be bilingual too. Everyone has the ability to love. These teens haven’t experienced much of that in their short lives… that is, until they moved in with Ginny. While I am here visiting, I need to push beyond the frustrating language barrier and communicate with smiles, laughter, and hugs.

It took me traveling to an island where I couldn’t understand the language to realize that there are frustrating language barriers even in America. Many people in the United States have a hard time communicating with each other. Although we speak the same language, we are often too busy to share a smile with others. We allow our bad days to strip us of laughter, and we let bitterness prevent us from caring for our own. No matter where we live or how we speak, let’s not forget to always communicate with the only universal language… love.

Test of Faith

March 6, 2013No comments

I was still in NC when I received the news. Ginny’s connecting flight in Chicago was being delayed because of the snowstorm. The possibility of her missing our plane to Haiti was looking more and more possible. And the reality of me having to enter the country without her was wearing on my already-worn nerves. I was on the verge of tears as I sat in the Charlotte airport.

I reached out quite dramatically (now that I’m thinking clearly) by sharing my concern with friends and family on Facebook. And without hesitation, everyone started responding with the one thing I already knew… God was with me. HE always is! Deuteronomy 31:6

Once again, I had put my confidence in someone else. I had trusted that Ginny would be with me. After all, we had been planning for nearly a year for me to fly into Haiti with her. Before I entered a country to do His work, in His name, for His people…. I needed one last reminder. God wanted to make sure that He was my top priority and that my peace was solely in Him. And this situation certainly did that.

By the time I boarded my plane to Miami, I had accepted the fact that I would be flying to Haiti without Ginny. Her brother had called with directions on how to maneuver around the Port-Au-Prince airport. Ginny’s husband was going to be there waiting on me. And most importantly, God had covered me with me His peace and reassurance that He was in control. When I arrived in FL, I didn’t even care to check the status of Ginny’s flight. I was going to Haiti, because God wanted me there.

As soon as I regained cell phone service weaving my way thru the Miami airport, my brother sent a text that read, “Ginny’s flight is over Georgia. I think she will make it!” He had been tracking our flights online that morning. I wasn’t so sure that she would, even though her arrival gate was next door to our departure gate, but I was content. God knew what I could handle and my focus was on Him.

As I started to board the plane to Haiti, I glanced over at the information board just outside of gate D25 and grinned. Our flight had been bumped from 2:25pm to 2:45pm. I found my seat and got nestled in, and started chatting with the guy next to me. I figured if I made friends fast, they could help me through customs and baggage claim when we landed. As I was explaining my morning to my new friend – that Ginny may not make the flight and that I would slide over to her seat so that we could stretch out – I glanced up the aisle one last time. And there, at the end of it, was Ginny!

And just like that, I felt God whisper “now that your focus is back on Me…” and I smiled. HE didn’t have to finish the sentence. I knew. I knew that Ginny being on that plane was His blessing. I knew that this week in Haiti was His design. I knew, without a doubt, that there is truth in His word. HE will never leave or forsake me.

The same applies to you. No matter what situation you face, God is with you. When things seem to be slipping out of control, take a moment to find and focus on Him. You won’t have to look far; He is always there!

Prevail

February 20, 20131 comment

Have you ever made plans only to have God completely redirect them? It’s pretty much the story of my life.

I am annoying as a planner. From planning a yard sale to planning my vacation, I am meticulous about every little detail. It’s hard for me to be sponatneous, because I just can’t seem to fit it into my schedule. I like to know what to expect, and I don’t like to be caught off guard.

So, I am sure you can imagine how distraught I was when I was called into my employer’s office back in June 2000. I was working my first job out of college as a graphic designer in a small print shop. What I thought would be a routine job discussion actually ended up being a layoff. I was less than a week from turning 24, and I was unemployed.

I was scared. I was embarrassed. I was angry. I was confused. I had no idea how I would pay my bills, and I had no idea where to look for another job. My relationship with the LORD was still relatively new and I spent more time asking “Why me?” than “What should I learn from this?”

Two months later, I was hired at a nearby envelope plant as a plate maker. I made $2 more per hour, and had a more flexible work schedule and dress code. Despite the economy change after 9/11, everything seemed to be going well for me at this job. I was quickly moved into a designer position and managed several accounts on my own. By April 2002, all of that changed, and I found myself in my boss’s office being laid off again. This time, I was less embarrassed and confused, and a lot more angry and scared. I had accumulated more bills and knew my employment options in the small town where I lived were running out.

By August 2002, I had managed to find a job in a town 40 miles away. Although I wasn’t thrilled about the length of my commute, I was very excited about the professional opportunities that I had at this publishing company, including a bigger salary. There were different skill levels of designers, and different departments in which I could work. I stayed with the company for four years. Within that time, I advanced to a leadership position and spearheaded the creation of an in-house photo studio. But most importantly, in those four years, I grew as a Christian. I learned that the layoffs that I had experienced were God’s plans to bless me with new opportunities that I would have never taken on my own. I look back and see, confidently, that He not only guided me but He also provided for me. His timing was perfect! And His plans were such a blessing in my life.

I am no longer bitter about the layoffs. I stopped asking “Why me?” and now look for ways to learn in every trial that I experience. And I am slowly understanding that, although I still like to have an idea about what is to come, my plans don’t always match God’s. Now, when I am caught off guard, I find peace in knowing He is at work in my life.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. – Proverbs 19:21 NIV

President’s Day Post

February 18, 20131 comment

It has not even been a full week since I gave up my ”iPhone abuse“ for Lent and I have to say, life is so much better already! I turned off all push notifications for Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Game Center. Do you know how more focused I am throughout the day without a message coming to my phone every-other-second telling me that someone liked my photo or wants to play Letterpress with me? My concentration has improved. I’m not as stressed. And I can manage my time better.

My plan to allow myself one-hour per night to log onto social media sites and “catch up” hasn’t even been utilized. I am enjoying this vacation from technology so much that I haven’t sat down at my home computer in a week. I haven’t even taken the time to blog like I should. (I’m typing this out at work while I’m on my lunch break!) I plan to catch up at some point, but I can’t fathom spending too much time in front of the computer right now. Kicking the constantly-connected addiction has been pretty freeing, as lame as that may sound.

The one downfall is that my online friends aren’t getting the attention that they’re used to. Without push notifications, I forget to check to see if conversation are going on that may have included me. If I end up making this a permanent thing, I will have to tweak that aspect so I can stay in contact with everyone who doesn’t have my cell phone number.

Things have started picking up around here, too. I am doing more training at work, which keeps me away from my desk most days. And I literally have something going on every night, it seems. I spend close to two hours every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evening, and Saturday morning pounding the pavement in some form, training for my upcoming 5Ks. On Wednesdays and Fridays, I’m either participating in my Bible study or having dinner with friends… or both.

This past Saturday I volunteered at WinterJam in Greensboro, NC. Every seat was filled, making our concert one of the biggest in the tour again this year. I sold merchandise for one of my favorite artists, Jamie Grace. I have worked a lot of merch tables for a lot of artists and events, and this was by far the busiest. I arrived at 2pm and crawled into my car 10 hours later to head home. But not before I was escorted to the tour buses. Pretty awesome night!

All-in-all, life is good… especially now that I am actually enjoying it in real life, instead of just reading about it on Twitter. :)

40 Days

February 11, 20131 comment

Simply put, Lent is a period of fasting which leads up to Easter. It recalls the 40-day fast of Jesus in the wilderness. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends right before Good Friday. The purpose of Lent is to be a period of fasting, self-denial, spiritual growth, and simplicity. Essentially, Lent is a spiritual spring cleaning for Christians. It is a time to eliminate things that hinder our personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to Him.

2012 was the first year that I participate in Lent. Some denominations do not put as much emphasis on this season as others, and I grew up attending a church that didn’t press the importance of fasting and self-denial during Lent. Feeling the need to spiritually spring clean, I decided that I would observe it on my own.

Many people choose to give up an array of things during these 40 days. Most people select their favorite foods, while others decide to fast from certain habits. My obvious choice for 2012 was to give up peanut butter. Anyone who knows me (and my family) knows that we have an addiction to Peter Pan peanut butter. We use it as a condiment, we eat is as a protein, we add it onto our desserts… but we are most known for sitting down with a jar and a spoon, and enjoying just it with an ice-cold glass of milk. Giving up all brands and types of peanut butter was a true challenge. I craved it for weeks. Each time I wanted it, I prayed. I found myself speaking to God literally every hour of the day because that is how often I wanted a spoonful. Lent proved to be extremely effective.

For 2013, I pondered giving it up again… but decided that I needed to be more creative in my selection this year. I then considered the “Real Food” pledge, where I would eliminate all proceeds food from my diet. The pledge is to eat only whole grain, fresh fruits and veggies, locally raised meats, nuts and seeds, limited beverages, and no refined sweeteners, including granular sugar. I’m sure to a lot of folks, this could seem like a drastic measure. However, I already eat this way 99% of the time. Although denying myself peanut butter and non-organic foods for 40 days would certainly prove its point again, I felt like there were other things hindering my personal relationship with Jesus. Actually… there was one specific thing.

I have to admit that I have an addiction greater than that of peanut butter, but it isn’t in food. It’s a habit. I abuse the use of my iPhone. At night, it is right by my pillow. I use it’s alarm to wake me in the mornings. As soon as I turn the alarm off, I am checking Facebook and Twitter, my email, and Game Center (because I have several on-going games with friends). I spend at least an hour in the mornings on various apps. Throughout the day, I am constantly checking in, updating, scrolling, and pinning to the point of ignoring friends, co-workers, and family. It doesn’t stop until I am lying in bed at night… and even then, I can stay awake longer than I should if there is a good Google + chat going on.

At first, I tried to talk myself out of giving up my phone for Lent. I had every excuse in the book. What if someone urgently needed to reach me? When I travel to Haiti, how will I communicate with family? How will I let folks know where I am if I don’t Foursquare my location? The more I tried to talk myself out of it… the more apparent that I needed an intervention from the one thing that consumed a large portion of my life.

After many prayers, I realized that I can set my own rules, as long as they were drastic enough to refocus my brain, heart, and time… and help me spring clean my spirit. I don’t have to give up my iPhone entirely… but I do need to give up a large portion of it. This is what I will be fasting from and denying myself to in the next 40 days:

- My iPhone will NOT be within my reach while I’m in bed.
- I will not access ANY games.
- I will only have access to Facebook, Google +, Instagram, and Twitter from any device for one hour per day, probably 8-9pm (although the time may vary when in Haiti.)
- I will not use Get Glue, Foursquare*, or Pinterest.

- I will still answer phone calls, emails, and text messages when time permits. I plan to only respond to emails twice a day, unless there is an emergency. I do still plan to blog, also when time permits. I want to stop my iPhone dependency, live more simply, and spend free time reading books and in prayer.
*I will allow myself to check into MIA & CLT airports ONLY during my travel for my family.

The next 40 days are not going to be easy, but they are going to be worth the sacrifice.

Are you giving up something for Lent? Please comment below. I would love to pray for you during this time!

 

Debt Management: Step Three

February 9, 2013No comments

Dave Ramsey is a talented financial adviser, who learned his lesson the hard way. Once a real estate mogul, Dave lost everything and had to file bankruptcy. You may know his name from Financial Peace University classes. FPU is a program that he created to help teach effective budgeting and saving methods. He has helped millions of people become debt-free in a short matter of time. These classes are usually offered in various settings throughout the United States, for around $100. The course fee includes a workbook, a DVD webisode series, and access to Dave himself via email. He was able to bounce back… and now he offers simple, money-saving advice to help those of us who are currently in debt too.

If you’re leery to spend money for FPU classes right now, I have found a great area of Dave’s website that offers a snippit of his plan for free! The Budget Lite form allows you to plug in your income, and it automatically calculates how much money should be going to certain bills. This tool is a great guide to follow when you sit down to pay your upcoming bills.

Our example below shows an average monthly income of $2000. You will see that each section displays (in green) the percentage of your income allotted for specific areas, as well as a monetary value based off of the percentage. You can customize the percentages to best fit your budget, although the default percentages are recommended by Dave. You can share the form in an email or on your blog for others to play around with, thanks to a SHARE IT button on the bottom of the tool. You can also opt to sign up for a free trial of the full software. Check out Budget Lite by clicking here.

For in-depth assistance on becoming debt-free, consider visiting Mr. Ramsey’s website My Total Money Makeover. Here, you can track your goals, learn about the debt snowball, receive 24-hour support, and even listen to The Dave Ramsey Show. The investment that you make will pay for itself in a matter of months, as most families who participate in Dave’s Financial Peace University pays off $5,300 in debt and saves $2,700 in the first 90 days.

However, if you’re like me… using the free tools available on Dave’s website will be pretty helpful too. Don’t be afraid to click around on his site to read valuable tips and helpful hints, such as focusing on paying off loans/credit cards that have the highest interest rates first. This reduces the amount of interest that you will have to pay! There are several free tools available in the Take A Tour section.

Although I have never participated in any of his classes myself, I have received an array of useful information just by searching the web for Dave Ramsey advice. Aside from Dave’s website, many participants have blogged about their own personal success stories. If you’re ready to be debt-free, Dave may be the guy for you!

Drop the Aspiring!

February 9, 2013No comments

When I played sports in high school, I sprinted. Both in basketball and tennis, I had to cover a short distance in a short amount of time. Long-distance running was not in my vocabulary. And the thought of enjoying it never crossed my mind. A long-distance runner, to me, was someone like… Forrest Gump, who can effortlessly run for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours just because. And to me, that was just crazy!

Now that I have gotten the urge to try the sport, I have been referring to myself as an aspiring runner; one who hopes to achieve the ability to run effortlessly. For whatever reason, I have set a pretty lofty goal for myself… because I am quickly finding out that it always takes effort, even for marathon runners.

Thursday night our No Boundaries class met for our second training session. The weather was miserable. There was a steady rain and it was 35 degrees. I joked that I was going to officially drop the aspiring from my title, since I was braving the weather to get in a mile of walk/jog intervals. The comments I received afterwards made me cry:

My friends encouraged me on Facebook.
My coach (who admitted that it was an effort on her part to be in the rain too) offered up praise for our commitment.
And the owner of Fleet Feet posted this… Wow! Just wow! I am so proud and happy to read and hear about the NoBo troopers that took to the steady rain and 35 degree temps last night. Way to go, guys! I couldn’t imagine worse running weather. Brings to mind a quote Emily gave me some time ago: “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” Proud to be associated with you!

And that made me think. Maybe I should drop the aspiring. Maybe my words are just as much of an obstacle as the rain. My goal is to BE a runner… and to NOT be the Forrest Gump kind. I need to always make the effort to stay focused on those goals. I need to continue to work hard and not let anything hold me back – including myself!

Today my friend Julie and I checked out The Color Run route. There are a lot of small hills, that seem like Mt Everest to me. But I still attempted my 2/1 intervals for the three miles. I still have a long way to go, but I no longer aspire to be a runner… I aspire to run better!

What are your goals? And what seems to be holding you back?

WiReD

February 7, 2013Comments: 6

Hi. My name is Jenn… and, well, I was once told by someone I considered a best friend that I had control issues. I was immediately offended. Me!? Control issues? How absurd! I never chose which restaurant to have dinner at or what movie to watch. I always offered to drive. I always offered to spot them cash. I seldom disagreed with anything. I mean, I’m a relatively easy-going, go-with-the-flow kind of gal. How could I have control issues?

Since that day, God has slowly pried my eyes open and I have caught glimpses of what could have possibly been a tiny ounce of control on my part. But I still denied being an all-out control freak. So, when I heard about this online Bible study… based off of a book about control… I thought, “Here’s my chance to prove my friend wrong!” Imagine my surprise on Monday. Did author Karen Ehman really just describe me – on numerous occasions – in her 16-minute long introduction video? It was pretty hard to accept that I could be a soft-spoken, enabling martyr who takes pride in being a people pleaser. (Yes… I am guilty of all-of-the-above and a whole-wheat baguette, as Karen would say.)

On Tuesday, I took the Finding Your Control Quotient questionnaire, only to find that my score of 31 categorized me as a Borderline Manipulator. Talk about a blow to the ego… albeit a necessary and fully-needed blow. There ARE certain areas in my life where I will pull out the stops to get my way. And more so, there are areas in my life where I am so passionate about something (like helping people lose weight, get out of debt, or accept the LORD as their Savior) I get upset when people won’t immediately change. I may even get down-right angry!

Needless to say, my eyes are now wide open to my control issues. I definitely have them, and I’m a bit ashamed of them. Even if I really do have people’s best interest at heart, it is obvious that I don’t trust God to handle their situations. All I am asked of is to plant seeds, and to love. Anger definitely shouldn’t be in the picture. Nor should I expect to see an immediate harvest. And I certainly am not supposed to run the show!

Instead of the embarrassment that I am fighting back from just realizing that control (and lack of trust in God) has been in my life for a while, I am choosing to have hope — hope in this Bible study, hope in the 8,000 participants who offer support, hope in finding a “cure” for my control “addiction”, and most importantly, hope and trust in the LORD.

There’s no doubt that God put this Bible study in my life in His perfect timing to make me realize where I need help, and to provide that help… all in one. I guess this is what it feels like to be in an anoymous habit-themed group. I do feel encouragement. I do feel support. And I do have hope… and so do you!

New Beginning with No Boundaries

February 5, 2013No comments

It has been a while since I’ve blogged about running. Okay, so it has been a while since I’ve blogged, period. The sinus infection lingered longer than I had anticipated and the medications that I took to clear it up made me actually feel worse. I’m sure you guys didn’t miss my play-by-play action of every Couch-to 5K workout anyway. Thanks for sticking by me. I promise this blog is finally coming together… soon. :)

What I am here to share are two things:

1. If you are looking for a good, inexpensive training schedule, I highly recommend Couch-to-5K. I paid $1.99 for it in the app store and it is worth every penny. For the three weeks that I used it consistently, I saw significant improvements. Good stuff!

2. Yesterday I started No Boundaries, which is the beginner-level 5k training program with my local Fleet Feet. If you have never stepped foot into a Fleet Feet (no pun intended) you need to plan to go there soon. Fleet Feet specializes in shoe fittings. They were able to assess my gait and put me in a shoe that literally feels like I have clouds on my feet. They are incredibly comfortable, and quite stylish. I will have to sell the ol’ Nike Airs on eBay. They were a hideous fit and were causing some of my leg and hip pain.

The shoe fitting is awesome. But what I experienced yesterday was, like, awesomesauce. Our coach, Stacie, is a rockstar. She is full of knowledge and motivation. I have always said that I needed someone to push me to succeed, and Stacie is the one to do it.

Our program is slightly different from C25K. We actual seem to follow more of Hal Higdon’s approach. There were six groups to choose from: Runners, 4/1, 3/1, 2/1, 1/1, and Walkers. After my two-week hiatus, I thought I should start in the 1/1 group. The first number represents the number of minutes you will run, followed by a 1 minute walk. The goal was to repeat these intervals for the duration of our set distance. Last night’s distance was 1.5 miles. Surprisingly, the 1/1 was effortless. Yes… I just said that!! (Thank you C25K!) I actually ended up running a bit longer than a minute per interval. I felt really good and will likely move up to the 2/1 group on Thursday.

No Boundaries is much more than a running group, though. They offer stretch exercises, core strengthening, nutrition guides, health assessments, and more! If you’re have been thinking of running but don’t think you’re motivated enough to follow the C25K app alone, or if you are looking for guidance from a professional, please check out Fleet Feet’s website to see if there is a store near you. You’ll learn what types of fabrics are no good to wear, you’ll form healthy and safe habits, and you’ll make new friends! I can’t put into words what yesterday did for me… but I will try to express it throughout this journey. My goal is to limit my running blog posts so you aren’t overwhelmed with the topic but I’ve been told this will be a life-changing experience, so I do want to share some of it with you!

Happy running!

Which Direction Are You Running?

January 25, 2013No comments

On Tuesday, I was diagnosed with a sinus infection. I immediately asked the doctor what this would do to my 5K training. (I didn’t want to backslide!) He explained that I shouldn’t run for a few days, but that I could continue to walk three miles at a steady pace. He explained that walking would increase circulation and actually help me get better, faster.

I started my antibiotics on Tuesday night, and decided to rest on Wednesday as well. Yesterday I headed over to the Y to walk around the indoor track, only to find that my 5-day guest pass was for five consecutive days. My free visits had expired! I didn’t want to pay for a membership with only one week to go before my Fleet Feet training begins… and daily visits cost $10. However, it was simply too cold to walk outside. I drove over to my brother’s condo to use his treadmill but two minutes into the walk, it started making a terrible noise. I was convinced I had broken it. I refused to walk on it anymore, although he promised me it was fine. I drove home and sulked. All I wanted to do was walk three miles!!

All I wanted to do was walk three miles? Did I really just say that? This is the same girl that, just four short weeks ago, didn’t have the energy to get off of the couch. The same girl that pouted if I couldn’t find a parking space close to the hospital where I work. And now… now I pout when I don’t get to exercise!? Ladies and gentlemen, you have officially witnessed a miracle.

I’m not making light of this either. I mean it. Do you know how many years I felt called to run and was too lazy to do it? Can you guess how many internal battles I had with myself over running? Are you aware that I prayed for years to get healthy (not skinny, not toned… but just physically fit inside and out) and when I’d feel the only response given was to run, I prayed harder for a different answer; an answer that I wanted to hear. Finally, when I realized I was supposed to give running a  chance… I spent another year rationalizing and analyzing it so much that I had convinced myself I could never do it, before I even tried.

Now that I have actually started putting one foot in front of the other, I have seen improvements. Granted, they’re small improvements… but I have seen them. And I enjoy it. It’s challenging. It’s calming. It’s motivating. I want to see where this goes. I think this is just the beginning of something really, really good.

In the midst of my pouting last night, I wanted to know if God arranged for my walk to fall through because I needed another day to rest. Or was this the work of Satan trying to get me off track? Discourage me? Sink me back into a life of laziness? After all, when I run, I recite scripture to myself – particularly Philippians 4:13. I call on the Lord for strength and endurance. And I certainly give Him all of the glory when I complete a workout. Or perhaps this was nothing more than just life. Not everything has to be justified by good and evil. Sometimes, things just happen.

I know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. [Romans 8:28] Even if I didn’t have the opportunity to walk three miles last night, I know that I am meant to be a runner. And I know that this will likely be just one of many hiccups along the way. Regardless of why this week has turned out as it has, I refuse to let this stop me. I will stop trying to be a perfectionist, living by set schedules. I will continue to move forward… toward my goals, not away from them.

What are you feeling called to do? Is there something that you have wanted to try, but just haven’t found the motivation? Or have you encountered a speedbump or two while trying to achieve your goals? Do you want to move forward in success or run away in fear? Share your story in the comments below. Let’s encourage each other to not give up!