Respectfully Flipping People Off

A few weeks ago in Louisiana I met a recent design grad at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. We started a conversation about clean water and world needs. He began to tell me about the final project he had recently completed for his product design class.

This kid pulled out his portfolio and began a well rehearsed spill about mortality, sickness, education, and community impact as it relates to clean water. He even had pictures of sick kids and dirty water to go along with it. As he was speaking I was thinking to myself, "You're preaching to the choir, dude." He then showed me the digital model of the portable water filtration tank that he had created.

It was genus really. By using inexpensive materials he created a bladder and coal filtration system that were both housed inside a plastic case. The whole unit was on wheels and individuals could take it with them to gather water. One trip to the watering hole using this puppy would equal five trips to the watering hole using only buckets. I enjoyed looking at his portfolio, asked him some questions, and was basically checked out of the conversation.

Here he was commenting on how his classmates were designing products like remote controls that control everything, and chairs that feed you while you sleep and that's when I heard him say something incredibly profound. He said, "Making this water system was my way of respectfully flipping off my classmates and telling them that they've been given a talent to design and they need to use it to make a difference."

So I started thinking about whether or not I am respectfully flipping anybody off. Are you?

What do you do that challenges people?

Use your skills to flip people off... or encourage them to use their skills to make a difference too. Either way, it's our world. Let's change it.

Action and Reaction

Yesterday I was catching up on world happenings by listening to NPR. The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy for President Bush, Douglas Feith, was on that hour to promote his new book War and Decision. He worked with the President from 2001 to 2005 so he was very much involved in the decisions made by the US government in the aftermath of 9/11.

I don't take political sides and I don't have an opinion on whether going to war in the middle east was right or not but this man said something in regards to the war that was brilliant. It didn't matter so much that he was talking about politics or the war but what he said hit my heart.

Feith made the comment that President Bush reacted to the attacks in a way that no other president of the United States has ever acted before. In the aftermath of 9/11 Bush's concerns were not with retaliation but with the prevention of a second act of terrorism. Many people were thrown off course because presidents before him, when faced with similar situations, made decisions based on revenge. This time it had to be different. If we wanted America to remain stable then actions needed to be taken in order to prevent another attack. Feith then went on to say that the whole of the United States was not shaken by the events of 9/11. Yes, everybody who was alive to remember that day has emotions about it but if you were not directly affected by the events (you were or had a loved one who was in the buildings, on the planes, a firefighter/police officer, or part of the armed forces) then the majority of your life was not affected. He says that the United States was not affected in a certain capacity because of the way that we reacted in the moments after.

Forgive me for only giving you a brief synopsis of the radio conversation but the point that I am really concerned with is the one that Feith made about the way our lives were affected due to our reactions.

That's huge, I think. Feel free to take that statement and apply it to any part of your life. When things happens to you that are less than desirable you have to make a decision about how you will carry on. Will you react in a way that allows you to say, 10 years from now, that your life is still stable and good because you took the steps necessary to prevent any further attacks?

Personally I have gone both ways. There are decisions that I've made that have only caused more damage and there are decisions I have made that have saved me from having to fight a battle on my own land, in my own heart. Next time I'm faced with an event that alters my life I'll definitely be keeping Feith's words in mind.

To every action there is a reaction. Your reactions affect what you are saying, doing, and feeling 10+ years from now.

**This is not meant to downplay the serious emotional pain that the attacks of 9/11 caused for so many people. We will never forget those who lost their lives.

Dear Courage, I would like to invite you over for dinner.

I do not know why I am thinking so much these days about being brave and having courage to do the things that I believe in. Perhaps it is because I am on the verge of closing one chapter of my life and as I am doing so I am prepping myself to begin writing the next.

Not too long ago I was reading a post that Michael Hyatt wrote on having courage. In this particular post he shared six steps to finding the courage you need to swim against the tide (tide being difficult situations) and pursue greatness in your projects as a leader. If you have not heard of Michael I suggest you look him up. He is a great writer and shares some very inspiring thoughts on leadership.

Anyway, since Michael shard his steps and thoughts with me (as well as a few thousand other followers) I thought I would share with you the ones that I have found to be most beneficial in my pursuit of bravery and courage, not just in leadership but in my everyday life. And as always, my very intelligent and insightful commentary will follow. har-har.

1. Take a stand for greatness in your life-I am so lucky to have the friends that I do. My favorite thing to do with them is sit around and brainstorm ways that we are going to benefit the world and discover our souls (shout out to Venture!) Who knows if any of the things that we talk about will ever come to pass but one thing that I have come to realize as we talk and as I watch my future unfold is that I can not just seek out greatness for the world but I also need to seek out greatness for my life. That’s right. I want to have a great life. I dream of doing amazing things, I talk about doing amazing things but rarely do I believe that those amazing things will be a daily part of my life. I want to have great things happen in my life so I am going to take a stand for that greatness- believing everyday that it is possible. I feel stronger already!

2. Connect with the original vision- Michael Hyatt quoted an awesome scripture here: “Without vision the people perish” (Prov. 29:18) It is so true! Sometimes I get so caught up with the big picture and the overall outcome that I’m working towards that I forget to be in the moment and remember why I am doing what I am doing. Sometimes it is necessary to say, “Hold up, wait a minute…” close your eyes and reconnect with your original vision. If the vision is gone more than likely your excitement/passion/momentum will be gone shortly.

3. Listen to your heart- I think this one speaks for itself. My heart knows what’s up. In my heart I know what I want and I know what is right. You know that feeling you get when you just know? Some call it intuition but I think it is God using our hearts as a wireless telephone. If you’re brave enough to listen to your heart, and to God, then you will be brave enough to do a lot of other things.

4. Be stubborn- This is my favorite one. It is also the most difficult one, I think. Being courageous requires that you never back down. When you know what you want you should pursue it with all the gusto that you have. Some people will try to discourage you, maybe because they have your “best” interest in mind or maybe because they are jealous of your awesomeness, but even when those circumstances arise you have to be stubborn and go for the gold.

What are some ways that you pursue courage?

Things You Should Know About

I spend a lot of time on the computer reading blogs and searching for creative inspiration. I love to read about everything from leadership and HR happenings to nutitional info and craft ideas but my favorite thing to read about is baking.

I figured, since I love these things so much, I would share them with the rest of the world (and by "the rest of the world" I mean all four people that will read this.)

Beyond [the Plate] This is my favorite foodie blog at the moment. The writer, Danielle Tsi, calls herself a "curious eater." Her blog features some stellar recipies but the reason that I really love it is beacause Danielle spends a large amount of time telling the stories of independent farmers. She also has some beautiful photography.

Jennyffer Maria My friend Nicole introduced me to Jennyffer's art a few weeks ago. Occasionally she will have a sale on her Etsy site and if you purchase a blank moleskin notebook from her she will draw whatever you want on it. I couldn't think of anything specific that I wanted on my notebook so gave her a list of words (beards, squirrels, nature, flowers) and told her to create whatever she wants. This is how my notebook turned out. She is amazing! Jennyffer also has a store on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jenyffermaria?ref=pr_shop

Jon Acuff Jon Acuff is pretty much as funny as it gets. I always read his blog, Stuff Christians Like, while I'm at work and it is not uncommon to have coworkers stare and ask me what my problem is as I sit and laugh uncontrollably. I love his blog because he makes fun of goofy things that you typically see in a church- in a loving way of course. He also writes the occasional thought provoking post which creates a really well rounded blog. Some of my favorite post are:

Picking your favorite version of the Bible

Taking God seriously

Maintaining your faith while palying Words with Friends

Deep V-Neck Syndrom (DVS) and its sequal

Going beyond Deep V-Neck Syndrom

The Cynical Girl Laurie Ruettimann has been recognized by Forbes as one of the top 100 most influential bloggers. I love her because she really is cynical. Read some of her posts, like The Top 10 Reasons Your Boss Doesn't Like You, and you'll see what I mean. Besides the fact that she is entertaining she offers some good career advice. For example, did you know that respectful and powerful people DO NOT hang calendars on their office walls? Who knew?!

So, what are some of your favorite blogs to follow?

Are You Brave Or Are We Brave Together?

Last night I was riding the train from NYC to upstate where my dad lives. My iPhone was dead so I couldn't listen to music or browse Twitter and it was dark outside so I couldn't stare blankly out of the window. So naturally I decided to take this "free" time and talk to God. I always keep a notebook in my purse incase I need to write stuff down and more times that not this notebook gets filled with snippets of thoughts and ideas that I have as well as lists of scriptures followed by my own personal commentary.

On the 1.5-hour train ride home I had plenty of time so I pulled out my notebook and began to read through some very encouraging scriptures. As I read the dated entries I noticed something that sparked a question in my mind having to do with bravery.

About a year ago I attended a Women's Conference in Dallas. Normally I'm not the kind of person that would dig an event like this (too many women in one room give me the shakes) but I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had. At this conference there was a chocolate fountain, a dance party, and I got to hang with a bunch of my friends...It was kind of like being at a club. Anyways, during the course of that weekend the word bravery really stuck in my mind and I began praying about all of the areas of my life that require me to be brave. I remember having that anxious feeling that I get when I know I am going to have to make changes and lean completely on God for a strength that surpasses all understanding. I even wrote down several really inspiring scriptures that had me all pumped up to go out and be the next world changer. It all made sense; God was prepping me for something huge. Who knew, I was probably about to be "called" to Africa and asked to drop everything and leave everyone I know to go minister to the poor and sick.

Then life happened.

About six months ago my life took an unexpected, yet strangely expected, turn in a direction that I was not hoping for. As is the human way, I had begun to map out my future but I was strangely discontent with the direction I was leading myself. Big surprise, huh? I remember while in a moment of despair asking God to tell me what I needed to do and to give me the bravery I needed to do it. Then a lot of things changed and I had to take several deep breaths and decide whether I was going to collapse or keep moving forward. I remember hearing this question very clearly in mind, "Jessica, are you brave or are we brave together?" God was asking me in that moment if I was going to be brave on my own (aka-collapse) or if I was going to allow him to fill me up with the kind of bravery that doesn't falter, his bravery. In that time God confirmed what I already knew to be true- that I serve a God who gives me not just brute strength but glorious inner strength. It was one of the most magical times of my life.

On the train as I was reading through my notebook I was reliving several of these memories and I began to wonder what it would have been like if I had closed the gap between the time that God was speaking to me at the conference and when he was speaking to me only a few months ago. Would I have saved myself from some pain, some unhappy moments? Would I be all the wiser, the braver? Nobody can really know.

What I do know is this: I am wimpy, I am shy, I do not like conflict, and I do not like not knowing what is next or when things are going to happen. However, I've learned that God has made a safe place for me. In this place I can trust him to give me a boldness, a strength, a sort of bravery that should make me proud to travel through hardships, trial, and uncertainty because I know that through this bravery and boldness comes freedom.

And when we live in the freedom that God has for us-

everything changes.

Casual Wednesday: When I Cruise

In a few weeks two of my friends will be committing their lives to one another aboard a ship that is bound for Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, and Cozumel. As soon as they say those two magic words they, along with several friends, will be setting sail. I've never been on a cruise or to any of those beautiful beachy locations so I decided to treat myself to a pre-graduation graduation gift.

For your entertainment, but mostly mine, I've listed a few items that I will be taking on the cruise...Enjoy.

1. These floppy hats are totally cool. I like the one pictured here because it's not too big and also because it's very natural looking. I could wear it on the boat, off the boat, and when I go out into my orchard to pick strawberries.

2. More than likely you will see me with various styles of scarves wrapped around my head. There are several reasons for this: a) I hate fixing my hair and b) I'll be on vacation so you really can not expect me to fix my hair. You'll be lucky if I even pack a brush.
3. I probably won't even bother packing clothes because I don't plan on ever changing out of my swimsuit. I'm literally just going to go back and forth between the lounge chairs, the pool, and when we are at bay, the beach. I love the swimsuit in this picture. It's so classy. If I wasn't buying myself a graduation cruise I'd buy myself a graduation swimsuit...
4. This dress is so cool. Ideally I would own 700 of these types of dresses so that I never have to wear anything else. They are so practical, especially for a cruise. Obviously it makes a cute ensemble when paired with a belt and probably some sassy sandals but you can also use it as a swimsuit cover-up as well as a bag dress so that you hide the 10 pounds you will probably gain thanks to the unlimited supply of food you have on the boat. I actually have a dress similar to this that I will definitely be throwing into my bag.

Tell me, what did you take/will you be taking on your cruise?

What is the Difference Between Trusting and Believing?

For the past few weeks I have been contemplating the difference between trusting and believing. Until recently I have just assumed that they generally mean the same thing.

trust·ing/ˈtrəstiNG/

Adjective: Showing or tending to have a belief in a person's honesty or sincerity; not suspicious.

I have a problem trusting people. I am sure that most people have this issue to some degree so I will not bore you with my sob stories but I will say that there is one person, and one person only, that I trust completely. Obviously (or maybe not so much), I trust God. The more I learn about Him the more I fall for Him. The more I know about his character the more I trust, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He is perfect. What a dreamboat. He is honest, sincere, and although I sometimes find him harsh I do not suspect him of leading me astray. I can honestly say that I trust Him with my life.

If you know me at all you will understand when I say, how could I not?

If he tells me to jump I will jump- headfirst.

believingpresent participle of be·lieve (Verb)

1. Accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of: "the superintendent believedLancaster's story".

2. Accept the statement of (someone) as true.

3. Feel sure that (someone) is capable of a particular action

I consider myself a pretty optimistic person. Some of it may have to do with my less dominant sanguine personality and some may be thanks to my deep desire to see the intrinsic good in things but either way it is a characteristic that has me believing in people and situations to an extent that I often find myself willing good things to happen. After all, if you believe you can achieve... right?

When I looked up the definition to ‘believing’ number three particularly intrigued me: to feel sure that (someone) is capable of a particular action. Hhhmmm...

A few weeks ago I was having a chat with the big man upstairs and he spoke to me. He gave me the answer to a question that I've been asking for a long time. Do you know what I said in response? Get ready for this one. I said, "Yea right, that will never happen [to me]."

So the question as of late is this: How can I trust in a God that can part seas, raise people from the dead, cure the incurable, feed 5,000 people with a couple little fish, and speak a universe into existence but not believe that he will be the father my child needs, put food on my table, and fulfill his promise to walk with me until the day I see him face to face.

I am the issue (duh). What do I have against myself?

If I am not willing to believe in the God that I trust then my heart will never really be ready to accept all that he has for me.

In short, I'm like a dog chasing its own tail. Now isn't that a lovely image?

Thankfully, I serve a God that wants all of me so as I ask these questions he creatively gives me answers and continues to gently reveal new and beautiful things to me. With a grateful heart I am being stretched and challenged.

What do you think about trusting and believing?

The Art of Being Creative

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

God created mankind in His own image.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place...

Have you ever thought about the fact that God is an artist? To me this is a very humbling image. Who am I that God would share his passion for being creative with me? How did I get so lucky?

Being creative is an emotional adventure. It is a way to open your heart and your soul and share what is inside with others. This can be scary and this can make you vulnerable. Through art people can see what is inside of your heart.

But suppose your creative heart is full of love for others or is willing to be a servant. Suppose your creative heart gives a voice to the hurting and the oppressed. When your passionate and creative heart is opened, shared, and made vulnerable, what happens then?

You share in the work that your father loves so dearly.

God gives me the skills to be an artist, to create things, imagine things, and develop things. For me, the art of being creative is to share the passion with my God. To let his experienced artistic fingers guide my hands and teach me new techniques. I'm learning from the best artist of them all.

It's no wonder I love to be creative. After all, I'm just doing what my daddy has taught me to do.

Humbled

Wow. The week that I look forward to every year, Ride:Well week.

Each June a team of approximately 18 cyclist begins the journey of biking from the west coast to the east coast. They do this to raise awareness and support for Blood:Water Mission. Having been a part of a trip similar to this (climbing Mt. Kili) I know how emotionally and physically strenuous something of this nature can be. That is why every year when the team rolls through Dallas my friends and I do the best we can to make it a relaxing and memorable week for the team.

Our young adults community, The Gathering, has made it our special mission to make sure the team feels loved and supported for the few days that they are with us. One of the ways we do this is to host an art benefit that features local artist from our community. We auction off all of the art that is donated to us and then give the money that we make to the Ride:Well tour.

Last year we had about 80 pieces of art that were donated and we raised $3,500. That was huge for us considering the statistic that says $1 provides 1 African with clean water for 1 year. This year, we wanted to surpass that amount by $1,000, so we jumped in head-first. For the past two months a very committed team of people and I would meet every week to brainstorm, plan, problem solve, create and build a plan to out-do our last art benefit.

Well, the event was a huge success. We had about 150 art pieces donated and through it all we raised about $5,000. Although I've been involved in the planning process for this event for the past 2 years I've never been impacted the way that I was last night after we counted the money. I was humbled by the commitment of my community to spend late nights and countless hours putting this event together. I couldn't contain it. Tears flooded my eyes as the realization that the hard work we put it and the love that we gave to this benefit was going to provide 5,000 people with clean water. Does that even register with your brain? 5,000 lives changed. My life, changed.

Last night I realized, deep inside, that this lifestyle of giving until it hurts is not just a trend. This group of people that I'm surrounded by, they really care. We worked so hard and the team has cycled so far all because we want to see the water crisis in Africa ended.

This is crazy but we believe it's true: We are going to change the world. What we do every day is going to change this world. And I do believe that we will not rest until we see the change.

As I was driving home I was listening to a song that I love. One of the lyrics goes like this, "Rivers and roads. Rivers and roads. Rivers 'till I reach you."

I'm so humbled to be surrounded by a group of people that are willing to cross any river and travel any road until we reach justice.

Rivers 'till we reach you.

What Do You Want To Do?

Do you ever just want to do something?

I've been reading a lot lately about committing things to writing. Apparently when you do you are more likely to make the transition from dreaming to actually making plans and then actually doing.

I always think about putting the pen to paper but I get a little overwhelmed because there are so many things that I want to do. Then I get all stressed out because I have all of these dreams floating around in my head but none of them have any direction.

The other day I was at my women's bible study, Heart-to-Heart, and we were talking about asking God for the desires of our hearts and how scary that can be. I wonder why we feel silly/scared/guilty when we ask God for things. It is like we think He will be thrown of his game by one of our wants. As if.

Anyway, during this bible study we were challenged to write down things that we want and things that we want to do. Almost immediately this panicked feeling arose in my chest and I left the room to avoid having to do the exercise. Good job, Jess. Geez. But I can not stop thinking about it.

So, here is the beginning list of things that I want/want to do:

01) Get dreadlocks
02) Run a marathon
03) Be an avid rock climber
04) Be debt free
05) Be able to give anything and everything away with a happy heart
06) Live in a community house
07) Grow/raise my own food
08) Travel to each continent
09) Become a Zumba instructor
10) Move out of Texas
11) Speak Spanish fluidly
12) Open a hostel at the base of a mountain
13) Have an amazing kitchen with amazing cooking supplies
14) Bake everyday

Sheesh, that feels better already...

What are some things that YOU want to do?

One Year Later...

It has been one year since I crawled up the beast that is Africa's rooftop, Kilimanjaro, and one year since I witnessed the heart of Jesus as I never have before by watching some of Kenya's youth sing worship songs. It is crazy to think that it has already been one year. 365 days have passed.

Several weeks ago someone asked me to write something on why, after a year, I still want to talk about those kids and that climb and why I still want to raise money for the people of Africa. My hope was to write something really awesome, challenging to all the people that read it, and profound. But the fact is, the reason it has taken me so long to write this is because I don't really have an answer to the prompt.

Venture Expeditions gave me the opportunity to do something incredible and I was affected by what I saw in Africa. I was affected in a way that could not have happened unless I signed those papers and purchased those plane tickets. It was more than just a trip. It was a challenge to change the way I live.

The raw truth is this: I saw kids eating my leftover chips out of a trash pile. I saw graves of men who died giving their lives to carry the backpacks of hikers like me up Kili. I saw houses made out of cardboard and neighborhoods that are so dangerous even the government will not enter them.

So, why, after one year, do I still raise money for the people of Africa? The best answer I can come up with is this: I want those kids to enjoy their own bags of chips.