Yesterday I went out to UNH to take a tour with two of the coolest kids on the block. hehe. Despite the rain, Pat, Andy, and I had a pretty great time. I had the chance to learn some pretty interesting secrets about the campus....and above all else I ate a lot of good UNH food. I have to admit, if it came down to my stomach making my college decision for me, it wouldn't be a hard choice at all ;) After all, who wouldn't want unlimited access to cereal all day?!?! Nevertheless, I'll be making my college decision in the next week or so.....
And then today I spent the day exploring Boston!! I love adventures, and even though going to Boston is not exactly considered traveling, I LOVE TRAVELING. Today just reminded me of how much I can't wait to take all the trips I have been formulating in my head ever since someone told me the world wasn't actually flat, there are hundreds of languages, thousands of different foods, a car to drive, an airplane to be flown, and a boat to be sailed.....a whole other experience....a whole other world out there. An adventure. Well, some of you are probably getting sick of my constant quoting of books and people...but that's just me for you, and don't you worry, I'm not about to change for a blog. =) In the next couple of paragraphs I will be using quotes from the book "Wide Awake" by Erwin Raphael McManus. I won't elaborate on them too much because they describe how I feel exactly...and much more eloquently than I would ever be able to =) If you have yet to read any of his books I highly recommend this one...as well as "Soul Cravings," both are very well written, and on top of all of this, his name is clearly downright awesome!
I would call myself a "future-traveler/explorer". My desire to travel was reaffirmed over and over again today walking around the streets of Boston. You should have tried to wipe the smile off my face today, I was determined to not miss a beat. As much as I love where I have grown up, and would love to live here when I am older.... I think I could pretty much be happy anywhere...... well anywhere with snow anyway. Erwin writes, "Sometimes we think that if we leave everything we know, it's going to get worse from there. But it is possible you'll never find greater contentment or joy or exhilaration until you're willing to give up what you know and what you have for what awaits and exists in the unknown."
"When you are called out by God, you have to take on a learning mode that recognizes you are called by God to explore unknown territories and go to uncertain environments. To some of you God is literally saying, You need to leave your country, your relatives, your house and go to a place you've never known if you are going to live the life of your dreams."
I especially love this one, "That's why when we are children, we have an insatiable curiosity, a need to discover and a drive to explore. It's part of the way God made us. "
"You are created by God to be a pioneer, to explore unknown places and have uncertain experiences because he created and designed you to solve whatever challenges and problems and obstacles you will face in that place. When you live up to your greatness, the whole world is made better. The world cannot afford for you to choose average or easy."
And one that spoke especially to me, "If you're going to create the life of your dreams, eventually you have to stop thinking about it, dreaming about it, imagining it, hoping, scheming, planning, or even praying, and you actually have to do something. You have to act. You have to execute."
Some people ask why I need to go to the Philippines in order to serve, when there are clearly people in my own town and local community in need of help. By going to the Philippines I am not denying the needs of my community; however, what I am doing is acknowledging there are other people suffering besides those who I can physically see and reach out to. I have been involved in volunteer opportunities and outreach programs in my community my entire life as it was and is my parents desire to see both my brother and I out in the community furthering the Kingdom of God and at the same time obtaining "people skills". I still remember sitting in the kitchen with my mom when I was little watching her make hundreds of cupcakes to give to a local outreach here, Kid's Cafe. It was also my parents who encouraged me to become a CIT at Girls Inc. where I spent practically a whole summer, all day every day, serving with the hope of becoming a better servant of God. But there are people suffering in my community formed with Christ that need our help just like those in my physical community. I will be expanding my world view, learning to adapt, experiencing other cultures firsthand, breathing, tasting, and seeing the beauty of God's creation, and as a side note... it's going to be one of my first real adventures. Real in the sense that, with the help of God, I pushed myself to do this on my own. This trip is my way of acting, of executing, and of searching for God's plan for my life. Am I expecting to come back from this trip knowing exactly what God has planned for my life? No, of course not, to me that would be a horrible attempt to limit the power of God, we can't put a schedule together for God and expect him to show up and reveal his plan whenever we set up an appointment. God creates the schedule, not us. And I already know what God has planned for my life. I may not have a "chosen occupation" but I know one thing, God created me to bring glory to Him, and that's what I'm going to do my best to do. And honestly, once you know that, what else matters?? I could be a street performer, like the one I saw in Boston today (hehe, in case any of you are worried about my sanity, don't be, I discovered a long time ago I'm not much of a professional juggler), and still live my life to the absolute fullest bringing glory to God. Essentially it doesn't matter what we do; what really matters is how we do it, and the amount of love we put into it.
Today was a long and fun one filled with little Italian restaurants, small pastry shops, cobblestone streets worn down by the pattern of everyday life in the city, markets, street performers, history, car fumes, friends, and thoughts of the future. Oh! And totally random fun fact of the day! When I purchased my "Charlie Ticket" to catch the T into Boston, I only had a $20 to put into the machine, and guess what it gave me for change?!?! Did you guess?? Well, I received 15 dollar coins, which I of course then proceeded to retrieve with a laugh and carry around Boston for the day. That had absolutely no relevance to my overall story, but I thought it was funny. =)
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Seemingly Insignificant....
This is a note I had written on facebook April 26, 2009....
"The sun: just something that keeps everything alive and makes a day at the beach more enjoyable, or could it be one of the greatest symbols God ever gave us?....thinking about this while sitting on the turf watching the ultimate Frisbee tournament I realized something: no matter how many times the sun falls, it always rises in the morning; no matter how many clouds cover it, it always seems to show up again to bask us in its light. It is so simple that we don't even realize it; the sun that is setting for us is rising for someone else. At the same time as though it seems like there will never be any light again for us, another part of the world, another country, suffering from a number of different things, is given hope by the rising of the sun. A constant and consistent cycle, something very hard to come by in our world today. I don't know about you, but just the fact that something can fall everyday and manage to rise looking just as radiant the next day makes me want to get back up again when I stumble in my day to day life. If the sun, created by God, can do it; then why can't I, also created by God, manage to do it? So every morning we should rise again and remember we can shine God's light on everyone we see in a day....just as the sun shines upon us. We should show enthusiasm, love, and compassion to everyone around us. You never know when you may need someone in your life to be the sun for you for a day."
I feel as though in our world today we don't realize how much of an effect we can have on each and every person around us. Smiles, compliments, and words of encouragement are all things we should never overlook the significance of. And as Mother Teresa said, "Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat." Think about that! You and I have the ability to feed the hungry without cooking up anything more than a smile that tells someone they are not forgotten and will not be overlooked. I am in no way suggesting this is a substitute for actual food, but we have to remember the heart and soul cannot be overlooked in this feeding process. A simple smile can open the doors allowing those around us to see Jesus Christ through us, and He is the only One who can ever satisfy true hunger. Feeding the soul should take priority over feeding our physical bodies, and to think it could all start with a smile.
Mother Teresa also said these,
"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless"
"Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love"
God has blessed me with an abundance of amazing family and friends. And for all of you who have been the sun for me for a day, know your actions have not gone unnoticed. So may we all remember sometimes all it takes to turn someone's day around is a genuine smile, a true act of compassion, and maybe even above all of that, just someone to share a good laugh with. =)
"The sun: just something that keeps everything alive and makes a day at the beach more enjoyable, or could it be one of the greatest symbols God ever gave us?....thinking about this while sitting on the turf watching the ultimate Frisbee tournament I realized something: no matter how many times the sun falls, it always rises in the morning; no matter how many clouds cover it, it always seems to show up again to bask us in its light. It is so simple that we don't even realize it; the sun that is setting for us is rising for someone else. At the same time as though it seems like there will never be any light again for us, another part of the world, another country, suffering from a number of different things, is given hope by the rising of the sun. A constant and consistent cycle, something very hard to come by in our world today. I don't know about you, but just the fact that something can fall everyday and manage to rise looking just as radiant the next day makes me want to get back up again when I stumble in my day to day life. If the sun, created by God, can do it; then why can't I, also created by God, manage to do it? So every morning we should rise again and remember we can shine God's light on everyone we see in a day....just as the sun shines upon us. We should show enthusiasm, love, and compassion to everyone around us. You never know when you may need someone in your life to be the sun for you for a day."
I feel as though in our world today we don't realize how much of an effect we can have on each and every person around us. Smiles, compliments, and words of encouragement are all things we should never overlook the significance of. And as Mother Teresa said, "Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat." Think about that! You and I have the ability to feed the hungry without cooking up anything more than a smile that tells someone they are not forgotten and will not be overlooked. I am in no way suggesting this is a substitute for actual food, but we have to remember the heart and soul cannot be overlooked in this feeding process. A simple smile can open the doors allowing those around us to see Jesus Christ through us, and He is the only One who can ever satisfy true hunger. Feeding the soul should take priority over feeding our physical bodies, and to think it could all start with a smile.
Mother Teresa also said these,
"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless"
"Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love"
God has blessed me with an abundance of amazing family and friends. And for all of you who have been the sun for me for a day, know your actions have not gone unnoticed. So may we all remember sometimes all it takes to turn someone's day around is a genuine smile, a true act of compassion, and maybe even above all of that, just someone to share a good laugh with. =)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Philippines Mission Trip
Time flies. It's so hard to believe it was back in November I applied for the mission trip to the Philippines with the organization Adventures in Missions (AIM). Feels like just yesterday. Regardless, as many of you know I will be leaving on June 30 and won't return until July 24. I have posted the link to the AIM website on the right side of the blog, feel free to take a look around the site if you aren't already familiar with the organization.
While many of you are aware of the trip, I thought this would be a good way to go a little bit more in depth as to the details of the trip. Here goes!
On June 30 Margo and I will be heading down to Gainesville, Georgia for training camp. It is at this same time that my team mates will be meeting up with us from different parts of the country. While I have not personally met them, I have communicated with them all and I am so excited for the first day of training camp and all the exciting new introductions!
We will then be in Georgia training and preparing for our ministry in the Philippines, along with worshiping together and completing numerous team bonding activities, until July 5 when we will board a flight to the Philippines!! We will be ministering in Cebu City until we return back to Georgia for debrief. This is a brief overview of the ministry description AIM provides for this specific mission trip to the Philippines:
God Bless!
While many of you are aware of the trip, I thought this would be a good way to go a little bit more in depth as to the details of the trip. Here goes!
On June 30 Margo and I will be heading down to Gainesville, Georgia for training camp. It is at this same time that my team mates will be meeting up with us from different parts of the country. While I have not personally met them, I have communicated with them all and I am so excited for the first day of training camp and all the exciting new introductions!
We will then be in Georgia training and preparing for our ministry in the Philippines, along with worshiping together and completing numerous team bonding activities, until July 5 when we will board a flight to the Philippines!! We will be ministering in Cebu City until we return back to Georgia for debrief. This is a brief overview of the ministry description AIM provides for this specific mission trip to the Philippines:
"Temptation is great for young people in the Philippines. Opportunistic predators are all too willing to recruit impressionable kids into lives of crime or even slavery. You can help guide youth towards a path which leads to hope, meaning, and life. Your participation can make the difference between light and darkness-or perhaps even life or death. The primary focus of your mission is partnering with local churches in an effort to reach the youth in the community."
God Bless!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Authentic filipino cuisine?? I think YES!
Whew! I'm all caught up on sleep now.... I think, so I thought I would give an update about how our Philippines Dinners went. I'll just start off by saying what an experience they were! Margo and I spent at least 12 hours in the kitchen, not to mention the few hours in the grocery store, for each of the two dinners, and ask either one of us and we will tell you our hands smelt like dumplings for the entire week. And even now that I have washed them so many times I still feel like I carry around the smell of the Philippines with me, which isn't a bad thing at all. =) So for those of you who didn't have a chance to make it to one of our dinners, we made sinangag (vegetable fried rice), green beans (we didn't prepare them any special way due to a severe lack of time hehe), siomai (dumplings), and cassava cake (cassava is a root that is grown in the Philippines and is used often in
cooking).
Basically it took a whole night to make the rice, and the next whole day to make all the dumplings. Have you ever wondered how to mass-produce dumplings?? No? Well me either... that is until a couple of days ago when it hit us that standing over one wok for approximately 24 hours waiting for our massive amount of dumplings to steam just wasn't going to cut it. So, with our homemade steaming machines *muahaha* (we actually made three of them, one of which I accidentally "steam burned" my thumb with haha) we were mass-producing siomai like nobody's business!
Overall the dinners were a huge success! Thank you to all who supported us through our journey of creating an authentic filipino meal, we couldn't have done it without you! Margo and I are both so blessed to have so many supporting us, and to have friends and family that stood by our sides and held us up when we were close to collapsing from exhaustion. =)
I was reminded this whole past week of how God has so many hidden surprises for us, and so many unexpected ways to bless us. And even more than that, I was reminded to NEVER underestimate God. We serve an all-powerful, all-knowing God who sometimes is just waiting for us to put a little effort in and then just trust that He will provide. Philippines here we come! =)
My next post will be a summary of our trip with Adventures in Missions to the Philippines, but as for right now I'm on my way to see what there is for lunch.....possibly some sinangag and siomai??? Why yes! haha...
God Bless!
cooking).
Basically it took a whole night to make the rice, and the next whole day to make all the dumplings. Have you ever wondered how to mass-produce dumplings?? No? Well me either... that is until a couple of days ago when it hit us that standing over one wok for approximately 24 hours waiting for our massive amount of dumplings to steam just wasn't going to cut it. So, with our homemade steaming machines *muahaha* (we actually made three of them, one of which I accidentally "steam burned" my thumb with haha) we were mass-producing siomai like nobody's business!
Overall the dinners were a huge success! Thank you to all who supported us through our journey of creating an authentic filipino meal, we couldn't have done it without you! Margo and I are both so blessed to have so many supporting us, and to have friends and family that stood by our sides and held us up when we were close to collapsing from exhaustion. =)
I was reminded this whole past week of how God has so many hidden surprises for us, and so many unexpected ways to bless us. And even more than that, I was reminded to NEVER underestimate God. We serve an all-powerful, all-knowing God who sometimes is just waiting for us to put a little effort in and then just trust that He will provide. Philippines here we come! =)
My next post will be a summary of our trip with Adventures in Missions to the Philippines, but as for right now I'm on my way to see what there is for lunch.....possibly some sinangag and siomai??? Why yes! haha...
God Bless!
Here's to new beginnings!
Hey everyone! I have been pondering the possibility of creating a blog for a while now, and with my mission trip to the Philippines coming up I figured what better time than the present. But before I say anything else I'm going to take a quick second to explain my chosen blog title.
I read "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence a while ago. I've actually read it a few times now which you would realize right away if you ever got your hands on my copy of the book.... it only has a few underlined sentences.... and a couple highlighted words! *cough cough* =) In case you aren't familiar with the beloved seventeenth-century French monk, Brother Lawrence was a flat out seeker of God. The book is basically a collection of documented letters and conversations he had. The following couple of quotes are found in the book and really changed my outlook on everyday life.
"Brother Lawrence was able to turn even the most commonplace and menial task into a living hymn to the glory of God."
"We find him worshiping more in his kitchen than in his cathedral...as happy in serving his fellow monks and brothers from the monastery kitchen as in serving God in the vigil of prayer and penance."
I'm sure I will be posting more quotes from this book, as well as from a lot of other books and sources, but for now I just wanted to show the meaning of the title of this blog. Worshiping in the kitchen is something we should all be doing. To serve God we do not have to be well-dressed or sit among the "kings and queens". We do not have to be eloquent or well-spoken, our message speaks for itself. Don't be fooled, the greatness and beauty of the Gospel does not depend on how well we can "sell it", the Gospel can be heard best from those who truly believe it, and even beyond that, from the people who live and walk in their everyday lives as if they believe it. Or as Mother Teresa said,
"There should be less talk; a preaching point is not a meeting point. What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone's house. That says enough."
Sometimes the best thing we can do is grab a dirty pot and a sponge and just start cleaning. If we are to serve God we need to be completely willing to do whatever needs to be done no matter how mundane the task may seem. We need to serve everyone around us as if we are serving God Himself......because that's exactly what we are doing. I find I need to take a couple minutes each day to think about that.
Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
Brother Lawrence didn't only find God in the sanctuary, he found him in the kitchen. He knew God couldn't be restricted to a building, and he knew wherever he went, God went with Him, and for that reason I think we should all start doing more
WORSHIPING IN THE KITCHEN
I'll write soon to give an update on the Philippines mission trip and how our fundraiser dinners went!
"And until we meet [or I write] again may God hold you in the palm of his hand."
God Bless!
I read "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence a while ago. I've actually read it a few times now which you would realize right away if you ever got your hands on my copy of the book.... it only has a few underlined sentences.... and a couple highlighted words! *cough cough* =) In case you aren't familiar with the beloved seventeenth-century French monk, Brother Lawrence was a flat out seeker of God. The book is basically a collection of documented letters and conversations he had. The following couple of quotes are found in the book and really changed my outlook on everyday life.
"Brother Lawrence was able to turn even the most commonplace and menial task into a living hymn to the glory of God."
"We find him worshiping more in his kitchen than in his cathedral...as happy in serving his fellow monks and brothers from the monastery kitchen as in serving God in the vigil of prayer and penance."
I'm sure I will be posting more quotes from this book, as well as from a lot of other books and sources, but for now I just wanted to show the meaning of the title of this blog. Worshiping in the kitchen is something we should all be doing. To serve God we do not have to be well-dressed or sit among the "kings and queens". We do not have to be eloquent or well-spoken, our message speaks for itself. Don't be fooled, the greatness and beauty of the Gospel does not depend on how well we can "sell it", the Gospel can be heard best from those who truly believe it, and even beyond that, from the people who live and walk in their everyday lives as if they believe it. Or as Mother Teresa said,
"There should be less talk; a preaching point is not a meeting point. What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone's house. That says enough."
Sometimes the best thing we can do is grab a dirty pot and a sponge and just start cleaning. If we are to serve God we need to be completely willing to do whatever needs to be done no matter how mundane the task may seem. We need to serve everyone around us as if we are serving God Himself......because that's exactly what we are doing. I find I need to take a couple minutes each day to think about that.
Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
Brother Lawrence didn't only find God in the sanctuary, he found him in the kitchen. He knew God couldn't be restricted to a building, and he knew wherever he went, God went with Him, and for that reason I think we should all start doing more
WORSHIPING IN THE KITCHEN
I'll write soon to give an update on the Philippines mission trip and how our fundraiser dinners went!
"And until we meet [or I write] again may God hold you in the palm of his hand."
God Bless!
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