So, a few weeks ago, I opened up my iTunes to "check" all my Christmas music. It occurred to me that for the first time, I'm not really listening to the radio. How am I supposed to get new music? So, this is my call to you. Either email me (trazylyn... gmail) songs, or comment with suggestions for me to download.
Here are my recommendations for you:
"Advent Hymn" by Rick Lee James and Brannon Hancock
"Cups" by Anna Kendrick
"Thinkin Bout You" by Frank Ocean
"Everyday" by Lincoln Brewster
and "Travelin' On" by Norah Jones
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Sunday, December 1, 2013
A Couple Favorite Quotes for You
Sometimes, we all need a little boost. Here are the quotes I rely on when I'm struggling or need a boost of encouragement.
"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice." - Cherokee Proverb
"When times are good, be happy; when times are bad consider: the Lord has made the one as well as the other..." - Ecclesiastes 7:14a
Happy beginning of Advent, friends. May these quotes, or other inspiration that you have, bring you peace through the busy-ness of this season!
"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice." - Cherokee Proverb
"When times are good, be happy; when times are bad consider: the Lord has made the one as well as the other..." - Ecclesiastes 7:14a
Happy beginning of Advent, friends. May these quotes, or other inspiration that you have, bring you peace through the busy-ness of this season!
Friday, November 29, 2013
20 Random Facts
Okay, so the first seven are totally stolen from Facebook.
1) I've lived in more countries than states.
2) I have a minor in music and used to be considered a woodwind specialist - making joyful noise on bassoon, Bb/bass clarinets, alto/tenor saxes, oboe and horn - all to the ability of performing each at the university level (with the exception of oboe) and surpassing those who could only play one. Nowadays, I have a clarinet and a saxophone somewhere in storage collecting dust.
3) I have never read, nor do I ever intend to read Harry Potter. I don't know why anymore, I just have no desire. The same goes for The Hunger Games and Twilight. I have also never watched the movies for any of those.
4) Every New Year's Day, my tradition is to watch the entire Lord Of the Rings Trilogy complete with the seven hobbit meals. Usually I invite a bunch of people and it's potluck style - sorry, Staten Island, it will be just me and my love this year... laying around, vegging out, watching Frodo rescue Middle Earth.
5) I count everything. Seriously.
6) I hate carrying cash. In Michigan, everywhere accepted credit card (even the mom and pop diner). Here in NYC, it's not the case. I was in Long Island City the other day and had to make sure I had cash to stop and get a sandwich from the deli. So frustrating.
7) Speaking of money... at one point, I was so far gone financially, that I was contemplating bankruptcy (and suicide, honestly)... but I am living proof that you CAN pull yourself out of that mess. I'm not a professional financial adviser, but I can help if anyone wants --- it's hard work and it takes dedication and it takes giving up a lifestyle of "spend-spend-spend" but it's SOOO worth it.
8) I rarely ever make my bed. I only really make it if I cleaned and there's not much else to clean. It's not like it takes a long time and it's not hard to do... I just don't do it.
9) I love burning candles in the winter time. In the summer, I love fresh air... but in the winter? Gotta have the vanilla or the cinnamon or the pine scented candles going!
10) There are bottles of ketchup and mustard in the trunk of my car. They were leftover from an event. They never made it to wherever they were supposed to go and now they smell rotten. So now, instead of removing them, I just avoid using my trunk.
11) I've lost my ability to flirt with anyone besides my boyfriend. It's a good thing, I suppose. However, it hurts my ability to barter with prices or anything, really.
12) I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at the age of 20. My knees have no cartilage and they crack and grind. I really need to have some work done on them, but I'm waiting to get my oral work done first.
13) I have a small jaw and horrible teeth. Part of that is genetics... part of it is poor oral hygiene. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't corrected soon enough in my adult life and now I'm having massive amounts of work done. I received a small grant to help, and with Care Credit and dental insurance, I'm just doing it. It's rough financially, but it will be worth it... eventually.
14) I self-treat major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. M"ly MDD diagnosis came after I wanted to end my life... after a long series of unfortunate events, culminating in a break-up (which was, looking back, the least unfortunate event, but sometimes life is so dark in the moment...). My PTSD diagnosis came much earlier and the trauma from which that stems was the first event in said series. Both are being managed without medication (not something that's for everyone, so please don't think that I'm advocating no meds - chemical imbalances are no joke), sometimes well and sometimes with struggles. I still have nightmares. I still need to be an introvert and not face the world at times. I'm still afraid of the dark. I still struggle with my own self-worth and abilities... but I am. I keep on keepin' on.
15) I used to smoke. I used to do drugs. I used to drink a lot more than I do now. I call it part of my growing up process. It got me into a lot of trouble at times for which I'm not proud. My recovery from those periods has made me who I am today - not the use, the recovery.
16) I have a Christmas card problem. Seriously. I have boxes and boxes of Christmas cards in storage. Every year, I have MORE than enough for the year... and yet... I buy more. It's obnoxious, really... but they're all just so darn cute! I can't help it!
17) I have something wrong with some of my toenails. They are thick and yellow. It's gross, so I cover them up with nail polish.
18) I have a list of things to do. It's called a 101 list and the goal is to complete everything on my list within 1001 days. Everything from "learn to play guitar" to "join a yoga class" to "watch a tornado tear it up" is on the list. So far, I've completed 26 of the 101 things. The things I've done include "buy a new computer" and "get make-up lessons" and "participate in a 5k." My favorite thing to cross off, though, has been "fall in love." It was one of the things that I couldn't control, but that I still dreamed of and prayed would happen within that time frame. It did. So great!
19) I don't drink water like I should. I drink soda, coffee, tea, juice, beer, wine... basically anything and everything BUT water. #fail
20) I always store one extra of everything. Everything, that is, except toilet paper. I have an extra shampoo, body wash, dish soap, etc on hand in case I run out all of a sudden... because apparently that happens :P
1) I've lived in more countries than states.
2) I have a minor in music and used to be considered a woodwind specialist - making joyful noise on bassoon, Bb/bass clarinets, alto/tenor saxes, oboe and horn - all to the ability of performing each at the university level (with the exception of oboe) and surpassing those who could only play one. Nowadays, I have a clarinet and a saxophone somewhere in storage collecting dust.
3) I have never read, nor do I ever intend to read Harry Potter. I don't know why anymore, I just have no desire. The same goes for The Hunger Games and Twilight. I have also never watched the movies for any of those.
4) Every New Year's Day, my tradition is to watch the entire Lord Of the Rings Trilogy complete with the seven hobbit meals. Usually I invite a bunch of people and it's potluck style - sorry, Staten Island, it will be just me and my love this year... laying around, vegging out, watching Frodo rescue Middle Earth.
5) I count everything. Seriously.
6) I hate carrying cash. In Michigan, everywhere accepted credit card (even the mom and pop diner). Here in NYC, it's not the case. I was in Long Island City the other day and had to make sure I had cash to stop and get a sandwich from the deli. So frustrating.
7) Speaking of money... at one point, I was so far gone financially, that I was contemplating bankruptcy (and suicide, honestly)... but I am living proof that you CAN pull yourself out of that mess. I'm not a professional financial adviser, but I can help if anyone wants --- it's hard work and it takes dedication and it takes giving up a lifestyle of "spend-spend-spend" but it's SOOO worth it.
8) I rarely ever make my bed. I only really make it if I cleaned and there's not much else to clean. It's not like it takes a long time and it's not hard to do... I just don't do it.
9) I love burning candles in the winter time. In the summer, I love fresh air... but in the winter? Gotta have the vanilla or the cinnamon or the pine scented candles going!
10) There are bottles of ketchup and mustard in the trunk of my car. They were leftover from an event. They never made it to wherever they were supposed to go and now they smell rotten. So now, instead of removing them, I just avoid using my trunk.
11) I've lost my ability to flirt with anyone besides my boyfriend. It's a good thing, I suppose. However, it hurts my ability to barter with prices or anything, really.
12) I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at the age of 20. My knees have no cartilage and they crack and grind. I really need to have some work done on them, but I'm waiting to get my oral work done first.
13) I have a small jaw and horrible teeth. Part of that is genetics... part of it is poor oral hygiene. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't corrected soon enough in my adult life and now I'm having massive amounts of work done. I received a small grant to help, and with Care Credit and dental insurance, I'm just doing it. It's rough financially, but it will be worth it... eventually.
14) I self-treat major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. M"ly MDD diagnosis came after I wanted to end my life... after a long series of unfortunate events, culminating in a break-up (which was, looking back, the least unfortunate event, but sometimes life is so dark in the moment...). My PTSD diagnosis came much earlier and the trauma from which that stems was the first event in said series. Both are being managed without medication (not something that's for everyone, so please don't think that I'm advocating no meds - chemical imbalances are no joke), sometimes well and sometimes with struggles. I still have nightmares. I still need to be an introvert and not face the world at times. I'm still afraid of the dark. I still struggle with my own self-worth and abilities... but I am. I keep on keepin' on.
15) I used to smoke. I used to do drugs. I used to drink a lot more than I do now. I call it part of my growing up process. It got me into a lot of trouble at times for which I'm not proud. My recovery from those periods has made me who I am today - not the use, the recovery.
16) I have a Christmas card problem. Seriously. I have boxes and boxes of Christmas cards in storage. Every year, I have MORE than enough for the year... and yet... I buy more. It's obnoxious, really... but they're all just so darn cute! I can't help it!
17) I have something wrong with some of my toenails. They are thick and yellow. It's gross, so I cover them up with nail polish.
18) I have a list of things to do. It's called a 101 list and the goal is to complete everything on my list within 1001 days. Everything from "learn to play guitar" to "join a yoga class" to "watch a tornado tear it up" is on the list. So far, I've completed 26 of the 101 things. The things I've done include "buy a new computer" and "get make-up lessons" and "participate in a 5k." My favorite thing to cross off, though, has been "fall in love." It was one of the things that I couldn't control, but that I still dreamed of and prayed would happen within that time frame. It did. So great!
19) I don't drink water like I should. I drink soda, coffee, tea, juice, beer, wine... basically anything and everything BUT water. #fail
20) I always store one extra of everything. Everything, that is, except toilet paper. I have an extra shampoo, body wash, dish soap, etc on hand in case I run out all of a sudden... because apparently that happens :P
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Promotion!
So, perhaps this is the post for which everyone is waiting. I'm sorry to keep it so long, but I truly wanted to transition and transition to the best of my ability without misleading anyone toward thinking that I hate my job or love my job if in fact it were the opposite.
I am still transitioning, but that's okay.
You see, five weeks ago, I was the missions intern at Project Hospitality. I was the "go to" gal for any project under the community outreach department. It was a great position and I am every so grateful for that opportunity. I learned a lot and I met a lot of people. I took on new projects and built them. I took on old projects and fixed them (or attempted to do so). I could shred paper, lick envelopes and write support letters. I maintained databases of churches, school and food pantries on Staten Island. I did whatever needed to be done and to the best of my ability. I may not have always been happy, but I knew there was a reason that I was there and my hope was to maintain my joy no matter what. They say good things come to those who wait - I want to change the last word to "persevere."
It is kind of like a dream... intern to middle management. No one makes that jump. There is only one way this happened and I believe it to be divine appointment. No one BUT God could have arranged this. I thank Him for it everyday, even on extremely hard days like yesterday.
In the first 20 minutes, I received no fewer than 20 emails and 10 phone calls... all about turkeys. A lot of turkeys came in yesterday... and a lot of turkeys went out to families who need them. It's a lot of work and it's such good work and at the end of the day, I know I've helped a lot of people.
So, what do I do when I'm not passing out turkeys? Well, first of all, I oversee two programs: Food and Nutrition Services for those living with HIV and AIDS... and Emergency Food pantry and soup kitchen. The programs include 6 full-time staff and several full-time volunteers. We run programs 6 days every week. We feed hundreds of people every week, especially now that food stamps have been significantly cut. We serve anyone who walks through our doors that needs food. We not only offer canned goods and boxed shelf-stable things, we also give frozen meats and fresh fruits and veggies when they're available. We try to provide enough food for 3 days. We cook and/or provide food for other programs within the agency.
Like I said, it's good work and I am so blessed!
I am still transitioning, but that's okay.
You see, five weeks ago, I was the missions intern at Project Hospitality. I was the "go to" gal for any project under the community outreach department. It was a great position and I am every so grateful for that opportunity. I learned a lot and I met a lot of people. I took on new projects and built them. I took on old projects and fixed them (or attempted to do so). I could shred paper, lick envelopes and write support letters. I maintained databases of churches, school and food pantries on Staten Island. I did whatever needed to be done and to the best of my ability. I may not have always been happy, but I knew there was a reason that I was there and my hope was to maintain my joy no matter what. They say good things come to those who wait - I want to change the last word to "persevere."
It is kind of like a dream... intern to middle management. No one makes that jump. There is only one way this happened and I believe it to be divine appointment. No one BUT God could have arranged this. I thank Him for it everyday, even on extremely hard days like yesterday.
In the first 20 minutes, I received no fewer than 20 emails and 10 phone calls... all about turkeys. A lot of turkeys came in yesterday... and a lot of turkeys went out to families who need them. It's a lot of work and it's such good work and at the end of the day, I know I've helped a lot of people.
So, what do I do when I'm not passing out turkeys? Well, first of all, I oversee two programs: Food and Nutrition Services for those living with HIV and AIDS... and Emergency Food pantry and soup kitchen. The programs include 6 full-time staff and several full-time volunteers. We run programs 6 days every week. We feed hundreds of people every week, especially now that food stamps have been significantly cut. We serve anyone who walks through our doors that needs food. We not only offer canned goods and boxed shelf-stable things, we also give frozen meats and fresh fruits and veggies when they're available. We try to provide enough food for 3 days. We cook and/or provide food for other programs within the agency.
Like I said, it's good work and I am so blessed!
Monday, November 11, 2013
Psalm 107
Again, a chapter in my daily readings struck me. It's interesting to know that different things really stick out on certain days because of what I may be experiencing. The latest reading that just made me sit back in awe was Psalm 107. May God reveal a great truth in your heart through this reading.
from east and west, from north and south.
Some wandered in desert wastelands,
Psalm 107
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands,from east and west, from north and south.
Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle
to a city where they could settle
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
Some became fools through their rebellious ways
because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
Some went out on the sea in ships;
They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
Some went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
They saw the works of the Lord,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
He turned rivers into a desert,
They saw the works of the Lord,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.
Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.
Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.
The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.
Let the one who is wise heed these things
he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.
The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.
Let the one who is wise heed these things
and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Womens' Sankofa
The Reformed Church in America has started a series of Sankofas. These are varying bus trips around a specific theme. They did one about racism and racial diversity through the multiracial initiatives office in the spring. This last September, they offered the first ever women's sankofa journey.
First stop:
Marble Collegiate Church. This church, where I so long to call home but the journey is honestly too long, has quite a history. Of note for our journey is the leadership of Mrs. Peale. Ruth Stafford Peale was married to the famous author and pastor Norman Vincent Peale. Alongside her husband, she co-created Guideposts (yeah, the heartwarming magazine we all love) and the Peale Foundation.
Random ride laugh:
I'm not sure how many of you have tried to pee in a coach bus bathroom. It's a trip even if the bus is parked. Those bathroom as small even for kids, let alone a full-sized (and then some) adult. So, in case you are not also aware, let me describe Manhattan traffic for you. Stop. Go. Speed up. Slow. Slower. Stop. Creep. Creep. Go. STOP! Gooo.... nope. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. Add in some turns (read: SHARP turns) and as you can imagine, even sitting on the bus is a trip. Standing would be much more difficult. Now imagine standing (or at least attempting to) while trying to pull your pants back up after using the restroom. Hilarious. Simply hilarious.
We headed to the sight of the first female ordination in the RCA: United Church of Spring Valley in Spring Valley, New York. It is a quaint little town in the Hudson Valley... that was not built for a tour bus. It was a nice town, though. Joyce Stedge was the first woman to be ordained into the RCA in 1973. You can read a little synopsis about it here.
Moving along - We headed further into the Hudson Valley to Pawling, NY. This little town is home to the Peale Center, founded by Mr and Mrs Norman Vincent Peale. Yes, I already mentioned them above, at Marble.
Lunch:
Normally I wouldn't document what I ate... but my lunch was amazing! If you're ever in Pawling, NY, you should DEFINITELY get a Chicken Parmesan Wrap from Vinny's. You will be happy you did.
We traveled northward for the rest of the day. We traveled until we reached Auburn, NY. Auburn is home to a wonderful community and the home of an American hero: Harriet Tubman. You can visit the Harriet Tubman Home as a museum now. We were treated and were able to hear her great-great-niece talk about her aunt and the legacy that she has carried in her honor. What a great surprise!
Continuing through northern New York, we headed toward our final destination for the night: the hotel and dinner :) We stayed close to Seneca Falls, NY and were able to enjoy a nice, relaxing night in a hotel with a fabulous dinner. After a restful night, we were back on the bus.
We headed to the Women's Rights National Historical Park. On July 19th and 20th in 1848, the first women's rights convention was held on the grounds of the now preserved space. It was, at that time, a Wesleyan Chapel, and after going through many changes, the National Park Service has recreated it to resemble what it may have looked like over 150 years ago. You can read the Declaration of Sentiments, the document written and signed by the those in attendance that were in agreement toward women's right. It is engraved next to a waterfall within the national park. There's also a museum and Women's Hall of Fame. My only regret from this trip is that we didn't have sufficient time to explore these places.
From there, we began our day long trip back toward NYC. I'm serious that it took ALL DAY. It was a long day in the bus, for sure. We even ate lunch in the bus! I never realized how big is the state of New York. Actually, we came down through Pennsylvania, but still...
We ended up in New Jersey. New Brunswick, NJ to be exact. We stopped at the First Reformed Church to hear about their "Dina's Dwelling" Project. It's a domestic violence that touched my heart. Not only because it would greatly expand the opportunity for women to become stable on their own, but it is re-envisioning the building of their church family... and that is a dream I've had for many years. So good. There are too many big church buildings which no longer house big congregations and I've believe it's time to re-appropriate the space to do some real good in this world.
From there, we headed back to our starting point. What a great way to spend a weekend - in peace, in adventure, with friends (old and new), serving and seeing, sharing stories and listening to stories, learning and leading. So good.
First stop:
Marble Collegiate Church. This church, where I so long to call home but the journey is honestly too long, has quite a history. Of note for our journey is the leadership of Mrs. Peale. Ruth Stafford Peale was married to the famous author and pastor Norman Vincent Peale. Alongside her husband, she co-created Guideposts (yeah, the heartwarming magazine we all love) and the Peale Foundation.
Random ride laugh:
I'm not sure how many of you have tried to pee in a coach bus bathroom. It's a trip even if the bus is parked. Those bathroom as small even for kids, let alone a full-sized (and then some) adult. So, in case you are not also aware, let me describe Manhattan traffic for you. Stop. Go. Speed up. Slow. Slower. Stop. Creep. Creep. Go. STOP! Gooo.... nope. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. Add in some turns (read: SHARP turns) and as you can imagine, even sitting on the bus is a trip. Standing would be much more difficult. Now imagine standing (or at least attempting to) while trying to pull your pants back up after using the restroom. Hilarious. Simply hilarious.
We headed to the sight of the first female ordination in the RCA: United Church of Spring Valley in Spring Valley, New York. It is a quaint little town in the Hudson Valley... that was not built for a tour bus. It was a nice town, though. Joyce Stedge was the first woman to be ordained into the RCA in 1973. You can read a little synopsis about it here.
Moving along - We headed further into the Hudson Valley to Pawling, NY. This little town is home to the Peale Center, founded by Mr and Mrs Norman Vincent Peale. Yes, I already mentioned them above, at Marble.
Lunch:
Normally I wouldn't document what I ate... but my lunch was amazing! If you're ever in Pawling, NY, you should DEFINITELY get a Chicken Parmesan Wrap from Vinny's. You will be happy you did.
We traveled northward for the rest of the day. We traveled until we reached Auburn, NY. Auburn is home to a wonderful community and the home of an American hero: Harriet Tubman. You can visit the Harriet Tubman Home as a museum now. We were treated and were able to hear her great-great-niece talk about her aunt and the legacy that she has carried in her honor. What a great surprise!
Continuing through northern New York, we headed toward our final destination for the night: the hotel and dinner :) We stayed close to Seneca Falls, NY and were able to enjoy a nice, relaxing night in a hotel with a fabulous dinner. After a restful night, we were back on the bus.
We headed to the Women's Rights National Historical Park. On July 19th and 20th in 1848, the first women's rights convention was held on the grounds of the now preserved space. It was, at that time, a Wesleyan Chapel, and after going through many changes, the National Park Service has recreated it to resemble what it may have looked like over 150 years ago. You can read the Declaration of Sentiments, the document written and signed by the those in attendance that were in agreement toward women's right. It is engraved next to a waterfall within the national park. There's also a museum and Women's Hall of Fame. My only regret from this trip is that we didn't have sufficient time to explore these places.
From there, we began our day long trip back toward NYC. I'm serious that it took ALL DAY. It was a long day in the bus, for sure. We even ate lunch in the bus! I never realized how big is the state of New York. Actually, we came down through Pennsylvania, but still...
We ended up in New Jersey. New Brunswick, NJ to be exact. We stopped at the First Reformed Church to hear about their "Dina's Dwelling" Project. It's a domestic violence that touched my heart. Not only because it would greatly expand the opportunity for women to become stable on their own, but it is re-envisioning the building of their church family... and that is a dream I've had for many years. So good. There are too many big church buildings which no longer house big congregations and I've believe it's time to re-appropriate the space to do some real good in this world.
From there, we headed back to our starting point. What a great way to spend a weekend - in peace, in adventure, with friends (old and new), serving and seeing, sharing stories and listening to stories, learning and leading. So good.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Deuteronomy 11 - Love and Obey the Lord
I was going to write about what struck me with this chapter one day. Instead, I'd encourage you to just read it and comment to let me know how God spoke to YOU through this passage.
*****
Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.
Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.
Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, and so that you may live long in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.
The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.
So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him— then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.
When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there, be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.
*****
Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.
Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.
Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, and so that you may live long in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.
The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.
So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him— then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.
When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there, be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Home For a Birthday And a Wedding
Going into this year, there was one date that had been sort of pre-decided before I left. I had a wedding in Chicago over the Labor Day weekend... and Chicago is way too close to Michigan to miss out on seeing my love and my family for a few days.
Things I didn't know:
1) Trenton - So, from me - LaGuardia airport is usually the cheapest airport and takes 45-60 minutes of travel depending on the day. JFK is about 30-45 minutes and Newark is 30 minutes, tops. They're not too far away, but the kicker is (as I stated earlier) that the cheapest airport is the furthest away. Turns out, kayak.com alerted me to another option. Apparently there's an airport in Trenton, New Jersey. No one here had ever heard of it, but they offered direct flights to Detroit and Chicago for extremely cheap. In fact, I was able to book a flight into Detroit and a flight out of Chicago, both, for less than $178. The best parts? It is only an hour to an hour and a half away... AND it has free parking. I didn't have to worry about public transit because my car could stay there for free. Awesome!
2) Kenden's 2nd Birthday Party - This wasn't something I didn't know... just something I didn't realize. Kenden's birthday is August 31st. It just didn't occur to me that I would actually be HOME for his 2nd birthday party! I was so excited to celebrate with him! :) And hand-deliver his birthday gift: Dr. Seuss books and a backpack to match!
3) The Body Shop - I got a phone call about a month earlier from The Body Shop in Woodland Mall. You see, back before I left, I went shopping with a good friend, Megan, and we stopped into that store. I remember very well my thought process that went as follows: "Oh, look, a fishbowl thingy for a drawing! I have a crap-ton of business cards that I need to get rid of in the next couple weeks. Why not?" Turns out, I won either a make-up date or a foot spa date for me and a few friends. Lucky me! I invited my sister (Shawn), Amber and Megan (the girl with whom I was originally shopping) to join me. We had our feet soaked, scrubbed and sprayed with menthol-smelling stuff. It was a very good pampering session with some wonderful ladies! :)
4) Friends from far and near - This part I actually expected, but didn't realize how blessed I would feel to be in their presence again. Matt and Jen were getting married. Matt, for those of you who may not know, was another missions volunteer in Budapest, Hungary. One of the neat things we shared the second half of the year was lunch. Every day, we would meet at the hospital for lunch right next to the office. In honor of that, because the reception was a potluck, I made and brought the first food Matt and I ever shared together: Hungarian Fruit Soup.
Well, it seems that each year we are able to reunite and celebrate in someone's wedding. It's become a fun tradition! Well, turns out that Timothee, Matt's French roommate from Hungary, once promised Matt that if he got married, he would take the trip to the USA and be in attendance. Emilie, Emily and Lisa (and Danny) were also in attendance - coming from Boston, Chicago and Texas respectively. It was so wonderful to see everyone and reconnect.
Me and Timothee, the Frechman:
The pastor enjoying my fruit soup - a definite hit:
5) The hardest goodbye - Something I never expected was the difficulties coming with this long distance relationship. Seeing Eaic is always something that I celebrate with great anticipation. What I hate anticipating is the moment when we part ways again. As much as we prepare for it, it has never been easy. This last trip was especially hard because we didn't have a plan for when we would see each other next. As we traveled from Grand Rapids to Chicago, it was hard to believe that in a matter of days, we'd be separated again. On Tuesday, when Eaic was supposed to leave, he said he'd wait a few more hours and then leave. Then, when it came to be that time, he found out that I'd be just sitting in a cafe or restaurant waiting for my friend to get out of class and so he said he'd wait until she got out with me. Then, as night drew closer, it became apparent that he'd be driving back very tired. We asked Emily (with whom I was already staying) if he could stay as well. Prolonging the inevitable, but then again, who wouldn't want to spend more time with the one they love?! Let's just say the next morning was super hard. It came too quickly and too early... and watching him drive away and leave Chicago was heartbreaking.
Traveling to Chicago:
Waiting for our Chicago-style pizza:
*****
I have one update.
Eaic and I will be together for Thanksgiving weekend! Yay!
Things I didn't know:
1) Trenton - So, from me - LaGuardia airport is usually the cheapest airport and takes 45-60 minutes of travel depending on the day. JFK is about 30-45 minutes and Newark is 30 minutes, tops. They're not too far away, but the kicker is (as I stated earlier) that the cheapest airport is the furthest away. Turns out, kayak.com alerted me to another option. Apparently there's an airport in Trenton, New Jersey. No one here had ever heard of it, but they offered direct flights to Detroit and Chicago for extremely cheap. In fact, I was able to book a flight into Detroit and a flight out of Chicago, both, for less than $178. The best parts? It is only an hour to an hour and a half away... AND it has free parking. I didn't have to worry about public transit because my car could stay there for free. Awesome!
2) Kenden's 2nd Birthday Party - This wasn't something I didn't know... just something I didn't realize. Kenden's birthday is August 31st. It just didn't occur to me that I would actually be HOME for his 2nd birthday party! I was so excited to celebrate with him! :) And hand-deliver his birthday gift: Dr. Seuss books and a backpack to match!
3) The Body Shop - I got a phone call about a month earlier from The Body Shop in Woodland Mall. You see, back before I left, I went shopping with a good friend, Megan, and we stopped into that store. I remember very well my thought process that went as follows: "Oh, look, a fishbowl thingy for a drawing! I have a crap-ton of business cards that I need to get rid of in the next couple weeks. Why not?" Turns out, I won either a make-up date or a foot spa date for me and a few friends. Lucky me! I invited my sister (Shawn), Amber and Megan (the girl with whom I was originally shopping) to join me. We had our feet soaked, scrubbed and sprayed with menthol-smelling stuff. It was a very good pampering session with some wonderful ladies! :)
4) Friends from far and near - This part I actually expected, but didn't realize how blessed I would feel to be in their presence again. Matt and Jen were getting married. Matt, for those of you who may not know, was another missions volunteer in Budapest, Hungary. One of the neat things we shared the second half of the year was lunch. Every day, we would meet at the hospital for lunch right next to the office. In honor of that, because the reception was a potluck, I made and brought the first food Matt and I ever shared together: Hungarian Fruit Soup.
Well, it seems that each year we are able to reunite and celebrate in someone's wedding. It's become a fun tradition! Well, turns out that Timothee, Matt's French roommate from Hungary, once promised Matt that if he got married, he would take the trip to the USA and be in attendance. Emilie, Emily and Lisa (and Danny) were also in attendance - coming from Boston, Chicago and Texas respectively. It was so wonderful to see everyone and reconnect.
Me and Timothee, the Frechman:
The pastor enjoying my fruit soup - a definite hit:
5) The hardest goodbye - Something I never expected was the difficulties coming with this long distance relationship. Seeing Eaic is always something that I celebrate with great anticipation. What I hate anticipating is the moment when we part ways again. As much as we prepare for it, it has never been easy. This last trip was especially hard because we didn't have a plan for when we would see each other next. As we traveled from Grand Rapids to Chicago, it was hard to believe that in a matter of days, we'd be separated again. On Tuesday, when Eaic was supposed to leave, he said he'd wait a few more hours and then leave. Then, when it came to be that time, he found out that I'd be just sitting in a cafe or restaurant waiting for my friend to get out of class and so he said he'd wait until she got out with me. Then, as night drew closer, it became apparent that he'd be driving back very tired. We asked Emily (with whom I was already staying) if he could stay as well. Prolonging the inevitable, but then again, who wouldn't want to spend more time with the one they love?! Let's just say the next morning was super hard. It came too quickly and too early... and watching him drive away and leave Chicago was heartbreaking.
Traveling to Chicago:
Waiting for our Chicago-style pizza:
*****
I have one update.
Eaic and I will be together for Thanksgiving weekend! Yay!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Silke kommst!
Let's travel back in time, shall we? Let's transport back to July 2010, when I was 27 years old and crossing oceans for freedom and adventure. On July 15th and 16th, I said "goodbye" to two people I truly wondered if I would ever see again... and it broke my heart. Silke and Silvia and I had bonded so much in one year, we had become more than flatmates and bordered on sisters. It was a sad day when we parted.
Fast forward to August 2013. Silke, along with her boyfriend, Christian, and her best friend Alex traveled to Toronto, Canada for a the world champion ultimate frisbee tournaments. Because they were going to be here, they decided to take a major road trip along the east coast. The three of them rented a car and drove across part of Canada, then through the state of New York, over to Boston and back into NYC. They hiked through pouring rain and drove through beautiful days. They camped in campgrounds and along the roadside. They pretty much had the great American roadtrip.
To top it all off - they were coming to NYC. The best part? I live in NYC now. Woo-hoo! It couldn't have worked out better!
On Monday night, they drove into Staten Island and found my apartment without problem. It was a surreal moment when Silke and I were reunited after 3 years. Our first step was to see what had only been seen in books - The Statue of Liberty. We drove along the terrace and hopped on the Staten Island Ferry. As Alex called it, it was a "not real minute." It really didn't seem like it was real, but as we took the ferry back across the bay and saw the statue lit up against a clear night's sky, it also seemed perfect and wonderful... and as though the world isn't really so big after all.
The next day, I had a very full day of work, so I couldn't hang out with them at all - but they were happy to experience public transit and Manhattan. As we all returned that evening, it was so good to just share stories.
And... just like that, they were gone. The next morning, I had to leave early to work at El Centro and they left around 9a to begin their long drive back to Toronto.
Of course, I'll leave you with pictures... but another surreal moment to share. As I wrote most of this, I drank hot tea - a ritual of evenings in Hungary. :)
Fast forward to August 2013. Silke, along with her boyfriend, Christian, and her best friend Alex traveled to Toronto, Canada for a the world champion ultimate frisbee tournaments. Because they were going to be here, they decided to take a major road trip along the east coast. The three of them rented a car and drove across part of Canada, then through the state of New York, over to Boston and back into NYC. They hiked through pouring rain and drove through beautiful days. They camped in campgrounds and along the roadside. They pretty much had the great American roadtrip.
To top it all off - they were coming to NYC. The best part? I live in NYC now. Woo-hoo! It couldn't have worked out better!
On Monday night, they drove into Staten Island and found my apartment without problem. It was a surreal moment when Silke and I were reunited after 3 years. Our first step was to see what had only been seen in books - The Statue of Liberty. We drove along the terrace and hopped on the Staten Island Ferry. As Alex called it, it was a "not real minute." It really didn't seem like it was real, but as we took the ferry back across the bay and saw the statue lit up against a clear night's sky, it also seemed perfect and wonderful... and as though the world isn't really so big after all.
The next day, I had a very full day of work, so I couldn't hang out with them at all - but they were happy to experience public transit and Manhattan. As we all returned that evening, it was so good to just share stories.
And... just like that, they were gone. The next morning, I had to leave early to work at El Centro and they left around 9a to begin their long drive back to Toronto.
Of course, I'll leave you with pictures... but another surreal moment to share. As I wrote most of this, I drank hot tea - a ritual of evenings in Hungary. :)
Sunday, September 22, 2013
El Centro + Food Pantry
Another one of my main missions has been my working at El Centro. El Centro del Inmigrante is an organization that is part of Project Hospitality, but yet its own separate entity. It is located about 3 blocks away from the main offices of Project Hospitality, in a neighborhood which is mostly populated with Latinos, primarily families of first and second generation immigrants. Its mission statement is "advancing the rights of all immigrants until they achieve full civic participation in the US."
While most of the clients are Latinos and Spanish-speaking, they offer a variety of services that are open for all immigrants and the public. These services include, but are not limited to: English classes, afterschool tutoring for students, day-worker program and referrals, food stamp assistance, DACA and Dream Act, Immigration Reform rallies, community events, Single Stop aid, Consulate assistance, GED classes, worker safety programs and a food pantry.
The food pantry has become my project. Every Thursday, my day begins at noon with lunch and a meeting at our main food pantry location, 514 Bay St. From there, I go to El Centro to check on the delivery. You see, almost every week we get a delivery from the Food Bank with donated food - usually it's non-perishables like cans and boxes, but sometimes it includes a large amount of carrots, onions, potatoes, etc. Usually it's enough to stock us for a pantry on both Thursday and Saturday. Sometimes it's only enough for a Thursday pantry. Sometimes, it's not even enough for that. When that happens, the main food pantry supports us with some of their excess stuff. Often, we have enough stuff in excess that if for some reason we ever don't get a truck delivery, we can open the food pantry anyway. Sometimes, it's iffy... sometimes, like before this last week, we are well-stocked. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the pantry was always well stocked and there was never a shortage. However, as relief has been cut back, our food pantries are feeling it. Anyway, I assess the amount of food we have and if we need more, we either get it from the basement or from the other pantry. The rest of my afternoon is either spent organizing the basement or organizing the upstairs. That is, until 5:00p hits.
People have been lining up for food pantry since the morning. We start passing out food at 5:30p, so at 5, the tables come out, food is put on tables and the volunteers get ready for a busy couple of hours. The normal pantry is: meat (frozen or canned), rice, pasta, potato, fruit, vegetable (fresh or canned), juice, beans, bread. Sometimes we have cereal, milk, or pasta sauce... and we really never know until the day we get it. And based on the normal amount of 150 clients, we try to make it last for everyone. For an hour and a half, we have a pretty steady group of clients that come through. At 7p (or if we run out of food before then), we pack it up. The leftovers get taken downstairs, dated and put on the appropriate shelf.
On Saturday, it's an early morning. I'll usually get to El Centro around 7:30a to make a list of what we're bringing up for the day and to keep an eye on the line. At 8a, my volunteers arrive. We form a line and start hauling boxes and bags out of the basement. They're never lightweight boxes, of course, so we get a workout. The set-up is usually the same and on Saturdays we usually serve 60-80 people. The goal for Saturday is to not bring anything back down to the basement. Anything that is left over, we bring back down... and on Thursday, the process is repeated.
Here are some pictures for you to enjoy :)
This was my first day - when I organized the entire basement for 4 hours.
One day, we got a lot of carrots.
The next week, we got a lot of watermelons.
A couple weeks later, we got a lot of EVERYTHING.
including fresh vegetables - carrots, onions, cabbages, potatoes and more onions.
While most of the clients are Latinos and Spanish-speaking, they offer a variety of services that are open for all immigrants and the public. These services include, but are not limited to: English classes, afterschool tutoring for students, day-worker program and referrals, food stamp assistance, DACA and Dream Act, Immigration Reform rallies, community events, Single Stop aid, Consulate assistance, GED classes, worker safety programs and a food pantry.
The food pantry has become my project. Every Thursday, my day begins at noon with lunch and a meeting at our main food pantry location, 514 Bay St. From there, I go to El Centro to check on the delivery. You see, almost every week we get a delivery from the Food Bank with donated food - usually it's non-perishables like cans and boxes, but sometimes it includes a large amount of carrots, onions, potatoes, etc. Usually it's enough to stock us for a pantry on both Thursday and Saturday. Sometimes it's only enough for a Thursday pantry. Sometimes, it's not even enough for that. When that happens, the main food pantry supports us with some of their excess stuff. Often, we have enough stuff in excess that if for some reason we ever don't get a truck delivery, we can open the food pantry anyway. Sometimes, it's iffy... sometimes, like before this last week, we are well-stocked. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the pantry was always well stocked and there was never a shortage. However, as relief has been cut back, our food pantries are feeling it. Anyway, I assess the amount of food we have and if we need more, we either get it from the basement or from the other pantry. The rest of my afternoon is either spent organizing the basement or organizing the upstairs. That is, until 5:00p hits.
People have been lining up for food pantry since the morning. We start passing out food at 5:30p, so at 5, the tables come out, food is put on tables and the volunteers get ready for a busy couple of hours. The normal pantry is: meat (frozen or canned), rice, pasta, potato, fruit, vegetable (fresh or canned), juice, beans, bread. Sometimes we have cereal, milk, or pasta sauce... and we really never know until the day we get it. And based on the normal amount of 150 clients, we try to make it last for everyone. For an hour and a half, we have a pretty steady group of clients that come through. At 7p (or if we run out of food before then), we pack it up. The leftovers get taken downstairs, dated and put on the appropriate shelf.
On Saturday, it's an early morning. I'll usually get to El Centro around 7:30a to make a list of what we're bringing up for the day and to keep an eye on the line. At 8a, my volunteers arrive. We form a line and start hauling boxes and bags out of the basement. They're never lightweight boxes, of course, so we get a workout. The set-up is usually the same and on Saturdays we usually serve 60-80 people. The goal for Saturday is to not bring anything back down to the basement. Anything that is left over, we bring back down... and on Thursday, the process is repeated.
Here are some pictures for you to enjoy :)
This was my first day - when I organized the entire basement for 4 hours.
One day, we got a lot of carrots.
The next week, we got a lot of watermelons.
A couple weeks later, we got a lot of EVERYTHING.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Home For the Fourth
As many of you know, I've been able to travel home twice since I started a little over three months ago. Once was only a month after I left, for a long weekend over the 4th of July.
The timing ended up being perfect. It had been a long month of missing Eaic.
As well, one of my friends was here checking out apartments and needed a cheap way to get back to Michigan. It was last minute, so I rented a car. Megan and I drove the 13.5 hours it took to cross NJ, PA, OH and MI in order to get back to the city of Grand Rapids that we love so much. It was good to spend that much time with her, but I would pass on that drive again... always. I would also not recommend it at night.
At any rate, when we pulled into the city of Grand Rapids on Thursday morning, it was all worth it. I was able to show up at Eaic's door around 8a and surprise him as he was getting ready to go to the gym. From there, we spent some time at my parents' house and at the movies. We went to church on Sunday morning. We went to all our favorite places, but also spent a good amount of time just being in each others' presence and watching "The Walking Dead."
And... on Monday, we said our good-byes way too early and too quickly... and the long journey back to the island began.
I had set up a meeting with a rideshare on the other side of Michigan, so I stopped there to pick him up so I'd have company and a little gas money. It's like new-age hitchhiking (shhh... don't tell my mom!) But again, 13 hours is a looong time to drive alone, so it was good to have company. All in all, it was a good, short vacation and a fantastic way to spend a long weekend.
And, of course, a couple pictures.
Reunited :)
Lunch at Olive Garden after church - our favorite :)
The timing ended up being perfect. It had been a long month of missing Eaic.
As well, one of my friends was here checking out apartments and needed a cheap way to get back to Michigan. It was last minute, so I rented a car. Megan and I drove the 13.5 hours it took to cross NJ, PA, OH and MI in order to get back to the city of Grand Rapids that we love so much. It was good to spend that much time with her, but I would pass on that drive again... always. I would also not recommend it at night.
At any rate, when we pulled into the city of Grand Rapids on Thursday morning, it was all worth it. I was able to show up at Eaic's door around 8a and surprise him as he was getting ready to go to the gym. From there, we spent some time at my parents' house and at the movies. We went to church on Sunday morning. We went to all our favorite places, but also spent a good amount of time just being in each others' presence and watching "The Walking Dead."
And... on Monday, we said our good-byes way too early and too quickly... and the long journey back to the island began.
I had set up a meeting with a rideshare on the other side of Michigan, so I stopped there to pick him up so I'd have company and a little gas money. It's like new-age hitchhiking (shhh... don't tell my mom!) But again, 13 hours is a looong time to drive alone, so it was good to have company. All in all, it was a good, short vacation and a fantastic way to spend a long weekend.
And, of course, a couple pictures.
Reunited :)
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Just One Meal
About 2 months ago, I began working on the "Just One Meal" Campaign with Project Hospitality. This is one of my main missions while I am here.
About a year ago, an Americorps Vista was working on this project and she hadn't gotten very far when the unthinkable happened: Superstorm Sandy struck. To say that normal projects were set aside would be an understatement. All progress on this campaign came to a halt... except that churches that had signed up were still committed to providing and serving.
So, what is the Just One Meal campaign?
Well, Project Hospitality has a drop-in center for people who need a place to go during the day. Most of the clients who use this facility are homeless, and the drop-in center gives them a warm place for cold days and a cool place for warm days. They can also come for a hot cup of coffee, a shower, a change of clothes and just a place to sit in a chair and rest. On every day, three meals are served for 50-60 clients.
As you can imagine, this is a huge budget item for Project Hospitality. In order to cut down on the costs, we're partnering with various faith groups on Staten Island to provide just one meal every month for the drop-in center. Right now, we have four different religions represented in the meals and there's the opportunity for even more to jump on board. We have also filled half of our dinner-time meals with church-provided meals, cutting the monthly dinner budget in half.
So, what do the churches do? They cook or prepare 5-6 trays of food ahead of time and then deliver it. Our staff takes care of reheating it and serving it. It is quite a commitment for the smaller churches, but it's a way of serving that doesn't take people out of their comfort zones and is more behind the scenes - especially perfect for churches just getting started with their social action or missions groups. So good.
About a year ago, an Americorps Vista was working on this project and she hadn't gotten very far when the unthinkable happened: Superstorm Sandy struck. To say that normal projects were set aside would be an understatement. All progress on this campaign came to a halt... except that churches that had signed up were still committed to providing and serving.
So, what is the Just One Meal campaign?
Well, Project Hospitality has a drop-in center for people who need a place to go during the day. Most of the clients who use this facility are homeless, and the drop-in center gives them a warm place for cold days and a cool place for warm days. They can also come for a hot cup of coffee, a shower, a change of clothes and just a place to sit in a chair and rest. On every day, three meals are served for 50-60 clients.
As you can imagine, this is a huge budget item for Project Hospitality. In order to cut down on the costs, we're partnering with various faith groups on Staten Island to provide just one meal every month for the drop-in center. Right now, we have four different religions represented in the meals and there's the opportunity for even more to jump on board. We have also filled half of our dinner-time meals with church-provided meals, cutting the monthly dinner budget in half.
So, what do the churches do? They cook or prepare 5-6 trays of food ahead of time and then deliver it. Our staff takes care of reheating it and serving it. It is quite a commitment for the smaller churches, but it's a way of serving that doesn't take people out of their comfort zones and is more behind the scenes - especially perfect for churches just getting started with their social action or missions groups. So good.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Sermon from September 1, 2013 - "This Miserable World"
And... the last sermon was a half sharing time/half sermon time for Home Acres on this past Labor Day. Enjoy!
·
Description of time, space, Project Hospitality
and the continued unknowns
o
3 months exactly I began my life in NYC
o
Staten Island is a trip all in itself – follow
the blog? You know I can’t leave the
island (due to tolls) – not at ALL like anything you see in the movies or on TV
o
Project Hospitality is like a giant machine –
with all its separate parts, functioning and continuing as separate but united
entities
o
3 months and I don’t know if I’ve still adjusted
– the other day, I found out all about getting my car licensed, insured and
inspected per NYS regulations. I also
found out that Project Hospitality has a mobile food pantry ministry. It’s amazing to know that I’m a part of
something so big that I may never know or understand every part of it.
·
Description of what I’ve experienced in my time
here: food pantry, furniture delivery, El Centro, FIA groups
·
Tshirt – salt, light, NYC skyline
During His famous Sermon On the Mount, Jesus not only
delivered the Beatitudes but also these words.
·
Matthew 5:13-16
From here on out, keep in mind that when I say “you,” I am
also including myself. As well, this is
not going to be a full-on sermon… perhaps just more of a devotion… or a
challenge, if you will. I know that last
week, Pastor Darrell spoke about being the light and not remaining hidden. It is my prayer that God’s words and my voice
this week reflect and complement the voice and words of last week.
You are the salt of the earth.
An interesting thing about salt is that it is not used for
its own sake. Salt doesn’t really do
much for the world on its own. It is
only good when it is applied to something.
I know there are a few youth ministry games that involve eating strange
things, but USUALLY people don’t think of just eating salt. You put it in water to season your pasta, you
shake it onto corn on the cob, you bake a small amount of it (unless you
mistake it for sugar) into cookies for some reason, you pour it onto ice to
melt so that we don’t slip and fall, we gargle salt water for a sore throat. Did you know that salt can also be used to
clean artificial flowers? Or to remove
red wine from your white carpet? Or to
deodorize your sneakers? It has a lot of
uses when it is applied to something else, but on its own does nothing. When you mix salt with more salt, nothing
happens.
When Jesus tells us that we are
salt, He is telling us not to just sit on our butts and do nothing.
An interesting way of words happens here that many often
miss. Jesus says “you are the salt of
the earth.”
Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard this
a hundred times… maybe more… but Jesus isn’t saying “you are the salt of your
family” or “you are the salt of your friends.”
No. The earth. The earth is in a miserable state. My Facebook and Twitter feed blew UP about
Miley Cyrus last Sunday. You all know
what happened, so I don’t need to expound.
However, did you know that innocent Syrians are getting gassed to
death? Did you know that children are
being trained as soldiers in the Congo?
Did you know that there are STILL bombs going off in Baghdad? We know the news around Grand Rapids, but
have you thought about the fact that a man was just recently convicting of
human trafficking… not in the Ukraine, not in Africa, but RIGHT HERE? Did you know that 50 years after the famous
“I Have a Dream” speech, in a world that many of us want to believe is free of
racism, young black and brown men are being stopped and frisked on a daily
basis in New York City – simply because of their skin tone? The earth is in a miserable state.
And perhaps we can view the fact that if we lose our salt,
we are going to just be thrown and trampled as a bit, well… harsh. But honestly, if we lose our ability to
affect the world and change it, what good are we? We delight in the fact that in the gospel of
John, chapter 15, we are told that we are NOT of this world --- and if we’re
not of this world and we can no longer have an effect on the misery of the
world, let’s ask the tough question: why are we still taking up space?
Perhaps this hit you like “girl, I’m trying – I’m doing what
I can and I don’t know what else to do.”
Keep going. Keep on keepin’
on. Maybe this hit you like “who are you
to tell me that I should be doing something?”
Maybe this is not me you’re angry at, but yourself. Maybe you have no idea why you’re still here
and the thought of it depresses you.
Trust me, I understand. The world
is a miserable place and overwhelmingly so.
Let me share a story.
Teo is a day worker in Staten Island.
He’s one of many. He’s from
Mexico, or Honduras, or Colombia. He
came here illegal and remains here without documents. He stands on a street corner each and every
day, waiting for someone to hire him to haul steel, or to clean their yard, or
to paint their home – whatever they are willing to pay him for, he is willing
to do. He has family back home in the
Dominican, in Ecuador, in Guatemala and one day he wants them to join him
here. He has to lay low because one
wrong move could send him back to his home country and all the dangers, all the
struggles, all the hopes and dreams that brought him to the USA would be in
vain. And yet, every morning he stops in
at a place called El Centro. At 7a every
morning, someone is always there with a smile, a warm cup of coffee and a
simple breakfast roll. For him, I was
salt. I was salt so much so that one
morning, he shared his meager breakfast with me: a red tamale, my favorite
kind! He shared his breakfast, his
nourishment for the day, with me as a thank you for being there. It’s the little things.
So, how can we be salt?
Let’s look to one of the prophets.
Micah 6:8 tells us simply that the Lord requires us to “act justly, love
mercy and to walk humbly with our God.”
One of our lectionary passages, which are the “suggested
sermon passages” that are preselected years in advance, is Hebrews 13. Let’s turn there, but keep your fingers in
the salt and light passage. We’ll go
back there.
·
Hebrews 13:1-3, 15-16
When was the last time you invited strangers into your
house? I know for many of you who
invited CHAOS into your home last year did it with some hesitation – how many?
What do they eat? Do they know how to use forks? I joke, but I know that
inviting strangers into our homes is something we don’t always do well. Do you think Abraham and Sarah regretted
inviting the three strangers, who later turned out to be God, into their
home?
Or what about suffering with those who suffer? Let’s get political here. Did any of you march with undocumented youth
at the recent rally here in Grand Rapids?
Did any of you who don’t receive food stamps write your congressperson
and tell them that you don’t want food stamp benefits cut? Have any of you ever put money into someone’s
commissary in prison when you think they’ve been wrongly imprisoned? Have you struggled with someone and suffered
with someone as if you yourself were struggling?
My heart broke when my friend Stuart visited me one day and
had told me his wife had passed. You
see, Stuart and Kim were married three weeks ago. They were going to wait to get married in a
church go through all of the counseling required by the pastor who wanted to
marry them… and with a swift change of heart, Stuart decided they wanted to get
married quicker and so they went to the borough hall and had a small ceremony
there. He didn’t want to wait. And a short three weeks later, she was
gone. There were a lot of sad points of
her death – from drug use to hospital oversights, the blame game was played –
but for Stuart, all that mattered was the fact that the love of his life would
no longer sleep by his side, would no longer be there to make him smile, would
no longer listen to his complaining about the world… I never met Kim. The only visual I have of her is the open
coffin viewing and the way Stuart broke down at her funeral. To struggle with someone struggling is one of
the greatest ways to do good and sacrifice our own desires for another. For these times, God is pleased.
Let’s go back to Matthew.
Jesus continues. You are the
light of the world. Jewish people
believe that each person has a bit of God-Light in each of them and when they
pass, that light continues in the world around us. Thus, this exalted comparison comes more
alive – you are the God-Light of the WORLD.
Not one nation or one city, but of the whole world. This God-light is even superior to the rays
of the sun that we can see just as the salt of the earth is even superior to
the strongest of salts you’ve ever used.
And, so, what do we do?
The world relies on both of these elements. And guess what? It’s a charge to all of us. It doesn’t say “your pastors are the salt of
the earth” or “your missionaries are the light of the world.” NO. It
also doesn’t say “you are the salt, but if you choose to not accept it, you can
give money to those who do and that will exonerate you of all guilt.” This is your charge. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be
thrown out and trampled. Let’s change
this miserable world.
Last Saturday, I had the honor of being a part of the
celebration ceremony for Sea To Sea – you know, those bicyclists who rode
BICYCLES across the entire freakin’ country.
From LA to NYC – 3, 900 miles. I
can’t hardly ride a bike for 10 miles without wanting God to send His angels to
carry me away. They rode through desert,
through rain, through hail, through mountains, through Manhattan… for what? To
raise over $5 million to end poverty.
When I posted this on my facebook page, I asked the question – what are
YOU doing to end poverty. Excuse me
while I boast on my mommy for a minute.
She responded with this: “working to start a new kids feeding program in
Ionia/Montcalm Counties called "I'M KIds Food"!!!!!” And it had 5 exclamation points. My mom – who is… well, 30 years older than me
has retired from teaching so that she can feed kids. That is being salt. That is being light. Let’s change this miserable world.
*****
Oh of course, as I re-read this, not everything came out exactly as written. Hallelujah, the Holy Spirit moved!!!
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