Misguided Ambition

Today I have been feeling super crafty, even though I should be feeling super "I-love-to-pack-up-the-entire-apartment-y". Because of this misguided ambition I have finally finished a project that I started a while back. A little bit ago I decided that I wanted all of my kids to have homemade stuffed animals but, I knew that by the time I had kids I would have no time to make amazing crafts so I started to make them now. I have a doll and a lion finished, the lion was just finished this week. The doll is called Luna she is made of two old pairs of pants and two t-shirts. The lion is called Kiki and he is made of two pairs of pants and two tanks. The hair/mane took a really long time and Mitchell even did a little bit of stitching on both of their hearts.

I have also been thinking a lot about what to take to Uganda (I know I don't leave until January but I do already have a packing list). I loved the baby dress that I found on www.etsy.com (another "evil" distraction from packing the apartment). I think it would be pretty easy to make and it is super cute. All I need is a cheap sewing machine or to borrow someone's machine.

We get the keys to our apartment on Friday so I need to get most of the packing done by then. Mitchell helped a lot this morning and did a couple of boxes. Yay for husbands!

Yesterday I was at Plato's Closet selling some of my old clothes and somehow the manager and I started talking about my trip to Africa and she gave me some really good suggestions on where to get things donated from. Pray that God continues to place people in my life to talk about Africa with. I think the best way to keep joy and passion for anything is to talk about.

Often times at summer camp, or anything else that Mitchell and I do with the youth group from church, the kids ask me "How do I keep my passion for God and this fire that I have?" I think the answer is pretty simple, often way to simple for us to understand, just share the love of God. Tell others about what Jesus has done for you and that is where passion comes from.

Stay passionate, bold, and ambitious!

A Real Page Turner

When you are young and in school teachers ask "What are you going to be when you grow up?" and you generally respond along these line "teacher", "doctor", "fire fighter", or "penguin trainer" (If you have my little sister's cunning cooky-ness). But really this question doesn't make much sense to me because every time that I have a plan, and man is it a good plan, God comes in and changes my plan to his even better plan. He takes my decent and makes it fabulous.

As a young child I wanted to be lots of things and to tell you the truth I am very few of those things. I wanted to be a model but, at all of 5'3 that isn't an option. I wanted to be a pediatrician but now the idea of an office job like that is kind of boring to me. I wanted to be an artist and yes I occasionally paint or craft but nothing with the beauty of a DaVinci, Monet, or even Picasso. But what I am now is amazing. I am actually letting God direct my plans and He has led me someplace super awesome. I am now a 20 year old college graduate, with a degree in mathematics none the less, thanks in large part to the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. I have a wonderful husband (again thank you TAMS haha). I write quirky children's stories that I hope will eventually get a response (I don't worry though, because Dr. Seuss sent out around 100 queries before receiving a positive response and I only have sent 5). I always thought that God would use me somehow in the US and didn't see myself as a "world traveler" yet now God has given me a passion for the world and different languages and He is sending me to Uganda.

My advice to anyone who needs a little direction in life: tell God "I don't know what is coming next but I want you to pick". I no longer feel like the sole, clueless author of my life. I feel like a character in the story of the world and this story is a real page turner. I can hardly wait to see what will come next.

This Saturday, Mitchell and I are moving apartments. Pray that I focus and get everything packed (if you are bored this week come sit on my couch and tell me to pack things, I'll even make you some lunch). Also pray that there aren't any big problems with our new apartment like roaches or rats or holes in walls or creepy neighbors.

World Perspective

This year I have been focusing on changing my perspective from an "American" perspective to a "World" perspective. God doesn't just think about the US, He doesn't just bless the US, and He doesn't just hurt when He sees His people in the US hurt. I have been expanding my point of view and this has done several things for me.

I feel so blessed, not just because of all the amazing opportunities in my life but, for the simple things. I have air conditioning, access to a washer and dryer, if there was an emergency I would be able to get to a hospital. I am able to freely read my bible and freely worship my God, our Creator. As a woman, I am able to get an education, to own property, to get a job. If someone were to abuse me or hurt me justice would be found.

I also realize that God placed me into a life of blessedness for a reason. I am here now so that I can go and tell of God's love. God put a heart in my body that cannot help but share the love and compassion of God wherever I go. He put me here, in this blessed life, so that I would have access to the resources needed so that I can go, so that I can be His hands and feet.

I also, now that I have knowledge about how the rest of the world lives, cannot revert to a former, more ignorant self. As I walk around town and hear people complains that they only were able to get 5 shirts when they went shopping with their mom because "money was tight", I just want to shake them. "At least you have money, you have clothes". In the US we are among the richest in the world. That means even going to the worst parts of the US, much more than half of the world lives in worse conditions than that. Don't believe me? Wiki the Human Development Index which is a combination of life expectancy, literacy rates, and standards of living. The US is color coded deep green, the highest rating possible. Central and South America and Asian countries are light green to yellow, mid ratings. Then Africa is orange and deep red, the lowest possible ratings. Here people live on less than a dollar a day, die from easily preventable diseases. Here is a continent of orphans whose parents were just children themselves, stolen by HIV and war that they were forced into.

Now that I know I cannot ignore the rest of the world. In the same way that when I learned that God loved me so much that He sent His son, who died and then rose again to save me from a life a slavery to desires of a dying earth.

Today, and in your life, try shifting your focus from one of self pity because of our "bad economy" to one that feels blessed because we have an economy and a government that is at least existent. Shift your focus from what you don't have to what they don't have and how you can help. Shift your prayers from "God help me, God give me" to "God bless them, protect them, raise up harvesters to go and tell them that you love them". I am calling you to shift from comfortable ignorance to unsettling knowledge.

The Beginning

So I have caved to the allure of blogging. I named my blog The Fount of Blessings because my life is so blessed. God has gifted me with a wonderful husband, an amazing opportunity to go to Uganda in January for three months, and He has blessed me with knowledge and wisdom.

I want to share the joy of my life here as well as my many ponderings that I roll around in my all too cluttered head. I am always thinking and would like to share those thoughts with you.