Life Adventures
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Poor and Humbly
Humbly You Came/To the earth You created/All for love’s sake became poor*
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Name that song. If you grew up in church, I bet you could not only name it, but sing the rest of it from memory. I will admit, I am not a big fan of the song because it has been so over-sung in our churches. But last night, as I sang the words of the song, I was overwhelmed by the weight of those words. What does it really mean that the light of the world came to earth? And how did He come?
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Poor and Humbly.
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Not in a flash of lights. Not broadcasting to the world how great He was. Not in a fancy car. The Savior of the universe, my Jesus, was born in a stable to a family we would consider impoverished. He went mostly unnoticed for the first part of His life, and finally started making the news by.. feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and helping the broken. How drastically different a picture then the one painted in our churches today. I mean, sure we will sing a song about how He came to earth and how high the price was that He had to pay for our sin, but in that same breath we will complain about the lights or the sound or the chairs. We have become a people so consumed with our own lives that we are perhaps, dare I say, unwilling to even consider that perhaps Christ came not simply to save us from hell, but to teach us a better way to live here and now. He set an example of love, humility, and graciousness. He was poor and lowly by earthly standards.
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This is something I have struggled with for a long time now. How do we reconcile the life Christ lived with the consumerist nature of society and the church? And if we choose to instead, just seek Christ and attempt to live as He lived, how do we do so without everyone thinking we are weird? But perhaps those are the wrong questions to ask. Perhaps the bigger question is, how can we afford not to? Our example is Christ. And I have a strong feeling if Christ came back today, He would walk into our church buildings and start turning tables over. That is if we even let Him through the doors. Perhaps His lowly appearance, unwashed hair, and dirty feet might be reason to not allow Him through the doors. Perhaps we would be too busy making sure the lights were right, the music was timed correctly, and the atmosphere was inviting. Perhaps we would be too busy with ourselves, with our friends, with our group that we would fail to see the visitor silently entering through our doors. Perhaps we are too caught up in church arguments, who said what, who goes where, and how much I can promote my own building (note I say building because we aren’t promoting the body of Christ or the church when we simply promote our place of worship).Â
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Beyond those things, I wonder how as the American church we have decided that big buildings are acceptable, that fancy cars are a wise use of our money, and that houses that boast of our wealth are ok because they are simply an outpouring of God’s blessing. Perhaps God blessed us in order that we may use our funds to “live simply so others may simply live.”  When I would argue that more of the body of Christ is living in poverty, then living in excess, why the need for more, more, more? Can we take a step back and truly listen to the words we sing? Can we stop for a moment and think of the gravity of Christ’s life? And in doing so, can we truly evaluate our own lives against that standard? I am guilty so often as charged. I am not claiming for a second that I do not struggle with the desire to want more, to spend more, to have things a certain way. But I am committing to following Jesus regardless of how “weird” that may make me in the eyes of those around me. So I ask you, today, this week, what can you do to live more like the Jesus who came to the world poor and humbly? What change can you make in your actions, in your words, in your spending habits to reflect a life modeled after the One who gave it all?
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*Light of the World by Chris Tomlin
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Grilled Cheese Only (A blog of reflection)
As a kid it was the norm that we could only eat out if the restaurant had grilled cheese. That was about the only thing I would eat. Oh and peanut butter. To say I was a picky eater was putting it lightly. Now I love my mom, but cooking is not one of her strengths which was fine by me because she could cook about five different meals and that was about all I would actually eat. (I am sure she could actually cook more than that, but again-I was a picky eater) This trend continued for most of my time living at home. And then I graduated and moved to college and one day just decided I wasn’t going to be a picky eater anymore. I am not sure what brought it on, except that I vaguely remember trying something I swore I hated and actually liking it. That was it. The turning point, which isn’t much of a turning point considering I don’t actually remember it. However, I did start trying new things and developing a liking for spicy foods and ethnic foods and well, food in general. I never really think much about it anymore because I will try pretty much anything once and I actually like a lot of different foods.  It isn’t until someone points it out that I notice. So at work today we got free food from my favorite restaurant  here. It was awesome. And part of the free food was humus. Which is one of my favorite things. I was sitting back in the kitchen during lunch and one of the other employees comes in and sees me eating it and goes, “You aren’t a picky eater are you?” to which I casually respond, “nope.”  It wasn’t until after she left that I started thinking about not only that change, but some of the many changes I have gone through in the past several years.I suppose I am still me at the core, but sometimes I stare at a person in the mirror I hardly recognize. And after living abroad for a year and transitioning back home, some of those changes are becoming more and more apparent. Such as:
I love to try new things. This I suppose does not make me that unusual except that I am finding more and more that people are pretty content to go with life as usual. They eat at the same places, do the same things, have the same friends-none of which is bad, but I love to try new things. New food, new places to eat, new things to do, new adventures, meeting new people. I love it. It keeps life interesting. And now that I am land-locked in southern Indiana, I am going to have to be increasingly creative in my attempt to try new things and keep diversity in my life.
I have become a lot more open-minded. After traveling the world, spending way too many hours in airports, and spending holidays in exotic places like Bali, my mind has become like a sponge. I want to learn more and experience more and live more and see more. I feel like this whole new world was opened to me of cultures and ways of doing things and ways of thinking. Sure, I am still solid about my core, but so much of the fringe has become less important. I am becoming more free in my thinking. This I believe is a positive change. It allows me to interact with people I may have otherwise never talked to. It allows me to appreciate the beauty in others who are drastically different than me. And it keeps me grounded in a world that seems to be increasingly spinning out of control.
I am way more passionate about way bigger things. Talk to me for 15 minutes and I will probably bring up human trafficking. Give me a little longer and I will tell you about my friends in Africa living without electricity. Poverty. AIDS. Human trafficking. The environment. Sustainable resources. Shopping responsibly. Yep. All things that I am crazy passionate about. Some of them more than others, but get me going and man can I get fired up. I have always been a passionate person. I like this term better than drama queen. I tend to over-react I know, but it’s just because of all the passion inside. 🙂 I get so angry about the injustice in this world and I am devoted to fighting it every chance I get.
Lastly, I am starting to be able to define who I am as a person, what I want, and where I am going. This is giving me all kinds of confidence I have never really had. As I grow up, or attempt to do so without actually growing up, I am realizing more and more who I am and who I want to be. What I want people to see when they look at me and what I see when I look in the mirror. And let me tell you, the confidence factor is getting a major boost. I love my job, I love my friends, I love where I am (most of the time), I am getting rid of my glasses for good next week, and for the first time in a long time, seem to have conquered my evil foe Acne. All of that causes me to walk taller, stand straighter, and stop fading into the background. I know I have things to say, I know I am qualified and competent. And who cares that no one of the opposite gender has figured that out yet, I am who I want to be and I am where I am supposed to be and at the end of the day, I rang in 2011 in Bali with a triathlete I had never met and a physic who was double my age. Try to top that:)
So while I do still love grilled cheese, I would much rather go out for sushi. Or maybe Indian food.
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Want To Do Something?
Make it happen.
If you had told me a year ago I would be leaving for Australia in 3 days, I would have said your crazy. I would have said that I am not one of those people who travel, I am one of those people who are jealous of people who travel.Now I am becoming one of those people who travel and I love it. I just wonder what took me so long.How did I do it? How did I get here?Plain and simple: I decided I wanted to travel.It helped that I moved to a small island on the other side of the world, but really, it came down to a decision to focus on traveling over buying more stuff. I started saving my money. I stopped eating out (so much), stopped shopping (as often), and stopping spending my money on frivolous things. Every time I was tempted, I remembered that if I spent the money now, it would be less I could save for travel. And trust me $1 here or there adds up after awhile.I set a goal and made a budget. I am stubborn and organized so once I made a plan, I stuck with it. Sometimes my stubbornness is a flaw, sometimes it enables me to do things other people cannot.I stopped spending my time envious of people who travel and set out to become a traveler.(note: this is different from a vacationer which I am not. I still haven’t figured out the art of relaxing!)Along the way, I learned some important lessons.1. It’s not easy. The temptation to spend money now vs. save for later is something we bombarded with EVERY single day.2. I am a traveler at heart. I want to see the world. I want to learn about people, cultures, and other ways of life. I don’t want to settle down or sit still. Once I realized that, the decision was easy to put that pair of shoes back or skip eating out when I could cook at home. Every dime saved was another dime I could use to see the world.3. Ask for help and continue to follow people who inspire you. I am still working on this one, but I am learning from those who have gone before. Traveling is not something reserved for the rich, it is something reserved for those willing to work hard and make it a priority.4. Connect with people you have never met. I have made so many friends lately via the blogging world and I cannot wait to continue to develop those relationships.5. Lastly, set a goal, save for it, and then just do it. Buy the ticket and set off on the adventure.Life is about memories, adventure, and people. When you realize that stuff is really just a hindrance to those things, you gain the freedom to travel and live free. And you realize that traveling to Australia is not just for other people, it can be for you too! 🙂 -
This is Your Life
I admit, I took this from my friend Kati’s blog, but I loved it so much so I thought I would pass it along.
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Tinian Travels
Anna, Andrea, and I spent Saturday and Sunday in Tinian. It’s a small island located about 5 miles from us..you can see it from the beach we normally hang out at. We took a very small plane over-the entire flight was 10 minutes! There isn’t much on Tinian. In fact, one lady said she thought less than 5000 people lived there. Its mostly green trees when you fly over it. However, all of us needed a break and it was on my list of things I wanted to do before I move home.
We got there Saturday around lunchtime, checked in to our awesome room, and went exploring. We found this amazing little cove with the clearest water and we were the only people there which was so nice. Andrea and I found some rocks we could jump off of so this kept us entertained while Anna sunbathed. Then we rented scooters to go exploring around the island. Since there was three of us, Andrea drove one and I drove the other. I am pretty sure those poor rental people thought they were signing my death wish. They made me practice a little which was pathetic at first, but after a few minutes, I got the hang of it and by the time we took them back I was getting pretty good and kinda want one:)
Tinian was the island on which they assembled the bomb that they dropped on Hiroshima and it was pretty instrumental in WWII so there are some pretty neat sights to see. It was amazing to me that so much was still there. There is even a whole section of the island still blocked off due to the amount of unexploded ordinance in it. We were also there during their annual Hot Pepper Festival-the one thing Tinian is known for. I didn’t actually eat any hot peppers, I have heard horror stories of how hot they are, but we did get to see some really neat cultural dancing.
Anna, Andrea, and I in our aviators:) The hotel also had an awesome pool we relaxed by Sunday morning before heading back to Saipan. It was a quick trip, but much needed for all of us. It was fun to get off my island for a bit and spend some time playing tourist again. 🙂
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Life as of Late
While you, my readers, may enjoy my deeper thoughts, I figured I would update you all a little on life in Saipan. I can hardly believe how fast time is flying by. In 102 days, I will be back home in Indiana, far from my beach, my friends and family here, and my simple life I have grown to love. But no need for sadness yet-I still have 102 days to live it up!
Teaching is going well. This semester is definitely better than last. I am able to plan better and more accurately assess my student’s needs and weaknesses. I am still not in love with teaching, but I am very thankful that I have had this experience and can attest that it has stretched me in ways I never thought possible.
Anna and I have been spending a lot more time with some of the other teachers which has been a huge blessing! I am really enjoying getting to know them and it is just nice to have people to hang out with! Last night we grabbed dinner and watched The Bachelor. Opinions aside, sometimes you just need mindless TV to let your brain unwind. We have also found a new show we love-Off the Map. Friday nights have turned into Off the Map night with our good friend Andrea. It is fun to have a few things each week to look forward too! Other than that, we have been spending as much time as we can at the beach and filling our weeknights with running, working out, and school work. I am going to miss her so very much!!
I picked up a tutoring job 3 days a week so I either coach or tutor or both everyday after school. This makes for a busy life, but I love it! The boy I tutor is the most adorable first grader and genuinely wants to learn which makes my job so much easier! He is super smart too.. I find myself running out of things to do because he finishes everything so fast. Coaching is going great too! Our girls are improving SOO much! Yesterday the score was 11 to 18. They are not winning, but that will come. I am just proud of them for trying so hard. And one of my players made a last second shot right as the buzzer sounded! You should have seen how proud of herself she was! And we are slowly becoming better coaches too which is exciting.
Saturday I am going to go to a mountain biking clinic. I am super excited! They are going to teach us a lot of the technical skills you need and some basic bike maintenance like how to change a flat tire. I think it will give the boost of confidence I need to keep working on it and I am gearing up for some serious mountain biking and rock climbing and running excursions when I get home! Â I have also been swimming and taking lessons. It is going well and I am actually looking into getting my lifeguard certification.
The weather here has cooled off some and most evenings there is a breeze that, dare I say, actually makes it slightly chilly. We are definitely enjoying it though because it means we don’t have to run the AC which is VERY expensive.
In other news, life at home is ever changing. My little brother joined the Air Force-passed his tests with flying colors. So I will get home, he will get married and head off to basic. I am very proud of him and can’t wait to get home so I can hopefully spend a few weeks with him before he heads off! And his basic is in Texas so my parents and I are already planning a trip! And my dad is going to tackle teaching me to drive a stick shift this summer in his new Miata.
I think that about sums it up. All in all, I cannot complain. I am so glad I came to Saipan and am enjoying my time here. I will be glad when I get home and I miss my friends and family dearly, but most days all it takes is a run along the beach to remind me to savor these moments. 🙂
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Hash
Today I participated in a Hash Run.
Hashing began in Kuala Lumpur when a group of British soldiers created a way to help run off their weekend festivities and stay in physical shape. They choose a Hare and the object is to chase them through the woods or jungle or wherever is available.Let me tell you, it was literally a run through the jungle. And running is an overstatement..it was more like walking fast. At point we scaled a rock cliff, crawled through a maze of trees and vines, and practically slid down a slippery incline. I have to admit, it was perhaps, one of the most fun things I have down on island. The hares go out ahead of time and set the trail by marking it with flour. Your goal is to follow the flour and find the correct trail and attempt to catch the hare. Our goal was to just get out alive:) After climbing, crawling, and hiking our way through the jungle, we came out to the most amazing overlook..green fields below giving way to the ocean and the sunlight was just perfect. The scene was too beautiful for words.You finish and end with what is called “Religion.” I have to admit, this is the part that may make my hashing days few and far between. It is a rambunctious party and the rituals, being passed down from army days, bring with them lots of swearing and drinking. Thankfully no one is forced to participate, although us newbies got the lovely titles FNG. I will leave you to figure out what it might mean. 🙂 I did meet some really cool people and enjoyed myself. I do plan to figure a way to run through the jungle more..but perhaps not with the hashers.Overall, it was so much fun and one of those experiences that stretch you as a person and makes the adventurous side of me happy for a little while:) -
Bali
Where every building looks like a temple, there is a statue on every corner, and the air smells of incense. Bali is a deeply religious Hindu island that still practices their rituals despite being a very popular tourist spot. The people are incredible and the culture is fascinating. The bad in the world seems to fade slightly into the culture where beauty and goodness are the supreme objectives.One week. 7 days. 24+ hours of flying/traveling. Four islands on my journey. The final destination being Bali, Indonesia. I set out on this journey with a purpose in mind, but as it goes, so often our purposes and expectations can be all wrong. I arrived in Bali Sunday afternoon. It was a taxing experience to wait in long lines to get a visa/clearance to enter the country after traveling so far. I just wanted a bed. After almost two hours, I was settled into my taxi heading towards my first destination-Ubud, Bali. The cultural capital of Bali. I arrived two hours later (the traffic was horrific), settled into my room, and set off to find some food. I found this amazing little restaurant that I would eat at three more times before my stay in Ubud was finished. It was wonderful-all organic and delicious! The food was so fresh and healthy-I could have lived there. And it had this amazing atmosphere; community like where everyone was a friend and a fellow traveler on this journey called life. I met several friends there that would be companions for dinner several times. I learned to savor the moments life brings you-whether it is a good meal, a good friend, or a really good cup of tea.The weather for the most part was cloudy and rainy the entire trip which was a little bummer-mostly because I had not packed for cold weather. Mind you, I now think any temperature below 80 is cold! However, the weather did not stop me from experiencing all that I could throughout that week.I also spent most of the week alone with the exception of dinner two nights and New Years Eve. This gave me the most glorious opportunity to meet new people and to operate on my own time schedule. I spent many hours walking in and out of shops looking at the wares, staring at the beauty of the monkeys and the forest, reading, and thinking. I didn’t have to go to bed at a certain time or get up at a certain time, I didn’t have to wait for anyone else, I didn’t have to keep track of anyone else. And although there were moments of loneliness, I was overall very thankful I went alone. I met friends from Australia, Amsterdam, France, Bali, and Singapore. I ate dinner with people my age, people far younger, and people far older. I spent a day riding a bike down a mountain with a group of Aussies that were the nicest, most hospitable people I have met in a long time. They welcomed me into their family and their day and even bought me a coke at lunch. I ate dinner with a lawyer from Amsterdam and was questioned on many things such as why we call them New Years’ resolutions when nothing has been resolved? It was such an enlightening conversation and I got a good book out of the deal:)I left Ubud on Wednesday and headed back towards Kuta where I was staying for the rest of the week. Traffic was terrible..something I do not miss..therefore, it took almost three hours to get there. It was not far either-maybe 40 km. I checked into my new lodging which was quite a step up-complete with AC, television, a big bed, and a blowdryer. (It’s the little things) I walked around for awhile and then came back and ordered room service. Such a fun thing I have never done before! Thursday I was off on an elephant safari..sort of a must if you are traveling to a country where the option is available. Did some more shopping-it was wonderful walking in and out of the little shops and bartering with the sellers. Ate dinner late and then watched TV. Something I had not done since July. Friday I met up with a lady my dad knows-Yanti. It was such a nice thing to have company and someone to chat with. We went to lunch and dinner and rang in the New Years at a concert. It was one of the most memorable New Years of my life! Saturday began my long trek back home and needless to say, I was ready to be back home. I love traveling, but I love coming home as well.It was a wonderful trip full of new adventures and new experiences. I learned that Americans are perhaps the only people in the world that call it going on vacation..to everyone else, you are on holiday. Which sounds much nicer to me so I think from now on I will go on holiday, not vacation. I learned that thongs are worn on the feet if you live in Australia and McDonalds delivers in Bali. When driving in Bali, lane lines and traffic laws simply do not apply. It is a rather scary system. I apologized several times for being in the way of motorbikes on the sidewalk. Seeing four cars across two lanes was common and creating an additional lane in oncoming traffic was acceptable if there was more traffic on your side of the road. An open mind will get you far in life and bring the most interesting people across your path.I will post another blog on some other thoughts I had when I have sorted them out, but for now Bali was an amazing week and an experience I will not soon forget nor do I ever regret! -
‘Staycation’
I suppose its a made up word..but since Anna and I aren’t leaving on our adventures until Christmas day, we decided to vacation at home before we left. It has been wonderful. We have spent the week exploring Saipan, shopping, and spending lots of time at the beach. I have also used to the week to get caught up on some school work. It surely never ends, but I got my classroom super organized and finished up some other projects I had been working on.One morning we rode our bikes down to Garapan. It’s the very touristy area of Saipan. We walked around and went in all the little shops. It was so fun! I got a few things, but we mostly just enjoyed looking and we got donuts for breakfast and ate McDonald’s for lunch. It was delicious. (We also had a little fun with the Christmas decorations so enjoy the picture!)We went to dinner one night with our dear friend Kayla who left island on Wednesday. We ate at Thai House which is a very cute restaurant and the food is not bad either.We have also spent every single day at the beach. I am getting quite a nice tan!! I love it. It has been such a relaxing week.Just Christmas Eve and Christmas day left in our vacation at home and then I am off to Bali and Anna is off to Hawaii!! I am so very excited! We have lots of plans for the next two days and then I will be on a plane to a new paradise:) It makes being away from home slightly easier..Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! -
A Birthday Abroad
24.
That’s how old I am. I celebrated my 24th birthday 7000 miles from home on my small island. It made me realize how truly blessed I am.Anna made cupcakes yesterday to bring to school. Something in me just couldn’t handle making my own birthday treats so we made a deal that she would make cupcakes for my birthday and then I would do the same for hers in February. They were wonderful.This morning, I woke up to a present on my door. I had found this ring at the street market that I loved, but didn’t have any cash with me that night so I couldn’t get it. Anna, who is so thoughtful, bought it for me and gave it to me this morning.During our morning meeting, everyone sang “Happy Birthday” and it was a nice reminder that those around me do care.I then spent the morning with all the junior high students at Man’anko. It is a retirement facility and they played their ukes. It was so cool. I was very proud of my students. Then we got to go to McDonalds for lunch! I know it is not very healthy, but I love it! And I drank a coke. My favorite drink ever that I have given up since moving here because it is just cheaper to drink water.The “healthy” eating continued as I went to Pizza Hut for dinner with my good friends Anna and Kayla. The lady I tutor for gave me some money for pizza which totally made my day. She has no idea how much I had been craving pizza! We split a large and I have leftovers:)After dinner, we went to Bible study. One of the ladies had us over to her house to enjoy her REAL Christmas tree and to celebrate. It was an amazing evening. I know I say this a lot, but I don’t know what I would do without my Bible study. They constantly encourage, challenge, and love me. And I even got candles on my cake, a birthday gift and a very nice card! It was wonderful.I got to talk to my parents twice today-at the beginning and the end. It was a wonderful treat and I am so thankful for them! God is oh so good to me!In conclusion, I would say birthday #24 was one of the best I have in awhile, if not ever! And year #24 of life is looking pretty good too. If things go as planned, I will travel to 4 different continents:)So bring on 24-I am so excited for this year of life!
