R-R-Revolution

Revolution doesn’t start with a battle. It doesn’t start with a rally or protest. It starts in the heart of someone who sees a problem and is willing to be the change. It’s one thing to want a revolution it’s a completely different matter to start one. It can be fun, standing up for what you believe in, going against popular trends and doing everything in your power to stand up for exactly what it is that you believe in. We see revolutions all throughout history. Many were successful, even more were not. You have to be brave, selfless and totally committed to what you believe in. So committed that even if you can’t change anything your still as convinced as you were from the start.

Revolutions are catchy. People like to live vicariously through others revolutions. They can get messy. It’s easy to catch on with the energy without completely understanding the source. Revolutions are dangerous. Sometimes you have to risk things that you worked hard for because what you believe in is that important. Most of the world doesn’t see revolutions as necessary, but that’s where they’re wrong. So here's the question, how do you take something that you feel so passionately about and try to convince the unconcerned to feel the same?

My First Car Wreck

Yesterday started out as a typical Saturday. I woke up, went to the gym then got some coffee. My cousin had been staying with us for a week and he left yesterday morning so I rode to the airport with him and my dad. After that I pulled a panel out onto my driveway and started painting a mural. The weather was perfect and I had all the inspiration I could handle.

My sister, Emily, had been working at Celebrate Freedom all day. She's a barista at Land of A Thousand Hills and their booth was out of control! She also got to serve coffee to her favorite band, Switchfoot, and ended up hanging out with them for the better part of her morning. She was staying to see them play that night and since it was free I thought it would be fun. Dassy and I had been planning on hanging out and we finally put our plan in to action around four thirty.

I met Dassy at six thirty and after dropping her car off at my house we took off in my cute red car. I hadn't seen her since Memphis so we were having a great time catching up. We've agreed that the best part of our friendship is our ability to always pick back up exactly where we left off which is great since we both love to travel! We were almost to the concert, Dassy was navigating and we were joking about boys, when everything changed.

We were coming over a hill and I glanced at the light to make sure it was green. It was, but as I looked back in front of me a car had pulled into the middle of the road. Thinking back it almost happened in slow motion. I didn't even have time to brake before I slammed into the car going roughly 50mph. The next thing I remembered was seeing smoke everywhere and hearing myself and Dassy screaming at the top of our lungs. We went over a median and hit another car before hitting a telephone pole. At that point the smoke was so thick I couldn't see and we were both coughing. I remember Dassy saying to get out of the car but for some reason I couldn't do it and that's when we met our angel.

Before I could reach for the door it opened and a hand reached out to take mine. After helping me out of the car a man wearing a purple shirt and jeans started to put out the fire that had apparently started when the engine blew up (Dassy and I only saw smoke we never actually saw the said fire). The man then put his arm around me and told us that he had already called the police. By that time the driver of the second car that we had hit had walked over to give me a hug and assure us that he had seen the whole thing at it wasn't our fault. At this point I was crying hysterically and Dassy was totally playing it cool and assuring me that it wasn't my fault and everything was going to be okay. What a champ.

Before I had even stopped choking I heard sirens in the distance. I remember calling my dad and telling him what had happened. The next thing I know our sweet friend was back, this time with water bottles for Dassy and I. Turns out he owned a car repair shop across the street. How he got to the car before we had even gotten out I still don't understand. When the ambulance, police cars and fire trucks arrived everything was a blur. We answered questions, signed papers, and then I finally saw my car. It was wrecked beyond repair and I still don't understand how we got out with only a few bruises and scrapes. The only explanation for this is God. After grabbing my purse from the car I turned around to see my sister running up the grass towards us. I started crying again as soon as I saw her and Dassy and I were both glad to see a familiar face. My parents arrived in full force shortly thereafter. Thankfully the policeman was able to immediately inform my dad that the accident was not my fault. Then we got to watch my totaled car get towed away. It was sad to think of all the adventures that my car had taken me and my friends on. I really am going to miss it.

After figuring out court dates and stuff we were free to go and Dassy and I quickly decided that we still wanted to see Switchfoot! Which is how I can say that less than two hours after the scariest moment of my life I was on the front row of a Switchfoot concert with one of my best friends. We also ran into some good friends and at one point during the concert we just looked at each other and started laughing because of the night we'd had.

It's so cool to think that we have a God who loves us and has a unique plan for all of our lives. It's easy to forget that life is a gift that can be taken away in the blink of an eye. I'm so thankful to have a God that loves me and has a plan for my life. I'm also thankful that Dassy was there because it went from being one of the worst to one of the best nights of our lives. Next time we hang out, she's driving.

LENT LENT LENT

In the spirit of giving things up for lent I've decided to finally blog...it's been quite awhile. This year I gave up every drink but water with the Living Water International H2O project. Check it out... http://www.theh20project.org/ When you do the H2O project you save the money that you would have been spending and save it to donate it to Living Water. At the end of Lent (Easter Sunday) you mail in your donations and the money goes directly to bringing clean drinking water. Interested? Listen to this...

90% of ALL diseases in the world are caused by unclean drinking water

More than 2.2 million people die each year from unclean drinking water

Every day over 5,000 children die from drinking unclean water. Thats around one child every 15 seconds.

You can help! Just visit - http://www.water.cc/ I've worked with Living Water International in the past and they are a WONDERFUL organization! Maybe instead of Starbucks or Smoothie King you could drink water. Think about it, it adds up! If nothing else visit the LW website to see how they are making a difference. And maybe just maybe you'll want to make a difference to. Why not?

Drinking Bubbles

Among the existing church, community and our Memphis staff there were the popular kids. The ones who have street cred at the age of two and who everyone loves to hold and high five. That was Meechie. He was so little but he had more street smarts than I probably ever will. He was everyone’s favorite with his husky voice and mischievous brown eyes, he had a new girlfriend on ever team. I walked to Meechie’s house every morning to pick him up for Bible club. Many times I would find him sitting on the front porch eating noodles with his neighbor, Dee Dee. After weeks of walking Meechie to and from Bible clubs he proclaimed me his girlfriend. We had many long walks in the morning with me carrying him on my back and his head resting on my shoulder. Sometimes he would fall asleep while we were walking and other times he would spend the entire walk trying to steal team member’s hats and furiously waving at the occasional passing car.

One day Meechie asked me when we were going to get married. I remember hugging Meechie tightly and laughing with the team members we were walking with. Later that morning he smacked his lips on my cheek while I wasn’t looking. He spent the rest of the day yelling “I kid Mi Kati” or “I kissed Miss Katie!”

Meechie loved to help Jessica and I run our Bible club and he loved to drink bubbles. Despite Jess giving him talks about the dangers of drinking bubbles, many times he found them to be his beverage of choice. Meechie loved wearing sunglasses, especially my neon wayfarers. During song time he loved to be held and occasionally he would flip upside down to get a better view of things. He was a smiling, crazy-dancing, bubble-gum-chewing, hat-stealing angel.

I loved Meechie but I loved all of the kids. There were the twins who were nine. They were such beautiful girls and so motherly and caring. When I picked them up for Bible club one would carry their two-year old neighbor and the other would carry her diaper bag. They made sure everyone had a partner when we crossed the street and offered to carry anyone who had sore feet. I’d never seen anything like them.

On my last day at Bible club I accidently stepped in a red ant pile. I didn’t realize what had happened until I felt sharp pains in my lower leg. I looked down to see my shoe crawling with ants. The twins quickly assessed the situation. They instructed me to take of my shoes and socks and one started brushing the ants of my legs while the other beat my shoes together.

The twins overwhelmed me. They daily lived love to each other and to those around them. Finishing the walk that morning I remember them patting my arm and telling me not to cry. The other kids ran ahead as soon as the club was in sight but the twins stuck by my side. They put their arms around me while I explained to Jessica what had happened. They ran their hands through my hair and made sure I knew it was going to be okay when I started feeling dizzy from the ant bites. Even after I told them they should go play they would skip over to check on me. At only nine years old the twins had a better understanding of love than most people I know. The twins loved Jesus and He loved them.

There were the tough kids, the funny kids, the sweet kids, there were shy kids and the kids you knew were hurting. Many of the kids had known more pain in their few years then I might ever know. There were kids who were neglected and kids who had never heard the name of Jesus. It’s hard to see people in pain and not be able to help. It’s hard to know what the problem is but not be able to fix it. It’s hard to realize that in many situations the best thing you can offer is a shoulder to cry on and a friend no matter what. 

I'm Writing a Book.

I believe in crazy things.  I believe in a God whose love is beyond all understanding. A God who is jealous for the hearts of His children and a God who saves, a God who redeems. Sometimes I mess up. Sometimes I am a rude, selfish, chauvinist pig. Sometimes I care more about what the world thinks about me than what God thinks and on those days I usually have to pray for forgiveness and go to bed early. Sometimes I get caught up in meaningless trends and worldly concepts and hurt others in the process. The worst times are those when it becomes to late for an apology and I have to live with my mistakes. But no matter what it’s never too late with God. He listens to me when everyone else is sick and tired of hearing my crazy ideas and it’s never to late at night or to early in the morning to talk to Him. I think I'm going to write a book.

59th Day Home

"Time will erase the dirt, the flies, the hopelessness, perhaps even the rotten smells and beauty that exude from the land. But when I close my eyes I will forever remember the dark skinned people whose lives are so unlike mine and whose hearts are just the same."

Crazy Love

This summer I was given more examples of true love than I can remember much less write down. This is a list of my favorite examples throughout my Summer in Memphis, Tennessee:

Love is running into pouring rain to pull a car around for your wife who doesn't want to get wet.

Love is walking two miles in the scorching heat because you promised you would be there

Love is looking past mistakes and believing in someone when you have no reason to

Love is wanting the best for someone regardless of where that leaves you.

Love is giving half of your sandwich to a hungry friend when you haven't eaten that day.

Love is sending brand new clothes, toys and gifts to people you will likely never meet.

Love is offering trust and faith where no one has offered it before.

Love is giving a second, and many times a third chance.

Love is carrying a child on your back for miles because their flip-flop broke.

Love never fails.