A Story of Change

I love Luis' story.

We are called to love others.
We are called to serve others.
We are called to help others.
We are called to bless others.

I don't think anyone can argue that.



Luis' Story from Patrick Coker on Vimeo.


I love Luis' story because it serves as a reminder of who are called to be as "Christians". Luis actually attends my church here in Columbia. I love my church because they remind us to serve as missionaries every day in our own communities (and abroad). This video was a good reminder for me to never forget to serve here in Columbia first. Like Luis said, "I am happy to be a part of this family." Perhaps I could put my 8 years of Spanish courses to work, "Estoy feliz ser parte de este familia."

Count to 15

I was driving back from Charlotte to Columbia yesterday morning. As I drove I turned my radio to NPR and listened to the news; a 10 minute update on the BP oil spill (which is horrible, by the way), a 3 minute blip on the Nashville flooding that has claimed 11 lives, a 1 minute update on the Goldman Sachs "fraud", and in the middle of these updates, I heard this 15 second statement, "U.N. Reports Massacre of 100 villagers in Congo. U.N. officials announced a previously unreported massacre that occcurred two months ago: up to 100 people were killed when the rebel Lord's Resistance Army attacked a village."

15 seconds later this statement was already old news. A forgotten "story". I don't recall what came on the radio after hearing this. My mind was frozen on what just came over the speakers in my car:

100 people dead.

Located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A massacre by the LRA.

That was it.

I was deeply troubled and saddened by the fact that it received a mere 15 seconds. 100 lives worthy of 15 seconds. The more I thought, the more I realized that this short update seems to represent the news that we receive about all of Africa; short updates on attrocities too large to comprehend. Too vast to believe. Too difficult to take in. Therefore, it gets sliced again and again and is slotted to 15 seconds.

Why has this happened? Why is Africa a continent that appears to have been forgotten by the majority? Perhaps it's because the news isn't resonating with people. The details of this horrible massacre have been left out. Perhaps it's because God is needed in many countries in Africa and yet there is a lack of missionaries to stand next to these people and suffer with them in unreached places; share their burdens. Perhaps (to some) it seems like a hopeless cause.

The awful acts that are taking place in Central and Northern Africa overshadow the positive things that are going on in these countries and in Africa in general. But the truth hurts sometimes and this is where I am disturbed.

In my opinion, it was a pathetic 15-second-blip. We deserve to know the truth. We deserve to hear the whole story. We deserve to hear the facts.

And vice versa.

The people of D.R. Congo deserve to have the truth be told. They deserve to have their voices heard. They deserve a chance...

There are ways to get the news to stay up-to-date on what is going on with the LRA, (You can click here and here to view a couple websites I go to for news) however, why on NPR, Fox News, CNN, etc. are these stories being forgotten and not told. Is it too much?

Photo: 2010 Beatrice Petit

Is this too much? I don't think so. It takes my breath away.

"The young woman with the hacked-off lips and stitches where one ear used to be shakes her head when asked why rebels did this to her, then whispers that the attackers who came from across the river were angry because she kept crying for mercy and calling on God for help." - Associated Press

There are many people that are doing great things to be the voices of the people that are being raped, killed, kidnapped, mutilated, however, they need our help. We need to stop the LRA and you can do something. You can pray. You can have your church pray. You can tell their story to your friends. You can sign the a Citizen's Arrest Warrant for Josephy Kony (click here). 231 members of Congress have co-sponsored the LRA Disarmament Bill and on April 29, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the LRA Disarmement and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. For a little goverment lesson: From here, the bill will go to the floor of the House for a full vote in the next few weeks. After this, this bill goes straight to the President's desk to be signed into law and put into action.

This is exciting news. Exciting to know that some people still heard their cries for help. There are others that caught the 15-second-blip and didn't throw it away as old news. People are hearing the truth and seeing the photographs and can't look away. If you have more than 15 seconds, please take a moment and look...and pray.

Photo: 2010 Human Rights Watch

"This 37-year-old man from Bangadi was attacked by the LRA on January 24, 2010 when he risked going to this banana and sugarcane farm 2km outside of town. A group of LRA found him there and shot him twice - both bullets grazed his back and neck. An LRA then grabbed him by the ankles and shook him to see if he was really dead, and cut him by machete just below the neck and lower down on on his back, leaving him unconscious. When he came to, he eventually found his brother who had also been shot by the LRA. Covered in blood, they made it to a Congolese army position and found soldiers who took them by bicycle to a health center.

A man with machete wounds to his head after being attacked by LRA rebels near Ngilima, northern Congo.

Photo: 2009 Reuters

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." - Arundhati Roy

One Must Choose...

"Sometimes when we are called to obey, the fear does not subside and we are expected to move against the fear. One must choose to do it afraid." - Elizabeth Elliot

I watched this video today and it spoke to me. It hit me harder than anything I've read, watched, listened to....If you have 10 minutes, then please watch this video.


Move Against the Fear from AIM On-Field Media on Vimeo.


"Are my feet willing to move against the fear? I don't know what to do with this, but there's one thing I do know: I can no longer just walk away..."

These words are not my own, but they speak of exactly how I feel at this moment.

If you are reading this then you should know a few things:

* I went to Ethiopia almost 2 years ago. I don't know why I felt the need to go, but I listened to God and I went...that was the begninning of a huge change in my life.
* I quit my job 2 months ago not just because I was unhappy, but because I was unhappy I wasn't serving God.
* I feel a pull to missions. Not once in a while, but permanently. Not just living overseas, but there are so many ways to serve missions even here in the States.
* I have researched countless organizations and I am asking for prayer, your prayer, for God to continue to lead the way and open doors.
* I am inviting you to follow me on my journey. This blog is labeled "little side note" because this blog can only capture moments of my life. What I share with you are just a few notations of the "going-ons" in my life.

Blessings,
Jen

Up, Up, and Away!

Leaving on a jet plane tomorrow afternoon to sunny Arizona to visit friends. I didn't think I would miss the "perfect" winter weather of Arizona as much as I do and after spying cute clothes every where, I really can't wait to step on that plane. Perhaps I could dress in this:

 

I love this shirt  

 

I love the "knickers" look

 

A jacket with perfect ruffles and pockets!

 

Chunky and funky!

 

Peek-a-boo...I see you, toes!

And no time in Arizona is complete without these:

 

Hello, lovely!

 

A perfect one piece

I am ready! Hello, warm weather. I have missed you.

Restoration Hardware

I was flipping through the Restoration Hardware magazine today and I saw this:

I scrambled to the computer and looked it up online and read more about the artisan who designed this perfect piece. His name is Luay Al-Rawi from the Netherlands and he began importing goods at the age of 17. Wow! His story is truly inspiring and you can read more about him here. I'm unsure if I am more inspired by this artisan or his beautiful table. I am still in the process of "making use of old doors" and this was an image that definitely brought inspiration. Actually, I think I squealed with glee when I saw the steel frame on caster wheels. It's perfect! 

I also enjoyed this drafting table. 

Besides the table itself, I adore the chair and the print on the wall. I am going to go get lost in the online world of Restoration Hardware and I think you should as well. I promise you will find something that will make your home warm and inviting. And stay tuned, perhaps I will have a drafting table or a new desk with caster wheels. 

Happy President's Day! I hope you find inspiration in your day today in whatever/whoever is around you.

Visit From the Sun

I adore the way the sun streams into my little home. My days off are usually spent lounging around the house watching the light stream through the windows. Today I ventured outdoors and basked in all its glory! So did my kitchen and my little tomatoes... Spring will be upon us before we know it! On sunny days I find myself dreaming my dreams (anyone else know the song, by the same title, by The Cranberries? ha!) My dreams: * are full of ideas for my doors that I am currently turning into coffee tables, desks, dining room tables * to go for a 5 mile run today and be motivated to keep a 7:30 pace * find a cute skirt like this from JCrew: What are your dreams today...no matter how "simple" they may be, they are yours! Bask in the sun and your dreams today!

Etsy Saturday!!

I get lost in the "virtual" aisles upon aisles of all the handmade goodness of Etsy!! I stumbled upon "Upup" today while trying to find a cute Valentine for Mr. Matty. I stumbled upon this little gem and I purchased it immediately. If you know me, you understand that I use the "opposite day" line all the time...For example: Friend: "Jen, how are you today?!" Me: "Just peachy...if it were opposite day!" Anyway, check out all the other cutie-pa-tootie stationary she sells: http://www.etsy.com/shop/upup I urge you; go get lost in Etsy...go...now!! (I mean this, it is not opposite day!) *Little Side Note: The cards are eco-friendly. e c o - f r i e n d l y f e a t u r e s :: paper is FSC-certified & carbon-neutral, made with 100% renewable energy :: paper is 100% and envelopes are 30% post-consumer waste :: paper is acid-free, elemental chlorine free, and archival

So Long...Farewell...

After 5 years, 1 month, and 7 days, I have made an "epic" (that's a big word going around right now, right?) decision to leave Target - the bulls eye is just as alluring as an employer as it is to you, the guest/consumer, however, the amount of hours I have spent pounding the floors is not as fun as it once was. It was a scary decision and I am left out in the open since I have no real backup plan. This is perfectly alright. In the meantime, this leaves me with time on my hands (which I haven't had since college) to work on my door project, to "blog" away, and log in some serious mileage by running and training for the Chicago marathon this fall. Thank you all for the support and the countless hours you have spent listening to me...you know who you are... Remember to "live what you love"... I heart this gem... exactly how I feel at this moment...

When One Door Closes...

(Image Courtesy of The Inspired Room) (Image courtesy of Design*Sponge) Another one opens...errr...I mean, turns into a table...or a desk...or a headboard! When my husband and I moved to South Carolina this past fall, we knew we were going to need to find a new desk. (Matty had a huge, clunky, silver, Ikea desk that served him well in his bachelor days, but it was an eye sore for me). As I was browsing the internet (as usual), we came across some tables/desks that had been made from old salvaged doors...brilliant! I loved the warmness that the wood brought along with the fact that we would be reusing instead of purchasing. The legs can be used from various sources: Ikea, file cabinets, old saw horses,or you could make your own. Or an old gurney... (Image courtesy of Apartment Therapy) The best option for a smooth surface is to go to a local auto glass shop, otherwise, you can custom order a piece of plexiglass which is the least expensive of the two. However, when already using a reclaimed door, going the more expensive route on the glass top seems worth it (just a little side note) :) After Matt and I decided this would be perfect for our home office, we scoured the local antique shops around town and bought a few doors; a 5-panel wood door and another with paneled glass. Matt is still currently turning these bad boys into something useful for the office, but I thought I would share the inspiration behind our little "project". (By the way, I have 2 more doors ready and waiting in my garage to make into something special...)

Water Never Tasted so Good

Blood:WaterMission has posed a challenge to drink only agua from February 17th-April 3rd and the $$ that you save from not drinking your daily cup o' joe or your tasty beer with dinner will be donated to Uganda for clean water projects. I will be sure to rocking out with a water bottle by my side starting Feb. 17...all I will need is a little self-discipline and a few (or many) family/friends to keep me on track because not having my morning cup of coffee is gonna be ugly, but it seems worth the sacrifice to donate the $$ that I would have spent by helping those that need it the most... What do ya say? Care to join??