Japan... Take 2

In just a couple of hours I am headed out to Japan! I am blessed to get to travel to Japan once a year for work. This year I'll be traveling with the national officer team and my teammate, Lindsay. While we are there we will soak in the culture, visit farms and Japanese companies, visit agricultural school programs (and meet FFJ members) and experience and try new things every day!

Last year I was amazed each day as my mind and world were stretched just a little bit wider. I am excited to go back a second time and experience Japan - this time looking for ways to learn and experience things at a deeper level. I suspect I will blog at least a few times on the trip, but probably won't post a detailed recap of each day like I did last year... I'll just see what kind of mood I'm in each night! :)

No doubt "No More Stuff" will be a big challenge while I'm in Japan. There are so many unique and fun things there to buy! And there were definitely some items that I put off buying last year because I knew I'd be back. Alas... I'll be sticking to buying only gifts for other people - which is pretty fun as well!

I look forward to sharing with you what is sure to be a trip that will open my mind and heart. Until then... Sayonara! (I have to finish packing!)

Target & T-Shirts (Day 18)

Two of my weakness. This weekend I had to stare them both down in the face for the first time since starting "No More Stuff." Here are the stories and what I learned from them:

The T-Shirt:
This weekend I was heading back to Indy after a couple of weeks on the road for work. As I was walking through the Atlanta airport, a t-shirt in one of the shops caught my eye. I liked it. A lot. I went in the store knowing full well I wasn't going to buy it, but just to check it out close up. I must like to torture myself... when I saw it up close I liked it even more. And then... I looked at the price tag.

$12.00

Only $12.00!?! It's like it was BEGGING me to buy it! My heart sank, because any other time I probably would have bought it without another thought. And when I realized that... I began to think about how often I do that. And how often we as a society do that. I buy things all the time without analyzing whether I actually need it or not, how much I'll use it/wear it, how long it will last, and how much money I've spent on similar items. In that moment, as I walked away from the t-shirt, I was really struck by how little thought I give to buying things. I see something I want, and assuming it's reasonably priced, I buy it. Done. As I thought about this the rest of the day, this is what I began to think about:

$12.00 is practically nothing to me. So I don't give a lot of thought to spending that much on a t-shirt, etc. But to other people in this world $12.00 could mean a life saving vaccination, clean water for years, almost a year's worth of education... in other words, to me $12.00 is a cute t-shirt. To someone else, it could be the difference between life and death. How many lives could I help save but don't because I choose to buy things I don't need?

The Trip to Target:
Come on, what's not to love about Target? You can find practically everything you need there... and a lot of things you don't - but that are awesome. And that's what gets me in trouble every time I go. Every trip usually looks the same: I make a list. I take it with me. I have very good intentions to buy what's on the list and only what's on the list. As I'm checking off the list something inevitably catches my eye... I start wandering around... and before I know it I'm leaving Target having wasted way more time and money than necessary. It's ridiculous, and I usually end up mad at myself for it.

So when I lost my phone charger somewhere between the 7 or 8 hotels I stayed at in the last couple of weeks and a Target trip was deemed necessary, I was nervous about how hard it would be to not buy ANYTHING else. (After conferring with Whitney we agreed that while a material item, purchasing a new charger was a necessity, because she doesn't have the same kind I need and my cell phone is my only phone.)

As I walked in I decided my best bet would be not to tempt myself by looking around. I actually looked at the floor most of the way back to electronics. I grabbed the correct charger, and walked with purpose and tunnel vision to the checkout. As I grabbed my bag and reciept and marched out the front door I realized I had set a new record time for myself in Target... and another record - I didn't waste a single second or a single cent looking at or buying something I didn't need. And you know what? That felt really great!

No More "Stuff"

THINGS...
What role do they play in our lives? For months I have felt restless every time I purchase something. I constantly ask myself, "do I need this?" I always justify my purchases, and if I can't, I look to other people to justify them for me. And someone always has a way to make me feel better... to feel justified.

So I've been praying that God would help me focus less on things, I've been ignoring the desire I feel when I look at Whitney's new SUV beside my much older car, and I've told myself I would give more of my money to people who need it. It hasn't been enough, and I've known that for a while. After talking with a friend about what areas of our life we weren't surrending to the Lord, I thought about it later that night, and my answer was clear... I have been allowing God to be in control of most areas of my life - except my desire and "need" for THINGS. Even after this realization came, and I told myself I'd do better, I simply couldn't let go. My roomate, Whitney, and I have been having a lot of conversations about this, but we just kept going in circles. About a week ago I was packing and cleaning my room in preparation to go to Tennessee for work. As I dug through my clothes and all of the other "stuff" in my room, I was absolutely disgusted by how much I had. And how much of it I never use or put on my body. God was calling. I decided I'd figure it out when I got home in two weeks.

But while Whitney and I were in Tennesee the answer came. We were reading some magazines and Whitney came accross and article about a family who had compeltely cut their spending for a year. As we talked about whether or not we could do it, it became more and more clear that I needed to. And I thought of more and more reasons why it wasn't practical. Whitney committed before I did. I just kpet thinking of excuses. Until one morning when we were sitting in a high school and I finally blurted out, "I have to!" Whitney looked a little confused, because we hadn't even been talking about the subject. I explained to her that as I was rolling the idea around in my head I finally realized that the fact that I was having such a hard time committing to this was my evidence that I needed to do it.

So... here's the deal:

I am committing to not making any material purchases for 6 months.

In looking back, I realized that I haven't purchased any material goods since the new year. So, my goal date is July 1.

The guidelines:

• I can purchase depleteable goods (shampoo, makeup, gas, etc.)
• I will obviously purchase food
• There are a few purchases I have been planning on that I will make (for example: if I'm going to run a half marathon in May Inew running shoes will be essential or my knees will be shot)
• I am working to re-define my use of the word NEED. I use it far too often... and in reality, there are many things I'd like to have, but very few that I NEED. I'm trying to eliminate that word from my vocabulary.

My prayer for this experience:

• That I would be made more like Christ
• That I would be more dependant on my relationship with Him for my joy.
• That I would learn to live more simply - and that it would become a lifestyle.
• That in focusing less on material things I would focus more on:

- Christ

- People

- Relationships

- Prayer

- Giving

- Serving

Here's the bottom line:

Things will never satisfy me and I REFUSE to let them take the place of the most important priorities in my life.

Along the way I will blog about my experience - how it's going, when it's hard, when I see it paying off in my relationships, and more. My request to you - my friends and family - is to hold me accountable. Ask me how it's going, and call me out if I need to be. I know this will be tough for me. That's why I'm doing it.

Here's to living more simply.

Sweet Memories & New Adventures

It's the new year! I felt a weird mix of emotions as the clock counted down the final seconds of 2009. Usually New Years is exciting, but honestly not all that significant to me. But this year felt different for some reason. Perhaps I'm more aware of the fact that with each drop of the ball there is more time and distance between old memories that I hold dear. Maybe it's that as each year passes I feel more anxious about what I'm contributing to the world and how I'm making it better. Or maybe it's just that with the passing of 2009, I was closing out a really good year. I don't know what it was... nothing major, but just a strange, unfamiliar and very poignant mix of sadness, excitement, wistfullness and anticipation during the hours that led up to the noise makers, confetti and cheers as the new year rang in.

2009 was indeed a great year for me. Some highlights:

- The move to my new neighborhood, Broadripple, and the addition of a roommate (that's us below). These two events changed my lifestyle significantly, for the better. I've never enjoyed Indy so much.

- My first trip to Japan. I learned so much about culture, humanity, humility and love. I can't wait to go back later this month.

- I saw one of my favorite artists, Dave Barnes, in concert for the first time. He is awesome, and is doing good things with his success.

- Because of that concert, I joined Mocha Club and learned how much $7 can really do.

-Also, speaking of concerts, I spent a most memorable evening with great friends watching Fall Out Boy and Blink 182. So fun.

- I had a fantastic 2 week visit to California, a highlight of which was spending Easter with the Eller family and friends (below with Amy & Stacy.)

- I walked barefoot for an entire day, and was humbled as people stared at me, gave me dirty looks when I entered establishments and I felt each burn, scratch and stab on my blessedly tender and protected feet.

- I spent a totally relaxing and purely fun girls weekend in Florida for Tracy's bachelorette party.

-I was blessed to attend and help celebrate the wedding of two great friends, Christy and Elio.

-I had the best time standing beside my best friend Tracy as she and Seth (my new best friend in law) :) exchanged their vows and had a fantastic celebration to follow!

- I spent a fantastic week in DC with new and old friends - some of the best I have - catching up, adventuring around the city, and celebrating the 4th of July on the national mall & watching the fireworks (below). I miss and love that city and those people.

- I planned, directed, and "called the show" on my own for the first time for the National FFA Convention sessions in Conseco Fieldhouse.

- I spent a year with and said goodbye to my first full team of national officers as their manager. We all learned a lot. :)

- I started attending a small group at my church (when I'm actually in town) and have tried to lay a foundation to experience more authentic spiritual fellowship.

- My sister welcomed her first child, a sweet little boy named Bentley, and I got to experience the first joys of being an aunt and having your heart completely captivated by another person.

- I got to spend significant time at home for both Thanksgiving AND Christmas, and had a great time with family and friends.

So... all in all, 2009 was a year full of growth, joy, love, new experiences, learning, wonderful people, and great adventure. I guess that's why I was a bit sad to see it go. That being said, I am eagerly anticipating all that 2010 will bring. I don't have any "resolutions" for the new year, but do have some renewed goals that are focused on learning more, building deeper relationships with the people in my life and with Christ, and being more disciplined and healthy. As we embark on 2010, I'm looking forward to the unknown, and excited for what is yet to be.

Cheers to a great year, and thanks for being a part of my life.

Give Good Cheer

'Tis the season where we hear a lot about cheer... spreading it, receiving it, reveling in it. And it's also a season in which for some reason, despite all that we hear and talk about giving, often we think of ourselves most.

What do I want for Christmas?

I wish people would get out of my way so I can get my shopping done...

All of the holiday traffic is so inconvenient for me...

I'm so busy this month...

I know I'm guilty of all of those thoughts, plus more. Recently a friend sent me a cool & short video about giving cheer... and simply giving. It was a great reminder to stop thinking about myself so dang much, and also a reminder that little things really can make a difference. Check it out!

www.levi.com/cheer

What if we each made the commitment to GIVE this season, in whatever way we can?

It doesn't have to be world changing...

GIVE...

BACK

A Little

A LOT

FREELY

SWEETLY

THANKS

TO PEOPLE YOU KNOW

TO PEOPLE YOU DON'T

UNEXPECTEDLY

GENEROUSLY

SINCERELY

Give.

Altruism?

If you're a reader of my blog, you probably know by now that service is something I care a lot about. I believe that I have been called to leave what I touch better than I found it, and I believe that I was created - actually, that we were all created - to serve others in some capacity. And there are SO many cool things that people are doing in this world to help make it better using their gifts and blessings. That's obvious, as it's what I most often write about. That excites me and I think it deserves to be shared.

Lately, though, I've had many conversations and thought a lot about why we serve. Is it for our own benefit? For the benefit of others? If there is some good in it for us, does that negate the good we’re doing for the people benefiting from the service? Take for example companies that are centered around giving… let’s take one I’ve blogged about… TOMS shoes. A friend asked me not long ago if the founder of TOMS, Blake Mycoskie, is a humanitarian or a business man. I said both. He asked if it’s possible to be both at once. I said yes… he countered that while Blake is doing great things for people, he’s simply a brilliant business man who is making more revenue because of the fact that he’s helping people. So… if Blake is making money, does that mean he’s not a humanitarian? Do you have to give up monetary success, comforts, etc. to be a humanitarian? If you’re reaping some benefit, monetary, emotional, social or otherwise, are you still “serving”?

Altruism:
a concern or regard for the needs of others, entirely without ulterior motive.

Is that possible? Can we really do anything without ulterior motives? When we serve others, even when it takes sacrifice, is it out of pure concern for their needs, or do we always have ulterior motives? Furthermore, if people benefit, do our motives matter?

The truth is... I don’t really know.

Here's what I do know:

• I believe in a God who has called us to love others as we love ourselves, and to be servants to them.
• I have a heart that aches and is burdened by the state of our world and by the people who are hurting in it.
• I am constantly aware that I am by far among the wealthy elite compared to the rest of the world, and I am often sickened that I do not do near enough about it.

But is my heartache over people in need and the resulting tug to do something about it actually selfish deep down? I don’t know… I hope not, but to be honest, it’s definitely possible. The truth is, I know my heart, and I know that simply because I’m human I’m sinful. But luckily, I believe in a God who redeems and forgives and changes me through knowing and experiencing Him. My model for not only service, but for how I want to live and who I want to become is Christ. I pray every day that I would be made more into His likeness. The fact of the matter is Jesus Christ lived a life - and died a death - that was about everyone but himself. And so I believe that serving others is one of the best ways that we can be made more like Him. He commanded us to serve. And so I think when we serve others in obedience to Him, we are changed through that experience, and our wickedness is slowly melted and replaced by the same love He has for us.

I also know that regardless of our motives or of how we benefit from results of service - whether that be feeling good about what we did, being recognized for our work, or reaping financial gain - the bottom line is, when we take action, people's lives are better. Period.

So... let's do some good, huh?

P.S. It was really hard to condense what I wrote into what is above. I've got so many other thoughts about this swirling around in my brain, and lots of them are conflicting. What are your thoughts? Please share!

Twitter, Facebook, and Your Network - Powerful Tools for Change

So, I do the whole Twitter thing. I tweet (that’s fun to say!) fairly regularly. Once in a while it’s about something important, but most often it’s just random musings or happenings throughout my day. And... I admit that I follow A FEW celebrities on twitter. Not many – but a few who I think are witty enough to warrant reading what’s going on in their heads on a regular basis.

One of those celebs is Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. I’m not really sure why I started following him, but I randomly added him one day… probably just because I like his music. I've enjoyed following him and reading his updates... although I'll admit sometimes it's kind of weird, because it's not like we're friends and I really know what he's talking about when referring to his life happenings. It's a weird world, this whole social media thing. Weird... and powerful.


So a few weeks ago (yes, this post is way overdue) there was a bit of a buzz that Pete was about to hit 1 million followers. (Can you imagine a million people reading your life's updates?) He posted that there would be a surprise to celebrate the 1 million mark. I was really interested in what this surprise would be, and how he would celebrate it, so I was excited when he finally reached 1 million. When I saw what he was doing, I was even more excited. And appreciative.

Pete decided to illustrate the power of 1, and how that can turn into the power of 1 million. He set up a website where his followers (and others) can donate $1 to help people in East Africa through Invisible Children (which I blogged about back in March). Read his message and thoughts about using social media as a tool to help the world (& maybe even donate a dollar) here http://petewentz.com/post/140798299/the-million-tweet.

Pete is using his influence – in this case via one million twitter followers - to contribute. To help get something done. To fight. $1 isn't much... but when 1 million people give $1 it's suddenly very significant.

So Pete Wentz has one million followers. I have a whopping 36 followers on Twitter. Clearly, that doesn't begin to compare. So what about us?

We all have influence. It may not be a million people – but we have it. We all have a network – of friends, family, co-workers, heck even facebook friends and followers on twitter. And the fact that we can't each make an impact through 1 million people should not stop us from using the influence that we do have. It starts somewhere, and each act is significant. Remember what $7 can do in Africa? (If you don’t, check out my Feb. 22 blog about Mocha Club) Take a nod from Pete Wentz.

How can you use the influence you have in your network - however big or small - to contribute?

Thanks to Pete I’m re-energized and inspired to blog about world changers again after being a major slacker this summer! Peace, love & change!