Cali, Cali, Cali!

I LOVE California.

For so many reasons:
- The weather - yeah... I'm a warm and sunny kind of girl.
- The scenery - beach, mountains, valleys, beautiful agriculture... all in one place!
- The Food - between awesome mexican and IN-N-OUT, what more do you need?


But the number one reason I love California?

MY PEOPLE.

People that I love. A lot. People who don't share my blood, but are my family. People that I don't get to see often enough. And as usual, THAT is what made my latest trip to Cali back in April so special.

I started my trip in Fresno, for the California FFA State Leadership Conference. While I was there I had the privilege of coaching two of the national FFA officers, Levy and Bethany, and even got to see Levy on his home turf. They both rocked and I was very proud of them.

I also got to spend quality time with some of my faves:

Marcus just got his first "man job" working for California FFA. I'm proud of him!

Nessie was a national officer last year. She's all grown up. :)

Marcus and Audrey after our "team" dinner. The best teammates anyone could ask for. :) We gad a great time re-living old memories!

After the conference was over I drove down to Oxnard to spend a night with my dear friend, Andrea. Andrea and I were FFA state officers the same year (she is from Nevada) and we met in the summer of 2000 at a conference in Washington, D.C. We really became tight a couple of years later when we ran for national office together and took it upon ourselves to become roommates (she had an open bed in her room!) We saw each other several times in the years to follow, and we still talk on a regular basis, but it had been nearly five years since we'd spent any time together. But no longer! Andrea's husband is in the Navy and is currently deployed, so we had the house to ourselves for some quality girl time. :) (Although I wish I could have met Jeremy... I did get to talk to him on the phone!)

The next day we went to Ventura and did some window shopping, went to the pier, and spent some time on the beach!

Windy? YES! But totally worth it!

We spent a lot of time trying to get JUST our feet wet, but mostly ended up running away from the waves. And getting soaked. :)

The view looking inland was noteworthy as well. Again... how can you beat mountains and the ocean in one place?

Goal for the day... get the perfect in-air shot. It only took a couple of tries. :)

This picture describes my day without a single word. Scratch that... describes my whole trip.

What an awesome trip! (I didn't mention she also drove up to Fresno to see me and take in the convention before I drove down to see her. We got to re-live our days in the blue and gold a bit!) In addition to taking me to the beach while I was in her stomping grounds, Dre also indulged my craving for mexican food twice in less than 24 hours, let me sleep in her bed, and provided much needed conversation, comic relief, and hugs. Those two days were so good for my soul. I love this lady! Thanks Dre.

From Oxnard I drove to Orange Country - Irvine, to be exact. There I attended Catalyst West, a convergence of young adult Christian leaders. It was an incredible experience where I was inspired, challenged, and re-directed in my faith, thinking, actions, walk, and future. I heard speakers like Don Miller, Andy Stanley, and Dr. Wes Stafford among MANY others who helped expand the small box I put God and my relationship with him into. I worshipped with the likes of Chris Tomlin and Carlos Whittaker (check him out his blog and his music - good stuff!). AND I got some SWEET ideas for national convention! If you are a young adult involved in leadership within your church or ministry (or plan to be in ANY WAY) you must check out Catalyst. They have two conferences a year - one on the west coast in April, and another in Atlanta in October.

So there you have it... a recap of a great trip with great friends, even if a blog post and photos can't quite do it justice.

The Marvels of Modern Agriculture

Something that my heart really breaks for in this world is global hunger. The social injustice of seeing so many people starve every day while we have more than we could ever need is tough to come to grips with. And sometimes it seems like there is nothing we could ever do to help solve that problem.

The reality is, the modern technology of agriculture puts us in a position to combat global hunger on a real scale. Will we use it?

Below is an interesting article on one scholar's thoughts regarding trendiness of the organic and sustainable movement that has become very prevalent in the western cutlure. Just some food for thought. Your thoughts?

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/04/26/attention_whole_foods_shoppers?print=yes&hidecomments=yes&page=full

Confesesions

I recently returned from a great and eventful trip to California (my goal is to blog about those happenings and post pics this week!). While I was there, it happened...

I bought something. (long sigh)
Ok, more than one thing if I'm being honest. (cringe)

So... I'll give you the low down while trying not to make excuses.

Item #1: Black heels
With the changing seasons I've been running into a problem: the only black professional shoes I have in my closet are boots. Very wintery, knee-high boots. I was at the California FFA State Conference, and had packed several skirt suits to wear. I had two pair of black pumps in my closet: one had the metal in the heel exposed about 1/4". Very professional looking. The other I literrally can wear and walk in for approximately 4.5 minutes before feeling like I'm going to die and having to take them off. I've tried to break them in. I've tried to get used it it. It simply wasn't working. So... I went to Macy's, found a pair of well made, reasonably priced black shoes, and bought them. I made sure to buy a pair that I can wear with both casual and professional outfits, and a pair that will last me beyond July.

Item #2: Phone Charger
My phone charger is the kind that can adapt to many types of phones. It has a detachable piece on the end that allows you to change the connector to fit different models. My first night in Cali I reached in my bag and pulled out the charger, only to find the end that connects to my phone missing. Apparently in the hazy process of yanking it out of the wall in my bedroom and shoving it in my backpack (It was early. I was in a hurry.) I dropped the connecting piece. Because I was scheduled to be in CA for 9 days, I figured I really couldn't manage to conserve my battery that long. So, I stopped in at the Verizon store and picked up a new charger.

Item #3: Phone Cover
I'll admit: this item was arguably the least needed, and I really could have done without it. Here's why I got it: I've been carrying around my phone with only the back piece of the case since January. In TN in January I dropped it (which is a frequent occurance) and the front piece popped off, never to be found again. So the front of my phone has been exposed for several months. After a couple of good face-down drops on the concrete, it was looking pretty rough and I was starting to become concerned about the performance of the touch screen. I decided I'd rather spend a preventative $20 on a new cover than eventually have to replace a busted phone. Reasonable? Maybe. Maybe not.

So after this trip to the mall that resulted in three material items I felt pretty terrible. I only have two months to go, couldn't I have held out? Well... yeah, I probably could have found a way around all three things. But on the bright side, I realized how much thought I put into those purchases, and four months ago, I wouldn't have blinked an eye at them. In fact, four months ago I probably would have come home with additional things that caught my eye while I was shopping for what I went for. The way I think about "stuff" is changing, and that's the whole point. That new view of material items and the amount of thought I put into purchasing them is not something I plan to abandon when "No More Stuff" is over in July. I want to still think just as hard about a purchase as I did last week in California.

So that's the latest "No More Stuff" update. I can't believe that I have four months down! Two months to go!

Take a Walk With Me

...a shoeless walk, that is.



Once again this year, I'll be going barefoot for a day on April 8th for TOMS Shoes "One Day Without Shoes." This day is meant to spread awareness of the impact a single pair of shoes can have in the life of a child. A few facts:

• Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot.In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to school, clean water and to seek medical help.
• Often, children are not allowed to attend school barefoot.
• Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection, including Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
• In Ethiopia alone, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis.
• Podoconiosis is 100% preventable with basic foot hygiene and wearing shoes.

So how can going barefoot help? It's simply about spreading awareness. You go barefoot, maybe get your firends to go barefoot, and it gives all of you an opportunity to tell people about Podoconiosis and how you can help prevent it (umm... one easy and fashionable way - buy a pair of TOMS!)

Last year I walked barefoot for a day and it was an experience I will always remember. For one thing, it was gross. By the end of the day you could scrape layers of black off the bottom of my feet. And it hurt. My soft feet seemed to pick up everything, and were so tender after walking on the scorching streets and sidewalks on that sunny day. It was also humbling. As I walked downt the street and into establishments people stared at me. A lot. Some laughed, others gave me looks of disgust, and a few asked questions. Finally, it made me realize how little I know about having a tough life. As I sat on the edge of the bathtub that evening and watched the day's grime wash down the drain, I thought about how little my microscopic experience without shoes compared to someone who actually LIVED that on a daily basis. And my desire to help skyrocketed.

The most important part of the day, though, was the conversations I got to have. I was repeatedly asked why I wasn't wearing shoes, and it gave me the opportunity to talk to people about TOMS, poverty, social change, and making a better world. A good day, indeed.

So... what do you say? If you're going to walk barefoot, I'd love to know!

Register to go one day without shoes at http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/ and learn more about the TOMS story at http://www.tomsshoes.com/

I Have Enough - Day 54

More than enough, actually.

Lately, I've found operation "No More Stuff" to be pretty easy. And that's been bothering me.

I kept thinking, "If I'm not struggling, I must not be learning anything!" I panicked. So I kept trying to figure it out... what have I learned lately? Why has this not been hard the last few weeks?

And then, sitting in church Sunday listening to a sermon on giving, it hit me like a ton of bricks...

It hasn't been so hard because

I HAVE everything I NEED.

Pretty novel concept, huh? It's something we don't think too often - at least I don't. But it's true. Do I have moments where I want to go buy a new pair of heels? Yep. Will it be tough when the sun finally starts shining again and spring fever makes me want some new warm weather clothes? I'm sure. But in His grace, God has started showing me through this experience that I can get by just fine with what I have. I'm more than fine - I am abundantly blessed with way more than I need to not just survive, but live a rich life of excess.

So I was sorely mistaken... yep, I'm learning all right. Pretty cool lessons at that.

PhotoJournal: Japan

Japan was fantastic, as expected. It was a time of learning, growing, exploring and fun. I know I said I would post updates, but our internet access was more limited this year, and when we had it we usually had to pay for it. So I decided blogging was out. I took thousands of photos in an effort to capture all of the incredible moments we experienced, and it has taken me the last week and a half to sort through them. Below are some of the highlights:

Sightseeing in Tokyo

Participating in a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.

The ceremony teaches four principles:

harmony, respect, purity, tranquility

Rocking out to MJ with the latest technology at Sony Plaza

Casks of saki at a Shinto shrine in Tokyo

We caught a glimpse of a wedding procession at the shrine.

I love the cabs in Tokyo.

Tuna auction at the Tskiji fish market in Tokyo. It was 5:00 am.

Tskiji

Our breakfast at the fish market.

It was tough to eat this much sushi so early in the morning.

Visiting a family farm.

Pounding rice to make mochi... sticky rice dough balls which we ate for lunch.

This little boy, Aaoi, captured my heart.

He has grown up so much since last year. He knows his ABC's in Japanese and English!

The family's table, where lunch was served.


They live in a beautiful, traditional farm house.

Randa and Aaoi.

Fun and love know no language or cultural barriers.

Taishi Foods Tofu plant. We taste-tested 10 courses of tofu and

tofu based foods. Enough tofu to last me a year!

Toshogu Shrine, Nikko.

The snow made such a beautiful setting.

Kegon Falls, Nikko

We rode an elevator 100 meters underground to get this view.

Food presentation is always gorgeous and special in Japan.

Learning origami at a traditional Japanese hotel.

Our futons on tatami mats at the hotel. So comfortable.

FFJ members at one of the agricultural high schools in Tokyo.

They flew our flag at the high school that day.

The Japanese are so respectful of our culture and

make a huge effort to accomodate our norms.

At the port of Nagoya we got to board this ship carrying American corn.

That's the corn!

Corn was all over the deck of the ship.

Picking it up and knowing it had come from the US was crazy.

The view from the deck of the ship.

This bin was full of soy sauce fermenting.

It did not look appetizing.

We spent a morning making homemade udon noodles with the homestay host school.

It was quite a labor intensive process, and very fun.

Boiling our noodles for lunch!

Lindsay and I's cooking partner, Jun.

He spent most of his time doing damage control and correcting our mistakes.

That afternoon we went to a real kimono shop and got to try on kimonos!

This was a very special and unique opportunity. The kimonos we are wearing

are incredibly expensive. The women in the picture dressed us.

Lindsay, Jun and I.

Sightseeing in Kyoto. This is one of the few cities we agreed

not to bomb during WWII, so it has a lot of original and ancient architecture.

People come to this shrine to drink the water that is falling behind the officers.

The three streams are said to symbolize money, love and good health.

We were told to not be greedy and only choose one stream to drink from.

All 8 of us chose water from the same stream... can you guess which one? :)

Shabu Shabu dinner. Those platters used to contact slices of beef.

This table of three put away nine of them. They won... by far.

Linsday and I at the Golden Pavillion. Yes, the outside is real gold.

Our best samurai poses...

although I'm pretty sure we are not even close to looking like samurai.

My favorite Japanese soft drink... mitsuya cider.

Vending machines in Japan are awesome and have a huge selection.

While everyone else shopped for souveniers, Alex and I left the

beaten path in search of crepes. It took a while, but we were victorious.

And it was worth it.

Our last night in Japan, we got to karaoke.

So fun, and a different experience in a private room, which is common in Japan.

Saying goodbye to our wonderful tour guide, Chieko.
She has become a cherished friend in the last two years.