Water for Life

So, apparently I am still slacking with the frequency of my jblogs. I just can't seem to find the time or energy to sit down and write, but anyway, I'll catch you up on a few things. First, on my list is to tell you about my well. Yes, that's right, a water well, in fact. I bought one recently. I don't know what it looks like or where it exactly it is located, but I know it exists. Let me tell you how this happened. About a year and a half ago, I learned about an ministry led by James and Betty Robison. Beth Moore was starting to appear on their Wednesday tv show teaching Bible study. Of course, I started to watch (via video stream on my computer and later on my ipod). My draw was Beth, but I was soon impressed by all the different outreaches this ministry was doing. In particular, I felt drawn to their "Water for Life" project (http://www.lifetoday.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_home). The mission here is to build water wells in remote areas of Africa that do not have clean, running water. These wells are designed to provide water up to a 1000 people in a village for at least 25 years. In their first year of the project, they intended on building ~100 wells. This year, their goal is 200. Well, I decided I wanted to be a part of that. I have had a soft spot for the hungry, the thirsty, and the sick people of Africa for a while. But I always felt like there was nothing I could really do to make an impact there. So, I looked to see how much these wells cost. I soon learned they are expensive! $4800, to be exact. Of course, you can donate nominal amounts that will be put towards building a well. But, immediately in my heart, I wanted to buy a WHOLE well, not just part of one. However, I didn't happen to have $4800 just laying around in the bank. Who does? So, I just kind of put that desire on hold and prayed to God that if He wanted me to do this, He would have to show me where the money would come from. Like I said that was the beginning of last year. If you read my last post, you also know that I bought a new car this year. My lovely 328i (I am still enjoying it!). When I was figuring out how to pay for the car, I did all sorts of calculations, which included selling stock and things like that. One day, it occurred to me that I could just sell a little more stock and use the money I would get from selling my car, to purchase this water well. Brilliant! God answered the prayer! I was ecstatic at how this came about. In fact, when I sold my car, I got even more than just covering the cost of the well. Praise God. So, a few weeks after selling my car, I made the call to Life Outreach International (www.lifetoday.org) and purchased my first-ever water well. How cool! What a privilege to participate in something that will make a difference, something that really matters. I so wish I could see the faces of those who will drink from this water well. I can only pray that it will be a HUGE blessing for them, lasting for many years to come.

jBlogs

I am hoping to bombard you with a slew of jblogs here in the next couple of weeks. Jblogs, of course, are blogs written by Jennifer. Nothing scientific or fancy here, just a way to distinguish my blogs from the millions of others out there. Anyway, I have so many things that I've wanted to write here in the past month and just haven't had the time. I don't know that the near future will be any better, but I'll sure try.

First on my list is my beautiful new car. After having it for a month or so now, I am still thoroughly enjoying it! The new car smell has not worn off and I love smelling it every time I get in. The BMW 328i is everything I expected it and more. One of my co-workers was right when he said that you just get in a better mood when you get in the car and start driving around. Most fun has been watching my blue xenon lights turn on in the dark. They are self-leveling lights so they do this fancy dance up and down each time they turn on. I call it the " light show." I'll include a picture here so you can picture me in my new car easily. It's a dream! God-willing it will serve me well for many a year.

Spring in Houston

It's been a while since I have last written here. Much has transpired and life has picked up quite a bit. But I wanted to stop and smell the roses for a moment. Most of you know that my beloved Houston is quite the hot, sticky, humid place for most of the year. But for a few short weeks we get the most incredible weather. It seems to have extended beyond its normal duration this year and I am thrilled! The air is dry and cool with a steady breeze that gently kisses your face. The flowers are blooming with every color imaginable bursting forth. The dogs are waddling their tales about as their owners delight in taking them for a walk. The picnic tables are popping up everywhere and I have yet to see a car drive by with their windows up. It's a joyful time in Houston and I am enjoying it immensely.

Pray a lot

Has anyone ever noticed that we tend to pray a lot more when we find ourselves in a crisis situation? I know for me I tend to pray a lot when I need God a lot. That is when I think I need God's help a lot. Truth of the matter is, I always need God's help a lot. What happens, I think is that things start to go okay, life clicks along, and I think I am the one making that happen. So, then I don't think I need God and I stop asking for His help. Bad thinking! I always need God's help and I always need to be praying a lot. Isn't that what 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us? I like the way The Message puts its, "pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. " No matter what happens - good or bad, pray. I do thank God for those times when I am moved to pray more. I may not like going through the situation at the time, but I never regret the closeness to Him that comes when I do.

Ashley Stockingdale

For those of you who have read Kristin Billerbeck's books, you recognize the name in the title to my blog today. I am most of the way through the second of this series of books on Ashley Stockingdale. I feel like I have become quite familiar with this girl. It is almost to the point of feeling like I actually know this girl. Billerbeck does an excellent job of portraying Ashley as a real person with experiences and thoughts that are all too true. So my puzzlement at this hour is not whether or not all of her crazy experiences could actually happen. But rather why she seems to think Dr. Kevin Novak is not the right guy for her. I mean he is handsome, charming, chivalrous, and totally into her. And did I mention he is a doctor? There also seems to be quite a bit of chemistry between them, so what's the problem? If any of you have any possible explanations, please enlighten me. (-:

I know this is random, but I really want to know. Maybe I'll find out by the end of the book...

Made to Love

I am totally loving Toby Mac's new song called "Made to Love." It's already made it to my "most played" list on my ipod. Everytime I hear it, I want to get up and dance! The music is peppy and lively and the words resonate with my core. So, go ahead and listen and dance and sing at the top of your lungs. (-; Enjoy!

http://www.myspace.com/tobymac

Oprah's Leadership Academy

Last Monday I watched a special on ABC. It was on Oprah Winfrey's new school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa. I had seen the previews the week before and knew I wanted to watch. It was an incredibly inspiring program. Oprah went back to her homeland of South Africa and decided to build a school for girls there. The coolest part of the program is when they showed the interviews of the girls applying to the school. Oprah basically went around to all these different villages looking for girls who would be interested in attending the school. Once she found them, she had them come in for interviews. You can't even imagine the circumstances and family backgrounds these young girls had. They all looked around the age of junior high, but what took me by surprise was their attitudes. These are girls that often live with just one parent or grandparent. They live in shacks (at best) with no inside running water or electricity. They showed one such shack with a single bed that is shared by the 5 in the family. Food is scarce and they often rely on one meal a week. A week?! I get cranky when I only get 1 meal in a day. In order to get to school, they often have to travel over an hour and awaken before dawn to catch the bus. I am not sure what I expected of them considering their background, but needless to say it wasn't much. Well, my preconceived notions were shattered. They each came in confidently and excited to meet Oprah. They were eager to express themselves and did so in articulate ways. They informed Oprah of their talents, their intelligence, their hopes, their desires, their dreams. I think Oprah fell in love with each of them. How could you not? They were all excited and spunky and beautiful. They knew they had nothing and yet they knew what they wanted and they knew to value the opportunity in front of them. One of them was bold enough to ask about college. She posed the question to Oprah, "what happens if we graduate from this school? what if we want to go to college? who will pay for that?" They cut to a commerical break right then. I hate it when they do that! Upon return of the program, Oprah informed the girl that she would. Any girl that graduates from Oprah's school can choose any university in the world and provided they get in, Oprah will pay for it. Amazing! Later in the program they showed the opening of the school and all the girls arriving. The girls live on campus in their own room with a roommate. They were given all new clothing - including uniforms for school. The school is complete with computer labs and all sorts of equipment. I am proud to say that HP donated over $500,000 in computer equipment along with technical support for the next several years. The looks on these girls faces as they embraced all of this was priceless. I was moved to tears watching it all. Awesome. It was such a beautiful picture of hope and love. I was inspired and encouraged. I prayed for those girls and all those to come. I hope their dreams come true and beyond. They are the future leaders of South Africa. They have the power to change their lives, the lives of their families and of their country. I hope they see it all come true.

And then came my conviction. It is easy to think that because Oprah has a lot of money she can do all this stuff but that we can't. But the reality is we are called to love. We are called to reach out. So, how am I doing in that realm? Do I reach out to the less fortunate? Do I think of ways to help the poor and the disadvantaged? Sure, from time to time. But not often enough. Not as a priority. I would like to change that. I would like to be overcome with compassion that moves me to action. I may not be able to build big schools or provide vaccines to every child with AIDs, but surely I can do something. I intend to do so. I will start by caring. Really caring. And really praying. And asking God to do something big through me or even something small. But something. Then I will see those smiling faces again. I will see their eyes shine and their joy overflow. And I will know deep in my heart that I have done what I am suppose to do, what I was made to do.