Journey or Destination?

I'm a destination person.  I generally see the "journey" as the necessary evil to eventually reaching the destination.  A means to an end.

When I trained for my marathon, I didn't find great joy in the months and months of training required to be ready for that race.  I focused on the race--a single-minded kind of focus.  That's one of the only things that kept me going during some of the mentally-hard parts.

I'm always ready for the next thing.  The next goal.  The next finish line.  I rarely stop to just "smell the roses" along the way.  I find it extremely difficult to appreciate the scenery along the journey because I'm so singly-focused on finishing.

More recently I've found myself in the company of "journey" people.  These are people who I've always struggled to understand.  The people who didn't seem to "get" my insistence to keep moving--speed and efficiency were not necessarily their methods for completing a task. 

I've always loved the fact that I always finish what I start, but my introduction to more journey people has made me wonder what I have been missing along the way.

Is there a way to be both?  To appreciate both fully? 

Who are you speaking into today?

I read THIS article by Pastor Steve Furtick yesterday.  I'm challenged with the thought.

"In your life, the impact you will have will be in direct proportion to your ability to speak life into the potential of the people God has placed around you."


"Whose life will be better because you believed in them?
Whose destiny will be redirected because you believed in them?"

This is easy to overlook or forget about.  We have an enormous ability and responsibility to speak into others.  I'm frequently reminded of the times I have been the recipient of this--they're usually monumental moments where my inner knowledge of a personal strength was affirmed by someone else which enabled me to believe in myself.  With power and affirmation comes confidence and action.

I want to be a person who speaks confidence and action into others. 

What are you speaking into others?

A week without electronics.

Shortly after setting one of my 30 before 30 challenges to be without electronics for a week, I realized just how difficult that would be.  Mostly because that's almost entirely what I use for work--and what is a vacation if you can't check Facebook periodically?

Without even realizing it, the mission trip to Mexico proved the perfect timing.  I left my phone and my iPod at home (seriously, what would I actually need it for?) and spent the week riding in a bus and building houses.  Not a whole lot of opportunities for electronics. Or need.

The result: not too terrible.  Although it became a much more difficult challenge during the monotonous bus trips when it seemed like everyone else was fiddling with their own phone.  I didn't miss Facebook or Twitter.  I didn't miss the constant stream of information.  And I completely lost track of the days of the week/time altogether.  A sort of blissful experience.

This story wouldn't be complete if I didn't admit, however, that upon arriving home, I binged on everything electronic or internet.  Drained my iPhone in record time.  And over the following week, evened my usage back out.

Guess that's just how it goes in our culture.  To be completely out of the loop only works for so long.

**An interesting post by Ally Spotts today about how technology & electronics are hurting our relationships.  Funny how it coincides with my own post today.

Day 40: Favorite recipe.

Today is the last post of my 40-day blogging challenge.  I'm always nostalgic about things coming to an end, but also pretty excited to check something off my 30 before 30 list too.  No more "already-themed" posts. You, like me, are probably thrilled about that.

I'm not a cook, or a baker.  I can feed myself, but I frequently resort to heating up frozen food or throwing a chili combination into a crock pot.  There are just too many other things that seem to have a higher priority than cooking just for myself.

Although I am not a cook, I'm fantastic with recipes.  So, if tempted to cook something, all I need are directions.  Here are a few of the recipes I've tried (and loved).

-Cookie Dough Truffles:  It wouldn't be right to start this list off with something other than sugar, really.  As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to make these.  And they did not disappoint.  I tried to modify the recipe the first time because I didn't have sweetened condensed milk.  Big Mistake.  But, now I understand the difference between SCM and evaporated milk.  They're VERY different, by the way.  Recipe courtesy of Ingredients Inc.

Ingredients Inc.

-Sour Cream Enchiladas: I'm a big Mexican food fan.  Enchiladas are probably my favorite Mexican dish as well.  This recipe is really good and fairly easy.  Although, it doesn't reheat well and the recipe makes a TON.  So unless you're feeding an entire army, cut the recipe down quite a bit.  Recipe courtesy of Centsational Girl.

Centsational Girl

-Homemade Macaroni & Cheese:  I know this is a peculiar choice for the slightly-lactose intolerant girl, but I can't help myself.  (Plus, in case you were curious, Kraft cheeses are made without lactose, which makes life so much better!)  Fun lunches/dinners for days, which is one of my qualifications for a recipe worth making more than once.  And, it's a Paula Deen recipe.  So it tastes phenomenal.  Recipe courtesy of Food Network/Paula Deen.

-Cheesy Garlic Biscuits (a.k.a. Red Lobster cheesy biscuits): There is nothing easier to make than these--which is probably why I make them so frequently.  A little bisquik, milk, and cheese and then BOOM, you're done.  Love it.  Recipe courtesy of Cooks.com

Day 39: Passions.

The transition following college was difficult for me.  I hated being asked what I was passionate about.  Mostly because I really had no idea--and no idea how to search said passions out.  Without passions I felt purposeless and lost.  Through an act of obedience I found myself working at my church.  Through the year I was there, several of my passions unfolded before me.  It was a beautiful year of growth and life.  Here are four of my biggest passions--the first three I discovered that year after college, the last one I discovered more recently.

-Salem Alliance: My church is my home.  I love the people, the community, the life, the love, the outreach, the passion, the Biblical foundation.  Being able to work there was one of the biggest blessings I've ever received.  Being able to see the inside of the church, the bones and muscles, during a difficult illness in the Senior Pastor was incredibly encouraging not only personally, but corporately as well. 

-Salem-Keizer:  Call me crazy, but this is my home.  I grew up here and I love it.  If God were to call me elsewhere, I'd go, but for this season I'm called to be here.  There is a serious lack of entertainment sometimes, but there are top-notch people who live here.  I choose to spend my time with those people.  I'm also passionate about serving the people here in Salem-Keizer.  This is my life, and I love it.

-Ministry:  I feel called to ministry.  I don't exactly know in what capacity that means, but God made that clear.  I feel most alive when serving.  Both within the body of Christ and outside of the walls of the church. 

-Youth:  Had you asked me about this passion a year ago I would have laughed.  It's funny when you allow God to lead you, where He will end up taking you.  I am beyond passionate about the girls in my d-group.  They are amazing women of God who I am privileged to lead during this season.  I also love the staff--the adult leaders are top-notch, completely worthwhile people.  Serving with them is a blessing in itself.

Day 38: A picture of something you see daily.

I see this logo everyday.  Somehow even on weekends it seems.  I get to work for an amazing organization.  How many people get to go to work and do things that change people's lives?  I know.

Salem Leadership Foundation is a faith-based non-profit organization.  They partner with local churches who are running programs in/for their neighborhood (e.g. after-school programs, community gardens, literacy classes, adult education, foster parent support, sports programs, etc.)  The idea is that a lot of time churches are unused--what if those churches opened their doors to their neighbors instead.  If all of the 250 churches in Salem focused their efforts on their neighborhood we would not only have the entire city covered, we would truly become the "City of Shalom" (peace) which is where the name "Salem" derives from.  We are bridge-builders, connecting people, resources, churches, businesses, and government. 

My job involves a lot of tedious paperwork, recording, and collecting of information, but what we do impacts people.  Impacts our neighbors.  Impacts our entire city.

I'm blessed to serve with fantastic people.  I love what we do.

Day 37: A picture of something that makes you happy.

My brother.  I love him so much.  And I'll miss him even more when he leaves next month.

Brad's HS graduation - 2005