Change = Growth

I volunteered with a youth group for some years in my young adulthood; this was a wonderful experience for me. One training we as leaders listened to was titled, Change=Growth. What a true statement that is! In my 32 years of life I have experienced plenty of growth opportunities and I am grateful that I belonged to a community that encouraged us to constantly look for ways to improve ourselves and love the people around us. This has been a saving grace for me because while I have lived through some horrible experiences, my early years trained me to look for opportunities to grow.

My husband and I are entering a new adventure; we have applied for an apartment in NW Portland that is only 400 square feet. This will be a change for us; we have previously looked for the best bang for our buck. We collected enough furniture to accommodate a party of people, and extra backpacking gear so we could take friends with us backpacking. I enjoyed collecting “memories” flyers, post cards, announcements any small memento. Then there were the books. We both had a large library! In the last couple of years we have stripped off these excess items. We moved out of the country for a year and have recently returned. Now that we don’t have so many belongings we can live in an area we have always wanted to try but could never afford a larger apartment. The freedom of changing the way I view belongings and space is opening an exciting door.

Last weekend I purchased a pair of shoes for $80, I know that $80 American could feed a family of 6 for a week or more in the Dominican Republic. I also know that this beloved family that I am thinking of lives on about $15 dollars a day and this is not sufficient to meet their needs. Health emergencies happen frequently due to poor nutrition, sanitation, flooding and the hazards of the kind of work they can do. I know that I cannot afford to support this family monthly and that giving them money is not the answer but I do know that my decision process has changed. I used to buy new clothing because I was bored with my wardrobe; now I am determined to only buy clothing when I have a true need. I want to use my finances differently than before. I want to be free from debt so that I can be generous!
So if you want to grow you must change! Look for an area of your life where you can shake things up. Maybe you are finding yourself holding onto “stuff” and need to rethink how much you value is being placed on these items. Maybe it is time to make a change of career or to give of your free time. I challenging you to find an area of your life to change so that you can open the doors to growth.

You Can Buy Happiness (and it is cheap)

Great book about simplifying your life. The book is about a couple who share their journey of down sizing. The author is honest about her reluctance and fears along the way. she also interviews other people who have gone through the same process. Reading this book has encouraged me to keep life simple and not get caught up in "stuff." Relationships are the most important value in life. I am still in transition and Eric and I are looking for a place to live. We are asking tough questions and trying to make a move to a place we can stay for a couple of years. While we won't be moving into a true tiny home we are looking into a small apartment; 400 square feet.

Like the couple in this book I look forward to a small space to maintain. I want to own such a small amount of stuff that it can all be organized easily. If you know me you will understand what a challenge this is. I am an out of sight out of mind person so a smaller space should help me to be conscious of my space.

If you need to rethink life I invite you to read "You Can Buy Happiness and it's cheap."

Kind Words

Kinds words can be short and easy to speak, but their echos are truly endless. Mother Teresa

I love the encouragers in my life! They strengthen my resolve to be kind even to those difficult people who pass my desk. I work a customer service job, only my customers are often sick and scared. I do my best to offer gentle words of kindness, comfort and blessing. I speak with sincerity and look people in the eye. My prayer is that I can help each patient that comes to my desk feel at ease and cared for. This is why I love my job, I get to care for people.

Being intentional at work is so much easier than in "the real world" where relationships are on going. Words have even more power when there is the context of relationship.

In marriage we can see the affect of words uttered in anger, the tears and bitterness. Fights explode and the igniting topic is lost. Words have a way of creating space between two people. Mother Teresa says kind words echo, I would like to add that kind words heal. If you have found there is too much space in your relationships begin to speak kind words.

Keys have Power

Today I did a stupid thing. I reminded myself of the power of keys! I left my house with enough time to leisurely drive across town and view an apartment before having lunch with a friend down town. Maynard (my faithful companion) came with me. We met a wonderful landlord and entered an apartment that was cute and perfect except Maynard could not climb the stairs to leave.

Shaking hands with the kind man we parted ways and went for a walk. The day is beautiful sunny and temperate. Returning to my car I fumbled for my keys...

Keys are powerful they grant entrance to places of shelter, rest and adventure. But when my keys are inside my car and I am outside I feel a lack of control. Thankfully today I in a place where the people are kind and hospitable. Where my dog is accepted and lived and where my Mother in Law can come and rescue me!

I would like to thank Hawthorne Street Cafe for welcoming me and my dog onto your patio while we waited for our spare keys.