Just Call Me Struck by Poverty

This last week I had the great privilege of getting out of all of my classes because of Grace's Global Engagement Missions Conference. I learned so many things through that, and I'm not going to share them all with you today, but hopefully I will soon.

One of the lessons that took me greatly by surprise was during a session on poverty. I love giving to others and do not struggle with generosity at all, so I really did not think I was going to be motivated during this session because I figured it would be a "give to the poor" kind of lesson. What I actually learned was quite shocking to me and something that I had never thought about before.

Below is a short clip of their series so that you can get an idea of who they are and what they do because I know that I would not do a good job of translating it into words.

While I am not sure that I agree 100% with everything that they say and stand for, I do think that it is an issue that needs raised awareness. This was a pretty shocking clip to me and left more questions than answers, but there is a whole DVD series that they put out that I would encourage you to try to get a hold of that gives ideas of how Christians can more beneficially give to the needy.

I could write for hours about this, but I don't think any of you would want to read for that long. I hope this just gives you a small glimpse of this organization and causes you to really think about whether or not your generosity is mature and will benefit the needy long term or rather hurt them more than help.

Food for thought.

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Just Call Him Jesus!

Dear Jesus,

Happy Birthday!! Let me start off my saying I am SO glad you were born. I would die without you, literally and metaphorically.  I love that your birthday is such a big deal all around the world. Sure, a lot of people have today a little mixed up in their minds, but if it weren't for you, there would be no Christmas. Even the people that don't know you have a sense of generosity and love this time of year. That's a powerful birthday! Workaholic fathers stay home and spend an entire day with their wives and children. People buy meals and coffee for people that they have never seen before. Thousands of people send gifts to needy kids in other parts of the world. All across the country, people compete to see who can have the best decorations for your birthday party. I hope you like lights.

Jesus, most of all, I would like to thank you for being willing to come to this sad little world. You could have chosen to stay in heaven with your dad and forget all of us. Stupid, arrogant, sinners. But you decided to give up the perfect surroundings that you had to hang out with us. We did not even appreciate that huge sacrifice you made. We mocked you, tempted you, and ultimately killed you. But because of your perfect life, that death gave life. Love, joy, peace, and hope have become cliche words that appear around your birthday, but they really have so much meaning, and meaning that they would never have without your birthday. I can love because your Father loved me first and sent you, His only son, to die for me. I have peace because you took all of my when you died on that cross. I have hope because I know that this world is not my end. I have joy because my end is eternity in heaven worshiping you face to face. I am eternally grateful.

I hope you have the best birthday ever.

With Love,
Brit

Just Call Me Diehard

Basically, I just came home from the weekend I have been begging for for the last [almost] twenty years. I can die now...

not really! But my dad took our family to a Dallas Cowboys game!!! There were about 20 people from Meade that came along with us. What a fun group.

View from our motel room!

Eating Good

Sunday morning poolside service with Pastor Rod. Arlington weather is beautiful, even on December 2.

Tailgating starts early, right outside our room.

The Reimer Crew

They obviously were mistaken on when they should stand up to cheer... and what color to wear.

Warmup

Romo and Witten

We Won!

After the game we found the gate that the players walked out to get to their cars.

Tony Romo!

I have 9 days until I am able to go home for Christmas break (on my birthday). Don't expect any posts between now and then. If I did post anything it would be about high stress levels from thousand and thousands of semester finals and term papers with angry overtones... so I will spare you all and just wait until I'm on break to update you again.

...GO COWBOYS!

Another Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I just love having all of the family together and the traditions that we have kept since before I can even remember. This year was a little different than usual, but still a Thanksgiving to be thankful for.

Traveling Tuesday

My last class ended at 12:30 and I got out of Omaha as fast as possible, but I did stay long enough to pick up my cousin Andrea and her son Jed and take them with me.

Whatever Wednesday

Usually we decorate our house for Christmas since none of us kids have school, but this year my sister was in Dodge getting her Driver's License, so there were no Christmas decorations put up, but I had fun eating lunch with Kinzie, hanging out with Andrea and Jed, taking a nap, and playing Super Mario Bros with the siblings.

Thanksgiving Thursday

Woke up early to run a few miles to make up for the few extra servings that I knew I was going to eat that day ;) The tradition is always to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, eat the classic meal with the Reimer/Kliewers, watch the Cowboys play football, eat some more, and stay up late hanging out with the family. I actually came down with what I think was the flu Thursday night, so that put a little bit of a damper on the day, and Dallas lost, so it really wasn't as awesome of a day as I was hoping, but having everyone together made up for the yucky stuff.

Following Friday

The day after Thanksgiving all of our plans have to revolve around the Husker game of course, but we just hung out and enjoyed the time together. In the evening we had Thanksgiving with the Wiens side of the family. Ate more food, played some games, caught up with people that we hadn't seen for a while.

awkward moment during 4 On A Couch

State Saturday

My high school played in the Kansas State High School Class 2-1A Football Championship game... AND WON!! State Champions! So we went to the game, obviously.

After the game we drove back to Dodge for our annual El Charros meal with the Reimer family.

We made it back in time to welcome home the boys from state.

See ya Sunday

Sunday was the typical Thanksgiving Sunday: Go to church, run around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to pack, eat lunch with the family, drive off the yard with the "waving ministry," and make our way back to Omaha stopping frequently for kid breaks and a newer tradition of Starbucks in York. The trip back to the city took a lot longer, but we had a caravan of 3 vehicles and at the beginning 4. We were in good company.


I'm thankful for many many things, but the things that top off my list are a loving family, solid friends, and a Savior that gave His life for me. Thanks :)

Uh Oh!

There are 7 days and 33 minutes (give or take a few seconds) until it is officially Thanksgiving, and I'm already craving Aunt Kay's sweet potatoes...

It's gonna be a looooonnnnngggggg week!

Just Call Me Awed!

I cannot remember whether I have told you her story or not, but my best friend, Kinzie, has been very sick for about a year and a half. What started out as one thing lead to another, and then the medication from that let to another. It was a very sad cycle of events to watch especially because all she has ever wanted to do with her life is play basketball.

She started out with a condition where her blood vessels would collapse and her body was not able to get the blood that it needed so she would become extremely weak. When they figured out the diagnosis for that, they put her on medicine that messed up her autonomic nervous system which caused her body to reject food. She lost 40 pounds that she didn't have to lose and she lost it extremely fast. She became so worn down that they almost lost her. She couldn't even walk around the block without thinking she was going to pass out. Some days she literally couldn't lift her head off her pillow. Finally, they figured out medicine that could take care of that and she started gaining strength and energy. While this was happening though, they started noticing that there was something else in her head that was not right. Her brain was going a million miles an hour and never shut off. She could not sleep at all for the last 2 months unless they put her on the heaviest sleeping medications they could find and even then, that did not work the way it should have.

This weekend they were at the end of their ropes and she was sent by ambulance to Wichita with the intentions of then sending her on to another special clinic either in Minnesota or Maryland. To make things even worse, her mother was in a different hospital undergoing a major surgery, so she was not able to be with Kinzie through this transition.

I made the drive to Wichita Friday afternoon to be with Kinzie in place of her mom. I was able to go through all of her tests with her and sit by her side trying to encourage and bring joy to her while she sat in bed shaking uncontrollably because of the intense pain. I had to leave Saturday morning to be back for a banquet, but when I left they thought they had some idea of what the diagnosis might be.

Hospital Food: I would live in the hospital if I could eat this food everyday rather than school cafeteria food!

Monday morning I received a text from Kinzie that said the doctors figured out the problem, she was better, and she was going home! After a year and a half of struggling, God has brought healing to my best friend. I am so thankful and amazed at the way He can answer prayer. I am still not sure why He took her through such a dark time, but I am confident that the good that will come of it will be greater than anything we ever could have imagined.

I talked to Kinzie Sunday night to ask whether she had made it home and she said no, she was out shopping for basketball shoes :) God is awesome!

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Just call me Fork in the Road

Happy Halloween!

Some roommate craziness. In class. Our teacher is in the background. Good ole' Dr. Dahlquist. He saw this picture and then made some hilarious comment (he is known for those) that made us feel immature... well I guess we deserved that.

 

In the evening I went over to Shawn and Anna's for a little party. Anna served some delicious chili, Jared made some delicious corn bread. Not even kidding. Jared made the cornbread. and it was delicious. Shawn made us play some crazy gambling game. I walked away with half the pot :) I would post a picture of the 10+ dollars in quarters that I brought home to rub it in everyone else's, faces but I don't have my camera.

 Originally I came as a Fork in the Road. (Dressed as a road and taped a fork to me... cheesy I know) At some point in the night I lost my fork but I found a chicken! Why did the chicken cross the road?

Happy November!

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