MISS ELAINI OUS

I didn’t know I was overwhelmed until I heard the deep exhale my soul let out.  Someone on Instagram that I follow had added a picture of the nationals of Syria and before I read what he said my heart clenched a little tighter.  Thankfully by the time I read the rest of his comment I was able to breath a little easier.

You see recently I have heard of so much pain.  There is the pain of friends hurting who are in my life and the knowledge that the earth groans under the weight of suffering its inhabitant endure.  It’s pastor Saeed imprisoned in Iran, upheaval in Ukraine, the plight of those in sex trafficking, people dying from lack of food and water, the aftermath of the typhoon that hit the Philippines….and the list goes on and on.  My heart is grieved for all these things.  Yet honestly when I hear about them I get paralyzed.  Sure I’m trying to help my kiddos in India and I try to be aware of what’s going on in the world but being aware in part means we are responsible.

Right about then is where I feel overwhelmed.  I’m just one person. What can I do to meet all these needs?  Should I be involved in helping each of these issues?  These are just a few of the questions that immediately spring to mind.  Due to social media and even television we are so much more clued into what is going on in the world than ever before.  Before all the advances in technology one would typically only be aware of what was happening in their own community and maybe country at best.  News just didn’t travel as fast.  Now we are inundated with information.

I don’t know about you but sometimes I need to have it broken down into smaller bites.  So when my friend went on to explain he would be putting up specific prayer requests for the people of Syria on Sundays I breathed a bit easier.  Okay I can do that.  I can pray for this need as I see it.  Reality is we can’t do everything to help everyone.  It’s just not possible.  Here’s the amazing thing: we aren’t called to.  That’s why we need a savior, Jesus.  He’s here to save and we get to partner with him.  He’s also good and sovereign and in control.  So just take one step.  Isn’t that how any marathon is run?  Step by step we make progress and change.  At the moment I’m not fully sure what that means for me in the future but right this moment it means being a good steward of the things God has put in my life.  It can change in a blink of an eye but be faithful until you feel led towards other things.

Prayer is an amazing gift and incredibly powerful.  It truly is one of the best things we can do, be consistent with this.  Pick something or a few things you feel that you can do.  Support a local cause or pick a trusted international group that provides relief if you can.  In every season we are called to take action but it may look different from time to time. For me currently that means being an advocate and fundraiser for my precious children in India (all 550!) and praying for needs as I hear of them.  It means comforting friends who are hurting and being a avid listener.  I’m pretty sure the list will grow and change.

I’d love to hear from you on this topic.  Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the needs and suffering in the world?  How do you break it down into manageable pieces?  What are you currently being faithful with?  I’m so excited to hear your answers in the comments below because this topic has been on my mind a lot lately.

If you missed why I’ll be having Hands and Tales as a part of this blog at times you can read why here.  Today’s beautiful person asked to remain anonymous but I am incredibly grateful she was willing to share.  

What was the happiest day of your life and why?
Since happiness is a feeling and feelings are fleeting and untenable at best, no isolable day settles in my memory like a sunny coin at the bottom of a fountain; rather, many days, many moments swell, sustaining continuity in a downpour of happiest days.  Trust in the beauty of this unfolding, belief in fulfilling all that I am meant to fulfill before I die makes everyday I live happier than the day before it.

Who has touched your life the most and why?
My husband with no (living) close second.  He is the actualization of all I had come to suspect did not truly exist in human form; like some strange and beautiful world that dwells in the reality of dewy-eyed youth, yet is quelled underfoot by adulthood.  Because he never tires of doing good, because he relentlessly pursues truth, because he never stops asking why.

Dear Readers, what was the happiest day of your life?  Why? 🙂

Last night I sat there and watched that little loading bar on the screen of my computer inch its way full, as if each step was weighed down with bricks.  I had unwisely decided to update my phone as the 24th hour of day was putting itself to bed.  As I sat and hoped it would speed up my eyelids felt heavy and I left my computer and phone to update themselves while I caught some zzz’s.

The next morning when I went to see how the project was progressing I saw one of those dreaded notes that so kindly appear….error.  Terrific. My phone refused to turn on and my computer informed me that I would have to restart my entire phone…as in delete everything off.  Now I couldn’t even call information because my phone wouldn’t turn on and my Apple care was up too (yes, I tried a number of things).  So I thought about it and decided that if everything was erased then everything would just be erased.

What happened next made me very happy.  Everything was deleted off my phone but then it started uploading into my phone everything that had been backed up.  I sat in amazement as I realized I wouldn’t loose all my contacts and the numerous other things I had stored there.  As my phone came back to life without having amnesia I felt quite pleased.

What if everything that was in your life just got erased?  Would you seek help? Where would you turn? During some time reading the Bible last week I came across this verse in 1 Samuel 30:6 that struck me. “And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” David knew where to go when everything looked bleak.  Instead of freaking out about the problems of life we can have another response.  “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalms 61:2)  If everything in your life was taken away would you still be able to have joy and peace?  If we have nothing at all but we have Jesus then we truly do have everything we need.  He imparts and uploads into our hearts his peace, his love, his strength, his grace…but first he wipes the slate clean and says you are pure and righteous before me.  Now that is amazing.  We need to plug into Christ.  He needs to be our source.  If we do that he will refresh us every time.  What life there is in that!

What’s one way that you have been encouraged lately?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

P.S.  Special number post! 444. 😀  If you’ve been around a while you know my fascination with numbers….

If you missed why I’ll be having Hands and Tales as a part of this blog at times you can read why here. 🙂

What was the happiest day of your life?

The day of my mom’s miscarriage. We were at community group and we broke off into prayer groups. A friend started praying for me (it had just happened that day) and reminded me that this child was worshiping the Lord! He would never have to feel the pain that we feel. All he/ she would know is the glory of God! It was the hardest day of my life and also the happiest. I was closer to God on that day than I have ever been. The miscarriage reminded me that all the things that I had been putting my hope in… My family… My friends… This baby… They would all be gone someday. All I ultimately have is God. All I can be sure of is the Father.

Who has touched your life the most?

I think in answer to the second question I would have to say my dad. Even though that’s terribly cliche haha. He’s been such an incredible example of humility and grace and he has such an inspiring passion for the Lord. I can only pray that some of it will rub off on me someday.  My cousin has also been super influential.  She knows better than anyone else how to make me angry but she’s taught me a lot about unconditional love and she’s pushed me (hard) in the areas that I most needed pushing.

I got a twitch on the fashion side of my brain this week after looking at some style blogs and I was itching to put together a look. Add to that the fact that a sweet friend made me this skirt and I knew I had to experiment with my closet. Sometimes I think “fashion” is so trivial. Don’t get me wrong, I think clothing is a good thing…

When people are dying across the globe for their beliefs or starving because of the lack of food it just makes you wonder about these things and if they are worthwhile. This area is still one of discovery for me. Yet, I do very much like a well styled ensemble. So I wonder where the balance is. Here’s the thing. Life does need beauty. God is ultimately beautiful and expressing beauty through the way we dress can point back to Him. Plus I’m His ambassador so I want to display His loveliness in all areas of my life.

So have fun with the way you dress.  Dress in such a way that points back to a creative God who is the master of art.  Since this is a style post I suppose something about style would be helpful.  If you’re going to buy clothing invest in quality classic pieces and accessorize with current trends that are less expensive.  These classic styles wear well, will save you money in the long run, and don’t go out of style.  You can mix and match them through the years.  This skirt is a perfect example.  As I mentioned my lovely friend Hannah of Hannah Everly Designs sent me this skirt and it gets better.  She custom makes them to fit each shopper!  They are quality skirts and they fit beautifully.  Remember when I wore them here and here?  Make sure to check out her designs!

Quick tip:  Use a grandmothers brooch in a modern way by attaching it to a necklace.

(Photos by: Emma Orth)  A huge thank you to Emma for helping me to take these pictures spur of the moment and braving the cold with me! I couldn’t have done it without you sweet friend. 🙂

UPDATE!!! $87,441.19  Want to help push it to the $88K mark? 😀

I don’t remember the exact moment that I came to be fascinated with hands but I do remember the moment that I first snapped a photo of hands due to my interest in them. The precious hands that I shot were my Yia yia’s (grandma) and she couldn’t understand why I would want a picture of those fingers.  True they were knobby and the skin was translucent with the years but they were beautiful to me.  Those hands had nurtured babies, cooked countless tasty Greek meals, worked hard and long, typed up accounts on a typewriter, entwined in her husbands till death did them part, and countless other things.

Hands tell a story.  People’s lives touch others and it has a powerful effect.  I’ve been wanting to do something with pictures of hands and people for a while now but it wasn’t until I discovered the facebook page for Humans of New York that I knew what I wanted to do.  So being inspired by that project and book I want to share with you the people that I have met and will meet.  I was blown away by the vulnerable and beautiful responses that I got from the first two women I photographed.  Today I share with you Monica.

What’s one of the most challenging things you’ve worked through?

“My parents divorce. I’ve realized that some of the fears I have in my life stem from it, like my fear of being unfaithful in marriage. I have always entered into a relationship with such fear that I find it ruins me from the inside out and the fear really takes over, impacting me more than I thought my parents divorce would. But I’ve worked through this challenge, and half of overcoming it is realizing it.”

What person has touched your life the most and why?

“My roommate from college of three years, Noelle. She showed me through her actions what love meant, and that it’s a pursuit of a person no matter the offense. She showed me what forgiveness and grace looks like, and I have never been the same.”

We measure time here in moments, days, months, and years but someday time will be no more.  At the very least it shall be infinite.  Eternity is just around the corner.  I thought I could get through this post without weeping but I can’t.  These words blur together.  Today marks one year since my sweet child Hosanna went to be with Jesus.  I know he’s dancing there and reveling in all the goodness that heaven has to offer and that makes my heart so happy.  Yet, I still miss him.  Every day for the past year I have thought about him.  Every.single.day.

What a love
I wonder at this. I wonder how you can love someone you’ve never met.  I wonder how one life can leave you changed forever.  When Hosanna entered heaven he took another piece of my heart there with him.  Before Hosanna left this earth I was praying for his healing and the Lord reminded me that Jesus left the 99 for the 1 sheep that was missing.  That resonated with my heart.  Having 545 kiddos that you love like crazy causes me to see how some might get lost in the bunch.  Not with Jesus though.  He sees each and every one of us.  There is no life that He does not see.  There is not one of His children that He does not love.

It gets better!
Your life matters.  Maybe you don’t see it but it does.  Hosanna never knew how he changed my life but that doesn’t mean he didn’t.  He touched my heart and I will never forget him.  So linger longer with people, give an extra hug, say I love you so many times you loose count.  Cherish those around you because life is short.  Live full of life in celebration of the gift we’ve been given.  We may be in the shadow lands now but someday oh so soon we will see Jesus face to face and be reunited with those beautiful saints who have gone before us.  Today I will dance on earth because I know that soon I shall be dancing with Jesus and Hosanna in heaven.  It’s going to be incredible!

“I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now…Come further up, come further in!” The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

Life is such an interesting adventure.  It’s beautiful, messy, hard, complex, simple, exciting, depressing, wonderful, real, and fill in the blank.  Even though life is so intricately woven we often only see a certain side of that in people.  Creating an “identity” is even easier in our social media saturated world.  For the most part my experience has been that people (including myself) tend to only put up the beautiful parts of life, save for that occasional depressed person who always seem inconsolable…

Picture perfect
Now here’s the thing.  I think beauty and optimism are incredibly important and I appreciate them.  We should encourage those things and participate in them.   Sometimes though the perfectly filtered and posed photos on Instagram and the brilliantly worded posts on Facebook aren’t always helpful.  While we know everyone puts the best of their life on the forefront we can tend to forget that it’s not the whole picture.

Pinterest fail
So last week when I was over at my beautiful friend Kiersta’s house creating Valentines I asked her to snap this photo.  You see these Oreo pops originated as a result of a perfectly lighted and mouth watering picture on Pinterest. After several failed attempts though on our part we were laughing and saying things along the lines of “Pinterest you lie!”  In the end we did succeed in figuring out our own steps that worked but at first it was a huge failure. Of course my first thought was to post a picture of a perfect Orea pop on Instagram but after thinking about for a moment I put up one like this.  Every once in a while I think it’s good to see the project that didn’t turn out or the not so cute picture.  Oh! Is that an awkward hand hold?  You betcha.

Have you had a failed project that you didn’t share because it’s not the norm?  I’d love to hear your experience in the comments below! 🙂

(Photo credit: Kiersta Rhodes Photography)

Every shade and design of red and pink paper was strewn across the table.  Oreos lined up like little sentinels waiting to be dressed in chocolate and sprinkles. My friend hosted a Valentine’s Day craft time and between us three ladies we laughed, swapped stories, and created to our hearts content.  Laurie created these Martha Stewart worthy love notes and Kiersta conquered the Pinterest oreo pops because life needs beauty. 

When it’s not what you expect
We were excited to share some handmade love with our friends. I’ve always enjoyed this holiday because I believe love should be celebrated all year long. Yet for some of you I know this holiday isn’t quite living up to your expectations. Maybe you’re even a little depressed (Okay a LOT depressed) because you don’t have a “special someone” to love on and return the sentiment. Maybe you won’t get a gorgeous bouquet of flowers or a note from a girl telling you how amazing she thinks you are but LIFE IS INCREDIBLE! TODAY! And you know what? You are loved. If you don’t feel like you are loved by the people you know then please know this, that God loves you. Not in a cliche type of a way but in a He-died-for-you type of way.

Revolutionize our thinking
When we truly embrace the fact that we are loved just as we are then we have the capacity to pour out love to others in a new way. While it’s exciting to receive things my parents always taught me to give.  When it would be easy to have this day be focused on how much people love us why not revolutionize it and make it about others? Let’s do things for others not because it makes us feel good but because we just want to bless the people around us.

Be the love
Consider giving a valentine to an elderly person who might not receive one. Make cookies and give them to your neighbor. Send a sweet text message to a friend who is single. Maybe even give $5 dollars to the orphans in India and join the #4love14 campaign! Happy Valentine’s Day!

(Photo credit: Kiersta Rhodes Photography) Thank you Kiersta for hosting such a delightful craft day and for taking these beautiful shots!

I love quotes.  They are little nuggets of truth and insight.  Sometimes a single bite of something can be more enjoyable than I whole piece because you savor it more.  I hope you enjoy these!

“A friend is one to whom one may pour out the contents of one’s heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that gentle hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.” ― George Eliot

A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Love is a great beautifier.” ― Louisa May Alcott

When they said to you at graduation, “Follow your dream,” did anybody say you have to wake up first? – Bill Cosby

In other news it’s the day before Valentines Day! I really do like this holiday.  Love is an amazing thing and you don’t have to be married to experience it.  Want to spread some love? Please consider giving just $5 dollars today to orphans in India who need our help! You can donate by clicking on the Give Now button the right hand side of the blog.  Thank you so much! #4love14