Inspiring

Chris and I work with students and sometimes it is tiring, but more often it is so inspiring!

I have posted before about my passion for donating hair to agencies that make wigs for girls and woman who have lost their hair while fighting illness.  While I have such a passion for donating hair, I am an amateur compared to this 6th grader at Chris' school.


What an inspiration, and a blessing she is for so many!

Are You Kidding Me?

I am not very good at talking about politics... and I don't enjoy it.

In middle school, I started to feel like I was relatively informed about the world and I was starting to form my own opinions and I LOVED talking about politics.  It was a chance to share ideas and feel grown up and discuss this real world in which I was growing up and into a real citizen.

By high school, I realized that no one has a discussion about politics -- people TALK about politics... and by that, I mean, people talk AT each other about politics.  No one listens.  No one changes his or her opinion... people simply talk at each other and love agreeing with each other, or they talk at each other and end up disagreeing, just like they did before the conversation.

That being said, sometimes I have to share a few things about politics... and I have to admit, the reason I am not very good at talking about politics, is because my response is always the same, "Are You Kidding Me?"

via

That's right... a high school Diploma, one Bachelor's Degree, two Masters Degrees... and all I can come up with is, "Are You Kidding Me?"!

Recently a news video was called to my attention where a University Professor asked his economics classes to write an essay on what they believed the American Dream to be, and what the Government's role should be in helping them achieve their American Dream.  Please watch the news clip: The Gimme Generation 
(The part I wanted to show was the interview with the college prof approx 5 min... but I couldn't find a clip with just the interview)


The results shocked me, and made me not only ashamed of my generation but extremely filled with dread of what might be in store for my country as these disillusioned students become adults, parents, and politicians...

When I heard that these students wanted the government to pay for higher education, and their health care, I immediately was reminded of the political hailstorm that occurred earlier this year regarding health insurance and employers providing free birth control pills.  This is the same type of thinking... free higher education, free health care, free contraceptives... okay, let's honestly talk about these options.

Students, I'm sure you know from your many years in the real world that you never get something for nothing, so let's talk about the costs of these "free" services.

Source: blog.hootsuite.com via HootSuite on Pinterest

You want free higher education... but are you willing for the government to tell you what you can study and where?  Are you willing for the government to give you a test at the end of high school, or in middle school, or even in upper elementary school to determine your intellectual potential?  If you don't show the intellectual skill on this test, are you willing for the government to pay for your free higher education at the university and in the field IT believes you should pursue

Source: google.com via Abby on Pinterest

You want to be a doctor, a teacher, a chef, a businessman, a scientist, a musician?  Maybe the government will pay for that education... but maybe the government will tell you, you your tests don't indicate potential as a doctor, chef, musician... you are welcome to a government funded education as long as you pursue the course of study in the higher education of the government's choice at the institution of the government's choice.  Forget overcoming the odds, hard work, determination... all the things that this free country used to reward, all the things that used to be involved in the American Dream -- you want the government to serve you a college education on a free platter.  I hope you're willing for the government to tell you which college education you will get.  Why would they pay for you to become a doctor or lawyer if tests indicate you are likely to fail as a doctor or a lawyer?  Free higher education?  I hope you're ready for the government to be an active stakeholder in the path of your education and career choice.

Source: Uploaded by user via Sarah on Pinterest

You want free health care... but are you willing for the government to tell you when you can see a doctor, and what doctor you can see?  Okay, you scoff at that scenario -- what about your children?  What about your parents?  What about your spouse?  Not if, but WHEN a big medical trial comes your way, do you want the government to tell you where you can go, or do you want the freedom to seek a second opinion, an expert opinion, the services leading researcher in the field?  I sure do!

Source: google.dk via Hanka on Pinterest

You want free birth control... but are you willing for the government to tell you at what age you are allowed to have children or how many children you can have?  You think that is an outrageous argument?  That would never happen in our country?  Well, hopefully that's true, that would never happen in this country -- but you can't get something for nothing.  The government is providing you the medicine to not have a child... that's an investment, as a stakeholder in your reproductive activity, haven't they earned the right to express an opinion about when you do decide to have a child?  Just like a husband and wife discuss their reproductive desires and habits (a very personal conversation, by the way), they each are in invested in this topic... now the government is also literally invested in this situation.  You can't tell me they don't get a vote.

Maybe I've made some outrageous arguments... but that is why I usually stick with,
(say it with me),
"Are You Kidding Me?".

Source: Uploaded by user via Erica on Pinterest

Thank you for reading and I hope you achieve your American Dream.  I also hope that the government stays out of your way so that you, yourself, a capable, motivated citizen can achieve, for yourself, your American Dream.

The Magic Words

We've all heard the question, we were all raised being asked, maybe you've even begun asking the next generation...

What are the Magic Words?

And we all know the answers...

Please and Thank You!

Today, I want to quickly touch on Thank you!

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The words "Thank You" really are magic words.  The magic is that when I am told "Thank You", I want to do something similar to that, for which I was just thanked, again in the future.

When "Thank You" is omitted, I do not want to do something similar to that, for which I was not thanked, again in the future.

Whether its sending a gift, holding the door open, giving someone a compliment, cleaning the house, remembering someone's birthday, sending a card, making a donation, or attending a performance, "Thank You" goes a LONG way to ensure I will be repeating the action in the future.

"Thank You" is so common in our society.  For many people, "Thank You" just rolls of their tongue in all situations:  Thank you for coming.  Thank you for calling.  Thanks for thinking of me.  Thanks for dinner.  Thank you for the email.  Thank you for holding.  Thanks for doing the dishes.  Thanks for the shout-out.  Thanks for all you do... and the list goes on and on!

Think about it, when you are on the phone and a company has put you on hold, would you have a different reaction if the recording said, "Someone will be with you shortly.  We expect you to continue to hold," instead of "Thank you for holding.  A representative will be with you as soon as possible."?  I have very different reactions to each of these potential messages.

Chris and I have decided that in our house, you cannot use the gift until you've sent a thank you note.  It is just the rule.  And when we say "Thank you note", we mean OLD-FASHIONED, in-an-envelope-with-a-stamp-on-it, handwritten thank you note.

With the changing age of technology, I will concede that people can express thanks in other ways -- some of which I think are better than others... but seriously a "Thank you" in ANY FORM is better than nothing.

When Chris and I have given baby gifts, I realized my favorite way to be thanked is to receive a text message or email with pictures of the adorable kiddo wearing what we sent him or her.  I still think hand-written thank you notes are great, but these text messages have made my day and I've saved the pictures because we could literally see the child wearing what we sent.

Obviously, we like to give Vail/Ski/Mountain shirts to babies.  :-D

Nothing is more awkward than having to ASK if someone received your gift.  It is the WORST to be put in that position.  At that point, I really almost hope that the gift was lost in the mail because the situation is about to become so incredibly awkward with the huge, unspoken, pink elephant in the conversation being, "Oh, you received it?  Then why the heck didn't you let me know so I wouldn't think it was lost in the mail?"  "Oh, you received it?  But you obviously didn't like it enough to thank me for it."

Seriously, even if you absolutely cannot stand a gift and cannot bring yourself to fib through a thank-you note, thank-you email, or thank-you text.  You can at least send off, "Hey, the package you sent arrived today."  I would recommend adding a "Thank you." to the end of that message, but even if you are not thankful for whatever they sent, just let them know it arrived.

Growing up, "Thank you" became a common second-nature word.  My dad would leave a newspaper article for me to read and then ask me if I had read it.  I would say, "Yeah, Dad, it was really interesting"... and behind him, I would see my mom mouth the words "Thank you Dad."  So, I would quickly add, "Thank you, Dad for having me read it."

Pretty much every conversation I have with my parents somehow incorporates a "Thanks for reminding me," "Thank you for calling," "Thank you for taking the time to talk"... etc.  When "Thank you" is a habit, the people in your life are appreciated and, chances are, they will do something nice toward you again, because you took the time to thank them.

Thank you.
Really simple words.
Really BIG IMPACT.

Thank you for reading this post.

Treasuring the Present: Healthy, Red Hair (Any Length)

Thank you for all the photo editing help.

Today, I want to warn you... I am on a soapbox.  :-D

I love that different people are passionate about different things.  I love hearing people talk or write about subjects about which they are passionate.  Some people are so energetically and aggressively passionate about subjects that I do not understand and about which I really don't care.  Some people get so passionate about things that I wouldn't normally care about... but when I hear their stories behind their passion, I begin to get excited.  I may never share passion for their particular subject, but I enjoy hearing them and get inspired by their stories.

One of my passions is women donating their hair to women and children who suffer from hairloss due to serious illness.  Many people are familiar with the agency LOCKS OF LOVE, which is one such organization... another is called CHILDREN WITH HAIRLOSS.

I understand that many women do not want to deal with the very long hair necessary to donate 8-10 inches of hair.  I also understand that many woman do not want to part with their long hair even when they have 8-10 inches to spare.

Measuring 10 inches

For many years, I thought of myself in the second group of women... I had 8-10 inches to spare, but I didn't want to give it away because I loved my long hair.  And to be fair to me, I didn't really have 8-10 inches to spare -- my hair would have been really short if I had chopped off nearly a foot of hair.

About 5 years ago, however, the Lord changed my heart and impressed upon me the great mission of giving away my hair.

I still did not want to have short hair, so I devised the compromise that I would give away 10 inches of my hair, as long as I still had hair down to my shoulders... that meant the hair would have to get REALLY long before I would give it away, but I was determined to grow it and give it a try.

When I go running and work out with long hair, the long hair
feels REALLY HEAVY!

I was very nervous about growing out my hair to become THAT long -- ten inches below my shoulders.  I was living in hot, humid Nashville at the time and I didn't know how I was going to deal with hair so long.  An interesting thing happened that time, however... the Lord began to impress on me that the hair wasn't mine.

There's enough hair here to share.

The moment of realization happened when someone complimented my hair, and I didn't say it out loud, but in my head I said, "Thank you, I grow it myself."  As soon as I thought those words, I realized how UNTRUE that thought was!!!  I do not grow my hair myself.  I have absolutely NO CONTROL as if and how my hair grows.  The fact that my hair continues to grow, and does not fall out, and is healthy is completely the grace of God.

As I had this revelation and gratitude for my healthy hair, God told me that I would not be annoyed by my long hair because I was growing it for someone else.  This was not my hair to be annoyed by... it was just mine to grow.  I can't really explain it any other way.

My hubby wanted a picture like this

For two years, I was annoyed by my long hair.  I enjoyed it.  I treasured it.  I cared for it -- better than when it was just my own.  I was guarding something that was growing for someone else, and it was a privilege.

When my hair finally did begin to drive me crazy, it was time to cut it, which I did three-and-a-half years ago.

For the past three-and-a-half years, I've been growing my hair for someone else... and this past weekend, the time had come to give it away again.

Last picture with long hair, 2012

I believe that the Lord honors sacrifices... even as trivial as hair.  Chris and I talked about my giving my hair away, we prayed about the timing, and we spent time specifically treasuring and playing with the long hair while it was still on my head.  We both really like my long hair... but we are SO fortunate that my hair is healthy and it grows.

First picture with short hair... see my pony-tail to donate on the left?

Now we get to treasure the season of my having short hair and look forward to the seasons ahead that it gets longer a little at a time.

Now my work-out hair is SO LIGHT!

If you have ever considered giving your hair to a wig-making organization for women and children with hairloss, I would sincerely encourage you to pray about it.

It may be something you've never considered, or you've considered and dismissed for any number of reasons.  The Lord can meet those doubts and reasons and give you the grace you didn't think you have to cope with the months of long hair -- or cope with the months of short hair.

HAIR GROWS!

Have you ever been in close contact with a woman or girl fighting for her life against a horrible medical condition?  Have you ever watched the strength drain and the frustration grow?  After everything the woman or girl has fought... after all the medical indignities... after her body has turned on her... to add insult to injury, her hair begins to fall out.  Your hair can go towards creating beautiful wig for a woman who is fighting for her life.  Your beautiful hair can be shared to remind the girl fighting that she is still feminine and beautiful.

Last Spring, friends and family of mine attended a Bridal Shower for me.  If memory serves, about 15 women attended -- 3 of them were growing their hair out to donate, and 1 woman was fighting cancer and attended the shower wearing a wig.  I was overwhelmed by the selflessness of this group of women that 1/5th of the women present were working toward giving their hair, and 1/15th of the women was a recipient of hair.  We didn't talk about it at the shower... but I was touched by the statistic.  When you donate your hair, it doesn't always go to women far away -- you never know how near to you a woman might be needing hair like yours.

Can you see my short hair?

Please consider donating something you have to spare for someone who is living without.

When I think of hair donation, I think of a quote that many of my friends who have a heart for adoption say --
"I cannot do everything, but what I can do, I will do."

I can grow hair.  I can sacrifice hair every few years.

What I can do, I will do.