bedroom furniture for sale...

our dear friends chad and marlana are leaving for Guatemala in a few weeks to begin training for an orphanage ministry.  so they're selling a few of their possessions.  one of them is this thomasville bedroom set.  it includes:
Armoire with mirror, 4 shelves and 4 drawers
6-drawer dresser with mirror
Nightstand with 2 drawers
Queen pillowtop mattress, boxspring and bed frame
Headboard
Footboard

they paid over $5000 for it 6 years ago, so we're asking $2400 for the whole set.

it's a beautiful set (and happens to be the same one we have for our bedroom)  if you're interested you can e-mail them at smithsinguatemala@gmail.com

a change of scenery...

tonight mike and i are hitting the road in search of greener, sunnier landscapes. our true destination is south carolina where his parents are staying. i think this may be the first winter that i've had too much snow, too much cold.

we're both really looking forward to our road trip. we love being able to reconnect with each other, exploring new towns, and just being. i've got the essentials all packed up: cd collection, books, snacks, and camera. we'd appreciate your prayers for safe travels...

we're back next week and will be prepping for a busy march. two weddings to shoot, a going-away party to host, and a trip to florida to see my dad and step-mom.

in other news mike is working with his doctors to readdress his heart issues (he has a irregular heart rhythm and sometimes has dizzy/fainting spells). while we feel confident that it's nothing serious it's a health concern that should be addressed. we're hoping the doctors can figure out with some certainty what the issue really is. and we're hoping for discernment to take the doctor's recommendations and figure out what is the best treatment. we'll be sure to keep you updated...

sick-o...

last weekend mike and i watched michael moore's "sicko", a documentary on the US health system and how it is failing our community.

i know michael moore's work typically elicits boycotts and sentiments that he's evil...i don't dispute that his tactics can be "dramatic" and sometimes used for "shock", but it gets you thinking.

i actually felt this movie was not that dramatic (okay there were a few moments, but they were done in humor) it left me with a few thoughts:

* one, i'm thankful that mike & i have had the privilege to be qualified to receive health care. and that we haven't had to experience the many trials of our health care system. this movie made me more aware that this isn't a privilege that every american is granted. this grieves me. and then angers me.

* two, it makes me curious and motivates me to educate myself about the truths of our system. and to research the cons and pros of universal health system. he spends a lot of time highlighting other countries and their health care (in england women can get up to a year off when they have a baby...paid!!!!) i don't have a set opinion about what is the best solution but i want to be informed. especially being an election year.

* three, how does my faith impact this issue? over the past years we have watched from a distance how our country has struggled to address hurricane katrina, the millions of poor, homeless families, the impact of the war, and on and on. for a country that has such "wealth and power" why are things so broken?

interestingly when michael moore was on oprah he said "I'd like to call it Christianized medicine because this is what Jesus would do, right?" (in reference to making sure that everyone receives the medical care equally)

if you haven't seen this film i encourage you to consider it...you may not agree with it all, but it's an issue that won't go away. moore makes the point that regardless if you're republican, democrat, conservative, liberal, christian or not...sickness does not discriminate. if you choose not to view the movie then maybe find other sources to inform you about our health system

i truly hope this finds you well, healthy, and safe...

change is coming...

regardless of your political views i think this message can give us all hope and inspiration...

how i spend my days...is how i spend my life

the other night we spent time with some new friends, curt & kristin.  one of the things that we really admire about this couple is their pursuit to know and live out what they value.  there's a sense of purpose and intentionality about the rhythm of their lives 
(but yes, curt & kristin we know you're not perfect...)

anyway their efforts have caused me to pause and reflect on how i live out what i value.  and i admit that i waste too much time watching tv, surfing the internet, etc...i struggle with this self-employment stage of life.  yes, i feel blessed to have my own buisness to have the support and time to do what i love.  but i also need structure that comes from a work environment.  all this to say, i desire to be more productive and purposeful of my time.  to read more, to invest in relationships, to deepen my faith.  

and this requires me to simplify and discipline my days...i'm making small steps.  i can say today was a good one.  

one of my favorite quotes is by annie dillard....she says "how we spend our days is how we spend out life"  meaning even in the small moments it speaks to what matters most.  

**a practical note on this....so i don't spend hours surfing the web, reading through blogs (cause i am a blog junkie) someone educated me on "google reader"  you can enter in the web-site of your favorite blogs, news journals and it's an organized list that will show you when there's a new entry.  so thanks google for simplify one bad habit.

be a donor...

the other day on "oprah" (i know, i know...) one the topics discussed was being an organ donor. they shared various stories of people who despite their untimely and tragic deaths made the choice to help others to continue to live. one of the issues highlighted is that family members struggle to make this decision on behalf of the deceased. they encouraged us to have this conversation, despite how challenging or difficult it can be...

i guess for me, i never considered not donating my organs. but i haven't been so intentional to communicate this to mike, to my family and my friends. i suppose some people don't like the idea of it...for religious, cultural, or personal reasons. i can only speak what feels true and right for me. that i would want to bless someone else with a chance to live, to heal, to be better.

you can go to this link and officially register yourself to be an organ donor...http://donatelife.net/. and have this talk with your family.