Thanks!

Here I sit 5:52 a.m. and I can't sleep. Jet Lag. I've been back from Africa for a 1 1/2 days and still haven't fully recovered. My mind has been racing with different ideas, themes, and lessons I've taken from my 6 week trip. I need to get some of it out and typed or I think I may go crazy. There is a lot. I'll break it up and try to make it brief. For the next 3 to 4 days, I'm going to write a post every day with something different that I have taken away from my experience.

Okay. I believe that the best way to evaluate, criticize, and appreciate your life is to remove yourself from your life. To step out of your everyday routines, normalcy, and surroundings. Yes, traveling the world is helpful, but not needed. Anything from taking a vacation, visiting friends, taking time for solitude to serving in your community, volunteering at a school, or spending time in the inner city. Solely just removing yourself from your regular life and seeing life from a different perspective, no matter what that may be. My trip to Mali confirmed that for me.

Taking a step out of my American life, I realized quite a bit about myself and the culture in which I live.

I believe as a Nation we are very spoiled. Not solely our fault. We have been raised in a culture that has a lot and we know no different. It's our way of life. Which is why I hadn't hit this conclusion until I lived in a 500 person village with no running water or electricity for 3 weeks.

We live in a culture in which we have stopped appreciating and have moved to a mind set that we are entitled to all that we have and more. We deserve it. We've worked hard. I've seen children as young as 6 or 7 make countless trips to a water spring to get water for their family. I've seen 80 year old women pound millet for 12 hours a day, day after day. I've seen children walk to the market 5 miles away, in the desert, carrying a bundle of wood on their heads; to bring home a dollar. I've seen a family of 9, and a community of 500 all needing the hard labor of each other, every day to survive. Are we entitled to more then them, because we've worked "hard" for it?

Don't get me wrong. We've been blessed to live in a great country, with the lifestyles that we are able to enjoy each and every day. But it's recognizing that blessing, that has been lost. When we stop becoming appreciative and start believing we deserve it and are entitled to it all - than we STOP being THANKFUL.

We've actually become COMPLAINERS. My cell phone is not good enough, I need my tax money, I want a new car, gas is too much, my job isn't what I want, I need more clothes, my dishwasher is outdated, I hate traffic, I can't believe they got the promotion, my bills are too much, I don't like the way I look, etc.... Right? Isn't this what we sound like? Our conversations are full of complaining (gossip). All day, every day. It's become apart of our cultural norm, without recognizing it, to be critical and complain. It's damaging. We are always comparing ourselves to others, competing, and believing that who we are and what we have is not good enough.

THANK YOU Christ that I am alive, healthy, blessed with an awesome family, have food each and every day, have a car, am able to pay my bills, that I have an amazing community of friends, and that I have electricity and running water.

Being Thankful and recognizing what is good in our lives - is the way to finding a sense of PEACE and complete JOY.

One of my favorites, Sirleyman and me just throwing up the Peace Sign

The Chief of the Village, BaBa, who we spent a lot of time with and is completely awesome!