After 25 hours of travel, a pit stop in China, and a few weather delays, I was home. California soil never felt so good. I was met at the airport by my mom and step mom, and the rest of the family was waiting patiently at home for my arrival. We all talk about our plans of our first days home, our first meals, what we can't wait to do, but odds are a few things get changed. At least, a few things got changed for me. So for kicks I thought I would share...

  

On the way home from LAX I had to pee. I know this is a BIG surprise to most of you. So, we got off the freeway and what do we find, Krispy Kreme. This has been talked about many times on the Race, and while this was not a planned first food, my mom(s) couldn't help but laugh at my screams of joy. My first meal was supposed to be a Bean, Rice, Cheese burrito from Miguel's, but don't worry, that still happened on the way home :)

 

Once I got home, the pack I said I wasn't going to touch, well in a matter of minutes it was unpacked, empty and airing out outside, gifts given and laundry going (or at least in the laundry room where it would wait for mom). And as for dinner of spaghetti and cornbread, two things I so badly wanted, that didn't happen either. All siblings had sports practice and I wasn't willing to stay up for it, so that was enjoyed last night instead.

I expected to be hit with jet lag bad, so I didn't have plans the first few days home. Well turns out I'm fine and have no jet lag but it's as if I never left California. I mean, I was looking forward to hours of sleep, but then again, I'm not complaining.

AND of course, the random things that happen after you've been gone a year....

Toilet paper... I said I'd never think to throw it away again, only I do...

Phone... I'm so glad to have it back, only I don't always respond because I forget to carry it around.

Outlets... I went for my computer charger and looked at plug to see if I needed an adapter. Not like I have one anyway, I borrowed all year.

TV... I woke up at 5am my first morning home and didn't turn it on afraid the sound woke wake my family. Didn't think hard enough that they sleep upstairs and wouldn't have a clue.

Pantry... Stood in front of it just because I could.

Movies... Couldn't sleep so thought I'd watch a movie on my computer. Then realized I have a tv with DVD options.

Target... Told people I'd wait a few days to go. Good thing we went my first full day home to return a gift I got, and it was a family outing. We acted like 3 year old's and it was more than hilarious. And can I just say I didn't but a thing!

 

 

It's been a long year away from home, and one of the people I miss most is my dad. He isn't much of the computer type, and honestly not much for a phone call either. When you add those together, it means I haven't talked to him nearly as much as I would like to. So as a little something special for Father's Day, I thought I would put up a little Daddy tribute...

Here are some of my favorite memories, and some just randoms that only Dad understands...

Memories

~Knowing I couldn't spread my fingers 'W' but I could do my toes.

~Racing cars on that figure eight track in the garage under apt 64.

~Being 6 years old and able to pick put all parts needed to fix a toilet and knowing how to make perfect vacuum lines in the carpet.

~Thinking if I peed in the pool it would turn a color because you had me convinced after you showed my the product that we had it.

~Smashing my face while riding, or shall I say falling off,  the back of our golf cart.

~Same song every day after school in the car, while you waiting across the street. Then it moved to up the hill from school, in front of the buses,but still, the same song, only different from the other one.

~RC cars in the parking lots, then when I cried when it got ran over once we moved into a house.

~Museums... Too many to name, but man I could have been a member to a lot. And the library- pretty sure they knew us by name and we knew you could check out 32 books at a time, which we did just that.

~When they tried to repo our car thinking you were a different person with the same name. 'Hey Dad, what are thy doing to our car outside?'

 

~Peggy Sue

~Being on the canoe, going wherever the wind would blow us

~Watersking, and the hawk. So much for a spotter, you were all too interested in him to notice I was being drug half way around the lake.

~Geist Lake, early mornings on the smooth water, and then the Blue Heron.

~Sitting in the driveway of Grandma Loris's house in that blue rental car because she wouldn't let us use air conditioner in the house.

~Wildcat lanes, with fried cheese curds galore

~Coffee table books always remind me of you.

~ATV riding in the mud, then go carting.

~Throwing up pasta and green beans, which came out my nose, and you coming to the rescue, all which interrupted a game of Monopoly on the kitchen table.

~Always coming home from Child Time with mom to a bath waiting, and being convinced it was necessary to bathe, not an option as I wished.

~Sitting in the rental office with my own box of all office forms, knowing exactly how to write work order forms mom took and then give to you.

~That cool kid that got to show up at someone's door with Dad to fix something they messed up, again.

~You being jealous I met Hoku and you didn't at Disneyland, all because you had to go potty.

~You trying to nurse Honey back to life after we came home from Disney land to find her pinned under her hamster wheel. She died, but you tried to tell me you gave her a burial and it would be okay.

~Many fish tanks. Salt water. Fresh water. Lobsters. Eels. Fish. And that one eel that jumped out all the time and we would find him on the ground. Gross.

~Fishing, and always giving it to you once the fish was caught to unhook. I was not going to touch it. No way jose.

~Always having to wear a helmet. ALWAYS. Only time I ever got grounded. Michelle told on me. Its okay, it instilled good values for my kids.

~PH testing pools and getting to throw in all kinds of chemicals.

~Chipping a tooth on the pool deck, cutting my heel open in the pool, wasp sting on my butt at the pool, secret pool toy closet, so many pool memories.

~Karaoke and my light box. We were cool, at least then we were...

~Playing on your drum set before I could read.

~Driving the bobcat and helping redo our lake

 

~You reading my history books in college to me because I hated history.

~Off-roading riding on the top of the Hummer with Todd.

~Making movies in the hallway with Natalie while you edited them so we magically appeared.

~Camping with Melissa and you. Getting the tick in my neck, the coyotes at night, the toad in the porta potty.

~Changing my many flat tires in the Focus. Coming to the rescue when the Bug broke down and I was a gimp with my knee immobilizer.

~Making my room in mom's office at our old house, and my cool make shift closet.

~When you hit Dude's cage hanging on the patio with a 2x4 you walked by with opening it and letting him out.

~When we set up a box and string trap to try and lure the canaries back after they got out too.

~ Buying me my Olympus. Sending me on my way to go after my dream of photography.

 

~Chasing Kimba, and opening the car door to get him in, and in the process locking yourself out of the running car now holding out giant dog.

~Big Bertha. Enough said.

~You making sausage with Nono.

 

~Moving me into college, then home, then college, then home, etc.

~Laying in your bed crying and you telling me you would hurt someone if they broke my heart again

~You coming to visit me with the kiddos, and then having to have them all pile in a tow truck on the way home, when the Hummer broke down on the freeway.

~The beach, all day, with grilled cheese and fries from the stand, and then smoothies on the way home.

~Teaching me to surf, and the keys of getting a wetsuit on and off, while wet.

~"If I could say I love you as many times as there are starts in the Milky way I would"

~Saying good-nights across the hall, always including sweet dreams and God bless.

~You and mom comparing bellies when she was prego with Todd.

~Driving me to school when we moved before I was old enough to drive.

~The turd wagon. Ugliest best car ever.

~Water filtration system for 4^th grade science fair. That was freaking amazing.

~Pajama and movie days in mom and dads bed. With lots of junk food and surround sound.

~Getting an email address and making my life complete feeling like I could talk to you while across the globe.

~Giving the infamous names Bambipepe and Jessicaca

~Always finding some way to get us a pool

~Coin collection we started, though I have no idea if that is still at home or long gone.

~Going skateboarding with Todd and realizing you weren't young anymore.

~Recording Mr. Rogers and Reading Rainbow for me while I was home from school for the few weeks after my smashed face healed and all I did was sleep, watch shows on your bed, and eat soup out of a turkey baster.

I am sure there are so many more that I just can't think of right now, but I wanted to say this... Dad, I hope you have a great Father's Day and know I love you so much and these are just some of the many memories I have for you and me. I wouldn't be who I am without you, and I wouldn't have grown up with possible one of the best childhoods, or so I like to think even if I am a bit biased. I wish I could be there with you to celebrate, but I will be home in 9 days!!! My year away is almost over, and I can't wait to see you again and have a giant hug....

I love you dad, as many times as there are stars in the milky way.

I am from Los Angeles. I am all too familiar with black market and knock offs. Wait a minute- let me correct that. I am from Orange County. I am all too familiar with designer labels and outrageous price tags. But you ask me today where I am, it's far from either of those places. I am in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Being a few thousand miles from home you might think things would be different. Sure there are ten times more motorbikes than cars, rice is included in all three meals of a local, there are beautiful places next to slums. I might be across the world, but there is this constant umbrella above it all.

Counterfeit.

Black Market.

No matter what you have you want something more, you want to be someone else. If you can't afford the real thing you take a trip to the fashion district in LA, or here in Cambodia, you buy something anywhere. You see luxury labels on steering wheel covers, and designer labels on classic tshirts. You see isles and isles of purses, shoes, clothes, and yet none of it is worth it. At least, not if you are trying to have the real thing.

So are they trying to have the real thing? Do they even know what the label is? Or to them is it just a bag, or a shirt? It starts to make you wonder. In a place where trash sits along the roads, the streets flood daily with rains and no sewers, and some are lucky to have clothes, do they know they are going for a knock off, a pretend, a counterfeit of something holding a high price?

How many see God this way? How many have a counterfeit relationship with him? Do they really know the high price that has been paid for our salvation and eternal life, or is it a simple prayer some foreigner once told them to say? Is it a relationship where you think you can pay $2 verses $80 like you did on that tshirt, but instead its 3 minutes hearing a worship song over an hour in prayer and reading your Bible?

In Romans 12, Paul talks about personal responsibility and with that how to hold yourself in this world.

"In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other." (Romans 12:6-10, NLT)

Be who you are, who God has created you to be. We have each been made in His image, to His perfect specification, to be exactly who he wanted us to be. He did not make me just like you, and you not just like the person beside you. He wanted you to be original, hand crafted, valued. He didn't make you to be jealous, envious, or desire what you cannot have. He does not want you to become something you are not, to become something that is only a representation of the person you truly are. He didn't create you to be counterfeit.

Be the real thing. Be the real you. Be the person that a high price was paid for. Don't settle for something sold on the back alleys, but become something that is of purity and genuine material. And don't let your relationship with Him become anything less... He is worth more that we can ever imagine, and yet has given Himself to us free, paying the debt in our place. If anything should be paid in full, that's it.

 

Well today's story was the Prodigal Son. We start by reading the story, and then defining any words they did not know. Today's list was extensive, with about 15-20 words on.  The list looked something like this...

Meanwhile

Circumstances

Dire

Famine

Repent

Estate

Inheritance

Promptly

.....

It also included, humility

A word we refer to often, especially in the church and on the World Race. It is a way of life, a means to live to, or so we like to think so anyway.

Yet how do you define it when you want a simple definition, nothing based on circumstance? And at that, you even have a dictionary.

The Oxford American Dictionary defines humility as this: a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness OR lower in dignity or importance.

Somehow, neither of those hit home for us this morning. It was me and Ralph, Nicole was home sick. We spent a good ten minutes trying to give examples, use new words, tell stories, and yet nothing got the point across of what humility really is.

I can't help but feel like after almost 24 years of life, 11 months on the field, and more than enough moments in life to reference, I should be able to tell someone what humility is. But I couldn't. I couldn't give it justice. I couldn't make it out to be all it was intended.

So after asking too many people's definition, and sitting here thinking, I think I have it.

There is no definition.

Words cannot explain it.

You just need to have it.

You just need to walk in it.

You just need to breathe it.

Simple as that.

Noun

1. A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

2. A person or thing that may help save someone.

3. Grounds for believing that something good may happen.

4. A feeling of trust.

Verb

1. Wanting something to happen or be the case.

2. Intend if possible to do something.

A few years ago I went through a rough patch, and hope was all I had... In fact, here is a piece from a journal entry of where I was...

August 2008- "Hope is something that has recently been redefined in my world. Hope to me is currently faith, trust, belief, and assurance that in all things, God will light my path and lead me on. To know that regardless of what the steps behind me may look like, that my future is brighter when my hope is directed towards him. Rather than hoping, in the sense of a positive outcome of a situation, I am trusting. Trusting that God has my heart in His hands. Believing that God knows my hopes for things to come, and will give me the desires of my heart as long as they align with His will. Assurance knowing God is my ultimate comfort, and my only true love. To have HOPE makes life worth living..."

This month has been rough for me, and many of those around me. Being in a place where Christianity isn't easy, ministry is scare, and home is just around the bend, is simply not a fun place to be. Ten months of being on the road, living out of a backpack, and community non-stop has all finally hit. And it didn't just hit, but it hit HARD. Exhaustion has set in, and reality is here. This isn't a fun game. The novelty is l-o-n-g gone. We are all left with infamous question, 'What's next?' There are moments when I've got nothing. Nothing besides a slice of hope.

 

I don't have answers but I do have something; hope.

 I'm going to bring hope, walk in hope, pray with hope, and live having hope...

 

As time passed, so did the lifespan of that grass. The green became less vibrant, and in a few places it began to brown and fade away. The more I watered, the more things flooded. I realized it wasn't in my hands any longer, but that I needed new seed.

For me that seed meant stepping out in faith, trusting that the more I planted, the more I'd reap, and only when He told me the harvest was ripe. That seed was planted in the children of Coleraine, Ireland and the fields of Oknitsa, Moldova. A few more seeds were cast amongst baby food jars in Budapest, Hungary and mosques in Istanbul, Turkey. As the plains of Israel watered the crop and filled me up, my Jordan River baptism provided a much-needed downpour. After a few more seeds thrown to the Watoto children in Kampala, Uganda and mixed in with the concrete in Kitale, Kenya, it was time for another round of rain. A few days of Him, the Nile, and me. After the planting of spring seeds to the kiddos in Mwanza, Tanzania and cinderblock in Nong Bua Bong, Thailand, He is telling me, the harvest, my harvest, is almost here. 

It is blossoming, and the fields are full, but despite the masses of fruit, the workers are always in lack. I don't want to be one of those. I want to be present and ready, regardless of the day or the hour. I want to be on guard, prepared, and dressed to meet the King. I want my time to matter.

Would you live differently?

Would you treat others with more love?

Would you do everything you could to make His name known?

...... Or would you sit back with your latte on Facebook, knowing your daily reading can happen later and this air conditioner just feels to darn good......