http://laurenjbeads.blogspot.com/
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
custom color jewelry- check it.
turquoise and blue (already sold- but can make one similar)
..........................................................................
gold and black-(already sold- but can make one similar)
gold and black-(already sold- but can make one similar)
more at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurenj117
email @ jmukes@sbcglobal.net to request custom colors!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
it means we've made it baby...
it's been a while. partly because i have actually been somewhat busy and partly because i have been lazy in keeping up with the blog. few short updates:
***put in an application for Starbucks on Monday, got a call for an interview Tuesday, and i have an interview MONDAY!! woot. it is a bit further than what i want to drive, but i'll take it right now!
***sold my first necklace on Etsy! thank you Juliana Shepherd. please buy some pieces (i take requests and customize colors!) : http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurenj117
***the Lord continues to provide financially in ways i am never expecting.
***got to help out with a MI week and work with one of my favorite churches from last year.
***the guitar FINALLY SOLD! praise :]
..................................................................
i'm working with RtW (Rebuilding the Wall -www.rebuildingthewall.org) again! One of Shelley's interns had to quit and I am filling in...and loving it!! the past two months have been so hard trying to figure out how to relax and take care of myself when all i want to do is take care of other people and work on some big project. the Lord is allowing me the opportunity to do both, since i only go in a few days a week.
i cannot describe how good it has been to be back in the city. i am dying out in the 'burbs. *[[one thing i love, driving downtown in the midst of brokenness and dirt, and seeing someone having a garden in the front yard, or kids playing outside. good stuff]]* the economic disparity in the area is crazy. you go down one block and there are boarded up houses, trash and brokenness everywhere, but you turn the corner and go down another block and there are mowed lawns, houses looking nice. for one of the projects i am working on, i had to go deliver a letter asking for donations to a cute little cafe- very nice. across the street was an old, broken-down liquor store. such contrast again, within just feet of each other.
we learned last year that difference is due to home ownership or lack thereof. the 'trashy' looking blocks are due to lack of home ownership and people renting homes- they take no ownership or pride in their home because it is not theirs. the 'nice' blocks have people who own their own home and care about what it looks like.
RtW stabilizes and empowers low-income families by renovating vacant inner city properties and giving the families the opportunity for homeownership; They combat social injustice by building relationships across racial and socio-economic barriers; and stabilize community by the recycling of assets within the neighborhood. [[Asset Based Community Development and racial reconciliation- LOVE IT. my kinda place]]
so, as part of my 'fill-in intern' duties, i had to fill out contact information for our new families. as i was looking through the file, i found a sheet with a question,
"what does homeownership mean to you?" the lady who answered it wrote a full page, describing how it meant that they could take pride in something, that they had something to be responsible for, that her and her husband could set a good example for
their kids. as the end it said in capital letters..."IT MEANS WE'VE MADE IT BABY." i got teary eyed. the prospect of homeownership for people who have never had much to call their own is huge.
RtW will build homes for single/low-income families. when they come to RtW, they are put into a 'program' (RtW calls them opportunities- which i love) that helps the individuals get out of debt. the families also have to give 6-8 hours of volunteer work to RtW a month. while all this is going on, the house appraisesabove market value, but they are able to sell the house for less to the family, so their is equity in the house also. this is usually a year or two process.
i started volunteering with RtW back in the fall of 2008 doing girl's Bible study and at the time, there was a mother and daughter (who was in my class) who were working towards
homeownership and in the program. i recently heard that she decided to quit the program. this amazing mother would get up at 6:00 am, get ready, take her kids to school, go to work,pick her kids up, take them to after-school activities, coach basketball, get dinner for her kids, take them to their grandparent's house, she would do people's hair for extra money,take the kids home, do some extra stuff she couldn't do during the crazy day, go to bed, and then start all over the next day. all while still needing to volunteer, and working towards homeownership. i can't imagine how hard those days would be for her, let alone doing all kinds of other stuff as well.no wonder she couldn't stay in the program. the thing is that homeownership offers stability, a community, resources, neighbors- stuff that does not come with always having to move to make rent or get extra jobs. but it is such a long, hard road to get there.
i am excited to be able to help plan some things for Rtw. Our 2nd annual women's retreat for our amazing single mom's. God is just too funny because the theme of the retreat is "Balance"- and taking time for yourself- learning to relax. BAHAHAHAHAH. how the heck am i supposed to plan something like this for our mom's if i can't even do it myself. literally- God is making me strong in this huge weakness. i am so glad
to be able to plan it because these ladies need it so bad. a couple things have caught my eye: "if Jesus took time for himself to be with God- how much more do i need to do that?!" " in the busyness- what is the first thing to go -time with God?" "it takes time for the fruit of the spirit to blossom and grow in our lives."
the Lord. he is teaching and working and providing.
i am also planning stuff for CCDA. two macro social work projects- it's wonderful. i am starting to feel like myself again!
random scattered thoughts. more to come. get to see some of my THUGGS this weekend! :)
***put in an application for Starbucks on Monday, got a call for an interview Tuesday, and i have an interview MONDAY!! woot. it is a bit further than what i want to drive, but i'll take it right now!
***sold my first necklace on Etsy! thank you Juliana Shepherd. please buy some pieces (i take requests and customize colors!) : http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurenj117
***the Lord continues to provide financially in ways i am never expecting.
***got to help out with a MI week and work with one of my favorite churches from last year.
***the guitar FINALLY SOLD! praise :]
..................................................................
i'm working with RtW (Rebuilding the Wall -www.rebuildingthewall.org) again! One of Shelley's interns had to quit and I am filling in...and loving it!! the past two months have been so hard trying to figure out how to relax and take care of myself when all i want to do is take care of other people and work on some big project. the Lord is allowing me the opportunity to do both, since i only go in a few days a week.
i cannot describe how good it has been to be back in the city. i am dying out in the 'burbs. *[[one thing i love, driving downtown in the midst of brokenness and dirt, and seeing someone having a garden in the front yard, or kids playing outside. good stuff]]* the economic disparity in the area is crazy. you go down one block and there are boarded up houses, trash and brokenness everywhere, but you turn the corner and go down another block and there are mowed lawns, houses looking nice. for one of the projects i am working on, i had to go deliver a letter asking for donations to a cute little cafe- very nice. across the street was an old, broken-down liquor store. such contrast again, within just feet of each other.
we learned last year that difference is due to home ownership or lack thereof. the 'trashy' looking blocks are due to lack of home ownership and people renting homes- they take no ownership or pride in their home because it is not theirs. the 'nice' blocks have people who own their own home and care about what it looks like.
RtW stabilizes and empowers low-income families by renovating vacant inner city properties and giving the families the opportunity for homeownership; They combat social injustice by building relationships across racial and socio-economic barriers; and stabilize community by the recycling of assets within the neighborhood. [[Asset Based Community Development and racial reconciliation- LOVE IT. my kinda place]]
so, as part of my 'fill-in intern' duties, i had to fill out contact information for our new families. as i was looking through the file, i found a sheet with a question,
"what does homeownership mean to you?" the lady who answered it wrote a full page, describing how it meant that they could take pride in something, that they had something to be responsible for, that her and her husband could set a good example for
their kids. as the end it said in capital letters..."IT MEANS WE'VE MADE IT BABY." i got teary eyed. the prospect of homeownership for people who have never had much to call their own is huge.
RtW will build homes for single/low-income families. when they come to RtW, they are put into a 'program' (RtW calls them opportunities- which i love) that helps the individuals get out of debt. the families also have to give 6-8 hours of volunteer work to RtW a month. while all this is going on, the house appraisesabove market value, but they are able to sell the house for less to the family, so their is equity in the house also. this is usually a year or two process.
i started volunteering with RtW back in the fall of 2008 doing girl's Bible study and at the time, there was a mother and daughter (who was in my class) who were working towards
homeownership and in the program. i recently heard that she decided to quit the program. this amazing mother would get up at 6:00 am, get ready, take her kids to school, go to work,pick her kids up, take them to after-school activities, coach basketball, get dinner for her kids, take them to their grandparent's house, she would do people's hair for extra money,take the kids home, do some extra stuff she couldn't do during the crazy day, go to bed, and then start all over the next day. all while still needing to volunteer, and working towards homeownership. i can't imagine how hard those days would be for her, let alone doing all kinds of other stuff as well.no wonder she couldn't stay in the program. the thing is that homeownership offers stability, a community, resources, neighbors- stuff that does not come with always having to move to make rent or get extra jobs. but it is such a long, hard road to get there.
i am excited to be able to help plan some things for Rtw. Our 2nd annual women's retreat for our amazing single mom's. God is just too funny because the theme of the retreat is "Balance"- and taking time for yourself- learning to relax. BAHAHAHAHAH. how the heck am i supposed to plan something like this for our mom's if i can't even do it myself. literally- God is making me strong in this huge weakness. i am so glad
to be able to plan it because these ladies need it so bad. a couple things have caught my eye: "if Jesus took time for himself to be with God- how much more do i need to do that?!" " in the busyness- what is the first thing to go -time with God?" "it takes time for the fruit of the spirit to blossom and grow in our lives."
the Lord. he is teaching and working and providing.
i am also planning stuff for CCDA. two macro social work projects- it's wonderful. i am starting to feel like myself again!
random scattered thoughts. more to come. get to see some of my THUGGS this weekend! :)
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