Wow. It's been a long time since I've written anything. To those who might check this blog...here's something new.
I've been in the US for 4 months now after leaving Ghana. I have probably packed on 10 pounds per month that I've been here or maybe it's true that the dryer really does shrink your clothes! Either way, everything seems to be tighter these days.
It's fall. I can't believe how beautiful the weather is! Oh I love Mississippi. I think I said a million times while I was in Ghana how much I love Mississippi and here are a few reasons why:(no particular order!)
birds singing outside my window (now I know a lot of people say they like to hear birds and it's a bit cliche when you first read this sentence, but I'm talking about these birds are AMAZING soft and gentle....it's wonderful)
the coolness of fall especially in the morning when you're cozy in the bed and there's no air conditioning on- it's just natural coolness!(especially if you can lay in bed and read for a while!)
sitting on the couch with my family just hanging out being goofy (or watching dancing with the Stars....which my mom is addicted to)
family game night- beating my 6 year old nephew in cards!! (i'm not one of those who let's kids win!....is that mean?)
cooking in my mom's kitchen that has EVERY appliance known to man-and every ingredient
riding with the windows and sunroof down in my car at night smelling the 'mississippi' smell and singing at the top of my lungs :)
sitting under the big oak at my grandmother and aunts house (ooh cards, napping, talking...staring out into space or daydreaming...all fun to do!)
riding four wheelers in the pasture
chicken salad wraps at Peppers Deli (oh a little taste of heaven)
BARQS ROOTBEER!!!!!! (i don't care what you say...mug, ibc...don't compare!)
sour cream and onion lays potato chips (there's a food theme here, this could take a while!)
interstates
tap water
dryers - dryer dried towels
endless hot water (ok....those are more like america than native to just mississippi....but still...wonderful)
reliable shipping (my camera just broke and it was so easy to ship it off)
i should probably come up with a top ten list...
Well. I'm just dusting off the webs on my fingertips, I hope to get more disciplined so I can actually share some thoughts of what's been going on in my mind. I haven't blogged probably because I've had some really rough days, however there's been some amazing days too. I suppose that's life. But I do want to focus on the beauty and positive aspects today, after all, our will of positivity I think goes a long way on how our day is shaped.
For now
margaret
10.14.2008
4.20.2008
listen. it's harder than you think.
to listen is really an art i think. you have those people who will indeed ask you a question, but in the end they're not truly interested in what you really have to say. and by that i mean able to come out of their views and concepts to try and learn where you're really coming from and what you're actually trying to say. this would mean they would need to spend some time learning your experiences and trying to 'step into your shoes' as best as possible. which also would require someone who was capable of bringing you into their life in such a manner. but really it takes a lot of work to be a good listener. one who can indeed step out of themselves, pay and care enough to try and understand where you're coming from and then actively participate with their mind to what you're sharing. these people i believe are truly hard to come by.
i think i'm starting to realize the need for this kind of listener the closer i get to going back to america. i haven't really seen anything too hard living in Ghana, but going back to people who don't want to see outside of the world they live in i think will be draining and probably where most of the reverse culture shock will come in. i learned a great application to some scripture the other day. one of the people who came to ghana last week shared a passage out of 2 corinthians. basically when we can die to ourselves we give life to others. if we want to live for ourselves then we give death to others to experience a brief moment of life and in the end our brief moment of life, is death to ourselves in our hearts. i'm thinking of this in the realm of listening. if one asks you 'how was xyz?' and they don't really pay attention, the most basic response is probably hurt feelings. i'll say basic for me. i try and listen to others, so i really think it's proper to try and listen to me! but not everybody is interested. so then the hurt feelings come in. now i have a choice. either get mad someone doesn't want to spend their time listening about places and people they've never met, or i can forgive knowing full well i've probably been less than an active listener a couple times in my life. i should probably then take note that i want to change and try and be a good listener for those who need some ripe ears.
i truly want to be a good listener. the more God grows a passion in my heart for documentaries the more He grows this desire to listen to others.
but o how my patience wanes trying to listen to God. selfishly i want someone who wants to listen to me and herein lies an easy idol to create. looking for someone other than Jesus to listen to me. i know in my head he wants to hear from me. every detail i can stand to share. but yet, i crave that of a human who wants to listen. currently i live with one of the best listeners i've ever seen. i will miss that. she truly has a gift. it will be interesting to see how this plays out in america. and i feel as if i'm toying on the err of selfishness wanting someone who will listen to me. i know we are hardwired for others we are created for community, but there must be a balance. i'm eager to see how to balance the desire to talk with someone who cares and being filled by my Father who always listens.
the balance of life.
i think i'm starting to realize the need for this kind of listener the closer i get to going back to america. i haven't really seen anything too hard living in Ghana, but going back to people who don't want to see outside of the world they live in i think will be draining and probably where most of the reverse culture shock will come in. i learned a great application to some scripture the other day. one of the people who came to ghana last week shared a passage out of 2 corinthians. basically when we can die to ourselves we give life to others. if we want to live for ourselves then we give death to others to experience a brief moment of life and in the end our brief moment of life, is death to ourselves in our hearts. i'm thinking of this in the realm of listening. if one asks you 'how was xyz?' and they don't really pay attention, the most basic response is probably hurt feelings. i'll say basic for me. i try and listen to others, so i really think it's proper to try and listen to me! but not everybody is interested. so then the hurt feelings come in. now i have a choice. either get mad someone doesn't want to spend their time listening about places and people they've never met, or i can forgive knowing full well i've probably been less than an active listener a couple times in my life. i should probably then take note that i want to change and try and be a good listener for those who need some ripe ears.
i truly want to be a good listener. the more God grows a passion in my heart for documentaries the more He grows this desire to listen to others.
but o how my patience wanes trying to listen to God. selfishly i want someone who wants to listen to me and herein lies an easy idol to create. looking for someone other than Jesus to listen to me. i know in my head he wants to hear from me. every detail i can stand to share. but yet, i crave that of a human who wants to listen. currently i live with one of the best listeners i've ever seen. i will miss that. she truly has a gift. it will be interesting to see how this plays out in america. and i feel as if i'm toying on the err of selfishness wanting someone who will listen to me. i know we are hardwired for others we are created for community, but there must be a balance. i'm eager to see how to balance the desire to talk with someone who cares and being filled by my Father who always listens.
the balance of life.
3.24.2008
easter.
well in my hiatus of writing i've actually been quite busy. this past weekend was amazing. three friends of mine (erin, john and suzanne) and i ventured to the volta to enjoy it's amazing scenery and serenity. and it was just that and more. mountain paradise, for those who don't know, is an amazing retreat place. the modest hostel/guesthouse accomodations sit at the foot of Mount Gemi Range. that means nothing to you if you've never been there or don't know ghana so i'll give you a mental image. picture yourself on the top of a mountain (i am from mississippi so i consider this a mountain, not a foothill) with various types of palms, mangos, pepper and probably a couple other types of trees. this is thick foliage too. so you have nice shade in most parts. during the day you'll be suprised by a thunderstorm rolling in over the mountains. as you catch a glimpse of the rain falling at an interesting angle because of the force of the wind you to take in the smell of rain filling your lungs with fresh air and it reminds you you're indeed far away from the two million people causing traffic jams in accra and you relax.
at night it's so cool you actually brought a long sleeve shirt that had to be dusted off when you took it out of the closet. o but to sit outside with no mosquitos buzzing around your ears and enjoy the depth of darkness because there's no electricity is refreshing and peaceful. unfortunetly during this visit the stars were hiding since the clouds accompanied the rain. but i've been there when it's clear at night. wow. romantic. did i mention that the owner, tony, has employed the best ghanaian cook in ghana. i'm serious. and i've eaten all over the country.
so sunday morning was easter sunday and the four of us were able to chill together. talk about God's Word and worship in a setting that so easily reminds you of God's majesty and might. so when i say this weekend was amazing. i'm really not exagerating...for those who really know me!
now this weekend was in an effort to really focus on relaxing as it's about to be really busy around here until may. i'm getting more and more excited about my friends coming in two weeks from my home church. we're going to have a blast hanging out in the north. and i have to add how excited i am that anna, who was one of my close girlfriends in tupelo, is coming. i'm excited to have her come and see life and what it's been like for me for the past two years.
but before the come- i leave tomorrow headed to sandema, chiana in the upper east. if you checked out the video about the upper east flooding last year we're headed up to do a follow up story and see if aid has been distributed and catch some stories of people in the extreme rural areas. usually those who are the hardest to reach because of their distance from a village center. i love chiana. it's a quaint village and last time we were there we met some stellar men and women. it will be nice to see them again and be able to work with them. stephen alampong, appeared in the first flooding video, sherri, from SIM and I will go walking into the bush and try to make it to some of these rural houses to get their stories. we'll see how it goes.
we return on friday then saturday i will help film for a project that's going to the UK. it's the marriage course video being filmed in several countries in hopes to be more international with other worldviews of marriage than just the west. should be a good time.
then tuesday my friends from the states come and we get to spend a week up in bole hanging with our friends in the methodist church ghana and the commumities surrounding bole.
after they leave. actually the day after. i go back up north to continue filming for a documentary with TheoVIsion. I'll have to write a seperate entry for that!!! very interesting....
so there's a little update on the life of me here in ghana...
:)
mb
at night it's so cool you actually brought a long sleeve shirt that had to be dusted off when you took it out of the closet. o but to sit outside with no mosquitos buzzing around your ears and enjoy the depth of darkness because there's no electricity is refreshing and peaceful. unfortunetly during this visit the stars were hiding since the clouds accompanied the rain. but i've been there when it's clear at night. wow. romantic. did i mention that the owner, tony, has employed the best ghanaian cook in ghana. i'm serious. and i've eaten all over the country.
so sunday morning was easter sunday and the four of us were able to chill together. talk about God's Word and worship in a setting that so easily reminds you of God's majesty and might. so when i say this weekend was amazing. i'm really not exagerating...for those who really know me!
now this weekend was in an effort to really focus on relaxing as it's about to be really busy around here until may. i'm getting more and more excited about my friends coming in two weeks from my home church. we're going to have a blast hanging out in the north. and i have to add how excited i am that anna, who was one of my close girlfriends in tupelo, is coming. i'm excited to have her come and see life and what it's been like for me for the past two years.
but before the come- i leave tomorrow headed to sandema, chiana in the upper east. if you checked out the video about the upper east flooding last year we're headed up to do a follow up story and see if aid has been distributed and catch some stories of people in the extreme rural areas. usually those who are the hardest to reach because of their distance from a village center. i love chiana. it's a quaint village and last time we were there we met some stellar men and women. it will be nice to see them again and be able to work with them. stephen alampong, appeared in the first flooding video, sherri, from SIM and I will go walking into the bush and try to make it to some of these rural houses to get their stories. we'll see how it goes.
we return on friday then saturday i will help film for a project that's going to the UK. it's the marriage course video being filmed in several countries in hopes to be more international with other worldviews of marriage than just the west. should be a good time.
then tuesday my friends from the states come and we get to spend a week up in bole hanging with our friends in the methodist church ghana and the commumities surrounding bole.
after they leave. actually the day after. i go back up north to continue filming for a documentary with TheoVIsion. I'll have to write a seperate entry for that!!! very interesting....
so there's a little update on the life of me here in ghana...
:)
mb
2.24.2008
top 10 random.....hum
so i've been tagged for the 10 most random facts eh! well i don't know if these would count as random, but we'll try none the less
1. i sold books door to door in Wisconsin in the summer of 2000. they said it was an internship. um. not really.
2. i worked with espn in the press box when i was in college. i was a broadcasting major.
3. i've had a five minute conversation with morgan freeman in cleveland, ms. and i didn't have my camera. my friend gary was really mad at me for forgetting it. :)
4. i just counted it up and i've had 18 roommates since my freshman year of college.
5. i've also lived in 19 different houses/apartments (not including that little stint moving to wisconsin for 3 weeks to sell books door to door.) :)
6. i only like to sleep on down pillows. and i ALWAYS travel with my pillow. except once when i backpacked the Volta region in ghana. there was no space. but my pillow has been to russia! i get this from my grandmom, nanaw. she takes hers everywhere too.
7. i've flown a two seater plane for about five minutes before i really freaked out that the pilot wouldn't take that joy stick thing back under control.
8. i've sat in a blackhawk and was amazed at all the buttons. so many buttons. i love buttons.
9. i've dipped skoal. ok. maybe not too random. i am from mississippi :)
10. we used to go cut down our own christmas trees when i lived in madison, ms. we would take my sisters horse and my dad would rig it up so dawny buck, the horse, would carry the 12 foot plus tree back to our house some 2/3 miles away :). also my dad would always cut it down with one of those really hold hand saws with the center cut out. seems like it was hard work :)
i don't know if these are what i would qualify as my most random, but i think they will suffice as of right now. thanks tates for the tag :)
1. i sold books door to door in Wisconsin in the summer of 2000. they said it was an internship. um. not really.
2. i worked with espn in the press box when i was in college. i was a broadcasting major.
3. i've had a five minute conversation with morgan freeman in cleveland, ms. and i didn't have my camera. my friend gary was really mad at me for forgetting it. :)
4. i just counted it up and i've had 18 roommates since my freshman year of college.
5. i've also lived in 19 different houses/apartments (not including that little stint moving to wisconsin for 3 weeks to sell books door to door.) :)
6. i only like to sleep on down pillows. and i ALWAYS travel with my pillow. except once when i backpacked the Volta region in ghana. there was no space. but my pillow has been to russia! i get this from my grandmom, nanaw. she takes hers everywhere too.
7. i've flown a two seater plane for about five minutes before i really freaked out that the pilot wouldn't take that joy stick thing back under control.
8. i've sat in a blackhawk and was amazed at all the buttons. so many buttons. i love buttons.
9. i've dipped skoal. ok. maybe not too random. i am from mississippi :)
10. we used to go cut down our own christmas trees when i lived in madison, ms. we would take my sisters horse and my dad would rig it up so dawny buck, the horse, would carry the 12 foot plus tree back to our house some 2/3 miles away :). also my dad would always cut it down with one of those really hold hand saws with the center cut out. seems like it was hard work :)
i don't know if these are what i would qualify as my most random, but i think they will suffice as of right now. thanks tates for the tag :)
2.22.2008
friends coming to learn.
just wanted to say that my home church is coming back in april and i've linked the people who are coming to my site....check em out and if you want to support their efforts....well you can figure out how to do it :)
check out anna and russ's blog, the teams blog where joel and his family make posts and mark and melissa's blog!!!!
check out anna and russ's blog, the teams blog where joel and his family make posts and mark and melissa's blog!!!!
2.20.2008
a little bit of everything
I love when nouns become verbs. Such as .... I'm going to blog now or hey facebook me. Our ever changing art of communication seems to create a vocab of its own eh?
I'm blogging not out of duty but purely to dedicate this one to a friend here in Ghana who said the other day, "some people don't blog anymore...." :) so here's to you!!!!
I do love a blank page. Wide open space to let the thoughts and expressions inside flow freely....what do I want to say???? hum....
I think one part of communicating that is so hard is the amount that happens to us in any given day. And do we deem that blog worthy? Or is it relatively 'normal' and we feel as if to blog wouldn't be needed? I guess that is the gloryesness of being a blogger...to each his own of considering what is and isn't blog a riffic.
So today I'm at the Mozleys house wrapping up one week of playing 'mom/tatum/rebecca' I have had several people ask me how being 'tatum' has been this week....so Tates if you're reading this....you have indeed made an impression in Ghana :) I won't tell you what else they said ;) wink wink. Just kidding.
This past week has been busy and I've realized the amount of organization it takes to run a household. The first 'day on the job' was getting everybody a list of what needed to be done....but I had to figure out what needed to be done and never having to had figure that out took some time. I think learning the patterns, likes and dislikes of other people is interesting, enjoyable and a tad exhausting.
I would say this past week for me has been great. I've seen the amount of energy the interns pour into helping the Mozleys and the amount of energy Claire and Micheal dole out....and we didn't have the revolving door of people coming through like they usually have!!!
Maggie, Luke and Anna are some of the coolest and most well behaved kids I've ever seen so hanging with them was fun. Well most of the time....sometimes the mornings getting out of the door were a little um....what's the word.....rushed?
Sitting with Smags last night working on Algebra brought back so many memories of my High school days. I was/am a procrastinator and for the most part it works well for me. I thrive on deadlines and actually this year n I've noticed, for me, no deadlines equals being less productive! Of course there's got to be a healthy balance....of procrastination that is.
As I sit at my computer I'm working on several items at one time. At this very moment I'm uploading video to youtube, working on a flyer for Race for Relief (a triathlon some friends and I are creating), researching prices for Final Cut Pro books because I've been asked to teach a course, calling contacts about a DVCAM I found to rent for a shoot for the Marriage Course (they are re filming an international leaders dvd and the contacts here asked me to consult with Ghana/London)and just finished studying material for our small group that started meeting on Thursday nights. We're doing Beth Moore's Jesus the One and Only study. And all of the sudden I'm overwhelmed with these thoughts...
In part of the study we are looking at how after the Angel Gabriel came to Mary to tell her she would indeed be the Lord's mother and how in Luke 1:48 she says humbly maybe out of shock .... not pride...."from now on all generations will call me blessed..." i think she was in such shock to be looked upon by God because she was a peasant girl. Nobody extravegant. An ordinary plain and simple person God decided to use :) I just love that and it made me smile this morning as I'm sitting in Ghana, living out a life that seems at some points too amazing to be living. I'm so thankful today. I hope I continue to be amazed and joyful even during the hard moments.
This is indeed a smorgeshboard (i have no idea how to spell that...but that looks good) of my thoughts. Freely flowing....:)
margaret
I'm blogging not out of duty but purely to dedicate this one to a friend here in Ghana who said the other day, "some people don't blog anymore...." :) so here's to you!!!!
I do love a blank page. Wide open space to let the thoughts and expressions inside flow freely....what do I want to say???? hum....
I think one part of communicating that is so hard is the amount that happens to us in any given day. And do we deem that blog worthy? Or is it relatively 'normal' and we feel as if to blog wouldn't be needed? I guess that is the gloryesness of being a blogger...to each his own of considering what is and isn't blog a riffic.
So today I'm at the Mozleys house wrapping up one week of playing 'mom/tatum/rebecca' I have had several people ask me how being 'tatum' has been this week....so Tates if you're reading this....you have indeed made an impression in Ghana :) I won't tell you what else they said ;) wink wink. Just kidding.
This past week has been busy and I've realized the amount of organization it takes to run a household. The first 'day on the job' was getting everybody a list of what needed to be done....but I had to figure out what needed to be done and never having to had figure that out took some time. I think learning the patterns, likes and dislikes of other people is interesting, enjoyable and a tad exhausting.
I would say this past week for me has been great. I've seen the amount of energy the interns pour into helping the Mozleys and the amount of energy Claire and Micheal dole out....and we didn't have the revolving door of people coming through like they usually have!!!
Maggie, Luke and Anna are some of the coolest and most well behaved kids I've ever seen so hanging with them was fun. Well most of the time....sometimes the mornings getting out of the door were a little um....what's the word.....rushed?
Sitting with Smags last night working on Algebra brought back so many memories of my High school days. I was/am a procrastinator and for the most part it works well for me. I thrive on deadlines and actually this year n I've noticed, for me, no deadlines equals being less productive! Of course there's got to be a healthy balance....of procrastination that is.
As I sit at my computer I'm working on several items at one time. At this very moment I'm uploading video to youtube, working on a flyer for Race for Relief (a triathlon some friends and I are creating), researching prices for Final Cut Pro books because I've been asked to teach a course, calling contacts about a DVCAM I found to rent for a shoot for the Marriage Course (they are re filming an international leaders dvd and the contacts here asked me to consult with Ghana/London)and just finished studying material for our small group that started meeting on Thursday nights. We're doing Beth Moore's Jesus the One and Only study. And all of the sudden I'm overwhelmed with these thoughts...
In part of the study we are looking at how after the Angel Gabriel came to Mary to tell her she would indeed be the Lord's mother and how in Luke 1:48 she says humbly maybe out of shock .... not pride...."from now on all generations will call me blessed..." i think she was in such shock to be looked upon by God because she was a peasant girl. Nobody extravegant. An ordinary plain and simple person God decided to use :) I just love that and it made me smile this morning as I'm sitting in Ghana, living out a life that seems at some points too amazing to be living. I'm so thankful today. I hope I continue to be amazed and joyful even during the hard moments.
This is indeed a smorgeshboard (i have no idea how to spell that...but that looks good) of my thoughts. Freely flowing....:)
margaret
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