Sarah

Sarah.

It’s my name.  It comes from the Bible.

Sarah was the wife of Abraham.  God told Abraham that he would be the father of a nation…that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky.  Sarah believed God in the beginning, but soon, she grew older, past her childbearing years, and she stopped believing.  It just seemed impossible that a woman her age would bear a child.  She displayed her lack of faith when she arranged for her servant to have Abraham’s child because she didn't believe she herself would be able to.  More proof of her disbelief came years later.  When God sent messengers to tell Abraham that Sarah would give birth to a son within the year, Sarah laughed.  She thought it ridiculous.  Impossible.  Yet within a year, she did indeed have a son, who God instructed her to call Isaac…it means “laughter”.

Instead of being patient and trusting, Sarah panicked that God would not fulfill his promise.  It seemed impossible, laughable even, that she could give birth at her age (she was 90 years old) and she took matters into her own hands.  Ishmael, the son born to Abraham and Sarah's slave, Hagar, would be a source of pain and bitterness in Sarah's life.  Not only that, but her actions, and the resulting birth of Ishmael, would bring about a conflict that continues to rage to this day over Israel. 

 

Those are some pretty hefty consequences. 

Sometimes, I find myself not believing.  Sometimes, I begin to panic (like, I can feel the fight or flight response start kicking in…seriously!). Perhaps it comes with the name.  Maybe, as a “Sarah”, it is my predestined lot to struggle with the burden of anxious waiting and doubting (and melodrama, apparently).  Or maybe it’s just that I’m human.  The bible is full of people like Sarah.  And so is history since the bible was written.  I’m sure we’ve all grown impatient with God’s timing at one time or another.  Well, take heart, we can glean some valuable lessons from the Biblical Sarah: 

   What God says He will do, He will do.  

  God’s timing, and His will, are superior to our own.  

   And nothing is too difficult for God

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, 

and in his word I put my hope.” Psalm 130:5 

#18 Buy a goat for a family in a third world country

I started out planning on buying a goat for a family in third world country through Samaritan’s Purse.  I get their catalog every year that is full of items you can purchase for people in developing countries. 

         But, I went to a Women of Faith conference and God changed my plans.  Instead of buying a one time gift for someone, I decided to “adopt” a child.  World Vision is an organization that matches up people who want to help with children who desperately need it.  They provide food, medicine, and an education using monthly donations.  They also share with them the love of Christ.

         During a break at the Women of Faith conference, I perused the World Vision tables full of beautiful children, ranging from a few months old to late teens, all in need of help, each of them someone's child.  I found a little girl named Asnaku from Ethiopia.  She was 7 at the time.  She lives with her mother, a sister, and a brother in a community that is severely affected by the HIV and AIDS crisis.  Her mother is a farmer, but struggles to provide for her kids.  In the photo, her clothes were dirty and she had a necklace made of a pepsi can tab top.  She had big, beautiful brown eyes, but she wasn’t smiling. 

         I filled out the paperwork necessary to become Asnaku’s sponsor.  It was as simple as writing down my address and my debit card number.  Each month, $37 is withdrawn from my account automatically and sent to World Vision, which they use to meet Asnaku’s basic needs. 

This $37 means the world to Asnaku.   Honestly, I don’t even notice it’s gone.  This $37 is how much we may spend going to dinner and a movie on a Friday night.  Ten drinks at Starbucks.  One third of a designer pair of jeans.  To Asnaku, it’s food, clothes, and medicine.   

Asnaku and I have sent a few letters back and forth, translated of course, by World Vision workers.  I was able to “throw” her a birthday party when she turned 8.  As a part of my list of 31 things to do, I sent a $100 gift to her family for Christmas.  World Vision workers in Ethiopia met with Asnaku’s family and decided how it would be best spent.  They bought seeds for their next crop, food, clothing, and shoes. 

I got a letter a few weeks ago from Asnaku, along with a photo, thanking me for the gift.  Here is some of her letter:

“Thank you so much for your nice gift which you have sent me through World Vision.   These created in me a special feeling and joy, so much indeed.  Not only me, but also all of my family, friends, and relatives are always so happy because of you and would like to thank you.  They all say prayers for your health and peaceful life as well.  As for me, I really love you so much indeed and think of you often….I am so happy and proud of you and that I am your daughter here in Ethiopia.  I am sure you will be so excited looking at the photo of me and my gift.” 

Isn’t she so sweet? The photo is of Asnaku and her mother standing next to two large sacks of seeds....and they're smiling.  

In America, it is hard to imagine that the majority of mankind lives so very differently than us.  My aunt and uncle are on a mission trip in Tanzania right now.  I was reading my aunt’s journal yesterday and she shared about a bible study she taught.   When she asked a group of ladies what their fears were, their responses were hunger, disease, and death…all of which are a very real part of their lives. 

I think about how difficult it would be, as a parent, to see your child dying of hunger, or of a treatable disease, and know that there were people living the way we Americans do.  I don’t have children, but I can imagine the desperation I would feel if my niece or nephews were malnourished or dying of malaria.  I would want someone, somewhere, to do something to help.  I know that my $37 isn’t much.  It doesn’t even begin to make a dent, a dimple, in the problem of poverty and hunger in the world.  But it has made a difference for Asnaku, my Ethiopian daughter.

 “Love your neighbor as yourself.  

There is no commandment greater than these.”

                                                               -Jesus (Mark 12:31)

If you want to adopt a child, or if you want to help with a one-time gift, visit www.worldvision.org

#7 Go Fishing

 Patience is a virtue.

This is true in fishing, and in life.

Steph

I’m not much of a fisherman...and I'm not very patient.    

My cousin Stephanie, however, who I attended school with from kindergarten through high school, is, and she volunteered to take me fishing!  I borrowed a pole from my nephew, bought a fishing license, and Stephanie and I headed to the river on my 31^st birthday.

Most people drink beer while they fish, but I don’t care for the stuff, so I brought root beer…and of course, snacks.  Stephanie brought the bait...stinky stuff!  It was a beautiful January afternoon and we had a great spot on the river.  

Casting

Waiting

We were out there for a couple of hours, casting and waiting, waiting and casting.  We didn’t catch any fish.  Fortunately, we enjoyed the brisk weather and the sun setting behind us.  It was also time for a very overdue catch-up on each other's lives.  If I’d been out there alone, I don’t think I would have lasted very long...  

....because I’m not very patient.  When waiting for (what I deem) too long, I tend to start asking questions like,

      “Will I ever catch a fish?”

               

                           “God, why haven’t you sent me a fish yet?”

                         

              “Why has everyone else caught a fish but me?”

                                                  

                                                “Where are all the single fish?”

           (Hopefully you’ve figured out that I’m now using fishing as a metaphor...Jesus did it, too!)

The view

Waiting is hard.  Especially when everyone in your life has caught their fish and you’re still waiting for yours.  Maybe your “fish” is a new job.  Maybe it’s a new house.  Maybe it’s a baby.  Whatever your fish, waiting for it is hard.  

Keep casting and waiting, and in the meantime, enjoy the view, the people you’re with, the lessons God has to teach you along the way, and cling to hope that you'll catch "the big one" when His timing is right.     

I’m clinging…barely, but I am. 

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, 

and in His word I put my hope.”

                                           Psalm 130:5

Thirty Two Things to do While I'm Thirty Two

I'm starting my last full week of being thirty-one and finishing up my list of thirty-one things to do.  And so, I've been researching, pondering, and formulating my newest list...for year 32.  If you see anything you'd like to do with me or can help me with, let me know!  Here it is:

1. Do something from my pinterest "I Want To Do This" board

2. Go treasure hunting for gems

3. Shoot bubba's bow

4. Make pepper jelly

5. Paint by number

6. Pottery: Throw or paint

7. Go on a picnic

8. Get a bike rack for my car

9. Host a party

10. Make cake pops

11. Make soap

12. Drive to the ocean for a day

13. Mow a lawn

14. Spend a day at the movie theater

15. See a play

16. Do something special with Lauren

17. Do something special with Braden

18. Do something special with Grayson

19. Go to the Thursday Night Market and/or Taste of Chico

20. Watch "The West Wing"

21. Buy a new sweatshirt at the APU bookstore

22. Grow my hair out for 6 months (trims only)

23. Take an instagram photo of something every day for a month

24. Recover my ottoman

25. Do my taxes early

26. Go to a race at Thunderhill Race Track

27. Buy something for Christian's family

28. Pay for someone's order behind me in a drive thru

29. Yosemite or hot air balloon

30. Get new glasses

31. Learn to French braid

32. Become a coupon clipper (save $100)

#4 Make Pasta From Scratch

I love pasta.  I love Italy.  I don't love cooking, but I thought I'd try my hand at making homemade pasta.  It seems like a romantic thing to know how to do...making a hot, hearty meal the same way women have been making it for hundreds of years.  Using your hands and very simple ingredients.

I researched several recipes and found one that looked pretty easy.  I already had the ingredients, so on a Sunday afternoon, I rolled up my sleeves, tied on my vintage red and white gingham apron, and got my hands dirty.  I had a great time kneading, rolling, and cutting. It was very similar to playing with play dough, of which I have always been a fan.  

Unfortunately, making the pasta was more enjoyable than eating it.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't fabulous.  In fact, it wasn't any better than the 99 cent box of generic rotini that I had in my kitchen cupboards.  What had I done wrong?  I don't rightly know.  How could I become a better pasta chef?  I found the answer online: Francesca, Isa, Orietta, Navina, and the other ladies at "Tuscan Women Cook", a one week culinary program in Tuscany.  

Check out their website...it's enchanting!

http://www.tuscanwomencook.com/

After all, I've never been one to learn from a book! I prefer to learn by doing, to learn while I'm up to my elbows in flour.  What better place to do this than Italy?  And as long as I was going to Italy, I might as well see and do some other things, right?  

A few weeks ago, as I was gearing up for the beginning of the school year and bemoaning the end of my summer, I said to my friend Rachael, "I wish someone would pay me to travel."  Rachael suggested a travel blog, but then, I'd have to travel to be able to write a blog, right?  That would make the most sense, yes, but I started to think about what kind of trip I would want to go on if someone were paying me to, like Samantha Brown or Rick Steves (those lucky son of a guns).

Samantha Brown, Host of
"Samantha Brown's Passport to Europe"

Rick Steves, host of "Rick Steves' Europe"

I was excited by the idea of planning my dream vacation to Tuscany, so I set out to research what I would do, where I would stay, places I would visit.  With unlimited resources, one can schedule a spectacular vacation!  

After attending the Tuscan Women's Culinary school, I would split my time between downtown Florence and the Tuscan countryside.

During my stay in the heart of Florence, I would call the Golden Tower Hotel home.  The Strozzi family, wealthy medieval bankers in Florence, built this tower to compete with the famous Florentine family, the Medici's, and lived in it until 1492.  It was recently restored and remodeled into a four star hotel and spa, and it is only minutes, by foot, from Florence's main attractions.

http://www.goldentowerhotel.it/en/

While I stayed in the city, I would rent a vintage vespa to cruise the narrow streets on.  They are a very popular mode of transportation in Florence.  I even found a cute helmet to wear!

Safety first!

This ancient city is full of fun, interesting things to do and see.  I would:

-Buy a leather jacket at Florence's leather market.  I would, ideally, visit Italy in the fall, and might need a jacket in the evenings!

Maybe one like this?

-Tour the Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti.  The Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens were built in the 16th Century and were the seat of the famous and powerful Medici family.  The property is 11 acres of grottos, gardens, and sculptures. The palace is now a museum that houses a Modern Art Gallery, Palatine Art Gallery, a Silver Gallery, Porcelein Gallery, Costume Gallery, a Carriage Museum, and Royal Apartments.

The Costume Gallery

The Palazzo

The Boboli Gardens

-Take photos of the city's panorama at sunset from the Piazzale Michelangelo.  The view is breathtaking.

-Enjoy Gelato at least once, probably twice, a day, and dine al fresco every meal.

I only have eyes for the pistachio in the back!
Pistachio in Italian is "Pistacchio"
(makes for very little confusion when ordering)

"al fresco" = outside, at a fresh temperature 

-Shop for jewelry on the Ponte Vecchio.  The Ponte Vecchio is a bridge that crosses the Arno River at its narrowest point, in the heart of Florence.   It was originally built during Roman times, but has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the past thousand years. Although it used to be butchers that set up shop on the bridge, it is now Jewelers selling their wares there.  It was Cosimo Medici who banned butchers to reside on the bridge.  He had a corridor built across the bridge, over the tops of the shops, that led from the Palazzo Pitti (his home) and Palazzo Vecchio (a government building) so that he, the Grand Duke, could move from home to "work" without interacting with the public.  The smell of the meat the butchers were selling on the bridge would waft up into the corridor, called Vasari's Corridor, which Cosimo simply couldn't live with.  When the butchers moved out, goldsmiths moved in.  Thank you Cosimo, thank you so much.

Jewelry shops on the Bridge

The Ponte Vecchio.  You can see Vasari's Corridor along the top.  

-Visit the Uffizi Gallery and the Academmia Gallery.   You can't go to Florence and not see the art.  The Uffizi was originally built as offices for the Florentine Magistrates in the 16th century (Uffizi = office).  Over the years, it became a place to house and display the art collection of the Medici family and a gathering place for artists like DaVinci and Michelangelo to "hang out".  It wasn't until 1765 that it officially opened as an art museum.

The halls of the Uffizi

The internal corridor of the Uffizi

Fun Fact:  There is actually a condition called  “Stendhal Syndrome” also dubbed “Florence Syndrome”.  It's a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and fainting when an individual is exposed to beautiful art, particularly in large quantities.  This experience was described by French author, Stendhal, when he wrote of his visit to the Uffizi in 1817.

While Renaissance art isn't my favorite style, I do have
a canvas  print of part of this painting, Boticelli's Primavera
The Uffizi Gallery

The Birth of Venus
The Uffizi Gallery

There are benches behind Michelangelo's David
 where visitors can "rest their tired feet"
 (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)
Accademia Gallery

-Go on a Florence Fashion history walking tour, which includes visiting the Ferragamo Shoe Museum and shopping!

A display from the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum....aren't they pretty?

-Climb the Duomo for views of the city. It's only 463 stone steps to the top!

A great view AND a great workout

-Go on a Photography walking tour of Palaces, Palazzos, and Bridges.  I went to Florence right after college (about 10 years ago) just as digital cameras were becoming more commonplace.  Unfortunately,   they still weren't affordable enough for me to have one.  I can't wait to go back to Europe with my pocket full of 4 GB SD cards, instead of 10 rolls of film!

The other half  of my Florentine vacation would be spent in this pink villa, the Villa Limonaia Grande Lucca.

If I were a Tuscan villa, this one would be me.

Check out more of the Villa Limonaia!
http://www.tuscanyfinerentals.com/tuscany/lucca-holiday-rentals/villa-limonaia-grande-lucca/

Once I move into the Tuscan countryside, I would rent this 1950's Fiat Jolly Ghia.

I might need the helmet while driving this one, too....

I couldn't think of anything cuter to transport me to destinations and activities like:

-Hot air ballooning.

-Lending a hand in the Olive Harvest.  I've always thought olive trees are beautiful, with their gnarled trunks and silvery leaves.  Why not help harvest them, then picnic among them afterward?

-A Balsamic Vinegar Day Tour! Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love vinegar!  I don't like wine, so wine tasting tours weren't an option (and they are certainly abundant in Tuscany!).  My alternative:  Balsamic Vinegar tasting!

-Go to an opera under that stars in a roofless gothic cathedral. Tuscany is the birthplace of opera. The ruins of the Abbey of Saint Galgano is the perfect place for an evening opera...and it even has a real "sword in the stone"!

The sword in the stone dates back to the 1100's

Opera in the roofless cathedral

-A Hiking Tour of the Cinque Terre on the Riviera.  As described on the Viator.com website,
     "Led by your knowledgeable guide you will trek scenic trails and wander through vineyards and olive groves, over stone walls and along a spectacular coastline. This tour includes coach transportation, rail and boat travel between villages, entry in to Cinque Terre National Park and a delicious lunch.
     The Cinque Terre takes its name from the five picturesque fishing villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. Each town has a distinct character, but all share alleys, arches and steep stone steps, best explored on foot. An idyllic snapshot of old-world Italy, the villages are surrounded by sunny beaches, narrow lanes lined with shops and stalls, brightly colored fishing boats, seaside promenades and sleepy piazzas."

A feast for the eyes!

http://www.viator.com/tours/Florence/Cinque-Terre-Hiking-Day-Trip-from-Florence/d519-5070CINQUE

-Bathing in the thermal baths of Saturnia.  After trekking all over Florence and Tuscany, I will, undoubtedly, need to relax (particularly after hiking).  What better place to do that than Saturnia.  I found a picture of this place on Pinterest and pinned it months ago, not knowing where it was.  I came across it in my research and found that it's in Tuscany.

While getting paid to travel would be glamorous, exciting, and a grand adventure, I'm not holding my breath.  Instead, I get paid to teach children, which, while not glamorous, is very important and an adventure all its own.

Although I saw some of Florence and Tuscany when I was fresh out of college (going on ten years ago now....gulp), going with a digital camera, a smart phone, and ten more years of life experience under my belt would, I believe, revolutionize the experience!  While I don't hold out hope that I'll ever take a vacation quite like this one, I do hope to get back on Italian soil again someday.

Anybody want to be my travel buddy?