You take the shots

A guy names Andy Hagedon was out on our build site this last Wednesday with the local American Marketing Association. He took a few pictures that are on another leavel of quality in comparison to the basic digital snap shots I take most days.
I love good pictures...I know I don't appreciate or understand enough about photography...but I still love pictures...whether I know why or not. Good pictures are just  interesting, inspiring, and moving.

 

 

Now meet some of my co-workers. This is Dan, our construction manager...he's been working at Habitat longer than I have. A good friend and one of Damien's "brothers."

This is Koren...she just started in September as an Americorps member. She studied architecture and helps lead volunteers on the build site. She's super cute and always smiling.

This is Michael...all work, no play! But he's easy to please...just bring him some food.

He's in Americorps with Koren helping lead volunteers.

Thanks Andy for sharing these pictures. If you want to see more of his work, check out his website: http://www.andyscamera.com/

10 questions

So, this is very nonoriginal....but wanted to share what my friend Allan posted on his blog this month. I met and worked with Allan while I was living in Chicago. He has since married Annie, together started a ministry in South Africa, and recently had their first child, baby Judah. They are two amazing people that I admire very much! I would encourage everyone to follow their blog...they always challenge and always inspire!

http://www.africarevolution.org/blogs/greigs/

Allan said: "As I have been thinking of the year ahead and all that I hope comes out of it, I was deeply challenged by our friend Floyd McClung, whom is so “intentional” in all he does. I thought these 10 questions of his were worth passing on for you to ponder for yourselves:

1.What’s one way, you could utilize time, to increase your enjoyment of God?
2.What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3.What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4.In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5.Who are three people you can disciple more intentionally?
6.What is the most helpful way you can build community with a few other followers of Jesus this year?
7.For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8.Who is the person you most want to encourage this year?
9.What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10.What single thing can you plan to do this year that will matter most in ten years? In eternity?"

Then he ended with this quote by A.W.Tozar: We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone… [We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.

"The best country in the world is a donation!" - mayor summey

Saturday, we celebrated with a home dedication for Annette Lemon and her family. They are moving in as we speak..or I type....hmmm...

Lots of smiles! Hugging! Clapping! People! Food! Good times!

Above is me and Annette! She's become a great friend...gives good advice and has a great giggle with an echoing affect!

These are the Lambright brothers with Annette. They grew up on the piece of property where we built the Lemon's home. Both brothers have moved away, so they donated the land to Habitat. They both came in town with their families to see the finished house and celebrate with the Lemon family!

Here is Bakker Bishop and his son. His family foundation has sponsored (I believe ) 154 Habitat Home construction projects! He and his wife just had a baby girl. I think it's a pretty cool example, as he states, to set for your children on giving.

One of the sweetest parts of the day was after the ceremony....I was looking for Annette's sons and I found Trea (11) hiding in a back bedroom. I asked what he was doing in there all alone...he said he just wanted to hang out in his room! Be still my heart....he is the sweetest ever!

Annette's other son, Greg (22) and his son, baby Greg stole the show! Here is baby greg buldoze-hugging Isabella, my co-worker's daughter.

 

Lots of volunteers who helped build the house came out to celebrate as well!

Mayor of North Charleston Keith Summey gave the dedication speech. My favorite line was what someone once told Mr. Summey: "The best country in the world isn't the U.S., it's a donation." Building this house was a combination of lots of different types of donations. Land, money, materials, time, sweat, blistered hands, fear of heights...all things most like to keep for themselves or avoid giving....so in this case....I think the quote is true! Thanks to all who donated!

Pecans from another world

I spent Thanksgiving in Gordon, GA with my mom's side of the family. This is where my mom and her 4 siblings grew up. I relate it best to Mayberry. It's small...one caution light....everyone knows everyone.
A few cousins and I went into the "D & L Video" store and the lady working immediately asked whose grandkids we were. You kind of stand out when you're not from there.
Everyone knows my grandparents. They lived in Gordon their whole lives. My Papa was a train engineer.

My mom said the first time she came home to visit since she had Stephen (my oldest brother) that they Gordon newspaper wrote an article on it. The paper also used to annouce her weekend visits from college.

One of the great things about Gordon is the pecan trees! I have a hard time buying pecans at the grocery store at $10+ for one small tray...C'mon! Really?!?! Here they are all over the place, but it requires a little more work....some picking, cracking, and shelling, and I've got gallons of pecans to last me...well, honestly not very long beause I eat them too fast!

Here are my cousins with a bag-full of pecans - Justin (aka Jacward....any twilight fans figure that one out?) and Joe...both 17 yrs old ....hearthrobs if you ask me!

This is the home that my Papa built....and I mean he built it all....dug the foundation out and all! And yes, that's a pecan tree right in front of it! =)

It's a great home! And seems like a great way to grow up and live with such close community...where neighbors drop in (often unannounced) just to check on each other, to drop off some fresh baked goodies and cakes, to look out for one another, to not worry about locking your doors. Is that really all in the past? Is it really a world that doesn't exist anymore?

Cindy's Gentle Vision

Cindy, I think you're one of those women who not only can do anything...you actually do everything!

Here is Cindy and her daughter Jenifer volunteering during National Women Build Week (May 2009)

Cindy volunteers on our Women Build Leadership Team!...amongst her many volunteerism efforts! She donated a sweet photography package to our annual auction fundraiser. This past Saturday, she hosted a fundraiser for us called "This One's For the Girls." She had mini photo sessions and printed and 8x10 if they donated to Charleston HFH!

She take some very touching and beautiful photography. Check out her website: http://www.cindysgentlevision.com/

She works hard on the build site too! She's a mom of 3 and drives back and forth between Charleston and Ohio all the time! Thanks for making Habitat part of your family!

A little piece of my home...old and new

So, this post is a little more personal...but worth sharing nonetheless. =)

I met Jeremy when I was 13-ish and were friends all through high school (he usually had a crush on friends of mine). We didn't talk much through college. We lived near each other in Chicago without even knowing it and "reconnected" while both living in VA Beach! He helped me move to Charleston and is my most-visited friend here! He's a great friend...someone you can revert into behaving like your 13 with again! =)

Here we are going back to 13....aka, through a space time continuum (STC):

Jeremy brought his friend Kelley with him. In this picture, they display their most natural expressions:

We spent the majority of Saturday walking around Charleston:

 

Above is the Unitarian church in downtown Charleston. It has a large, unique and very pretty  graveyard as its backyard.

These were two very unique headstones....

A tree trunk and a coral/flower tree that looks like it's going to eat you:

There are lots of art galleries in Charleston too...mostly small private ones.

Here were a few pics on the street that I found entertaining:

Someone also had the brilliant idea to model in front of this house.

You vote on who won:

Nominee #1: Kelley Shaw

Nominee #2: Jeremiah (Freak-dog) Rees

Nominee # 3: Me

Only your votes will determine the winner!

Fun weekend! Thanks for coming out to Chucktown J & K!!!

Can you balance 10 nails on top of one?

Question: If you hammer a nail into the ground...can you balance 10 individual nails on top of that one nail?

My friend, Gene Lundgrin can do it! And he would ask you to try without seeing the picture below...and you would think it's impossible...even though you know it's not since he's asking...right?

Here's a few things about Mr. Eugene....

1. 
   
   He has helped build over 20 homes with Charleston Habitat for Humanity over the past 8-9 years - he comes every Thursday!
   
2. 
   
   He loves working with college student volunteers...especially the girls! (admittedly so)
   
3. 
   
   Gene pays attention....I made muffins for volunteers one Thursday, so he thought I enjoyed baking. The next week, he brought me a bread starter so that I could bake every week!...another example...a girl that used to work here, Angie - she liked to salsa dance - so he bought her a salsa-dancing skirt!
   
4. 
   
   Gene fought in WWII
   
   
   
5. 
   
   Gene is from Kansas
   
   
   
6. 
   
   He loves to wear his Habitat t-shirts - and will speak to anyone he ever sees wearing one!
   
   
   
7. 
   
   He's a pro! He's a huge help!!! He's a hero! =)
   
   
   Here's Gene talking with a group of volunteers from Villanova University:
   

Here's Gene teaching a volunteer how to put shingles on the roof:

...did I mention he loves college-aged girls?...it's true, but he's happily married too! ;)

Now who wouldn't want to come volunteer with this guy???