Education is the Key to Opportunity

Dear Friends,

I'm SO excited about this!

Because my family is amazing, I thought I'd share a fact....and ask a favor.

2 of my brave sisters are amongst the craziest percent of the world's population- those who desire to run marathons. To fulfill their lifelong dream(s), my ambitious and awesome dad decided to plan a full-fledged "family marathon", complete with cheering teams, gatorade runners, finish-line ribbon, kids fun run, and awards banquet.

The blessed event is scheduled for next month- December 23rd.

Because we wanted this run to mean something more than just a crazy run for running itself, we debated over how to make each mile stretch further. My parents' wisdom landed us on the idea of running in the name of EDUCATION. It is such an important and valued thing in our family, and especially at this time in our world when college degrees are so crucial to financial and career success.

The church to which we belong, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has a wonderful program called the Perpetual Education Fund:

What is the Perpetual Education Fund, and what is its purpose? (PEF)

At the April 2001 general conference, Gordon B. Hinckley, then President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced a "bold initiative" to help youth in developing areas "step out of the cycle of poverty." The Perpetual Education Fund:

• Is an inspired program to help ambitious, worthy young members of the Church receive training and education that lead to employment.
• Is modeled after the Perpetual Emigration Fund developed for the Church's early pioneers. As loans are repaid, the funds are re-circulated to provide opportunities for others.
• Provides student loans to young people in selected developing nations.
• Helps young people better provide for their families and grow in leadership and responsibility in the Church. It will strengthen individuals, families, and communities.

Click HERE for more information.

The PEF is such a perfect pathway to help others around the world achieve the education we so value. They are probably people just like you and me- young, ambitious, honest, with high hopes for the future, the will to work, and the brains to make it....but lacking the money to make it happen. Student loans can be a literal lifesaver for so many people. (myself included)

Not one cent of the money donated to the PEF goes to any administrative costs, AND "the money collected (the principal) is never spent. Loans are made only from the interest earned on the principal. As students repay their loans, the money goes back into the fund to aid other individuals, making it a perpetual fund."

So, if you value education, if this hits home for you...because you or your spouse or someone else you love has benefited from student loans in a meaningful way, please help us!

Donate. Make each mile count.

And...(it gets better)...my ever generous dad has agreed to MATCH all of your donations.

You can donate a lump sum, or a per-mile pledge. My sisters will be running the whole marathon, I and several others will be doing a 5K.

I know- you are all as excited as I am now! So.....all you have to do is:

1. Donate HERE. (click on the purple 'Donate Online' button). (or make a donation on your tithing slip if you are LDS)

2. Email me maryalison4@gmail.com and tell me how much you decided to donate. (so I can have my dad match your gift)

I cannot describe how important education is- to pull people around the world out of poverty...to give them a fighting chance to feed their families, put a roof over their head.

At this time of counting our blessings, the Christmas spirit, and peace on earth...please consider giving a little (every dollar counts!)...to those who need it most, through an organization that will handle the money wisely and honestly.

Thank You,

Mary and Jonathan

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"Since the creation of the PEF, more than 32,000 young people have received loans. Thousands more qualify each year. The PEF program started in Mexico, Peru, and Chile, and has spread to 40 countries including Mongolia, Cambodia, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, some Pacific islands, and most of Latin America. Other areas will be added when possible."

PS. For logistical reasons, dad can only match donations that are reported to me (via email) soon. But feel free to donate to the PEF year round, or whenever suits your fancy!

PSS. We are not receiving anything for this. This is not a ploy or a scam. Our 'family marathon' is not affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in any way. If you donate, you are donating directly to the PEF.

a time of thanksgiving

Remember the 'tangle of pokey sticks' I predicted back in October? Well, they are here. But the sunsets are still beautiful.

Our Thanksgiving week was wonderful. Although I was only marginally productive as far as schoolwork goes (I'll be paying for that this week), I got the creative bug. I satisfied the need by making a browsing trip to Michaels (cue craft angel chorus), and then making a feather headband for myself, some colorful table toppers for our upcoming Young Women in Excellence night, carmel-chocolate-nut covered apples for our neighbors, and added to our ongoing "Thank-You Tree". It is good to reflect on all of our blessings and the many things we have to be thankful for. Mostly, for family.

Jonny's Dad's family lives in Kansas. Right smack in the middle of the state. They agreed to have us for Turkey Day. We made the trip over the river and through the woods to sweet Grandmother's house in the tiny town of Otis, Kansas. It was a nice change of scenery. We left the corn fields for wheat fields! Otis has a population of about 200 people (maybe less) and 1 paved road. We spent the days eating the traditional delicious food, visiting with our gracious hosting family and braving the crowds at the nearest mall (1.5 hrs away) on black friday morning.

We figured out on the long drive home...in almost 2 years of marriage, our Honda Fit has taken us to/through 12 states! That's a lot of mileage. We sure are thankful for that little car. There's no place like home.

that one time...

Dear J,

remember that one time, when i got off late from work (it ruins everything), and made us miss your ever-so-carefully-planned date activity? and then how you set plan B into motion, turning on a dime and making the transition flawlessly as to not upset the ever-irrational-freaked-out-by-last-minute-changes me, and gave me a massage took me out to a giftcard dinner and let me order a giant cheeseburger AND cornbread AND mac n' cheese AND chicken tenders AND bought me a carton of rocky road for dessert, and still told me that i was the most beautiful woman ever?

remember that one time, when i wore some weird outfit to church that involved lots of layers and cowboy boots and tights, and you thought i looked so cute and told me so each time you looked up groggily from your afternoon nap and then you helped me make cookies to take to my visit teaching ladies even though i picked the only kind of cookie you don't like so you couldn't even enjoy the product of your work?

remember that one time, when we were talking, and i got a crazy idea about you growing a soul patch and you said you would if i liked it and i got another idea about a tree and construction paper and thankfulness and markers and tape and you went along with it and sat with me at the table as we wrote down our most important blessings on those colored leaves, and cheered ourselves up, and laughed when it got a little too late and we wrote ones like 'nostrils' and 'winter fat layer' and 'yo mamma'?

remember that one time, when it was pouring rain and you let me have the only umbrella and drove me to school so i wouldn't be late and sent me a text to make sure i was ok getting to my classes, and you met me for an extra long lunch break and brought me soup and herbal tea and leaned in real close to hear me speak because my voice was soft and scratchy from the cold and the sickness and you just wanted to hear how my day was going and listen to me rant about my crazy professors and you waited until i had sipped my last sip of tea before saying you had to go?

remember that one time, when i was super sick and skipped out on 3 or 4 days of life and was bored and lonely at home and you weren't sure how to take care of me because you already took me to the doctor and i already had medicine and kept saying i would be 'fine', so you rented a movie for me and built a bookshelf for me and let me sit near you in a chair and read a book all day long and didn't judge me for leaving dishes in the sink and procrastinating all my homework, and then held me while i fell asleep shivering and sweating?

oh wait, that was all this week.

i love you forever,

M

squirrel thoughts

So. Ever since this incident, I've been a little bit.... sour about squirrels. Whenever I see one with its greedy little hands and shifty eyes, I can't help but think its up to no good. That's what happens when you catch someone stealing from you.

Anyway, today when I was walking on campus, I came across one squirrel in particular who was on the ground, holding a prized acorn in both hands and picking off the top of it with his teeth. When it saw me approaching on the nearby sidewalk, he shot me a sideways glance, bit down hard on the nut and scurried away to climb up to safety. (ICE AGE, anyone?)

'Huh', I scoffed, disgusted. I was thinking, 'Like I'd want your dumb nut anyway. I could buy a whole bag of nuts at the grocery store in 2 seconds. It would take you months and months to gather what I could have instantly.'

(yes, I know, I'm weird. I'm talking to a squirrel...to myself. read on if you believe I'll make a point eventually.)

Almost immediately after that thought, another one popped into my head:

There is something immensely gratifying about something that you EARN, something you WORK FOR, something you SAVE, something that takes SACRIFICE, and TIME. Those are the things that are most intrinsically rewarding, give the most sense of self, become imprinted in our memories, are treasured forever.

Instant gratification is such a cheap, fake replacement. The happiness is fleeting, so quickly forgotten, so easily taken for granted. It is nothing compared to the true joy we can attain by turning around after a long, hard uphill push.....and seeing what we've accomplished.

Thinking about our society- obsessed with having everything, NOW....I imagined myself spending money at the store for a giant bag of nuts and inhaling half the bag only to throw the rest away... and contrasted it with the image of a little squirrel, admiring his hard-earned winter's supply...a small handful of precious acorns in the crook of a tree.

And I realized...I'm collecting acorns. Working towards something worth it. It is good.

And I know that I've known this all along. Sometimes it just takes a squirrel to hand it back to me.

Veteran's Day

From www.military.com:

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislation that was passed in 1938, November 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day.'" As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.

In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress -- at the urging of the veterans service organizations -- amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Memorial Day honors servicemembers who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle. Deceased veterans are also remembered on Veterans Day but the day is set aside to thank and honor living veterans who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime.

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I hope that we all take a moment today to thank the many brave heroes who have made and continue to make countless sacrifices to ensure our freedom. Thank you. We love you. We honor you.

Crying Song

fascinating.

language is amazing.

and how could we not have a Divine Creator?

'stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight'

photo from flickr

.Thoughts on Optimism.

life is all about choices and priorities

since i dont like my job... yet find myself stuck in it for lack of other options that i am qualified for which provide the same amount of flexibility and pay ( i need both right now while i'm in school full time)...i have 3 choices. there are different ways of looking at the situation:

1. stop being a baby and get over it. people have to do hard things every day that they don't want to do. you just need an attitude adjustment.

2. no one should waste precious moments in life -doing something they dont like hate, when there is so much fun to be had, relationships to build, and other worthwhile pursuits. its not worth it...just quit.

3. bounce back and forth between 1. and 2., inevitably landing on 1. over and over, thus decide to make the most of the experience at work, and in the meantime...daydream of things you might do if you weren't chained to said job.

just a few examples:

-get paid to do research i love like this

-train a dog to do therapy like this

-become an a national geographic photographer like this

-get certified to teach group fitness classes like this

-write my own music and become famous like this

-travel the world with my husband like this

i'd love to write down all of my fantasy hobbies, but i'm outta time. gotta get to work.

mental health and missionaries

yaaaay!

today i got my first forwarded email from hermana jenny jones!

she is so amazing. i loved hearing her testimony of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

also.

today we took a mental health morning... which included the following: we slept in, skipped our first classes, ate breakfast in bed, threw grapes at each other, read scriptures, and took our sweet time getting ready for the day.

as far as i know, i was an angel of a child who went to school with no complaints and had that intrinsic motivation to complete my homework and perform well in extracurriculars. but, even kids get bogged down by too much go-go-go! when i was growing up, my mother, in all her wisdom, allowed me to have a 'mental health day' once or twice a year. it was a day when i wasn't technically 'sick', but just needed a break from the craziness and the routine of school and sports and waking up early. she would call the school and excuse me from class, and we'd spend the day watching movies, baking cookies or shopping together. of course this petered out once i got to high school and learned the awful reality that escaping one day really just means you pile that work onto the next day.

does anyone else miss the days when your parents could make one phone call and erase all of your responsibilities?

extra bonus thought: everyone go to OPRAH right. now. and vote for Abraham McDonald!

this is what neuro does to people

jonny was helping me study. this was sometime around midnight.

'leaving cute pictures of me on your computer for when you miss me during the day!'

...more like the loopy overtiredness of a deranged grad student, forced to read flashcards full of jibberish like, 'a lesion caudal to the decussation point on the pyramids of the mid medullary fissure causes ipsilateral weakness', to help his wife learn her stuff....

what a man i have.

venting

ugh!

why am i not an african american woman with a japanese passport and 8 children who took a break in her schooling and now is coming back to study for a summer abroad in belgium, earn her doctorate in a combined architecture/engineering and M.D. and planning on a post doc in complex multifactorial causation of women's health disparities?????

in my wildest dreams, i would be this woman. fully funded.

seriously. i have been looking since march. i can find funding in the form of grants, fellowships and assistantships for seemingly everyone on the planet except me.

i have no skills and meet no prerequisites.

im just a plain jane american girl working towards a lowly masters degree in the department with the least amount of student funding possible at the entire university.

blah. out of state graduate tuition...here i come.

happy halloween!

hope you all had a scary holiday...

luckily, we didn't scare our friends away. we had a great little party. the glow of the pumpkin welcomed a single trick-or-treater to our front porch. (more candy left for us!)

but we had fun eating roasted pumpkin seeds, chips and dip, green chili, fudgy brownies, carmel corn, and applesauce jello.

and playing with Katie's dog Moses, and watching football...and Hocus Pocus!