I am Jamaica's husband, Foursquare's comm director, Personality's founder, and a catalyst for CFCC.
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January 2008 Archives
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January 25, 2008
This Week's A Wrap
Filed under: Brad Works
Jamaica and I arrived back from Haiti (via Miami) last Saturday. The very next day I went to Long Beach to begin a week-long series of Foursquare meetings with the board of directors, supervisors and superintendents. I wish I would have put a little more assimilation time between being with my hungry Haitian friends and my "fat" Foursquare friends. And to top it off, Jamaica and I ended up with some viral infection that has kept us sick ever since we got back. This week wasn't easy!
When I returned home last night I was able to put together a quick video re-cap of our Haiti trip.
I went to the office this morning for a meeting with Jack Hayford and Tommy Walker. We worked through some of the details for an April 5 Foursquare Live! event that features both of them. Tommy has a new album coming out in March.
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January 21, 2008
The Haiti Duffle Bag
Filed under: Life's Journey
While in Haiti last week I kept a "duffle bag" of thoughts and circled one key statement that summarized or stuck out most each day. The following are highlights from those thoughts. I am still sorting through the culture shock of being back and what life means moving forward. I have been on many missions trips and it seems like the older you get the wiser you get toward wanting to help and being able to help. The struggle continues.
They give us their best
This was obvious from the moment we arrived. They prepared the best food for us, even though the average Haitian eats three meals per week, and usually no more than one meal per day. They wore the best clothes they had, which were usually better than anything I brought to wear. The house they provided for us to stay in was the nicest place in town. The sad thing about them giving us their best is that I'm afraid I didn't give them mine.
They appear to be carefree and happy
They drop everything to walk and talk with you. It was like we had an entourage everywhere we went. I realize a lot of this is because we were the only white people in town, but their carefree and happy posture was their way of loving, laughing and learning.
They love to laugh
In spite of their obvious setbacks and suffering, they love to laugh. Really laugh. Gut-busting laughs. Laughs that make you laugh at their laughing. It was easy to joke around and smile together, even though we spoke different languages.
Continue reading "The Haiti Duffle Bag"
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January 19, 2008
Unpacking Haiti
Filed under: Abare News
Jamaica and I returned this morning at 2 AM after being in Haiti with my family the last 10 days. I leave town again tomorrow for an offsite Foursquare trip all next week, so I'll try and unpack via the blog over the next days and weeks. In the meantime, you can scroll through hundreds of untitled and unedited photos in my .Mac gallery.
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January 9, 2008
Off to Haiti
Filed under: Abare News
Jamaica and I take off on a red-eye flight tonight with my brother Mark. The three of us are flying to Miami where we will meet up with the rest of my family. There will be nine of us flying from Miami to Port-au-Prince tomorrow. We'll be in Haiti working with an indigenous organization that was originally started by some family friends who live in Canada. For the next eight days we'll be serving in a medical clinic, orphanage, schools and churches. This Saturday we'll get to witness a Haitian wedding.
What brings us here is a dream we had about 11 months ago when we decided as a family to give up our Christmas presents and presence this past year and instead pool our resources together for this trip.
This won't be an easy journey for us spoiled Americans, but I love starting off the year in an intentional way! These short-term trips usually do more for the people going than for the people there.
Because of Haiti's third world conditions, I'll be going off line for the next 10 days.
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January 6, 2008
Home(Less) Christmas Dinner '07
Filed under: Life's Journey
Shortly before Christmas, Jamaica and I joined up with our home(less) group friends (also mentioned in our Christmas letter) and we went out for pizza dinner at the famous Casa Bianca, just a few blocks from our usual spot at the Eagle Rock McDonald's. Many were invited but only a handful were able to make it. It was great to share a meal with friends!
I meant to post this a few weeks ago, but I just now got the photo. The camera it was taken with was in hawaii for the last three weeks with its owner!
Pictured here, from the left and around the circle to the right:
Karin, Chris, Brian, Dottie, Laura, Candiss, Jamaica, me, Cathy, Ed, and Larry.
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January 5, 2008
Chris Seay
Filed under: Inspiration
I've had the opportunity to hear Chris Seay speak a couple times now, both at Catalyst and Q. I've been following some of Chris' media and writing projects over the last 18 months, including Here the Voice, a project of artists and scholars coming together to tell the story of the Bible in very creative ways.
Chris is also a part of the Advent Conspiracy, an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption. Jamaica and I were spurred by this as we mentioned in last year's Christmas letter.
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January 4, 2008
Illegitimate Indiscretion
Filed under: Rant
Jamaica and I always get into some sort of debate when it comes to feelings. The debate is not new and definitely not new to male+female relationships. Last night we were talking about how some feelings are just not appropriate. It bugs me when people can get away with feelings that they should not be having because the premise is incorrect. I am not questioning whether the feeling is a real feeling, but whether the feeling should be there in the first place.
For example, when a child is told he can't have ice cream because he didn't eat his dinner, and the child becomes angry when everyone else is eating ice cream, that feeling is unwarranted because he could have avoided it. When an employee is elated after a co-worker gets corrected, that feeling is wrong because we should not be giddy at the expense of someone else.
I suggest that these types of feelings are born out of illegitimate indiscretion.
Again, the feeling is real but the basis for it is wrong.
When I say something stupid, mean or hurtful and Jamaica responds as if I don't love her, that feeling she has is illegitimate indiscretion because she knows I really love her. This doesn't justify my mistake, but it certainly makes dealing with it a little easier because now we have two issues to work through. A dumb mouth and unwarranted feelings.
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