charity

Where Dreams and Callings Collide {Paige Knudsen}

March 29, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 11 Comments

We started this week of guest posts with Sasha and a DIY jewelry holder. We’re ending it with the jewelry you can hang on it! You know already how much I love my girl Paige. She’s such a precious person and friend. So, mark it on your calendars because she’s coming to BEAN STATION in April!! She’s an ambassador for Noonday (my new FAVORITE line of jewelry) and is coming to do a trunk show. I couldn’t be more thrilled! If you think you might come but wouldn’t be able to do Thursday night, let us know in the comments.

If you’d like to come to our Noonday Show on Thursday April 10th at 6pm at my friend Karen’s house, let me know and I’ll get directions for you. We may add a Friday morning show at my house if necessary! If you can’t come but would like to place an online order, click here and just add Edie Wadsworth on the checkout page where it says hostess or trunk show.

Give Paige all the love!

“you are never too old to set another goal

or to dream a new dream.”

c.s. lewis

~~~

almost three years ago i dared to dream big. perhaps the dream wasn’t so new in & of itself, but stepping out, which involved resigning from the children’s hospital where i had been employed for twenty years, was a monumental move and a big change. i had entered nursing school with one goal~ to become a pediatric oncology nurse. that was truly the desire of my heart. well. i did indeed become a pediatric oncology nurse. but as life often times sends us down a different path, a few short years later i began to care for & nurse my own husband while he battled cancer. when i returned to the hospital the year after gregg passed, i found working only part time ( i had three little ones at home to take care of) in a high acuity setting quite a challenge. eventually i transferred to the triage/call center area. after ten years in that department-sitting in a beige cubicle, i knew in my heart of hearts that i needed a change. this wasn’t exactly my dream. and that’s okay. bills need to be paid & sometimes keeping on keeping on is a must.

~~~

“tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?”

mary oliver

~~~

well , with a wild & crazy dream & some nervous fears, what has followed has truly been the most amazing couple of years. with the support of a husband who believed in me, encouraged me & blessed me, i launched my photography business.

i remember thinking…on more than one occasion…am i too old to do this? there are so many younger-hipper folks out there. is this a wise gig? is this going to be a financially sound decision? what if no one hires me? what if i do a terrible job & no one likes my work?

when i first began photographing families i would wear a piece of jewelry, acai beads, from noonday collection. every couple of months i tried to either send a donation or make a purchase specifically to a fair trade company, such as Noonday.

one afternoon while perusing the website i realized i could work with noonday as an ambassador. i could actually represent these artisans & be a voice for them here in america. i could play a small part in their pathway out of poverty. jessica honegger founded the company a few years ago as she began to fund raise for her adoption of jack, from rwanda. jessica & i hit it off immediately and her passionate enthusiasm was contagious. i was sold.

being an ambassador for noonday is the dream i never even knew was in my heart. does that make sense? actually working with noonday & advocating for the poor has been more like a calling on my heart i suppose. perhaps a calling is birthed from within a dream, perhaps a calling becomes such an amazing aspect of our lives that surely it must be a dream. it’s truly been a surprise blessing which has opened my eyes to poverty & the orphan crisis and in essence, changed my life. i feel a heart connection with some of our artisans…in guatemala, in uganda and rwanda. i feel a sisterhood with the friends i’ve met along this journey.

~~~

“God calls all people to pursue their unique gifts,

to discover the ways He wants to influence the world through them,

to leave a trail of beauty.”

emily freeman

~~~

teaching preschoolers. mentoring young mamas. creating art. advocating for the poor. going back to college at 52. opening a coffee shop. writing a book. staring a new career. saving pennies for a mission trip. buying a car.restoring economic opportunities in a haitian community.

i obviously have no idea what your dream is. but I believe that He, the giver of all good gifts, has placed a dream in your heart. He’s not only placed a dream in your heart, He’s gifted you to walk into that space where the dream & the calling join hands and welcome you in. maybe you’re already there. maybe your sweet spot, the place where you are effective and confident and thriving, is already a part of your everyday.

i sit here, humbled by what the Lord has allowed me to do, the people He’s allowed me to love on & encourage through a photograph. traveling to meet the beautiful artisans in guatemala who blessed us with prayers, thankful hearts and the most amazing corn tortillas. photography and noonday ~ my heart is full. my wallet isn’t, but my heart overflows. and that my friends, is where dreams & callings collide.

~~~

“calling is where your talents& your burdens collide”

rebekah lyons

~~~

www.paigeknudsen.com
www.paigeknudsen.noondaycollection.com

Sonny and Meemaw and other ramblings

June 12, 2013 by Edie Wadsworth 267 Comments

oranges

Did y’all think I was never coming back? Were y’all scared that I was overcome with anxiety about my trip and changed my name and moved to somewhere rural and remote like Bean Station? OH wait, that’s where I live. But seriously. It is Wednesday and I leave for Nicaragua in FIVE DAYS. Here’s what I have packed so far: nail polish and dishcloths. I’m nothing, if not prepared. In my defense, I have a bunch more stuff laid out in my bedroom beside the suitcase, ready to pack, including, but not limited to a snazzy pair of closed toe shoes. I went with Keen sandals and some Dansko clog-ish type sandals. My girls said I looked weird yesterday when I wore them for practice. I look like I’m trying too hard. Flip flops makes sense in the summer but something about closed toe shoes makes you look twice and wonder, why? Couldn’t you just wear some flip flops like normal folk? (Get used to the nervous chatter because apparently, it’s here to stay.)

I get crazy when I travel and the nervous energy combined with the irrational fears makes me do things like rally the troops at 4 p yesterday to clean out the garage. In other words, one flew over the cuckoo’s nest. To continue my streak, I’m thinking about painting Emme’s new room before I leave. Because that makes perfect sense when you’re to-do list is so long, it makes you wanna dry heave. I try to leave my affairs in order when I travel so naturally, I’ve been stressing over where I should be buried, what casseroles to bake for the family, and who to leave in charge of my bust collection should I perish. These are things normal people think about, right? Zip it. I like living with the illusion that I’m not the slightest bit cooky? kooky? cookie? (Carol points out it’s kooky! Thank you dear!)

To make matters worse, my computer’s been on the blink. Turns out, I need a new battery, which has resulted in two trips to Knoxville this week. A computer is sort of necessary when one is to travel with Compassion to BLOG. Speaking of Compassion, I’m so honored to be going on this trip. We had a twitter party last night at 10pm, which means I could very well have dreamed up the whole thing, because I’m anything but a night owl and 11p feels like the middle of the night to me. But for some reason, it helped to calm some of my fears. Christy and I both were lamenting how late it was and how we grannies can’t be staying up til 11 pm for some such activities. So then, Shaun called her Meemaw and then she called him Sonny, and that was it for me. For some reason, traveling with Meemaw and Sonny doesn’t seem quite as daunting. In fact, it sounds like a blast. I can do this. Right?

And then there’s the wee ones. I’m on the verge of tears pretty much 24/7 but when I think of the little ones we’re gonna meet, my heart beats out of my chest because here’s the thing; I’m not so much nervous about all the logistics of the trip, even though that’s what I’m obsessing about right now. What I’m worried about is the wrecking ball that’s about to crash through my heart. And that’s where you come in. I’d be so honored if you’d pray for us? You are the best internets a girl could ask for!

Let’s pray Psalm 37 together:

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

(I need to be reminded that it’s He who will act!)

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Okay, more minutiae. Because I know you’re thrilled about the rambling.

1. I can’t decide if I should bring my big camera. I think I’ll regret it if I don’t. I’ve downloaded some cool iphone photography apps in the last few weeks, including Afterlight and Snapseed and VSCOcam and Camera Plus. What are your faves? Would you bring your big camera? (There will be two photographers that travel with us—which is why I would consider not bringing it.)

2. Have you downloaded any Shake! Shake! Shake! from Bronze Radio Return? Great music. Their previous album is awesome, too, Old Time Speaker.

Love Stone’s Throw Away and Sell it To Me and Sticks and Stones and Shake, Shake, Shake!

3. I have the ESV Bible on my phone, along with the PrayNow app. I LOVE them both. The PrayNow app has an Psalm for each day and an OT and NT reading, along with a prayer of the day and a writing from a church father. It goes along with the church year calendar and has been my favorite devotional for the last 2-3 years. You should seriously consider buying it. I’m so glad I have it and don’t need to carry a Bible or a devotional book, especially when I’m always over the weigh limit with my luggage.

4. The Civil Wars’ new album will be out in August but they’ve released one song from it. So good.

5. I can’t decide what books to bring with me. I’ll probably bring Chesterton’s Orthodoxy and Lewis’ That Hideous Strength (Space Trilogy, Book 3), two of my favorite books. Maybe Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free, which I haven’t read yet.

6. I’m eating a lot of citrus and taking supplements and using essential oils, in an all out war against all possible illness. I’m vulnerable to any and all Appalachian medicine/voodoo/old wive’s tales. Whatever you tell me to do, I’m liable to do it. I don’t want to get sick.

7. I’m praying to literally take you on this trip with me. I’ll be writing everyday, about what we see and feel. I’ll be writing about His little ones and their poverty and need. I’ll be writing about how He is their only hope and how YOU can help bring Him to them. If you’re ready to learn more and possibly sponsor a child, visit my Compassion link and if you decide to sponsor, you’ll get a free copy of my ebook.

Love y’all! Thank you for taking this journey with me! (I think it’s only fair that you wear closed toe shoes in my honor!)

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Nicaragua, Scrabble, and plenty of Smack Talk

May 15, 2013 by Edie Wadsworth 30 Comments

via Shawna Grapentin

I’m not very adventurous, really. I live a pretty quiet life of taking care of my family, homeschooling my girls, reading and writing, and occasionally channeling Tammy Wynette—which could negate the quiet part. (And because it’s gonna be important in a few short paragraphs, let me say that I am an avid Scrabble player.) But in a month, I’m leaving for Nicaragua on a trip with Compassion International. I’m not gonna lie, it’s out of my comfort zone—just typing the words makes me teary eyed and a little weak in the knees because, 1) I’m the poster child for homebody, 2) I’m always on the verge of wanting to adopt a house full of kids, 3) I’m always on the verge of tears. In fact, if you’d like, we could rename this trip, “Hot mess travels to Nicaragua to have her already broken heart shattered to smithereens.” Last but certainly not least, 4) I have never been known for my prowess at doing things in grown-up adult fashion like filling out official paperwork and answering emails and obtaining passports in a timely manner.

But miracles still do occur and I currently have a passport and have answered multiple mandatory emails and all without the help of my sister, who functions, for all practical purposes, as my power of attorney. Y’all probably aren’t the least bit impressed but you should be.

To ease my anxiety, I’ve been knitting dishcloths (and made a video on how to knit them) to give away to the sweetie little girls I can’t wait to meet there. I’m using the time spent with hands busy at the needles to quiet the heart and pray for the poverty of the children there, but also for the poverty of our own hearts, even here in wealthy America. I hope you’ll join me in praying for the kingdom of Christ to reign, in the hearts of small ones in Nicaragua and in the hearts of us, too.

We will be led by Shaun Groves and traveling with some pretty amazing people and I’m excited to meet them all! Christy Jordan from The Southern Plate, Kelly Hancock from Faithful Provisions, Traci from Beneath My Heart, Brianne McKoy, Keely Scott, and Mike Varel. I am so thankful for this opportunity, so humbled to be asked to work along side these awesome folks to give a voice to Christ’s little ones around the world. I couldn’t be more honored.

All that is noble and good, but I have other things to confess.

Shaun Groves may have bitten off more than he can chew. He’s challenged me to a tournament of champions in Scrabble, to be held in the neutral territory of Nicaragua. I have an unhealthy history in competitive sports and my obsession with words makes me very possibly your worst nightmare when it comes to Scrabble. I warm up with a boxing bag and 3 mile run to the Rocky soundtrack. I’m not afraid. I give it my all. I study the dictionary and pray for divine revelation. I may get beat but I won’t go down without a fight. And when I realized that Shaun and Becky are fanatical Scrabble players, I couldn’t help but start some smack talk. I would really hate to beat a Texan but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Nothing like serious emails about traveling to 3rd world countries followed by this:

Me:

I’m not trying to say I’m the queen of Scrabble or anything but what I’m trying to say is— I’ve had some memorable wins.

AND……

I blog about them.

I won on New Year’s Eve with a 94 point word and wanna know what the word was?

Wait for it.

AVENUES.

It was beautiful. My 22 year old cried like a baby. Or maybe not. Whatever.

Consider yourself warned.

Shaun:

Well now…I’m the reigning Scrabble champ in my house so maybe a tournament of champions needs to happen in Nicaragua ; )

Best word ever: equinox for 82 points. Bring it.

Shaun:

Me:

My son is coming home for a week to study for the MCAT. Little does he know I’ve scheduled Scrabble Spring Training for that week.

Eye of the tiger, man, eye of the tiger.

Me:

I won the weekend Scrabble tournament with the twenty somethings.

I’m not trying to scare you. I’m just saying that I will not go gentle into that good night.

And? I just ordered a Scrabble dictionary. For one thing, you can never know enough two letter words. The other thing is, despite your noble calling and station in life, I know a good bluffer when I see one.

Shaun:

I will break you. (To be read in a Russian accent a la Drago in Rocky IV.)

***************************

It looks like we’re in for a showdown, folks. All in christian brotherly love, of course.

Do you think I can take him?

For more information on our trip, click here.

Or watch precious little ones thank their sponsors!

Thank You Sponsors! from Compassion International on Vimeo.

I’m linking my homemade honey wheat bread recipe up with Ruth’s Thrifty Thursday series. Add homemade bread to this weekend’s list!!

Alli Made My Day and 40 Days of Water

March 27, 2013 by Edie Wadsworth 236 Comments

While at Blissdom, I got to meet the other bloggers in the 40 Days of Water Campaign. We had dinner with Mike from Blood:Water Mission and all sat around telling our water stories. Most of it was a confessional of how we didn’t do it perfectly. I guess confession tends to lend itself to more confession, which is why it’s so good for the soul and why the church embraces it so wholeheartedly. Alli didn’t stop with her water stories. She went on a confessing rampage. I laughed, then cried, then laughed ’til I cried when she showed us the Facebook page she set up for me after our house fire. She never actually launched the page but it was called A Dollar for Edie. She confessed that she wasn’t sure if it was the right way to help but she desperately wanted to help. I already knew I loved her, but now? We’re sisters for life.

And? For your pure enjoyment, I made her send me a text of the my un-published Facebook page. It’s completely adorable. It got 9 likes and was never made public. It would have gone places, I just know it.

Thank you Alli, for inviting me to your 40 Days of water team and for setting up a phantom Facebook page in my honor. The whole thing made me so verklempt. I love you and you are a brilliant woman for bringing so much bliss to our lives. And laughter! You are one of a kind!
I have an idea. Let’s all donate those stray dollars that we all have laying around to help build wells in Uganda!!
Only a few days left before Easter, so even if you didn’t participate, would you consider making a one-time donation to the Blood:Water Mission?
And if you have been participating, even if very feebly like me, make sure you update your page soon.

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p.s. I’ve been wrestling with what to do with my email subscription service. Some of you wanted an email with every post but most did not. Here’s what I’ve decided. I’m going to set up two different tracts. Everyone, who’s signed up for the email service already will get the monthly newsletter (which comes out this weekend) but not emails every time I post.

1. So, if you are already signed up with me,

you will get my newsletter and an occasional update but not the regular posts.

If you want an email every time I post, sign up here.

even if you’ve already signed up for the first subscription.

If you haven’t signed up at all yet and you want the newsletter and every post delivered via email, you’ll need to sign up for both.

Does that make sense? Do the giant letters help make it more clear? That’s what I thought. Don’t you love it when someone just talks louder and slower instead of explaining what they meant? Yeah? Me, too. You’re welcome. We can discuss in the comments if you’re confused.

If you think you’re confused, try setting it all up and trying to keep it straight in my ADD brain. I should get an honorary doctorate in computer science. Or else at least a congratulations for not blowing up the internet.

Now, go forth and subscribe, dear friends!!

Love y’all.

Better n’ anythang. (as my mamaw would say)

40 Days of Water

February 13, 2013 by Edie Wadsworth 49 Comments

Today, we begin our Lenten pilgrimage in a 40 day trek to the cross, where we remember the sufferings of Christ and His stubborn love toward us.

The penitential season of Lent reminds us that we are not what we should be. It’s a time of stripping away, peeling back the layers that keep us from seeing ourselves rightly.

It’s easy to think I’m kind, generous, temperate, disciplined and loving when life is good, there’s plenty of excess, and I’m not being tested.

But Lent reminds me that I’m none of those things and that I must lean hard into Jesus who is kind, generous, temperate and loving in my place.

One of the ways I know I need Him so desperately is when I try to practice a Lenten discipline—I’ve fasted from chocolate, coffee, social media, sugar, bread, wine. Those periods where I try to deny myself something reminds me that I’ve constructed a house of cards that seems to be standing on the firm foundation of caffeine and sugar and Moscato. If you’ve never practiced a time of fasting/self-control, I urge you to try it. If nothing else, you’ll realize, like me, that you’re not very disciplined and self-controlled. And that is the beginning of repentance.

This year, I’ve decided to partner with Blood:Water Mission and some other awesome bloggers to do something different.

It’s called 40 Days of Water and it goes something like this: you forego the expensive latte, the glass of wine at dinner, the diet coke at lunch and donate the money you would spend on your drinks to provide clean water for folks in Uganda. You can sign up here to participate with me and I’d be so honored to walk alongside you to build a well together—with the excess money we often spend so mindlessly, we don’t even realize we do it.

You can be as specific as you’d like and even give up every drink but water for Lent but don’t fall into the trap of legalism. The focus of this is the people in Uganda who need clean water. Keep track of the money you would have been spending on those drinks and donate that money at the end of the 40 Days to the Blood:Water Mission for the Agali community in northern Uganda.

You can sign up to join the 40 Days of Water with me (I’d be so honored!), follow Blood:Water on Twitter, with the hashtag #40Days and on Instagram at @bloodwatermission, with the hashtag #40days. You can also join their facebook page for inspiring links and updates on their work in Africa.

When you turn on your faucet this morning to get a drink or wash the dishes or take a shower, say a prayer of thanks, that it’s just that easy to access the basic necessities of life. You didn’t have to walk miles to get it, it was clean when it came out of the faucet, it cost you very little. And then say a prayer for those who don’t have that luxury.

Forty Days of Water – 2013 from Blood:Water Mission on Vimeo.

(Blood:Water Mission is a nonprofit started by the Nashville based group Jars of Clay to bring clean water and blood to Africans in need and those infected by the HIV virus.)

Anne Jackson wrote a 40 Days of Water Journal that you can download, that will walk you through the 40 days with inspiration, facts and reflections on the water project.

In whatever way you can participate, I will be grateful.

If nothing else, pray that our brothers and sisters who struggle for life’s basic necessities will have clean water to drink and will learn about Jesus, who came to bring us all His life-giving water so that we would never thirst again.

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For every person that signs up with me for the 40 Day program, I’ll donate an additional $2 per person at the end of the 40 Days. Just leave me a note in the comments that you are planning to support the clean water program in Uganda!