Create a Network of Justice Workers

Number five on my dream list is to create a network of justice workers.

People that know me today would be surprised to know that it wasn't until I was 23 that I really cared about what was going on in the world. It all began in my Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). When deciding on what focus to take, I was torn between the Impact Pacific DTS or the Compassion DTS. The Impact Pacific School would be sending teams to the many small tropical islands in the Pacific, like Fiji and Samoa; nothing like ministering to people on the beach in the middle of the tropics. The Compassion DTS was a school focused on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and would be sending teams to Africa. My decision to choose the Compassion DTS was completely based on what I felt the Lord leading rather than on a desire in my heart to exercise compassion. I remember through the school asking God to show me what compassion was and to fill my heart with it. It was so foreign to me at the time. I would see other students react to injustice with grief or anger, but I was somewhat numb to it. I was so disconnected at that time from the realities of injustice around the world.

One day, one of our school leaders showed us a video documenting an American woman's story of how she ended up homeless and eventually had to give her daughter away to a family that had the financial means to take care of her. When the film ended I sat stuck in my chair with the relentless feeling that something like this should not happen. I never really witnessed an injustice that could have totally been prevented. It was as though the Lord showed it to me and asked me, "So what are you going to do about it?" I didn't really know the answer. I waited for the right opportunity and approached my school leader and asked him. His response was that now that I was aware of the injustice I needed to ask the Lord what my responsibility is to respond. I walked down the stairs that night pondering what was happening in my heart and how I should respond.

My eyes had been opened to injustice in the world and I began discussing with the Lord the emotions that were filling my heart as I was exposed more and more to the brokenness that filled so many lives. I kept asking Him to fill my heart with compassion, to soften my heart so that I could see people the way that He sees people. Over the course of two months, my heart was set aflame and I knew that I could not rest until I saw justice fill the earth.

After my time in Rwanda, I had made the decision to staff a Justice focused DTS. The Lord resoundingly kept saying "Justice, Justice, Justice" like a gong ringing in my spirit and I knew I needed to move forward so that I might respond to His calling. Throughout the Justice DTS I was exposed to more and more justice issues around the world; human trafficking, blood diamonds, war, homelessness, child abuse, and infanticide to name a few.

Much of our response to injustice often involves punishment of perpetrators. I would say, more often than not, punishment is what comes to mind when people think of executing justice. By the end of the lecture phase of this school, however, the Lord had completely redefined my definition of justice. He showed me that His justice is all about restoring relationships. When someone does something to violate another person, it is the Lord's heart that both the victim and the perpetrator be restored and reconciled. This is ultimately why Jesus came and died on the cross; He took the punishment of our sins so that we could be restored and reconciled in our relationship with Him and with others. That is the ultimate goal of God's justice, and with this revelation I was sent out to lead a team of students to Belfast, Northern Ireland and Jos, Nigeria. Talk about huge opportunities to apply what the Lord was teaching me.

A few months after the Justice DTS finished, I had the opportunity to go to South Africa for a leadership training course. During my time there, Xenophobia riots broke out and I was able to help at a refugee camp for foreign Africans that were being violently run out of the townships they were living in because people were jealous and looking for a scapegoat for their poverty. My time in South Africa was also a time in which I began my masters in international relations. I knew I wanted to get involved in changing foreign policy so restorative justice would become a goal of U.S. international engagement.

One of the instructors for the leadership training course led us through an exercise that helped us explore our "destiny by design", by examining our dreams, past experiences, interests, personalities, gifts, passions, and network of people that the Lord had orchestrated in our lives. By the end of the course, I realized I have a passion to see people's dreams come true and to network individuals in such a way that those dreams can be fulfilled.

Fast forward 2 years to January 2010. When I heard about the earthquake in Haiti, it was as though the Lord had dropped a bomb on my heart to intercede(pray) for the people in this country. I remember walking around my house telling my roommates that we should all just drop everything and go. After a night or two of staying up all night, I found myself on the third night praying that God would have mercy on Haiti, over and over. I stopped for a moment to listen to the Lord and He said to me, "How much is one life worth?" As I pondered this question, thoughts of how there are so many of us who want to go to Haiti to help, but don’t have the money or the time. It struck me when God asked the question again, that even just one life would be worth going down to Haiti for a week where I would have to take the next year to pay it off on my credit card. One life would be worth not showering for a week. One life would be worth missing school for a week. One life would be worth missing a little sleep. One life would be worth taking the criticism of people saying this was crazy. One life would still be worth it. So I asked the Lord if I could go, and He said, "Go." The next day I had purchased my ticket and the following day I was on a plane to the Dominican Republic. I spent ten days in Haiti and I haven't been the same since.

In my times of intercession for Haiti, the Lord also planted another seed; it was to create a network of justice workers entitled One Life Worth. It is an exhaustive network focused on building relationships to see justice fill the earth in every sphere, every nation, and every community. My heart for justice and my desire to network people so their dreams come true, had collided. I know that one day the One Life Worth Justice Network will be a reality and the Lord's heart for restorative justice will fill the earth as people with His heart work together to see this world transformed.

So far, I have begun this journey by creating a website and a Facebook group to begin connecting others. The vision for this organization is grand and it can only be fulfilled with the Lord's help and provision. I'm excited to see where the Lord takes it and the impact it will have in bringing Heaven to Earth.

You can check out the website HERE. Thanks for taking the time to read!

In Christ,
Janet

Own A Sailboat

The next dream on my list is to own a sailboat.

I have loved being in the ocean my entire life. Growing up in San Diego and going to the beach weekly as a child deposited in me a deep respect and awe for the ocean. I remember at my dad's end of week work picnics at the beach I would go out into the surf, with no board what-so-ever, and try and ride the waves while dodging or being dodged by surfers. In high school when I needed time to think I would go to a small beach covered in rocks and watch the sun set behind the silhouette of the surf. During the summer between my junior and senior year I went through a program to become a certified beach lifeguard, and what a thrill it was to jump off the Mission Bay Pier!

I left for college at 17 and moved to San Luis Obispo. While the water temperature was noticeably colder, I was still within a few miles of the ocean where I could retreat for a run or find peace reading a book. When I moved to Redding, my biggest hesitation was that the closest distance to the ocean was four hours away. I was comforted by the fact that the city is surrounded by mountains, lakes, and rivers; adequate substitutes for the ocean when all three are present.

When I was 21, I had the opportunity to go with a group of young adults to Hawaii and help to build and establish adventure programs for a retreat camp. Basically we harvested coconuts, dug toilet latrines, set up heavy duty tents, and then went on adventures all over the island. One of these adventures included sailing on a sailboat down the Big Island coastline. In return for the owner's generosity, we cleaned the barnacles off of his boat. I can't remember if I had been on a sailboat up to that point. I remember hearing stories my dad told me about a catamaran he had when he was younger, but I don't recollect ever being on a boat with sails. I didn't really know what to expect. I had been in tiny aluminum boats and large fishing boats growing up, but those don't compare to sailing.

The day we went on our excursion, we drove down the coastal highway and pulled off the road in an unmarked location. There was a small bay about 200 yards from the road with no buildings in sight. The water was crystal clear and the sky was cloudless; a perfect summer day on the Big Island. About 100 feet from shore sat a little sailboat anchored in the bay. Our group made our way out of the back of the truck we were riding in and across the lava rock lining the shore. We adorned our snorkel gear and jumped in. There were all kinds of colorful fish swimming beneath us as we made our way over to the boat. The captain lowered a ladder for us to climb aboard. The boat itself was not very big, it held about seven of us at one time. We sprawled ourselves out over the boat and prepared for the ride.

It's hard to describe the emotions I felt as we sailed across the ocean. I was gazing at the endless blue sky, the sun was shining down and the wind was blowing over me in a perfect collaboration to moderate my body temperature, and a slight mist covered the surface of my skin each time the boat sailed over a swell. With ease, I was able to find peace in an instant and lean into in the presence of God. It was a drunken feeling encountering the fullness of goodness, peace and joy, and to top it all off, I was able to share the experience with some of my favorite people. We sailed in serene silence as we drank in the depth of His lavish love for us.

It was this experience that produced a longing in my heart to sail ever since, and why I dream to have a sailboat of my own. In the mean time, I'm perfectly content to go along with friends on their sailboats until my dream is fulfilled. Call me any time friends, call me any time...

With Love,
Janet

The little Hawaiian sailboat that planted a seed

Learn Arabic Fluently & Go to the Middle East

The next two dreams on my list are to learn Arabic fluently and go to the Middle East.

Ever since high school I have had a fascination with the Arab world. I'll give a shout out to my good friend Manal for being a part of this dream being planted in my heart. She is from Lebanon and in her home she spoke Arabic growing up. Whenever I went over to her house, I loved hearing them speak and also observe the unique cultural differences they had from mine. The hookah was always out, goat skins were on the floor, Arab soap operas were on TV, generosity and hospitality were their profession, and her mom often taught little kids Arabic in the garage. I always enjoyed spending time with her family.

When I started getting involved with restorative justice, community development, and reconciliation work, I quickly became attentive to how these skills could be useful in the Middle East. I have never been to the Middle East, but I know with certainty that I will spend extended periods of time throughout the Arab world and Middle East. News articles about Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Morocco and many more consistently catch my attention. I've had many friends who have spent short periods of time throughout the Middle East and I am always fascinated by the beautiful images and stories they bring home with them. It is nothing like the news portrays. I also have a grace and hope in my heart to see peace and reconciliation touch the hearts, communities, and nations in the Middle East. I know that the Lord is absolutely in love with every man, woman, and child that lives in this area of the world and I feel He has placed a piece of His heart into mine for these people, their culture, and their language.

That said, I also found in my travels that people are honored when you, as a visitor, come and can speak their language. As I finish my Masters degree in International Relations with a focus on Conflict resolution, I have begun studying Arabic so as to honor the very people I hope to be working with one day to find peace and hope in every area of their society. I can already tell that I have quite the challenge ahead of me, but the more you invest in something, the more valuable it becomes when you receive it. I can't wait for the days that I find myself traveling and working throughout the Middle East speaking their language and sharing life with those that Jesus loves so dearly.

Hope Always,
Janet

Zip-Line Through The Redwoods

In no particular order, I will begin with the first dream on my list:

Zip-lining through the Redwoods.

About a year ago, I was at church during a worship time and the Lord began speaking to me through a vision. He and I were in an orchard/forest walking around and exploring the various kinds of trees that were planted there. He was telling me that each tree represented the dreams He had for me in my life. There were trees with all kinds of different fruit and flowers, and a variety of scents filled the air. It was exciting to explore all that the Lord had in store for me. He seemed particularly excited to show me a specific tree and grabbed my hand and we began running through the forest. After a short time, we came to the base of an enormous Redwood tree.

The diameter of the tree's base had to be at least 15 feet and it was so tall that I could not see the top of it. The Lord said to me with a huge smile, "Let's climb it," and a rush of anticipation and excitement filled my being. He started to climb and quickly I was right behind him working our way up the tree with nearly no effort at all. At different points the Lord and I raced to the next branch and laughed away like little children as we climbed higher and higher up this giant Redwood tree.

I almost forgot that we were in a forest of my dreams as the whole experience of climbing up this tree with the Lord captivated my heart. Here was the Lord, the Perfect Father, my Best Friend, the Love of my life, joyously sharing this experience with me that would further define the infinite affection we have towards one another. If this was all we had done, I would be satisfied, but He had more to show me.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. -Ephesians 3:20 MSG

Near the canopy, the branches began to thin out and the Lord brought us to a place where we could sit comfortably and look out over the view. It was magnificent. It felt like we were miles high and yet there was no end to the forest. There were other tall trees of various heights, but none like the one we were on, and there were a number of trees of all different colors, like how the trees change color in the fall. As we gazed over this forest, my forest of dreams, I was in awe of the mystery of His great love for me that He would create such a place as beautiful as this with me in mind. He truly is good and great.

After what seemed like hours confined to only moments, the Lord said He had one more thing to show me. I turned around and noticed we had been sitting on a platform. On the other side of the tree a cable was firmly attached that strung across the forest, all the way down to the forest floor, I could barely see the end of it. The Lord said, "I have this in store for you too." I knew exactly what to do. I strapped myself in and attached myself to the cable, and the Lord did the same. On the count of three we stepped off the platform, and what felt like flying, we took off over the canopy of trees with my heart full and hope renewed. I knew at that moment someday the Lord would work out an opportunity for this to happen in the physical world along with the fulfillment of all of the other dreams He has planted in that forest. This is where my dream to zip-line through the Redwoods was rooted in my heart.

Not long after this vision did I discover that there is a zip-line course in the Redwoods in Santa Cruiz, CA. I have yet to find the time, funds, and people to go with to see this dream become a reality, but I know in it's right time it will be fulfilled.

Thanks for reading,
Janet

A New Year

Considering it has been almost a year since my last post, I thought it might be a great idea to start blogging again. Yes, just like adding a workout routine to my new years resolution list, blogging is yet another I hope to follow through on.

A year ago I was blogging about my time in Haiti in response to the earthquake, this year I am going to start on a little lighter note. I've decided to start compiling a dream list. Up to this point, I have forty dreams on this list and I wanted to share them with whoever decides to read this blog. My hope in sharing these dreams is to open up a little about who I am and what I love, explore how these dreams took root in my heart, give myself an opportunity to discover how I might see these dreams fulfilled, provide an opportunity for others to help me see these dreams fulfilled, and also give others permission to dream. You're never too young, old, washed up, or messed up to stop dreaming. A quote by Dutch Sheets characterizes the heart of why I'm writing this next series of blogs, "Hope is hearing the melody of the future and faith is dancing to it."

Here's to me dancing to the melody of my dreams fulfilled!

Janet

Out of the depths of His heart, my dreams arise...
Created by Janet, 2011