The Self in Each Finger

 

When I was in Bali this past summer, my friends and I visited this beautiful museum tucked away in the tropical village of Ubud.  Amidst all of the unique Balinese art stood this quaint little bronze sculpture of a hand, with what looked like to be finger puppets perched atop each digit.  It ended up being our favorite of the day...

1) thumb = mother = protection, shelter

2)index finger = father = wisdom, leadership

3) middle finger = pot-bellied man = selfishness, arrogance

4) ring finger = bride = faith, devotion

5) little finger = child = innocence, sweetness, affection

Every person has all of these characteristics, which are not far from the self as represented by the hand.  When combined together, all of them create a unity and a complete person. 

A Romanian Reminder. :)

Celebrating womanhood through laughter. and maybe a few tears. One of the best things to discover in this rural Romanian village.

Romania Ladies Meeting 2012

Besties.

Kaydence and Precious the Pitbull.  Some of my newest neighborhood friends. 

Rock on Religion

Whoever said that ancient religions don't possess current cultural relevance hasn't been to this world famous Buddhist temple in Penang, Malaysia.... :)

Back to School Blessings.

Whether you have the "back to school blues" or "back in the swing-of-things swagger," summer days have either passed you by or are growing fewer in number by the day.  I pray that you enter into another season with rejuvenated joy and know that you are not alone. 

Students from the slums of Southern India

Boarding school buds in Bali.

Collegiate cuties in Romania. :)

Missions Day.

Sunday is Missions Day at my church.  I've been looking over photos and preparing media in order to share the stories of those who have impacted my heart.









Here's a few that caught my attention this morning....

                      Shared stories inspire more stories to be shared. Praying for Missions Day.

Reality.

We hear about them all of the time.  Houses sheltering children that are detrimental to their health and safety.  We grow immune to the infomercials, documentaries, and photos that attempt to capture the reality of the situation...

But for Gabi (short for Gabriel) and his family...

Their situation is reality.















While Gabi's living situation has slightly improved, the effects of poverty will not vanish completely.




Please be in prayer for the realities that children face everyday, not only in Romania, but around the world. 

101

Southern India 2010

Age
is
only
a
number...



and when I met her 2 years ago...




her
number
was 101. 

Snow! No?

A winter view brought to you by clouds. :)

Denisa

This little face is one of the things I miss the most about Eastern Europe. 

Lunch break.

Regardless of where we call home, lunch is a welcome break from the demands of the day.

Patterns of religious practice

Buddhist temple in Penang, Malaysia.

The persistence of peace.

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. While this magnificent place has evolved into a hub for tourists over the centuries, Buddha seeks Enlightenment with persistent peace.

Living and LOVING the dream.

Who knew that a handful of small bananas could make friends this big???

Ladybird.

Teaching English at a Burmese refugee school in Malaysia...needless to say, we skipped L.

Standing ovation.

A splash of inspiration in terminal D.

Mother Teresa Mantra

With her inspired wisdom, the future is bright. :)

H-2-oh yeah!

Wet day at New Haven... water is the simplest thing and yet it provides life in so many forms.  From hydration to silly games, water brings joy.

H-2-oh yeah!

Little Faucets for Little Hands.

Blogging has always intimidated me.  I think it's the pressure to write something profound or inspiring... yep. that's it.
Seeing as I'm not a profound person,  I've decided to simply share what inspires me, and I've decided to do it through picture.

Image is powerful, and there's a freedom to interpret that is often hindered with words.  So here's to freedom.

Little faucets for little hands - Guatemala 2012