happy is as happy gives

"The really wonderful moments of joy in this world are not the moments of self-satisfaction, but self-forgetfulness." Piper. Dont Waste Your Life. 

Im reading this book for my internship. Food for the Hungry sent me it as part of my preparation. I've always wanted to read it and read a little for Jubilate but it's really making me think now and I'm completely engrossed. 

This quote is so for real. I've been thinking about it for a while.. Like, how giving is a way of receiving and we actually give to receive. Juliana, explain yourself. 
One of the happiest moments I can remember from life so far is me in tivas and scrubs, dirty and sweaty, taking blood pressures in a make-shift clinic in Morocco. My wanting to go overseas and work in development or anti-trafficking efforts is not me sacrificing my happiness for the happiness and health of others. I'm going there and doing that because it makes ME happy and makes me feel fulfilled and like my life is worth something. Selfish? lol Life really is about being happy.. we've just been going about it the wrong way. I think that's something every one has in them. When we serve, when we give, we are the happiest.

Cause we're not made for ourselves. That's why I think so many American teenagers are depressed and complaining about their (amazingly spoiled) lives. They haven't gotten it yet. That it's in giving that we find our purpose and living for themselves, for the next pair of shoes or the next car, is no way to live and will not make them happy. I'd love to kidnap about 20 depressed Americans between the ages of 13 and 18 and take them to Morocco and stick some grubby clothes on them and make them paint schools and teach kids English. I bet they'd come back with a different view about life and what they're living for. Maybe they'd look for a way to make a change in their community. 

It's not just for Christians. In everybody this need to give and serve is in us. Some people get it. Like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They got it. They give a ton of money to developing nations to support healthier communities. I read an interview with Jolie once and she was saying she wished she could stay there in Africa but had to come back to the US and make movies to make money to send back. We look at people like them who give so much and we say, "Oh, what great people! Giving so much away." But they do it because it makes THEM happy. They get it. (Can I just speak to the sadness of the fact that they get it and so many Christians dont...)

We're made to seek our own joy by serving others. I really believe that's legit. We're not made for ourselves. Regardless of whether our motivation is a love for Jesus or not, it's programmed within our hearts that when our mind and purpose is not on ourselves and we take on the cares of others, the happiness that we create within others overflows to fill our own hearts.

About last summer and this summer...

So I was supposed to blog during my trip to North Africa but wasn't allowed to for security reasons. :( I will possibly post pictures about my trip here but there are some on facebook that you can see so just friend me if we're not friends and go see them there if your interested. :) Last summer was one of the best summers of my life. It was just so great...

BUT it is now summer of 2009 and there are new adventures on the horizon... 

SUMMER 2009....... TADA!!!!!!!!!...........

I've been to Egypt, Europe, all thru the middle east, and Morocco... But this adventure is different. It's more of a mental adventure. lol. An abilities adventure. I'm interning at Food for the Hungry for the summer (from June 8-August 9ish) in Phoenix. Mum and Dad still live there so I can smooch off of them for one more summer before going solo. For this I am blessed and thankful. Because the internship is unpaid for. I say unpaid for but I am going to get so much in terms of experience and resume-good-looking-ness that I feel like it will definitely pay off in the end. I know that they're not paying because of lack of finances so that's ok. If I were working for like, Bill Gates... I would be slightly annoyed. lol. 

What will I be doing? I dont know, if someone finds out let me know... lol Just kidding. But I feel unprepared for this adventure into the cubicle office world. I know I will be working in marketing and communications for the Transformational Development Conference in Philly in August. I hope marketing doesn't mean business-type money marketing because I know nothing about that. I hope this internship will give me flexibility and allow me to brainstorm and idea-ize. I LOVE starting things and being allowed to imagine and plan and let my ideas go loose... This past semester I started a campus chapter of the International Justice Mission at my school and it was SO fun to plan events and research and give presentations... I had the freedom to kindof do what I want and while I know I will be assigned projects at this internship, I hope I'll be able to be inventive and creative. I think I reflect God most in that characteristic of his. His creativeness. He's given me gifts in that area and I'm very thankful for it.