updates (since it's been so long since our last post)...

Well, it's been far too long since our last post. Please forgive us!

Much has transpired in the Demary home, with the following highlights being the biggest news:

**We're having a baby! Little baby fumary (combination of my maiden and married names = fumary) is growing fast and is about the size of an avocado at the moment. He or she (we'll find out next month which one) is due June 4th and we are SO excited!

**I (Lindsay) graduate on Friday from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University with a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. That basically means I have survived the training and can now officially offer the ministry of spiritual direction and other spiritual formation ministries such as spiritual retreats and spiritual direction groups. I am currently looking to expand my ministry by offering one-to-one spiritual direction, as well as help churches facilitate spiritual retreats. If you know of anyone interested in these types of things, send them my way! I am listed on the Evangelical Spiritual Directors Association website here.

**Randy is in the throes of applying for PhD programs across the US. He's applying to 8 schools (including Fuller, which we hope and pray works out) and we are very much in a season of waiting and trusting that God will continue to guide us and provide for us as he always has and does. We appreciate your prayers as we continue to send in apps and seek God's will with whatever acceptance letters come back.

Since the first trimester of pregnancy has taken most of the pregnancy symptoms of fatigue and nausea away, I hope to be more active on our blog again. 

Merry Christmas to you! 

[avocado photo from here]

slave-free tomatoes :: IJM recipe for change

hopefully randy and I haven't become broken records yet...

IJM is just SO stellar! I feel like every time I turn around, they are on the cusp of whatever new issue I'm hearing about.

this time? it's tomatoes. my friend alison was just telling me about how often tomatoes are farmed using slave labor. from what she's learned, the best way to avoid purchasing such bad tomato slave products are to look for heirloom tomatoes (in general, these tend to come from farms that have labor practices more on the up and up, and are the best to eat.)

this morning, I stumbled upon this awesome campaign that IJM is up to to help end slavery in the tomato farming in the US. yep, you read that right -- tomato slavery exists right here in our first world USA. 

what's even cooler (if it COULD get better than it is already...) is that they are featuring tomato recipes from supporters of the campaign, such as sara groves and the barlow girls. clever, eh? I know, I know, it's obvious that I maybe have a girl-crush on sara. maybe you should, too ;)

[photo from here] 

europe :: the downsides

don't get me wrong. we had a fantastic time in europe! and we are well aware that we are privileged beyond measure to have had the chance to do all that we did the last few weeks. we are grateful... SO grateful. it's just that if you hear us say we can't afford to do certain things in the coming weeks, it's because of the list of unexpected expenses that we are trying to catch up from.

detroit, michigan, usa :: i found an amazing deal on cheapoair (take note) on a ticket from milan to prague for the later part of our trip. but when i went to purchase it, it didn't go through. i called in, spoke with a nice lady with a very thick accent. she offered me an alternative ticket price that was higher than i wanted but the best it was going to be. we spent a long time repeating and spelling things to each other to make sure we were on the same page. i booked this ticket for thursday, august 8th. in looking at the itinerary just before boarding our flight to amsterdam, i realized the flight was actually scheduled for tuesday, august 21st. how can this happen?! how is tuesday translated to thursday?! how is "eighth" translated into "twenty-first"?!? there is no way we'd still be on the continent to even think of flying that far into august anywhere in europe! we're still fighting this one... hoping we get a refund even though they say they don't do such things. oi vey.

amsterdam, netherlands :: plane got in a few minutes late. practically jogged the length of one terminal to the next to get to our gate just in the nick of time. in the middle of our jog, we had to go through security and they confiscated my knitting needles! (have no fear, i was able to thread yarn through my work so it wasn't lost).

 

dusseldorf, germany :: after flying basically all day and night (friday am -- to saturday am), we arrived in germany only to find out that our suitcase (which we had wanted to carry on but due to lack of space in the plane by the time we boarded, was force-checked all the way through)did not follow us all the way to our destination... later on a german student kindly helping us communicate with the airline reported that it was even possibly in barcelona :/

cologne, germany :: our reservation through airbnb for a place to sleep after touring the city with our friend heather wasn't quite as nice as it had been described. let's just say no one wanted to use the shower (even though we all definitely could have used one...)

brussels, belgium :: at an ungodly hour of the morning, we arrived at the ryanair ticket counter to check in for our $27 flight (per person) to italy. 120 euros later we had our printed boarding docs (it wasn't fine print, but using a tiny iPhone screen meant i didn't really read any details about this flight and the necessity of printing your own boarding pass at home. southwest, we love you EVEN more now!) thinking i had checked us in AND paid for our one checked bag, we were surprised to learn that checking our bag would cost another 105 euros. what the...?!?! so our $54 trip to italy turned into more like $300. :(

milan, italy :: i hate to say it because this was truly our favorite leg of our travels, but my how i learned not to rely on having internet on my phone at all times! reservations for hotel bristol for one night. killer deal. google mapped it and took pictures on my phone so when we didn't have internet later we'd be able to find it. only there are TWO hotel bristols in milan. guess which one we went to? and it just so happened that the wrong hotel bristol was on holiday (so a sign on their door told us) so we couldn't even talk to someone in person to find that we were at the wrong one. fail. just over $100 for a hotel close by that was clean, available and offered free breakfast (but not free wifi, therefore i didn't find out about the other hotel bristol until the next day)

oh yeah, and there are three airports in milan. we bought roundtrip tickets for the bus to/from the hotel area, only to realize too late that our flight out of milan was from a different airport than the one we flew into. another fail. thankfully this only cost us about 10 euros.

prague, czech republic :: all was going smoothly and we were saving money in unexpected places. (hooray! even though it wasn't coming close to helping us break even...) while laughing and joking as we walked out of the metro (train) in the city center of prague, we are stopped by a gruff czech officer. apparently, though we had purchased our train tickets, because we didn't validate (and didn't see signs telling us to) we now owed an 800 czk fine (or 35 euros). how's that for deflating our excitement for touring a city we thought would be the least expensive in our travels?!

we still loved all of these places, but feel like we had to learn a few too many lessons the hard way about traveling in them. maybe you can learn from our mistakes!

 

CONNECTing with Students in Europe

To all of you who prayed for and gave toward our trip to Europe for the Students for Christ CONNECT '12 conference, thank you!

We are back home, still somewhat jet-lagged, but thankful for our safe travels, the way God clearly moved in this conference and for the comfort of our beds. :)

Here are some of the main ways we were able to minister:

1) Randy taught two mini-sessions of the Biblical Global Justice course materials, exposing students to the basics of why and how the God of the Bible cares so deeply about issues of injustice. He delved in with these students by going deeper into the issues of Sex Trafficking and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, offering well-thought out research and relevant biblical studies. (More on this to come!)

2) Lindsay taught one class on "Engaging God in the Everyday" -- focusing on broadening views on prayer and how one can connect with God, based on knowledge of one's personality traits and understanding of the myriad types of prayer Christ followers have practiced from ancient times to now. 

(This was one of our favorite moments of the corporate meeting times -- where each country represented in the room brought a flag and prayer requests so that those present could walk, pray and worship as we lifted the people of Europe to the Father.)

3) Additionally, Lindsay and a missionary from France got to meet with several students and staff for "listening prayer" appointments. These were some of the sweetest moments of hearing (and seeing) where God has been at work in some deeper areas of these dear ones' lives and then together listening for what God might communicate to them further. (More on this to come also!)

4) Lastly, due to an unexpected cancellation of the childcare workers, Lindsay ended up working with the 3-6 year-old class almost every day, teaching the missionary children while their parents served in various roles throughout the conference.

It's Europe time!

Randy and I have both been working hard this week prepping for Europe -- getting our notes together to teach our classes, packing, finishing some final touches and edits on the Biblical Global Justice resources that became available TODAY! Check it out: here.

We invite you to pray (and keep praying!) for traveling mercies, energy despite jet lag, discernment as we speak and teach, and opportunities to speak the truth in love wherever we go and to whomever we are with.

Our itinerary is as follows:

July 27 :: Depart LA en route to Dusseldorf, Germany

July 28-August 4 :: Dusseldorf/Cologne, Germany for CONNECT conference with Students for Christ, Europe

August 4-5 :: Explore Cologne with Lindsay's former XA student from Cal Poly Pomona (who is working on her masters in an engineering program in Stuttgart, Germany)

August 5-8 :: Visit with Randy's old XA buddies (from UL Lafayette) in Brussels, Belgium (they are XA missionaries to university students over there)

August 8-9 :: Overnight trip to Milan, Italy to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary (which was last week) :)

August 9-12 :: Check out IBTS (Ph.D program that Randy will apply to) in Prague, Czech Republic (don't worry, we wouldn't need to live there; it's just another way Randy could work with a Fuller professor through a different [hopefully less expensive] school)

August 12-13 :: Return to Dusseldorf

August 13 :: Depart Dusseldorf en route to LA

Ciao!

Trade as One :: change lives with everything you buy

Trade as One, a Santa Cruz-based organization, sparked my interest about a year ago when my eldest sister (people still ask who's older when they see us together) volunteered for them for awhile.

They offer TONS of products in their online shop AND promise to ship things the same day (as long as orders are placed before 1pm). That's not too shabby, if you ask me.

Similar to Heavenly Treasures and many of the other companies I've researched over the last several months, Trade as One claims the following as their mission:

Our mission is to use fair trade to promote sustainable business 

and break cycles of poverty and dependency in the developing world. 

We all have a conscience. 

We want to make sure people get the chance to use it when they shop. 

As I quickly perused their website today, I realized that they have done a bunch of research for me (and you!) in regards to which brands commit to the Fair Trade standard. Hooray! Remember my hunt for chocolate brands that I could buy without the fear of participating in child slavery in the process?? Trade as One sells the same brands I found I could support.

I'm hooked. I think that when I cannot find a local place where I can buy things like chocolate, tea, and gifts, I'm going straight to their website. Check them out here.

*Image found here.

  

Hapa Handmade :: etsy shop

Most of you have probably noticed that I started a little Etsy shop recently. [If you don't know what Etsy is, you're about to enter into a whole new world of all things handmade, creatively re-done and just straight up clever ideas!] Over the holidays last year, my grandmother and her sister taught me how to knit and crochet and I basically just haven't stopped having a knit or crochet project in my hands since.

First it was frustrating as I learned how to stay consistent with my stitches. Then, I felt adventurous in finding patterns I thought I could follow. And all of a sudden, the obsession turned into a freeing way of expressing creativity (most of which I didn't even realize was hiding in there!).

So, I thought I'd share the shop with you all here.

Two of my dearest friends, Angi and Davinah, kindly offered their stunning creativity in calligraphy, photography and design to create my logo:

Isn't it pretty?

Oh, and since almost everyone asks why it's called "hapa" handmade, I'll explain the inspiration:
Since it was my Japanese grandmother who invited me into the world of yarn, knitting needles and crochet hooks, it seemed fitting to choose a name that reflected something of my Japanese heritage. Ever since my siblings and I were kids, we have taken much pride in our identity as being half-Japanese (and half-white mix from my mom). We learned early on a slang word for people of our kind: "hapa." It basically means "half", but is often used to refer to half-Japanese or half-Asian mixed heritage people. So, there you go. Now you know the background to my shop name. :)

Pasadena Farmer's Market :: Locations & Times

Just thought I'd share the info on local farmer's markets...

We have three options in Pasadena:

1) Tuesday :: 8:30am-12:30pm :: Villa Park Center, 363 East Villa Street, Pasadena :: 626.449.0179

This is the one I have gone to for the past month. If you wait until noon or so, 

they often will give you better deals because they don't want to take produce back to the farm. :)

2) Wednesday :: 3:30pm-7:30pm :: El Molino Avenue & Union Street (northeast corner)

3) Saturday :: 8:30am-12:30pm :: Victory Park, 2900 block of North Sierra Madre Boulevard, at the intersection of Sierra Madre Blvd and Paloma Street (in front of Pasadena High School)

Farmer's Market

One thing Randy and I have learned is that a better way to promote more ecological living and fair trading is to buy local. 

 For example: buy from a Farmer's Market! 

The produce hasn't had to be shipped thousands of miles 

(which eliminates the waste of gas and environmental harm), 

 your options are more focused on what's in season 

(rather than importing things we want that are only in season in other countries),

you're buying directly from the farm/farmer 

(more directly than through any supermarkets I know).

I've included pictures of our most recent farmer's market visit. 3 bags of carrots, one honeydew melon, 4 squash, 2 bell peppers and 3 baskets of strawberries. 

(All for under $20!)

Heavenly Treasures :: Fair Trade Federation Member

I must apologize for being behind on my discipline of blogging every week about a Fair Trade product or company. I'm sorry!


But, here I am again, attempting to highlight a company that is well worth purchasing from.


Heavenly Treasures practices the motto, "Every product represents a changed life." Having been acquainted with the founder's son (ahem, actually dated him, but we've all moved on now!), I got to see up close and personal what these people are about. 

With micro enterprises in countries like Bolivia, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, India and many other places, they are fulfilling their mission of providing a "livelihood project" for underprivileged people to make a consistent living. How? These micro enterprises offer jobs to (mostly) women, in which they are taught how to make a certain handicraft, which is then sold for a fair price through Heavenly Treasures. Much of the business has run off of donations in order to keep a high standard in the payment and treatment of these women. 


I love this:
 100% of the sales proceeds are reinvested back into the livelihood project.  The funds are used to ensure an ongoing market and source of income. When possible, funds are designated for special needs, equipping seminars and equipment.

Throughout college, since the shop is literally down the street from APU, I would go and shop for family members when it was their birthday or Christmas was coming. I mean, who wouldn't appreciate a gift that comes with a story? I could literally tell my grandma that the person(s) involved in making her apron (or scarf or whatever) have a consistent income and better life because of this organization. Isn't that cool?

Kathy Gaulton, the founder, is a woman to be admired for her endurance, business sense, compassion and love for God. What's so fascinating about her story is that she worked in the secular business world for a few decades before she took all that she learned and built Heavenly Treasures out of it. What a beautiful picture of God taking the skills and experiences of her past and using it to create a wonderful way to minister to and aid some of the most needy around the world. 

Check it out: HeavenlyTreasures.

Photos from here and here.

European University Students :)

Well, you have probably already heard, but Randy and I are going to Europe this July!


We are so excited that Randy was asked to teach on Biblical Global Justice at the international conference taking place in Cologne, Germany. Students from all over Europe will be joining us at CONNECT 2012 -- a conference put on by Students for Christ, Europe (basically SFC = the European version of Chi Alpa). Not only will Randy teach several sessions on BGJ, but I will also have an opportunity to teach a session. I am able to choose my topic (sweet!) and Randy and I narrowed it down to this:

Engaging God in the Everyday

God created us so uniquely, so why do we take a “one size fits all” approach to connecting with Him? This session will enrich your spiritual life by exploring various forms of prayer and helping participants to better understand their own spiritual temperaments.

I am eagerly thinking and praying about how to bring some of the most impacting aspects of my training over the last few years to these dear students. Would you pray with me in advance for their hearts -- that they would be open to pursuing connecting with God in different ways, that they would be drawn by the Holy Spirit to this session, that God would speak very clearly to my heart as I prepare and give this teaching.

Prayer is such a powerful, yet simple thing. It's amazing to me just how transformative experiencing prayer can be. Though it gets talked about as this mysterious, ethereal experience (it is mysterious -- don't get me wrong)... It really is a very simple concept of posturing oneself in an attitude of openness to connecting with God. It can be one in which you pour your heart out to God verbally, mentally or physically... or it can be a completely silent experience (both internally and externally) in which the action and verbage is coming from the Almighty God. You may walk away feeling a distinct something from that time of connecting with God or feeling absolutely nothing. But no matter what you do, say, read, write, sing or think, coming to God with a desire to be open to connecting with him is the only necessary thing. 

The heart behind a topic like "engaging God in the everyday" is to bring a few more ideas to the table on what engaging with God could actually look like. Too often, we (rightly) speak in vague terms about prayer and leave it at that. Yes, prayer is vague (because it can take such different forms for different times and people), but there are actually concrete ideas on how to approach prayer. This is what I hope to encourage students with.

Do you go crazy in an empty room trying to pray? Try taking a walk and conversing with God about what you see or what comes to mind. Do you get distracted by walking by people and things that might make your mind go on a tangent? Try sitting with a journal in hand so that as your body writes what your mind is thinking, there is more coherence in your body as you pray. Or maybe grab some crayons, paper and magazines and create a drawing or collage of things that express your heart. Maybe a recitation of a prayer from the early church would be helpful for you to memorize and pour over, allowing your heart to soak up the rich meaning in such carefully chosen words. Maybe reading Scripture with a prayerful attitude, personalizing it to where you are would be a helpful starting point. Maybe approaching a passage of Scripture intellectually, studying and digging into the symbolism and language brings you to a place of closeness with Christ Jesus. The sky is the limit!

In case you're interested in finding out more, I plan on using some of these books as references to prayer practices:

Prayer

Sacred Pathways

The Only Necessary Thing

Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

Lindsay's Practicum Completed :: Joining the ESDA

Well, after a year and a half of rigorous training and lots of classes on how to be a spiritual director, I am happy to announce that I have completed my training! :) As of last month, I have finished training and am able to "do" spiritual direction as a vocation.

What is spiritual direction, you might ask?
"Christian spiritual direction is primarily a ministry in which one Christian (the director) helps another (the directee) to discern God’s presence and activity in the directee’s life and also the directee’s reactions and responses to God’s activity. It is often said that the real director in spiritual direction is God, while the human spiritual director is more of a witness, one that points to God’s activity on behalf of the directee. Spiritual direction can also be done in a group context, in which a group of Christians together prayerfully seek to discern God’s activity in the life of a fellow believer." -- ESDA

A few of the things I love about this ministry are:
*there is a high expectation that a spiritual director will understand and initiate proper self-care (physically, emotionally and spiritually) so that the ministry to others will not be hindered by burn out, exhaustion and other things that can accumulate from an over-filled life/schedule/etc.

*there is also an ethical mandate to stay in some sort of supervision, i.e. peer accountability, in which the spiritual director can work through issues that surface through the process of giving spiritual direction with another trained spiritual director or directors.

*the possibilities of using this training (largely in listening, discerning and asking questions) are endless -- I hope to meet one-to-one with people, with groups, offer retreats, and serve the church in whatever ways seem appropriate.

Now that training is complete, I have joined a group of Evangelical Spiritual Directors, ESDA. From their website (in collaboration with the Evangelical Center for Spiritual Wisdom), they offer a list of how to find a spiritual director in your area. I am now officially on the list of spiritual directors. If you're interested, check out the list here.

Homeboy Industries :: Jobs not Jails

Randy and I stumbled across Homeboy Industries a few years ago. We fell in love with their chips right away because they are so tasty! And then we read the label and we knew we'd never buy any other tortilla chip brand again (as long as we have the option). Their motto? "Jobs not jails"... Thanks to Ralph's down the street, we have easy access.

**Available in most Southern California area Ralphs, Food 4 Less and other fine stores in the deli section.

Here's why:

"By offering multi-level solutions, Homeboy Industries recognizes that moving beyond gang life is a process, and that re-directing lives in a positive direction strengthens not only the individual, but also that person’s family, providing a more constructive, healthy environment for their children, and, by extension, to the community at large."


What they offer:
*employment services
*case management
*tattoo removal
*mental health, substance abuse and domestic violence services
*solar panel installation training and certification program

Really, what better business model can we support? They sell fine products and have a wonderful mission -- serving both those that want to eat (like u) and those who need help getting out of hard situations (like the ex-gang members and others). They even have a Homeboy Bakery line that our favorite coffee shop Intelligentsia sells.

Not to mention, this whole thing started because a Jesuit priest saw a need in the communities around him in which so many young people were being pulled into gangs and violence. Check out Father Greg's story here. You just might be inspired. :)

[photos from here and here]

Randy got ordained!

Randy and I have thought long and hard about with whom we should pursue ministerial credentials. Both having a Chi Alpha background, we discussed and decided on connecting with the greater Assemblies of God family.

In April, Randy was ordained a minister with the Assemblies of God. Our pastors, my parents and some of our closest friends came to the ordination service in Anaheim at the yearly District Council. It was a moving service and proved much more significant than either of us could have imagined.

Our respected General Superintendent Dr. George O. Wood (he's basically the top person in the entire nation's fellowship of churches and pastors) gave the ordination charge. We were blessed and humbled as Randy received the purple stole, shepherd's crook and the Bible.

my handsome ordained husband 

Randy and our friend Josh (who also got ordained)

Brenda Green, me, Randy, Doug Green, Mama Fu and Papa Fu 

simple revelations...

after three years of seminary -- and not just any kind of seminary (the Institute for Spiritual Formation is quite unique!) -- some things are starting to make sense...


let me explain: before starting seminary, my approach to intimacy with God was typical. the pursuit of a regular routine of time in prayer, journaling and reading scripture was the main framework within which i hoped to experience God.


at different points in seminary, my ideas of how to love God and how to pursue intimacy with such an "other" being have been challenged to the point where i wondered what really was important. is it the physical discipline towards consistency? (after all, the closest thing on earth to relating to God's loving relationship is the choosing-love of marriage. so, then even when i don't feel like pursuing God, i still should, right?) or is it the issue of the "heart"? (does it mean the same thing if i come to God with being motivated by pure love and adoration? for that matter, is it even possible to possess a pure heart in this life?)


i'm so grateful to have been exposed to, been encouraged and given space to experience, and learn about so many different avenues through which people since the beginning of time have connected with God. truly, the sky is the limit! if God is omnipresent (which i fully believe is true), then i can connect with him in any way. i can knit or crochet "with" the Lord. i can walk or jog with him. i can enjoy my husband with him. i can play with my nieces and nephews while being aware of him. i can sing and make music with and for him... 


so, this morning, as i sat down in the quiet with a heart longing to pursue quality time with my Jesus, i realized this: what has happened in the last three years of learning, experiencing, wrestling, processing, discovering, and receiving grace in various ways, the "look" of how i connect with God largely is unchanged. i still love pulling out my keyboard, singing, playing, journaling and reading scripture. what's the difference then? i know now that each time i intentionally pursue time with my Lord, it's an opportunity, not an obligation. it's a free choice to act out of love despite feelings. it's not magic. there's no formula to it. it's not an: a + b = c sort of thing. not at all. it's just me being me, where i am, looking in the face of my God and allowing my heart to connect with him through whatever means might be appropriate in that moment. 


maybe this doesn't strike you as powerful and profound, but for me it really is.


and i'm just thankful this morning. for the quiet, the beauty, the learning, the experience and the grace to be me and to be His.


peace ;)

72 days for freedom // Track Your Footprint

Two websites that I can't help but share:

IJM's 72 days for freedom campaign
:: IJM is calling people to sign a petition to ask President Obama to fight slavery, to pray, to give, to host video screenings of a film calling for freedom...

and

My Footprint

[from here and here]

:: SlaveryFootprint.org is a website that will show you how your lifestyle might be inclusive of slave labor. I'm saddened at my own result and it challenges me to make some adjustments. Won't you take a look and see where you can make some positive changes also?

sara groves :: fair trade... music?

one of my favorite artists, sara groves, was introduced to me by my dear sister, stef, several years ago.

i've been hooked ever since. songs like, "He's always been faithful," "maybe there's a loving God," "when it was over," "when the saints" and my absolute fave "loving a person" have been echoes of my own heart so many times over the years.

 [from here]

[from here]

she's the kind of woman who is beautiful inside and out. how do I know? listen to her music. she's more raw and true to herself in her albums than i have ever experienced before... ever.

oh yeah, AND she chose to go with a Fair Trade Music Label on her latest album, "invisible empires."

basically, she's my musical role model because she sings about real issues, she's not hypocritical, and she challenges her listeners because of her thoughtful lyrics and unique musical expression. she purposes to write songs specifically about the causes that IJM (international justice mission) work for to partner with them in work to end injustice around the world. how much better can a musician use their gifts to contribute to seeing the kingdom come, "on earth as it is in heaven"... and that's not even through the physical, tangible work she does when she literally goes with relief teams to various parts of the US and the world to get up close and personal with the sad realities of brokenness.

check her out! you won't be disappointed. :)

"local" (in the L.A. area) stores that sell fair trade

Athena Naturals 2045 South Oxford Avenue Los Angeles CA 90018

Cultural Interiors & Gifts 5573 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90019

Stefan Chasnov 2017 Kelton Ave. Los Angeles CA 90025

Barlow Guildhouse 2000 Stadium Way Los Angeles CA 90026

New High (M)art 1720 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles CA 90027

Kathmandu-LA 5035 Huntington Dr. North Los Angeles CA 90032

ShinyHappyShop.com 4610 Paulhan Avenue Los Angeles CA 90041

SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills 465 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90048

Duet Interior Collections 11732 West Pico Blvd Los Angeles CA 90064

SRF India Gift Shop 3233 N San Fernando Road, Unit 6 Los Angeles CA 90065

Nancy Bothne Designs 3247 Rosewood Ave. Los Angeles CA 90066

Library Foundation, The 630 W 5th Street Los Angeles CA 90071

Fowler Museum at UCLA 308 Charles E Young Drive N Los Angeles CA 90095

Curious 128 Pier Ave. Hermosa Beach CA 90254

Magpie 1141 Highland Avenue Manhattan Beach CA 90266

Corners of the World 1 Malaga Cove Plaza Palos Verdes Estates CA 90274

M’Pressions 1700 South Catalina Avenue Redondo Beach CA 90277

Topanga Home Grown 120 South Topanga Canyon Blvd Topanga CA 90290

Ananda 1354 Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice CA 90291

Bridgid Coulter Designs 1419 5th Street Santa Monica CA 90401

Palmetto 1034 Montana Avenue Santa Monica CA 90403

Parkside Pharmacy 2428 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica CA 90404

Arts & Letters 2665 C Main Street Santa Monica CA 90405

something YOU, LLC 5532 Woodruff Avenue Lakewood CA 90713

Hot Stuff Long Beach 2121 E. Broadway Long Beach CA 90803

Fern’s Garden 5308-B E 2nd Street long Beach CA 90803

Sharmonly 3553 Atlantic Ave #1245 Long Beach CA 90807

Family Fair 810 Meridian Avenue S. Pasadena CA 91030

Vroman’s Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena CA 91101

Ten Thousand Villages 567 South Lake Avenue Pasadena CA 91101

Yoga House 11 West State Street Pasadena CA 91105

Norton Simon Museum 411 West Colorado Blvd Pasadena CA 91105

Vida Verde 3425 Fairesta St. La Crescenta CA 91214

Ananda Ashram 5301 Pennsylvania Ave La Crescenta CA 91214

Follow Your Heart 21825 S Sherman Way Canoga Park CA 91303

Artists’ Enclave 7334 De Soto Ave. Canoga Park CA 91303

Ignition Clothing 24208 Valencia Blvd. Valencia CA 91355

Sharondipity 22563 Ventura Blvd Woodland Hills CA 91364

Kingfisher Road 4922 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Woodland Hills CA 91364

Kaiser Hospital 13652 Cantara Street Panorama City CA 91402

Dana Drug Store 317 North Pass Avenue Burbank CA 91505

Buddhamouse 134 Yale Ave Claremont CA 91711

Premiere 217 W Las Tumas Dr San Gabriel CA 91776

Perfect 10 Communications 3080 W. Valley Blvd. Alhambra CA 91803

Holy Family Bookstore 1527 Fremont Avenue South Pasadena CA 91030

CSU Northridge 18111 Nordhoff St. Northridge CA 91330

from here

Where to buy Fair Trade products...

It's been a little while, but even in the midst of finals time (I'll be done with the semester the end of next week -- yahoo!!), I have not forgotten my commitment to research fair trade products and *especially* where to find them. (What's the point of knowing what is fair trade but not knowing where to actually purchase said fair trade items?!?)

This morning, I found some fantastic websites that will help:

For shopping in the LA area, I've found the Fair Trade Los Angeles extremely informative.
*Particularly, the side bar on the right narrows it down to links for specific categories (i.e. chocolate, clothing, coffee, etc. --> click on the item you're looking for to find out where to buy it fairly traded).

Additionally, the Fair Trade Federation will show you what stores to buy from if you'd rather shop that way (sometimes it's easier to find a quality place to buy, rather than run around all of LA to buy one fair product in a store, but then have to go to another for something else on your list).

Lastly, I found this fantastic blog that compiled womenswear items, store names, websites, etc. There are a TON of places where you can buy your fashionable staples while supporting fair wages and healthy work environments. Just click on the link to this blog and then on the shopping guide link in the Fair Trade Shopping Guide post. Enjoy!

the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters...

some time ago, a friend of mine shared with me that genesis 1:2 provided a striking image that she had been mulling over.


genesis 1:2 says this, "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."

[image from here]

this image continues to surface in my own prayer life and spiritual reflections lately, especially in a spiritual reading through St. Augustine's famous Confessions.


for example, over the weekend, I spent time reflecting on this statement made by Augustine: "... but because your Spirit moved over the waters, your mercy did not abandon us in our misery..."


though much of my exposure to this familiar verse has been tied to the creation story, this statement evoked a new response in me -- what about a picture of God hovering over the waters with thoughtful intention pre-creation... not over the chaotic, formless earth, but over the similarly chaotic (at least to me!) and seemingly formless state of my soul. that Augustine would tie this image of the Spirit of God from the time of creation to an assurance of the Spirit's with-ness in our misery made me stop and consider that the same God who hovered over the formlessness of the beginning of time is hovering over me when I'm not sure what is being formed and shaped within me.

additionally, Augustine continues with the image in a subsequent passage this way: 

... but my soul is still sad because it falls back again and becomes an abyss, or rather, it realizes that it is still a deep abyss... My faith... speaks to my soul and asks: Are you still downcast? Will you never be at peace? Wait for God's help... Early in the morning I shall present myself before him and watch... I shall see my champion and my God who will give life to our perishable bodies too, for the sake of the Spirit who dwells in us, because in his mercy he moved over the dark waters of our souls.

somehow, Augustine sees a clear link between the mercy of God and his active hovering over our souls. what a beautiful (and helpful!) encouragement to remember God's merciful nature in this picture of his hovering over.

Leafy Greens

Normally, pesto is made with basil. And I am definitely a basil lover, but today, I discovered a new way to make pesto... with KALE. It's so good that I couldn't help but share with anyone out there who loves pesto!

I know, I know, some grocery stores don't even carry kale regularly, but kale is a fantastic source of vitamins and other good things for your body. See more here.

Here's the finished product:

It looks like pesto... and tastes like pesto, too! But this is a great way to sneak some healthy goodness into a favorite meal. :)

Here's the recipe:
1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp. walnuts
1 bunch kale, thick stems discarded and leaves torn (12 cups)
1 cup grated pecorino (2 ounces), plus more for serving (I actually replaced this with parmesan cheese)
1 small clove garlic
salt and pepper
1/2 c. olive oil
3/4 lb. fusilli, penne, or some other short pasta

Heat oven to 350. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 6-8 minutes; let cool. Chop 2 tablespoons of the walnuts and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and cook until bright green, 30 seconds. Transfer the kale to a colander (reserve the cooking water); squeeze dry when cool enough to handle.

In a food processor, combine the kale, pecorino (or parmesan), garlic, the remaining 1/3 c. unchopped walnuts, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Process until finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream.

Bring the reserved cooking water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 c. of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the pesto and 1/4 c. of the reserved cooking water and toss to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Serve the pasta sprinkled with the pecorino (or parmesan) and chopped walnuts.

Thanks, Real Simple!