Shorty 2013 FAQs

Hi guys!

I just wanted to touch base to address a few questions I've gotten lately about "Shorty," in light of my own personal developments....

I am still recycling! 

Yes, I still plan to adopt!

No matter what happens personally, my commitment to Shorty remains one thing with which I have 100% certainty. Timing is unknown but I'm continuing to take steps toward adoption. It has always been a dream in my heart and continues to be now, more than ever. 

Please continue to collect recycling. I've sort of narrowed items down based on the experience and space in the garage and car! I'm collecting and taking plastic soda/water bottles no matter what size, glass, and aluminum cans. I'm no longer taking milk jugs and plastics like shampoo bottles, soap containers, etc. The big ticket items of course are the plastic CA CRV bottles and aluminum cans.

So far, Shorty has $2295 in the account!

Here is where Shorty is on the chart my friend Amanda made me (Ultimate goal, if international: $25,000)

Thank you for your continued efforts and support! It means so much and I'm overwhelmed by this community. As a continually recovering neat freak, I KNOW how annoying it is to see it accumulate in the garage or how easy it'd be to just toss "that one.." Although it may seem trivial being just recycling, there's no "just" when it comes to tangible support and encouragement. Each bottle or can sends a message. Each "transfer of the goods" sends a message.

What can you do for Shorty in 2013, you ask?

Here are a few ways:

• Save your water bottles, aluminum cans, and glass ware (beer bottles, spaghetti sauce jars, baby food jars, etc.)
• Collect recycling at work! Grab that water bottle from your friend who is about to chuck it in the trash...while you are helping Shorty, you are also helping your kids or friends' kids have a more environmentally healthy world -- you may even put a bin at work for collection if you have co-workers that use a lot of water bottles and cans. Feel free to share the blog and this story...we connect through story telling.
• Aluminum cans rack up the most moolah so if you had to collect any one thing from friends or family members, ask them to save their cans 

If you are just tuning in, you can click on some key links in the "About Me" section on the blog to find out why I'm doing this.....or you can ask me when you see me!

Thank you again for what you've done and continue to do!

Grateful,

Danielle

Blessed

It’s been a while since I posted and several of you have wondered how I’ve been doing so here’s the numbers as of today [insert drumroll sound here]:

Total in “Get Shorty” fun: $909.84

Total just from recycling since 1/23/12: $253.66

Awesome, right?

I’ve been so blessed by so many participating in the recycling and brainstorming looking for ways to help. Thank you isn’t enough. As you know, it isn’t just about the recycling, but those items are the “tangible” representation of your support of me.

Throughout the journey, I’ve been blessed in others ways. As I’ve spoken of before, some have given money to put in the fund along the way. One who keeps sending dollars here and there is my mom and mom is on board—can you tell? Look at her memo line in the check.

Another local friend’s husband took the recycling instead of giving it to me and then passed on the money. She sent a text to surprise me with the news. (Thanks MC!) 

[This is a great way for you far away to be involved]

Aside from the people who are intentionally supporting, there have been some encounters with others who have no idea of my story but have left me speechless, stunned, grateful, and teary-eyed with their actions and generosity. Many of you know how much my heart was broken for the Latino community when I moved to California from Mississippi and worked in Pasadena—the first time I met and served this population. Since being in Orange County, my heart breaks for the city of Santa Ana and for the hardships that the immigrant communities encounter. Well, I recycle in Santa Ana weekly. I’m constantly saying prayers of thanksgiving as I sort and fill up my huge yellow containers as I look around at the other patrons who recycle for income to feed their families. Times are hard. My eyes fill with tears just recalling images in my mind. Each week, I interface with some of the most beautiful people I’ve seen disguised by dirty clothes and wear and tear brought on by poverty. I don’t fit in, even if I go in my worst clothes. Because I go to work after, I’m usually in heels (but hey, I was in heels in my ATV safari in Africa too..that’s just me) and nice clothes. I’m the only White person. I’m the only middle class (or even close) person. On Friday mornings, we have a common ground. We sometimes exchange cheers for "large loads" in Spanglish. One man shared his story about recycling being his sole income at the moment, and I could barely attend because I was struck by the joy in his conversation, his mannerisms, his encouragement for me, and his enjoyment of sorting.

The first time I went, I felt awkward. I didn’t know what to do. Where do you get the containers? How did I take all 7-8 up there as a single person with no kids or husband to help? Will I even remember which ones are mine? How does it all work? I tend to get anxious in new places when I don't know the layout of the land. I was surrounded that day by people who could read my body language and helped. There were no words as Spanish was the only words spoken, but there were many gestures or people who just took over and helped push with me. 

Recently (2 trips ago), I had another encounter that literally sent me racing to my car, money in hand, to have a mini I’m-sad-but-I’m-happy breakdown.  I pulled up alongside a middle-aged Hispanic woman who was unloading her VERY FULL car (I was in awe of her loot). She had been there a while. She had tons of loose bottles filling her backseat and trunk. I, on the other hand, had OCD’ly organized my car for maximum time-efficiency unloading. Everything was presorted and bagged. I had filled up 7-8 containers in about 10 minutes flat. She still had a long way to go. I was in a hurry, dressed for work, and started to the weigh station with 2 of the containers. I could see one of “my boys” coming out to help me [the staff of young guys now know me by name]. When I turned around, I saw the woman with 2 of my containers. I don’t think I’ll ever forget her face. I looked at her with what I’m sure was utmost confusion.  She smiled and nodded with the most joyous look in her eyes to signify that she was helping me bring my containers. She stopped what she was doing to help me. She. stopped. to. help. ME?!?! When the guy took my containers from her, I heard her confirm with him in Spanish that he would help me get all my containers to the weigh station. She continued to help push them from my car toward the area where the guys could better assist me. When I left, she was still unloading. The simple act of cessation from her “work” to help me was overwhelming, but the joy in her face was too much for my heart to take before it burst. I want to be like this woman. I left humbled with big shoes to fill.

Then, it made me think about my first day there, not fitting in and being overcome with worry as I looked around, and with every glimpse, being reminded that I was the outcast. Then it hit: Are our eyes open? When we see someone in our midst that clearly doesn’t fit in, do we stop what we are doing to ensure that they find their way? Language cannot be a barrier. It wasn’t and never is on Friday mornings. I’m always reminded that love is the universal language, and we should all be fluent. 

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. 

--Colossians 3:12-14 (the Message)

The magic month + year: December 2013

Since adoption has moved for the forefront of my mind, I’ve been a planning machine. I hate long range planning but with such a goal, it has become more palatable. Each time I'm exhausted and ready to slip, I see a face in my head and am reminded that this hardship is temporary and will be oh-so-worth it.

There are a few goals that I have, and if I’m intentional and expectant, I will conquer them by December 2013:

1) Pay off all debts.

2) Finish my coursework and 1500 hours toward becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The exam will be a different story....

3) Begin the paperwork for adoption.

So, feel free to keep those things top in your prayer list, on your mind, in the midst of your karma-sending, whatever it is that you do.

I’m continuing to pad the adoption fund with money gained through recycling and a monthly deposit. My first priority is debt repayment as everything else hinges on that. I’m learning to budget better. I’m enrolled in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, which was a gift of good timing through NewSong Church. If I really buckle down, repayment by December 2013 is a possibility. If I don’t make it for some reason, I should be paid off within a very short time after that date.

 

Most of you know I work 4 10-hour days with children with disabilities. By Thursday night, I’m burnt toast. I’ve now added Fridays. The extra hours will be beneficial in two ways. For one, they provide the hours to go toward my required 1500 hours. Secondly, all of a “second paycheck” goes toward debt repayment. That makes it easy—no budgeting, no questions, straight to the account. 

Why add a new stress or obligation (BCBA) to an already-full and overflowing plate? I want to be better in serving the families and children with whom I work. Professionals tend to be either Speech or ABA, and since they are so intertwined, I’d love to be both. It would also put me in a handful of people who have these certifications or licensures. Because I already have a M.A. in a related field, I can take 5 additional classes (which I’m doing online through the University of North Texas) and get 1500 supervised hours of experience in behavior-related work. What is a BCBA? Find out here. 

So, if you see me at any time within the next months up to December 2013, I apologize ahead of time for being the walking dead. My memory is already shot. I’m narcoleptic—I’m asleep as soon as I sit down, sometimes before I can roll over and hit the sleep timer. 

I’m so thankful for those of you who continue to support me and my dreams of adoption. Please feel free to direct any comments or words of encouragement to the comments section of the blog. One day, I’ll turn this blog into a book for “Shorty.”

At an Easter brunch with the MOM’s group, we had several stations to show thanks, prayer, etc. One activity was to write a word or draw a picture of something that you are thankful for on a rock. Here’s mine:

 

A passage and verse in particular came to mind:

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3. 

As David, who wrote this, knew:  Waiting is hard but blessings follow. 

You guys are my rock.

Thank you, thank you, thank you,

Danielle

My village living intentionally

Today, I’m committing to a true Sabbath after a long week of working extra hours for extra $ for debt payment and adoption savings. I’ve been in emotional chaos, all over the place, in regard to issues blasted over social media relating to Trayvon Martin and Kony/Jason Russell. My blood pressure has skyrocketed many times over what needless effects race has on humanity and our world (which ranges from stereotyping both Blacks AND Whites and every shade in between). It hits harder as I work hard to save and prepare to embark upon becoming a transracial family and accepting all the “stuff” that goes with it. This is the tip of the iceberg, I know. I know there will be lots of posts on that topic later on down the road....

There are times that as a human I question this whole process even though I know this is my story. I feel that whisper of “Keep your eyes upward [as in above the computer monitor] and trust.” I go back to those two phrases I heard so clearly months ago:

Be expectant.

Be intentional.

I’ve had little glimpses over the past 2 months of what I know will be “big things” when I start the process actively (as in filing the paperwork to begin and beginning fundraising). So many in my community and beyond have adopted this notion of being intentional, and on more than one occasion, I’ve been humbled to speechless (can you believe that one?!?!) and awe-filled. While none go unnoticed, I do want to share a few.

Throughout the days while I’m working, I can hear drops of recyclables go into my container I have outside my room. As I hear each bottle hit faintly in the background of my work activity, it whispers “We believe in you. You can do this.” The echoes of their intent are deafening. I am so appreciative of the commitment of co-workers and friends continuing to save recyclables and bring them into me. Thank you guys!

I saw this picture on Facebook of a dear friend and fellow Africa-lover, Robyn. She grabbed bottles at the park and took them home so I could have them. She didn’t worry about what she looked like in public. She explained her intents to her children who asked questions when they saw their mama "trash diving." She has a heart for orphans and adoption. She was intentional.

Well later, Robyn’s son Zachary had a jog-a-thon at school and was given a plastic water bottle afterward. He saved it and brought it home so it could go into the recycling. A 10-year-old’s determination to be intentional must have made God beam with pride.

A friend I haven’t seen in years reads my blog posts and sends words of encouragement online. She shared my story with a friend. Another friend of hers, someone I have never met, standing by overheard and asked her to mail me a check to go into the adoption fund. She did this immediately. Both Stacey and Sabrina were intentional.

My friends Helen + Sam brought recyclables but also a bag of loose change to go toward the fund. My piggy bank is full of their intent.

These few but invaluable occurrences make it easier for me to be expectant. It also brings to mind a verse that I tucked away in my heart long before I expected this journey:

Open up before God, keep nothing back;
he'll do whatever needs to be done:
He'll validate your life in the clear light of day
and stamp you with approval at high noon.

Psalm 37: 5-6, the Message version

So again, thank you everyone who has become part of my village. There are days when I feel crazy, and you don’t know how life-saving just one plastic bottle can be sometimes. Sometimes, it’s that one bottle or sound of that bottle dropping in the recycling container that reminds me of my intentions in this crazy God-sized journey and confirms it.

Love,

Danielle

ONE

As I’m sitting on my bed in the midst of a horrific round of the flu choosing between golf or basketball on the TV because we have no cable, my brain starts going at an astronomical speed, hitting me all of a sudden, processing the power and theme of ONE in my journey.

The thoughts starting coming this week mid-week and began over recycling. Yes, recycling is turning my world upside down in the most intangible and tangible ways. I’ve loved growing my recycling community (for background on that: visit here or why I’m even doing this: visit here) and I love love love being presented with "treasures," other people’s trash! Did I just write that?! I love it because it means they thought of me, they thought of the less fortunate—the orphaned, and they thought of my journey and they showed me in a tangible way. It also gives them a way to help ONE child—my future daughter. Because statistics are gripping but overwhelming, it is easy to brush them off because its just too hard to do something about it. This week, the word /image of ONE keeps popping in my head as I choose how to spend money, pick up and save an extra bottle, or take a bag of recyclables from a co-worker or friend. I love how this recycling project is giving everyone a chance to be involved, and I know it is going to show my entire village how when we work together we move mountains.I also firmly believe that when a dream is placed in your heart, God sees it to fruition. Once a leap of faith is taken, things start to fall into place.

I was reminded of this mid-week in the midst of my own negligence. I was leaving work and saw 2 small bags of shredded paper. Normally, I snatch this up on my way out and happily throw it in the trunk. On this day however, I was just tired. I could feel sickness coming on in my lungs. It had been a long day. My arms were full. That extra trip to the car, I felt, would just do me in and be the straw that broke the camel’s back. So, I left it. I hesitated, but I left it. On my way home, as I often do while driving, I felt a dialogue with God brewing:

God: You should have taken the paper.

Me: I know but it was just 2 small bags. I won’t miss it. I’ll make up for it next time. It won’t happen again. That was stupid, I know, because it broke my diligence. I've been saving everything in sight.

God: It’s not about the paper. Remember my 2 mantras I planted in your thick skull? Be expectant. Be intentional. You doubted. I’m in the small stuff, and I grow the small stuff into large stuff. Everything is a gift in this village. When you overlook one can or one bottle because it doesn’t seem significant or enough, you overlook one person who wants to be part of your village or prevent me from doing my job. What if I looked at your offerings the same way? 

I felt bad over the paper. I could feel the words “Be intentional” as I walked by the paper, leaving it. I know that you may be thinking "Its just paper," but it's not.

I realized that it is the people behind this project—not the actual number of recyclables, type, etc. that matter. I’m asking to build a village and people are coming forward. I remind myself: Honor it. Be supported. Appreciate it. The cans and bottles and “things” are tangible ways I’m being shown love and support. 

When I went in to work the next morning and flipped on my light, tears started to spring. Those two little bags of trash were sitting under my desk. A co-worker had seen them and put them in my room so that they wouldn't be discarded. She had no idea that I had left them there purposefully (and with later regret). My heart overflowed at that moment. The tiniest act of love can mean the most. [Muchas gracias, Alicia, te amo!] It was yet another reminder that there will be times on this journey that I’m just tired, but I have a community walking alongside me. 

I wanted to give you a little update. So far, with recycling alone, I’ve added $75 to my “adoption” savings account in less than a month! I'm working on babysitting rates so I haven't sent that out yet--many of you have asked.

Want to join my village of recyclers and supporters? I take the following "gifts of love" for recycling:

• Aluminum cans
• Beer and wine bottles
• Glass bottles of drinks or spaghetti sauce
• Tin cans (soup) – I wash mine out then send them through a ride in the dishwasher
• Newspapers
• Plastic water / Gatorade bottles / large water bottles (lids/tops can be on them)
• Plastic juice jugs (if it’s not CA CRV, they take them at a reduced rate)
• Shredded office paper (not loose office paper)

I keep it in the garage or in my trunk so you can give it to me along the way as you get it or save up and give me a larger bag. I am going to the recycling center once every other week or so. I’ll take it when it’s easy for you!

So, go ahead and drink that bottle of beer or finish off that bottle of wine because you deserve it. Give a thought or send a prayer out for the orphaned, and toss the bottle/can into a bag for me.

Also, feel free to pass along my blog to someone you know or collect recycling at your work and allow others to be part of this project. I have a bin right outside my door to make it easy for co-workers to participate. You can even get free containers at this website.

What else am I doing? 

Filling my piggy bank! All that loose change goes into the pig. I’ve emptied it once and deposited $42.

Oh, and the last thing I’m doing?

Being expectant. Being intentional. Every cent counts. Every can has worth. Every person bearing a bag of “stuff” makes up my village. We will change the life for ONE.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Danielle