Well here i am again.

December 28th 2008,

I can hardly believe that it is almost 2009. I feel as if we should having flying cars and transporters like the Jettson's had. Oh we are so far away from those things. Perhaps my child will get to fly a car around. I can only dream right? I have a slight feeling this blog will be full of random thoughts, feelings and sprinkled with passion.
So let me begin...

I am so happy to be home! I have loved every minute of it! Wait let me take that back, I have not loved the moments when i feel my stomach approaching my mouth. Other than those times, this has been simply wonderful. I love spending time with my family and my inspiring friends. I am so blessed to have good friends! Random thought coming... And i am so thankful for food!

I was recently shown a friends blog and he spoke about the desire, the thirst for deep invigorating conversation. I couldn't agree more Kevin. I have always had that feeling. I know our friends can go deeper and when it happens my soul feels a slight renewal. Right now I am sitting at Panera bread thinking about so many things. Talking with my husband about Adam and Eve, good and evil, and being revolutionary. Jake right now is reading a book that helped inspire me to be set apart, and to see the world as Christ sees it. The Irresistible Revolution, by shane claiborne. Here is one thought from the book that is hard to digest.

"There is no doubt that we must mourn those lives lost on September 11th. We must mourn the lives of the soldiers. But with the same passion and outrage, we must mourn the lives of every Iraqi who is lost. They are just as precious, no more, no less. In our rebirth, every life lost in Iraq is just as tragic as a life lost in New York or D.C. And the lives of the thirty thousand children who die of starvation each day is like six September 11ths every single day, a silent tsunami that happens every week."



Wow! I know most may disagree with me but i see no need for retaliation. I do not see how redemptive violence brings peace to anyone. How is there such a thing as a "just war"? When is is OK for us to take up the High Throne and be the judge of those around us. I believe that is in the hands of God. We are to mourn with those who are mourning! And as Americans we are not the only ones mourning. Although we tend to instigate reasons of mourning for others.
We are ALL created in the image of God. You and I, the children in Africa and the mother and fathers in Iraq. We bare the image of Christ.


This blog has been a spewing of my thought and feelings. I am overwhelmed and its time to hand the computer to my husband. I hope there can be many conversation in the future about the love of Christ.

Oh the good news...

Who would have thought that I would be having a baby, and the first one of our Minnesota friends at that. I was sure it would have been Hope and Zach and then a FEW years later perhaps Jake and I. Oh how God works.

At first i could not believe it. Even though deep inside i new it was true. I am not angry or frustrated, I am content. I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and so did this. I am going to be a mother... (please with hold from laughing. I say that to myself as well.) This will be the biggest learning experience of my life. I am excited for all the moments we will have with our child.

The good, bad and ugly!

We are excited to share in this experience with you all. Keep us in your prayers and be ready to babysit... just kidding!

We miss you all and can not wait to have some face to face conversations!

a look into my life...

Here I am again. Sitting in my little home in #4 and wondering 'what the heck should i write about.' so many times i desire to write something amazing, but I am not an author nor an amazing poet I am simply me.
Things here are going amazing. I have been a little under the weather the past few weeks, but finally I feel like my old self again... Kind of!
the life i live here in Pine Ridge is a much slower, relaxed life. More time to ponder life's biggest question. Time to wonder why am I here. Time to wonder, who will i become.
One quote i enjoy is...

"Perhaps the questions shouldn't be 'what will i do with my life?' but 'who are you going to become?'"






There are so many good days here. Don't get me wrong, life is not perfect! Daily i struggle with home sickness. So much of me wants to go back to the life i am used to. Knowing fare well that i would sit most of my days in discontent with where my life is. I do not want to fit it, to blend in, to just be another. I want to live a life that is different, to speak truth and to have LOVE spill from my soul. I am here to be refined.




"Are you not much more valuable then they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"





There are so many beautiful moments in life, and when i worry about the next i pass so many moments by. I will never know all the moments i have missed, but my soul longs for the beautiful moments in life. Not the easy or selfish but the truly beautiful in Gods eyes, those are the moments i what to be around for.





My randomness is starting to bother me. My thoughts are all over the place and all i can do it take a moment and breath and enjoy this beautiful moment!

before there was snow...

Well winter has arrived here on the Reservation. The beautiful landscape has been covered with even more beautiful blanket of snow. I could hardly believe how large the snow flakes were. When i awoke the next morning it felt as if I had been moved to another place. Now the dirt and nastiness of winter have set in. Mud, sand, brown dirty snow is all the eye can see. I wait for the next snow fall to once again cleanse this land.

In other news... Things here are still going wonderfully. There are times when we feel cabin fever set in. There is not much to do around here. filling our time with positive thing are very important. Jake as even taken up painting. (Thanks to my friend Michelle back home) i also created one masterpiece, a buffalo. I believe i did ok. If anyone is interested in buying the art work just let me know. :)

I thought i would post a few photos as well. the first one is of our staff, we went to Rapid City and stumbled upon the most beautiful terrain. the next is of the most amazing tree captured right as the sun was setting. and the third is my lovely (not always thinking) husband. on both sides of him it was a extreme drop off. HE IS CRAZY!

Its almost November 4th!

Many days i spend contemplating who i should vote for. Growing up in a Christian home, going to a Christian high school and college it seems i should vote Republican. We all know its our 'Christian duty to vote'. 'Its our God given right' at that.
It seems though my life has begun to take a different path. I no longer feel obligated to stand on one side. Of course i have my ideals of what i think we should do, but lets just say I no more than anyone else have the best solution.
I question how i can vote on an issue that i do nothing about in my daily life. When i am willing to take in a child whose mother feels that they have no other way. Our to open my home for those who are not excepted by those around them. When i can love without question, then i will begin to decide what issues matter to me.

I know that i desire to live the life God intended me to live. To love those He loves. To become an example that points only to Christ. How can i say that i put my trust solely in Christ, but vote for one that is not Him. I am putting my faith in that person to change our lives. Faith in my God will lead me to change the things around me that must be changed. We are all human! We will fail. Our president will fail! My God will never leave me nor forsake me. His promises are that which no man can make. He calls us to be SET APART as a Believer. Today we have decided that we must be within, to look the same, to follow those around us. How are we set apart. Perhaps by the negative things we have done and are doing. Perhaps by not loving those who Christ called us to love!

Matthew 25:35-40 (New International Version)

35"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'


In my life i am only beginning to learn. Many will tell me its just my young age that has made me think this way. I tell them this: I believe these things because Christ is in me!

old faithful...

Our morning started out like any other.. No that is a lie. First of all we woke up before 10am, 7:40am to be truthful. Alissa and I were starting our first day of work at Wounded Knee school district. Alissa works in the first grade room and I work with the lovely Kindergarten.

We woke up packed our lunch and then the choice... What van do we take? I picked up the keys to the brown bulky conversion van, thought twice and set them down. I wanted to take the newer sleeker blue van. I grabbed the keys and we rushed out the door. We made a quick stop for some morning coffee. I need some caffeine do to the fact that we were awake so EARLY.

We started our drive, the whole 40 miles to the school. Just as we arrived to wounded knee, my pal Alissa leaned over...

"Did you feel that?

"um nope i sure didn't. What did you hit a dog Alissa?" (a common occurrence here on the Rez)

"oh no lizzie, WHAT DOES THAT LIGHT MEAN?"

(the check engine light flashing)

"Ahh, well i have no idea. I will look it up." (after a few moments i began to read the warning out loud.)

"When Check engine light flashes, there is a misfire and can result in exhaust entering the car and further damage can happen by your car irrupting in flames." (i for some reason could NOT stop laughing)

"Lizzie Its not funny, we could start on fire!"

( we decided to pull the car(van) over in the middle of no where. We couldn't get cell phone reception so we decided to make one more move and drive up onto wounded knee hill, you know where the massacre happened. Hopefully we could get reception. WE DID.)

(Jake arrived told us some things and drove us to the school. We were sure that the car had been fixed but on our ride home from Henry, a community member. He saw our van on the hill and said...

"You better move that van. People here are nervy. when you come tomorrow. you might only have a frame left."

"oh dear!" ( we towed to the van later and it is now being looked at by a wonderful man named Ata.

Praise God we didn't start on FIRE

the smell of fall!

If you were to ask me what is one thing I miss about home I would have to say the beauty of fall. Don't get me wrong, the beauty of Pine Ridge is amazing. There is just something different about a Minnesota fall. When a brisk chill enters the air and leaves begin to show their dying colors and a sweatshirt is warmly welcomed, that is when i love fall in love with Minnesota all over again. 

Out here the grass has been dead before June even ended and the few trees that sprinkles these grounds simply find them selves a golden yellow. Then before you can even enjoy the golden sunset of the trees the leaves have taken their final breath and fallen to 'mother earth.'

Although the death of the grounds may be ugly it will in return birth new life. Greens, reds, yellows all those colors and more then the eye can behold will make a beautiful creation again come spring.

I am blessed to be here. to see the beauty first hand in a new way. I will enjoy and take a deep breath the chill of the air and simply be still!

 

We could use your support! :)

Hey friends...

If you feel like supporting jake and I this year in Pine Ridge South dakota read this letter and then go to www.greaterworks.us and click on Lizzie Ladd or Jake Ladd then hit support. 

We would be so thankful. 

 

 Dear friends and family,

            I hope this letter finds you all well. Lizzie and I are a few months away from celebrating our two-year anniversary. It’s been an amazing couple of years. As you may know Lizzie and I had the wonderful opportunity to work with an organization called Youthworks! (www.youthworks.com) last summer on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Little did we know, that this was just the beginning.

            We are about to embark on a yearlong internship with Greaterworks Inc. (www.Greaterworks.us). We will be spending the next nine months living on the reservation, seven miles from the city of Pine Ridge. We will be living in community with our two other staff, and the people of the reservation, while immersing ourselves in their culture, and building meaningful relationships.

 Last summer while working on the Pine Ridge Reservation, we had the opportunity to meet a family, a mother and four young boys.  Originally, they started coming around to play basketball and meet the weeks’ participants, but soon after they began staying for dinner. It even got to the point where they wanted to spend the night. We eventually realized that these boys and their mother had made their home in their car. We spent many days playing, laughing, listening and most of all learning from this family. As the summer began to come to a close we had a feeling of overwhelming sadness. We were not ready to leave. There were more community cookouts to be had, and relationships to be built. We trusted that God would provide those opportunities, and through Greaterworks He has.

Greaterworks gives us the opportunity to invest long term into a community full of culture and love. We will be given the opportunities to partner with existing ministries on the reservation and support them in areas where we feel passionate. We would love it if you came along side of us on this adventure. You can do that by supporting us financially. We have the goal to raise $7,900 by January 2009. If you would like to financially support one week of our ministry that would be $240.00, one day would be $34.00. Feel free to give any amount. Jake and I truly see any gift as a blessing from God. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and we will keep you updated on all of our wonderful adventures here in Pine Ridge.

 

Thank you

 

 

 

Jake & Lizzie Ladd

LizzieL@greaterworks.us

JakeL@greaterworks.us

 

 

 

Oh the joy in problems

I have a problem!

 

I do not enjoy reading when I am told I have to. So Serve God Save the Planet was good and all. Well everything I read of it, but I just get to a point around chapter 10 that I feel bored or frustrated. ‘Why do I have to read this?’ ‘I know there are a lot of great points, but let me choose when I want to jump in and learn to hang dry my clothes or get rid of my dog.” I wish I could sit here, well stand I guess and tell you all the great things I enjoyed about the book I read, but I can’t. It just so happened that I was simply taken over by another book that has forever changed my view on my father. No not my dad, but God. As I read each page I could feel my soul breaking free from the lies its been told my whole life. I felt the distant, punisher of a God become tangible and compassionate. I felt Jesus next to me, holding me, helping me lift the heavy load to the dumpster. I have begun to feel the Holy Spirit breath life into my deflated lungs.

 

I have been FREED!

 

What joy I have knowing that in my life I will never be alone. I have never been alone. I will never disappoint my God. You will never disappoint our God, our Father, and our savior.

 

Amen

 

 

Becoming a Rez dog!

Emery loves the outdoors, the rez and all his pals. 

Even though he does get pokies stuck in his paws when he runs in the grass.

 He still Loves every moment. 

Emery loves the Rez! He has been having an amazing time living in community and meeting some buddies. 

He loves playing outside with Socks! Sometimes they chase each other, other times they bite, but most of the time they just hang out.

His other buddy, yellow snow loves to share Emery's water bowl. We have great friends where we live and great dogs. Emery fits right in!

we headed back to minneapolis today. It sure was one long car ride. 

I woke up around 3am feeling very under the weather. I could not fall back to sleep, so after tossing and turning for 3 hours we decided to hit the road. 

Not being able to drive,  I rested my head on the window and dozed off. I woke every once in a while to make sure Jake was still awake and keeping us on the road. Finally we have arrived. 9 hours later, a doctors appointment and the return to maxwells, my night is finally complete. 

I have been having a wonderful time in Pine Ridge! It really is beautiful there. It seems that the sky goes on forever. 

We are lucky to have so much in life. blessed. There is joy in having less. Finding the balance is where the difficulty is. 

we have arrived!

And then there were Two...

Two days,

Jake and I are leaving in two days. I can't believe it is finally here. The house is looking cleaner, the boxes are being packed and goodbyes are being said. Now its time to relax and take it all in. We will be living on a reservation, with one market a gas station a Taco Johns, you dare not eat at and of course a Pizza Hut. Were not sure what the winters will be like. We don't even know what the plow situation is like there. Hopefully they have them. 

Mostly we are just excited to get out and experience something new. An adventure. 

Where is my motivation hiding?

As you know Jake and I are moving... in LESS then two weeks. I have so much to do and instead i am sitting on my couch thinking 'boy i should really be doing something other than blogging.' Not to mention we are hosting a yard sale tomorrow and i just started going through everything. I know that i work best under pressure, but this is getting down to the wire. I went to the doctor today due to some dizziness, perhaps because i can not walk in a straight line in my home. He asked me if i am under any stress. 

What kind of question is that. I don't consider myself a stressful person, but if their is a time to be a little stressed perhaps its now. Up until about 3 weeks ago i have never used a planner and now its full, let me know if i need to pencil you in for anything. I am unemployed and busier then ever. My house is clean for about an hour then somehow life happens and creates a disaster. I have junk everywhere (OK not junk! Valuable stuff that will be sold at the yard sale.) I feel like i have more to do at this moment in my life than i did when i got married. Maybe that's because i really didn't do much for my wedding. I know that every moment of stress is worth it. Every thought of 'I cant believe we are doing this' is a thought worth having. Every moment of joy held now will surely be multiplied when serving others. Life is worth living! Even the moments that might just feel worthless. 

once upon a wedding...

Well Jake and I photographed our first wedding!

It was wonderful, and fun to work with Jake. 

Taking photos has always been a passion of mine.

I love to capturing the amazing moments in life.

Hopefully when we return from SD I will in roll in a photography 

program to pursue my passion.  i am sure you will see more!

Music with Motive

The other day Jake and I decided to go out to dinner and while we were driving down the traffic jammed Hwy 394 I realized he drove right past the restaurant. He told me we were going to get a new CD. 

Not that we have any money i thought but it better be a good one. I was happy we stopped. 

We ended up getting a cd by a band called Flobots, strange name but real good. For once listening to rap makes me feel good. They believe in something not just sex, drugs and well you know what *rap is about. I suggest everyone takes a moment to check them out. I have been enjoying the CD a whole bunch. 

* I know that not all rap is the same. 

Moving Sale!

Well its almost official, Jake and I will be moving to Pine Ride South Dakota. 

There are so many emotions going through me at this point its even hard to describe one. Mostly i am looking forward to the pre-move purging process. There is nothing better than going through all your stuff and realizing i have been living a life of over abundance. Opening old bins, with no idea of what you will find is like your birthday or Christmas just getting your own stuff back. I love seeing things i forgot about and then realizing I do not need this to live, to become who i want to become or even who i think i am. Material purging is one of my many forms of spiritual rejuvenation. Sometime i freely step up to the plate, other times its life's twists and turns that makes me purge. How ever it comes about, it never leaves me disappointed. 

Weddings...

July 11th, 2008

The start of something wonderful! I had the pleasure of being in two of my great friends wedding. It was a beautiful evening. Two people becoming one is always a wonderful sight. Everything went wonderfully and now they are relaxing in the sunshine of Jamaica. I sure wish i was there. 

November 11th, 2006

August 11th, 2007

July 11th, 2008 

(October 11th, 2008)

Strange how such great friends can all get married on thee same date without even knowing. We must be REALLY good friends. 

Time to take a risk.

I am ready to hit the open road! To see where life takes me. I am ready to be challenged, motivated and moved to tears. Life is full or risks. I am willing to jump right in and take that risk. 

I know that my life will 

NEVER 

be the same!

I desire to be different. To live a radical life. 

To know that materials do not make me who I am.

 Money is not where I will find joy.

I am no better than the next.

God does NOT love me more than the 

homeless the prostitutes the lier.

For God Loved the WHOLE world...

My Joy is found in Him.

I will serve Him, follow Him and Love those He loves.