Spring into a New Season!

Fluttering through and away the busy days of my youth...

It has been a very long winter. Through the downtime of this season I have concluded that all I wish in the not-so-distant future is this: to live a life where the grass is green, the birds always sing and the most complicated event is the desicion in how I want to spend time with the people whom I love.. Of course, I want a little adventure story to be tossed in once in awhile for good measure! Now that we are on the brink of the new season, the possibilities of growth seem endless.. The sun will begin to shine brighter and the outside world will once again become our playground.

Spring is the perfect transition period for new beginnings...

A childlike excitement always fills me this time of year. It is like we have rested in a wintery slumber to be awakened into full bloom. We have Spring cleaning, Spring break and the glory of Easter in the next coming weeks. 

Spring cleaning is like getting rid of excess baggage. As much as I dislike having to clean, being able to open up the windows and fill the rooms with fresh air while ridding myself of the junk is a weight off my shoulders. I tell you what, I am going to have one epic garage sale this year.. 

Then there is the concept of Spring break. Well, I am going to try and get a break at least. Being an adult and working can put a damper on things, but I am determined to make some time. Life is too short. I am hoping to have a few small adventures with my soul matey, Bryon. We are coming upon our first full year together in the next month, and  our love couldn't get any sweeter!

Then there is EASTER! The glory of Easter.. every year I seem to have my eyes opened wider to the bigger picture of this amazing day. Our Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice is the most important moment in history. I am ever thankful for the love of God. In my goal to continue my spiritual growth, I have taken Lent more serious than years before. I have a book of daily prayers (thanks Bryon) that I reflect upon every night. I have also taken up more random acts of kindness and have tried to stick with meatless Fridays, etc. I have enjoyed the experience greatly, and I plan to continue forth with these habits for the rest of the year. Why just stop at the end of forty days?

Also, I never thought I would say this and actually be excited, it is baseball season! I have had my eyes opened to the fun and excitement of the ball field! Bryon has purchased us season tickets to the Akron Rubber Ducks games. After forcing myself last year to go to a couple games, I have decided I am a fan of this sport. I am into it! Yes, you heard right: Abby likes a sport. I have learned you can't knock it till you've tried it. This was one event that I ended up liking more than I thought I would. So, GO DUCKS! Whoop!

I am hoping to post more personal stories and thoughts soon. Now that Spring is upon us, I know there will be many to come! It is time to wake up from hibernation and experience the world with the wonderment that was missed during the cold days. 

Keep your eyes open and see the world change around you in the next coming weeks.. and grow with it. 

Young Blood

I am a volunteer for the American Red Cross. 

Every two months I help with the local Blood Drive held at Northwest Church of Christ in Tallmadge. It is a wonderful, rewarding experience that I always look forward to. I am usually in charge of running the computer and checking in the donors. I work along side the Charlie's Angels: Beth Grace (extraordinary event-coordinator), Pat Jeffery (canteen boss 1) and Nancy Townsend (canteen boss 2). I cannot forget to mention our Bosley: Mark Hooverman (master chef).

My interest in volunteering for the American Red Cross began a couple of years ago. I had always been an avid donor through High School and into my earlier twenties. My blood type is O Positive, which the majority of the population has. Type O is often in short supply and highly demanded in hospitals. 

So why am I such an avid supporter? The statistics speak volumes:

• 1 pint of blood can save up to 3 lives(we have 10 pints of blood in our bodies. When we donate we give 1 pint).
• 5 million patients in the US need blood every year
• Less than 38 percent of the population is eligible to give blood and less than 10 percent actually donate each year.
• Only 7% of people in the US have the Universal donor blood type, O Negative
• Blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come from volunteer donors.
• Every 2 seconds someone needs a blood transfusion

I unfortunately stopped regularly donating my blood due to one isolated incident that involved me fainting.. My bad though! I did not have a sufficient meal before hand. Ever since that day my donations have been limited. In replace of me not supplying as much blood, I decided to donate my time in helping with the effort (I thank Beth Grace for presenting with me the opportunity). Being involved behind the scenes has given me a greater respect for the American Red Cross and everyone involved. Now, more than ever, people are in need of blood. 

The blood drive at Northwest Church of Christ is one of the bigger Red Cross events in the area. From being behind the scenes and learning more about the process, it is startling to know how many people cannot give blood and how those who can donate do not. What bothers me, from volunteering over the years, is that out of an average of 30 donors, usually only 1 person of my age range donates (18yrs-30yrs). The other 29 donors are usually older in age (40yrs+).

This leads me to believe that the younger generation doesn't realize the value of this vital experience and the incredible statics behind it. There is so much healthy Young Blood out there, but not enough of the younger crowd is donating it.. 

Yes, they do have blood drives at local high schools and colleges (which is wonderful and how I was introduced). I am not by any means saying young people do not donate. What I am saying is that if you don't bring the blood drive to the younger crowd, many of them will not go out and make the effort to donate in their free time out of an act of goodwill and kindness. 

You can save 3 lives. That is kind of a big deal!

There are so many regulars that come in to donate. Looking at some of the their history, select donors have given almost 200 times. Putting it in perspective, that is about 600 lives that have been saved over the years. These people set fourth a habit that has benefited many and is truly rewarding in its own right. I have no doubt these people will donate till they cannot donate no more. 

What worries me is when the older generation fades out, our generation won't have the same drive to keep donating. We are the future. We need to do what we can to help others. Whenever you donate anything to someone in this life, you make things a little easier. The less we donate in these times, the more our world suffers. We need to all strive for the better of community and family to make the world a better place.

Giving blood is giving life. We are so technically advanced in the healthcare field, but we do know one thing for sure: we cannot manufacture blood. If someone needs blood, it has to come from us directly. Blood in general has a very symbolic meaning in the ways of life and religion. In religion, we drink of the blood of Christ to cleanse us of our sins and give us everlasting life. In the same way we should willingly sacrifice some of our own blood to help thy neighbor.

There are even more perks about donating through the American Red Cross than just saving lives though.. Every 56 days you are able to donate, and every time you donate they give you a mini-physical. They check your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin levels. This is useful in letting you know if there is a problem. 

After you donate, your blood is put through numerous tests to determine if it is safe to use. They must test your blood for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases. If there are any problems, they will get a hold of you and let you know.

Also, after you donate, it is free meal time! At Northwest Church of Christ, the amazing volunteers supply everyone with a very satisfying meal (chili, soup, veggie trays, chips, cookies, pop, coffee and many other goodies) as well as company. If you need anything, someone is there by your side.

My wish is that more people my age and younger will give extended thought to the bigger picture and develop more donating habits. Greatness can only be created when a solid effort is made. I suggest anyone interested in an organization to: research, pray and find what calls to you in an effort to help. Every time you help just a little, greater good is being done! All you have to do is find the time and means in doing so. 

For extended information about the American Red Cross, visit the link below:

http://www.redcrossblood.org/

The Lost Generation

This world is a sphere of physical matter, created by God for us to live out our lives in his image and leave behind a legacy that will live on for generations to come. When we pass on from this life into the next, there are only physical traces of ourselves left for the world to see and experience. (For example: pictures, diaries, letters, newspaper clippings, etc.)

I love rummaging through old photos, reading someone's personal words and letters, and seeing accomplishments sprawled out in published documents. You have something physical to cling too. You use all your senses the way you were created to do so. 

The world has changed so much, and continues to grow in its knowledge of computers and science each day. Digital age and social media has made it easier than ever to share photos and personal experiences through the inter-web. Millions of sources of data and information is shared worldwide every second. The Internet is a man-made dimension that stores information of pretty much anything you can think of, a storage facility if you will..

This technology is wonderful and life changing in so many positive ways, but at the same time it is also creating a huge set-back for our generation. 

My father has been a professional photographer for over half his life. He started young, attained all necessary credentials and developed his own personal artistic style. He is a master at his craft, and I have witnessed many amazing images he has created for his clients over the years. I have also seen the impact a good portrait holds.

I honestly don't see my dad as the title of just photographer; I see him as a creator of memories. Long after we pass on, the portraits he has created live on. A photo of someone near and dear to you is a prized possession, priceless in value. You frame it, you see it and you feel.

I feel when someone simply posts a picture (or even a story) on social media for you to view, it is hard to feel an emotional connection through the artificial life of a computer that within a couple years will be outdated.. 

With how easy the Internet has made it to share with others, it seems more and more people want the "digital" memory over the "physical."

I want to put this in perspective for you.. Technology is wonderful when it works, but when something goes wrong where will that leave us? I have heard, and have even experienced myself, having digital files stored on one item and then something going wrong.. Then POOF! Gone! Just like that.. Your "file" has traveled on to an outer place not leaving you a single trace of existence.

I am not saying you shouldn't use the Internet and its tools to share your individualism. I am saying that you should make an effort to have a physical manifestation around you. Don't put all your trust in a unpredictable, ever-changing source that will probably not even exist in this form years from now.

I know some of you will say, well I have my "files" saved on several methods of backup. Hey, I do too. Better safe than sorry, right? Here is a thought though: that disc you have everything saved on will be compared to a floppy disc in a few years. External hard drives will be as valuable as a-tracks are today.. Good luck finding workable sources to read those.. 

The technical world gets outdated so fast! But the physical, human life: that lives on and simply adapts from year to year. We are the extraordinary machines, not the internet. 

My fear is that when our children's children look back in history, our generation will have no physical proof of existence.. We will be the lost generation.

We need to learn to adapt to the changes in the world without selfishly only thinking of the here and now. We need to think of the future and others. We still have a long way to go..

I just hope that when I pass on from this world that I leave the next generation behind physical evidence of life, and stir emotions within this ever-so-technical world.. 

Sometimes old school is not so bad..