Fifteen Minutes

Today was a very special day. Today I traveled about fifteen minutes away (okay, maybe it took a little longer than that considering I got lost) from Venice to Watts to join my friend Jeremiah and some members from his church in distributing holiday gifts to children. The experience was absolutely amazing. It was so great to feel the sense of community that both Powerhouse Church  (in Watts) and some of the members of RockHarbor Church (in Costa Mesa) have created. Although Watts and Costa Mesa are only about thirty minutes away from each other, the communities are very different. I think the main learning lesson of the day was that one does not have to travel very far to engage in a different cultural experience.

Throughout the day, I could not put my smile away as I observed everything going on around me. I sat and watched a mother and son singing to each other and every time the lyrics said "I love you," the son would shout the words at his mother and point to her. At another point, five young ladies gave a sign language/dance performance. The performance was powerful and exerted so much strength and attitude... beautiful to watch and yet difficult to share in words the emotions it pulled from within. And again, as I watched a four year old creating a beautiful holiday picture with crayons and tissue paper as he counted in english and in spanish. Overall, the main emotions that struck me came from the strong sense of community that these organizations have created through their collaboration together. It was beautiful to see the interaction and the love that has been built  among communities with completely different lifestyles that are within minutes of each other.

If your interested in learning more about the Powerhouse/RockHarbor Watts activities, the involvement of what they do, and their mission, you can visit the website at: http://rockharborwatts.org/

Today was a great gift. Much better than anything material could offer. I give thanks to my friend Jeremiah for letting me join in the experience of the joy that he engages in monthly. Thank you.

Love and Light,

Es-Bee

Not Yet Familiar Home

It's been 12 days since I formally left the corporate world and what an incredible feeling it is. There have been feelings of peace, excitement, exhilaration, freedom, comfort, togetherness, loneliness... and that pesky little emotion that pops up during most situations of the unknown, fear.

Over the past week, I have been learning to live by the moment rather than by calendar date, the appointment on the schedule, or the time in which I am "supposed" to be somewhere and the most amazing experiences have been happening. The day after I walked out the doors of the corporate world, I took off to the desert for a few days of rest, relaxation, and self reflection. What an amazing feeling it is to watch a sunset, and I mean really watch a sunset...a sunset without mind distractions and a distant mind-trapped to-do list.

With a clear mind after the desert, I proceeded to move all of my belongings (or at least what is left of them) to my new home in Venice, CA. Amongst the feelings of ambiguity in a not yet familiar city, there are also feelings of clarity. Sharing a room with two other individuals on the same path to better humanity (and a home with five girls), one would think of the need for more space, alone time, or breathing room. Turns out, this is only partially true... I expected more discomfort and have surprisingly found more love. It seems each day I venture out to the local coffee shops I meet beneficial contacts interested in supporting my new adventures. One of the many beautiful things about the home that has been opened up to me is that it is not only filled with good vibes, but also seems to be in a location surrounded by many creative people working to shape a better tomorrow.



Below are a couple of the amazing organizations that I have met contacts from in the short time I have been in this area. I encourage you to check out these links and support each of these organizations and their causes:

http://newsdok.wordpress.com/
www.fallingwhistles.com
www.tomsshoes.com and www.friendsoftoms.org
www.causecast.org
www.invisiblechildren.com

Till Next,
Es- Bee