The Faces of Haiti: Photos From My Visit
Above: Two girls from the village of Bahaya, one of the poorest areas that we were in, and where my mother and sister were born.
In July I journeyed to Haiti for the first time, and able to visit and meet family there, as well as visit various cities (Port Au Prince, Forte Liberte, Cap Haitien and some others), churches and hospitals. The trip was bittersweet with joyful moments laughing and talking with aunts, uncles and loads of cousins (many loads), but also being reminded of the shaking of the earth a few months before in the faces of those who survived, and how so many were lost on the ground we walked on.
Seeing the country for the first time in my life was an eye-opener for me. In cracking walls I thought of the standing structure I call home in the U.S. In the children asking for loose change I thought of change that is often disregarded in many purses and pockets. In the kindness of the people and resilience in their eyes I realized how grateful I am to be alive.
It is so humbling to know that we are each a few circumstances away from living eachother’s reality. Let’s remember the faces of Haiti in helping with the recovery and rebuilding of lives and homes; we would yearn the same compassion if we were in their place.
Visit A Home in Haiti for information on how you can help build schools and orphanages in Haiti. Click here to view more photos from my trip.
DreamFood Morsels: Focus on Your Purpose
When you know and are focused on your purpose you are more able to appreciate, help and encourage others living out theirs. When you’re confused about your passion and calling you’re more likely to compare, envy, copy, or compete for attention. You may get frustrated and it can be easy to get distracted, or what I like to call “overly inspired” - so in awe of what others are doing that you are paralyzed into in-action or into reasoning to yourself that what you are to do is unimportant to others.
The important thing to remember is that we’re all unique, and what you have to offer is also unique and important. Get rooted in your purpose and give yourself the time to get grounded in what you were made to do. While your living out your purpose, you’re in a better position to be of benefit to others and to inspire those who may be hesitant of doing what they were meant to do.
Inspiring ENT: Fireflies - Owl City
Love the vibe and playfulness of the song and video “Fireflies” from Owl City, how Adam Young got started, and how he describes his inspiration in the video underneath:
“I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns, slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams…”
Adam Young describes the story behind his music:
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Interview with Adele Ann Taylor Founder of Adele’s Literacy Library
On Dreamer ENT I had the honor of interviewing an inspiring young lady who is spreading the love of reading to the young and old alike. Check out my interview with Adele Ann Taylor founder of Adele’s Literacy Library below:
There’s nothing like a good book; you can immerse yourself in different worlds, share someone else’s experiences and ignite your own imagination to what’s possible in the world.
Adele Ann Taylor has such a passion for books and at the age of 13 decided she wanted to share her love for reading with other kids, to show them how much power it holds and how much fun it could be. This is why she founded her non-profit organization Adele’s Literacy Library™ (A.L.L.) in December 2008. The goal of A.L.L. is to “instill and empower that reading is not only fundamental, it is the key ingredient to success and through reading ALL things are possible.”
Throughout the past few years since founding A.L.L., Adele has already donated thousands of books and spoken to hundreds of kids about the power of reading. Her main goals are to donate millions of brand new books and bookmarks to schools, libraries and charitable organizations, and to “make a difference” in the lives of others through a book. She also wants to eventually offer scholarships to graduating seniors who want to pursue their educational dreams.
Adele was crowned Miss Heartland’s Outstanding Teen 2009, making her an official representative for the sister group to the Miss America Organization, and she was most recently crowned Miss Bonnie Blue Outstanding Teen 2010. She is also a featured Hero on the website Kids Are Heroes that shows that young people can make a difference in the world. Watch Adele in the video below from a Kids Are Heroes event, where she speaks about her organization and how other young people can become change-makers in their communities:
KidsAreHeroes.com Presents Adele Taylor
Adele aims to motivate people of all ages to develop a passion for reading and show them that “regardless of where you come from, you can go anywhere in the world by reading a book.” This inspiring teen spoke to Dreamer ENT about how she got started and what she’s up to now - ALL for the love of reading.
Dreamer ENT: Tell us about you - how old are you and what grade are you in, and a little bit of your background?
Adele Taylor: I am a 14-year-old freshman [will be entering 10th grade in the upcoming year]. I am the oldest of three; I have a younger brother and sister. I enjoy rock climbing, roller skating, ice skating, hanging out with my friends, dancing and of course reading.
DE: When and why did you start Adele’s Literacy Library? What sparked the idea and what did you do to get started?
Interview with Kirk Franklin On His Book The Blueprint
On Dream in Soul I interviewed Gospel artist Kirk Franklin about his new book The Blueprint. He dropped much knowledge about how to regard our gifts and talents and living above the storms in life. Read and listen to the interview below:
Pursuing A Life Mapped By the Maker
His music and ministry spans generations. From producer, to musician, speaker and host, Kirk Franklin’s ability to be both light-hearted with humor and raw with realness and honesty draws in people of all ages and backgrounds. Adding a new level of transparency and spiritual insight, Kirk Franklin launches his first book The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life’s Storms on May 18. In the book he charts a guide of personable wisdom speaking on everything from faith and marriage to race and life in the black community. “The Blueprint” aims to inspire anyone to view and plan his or her life from an unearthly perspective.
Kirk Franklin spoke to Dream in Soul about the vision of the book, his ministry expanding into the Twitterverse, his definition of success, and creating a bridge between contemporary Christian and gospel music. Tune into the conversation below:
Dream in Soul: Hi, thank you so much for talking to me today, it’s such an honor. I wanted to start out by asking you what inspired you to write this book at this point in your life and what was your vision in writing it?
KF: The book came about because I’ve been doing a lot of public speaking, and speaking at colleges, churches, and conferences, and so people thought that it would be good that I did a book. So a couple of publishers became interested in the idea, and now here we are with “The Blueprint.”
DS: What was your vision, did you have a specific age group in mind when writing the book or is it for everyone?
DreamBook Clippings & Directory
Having just finished with finals I’m finally free to post more regularly here and on my other sites. I’ve also been adding to the Dreambook Directory section of this site, where I post great links and resources I’ve come across as way of quickly sharing them. The lists will be constantly updated and added to, and certain items will be spotlighted later in Dreamfleur. Stay tuned to the top of the sidebar where you’ll see links to the pages and the dates when each page has been significantly updated.
So far the DreamBook pages include:
From illustrators to photographers, here are some of my favorite creative bloggers and sites. These are not all of the creative sites that I enjoy visiting but I’ll be adding more regularly.
Currently studying public health I often come across wellness-related resources and links that I’ll post on this page.
Much of the work I do is to inspire young people, especially those going through difficult situations or those at risk from low-income neighborhoods. Here are resources and links about motivating our youth today.
Through the program I’m currently developing I want to inspire girls and young women to grown up to be confident, and discover their purpose. On this page you’ll find some links, resources and media picks that are about motivating and empowering girls to become intelligent, confident women.
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DreamFleur is the personal site of Julene Fleurmond, a young writer, artist, dreamer, speaker and entrepreneur, and a collection of the things that inspire her to live creatively.
