Once was blind...

Warner Bros. new horror movie Orphan is despicable. But as Tom Davis said, "rather than cursing the darkness let's put the truth on display". So, that is what this blog post is all about...my POSITIVE experience with an orphan. And this is just my story...there are so many more. Be sure to check out the comments section of Tom's blog to read some of them.

But as for me...I have fallen in love with one little orphan in particular - my little boy in Ethiopia who I've yet to even see a picture of. For all I know, he may not even be born yet. But, oh how I love him! He is ever present in my thoughts, prayers and heart. He has changed my life already. He's all my children talk about..."Mommy, when is baby brother coming home?... Let's pray for baby brother...that he has food to eat and doesn't get mosquito bites...Can I give him a bath when he comes home?...Oh mommy, just don't say baby brother's name because it just makes me miss him so!" And that is just to name a few of the precious sentences that are passed between my girls.

Before my little boy my life was full, but now it is filled to overflowing and I haven't even held him yet. How? Because the eyes of my heart have been opened thanks to this precious little boy who I will soon call my son. I never spent much time thinking about all the orphans in the world. With around 147 million of them, why would I bother? It was too big and depressing. I don't think that any more. I recognize that staggering number as an unprecedented opportunity for people just like you and I to step up and pour out LOVE.

As I have opened my heart to embrace the pain that comes with the recognition that 147 million children go to bed without a mother or father's presence, I have been changed. There is no turning back. Nor do I want to turn back. In fact, I want to RUN to them. Because as I run towards them I am running towards God. This is why my life is now filled to overflowing. God has revealed Himself to me in more real ways than I have ever experienced as I have opened my heart to these children whom He loves so fiercely. My days are no longer spent with my eyes shut...they are about loving, caring for, advocating for, praying for these 147 million orphans. For years I was blind to them. But now I see them. I mean I really SEE them.

To this beautiful little girl...

I SEE YOU.

To these precious boys...

I SEE YOU.

To this little boy with the sad eyes...

I SEE YOU.

To you sweet little ones with the untold story...

I SEE YOU.

Not only do I see you..I am indebted to you. For you have changed my life by bringing me passion, a deeper sense of purpose and a completely transformed walk with God.

No wonder Jesus said to let the little children come to Him. Why in the world wouldn't we??

What Kind of Dinner Does God Bring You?

Reckless Faith - Beth Guckenberger - Joel's Story


Beth Guckenberger wrote Reckless Faith in 2008. She and her husband Todd serve with Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico and have an incredible ministry to orphans there. I heard her share this story here in Cincinnati last year and was excited to find it on video to share with you.

Beth says "I'm learning to let my back get pushed against a wall because that is when I cry out for my Rescuer. Most days when I see the wall coming I angle myself so I don't get anywhere near it. I decide not to say something that I should or not to take a risk that I've been dying to take. I realize now, more than three decades into my life, that the only new things I try tend to be those I'm already good at or capable of. I'm slowly learning to get in over my head so that God can save the day - or at least pick up the pieces. I want to take risk so that I can't bail myself out, so that I am even more grateful when God shows up."

Wow...that was an eye opener to me. So often I can convince myself that the things I'm doing in my life require faith when in reality they are often things that I'm already good at or capable of. They don't really require faith. Francis Chan tells a story in his book Crazy Love about how he was sitting in class one day and his college professor asked the question "What are you doing in your life right now that really requires faith?". He couldn't answer it. There was nothing in his life that required faith. Man...I have often found myself with that same answer. I set myself and my life up so that I am SAFE - so that I am in control. So that I'm comfortable.

I don't want to be in control anymore. I want to trust God so much that I am unafraid to put myself in situations where I will be in trouble if God doesn't show up. I want to be like Edgar who encouraged the children to think big...to trust that the God of the Universe so loves them that He will bring them steak for dinner. If I had been Edgar in that moment, I would have just picked up the phone and called Todd & Beth to come bring tortillas and eggs for dinner - because that was a sure thing. But Edgar had faith to step out and encourage the children to ask God to show up.

How am I doing this in my life? What am I doing in my life that really requires faith today? What kind of dinner have I decided that God will bring me tonight? Am I asking for steak or just settling for tortillas and eggs? God help me move beyond myself and my fear to that place of total trust in Your character and Your plans. They are so far better than anything I could do on my own.

Unprepared

I went this morning to get my yellow fever and typhoid vaccinations for our trip to Uganda in September and realized that this trip is finally just around the bend!! I am beyond excited for this opportunity to meet all the precious children and widows that God will put in my path. I know that God has opened doors for us to be on this trip in September and that He has things in store for us that we can't even begin to imagine. I've dreamed of being in Africa for so long that now I'm on the brink of this trip I find myself experiencing something I didn't expect - fear.

Yes, I'm scared. Oddly I'm not anxious about my safety or experiencing a different culture or the horrendously long plane ride or the snakes. :) I'm scared of what I am going to see - what my eyes are going to take in and how my heart will be shattered into a million little pieces. In my mind I think I know what it will be like to visit entire areas where there are young children left alone to care for their siblings with no one to help them. In fact, I just saw a picture today of a four year old (same age as my Lily) with his seven month old brother on his back. They have no parents and no one to care for them. I was moved to tears and that was just a picture. What happens when I see these children up close...when I hug them, when I know their names and stories, when I tickle them, when I laugh with them, when I have to leave them?? How can I possibly leave them there alone? Here's where the fear creeps in. I am going to be wrecked. I've known this from the beginning but haven't really allowed myself to think about it until now.

I've been praying for months now that my heart would be broken by the things that break the heart of God. God has been answering that prayer but I know it's about to go to a way deeper level come September. I welcome it, but I have a sense that this trip will forever redefine life for me. I won't be the same - and I think that's the point. I think that when we are moved to compassion we get in touch with what's at the very center of the heart of God. All throughout scripture we see Christ having compassion on those He ministered to. When he saw the sick, He had compassion. When he saw the grieving, He had compassion. When He saw the hungry He had compassion. When He saw the distressed He had compassion. Compassion defined the Son of God. And so when I put myself in situations where I am driven to compassion I am positioning myself for a deeper encounter with God. As God stirs compassion in my heart He is drawing me into a more intimate relationship with Him - where I can more fully experience the depth of His love for humanity.

To think that I feel as if my heart will break in two upon what I will see...and then to realize that those emotions just barely scratch the surface of God's abounding passion and love for His people just blows my mind. It's really only in that thought that I can rest...that God loves these little children who are so alone more than I can ever dream of. That He has promised to be the Father to the fatherless, the Defender of the weak, the Healer of the broken. He will ultimately be their Protector and Provider. But the beautiful part is that I get to be in on it. As the body of Christ, we MUST be in on it. As painful and uncomfortable as it may be to expose ourselves to unthinkable struggles and situations, we will never get to know God fully until we do so.

So, here I am...scared that I won't be able to handle all that I see but confident that God will reveal Himself to me in new ways in the midst of it all and will somehow use me to be the fragrance of Jesus to the people I meet - whether it be by a drink of water, a hug, a meal, a new pair of underwear or a prayer.

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed". Psalm 82:3

Dreams & Responsibilities

Last night Ben asked me what he could do for me to help make my life better. It was a question just asked out of sweetness - not because I was struggling with anything. I had to think about it for a while but the first thought that came into my mind was "make it so that I don't have to work at my job anymore so that I can pursue my passion". God is revealing to me what my passion is - what He created me to be passionate about during my time on this earth. I am passionate about fulfilling the words of God when he says in James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." So for me, the struggle lies in the fact that I am working a job (which I'm very thankful for by the way) that is not fulfilling the purposes I see God calling me to. I've been mulling all this over a lot the past six months or so. I'm trying to engage in advocacy, fund raising etc. for orphans in Africa but it just seems to be something that I cram into the open spaces of my life. When I am engaged in doing that sort of thing with my time it feels right and fulfilling. But I find myself frustrated that I can't engage in doing that all the time as my job.

I was cleaning the kitchen this morning and listening to a podcast by Erwin McManus which was all about how God had created us to have dreams and those dreams are His way of leading us into our callings. He had finished talking and opened it up for questions and answers. A woman asked the following question: "Where do you draw the line between spending time on your responsibilities and spending time on the dream God has planted in you?"

He responded "If those lines of dreams and responsibilities run parallel and are not entwined you're probably living the wrong life. You've got to take responsibilities and dreams and fuse them together so your responsibility is your dream. Because you are responsible to live the life God created you to live - that's your ultimate responsibility."

Whoa! Those three little sentences are still ringing in my ears even as I type this. Earlier in his message he was saying how we associate anything sacred or Godly with seriousness and responsibility, when from the very beginning God has created us to ENJOY our lives and our relationship with Him. In Genesis 2 God takes Adam and Eve into the lush, beautiful garden He created for them and tells them "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden". There they could enjoy the presence of God, they could enjoy the food, their surroundings and each other. Just because I have a good job that pays the bills and is pleasant to go to every week doesn't mean that that's all God has for me. God has created me the way I am and has given me gifts to use for His glory. AND He wants me to get enjoyment from that. I'm realizing that I need to press in to more of what God has for me. Could be that He'll open up a door for me that will allow my dreams and responsibilities to be fused together. The thought of having my "work life" be reflective of the dreams I feel God has placed deep in heart gives me more hope and excitement than I can express.

So, how about you? What are your dreams? Are you living the life God created you to live?

Living Openly and Expansively

Yesterday I took a very spur of the moment road trip to Nashville to hear Katie Davis from Amazima Ministries speak. It was totally worth the 4 1/2 hour drive each way. Katie is from Brentwood, Tennessee, is 20 years old and has lived in Uganda by herself for the past 18 months. She is mommy to 13 beautiful Ugandan girls who God has brought into her life. What started out as her teaching Kindergarten has turned into a ministry that sponsors 400 children so they can eat, get medical care and an education. She recently started a feeding program for an outcast tribe of people and feeds between 600-1000 Karamajong children a day. She is an incredible example of someone who is "spending" themselves according to Isaiah 58. I encourage you to read her blog if you don't already. As I was re-reading part of her blog I came across this post which I know was a hard one for her to write. It spoke to my heart again this morning as I hope it does yours.

"I get caught up sometimes in "I deserve this" moments, moments where I compare myself to some other people I know and trick myself into believing that I am doing pretty good. Moments where I "deserve" a hot shower, or I "deserve" that chocolate bar even though I know it is expensive, moments when I "deserve" a new pair of shoes, because hey, I work hard. TRUTH: this is not at all scriptural. NO WHERE does it say that I am worthy or deserve a reward here on earth. Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do work at it with all your heart." It does not end in "and after this hard work you deserve a long hot bath and a chocolate bar." It does end in, "since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." Oh, doesn't that sound better than all the material rewards you can think of? Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, and Luke 18:22 all say exactly the same thing, "Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven." I live in a world that tells me that if I sell what I have and give it to the poor, if I leave my rich American life to live in a cockroach infested, cement house in a third world country, I am doing a wonderful and radical thing. TRUTH: I am only doing what I love doing, and what God who gave His life for me asked me to do. Look at Jesus, doing more for the kingdom than any human can ever hope to and taking no pay, no reward, only accusations and eventually death. Ouch, there goes my pride.

I have MORE than enough, and God has spoken that I am ONLY to have enough. Jesus said that the GREATEST commandment besides loving the Lord God with all my heart, mind, and soul is to love my NEIGHBOR as myself. Doesn't that mean, then, that I should be spending as much on my neighbor as I do on myself and my family? Doesn't that mean that I should feed my neighbor as well as I feed myself? It has hit me every hard this week, I DO love my neighbor, but I love myself more. TRUTH: that is not ok. We have been discussing this as a family and, as I family we will be cutting back. I will live in my beautiful cement house, complete with all its critters until God very clearly speaks to me that I am to go elsewhere. I will LOVE my 10 by 15 foot kitchen because it is where I have the privilege of cooking for God's children. As a family, we will use only 3 hours of electricity on days when the power is on and put the money we would have spent on the electric bill into our hospital ministry fund so that we can go more often to the hospital and feed the people there more food. I personally will save my chocolate money and instead buy more biscuits and juice for the street children. We will each keep 4 outfits (this is going to be very difficult for me as I do LOVE clothes.) In most people's standards, my little family does not have much, but we have MORE than enough. And we know in our hearts that really, Christ is ALL we need. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO." Matthew 6:19-21

Now that I have shared my embarrassing pride and "flesh" moments and been totally vulnerable with all of you out there in cyber space I feel I can ask you some questions. I want simply to challenge you to push the envelope a little more with your faith. I don't know what this looks like in your life, but there has got to be something. Like I said, it is all to easy for me to fall into the trap of "I am doing good enough." TRUTH: good enough does not exist. We need to do better.

In one of my favorite Bible passages, the prophet Elijah feels God's presence. The scripture says that a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart, but God was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a gentle whisper. It was the whisper of God. He is whispering. Are you listening? God is not in the bigger house, or the new shoes, or the self-indulgence. In my opinion, God is not even in the new 7 million dollar church building, or the upgrading of missionary tickets to first class at an exorbitant price, or the super fancy extravagant outfit worn by the Pope (no offense).

Do you love your neighbor as much as you love yourself? Do you love your 147 million orphaned neighbors and your 3.5 homeless in America alone neighbors as much as you love yourself? Do you grieve for them the same way you would grieve if your very own children were hungry and homeless? What would be different if you did?

TRUTH: 53% of the worlds population live on $2.00 a day. If you, like me, live on more than that, you have MORE than enough.

People ask me quite often when I am in the states why in the world THIS is what I have decided to do with my life. 2 answers: 1. Because this is what makes my heart sing. Yes, it really truly is complete selfishness; this is where I am happiest. 2. Because I believe that TODAY is all I am promised. Because I believe that Jesus is coming back, "the day and hour unknown." And THIS is what I want to be doing when Jesus comes.

If this day is all you are promised, what are you doing with it? Right now, today, are you doing what you want to be doing when Christ comes back?"

"Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life.The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!" -Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:11-13, the Message translation

On The Move

For Father's Day I bought Ben Bono's book "On The Move". It's a tiny little book with breathtaking photos and a powerful message. The book is simply the text of a speech he gave at the White House a few years back at the National Prayer Breakfast. I find it uncanny and more than a bit unsettling that the Church has to hear the following words from a rock star (granted, an AMAZING rock star):

"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."

He then goes on to quote a few verses from Isaiah 58: 9-11..."If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

What immediately captured my attention was in verse 9 - "If you SPEND yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, THEN your light will rise in the darkness."
Wow. I don't think it could be any clearer. I don't believe that by using the word "spend" God is asking me to simply just write a check each month to help someone in need. I don't think He's asking me to volunteer at the soup kitchen around Christmas time. I don't think He means to drop my quarters in the homeless man's cup. I think He means write a check until it costs me something. I think He means I have a standing date on my weekly calendar that I volunteer at the soup kitchen. I think He means I empty my entire wallet into the homeless man's cup.

I know... crazy talk, right? But...

"Spend" in this case means to empty. "If I EMPTY myself in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed...". God is asking me to spend myself on the hungry and the oppressed. I know for each of us this looks different. But the theme is the same - giving of myself and my resources to help the hungry and the oppressed. God has always called us to sacrifice. Always. Not once has He asked us to consider ourselves. How have I gone so wrong that I almost always consider myself before anyone else?? This message or call to sacrificial living is one that I know I have compartmentalized in my own head. For many years now I have determined what sacrificing means for me, but I think God has had other ideas all along.

I'm finally ready and willing to be honest and listen to what HE has to say about what sacrifice in my life looks like. I'm ready to get the heck out of the way.

The beautiful part of this scripture in Isaiah is that when we spend ourselves...THEN our light shines in the darkness - THEN we are like a well-watered garden. Our light doesn't shine when we play it safe and hoard our resources, our energy and our time. It shines when we spend and empty ourselves on behalf of the hungry and oppressed. So, here I am. Begging to fully embrace spending myself on behalf of people who are in need. Begging for my light to shine in the darkness.

How Feeding The Forgotten Fed My Soul

Many of you may know that in early June Children's Hope Chest held a campaign to raise money to feed people in a district of Uganda where they were literally eating termites and cow dung they were so hungry. The end result was that $20,000 was raised thanks to so many of you who participated and gave generously and sacrificially. At $.14 a meal that's a lot of people who are receiving much needed nourishment! Thank you to everyone who prayed and donated.

For me, this ended up being more than just a campaign to raise money to do something good and help people who needed it. I realized something huge - at least to me it was huge.

I learned the difference between giving out of my abundance and giving sacrificially. I don't think anyone would argue that when we give financially it feels good. I actually think it feels great! But what I realized during "Feed the Forgotten" was that I generally always give out of my abundance. Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with giving out of our abundance! But when I give out of my abundance I generally don't miss out on anything that I have come to rely or count on in my lifestyle. I still have money to buy that something I've been eyeing for a while and I still eat out when I like etc. Realizing that $.14 could feed a person who is literally dying of starvation changed my perspective on things. I began to imagine what it would look like for me to really start sacrificing things in my own life so that others could literally LIVE. It was great that my $10 could provide 71 meals. I could have settled for that and felt really good. But $10 wasn't a sacrifice for me (for some people it is!). I felt compelled to give until I noticed that I was missing something - until it became hard.

So, I thought about trying the idea of swapping something and giving the money I would have spent to "Feed The Forgotten". I went to get my hair cut and instead of getting highlights like usual, I didn't. Um, yeah...I'm embarrassed to admit that the money I saved on my highlights fed 285 people a meal. I'm reminded every morning I do my hair and see my roots growing out that there's absolutely no reason I can't forgo highlights for the rest of my life if it means someone else gets to eat and not suffer. The money we saved on a babysitter fed 214 people meals. The money we saved by not going out to eat for dinner ONCE fed 321 people meals. That just floors me!! Hmm...wonder what might happen if I give up going out to eat more often? I don't say this in a "look what i did" sort of way - I say it in a "Oh my goodness why am I not doing this every month" sort of way.

Had I simply given out of my abundance and not given sacrificially I would have missed out on the reminder that I can make a difference by simply giving up something (in my case they were all small things - nothing huge). I am amazed by how much difference so little can make in someone's life. Honestly, I was already processing through how I spend money, why i spend money etc., but this period of two weeks helped confirm for me what I feel to be true - when I give sacrificially it not only does something good for someone else, but it feeds my soul. It connects me more fully to the God who sacrificed His own Son for me. There is truly a joy that flows out of putting other people's needs before my own. It's the same joy that my little six year old daughter felt when she emptied her piggy bank of her own accord to buy mosquito nets for kids in Africa (her ridiculous mom tried to get her to just keep a little of it for herself rather than giving it all away. When will I learn??). It's the same joy that Jesus must have had when He served "the least of these". Scripture says that for the JOY set before Him, He endured the cross - the ultimate sacrifice.

All I know is that if my heart is broken by the thought of these precious Ugandan children so hungry they don't even have energy to cry, how much more must God's heart be broken. What I saw over the two weeks we did "Feed The Forgotten" was that there are people who are in touch with this part of God's heart. There are people who are willing to give. There are people who are not ignoring the cries of the hungry. There are people SACRIFICING in very real ways so that their brothers and sisters can have something to eat. I am so encouraged. I am changed. And I am so thankful that God chooses to use us, His children to accomplish His purposes in this world. I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for those of us who will press into giving more like our Savior - completely, with abandon and with great joy.

If you helped "Feed The Forgotten" I would love to hear how it impacted you. Please comment!

"Scared"

I just finished Tom Davis' new book "Scared". It's his first fiction book and I have to say I was impressed. Tom Davis is the President of Children's Hope Chest, an organization that Ben and I are now volunteering with. They try to engage communities of people here in the States to care for communities of people in Africa and Russia. We are going to Uganda with Children's Hope Chest in September on a trip to visit care points and orphanages in need of support. Our hope is to come back and engage people in the Cincinnati area in caring for these precious people. But, enough background! Back to "Scared"...

Tom wrote the novel based on his very real experiences in Africa. I guess that's why I was moved to tears more than once. He has seen the impact of atrocities up close and personal and it makes his writing authentic and gripping. The way that he depicts the AIDS pandemic in Swaziland and its impact on the families there is heart wrenching. To read of a little girl's rape as she is innocently looking for someone kind to give her some bread for her siblings is enough to make my stomach ache. Reading about how a little girls cares for her siblings after her mother dies of AIDS is unimaginable. What if those were my two little girls left alone with no one to care for them or feed them? The very thought of it kills me.

So, while "Scared" was engaging and beautifully written, it was difficult to read because in reality, this is no novel. It's the life millions of children are living TODAY as I sit in my comfortable chair and type this. How do I come to terms with the fact that anything I want or need is at my disposal even in a suffering economy while children around the world have no guarantee of one meal a day? I'm not sure I can or really ever want to come to terms with it. I need to live in that uncomfortable place because if I get too comfortable I won't do anything. I'll become numb to what is going on. It's only because I was born in the country I was that my children aren't the ones crying from hunger pain or watching their mama die a painful death from HIV/AIDS.

I choose to believe that I was born here in this country for a reason. More and more I'm discovering I was born here so that I can use what I have been so graciously given to give to others and improve their lives in the most basic of ways. This is what Jesus lived out day after day...giving Himself to people sacrificially with no thought for Himself. I am SO far from that right now, but I find myself drawn to more sacrificial living every day.

So, I owe Tom a big thank you for writing a book that has broken my heart yet at the same time motivated me to do something about the issues I encountered in "Scared". I know that was his intention all along - to wake us up to what is going on in the world. I'm awake and I will do what I can with what I've been given - loving my neighbor as much as myself.

P.S. We only have $1,600 more to raise for "Feed the Forgotten" in Uganda before we hit the $20,000 mark enabling us to feed 6 villages! Any gift you make is doubled right now. Click here to give - be sure to note "Feed the Forgotten" in the notes section. Talk about relieving the hunger of desperate children! This is your opportunity!

Swap It This Weekend To Feed The Forgotten!

Ok everyone...it's the weekend! We all know what that means - time for some fun, right? May I ask you to consider doing things a little bit differently this weekend? As you enjoy time with your friends and family please remember that there is an urgent food crisis in Uganda right now and that you can DO something about it this weekend!

This is not meant to be a guilt trip of any kind but an opportunity for us to creatively find ways to give food to these families who are hungry and weak as we begin our weekend full of energy and well-fed. Thanks to Children's Hope Chest we can all take part in bringing meals to people who desperately need them - what a great way to spend a weekend! We get to Feed The Forgotten.

I know...there may be many of you out there like me who have already given financially to this and other projects and are feeling like there might not be much left to give. But since we can provide a meal for only $.14 for someone in Uganda I suggest we swap something we have planned for this weekend in order to feed these precious, hungry people. Are you in? Here are some ideas:

Who has plans to go out for lunch or dinner this weekend? Would you consider swapping your meal to Feed The Forgotten? Get this: The $30 dinner that you swap can provide 214 meals for Ugandans! (When you swap your meal please remember to note "Feed The Forgotten" in the notes section.)

Who is planning on shopping for new summer clothes this weekend? Would you consider swapping one of your items to put food in the bellies of hungry people? Giving up that $25 shirt will provide 179 meals for people in Uganda!

Whose children are anxious to do their first lemonade stand of the year? How about talking to your kids about swapping their profits from the lemonade they sell to Feed The Forgotten? One $.75 lemonade can feed 5 children a meal. What a great way to show your children that they CAN do something too!!

Who is planning on paying a babysitter so you can go out this weekend? How about swapping babysitting services with a friend so that you both can donate the money you saved to Feed The Forgotten? A $40 savings in babysitting can provide 285 meals for Ugandans!!

Who is looking forward to that Saturday morning coffee at the coffee shop? How about swapping your $4.00 coffee drink for 29 meals for hungry people? It doesn't take much!

Who has plans to catch a movie this weekend? How about swapping one movie ticket (about $9.50) for 68 meals?? Hard to believe that sacrificing one movie can give so many people food!

Who is planning a trip to the local ice cream shop? How about swapping your $10 ice cream visit to fill up 71 people with a meal?

We CAN do something and we can do it together this weekend! As you give (being sure to identify "Feed the Forgotten" in the notes section) please pray for these people who are suffering and have such tangible needs. It's humbling that God chooses to use US to be His hands and feet. These people will NOT be forgotten this weekend!!

Urgent Need - Feed The Forgotten in Uganda!

I'm taking a break from my usual posts to bring an urgent need to your attention. Some of you may know that I am getting involved with Children's Hope Chest, an organization that helps people like you and I come alongside communities around the world who are in need and provide for them. Hope Chest is currently working to address an urgent need in Uganda - people are literally starving to death...children and adults alike that Hope Chest team members just visited in the past month.

Get this:

For $0.14, we can (and WILL) feed someone a meal of posho and beans. (posho is cornmeal, which is filling and beans are protein). Take that in for a moment.
$0.14 a meal
$2.86 for 20 days
$1 per FAMILY
$20 feeds a family for 20 days.

I just spent $20 taking my family out to eat for lunch today. That could have fed a Ugandan family for 20 days!! Would you be willing to sacrifice something this week so that a family can literally survive with what you give? What if this was your family starving to death...what if your children were the ones listless from hunger? This suffering is real and it's happening NOW. We have the opportunity to do something! For $0.14 a meal, how can we not? Please click below to help and find out more. Thank you for caring and making a difference in people's lives today!

A Lesson From My Four Year Old

It's almost summer now and we've been talking about some fun things that we'll do over the next few months with the kids. Among others are special dates with mom or dad, a camping trip, play dates, a visit to the local amusement park etc. I was driving the other day with my girls who are 4 and 6, and my 4 year old said "Mom...I know what we can do!". I asked her what and she said " We can take some food to families who need it and maybe give them some money".

Yes, my four year old daughter wants to take food to hungry people and give money to those who could use it while I'm busy making plans about how to make her summer fun. I had to hold back the tears in the car as I told her what an awesome idea that was. My husband and I have prayed from Day 1 of finding out that we were pregnant with both of our children that they would be compassionate toward other people. It's humbling to see that prayer being answered at the tender age of four.

It was a good reminder for me that while I feel like my heart is in Africa, there are opportunities around me right here where I live to show compassion and serve somebody. Matt Redman has traveled around with Compassion International and says in The Art of Compassion "So all these experiences that I've been privileged enough to soak up in Africa or India have started to teach me something - a lesson that others have worked out long ago and without the air miles: that our comfort zones need to be challenged, that fear is not a barrier to action, that our choice to get involved with those whose lives are scarred by poverty is not one we take because we have all the answers or because we can fix the problems - but because we were not made to live in isolation. There aren't many of us who would have to drive more than an hour to find people living in poverty. Most of us could reach their homes in a few minutes. There aren't many cities in the world that don't have homeless people and there are very few communities that don't have individuals who are lonely or outcast, overlooked or ignored by the rest of us. And what's my point? That none of us is unable to have our comfort zones challenged by experiencing poverty face to face". So now the question becomes, will I? More on that soon.

Awakened

Over these past six months or so I've been awakened - or at least I'm starting to be awakened. Since I feel like that's the best word that describes what I'm experiencing lately I thought I'd look it up to see what the real definition is. To awaken means to "rouse from sleep". No big surprise there - that's exactly what's happening to me. But the synonyms that I found with the definition describe what I'm feeling even better - "To stir up or call forth". I am absolutely stirred up and I'm seeing daily God "calling forth" things in my life that I thought I understood but it turns out I haven't really embraced until now. Like how much God loves the poor and the outcast and the orphan. Of course I've always known He cares about them and loves them, but I've never felt the full impact of just how much until now - and I'm sure I'm only beginning to scratch the surface. The one thing I do know - now that I'm awake I don't ever want to sleep again.

My capacity to love is so limited by my humanness and selfishness. So, this depth of love and compassion that I'm suddenly finding myself embracing and running toward is unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life. I can't just muster this sort of thing up on my own and so I know that it's God who's been pounding on my heart's door and getting me to open up. The phrase "love until it hurts" has taken on new meaning.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 says "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees."

This is the change I feel. God has removed my heart of stone and given me a new heart. A new heart that loves more like Him and His Spirit which moves me to follow Him. I'm just a desperate heap without them both.

My Possessions & My Heart

Lately I've felt a shift in the way I view my possessions. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to decorate. I am constantly on the lookout for beautiful things at bargain prices. I love purses and shoes as much as the next girl and have a deep appreciation for creative stationery and beautiful paper goods. A few months ago a "Super Target" opened literally right behind my house - we can walk to it. I was giddy with excitement to go and check it out (especially the paper aisle). I was oohing and ahhing right along with everyone else over all the STUFF. Today I walked through Target because my 6 year old had a gift card she wanted to spend. I felt almost sick. I just wanted to get in and get out. Why the change?

I think that it's due to several things...the first of which is that I'm realizing that my relationship to my possessions is a direct reflection of where my heart is. And I want my heart to be reflective of God's heart. I'm pretty certain that God's not running through the Target aisles freaking out over the amazingly cute paper and high heeled shoes. I'm beginning to see that God is more likely wanting me to ask myself "Do I really need this?" Even if I have the money for it - do I NEED it?

My faith can pretty much be boiled down to two simple commands found in the same scripture -Love God with all your heart, soul and mind and Love your neighbor as yourself. Interesting how it doesn't just end "Love your neighbor". That would have been easier. But it's the "as yourself" part that I think I'm waking up to. Turns out I love myself pretty well. Also turns out I don't love my "neighbor" very well at all. My "neighbor" might be in incredible need while I'm trying to decide if I should by my 5th pair of high heels. Actually, let me tweak that last sentence a bit - my neighbor IS in incredible need. It might be my literal neighbor next door, my "neighbor" who frequents the Drop In Center downtown for food and clothes, my "neighbor" at work or my "neighbor" around the world in Africa. Somebody somewhere is in need. Many folks would say that we can't be responsible for everyone. Of course we can't possibly meet everyone's needs - but we can meet some. And how many needs I meet is directly related to the decisions I make in the Target aisle. The question becomes - is my heart even turned toward my neighbor? Am I even THINKING about anybody else??

The other thing that I think contributed to my Target reaction today is that some people I know just got back from a trip to Uganda visiting some orphanages. At one orphanage, many of these kids were thankful to just have porridge made out of just flour and water. Can you imagine? What's worse is that this particular orphanage only has resources to care for around 100-150 kids and so when it's time to eat, the other HUNDREDS of children who were there from the surrounding area but not part of the orphanage had to go sit on the grass and watch the other kids eat since there wasn't enough food to feed them. Can you even imagine? This breaks my heart. No wonder the shoe aisle at Target held absolutely no appeal for me today. What must God think as He looks down on me? I haven't been a good steward of what He's given me. I haven't been loving my neighbor. I have been self consumed. But by God's grace I think that is changing. It must.

100 Crashing Jetliners

I am reading a book called "The Hole In Our Gospel" for the second time. It is written by the President of World Vision and if you click on this post's title it will take you to the website for the book. This book has helped turn my world upside down - or right side up depending on how you look at it. I'd like to share an excerpt from his book with you and get your thoughts. Rich says:

"Whenever a major jetliner crashes anywhere in the world, it inevitably sets off a worldwide media frenzy covering every aspect of the tragedy. I want you to imagine for a moment that you woke up this morning to the following headline: 'One Hundred Jetliners Crash, Killing 26,500'. Think of the pandemonium this would create across the world as heads of state, parliaments, and congresses convened to grapple with the nature and causes of this tragedy. Think about the avalanche of media coverage that it would ignite around the globe as reporters shared the shocking news and tried to communicate its implications for the world. Air travel would no doubt grind to a halt as governments shut down the airlines and panicked air travelers canceled their trips. The National Transportation Safety Board and perhaps the FBI, CIA, and local law enforcement agencies and their international equivalents would mobilize investigations and dedicate whatever manpower was required to understand what happened and to prevent it from happening again.

Now imagine that the very next day, one hundred more planes crashed - and one hundred more the next, and the next, and the next. It is unimaginable that something this terrible could ever happen.

But it did - and it does.

It happened today, and it happened yesterday. It will happen again tomorrow. But there was no media coverage. No heads of state, parliaments or congresses stopped what they were doing to address the crisis, and no investigations were launched. Yet more than 26,500 children died yesterday of preventable causes related to their poverty, and it will happen again today, tomorrow and the day after that. Almost 10 million children will be dead in the course of a year. So why does the crash of a single plane dominate the front pages of newspapers across the world while the equivalent of one hundred planes filled with children crashing daily never reaches our ears? And even though we now have the awareness, the access, and the ability to stop it, why have we chosen not to? Perhaps one reason is that these kids who are dying are not our kids; they're somebody else's."

I don't know how you feel after reading that, but the first time I read it I wept and when I was done I wept some more. I wept over the staggering statistic that there are more than 26,000 precious little children dying every day from preventable causes. But I also wept over the reason we allow it to happen. I think Rich is right - it's not happening to us, so we don't care enough to do anything about it. What if my own children or the children of people I love were dying of something that I could prevent? I would prevent it. It's that simple. Of course I wouldn't stand by and watch them die when I could do something that would save their life. I'm sure you would do the same.

But why aren't we doing the same thing for the 26,000+ children who are dying every day? Why aren't we preventing their deaths? Because they are not our children or children we know? Here's the rub - they are God's children. They may not be children that we know personally and love but they are children that God created and loves. He knows their names and sees their faces even though we may not. I know the statistic of 26,000+ has the potential to make any of us feel inadequate to address the need. But if everyone would just do something we have the potential to put a huge dent in that number. Did you know that for around $34/month you can provide a child with clothes, education, clean water, food and medicine? This is the equivalent of taking a family of four out to dinner once here in the States or the cost of 4 movie tickets. Gulp. Surely we can give up our entertainment so that another human being might live and thrive! If any of this resonates with you and you are ready to do something please let me know. Or if you're not ready to sponsor a child, check out the link at the top left of my blog which will take you to a page where you can donate money to provide formula for malnourished babies in Ethiopia - there is an urgent need for this and any amount helps.

Proverbs 24:12 says "Once our eyes are opened we cannot pretend we do not know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows we know and holds us responsible to act".

Comfortable?

So, I've been thinking a lot about comfort and how much I love it. Who doesn't, right? The comfort of my own home, the comfort of my relationships with people I know and love, the comfort of keeping my life as free of pain, inconvenience or irritation as I can. For the most part, my life is epitomized by comfort. But I've started to wonder lately, is God really all that concerned about my comfort? Does He just want me to make my life as nice and comfortable for myself and my family as I possibly can and along the way try to help others? As I've started to honestly mull this question over, guess what? I've become uncomfortable. Extremely uncomfortable.

My small group at church is reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. You can find the link to the book's site on the left of my blog - I can't recommend it enough. In Chapter 7 Francis says "Life is comfortable when you separate yourself from people who are different from you. But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through." And there it is. It seems to hinge on this issue of trust. It's true - if I completely trust God then I will gladly go running into the uncomfortable, the unknown, and the illogical. Sounds like a blast, right? Ha! Sometimes it does. But most times our logic, reason and fear completely get in the way of us allowing God to take us places we've never been before. God has been stirring me up inside to crave more discomfort. Yes, I know - those two words don't go together very well - crave discomfort??? But strangely I am finding the most amazing peace in the midst of my discomfort and perhaps the most clarity I've ever had. Hmmm....

Turns out that God is so present when we start to live beyond ourselves and move towards the uncomfortable. At least that's what I'm finding as I start to embrace God's heart for "the least of these". As I am opening my ears to hear His cry for them it is breaking me. Talk about discomfort. But it's beautiful. In fact, my prayer is becoming that I never long for the comfortable again. Because embracing discomfort means I'm allowing God space to show up - that I'm letting go of myself and learning to care about the things He does.

Giving This Blogging Thing A Whirl

Well, I thought I'd give the whole blog thing a try. After lurking for months now on other people's blogs I think I've realized I might enjoy getting my thoughts written down too. I had no idea all the bells & whistles that could go on a blog...yeah, you'll have to be patient with me since I'm just figuring this all out. The one thing I didn't have to think very long about was my blog title since lately all I can really think about is what Jesus spoke of in Matthew 25:34-40 about "loving the least of these". The scripture goes like this:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

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

"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."

My world has been a little bit rocked this year to say the least by this passage and by a series of events that I'll save for another blog entry. How is it that I've never really fully realized just how seriously God takes caring for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the prisoner? Add to that all the references in the Old Testament about caring for the orphan, the widow and the oppressed and it becomes obvious that "the least of these" are exactly who He loves deeply. It all seems to come back to this theme of love. God's love for me, my love for God and my love for others - especially "the least of these".

Although I have read Matthew 25 many times, I am really just beginning to get the impact of what Jesus is saying. He's saying that when I feed the hungry, give clothes to those who need them, give the thirsty a drink, invite a stranger in or visit those in prison that I am doing that TO Him - I'm giving Jesus a meal and a drink or inviting Him in for a visit. The opposite is true as well...when I don't feed the hungry it's as if I'm not feeding Jesus. Can you imagine walking down the street and seeing the God of the Universe sitting on the corner begging for money so He could buy food and ignoring Him?? No way! I'd be falling all over myself trying to get Him whatever He needed. But the sad reality is that when I ignore the hungry stranger on the corner who makes me uncomfortable I am ignoring Jesus in disguise.

I know that for years now I have lived in my own little comfortable bubble thinking that I was loving God - and I was, but not completely. Somehow I managed to miss this gigantic piece of His heart - His all out love and compassion for the poor, the lonely, the broken-hearted, the sick, the hungry, the orphan. How did I miss this??? Because it was easier to ignore those things that overwhelmed me if I gave them too much thought. Scratch that. Because I am self-absorbed. And because I thought someone else would care for them. Someone else would go and do it. After all, what do I know about the poor? What do I know about children halfway around the world who have been tragically left alone to care for their siblings because their parents are dead from AIDS? How could I possibly help them? Yes, someone else will have to do it. Now I know...that someone else is me. And it's you.

So, I think we have a lot to talk about.







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