$9,745 to go!!

This has been on my mind for 6 weeks...

 

With 3 days to go, I am wondering if I will meet my goal.  This $15,000 will help my partner in Ethiopia, FOVC, continue the amazing work they are already doing to help 150 precious orphaned and vulnerable children in Shanto, Ethiopia. 

 

This Ethiopia journey hasn't been easy for me; I wrote about it last April.  However, I feel God leading me to continue striving to make a difference.  I wish I could go into detail but trust me when I say I see God working in amazing ways.  This is truly eternal work and I would love to have you be part of it by investing financially.

 

Here is the link to the donation page.  It gives more details about the fundraiser.

Life Happens

Life happens and you have to deal with it.  I really wanted to be blogging more and even came up with a plan.  However...

A moment ago I pulled up my blog and was shocked to see that I hadn't written anything in 15 days.  I am drugged up right now on pain meds so I am just going to list a few important things.

1) I had surgery this past Monday.  It was minor surgery and I really don't want to give specifics.  However, the surgeon looked just like Robert Downey Jr. and had a personality like Tony Stark.  I walked into the operating room and he had music blaring.  I snickered and felt like I was in good hands.  Coming out of the anesthesia was NOT fun and I am sure I said some pretty crazy things.  I am still recovering but did drive today.  I am a little sore but looking forward to completely healing.

2) I am still working to raise $15,000 to help my little friends in Ethiopia in 2014.  I have $4,590 raised!!  I am praying and trusting God for the rest.  To donate click HERE!

3) I will be honest, this has been a hard year. Much has happened and I feel myself on the brink of depression. I went and saw my chiropractor last week and he set me up with a 2 month round of vitamins. I've been down this path before and found that the chiropractor was the only one who helped me. I love my primary care physician but all she suggests is medication. I have been on medication before and really want to be helping myself in a more natural way. The vitamins worked great 3-1/2 years ago and I believe they will help again. I really want to blog more about this but just don't have the energy right now. I hope after a few weeks of the vitamins I can share more.

That's it for tonight!

Defining Moments of Life

January 2011

Shanto, Ethiopia

What amazes me about this picture is the fact that I took it before I had ANY idea how it would impact my life.

The small classroom, made of mud walls and floors, had been packed with almost 100 people.  Backpacks of gifts had been handed out amidst lots of giggles, smiles, and joy.  Children and staff at a small Christian school in southern Ethiopia were rejoicing over the gifts and visit from our team.  The room emptied and I stayed behind to photograph a sponsor and their child.  After they left I found myself alone.  I glanced down and saw those shoes lying on the mud floor.  I picked them up, inspected them, set them on the desk, and took that picture with NO idea how my life would change.

I suspected that the owner of the shoes had outgrown them; I headed out to find the owner.  I asked a teacher to help me.  As the children all sat waiting for their lunch the teacher held the shoes up and spoke in the local language.  Soon a boy, around 11 years old, walked up.  His name was Israel.  I took him aside and was able to find him a used pair of shoes from our donations.  I washed his feet, gave him some socks and made sure the shoes fit.  Then I sent a VERY happy child off to join the others for lunch.  What happened next changed my life.

A few minutes later I walked over to take more pictures of the children while they ate lunch.  I noticed Israel in the background, head down, fidgeting with his new bag.  I walked over and realized he was crying.  My first thought was that something was wrong; I led him to a teacher who translated for me.  Israel was happy, those were tears of joy.  

A young boy's joy over a used pair of shoes was a defining moment in my life.  I knew I could not return home and ever live my life the same.

Today is GIVING TUESDAY.  After all the crazy shopping we are asked to give.  I personally think GIVING TUESDAY needs to come before BLACK FRIDAY, CYBER MONDAY, and the holidays in general.  Giving should come first.  

Thanksgiving is about thankfulness for all we have been given.  

Christmas is about the greatest gift of all, the birth of our Savior.

However, I don't think our society is going to follow my idea so I'll go with the flow and ask you to give today; please give to my little friends in Ethiopia.  To read more about the $15,000 I am striving to raise this holiday season follow THIS LINK.

How I wish...

My cousin Abby approaching her sponsor child's home (March '13). 

Today is Cyber Monday.  How I wish I could write some amazing and compelling words to encourage people to give in the midst of shopping.  Shopping isn't bad; I plan to buy a few presents over the holidays.  Shopping helps stimulate our economy and we all benefit from a strong economy.  However...

Abby and her sponsor child along with his Grandmothers who are helping raise him (March '13).

The needs in Ethiopia are overwhelming and yet my experience in visiting twice is mixed with deep change in my own heart for which I am grateful.  I've seen people live a life that I can't even imagine living yet they live it with incredible grace and resilience.  I wrestle with this world and the harsh realities that exist.  I can't change the world but I can make a difference.  My faith and obedience to Jesus compels me to.  I long to see children continue to learn, grow, receive medical care and clothing.  I am raising $15,000 for a "child security fund" to help FOVC Shanto continue to meet the needs of all the children including any unsponsored ones.  Advanced medical care is desperately needed for many children.  This fund is SO important.  Donate today in the midst of your shopping.

The iPhone: love it or hate it?

This past year I have intentionally counted the number of parents I see on smart phones while attending child friendly events.  As you can imagine the percentage is high.  I've personally had a love/hate relationship with my iPhone.  Has anyone else had that struggle?

I got my first smart phone in January 2011.  At that time my boys were 4, 9 and 10.  I quickly realized that my example might not be the best for them.  You know what I mean; a hand held media device that is hard to put down.  It really isn't the best example for a child.  I think that every generation has their challenges, and the one facing my boys is social media and the hand-held instant access to EVERYTHING.

I think that media is amoral; it can be good or bad depending on how you use it.  I LOVE many things about my iPhone yet I've found myself fighting the benefits.  For example, over the past few years I have continued to have excel spreadsheets for our finances, notebooks lying around the house for everything from prayer lists to sticker charts.  I've also had devotional books, cookbooks, Bibles, recipe folders, lists, and lists.  However, I have reached a point where I've decided I needed to embrace my iPhone and the benefits.  I think part of it is getting our house ready to put on the market and the desire to be done with stuff!  There are over a million apps out there for the iPhone.  In the hopes to simplify and have less clutter, I've been embracing my iPhone and using it for almost everything!  I still get on the computer occasionally.  It's definitely easier to type a blog post or long e-mails with a full keyboard, but I do use my blogger app to upload the pictures I want on each post and frequently check e-mail using an app.

I must admit, finally embracing my iPhone and searching for apps that will make my life easier and clutter free has been freeing.  However, I still have the same concerns for my boys.  Here are my tips for dealing with it:

1) I fully recognize that this type of media is NOT going away.  I would do my boys a disservice by not teaching how to manage it.  They will learn from my example.
2) I make sure my boys know what apps I have and why I use them.
3) When I am sitting on my phone and my boys need something I try VERY hard to immediately put the phone down and give them my attention.  Again, they will learn from my example.
4) My middle son used his own money to purchase an iPod.  We took Safari off of it but he does have the YouTube app.  We set the search settings higher so hopefully he won't find really bad stuff.  He also knows we can see his YouTube usage.  We also do not allow him to have it in his bedroom at night, and we've had many conversations about keeping him accountable.
5) I've found helpful apps for my children. Apps that will help their lives (not just games).  Remember, this technology is not going away, and they need to learn to manage it.

Here are some apps I love (pictured above):

Prayer Notes: I love being able to have a prayer list at my fingertips and with me all the time.  I can also mark prayers as answered, and it keeps a record of them!

Grounded: It is so easy to forget who is grounded for how long and for what reason.  This app is awesome!

Bible For Kids: My youngest loves this app and it is a great way to encourage him to read the Bible.

Bible: This app not only has the whole Bible in multiple versions, but many reading and devotional plans.  It sends you reminders and tracks your reading.

iCheckBal: I don't really use app the way it's intended, but it still helps keep us on track with our spending.  I use it to my advantage.

Sticker Charts: My youngest is still motivated by sticker charts and this app is much easier than having a real sticker chart in hand.