Sharing is Caring

On Saturday I spent the day with Dulce, one of the girls I mentor.

I went to the bank, then went to her house and picked her up. We stopped by to say hi to a couple other kids. We went to Sonic and had sodas. We went to the $3 theater and watched the new Chronicles of Narnia. We went and got a pizza. We came to my house to hang out.

Then she told me my shirt was on inside out.

So, because sharing is caring, I thought I'd pass onto you some share worthy things.

*Come Together Trading Company is a Christian based company which sells fair trade items from around the world. They have beautiful, handmade, and unique items  that would make the perfect gifts. Here are a few of my favorite items.

Global Mamas Headband- made in Ghana



Guatemalan Scarves- made in Guatemala

Pakko Tote Bag- made in India

*Compassion International is raising money to help send one of their children to the special olympics. Compassion Can represented Emilda's story so well. Please take time to read it! You will be blessed.

*For those of you who followed my series on The Persecuted Church, and especally the story of North Korea, Inside North Korea is an eye-opening documentary released by National Geographic. None of the information in the documentary was necessarily new to me, but seeing pictures and videos of the people behind the stories really shook me. It is hard to watch at points, but this documentary brings light to darkness that Satan would love to remain hidden.

*Conspiracy of Hope is raising money to support IJM and My Refuge House. Click here to help bring healing and restoration for the victims of sex trafficking.

I hope you will take time to check these things out!

God Bless,

Bitter Sweet

I just checked my Compassion account, and I found this:



My oldest child, Dilsly

This picture makes me happy because:
~ Getting new pictures always makes me happy
~ She looks so grown up and beautiful
~ That outfit was a birthday present from me
~ She has such a big smile
~ I love her

This picture makes me sad because:
~ She is so grown up
~ She is in her last year of sponsorship
~ This will be my last updated picture of her...ever
~ And I love her

I know that soon I will be letting go and trusting her into the hands of our Father (who has been holding her all along). It is a wonderful thing because she will be graduating college with her degree in engineering. She will enter the work force and likely marry (prayerfully) a Christian man.

And she will break the cycle of poverty in her family.

This next year I will be pumping her full of as much love and encouragement as possible. I will hold on to all the letters and pictures she has sent me throughout the years. And especially the day we spent together.

But still, I will miss her like crazy.

Man, this love thing is hard.



If you would like to break the cycle of poverty and become a sponsor for a child in need, check out Compassion International. A child is waiting for you.

The Gift of Life

In Africa it is said that

Water is life.

Here, in a place where such a resource is so readily available that we literally flush it down the toilet, it is hard to fathom our every minute of waking existence revolving around obtaining enough of it just to live.

But in many places, and for many people, it does.

Often times children cannot attend school because their hours of daylight are spent hauling water. Mothers cannot help bring in income or care for their home because of the strenuous and long labor that attaining water requires. And many times this water, this life that they work so hard to obtain, is tainted with death.

Here are the facts:

~One in six people on the planet do not have access to clean water. That is about one billion people.

~Every minute three children die from unsafe drinking water.

~Right now half of the people in developing countries are suffering from water related illness.

~Access to clean water can transform an entire community by cutting child death rates in half and dramatically decreasing hours of labor.

~$20 can provide clean water for one person, and literally change their life.

Let me say that last one again:

~$20 can save someone's life.

That is where we come.

My awesome friend, Cathrine and her husband have been saving and sacrificing for several months to build a well for a community in Africa. (For more information how this well is going to benefit its community, please check this out.)

Although the cost of building a well seems like a huge and daunting task to many of us, Cathrine stepped up in faith. And because of her faith, many many lives will be transformed and saved.

There are only 54 days left for Cathrine and her husband Joshua to reach their goal, which means there are only 54 days left for you to join in and take part in being a blessing. 

If you would like to give a precious person the gift of life you can donate through My Charity Water here.

God Bless,


 

Blogging Responsibly

You may (or may not) have noticed that lately my posts have been fewer and farther in between.

I just want to let you all know that I still love you, and I am still here, but I am taking a few steps back.

In the last couple of months I have just had a feeling of "meh" come over me. You know, the mood that sucks you in and makes it nearly impossible to escape. Well, that "meh" has captured me and has left me feeling completely unmotivated.

Which has left a huge pile of "things to do" stacking up higher and higher on my desk.

I think it started out as a time to stop and breathe because I "deserved" it after the rush of planning for and going to Zimbabwe. But that time to breathe just kept going, and procrastination and laziness ensued. Then, of course, there was the spit in my face. And feeling wounded on top of the "meh," that really did me in.

You see, I try to blog about things that are important, and most of the time I think I am successful. But I realized a couple weeks ago that blogging has enabled my procrastination and avoidance.

Because, really, wouldn't you rather come home and read through all the interesting things your internet friends did that day than sit and pay bills? Wouldn't you rather post pictures about what you ate for dinner than do your taxes? Wouln't you rather take an uncomitted peak into someone else's life than have those hard conversations?

So, this last week I decided to take a stand. I decided to conquer that pile of things to do. And among that pile I have found that there are some very important things I have been neglecting. Things that shouldn't even be in my "things to do" pile, because they should be priorities.

Friends that have been needing a shoulder to cry on.

Compassion kids waiting anxiously for a letter.

A group of junior high girls (soon to be high schoolers!) needing to hear and feel that they are beautiful.

Grandparents waiting by the phone.

Children in Africa waiting for...well, I'll have to tell you about that one later. My big announcement is not quite ready to be revealed :)

The thing is, people, if I blog about things that are important, but neglect the important people in my own life, I am doing more damage than good.

I have had several friends quote me to me lately (you know who you are), and it has held a mirror up to my face. Ultimately, even my most important relationship- the one with the Father- has suffered. It is time to refocus. I need to be living the message before I can continue writing it.

So, as I get my life caught up and my relationships back in order, I will be on from time to time. But, I will not be blogging as an excuse to escape something else.

This is life, people. Get away from the computer, shake off the "meh," and live it.

A Picture of Humility

If you do a quick internet search of the words "Christian," "Muslim," and "Egypt," you will find story upon story of persecution, specifically that of Christians. Google will suggest words such as "clash" or "tension" to assist your search.

This knowledge only makes the following photograph more beautiful:

Christians creating a protective barrier around praying Muslims in Egypt

The situation in Egypt right now is rough, to say the least. People have become desperate for change, and are willing to sacrifice to make that change a reality.

You could say that this picture portrays unity and hope for the country. But to me it reveals the humility of Christ, and how we, as Christians, are to be an example of that humility.

Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them.

Romans 12:14

Because Everyone Deserves a Little Fancy Once in Awhile

Today one of my coworkers blessed me with a wonderful little treat! Since neither of us were very interested in the super bowl, and she had a gift card to one of the nicest restaurants in town, we went on what we like to call a mini vacation.

She asked me to go because recently we have really been working our hineys off at work, and she knew I could use a little fancy in my life.

We went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (which I had never heard of, but is apparently very well known), and I have to say it is the most expensive and fancy restaurant I have ever eaten at times two.

Although I would never actually pay the amount they charge for food, I have to say it was very yummy.

I had the ceasar salad and she had the house salad...

Followed by blackened salmon, mushrooms, and garlic mashed potatoes

Salmon is one of my favorite foods on the planet, and theirs was exceptionally yummy.

And last, but not least, was cheese cake and dark chocolate wedges topped with almonds and sea salt.

It was nice to have a reason to dress up and have adult conversation.

Thank you "Mrs. Kipp!"

aka "Miss Allen"

Being Obedient When They Spit in Your Face

When I was in college I spent two full summers ministering to troubled and at-risk youth in San Francisco.

It was emotionally draining and challenging and heartbreaking.

And, at times, just breaking.

I went to San Francisco during a time that God was completely transforming my heart and my life. I was tender. But I was excited and open and longing for all the things He was going to teach me and show me. The details of the ministry didn't appeal to me at first, but God, loud and clear, told me to go. And so, out of obedience, I went.

That first summer I worked hard and long and slept little. I loved as hard as I could. I sacrificed my savings and my summer and my sleep to be obedient.

And in return they spat in my face.

Literally. I invested everything in these kids, and one day I sat with spit freshly wiped from my face, and I questioned God. Why in the world would he send me here to be spit on?

That summer ended with disapointing results. Even though I was able to build solid relationships with many of the youth, none of them made a decision for Christ. None of them made life changes. They seemed unaffected.

Then, out of obedience, I returned the next summer. I invested once again. I can say I am still in contact with many of those youth, but I still wonder if any of those lessons I spent hours preparing, those many conversations that broke my heart, or those moments I persevered with spit on my face did any good.

That first summer was nearly ten years ago, and here I sit, once again, with spit on my face.

Recently I was in a situation where God asked me to sacrifice, and I did, with all my heart, and in return:

Spit.

The situation this time around is completely different. And the kind of spit completely different. But it leaves me with the same feeling.

Helpless. Insignificant. Inaffective. Humbled. Broken. Rejected.

But this time, I have struggled with something else as well.

Bitterness.

I have been questioning decisions and sacrifices I have made. I have wondered if possibly I was not being called to this sacrifice at all. Maybe I was only being obedient to my desire to feel needed and important.

Then, the last week God has held a mirror in front of my face.

And what I saw was selfishness.

He told me that He only asks for obedience. He does not ask me to be powerful or affective or significant.

That is His job.

When He told me to sacrifice He never told me I would be thanked or affirmed or glorified.

The glory belongs to Him alone.

I was never promised that my fragile spirit would not be broken.

Because when I am weak He is strong.

Christ never promised me that I would be accepted by the world.

But neither was He.

What God did promise me is that in my obedience I remain in his love.

And in His love my joy will be complete.

I must honestly say that I am still trying to rub my face clean of spit. And I feel wounded.

But in this I continue to learn what it means to be obedient.

In my brokeness, He is teaching me how to love with spit on my face.