Being "the one"

There are some things that I want to be "the one" that people talk about. 

Like...
The one who can make people feel joyful
The one who has good advice
The one who cooks really great meals
The one who has a clean house
The one who is a good mom and wife


Then there are those things that I hope to never be "the one" that people talk about.

Like...
The one who should have been there when someone needed me

The one who makes others look at Christians negatively
The one who disappoints or drops the ball
The one who is too judgmental
The one who is too emotional
The one who is too obsessive
The one who is too _____________________

Just fill in the blank and it would at some time in my life and thought processes probably true. 

I live my life feeling like I am running as fast and hard as I can away from being "the one".  I spend a lot of time encircled in my own thoughts of how to avoid being "the one". 

But the Bible says, " Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." 

It isn't that I shouldn't do my best to do what is right and good and honorable, but I shouldn't be dwelling on what others think about what I am or am not doing.

Someone posted this quote on Facebook the other day.

We are so vain that we even care for the opinion of those we don't care for.” Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach

 

Now, I have no idea who that lady is or even how to pronounce her name, but that quote has been like a seed that was planted in my heart and mind and has grown there for the last few days.

I often feel like I am doing the noble thing by thinking of how others perceive my actions, but I see how there is vanity in it as well.

So, I have to live with my flaws and pray that others have the mercy to live with them as well and to accept that sometimes I will be "the one", for good and for bad. 

Christmas Cards for Unsponsored Children

If you are a Compassion sponsor, you have a great opportunity to reach out to children who are currently unsponsored this Christmas.
As a registered child with Compassion, each unsponsored child will receive a Christmas gift at their Compassion program, but it would be so nice for each one of them to receive a warm, personal greeting. 
This is a great activity for you to do with your kids.  As always, Jill at Compassion Family has a great blog post about how she and her girls make Christmas cards for unsponsored children, but there are 100s of ways you could do it. 

Here is some important information to remember if you feel you would like to participate: An individual sponsor may send up to 25 cards without any attachments. This means no photos, stickers, etc. Cards need to be received no later than November 4 to make sure they will be received by Christmas. Any cards received after that date, may be held until next year. To ensure they are received on time, we recommend mailing them by October 26. Here is where you mail them:

Compassion International
Attn: Suzanne Hall
PO Box 6500
Colorado Springs, CO 80962-5000 

*Please note that if you are sending a Christmas letter to your sponsored child, the due date the last few years has been October 31 to guarantee delivery by Christmas. I recommend sticking to that deadline until we hear otherwise.

How is a hand up different than a hand out?

When I work at a Compassion sign-up table, there are a few questions that I can guarantee I will be asked almost every time.

One such question is, "Why can't we send gifts to our child?  Why can we only send them money for Christmas and their birthdays?"


Today's Compassion blog post answers that question, but also a deeper question, "How is a hand up different than a hand out?"

Even if you are not a Compassion sponsor, this blog post will give you insight into how sometimes we can think we are doing good, but there may just be a better way to help.

Letter writing has never been easier!

Since yesterday's post was horribly self-centered and trivial, I am glad to have something that is a more worthwhile topic to share today.

And this is NO LITTLE THING!  This is an awesome new beginning for the life of Compassion.

They have just rolled out a letter writing tool on their website that not only allows you to type a letter to your sponsored child (which you've been able to do on the site for quite a while), but it also lets you choose templates and add your own pictures!  I love it already!

I just sent my sponsored child, Elias, a letter for his birthday and I was able to quickly take this picture and attach it to the email.

It was so easy!  I didn't have to take it and then run to the store to print it out to mail.  Everyone who has any emailing ability at all can use this tool.

If you'd like to learn more about this cool new letter writing tool, hop over to my friend Jill's blog Compassion Family and read about it or just go to the Compassion website and go to "Write a Letter" after you go into "My Account" at the top right corner.

50 more days

Fifty more days until what, you may ask? 

Is it soon to be someone's birthday or anniversary?
Is it the start of Christmas shopping season?
Has that goofy man predicted yet another day for the world to end?

While all these may be true, I am counting down how many more days I have to be in what I have less-than-affectionately been calling "the boot".  It sort of comes out of my mouth like the word "Newman" came out of Jerry Seinfeld's mouth when his troublesome acquaintance showed up at his door. 

If you read my blog often, you will remember that I was at first excited about the boot.  Happy to have freedom from the crutches.  But what started out as a happy relationship turned quickly sour after I realized that I was going to be in it for an extended period of time. 

For those who don't know, I found out that I have stress fractures in 3 bones in my foot.  I was told that I could wear "the boot" for 2 months or a regular cast for one.  But I couldn't drive or bathe with the cast and I couldn't take it off to sleep without it, so I opted for the boot. 

Now I know in my head that I should just be happy that it is only a few fractures and that I don't need surgery and that I am otherwise a very healthy woman...but another part of me, I am not sure what part exactly, feels very whiny and pathetic about it. 

By the time I get out of it on November 4th, winter will be well on its way.  These are the days that we would normally take walks or bike rides around the neighborhood, doing yard work and other outdoorsy stuff.  It is also soccer season, where we have to be out in the sun and heat or rain and mud, etc...which none of that is very fun or convenient when you have "the boot". 

In addition, since this is the first year that both of my kids are in school all day, I had all these grand ideas of how this new phase of life would look.

I had several painting, organizing, and remodeling projects planned.  I had visions of a spotless house, with carefree evenings with no chores to do or errands to run because I would have all day to do them while my beautiful family was away.  And, of course, I would have a wholesome, nutritionally-balanced meal on the table every night, since I had the day time hours to plan and prepare.  I would look great, since I was so well-rested from not staying up late doing loads of laundry, making late night grocery runs, or trying to mark one more thing off of my "to do" list and, of course, exercising almost everyday...With all this extra time... 

Just picture a mother from a 1950s sitcom and that was what I was aiming for...sort of! 

But not only does "the boot" throw a wrench in all of my plans, do you know how hard it is to look cute with a bulky, black boot the size of a giant's foot strapped to your leg that makes you walk like a pirate (as my darling son was so pleased to point out to me)?  And do you know what walking like a pirate does to your back?  My chiropractor sure does!

Anyway, I have not been having very many good feelings lately about "the boot" and so I just wanted to know how many more days I had resist the urge to be a complainer about it and the answer was 50.  My husband has made me a little counter for my blog, so that I can visibly see the days ticking down.  So you can all get the joy of watching them tick down with me.  I am sure you all are as excited as I am!

Even though I am struggling with feeling sorry for myself, it does make me realize how fortunate I have been to be so healthy for most of my life and I will definitely appreciate being back on my own two feet again after November 4th!  It also gives me a glimpse into how emotionally wearing being sick or hurt can be.  I hope it will make me more sympathetic to others in the future.

Conversations

My kids conversations and comments are so entertaining and endearing.  Even when they are fighting, there are sweet moments that I hope to always remember.  Here are just a few recent conversations that I hope to remember when the kids are off having kids of their own.

1. We were in the van and Elias said to Bella, "Bella, you are so beautiful, I just can't stop looking at you!"

2. During the same van ride, Bella got cold and decided to put on my black jacket that is a thin "Under Armor"-like material and Elias said, "Bella, you look like a witch with a cape when you wear Mom's jacket."  Pouting, she said back to him, "Elias, it isn't very nice to call me a witch."  He said, "I could call you another bad name that I learned from school."  Of course, my mommy ears went on high alert, because since we were already talking about the word witch, my mind was automatically deducing what the name he had learned may have been.  He said, "I don't know if I should say it or not...Okay, I will.  It's drama queen.  Bella you're a drama queen!"  I breathed a sigh of relief and started chuckling over my incorrect presumption and both kids said, "Mommy, what are you laughing about?"  Needless to say, I didn't clue them in.

3. Tonight while I was putting Elias to bed, he said, "Mommy, am I irresistible?".  I said, "Well, I think you are.  Why?"  He said, "A lady in front of us in line at Walmart said I was and I don't even have dimples when I smile!"

4. Bella kept looking at me when I was dressed up for church this past Sunday and after a few times of it, I asked her if there was a reason she kept looking at me and she said, "You are just so beautiful when you are dressed up.  Can you dress me up like you one day, so we can match?"  I know that the day may come when she will be embarrassed by my entire wardrobe and she will want nothing to do with dressing like me, so I hope I will remember when she looked at me like I was what she would like to become.  I only hope that I can live up to the responsibility I have as her example.

5. Last night, the kids were down in the basement putting away their bikes when I heard Bella start to cry.  I heard Elias say, "Bella, I am so sorry.  It was an accident.  Are you okay? I really am sorry."  And it wasn't in a tone that sounded like, "Oh no, I am going to be in trouble, I better get her to stop crying."  It was real concern that I heard in his voice.  Then she said, "Elias, I know that you didn't mean to do it, but it still hurt really bad.  But it is okay." and then they started playing together in less than a minute.  They completely resolved the situation without any input from us and they sounded so mature doing it.  I was really proud of them both. 

We barely ever get the video camera out anymore.  But when we do, the kids start putting on a show and are never how they really are when it is off.  I have been tempted to turn it on and hide it, just so I can remember what it was like to be the mother of two elementary-aged children.

I know that these are some of my best days....

Josh's visit with Jeremias

Our sponsored children are definitely an extension of our family and meeting them face-to-face has made them even more so.

This is the long-awaited account of Josh's visit with Jeremias that I had promised to share with you.  Since I heard the long version and I have seen all the pictures, this account seems very abbreviated to me, but no less a true experience of God's love being shared between two people.




Click here for Josh's visit blog post.

Shaun Groves on Third World Symphony and Keeping Jesus the Main Thing

Interesting post I thought I would share...

Shaun Groves on Third World Symphony and Keeping Jesus the Main Thing