Hope....

I sat at my computer, surrounded by comfort and sipping on diet coke, their faces passing by on the screen, one by one, each filled with so much potential. How would I choose? They were all so deserving. What gender? What age? What country? Should it be the one with the shirt that was missing buttons? The one wearing a dirty dress and mismatched socks? The one who wasn't sure how to smile? I could not decide...it was impossible. That is when I made the decision to let them choose for me. I entered my name, address and credit card information....something I had done many times before without any thought as to where else my money could be going. This time was so different, a child was depending on me. I got my confirmation and began to wait.

Yesterday I opened the mailbox with great anticipation. It had been seven days and I was becoming impatient. A baby blue envelope bearing the Compassion International logo had finally arrived. I told myself to calm down. I wanted to rip it open immediately and look at the face of the child that had been assigned to me. I sat down and very carefully opened the package that I had been so anxiously awaiting. There she was. My child. She was wearing a brown and white dress with old sandals, her hair very neatly pulled into pigtails with a flower on one side. She was not smiling, but she was absolutely beautiful, and it took my breath away. Tears welled up in my eyes and the lump in my throat was hardly containable. I fell instantly in love with a five year old girl in India.

There are thousands of miles between us. I know nothing of the hardships that she faces in her everyday life. I would probably crumble if I had to live in her world. Yet, we will now have a bond. We will write letters and exchange pictures and I will be able to watch her grow up knowing that her needs have been met. The chance is great that I will never meet this girl face to face, but that's ok. Even though we are separated by oceans, mountains, and continents, I know that she is being taught the love of Jesus and maybe one day we will meet in our Heavenly Father's presence and that will be more precious than meeting on earth.

Time to Clean Out My Ears....

Have you ever felt that God is speaking to you and moving in your heart, but you couldn't really understand what He was saying? I have been really feeling this lately. It seems that so many things are going on in my life that I haven't been able or willing to listen to His direction. What is it that He is asking of me? Are my priorities straight? Do I even really want to know what He is saying? These are all things that have been heavy on my heart the last couple of weeks. I have been trying to make decisions without asking Him for direction...something that rarely works. I am feeling burnt out with housekeeping, childrearing and homeschooling, yet I continue to go on about my daily routine with out involving the One who can restore me.
Why is it that we are so afraid sometimes to let go and let God? Do we think He will not do what is best for us? I know exactly what I have been thinking...If I let go and let God, He may do something that is not fitting with my agenda. Funny how that works huh?
Today is a new day and a chance to begin listening. I think it's time I cleaned out my ears!

Finders Keepers....

What is a six year old to do when he finds his mommy's secret stash of leftover Easter chocolate? Make it his own of course. How would he go about this, you might ask? Well, he would take his mommy's secret stash and hide the pieces of chocolate in the bottom of a cereal box. This plan is genius! All he has to do is sneak into the pantry, reach down in the box with his probably very dirty hand and pull out the egg. He then opens it quickly and shoves it in his mouth while no one is looking. BRILLIANT! There is a catch however. The little rascal didn't count on his daddy needing a snack last night. And his snack of choice was...you guessed it....cereal. So when daddy went to pour himself a bowl of starchy goodness, out came chocolate eggs along with his Rice Krispies. For me this would have been a fabulous treat! I probably would have unwrapped the eggs and added them to my cereal to give myself a little extra nutrition! But daddy couldn't really do anything but laugh.....

My Love Affair with a Sponge....

I love it. There, I said it. I'm speaking of that little white piece of cleaning in a box. I'll admit I was skeptical at first. Could a "magic" sponge really be that fabulous? The answer is YES! It has removed marks from my walls, grease from my microwave and gunk from my washer and dryer. What is the secret behind this powerful magic eraser? I believe that the cleaning compounds they use to create it are the same ones found in mother's spit! That is the only logical explanation. What else could remove all those marks and all that gunk? It is a miracle product sent straight from heaven that has won my heart.....and that's all I can say! please don't tell Brian......