Passions of the Soul

Happy Thanksgiving!

May all of you experience God's very best in your lives, in your hearts, in all that you do.

God gave me the very best of husbands when He gave me Bruce, and I am profoundly and deeply grateful for this gift that keeps on giving. Bruce is my husband, my best friend, my strong support, my partner, and so often my perspective-adjuster. I love being with him, living with him, working with him (when there is work coming in), enjoying life with him, and above all, worshipping our Lord with him.

I am grateful for the opportunities we've had to spend some time with my mom, this year.  Yes, for previous years, too, but this may be the last year that she is able to enjoy our times together.

I am thankful for the love of my sister Judy, my niece Heather, other family whom I've not seen in far too long, and my friends, all who share life with me on one level or another.

I am so thankful that God led me to a Compassion table, almost 7 years ago, where I found two little girls to sponsor. Being registered in a Compassion project and then having a sponsor has changed life in such profound ways for Tausi and Denisse, and for Maria and Uwizera who joined our "family" later.

What I did not know, when I began sponsoring, was that in sharing life with my girls, even by long distance, my life and my world view would change so profoundly. I had no idea how God would bless me, as He allowed (and allows) me to bless each of them.

As you give thanks today, or whenever you read this, please consider what you can do to share your blessings with someone in need. Opportunities abound to help someone in greater need than what most of us are experiencing, and it may not take much to bless someone, near or far. 

If you want to be part of something that lasts longer than the latest gadgets, the latest styles, consider joining Compassion. You might sponsor a child; just click on the link to choose a child for yourself, or on the widget to the left to sponsor the child pictured there. (See video linked to, below.) But please don't do either, if you want only a financial commitment. True child sponsorship through Compassion is about building a relationship with a child who desperately needs your love, your prayers and your encouragement. (If you really want to sponsor a child but, because of serious time constraints or other reasons, know that you will not be able to handle the correspondence, you can ask Compassion to find a correspondent sponsor for your child.)

If you cannot--or are not moved to--make that monthly commitment of $38, you might consider sponsoring a Child Survival Project for $20/month. There is no letter-writing involved, no relationship-building, but you will receive updates from or about the project you sponsor. And you will truly help to save the lives of children under the age of 5 years, who might otherwise not survive. That is fact, my friends, not hyperbole.

And then there are the Complementary Interventions, including (but not limited to) the Bite Back! campaign against malaria, the HIV/AIDS Initiative, Disaster Relief, and support for the Unsponsored Children's Fund, which enables Compassion to care for children who are registered but not yet sponsored. If you want to see still more options, go here.

*BONUS: Watch and listen to four of the graduates of both the child-sponsorship program and the Leadership Development Program as they talk about how their lives were changed. The video is just over 5 minutes, and it will take a couple of minutes for it to load. If the video screen is too large for your monitor, click on View (top left) and choose Fit to Screen, Half size, or another option, until you can see it all.

"If you think one person cannot make a difference, you've never spent a night in a closed room with a mosquito"--African proverb.

The latest thing for your laptop...

or a host of other items.  The product is apparently not intended as a joke, but you've got to read some of the "reviews"!  And while you're on the product page, run your cursor over the additional images under the main image of the product.  Available on Amazon. If you work out of your car or take a lot of roadtrips, this thing could come in handy.  But, please, keep it stashed behind your seat, or somewhere--anywhere--other than on the steering wheel, when you're driving!

Maria

Maria will be 13 years old in about 3 months.  On my last visit to the Dominican Republic, she did not look much older than she had almost two years earlier.  I can't help wondering how she looks now--still like a young girl, or is she beginning to take on the look--in her face, even--of a pre-teen or young teenager?

I began sponsoring Maria in 2005 (photo at left was the one I received), two weeks after my first sponsor tour to her country.  Our group had been to her project, although I did not meet her, there; I'm not even sure she was there.  When I came home, I called Compassion and told them I wanted to sponsor a girl, aged 6 to 10 years old, from her project.  Two weeks later, I received her packet and fell in love.

On my next visit, in January 2007, I saw Denisse, again, and met Maria for the first time.  Denisse is very gregarious, where Maria is quiet and shy.  Denisse blatantly, even physically, inserted herself between Maria and me, several times, before I sat them down for a talk.  Up to that point, Maria was overwhelmed and decidedly not having a good time.  After we had talked--actually, I did the talking--we moved to the play area, where they gradually began to interact with each other.  When Maria, who is accustomed to swimming, nudged a timid Denisse down the slide into the pool, I knew Maria would be okay.

On my third and latest visit (10/08), the two girls acted like sisters, which was really fun to watch, and Maria had come more out of herself.  Their only connection is through me; they live too far apart to see each other, unless I go to visit.  She said she wished she could see me at least once a year, even suggesting that I should just stay there.  I did not tell her I wasn't sure I would ever be able to go back; the idea hurt too much.

Yesterday, I received a letter from Maria.  "I want to see you very soon."  And several lines later, "When will you come back to my country?"  My heart dropped.  I have mailed a reply, commenting on other things she told or asked me, and then letting her know that I have no idea when, or even if, I will be able to return.  I left the question in God's lap:  "If God wills it, I will be there!"  That's not a cop-out; it's the truth.

I could blame this on Compassion.  After all, they do everything they can to encourage the building of relationships between sponsors and their sponsored children.  They make communication possible; they funnel gifts (money) through for the children's birthdays and Christmas, and even gifts for the children's families.  They provide tours so that those sponsors who desire and are financially able can go to visit their kids.  The tours are well planned and executed, and as long as we follow some guidelines designed to protect us and our kids, we have nothing to worry about.  Besides the day spent with our sponsored kids, we also meet, eat with and hear from graduates of the sponsorship and Leadership Development Programs; meet the country-office staff; and visit several child projects (aka student centers).  If we are really involved sponsors (even those who are not able to go visit, and that covers most sponsors), our hearts are hooked, so that we ache with wanting to meet them or see them again.

I have two other girls (plus one in the LDP) whom I've never met, and sadly, I don't expect to meet them, in this life.  All but one of my girls have given their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ, so we will all meet, one day.  Meanwhile...I pray for them, they pray for me, and we continue to write to each other.  Each of our lives is forever changed by the relationship made possible through Compassion and through through the grace of Jesus Christ.  I wouldn't trade these relationships for anything.

If this all sounds good to you and you would like to help release a child from poverty in Jesus' name while building a relationship with him or her, just leave a comment or send me an e-mail.  Other ways to accomplish the same:
    - Click on the widget in the left sidebar to sponsor the child shown there; or
    - Click on the "sponsor" link in the second paragraph and choose a child.

Just know that your life will never be the same...in so many good ways!

Surprises of the really good kind

There are quite a few of these videos on YouTube; this is a brief compilation of a few of them. They wipe me out, but I love them.  God bless our men and women in uniform. Whether they ever see combat, or not, they make sacrifices in order to serve us all. Some sacrifice everything they have. Dear God, please don't let their sacrifices be for nothing!

                                                            *  *  *

I haven't blogged much, of late.  My mom had a minor stroke, over a week ago; minor, but it took a significant toll on her, anyway.  She was in the hospital for two days, and then returned to her apartment.  I went over to do what I could to help both her and my sister, who--along with my niece--had done yeoman's duty, and then some.  I was actually there for only three days, with two long driving days.  We accomplished everything that we wanted to get done, except for getting her switched to a doctor specializing in geriatric medicine.

Cain't be done, they said.  Naturally.  A specialist can't possibly be a primary physician, now, can he (or she)?  So just exactly how does an elderly person take advantage of the knowledge and training of someone who has studied and done a residency in geriatric medicine?

CLARIFICATION:  I am told that I wasn't clear about why we didn't get mom switched to a doctor whose specialty is geriatric medicine.  It wasn't that we couldn't find one; the insurance person my sister spoke with said that, because geriatrics is a specialty, such a doctor can't be the primary-care physician.

Okay.  I know that is the way our stupid, mismanaged-care system operates, and certainly, few people would need a surgeon or an orthopedist or a dermatologist for primary care.  But we're talking about elderly people, whose needs are not always well understood by other doctors, maybe because their needs are not only physical.  Our aged may be angry and/or depressed simply because they are old, their bodies are broken down, their memories are failing them, and they lose more and more control over their lives and their very selves.  They may take out their anger on a doctor who isn't able to fix their aches, pains, and memory lapses, and it must take a whole lot of compassion for a doctor to be able to respond in a caring manner.  I'm making a broad assumption that someone who specializes in geriatric medicine really has a heart for older people.  I could be wrong.

Anyway, the reason we couldn't hook Mom up with such a doctor is that her insurance won't allow it. We think it's an utterly stupid policy, because it bars access to the kind of care aged folks need.  I have to wonder who gets seen by a geriatric physician, and how that person gets there.

CLARIFICATION #2: Originally, I used two different terms in reference to the branch of medicine focused on elderly patients and their needs. The two terms are gerontology and geriatric, but they do not mean the same thing. The correct term is geriatric, and I have made the corrections, above.

Chisel or control?

This is a terrific vid' of a skit that reveals a bit more than I'm comfortable revealing about my life as a person of faith. I really, truly, deeply want to be transformed into the likeness of Christ...but in my way, on my time and my terms. Every time the "God" character hits the chisel in this skit, some part of my body jumps or twitches. Probably represents at a pretty mild level the way I react when He is really trying to "chisel" some part of my heart or mind, some behavior or attitude that is not like Him.  Look at it here.

I want to grow older...better

The current sermon series at our church is based in the Old Testament book of Proverbs, also known as some of the "Wisdom Literature." It's just amazing how much of the book focuses on the tongue--how we use it, how we use our words--with many admonitions to be careful.  Consider, for example, 4:24 - Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips."  Among the seven things that are "detestable to [God]" are "haughty eyes [and] a lying tongue" (6:17).

In Chapter 10, we learn that "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise" (v19).  (I talk too much!)  "The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment" (v20, 21). 

The scriptural admonitions about the need to tame the tongue, choose our words wisely, and so on, are not limited to the Proverbs.  In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul admonishes believers to "put off falsehood and speak truthfully"; to let no "unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs"; to be kind to one another; not to sin in our anger; to "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice; to "be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other..." (all found in Ephesians 4:25-32).  In 5:4, he tells us, "Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving." 

James, an apostle and the brother of Jesus and leader of the early Christian Church, spoke of the need to tame the tongue, which he likens to a very small rudder of a ship, and to the spark of fire that can destroy an entire forest (3:3-6).  "The tongue . . . corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell" (v6).

Contrary to what we learned as children, how we speak to or about other people is so important.  Remember what we were told, as kids, when another child had said something unkind to us?  "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  What a lie!  In fact, Prov. 18:21 tells us "The tongue has the power of life and death."  I'm not proud to admit this, but I had friends, in the past, who were actually in awe of my ability to cut someone down to size, verbally, in anger.  But is that what I want on a grave marker?  No.  No.

Someone told me long ago that, as we humans age, we become increasingly the way we are when we are young; sweet people grow sweeter, angry people grow angrier and more crotchety, etc.  I don't like the theory, because it leaves little or no room for people to learn and grow.  Worse, it fails to take

"Christianity" at its worst

Unfortunately, this kind of representation always manages to make the news and travels all over the place, through TV, the Internet, e-mails...no doubt Twitter....  It's worse than bad news:  Through extreme ignorance, self-righteousness, and a willful ignoring of scripture, itself, such attitudes misrepresent the Christ we love and serve.

Meltdown

Ever wonder whether sponsoring a child really makes their lives much different from the way they would have been? If you were to hear any graduate of the program speak, you would no longer question. If you were to hear any graduate of the Leadership Development Program (LDP) speak, you would wonder no more. They often talk about what their lives were like before they were registered in a Compassion project, and they may mention the importance to them of the education they were able to receive, as well as the spiritual training, the reality of Jesus Christ in their lives, as a result of being in Compassion. But unless they have had a sponsor who never wrote to them, you will hear a lot about how important the sponsor was in their lives; just to know that someone far away loved them, believed in them, prayed for them and encouraged them carried them through all the challenges of their lives. They are usually articulate (not always fluent in English) and poised young adults.

But if you want to see one of them dissolve into tears, watch them as adults, when meet their sponsor, for the first time. Watch this classic example of such a meeting. (If you know how, move the slide (bottom of video) to about 3:45 (minutes); otherwise you'll hear various people talking about Compassion's effectiveness. The whole video is about 18 minutes, but this part takes only a few minutes.) Jimmy Wambau's story begins at the point I gave you, and then his sponsor is introduced.

When you have dried your eyes and pulled yourself together, ask yourself whether $38 a month really might be possible for you. Ask yourself--better yet, ask God--whether you can be a real hero to a child. If the answer is yes, either click on the widget in the left sidebar, or go here to choose your own special child.

Revised 10/16/09

The Word of God is living and active

Check out this news item out of Memphis.  I don't know whether I would respond out of fear, or faith and love, as this elderly woman did.  I hope the latter.

How Strong Is Your Life?

Title:  Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently

Author:  Marcus Buckingham

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

Date:  2009

263 pages

 

Reading this book for review put me on a rollercoaster ride from start to finish.  It started somewhat strong, although not consistently so.  Then I encountered a paragraph in the third chapter that so rankled me that I wanted, quite literally, to throw the book at Marcus Buckingham.

 

In Chapter 3, "Of Choice and Men," Buckingham addresses some of the reasons that women grow increasingly unhappy as we age.  One of those reasons, it seems, can be boiled down to "Just Men." I sensed that the author has been so socialized by the feminist movement and "psychobabblers" and has accepted the idea that men are somehow inferior to and a burden on women.

 

Then there is "Housework," also in Chapter 3, which includes the "men" factor, again.  The author acknowledges the statistical trend showing that men take a more active part in both housework and child care than in the past, and here is his great tip for speeding up the trend:

But the other thing you can do is keep working. The research is quite clear on this point: the longer a woman has worked outside the house--meaning the number of years you've worked, not the number of hours a week you work--the more housework and cooking and child care the man does. Take your career seriously, and over time, it seems, so will he. (p. 37)

Granted, Buckingham is a statistician, but in my opinion, his perspective is based too narrowly on statistics, alone, and not on what is best for the family, the children, the marital relationship, or the dynamics in the home. He seems focused only on a way to get men to do more work around the old homestead, which seems manipulative, to me. I hope I'm wrong.

 

I take issue with some of his other opinions, but this is a book review, not a philosophical debate. So back to the book.

 

Reading this book was a struggle for me, until Part 3 - Strong Life Tactics - where all that preceded it began to come together better and make more sense for me. In Chapter 10, "Tactics for a Stronger Career," I found a page focused on finding our passion. As I read the page, I mentally traveled back to the late '90s.

Our visit to Maine

We returned night before last from a too-brief visit with our youngest grandkids, Cassia and Ethan.  Parents Jeff and Cathy are wonderful parents to these two incredibly bright kids.  NOTE:  Keep in mind that I am not grandma by blood, so I can brag on them with no shame!

I'm scrambling, these three days--yesterday, today and tomorrow--to (1) get caught up and (2) get ready to leave again, on Friday morning, so I'll just refer you to Bruce's blog, for now, to read about it and see a few of the pic's.  I may be able to do the visit better justice, later.  We did have a great time.

Oh--given that I had just had a birthday a few days before we went, and that Bruce's and Ethan's birthdays are coming up next week, Cathy had prepared for us to celebrate all three of them, during our visit.  What great fun that was!  Cathy had also asked each of us what we would like--as if there's anything we need--and I had requested a donation to Compassion International's BiteBack! campaign to help wipe out malaria.  Cathy came through, so somewhere in Africa, a child who is now terribly at risk for this disease will be protected by a treated bed net.  Thank you, Cathy and Jeff!!

Another way to help is to sponsor a child through Compassion.  The cost is $38 per month; the benefits last forever, for both the child (and family) and the sponsor (and family).  See the widget on the left?  You can click there to sponsor the child whose photo appears, or you can go here to choose the child of your heart.

Learned a new word

From September through May, excluding December, I attend a monthly luncheon of the Tucson Association of Evangelicals.  Some of those who attend are pastors or other church leaders; others of us are there because we are leaders, at one level or another, in some other Christian ministry.  My ticket to attend, of course, is my role as an area team leader of volunteer child advocates for Compassion International.

At the September luncheon, David Drum, President of TAE, spoke for about 15 minutes about the direction and revamped format for this year.  He shared several qualities that he and the board see in our group.  Among them, he mentioned that we are broad-based; we represent a variety of Protestant denominations and nondenominational groups, as well as a variety of other ministries.  Mixing with people whom we come to know as Christ-followers, without regard for denominational ties, helps to build unity within the Body of Christ.

In this context Dave shared a new word that applies to so many churches:  homosectuality.  Dave talked about how our broad-based association can help to dispel this unhappy mindset within our community.

So what is homosectuality, exactly?  Let me talk about what I have experienced in my varied church experiences, and what I have seen or heard expressed in some of the churches I've encountered in my advocacy-related efforts.

Starting at the outer edges, there is what I have long called an us-and-them mindset, which I first experienced or recognized as "us Christians vs. them non-Christians [or 'unbelievers']."  That is admittedly a judgmental stance, because Christians come in all shapes, sizes, colors and other identifying features.  In the normal scheme of things, we can't look at someone on the street and know, one way or the other, the person's state of grace.  So other factors come into play, depending on one's own understanding; usually these factors have to do with outward appearances or behaviors.

But peel off that first layer, and the range of us and them gets a little smaller.  Within Christendom, we generally have Roman Catholics and Protestants; Anglicans and their American cousins (Episcopalians) do not, as a rule, appreciate being lumped in with either group, in my limited experience.

Now disregard Roman Catholics (for my purposes, here, and not because I think they don't count as Christians), and you find homosectuality running rampant through Protestantism and nondenominational groups.  One of my former pastors (from long, long ago) used to say, on occasion, "You know, not everyone in heaven will be ------- [the denomination of my childhood and youth]!  There will be some Methodists in heaven, and Lutherans and probably some Presbyterians, too!"  He always said it as if he were saying something really profound and wise, although I can't help thinking that God, on hearing, said, "Well, duh!"

But it gets worse.  Within denominations, you find subgroups who interpret scripture just a little differently, or hold some standards of conduct as either more holy or more evil.  If you're part of

The race is on!!

One of my Facebook and Compassion friends and I share the same birthday.  And each of us has set up a "birthday wish" on Facebook--not for gifts, real or virtual, but to raise money for Compassion's Bite Back! campaign. So since we share the same birthdate and want the same thing, this year, we've agreed to a challenge: Which of us can raise the most money and take the biggest bite out of malaria?

To donate, go here.  No amount is too small...or too large! The great thing is that, no matter whether I raise more or Steve does, everybody wins!! But (ahem!) Steve has a head start of several days, so....

And here's something else you may or may not know: Among the families with whom Compassion's field partners work, many have only one bed, and the whole family may sleep on it. If such a family has a bed net, everyone is protected!

UPDATE: I slowly figure things out, some of the time. Instead of the detailed instructions for contributing either through here or on FB, I have simplified it by providing the link, above. I don't think you have to have signed up on Facebook, but if you run into a problem, do let me know.

UPDATE 9/20/09: Today is the day!!  Steve met his goal of $200 maybe two weeks ago; my total (as of last night) had climbed to $65.  This is the last day to grant my Birthday Wish by clicking on the word "here" in the second paragraph.  (If you read this too late for this deadline, you can still contribute by going to www.biteback.net.)  Coming up to an even $100 would provide a treated bed net for 10 children, plus medication for the infected, education in preventive measures (including use of the net and much more), and development of additional preventive measures for communities.  It's a good thing to do.

Rolling dogs, blind horses (and don't forget the cats)

I have a couple of things I hope to write about before we take off for several days, next week, and I'll try to do that.  Meanwhile, if you're an animal person and would like to read about a great shelter for blind horses and other disabled animals (mostly cats and dogs), check out this place in Montana.  It is not the only shelter that we have contributed to, but it's a favorite.

We've followed Steve and Alayne, the owners and nearly-only employees, mostly through their blog, for several years.  As we've been able, we have contributed what we could, especially in times of special medical care for one of the animals.  We've read and shared their grief, when an animal has died.

Mostly, we just love animals and hate to see them suffering through neglect, abandonment, injury or disease--and don't get me started on abuse!  But I also believe God cares as much for all of His creation as He does for us.  I do not, as one well-known conservative ranted against on the radio, some time back, harbor the idea that animals have souls.  But God did tell Adam to care for the animals, and I believe He holds us responsible for how we treat them.  And having given them to us to care for and love (tho' not everyone loves them), would He leave them out of the "new heaven" and the "new earth"?  I hope not!  I'm reminded of Will Rogers' statement that, if animals/dogs (?) don't go to heaven, he wanted to go where they go!  I'm really hoping that several will come running up on my arrival, with tails wagging and tongues hanging out, to say, "Hi, Mom!  I've been waiting to see you again!"

So call me sappy.  I've been called worse.  Animals need our care, and they need people like Steve and Alayne who cared enough to save their money until they could start the ranch to care for disabled animals.  They all deserve our help, as we're able.

"It's all about Jesus"

This is one of my favorite Compassion stories told by President and CEO Wess Stafford. I will never tire of hearing it. Wouldn't you like to have a part in this incredible ministry that lifts up Jesus Christ, instead of shoving him behind the furniture? Here are just a few of the ways that you can participate:

- Sponsor a child for $38 per month ($1.25 per day). Click on the widget to the left or here;
- Donate to any of Compassion's funds, such as:
- Disaster Relief Fund;
- Unsponsored Children's Fund (from which Compassion supports children who are registered but not yet sponsored);
- Malaria Intervention, through the BiteBack! campaign;
- Child Survival Program (or commit to just $20 per month in support of a specific Child Survival Project), which is not only saving the lives of infants and young children, but seeing them through their first few years, until they can be registered in the sponsorship program;;
- AIDS Initiative;
- Help Highly Vulnerable Children;
- Any of the other funds listed.

Relationships with the children are built primarily through our correspondence with them. That is where the real substance of a sponsorship plays out: exchanging letters, expressing our love and encouragement, assuring them that they are so important to God and to us, praying for them and their families and letting them know that we do...building a relationship that can change both lives. But not all sponsors are able to write to their children; those who understand the vital importance of that function often ask Compassion to find a correspondent sponsor. Often, this is a person who wants to sponsor a child but whose finances will not allow that; others are already sponsoring one or more children, but have the desire and the time to write to more. All it takes is to call 1-800-336-7676 and ask to be put on the list of correspondent sponsors. You will receive a child's packet, but not necessarily right away.

So many ways to help; what can you do?

We're at 26!!

Some of us heard, on a conference call last night, that Compassion had opened in our 26th country: Sri Lanka!  I've heard nothing official about it, yet, but we were told that they are opening with the Child Survival Program (CSP), first; the Child Development through Sponsorship Program (CDSP) will grow out of the CSP, as children become old enough to need the next phase.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time Compassion has opened, this way.  In a way, it makes sense, but I can't help feeling bad for children who are already old enough to be registered and available for sponsorship, but may miss out, entirely, because of the timing.  But, then, for all I know, Sri Lanka presents a unique situation that makes this order of openings necessary and desirable.  What I do know is that Compassion is led by very wise, insightful and compassionate people, and they will do what seems most needful.

$10 to save lives? Why not?

More than a year and a half ago, Compassion International was ramping up its Malaria Intervention program and fundraising.  Then the global economy took a nosedive, and fundraising for Malaria Intervention took a back seat to the Global Food Crisis.

Malaria Intervention is back, in the form of the Bite Back! campaign.  Watch this video,* read the brief text, surf the site, if you wish.  And then decide:  Can you spare $10? $20? $50?  More?  Or can you give no more than $5?  Please give what you can; no amount--repeat, no amount--is too small.

If you sponsor a child in an area that is heavily affected by malaria, you can ask your child if she or he has a treated bed net; if not, you can call 800-336-7676 to arrange for a small gift to provide a net.  I think the Bite Back! campaign is focused in Africa, right now, but you can call the 800# to ask if nets are available through Compassion for your child's region.

Another great way to help is to sponsor a child.  It costs $38 per month; that's only $1.25 a day, far less than a cup of St*rbucks coffee.  Click on the widget in the left sidebar, or go here to choose that special child to love, encourage, pray for and write to.

So little is needed from us to make such a huge difference in the lives of those in deep poverty.  And if you still think one person can't make a difference, you haven't been in a closed room with a mosquito!

*UPDATE: From now through September 20, 2009, please use this link to donate.  Thank you!

What does it mean to be "called"?

Part of what makes this journey of following Christ such an adventure is that, no matter how many missteps I may take, no matter how long it takes me to grasp something, He eventually gets through to me.  The Aha! moment may come in a sermon, a simple conversation, reading a passage of scripture, hearing something on the radio . . . any number of ways.  Of course, it often takes hearing or encountering a message in a variety of ways, but the fact that God keeps bringing a lesson to my attention indicates the depth of His love for me.  He just doesn't give up!

One lesson I had heard numerous times has to do with advocating for the children served by Compassion International.  And, in typical fashion, I finally internalized the lesson after a couple of brief conversations.  I wrote this post a few weeks ago, for Compassion's blog.  It appeared last Wednesday afternoon, and I forgot to come on here with a link.  (To read the backstory, go here, first.)

By the way, if you are looking for a way to make a real and positive difference, in this world, sponsoring a child in poverty is a great way to do that.  I'm not talking about merely sending a check, each month; real sponsorship means writing to, loving, praying for, and encouraging your sponsored child.  He or she will write to you, as well.  Relationships take time to develop, even with people we see frequently, but if you make that commitment to nurture the child and your relationship with her or him, both your child's life and your own will be enriched beyond all imagining.

To get started, click on either the widget in the left sidebar or the link in the previous paragraph so that you can choose a child; you may narrow the selection by age, gender, region, or request a child who has been waiting a long time.  You can't imagine the way your heart will grow, when you begin to love one of these kids.  You also cannot imagine how much your child will love you, how vitally important you will be to your child and his or her family.

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:17, 18)

Cycles in Marriage

Love & Respect:  The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs
Author:  Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
Published:  Thomas Nelson, 2004
324 pages, including Appendices and Notes

The Apostle Paul wrote that "those who marry will face many troubles in this life" (I Corinthians 7:28). No kidding! Dreams of "happily ever after" die, usually within the first few months to a year.  Sometimes they die hard, awash in anger, resentment, disappointment and frustration.

In Love & Respect, Dr. Eggerichs builds on Paul's admonitions in Ephesians 5:22-25, a familiar passage that has aroused resentment in many wives and led some husbands to be heavy-handed with their wives. Both reactions are based in misunderstanding. Where translations variously say that wives must "submit" to their husbands, or "be subject to" them, Paul used a word that better translates as respect.  It does not mean that wives are to be slaves, doormats or wimps.

The understanding that Eggerichs and others have come to is that wives and husbands are commanded to give what each needs the most:  We wives need to know we are loved and cherished, so much that our guys would die for us "as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her" (Eph. 5:25). That apparently does not come naturally to husbands.

Meanwhile, husbands want to be our heroes, the man we look up to, the man we respect. And that does not come easily to wives, especially when all around us, in magazine articles, on TV talk shows and sitcoms and in movies, men are treated with disdain and even contempt.

And so we fall into what Eggerichs calls the "Crazy Cycle": Wherever and however it starts (or whoever starts it), he does not treat her in a loving way, so she reacts with disrespect, which evokes an unloving response, etc., ad nauseum. But there is hope.

Aw, rats!

Okay, it was only one rat; a packrat, to be precise.  For a much briefer version of our tale, go here.

We thought we would take a nap, this afternoon, and we did...eventually.  But when I approached the bed and pulled back the covers on my side, I found a cough drop on the sheet, with its wrapper three or four inches away.  I mulled that over as I started to straighten my pillow and there he was, staring straight at me from the corner of the bed.

That didn't last long, of course.  He turned tail and scampered...somewhere. 

We looked all around and, after several minutes, Bruce saw something scooting past him, moving toward the dresser against the opposite wall from the bed.  Great.  He stayed back there for a while, and when he came out--or how we missed him--we don't know.  He was on the lam.

Wonderful.  We restored some semblance of order to the room and went to bed.  After supper, Bruce went to the hardware store, bought a Have a Heart Trap, got it ready and set it in the bedroom, near the dresser.

A couple of hours later, I went into the bedroom and decided, on a lark, to pull the covers back on my side of the bed.  Sigh.  A small bottle of Hy*oTears and a Carm*x jar had been placed between the sheets, in front of my pillow...about where my shoulders would be.  I won't mention the little bit of . . . no, I can't.

Fast forward to bedtime.  All this time, not a sound nor a sighting of Mr. Rat.  We were nearly ready for bed, with our pets settled down for the night (we thought).  I was getting nervous about going to bed; I felt too pie-eyed to sleep.

I saw him again when I was brushing my teeth.  Bruce!  My eyes did not move from the spot, although he had ducked out of sight.  Bruce moved the trap over to that corner, and we resumed getting ready for bed.  Five minutes later, out of excuses, I headed for bed, again--but wait!  The door of the trap was down and . . . could it be?  Yes!  He was inside, and none too happy about it.  Tough!

We trekked to the farthest corner of the big yard and opened the trap door.  He refused to budge, holding on for dear life to the bars on the cage bottom.  Bruce picked up the cage, turned it so that the open door was on the bottom, shook it a bit.  Out, damned rat!  Finally.