Compassion…Change a Life

A few of you know that for several years, I’ve wanted to write.

That’s kind of been a bumpy road.

Finding a good fit for me has been hard. I wrote a few articles for a local online newspaper, but it wasn’t really my thing. (And I have a hard time sticking to a theme…hellOOOO! Just read the random of this place.) πŸ˜‰

Several months ago, I decided that stressing over what might be next for me as far as writing (if there even IS anything) wasn’t worth it.

This blog is my space…my place. And in some very real ways, a piece of home. And so it’s where I’m staying. Just to do my own little thing.

However, one of my long-term dreams has been, for several years, to blog a trip for Compassion. For those of you unfamiliar with what that might entail, Compassion takes bloggers with them on their trips to visit sponsored children. Those bloggers are able to provide new perspectives because they are seeing and experiencing with new eyes and hearts.

I don’t make it much of a secret that I’d love to do that.

But that really can’t happen at the moment. For one thing, I have a two year-old girlie. My place is with her for now. And the bigger reason is they tend to choose bloggers who have higher amounts of traffic and comments. (That’s not a subtle hint. Or a not-so-subtle one, either. Just the facts. ;))

Last week I was browsing the Compassion site and came across something…

Want to blog for us?

Um, YEAH! (Pretty sure that was audible, though Maelie was the only one to hear it. :))

It turns out that Compassion is asking bloggers to write for them during the month of September to raise awareness and ask readers to consider sponsoring a child.

I can do that. In fact, I would LOVE to. :)

I can’t sit here and tell you that I understand the extreme poverty, hunger, and sheer need that these children face. Yes, I have lived near people very much in these circumstances.

But I have also never, ever been without. I have never been asked to enter in to the suffering experienced by so many children around the world. God has blessed me abundantly and given so much MORE than I could ever ask or imagine.

I honestly don’t know whose eyes see this. If my blog is anything like the many I read but don’t necessarily comment on, I could have a lot of readers.

Will you do me a favor?

First, leave a comment. I want to know you’ve been here. You can just say hi or tell me your favorite joke or compliment me on my awesome word usage. (Well, sometimes. ;))

Second, would you pray? For children around the world who are in life or death situations. Such a small amount of money each month would turn those situations around and give them HOPE.

Third, would you consider sponsoring a child? I can’t guilt you here. I can’t force it. Nor do I want to. But I can give you the opportunity to think about it. Pray and see what God might have you do.

I had this crazy, but super-cool, idea that it would be awesome if, through BarefootMel, I could get 100 children sponsored this month. (There are currently 3,108 waiting for sponsors. That’s a LOT!) All you have to do? Is click the button on my sidebar, pray through the children you see, choose one, and that’s that!

The lives of 100 kids changed forever. Or even MORE!

THAT’S something that can be done NOW. Love it.

I do want to point out that the blogger who gets the most children sponsored through his/her blog gets a spot on an upcoming Compassion trip as a blogger. That’s not why I chose to do this. It’s ultimately about seeing lives changed, and that’s what I want more than anything…just being up-front. :) But it would be pretty awesome to get to participate in a Compassion trip.

That’s all.

Oh! I almost forgot the best part…we have a new family member. :) His name is Putra, and he is a nine year-old boy from Indonesia. My husband and I decided we needed to finally put some walking with our talking. I have to tell you that I’m already in love, too. I can’t wait to share pictures with you!

Sig

Book Review: Coming Home

I shared a week or so ago that I figured since I’m a bookworm AND a blogger (but even more of a blogger than a bookworm) I might as well read free books and write about them.

Or something like that. :)

I’m eventually going to add a separate Book Reviews page to this blog so the posts won’t just show up on my front page. But since I haven’t gotten to that yet, you can all just read my first one.

Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend and Labor Day. :)

***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

I’m a long-time Karen Kingsbury fan and was excited to get my hands on her latest novel.

Coming Home was pitched by the author as a book that could either stand alone or serve as an introduction/finale to the twenty-two books that have made up the Baxter family series. The first part of the book was spent reviewing major events in the lives of John and Elizabeth Baxter, though Elizabeth passed away earlier on in the series, and their six children and their families. The underlying theme is that, no matter the trial, God has always proven Himself faithful to them through some, sometimes, extremely difficult circumstances.

Coming Home was no exception for this family…there was the usual trial, this time magnified to a much greater degree than any of Kingsbury’s readers could have even imagined. The entire family has planned to reunite for a surprise party for John’s 70th birthday, and while traveling “home” to Indiana from Texas, Erin (the youngest daughter), her husband Sam, and three of their four girls are killed in a horrific car accident.

To say this was a smack in the face to all of us who have literally fallen in love with the Baxter family is an understatement. We have laughed with them, cried with them…and in this book, sobbed buckets with them. I understand the thread of God’s faithfulness, and it’s true. He is faithful in all things, which we do see in this story. But for a finale to a series that, literally, millions of people love…she could have been a lot kinder to her readers.

I did appreciate the fact that the topic of organ donation was emphasized. It provided some type of saving value to a story that just seemed too awful to even imagine. That part made the events of the story a little easier to swallow for those who don’t view the Baxters as “just” characters in a book. But still…I didn’t love the book. And I’m still reeling over the fictional fact that she basically killed off an entire family we’d come to love.

That said, many people have expressed that they are done reading books by Karen Kingsbury after this one. I’m not there. She’s a gifted writer, and she tells stories that really connect with people and where there hearts are. But if you haven’t read the Baxter series, this is in no way an introduction; and if you want to enjoy the books, don’t start with this one. (And really…don’t end with it, either.)

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sig

In This Brokenness

In accepting the brokenness I have found hope and beauty. I’m learning it’s by grace alone that we face each day.

These words hit me in a very powerful way several days ago. Written by an author for one of my favorite blogs, she shared a very candid account of how she’d had to learn to see the beauty in something that could potentially destroy a momma’s heart.

I thought about her words for awhile…and kept them in the back of my mind, wanting to process them more fully to see what God might be teaching me through what she shared.

I had no idea.

I had no idea that sometimes God breaks us to the point of having nothing to lean upon but His grace.

I had no idea He’d do that to me.

You see, I’m a person who has a hard time admitting weakness. And it had been a tough week. My daughter is two. Battles galore. My daughter is two. More time-outs than are worthy of counting. My daughter is two. What feels like constant correcting.

Trying to do all of those things in love.

But still…

My daughter is two.

And I am a human being. Not supermom.

I can try all I want, but I will never be perfect.

Wednesday afternoon came, and out of the blue, so did the very thing that broke me.

I didn’t see it coming.

I had no idea.

It literally about destroyed me.

I fell into my husband’s arms and sobbed. I held my daughter close and cried even more. The tears flowed as a friend interrupted her schedule to listen and hold my hand and pray and just be there.

I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t think of anything else. Couldn’t bring myself to face the world, the same one that usually gives this extreme people person the energy to thrive.

I told myself from the beginning that I had to keep going. But that didn’t mean it was easy.

I wanted to stay in bed. I couldn’t go to Bible study. Two visits from friends brought more tears than I wanted to cry.

I just wanted to see purpose behind heartbreak.

It’s been a few days, and I’m still in that emotional, searching-for-understanding, mode. There are still tears that threaten to spill as I sit in Starbucks and try to find words for a brokenness that is so real. So painful that it feels like the life is being sucked out of me.

And then I go back to the words she shared from a heart that knows what it’s like to bleed…

We’re all broken, and it’s by His grace alone that we face each day.

I don’t know how to get through this one.

I tell you that openly and honestly. Because my heart hurts, and I want more than anything to understand the purpose behind the pain.

But it is, truly, by His Grace alone that I have gotten out of bed on Thursday.

And Friday.

And today.

And I know I’ll get up tomorrow and trust Him to get me through the day…just like He has each day before.

I have the hope, in this brokenness, that He will bring beauty from something that shattered this momma’s heart.

***Thanks to each of you for reading. I realize I didn’t share many details here, and I know you’re probably curious. I want you to know two things. First, my family is fine. We’re loving on each other. And two, I hope that someday, when the pain is less and the beauty is more, that I can share more openly with you. In the meantime, thanks for just taking the time to read this space. You know I love you.

:)

Sig

Fill-in-the-Blank Friday

Kinda liking this link-up.

It’s not really my blogging habit to get into weekly fads…though I’ll link to them occasionally. I just like the freedom to write what I want on any given day.

But I’m incredibly tired of thinking this week πŸ˜‰ and so a Friday link-up, especially for THIS Friday…is perfect.

Wishing you all a great weekend. :)

Over this Labor Day weekend I will be going for an early Saturday morning run, scrubbing down the pool before packing it away for eight-ish months, singing with my favorite praise team, and going to a picnic/BBQ at our sweet friends’ house. Ok, so those are the things that are planned. I’m sure there will be a lot more going on…especially with a two year-old in the house. :)

With the political debates going on right now, my thoughts are that I have a rule to never talk politics on my blog. But those of you who know me don’t have to think too hard to know which way I lean. Just sayin’. πŸ˜‰

Today was our regular Friday. Plus lunch/coffee with some friends. After the insanely up and down, down, down week I had (which I’ll potentially process bits of tomorrow) it was nice to just be. Plus Mae sat still in a coffee shop for over an hour, just chillin’, drinking apple juice, playing ponies, and coloring. Dare I even HOPE that we might be past the please-let-me-run around stage? Maybe. :)

The best thing I’ve cooked recently is oh, goodness. Well, post-surgery, there hasn’t been a ton of that happening. But I did make a taco pizza last weekend that was pretty good. I didn’t know I could make taco pizza. Yay for me! :)

The last thing I bought was well, not counting a birthday gift for a friend today, I bought a skirt on clearance earlier in the week. I love Target 70% off clearance racks. Well, if we’re being honest, I love all things of the Target variety. But I’m willing to be patient if I can nab a skirt for $5 instead of $18. Which I did. Score. πŸ˜€

The best movie I saw this summer was HAHAHAHAHAHA! (That’s me laughing really, really loud…with a possible snort thrown in there, too.) Potentially because I only saw one movie this summer. No, I saw two. I take it back. As in, watched them both on DVD, not in actual theaters, either. The Vow was good, though I was a teeny bit disappointed with the ending. The friend I watched it with was much more fun than the movie. πŸ˜‰ I don’t know…I’m just not so much a movie girl these days. Not sure why.

The best book I read this summer was Oh, golly, now I have to admit the things that I read. πŸ˜‰ Drawing a huge blank here…and I read a lot. I re-read a Sophie Kinsella that was pretty good…her books always leave me laughing hysterically. (That wasn’t a new read, though.) I did finally start Water for Elephants, and I think it will be good. Also wanting to go back and read/finish the third book of The Hunger Games trilogy.

Sig

A Song For Your Thursday

So the message of this song is definitely worthy of a story or two. Maybe I’ll do that part tomorrow. :)

For tonight, just have a listen. I love it.

Sig

Small Moments

About a year ago I took a job at a little coffee shop about ten minutes from my house. It was a job I only worked at for four months, but during those months, I met some pretty great people.

One of those was a coworker…for some reason we worked together quite a bit, and he would spend a lot of time working on things there while he wasn’t actually on the clock. He’s a believer, passionate about missions, a phenomenal musician…which gave us plenty of good conversation topics. We also had Peru in common, and once we downed almost a whole bottle of Inca Kola between the two of us. (Helllooooo sugar. But GOOD sugar. ;))

You know how some people just shine for Jesus? He’s one of those. It was evident in everything he said, everything he did.

When I stopped working there, I saw him a few times after and once went to a concert he was performing at his church. After that, we kind of lost touch though I’d see a status update here or there on Facebook.

But somehow I missed his big news…until tonight.

He’s heading to Nashville to record. With a Grammy-winning producer.

I am truly so, so happy for him.

Sometimes I smile at the irony of small moments…how someone can be in your life for such a short period of time but leave an impact. He’s like that. And I really can’t wait to see what God is going to do through him.

It’ll be BIG.

Blessings to you, Judah…I’ll be first in line to buy your album. :)

Sig

Little Blessings (Pt. 47)

:) A run after being out for two weeks. It felt good. Really.

:) Taking the time to really clean the house (well, part of it ;)) and finding a pair of sandals for Maelie I’d forgotten we had. They’re on the big side now…hoping they’ll make it to next summer. We’ll see!

:) Free books. Since I write anyway, I figured I might as well read books (for free) and review them. First review coming soon!

:) Dark chocolate.

:) Watching my daughter learn to pray. Sometimes she prays for bizarre things…but I love watching her faith grow.

:) Sunshine and the fact that we still technically have over three weeks of “summer” left.

:) Jewelry making. Kind of on an earring kick these days…anyone need any? I make them…but I don’t really wear them. (I know I’m weird.)

:) Friend time with some Starbucks thrown in there, too.

:) Reading a really good post today that I’ll probably write about tomorrow.

:) Having a Father who can heal broken.

Sig

Aaaaahhhhh…

It was one of those days that I didn’t intend to be a day for sanity, but it turned into one. I have my wonderful, lengthy-nap-taking (today, anyway) daughter to thank for a lot of it. πŸ˜‰ And the rain, ’cause I LOVE a rainy day. Pretty sure if it was relaxing, it was part of my Sunday.

I slept ’til 8. I never do that. It’s kind of my own fault, but maybe more of the fault lies with the author of the book I started at 10 pm last night. Yeah. After one, I made myself turn off my Kindle and go to bed. (Guess what I’m doing as soon as I’m done writing tonight????) πŸ˜‰

I went to 10:45. Well, we do that every Sunday. But I really love my church family and friends. So it was definitely relaxing. And we sang a few of my favorites today…always a plus for this music lovin’ girl.

I ate a burrito. I guess this was relaxing in that I can nix Taco Bell from my I-can-eat-this-after-having-my-gallbladder-out list. Bummer, kind of. At least pizza seems to be ok. THAT would be devastating. I should point out that I ate On the Border the other night and was just fine…so it’s clearly Taco Bell. Clearly. πŸ˜‰

It rained. Like, not pouring-so-much-there’s-an-extra-pool-in-our-backyard kind of rain, but it was still gray and drizzly enough to be the perfect Sunday afternoon. I wore a hoodie and sat on the back porch and drank coffee while…

Maelie slept. Oh, yes she did. (Thank you, rain.) And while she slept…

I created. One of my favorite craft-y things to do, besides painting, is make jewelry. I fixed a bracelet for a friend first, and then I started playing with wire to see what I could come up with. I made a ring that turned out ok…and daisy earrings that are pretty sweet. They still need a bit of perfecting, but daisies out of wire that are worthy to wear as jewelry? I think they’re one of my favorite creations so far. :) Oh, and I worked on a painting a little, but painting on the back porch when it’s raining doesn’t really work. The air was too wet, and the paint wouldn’t dry. I’ll finish tomorrow. :)

I took dinner to our neighbors. Grandpa S (as Mae calls him) is having surgery tomorrow, so we figured they didn’t need to worry about dinner tomorrow night on top of that. Plus, it’s always nice to go over and chat with them. We are pretty blessed with our neighbors. :)

We hung out with Mae and each other. Minus the part about Tobin completely skunking me at cribbage, it was a good family night. Nothing big or exciting…just us. It was nice. :)

I sang to my girl. Still one of my favorite parts of the day. I love that she’s now starting to sing along and even match pitch. Scary, I know. But also cool. She’s out for the night…

And I’m gonna go finish my book.

:)

G’nite, friends!

Sig

Fill-in-the-Blank Friday

I found this link-up awhile ago.

Love the idea. :)

So, tonight, I’m linkin’ up!

My favorite thing to do on Friday is hang out at church. I know that sounds a little weird, but every Friday morning, Maelie and I go to Immanuel to help with wrapping bread and delivering it to places in our area. We also get to see some pretty great people/friends then, too. A little blessing that’s an important part of our Friday and of our week. Oh, and I also like looking forward to the weekend. Who doesn’t?! πŸ˜‰

This Friday I did the above. Plus a no-nap afternoon from the princess, coffee with a friend/playtime for our girls, and then dinner with them plus the hubbies. A good Friday. Defintely.

The best thing about a weekend is having all-of-us-together time. Even though life isn’t always easy with a two year-old and we’re very-imperfect human beings, I love that we can do little things together like play outside, go for walks, have ice cream dates. I also really look forward to church.

Now that summer is almost over I’m feeling the strange paradox of sadness and anticipation. I love the free and wonderful of summer that bring with it flip flops and swimming and sunshine and extra friend time. At the same time, I love fall. Early morning running, coffee on the back porch, sweater and jeans weather. Perfection.

The best thing I did this summer was ummm…??? I don’t think I can choose just one thing. I love friend and coffee time in general, and there were some oh-so-good times that included just those. Probably the highlight was the trip that Maelie and I made to the farm with our dear friend. We loved it. And she is still talking about it. :)

The thing I’m looking forward to about fall is leaf-crunching while I run. I…ahem…will actually go out of my way during a timed run if I see leaves that need to be crunched. And, of course, the sweaters and jeans…and the combat boots, too. πŸ˜‰

If I had to be stuck in one season for the rest of my life, I would choose spring. (Funny that I did this for several years already. And let me tell you all…year-round summer is not all it’s cracked up to be.) I’d choose spring for the fact that it can kind of be anything on any given day. There’s a chance of snow but also a chance of a really beautiful, sunshine-y day. I also love the new life that emerges…such a beautiful picture of how our Father is continually teaching us to grow.

Sig

Thursday Thoughts

Hmmmm…that’s such nifty alliteration.

Ahem.

Actually, no. I didn’t even think about it ’til it was already written. That could potentially make me even more cool.

It was my first normal Thursday…”normal” as in Bible study, lunch with friends, playtime for Mae, minus the guitar lesson today…but, still. It’s nice to be back to the only form of routine we know.

I still really love Thursdays. :)

I’m not throwing coffee into the mix tonight, though. I’ve been extra tired since last week and figured I don’t need to add anything that may potentially keep me up. Right now, Sleep. Is. Good. :)

Today was a day of unexpected blessings. Seeing a dear friend at Bible study…and being able to connect with her a bit. I’d missed her. A get-together tonight with some friends, which I decided to attend almost-last-minute. It ended up being really, really good…nice to chat with people I don’t always see. Some time to catch up with a dear friend…she always makes me smile.

There was also time to process this afternoon. I really use that word too much…no worries, I’m completely aware of it! :)

I’m getting restless, and I know it. I love my daughter so much. The days we spend together are wonderful, even the tough ones, and I wouldn’t trade being home with her for anything.

But I need an outlet.

I was hoping it would be my book. You know, that thing I’d planned to have finished several months ago? Yeah, that one.

Unfortunately, I can’t always just pull words out of nowhere.

I can’t fix my laptop (the one that seems to have gone permanently ka-put) so I can actually write from the couch or in bed…I only get so much done sitting in a chair at a computer desk.

Maybe the one thing I can do is try to get a little boost of confidence from somewhere. A writer’s group, maybe? A friend passed on some info today about one. I think it’s time. I need to decide if I’m going somewhere with this or not.

It seems like everyone out there thinks they can write a book. I know that was a pretty general statement…it’s just that I so badly want it to be me. The one who actually finishes what she started and maybe even sells it.

It seems like such a far-off dream.

I’ve always been ok with being a dreamer, but I’m also realizing more and more that I need to decide.

I hate the unfinished.

For now, while I wait for the words to return, I’ll putter around here. Sometimes deep, sometimes not.

But always…always…I’ll be me.

This place is still my heart. And I hope you’ll still stop by.

Sig