Sunday, January 19, 2014

Take A Risk

For those of you that know me, you know the I.AM.NOT.A.RISK.TAKER!!  I do not like risk...instead I prefer the comfortable, the known, the routine.  I like to be in control, or at least have the illusion that I am in control.  Risk involves giving up control and making yourself vulnerable.

Several months ago, my friend and I came up with the idea of having a fundraiser to raise money for the children in the DR Congo...more specifically money for food for the orphans.  This idea came about after 5 children in our agency's orphanage in the DRC died of starvation (http://mljadoptions.com/Media.aspx?articleID=908).  We realized that our t-shirt collection (in which we collected 400+ new shirts to give to the children in the orphanages) was not enough.  There are over 13 million orphans and abandoned children in the DRC.  In the DRC, 10% of children die before the age of one.  Nearly 30% of children under the age of five suffer from undernutrition.  We feel called to help feed these children so they will have a chance at life...a chance to wear our t-shirts.




So, we sat down in December and began planning this event.  It was after that moment that I realized this is a risk...What if no one gives donations for our silent auction?  What if no one comes to the event?  What if no one really cares about orphans half way around the world?  I became stressed at having to ask people for donations.  I became stressed at the idea of failing these beautiful children who are left behind.  I became focused on me, my shortcomings, my inability to take a risk...and I took my eyes off of the starving children and the God who sees and knows all things.

My husband sent me a text this week that stated...
"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called...the issue isn't whether you're qualified, its are you called?"
I am not qualified to elicit donations (In fact, I hate asking people for stuff because I have a profound fear of them saying "no"...which I unfortunately take as a rejection of me).  I am not qualified to host a fundraiser.  I am not qualified for any part of this event.  However, I do believe I am called.  I went to the DRC, I saw the poverty, I visited the orphanages and saw the beautiful children, and now I am called to give up my foolish pride and need for control in order to make a difference in the lives of these children.

On March 22, 2014, my friend, Sarah Price and I will host a silent auction/fundraiser at the Price Parlor to raise money to feed the children at two orphanages in the DR Congo, Africa.  We are partnering with Global Orphan Foundation's Pebble Project (http://www.globalorphanfoundation.org/the-pebble-project.html). 



I am going to take a risk.  I am going to ask for your help....

Will you would be willing to donate something for our auction?
If you own a business, a good or service from your business would be a wonderful item for us to auction off.  If you don't own a business, maybe you could make a "theme basket" (examples--movie night basket with various movies and popcorn, etc; spa basket with a gift card for a manicure and pedicure and some nail polish, etc.) or donate an antique.  Be creative! 

Will you come out to the silent auction/fundraiser and bid on some of the items?  Will you take an evening and give some money towards a cause that is bigger than yourself?  This morning in church, our pastor stated these statistics...if you make more then $20,000 a year, you are rich.  If you make more than $39,000 a year, you are filthy rich.   So, rich friends...I am going to ask again will you come out and support the Pebble Project's vision to feed and raise up strong children in the DRC?

I am going to close with a bit of self disclosure (also known as honesty)...I have been dreading writing this post.  I don't want to offend people.  I don't want people to reject me or my passions.  However, this morning, Malachi was playing on my I-pad and came across the auction flier (the one shown above), he looked at the picture of the little boy looking in the window and said "Me, Mommy?  Malachi?".  I thought to myself,  "It could very well have been."  With that convicting moment, I decided I would write this post, I would take a risk so that the orphans in the DRC have a chance at life.
 

 

Friday, January 3, 2014

7: Month 5: Waste No More

So, I survived the month of no TV and no Internet.  To be honest, I did miss having information right at my fingertips anytime I wanted it.  Of course, the Eagles finally had a pretty good December and I missed watching them win.  However, Noah offered a great play by play for me. I still managed to get angry when they lost to the Vikings despite not watching it.   I read 12 books though so I am sure my vocabulary increased.  Most importantly, I survived!

Now, unto month 5...reducing waste.  I had a lot of trouble thinking of ways that I could reduce.  Jen Hatmaker did seven habits for a greener life...gardening, composting, conserving energy and water, recycling, driving only one car, shopping thrift and second-hand, and buying local.

Well, I already garden, compost (well I feed the scraps to my chickens), and recycle. Driving one car won't work for our family as Brian and I work in two different directions (However, I do drive a paint peeling Honda Civic to cut down on gas consumption and cost...and not just for one month either...that should earn me some extra points right?).

So, this month these will be the areas I will change...
~Cloth napkins (This is a big deal if you could see the piles of laundry I already do in a week.  By the way, I hate folding laundry!)



~Only washing clothes that are truly dirty.  (I have a terrible habit of throwing everything I wear in the dirty clothes.  Most of the time there isn't even a spot on it.  So, this month, I will only be washing my clothing when it is dirty.  Yes, I realize that this goes against my previous statement about hating laundry...but who says that my actions always make sense...)

~Reusable bags on my small trips to the grocery store. (Let's be realistic here, I have 5 kids.  On my "big trips" to the grocery store, I can heap up a cart.  So, on my large trips to the store, reusable bags aren't going to cut it unless I want to spend $100 buying reusable bags.)

~Using the tons of food I have already packed away in my freezer (This month, I am only going to buy food to replace the food that is all gone.  I. HATE. THE. GROCERY. STORE.  Therefore, if I am at the store, I just pick up whatever I think I might need because I don't want to go back again.  I am going to make a diligent effort this month to use up the items in my freezer and only buy perishable items.)


I am not sure that I am as sold out as I need to be this month.  I certainly am not feeling "green enough" with this list.  However, I feel like I am making some deliberate changes to my routine....and I am hoping they can be permanent ones.