Conviction: Nourish

As usual, I would like to wrap up the week with a post that will detail some ideas of how you and I can help.

Hunger is something that affects every single nation, race and culture, so the ways that you can help alleviate hunger are widely varied and unique. You have a lot of options in how you would like to help!

If you want to help the person next door, look up a local food bank or shelter:
Feeding America
Food Pantries
or:
Homeless Shelters
Rescue Missions

If you want to sponsor a child:
Sponsor with World Vision (like me)
Sponsor with Compassion (like my parents)
or just give money where it is needed most. (Or these cute goats!)



Feeling a little stressed by all my suggestions? It's okay. It's a lot to take in at once.


For now, one request: join me at Free Rice, and let's make a team with a purpose.
Join up and get ricing! :) I don't think that's an actual verb, but whatever. It's Christmas Eve, after all.

Have fun!

Conviction: My Girl

I have wanted to sponsor a child for a long time, but different issues have prevented me from doing so until very recently, when I had the opportunity at a Women of Faith Conference.

In the arena where the conference was held, World Vision was one of the biggest sponsors, and as well as having many booths situated about the arena, they had placed a child's information on each chair. After getting seated, I picked mine up, and slid out the little slip of paper that told me about this child. Serah, the card said was her name, and her picture was small but colorful.

As cheesy as it might sound, I started loving that little girl at that moment. Here was a flimsy piece of paper that only told me her birthday and gave me the tiniest glimpse into her life, but my goodness, did I love her. My mom looked at her child's packet, and a few others in nearby empty seats and asked me if I wanted a different one, but the answer was definitely negative. Little Serah who was not quite three years old was the one I wanted.

Though many things have influence my journey towards living a life full of service, very few have influenced me as strongly as the knowledge that I can change my girl's life, millions of miles away in South Africa -- the knowledge that I need to change her life.

So now I am. I send $35 every month, on the 25th of each month, and that money will help to feed her, give her clean water, pay for school clothes, and supplies and medications and anything else that she needs to grow into a strong, beautiful and healthy woman. And I know that it won't end there. When she is equipped to become everything that God made her to be, she can do the same for others.

I love my girl, and the change that she means for me and the world.
Do you sponsor a child?