A year ago, I blogged about 1,287, a Homelessness Awareness Event unique to our area. It was an amazing event to be a part of, because in the span of 1 month, a friend of Jon's called him with the idea, implemented, and executed the idea. One month after the idea was shared, they were able to sit down and discuss the event that took place as a result. Here's Cobblestone Project's recap of the day.

Now THAT is a man of action. I was blown away.

A year later, Mr. Mark Horvath is returning to revisit 1,287. You know WHY he's returning? Because of all the communities he visited last year, our community was among the top of those who accomplished the most following his visit.

I'd say that our community must have several like minded people of action.

It's a cool thing to witness. It's a cool thing to be a part of.



So on Saturday night, our family will once again be counted at 1,287 revisited. Last year, a homeless census was taken, and it was estimated that we had 1,287 homeless people in our area. Of those, a large portion are women, children, and veterans. Of those, a large portion are people who would be able to find a manufacturing job in another city - but we have very few blue collar opportunities in our region. Of those, many are good, solid, hard working people, who have just come across hard times and have no support network.

The face of homelessness is changing. The face of poverty is changing. It's awesome to be a part of the movement trying to solve the problem.

I'll come back after the event on Saturday night and share with you some of the things Mark talked about. Where possible, I'll link you up to the things that have been implemented since last year. I know for sure: Our Step and The Farm. But I'm certain there are more: Laundry Love, Shear Kindness, the DC... I can't wait to return to share more!

Last night Jon and I were invited to a dinner party whose purpose was to consider the global orphan crisis. There were people from all over our area in attendance, some of whom I knew, others of whom I didn't know. The common thread was that all of the people in attendance have been called to serve and have a love for God and what He calls us to do.

And what does God call us to do? In fact, quite a lot, and here are a few examples:

Psalm 82:3 "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy."

Psalm 10:17-18 "You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more."

Matthew 25:31-36 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'"

Isaiah 1:17 "Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."

We are surrounded by several friends and acquaintances who have been called to adopt from countries such as Haiti and Ethiopia -- countries where the orphan crisis is staggering. At this point, we are not feeling called to adopt, but we are absolutely feeling called to do something. And that's why we were at the dinner last night.

Chris Marlow was the guest speaker for the night. He is from Austin, TX, and is the Director of Help End Local Poverty. This organization has a division specifically focused on Haiti, with their initiative "We Have Not Forgotten."

I wish I'd have taken notes as Chris shared his testimony. Some of the things he said rocked me. I won't remember the countries he visited, but I'll do my best to recount some of his stories.

As he visited one devastated country, a young boy, about 10 years old, approached him and apologized for the state of his country. He then proceeded to say he didn't want to beg for food, but hasn't eaten in 3 days and could he please work for it? Imagine the devastation Chris must have felt as he had to tell the boy no because he didn't have any, and the grocery stores literally did not have any food on their shelves?

Can you imagine that? No food on a grocery store shelf? Because of how this country was set up (I think it was Zimbabwe), they had to get groceries from a neighboring country, and if that neighboring country didn't deliver, they were out of luck. And the inflation and cost was a ridiculous number I can't even begin to fathom. But to turn away a child in such away -- wrecked. I can't imagine.

In another country, he visited with a family whose father had been killed in a natural disaster. He was a pastor, and the church crumbled as he was preaching. His family watched him get buried by the rubble. The family was surviving on $1 a day. That alone is mind-blowing to me. A visiting pastor with a seminary degree (i.e. not a business degree) wrote up a business plan. He hooked up local women with someone to teach them how to make and sell purses. That family is now living on $8 per day. When asked how she feels about the change, her response was that she feels rich.

Wow! Rich on $8 a day. Here, we complain if we only make $8 an hour. I will grant you that things in the US cost money, and it would be nearly impossible to survive in the US on $8 a day. But the stark contrast is again mind-blowing. I may not be able to survive here on $8 per day, but certainly I can survive on less than I currently am.

Following the earthquake in Haiti, he visited the country. He visited with a young girl who lost both of her parents in the devastation. The person who was leading him through the country commented that the little girl had no hope. He asked why. The response was that she'd be raped at least 3 or 4 times before she's age 18. Tears immediately sprung to my eyes at that statement. They also commented that Haiti really is no different now than it was immediately following the earthquake. There's still so much devastation and work left to do. We are being begged to not forget Haiti. If we've been, we've been asked to return. If we haven't been, we've been asked to go. Or help others go, as not all of us are able to go.

A couple weeks ago we went to a going away party for a local couple who is serving for 6 months in Haiti. I introduced you to them about a month ago. When we were at their going away party, Jon sent both kids with some money to them, and told them to say, "Thank you for serving in Haiti for us -- while we're unable to go, thank you for going." I know they were prompted, but the message is the same.

On Saturday, we were shopping and there was a food bank outside of the grocery store collecting cans. As an FYI, food banks, homeless shelters, non profits in general, get crazy-low in the summer because people "forget" to help. It's easy for them to raise money, obtain donations, etc, during Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it's pretty lean during the summer months. Anyway, the food bank was collecting. So as we bought our groceries, I purchased an extra bag of canned goods for the kids to donate. When we went outside, I had Dominic give the bag to the workers. They applauded. I was SO tickled that they showed their appreciation in that way -- that they made a big deal out of his donation to illustrate the importance of doing so. What struck me, however, was that Amara asked why they clapped. She has grown pretty accustomed to giving, that she doesn't see it as out of the ordinary. She sees it as just something that you do, rather than something that deserves applause.

Back to last night, and the purpose for the title of this blog post.

In another country Chris visited, they brought a bunch of food to a pastor at a church. Upon delivery, they asked how long it would last, and were told a couple weeks. They were visibly disappointed that it wouldn't last longer. I wish I could remember the exact words, but essentially the pastor said, "You American's. Always pursuing the American Dream and needing to know the answers so far out. Where's the faith the God will provide for today? God not only provided for today, but for a couple weeks!"

That was very sobering to me.

We're so focused on future planning, keeping up with the Jones's, wearing nice clothes and shoes, providing the best for our kids, investing for the future. And I'm not suggesting we DON'T do those things. But at the same time, sometimes in doing those things, we're taking all the control upon ourselves and trusting God for nothing.

The American Dream, in many ways, is self-serving and self-reliant. God calls us to serve others and be reliant upon Him. There's a huge disconnect for me with the American Dream and God's calling. I know I've not been reliant enough upon God. I know I've been selfish and controlling, determining to accomplish things on my own.

I may be living the American Dream... but is it's God's dream for me?

I'm not sure yet what direction we'll move. I know that in his job, Jon's challenged with these ideas daily. I'm thankful for that. I'm also thankful that his job provides me opportunities to immerse myself in those ideas. In the corporate world it's very easy to get sucked into all things material -- and I don't want that.

So we'll see what's next. I don't know when, I don't know how, I don't know what it looks like. But I want to be open to what God has in store.

This photo was taken 4 years ago. Dominic was about a week old.



I thought for sure he'd be late like Amara (she was 10 days over her due date), and arrive on the Fourth of July. I thought about how cool that would be to celebrate his birthday with fireworks every year. But he was right on time, so I got to get them all dressed up in their matching red, white, and blue to celebrate the freedoms we have in this wonderful country.

But as the say on the photo goes, "The best things in life aren't free -- but priceless."

The same can be said for our freedom. It is truly priceless.

God Bless You and God Bless America!

It all started several months ago. Amara would wake frequently with bad dreams. We have a Veggie Tales book that says, "God is bigger than the boogie man," so I tried to use that as a reference.

I told her that God is bigger than the monsters in her dreams.

I told her that the monsters are afraid of God, and they're afraid of her, too.

I told her to tell those monsters to scram and leave her alone.

Oh... and I told her there's no such thing as monsters anyway. Why is it that line of logic never works?

Over the next few nights, weeks, and months, those comments turned to prayers. The prayers were for God to clear her head of all the bad and help her think of only good things, only pure things, only happy things.

And she slept.

On the night before his birthday, Dominic came sobbing into our room at about 3am. I asked him what was the matter. He cried, "Mommy, I need you to pray for me." I asked what for? He said, "For Jesus to take all the scary thoughts from my head."

My heart melted right there. I hugged my little guy close, stroked is soft fuzzy head, and prayed for the Lord of his heart to clear his mind to sleep soundly and peacefully.

With each prayer I offer with the kids, I follow it with one of my own, "Lord, please answer this prayer so that they can see You, so that they can feel You, so they can know You."

On the morning of his birthday, the two kids met in the hallway. Amara told Dominic she dreamed of his birthday and all the fun they'd have. Dominic responded, "Oh yeah, well Jesus gave me lots of great things to dream about."

Again my heart swelled. I whispered a prayer of thanks to Jesus for answering their prayer, for showing Himself to my children.

That relationship they have now. That tangibility that they feel. The conversations that they have with Jesus at the drop of a hat as if He's right next to them -- because He is.

Isaiah 11:6 "A little child shall lead them..."
Matthew 18:3 "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mark 10:15) (Luke 18:17)
Matthew 18:4 "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 19:14 "But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Mark 10:14) (Luke 18:16)

Is there any doubt how much Christ cares for His children? Before our children were born, we committed them back to the Lord. They are His children; we've been entrusted them. But they are His.

My prayer is that the relationship that they have with Jesus right now continues to grow. It is so strong right now, so real, so tangible, so innocent and pure. The part of me that knows the world knows that their faith will likely be shaken several times over throughout the course of their life. But the bigger part of my cries out to my Savior asking for their little hearts and minds to continue to be molded and shaped by Him and for Him. I pray that He gives me wisdom to lead them and to point to Him.

Acts 13:33 "that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.'"

1 John 4:4 "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."

I feel as if I've talked in circles and not properly expressed how important these prayers, these overheard conversations, and God's responses have been to me. It's quite amazing and humbling to watch your child's faith literally bloom and develop before your eyes. I could feel myself choking up as I tried to explain it to my Mom, and even as I type, I feel the tightening of my throat.

At this point in my life, this is my most important purpose: to show them Christ. My prayer is that they know Him, love Him, and serve Him with all their heart, soul, and mind.

I'll close with the camp song I've recently been reintroduced to. When I was a camp counselor we closed every campfire with this song. I believe it was written by our director at the time, Layne Nelson. The words and melody were poignant then, but have since taken on a new and deeper meaning as I insert my children's names and pray it over them each night.

"May the Spirit of God descend upon this place. Keep us safe inside Your arms; fill us with Your grace. Put love deep within our hearts and peace within our souls. Guide us wherever we may go, for You are in control. Sing alleluia! Alleluia! And guide us wherever we may go so we may humbly serve You."