I'm SICK . . . Are you?

Lately I have been aching inside. . . . more than usual. No - it is not from the fact that I have actually been exercising this past week (for the first time in years!) . . . . It's not because I am sick. Well - maybe it is a "sickness". . . . . I am sick of the self-serving lifestyle I am surrounded by constantly. I am sick of falling into the temptation to want MORE and more. I am sick of feeling sorry for myself because we never seem to have anything "extra" . . . just enough to meet our needs. . . . .

And then I get an email from a friend telling me that the orphanage where my precious daughter was living just 8 months ago - barely has enough food to feed the kids and is running out of gas for their stoves! It humbles me to think about my daughter's friends down there - possibly eating a "soup" made out of water, a few noodles, leaves and a few spices in it . . . and if they are lucky - some tiny bits of chicken or meat - and to think that my daughter has possibly experienced the same "dinner" in her 2 years there. I know that at times they have plenty, but donations are not always steady, and so there are some tough times. I know that God provides . . . .but He does that through US . . . you . . . me . . . your neighbors. . . your family!

How many Venti Vanilla Lattes or Grande Caramel Machiatos have you had this week? . . . . This month? . . . . TODAY? :) How many fast-food runs have you made as well? How much of that would you be willing to give up to help out someone else? . . . .You do know that you can make your coffee at home? . . . and your lunch for that matter! They have these handy things called a "thermos" and a "lunch box" that you can take them in! :) hee,hee. All kidding aside . . .

Please watch this video. It will sober you. It just might change your mind the next time you want to stop into Starbucks or McDonald's . . . . or go to see a $10 movie and get a $10 soda and popcorn. Wait for the movie to come out on DVD - and put a hold on it at the library (for FREE!) - and make your own homemade popcorn at home (cheaper than microwave and tastier)! Yes - you will actually have to "wait" a while . . . but I promise it won't kill you! Yes - renting the movie (from Netflix or Blockbuster) is a bit cheaper than going out to see the movie in a theater (or alot cheaper if you have a big family like mine!) - but just see if you can be creative in trying to see it for free! Do that with many things in life. You'd be surprised at how much you can really do without . . . and how much money you will save over time! :) (Can you go a year without buying anything new? Check out what some people in San Francisco did - The Compact. Here's their yahoo group.) Then take that money and make a difference in your neighborhood . . . your community . . . your state . . . nation . . . or the world! AND . . . It feels so much better than having to exercise twice as hard to burn off all those calories that you ate at Mc-D's and drank at Starbucks! :) Just give it a shot!




This video was sent to me by a friend. She found it at UNSTAINED - a blog by another guy who is "sick" and doesn't want to have a wasted life! Check out his journey as he strives to live a life unwasted!

“I tremble at the prospect of living a trivial, self-serving, comfortable, middle-class, ordinary, untroubled American life.” (John Piper)

ps - If you want to donate to a wonderful orphange and help out some beautiful kids - check out Casa Bernabe (House of Comfort) at www.foce.org . You can make a one-time donation or even monthly sponsorships for a certain child - or a whole family (ie - the houses the kids live in). Please pray about how God wants you to be involved. . . . because He DOES want you involved! I hope you are "sick" today . . . and every day from now on!

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.