Change A Life

Photo by Nate Dietzman

This year's theme for Compassion Sunday is Change A Life. Change the life of a young person in poverty, and give them the chance to peruse their dreams.
 
This weekend we had Compassion Weekend at our church. I know these days are very important for the children still waiting for sponsors. Without someone sharing their stories and their needs, they remain hidden in a corner of the world, struggling with poverty, wondering if anyone cares. I am so excited and praising God for the 15 children who now have sponsors as a result of this weekend!  Change A Life. 

Little did I know when we began our partnership with Compassion four years ago how much my life would change as well. I still remember scanning each and every picture until "the right ones" were found, then anxiously awaiting the first letters to arrive.

Four years and seven Compassion children later, I am still in awe at how much these children whom I have come to know through letter and love so dearly are still changing my life. I see the diligence to learn and love no matter what the circumstances. I know they lift our family up in prayer and there are days I feel that prayer and know that it is their prayers that made the difference. Their stories and their lives help my children to expand their worldview from our home and our backyard, to the world.

Sunday morning I woke up a little down, feeling a case of the "end of vacation blahs" setting in.  As we headed into church to set up our table and get ready for the morning, the stories that I love to hear began before the service even started.  Connections being made, stories told, children receiving sponsors, as with other events, my heart is singing a song of thanksgiving to God.  This brings us to another way these children have changed my life. I never would have thought that giving up an evening or a morning to stand behind a table and help children would be something I would enjoy and yet, participating in these events encourages and energizes me.  

A changed life. Theirs and mine.

Fourth and Final?

Yesterday we woke up to our fourth snow day of the season. It certainly has been a year for snow days, more than in years past it seems. While waking up to a winter wonderland is beautiful and the idea of a day at home with no school exciting, I find myself hoping that this is the last big storm before spring comes and the gardens can finally wake from their long slumber.
 
The longing for spring does not put a damper on the day, however. We have made the most of it. Chores and "to do" lists were finished in record speed because the seven inch thick, white blanket was calling. Snow ball makers were rediscovered from last winter, the deck became a platform for snow dives and jumps, and the kids buried each other in snow. Pix even joined in the fun rather than sulking by the door preferring his warm window seat to observe the snow.

The push and pull of screen time, reading time, and chores was absent. In its place, laughter and excited barking filled the air as, all in agreement, we were where we needed to be. Enjoying the outdoors, filling our lungs with fresh air, and stretching getting out the cooped up feeling that comes at winter's end.

Adding to the Family

We knew it could happen when we took them on as correspondent sponsors. After four years perhaps I began to think it wouldn't happen to us. One of them is graduating next summer, but that is the natural way to lose them, right? We are already seeing it in her letters, the processing of the end of the relationship. She has told us that she is thankful for our support and love as she looks forward to college. I am so happy and excited for her, and yet, I know that we have a short time to have discussions about her friends or her love for the younger children she teaches Sunday school to.

I was unprepared when the call came informing me that his financial sponsors had ended their sponsorship and we could no longer correspond with him. My heart began to fill with sadness as I asked "Is there nothing we can do?" Our option, to begin financially sponsoring him ourselves. I asked the representative on the phone if I could talk to my husband, and how long we had to decide.

I love my husband for many reasons. He is a really great guy. One of those many reasons that I love him is his caring and compassionate heart. When I told him of the call and what our choice was, he looked me in the eye and said, "You told them of course, right?" (Isn't he great!) 

I couldn't bear to say good-bye to this young man that we have come to know and love over the past four years. The very first picture we received of him showed a young smiling boy giving a thumbs up. I imagine the spunk and personality this young man has.

I called Compassion as soon as I could the following Monday to add him to our account. One week later it is official, our Compassion family has grown by one!  Maybe a better way to say it is, our little family is saved from shrinking by another one.

God's timing is written all over this story, because had we received the call from Compassion even a few months ago, it would have been a much harder decision financially to sponsor him.  God knew that and his timing is good, and for that I am thankful.   As we pulled out of the garage to go to the  Tenth Avenue North concert,  I asked Mark "What if there is another child that needs a family tonight?" Little did I know it would not be one of the child packets on the table that night that would need us, rather one of our own who needed us most. God is so good.

Afternoon at the Ballet

An afternoon at a ballet is the perfect way to spend some quality mother/daughter time with some friends. We were able to see Alice in Wonderland. The young people dancing on the stage today were absolutely amazing. I was completely taken with their skills, not only in dancing, but also in their acting and telling a story. The costumes were beautiful from flowers to flamingos, caterpillars to the Cheshire Cat, and aces to Alice. The ages ranged from a toddler to high school and yet, the dancers blended well. Even Addy commented on how well the older and young dancers mixed.

 

 

Sixty

Sixty. It is the biggest number we have seen. Forty-eight. The number of hours that have passed, and still my heart is flying high!

Friday night we were able to help at a Compassion International event where sixty children were fortunate enough to receive sponsors. Now, forty-eight hours later, I am still very excited for these children. No longer will they have to go without food, education, and medical assistance. No longer will their picture on a table, or their name be on a waiting list.

Now these children will receive news that they have been chosen to be sponsored. Hopefully, now they will be prayed for, loved, encouraged, and written to.

It was so wonderful to see the lines of people pressing in, trying to get closer to the table. People whose hearts had been touched, people who wanted to make a difference in the life of someone so young. And yet, I know that these children can make a difference in their sponsor's life too. This is why I continue to volunteer at these events. They are life changing for so many people.

Book Review: The Heavy

In The Heavy, Dara-Lynn Weiss begins the book with her struggles of food, diets, and accepting herself.   These words, although her own, mirror so much of my life from the Weight Watchers diet in high school to the way she felt about herself to the weight put on and remaining after having children, I related on many levels.  She shares these struggles not because the book is about her, but because it is no surprise to her when one of her children ends up struggling with food. 

While my children are not obese, I sympathized with her struggles to try and maintain a healthy diet for her daughter because I know how hard it is for me as an adult to try and control food intake.  As they navigate through meals at restaurants, birthday parties and celebrations, school lunches, and summer camps there are many challenges for one who is wanting to be calorie conscious.  Especially a seven year old little girl who does not want to be different from her friends.  

There has been a lot of controversy over whether Dara-Lynn was right to put her daughter on a diet, or whether this was for herself rather than her daughter.   Readers are asking if she embarrassed her daughter or was too strict.  I did not read the book to judge her way of parenting.    Having not walked the road she has walked, I don't know how I would react.   I do agree with her that when your child has special needs, whether those be food related, academic related, or something else, as a parent, you want to provide for your child and assist them with those needs.    I cannot fault her, and I actually applaud her, for stepping up to the plate and helping her daughter.

Admittedly, this book covers topics that I feel strongly about.   Struggling myself with food issues, it breaks my heart to see young children yolked with the burden of obesity and the diseases that come along with it.  I wonder why people are criticizing Dara-Lynn for teaching her daughter how to moderate her food intake which in turn brings down her weight, lowers her cholesterol and  BMI.   How can we help our children wade through the many food options put in front of them daily if we cannot talk about food, diets, and choices?  Is that a responsible choice as parents, especially if our children happen to be prone to carrying weight like Dara-Lynn's? 

Growing up, my parents often talked about a toolbox that we grow up with.  From early stages we learn different "tools" to put into our toolbox that will assist and at times guide us in life.    Many times I have reached into my toolbox, at times dusting off the tools, as I enter different situations.  Considering this toolbox, I think it wrong to not provide the tools of nutrition to children, which is what we deny them if we cannot have the conversations with them about food choices.  

Perhaps the controversy comes around the word "diet."   She mentions in her book and in interviews that her definition of diet is a food plan that one is habitually on.  Perhaps this makes sense to me, one who is on a Gluten-Free diet, but really we use the word diet when talking about the food consumption of animals as well.   "The diet of (animal) consists of (food)."

As a memoir, this book does an excellent job of showing the courage of a mother to undertake the challenge of helping her daughter to become a healthy weight while preserving her daughter's integrity, self esteem, and their relationship based on the information shared in the book.  



 

Stepping It Up

 With pedometer attached, I walked.  The goal, to get as many steps in during the month of January as I could.   I am fortunate that my job allows me to get up and walk.   And walk I did!  167.145 miles or 381,600 steps.  I climbed over 500 floors, which I found out is about the altitude that a helicopter flies at.   Whew! 

This year the Dan Abrahms Healthy Living Center is giving one habit a month to focus on to improve our healthy living.  The focus this month, physical activity.   The goal, to increase physical activity in some way.  This could be starting a new workout routine, adding a new activity, increasing intensity of workouts, anything that changes and/or adds to what you are already doing.  Luckily the focus corresponded with a walking challenge at work.   I joined other colleagues in wearing pedometers this month to track how many steps we could take through the entire month of January.  

The  steps were just part of the journey for physical activity, as I am also trying to incorporate some variety into my workout times.  Cardio exercises are my fall back, the ones I do most often.   I am working on incorporating some strength exercises into my routine as well.