.Sponsoring Gerlie.

Jim and I had batted it back and forth for months.

Should we sponsor a child from Compassion?

We always came back to finances are tight. We are attempting the Dave Ramsey "Total Money Makeover" and trying to pay down all debt. We concluded this January that we could pay off all of our debt (except mortgage) in eighteen months and then we could sponsor a child.

Then God took us on a roller coaster ride for the month of February - living on no paychecks, but seeing God bless and bless and bless.

And sitting here typing this, I am not entirely sure how this all goes together, but it does. God stripped away some of what we thought were needs this past month, and showed us how very, very comfy, cushy we truly do have it. He began to soften our hearts to truly see the needs of others by allowing us the experience of realizing how very much we have. We have a home, two vehicles (although one sits unusable at the moment), TVs, a computer, phones, cell phones, radios, clothes, shoes, COACH bags, toys, toys, toys, books, games, a refrigerator and two freezers - although a little emptier than at other times still mighty full in comparison to others- a pantry of dry goods, Bibles, jewelry, dishwasher, washer and dryer, and on and on and on. We have far more than we need, than we deserve. Shortly Jim will be receiving a regular paycheck again.

Our church has been studying Proverbs together. We started Monday and will continue for forty days finishing with Ecclesiastes. The booklet/devotional that we were given for this journey seems simple on the surface, but if one truly wants to learn and grow this is a very difficult, not tenuous at all, journey. I really want to learn and grow. I really want this study to be life changing. I am praying that God makes it such. When reading Proverbs 1:11-12 the verses made me think of one thing. Now I do not want to take these verses out of context or take liberties, but see if it hits you the same way.

If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit."

As soon as I read those words, my mind immediately related them to the media. I am very sensitive about what we watch as a family, especially my children. I turned the Disney Channel on for Cadi the other day while I was applying my makeup. I assumed it was safe. While applying my eye liner in the bathroom I hear the main character talking about being stood up for a date, and how she was not pretty enough and never would be. Now mind you this was a children's cartoon. I was disgusted and promptly turned it off. My four year old daughter needs none of that. And although, my eighteen month old son is just that - eighteen months - even now he does not need to see commercials with scantily clad women, neither does my husband. I feel very, very strongly about guarding our eyes, and ears from the perverseness of this world. It is not amusing, it is not cute, and maybe worst of all, it is not forgettable - especially the visuals for a man. I don't think Jesus would find much of what we watch on TV entertaining. So why should I?

I could go on and on here, but already I have lost some of you and potentially offended others. And I am really trying to get back to what this has to do with Compassion International.

After reading those verses, I shared my perspective with my husband. He agreed that the media does in deed fit the bill of laying in wait for blood, waiting to ambush the innocent without reason, trying to swallow them alive. We agreed to cancel our cable. My husband and I do not want the media to shape our hearts, our thoughts, our lives. We want the Word of God to. Because of our personal decision to eliminate cable from our lives, we expanded our budget.

I did not think much about that until I read this post. I read it with tears streaming down my cheeks. I was moved with compassion, and awed once again at how God works in our lives - every single step - drawing us to Himself, aligning our heart with His. He used that Proverb and our commitment to canceling cable to get us to exactly where He needed us. When Jim came home for lunch I shared this with him, and then we were blessed and privileged with the ability to sponsor a four year old little sweet heart from the Philippines, named Gerlie.

What's your excuse? There is a mommy out there praying that you might bless her child.




(This is probably one of my harshest ever posts, and the sweet, mild Tiffany will be back soon. I promise. )