.Her Name is Gerlie.

It will be two years ago this March. That was when I first saw her face - those big beautiful eyes, the solemn expression with pouty lips, the brave way her shoulders squared on her teeny, tiny body. She had a red heart on her picture. This indicated that she had been waiting for at least six months for a sponsor. Six months while I sat in my comfortable home, oblivious to her needs in the Philippines. She seemed to jump out of our computer screen, bigger than life, and beg for us to sponsor her. It was Cadi who ultimately put her finger on her photo. That's her she said. And she was. She was the one that God was pointing us to.

She is Gerlie; a sweet little six year old from the Philippines. She was waiting for a sponsor through Compassion International. She was waiting for someone to choose her, for someone to care about her needs, for someone to show her the love of Jesus in a tangible way. Compassion's tag line reads "releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name". But what they failed to mention is what would happen to me - the sponsor. Gerlie was instrumental in releasing our family from materialism. We were blinded by it, sucked into the insatiable desire for more, bigger, better. But she was one of the first people that God used to open our eyes to the world and the needs around us. Through Gerlie we began to understand things in light of eternity, and our material greed slowly began to fade. It's not completely gone, shamefully, we continue to need God to place "Gerlie's" in our path - we probably always will. We are slowly learning that the only "thing" we can take with us to heaven is people - people we have reached for Jesus Christ. Gerlie taught us that many times the first step to sharing Jesus with someone is to meet their physical needs -nourish their body and then their soul.

We sponsored her for over a year with about a dozen letters between us. Gerlie was too young to write to us, so she would color pictures, and her mom would write to me. Gerlie's mom was a young widow with a tremendous amount of courage, who had recently lost her husband. She worked very hard to support her little family. I am certain that I have no idea or true understanding of how hard she really worked. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a mom with the survival of your children literally hanging in the balance. We got word from Compassion early this year that Gerlie and her mom were moving out of Compassion's reach. Her mom was actually given the opportunity to start a business, which she believed would better sustain her family. She was counselled by Compassion, and I do believe from what they communicated with us made a wise decision. We were devastated to lose contact with this precious little girl who had changed so much of our lives, but we are hopeful for their future. We quickly chose another little girl to care for through Compassion, but there is not a day that goes by that Gerlie's name is not lifted up in prayer in our home.

I am passionate about Compassion International and the wonderful ministry they have with children and their families. Recently a team from Missions in Action visited a Compassion project in Valenzuela City, Philippines - north of the capital city - Manila. The families who call this area home are living in flooded villages. The poverty in this area is devastating, and yet the joy of Jesus is clearly evident. It brought tears to my eyes to see this place so near to where our Gerlie lived. Take a few moments out of your day and peek into what life is like for these precious people by watching this video.



A couple dollars changes a family and gives them hope. Christmas is a time to reflect on the hope we were given in the coming of tiny baby Jesus. Out of the overflow of our hearts this Christmas, perhaps God is leading us - you and me - to sponsor a Compassion child and give that child hope - hope found only in Jesus Christ. Go to Compassion's website and scroll through the children there. Children made in the image of God. Children beloved by God that He sent His precious son, Jesus, for. This Christmas give the gift of hope.

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.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. )