World Vision

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by faith in Jesus Christ, World Vision serves alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God's unconditional love for all people. They focus on community development, disaster relief and global issues.

As a family we've been sponsoring children through World Vision for about 15 years. Right now we sponsor 12 year old Yohanns in Ethiopia, 17 year old Friday in Zambia and 4 year old Laziya in Uganda. We sponsored Annet in Uganda until recently when she was married and is no longer participating in the program.

Here's Laziya. Her Birthday was yesterday.

Yohanns.

Friday

Do you sponsor children?

Coming soon...letters from Friday.

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Prayer of the Heart 1

"To pray is to descend with the mind into the heart and there stand before the face of the Lord ever-present, all-seeing, within you."

Theophan the Recluse, as quoted by Henri Nouwen in "The Way of the Heart"

Real prayer penetrates the marrow of our soul and leaves nothing untouched

..it opens the eyes of our soul to the truth of ourselves as well as to the truth of God.

...hide absolutely nothing from God and surrender ourselves unconditionally to his mercy.

...prayer that does not allow us to limit our relationship with God to interesting words or pious emotions.

Nouwen

I'm asking God to make me prayerful in these ways.

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John's Reading Lounge

T11 put two chairs together today and i took them over when i got home.  Two chairs together make one good size chair for a big man like me.

8:30p.m. on a Monday night

Laura's at a Bible study. I've been reading.

Here's what the kids are up to:

This is L14 asleep under the covers. I woke her up so she could brush and go to bed.

M13 is drawing in a sketchbook.

A15 is playing guitar

T11 is reading

Our home is blessed.

What's going on in your home?

Living Life with Three Teenagers...

"There are times when parenthood seems nothing but feeding the mouth that bites you." -- Peter De Vries

Life is a roller coaster at our house and the teen moments are really pushing me away from thinking I'm not much different than the 25 year old i used to be. I am being pushed over the hill of middle age.

Now the battle against it begins! (smiling as i type)

Family Times

We had a GREAT time playing a game as a family last night. Played SKipBo. The actual game didn't matter. It was family time. A15 (total adolescent) was so flippin' funny. He really busted out. L14 (edge of adolescence) laughed at my jokes. It was fantastic.

I continue to be reminded over and over and over and over again that time around the dinner table is just about the best time we can ever have as a family. When L and I sense disconnection with our family we plan a big meal. Too many sleepovers and camps pulling us apart? Plan the big meal. Favorite foods, good dessert and we find victory. We are a busy family and have to do these on purpose.

I hope this post will remind me when I forget. about family time.

A Few of MY Favorite Things

Pudge posted his list and I'm copying the

idea.

 Moleskine Notebooks - i can reach 4 moleskine notebooks from my desk right now without getting up: planner/diary, small reporter, regular size w/grid and the larger cahier (sp?) soft cover with grid. LOVE ‘em - been using moleskine for about 6 or 7 years.

Leatherman Juice - it’s orange. pliers, bottle opener, screw drivers…it even has a knife on it!   ha. Not a day goes by that i don’t use it. best part? my 4 kids bought it for me for Christmas a few years ago because they knew i had a serious crush on the juice.

Swiss army backpack - has a nifty suspended laptop pocket.  two large spaces for books

The Message/Remix - makes it clear.  like having Phillip next to the ethiopian

 

the 4 other small black notebooks i use for different purposes.  staff meeting notes, speeches/talks, journal, small notebook for paper,  and an action planner

staedtler 9505 .5mm mechanical pencil - the eraser is the best part

Zuma video game on my phone - makes bathroom time more fun.

Timex Ironman icontrol watch - i bought the one that controls an ipod. works great to control ambient sound in CM environments without hitting getting to the sound board in the back of the room.

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