Blogging From the Boonies

365 Days

2012-02-09T14:40:00.001-08:00

One by one, days went by. Days became weeks, weeks became months. Strung together in a row of hope and anticipation, days turned into a year. This handsome young man has been waiting one WHOLE year for a sponsor, as of today. Chances are, he has gone to visit his project wondering if the staff would give him the news that he has been chosen by a sponsor. He has watched as his friends have

Long Time, No Post

2012-02-03T13:17:00.001-08:00

Hello dear friends, I have received many messages asking if I am ok. Our family is currently embarking on something that requires a lot of my time and focus. I cannot share many details, but we are hoping to resolve a long-standing issue and bring our family back together once again. We know that this will not be a short or easy journey, but we’re holding on to our faith in God and knowing that

Happy Birthday, Love!

2012-01-20T04:50:00.001-08:00

Today is the birthday of a very special young lady. Kwagala, her name meaning love, truly is loved by so many. Months ago, I was looking through the Compassion International website and my eyes fell on a face with a sweet and gentle countenance. When I clicked and read more about Kwagala Deborah, I found that she did not live with her parents. Initially, the bio said that she lived at the

Tuesday Tidbits

2012-01-17T12:49:00.001-08:00

Temps are rising here in the boonies, which means that all of our beautiful snow is melting away and revealing a whole lot of mud. What an odd winter we’re having here in New York! My day was brightened when I went to the mailbox and found a wonderful and encouraging card from a friend. What a blessing it is to receive some love in a sunny yellow envelope! Regarding the painful situation

Taking Steps Towards Change

2012-01-16T08:01:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, before doing some grocery shopping, I took on the task of cleaning out the refrigerator and cupboards. It had been some time since I had last tackled that job and there was definitely a need. I was so disappointed, once again, to find spoiled and rotten food tucked far into the shelves and drawers. I say “again” because this has been something I have struggled with for so long.

Sunday Praise

2012-01-15T04:33:00.001-08:00

We’re big fans of Britt Nicole and I was happy to hear a song from her upcoming album on the radio this week. I hear the lyrics to this song and I think about my testimony. “You’ve been walking with me all this time.” Even when I didn’t believe in God, I can look back and see how He was there, guiding me. From the first tear cryTo today's sunriseAnd every single moment betweenYou were thereYou

Saturday Snapshots

2012-01-14T04:53:00.001-08:00

Yesterday afternoon, after the winds stopped blowing, I went out and took a walk. Everything was covered in a fluffy white blanket and it was just so beautiful! While this next shot was taken through a window and isn’t perfectly composed, I was so happy to have Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal visiting our back porch. They are generally very timid and don’t usually come up on our trees or

Links I Love

2012-01-13T06:20:00.001-08:00

As I enjoy this beautiful snowy morning, I thought it would be nice to share some links that I have loved recently. Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations shared a bunch of neat printables that go along with the book The Snowy Day. Our Luna had fun sitting down and working on these sheets, which you can find right here. Jill from Compassion Family has been sharing some of the first letters she

BFTB Readers Ask….

2012-01-12T08:47:00.001-08:00

I’m excited to start off this series today with the question that was asked the most often through the BFTB Facebook page, comments and email. “How did you come to know the Lord?” It is a long and complicated story, but I will do my best to share it in one manageable post. First, of course, there is the back-story…. As a child, my Mom took my sister and I to church every Saturday evening.

Weekly Prayer Child

2012-01-11T11:15:00.001-08:00

This week’s prayer child is the lovely Kai from Ghana. (She has been sponsored! Praise the Lord!) I look through the Compassion International website at least once a week and the Lord leads me to a child (or sometimes many children) to pray over. My hope is to be able to connect her with a loving sponsor. At her age, she has already been dropped by at least one sponsor in the program. Kai

Therapy

2012-01-10T13:12:00.001-08:00

Today, therapy came in the form of a wood pile that needed to be relocated. The truth is, I’ve been on shaky ground for a while. Carrying the weight of heart-break for well over a year has changed who I am and how I cope. Yes, I can still see blessings and special moments for what they are, yet the recognition is almost always followed by a , “Yes, but…..” There is joy in our home, but it is

Ten Random Things

2012-01-10T07:23:00.001-08:00

Today, I will treat you to ten random tidbits about yours truly. For the first time in my adult life, I have a matching set of dishes, thanks to a Christmas Gift. Up to this point, we’ve had a few of this kind of plate and a couple of that kind of plate. Now, I smile when I open my cupboard and see a stack of cheerful rainbow dishes sitting there. I have had my nose pierced for seventeen

Monday Mail Call (With a Side Order of Technical Glitches!)

2012-01-09T14:16:00.001-08:00

(Sorry for the re-post! Looks like IntenseDebate comments are crashing when someone comments on the blog through a mobile device. Trying to figure out how to fix that. In the meantime, I had to delete one comment and post this again!) Seems like we’ve had less Happy Dances at the mailbox than I am used to over the last few months. Our Precious, who used to send us two letters a month, hasn’

Sunday Praise

2012-01-08T05:49:00.001-08:00

Today’s choice is from a fellow redhead – Leeland. We won one of his CD’s from a local Christian radio station and I was struck by how pure Leeland’s worship is. There is something in his music that goes straight to my heart. I hope your Sunday is blessed.

A New Year – A New Series!

2012-01-05T06:27:00.001-08:00

I’ve recently suffered a bit of a Blogging Burn-Out and lacked the time, energy and inspiration to much into this blog. It came to my mind to start a new series. “BFTB Readers Ask…..” I need your help, though! My plan is to answer a question or two from my readers each week. So can you do me a favor? Think of something you’re curious about and ask me! Do you wonder about our Compassion

The Power of a Word

2012-01-04T09:23:00.001-08:00

The trend in the blogosphere has been to choose a word to focus on for the duration of the year. I have a bit of a stubborn streak (perhaps it is the red hair) and I bucked the trend the first few years that those posts showed up. This year, though, as those posts started showing up in my Google Reader, I have to admit that one word always came to my mind. It seemed like, whether or not I

Another Look at Letter Writing Day

2012-01-02T08:06:00.001-08:00

Walking through the store this weekend, a display of Valentine’s Day cards caught my eye and reminded me that we hadn’t sent any Valentine’s goodies to our Compassion children yet. While our letters may not arrive at their destination by February 14th, we still wanted to share them with our children. This morning, while Kaya and Luna sat down to some learning, I pulled out the needed supplies and

Year in Review – Compassion Edition

2011-12-31T07:05:00.001-08:00

I’m joining the masses and thinking back over 2011. While this year has had its fair share of ups and downs, that could be said for every year I can remember. As far as Compassion is concerned, it has been an amazing year. We welcomed three new children into our family in 2011. In January, I asked for another Correspondent Child and we were assigned this handsome young man in Tanzania.

Friday’s Favorites

2011-12-23T05:31:00.001-08:00

My favorite moment and photo from the week happened on Wednesday. After a couple of months of not going, we returned to our local nursing home to sing some carols to the residents. I don’t think I realized just how much I missed these sweet people until I saw them again, their faces lighting up at the sight of a group of silly kids walking the halls. The moment that choked me up the most was

Do You Hear What I Hear?

2011-12-22T12:18:00.001-08:00

Today, like every weekday, I made the hopeful trip to the mailbox to see if I have any Happy Dance worthy mail waiting for us! As I walked the quarter mile to our mailbox today, I noticed that these warm temperatures and recent rain have left the dirt road covered with huge puddles. I picked up a stick and worked on carving out little drain ditches in the mud. When I finally got to the mailbox,

Hustle and Bustle

2011-12-20T11:02:00.001-08:00

This season has been one full of hustle and bustle for our family. We’re not running from store to store, but instead we’re having fun crafting and gathering with friends. Here’s a glimpse of some of the activities that have kept us busy this month. Faux Stained Glass Paintings Gingerbread House Building A different kind of Faux Stained Glass to brighten our windows on these cloudy days. (

Five Things I Learned…

2011-12-16T04:54:00.001-08:00

…when the power suddenly went out around 8:00 last night. If you are sewing something by hand when the power goes out and you drop your needle when the 5 year old screams like a banshee, you will wish you had shoes on when you take a step to look for a flashlight. If your husband takes the flashlight earlier in the day, don't assume he will put it back in the right spot even though he is super

Adventures in Fail

2011-12-09T08:03:00.001-08:00

At the beginning of the Advent season, I made the decision to be more intentional in planning fun activities with my girls. We’ve spent lots of time crafting and baking once the day’s homeschooling and responsibilities were crossed off of the to-do list. There have been many magical moments and memories created by this special time, no doubt. But, if I were to be completely honest, I have been

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T08:10:00.001-08:00

My favorite two shots from the last few days. Stay Connected with BFTB!

Creeper Christmas Carol

2011-12-06T07:44:00.001-08:00

I loved reading your comments the other day, sharing some of your favorite Christmas songs! There’s one song that I hear every year, though, that sort of makes my skin crawl. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” My husband and I jokingly call it the Creeper Christmas Carol. I know it is a classic and many people just love it, but I find it just a wee bit sketchy. When my girls get older, I just may play

The Ghana Fund Grows

2011-12-05T06:57:00.001-08:00

I often think back to the day I finally decided to ask for help in sponsoring the beautiful Kwagala from Uganda. An excerpt from that post: I sat with coffee in hand and argued with myself. Well, not so much myself, as I believe I was arguing with God. “ “Post on your blog. See if you can find a group of people willing to help you out with sponsorship.” “I don’t want to get my hopes up and

Sunday Praise

2011-12-04T05:47:00.001-08:00

I just love this song and especially love the version that can be found on David Crowder’s Oh For Joy album, which I have heard here and there online. I would love to know, what are your favorite Christmas songs?

Saturday Snapshots

2011-12-03T15:16:00.001-08:00

With overnight temperatures in the mid-twenties, the world was a frosty, sparkly wonderland this morning. I took an invigorating walk with my camera in hand. As the sun came up from behind the trees, it was a simply dazzling sight. I took time to breathe deep and thank the Lord for the beauty that can be found all around us. I pray that your weekend is beautiful!

Links I Love

2011-12-02T05:52:00.001-08:00

It has been a while since I have written a “Links I Love” post! I’ve had a few sites I had been wanting to share with my readers. First on the list is Come Together Trading Company! If you are looking to purchase some gifts for loved ones, I highly recommend looking through the beautiful items in stock at CTTC! From their About Us page: “On a trip to Africa with Compassion International we

Thursday’s This and That

2011-12-01T06:10:00.001-08:00

Outside of my window… the sun is shining, bringing a sparkle to the frost that was left on everything overnight. The chilly temperatures bring a hustle and bustle to the birdfeeder hanging off of our back deck. Juncos, nuthatches, goldfinches and my favorite chickadees are all vying for breakfast right now. Around the house… I hear the hum of a fan that is distributing heat from our woodstove

Giving Presence

2011-11-29T10:59:00.001-08:00

There is no denying the fact that the holiday season is in full swing. As soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers have been eaten, we’re ready to deck the halls and crank up the Christmas carols. This year, I’ve been inspired to take a bit of time to give “presence” to my girls as we prepare for Christmas. For the first time, this year we plan to take part in Ann Voskamp’s Jesse Tree Journey. I am

Monday Mail Call!

2011-11-28T12:30:00.001-08:00

It was an uneventful week for us as far as letters from our Compassion kids go! However, we have received many beautiful birthday cards from the co-sponsors of lovely Kwagala Deborah! Looking at the stack of beautiful cards filled with encouraging words fills me with a sense of awe at what is possible when people join together for one cause. This Group Effort sponsorship has been such a

On This Black Friday…

2011-11-25T08:36:00.001-08:00

…I am thinking of all of the people dashing about, spending hundreds of dollars on “stuff”. I know it is called “Black Friday” because it is the day that stores make a lot of profit, but in my mind I see it as a dark day that celebrates materialism, indulgence and the idea that we need more, more, more. Since we have come to know more about poverty in this world, from sponsoring through

Thankful

2011-11-24T08:01:00.001-08:00

Like just about everyone, my mind is wandering today towards things I am thankful for. The list goes on and on. Family. Provision. The freedom to follow our Faith. I could probably sit here for hours, without coming to the end of my Thankful List. This morning, tears came to my eyes when I received the news of another child sponsored. When JD went to visit our Precious in Ghana, she was able to

Monday Mail Call!

2011-11-21T12:13:00.001-08:00

With the flurry of letters that graced our mailbox two weeks ago, it came as no surprise that our jaunts to the mailboxes weren’t very exciting last week. I was happy to find a letter from Mkapa in Tanzania waiting for us this afternoon, though. In Mkapa’s letter, he tells us that this past August marked the ten year anniversary of the opening of his Child Development Center. They

Heart-Break

2011-11-16T05:30:00.001-08:00

I had planned a light-hearted post today, but after reading through JD’s most recent blog post, I can’t bring myself to publish it. Please, take a few minutes to read this post. My heart is broken and I cannot help but think that these stories need to be told. If you could share the link above on Facbook or your blog, we can raise awareness. My friends have come face to face with slavery and I

Monday Mail Call

2011-11-14T08:41:00.001-08:00

It would be an understatement to say that this has been a blessed week as far as Compassion International is concerned. JD’s post about her visit with our Precious has been read countless times by the members of our family. Personally, I can’t get through it without crying and my heart fluttering. It has blessed us all in ways that cannot be put into words. Then, as if that was not enough, we’ve

Sunday Praise

2011-11-13T05:15:00.001-08:00

What a week it has been! Much of the week was spent lifting up our friends in Ghana and praying for their mission. Truthfully, my mind has been in Ghana quite a bit. This post about JD and company meeting Precious and her family is such a gift to us. One that I could read ten, twenty, thirty times in a day and each time it gives me tingles, makes me cry and my heart swell. I find myself

Happy Birthday, Kaya Jade

2011-11-11T07:48:00.001-08:00

Today, our sweet girl turns ten years old! It was a bit too cold to take some pictures of her outdoors, so we took a few indoors. We’re so blessed to have this caring, generous, compassionate and creative girlie!

What a Beautiful Gift!

2011-11-10T04:30:00.001-08:00

It would be an understatement to say that our family is just blown away by the amazing gift that was given to us thanks to JD, Debra, Tia and Josh, along with our awesome God. This spectacular blog post has been read, re-read and re-re-read since it was posted yesterday. The pictures and words elicit so many different responses from the everyone in our home. We lift up a chorus of, “Awwwwww!” at

Tears, Tears and More Tears

2011-11-09T14:28:00.001-08:00

As Luna said a few moments ago, “Luna is crying for joy agaaaaain!” JD just posted this account of meeting our Precious. As my husband and I read it, several times we had to stop and cry it out before we could continue. I am sort of at a loss for words, but my heart is just so full and thankful. Please pray for the team as they travel to the Lake Volta region!

Posting Through Tears

2011-11-09T04:50:00.001-08:00

As you know, my friends are in Ghana right now and if you've been following the journey on JD's blog, you know that it started out with one bump after another. We were told that yesterday was the day that they were supposed to stop by the GH220 project and meet our Precious, but through the course of the day I started to wonder if another hurdle had kept them from making that appointment. My

Orphan Sunday

2011-11-06T11:38:00.001-08:00

Today is Orphan Sunday and while we may not be in a place where we are ready to adopt an orphan, there are other ways to help. This is Cecilia, a sweet girl who lives in Ghana. Esi is an orphan and she lives with her aunt. She has been on my heart for a few weeks now. Even though I have shown her to my husband and given him puppy dog eyes, he hasn’t given me the nod that we can go ahead and

Sunday Praise

2011-11-06T04:29:00.001-08:00

A friend posted this video on Facebook during the week. Aren’t little Mandi and Olivia so cute? Well, this video, along with the others posted by Mandi’s mom, have inspired my Kaya Jade to work at learning some Jamie Grace songs on the keyboard. She spent over five hours yesterday, figuring out chords. First thing this morning, she’s back at the keyboard bright and early! Little does she

Thursday’s This & That

2011-11-03T08:54:00.001-07:00

Around the house… Vivaldi is on the radio while my girls work on their learning. The woodstove is going and several of the pets have been drawn to the warmth and are snoozing peacefully nearby. Outside of the window… most of the trees have lost their leaves, but I can still enjoy watching squirrel acrobatics on the bare branches. The furry little guys have been collecting nuts at a frenzied

Shutterfly Winners!!

2011-10-27T14:43:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway! I wrote down the names of everyone who entered and drew three names! Autumn Windowsnbananas Jenn Winners, please contact me through the contact form on the right and I will get your Shutterfly codes to you! If I don’t hear from you by Saturday, I will pick another winner! Congratulations to those who won, and for those that didn’t, I

One By One…

2011-10-26T10:34:00.001-07:00

…the days are counting down until my friends, JD and Debra, get on a jet and head to Ghana. When I first heard about their plans, November seemed so far away. Now, their trip begins in less than two weeks. In the last few months, I have cheered my friends on as I have watched God do amazing things to make this trip come to pass. (Amen.) Proof that, when God is in it, seemingly gigantic tasks can

Monday, Monday….

2011-10-24T11:21:00.001-07:00

And you know what that means! Mail Call! Last week, we received another letter from our Rodrigo in Bolivia. Is seems as if, over the last 6 months, we have been blessed to receive more and more letters from this sweet boy. Rodrigo says: Thank you for the letter and picture to color. (We had sent hummingbird coloring sheets in the spring.) My brother likes riding on the skate and I like

Sunday Praise

2011-10-23T05:42:00.001-07:00

I know I have posted this song be fore a la David Crowder, but my husband found this video yesterday and it really moved us. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! A few random things to mention as well. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway I posted yesterday! You could win 25 free photo cards from Shutterfly! Also, I created a Compassion Bloggers group on Facebook, where we will have various

Shutterfly Giveaway!

2011-10-22T08:49:00.001-07:00

Some of you may remember that last year I posted about the cool photo cards available at Shutterfly.com. (By blogging about Shutterfly, we receive 50 free cards!) Kaya drew a sweet nativity scene, which I scanned in and we used that as the front of the Christmas cards we sent out. Inside, we added pictures of the three girls and also had a lot of space to share some information about the

Another Precious Boy

2011-10-21T06:52:00.001-07:00

Through the course of the last year and a half, I have been sharing any Compassion International children I happen to find from Precious’ project in Ghana. GH220 is just a wonderful CDC, with a read dedication to writing reciprocally and sending photos for every financial gift that is sent. More than a dozen Precious Connection children are now sponsored by some of my wonderful blog readers. (

Why Isn’t My Child Smiling?

2011-10-20T08:32:00.001-07:00

When it comes to the pictures featured on Compassion packets and on the child profiles online, many people comment on the solemn and serious expressions on the face of the children. Sometimes, the looks are caused by hunger, tiredness or illness. Sometimes, the lack of a smile is a cultural thing. In some cultures, it is considered a sign of respect to look serious for photographs. In some cases

Monday Mail Call (and Praises!)

2011-10-17T12:00:00.001-07:00

Before I get to today’s Mail Call, I‘d just like to share a praise report about sweet Jemima, the little girl I featured here on Saturday. Last night, I turned on the computer and saw this wonderful message in my inbox. “Michelle, I've been thinking about sponsoring a child and as I decided to do that, I found your post about Jemima. As soon as I saw her I knew she was mine! We even share the

Little Jemima

2011-10-15T05:49:00.001-07:00

I was looking through the Compassion International website and came across a sight that breaks my heart. In Africans, an orange tinge to the hair is a sign on severe malnutrition. Jemima’s distended belly also is a sign that she has gone without food more than she should. While she is now receiving food when at the CI project, I would guess that the family is still struggling to provide for

Photo Friday

2011-10-14T05:30:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned last week, I took on this October Photo Challenge in an attempt to spark some creativity and push my photography skills a bit. I have really enjoyed the inspiration to get out there and take photographs! Last week I shared days one through five. Today I’ll share photos from the last few days. Day 6 – Straw (Yes, I know. Technically this is *hay*!) Day 7 – Water Day 8 –

Thursday’s This & That

2011-10-13T15:34:00.001-07:00

Outside of the window… the wind is tossing colored leaves around and it looks like an orange gold rain is falling. This past week flaunted brilliant foliage, but now the leaves are falling at a rapid pace. This is what our area looked like recently. Simply beautiful! Around the house… our favorite Christian radio station is playing One True God while Kaya works on a story she is writing

Worth a Hop

2011-10-12T06:42:00.001-07:00

I don’t know the exact statistics, but I do know that people rarely follow links from one blog to another. If I had to make a rough guess based on info from my blog traffic counter, I’d say anywhere from 5% to 10% of my readers take the time to click through. I get it, too. I do the same thing when I read blogs. As I scroll through my Google Reader, if one of my favorite bloggers is guest

Bloggers Unite

2011-10-11T05:34:00.001-07:00

Last night I was thinking about all of the wonderful bloggers I have come to know out in the blogosphere. Inspirational, encouraging posts have made me think and pushed me to grow. Today, I’d love to have some of you share your links below! Click the InLinkz button and remember to put the name of your blog in the “Name” box!

Breath-taking Beauty

2011-10-08T07:46:00.001-07:00

Autumn in this region of New York can be brilliantly beautiful. We get our fair share of blustery and chilly October days, but we’ve been graced with a run of sunshine and blue skies. We’ve taken full advantage of the amazing weather this week. We’ve hiked and explored for hours. I can’t tell you how many times I have uttered the word, “Wow!” I am thankful for the

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T10:33:00.001-07:00

(I am trying to stretch myself with my photography, so I am taking part in a photo challenge this month!) Day One – Fall Day Two – Leaves Day Three – Bubbles Day Four – Stairs Day Five – Mirror Adding some other non-challenge pics from the week, too I am really enjoying this push to look for images to capture! Fun!

Monday Mail Call!

2011-10-03T10:45:00.001-07:00

That’s right, it is Monday! You know what that means. Mail call! Last week, we received a letter from our Rodrigo in Bolivia. Such a sweet boy he is. I just love hearing from him! In this most recent letter he shares: “I thank you so much for the letters that you sent me. That is so good for me! Here, I am fine with all my family. My gratitude to God. My school winter vacation is over.

Sunday Praise

2011-10-02T05:15:00.001-07:00

…from Ghana. Have a wonderful Sunday, friends!

Impeccable Timing

2011-10-01T08:53:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the first day that I have actually put stock into the possibility of my dream of going to Ghana becoming a reality. All day, I felt as if I was in a daze, my thoughts wandering to lessons learned over the course of the last few weeks and thinking about the details involved in traveling to Africa. I spent a lot more time deep in thought and in prayer. In the afternoon, I had to run

Dare to Dream

2011-09-30T06:02:00.001-07:00

It probably comes as no surprise that I often catch myself thinking about what it would be like to meet our Compassion International children face to face. We love all of our children around the world deeply and they are regularly in our thoughts, our conversations and our prayers. But, out of our ten children, it is with our first sponsored child that we share the strongest bond. It isn’t that

Thursday’s This & That

2011-09-29T08:39:00.001-07:00

Around the house… there is the cozy feeling that comes with everyone being inside on a cool and rainy Autumn day. Jay is working on drawings for his upcoming job and the girls are laying low after a few days of having friends over. Outside… Autumn’s beauty can be seen even though it has been raining off and on for a few days. I am thankful for… a prospect of a job

He is in Control

2011-09-28T05:51:00.001-07:00

This past week and a half has been full of wonder for my husband and I. More times that I can count, we’ve seen some sort of common theme run through our day or have had one “coincidence” or another lead to the blessing of a wonderfully orchestrated opportunity. One example, in the last week or two, the topic of alcohol has come up a number of times. Maybe we are sensitive to this more than

Sunday Praises!

2011-09-25T12:55:00.001-07:00

Now, normally, I visit Youtube on Sunday mornings to pick a video to share. I didn’t do so this morning because I was struggling with some neighbor issues that carried over from last night. Truthfully, I was very frustrated with some inconsiderate behavior that has affected our family’s ability to enjoy quiet evenings and restful slumber. I allowed my annoyance to grow and grow to a point

Too Good To Wait!

2011-09-24T05:36:00.001-07:00

I thought I might hold on to this until my Monday Mail Call post, but I just can’t do it. In June, a sweet young lady named Mary-Catherine went to Ghana. (You can read about her trip on her blog GhanaBound.) I had met Mary-Catherine through social networking and I asked if she might have room in her luggage for a small bag of gifts for Precious. She did and I was able to fill a gallon sized

Links I Love!

2011-09-23T07:41:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I have shared some links with all of you. Topping the list of favorite posts from the recent week, was this gem from JD of Compassion Can. Go Ahead and Assume I am 100 Years Old Isn’t that something? I also wanted to share, once again, a link to the OurCompassion website. I firmly believe that the OC community is just wonderful and being an active member will

Fun With Photos!

2011-09-22T09:03:00.001-07:00

If you are a Compassion International sponsor, by now you have probably heard all about the wonderful new features that were recently added to the online letter writing tools. We now have the ability to log into our CI account and when we click the link to write to our sponsored child, we have the option to chose from an assortment of neat stationary. Even better, we can also upload and send

It is Monday! Mail Call!!

2011-09-19T07:10:00.001-07:00

Every Monday, I like to share a little from the letters we’ve received from our Compassion International children throughout the week. These letters bring such joy to our family and I have to admit to doing a Happy Dance at the mailbox when I find one of the much-anticipated cream envelopes waiting for me. Last week, we received three letters. The first was a form letter from our Precious in

Sunday Praise

2011-09-18T05:10:00.001-07:00

This video is an old favorite by now. Shaun Groves performed this song in a hotel bathroom while on a blogger trip to Guatemala. Now, I listen to this song daily as I get my Third World Symphony fix. The album has been a soundtrack to some much-needed healing in my life. I am so blessed to share that $200 has already been raised for a Project Gift for GH220. (The ChipIn widget takes a little

Calling all “Precious Connection” Sponsors

2011-09-17T06:40:00.001-07:00

In the past, a number of my wonderful friends and blog readers have gathered together to sponsor children from Compassion International project GH220. Sweet children like Cephus, Florence, George, Kenneth and Emmanuella have all been sponsored. Hannah, Evelyn, Agartha, Emammuel, Prince and Priscilla have been given the news that they were chosen. Bisease Wesley Methodist Child Development

Red “Letter” Day!

2011-09-16T09:45:00.001-07:00

I have been waiting for this day for quite a while! Compassion International is breaking out their new and improved Letter Writing Tool on their website! With this amazing new tool, U.S. sponsors will be able to choose from 36 different colorful letter templates. We will also now have the ability to upload up to three photos and attach them to our letters! Here is one of the letters I created

A Glimpse of Ghana ~ Part Two

2011-09-15T04:58:00.001-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I love OurCompassion? Another member of the site shared this video tour of the GH232 Child Development Center. Video Tour of Compassion Project in Ghana from Compassion International on Vimeo. There are also still many children available for sponsorship from this project, with many of them having video introductions on their Compassion pages. I am thoroughly enjoying

A Glimpse of Ghana

2011-09-14T04:42:00.001-07:00

Some of you may know, my heart is in Ghana. In addition to the adorable video introductions for some of the children in Ghana’s GH232 project, a member of OurCompassion also pointed out this great video of the GH231 Child Development Center. Compassion Child Development Center GH231 from Compassion International on Vimeo. I do hope that one day I will be able to travel to Ghana to visit our

Mail Call!

2011-09-13T04:45:00.001-07:00

(Whoops! I typed this post up yesterday morning and forgot to publish it! Usually it is Mail Call Monday, but hopefully this is better late than never!) Every time I make the trek to our mailbox, I wonder if we will be blessed to find a letter from one of our Compassion International children. Those letters bring us such joy, a connection with each beautiful child in our family. This past

Saturday Snapshots

2011-09-10T05:19:00.001-07:00

Well it has been a fun and busy week! We had our first homeschool co-op meeting of the school year and we spent some time walking and looking for animal tracks Thanks to the recent rains, we found many tracks in the mud. We went back to our church and the kids worked on Nature Journal entries. We also learned about local wildlife. At home, we witnessed our last Monarch emerging from

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like….

2011-09-09T06:20:00.001-07:00

…Christmas? Well, we still have a few months before it is time to deck the halls but I received word this week that Compassion International is now ready to receive Christmas cards for unsponsored children. This is a wonderful program and a great way to send some joy to those children who are waiting to be chosen by a loving sponsor. You are welcome to send our Christmas cards to bring some joy

Awesome News!

2011-09-08T13:15:00.001-07:00

What kind of news would make this Compassion International letter-writing advocate do a Happy Dance jiggity-jig in the middle of the kitchen? This awesome news shared on OurCompassion today. Get ready, dear sponsors! Your letter writing ministry to your sponsored children is going to be improved in many wonderful ways! OurCompassion

Mail Call Monday!

2011-09-05T08:11:00.001-07:00

There’s no hope of a Happy Dance today because of the postal holiday and we didn’t receive any letters from our Compassion International children last week. I know that my friend JD from Compassion Can received an AMAZING letter from her Ato Sam in Ghana, so I hope that she will link up below! Fifteen pages of information, I can only imagine! If you have been blessed with a letter from your

Purging and Emerging

2011-09-03T09:57:00.001-07:00

Over the last few weeks, I have struggled. The loss of a child and loss of control have twisted me up so tightly that I lost vision of, not only myself, but the bigger picture. As days went by, I have been torn in a million different directions. Stressed out, pent up, weighted down, stifled in, and as the sun would set and rise, the pressure inside of me built and built. Yesterday, I cracked

Doing The Next Thing

2011-09-02T07:28:00.001-07:00

To be completely honest, the last few weeks have been tough. The post by Ann Voskamp, What To Do When You Want To Give Up And Stay In Bed, has resonated deeply with how I have been feeling. Physical and emotional issues have me feeling like I am walking around with sandbags tied to my limbs. Stress is weighing heavy on me and my symptoms mirror every checklist that I have seen for Adrenal

Water of Life Revisited

2011-09-01T05:08:00.001-07:00

I was disappointed to learn yesterday that Compassion International didn’t win the Twitter #twakeover contest. Despite a ton of support from fans of CI, somebody else came in first with a lead of less than 200 votes. This contest could have brought a lot of awareness for Compassion’s Water of Life initiative. You can read more about Water of Life by going to this post. The reality is that many

Keeping Track of Our Sponsored Children

2011-08-31T06:23:00.001-07:00

I am participating in Works For Me Wednesday from the We Are THAT Family blog again today. Reviving a post from last year, I will share how we keep track of letters that we send to and receive from our Compassion International children. With ten Compassion International children in nine different countries, I’ve developed a way to keep track of their information, letters we’ve sent and letters

An Opportunity to Bless

2011-08-30T07:07:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I happened to come across a post on my Google Reader that inspired me. One of my favorite art bloggers posted about a dress-drive for an orphanage in Haiti. Even with my limited sewing experience, the free pattern that was provided seemed pretty simple and straightforward. I love opportunities to get my children involved in service projects and sewing a simple dress or two seemed

Monday Mail Call

2011-08-29T10:48:00.001-07:00

As a new Blogging from the Boonies series, every Monday I am sharing any letters we’ve received from our Compassion International children. I encourage you to share your letters from your children as well. You an either link up a Mail Call blog post at the bottom my post, or you can share in the comments section. This week, we received a letter from Johan in East India. I also noticed an

Sunday Praise

2011-08-28T05:33:00.001-07:00

Our Monarch caterpillar project has brought to mind many thoughts about transformation, renewal and change. This song has been going through my head quite a bit. Yesterday, our fourth caterpillar changed into a chrysalis and I was able to snap a series of photos from a different angle. The following pictures were taken with 20-30 seconds in between each shot. Pretty

Links I Love

2011-08-27T04:54:00.001-07:00

Especially for your weekend browsing, I’ll share some links that you, too, may love! Kurt Willems from The Pangea Blog posted a really great video about Compassion’s new Water Of Life initiative. Check out his post and vide by clicking here and also read a bit more about the Twitter contest Compassion is hoping to win. We need all of the votes that we can get, so if you don’t have a twitter

(Not) Back To School

2011-08-26T06:41:00.001-07:00

Every store is buzzing with the late August Back To School mania and my Facebook feed is filled with pictures of backpack toting children on their front porches. I am reminded of how thankful I am for the educational choice we’ve made, especially as our Luna is at the age where she would be headed off for full-day Kindergarten. I know that many, many five year olds are testing out their wings of

Works For Me Wednesday

2011-08-24T09:51:00.001-07:00

Many blogs publish a "Works For Me Wednesday" post that shares a helpful tip or two. I’m joining in today because recently I have had a few people mention that they wish they had a way to keep up with all of the blogs that they like. I keep up with my favorite blogs by using Google Reader. With Google Reader, you can click the Add A Subscription button and enter the URL of any blog you’d like

An Everyday Miracle

2011-08-23T16:00:00.001-07:00

As part of our kick-off to the homeschool year, we’ve been raising a few Monarch caterpillars. It has been fun to watch them grow from teeny tiny caterpillars that delicately eat small circles from leaves to big, fat critters that chomp through half of a milkweed leaf without stopping for a breath. Their growth rate alone has been a miraculous thing to witness. We were all excited for the day

Mail Call Monday!

2011-08-22T10:56:00.001-07:00

My Mail Call Monday posts come a little later in the day because Monday's are usually good for a Happy Dance or two. I made the trek to the mailbox twice today. The first walk was a bit early and the mail hadn’t come yet. The second trip was worth the effort and there was a cream colored envelope waiting for me! Though we received a letter from our Precious last week, we were blessed with

Sunday Praise

2011-08-21T05:24:00.001-07:00

I wish I had a video of our Pastor’s wife singing this song. She’s amazing! Have a blessed Sunday, friends!

Links I Loved

2011-08-20T05:55:00.001-07:00

This Saturday morning, I am preparing for a birthday party for my little Luna, but I wanted to share some links I loved this past week. JD from Compassion Can shared about a different kind of Compassion sponsorship on her post titled Sponsorship: Before and Beyond Birth. Teena from At His Feet shared an inspirational story of a young girl with a heart for children. To Think Like Claire Mom on a

Colorado Casserole

2011-08-19T06:06:00.001-07:00

I have a lot of “leftovers” from my trip to Colorado that I haven’t shared. I hope to throw them all together into one casserole post and hope that they turn out good! My first day in Colorado, I was exhausted by the time 7pm rolled around. I had gotten up around 4 in the morning, travelled much of the day and I guess it took a lot out of me. After having a delicious dinner with my friend

Thursday’s This & That

2011-08-18T06:28:00.001-07:00

Outside of the window… I couldn’t ask for a better day. The brutal heat of high summer has passed. Nights are cool and the days are comfortably warm. The weather is just perfect! Around the house… my girls are happily playing with some of Luna’s freshly opened birthday gifts. I am thinking back to… five years ago this morning, we got our first glimpse of sweet Luna Blue. Twenty six hours

This Post Will Automatically Redirect You.

2011-08-17T04:14:00.001-07:00

I love the messages, emails and comments that I receive from those who read my blog. They encourage me and bring a smile on my face. They revitalize me when I think that my words aren’t making an impact. But, I have to give credit where credit is due. Anything good that comes from me, really comes from Him. If I am able to help make a connection, or inspire a sponsor in their ministry to

Happy Dance ~ Delayed

2011-08-16T05:27:00.001-07:00

Mondays are usually good mail days. Even though we had recently heard from just about all of our Compassion International children, I still walked to our mailbox with some hopeful anticipation yesterday. I reached in and pulled out a phone bill, electric bill, car insurance bill and an envelope from Compassion. Right away, I saw that it wasn’t the usual “Message From Your Sponsored” child

Mail Call Monday!

2011-08-15T08:05:00.001-07:00

The last few weeks have blessed us with lots of Happy Dances at our mailbox. It is always a joy to find a letter from one of our Compassion International sponsored children waiting for us in our mailbox. I’ve created this button in case any of my fellow Compassion Bloggers want to use it when they post about the letters they’ve received!