It just happened.

I started a blog because I was bored. And a little lonely. I thought it would be a good place to get my thoughts out and maybe keep in better touch with my friend, Chelley.

I never intended to make friends all over the country.

I had no plans to make a dime, much less make a plan for monetizing.

I certainly had no intention to grow a heart for missions.

And yet . . .

*****

When I was in college, I had a few friends who went on mission trips. And then at the first church we attended after moving back to Kansas City, we became close friends with a couple training to translate the Bible for the people of Indonesia. Later, when we moved to the church we still attend, we met lots more people determined to answer that Great Commission . . . overseas . . . far away . . . in the mission field.

And every time I’d meet another missionary or learn that one of my new friends was, in fact, a missionary (gasp!), I’d say the same thing:

“I’m so glad God didn’t call me to missions.”

*****

At first I only read a handful of blogs. Chelley’s, of course, and the blogs her grad school friends wrote. But one day – maybe nothing good was on TV or I was up late, letting my newborn cry it out – I branched out. I read other blogs.

Those other blogs led to more blogs, which led to even more blogs.

And somewhere between just reading a handful of blogs and the hundreds of blogs that clog up my Google Reader today, I stumbled onto a group of women who have changed my life.

Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.
Sophie at BooMama.
Melanie at Big Mama.

Are these ladies funny? Sure. But while I do enjoy their rambling, clever posts, it was their hearts for Compassion International that moved me.

Moved me to tears.
Moved me to sponsor a child in Ghana.
Moved me to reconsider how I spend my money.

I used to thank God for not calling me to missions. But now I know differently. He’s called me, all right.

To what, I don’t know.

Maybe just to sponsor a little girl named Elizabeth.
Maybe to use the money from a job change to pay off debt faster – instead of getting a new cell phone.
Maybe to tell you about what I’ve learned from Compassion.

Or maybe something more.

I don’t know. But this sure isn’t why I started a blog. THIS is what I would call an unintended consequence. Since stumbling on the first Compassion blogger posts . . .

I've been glued to my screen every time a group goes on a trip.
I've applied to go on a trip myself.
I've cried tears of joy - and maybe a couple of envy - when each new blogger mission trip group is announced.

Shaun Groves has asked how God has changed and surprised us. Well, this is it.

Because of the Compassion bloggers, I am changed.
Because of the Compassion bloggers, my heart is broken.
Because of the Compassion bloggers, I can no longer say, “I’m so glad God didn’t call me to missions.”

Has God changed or surprised you lately?

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Help Haiti Live is tonight!

 

For more information, visit HelpHaitiLive.com. 

 
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Help Haiti LIVE

Edited to add: The LA show has been cancelled, per Shaun Groves. And the Nashville show is almost sold out. So get your tickets now - or plan on logging on from home! (Thanks for the update, Jessie!)

A few weeks may have passed, but Compassion International hasn’t forgotten about Haiti. Not even close.

One month following the 7.1 earthquake that struck Haiti, an all-star cast of musicians is gathering for “Help Haiti Live,” a two-city ticketed concert event taking place on February 27 to benefit Compassion’s Haiti disaster relief fund. The concerts will be ticketed and also streamed live at HelpHaitiLive.com.

Check out this list of performers:

• Alison Krauss & Union Station (featuring Jerry Douglas)
• Amy Grant
• Big Kenny
• Mat Kearney
• Jars of Clay
• Rebecca St. James
• NEEDTOBREATHE
• Brandon Heath

Cool, right? These musicians and a to-be-announced special headliner will participate in two concert events, live from Los Angeles at the historic Wiltern Theater and at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. All talent and production fees have been donated, along with streaming services (Livestream.com), allowing proceeds to go toward Compassion’s disaster relief fund.

Tickets for each event will range in price from $25-75 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations. And if you don't happen to be in LA or Nashville this weekend, you can watch the whole thing online for free. (Or for a donation. Your choice.)

All net proceeds from Help Haiti Live will go to Compassion International’s Haiti disaster relief fund. All money raised in response to the Haiti earthquake will be used immediately to re-equip Compassion’s local support structure and to provide for the immediate needs of Compassion-assisted children and families.

Compassion has been meeting the physical and spiritual needs of Haitians for more than forty years and will continue to serve them in this time of extreme need. Already Compassion International has supplied more than 15,000 families with clean water, food, blankets, temporary shelter, medical supplies and counseling. Donations will lay bricks, feed, educate, clothe, heal and rebuild Haiti for many months to come in Jesus’ name.

So, what are YOU doing this Saturday night?

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Random Readings, 1.23.10

You all, I am FRIED. My bad mood just got worse and worse today. My morning started with Annalyn waking up an hour early, then moved quickly into news that a client had blasted me for a small mistake that I’d already apologized for and offered to fix by emailing my bosses about it. And then I ended the evening by backing into a truck when leaving my friends’ house after what had been an otherwise lovely visit.

So. These links are about as random as can be, and I don’t even think I can offer you much explanation. Please just know I’ve been collecting them all week, and for various reasons, I think you need to know about each and every item. Enjoy.

• Shelly began a series about intentional parenting, and I can’t wait to read her insights. She’s a wise lady who is raising teenaged girls, and since I know I’ll be there sooner than I think, I am trying to soak up as much of her knowledge as I can!
• Have I mentioned I love Chuck, the TV show? Yeah, just a few million times. Well, it turns out that the actor who plays Chuck is a Christian. I love that.
• Matthew Paul Turner, an author, blogger and husband of a fellow (in)courage writer, spent the last week in Uganda with World Vision. Read about his journey in Uganda Week.
• Shaun Groves is amazing. The work he does – and the passion with which he does it – for Compassion blows me away. And he’s doing it again, bigger than ever. Stay tuned for more info about the benefit he’s planning for Haiti.
• What do you do when you see homeless people? I always feel weird and end up doing . . . nothing. Jenn has a great solution and detailed instructions: Keep care packages for homeless people in your car, including items like toothbrushes, hand warmers, water bottle and more.
• Did you read the Babysitters Club books back in the day? Apparently, they’ve been out of print for a while, but they’re coming back and there’s a prequel. I might have to read that!
• If you’re a blogger and you’re not reading Savvy Blogging, check it out now. These ladies are offering up honest, realistic and so very relevant advice, and everyone who wants to improve their blog should be reading every word. I know I am. 
• And I'm over at (in)courage today, talking about a time (not the only time, believe you me) I got in trouble for rolling my eyes. You don't want to miss this one.
  

That’s all folks. Have a good weekend!

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Haiti: Everyone Can Do Something

Updated to say: Thank you so much to everyone who donated! Thanks to your participation, Giving Up on Perfect donated $15.00 this weekend. (I rounded up from $9.25 - numbers aren't my thing, remember?!)

I had a great post scheduled for today (Friday). See, it's National Delurking Week, so earlier this week, several bloggers asked their readers to step out from behind the computer screen and make a comment already. Just to say "hi." Just to say "I'm here."

I'm going to wait on that because I was asked (along with lots of other folks) to write about the work Compassion is doing in Haiti. So, come back next week for a fun, clever post. But please stay today for an important one.

Here's the thing: I just can't wrap my mind around what has happened in Haiti. My heart can't fathom the pain that thousands are facing. Even after seeing the pictures, I can't fathom the destruction and damage. I don't know how to process any of it.

What I do know is that Compassion International has reacted immediately to this crisis. They were on the front lines of Haiti's severe poverty before the earthquake, and they will serve in Haiti long after many of us have forgotten this tragedy.

I also know that according to CNN, the FBI is warning of several Haiti charity scams that have popped up in the wake of this earthquake. They are suggesting that donations only be made to organizations monitored and rated by CharityNavigator.org and The American Institute of Philanthropy. Both organizations have given Compassion International their highest approval ranking. Compassion International is the only non-profit in its category to receive eight consecutive years of four-star rating from CharityNavigator.org.

So, with all that in mind, I believe it's safe to say that if you can help Haiti financially, your money will be well spent at Compassion.

Here's how to give: Text "disaster" to 90999 to donate $10, or donate online. Just $35 can help provide a relief pack filled with enough food and water to sustain a family for one week.

I've seen a couple bloggers pledge to donate a certain amount of money per comment they get on their post about Haiti. That's certainly one way to celebrate Delurking Week!

Earlier today, I donated to Compassion, And while I can't pledge to donate hundreds more, I will donate a quarter for every comment to this post.

I know it's not a lot. Maybe you can't give a lot either. But together, I believe God will use our gifts (and our prayers!) to make a difference. So, please, leave a comment and tell me how you've decided to help Haiti.

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Helping Haiti

Before we jump in to conference talk, I want to share some information I’ve found over the last day or so about relief efforts in Haiti. Here are several ways to help the thousands devastated by Tuesday’s earthquake:

• Global Orphan Project – I know these folks personally, and I know the huge heart they have for Haiti. Every penny donated goes directly to relief efforts; nothing goes toward administrative costs.
• Samaritan’s Purse – Just hours after the earthquake hit, this organization had a relief team on its way. 
• Compassion International – A gift of $35 will help one family receive emergency supplies of food and clean water for about one week.
• World Vision – Your gift will help distribute life-saving relief supplies, including food, clean water, blankets and tents.

Updated to add: Leslie Ruth over at Diary of a Southern Drama Queen has four more ways to help Haiti. Two of them involve only leaving comments on blogs.

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Making a list and checking it twice.

It’s the end of a year and the end of a decade. You know what that means: best-of lists, and lots of them. Before we make it to New Year’s Eve, I’ll probably break down and share a few of my favorite lists with you. But for now, I’m just going to play along with Gwen Bell’s Best of 2009 Blog Challenge. (Hat tip: George from Crocs)

Gwen has a question for each day of the month, asking about one “best” from your year. I’m going to answer a few each week. If you want to play along, too – whether every day, once a week or one time only – check out the full list of questions.

#1 What was your best trip in 2009?
I took several trips this last year, more than normal. Two blogging conferences (Blissdom and SheSpeaks), two scrapbooking weekends with my cousins, a day trip to Columbia for my anniversary with Mark, a long weekend to Branson to visit college friends, and a weeklong Florida vacation.

How can I choose just one? I mean, I could go through a list of pros and cons for each, tally them up and then announce a winner. That might take a while, though.

I think I’ll do this instead. I’m going to call each of the trips a winner. A winner in my heart.

• Blogging conferences were amazing for meeting friends and learning about some amazing opportunities God has placed in my life.
• Scrapbooking weekends were great because I accomplished a lot and got to spend time with my cousins.
• Columbia was a nice break and gave Mark and me some much-needed time together.
• And it was so much fun to catch up with our friends from college over Labor Day weekend.

But, okay, you’re going to make me do it. Fine. I’ll pick a winner. The best trip I took in 2009 was our Florida vacation.

Mark and I got four long days alone, we swam with a dolphin, we stayed in a really nice hotel (that overlooked a really cheesy souvenir shop, but I’m not picky), and we drove through a torrential downpour to see the ocean. And then Annalyn flew down with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. We hung out with family, played in the pool and at the beach, and generally had a lot of fun.

#2 What was the best restaurant experience you had this year?
I’ve got three. First would be the first time we visited Five Guys. Those greasy delicious burgers are soooo good! And the fries? I don’t even care that you can see the grease spots on the brown bag they hand you at the counter. They. Are. Good.

Second restaurant experience I loved this last year was when our favorite waitress at our favorite restaurant actually recited Mark’s “usual” back to him. She even remembered, “Substitute CCQ for the red sauce.”

Last but best is eating at Shakespeare’s Pizza with Mark. During our anniversary road trip to Columbia, we ate dinner at our old fave. We discussed and debated, but we just couldn’t decide: Is the pizza really that good, or does novelty and nostalgia just convince us it’s good? It’s hard to tell, but either way, the pizza was great and we had so much fun.

#3 What article did you read this last year that blew you away?
Just one? Seriously? Okay, I cannot possibly list every article that taught me something, touched my heart, influenced my behavior or just plain cracked me up. But the most life-changing articles I read were, by far, the posts written by the Compassion bloggers who traveled to India.

#4 What book – fiction or non – touched you most in 2009?
I've read so many!! Here’s what I really need: a list of books I’ve read. I signed up for GoodReads, but darned if I remember to log back in and update my list! The library won’t tell me what books I’ve checked out. Something about privacy laws or something. Thankfully, I know what book rocked me this year. And that is Mark Batterson’s In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. If you missed my review, you can read about it here.

All right. Now it’s your turn. Tell me about your best trip, restaurant, article or book!

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“Leftovers are the enemy.”

Or so said Ree Drummond.

On Monday night, I went to a book signing for The Pioneer Woman’s cookbook. My friend Heather and I joined about 500 other people (okay, mostly women) to hear Ree talk about cooking, homeschooling, kids and, of course, Marlboro Man.

The Man himself – and two of their “punks” – were along for the ride. They seemed to be willing participants in the book tour, enjoying themselves by grabbing the microphone (punks) and posing for pictures (Marlboro Man).

Now, before I tell you all the wonderful things Ree said, I’ve got to tell you about the event itself. I’d seen pictures on The Pioneer Woman blog and a couple other sites, and they all showed huge crowds and long lines. But here in Kansas City (where, just for the record, Ree said everyone is “beautiful and kind”), we were remarkably organized.

Of course, by “we,” I mean Rainy Day Books, the local bookstore that hosted the event. And they don’t know who I am. There actually is no “we.”

But if there were a “we,” I’d be extremely proud of us! Because that book signing was one well-oiled machine. We had numbered tickets and could pick them – and our books – up in advance. The doors opened early, and the bookstore only sold as many tickets as the building had seats. (Apparently, they’re real particular about fire codes or some such business.) The president of the bookstore spent 45 minutes asking questions from the audience, and Ree graciously answered them all.

She then gave us a brief Ethel Merman impression, drew winners for a few door prizes and sat down at the signing table. Then we lined up in groups of 50 at a time, according to the number on our tickets, and we got us some signed books. They even had people going down the line with Post-its, writing down the name or personal note we wanted on our books.

Aside from Ree’s little boys grabbing the microphone a few times and driving the bookstore’s president cuh-razy and some women who were too anxious to wait in line for their t-shirts (did I mention we got t-shirts?), the book signing went off without a hitch.

And then there was Ree. The Pioneer Woman herself! In person! She was sweet and witty and charming and beautiful. And I met her and talked to her and didn’t cry one bit. I may have forgotten to tell her my name. But I did not cry. Even when I mentioned Compassion and my friend, Sara.


So there.

Here are a few gems from the question and answer part of the event:

Question: What would your life be like if you hadn’t met Marlboro Man?
Answer: “Oh, I have nightmares about it! I can’t imagine my life without him.”

Question: What was your worst cooking disaster?
Answer: “A vegetable lasagna I made in high school. Instead of ¼ cup of chopped parsley, I used 4 cups. It took me a long time before I could eat parsley!”

Question: What is the best fresh herb to cook with?
Answer: “Right now, rosemary. In the spring, dill. And when I’m hormonal, it’s basil.”

Question: How do you stay sane and maintain balance?
Answer: “That question implies that I am sane!”

Question: Do you ever just fix boxed macaroni and cheese or canned crescent rolls?
Answer: “Oh, sure. My kids have a craving for processed food!”

Ree said that while she can’t respond to comments on her blog, she does read them all. When she was asked if she has a housekeeper and nanny, she laughed. She said she does use a weekly cleaning service, but in her words, “It’s not that glamorous, people.”

Speaking of not-so-glamorous, the topic of rinsing chicken came up. Apparently, the FDA or someone says that rinsing chicken is bad. I don’t know. But what I do know is that The Pioneer Woman agrees with me and rinses her poultry. She said, “I’ve rinsed chicken for 20+ years, and I’m fine . . . relatively speaking.”

She also quoted Steel Magnolias and Napoleon Dynamite, and announced that she’ll be publishing Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, the story of her romance with Marlboro Man. Look for it around Valentine’s Day 2011.

I wish you could have gone to the signing with me. But since you couldn’t, I’m giving away a signed copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. Come back on Friday with your Thanksgiving stories, and join me in Giving Up on a Perfect Thanksgiving. One lucky reader will win the autographed cookbook, a Pioneer Woman t-shirt and matching adult and child aprons from Dayspring’s Life Collection.

See you on Friday! (But, wait, come back tomorrow for Thankful Thursday, too!)

Thankful Thursday: sometimes plans change

Image from The Legacy Builder

I had a list of things that I’m thankful for. I’ve been writing down little and big things over the past week, and I just pulled that list up to put into a little post. A funny post. Because that’s what I do, right?

But you know what? I am sitting here, watching a live chat with the Compassion bloggers in El Salvador. And they are talking about the devastating and heartbreaking poverty they have witnessed this week, and they’re telling stories about children who have saved every letter they ever received from their sponsor, and I’m bawling.

You know what Shaun (Groves) just said? He said that the number of obese people in the world and the number of people who don’t eat every day is approximately the same. So, his point was, God clearly has made enough to go around.

I don’t know how to live with that information.

So as I look at my list of what I’m thankful for, it seems pretty small. And not really that funny after all. So this week, I’m going to kick it serious style and tell you what I pray with Annalyn every night before she goes to bed.

“Dear God, thank you for this day. Thank you for a house to live in and food to eat. Please keep Daddy safe at work and bring him home to us tonight, and please help Annalyn sleep through the night. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Each night has a variation on this theme – sometimes we pray for her babysitter and her friends, sometimes we pray for family prayer requests (like job changes or health), sometimes we pray for Elmo – but we always thank God for our house and our food.

After reading and hearing about the children of El Salvador tonight, I’m even more thankful.

But don’t get me wrong. It’s okay to be thankful for other things! Next week, I will most definitely be telling you all about the department store coupon I got in the mail and the exciting surprise I got at the Target checkout. And don’t even get me started on the blessings I’ve received lately from blogging. Stay tuned for all of that.

Tonight, though, I’m thankful for a house to live in and food to eat.

What are you thankful for this week? Leave a comment or link up a post. Or both! Yeah yeah, do both!

Compassion, Twitter and a Thanksgiving Carnival

Have you been reading the Compassion Bloggers about their trip to El Salvador? If you’re still wondering if Compassion could really make a difference in a child’s life for just $38 a month, watch this video. It’s long, so follow these directions (courtesy of Bryan Allain):

1. Press play to start the video streaming and then pause it.
2. Come back a minute later and start playing the video at the 3:45 mark.
3. Watch the video for the next 6 minutes and let your heart be moved.

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

You can sponsor a child today. Also, we're all invited to a live video chat from El Salvador with the Compassion Bloggers TONIGHT, (Wednesday, November 11) at 9 p.m. CST at http://www.livestream.com/compassion.

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On a lighter, way less important note, have you seen the commercials for Windows 7? The ones where people are saying that the new system was their idea? I love the way, in their memory, each person looks much more attractive than they do in real life. Because, come on, who doesn’t do that?

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Do you get this Twitter thing?

For the past 18 months, I’ve been blogging and using Facebook and Twitter. I’ve also been researching social media for my job, reading so many articles and how-to guides that at one point this past summer, my brain really felt like it might explode.

In that year and a half, I’ve read how-to manuals, to-do lists, top 10 mistakes you’re making, top 20 things you must do if you don’t want to look like a jerk, top 4,000 you need to follow on Twitter and more. I’ve read helpful articles, boring articles, funny articles and redundant articles.

But the most helpful thing I’ve read lately? Allison Worthington’s e-book, Smart Girls’ Guide to Twitter. It’s thorough and easy to read, and written in Alli’s “girlfriend speak” instead of “techie speak.” Allison is the founder of Blissfully Domestic, she blogs at Mrs. Fussypants and is a self-proclaimed Twitter-aholic. Her book is 140 pages long (would you expect anything less?) and costs $19.95. Click here for more details. (Disclosure: If you order the book from this link, I will earn a commission.)

I won’t say that I’m an expert on Twitter now. Um, no. (You can follow me @givingupperfect and see for yourself.) But I’m learning, and this book has made it a lot easier to sort through all the info clutter and figure out some simple steps to get better.

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Well, that was absurd, let's eat dead bird!*

Last but not least, it’s time for another Giving Up on Perfect carnival! Next Friday (November 20), we’ll be Giving Up on a Perfect Thanksgiving. (Stay tuned for a button. I’ll try to get it up later today.)

Have you ever forgotten to thaw out the turkey? Made the pumpkin pie without the most important ingredient: sugar? Had to break up a huge family fight over a football game? Or, how about this: do you have any Thanksgiving traditions in your family? What’s your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner? And do you get up super early the next day to shop?

I want to know all about your beautifully imperfect Thanksgivings – good, bad, beautiful, ugly and everything in between. Link up your post next Friday. And don’t forget to comment – you don’t want to miss this giveaway!

*Home for the Holidays

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That’s my long list of stuff. What’s up with you today?

Compassion Bloggers Trip: El Salvador

UPDATE: I just read that a hurricane hit El Salvador over the weekend, killing 91 people and certainly affecting the Compassion Bloggers trip. Please pray.

On Monday, Compassion is taking four bloggers to El Salvador, where they will witness firsthand the ministry that Compassion International has in the tiny Central American country. You can travel with them through stories, pictures and videos on their blogs.

But wait! Before you click over and subscribe to these blogs, you should know that reading about this trip might just break your heart. It might even change you forever. But if you think you can handle it, head on over to join their journey. I guarantee you will not regret it.

Heather Whittaker (from Whittaker Woman)
Kelly Stamps (from Kelly’s Korner)
Molly Piper (from The Pipers)
Shaun Groves (from, well, himself)

Why are they doing this, anyway? While I don’t know each of their individual reasons, I imagine at least part of the rationale for leaving the comfort of home for the great discomfort of a foreign land and incredible poverty is the same reason I sponsor a child and why many of you do, too.

When you sponsor a child, you are linked with one particular child who will know your name, write to you and treasure the thought that you care. He or she will pray for you often and write to you. Your tax-deductible contribution of just $38 a month connects your child with a loving, church-based child sponsorship program that provides food and clean water, medical care, educational opportunities, life-skills training, and most important of all, your sponsored child will hear about Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God.*

Wanna help? Here’s how:

1. Pray.

• To see the names and faces of the bloggers going, visit the Compassion Bloggers Trip page.
  
• Pray for their families they’ll leave behind, their spiritual and physical and mental health/stamina, their ability to take in a lot of information quickly and experience a lot of emotions and find the words to write about it all.

2. Twitter.

• Please send your followers to the trip’s page using this link: http://bit.ly/CBElSalvador
• Tweet any specific posts you’d like to pass along using the hashtag #cbes
• If you ask your followers to sponsor a child, please use this link: http://bit.ly/ESKids

3. Facebook.

• Shaun Groves created a widget for Facebook pages (works on Myspace and blogs too). It displays pictures, videos and posts from our trip as they become available.
• No need to know what the heck a widget is. Just go to http://bit.ly/4euihb and click “Facebook” to add this widget to your Facebook wall.
• Or hit the “share” button above and choose “Facebook” from the options.

Do you sponsor a child with Compassion or any other organization? Would you like to get involved today?

*From Compassion.com.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Sing it with me, now: “But if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.”

Next week, we are going on a family vacation. Mark and I fly to Orlando on Sunday, spend a few days avoiding the Mouse and soaking up the Florida humidity sunshine, then head north to join my parents, Annalyn, and my brother and sister-in-law. My great aunt and uncle live in a little town in southern Georgia, and we’ll spend a few days with them.

After we’ve had all the family togetherness we can stand – and then some, I’m sure – we’ll get on a plane with Annalyn and fly home.

[Side note: Should you be a thief reading my blog (and really, if you are, I have to ask: why?), I’ll just warn you. My very sweet friend Erin will be stopping by often to feed my cats. And we have extremely nosy protective neighbors. So, I guarantee it is not worth breaking in to find that, seriously, one of my prized possessions truly is a 20-year-old VCR.]

Sorry ‘bout that. Just needed to get the public service announcement portion of this blog post out of the way. Now, where were we?

Oh yes. Something about wants and needs and 95-degree heat.

We are so excited for this trip. As you might recall, we planned this getaway to celebrate my 30th birthday and our 10th anniversary. Granted, our original plan was Jamaica . . . and our second plan was San Diego . . . but really, anywhere with a beach and no work and, for a few days, no kiddo will be all the fun we need.

So far, the plans include a trip to Discovery Cove, Sea World (thank you, Facebook friends, for voting in my poll!) and the beach. We might check out Downtown Disney, the town of Celebration or the Space Center.

But we’re keeping our options open. After 10 years of marriage, we’re still two wild and crazy kids, so the possibilities are endless.

Umm, okay, actually – at least one of us was never wild and crazy. So we’ll probably visit the Space Center. That’s pretty much a museum, right? And, okay, we might also pass out and simply sleep for 12 hours. Who knows?

Let me say it again: we are beside ourselves excited about this trip!

But a couple weeks ago, I couldn’t stop myself from focusing on all the things I’m not going to get to do, thanks to this vacation.

First of all, I don’t get to see Dierks Bentley in a free concert downtown. Smitty and I went last year, and he put on a great show. For FREE! But Mark missed it, thanks to this thing called a job. So when I saw that Dierks was coming back this summer and doing the same free show, I thought, “Oh, good! Mark can plan ahead and take the day off!” I was all sorts of happy about this. Until I saw the date – smack dab in the middle of our vacation. Of course! Of course Dierks would come to my town when I’m in someone else’s town!

Then, Chelley informs me that she and Mel are coming down to KC for a baseball game. Oh, great! You can stay with us! Yippee! Wait for it . . . yes. You’re right. They’re coming the week we’re out of town. Because apparently, it’s important to see a certain team play the Royals. (Perhaps I should point out here that Chelley and Mel are baseball fans and I, surprisingly, am not?)

Finally, as if these two blows weren’t enough, let me tell you a little story about a man named Shaun Groves. See, Shaun is a contemporary Christian singer – or, as he calls himself, a soft rock star. And, oh yeah, he’s also a big proponent of releasing children from poverty.

These days, Shaun travels all around, both overseas to see and share the work of Compassion and around the country to give free concerts and talk about Compassion. And a few months ago, he wrote on his blog that he was looking for places to give concerts this summer.

Well, I immediately contacted our worship pastor and said, so politely, “We must. Do this.” And he, ever so politely, said, “Great idea, but it’s not going to work right now.” Because I am pushy annoying persistent, I even had the nerve to ask a second time. But that guy stood firm: it’s not a good plan for our church right now. Okay, fine, I’ll survive. Even though I’m sad.

But then. Then! I see a comment on Shaun’s blog that mentions him playing a show . . . in a couple weeks . . . in Thomasville. Whaaaa? That little town in southern Georgia that my great aunt and uncle live in? Um, yeah – it’s called Thomasville. And we’re going to be there in a couple weeks! So I scour the Internet and finally track down my answer. Here's what I discover: Shaun Groves is playing one of his awesome free concerts / Compassion talks . . . in Thomasville, Georgia . . . on June 27.

In case this crazy long story has made you lose your mind or at least forget when and where I’m going next week, let me explain. Shaun Groves’ concert will take place 5 days before I get to Thomasville.

So close. And yet . . .

But you know what? I’m pretty sure that despite these things I’m going to miss, we are still going to have one amazing anniversary trip/family vacation.

I’ve got my flip flops, my sunscreen and two great books. I’ve got my baby packed and her bag is stocked with lots of snacks and toys for her first flight (eeek!). And I’ve got the most awesome husband I could ask for, holding my hand, ready to hit the road.

It turns out, the Rolling Stones might be right. You can’t always get what you want. But sometimes God blesses us with exactly what we need.

Introducing our Cool Compassion Child.

The post below was written by Cool Dad over at Are We Still Cool? One of the first blogs I got hooked on - and still one of my favorite blogs to read - AWSC is written by two parents who have hearts for God, parenting, adventure and many other cool things.

Combining those passions, they came up with a plan to sponsor a child through Compassion - with their readers. I am excited to tell you that I have joined them in this project. Read more:

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A few weeks ago, we introduced the idea of getting a group of AWSC? Readers together to sponsor a child through Compassion International. I’m very pleased to announce that the idea has become a reality, and that we’ve now ‘met’ our sponsored a child!

We chose to select the child who has waited the longest to be sponsored. Upon signing up, we didn’t know anything about him - no name, picture, or where he was from. We all met him together when I made a video of myself opening his information packet and shared it with the CCP members. Now, we’d like you to meet him as well.

This is our Compassion child, Josué. He is a 6 year-old boy from Ecuador. We’re thankful to God that Josué was selected for us. We hope that the CCP will be a blessing in his life. We’re positive that he will be in ours.

If you’d like to participate in the Cool Compassion Project, it’s never too late to join! Just let us know.

Compassion Bloggers India Trip Review

On Thursday night, I watched a soft rock star cry.

The Compassion Bloggers held a live chat at 10 p.m., which incidentally is supposed to be my bedtime. And after an hour of answering questions and overcoming technical difficulties and laughing and sharing the devastation and hope they’ve seen, Shaun Groves described what the group would be doing that day.

He said they’d meet up with their sponsored children, take them to a museum and to lunch. And then he broke down a little bit when he said that this would be the first time those kids had ever eaten a restaurant meal.

That’s when I lost it.

All week I’ve been teary-eyed, reading blog posts and looking at photos. But watching that man get all choked up over those kids and their lives? Well, I cried so hard that my cat managed to wake up, lift her head and look at me as if to say, “Hello? I’m sleeping here!”

Just in case any of you have not had a chance to read about the trip these bloggers have gone on, here are a few of the most touching posts I’ve read.

Pete Wilson talks about the worst road trip ever. If you click around and read the other bloggers’ perspectives on this day, you might find a photo or two of Pete with two mission trip essentials: a Bible…and toilet paper. You might also find a piece of advice for anyone taking this kind of road trip: wear a sports bra. But you won’t hear that from Pete.

Shaun Groves proves that God is a southerner, bless his heart. And also shares these words:

“I wish there wasn’t a plane ride between your computer screen and the smell of open sewage here in Kolkata. I wish there wasn’t so much distance between you and the mother with empty breasts pleading with God right now for her baby’s life. I’m praying this morning that somehow, supernaturally, God’s Spirit shortens the miles between you and the poor - That somehow as you experience every gift, every morsel of bread God gives you today, you remember your family here in India.”

Spence Smith illustrates exactly how Compassion gives kids around the world hope for a better future.

Anne Jackson powered through some, ahem, digestive issues and wrote this powerful post about her experience. She also had this to say:

“You may never touch the rough hand of a young, hungry child . . . Or see a two week old dying in a crib in an orphanage in Kolkata . . . You may never smell what raw sewer and smoke and smog smell like on a hellishly hot and humid day. But it is my prayer for you that something will break.”

She also wrote about making a new friend named Lakshmi.

Robin Dance explains how Compassion helps not just a child, but an entire family, as she describes one family’s prized possessions.

Melissa Fitzpatrick was blessed by meeting Kiran and visiting her home. Between her honesty and her devastation, this post spoke to my heart. And just about did me in.

Angie Smith admits that she went into this venture a bit cynical. She writes:

“[Shaun] led me to believe that an organization could transform an impoverished community simply by relying on the body of Christ to support the cause. He tricked me into leaving my family, traveling for 20 hours, and riding a rickshaw which will heretofore be referred to as the ‘deathtrap on wheels.’ . . . Well, today we visited the poorest Compassion project we have been to so far, and I began to realize how ridiculous the whole premise of this trip has been. . . . It's absurd, actually.”

And then she goes and proves herself and every naysayer out there flat-out wrong. And shares several beautiful stories of hope and miracles. Just beautiful.

I didn’t know (or read) Patricia Jones before this trip. But based on the letters she’s written while in India, I think I’m going to love her. In one post, she covered Pete’s bowel issues, infant mortality, sweet sleeping babies and nudity. Good stuff.

Keely Scott is the group’s photographer, and her photos capture more than an image. They capture a spirit, a message, an emotion – they get and give it all. You can see her photos on Flickr.

If you would like to help, you can sponsor a child through Compassion today.

Tag! You're it.

Last week, Rochelle tagged me to write a post about 8 Things. I’ve never actually been tagged before, so this was exciting. Really. I'm so easily excited. Anyway, in just a moment, I’ll start my listing (you know how I love lists!).

But first, I want to encourage you, ask you, beg you (!) to come back tomorrow. I know most people check out of the blog world and into real life on the weekends. I do, too, and I think that’s great. But tomorrow, I’m going to share with you some of the most touching posts I’ve read about this week’s Compassion trip to India, and I don’t want you to miss it.

And now . . . (drumroll, if you like) . . . The Lists of 8 Things.

8 things I'm looking forward to:

• Date night with Mark tomorrow. We’re finally using the movie passes I got for my birthday (in December)!
• Finishing Annalyn’s scrapbook in a couple weeks at my monthly crop with my friend, Christelle
• Smitty finishing her teaching program and moving back home
• Going to Columbia for a weekend getaway to celebrate our 10th anniversary
• Starting a new Bible study with our small group (We’re plowing through our current, church-mandated study now – I’ll just say that it’s not what we would have picked!)
• Vacation in Florida this summer
• Seeing Annalyn take her first steps
• Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance

8 things I did yesterday (also known as Wednesday, because sometimes it takes me two days to finish a post):

• Ate a bagel for breakfast (Not donuts, thankyouverymuch, and that’s my point.)
• Sent several press releases to various newspapers across the country
• Went home for lunch to see Mark and Annalyn
• Talked to the CEO of our company about a new project
• Complained about the rain
• Watched reruns of Will & Grace instead of the President’s address
• Halfheartedly watched the American Idol results show (Why can’t they just say who’s kicked off and let us get on with our night?)
• Read a couple chapters of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day (Already I can tell, this one is going to be life-changing.)

8 things I wish I could do:

• Lose weight
• Spend more time with Annalyn
• Dance
• Develop my photography skills
• Pay off our debt
• Go on a Compassion bloggers’ trip
• Sell our house
• Move to Nashville

8 TV shows I watch:

• How I Met Your Mother
• Chuck
• Castle
• American Idol
• NCIS
• Bones
• Grey’s Anatomy
• My Boys

And during the summer, I can add So You Think You Can Dance, Burn Notice and Psych. Is it a bad thing that I can come up with more than eight shows I watch but had a hard time thinking of eight things I did yesterday…?

8 bloggers I tagged:

• I’m not going to tag anyone, because I don’t want anyone to feel obligated.
• However, if it makes you feel special, then maybe I should tag you.
• I’ll start with Chelley, Mel, Busy and HM. Then I’ll add Amy, Brenda, Erin and Kimberly.
• And then I’ll feel guilty for not tagging every single one of my readers.
• So I’ll consider deleting this whole list.
• But then I’ll decide that I just want to get this post posted!
• So I’ll ask forgiveness from everyone – those who were tagged and are now annoyed, and those who were not tagged and are now sad.
• Then I’ll say that I think if you want to use this meme on your blog, just go for it, tagged or not!

The end. Please come back tomorrow.

Be careful: This very well could change your heart.

This Sunday, a group of bloggers will leave their safe, comfortable lives to fly halfway around the world to India. They will visit Compassion International projects and share what they see and what they learn with their readers.

Last fall, I was safe and comfortable, both physically and emotionally. Even though I knew it was disrespectful and possibly tempting fate (well, you know, Fate), I had said several times that I was so thankful that God has not called me to the mission field.

Don’t get me wrong! I’m all for missionaries. I have several friends who serve overseas, and I pray for them and am so thankful for the sacrifices they make. I’m thankful for missionaries, inspired by missionaries. But I didn’t want to be one.

And then Compassion sent a group of bloggers to the Dominican Republic. And they wrote about it. And my heart was changed.

Now another group of bloggers is preparing to leave their families to visit Kolkata, India. I’ve already been reading about difficulty from malaria prevention medication, fears about flying, concerns about leaving children and a hacked blog. And then I got an e-mail today that mentioned other concerns: a 12-hour time difference, oppressive heat, common ailments in the area including typhoid and meningitis.

There’s a lot to pray for. Will you join me?

Here are five ways you can follow the bloggers on their trip to India:

1. Compassion’s website: A snippet of every post, every pic and video will be uploaded to this page.
2. Facebook group: A Facebook group has been created not only to generate prayer and encouragement for the bloggers but also to share links to posts, pics and videos.
3. Twitter: A few of the bloggers will attempt to use Twitter while in India. Follow @theshaungroves, @spencesmith, @flowerdust, and #CompassionIndia.
4. RSS feed: This is the link to the trip's RSS feed. Subscribing to the feed will send a snippet of every post from every blogger to your RSS reader.
5. Individual blogs: If you'd prefer to follow the trip by visiting each blog, here are the bloggers, photographers and leaders: Pete Wilson, Melissa Fitzpatrick, Angela Smith, Robin Dance, Keely Scott, Anne Jackson, Spence Smith, Patricia Jones, Shaun Groves

I can’t wait to read about this group’s experiences in Kolkata. I hope you’ll follow along, too.

And on a related note . . . I’m excited to introduce you to the newest member of my family:

This is Elizabeth. She’s a 6-year-old who lives in Ghana, which is in West Africa. She’s been waiting for a sponsor from Compassion for more than six months. And now she has one!