Candid Chatter

Just Say It

Change November 24, 2008

Something is brewing. I can feel it. I have felt like this before.
I’m on the edge of something new. Old is fading. New is hatching.

It’s a God thing. Of course it is. It always is when these things stir within.

Here’s the deal. I want several things. I mean I really want them. Like a side-by-side front load washer and dryer combo. And not the cheap versions either. No. I want the ones that cost upwards of 3 grand. However, my current washer and dryer work just fine.

I want a new digital camera. But not just any digital camera. No. I want one that costs almost $1000. Why? Because photography is my hobby. I will never try to be a paid photog. But I love taking pictures and editing them and looking at them over and over being amazed that God gave me such a keen eye for detail. It’s fun. It’s my artistic outlet.

I want jewelry. I’ll tell you what. I need another piece of jewelry like I need punched in the eyeball. But still I look and I deal and I get the price I want and then I buy.

What is wrong with this? I’m not sure there is anything wrong with it.
Everybody wants things. More things. Better things. We all do.

Three more people I care very much about lost their jobs in the past 2 weeks. They are all married and they all have children. One got a severence package. One lost his entire pension along with his job. I’m not sure about the third one, but losing your job is bad enough.

As I stand there like a deer caught in the headlights when I’ve been told these things, deep down inside of me I am thanking God with every fiber in my body that Rich is doing well. And for some weird reason I also feel guilty. Grateful and guilty. Why guilty? Because we are fine and they are afraid.

This is the story of America right now. Someone has something going down. Someone will lose their job today. Someone will lose their house today. Someone will lose their car today. Someone will declare bankruptcy today. Someone will lose. A lot of someones.

Change is happening. Sometimes I look at this and I think it’s not such a bad thing for Americans to relearn budgeting and living within their means. I mean, what the heck is wrong with that? That’s how it should have been all along. But we got greedy. We all did. Me, you, them. Everyone.

Change isn’t just happening in our society. It’s happening within me.

The things I want are starting to pale in comparison with the things that are needed globally. I have a washer and dryer. They both work fine. What right do I have wanting a luxury combo when there are many, many women around our world who have never even seen a washer or a dryer? What a selfish thing to want.

I can no longer see my wants and just go for it. What I now see are the hungry, dirty faces of poverty stricken people. They need shoes. They need food. They need medicine. They need love. They need homes. They need help. They need us.

I can’t help but think — even in our current economic “crisis” — that if Americans would stop spending so much money on themselves and step out to help the hurting people in this world that our world would look a whole lot like it should.

If Christians would walk the talk. I mean really do it. Stop storing up rotting treasures on earth and start storing up glorious treasures in heaven… Imagine the impact that would have globally.

Imagine.

Imagine if I dropped the whole boob job issue, the material wants, the dinners and lunches out, the random toys for my kids, and the whole nonsensical way I sometimes spend our money. What if I donated more instead? What if I bought and cooked an ENTIRE Thanksgiving dinner for the family down the street? What if I ate normal food on Thanksgiving and gave someone in need my feast? What if I bought more shoes? What if I sponsored more missionaries? What if I gave a flip more for humanity than I do for my clean clothes? What if?

What if you did?

What if we all did?

Change is good.

 

My Dream May 27, 2008

Filed under: Faith,Life... The Way I See It — candidchatter @ 8:30 pm
Tags: , , ,

I wanna be a medical missionary

It is my dream job

And if blogging is still cool when I get there

You’ll see my picture here instead of random medical missionaries that I got on Google Images

What is your dream job?

 

Find a Charity April 22, 2008

My husband and I have been blessed in so many ways. It would take me hours to list them all. One that I want to highlight right now is that we have been able to be a part of four very, very awesome and inspiring charitable events.

Twice we have sponsored a missionary to Honduras. Both times it was for the same missionary, Kristin, who lives in Ohio. The first time she went for a week. The second time she went for 7 months. I just got a package in the mail last week with a letter, pictures, authentic Honduran coffee, and a DVD slide show set to music of her fantastic mission. I cried tears of joy. My God allowed me to be a part of His plan… again!

We currently help support a missionary in India through Gospel for Asia. He lives in the slums of India, so that he can be close to the people there, preaching the Word of God to the lost souls in the lowest caste and helps set them free from a life of ruin. If you understand anything about the caste system in India then you know that this is no small task. He and his wife are unbelievable witnesses of Jesus Christ’s love for the underdog. In America, we know nothing of this life. Our poor people seem wealthy in comparison.

Recently we were able to donate money towards my sister’s trip to Biloxi for Habitat for Humanity. She helped build houses for the victims of Katrina. Wow and amazing!

Take a look

Find a charity folks. Seek a way for God to use you. I want to be a missionary so badly. I can’t even explain it. But because my season in life right now is to be a mom I donate to these things instead. God has blessed my husband with an amazing job — his dream come true — and, thus, has given us the ability to contribute. The reason I have decided to become a nurse and to endure these classes in order to get my degree is so that when my kids are older I can be a medical missionary.

Give back. Whether it’s a missionary or something that has nothing to do with religion. Give back. Find a way. Serve. People all over the world need you.