Stop Complaining and Start Doing

I’ve been sitting on this blog for a while.  Actually I’ve been stewing on it for a while, so for my sanity, I’ve carved out some time to sit and type.

I LOVE Starbucks! I spend way too  much money there but luckily my addiction has been funded by gift cards from family and friends, so keep them coming, thanks!  I could care less that the cups this year don’t say Merry Christmas. The stink that people are making about this blows  my mind.  If you want your cup to say Merry Christmas write it on there yourself.  #ProblemSolved

Why are Christians expecting a non-Christian company to act like a Christian company?  Why are people so quick to complain and all of a sudden start acting all holy?  I bet most of you didn’t even care that the cup said Merry Christmas, but as soon as it didn’t, all hell broke loose.  My opinion, and this is harsh, is because it’s easier to complain and do nothing than to actually get out there and do something.  Something that matters.

Lets stop complaining and start loving.  Lets stop complaining about the government and how politicians are “taking God out of everything” and lets start living like God is part of us.  I don’t care if schools aren’t allowed to start football games with a public prayer.  The majority of the people at the foot ball games aren’t praying anyway, they’re planning the celebratory after party.  Politicians can’t keep you from praying.  If you take time to read your Bible, worship God, learn from Jesus and actually do what He says, politicians can’t stop you.  They can’t take Jesus out of your heart.  Lets stop looking towards the White House to spiritually lead this country; lets look towards Jesus.

All of you people out there “publicly making a stand on FaceBook” about this red cup issue, politics, gays, gun control or whatever, do you even care that last year in the state of Texas over 30,000 kids were placed in Foster Care?  Do you care that over 27 million people are enslaved in human trafficking? Do you care that over 453,000 kids die each year due to malaria and that malaria is totally preventable?  If you do, I am grateful for your heart.  But if you don’t, lets open our eyes to things of this world that actually matter, like people.

Lets stop living like the Pharisees who were so quick to say the right prayers in public but were secretly plotting to kill Jesus.  Lets quit being quick to point out everyone else’s indiscretions and ignore our own.  Lets start living like Jesus.  Jesus saved the world.  He did this NOT FROM A GOLDEN, CUSHY THRONE, He did it from the trenches loving the leper, the prostitute, the tax collector, the children, the man who betrayed Him and the men who killed Him.

80% of 18-22 year olds leave the church once they are out of their parent’s house.  Lets stop teaching our kids to go to church because “that is the rule if you live under this roof.”  Instead, lets fall in love with Jesus so our kids see Jesus in action and they fall in love with Him too.  Lets show our kids how to love unconditionally.  Let our kids see us feed and cloth the homeless instead of making snide comments and ignoring them.  Let our kids see us sponsoring children in third world countries instead of ignoring them because they are on the other side of the world.  Let our kids see us spending our money on clothes, diapers and toys for the local women and children’s shelter instead of wasting that money on the new iProduct.

If we want this country to change it starts with us.  Lets not prove we are Christians by walking around in our Mercy Me t-shirts saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays and then getting into our car with the fish sticker on the back.  Instead, lets invite Jesus into our hearts and allow Him to lead our actions.  Lets channel all our righteous anger towards making lives better that way we are too busy to complain.

Ok, getting off my soap box now.

Thanks for allowing me to share my world with you…welcome to my  brain.

What Kind of a Stranger are You

Stranger Danger!!!   AAAhhhhh (insert kids running around yelling and waving hands in the air.)

I just pulled into my driveway after dropping my oldest daughter off at the school the other morning.  As I walked around the car to get the baby out, I noticed a girl on the other side of the street looking at me.  It was cold outside and all she had on was a summer dress.  She was super tiny and the instrument she was fighting with was as big as she was.  She smiled at me sheepishly and struggled down the street.  My heart started hurting.  She desperately needed help.  I could offer her a ride but I needed to get the baby to bed and get some chores done.  Then I envisioned a man with a cigarette, driving a white painter’s van, pulling up beside her and offering a ride.  (Yes, I have a vivid imagination, this is why my blog is called Ridiculous Katie.)

I’ve seen her before but today she looked extra pathetic and I decided nothing bad was gonna happen to her on my watch so I put the baby back in the car and offered her a ride.  She stood there a moment thinking.  Then she said “please” and got in.  She just got in the car with a complete stranger!!!!  I wanted to yell at her and tell her how stupid that was!!!  I wanted to lecture her for not wearing a jacket and to learn how to play a smaller instrument.  I wanted to steal her phone and call her mom and tell her to have another talk about stranger danger because obviously she wasn’t paying attention!

I didn’t.  I gave her the best smile I could fake and just talked to her.  She’s in 6th grade and lives half a mile from school which is too close for the bus to pick her up so she walks.  And sometimes the “C” on her euphonium (like a tuba but only a tad bit smaller) gets stuck.  Ok, enough small talk, time to get down to business.

I realize the irony here but I needed to stress the importance of NEVER getting in the car with a stranger.  I needed to know she wouldn’t do this again.  I tried to explain to her that even though I’m a stranger, I’m a good stranger but not all strangers are and she should never do this again and if a man pulls up beside her in a van, she needs to run away as fast as she can and on the opposite side of the big sliding door.

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What kind of stranger are you?  Are you one that will go out of your way to brighten someone’s day or are you the kind that won’t?  Are you the person that smiles at the mom with the screaming kid at the store or are you the kind that knows saying something snarky is EXACTLY what the mom needs to hear at that moment?  Do you let the very pregnant lady use the restroom first or do you stand there like you don’t see her?  Do you slow down to let the car in or do you follow them, road raging the whole way, and flip them off?

Lets vow to be better strangers.  Lets look at others and not judge them or decide is our duty to teach them a lesson or inform them of how and why they suck.  Let’s love others as ourselves and lets start today!

 

Thanks for allowing me to share my world with you…welcome to my brain.

#StandWithFerrier

I’ve signed up and paid the crazy expensive registration fee to run in the Austin Half Marathon in Feb 2015.  This is farther than I got last year.  Last year I had full intentions of running in the Half.  The week I was planning on registering, I found out I was pregnant.  So this year, I did better at trying to remember to take my birth control pills, I still miss days pretty often; I guess I’m not mature enough to take a pill daily.

Anyways…I’m running the Half, it’s 13.1 miles, so this only makes me half crazy.  I can wrap my brain around that.  My  pastor and running buddy is full on crazy.  She is running the full marathon, 26.2 miles.  I can’t wrap my brain around that, that’s like running for 5 hours.  No thanks!  By the time I finish, I will be able to take a nap, shower and do my grocery shopping while she’s still running.

Running this many miles is crazy, but there is a purpose.  This is much bigger than me.  I’m running to make a difference not just in my life, but in the lives of innocent children.  Please help me!!

I’m running for Ferrier Village.  Ferrier Village is a refuge for orphaned children who have been rescued from traffickers, or are at a high risk of being trafficked. It is a place where these children will be cared for and restored to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Please read the link and sponsor a brick.  Together we can build more safe homes and provide safety, food, education and love to an orphaned child!

https://purecharity.com/legacy-project-2014-by-katie-moore-1-7

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:27

Thanks for allowing me to share my world with you…welcome to my brain!

This.Bothers.Me

D: Mom, are we rich?

Me: That depends on your point of view; if you’re talking about world standards or American standards.

B: There’s more to life than money.  Our family is full of love so yes, we’re rich.

(This is so typical us.  I can’t give a short answer, thanks dad, and my husband always finds the silver lining in any situation.)

The truth is yes, we’re rich.  The truth is over half the world lives on less than $2.50 a day and 80% lives on less than $10 a day.  The truth is if you are reading this, you have internet and/or a smart phone, this truth makes you rich too.

The ugly truth is approximately 627,ooo people, mostly children, died from malaria in 2012.  Malaria is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.  It’s also preventable and curable, so why is it killing so many people?  90% of deaths occur in Africa.  The mosquitos that cary this disease only bite at night so people are most vulnerable while they sleep.   Once infected, malaria can be medically treated, but most of the people infected don’t have the means (financial or transportation) to get to a clinic, if there is even one nearby.

The good news is malaria is preventable.  How you ask.  By these lovely things called mosquito nets.  (Can we talk about how beautiful this mom is and the sweet little triplets sleeping under the net that is saving their lives? Don’t miss the fact that they are sleeping on the ground, this needs to be stopped as well.)

 

 

These nets are treated with insecticides, save lives and cost approximately $5.  So what I spend on a cup of coffee can save a life.

This fact alone causes me to ugly cry.  Yes I have cried over kids dying of malaria/HIV/poverty/dirty water/human trafficking/being dirty/having dirt floors; if it’s 3rd world related, I have cried over it on a regular basis.  God is breaking my heart for children in 3rd world countries.  Right now I can’t head over seas and help all the babies that need help, but I can support organizations that do.  Right now, sending trusted organizations our money is the best we can do. We have multiple sponsorships with World Vision and Compassion International.  I would encourage you to check out these websites and get involved, make a difference, feed a child, give hope to a mom and dad, save a life.

Thanks for allowing me to share my world with you…welcome to my brain.

 

Tub of Tears

Brandn said our 2 month old daughter’s head stunk.  What?!?!  We had spent some time earlier at the Farmer’s Market so I wasn’t sure if her head smelt like patchouli, hemp or organic beet juice.  It didn’t smell like those, in fact, it didn’t smell like anything at all.  According to my husband, if her head doesn’t smell like Johnson & Johnson’s it stinks.  For fear of her being the stinky kid in the church nursery tomorrow, I gave her a bath.

While looking into her eyes and washing her sweet little toes I start to tear up.  These were not tears of joy and gratitude because God gave me this precious gift to love.  Nor were they tears of pride knowing this little girl will grow up to be awesome because, after all, she’s half me.  No, they were tears of heartache because I know there are sweet babies out there that have never had a bath.

Baths, something we take for granted.  I am so thankful that my girls live in a house where they have water at their disposal.  I shed tears for the tiny ones that live in places where hot clean water doesn’t exist.  For children who have to walk miles for water that we wouldn’t dream of touching.  Tears for babies that are dirty because their parents are consumed with other stuff that prevents them from even noticing their children.  Tears for children whose bellies never get full.  Tears for babies that will never experience love.  Tears for girls that are so desperate for love they will do anything for it…tears.

We sponsor children, babies and pregnant women through World Vision and Compassion International but is this enough?  No.  My heart aches for children who don’t have the basic necessities to live and my heart also aches because there is so much more I could do about it, but don’t.  I volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters but had to stop when I was pregnant; I didn’t have any energy and I needed sleep and our weekly outings were physically draining on me.

All I want to do is love on some children.  I want to do more than just send money.  I want to love physically and fiercely.  I want to give hugs and wipe skinned knees.  God knows this desire of my heart, He’s the one that put it there.  I don’t know how or when but He will see it done and rock my world while doing it.

 

Thanks for allowing me to share my world with you…welcome to my brain.

Support My Crazy Friend!

If you know me, you know clean water is something near and dear to my heart.  Water is a valuable resource that I take for granted so I’m doing my part in trying to conserve what we have here and by sending what money I can to organizations that dig wells.  I’ve decided I don’t need to take full pressure showers and that, if it’s just pee, the toilet doesn’t need to be flushed every time.  Too much info? Sorry.

This February is the Austin Marathon.  My crazy friend is running the FULL marathon, that’s 26.2 miles.  I can’t comprehend this.  26.2 miles is like running to a different city.  Heck, 26.2 miles is longer than Rhode Island is in certain parts.  I was planning on running the HALF marathon, 13.1 miles, until I found out I was knocked up.  I decided that 13.1 miles and 7 months pregnant don’t mix.  I ain’t gonna lie tho.  I had full intentions of starting out with Chantel and then yellling “peace out” with a huge smile on my face as I made the turn to finish knowing full well she wasn’t even half way done yet….hey, what are friends for right?  So instead, I’m stalking the “volunteer” section of the website so I can sign up to hand out water and cheer her on as she runs past.

Why is she running?  Well she is running on the World Vision Team (one of my favorite organizations) for clean water.   The following is her blog.  Please read it and then pull out your debit card and sponsor her….PLEASE!!!

Clean Water, Marathon Training and the Madness

Posted in Uncategorized on 10/27/2013 08:30 pm by Chantel

Ladies and Gentlemen:

It could be said of me that I have lost my mind. I’m one of those weirdos who watches marathons on TV, gets a bit awe struck, laces up my running shoes and says dumb things like “some day”.

Well, that day is February 16, 2014. 

Me, a good pair of running shoes, my favorite city and 26.2 miles. This when the dream becomes a reality. The training is hard, early and makes me ask myself what could I possibly be thinking. This is no joke. The day I clicked to register, I had massive butterflies in my stomach. “Do things that make you nervous”, they say. It’s not the first time in my life, so why not a marathon (after talking about it for 4 1/2 years).

I have a purpose for this impractical madness.

Water.

We know the reality and the numbers. The amount of people with little to no access to clean drinking water is staggering. Don’t let the large number of need lead you to inactivity.

I’m running to raise money for clean water projects for Team World Vision. $50 provides clean water for one person for a generation. My goal is to raise $1300. That is $50 a mile. I’ve got a lot of miles to run. Partner with me. I’m doing this crazy, impractical thing. I’m asking you to do something practical. Partner with me, and leave the running to me.

First request – I need prayer. This is a lot of hard training, the cause is great and I want to do this well…both the fundraising and the race.

Second request – I’m asking you to sponsor a mile. Any donation helps. Let’s do this!

– go to my fundraising page http://team.worldvision.org/site/TR?px=1389840&fr_id=2220&pg=personal

TELL YOUR FRIENDS, TELL YOUR FAMILIES, SHARE THIS POST 

Help me raise money for clean water projects in Africa.

Reality Check

Nothing pulls you out of an “I’m entitled to” party faster than any sentence from the book The Hole in Our Gospel. It’s by Rich Stearns, the President of World Vision; I’ve blogged about it before and I promise you I’ll blog about it again. I picked up this book for at least the 3rd time with the intent on finishing it this time. I must finish it so I can start on my next book, Radical.

You see, I’m a temp at work and I had a meeting with my boss to discuss my permanent employment status. These words weren’t spoken but I left the meeting realizing she’s not going to offer me permanent employment and I’ll be a temp as long as I’m there. I was mad, no mad is an understatement. I was extremely livid; my pride and my feelings were hurt. I was honest during the meeting and I had a hunch my honesty would probably bite me in the butt. Well, I was right, it bit hard.  I left fuming, thinking “I’ve been working my butt off for over 4 months…I have a degree and all I get paid is THIS…I’ll just stay home tomorrow and see how she likes that.” I also envisioned ripping her head off and impaling it on the flag pole out front. Did I mention I was mad?

I wanted permanent status for the pay raise, insurance and the feeling that the company was committed to me. All of these things are very important but really I just wanted them because I felt entitled to them; I…deserved…them. My pride took a blow and I felt embarrassed that I was still a “temp.” The decision to keep me a temp had nothing to do with my work performance. I’ll keep the reason out of this blog because I don’t want people’s opinions on what I should have/should not have done. This is my blog so I’ll be the one throwing out opinions here.  🙂

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• 1 out of 4 children in developing countries is underweight, and some 350-400 million children are hungry. A child dies every 5 seconds due to hunger related causes.
• As many as 5 million people die every year of water-related illnesses.  This creates a no win situation for millions of parents – they either watch helplessly as their children die from lack of water or they can watch them die from diarrhea because the only water they have is tainted.
• 1.5 – 2.7 million people die each year from from Malaria – something preventable and curable.
• AIDS has now caused 15 million orphans.  In Africa they say when it comes to HIV, everyone is either infected or affected – no one escapes completely.
• In the US 2 out of every 1,000 children die before their 5th birthday; in Africa it’s 165 out of 1,000.

Well damn!!! These are stats from The Hole in Out Gospel, stats that I read the same day as my meeting. I can’t get all worked up over a pay raise when I’m reminded of this.  I know these stats exist but I push them to the back of my brain because it’s so overwhelming.  Or maybe it’s because Africa is thousands of miles away and it doesn’t impact me directly and it’s not my child, so it’s easy to turn a blind eye.

So what are we going to do about it?  That’s right, I said WE; you and me.

Don’t fail to do something just because you can’t do everything.  For just $35/month you can sponsor a child through World Vision.

Your sponsorship provides food, clean water, medical care, clothes, and education.  Education is the key to lifting families out of poverty.  Because the kids have clean water in their village, they no longer spend hours a day walking miles to a dirty water source.  Nope, they have their day back, now they have time for school.  They also learn about the love of Christ.  Most of these children don’t have parents so they don’t comprehend love; especially a loving Father, God, whom they have never met.  But they get the fact that a complete stranger on the other side of the world (probably someone crazy like me who cried like a blubbering idiot over a sweet little boy named “Goodluck Alfred”) sponsors/sends letters and pictures/cares for them and this helps them understand what love is.

A brilliant man named Bono said ” We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies.

If World Vision isn’t your thing that’s cool.  Next time you’re at the store, buy fair trade coffee.  Next time you buy a pair of shoes, buy Toms.  Next time you buy jewelry, buy something handmade from a woman in a 3rd world country trying to make an honest, dignified income.  Buy local; support the small business owners living in your community or contact the local Foster Children office and see how they need help….we’re all in this together ya’ll.

Thanks for allowing me to share my world with you…welcome to my brain.

There’s Hope in Junk

On any given day I can walk through my house and fine at least 10 things to give away.  I could make a pile of stuff to give away , but then I would get annoyed at the pile.  I hate clutter.  My rule is it it hasn’t moved in a week or you only use it once a year; you don’t need it.  My husband and daughter feel the exact opposite.

Three years after we got married, we moved.  Three years after we got married, Brandn’s cheese cake pans went away to kitchen appliance heaven.  He only used those things once a year to make a cheesecake on Thanksgiving.  Well, when Thanksgiving rolled around, he couldn’t find them.  I told him they must still be in a box from when we moved (yes, I’m a lier!)  Eventually he caught on.  He knows when I get a bug up my butt, things get thrown away.

I had this conversation with Danica, my daughter, today.  Me:  “Why don’t we give this to the garage sale.”…D: a look of horror came over her sweet little face “But mamma, it has a butterfly on it; that’s my favorite insect!”  She can’t part with stuff.  Not because she’s selfish, but because everything is special…seriously.  She can tell you the exact minute she got something and why it holds a place in her heart.

My church has a soft spot for orphans.  April 27th we are holding a Garage Sale for Orphans. The money we raise is specifically going to Ferrier Anti-trafficking home #6. We are selling our junk, precious stuff, stuff we don’t use, stuff we had to sneak past Danica to raise money to build a safe home for kids who are at the greatest risk for being sold into human trafficking.  The house costs $11,ooo.  Wouldn’t that be great if we raised the whole amount?  It’s a big feat, but it’s possible.

Annually, Americans spend over 22 Billion dollars in storing stuff.  Stuff that we store because we don’t need it.  Lets sell it!!  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying sell your couch and sit on the floor, but hey if you’re that hard-core go for it!!  But I’m saying those books on your book shelf that you’ve already read and will never read again, sell them.  The tread mill that you keep saying you’re gonna use but all you use it for is to hang your clothes on, sell it.

There’s HOPE in our stuff.  We can lift people out of poverty.  We can protect children from becoming human trafficking victims.  We can give moms peace of mind knowing their babies won’t go to bed hungry.  We can save a child from walking miles to collect dirty water.

If you want to help, let me know.  If you want to donate click here and select Garage Sale for Orphans on the drop down box.

Book Review….Kisses from Katie

I just finished Kisses from Katie. I have to say this book is ridiculous and everyone should read it.  Disclaimer: I am not a book reviewer and no one is paying me to write this. 😉  I just think more people should be aware of this story. 

I am one of those people that hi-lite books. I know you anti-hi-liting people out there hate people like me but I can’t help it. I think if I hi-lite something, it will jump out later when I’m flipping through the pages. This is only true if I hi-lite a few points…..at least half this book is now blue!! I will never be able to find anything b/c everything stood out to me.

Like I said, you should read this book. It’s the story of a girl from Brentwood, Tennessee and how she opens her life up to God and moves to Uganda to be a kindergarten teacher for 1 year. She ends up staying there and adopts 14 girls, teaches at the school and feeds hundreds of kids daily and starts a non-profit organization that provides honest and dignified employment for women which empowers them and pulls them our of poverty which hopefully will break the cycle for their children.

Parts of this book will rip your heart out and make you wonder why God would allow such horrific things to happen. But then you see the beauty of it and how God moves through everything and how He can turn ugly to beautiful in the way only He can. There was a part I read (“read” may not be the correct word; I blubbered my way through it and then handed the book over b/c I couldn’t stop crying) out loud to my women’s group about how she came across her 12th and 13th girls. It starts out with Katie telling God no more kids; 11 is enough. But then God tells her, she will adopt a girl named Sarah. Well she didn’t know who Sara was but she started loving, longing for, and missing her. Knowing her daughter was out there somewhere broke her heart b/c she knew Sara needed her. She prayed God I know she’s out there and I can’t stand it so you better bring her to my door. Well, guess who show showed up at her door the next day? Sara! She ended up adopting Sara and her sister as well.

This book is not a book advocating moving to a third world country and adopting kids; nor is it a book bragging about what she is doing. Katie is so humbled and can’t get over the fact that God would use someone like her for His glory. This is simply a book talking about God’s love for His people. God’s greatest commandment is this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. – Mark 12:31-33.

This book has touched my soul. I have no idea how to love my neighbor as myself. My prayer is that when opportunities present themselves, my eyes are open to see them, my ears are open to hear them, and my heart is open to care.

Thanks for allowing me to share my world with you…..welcome to my brain.

I LOVE My Small Group

In case you missed the title, I LOVE my small group.  The thought of a group of women, especially one that includes a couple of  pastors and pastor’s wives, can sound down-right scary.  There is nothing scary about this group of women.  Well…..scary: no…….crazy: YES!!!!  Revive has 3 small groups; a men’s,  Celebrate Recovery and a women’s. 

The Men are reading Men’s Fraternity and learning how to be the men God called them to be.  (Duh, right?  I’m not a dude so I can’t tell you everything they are doing….I think the first rule of Men’s Fraternity is you don’t talk about Men’s Fraternity.) 

Celebrate Recovery is open to everyone.  It’s a Christian based 12-step program designed to help everyone recover and get over their hurts, habits and hangups.  When I think of “recovery” I typically think of drugs or alcohol.  This program will certainly help with those addictions but it will also help us “normal folk” that aren’t “addicted” to anything. 

We are doing the Beth Moore James Bible study.  We are all being challenged and I can honestly say this Bible study has “seriously changed my life.”  Shout out Tracy 🙂  I’ve done a great job of ignoring those in need and James has slapped me several times.  We got together and made goodie bags to leave in our cars and hand out to the homeless; I had one bag left.  We stopped at a light and there was an older man sitting in his wheelchair holding a sign.  I reached for my bag only to realize it was in my trunk.  I wanted to get it but I was afraid the light would change and people would honk.  After a split second I realized that was stupid and I had Brandn pop the trunk.  I handed him the bag and he asked what was in it.  When I got to the gloves he got happy and said thanks, I really need gloves.  I share this with you NOT to make me sound like a really good person, but to show you how God used me to make a difference in that moment. 

The heart’s of these ladies are just amazing.  We pulled together and did a food drive for the Texas Baptist Children’s Home and this is what we came up with:

7 bottles of laundry detergent…5 packages of diapers…15 bottles of shampoo and soap…bar soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste…10 cans of veggies…several boxes of pasta…bags of beans and rice…15 rolls of toilet paper….2 gallons of milk….2 loaves of bread and 2 family packs of tortillas…eggs and chicken 

I LOVE my small group!

Thanks for allowing me to share my world with you…welcome to my brain.