Welcome 2010 (pronounced 'Twenty Ten')

For accountability’s sake, I first discussed my goals with my husband a while back. I plan to post my goals somewhere around our home so that I actually see them and am reminded of my commitment on a daily basis. I also went into further detail this year so you can hold me accountable. The Lord has been speaking to me about transparency- as in, it's a good thing.

So, without further ado:

Become a faithful member of the 5 am club. If you're not familiar with this concept, check out GirlTalk's explanation. These lovely ladies also discuss the club in their book Shopping for Time. I was a member on random occasions in 2009, but I truly want to be a faithful member. Five in the morning may seem a bit early, but if I start my day at that time, I will be able to spend some good time in the Word, go for a run or workout, do whatever prep work is necessary for dinner that evening, and pray with my husband before I head out the door to work. This semester, Isaac has a class at 7:00 in the morning most days, so he might be joining me in this journey as well.

Memorize 52 verses. That averages out to one a week. Isaac introduced me to the verse pack concept, but a few months ago, I came across this system. I liked it because of the focus on memorizing Scripture as a family, and so I decided to implement this method in addition to using my verse pack. I'm going to go over the verses at breakfast (and yes, when we are blessed with children, I'll go over these verses with them) and then also carry my verse pack with me throughout the day. Isaac encourages me to learn Scripture together with him as a family; we feel that making it a point to learn Scripture together as a family is important.

Memorize (the first half of) the book of James. This is in addition to the 52 verses; some people may think that it's overkill, but really James is chalk full of good things! Last September, Mrs. Mohler quoted the entire first chapter to us at one of Pendergraph's meetings. She had it down. I've wanted to do something like this for a while- I've just never had the courage to be held accountable for it...so here you go, feel free to ask me at any point during 2010 (and for years after that) how my memorization of James is going. Isaac agreed to do this with me.

Continue in the SWI program. This is kind of a no-brainer because I love this program. The courses are six weeks in length and cover a variety of topics. I just completed Discipleship I and II with Mrs. Moore. Next term, I am taking Leadership I and II; most of the girls who were in my Discipleship class are taking it as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone in class on Thursday nights and learning not only from the teacher, but from the other students as well. And oh, in case you were wondering, our discipleship group is the best group ever. I'm obsessed with them.

Read through the entire Bible. Honestly, I'm not sure if I've ever accomplished this in a single year.  I've read through the Bible a few times in my life, but as to how long it took me to accomplish this task, I have no idea.  It's a good goal to have, right?

Continue to think through our family traditions. Over the past few years, we've developed quite a bit of family traditions; we are trying to be intentional about our traditions. When we have children, we want our traditions to be meaningful and to especially point our family toward the Gospel. I feel like we have excellent traditions at Christmas and are developing good ones for Easter. I'd like to incorporate the Jewish holidays into some things as well. I've done Passover Seders before and would love to host one in 2010. What are some of your family traditions- not just for holidays- that you might suggest?

Communicate with our family (and friends) more. A few months ago, we started sending out updates to our family via email. I've moved around a lot, and so have our friends, so our dear ones are scattered near and far. I've done a pretty good job of emailing family and friends on a fairly consistent basis, but I am going to begin calling my grandparents once a week. I'm also thinking about calling other family members on some sort of rotating schedule (in addition to spontaneous phone calls I'm known for). Family is incredibly important to me, and it's important to communicate with them.

Build up our emergency fund. We know the importance of having an emergency fund, because we lived off of ours when we first moved to Louisville. We are making conscious decisions to live well below our means in order to pay down our loans (student loans and a car loan-see below) as well as pay for Isaac's seminary tuition without taking out anymore loans. We cut back on other expenditures, such as going out to eat or to the movies. We still try to have a date night once a week, but that often involves free things, such as me making homemade pizza, playing board games, going on walks, or getting a movie from either the library or from redbox (usually free with a promotional code- and if no code works, it's only a dollar! Oh, how I love thee, redbox). And oh yeah, we're going to try something pretty intense very soon. More to come on that...

Make a huge dent in our car loan. We've always paid more than the minimum, but we decided to pay the loan off as early as possible. We're not naive enough to think we can do this by December 2010, but our goal is no later than June 2011 (our original loan maturity date was April 2013).

Cut our grocery bill. I only just started using coupons a few months ago. My method is a little different from other 'couponistas' because I try to avoid going to the store as much as possible. Whereas they go to multiple stores and save money, I know that just by going into a store, I'm more likely to spend money. I'm trying to simply do one big shopping trip once a month (or less than once a month, since I'm not a big fan of grocery shopping unless it's only for things like cookies and chocolates) and then supplement the once-a-month-trip with either weekly or bi-weekly trips to our local Kroger or Aldi's for milk and produce. If anyone had any ideas, please...help me.

Develop a consistent and workable cleaning schedule. Seriously. I am horrible about this. If our house isn't completely perfect, then its one huge disaster or vice versa. I think I will try the 'clean one room a day' method and see how that goes. Again, if you have any ideas, feel free to offer advice. I just don't want to spend every single Saturday cleaning all morning...

Read 30 books (with at least 7 being from my list of 100). Yes, I know I overshot my goal with this number last year, but I am planning on spending some of my typical reading time pursuing other activities (namely, Scripture memory) and feel that 30 is a good number for which to shoot. I want to be able to enjoy the books at my leisure, not have to feel this pressure to read, read, read...okay, I don't think it's very possible for me to feel pressured into reading because it's one of my all-time favorite activities, but you get the idea.

Scrapbook. I have so many projects going on right now, it's ridiculous. I did manage to complete quite a few scrapbooks this year, but the vast majority of them were for Christmas presents. While I love creating scrapbooks and other crafts to give as our Christmas presents, I also need to be more consistent in keeping up-to-date with our family scrapbooks. Here is what I'm shooting for this year: 2008 and 2009, our wedding and honeymoon (um...I told you I was little behind), and a special Christmas scrapbook. Those are ones I want to finish, and I also want to stay up to date with 2010. I think it's a rather lofty goal, but we'll see what happens. I am considering implementing 'Scrapbook Saturdays' once a month; if you'd like to join me, feel free.

Continue blogging and expand my blogging repertoire. This is one where I need your help: what do you want to see me blogging about? I plan to continue reviewing books and sharing our focus of the month, but I need some ideas from you all. Maybe I should do what Erin did and have an "Ask Me Anything" day?

I don't think my list is too long for 2010. Most of these things are not very time-consuming if I would carve out a little bit of time each day, week, or month to complete the task. Some of these goals may also seem rather small, perhaps not even worth mentioning, but I've found that if I just make a mental note of something I'm planning to do, rarely does it get accomplished.

A Belated Christmas Present

What you are about to see is quite possibly the most awesome and amazing video ever created.  Please watch it.  All of it.  Consider it my gift to you.



You're welcome.

Our Home During Christmastide

We decorated several weeks ago, but I thought you might like to see what our home looks like this year.  The pictures are a bit blurry because I lost the camera cord to our better digital camera.  Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the glimpse into our home during this wonderful and meaningful season.

Our Advent wreath.  We love participating in this tradition, both as a church and as a family.

Christmas cards from friends and family above our Advent calendar. 

A closer view of the amazing Advent calendar my mom made for us.  We add another 'character' each day; I really look forward to doing this when we have children.

Of course, our house would not be complete without books...

This is our Jesus Tree.  Each day of the month of December, we pull out an ornament from the Advent box beside the tree; each ornament has a different name or attribute of Jesus with a Scripture reference.  We read the verse together as a family and hang the ornament on the tree.  This is another tradition I love now, but am really excited to practice it when we have children.

The start of my Willow Tree Nativity set...

My stocking with our Jesus tree in the background; we each have matching stockings that coordinate with our treeskirt.

Part of our tree skirt; my mom made it for us, and it is simply the most beautiful tree skirt you will ever see.

Our tree!  It's blurry, but at least you can see how many lights are on it!

This is our nativity set that was carved out of olivewood in Bethlehem by Palestinian Christians.  A company works with them and sends them back all the profits from the sales in the United States and through their website.  We also have a few ornaments they carved as well.  It is beautiful in person.

Merry Christmas!!!

The White Horse King

It's time for another Thomas Nelson review! I chose this book because of its historical focus; I've mentioned before that I truly enjoy history and even though I have my favorite eras (American Civil War, World Wars I and II, Roman civilization), I'm usually always interested to learn a little more about different periods of history. The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great by Benjamin Merkle is an excellent biography of the lesser known historical figure of King Alfred. While I remember briefly studying about the Danish, Northmen, and Vikings, I don't remember learning much about Alfred, who as it turns out, played a very integral role in shaping the future of British history. While Alfred was not actually a king of the whole of England (the nation would unite under his grandson), he was the king of Wessex and is to this day the only English king to be known as "the Great."

Though Merkle does discuss Alfred's childhood briefly, the bulk of the book focuses on Alfred's near constant fight to defend his kingdom from the plundering of the Vikings. The Northmen had been pillaging the poorly defended English towns for decades, but the activity rose to a height during Alfred's childhood and into his reign as king of Wessex. Eventually, the vast majority of his resources and attention was focused on determining a feasible way for the citizens of Wessex to effectively defend their homes. He developed a professional standing army, a rather new concept to the people of his kingdom; he took advantage of the Roman roads which still remained so that troops could more quickly travel to the site of a battle; he ordered villages to build defenses around the city limits. Perhaps most importantly was that when the time for battle came, Alfred fought with his people. In a day when we can most easily send our troops to fight battles far away without so much as a second thought, the idea of the king leading his faithful men into battle strikes a chord with me and speaks to the days of chivalry and true nobility. It was through Alfred's efforts and determined leadership that the island nation was eventually able to rid themselves of the invaders from the north in all finality.

Once this feat was accomplished, Alfred turned his attentions to other important needs within his kingdom; his focus became education reform. Though the people spoke in the vernacular of the Anglo-Saxon language, most written work was Latin, and the people, including the nobility, of Alfred's time were unable to read and write in either language. He deemed literacy a requirement for the noblemen to hold their titles and property and mandated education for all free men. Eventually, he translated several works from Latin into the vernacular so that the whole of the nation would be able to read the works- and not just those who had studied enough to understand the Latin language.

It is obvious the author knew his subject material extremely well; I was very impressed with how much information was packed into the short book. Even though I felt the writing was a bit slow at times, I learned several fascinating facts not only about Alfred the Great, but about the Vikings and Romans as well. Perhaps my favorite little tidbit of knowledge came when the author explained the origin of the word berserk. But I won't tell you- you'll just have to read the book to find out.

I Don't Like American Idol

It's true.  The show annoys me more than just about anything else on TV, and I thought this show would be the same way- especially when I saw Nick Lachey walk out onto stage as the host.  I decided to give it a shot since Ben Folds himself was one of the judges, and surely he wouldn't sign on for something stupid.

I watched part of the first show and really liked the first group to perform, but soon lost interest and turned it off; I had it on again last night so I could listen to it while I was baking some Christmas goodies, but when Nick announced Nota was about to sing, I rushed into the living room to watch it.  Now, I'm borderline obsessed.  Seriously.  I've been humming Nota-like music in my head all day.  I hope they win because I am totally buying their CD if they do.  I love how they integrate their Latino flavor into each song they perform, and I cannot help but smile when I watch them on the show.

Puerto Ricans singing a capella?  Yes please.

Farewell 2009...

This year has been quite adventure, complete with both highs and lows. I've learned a great deal throughout the year and quite a bit about myself as well. I don't want to bore you with a recap of the events of 2009 (and really, if you're on my Christmas card mailing list, you've already gotten my traditional card and letter), but I will tell you that the most consistent lesson for me this year was humility. A hard lesson to be sure, and one I am continually experiencing, but one that is very much necessary.

I'm sorry to say that I failed miserably in achieving the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year. I think I was only successful at two of them consistently throughout the year (I had successful spurts of nearly all of them, but lacked a good measure of consistently). My two successes? Be a better blogger (I hope you agree with me) and read at least 30 books (total count, by the way, is currently at 60 and I'm hoping to finish a couple more by the end of the year). What's sad about the achievement of these goals is that I willingly chose to pursue them over the others- which really, does flossing take up that much time that I couldn't put down a book for it once a day?

I've already written out my goals for 2010 (they are much more specific and measurable), but I'm waiting to post them because I want to give my few faithful readers a chance to process what they've learned from 2009 and determine what goals they may set for 2010. I also want my readers to be honest with me- do you know of a goal you think I should pursue in 2010? Let me know what your thoughts are.

The Best Christmas Song...Ever

I realized I never completed my Advent series last year culminating in the revelation of my all-time favorite Christmas song.  My profound apologies to those of you who have been waiting an entire year for this announcement!  Growing up, this particular song was played frequently in our home during the Christmas season simply because it was on one of my mother's favorite Christmas albums.  There are many different versions of this song, and some even alter the lyrics a tad.  However, my favorite version is sung by this group.  And don't you dare make fun of me for loving this group...

I simply love the lyrics of this song; the truth they speak stirs my heart.  Honestly, I listen to the song year-round (when my husband lets me, that is).  So, without further ado, here is my most-favorite Christmas song.

O Come O Come Emmanuel

O come O come Emmanuel
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here-
until the Son of God appear.

O come now Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by Thine advent here.
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
and death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come Thou Wisdom from on high
and order all things far and nigh.
To us the the path of knowledge show
and cause us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come Desire of nations, bind
in One the hearts of all mankind.
Bid now our sad divisions cease
and be Thyself our King of Peace!

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Rejoice!  Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Amen.  Come, Emmanuel, come.

The 2010 Reading List

I don't normally make a reading list, but I thought it might be a fun to try it this year and see how it plays out.  There are several books I've been waiting to read for quite a while, but somehow, I always end up picking up something different; perhaps if I compiled a reading list and put it out there for the world to see, I would be more diligent in reading those books I've had on my shelf for far too long now.

Each year, I try to read a good variety of books, including fiction, classic literature, historical, biography/memoirs, children's and young adult lit, as well as other non-fiction.  Though I'm not always consistent and successful in this endeavor to read and to read widely, I do try to do so, and I'm always open to suggestions, so if you have any books you'd like to see added to my reading list, let me know and I'll be sure to see what I can do.  I'm especially lacking in some young adult literature books for the year because adding the entire American Girls collection to my list is way too tempting.

For now, here's what I've got.  I usually read more than the number I've listed (I know, I'm a complete nerd), but I wanted to be rather flexible and to leave room for Thomas Nelson review books, required reading for class, and any new releases I just can't resist.

Fiction (most of the following are found on the list of 100 or the BBC Big Read; I am shocked I haven't already read some of these)
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving
What is the What by Dave Eggers

Biographies/Memoirs
The Poet of Baghdad by Jo Tatchell
George Mueller: Delighted in God by Roger Steer
Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
First They Killed My Father by Luong Ung
To The Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson
When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge by Chanrithy Him

Non-fiction
The Fate of Africa by Martin Meredith
Unveiling Islam by Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner
A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power
Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust by David Gushee
Voices Behind the Veil by Ergun Mehmet Caner, ed.

Children/Youth Lit.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince  by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

Spiritual
Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware
Humility by C.J. Mahaney
Adopted for Life by Russell Moore
The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
Death by Love by Mark Driscoll

So, there you have it, folks.  I hope I will be able to read all of them; since I've never made an official reading list for the year, I am a bit intimidated.  Of course, I am hoping for some additional suggestions from you, faithful readers, and I plan to continue the Thomas Nelson book blogging review program as well.  And since I'm still working off of the list of 100 and the top 100 from the BBC's Big Read, I should never be in want for a book to read!

What's on your reading list for 2010?

Hunting Eichmann

Whoa, kids. I haven't posted a book review in a while; my blog has subsisted of too many videos lately. I promise to get back to writing more reviews pronto. To begin fulfilling that pledge, here is a review of a most excellent historical thriller, Hunting Eichmann by Neal Bascomb.

I think the reason why more people don't choose to read historical accounts is because they find them boring. Whether it's the subject or the writing style that doesn't appeal to the reader, historical accounts (including biographies and memoirs) are often left on the shelf. Our current society's neglect of these books is quite sad because there are many treasures to be found in such books.

One such treasure is Hunting Eichmann, which recounts the story of how Adolf Eichmann, one of the masterminds to the Nazi ‘Final Solution of the Jewish Question’, escapes Europe after the end of the Second World War, emigrating to Argentina with the help of the underground Nazi network in both Europe and South America and indeed, with the help of the Argentine government itself. At the same time, this extremely well-researched book details the actions of several different Nazi hunters (both independent individuals and others connected to various different governments) and the newly-developed Israeli spy agency, the Mossad, in their determination to locate Nazi criminals of war hiding throughout the world in order to bring them to justice. When Eichmann's whereabouts in Argentina were determined, another challenge was presented to the Mossad team, as the Argentine government would never hand over Eichmann (Argentina had a large German population, and many of the country sympathized with the Nazi party), and removing Eichmann from Argentina would definitely end in immense political tension, at the very least.

I learned in school that many former Nazis, many of them high-ranking officers who played an integral role in the Third Reich's regime, had fled Europe and escaped a war crimes tribunal. However, my textbooks didn't delve further into the discussion; they simply moved on to the Cold War and McCarthyism. Hunting Eichmann does an absolutely terrific job of relating the factual events of what happened after one such individual escaped a trial and avoided justice. The book reads like a spy thriller and even though the reader knows the outcome from the very beginning, she still finds hereslf on the edge of her seat, drawn into this drama that was reality for all the players involved.

One of the greatest assets to this book is not only the sheer volume of research Bascomb conducted and compiled and the excellent faithfulness to the historical data, but also how Bascomb is able to address the emotions and humanity of the individuals involved in the hunt and capture of the Nazi who had sent so many people, including family members of the team, to their death. The Mossad operatives found themselves facing the challenging issue of having to remain in the same house as Eichmann for several days while hiding him in Argentina until it was safe to flee the country; though he had already been captured, this was truly the most intense part of the book, as the operatives wrestled with Eichmann's horrific past deeds in the war and his current frail and obedient form. Even upon returning to Israel, the operatives continued to deal with these issues, which were only compounded by the fact that their role in apprehending Eichmann must remain a secret.

It was the epilogue that finally brought out the tears. One of the operative's sisters had died because of a direct order from Eichmann, and it was only at their mother's death several years later that the operative was finally able to reveal his true role in the capture of one of the world's most notorious Nazis. One of Eichmann’s sons had been born several years after the end of World War II and grew up knowing nothing of his father’s involvement in the slaughter of thousands upon thousands of people; imagining his difficulty reconciling that realization to his childhood was difficult for me and reinforced the importance of creating a godly and strong legacy for our children and grandchildren.

This has been one of my favorite books I have read so far this year. I highly recommend it and congratulate the author on writing this book, which is bound to become a classic. Don't be surprised if it makes it to 'Required Reading' lists for high school and college students sometime in the near future.

Crazy Christmas Lights

It should come as no surprise to you that I love the Christmas season.  Any of you who know my mother can easily determine her most decided influence over my feelings and approach to all things Christmas.  For those of you who aren't blessed enough to know my mother...well, you can just ask the people who have been to her house during the Christmas season (which, incidentally, begins slowly on the first weekend of October and builds to the crescendo the day after Thanksgiving).

It's tradition to put on our pajamas on Christmas Eve (or as close a day to it as possible, since we're sometimes traveling then), bring some blankets and hot cocoa, and hop into the car to drive around and look at Christmas lights.  We're looking forward to doing this in Louisville, so if you know of the 'hot spots' for Christmas lights, please let me know.  What I'd really like to see this year is something like this.

How would you like to be this guy's neighbor?

December's Focus: Mocha Club

Throughout December, our family's focus of the month is Mocha Club, a unique organization helping to support various projects in Africa.  Mocha Club defines itself as "an online community of people giving up the cost of 2 mochas a month – or $7 – to fund relief and development projects in Africa."  Currently, Mocha Club focuses on five main areas: Clean Water; Education; Child Mothers and Women At Risk; Orphan Care and Vulnerable Children; and HIV/AIDS and Healthcare.

Mocha Club members pledge seven dollars- the cost of two mochas- a month to help sustain these development projects in Africa.  You can also donate on a one-time basis as well.  The Mocha Club website has a great FAQ section; one of the questions is "How far does seven dollars go in Africa?"  The answer is pretty powerful:

Seven dollars in Africa can:
SUSTAIN life for 1 person living with AIDS.
PROVIDE clean water to 7 Africans for 1 year.
SAVE 1 person's life from malaria.

Kind of difficult to wrap your brain around that bit of information, isn't it?  When you donate to Mocha Club, you get to pick which programs your money will support.  When I clicked on the tab to give to an emergency need, some of the information amazed me.  Did you know that Kenya is experiencing its worst drought in ten years?  Because of the draught, there is a shortage of food; just seventeen dollars can provide sustenance for a family in the Kitui region for three months. Anti-Retroviral (ARV) medication is used to fight HIV/AIDS (AIDS is a retrovirus), but often times the cost of these drugs prohibit individuals from attaining them.  From my research in graduate school, I learned that in the United States, the average cost of a year's supply of ARV drugs is between $5,000 and $10,000 dollars.  Fortunately, pharmaceutical companies began offering discounts to several African nations, and the cost per person per year was driven down to $1,000.  Still, that amount is greater than some nations' gross domestic product; how can any of their population therefore afford the live-saving medicine they need?  I believe that recently, it is now possible to attain the medicine for a much-reduced rate.  Through Mocha Club, just five dollars will provide ARV treatment for one person for one month in Ghana.  Did you know that just one dollar will provide clean water to one African for an entire year?  We know that lack of clean water kills more people every day than any other cause.  Imagine what our pocket change could do for people living without access to clean water.  Mocha Club is also serving refugees and survivors of genocide.  Ten dollars will provide a mosquito net to refugees from Northern Uganda and Sudan in order to prevent the spread of malaria.  The final emergency need Mocha Club is supporting is former child soldiers of Northern Uganda.  These women and their children need medication to treat malaria; five dollars will provide the needed medicine.

Wow.  Who would have thought that so little can do so much?  Understanding just how far our money can go really puts the entire issue into perspective, and we can think and act more globally.

In light of yesterday being World AIDS Day, we decided that our donation should help to provide ARV treatment to individuals living in Ghana with HIV.  It is truly amazing to realize that by donating such a small amount, you are keeping someone alive and helping to provide a better quality life for that individual.

Despite all the incredible work Mocha Club is involved in throughout Africa, what I like best about the organization is their approach and understanding of Africa.  This video explains it all.

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day, marking the 21st annual event created to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.  This year, the theme of World AIDS Day is Universal Access and Human Rights.  UNAIDS, the branch of the United Nations dealing with the AIDS issue, has an excellent interactive map concerning the status of universal access throughout the world.  Check it out here.

With the recent news of a HIV vaccine offering promising results and new HIV infections down 17 percent over an eight year period, we may be tempted to think HIV and AIDS are not issues about which should cause us concern.  But the truth is, HIV/AIDS is still a global concern. 

Did you know that in 2008, there was more than 33 million people worldwide living with HIV?  Of those 33 million, just over two million were children under the age of fifteen.  More than two million people died from HIV-related causes in 2008.  What is sad is that, unlike many other diseases and physical ailments, HIV/AIDS is preventable.  Many people throughout the world, however, lack accurate information about how the disease is spread.  In addition, the stigma associated with the disease prevents many people from seeking testing and medical services; specifically in many African communities, the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS is so severe that individuals refuse to enter an AIDS clinic, even if testing is free, because of the negative reactions they will encounter in their community if seen entering an AIDS clinic.  While there are new HIV/AIDS intervention programs developing all the time, it is important to realize the importance of cultural competency when designing and implementing these programs in the diverse cultures across the globe.

If you want to learn more about the history of the AIDS pandemic, I suggest reading Randy Shilts' book, And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic.  Shilts' well-researched book details the AIDS pandemic from the beginning to 1987, when the book was published.  HBO produced a movie based on Shilts' book; this film is incredibly moving.  The movie was produced in the early 1990s- a time when AIDS was still a extremely controversial issue.  However, HBO was able to create a masterful documentary, and several famous actors and entertainers, including Steve Martin, Anjelica Houston, Richard Gere, Phil Collins, and Alan Alda signed on for roles in the film.  At the end of the movie, there is a photo montage depicting several individuals and families who have been affected by HIV/AIDS, many of them losing their lives to the disease.  You might be surprised to see some of the famous faces in this short montage. 

Black Friday...and an Alternative Idea

Today is Black Friday, and regardless of the economic recession, retailers across the nation are expecting to do some major business.  In fact, for many retailers, the only way they move out of the red and into the black at the end of the year is all because of today. 

Remember that post I wrote earlier in the month?  Yes, I'm talking about the one where we learned that Americans spend an average of 450 billion dollars each year on Christmas- the one where we learned that lack of clean water kills more people every day than any other cause and that the estimated cost to make clean water available to everyone worldwide is 10 billion dollars.

Does that information shock you?  Concern you?  Convict you?  Now is your chance to do something about it; you don't have to commit to something major.  Start small.  Maybe buy one less gift- or just spend less on gifts in general- this year.   

I know many people feel pressured to buy presents for family and friends; especially if your family is expecting presents, it can be difficult for them to understand why you decided against purchasing Christmas gifts this year.  I also understand that many people simply love to give presents at Christmas; after all, I am one of those people.  I absolutely love purchasing gifts for loved ones and am positively obsessed with wrapping said presents (side note: if you live near me and want me to wrap your gifts, I would love to do so; just bring me the gifts and supplies and I will wrap to my little heart's content).  I enjoy watching my family and friends open their presents (at any time of the year).  I know about the pressure we all experience during the holiday season to shop, shop, shop and buy, buy, buy.  It's hard not to become a little cynical during this time that is supposed to be filled with joy and hope.  Often, we find ourselves rather materialistic instead.    

But there are still many ways through which you can make a difference.  Instead of purchasing yet another material present, consider donating to a non-profit or a cause in honor of someone; check out Heifer International, World Vision, and Global Giving for some ideas (after a lifetime of collecting stuff, parents and grandparents typically love this idea).  Visit your local fair trade store to buy unique gifts made by artisans and farmers around the globe who were offered a fair wage in return for their craftsmanship or food products; if your community does not have a fair trade store, you can shop at the Global Exchange, an online fair trade store. Purchase meaningful gifts through companies which support social and economic justice; my personal favorites are t-shirts from SpendYourself, beaded jewelry from Bead For Life, and all of the beautiful pieces available at Build A Nest.  Involve your family by purchasing food for a needy family or serving together at a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or other non-profit serving individuals in need.  There are so many chances for you and your family to make a difference.

I have found that when I purchase a gift from one of these stores, non-profits, or organizations and include a brief card with the gift explaining how the money earned from the selling of the gift will help people in need, the recipient of the gift is more touched and appreciative.  Remember, you don't have to do anything drastic; you can do something small.  Just realize that the something small you've done may make a drastic difference in the life of someone else. 

Oh, This is Very Very Bad

While I was at Target over the weekend stocking up on Mint M&M's, available only during the Christmas season, I happened to see these:

My thoughts when I spied the bag: "Cadbury at Christmas time?  'Solid milk chocolates with a crisp sugar shell'?  Wait a minute...that sounds like Mini Eggs...MINI EGGS?!?  Wait, are these supposed to taste like MINI EGGS?!?!  I must buy these, eat them, and report to Mother immediately."

You see, my family absolutely loves Cadbury's Mini Eggs.  Loves.  Once Christmas is over, we cheer ourselves with the thought that the Mini Eggs will be filling the store shelves soon.  When I was a freshman in college, my mom sent me a card with a forty dollar check.  I kid you not, on the inside of the card she wrote, "Your brother and I were just sitting here eating Mini Eggs and felt sad for you because you're a poor college student who probably doesn't have any money to spend on Mini Eggs.  Use this money to go buy some Mini Eggs then." 

Forty dollars to purchase seasonal Easter candy for one person?  Yes, friends, they are that good.  So when I saw the Cadbury Christmas candy, which I have dubbed Cadbury Christmas Balls, there was no debate.  Those suckers were in my shopping cart faster than you would believe.

And incidentally, the Christmas Balls do taste like Mini Eggs (although I must admit, they definitely aren't as pretty as the Mini Eggs).  Of course, I called my mom to report this new wonder.  Not unexpectedly, she flipped out: "Well, I'm on my way to Target right now, and I will have to look for those."  She found them and proceeded to do exactly what I did earlier that day: she continued to eat so many of them that she got a stomach ache.

So even though I am thrilled with this new product, its appearance is also very, very bad.  Because I have no will power.  Absolutely none.  Sometimes, I'm sure the fruit of the Spirit that is self-control simply should not apply to chocolate.

A Pick Me Up

Sometimes when I need a good laugh, I'll pop over to YouTube and watch the classics.  In my previous post addressing the greatest viral videos, I completely forgot to mention this honorable mention.

A few years ago, a banned commercial for the XBOX 360 made its way onto YouTube. I think the commercial aired a few times on national television, but was then pulled.  In reality, it's a lot cleaner than the other commercials out there.  The producers of the commercials held auditions in order to cast the large number of people needed for the shoot.  See the final project below:



The banned commercial owes much of its success on YouTube to another video related to the commercial- see what happens when a crazy old lady auditions for the commercial:



If you need a pick me up as you muddle through until Thanksgiving, just think of the crazy XBOX lady. I guarantee she'll put a smile on your face.

The Blind Side

We rarely go to the theater to watch newly-released movies, but my friend Audra recently posted this on her blog.  Audra and her husband began the adoption process over a year ago and recently decided to pursue adoption through the foster care system.  Now they are attending foster care classes every Saturday so that they can adopt a sibling group currently in foster care.  Please pray for them as they continue their journey.

A while back, I saw a different trailer for this movie that didn't give many hints as to what the movie was; it looked like it was just another football movie, and I didn't have any desire to see it.  But after watching this trailer, I am hoping my husband takes me on a date to see it soon. 

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

This semester, I took Discipleship I and II through the Seminary Wives Institute (SWI) at Southern.  SWI is a program for wives of seminary students; there are numerous classes offered in order to help prepare the women for their role in ministry alongside their husband. 

I will admit that I was hesitant about taking classes through SWI because I did want the classes to be watered down in comparison to what Isaac was taking at Southern.  I didn't want to just be a wife taking these cake classes; I wanted to take the hard-core classes.  Basically, it was a pride issue; I knew lots of other women who were in seminary (either by themselves or with their husband), and I didn't want to be seen as less spiritual.  The Lord provided some major lessons in humility, and I realized that taking classes at seminary doesn't make someone more spiritual by any means.  And in the end, I wouldn't trade the group of ladies in my Discipleship class for anything.  I have learned a great deal from them throughout the semester, and it was very encouraging to be around other women in similar situations.  Truly, I am looking forward to continuing in the SWI program.

Discipleship is a required course for the program; we met in small groups, lead by faculty wives, each week to discuss the course material, go through the reading, and also enjoy good discussions (which were sometimes very spiritual and sometimes not so spiritual, but are always informative and interesting).  For this particular course, the required reading was Dr. Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, one of the most well-known books on the topic of the disciplines.  Dr. Whitney is currently a professor at SBTS.

This book is one of the most challenging and convicting books you will ever encounter.  Whitney discusses ten different disciplines: Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, stewardship, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling, and finally, learning.  He is sure to begin the book by discussing the purpose for practicing the disciplines: godliness.  Practice of the disciplines is not to lead us to legalistic tendencies, but rather to help us grow closer to the Lord and to grow to be more like Him.  While we may think that some of the disciplines are 'outdated', Whitney clearly makes the case for the establishment and practice of each and every discipline outlined.  Indeed, the chapter on fasting was one of the most interesting and convicting chapters.

What I really like about the book is the practical application.  Whitney does not just simply explain the disciplines and their historical roots, he discusses why they are important for believers to practice, the benefits of practicing them (as well as the consequences of not), and examples of how believers can incorporate the disciplines into their lives.  In addition, Whitney does not set forth an unattainable lofty goal; rather he encourages the reader to begin slowly, setting realistic and attainable goals in terms of beginning the disciplines in his or her life.

If you let it, this book could change your life.  I recommend getting your hands on it as quickly as possible and reading it.

The Liturgical Year

When selecting my new book to review for Thomas Nelson, this one caught my eye. The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister goes through the liturgical calendar, explaining the historical significance behind each event. I am becoming more and more interested in liturgy and how to incorporate it more into our concept of family worship, and I thought this book would provide some guidance.

Unfortunately, the book did not provide much practical advice. I wasn't looking for a how-to book, but discussing how to incorporate the liturgical calendar into our daily lives was barely mentioned. In fact, the book was rather scattered; there didn't seem to be a consistent thread presented. Instead of approaching the liturgical calendar systematically, Chittister begins with Advent, but then introduces other chapters not concerning the next feast, but joy and human time versus liturgical time.  Then she bounces back to discussing the events of the calendar again. The discussion of the historical significance of each event was not always clearly articulated either. In addition, the first few chapters can easily been condensed into one or two; Chittister seemed to be repeating the same ideas for several pages.

One thing not advertised in the summary of the book is that the author is a Benedictine nun, and therefore the book has a decidedly Catholic slant. She briefly explained the Marian feasts- more or less by listing them out in one of the final chapters. Interestingly enough, there are sixteen events (some of them optional) on the liturgical calendar dedicated to Mary; that is definitely more events than Jesus has.

One of the things about the book that really bothered me was the focus on what we do in order to remain faithful. Yes, there was discussion of Jesus and the salvation through Him, but the focus seemed to be more on completing the spiritual checklist that is the liturgical year in hopes that doing so will make us faithful and happy. But is happiness really the point of faith in Christ? Decidedly not. And reducing our lives to a spiritual checklist is well on the path to legalism and an unfulfilled life in Christ. We must use the liturgical year not to give us a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that we've done "the right thing", but to draw closer the Almighty One, the Living God, the Light of the World.

Despite the numerous drawbacks to this book, there were wonderful nuggets scattered throughout the pages. When remembering a time in her childhood when a teacher explained that Lent is the time to sacrifice something in order to give to others, Chittister writes, "It was a child's catechetical exercise, yes, but it carried with it spiritual messages enough to last a lifetime. Clearly, we were being put on notice. There were things in life, other people in life, for which each of us was responsible, however young we were and whether we had any association with them or not. There were things in life so important, it seemed, that we would need to give up some things for ourselves in order to take care of the needs of others. And it all had something to do with God" (emphasis mine). What an absolutely beautiful explanation of our call to care for others!

When introducing Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, Chittister dedicates an entire chapter to the subject of suffering. She has this to say: "Suffering, we learn as we go, is the price we pay to bring life to fullness, both for others and for ourselves. It is not to be desired in a neurotic kind of way, but it is definitely not to be denied. For when we refuse to suffer, we refuse to grow...The problem is that we resist suffering with might and main. There is a natural inertia built into the human condition that seeks the comfortable, the familiar, and the secure. We want to shape life to our specifications and fix it there. We want stability...To live for the lesser things of like is to risk not really living at all."

Finally, Chittister says this about the concept of celebration and religion: "One of the interesting things about religion, about Christianity, is that in a society full to the brim with excess- a glorifier of excess, in fact- religion has come to be seen as one of life's greatest restrictive factors. Religions, this society assumes, exists to say no to the good things in life. It damps the human need for pleasure and destroys the joy. But nothing could be farther from the truth." At this point, Chittister goes on to say that life is inherently good. I both agree and disagree on this statement, depending on how it is interpreted. If the statement implies that life, as a creation of the Mighty Creator, is inherently good, I agree. The Lord Himself saw "that is was good" according to Genesis. And anyone who has experienced the true joy of life- with both the highs and lows- can readily admit that "Life is good." However, if the author is implying that life is inherently good because people are good, I'm going to have to disagree with her. Yes, life is good, but we are not good. Each and every believer of the Lord Jesus Christ will attest to that fact; we are made right through His blood, but we are not inherently good. In fact, we are just the opposite; we are inherently evil.

Because of some obvious doctrinal issues, I couldn't fully accept the book in its entirety. Even though Chittister tried to remain neutral, the Catholic overtones were both distracting and confusing to me, as I do not have a strong Catholic background and therefore lack a good deal of knowledge in that area. However, perhaps someone who identifies more with Catholicism would understand and enjoy the book more than I did. I was most disappointed in that there was not more practical application of the book, but am thankful for the few statements which I have mentioned above.

A Contest You Don't Want to Miss

You might remember that SpendYourself, a non-profit company our friends started this year, was our family's Focus of Month in June.  Since then, SpendYourself has released two more shirts, with another one coming very soon, and- dare I say it- there are rumors of hoodies, long sleeve shirts (about which I would be particularly excited), and maybe even other articles of clothing.

SpendYourself released their Kisumu shirts in conjunction with International Justice Day in July.  Shortly after that, the team began to focus on the sex industry- both domestically and internationally- and released the Scarlet Hope shirt.  You can read about both of these shirts and the other products available and the stories behind them at the SpendYourself website.

The purpose of SpendYourself is twofold: to not only raise money for these particular causes, but to also raise awareness of social justice issues around the world.  When you purchase a shirt from SpendYourself, you are not only helping to financially sustain that project, you are telling the story of the people and helping to restore their dignity. 

In light of the understanding that each time you wear a SpendYourself shirt, you are helping to promote dignity and social justice, as well as maybe even showing others how they can help do the same, SpendYourself announced a few days ago a contest- one you do not want to miss!

SpendYourself will be giving two people free project shirts for an entire year!  This contest is not simply about winning absolutely awesome T-shirts; think of all the opportunities you would have to share about the many projects SpendYourself highlights.  Think of the difference you could make- just by wearing a T-shirt and telling a story- their story. 

I absolutely love this company- and the people behind it.  Check out the post Lee wrote about how to enter the contest; it ends November 30th, so jump to it, kids!  Feel free to pass along this information and repost on your blog, too.  Let's spread the word that we can spread hope!

Winnie-the-Pooh

I am ashamed to admit I had never actually read the original Winnie-the-Pooh book.  Seriously.  How did I never encounter this book as a child?  I am going to have to broach this subject with my mother- let's hope I don't need therapy after learning why we never read A.A. Milne's classic.

Is it ridiculous that a full-grown adult still reads children's books?  Not just young adult literature, but actual children's books?  Whenever I see a Berenstain Bear book, it's a lost cause; I am faithful to Mama, Papa, Sister and Brother Bear- even after more than twenty years since our first introduction.  The American Girls books?  Don't even get me started.  I have to steer clear of their section in the bookstore or else I will be sitting there for hours reading every last one of them.  And Dr. Suess?  Pretty sure I can recite One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish in its entirety.  And yes, I still read How the Grinch Stole Christmas every year- even if it's just to myself.

And I know there are others like me out there.  Don't deny it.  There is something wonderful about reading children's books as an adult; it doesn't matter if you've read the story hundreds upon hundreds of times in your life or if you somehow never got the chance to experience the magic of the story as a child.  For me, Winnie-the-Pooh was one such book.  I don't feel the need to give you a synopsis of the book because it really isn't one story; it's a collection of short stories involving our favorite Pooh Bear and his friends Piglet (my personal favorite), Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, and of course, Christopher Robin.  I will, however, mention one thing I learned and include one brief excerpt.

First, what I learned was this: children's books have a remarkably calming effect, even if the characters are in danger at that particular moment.  Case in point: last weekend, my husband went out of town and I was left all alone.  I'm not a particularly fearful person, but I do fall victim to having an overly active imagination.  Thursday night, as I was enjoying the hilariousness that is 30 Rock, a trailer for that new movie about aliens came on the television. 

And I didn't mute it in time. 

My eyes were glued on the screen, and I started freaking out.  Not freaking out like jumping up and down and screaming, but I sat there on my couch and stared at the images flashing before my eyes as my imagination began to produce evidence that one of these horrific aliens was waiting in my bedroom to abduct me.

Not cool.  I turned on as many lights as I could, got settled into bed, and immediately grabbed Winnie-the-Pooh.  All I have to say is thank you A.A. Milne for saving my sanity that night.  I was transplanted into Hundred Acre Wood where I could laugh at the silly old bear and his adventures with his friends and his obsession with his honey.  Reading the stories made me feel innocent and naive again- what a remarkable experience.  And obviously, there was no alien lurking in my bedroom and I did not get abducted by aliens, for which I am very thankful.

My favorite part of the book is the following exchange between Pooh and Piglet:

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh.  "What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what 's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Indeed, Piglet.  Indeed.  What exciting thing will happen today?

(I only hope that exciting thing is not an alien abducting yours truly...)

Rebecca and The Handmaid's Tale

I chose to read Rebecca because of its place on both the BBC Big Read Top 100 and the I'm-not-so-sure-exactly-where-this-list-originated-but-it-seems-to-be-everywhere-list.  I checked it out from our library with no clue as to what the plot of the novel is or its significance in terms of literary achievement.  I was scared it was going to be some crap romance (not that romance in and of itself is crap, but the romance genre often is little more than crap), but I figured that it couldn't simply be crap and also be chosen as one of the best-loved novels of the British people, so I decided to go ahead and take the plunge.  The result?

I.love.this.book.  I think I read it cover to cover in less than three days; I'd get home from work and simply bury my nose in this book- it was that good.  Maxim DeWinter has been a widower for almost a year when he meets the young, naive, and quite shy narrator of the story while in Monte Carlo.  In a very short amount of time, the two are wed, honeymoon in Italy and return to his English estate at Manderly.  But upon their arrival, our narrator finds the adjustment difficult; the servants are style loyal to Rebecca (Maxim's first wife), and the neighbors always compare her to Rebecca.  Rebecca is every day implied, but never absolutely discussed.  The following weeks reveal to our narrator the true character of several key players, and one tragic event leads to the discovery of a horrendous secret. 

I can easily see how this book ranked as the 14th-most beloved novel of the British people.  DeMaurier's ability to engage the readers in her story is exceptional; her writing style flows easily, and the readers find themselves so engrossed in the story that they look up after what seems like only a few minutes to discover they've been reading this exceptional novel for more than a few hours.  Read this book- you will love it, I'm sure.  I recently checked out the film from the library as well, but the DVD was so badly scratched that I couldn't make it through the entire film...but from what I saw, the film does a good job of telling the story.

A while back, I heard a few people talking about Margaret Atwood and her genius work that is The Handmaid's Tale and when I saw the book on the list-of-unknown-origin, I was reminded I still had not read it.  So of course, I went to the library.  Side note: every time I think about the library, I am sad for my friend Tracie...you see, she does not have a library within 45 minutes of her home- and that one, as I understand it, isn't very good at all.  So I am making a determination to be positive about the Louisville library system, even if they don't have a few of the items I want...

Back to Atwood and her novel.  Her story is a classic presentation of the future as dystopia.  Much like other famous futuristic novels like 1984 and A Brave New World, Atwood describes a world of potential futures- one in which women are reduced utterly and completely in their status as individuals.  They are divided into few specific groups which each have strictly regulated codes of conduct and roles in the society.  The novel is set in the near future, and radiation poisoning from nuclear plant meltdowns have left a vast majority of the population sterile and unable to produce children.  In order to ensure their survival, the nation of Gilead has forced those women who have birthed as least one child into the role of handmaid; there only job is to reproduce (although they do not necessarily do this easily or successfully).  Each handmaid is assigned to a Commander, a high-ranking official in Gilead's regime, for a specified period of time.  Her name is completely stripped from her; if she is assigned to a Commander with the given name of Fred, the Handmaid's name is simply "Offred".  If after one year she is moved to a Commander named Glen, her name then becomes "Ofglen". If conception is not successful during her tenure at the Commander's household, the Handmaid is transferred to another Commander to pursue the same goal, and another Handmaid is assigned to the previous Commander.  You can imagine the complexities that arise when individuals have no personal liberty.

My summary is definitively oversimplified, but I think it would be best for you to read the book in order to fully understand the plot and message Atwood conveys.  Though there is definitely some mature and awkward content, as well as some language, I generally find that for the most part, I enjoy futuristic novels explaining the impending dystopia of our society (not that I am necessarily a 'doom and gloom' kind of gal- I just find them rather interesting).  I also think I will read more of Atwood's work, as I have heard so many good reviews.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

In many people's opinion, the day after Halloween officially ushers in the Christmas season. I know some of you are firm believers in waiting until after Thanksgiving to begin listening to holiday music and enjoy Christmas cookies, but you can't help but notice the slow takeover of Christmas commercials on the television and radio, as well as the onslaught of store sales offering early Black Friday specials this year.

My mother instilled in me a genuine love for the Christmas season, and anyone who has ever been to her house the first weekend of October knows the joy of eating the first Christmas cookies of the year (she refrains from decorating completely until the day after Thanksgiving, however, so give her some credit). Mom always talked about the joy of the Christmas season, and I always think of a line from one of my favorite movies, Home Alone: "This is Christmas- the season of perpetual hope."

Hope.

When we think of Christmas, do we think of hope? Do we ponder incarnation of God Himself? Do we contemplate that the Glory of Heaven was born in a manger and worshiped by wise men and shepherds? Do we remember the life He led and the death He endured for our sake? Do we rejoice in the knowledge that He is risen indeed, that Death is defeated and the battle won? Do we think of the hope the Lord has given to us?

Turn on your television, take a walk around your local mall, look at the people cramming purchases into their car, and you'll understand the answers to these questions are often a resounding No. But we can change that- we can change Christmas from the over-commercialized and consumer-driven mega production it is; we can allow it to become the season of perpetual hope once again. Check out last year's video from Advent Conspiracy and imagine (truly imagine) what Christmas would look like- for your family, for your neighborhood, for your city, for the world- if we imparted hope to those without hope this year.

I Have Nerdy Friends...

...and I am so thankful because then I can be my true nerdy self!  My wonderful friend Emily was an English major in college, and she is just as obsessed with books as I am.  I am already borrowing books from her, and I know I've got a few stashed around here that she wants to borrow from me.  I love getting to talk 'bookspeak' with people without feeling like a big dork. 

Last weekend, Emily and I went to the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort and had a blast.  Apparently, it's one of the largest state book fairs in the nation.  We enjoyed perusing the aisles, making our 'swoop' through all of the books, chatting with the authors, and laughing at some of the characters we saw there.  Emily got a few books (I refrained, but was however sorely tempted), and we had some great discussions.  But perhaps the most defining moment of our 2009 Book Fair adventure was my exclamation of, "Emily, the Berenstain Bears!  Oh my gosh, look at Mama and Papa Bear! Oh, we have- we just have- to get a picture!  Can we please?"  And at that moment, we fairly attacked the Bears to procure proof that we have, indeed, meet Mama and Papa Bear.

Yeah, we're not sure why Madeline (whom some little girl was actually calling Raggedy Ann) decided to impose herself into our Berenstain Bear memory, but Emily didn't have the heart to throw her out of the picture...

Orphan Sunday

According to the 2006 UNICEF report The State of the World's Children, "Millions of children navigate life without protection from deliberate harm. These children become invisible when they suffer abuse and exploitation in hidden situations and go uncounted in statistics. Even children we see every day can become ‘invisible’ to us when they are neglected or ignored."  This report also found that 143 million children in the developing world- one in every thirteen- are orphans.  That's just in the developing world.  No matter what the reason behind these children's entrance into a life without mother and father, we are called to care for them.  James 1:27 tells us, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

Today is Orphan Sunday, an event where across the nation and beyond, individuals, families, and congregations are learning more about how we can defend the fatherless and care for the orphan as we are called to do.  Numerous agencies and churches have held their own Orphan Sundays over the years, but this year, they are uniting their efforts to put forth a clear message: "Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan."

I have several friends who are heeding that call in the most tangible of ways: they are physically caring for these orphans.  Some are pursuing adoption (or have already adopted) through domestic and international means; others are dedicated to providing foster care to as many children as the Lord will place in their home.  Their stories of dedication, determination, and patience (the adoption process can be rather arduous and long) are ones that please the Lord and inspire others to obey the Father's call to defend the fatherless.

Dr. Russell Moore is the dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has been involved in the campaign for orphans for a long time.  He adopted two children and wrote the book Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches.  He says this about Orphan Sunday: "Orphan Sunday isn't about charity; it's about the mission of Christ. I pray that every Gospel-transformed congregation will observe Orphan Sunday, calling all Christians to our mandate to image Christ by caring for his little brothers and sisters, the fatherless of the world."  The history of Orphan Sunday reflects the same thoughts (from the Orphan Sunday website):

Many churches and organizations have hosted “Orphan Sundays” over the years. With a nationwide Orphan Sunday, the Christian Alliance for Orphans and the Cry of the Orphan partners seek to add a unified voice and coordinated effort to the many worthy efforts that preceded this year.

The seeds of this united Orphan Sunday come especially as a gift from the Church in Africa. While attending a church service in Zambia, an American visitor was struck by the pastor's passionate call to care for orphans in the local community, which had been ravaged by AIDS and poverty. Members of the church faced deep need themselves. But as the service ended, one after another stepped forward with money, food and other goods-some even taking off their own shoes and placing them in the offering for orphans.

The visitor, Gary Schneider, was so impacted that he began to help Zambian leaders coordinate Orphan Sunday efforts across Zambia. These efforts spread to the U.S. in 2003 with help from Every Orphan's Hope and other organizations. (Orphan Sunday is licensed to the Christian Alliance for Orphans as a registered trademark of Every Orphan's Hope).

The Christian Alliance for Orphans honors the church in Zambia for the gift of Orphan Sunday. We pray the Church in America may be as faithful to reflect God's heart for the orphan, both near and far.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of ways through which you can change the life of an orphan.  Will you heed the Father and care for His children?


Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.