OUR NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY!

Recently at our church we have been focusing on missions. This past Sunday they had a table set up with all these pictures and info on children in different countries that you could sponsor. I was so excited to pick out a child, but before I got to the table Todd had one already in his hand.

You see when I was a little girl I would save all my change that I would earn or find and then one day I gave it to my mom to ask her to buy the little girl on the TV that Sally Struthers was in the commercial with. I really wanted to adopt!

Well, adoption is not on Todd's heart so this is a way we can compromise. There is is a ministry called Compassion. You can select a child and for $38 a month you are supporting this child. What a great way to help children. You get to write to them and send pictures even cards for birthdays and they will write back to you.

Our child's name is Inoussa and he is 7 years old. His pictures are so sweet. I so wish I could bring him to our home. I know that our money each month may not be a large amount in the states, but it is providing him with many opportunities in his country.

We as a family are able to pray for him by name and look at his picture. We have an extension in our family and in our hearts. I feel I love this little boy and I haven't even met him. The best is that he will know that a family in America loves and cares for him, and sometimes that is all people need to survive.

One day we will meet him if not on this earth, and what a great reunion that will be!

CUTTING THE FAT!

So I have decided to cut the "fat" from my life. You say, what does that look like? Well, for starters, I took myself off of Facebook about 4 weeks ago. I felt it was such a time sucker in my life and then I would be so in to what everyone else was saying or doing that I was forgetting that I had a life that already had enough going on and I didn't need to add anymore emotion to it.

You see, I enjoy catching up with old friends or even friends that don't live close to me. I love seeing pictures of their families or places that they have visited, but it all just was not contributing to my family or my work. It was a plain waste of my time during the day!

I decided that I was going to use my time, you know the time that flies by each day, wisely! I have been feeling like I should give up Facebook for quite some time, but couldn't release it. Kinda of like when you know you need to work out, but you keep eating bad stuff anyways.

So, off with the "fat" in my life!

I do feel somewhat "out of the loop" but I am surviving.... here is what I have been doing without sitting in front of my laptop reading everyones status updates.

- All my laundry is caught up!

- My house has stayed clean or neat more!

- My day runs a lot smoother.

- I have had more time to spend talking to my children, imagine that!

- I have read more books.

- I have a quiet lunches with me and my thoughts and talking to God about my day!

The list goes on.......

I guess the point is that I was filling my time with unnecessary things and information in my life and I need to cut back. Sometimes, it's good to take a time out!

Another way, I am cutting "the fat" is just trying to pull back on activities that I or my children are involved in. I really feel we run all the time. Sometimes we literally walk in the door only to drop our things and pick up things for the next event. I really want to enjoy my kids because they are growing so fast, and running constantly is making time fly by way too quickly!

I am so bad at over committing me or my family to things, but I am learning as I am aging that I just can't keep up. I would love to do everything and have my kids doing all the sports and school activities, but now we are picking and choosing what is best for our family and learning that family time is most important!

I am looking forward to summer to have good quality family time with little running around and being on a schedule, oh I can't wait!

Maybe I can cut some "real fat" out of my life by taking lots more bike rides and family walks/runs.