The Lord has provided!

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you feel like you are falling through the air, wondering if someone is going to catch you? This year has been kind of like that dream. In May, we took a big leap of faith when I signed up to join Compassion for their Mexico Sponsor Tour for January 2014. As a single income family, we just don't have a lot of extra money laying around to pay for a trip like this. But we knew, if God wanted me on this trip, He would provide.

When I started my ledger back in May to keep track of money that was being earned for the trip, I wrote Genesis 22:14 at the top, "The Lord will provide." On my own power, there was nothing I could do to earn the money for this trip. But God allowed me to use some of my gifts and talents to make and sell various items over the last 8 months. He also provided for a few donations, a couple even from people I have never meet in person! What an abundant blessing that has been! And even more of a blessing is that I will be traveling with my 19 year old son! Warms my mama heart knowing that he will be with me on this trip!

So in these last few days before we leave, I have been knitting dishcloths as gifts for some of the moms we will meet on our home visits.

My daughter and a few of her friends have been helping me make friendship bracelets for the many children we have a chance to love on.

As a family, we went shopping to buy some gifts for Felix and his family.

And we bought a few other things we might need on our trip!

As I continue to prepare for this trip, something really stood out to me last night as I was reading 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan: "God, bring me closer to You during this trip, whatever it takes..."

That is my prayer, I want to experience God like I have never experienced Him before. Will you pray this prayer with me over our trip?

Empty Shelf Challenge

Do you like a good challenge? I know I do. So when I read about Jon Acuff's Empty Shelf Challenge over on his blog, I just knew I needed to join this one!

I love to read, so that part of the challenge would be easy for me. However...

...trying to find an empty bookshelf? That is a bit of a problem in our house. You see...

...most of our bookshelves are quite full, some are even overflowing. But, I moved a few things around and...

...I now have one empty shelf to start the challenge!

I love that Jon encourages us to start the challenge now! Why wait until January 1st? So here are a few books I am currently reading: 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan, 'The Reluctant Prophet' by Nancy Rue (reading this one on my Kindle), 'Working with the Poor' by Bryant Myers and others, and 'Understanding God's Heart for Children' by Douglas McConnell and others.

Now what I should do is go around my home and make a list of all the books I hope to read this year...

Merry Christmas

Today, as I am spending time baking, wrapping presents, and making friendship bracelets (more on that later!), I want to remember to say 'Merry Christmas!' to you. I pray you have time today and tomorrow to simply be in awe of God's love for you.

My One Word for 2014: Content

Content - in a state of peaceful happiness; contented, satisfied, pleased, gratified, fulfilled, happy, cheerful, glad, unworried, untroubled, at ease, at peace, tranquil, serene

Philippians 4:11-13 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

In just a couple of weeks, at the beginning of the new year, I will be going on a trip like no other trip I have ever been on. Preparing for this trip, my emotions have been all over the place. Excited, overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, content.

Content is not usually a word someone would use to describe their feelings about a trip to visit areas of extreme poverty. But it is what I am feeling tonight. Why? Because I know that God has been preparing me for this trip, not just since May when I made the deposit. But He has been preparing me for this trip my whole life.

In an e-mail from our trip leader today, he reminded us that God has been preparing each one of us for this upcoming trip since before each one of us was born! Can you even imagine that?

So it is only fitting that I choose the word 'content' to be my word of the year for 2014. I want to be 'in a state of peaceful happiness', knowing that God is with me at all times and in all circumstances. He will never leave me nor forsake me. At all times, I can be thankful for His presence in my life.

December Compassion Share & Tell

With Christmas in just a few days, I know it is hard to even think about Valentine's Day! But since letters to our Compassion sponsored children can take 2 to 3 months to arrive in their hands, many sponsors will do a little planning ahead when writing their letters. While I didn't talk about Valentine's Day in the letters I wrote this week, I did find a great printable on Compassion's Second Friday Letter Writing Club board on Pinterest.

Here is what I wrote to Lina this month:

Hello Lina!

This month, I want to remind you how much God loves you! Do you know this verse from the Bible, John 3:16? "For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Sometimes it is hard to believe that God loves us that much, but He does! And He always will!

Are you familiar with the Leadership Development Program through Compassion? If so, is it something you have thought about for your future? A couple of weeks ago I traveled from my home in California to Colorado. I was able to attend the graduation ceremony for a Leadership Development Program student. She is a formerly sponsored Compassion child from Uganda. It was a blessing to be there for her celebration!

You asked what my favorite hobby is. I love to read. I like to read biographies and books that help me to learn more about God. Do you like to read books?

I want you to know that I continue to pray for you and your family!

I Love You!

Yvonne

When I write to my sponsored children, I like to pull out their binder that holds all of the letters I have received from them. This helps me see what questions they have asked so I can try to respond to their questions in my letter. In this month's mailing, I sent a postcard from Colorado, a printable USA map (which I colored in California and Colorado, and a printable from Compassion's Second Friday Letter Writing Club board on Pinterest.

In order to keep everything together for this mailing, I layered all the papers for each child, then stapled the postcard (with 2 staples) to the papers. My sponsor number and name, as well as Lina's number and name are written on everything. You can also print out your own labels with this information to speed things up a bit when preparing letters for your sponsored children.

Letters for all three children that I am currently writing to were placed in one large manila envelope. Like labels with names and numbers, I have printed out labels with Compassion's address. Just a simple step to save a little time!

Ready to share what you wrote to your sponsored child this month? Be sure to come back and join the link up!