My One Word for 2015

January 1, 2015

Last year was the first year that I choose One Word to define my focus for the year. I have to tell you, that one word was so fitting for those first few months of last year. And has continued to remind me of the many blessings I have in this life.

This year, one word keeps standing out to me...

Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines focus as "In optics, a point in which any number of rays of light meet, after being reflected or refracted; as the focus of a lens."

As a photographer, I know what it takes to focus on the right subject when taking a photo. But as a person, many times, I can get so easily distracted just trying to accomplish the simplest task.

Take today for instance. For weeks, my desk has been haunting me with its clutterness...

Ugh! So today, I took time to plow through a lot of the clutter on this desk. After a couple of hours between working on the desk and doing a few other things around the house, the desk ended up looking like this...

Ah! Perfect? no. Better? yes! In fact, there are a few other areas of my home that could use this kind of attention. But the thing is...I was able to focus (somewhat) on this task until I reached a point of contentment with the results. I don't want to be too focus driven, but I know I can do a better job of focusing on certain areas of my life.

For 2015, I want to focus on a few things:

my relationship with God
my relationship with my husband and my children
my home
my Compassion children and my Compassion responsibilities
my photography
my reading list

And I am going to focus on this Bible verse for the year:

"Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrew 12:2 (Amplified)

Focus on Him. I know in my heart that this is what I need to do each day, each moment...but there are so many distractions in this life.

Will I focus on Him every moment of every day? Probably not. But if I continue to remind myself that He is who I need to focus on, He will help me to do what is pleasing to Him. There is no checklist of goals or resolutions I need to complete each year.

Have you chosen One Word for 2015?

Compassion's Gift Catalog

December 15, 2014

Each Christmas, as we pull out the Christmas ornaments for our tree, I remember back when we earned money to purchase a cow from Compassion's Gift Catalog.

Kelsey with our Cow ornament, December 2011

But I am not sure if I have ever shared the video we put together!

Cows are currently not available from the gift catalog, but there are many other items available to bless a family this Christmas.

What one gift will you and your family choose this year?

National Cookie Day

December 4, 2014

I usually don't need an excuse to bake cookies, but when I found out that today is National Cookie Day, I just knew I should bake up a batch of homemade Snickerdoodles.

Snickerdoodles are a big favorite around our home. As much as I love homemade chocolate chip cookies, there are times when nothing satisfies like one of these homemade Snickerdoodles.

I have had the recipe for these cookies for quite some time, not even really sure where I first found it. But there are some important things I do each time I make these cookies.

Unsalted butter is a must, as well as Pampered Chef's Cinnamon Plus seasoning. The Cinnamon Plus seasoning is what I use in place of regular cinnamon. The additional spices in this seasoning mix make a big difference in the way the cookies taste.

One last important step, which I do with most cookies that I bake, is to underbake them just a bit. Once I pull the pan from the oven, I let these cookies set on the cookie pan for a few minutes before removing them to cool.

These cookies end up being lightly crisp on the outside and a bit chewy in the middle. Oh yum!

What cookie recipe is your favorite?

Give Babies a Strong Start on #GivingTuesday

December 2, 2014

After the rush of sales and deals over the past few days, each one of us has the opportunity to make a difference by giving a bit that will last a lifetime. And this year, for Giving Tuesday, Compassion is looking to do something absolutely amazing!

Children born into poverty have no guarantees of making it to their first birthday. And In India, nearly 1 in 3 newborn deaths occur in India. To help give new moms and their newborn babies a fighting chance, Compassion has a big goal on this Giving Tuesday! The goal? Raise $25,000 to open a new Child Survival Program in Gujarat, India.

So what exactly is a Child Survival Program? Like the Child Development Program, the Child Survival Program (CSP) works through the local church with pregnant and new mothers to ensure they receive proper medical care, nutrition, training to care for their new babies, and sharing with them the hope of Jesus. This program is helping over 30,000 mothers and babies in over 700 centers. Babies are being born healthy because of this program, and over 4,000 mothers came to know Christ in the past year through the Child Survival Program!