Leftovers

Well, I had quite the lovely birthday yesterday. Kind of a typical Monday, but I found out that this weekend my hubby is taking me on a little excursion to see some of my very best friends in the cities! If any of my MN friends are going to be around this weekend, please do let me know, I would love to see some of you!

These photos are from ages ago when snow and cold kept me from going outside. Instead I stayed indoors dreaming of some way to make myself into Katherine Hepburn. I certainly don't have her figure, but nonetheless a good wide-legged trouser was in order. I also wore one of my cardigans backwards just for fun.

Unfortunately, as much as I love these glasses, they aren't exactly wearable at the moment. One of the kiddos hit me smack in the face with a ball a few weeks ago and bent these right out of shape. When I thought they were wearable again, I got hit in the face with another ball (different child). So I guess these are magnetically attracted to rubber or something? At any rate I need to figure out how to reshape plastic glasses because truly these frames were one of my favorite pairs.

And, a devotion for today:

Our church had a guest speaker last Sunday and his message hit me pretty hard. He spoke from Exodus when the Israelites were given manna and quail from God (chapter 16). The chapter speaks heavily of how the people were supposed to gather only as much food as they needed for their family and not more than that. That way everybody would be equal-no one with too much or too little. This concept is so foreign to our culture today. We work hard to get as much stuff as we possibly can (I'm just as guilty as anyone of this). We think that as long as we are earning our money it's ok to spend it on whatever we want-be it vacations, clothing, you name it. I've been so convicted lately though, that maybe God has blessed me with abundance because He actually wants me to DO SOMETHING WITH IT. Sure, He loves me and doesn't mind me finding a bit of happiness in things. But do I really need an exessive amount of things to be happy? Do I NEED a closet full of clothes when there are those out there who have only the clothes on their back? Do I need a fridge full of food (half of which will probably go bad because I can't possibly eat it all) when there are children out there who only eat three times a week? Why do we humans not trust in the goodness of God enough to see that He will provide just what is enough for us-and any 'leftovers' that we have should be shared with those who need it more than we do? My husband and I certainly are not the richest couple I know-but compared to many we are blessed with SO MUCH MORE than we really need. 

The question in all of this is where and how can I help? Me spending less money on clothes isn't going to put clothes on the back of a needy child. The money is just going to sit in our bank account. The only thing I really do to help in small part is sponsor a child through Compassion International. I have a little boy named Albanus from Kenya who writes letters to me with pictures and all. And I write him back. It is the greatest feeling, really to know that I am helping out just the tiniest bit. The thing was, in church last Sunday I felt so compelled to sponsor even more children. It's something the mister and I will have to discuss...but I just feel like we should sponsor as many as we can afford-be it one child or ten children! I don't want to lower my guilt complex by just saying, "Oh, it's ok if I buy this-I do my part by sponsoring a child (or whatever your thing is)." NO! If I have excess money I should be spending it on more children not on myself! How selfish of a person I am at times...How selfish of a culture are we (in general)? 

I'm praying to God that He shows me more pathways in which to help, preferably even in my own community. With the hours I work, I could spend a good chunk of the day volunteering, I just don't know where at the moment. What I do know is that God's plan was for each of us to have enough in this life. How unfair the human race has made things and it's high time we try and tip the balance back to equality.

So anyway, sorry for the rant-but this has just been on my heart lately and I felt it was too important not to share. Thoughts?

God Bless, 

KJA

Exodus 16:17-18

 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

Wearing:

Cardi-Target

Pants-NY and Co.- thrifted

Shoes- Kohl's

Scarf- Gift from my mama :)