All I Can Pray for Over and Over is Wisdom

I can't sleep, which is a little weird because I take medicine to sleep. Haiti is very heavy on my mind. It's funny how you can feel numb and burdened at the same time. The last few years Haiti has been on my radar. Somehow I found blogs of people either ministering there or involved with organizations on the ground and have been following the progress of whatever they're working on. Sometimes I feel like I actually know them and I've been blessed to actually meet some of them. I was part of a music festival last summer that raised funds for a Haiti project.

So, back to being numb and burdened. I haven't let all my walls down and completely grieved. That probably would have happened if the word had not come that the people I "know" are okay, for now. Then I got an email from Shaun for the Compassion Bloggers. It was a bit overwhelming.

• Sadly, we anticipate there will be many deaths.
• We anticipate thousands of children and families will have lost everything.
• We anticipate many of our church-based child development centers will have been destroyed.

But, I guess when you're feeling numb things can push you to the edge easier. That email did push me. Then, he put it in his blog and did a very good job. So, I would highly encourage you to go there to read it.

I've been reading and watching about how the airport is tied up, fuel is running out, and the seaport is demolished. And all I can pray, over and over, is "God give them wisdom. Give everyone involved wisdom. Wisdom of creativity to move debris quickly without much machinery. Wisdom in medicine to move correctly and precisely. Wisdom in engineering to get supplies where they need to be in an efficient manner. Wisdom of organization for all efforts to run smoothly. Wisdom to act in a way that is helpful both physically and spiritually."

If you want to learn more about the people I have followed for a few years click below.
Aaron Ivey
Compassion
Dreaming Big Dreams
The Livesay Haiti Weblog
Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center
Hands and Feet Project

I think I can go to sleep now. God, give them wisdom.

TOMS Holiday Catalog Makes Me Happy

Some of you know that I get plum giddy over TOMS Shoes. Really, I smile just thinking about them. And it isn't just the shoes that make me that way. Yes, they are amazingly comfortable and cute, but it is the mission and concept of the company that make me happy. Wasn't there a real corny cheer once that had H-A-P-P-Y in it somewhere? Sorry, I digress.

Back to the company. If I were young, single, and intelligent I would do everything in my power to work for them. Maybe if I were just young and intelligent I would do everything in my power to work for them. Being none of those things, I will do everything in my power to get the word out about the company.

So, back to being giddy. My TOMS Holiday catalog came yesterday and, as usual, it is just delightful. And my favorite thing, besides the black glitter shoes on page 6 and the Cordones on page 12 and the poem on page 22, is on the back cover.

There you will find TOMS Gift Pack for $50. It is COOL BEANS!
Included is a TOMS $50 gift card, a For Tomorrow DVD (it is wonderful) and a Limited Edition Poster. Plus, of course, you will be giving someone in need a pair of shoes.

If you have someone in your life that prefers their gifts to give a little more this would be perfect for them. And you would be helping get the word out. And that makes me H-A-P-P-Y!

Gifts - Getting and Giving

Oh, the time of year when everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. And why? I'm not sure, but I think it is due to tradition. And I firmly believe that traditions should not make us run around like chickens with their heads cut off.

I, personally, don't like getting gifts unless I know they have been well thought out or handmade with a lot of love. My immediate family and close friends know this and my husband and three oldest kids understand that I would much prefer them to give to a charity in my name than give me something they bought at the last second just to get me something. My youngest daughter will probably never understand and my 13 year old just thinks I'm crazy. But then, his love language is gifts. Obviously, it's not mine.

So, if you have someone in your family or group of friends that is weird like me, here are some gift suggestions:

TOMS Shoes - Can't go wrong here. Two gifts for the price of one. For every pair purchased, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. Watch the video. Buy the shoes.


Another amazing company is 25 Cloth. They are out to bring change to a hurting world and they are doing it. You can be a part of it. This quarter, for every t-shirt (and man, do they have some cute ones) you purchase you are changing the lives of those living in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Over 40% of the proceeds from Ike relief shirts and 25% of all other shirts go towards providing food, building supplies, clothes, and other necessities to the victims.

If your gift recipient has a heart for children then check out the following organizations:

Compassion International - The giving choices through this group are numerous & far reaching.
Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center - These folks are on the front lines battling poverty.
Love146 - Help them save children from the jaws of pure evil.

Sponsors Needed

Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center needs people to sponsor pallets for a shipment to Haiti.

"We still need 23 sponsors to help get the container here to Haiti. We have lots of medicine, food, peanut butter, clothes, shoes, baby formula, etc that are ready to come." Licia

Learn more here.

Maybe your office, softball team, golf buddies, Bible study group, etc...could sponsor a pallet or two.

Where Do You Start?

The following is from the Livesay's Haiti blog.

Please consider adding the entire Zachary Family to your daily prayer list. Licia reports that Lori and her husband Charles will return to Haiti next week. They have lost all of their belongings and will need to help their neighbors face loss too. THANK YOU to those of you who contacted Jamie and/or donated. At this very moment it is honestly so overwhelming for Licia that they are trying to determine WHICH needs to tackle first. The water was a big one and they have filters now so they can filter the dirty water and make it safe to drink. The water was so powerful it destroyed roads, moved vehicles and bridges and entire homes.

Haiti Hit Hard

and will any media here even cover it? Please read Aaron's posts about the devastation Hurricane Ike has done to Haiti. Being one of the poorest places in the world already, this leaves Haiti in beyond dire straights.

Aaron has provided link information for paypal accounts if you want to help out the Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center. There are also pictures of a small part of the damage.

Today a bunch of people were demolishing the student ministry room in preparation of a 30 years in the making makeover. The chaos was much and the mess was much. I found it overwhelming...I cannot begin to wrap my mind around what it would be like to have to crawl out of what the RHFH staff is dealing with. There aren't any government agencies they can call. There isn't any hotel the government will put them and the rescued children in. There is no FEMA to even pretend to help them.

If you can...please help.

Heart for the Homeless

I have a new friend. She is this little ball of energy named Susie. Her heart is bigger than Texas. Susie began a love affair with the homeless of Dallas a few years ago after the suicide of her husband. Asking God to give her a ministry in the city, He pointed out the homeless under the Canton Bridge. She was not happy about His choice. Her heart felt nothing but disdain for a population of people she felt were dirty, smelly, lazy, scary and strung out. But God knew that her heart was bigger than that and He started her on a journey that has led to the creation of Operation Care Dallas, Inc. This will be the fourth year of Christmas Gift, the largest Christmas Party for the homeless in the nation. Last year saw 6,700 guests walk through the doors of the Dallas Convention Center.

And the drive behind it all is a little Filipino lady named Susie Jennings. She works full time as a nurse at Baylor and ministers to the homeless in her spare time. And when I say she ministers, I don't mean she throws money at them and acknowledges them from time to time. She spends hours with them trying to meet their physical and spiritual needs.

I find her truly amazing.

"Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight..." James 1:27