163 Million Too Many

"External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world."  James 1: 27 (Amplified Bible)

It is ALWAYS the right thing to do--

to visit

to help

to care

for orphans and widows in their affliction and need.

It is ALWAYS the right thing!  You don't have to question or wonder or doubt or hesitate.  It is NEVER the wrong thing to do to reach out to the orphans and widows in this world!  It is NEVER a waste of your time.  It is NEVER a waste of your resources.  God will NEVER wish you were doing something else. 

Today is Orphan Sunday.  There are an estimated 163 million orphans in the world today!  Such a mind boggling number!  But, there are approximately 2.2 BILLION Christians in the world today.  I firmly believe that we are the answer to the crisis.  I believe that if you have a personal relationship with God that your question should be "How do you want me to help orphans and widows?" not "Do you want me to help orphans and widows?"  Because you can be assured that He wants you to help.  The only real question is how.  Here are 10 ways that you can reach out :

Pray for them

Speak up / Advocate for them

 

Provide for their needs

Support those who support them

Protect them from harm

 Visit them where they are

Give sacrificially to them

Encourage them to press on (Mentor, Tutor)

Adopt them into your family

Mobilize your church for them

Pick one.  Any one.  Or 2, or 3, or all 10.  I double dog dare you to try all 10!  Your life will never be the same! 

"He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."  Matthew 10:39

testing, testing, 1...2...3....

is this thing turned on?  can anybody hear me?  welcome to my little corner of cyberspace.  pull up a chair, prop up your feet and stay a while.  just know that i am new to this whole blogging thing, and i am actually a pretty private person in real life.  but, i have been a lurker on many a blog for a while now, and have found information, inspiration, comfort, laughs, and friendship there.  so....I have decided to start sharing my family's adventures as we live life by following God wherever He leads us.  

so that you can get to know me i'll share some things i LOVE --

God 

walking
food

bodies of water - running rivers, crashing ocean waves

reading

being a mom  (it is the hardest and most amazing job i have ever had!)

burning candles

a cup of tea
coffee (just not black - blech! although i am trying to give up coffee drink it sparingly)

road trips of any sort - destinations are irrelevant, it is the journey i enjoy!

warm rain

storms: thunder and lightening 

long "Calgon take me away" baths

hot showers

hiking in the woods

swimming

impressionist art -style more than subject matter

sincere friends

learning something new

hugs

photography!

fresh flowers

being outside in nature

the Spanish language

And some things I really do NOT like --

winter  (exceptions: snow angels and hot cocoa after playing in the snow with my son)

cold rain

apathy

lack of self-control (in myself or others)

driving in hard rain or dense fog

guilt! (I am a recovering guilt-a-holic - admitting you have a problem is the FIRST step! ;)

licorice

materialism

feel free to ask a question or share something about yourself.  i would love to get to know you.

hasta pronto,

tracy

    i love to see the trees change color and play in piles of leaves!
    even if it does mean winter is coming