The Gift of Myrrh – body balm and medicine. Myrrh is the sap-like resin that comes from a thorny bush in the desert regions of Arabia, Ethiopia, and Somalia. After the gum resin is collected it is stored for about three months while it hardens into a fragrant beads. When crushed and mixed with oil…
Are you overwhelmed with all the gifts you need to buy in the next few weeks? Some will shop all year and stash away purchases to simplify December shopping. Others begin in early fall determined to be finished by Thanksgiving. My Dad used to rush to the mall on his way home from work on…
I’ve seen the power of “we” in action. Oh, I’ve known its truth for a long time, but seeing it played out is huge. You know it too. You know that when individuals join together to make a difference big things happen. Look at the impact October pink has on us. Everywhere you look men…
Do you dream about peace? Yes, world peace would be wonderful, but you’d be happy with a little peace at home. Right? Imagine what it would be like if only . . . The kids would stop fighting. Your spouse would be more encouraging. Your house would magically clean itself, and the laundry was always…
The other day I received a card from Rev which read, “Thank you for bringing World Vision into our lives.” I smile each time I see the cover of the child sponsorship folder and read – thank you for changing my life. The truth is that partnering with World Vision has changed our lives. World Vision changes lives….
In a small community where the people had next to nothing, they shared with us what they had . . . boiled potatoes, lacoto (spicy cabbage), and a bit of fruit. This is the place my mind revisits when I think about our week in Bolivia. It was an emotional day for me. Day 2…
I’ve been carrying a lesson around with me since returning from South America. It’s a lesson that I hope to use often to take captive my streaming thoughts of self-deprecation. Those thoughts that continuously tell me that I’m not pretty enough, thin enough, and I’m can no longer be considered “young.” The thoughts that end…
The other day on Twitter Worship (#Tworship) we were encouraged to describe our lives in just a few words. One of the reasons I use Twitter is because I find it challenging to write anything in only 140 characters. I need practice in being succinct. The #Tworship question was easy however, three words came to…
I have spent time quietly in contemplative prayer this week, and by God’s grace I am beginning to feel like myself again . . . different yet the same. No longer unaware. But not disheartened. Hope-filled. Comforted by the God who: Loves – But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered,…
I have seen with my own eyes the work that is being done in the name of Jesus. I have seen World Vision Workers spend themselves completely as they care for the least of these. The little ones, the least of these . . . I have been asked since coming home, “Why doesn’t World…
I am thankful to say that both boys are happy and very healthy today. In December, I was thrilled to be with my daughter in the delivery room when my grandson was born. Those memories initiated my thoughts about the experience of pregnancy and deliveries in the United States vs. neonatal care and birthing in…
To abide with Christ- to stay with Him and to learn from Him- is to continually receive eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to obey. ~Angela Thomas Guffey This quote was in my in-box this morning. I love it! As we stay with Christ and learn from Him, we receive eyes to…
After twenty three and a half hours of travel, I arrived at home last night not too much worse for the wear and with all of my luggage in hand. I relaxed in a long hot bath and snuggled into my own bed remembering its familiar coziness. Even as I appreciated the comforts of home,…
Today has been like a breath of fresh air, and not just because the weather has been ideal. We spent the day with the people of Viloma. This ADP has been operating for thirteen years. The Colomi ADP that I spoke of each of the last two days only began a year and a half…
What do you want to be when you grow up? A question that has been asked and answered for generations. What did you want to be when you were a child? What do your children dream of becoming when they grow up? Most of us think of the career we want to pursue, but in…
Several weeks ago on one of our Bolivia Bloggers Calls Joan Mussa, World Vision Vice President, prayed for us and for our trip. I was deeply moved when she prayed that each of us would meet that one child whose face we would remember for the rest of our lives. I met my one child…
Ready! Set! Go! We hit the ground running. After a little over twenty four hours of travel, broken up by a three to four hour nap in La Paz, we arrived safely in Cochabamba. The “Garden City” of Bolivia. Living up to its name it boasts of mild temperatures which coax the growth of beautiful…
I am excited to be sharing Rev’s first guest post at CMB. I’m hoping it will be the first of many. ————————— It doesn’t surprise me in the least that Debbie said “yes” to going to Cochabamba, Bolivia with World Vision. She loves children. What shocked me is that she said “yes” immediately. My ever…
I am busily preparing for our trip to Bolivia. Planning what I am going to pack. Still shopping for shoes and a suitcase. Imagining what I will experience, and hoping our group leader was kidding when he talked about some of the foods we will be eating. Ha. Trying to learn more about the country…
Generosity is the habit of giving freely without expecting anything in return.~Wikipedia I can still remember being a little girl and the first thing I did each time I was asked to share. I would look at it, whatever it was, and wonder if there was enough. There rarely was . . . at least…
I spend a great deal of time thinking about my trip to Bolivia with World Vision. One month from today we will be in the middle of our week there. I wonder will sights, sounds, and smells be familiar by that time. Many children around the world need the basics of clean water, food, clothing,…
