A Bounty of Happiness

My Hubby sweetly asked me to accompany him in gathering wild blackberries this morning. This daily jaunt around our acreage brings an instant smile to his face, as he sets off in search of his "bounty," as he likes to call it. The first time he and the kids had picked berries from our property, he came in proudly displaying a huge bowl of the prized fruit and excitedly exclaimed, " Look at my BOUNTY........!!!!" It makes me giggle every time I think of it. I picture him like a cave-man of sorts, pounding on his chest, as he brings home the food of the land...the family bounty..."me provider, me hunter...me get food for family...!" 


Clad in a favorite, worn-in tee-shirt, shorts and his extra-tall, camo muck boots, home-made walking stick in hand, he sets off to find the ripest berries. He claims this time outside, enjoying our property, listening to the birds singing, the bees buzzing, dragon-flies gliding by, to be so relaxing.  Our puppy, Crosby, tags along, as well. In fact, he has become quite accustomed to berry picking time; his little ears perk up at the mere mention of bounty hunting. 


I, too, enjoyed the hunt.  We found about a cup and a half of beautiful, ripe blackberries - so sweet they don't even need sugar. (I  might just whip up some delicious blackberry dessert for later!)

In these moments of happy bounty hunting, I will continue to "Look Up!"

The 10/40 Window

The 10/40 Window

Sunday's sermon at church got me thinking really long and hard about my Christianity, my faith, and my beliefs. This one thought keeps going through my mind, “I want to do more……!” I want to contribute in some tangible way to people who live their lives in daily struggle, hunger, fear, and hopelessness. The sermon introduced the term The  10/40 Window, a term I was not familiar with. The 10/40 Window is where the majority of people who are oppressed, hungry, impoverished, in pain, and living with fear live. Wikepia gives this definition:  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 10/40 Window is a term coined by Christian missionary strategist Luis Bush in 1990^[1][2] to refer those regions of the eastern hemisphere located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator, a general area that in 1990 was purported to have the highest level of socioeconomic challenges^[3][4] and least access to the Christian message and Christian resources^[5][6][7] on the planet.

The 10/40 Window concept highlights these three elements: an area of the world with great poverty and low quality of life, combined with lack of access to Christian resources.

The Window forms a band encompassing Saharan and Northern Africa, as well as almost all of Asia (West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia and much of Southeast Asia). Roughly two-thirds of the world population lives in the 10/40 Window. The 10/40 Window is populated by people who are predominantly Muslim, Hindu,Buddhist, Animist, Jewish or Atheist. Many governments in the 10/40 Window are formally or informally opposed to Christian work of any kind within their borders.

Here is a picture:

John W. Zumwalt, in a blog posting from Heart of God Ministries, entitled,  After God's Own Heart: A Study in Intimacy, discussed The 10/40, saying,

“When you think of the starving children with bloated stomachs, malnutrition and disease, this is where they are. When you think of the oppressive governments in the world, you think of Tien An Men Square. You think of the human rights violations in Miramar (Burma) or the killing fields of Cambodia. You think of Iraq and its gassing and torture of the Kurds to the north and the Shiites to the south. They are here in this Window. Corruption abounds, and totalitarian governments seem to have permission to do whatever they will with their people.

When you think of natural disasters, this is the area in which they take the worst toll. You remember when Hurricane Andrew smashed into Florida...That very same week a cyclone, which is the same thing as a hurricane, smashed into Bangladesh and 300,000 people in Bangladesh died in that storm. We cannot comprehend that number.”

The 10/40 is a region of despair. It is the region of the world where the poorest of the poor live. I read that the average income is barely $200 per month per family in some regions. They must be not only poor in worldly terms of monies, but poor in spirit, as well. Hopelessness brings despair, despair brings hopelessness...I would think that living in that environment would invite hopelessness to grow and fester like an open wound.

An important point my pastor made in his sermon was that this Window or region of people were considered “unreached” and have never been given the opportunity to hear the gospel. This is greatly important to me, but I want to concentrate on another aspect of the impact of knowing about The 10/40 Window - that is the desire I have to do something. I realize that I am not equipped or necessarily ready to do something grand or great, but even little things done in love can have lasting and profound ends. With this in mind I began to think about ways I could help.

Here is a list of things I could do:

·        PRAY – there is definite power in prayer, so if I commit to remembering all the people who live in The 10/40 Window and offer daily prayer for their comfort, safety, and care, I could help. Prayer changes things! I will pray.

·        I can be more informed! If I learn more about this region and the different organizations and missions that are trying to make a difference, there may be more ways that I can help. But in not knowing, I cannot begin to understand how I can help. Sharing awareness can be a help.

·        Sharing some of the really awesome sites I’ve learned about would make helping as easy as typing in the web address and going from there. Here are a few that may be relevant: (I cannot take credit for the research behind finding these sites – mostly they come from other sources which I will site as I go along. The descriptions, although loosely edited, are provided by the original sources.)

The following 6 sites I read about in an article written by Nicholas D. Kristof of the New York Times. Kristof points out that these are a few of the lesser known organizations that can and are making a big impact.

        1. www.ArzuStudioHope.org Arzu employs women in Afghanistan to make carpets for export. The women get decent wages, but their families must commit to sending children to school and to allowing women to attend literacy and health classes and receive medical help in childbirth.

        2. www.fonkoze.org Fonloze is a terrific poverty fighting organization for Haiti. A $20 gift will send a rural Haitian child to elementary school for a year, while $50 will purchase a family a pregnant goat.

        3. www.pih.org (Partners in Health) Another great Haiti-focused organization which provides therapeutic foods, a lot like peanut butter, to treat a severely malnourished child for one month. PIH also contributes to providing agricultural implements and training for a family to grow food for itself. (My youth group made the peanut butter supplement, called “Plumpy Nut” during a 30 Hour Famine weekend. The recipe is at the end of the post. It is quite good and the kids loved it.)

        4. www.panzifoundation.org   Panzi Hospital treats victims of sexual violence in eastern Congo, the rape capitol of the world. Contributions pay for transport to a hospital for a rape victim and for counseling and literacy and skill training for a survivor for a month.

        5. www.camfed.org (Campaign for Female Education) Camfed sends girls to school in Africa and provides a broad support system for them.

        6. www.somaly.org (Somaly Mam Foundation) fights sex slavery in Cambodia and around the world. It is run by Somaly Mam, who was sold into Cambodian brothels as a young girl before escaping years later.

        7. www.WorldVision.org  When I was a Youth Ministries Director my youth group participated in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine. World Vision is an amazing organization dedicated to helping overcome poverty and hunger in the lives of children and their families.

The following sites I learned about through a fantastic book by Zach Hunter, entitled, Generation Change. In the book, Zach shows how we can contribute to change. It’s an awesome read! Zach focuses a lot on how to help children in our hurting world.

        8. www.soles4souls.org  Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. The charity distributes these shoes to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 14 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently donating one pair every 7 seconds.) The shoes have been distributed to people in over 127countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States.

9. www.jedidiahusa.com   Wear your cause by purchasing one of Jedidia’s cool shirts. Jedidia sportwear is a series of shirts designed to speak out about problems facing the world today. In 2010 World-renowned surf photographer,Aaron Chang, accompanied Jedidiah’s founder, Kevin Murray, on a trip to Cambodia to meet and photograph the community. Four of his photos have been used to create a special edition line of T-shirts that will benefit World Vision’s efforts to protect innocent children from the sex trafficking trade in Cambodia. $10 from the sale of each shirt will be used to fund the construction of the international humanitarian agency's trauma recovery center that will hold more than 70 children per year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

        10. www.love146.org  This organization used to be called Justice for Children International. They renamed themselves in honor of a young girl they saw being sold who had been given a number (146) instead of being called by her name. On their Web site you’ll find many ways to get involved in helping free children from sex trafficking.

        11. www.ijm.org IJM, or International Justice Mission, is

a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.

        12. www.compassion.com On this site you can sponsor a child and your investment can help break the cycle of poverty and give hope to a child.

        13. www.adventconspiracy.org Check this site out to see how you can spend less and give more.

        14. www.drytears.org Dry Tears raises money to provide clean water.

        15.  www.nothingbutnets.net     Your contribution can help protect a child from malaria carrying mosquitoes by providing a chemically treated mosquito net to give each person a safe place to sleep.

        16. www.tomsshoes.com  Toms Shoes is an innovative company that not only makes cool shoes but also provides shoes for poor children around the world.  With every pair of shoes you purchase from Toms, a second pair will be given to a child in need.

The reality that poverty and despair exist is just mind-boggling. My heart aches for those people affected by such hopelessness and chaos. There is so much hurt in the world. I know it’s easy for me to sit here and blog about such a huge human crisis while I enjoy all the comforts of living in a wealthy country, where , personally, I don’t have to worry about hunger, utter poverty, a safe place to sleep and rest, or where my next meal is coming from, but it is vital that I show compassion and love and concern for those in need. It’s not much, but in some small way, maybe by sharing some of these important sites, and sharing about The 10/40 Window, others will find ways in which they can help, too. I will pray and I will continue to become more informed and aware. I will continue to “Look Up” and share hope. 

"Plumpy Nut Recipe"

2 C Peanut Butter

2 C Powdered Dry Milk

2 Tbsp. powdered confectioners sugar

1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Mix together and enjoy!

Refrigerate.

PLUMPY NUT RECIPE: 2 cups peanut butter, 2 cups powdered (dry) milk, 2 TBSP

powdered sugar, 1/2 TBSP vegetable oil. Mix well, use a hand blender if you have one.

Humor Me

Laughter. Oh the joy of a good laugh!  That feeling that starts somewhere in your belly and bubbles forth with loud guffaws, gasps for breath, that bent-over-'cause you can't breathe feeling from laughing so hard you have to hold your stomach. That feels good.  Laughter is good medicine as they say - good medicine for what ails you!  I'd love to go into the Doctor's office and request a prescription for laughter. The script would read, "Take a healthy dose, at least 4-6 times daily, or as needed." That would be great. Laughter, the cure-all of cure-alls.


What makes me laugh? I have to admit that lately it takes quite a lot, but if I really think about it, my first response would have to be my kids. They can brighten my day just by seeing their cute little smiles. My daughter comes up with some very funny quips, completely out of the blue, that just crack me up. And my son, who is busy navigating his way through "teenager-dom" has recently started to repeat everything I say until I'm laughing at him, completely having forgotten what it was I was saying to him. So much for discipline....it all goes out the window when your parenting lecture #No whatever turns into a good belly laugh! Oh well, it could be worse.


My puppy, whom we have fondly nicknamed, "No Brakes" can surely make me laugh. He gets to running so fast after his beloved Frisbee or stick that he veers out of control, almost doing doggy gymnastics to retrieve his toy. It's quite comical. He's just the cutest dog in the universe, anyway, so watching him tumbling through the grass is always good for a laugh.


So today, I'm hoping to bring on the belly laughs, the giggles, the guffaws, the chuckles, and the chortles. Bring it on! In your face stress! Take that life's challenges! Look out...I feel a good laugh coming on!


Charlie Chaplin said, A day without laughter is a day wasted. Here's to Looking Up today and finding lots of opportunities to laugh!


What makes you laugh? 

Powerful Lyrics

These lyrics really spoke to me today.  I hope you feel the power of these words and let them lift you up - always "looking up."

Someone Worth Dying For by Mikeschair


You might be the wife, waiting up at night
You might be the man, struggling to provide
Feeling like it's hopeless
Maybe you're the son, who chose a broken road
Maybe you're the girl, thinking you'll end up alone
Praying God can you hear me?
Oh God are you listening?

Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah I wanna believe, I wanna believe that
I'm not just some wandering soul
That you don't see and you don't know
Yeah I wanna believe, Jesus help me believe that I
Am someone worth dying for

I know you’ve heard the truth that God has set you free
But you think you're the one that grace could never reach
So you just keep asking, oh what everybody's asking

Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah I wanna believe, I wanna believe that

I'm not just some wandering soul
That you don't see and you don't know
Yeah I wanna believe, Jesus help me believe that I
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com 
Am someone worth dying for

You're worth it, you can’t earn it
yeah the cross has proven
That you're sacred and blameless
Your life has purpose

And you are more than flesh and bone
Can't you see you're something beautiful
Yeah you gotta believe, you gotta believe
He wants you to see, He wants you to see
That you're not just some wandering soul
That can't be seen and can't be known
Yeah you gotta believe, you gotta believe that you
Are someone worth dying for

You're someone worth dying for
You're someone worth dying for




This is another awesome song, that really grabbed my attention today.  The words are so powerful.  The song is While I'm Waiting by John Waller. You may have heard it in the movie, Fireproof. 

Looking Up

This year has been really tough. It just seems to be getting tougher, too. You know that list of the Top 10 Stressors? I think we have hit them all in the last few years. Job change, job loss, relocation, death of a loved one, serious illness of loved one, financial stress, etc. Those are just a few. That is one of the reasons I decided to start this blog. It seemed that I had a choice to make - I could either wallow in my despair and focus on all the things I perceived as negatives, or "Look Up" and focus on things, ideas, people, sayings, music, books, favorite activities - all those things that are positive and uplifting, and in turn, "look up." 
  Looking Up goes deeper than just finding the positive, too.  It's about falling into the arms of Jesus, "looking up" to Him for strength, comfort, guidance, and His constant reassurance of acceptance and love. It is so hard to give it all to Christ and trust that He has it all in His control. So I started getting into Scripture and the Word, daily, so that I'd find the strength I need to get through the day. Looking Up is looking up to Him, as well as looking up in a positive manner.  I have found the more I focus on Him and His love, the more I can let go of the things that are pulling me down.  It's an amazing feeling.  I still struggle, and it's not easy, but it certainly is easier when you rely on your faith and have hope in the  future. One of my all time favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11 that says, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I had to decide to really practice what I preach, so-to-speak, and put all of my faith in Jesus when it has been very tempting to just question, "Why????, Lord? I don't understand.....and turn away in anger.  I know God can handle my questioning and He can handle my doubts and insecurities.  I just have to communicate those things to Him in daily, constant prayer.  I learned this year that prayer can be considered a constant awareness of God. (Max Lucado in Come Thirsty) I am certainly aware of God's goodness and His incredible and beautiful creation. I am thankful for the many blessings I have received and hope to always reflect His love in how I love and in my relationships. So, for this day, this hour, this moment, I will Look UP!

I Don't Wanna

How many times have we all said, "I don't want to" (I don't wanna....!)??? I know I have said that about so many things - I don't want to study, I don't want to do laundry, clean the house, apply for that job, wash the car, pay bills, rake leaves, prepare for work, meet with my boss, run errands.....etc., etc., etc., you get the idea.  Remember all those, I don't wannas? Somehow all those "I don't want tos"  have a way of creeping into our daily living.  I just want to turn on the mute button sometimes!  The latest "I don't want to" has been a hard one to tackle.  My daughter is attending an all day basketball camp.  It's very intense and has been very hard.  My daughter is exhausted and feeling frustrated at the length of the camp.  In tears the whole way home last night, she just kept repeating, "I don't want to [go back]." My heart just broke for her.  Obviously, we signed her up with all the best intentions - that she would have an amazing time, learn the game of basketball, meet some new friends, and have fun.  She is usually my little go-getter, so her reluctance has been a huge surprise.  As a mom, I had to really dig deep for encouraging words that would inspire her and make her see that camp IS absolutely fantastic!  My head said, all the right things, but my heart wanted to scoop her up and say, "It's o.k., my darling girl.....you don't have to go back.....no more tears.....there, there!" But there is a much bigger lesson here that I know will be so important for her as she grows up.  Things aren't always easy. Things can be hard and things can be difficult, but we must face our challenges head-on, for on the other side of the challenge is accomplishment, perseverance, and strength.  She will learn that she CAN do it! Not only will she be a better basketball player, she will be stronger girl for it! She went off to camp feeling tired, but at least she hadn't given up. Her strength and perseverance are shining through.

Overcoming Challenges

I came across this video of Tony Melendez when I was a Youth Director.  I was astounded by what Tony has done with his life.  Born with no arms, Tony did not allow his disability to stop him from using his gift of music.  Wait to you hear him play!  He reminds me that life is what you choose to make of it. I think, how can I even complain about my life, on days when it seems like life is handing me a ton of stumbling blocks, when I listen to this man play the guitar with his feet......I feel almost ashamed that I could even dare to complain when I am so blessed.  Tony Melendez has turned his disability into a way to praise and rejoice and share joy with countless people all over the world. His disability was not an excuse to do nothing with his life or sit back and let life pass him by.  He was driven to use his gift and his love of music.  It is incredible how he uses his feet so skillfully and with such beauty, agility, and grace.  I find him to be a true "gem" of inspiration! Enjoy!

We Will Not Forget

This amazing video was made by an amazing 15 year old girl.  I can't ever express my gratitude to the men and women  who make sure our freedoms are safe.  I love you. Thank you. I will not forget.

Puppy Love

In January, we welcomed a new little puppy into our family.  He has been a constant source or joy and entertainment! I think you'll agree, that when you see him, you will be overcome by how adorable he is!  I just can't get enough of him! He has the sweetest disposition and his little face just makes your heart melt!  He has been a gift to us all and a true treasure!  I was telling my daughter the other night that the reason dogs are "man's best friend" as the saying goes, is because when you spell DOG backwards, it spells, GOD.  God's gift of joy has certainly been in having Crosby.  He is a Bernese Mountain Dog.

Book It!

I have to share a favorite website of mine, Chinaberry. I absolutely LOVE books and look forward to pouring over this catalog each month. A family owned and operated company, the owner writes splendid little snippets of book reviews that make you want to read every book they offer.  I find myself circling in big circles, the many books I would like to order and read.  Chinaberry offers books for every age, as well as unique products for the home, beauty essentials, and toys and games for children.  I highly recommend Chinaberry.  They are definitely one of my favorite little gems! http://www.chinaberry.com
Another favorite is Chinaberry's sister company, Isabella.  Check it out - I hope you find it a favorite, too! http://www.isabellacatalog.com/index.cfm

A Motherhood Gem

Motherhood has been one of the greatest gifts I have been given.  I consider it a blessing and an honor to be a mom.  It is my greatest role, and one I cherish.  It is one of the "gems" of my life.  A very dear friend shared this little gem, explaining that it had hung prominently on her bedroom wall until her kids were grown and living on their own.  She surprised me one evening, at a scrap-booking gathering as she proudly presented me with the treasured, "How to Be a Mean Mother" plaque.  The saying is actually  printed on a piece of wallpaper border, with bits of lace, silk roses, and ribbon glued to it. (Aren't the simplest things, the most treasured??) Here are the words for you to enjoy:

How to Be A Mean Mother

A Mean Mother

never allows candy or sweets to take the place

of a well-balanced meal.

A Mean Mother

insists on knowing where her children are at all times,

who their friends are and what they do.

A Mean Mother

breaks the Child Labor Law by making her children

work - washing dishes, making beds, learning to cook and

doing other cruel and unpleasant chores.

A Mean Mother

makes life miserable for her offspring by insisting that 

they always tell the truth.

A Mean Mother

produces teenagers who are wiser and more sensible.

A Mean Mother

can smile with secret delight and pride when she hears

her own grandchildren call their parents "mean".

What the world needs now is more

Mean Mothers ~ and Fathers!

Author Unknown

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he 

is old he will not turn from it."

Proverbs 22:6

Freedom

I enjoy my FREEDOM! Freedom secured through bravery, courage, and patriotism. I enjoy my FREEDOM!
I can:
Wake up next to my husband in the home that we chose, in the town we chose to live in, in the country that is FREE, because,
I am FREE.
I can:
Worship on Sunday morning, or any day of the week, at any church that I choose, in any place that I choose, because,
I am FREE.
I can:
blog to my heart's content, say the things that are important to me, speak my mind, share my views, because,
I am FREE.
I can:
go anywhere I choose to go, because,
I am FREE.
I can:
Choose my own doctor, choose the foods I will serve to my family, choose the career I would like, choose the activities I enjoy, because,
I am FREE.
I can:
Vote, participate in my country's decisions, have a voice, because,
I am FREE.
I can enjoy my FREEDOM, because,
I am FREE.

I am thankful to all the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much to ensure my freedom. Thank you.

Nature's Gems

Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures!  I absolutely love to watch them. I have about 7-8 hummingbirds that frequent my three feeders throughout the day.  Every day I am able to stand within inches from these fierce, yet delicate little birds as I rehang the feeders daily after filling them with sugar water. They are so tiny, yet unabashedly courageous and quite aggressive.  They are little power houses of bravery. They chirp and buzz excitedly (it's amazing how loud they are!) I stand in awe of their beauty. Depending on how the light catches their feathers, they seem to sparkle - nature's little gems.  

Why Emeralds

 Being new to the whole blogger phenom, I was thinking about what the significance of my blog would be. I started thinking about why I chose the name "Emerald" which led me to look up the history and facts of the gemstone, Emerald. This is what I found: (This article came from International Gem Foundation.)

The gemstone, Emerald, is a fascinating gem.  They have the most beautiful, most intense and most radiant green that can possibly be imagined: emerald green. It is said that the Emerald is far more valuable than a Diamond! Emeralds have been held in high esteem since ancient times.The green of the emerald is the colour of life and of the springtime, which comes round again and again. But it has also, for centuries, been the colour of beauty and of constant love. In ancient Rome, green was the colour of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. The lively luminosity of its colour makes the emerald a unique gemstone. However, really good quality is fairly rare, with inclusions often marring the evenness of the colour – signs of the turbulent genesis which has characterised this gemstone. Fine inclusions, however, do not by any means diminish the high regard in which it is held. On the contrary: even with inclusions, an emerald in a deep, lively green still has a much higher value than an almost flawless emerald whose colour is paler. Affectionately, and rather poetically, the specialists call the numerous crystal inclusions, cracks or fissures which are typical of this gemstone 'jardin'. They regard the tender little green plants in the emerald garden as features of the identity of a gem which has grown naturally.Whilst its good hardness protects the emerald to a large extent from scratches, its brittleness and its many fissures can make cutting, setting and cleaning rather difficult. Even for a skilled gem cutter, cutting emeralds presents a special challenge, firstly because of the high value of the raw crystals, and secondly because of the frequent inclusions. However, this does not detract from the cutters' love of this unique gem. Indeed, they have developed a special cut just for this gem: the emerald cut. The clear design of this rectangular or square cut with its bevelled corners brings out the beauty of this valuable gemstone to the full, at the same time protecting it from mechanical strain.

I found this fascinating. When I was in college, I was given the name, Emerald, when I became a member of my school's sorority.  At the time, I never thought more about the name, other than it stood for beauty, and that we, as sorority sisters, were "gems." My sorority legacy, the family of sisters to which I was initiated into, had been given names of jewels for generations of sorority history.  Pretty cool, as a young 19 year old.....now, almost 20 years later, the meaning, history and beliefs about Emeralds is even more fascinating to me.  I began to see that emeralds, as  rare and valuable gemstones, are somehow symbolic of deeper truths that apply to life.  Life is a beautiful journey, but one in which we can expect challenges and bumps along the way - inclusions and imperfections like in an emerald.  Like the article explains, gem cutters, find these inclusions, imperfections, cracks and fissures, things to rejoice in, celebrate even, for those are the very things that give the emerald its unique and rare qualities.  Imperfections, challenges, and hardships in life can be likened to the inclusions of an emerald - they are to be embraced - for they can give our life unique vitality, strength, boldness, renewed compassion, and beauty. Like so many things, it is what happens before that contributes to a thing of beauty - the storm before the rainbow, the long and difficult training before an Olympic win, the breaking free from the chrysalis before a caterpillar turns into a butterfly.....the list goes on and on....beauty... it is found all around us. We just have to go through and around life's imperfections.  Beauty awaits!