Build Hope this Christmas

Christmas is a time for celebration.

Many Christmas celebrations take place around our country.

A lot of money is spent on Christmas celebrations.

Food, decorations, presents, etc.

Now, there is nothing wrong with a Christmas celebration. Winter is not my favorite season, but I love Christmas. As much as I loathe the cold and dark days of the season, I love the twinkle of the lights, the smell of fresh baked goods, and the coziness of snuggling with a blanket and a good book.

But in order to simplify our Christmas celebration, I want to spend less on things that don't matter. I don't want to buy presents just for the sake of buying presents.

Compassion has given us an opportunity to build hope this Christmas.

Imagine living in an area where your daily wage is under one dollar. What kind of Christmas can you provide for your children on that kind of salary?

Imagine living in an area where children are dying from preventable diseases like malaria and cholera. What kind of Christmas can you provide for your children when you don't know if they will survive until the next Christmas?

In Tanzania, Compassion partners with more than 300 churches, serving over 72,000 children. These children are being provided for over and above what their parent's salary can provide. These children are receiving medical care to help them survive until their next birthday and beyond. These children are learning that their eternal hope is found in Jesus through the many caring volunteers at the local churches who love on these children.

So how does this fit in with your Christmas celebration this year?

I am looking for 50 friends...

50 friends who are willing to spend $10 less this Christmas...

50 friends who want to help build hope...

50 friends who want to help build a brighter future...

50 friends who will donate $10 to help build a carpentry workshop in Tanzania.

Will you help build hope this Christmas?

Practicing Photography

Many years ago, when I was in elementary school, I took a Kodak Brownie camera with me to camp and took some pictures. When my parents developed the film, they liked them so much that they mounted them on mat boards and hung them in our house.

That initial introduction to picture taking began my love of photography.

Fast forward many years and I have moved beyond a small film camera to using my iPhone and my Nikon for all of my photography.

As much as I love the convenience of using my iPhone (and it takes better pictures than my first digital camera!), I love the versatility of using my DSLR and learning how to take better pictures.

Two years ago, I participated in a 365 project and worked on using my DSLR to take a picture every single day for a whole year. Phew! That was quite a project.

What I loved about that project was it helped me to practice using my camera every day. Capturing different subjects, using different settings, and being creative.

Recently, I have been wanting to use my DSLR more, so I was happy to see a Practice Ebook available from Katrina Kennedy. I love that this book is self-paced and I can work through it when my schedule permits.

So far, I have worked through the first two exercises. Let me show you what I captured (these are all straight out of the camera):

ISO 100, f/1.8, 1/250 sec

ISO 100, f/2.5, 1/160 sec

ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/80 sec

ISO 100, f/5, 1/40 sec

ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/20 sec

ISO 100, f/10, 1/10 sec

ISO 100, f/14, 1/5 sec

It was fun to use my old Brownie camera as the subject for each of these photos. One thing I learned about this exercise is that there is a minimum focal length for each of my lenses (hmm, no wonder I can't focus when I try to get too close!)

Are you wanting to improve your DSLR photography? I encourage to take a peek at Katrina's Practice Ebook.  It is very reasonably priced and goes through a lot of fundamentals. I am looking forward to working through more exercises and hope to share more of what I am capturing along the way.

Stuck in a rut...

How many times have you made dinner over the last 25 years?

If you made dinner every night for the last 25 years that would be over 9,000 dinners!!

Now I know I have not made dinner every single night over the last 25 years, but I know I have made many, many meals...and to be honest...I am stuck in a rut.

What should we have for dinner?

As much as I love making homemade meals for my family, I am really tired of the same things I have been making for years.

So...I got really excited when I saw this cookbook at Costco recently...

Fifty-two weeks of menus! This is exactly what I was looking for to add a bit of variety to my weekly menu...and each menu has a recipe for a main dish, a side, AND a dessert, oh yum!

Our first adventure was Menu 48...because why should we start at the very beginning...

Chicken Parmesan Crescents, Honey Cashew Green Beans...

... and Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Parfaits

Not only were these recipes easy to prepare, but my family (and my neighbors that we fed that night) loved them! I loved that not only was a main dish recipe provided, but a side dish also! Each menu does come with a dessert recipe, but I am not sure if I will prepare dessert each week. But it is nice to have some options in case we have friends over for dinner.

So this week, we are going to give Menu 18 a try...Grilled-Chicken Alfredo Pizza and BLT Salad...my daughter is really looking forward to this one.

If you are stuck in a rut for what to make for dinner, you might want to find this recipe book to add to your collection, A Year with Six Sisters' Stuff.

Today...

Each and every day, we have a million choices to make...

What to eat? 

What to wear?

What to do?

Some of these choices are simple ones, others require a little more thought and planning.

But today, I want to offer you a choice that makes an eternal difference in the life of a child.

Sponsoring a child through Compassion International not only helps that child physically, socially, and emotionally...but it helps the child spiritually.

How does Compassion help a child spiritually?

Compassion works with over 6000 implementing church partners in 26 developing countries. These churches know which children are the neediest of the needy. And by working through the local church, each one of these child are taught about Jesus.

He is the eternal hope that will set these children free!

So today, I am giving you an opportunity to sponsor one of these four children: Alejandra, Nicolas, Eliab, and Diaile.

You can partner with their local church to teach these children about Jesus. You can tell them that Jesus loves them. You can encourage them to pursue their dreams.

Each of these children have been waiting over six months for a sponsor. Today, you can end their wait.

Comment below or e-mail me at kymk99@gmail.com to begin your sponsorship journey today!

Meet Sarah from International Blessings!

In our age of technology and social media, I love how we can connect with people across this big spinning globe of ours who have similar interests. Recently, I have been learning more about the fair trade industry and one small business here in the United States that is helping to make a difference in the lives of families around the world.

Let me introduce you to Sarah!

Photo Credit: Sarah from International Blessings

Sarah graciously allowed me to interview her for my blog so that I can share with all of you the great work and products she has to help each one of us make better choices as consumers.

1. Tell me a little about you and your family.

Photo Credit: Sarah from International Blessings

My husband and I have been married for 5 years. We have 2 kids - Nora is 3 years old and Nate is 20 months old. We live in a small rural community near my parents farm. Both my husband and I grew up on farms so agriculture is a big part of our lives. We are also active in our church and community.  My husband works for the University of Missouri as a Beef Research Specialist. I am a stay at home mom and business owner. I love to travel internationally, and have been blessed to have served in 24 countries around the world.

2. When you were a little girl, what did you dream about doing when you grew up?

I dreamed of being an agricultural missionary for as long as I can remember. I specifically remember wanting to go to Brazil on a mission trip while in the 8th grade. But my parents thought I was too young and that maybe it was just a phase!  I desperately wanted to see & experience the world, while serving and sharing the love of Christ.

3. How does International Blessings fit into that dream?

International Blessings keeps me connected to the international world. It gives me opportunities to make a difference by serving impoverished people and to connect 2 worlds, 2 lifestyles, 2 cultures so that they can support each other. And this year, it has led me back to my roots as an international missionary by taking me to Peru to visit artisans and to serve the Peruvian people. In Sept, I will also be going to Haiti to visit artisans I currently work with, create new partnerships, and to serve alongside ministries that are already impacting the Haitian people.

4. Tell me a bit more about International Blessings...how did you get started, why did you start it?

My first mission trip was in 2003, and I had just finished my junior year of highschool. It was to Ecuador, and I then proceeded to serve in Panama, Bali, Burkina Faso, Belize, Mexico, and India. While I was in Burkina Faso, I made friends with a local girl and hung out with her family. She taught me how to macrame (crafting with knots) bags and/or purses. It was here that God laid on my heart a desire to help families like hers. I saw those creative, handmade bags and thought about the impact that selling those bags in the U.S. could make on families in poverty. But it took me awhile before I seriously pursed this dream. After graduating from College of the Ozarks near Branson, Mo, I went on the World Race in October 2008.  The World Race is a life changing experience, serving in 11 countries in 11 months, sharing God's love through children's ministry, construction, prayer walks, etc, living out of a backpack, and pushing every comfort zone you have.  

Photo Credit: Sarah from International Blessings

Shortly after arriving home, I married my husband (we dated before and during my trip, well, as much as you can when you are thousands of miles apart with little communication!!).  It wasn't until I was married with our first child that I decided I needed to start that dream that God had laid on my heart so many years prior, and International Blessings was born.

5. How do you form partnerships with your artisans?

A few of my partnerships came from contacts that I made while doing international mission work or through the mission networks that I am a part of. I have also done a lot of research through google and social media looking for small artisan groups, specifically Christian ministries that work to break the cycle of poverty. The connections that I have made have also led to new partnerships. I went to Peru in January to visit a group called Sanyork Fair Trade, and this trip led to meeting 2 more artisan groups. And I will be going to Haiti to visit 2-3 artisans groups as well!  I am so excited to see what God has in store for International Blessings and the impact that we can have on empowering impoverished people around the world.

6. What is your goal for International Blessings?

My ultimate goal for International Blessings is to build relationships in the poorest of the poor places, to teach life & business skills, and to provide impoverished people around the world the resources necessary to start their own businesses that will transform their lives. 

International Blessings is my passion and my purpose. My heart was broken over and over at the sight of poverty, of hopelessness, and of desperation in the eyes of the smallest kids. I want to change that!  I want to give those families hope, dignity, and possibility that has a lasting affect.  This business is creating sustainable livelihoods and breaking that cycle of poverty. As Mother Teresa said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we CAN do small things with great love." And if we each commit to doing those small things, then those small things become great things that we accomplish together.

Photo Credit: Sarah from International Blessings

Thank you so much Sarah for the interview! And hey my friends, be sure to like her Facebook page where you can see a few videos from her recent trip to Haiti where she has been visiting with artisans and purchasing products to sell here in the United States.