I did NOT steal this idea from Leslie

No, really, I didn't! I have been tossing and turning it around in my mind for a week, but since her latest comment, it's going to look like I did.

Well, folks, great minds worry alike! Here goes:

How do you justify spending $4000 to travel to India to help out Sarah's kids?

What I mean is, think what $4000 would do in India! Cash. Dinero. Rupees. 190, 373.5 rupees, to be exact.

So what if Rose Bud and I stayed home and just sent the money? What if our whole group of 15 people did? (ok, THAT thought I DID steal from Leslie)

What justifies going as opposed to just giving?

Is this just selfish wanting-to-go-to-India on my part?

I'm a bad user-of-scripture to support my position. I tend to think I "get" God and know what he wants.

Isn't there something in the Bible about being his hands and feet? I can't find it on Bible Gateway.

I always feel a little wicked (ooh, I just accidentally typed "wicken." Wonder what that Freudian slip means??? I know. It's not spelled "wicken" so probably it means nothing)

Back to my thought... I always feel a little wicked searching out Bible verses to support what I want to say/think/do. Like I'm manipulating God. I could probably come up with a verse to support whatever position I want to take. I'm sure that's not how it works. After all the Bible is there for God to talk to us, right?

I am way off track. This tangent has gone into outer space.

Anyway, go vs. send. I'm sure there are some Bible verses to support going. I know God loves a cheerful giver.

I do have some coherent thoughts in answer to my conundrum, but that is for the next post.

The Devil is in the Details

From the first, this trip to India has just felt right to me. So many things came together in such quick succession. Like I said, there were a bunch of God things that seemed to confirm that we should do this. It didn't really require any pondering.

I trusted God and said, "Yes" to this trip.

And then the thinking begins. How will I get that much money? Will God really come through on that? Am I trusting him if I wonder if he'll come through? Should I earn all the trip money myself or rely on donations? Should I earn the money for the trip and use the donations as donations for Sarah's kids? What if I don't earn enough? Will I have enough by August when we need to buy tickets?

And then it hit me. When I am thinking, I am not trusting.

The DEVIL is in the details.

God wants us to look at the big picture. HE wants to take care of the details.

1 Chronicles 28:18-20 (New International Version)

18 ...He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

19 "All this," David said, "I have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan."

20 David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.

So I am trying really hard to let God work out the details while I listen for his direction in carrying them out.

Can I Read in My Head?

Banana Boy has become an amazing reader! It has really just clicked for him, effortlessly. And he has also discovered the joy of reading.

Rose Bud, Daisy and Pepper are all bookworms, Daisy and Pepper are crazy obsessive bookworms.

BB sees that, I guess and just knows that it's what kids around here do. So he is becoming a bookworm, too.

The other night I was at work and he wanted to read in bed before going to sleep, just like his sisters do. Mr. GT informed him that he needed to go to sleep. Or that it was too dark. Or something. I wasn't here, remember?

But he COULD put his book next to his bed and read when he woke up in the morning, Mr. GT said.

Still hoping to get his way and read before bed, BB asked, "How about if I just read in my head like the girls do?"

Huh? What?

Ahh! Then Mr. GT got it. BB wanted to read silently, rather than out loud, which is all he's done so far.

My boy is growing up.

Track Meet 7

Rose Bud jumped 12' 6" (twice) and 12' 3" This got her 2nd place (the winner jumped over 13'!) This was Rose Bud's best jump yet!

She was 3rd in the 400.

She's not sure how she did in the 100m. She was first in her heat (that's a first--Good job!), but it was the 2nd heat.

One meet left.

India Trip Fundraiser

Leslie's group is doing a buncha fundraisers and here's a cool one.

I'm unabashedly stealing her blog post, text and all because a) I'm too lazy to rewrite it myself and b) she did such a beautiful job plugging the CD's! oh, and c) because I think you're more likely to read the actual text right here than if I link you to her post.

So there.

Here it is.

Have you heard of a really cool award-winning storyteller named Jim Weiss? He's the guy who did some of the Harry Potter audio books. You may have heard him talking on NPR. Or maybe you've bought some of his audio CD's from his company, Greathall Productions.

Well, they have agreed to let us do a fundraiser for our upcoming trip to India. Remember how a group of us are planning to visit Sarah in January and build a playground for her kids? Yeah.. well, it's going to take some serious moolah. Just to get us over there... that doesn't include the playground.

For every CD that we sell at $15, we get to keep $4 of that to go directly into our India fund.

Not bad!

I really hope you all will look at the CD's and check out the samples online. You can view both HERE.

Seriously, this guy is amazing. I can't wait to get my grubby hands on a copy of Just-So Stories. Our summer will be packed with therapy treks to Dallas and this will be perfect to listen to in the car. I'm also planning on donating a few CD's to our local library, and saving some for our homeschool lessons.

If any of you are interested, please email me (Leslie) at recoveringnoah@yahoo.com and we'll sort out the details. Just let me know what you'd like to get and I'll send you our P.O. Box. If you are local, you can just give me the money or pass it on to someone from church.

This will be an ongoing fundraiser, but our first deadline is set for June 15th. Once the orders are complete, the CD's will be shipped via priority mail within 24-48 hours.

Thank you so much for considering this. We really appreciate it! Oh! And please pass the word. Seriously, blog it. Facebook it. Email it. Shout it from the roof tops. These CDs rock and every home needs at least one. Or ten. Or twenty. You decide. Just link them back to our Cornerstone India blog or this one right here.

And now back to me. I don't own any of these CDs, but I wish I did. They really are great and they are big in the homeschooling community. At least check them out. Your purchase will help to send our group to India and fund the playground project.

Please note: To participate in the fundraiser, you need to purchase the CD's from LESLIE, not from the Greathall website!

My Popstar

Banana Boy is my musician. Lately, he writes songs. (and he is SO adorable when he SINGS them!)

Here are today's offerings:

You can moov it!
You can groov it
How mach (much) loger (longer) can it take
How mach!
How mach!
How mach!
How mach loger can it take

And he writes Christian music, too.

Oh Jesus I need you right now.
How can I help you.
Oh Jesus I need you right now
I want to tell you a miracle.

Track Meet 6

Rose Bud had a great night!

She looked to be 5th in the 100 m. They only announced the first 3 places at this meet. She was 4th in her heat but there was one really fast girl in the second heat that I'm pretty sure was faster than Rose Bud.

Whatever, she ran 15.16s, her best so far. For kicks, we looked up the World Records for women's track. Florence Griffith Joyner ran 10.49 in the 100m, a record that has stood since 1988. Rose Bud was -10 years old then!


In the Long Jump, she had her best jump so far, 12' 4 1/4" and placed 2nd!!! (World Record: 24.67 FEET)

And in the 400m, she was FIRST! Her first win. Her time was 1:11.36

Go, Rose Bud!!!!