So What Now?

Today I came home from MOPS overwhelmed and emotional. My heart is heavy and burdened for the girls that we heard about today. My heart aches and breaks over the thoughts of them. But here I am in my real life. Making lunch of yogurt for my two boys. Deep in preparations for the Christmas season. Planning a birthday party and trying to get the most out of our budget. So what now? What am I doing with the information that has been given to me? How do I help? Can a mom of preschoolers help? Can a mom from the suburbs somehow help the girls who are locked away in the city? What do I do?

I can't go back to what I was. I am changed today. I have seen things that I didn't want to see or know, but exist whether I want them to or not. I was reading a book this morning in fact that talked about how each of us has a bag packed by God that equips us for his purpose. We can fight the bag and try and make something of our own lives, or we can live a life of passion using the items that God has put in each of our bags. God knows each of us. He knows that I am a mom in Rocklin of 3 boys and that my heart will be burdened today. He knows my budget. I don't know if God has put things in my life bag to help me help girls who have been slaves. I don't know if God has given me the gifts to handle it. But I am willing to look. I am willing to look at myself and see if I can do something. Maybe the answer is no for me. That is okay. Maybe I am to be a prayer warrior. Maybe I am to hold Courage House up to the Father and ask that someone else will be touched to see if they are the ones to help the girls. Maybe I am to be a monthly giver. At the moment, I don't know how that could be possible, but I know that nothing is impossible with God. Maybe I am to be a sharer. Maybe I am going to tell someone about this situation and they will be the one who looks into her life bag and see the gifts to help and live out what God has destined for her.

But for now, for right this moment, I will hold my boys a bit closer. I will pray that someone would come into the lives of even just one girl and share with her a way out, share with her that Jesus loves her. I will share with the folks at my bible study tonight. I will post it on my facebook. I will be thankful for the family and home that I grew up in. And I will look deeply at my life and pray that God would show me if there is something more that I am supposed to do.

A Christmas Tip

I love tips. I read them first in a magazine. So here is my christmas decorating tip. Use Picks. The little pine brances that come wired with pinecones or berries on them. They cost around a dollar at the craft store and they are usually on sale every week of December. They can turn the things that you have out every day into a christmas scene. You can put them peeking out from behind the manger scene or on the shelves of a bookcase or above the window boxes. Here is an example of what we normally have above our windows. The plates hang there all year long. At Christmas we put some picks underneath. I used 10 for all three windows. Two on the small ones and 6 under the large window. We also added some fruit, but you could put ornaments or christmas balls or glittered birds, or ribbon up with it. It really is easy and can be used year to year. So if the budget is tight, start with 10 picks this year. Look after Christmas and get a few more.