Giving Challenge, III

I’ve been encouraged, and it’s only three days into this experiment! Why am I doing this, I asked myself this, a deep-down within my soul sorta question. Why?

On the surface this challenge for me in this exercise is to let go of stuff, and not let stuff control me.  But there’s more to it. It’s about making myself available. Available to hear that still small voice directing me in what I need to do or say. It’s about searching out and getting rid of the garbage that clutters my life, my house, my soul. Ultimately it’s about a closer walk with the God of the Universe and walking out that pure faith. This is not about me, although “me” has to do it. I have to examine the things in my life, cull them and get organized both inside and out.

I lay in bed thinking again last night (this is a common practice for me…) about what I could give today and tomorrow. I had a wonderful thought and started a  plan. Then I got a phone call today that changed my plan! Although I still want to do the things that I have planned to prepare for tomorrow, I’m doing something different today for someone else. Someone that  wasn’t even in my thoughts last night. But I get to give them a gift, and it feels really good. Freeing. Something so very simple to me, yet very important to another.

I’m sure I’ll go through rough spots on this journey, I still have 25-27 days left! But the encouragement I feel right now is just wonderful.

Wont you join me in a Giving Challenge? Link up in the comments section if you’d like!

Giving Challenge, II

Day two.

As I lay in bed last night, before sleep overtook me, I pondered what I should “give” for this second day. I didn’t have any specific material item in mind. Then I felt a gentle nudge from my little one who was fast asleep beside me…

About a week and a half ago I went ice skating, and I fell, and yes, cracked a bone. Ouch! So I had to have a splint put on. Big clunky thing keeping my arm bent at the elbow,  keeping me from picking up my sweet little one. Big clunky thing getting in the way of our waning nursing relationship. She’s showing less and less interest, I can tell time is getting close to the time she will self wean. All too often these past few weeks I have refused her when she asked to be held, or nursed, especially with the addition of my big, clunky splint. “Not right now, Mama’s busy”, “Mama can’t pick you up” or “in a couple of minutes when Mama gets done with this”… poor excuses that I’d heard myself say too frequently.

I knew what I needed to give away today, time. Time to sit and hold my little one. Time to enjoy her sweet little noises and quirky toddlerisms. I needed to set some time aside today just for her. {And I also needed to set some time aside for my other two children as well.} Time for simple snuggles and nothing else.

So today I gave away lap-time to my toddler. Had to step away from the computer. Shut down the Facebook. You know what? It was great! I loved every moment of course. I got something in return for giving. ♥

Knit, Pray, Love

My daughter learned to loom knit when she was 5 years old, so at the ripe old age of 8, she’s a pro at making hats. Big hats, baby hats, kids hats, and even bags. When we came across the idea to make hats for CURE, it was an easy decision!

Knit, Pray, Love is about you giving an authentic expression of yourself as a follower of Jesus Christ to a mom or child in a CURE hospital. So we ask that you provide a personal message with each hat you send.

The idea is to make hats for children, infant through 12 years, that can be given to children in CURE hospitals around the world. It so happens that this collection is going to Afghanistan. Which we have been learning about in school.

Watch this video for more information!

If you want to participate:
Please ship your knit items post-marked by February 15, 2012

Giving Challenge

A friend shared with me this wonder idea of a 29-Day Challenge so I decided to go with it! I’m modifying it just a bit, instead of signing up for the challenge, I’m going to chronicle my experience here and I’m also going to follow the moon cycle instead of a weekly cycle. The new moon is an excellent time to start new habits or  break old ones! I went out and sighted the first sliver of the new moon last evening, so today marks the beginning of my Give-Away Journey!

Day 1~Box of clothes and shoes

These are items that I needed to part with, some via donation, others via consignment. So I just decided to donate all of them.

Items can be big or little. You can donate your money or time. Sometimes you just need to give someone an extra measure of love. I’m anxious to see where this journey takes me, both in the physical and spiritual.

Want to join me? If you’ve decided to take this challenge and blog about it, link up here in the comments section. Share the goodness!

Sustainable

adj.

1. Capable of being sustained.
2. Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment: sustainable agriculture.

Capable of being sustained. What is it that I am doing? Turning old discarded items into something useful. Is this sustainable? Yes, as long as there are people getting rid of their stuff, then it’s sustainable.  And in this culture, I don’t see an end in sight!

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