Please don't diminish those who serve...

Today we had a sermon about the church being like the body. Many parts, all working together for the good of the whole. Some people are better with children, some with youth, some with adults, some with the elderly. Some are better at teaching, nurturing, leading, building, funding. And where one would go, another would never follow. So let that other go elsewhere. Go where they are needed. Go where they are called. God created each of us uniquely, with different skills, talents, temperaments, interests. I believe His hope is that we use those SOMEWHERE.

Haiti NEEDS our help. If you are called to help over there, then do so. If you are called to help in the local homeless shelter, then do so.

My opinion... Go where God leads you. Help there. If we would all just do THAT, what an amazing world this would be. Instead, we concern ourselves with what everyone else is doing. We question whether what we are doing is the RIGHT thing.

-Do I give that homeless guy the dollar in my console? He may buy liquor or drugs, not food.

-Do I give to that charity? What if they are misappropriating funds?

-If I send this stuff overseas, will it get to who needs it?

I don't think God is so concerned about that. I do not believe when I get to heaven and stand for my accounting, I will hear, "Well Fran, you did ok. You gave $124,389.26 away to people who needed you. However, unfortunately $1234 was given to homeless people who bought drugs so that doesn't count. $24000 was given to charities that squandered your money. Well sorry, you don't qualify for the $100,000 club so you only get a mediocre mansion. What? That money was given to XYZ charity? Oh well that charity is less than deserving in my book so off you go. Now your house is overlooking the golden streets. No upgraded view for you."

I am not a preacher, I am a teacher. I am not rich woman, I am able bodied and strong enough to work and serve. I am not comfortable with adults, I love children and youth. That is who I am. And so help me, if GOD calls me to Haiti, then it means I go to Haiti.

The only thing I hope I gain from serving is to stand before the Lord on my day and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Dinner for a year....

Hello all. It has been awhile and this will be short and sweet. I am a college student again and I am finding it hard to concentrate. I always try to do ONE MORE THING before I start working on my classes. For example: updating my blog. LOL. Oh well. I promise I will keep it short.

This Haiti thing is really bugging me. I am just so sad to see what is happening over there. I hope I can go when they allow people to come in to rebuild. We will see though. On the upside though, our church really came through. We asked for items to make health kits for UMCOR, a Methodist organization that helps out when disaster strikes and in areas that need help year round. So they donated enough items (or gave cash to purchase extra items) that we made 204 health kits. YAY. Our Mission Possible Kids put them together last night with the help of our amazing youth. If you all are reading this.... WAY TO GO!!!

I saw this report today about a woman who made a year's worth of dinner menus for her family. Jeff and I are going to try to take this on. Maybe we'll be done with it by fall. So if you have any GREAT recipes, let me know. I'm not doing 365 different meals. But dinner can get boring so if you have ideas, let me know. I'd especially like regional recipes, you know from all over the country. Different ethnic food would be good too. We don't do really spicy though. Just FYI.

Hope you will respond. Gotta eat and get back to school work. AHHHH....