Praying for Clouds

We're taking our daughter on another college visit tomorrow. It's an exciting time in her life...and ours! It is fun to see her hard work in high school pay off.

Can it really be that next year at this time she will have been out of our house for a couple of months?

We're not new to this. We've been through it before.

I remember when our oldest son went off to college. Even though we couldn't imagine life without him in our home, we just adjusted to it one day at a time until it was hard to remember what it was like to have him there every day.

It's sad really. When we are forced into change, we just do it. What once seemed weird...becomes our new "normal".

There was a day not too many years ago when we had four children home and we thought we would never, ever get them raised. It seemed we would be raising them forever. But next year life will change for the second time in this way.

Our babies will never all live at home with us again. There's no obnoxious heavy metal music blaring from the basement every morning...and soon there will be no corny British pop tunes floating up from there either.

(Oh wait...she's trained her younger sister well.  I don't think McFly will be out of the picture quite yet.)

Why didn't I enjoy those days more when they were younger?

Don't get me wrong. I want them to grow up and be self-sufficient. I don't want them to rely on us but to find their own way.

But I'm sad tonight. And I regret the times that I was too busy, too grumpy, too selfish, too preoccupied, too frustrated, too tired, etc., etc., to just enjoy them. To play, talk, laugh, snuggle...as much as I should have.

They grow up fast and we don't get that time back.

Even tonight, as I've written this, I've been impatient with my kids. I suck.

I hope that my kids' memories of growing up with me as their mother are clouded by grace, because I've certainly not been the mom they deserved.

Our Hungry Kids...A Practical Response

I had lots going on today and got my first headache of the project.  A nap took care of it...but I really didn't have time for a nap today.  Nor did I have time to exercise.  The good news?  I didn't battle hunger today, even when watching the kids load up their dishes at Yogurtini tonight for a special treat after parent/teacher conferences.

Recently I was talking to one of my educator friends and I found that the building in which she works is taking practical steps to help those children who don't have access to regular and healthy meals.  In particular, they focus on long weekends and holidays when a child may have to go several days without proper nutrition.

Teachers are asked to confidentially identify students who they suspect are not fed properly.  Prior to these long weekends or holidays, a backpack is sent home with these students providing basic food products to assure they do not go hungry.

Apparently the first few times they did this, they had cans coming back unopened but really beat up.  After some questioning and finally talking to some of the kids, they found out that these students often do not even have access to can openers.  They were trying all different kinds of things to get those cans opened.  Now they don't send canned goods home unless they can be opened without a pull-tab on top.

What a great idea!

Last year my church "adopted" a local elementary school with high rates of poverty.  This has been a great opportunity for our congregation to reach out to those less fortunate.

Your church can do the same thing.  And, although there are many projects you can do with this school, you could provide these backpacks prior to holiday and parent/teacher conference extended weekends.  Items sent home could include peanut butter, macaroni and cheese (with the squeeze sauce), juice in plastic containers, rice side-dish boxes, bagged instant flavored mashed potatoes, and instant oatmeal.  Of course, you may have some other better ideas.  Just avoid frozen or canned items as well as food products that require other ingredients which they may not have at home.  Plus, you'll need to buy some backpacks.  I also think it would be a good idea to provide a card with the name and address of any local food pantries.

The process needs to be discreet to protect the privacy (and dignity) of the children and their families.  But it is a very realistic way to fight hunger right in your own community.

There is no sense in anyone in this country being hungry.  We simply have too many resources to allow this to happen right under our noses.

You Are Needed!

You may be new to "One Daily Serving".  If you are, it's important that you get the back story behind the project.  This is a good place to start.  These posts are in backward chronological order.

Although this is a very personal journey for me in my own spiritual growth, I have also elected to make it public in that I want YOU to experience hunger through me.  I want YOU to gain some of the insights revealed to me over the months.  But mostly, through this public project, I want YOU to help me do something about hunger.

I pray that my family is able to take this trip next summer.  Click here to check out the video of Numana's current trip to Kenya.  Seems like a great family vacation to me!  My kids would certainly see the world in a different light.

The food provided in the video was packaged in Wichita.  A half a million meals!  Wow!  My goal for Salina is 100,000 meals.  The cost of the food for this project would be $23,000 and we would need help in packaging.  Hopefully YOUR help.

Please consider being a part of this project.  It doesn't have to be a large financial commitment.  Even $1 per month for the year (total of $12) would add up if enough people were willing to give to the cause.  ALL proceeds will go directly to Numana, Inc. for food.  There are no additional expenses associated with this project.  (The $.23 per meal would cover Numana's food costs, administration, shipping, etc.)

You need to know that Numana, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization...so your donation will be tax deductible!

In fact, your contribution doesn't have to be monetary at all!  Your prayers would be a welcome and much needed gift!  And, of course, I would love for you to join me and my friends (bring your whole family!) as we package food next August.

To make a pledge, just complete this form.  A certificate will be sent to you to remind you of your contribution.  Monetary donations will not be "due" until the end of the project--August 1, 2013.  However, your contribution of prayer starts today.

If you are able come help us package in August, please bring a covered dish.  Let's celebrate our accomplishment by sharing a meal together in our fellowship with one another.

More details of the event will continue to come as we get closer to the project's end.

By the way...it was a good day.  After at least of week of my hunger really feeling like a heavy burden, it was nice to have a day of respite.  Neither my head nor my stomach seemed to clamor for food today.  These days seem to be few and far between so I am grateful.

Thanks for reading!