I've recently joined Compassion International's Child Advocate Network in an effort to increase awareness. I envision regular postings related to Compassion in the future, but for now I'd like to share how it all started:
I've always been touched by the photos and statistics of children living in poverty, but was never more touched until we had Maddie. There are a multitude of of statistics, but the thought that children just like mine die every 7 seconds from hunger-related causes is unfathomable. Maddie made those statistics tangible -- REAL tangible.
Shortly after Maddie was born, I was reading Francis Chan's Crazy Love. I had mentioned to Emily my desire to sponsor a child. We had talked about it in the past, but never followed through. This time didn't seem any different -- we were trying to figure out whether or not she could quit her job and the goal was to REDUCE spending. I'm pretty sure Dave Ramsey would have suggested holding off.
One day I found myself sitting on the couch reading Francis' chapter on lukewarm people.
"Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it's safe to give, they do so."
That's when it hit me -- If we give up ESPN, maybe we can use the money we save switching programming packages to sponsor a child! And that's what we did.
It wasn't easy -- I experienced a tightness in my chest as I called Dish to switch. A sports-friendly household without ESPN? I felt so un-American. But I knew every time I was missing Monday Night Football I'd be reminded of WHY I was missing it -- for the sake of a child who has SIGNIFICANTLY less than I do.
Now I'm in no way suggesting sports are the devil. In fact, my Troy Polamalu jersey arrived yesterday! It's just that for us, giving up ESPN was a way we could make it happen.
For more information, Email me or check out Compassion International today!
I've always been touched by the photos and statistics of children living in poverty, but was never more touched until we had Maddie. There are a multitude of of statistics, but the thought that children just like mine die every 7 seconds from hunger-related causes is unfathomable. Maddie made those statistics tangible -- REAL tangible.
Shortly after Maddie was born, I was reading Francis Chan's Crazy Love. I had mentioned to Emily my desire to sponsor a child. We had talked about it in the past, but never followed through. This time didn't seem any different -- we were trying to figure out whether or not she could quit her job and the goal was to REDUCE spending. I'm pretty sure Dave Ramsey would have suggested holding off.
One day I found myself sitting on the couch reading Francis' chapter on lukewarm people.
"Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it's safe to give, they do so."
That's when it hit me -- If we give up ESPN, maybe we can use the money we save switching programming packages to sponsor a child! And that's what we did.
It wasn't easy -- I experienced a tightness in my chest as I called Dish to switch. A sports-friendly household without ESPN? I felt so un-American. But I knew every time I was missing Monday Night Football I'd be reminded of WHY I was missing it -- for the sake of a child who has SIGNIFICANTLY less than I do.
Now I'm in no way suggesting sports are the devil. In fact, my Troy Polamalu jersey arrived yesterday! It's just that for us, giving up ESPN was a way we could make it happen.
For more information, Email me or check out Compassion International today!
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