Hang with me here. I’ve been thinking and dreaming about this blog for months so excuse me for my lengthiness and overall verbal vomit. But this is how I process and this is how I express passion over the blog world. I hope you catch it. I hope you read until the end.

When Jody and I were brainstorming on our various monthly projects a few months ago one kept coming back to us as one we will do “soon”. It is obviously essential to everyone, and after looking into it we realized it’s doable. It’s within our reach. It’s one life-changing thing that could easily be eradicated in a few days, weeks, months, certainly in our generation.

We originally got negative feedback about doing something this big before/during the holiday season. People are using all of their discretionary income on Christmas presents; people are too wrapped up in family dinners and turkeys, chickens and decorations. We heard them all and though they are probably valid we know it’s the perfect time.

Because we aren’t called to do and to give when it’s convenient or when we have lots of money left after the end of the month. We aren’t even called to give from our discretionary income (thank goodness, because who has any of that laying around anymore?) We are called to get uncomfortable and truly sacrifice. Trust God that He will take care of you and will make the payments happen. Give joyfully and to a cause that is above and beyond the “me-ness” that has captivated the world.

So what is the project? Well, without further ado…It’s

WATER FOR CHRISTMAS!

What? Well we’re digging wells in Liberia. We’re digging wells because people all over the world have no idea what a clean drink of water tastes like. We’re digging wells because, as mothers, we refuse to stand by and let other mothers watch their child die from drinking water from a tainted source. We’re digging wells.

The reason this blog is difficult is because I have no idea what gets you readers fired up. There is no way to explain what and why people get passionate about certain subjects. So I’ll try to address a few here.

You the statistical type?

 The United States spends $450 BILLION on Christmas A YEAR.
 It would take just $10 BILLION for EVERYONE IN THE WORLD to have access to clean water.
 Every day 4500 children die of water borne illnesses due to no access to clean water. In a week, 42,000 people die; 90% of those are children under 5.
 Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kills more people every year than all forms of violence, INCLUDING WAR.
 1.1 BILLION people on our planet lack access to safe, clean drinking water. That is ONE in SIX of us.
 $20 can give a person in Africa clean, safe drinking water for 20 YEARS.

Statistics not for you? How about God and/or Christianity and/or needing to tithe and don’t know where to put it?

 Re-read this post.
 Stop being okay with what is happening to our brothers and sisters across the world. DO something about it. Something big.
 Take what you learn in your Bible studies and your church services to the world. Stop talking amongst yourselves about how awesome Jesus was; SHOW the world how awesome He IS.
 I can talk to you all like this because I am one of you crazies.

Not a Christian? Totally turned off by my Christianese?

 You’re human right? This is not a Christian or non-Christian thing we’re doing. It’s a human thing.
 This is what Jody wrote about “us” (the orphan ministry) and why we’re doing it: “We are people. Moms, Dads, Sons, Daughters. United by the desire to keep our eyes and hearts open. To increasingly live for things bigger than ourselves. So this Christmas season, we’re going to give up something. Big somethings. Little somethings. Going without so the people in Liberian villages can have access to clean water. The Moms, Dads, Sons, Daughters.” This mission is humanity’s mission; not specific to one group of people.

If you don’t fall into any of those categories than I apologize. Zach told me not to guilt you all into this (I think that comes from his Catholic roots…kidding, kidding). So I won’t. Maybe try Jody, Cassie or Amy.

But we’ve been trying to figure out a name to call our ministry for awhile. When her sister and brother-in-law asked Jody what she wanted people to know or do; she answered simply “Give a shit”.

So that’s what we’re asking you to do. (If Jody can cuss, and she’s a pastor’s wife, than surely I can too). A perhaps nicer way to say it is to “Go and serve”. Either way…

What I want from all of you is to donate (obviously). But perhaps more importantly just open your eyes. The next time you take a drink of water imagine the mom with children on her hips and a water jug on her head walking miles to get to a water hole that will one day kill her or her children. Get seriously disturbed with how the world is and how easily we can change it.

I get it, you’re sick of being asked to care aren’t you? I’m with you there. There are millions of things, good things, to get behind especially during the holiday season. So we’re not trying to say our mission is better or more appropriate than any other. We’re asking you to give to them all. ☺

Cut out 1 present for each child and give him/her WATER FOR CHRISTMAS. Stop exchanging gifts with your significant other and give them WATER FOR CHRISTMAS.
You know those parents who constantly remind you they need nothing? Give them WATER FOR CHRISTMAS.

Just do it (thanks, Nike) give WATER FOR CHRISTMAS.

More on the “how” later. Thanks for hanging in.

Zach took the kids outside to run around with it being so nice and all. He comes in and says, “You have got to see this.”

What was he talking about you ask?

Tariku throws a perfect spiral 100% of the time. Right to the chest. I almost cried (if Zach’s being honest, he’ll tell you he did actually cry).

Zach said he was going to call him Michael Vick (with his speed and whatnot) but thought it might be inappropriate. Especially considering how much Tariku loves dogs and all.

But you should seriously see this kid. It’s pretty rad.

I used to play volleyball. For those that don’t know there is a “move” in volleyball called set/spike. Well, tomorrow is my “spike”. Tomorrow we launch our new monthly mission and get you fired up. Today, I’m doing my “set”. Because I was kind of “set” today by our church service. It totally prepared me for the ace I will deliver tomorrow.

Okay, enough of the redonkuless analogies.

We watched a video today, you want to see it (which you should) go here.

The basic premise is unifying the Church. The pastor says his one prayer would be “God, make us one”. I liked the idea. No more competition, just uniting to actually DO what God called us to DO!

He pointed to a few spots in the Bible:
–Ephesians 4: 2-4 “Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves UNITED in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with PEACE.”

–Acts 4: 32 “All the believers were of one heart and mind, and they felt that what they owned was not their own; they shared everything they had.”

The pastor showed a video of him going around the city to ask if people thought Christians were divided or united. Most said divided. One guy in particular said this, “Christianity today makes people TURN AWAY from organized religion.”

Even though it made me horribly sad to hear, I was completely with him on that. Shoot, I’m a Christian and there are some I run into that make me want to turn and run the other way.

So I’m ending this post with a few questions I’ve been percolating on…

1) How will people in the world know we love Jesus? By our hate or our love?

2) What would happen if we stopped hoarding and started giving?

3) What would happen if the people of the world stopped HEARING about Jesus and started SEEING His plan play out?

4) If the Church really would unite, how quickly will the message spread once: poverty is history; everyone has access to clean water; there are no more orphans; etc, etc.

And the words to the song in worship today that brought it all home for me:

“Mighty to Save” by Hillsong

Everyone needs compassion
Love that’s never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

Saviour
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine Your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing
For the glory of the risen King

Lots of stuff going down in hotflawedmama land these past few days. What do I speak of? Oh, you have your 90 minute massage (thanks honey for the gift certificate!), your various parties and festivities celebrating dead people (seriously, what?). It’s been a good, but busy couple of days.

I’ve been mad at the female species lately. I hear of women who don’t use the voice they’ve been given by women who have broken through glass ceiling after glass ceiling and it makes me mad. I don’t know what it is about women that makes us feel like our voices are somehow second class or not worth as much weight as men’s. But surely we must realize that our silence speaks volumes to the men (mostly) that we answer to in the professional (and sometimes personal) worlds. Silence, to me, is unacceptable. We don’t get the same amount of opportunities as men so we must embrace the ones we do get. Be prepared, be heard, be you and powerful and awesome. We’re women, that’s just who we are.

And vote. But for God’s sake please know for whom you are voting and for which kind of country you are casting a vote. And if you’re one of those people who are always “Republican/Democrat” because you’ve always been that way and because, well you have no idea…then perhaps just leave your thoughts to yourself. Slightly kidding but anyone else annoyed with people who don’t know much about politics going on and on about nonsense? It’s crazy business, all of it. And *hopefully* it will be done within a few short days.

Hmmm what else? Oh there’s the ridiculous consumption of sweets…which could be blamed for the previous tirade. Not enough exercise (due to the sore teeth). And then there’s our new monthly project that we’re launching on Monday that has taken up more of my thoughts than I care to admit. Did I mention you should be excited about that?

Then it’s just mostly motherhood and wifehood and leading people to their fitness goals. If you didn’t like the written walk through of my last couple days, here’s a (mostly) sightseeing tour. Enjoy.

Made it to Trysten’s school parade and party. Hotflawedmama and her Batman.

Batman’s class (he’s the one clear to the right)

Redonkuless cuteness.

Ditto (would you put a period after “Ditto”?)

My babies.

Kinda one of the reasons I love them.

This is the only picture I could get of all 3 of them in their Halloween shirts for my mom. Holding their crab apples, or as we in the “sticks” like to call them “spider traps”.

Kids playing with play doh…if you look closely; I’m such a neat freak I had them play in the entryway because the dogs had just walked in with their dirty feet and I was going to clean it anyway. What a weirdo I am.

Today was our Bodystep launch. It’s kind of a big deal and our theme this time was (obviously) football. Good stuff.

Carving pumpkins (he’s smiling because he’s been begging us for a good 2 weeks).

I think he liked the goo more than he let on.

Dailah 2 seconds after she started and 32 seconds before she finished. (She quit because I took the Sharpie from her and stuck her with a highlighter which apparently gets the same reaction as shutting her fingers in the door or falling off the bed, which is interesting).

The 2 finished pumpkins. Trysten’s jack-o-lantern and Tariku’s 3 out of 5 initials (he doesn’t know about the other 2 yet, some day…some day)