Milk in the Mashed Potatoes

I was humbled this morning by a blog post written by Michael Hyatt. I, along with most of the rest of the world, reacted cynically to Tiger’s apology. But it’s ridiculous to think my sins are any lesser than those who are in the spotlight just because I have the luxury of keeping them private. It’s easy to criticize those in the spotlight in times of crisis – but if anything, those people are more likely to deal with their shortcomings, and in a healthy way, because their sins become public. We should all be so brave to face our failings head-on and be willing to be publicly accountable that we might be whole one day. Wouldn’t it be nice to live without the mask?

“Tiger’s story is not that different from mine. Yes, it is perhaps more severe and more public. But in the end, sin is sin. It is only a matter of degree. ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). If there is hope for me—or for you—then there is hope for Tiger.”

Read the full post here.

We celebrated a birthday for a friend last night and one of my favorite parts of the night was when she opened her gifts. Each gift was a reflection of her style and personality. I love that our friend has such a unique sense of style that we could each pick out something that’s as unique as she is – as opposed to showering her with an avalanche of gift cards. I recognize that sometimes that’s the best gift, and I often give them too. But as a person whose love language is gifts, I can tell you that nothing means more than a gift that says, “This made me think of you.”

A year ago next month, I was introduced to the Sanctuary Home, which provides a home to just under 100 children in Tenali, India, through an article I was editing to post on HalogenTV.com. When I read about their work on their website, I was immediately interested in sponsoring a child. After talking with my husband Jeff, we emailed to set up a sponsorship of one of the girls. Sandhya was assigned to us and we’ve exchanged letters and pictures. A couple of months ago we were informed that Sandhya needed an eye doctor visit and new glasses and they sent a photo of her with the glasses. I was so pleased to see how well Sandhya looked since her “intake” photo (below). In one year of supporting this child, I feel more fulfilled than in the years of supporting the general fund of missions through my church. This echoes a shift in my generation, who wants to see what our money is going toward. We’re no longer very content to just throw money at a cause … when we see the tangible ways our money helps, we’re more apt to jump in and help – no matter the cost. So for those who are trying to raise money for a cause, remember to put an object to the dollar amount. You’re more likely to see success.