"The Good Granola Bars"

I clipped a recipe out of the USAWeekend a few years ago for granola bars. My husband really likes these. As in he thanks me every time I make them. So I thought I'd share the recipe. ^_^

Granola Bars with Almonds, Chocolate, and Dried Cranberries

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ (for GF use 1/2 cup rolled oats ground in a food processor)
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Mix.

Line a 9x9 pan with foil (you'll thank me for this) and grease it.

Bake for 30 minutes at 325 F.

Pull foil out of pan and cut. Can be stored in airtight container for 1 week or frozen.

Enjoy!

Prayer Warriors

When you think of spiritual giants who do you think of? Moses? Elijah? Chances are my grandma isn't on your list. But you probably know someone like her who is on your list. Someone who makes you say "I want to be like ____ when I grow up." I am blessed to know of a number of people like this, but I want to talk about my grandma who is probably the greatest prayer warrior I know.

To look at her, she may not seem like a prayer warrior. You might see a frail old woman with a walker. You might see a women who can't see much of the physical world anymore. You might see a quiet reserved woman with a pleasant smile on her face. Warrior? Not from outward appearances.

But when I look at her, I see a woman on her knees in prayer, I see a woman in the prime of life, fully clad with the armor of God (See Ephesians 6:10-18) charging up to the gates of heaven and rattling them with prayers. I see a woman who is humble before God and would likely be downright embarrassed that I wrote a blog post about her. "No no. I'm hardly worthy of all that. Write about someone else," she would say. But that is one of the reasons that makes her exactly the person I want to write about.

My dad would say "My ma prays holes in carpets." Meaning, she was on her knees so much in prayer or walking around the house in prayer so much that it would wear holes in the carpet! What a wonderful thing to have a child share with others. "This is my mom, she prays holes in carpets."

It is said that it takes 10,000 hours to master something. Why should prayer be any different? Doesn't it make sense that the more you pray, the better you are at it? The more "natural" and "part of life" it becomes.  And why stop at a mere 10,000 hours? Prayer doesn't have to be long or eloquent. It can be short and sweet. "Thank you Lord for keeping us safe on the drive to and from the store today." It becomes a fluid conversation with God. Certainly wonderful and personal during quiet times, but just as important during the loud chaos times too. If I had to wait for only the quiet times, in this phase of life, I might not ever get the chance to pray!

My grandma has been known to stay up all night in prayer. Not on her knees anymore, but sitting in her chair. When she found out her great-grandson would need a major surgery, she spent the whole night in prayer.  Happened to be the best night he has ever slept too, I don't think that's a coincidence! Doesn't that paint a lovely picture? All the sincere love poured out by this woman, wrapping her beloved great-grandson up in prayer. And lets not forget all the other times she has done this. Praying her great-grandchildren home. Praying for her grandchildren. Her children. Her spouse. Her church. Her government. Missionaries. The poor and downtrodden. Etc. Constantly standing before the gates of heaven with her prayers.

And let's not forget the praise portion of prayer. It isn't just imploring God for something, it is praising him for His greatness and mercy. She's worn holes in carpets over those things too. We are talking thorough and complete praying.

I'm sure she didn't become a "master prayer warrior" overnight. I know it took practice. It took time to reach those 10,000 hours and beyond. For it to become thorough, complete, everyday, every moment natural way of life. Raising payers as fragrant incense to the Lord. To pray holes in carpets.

Prayer in the "Small Spots"

I am a vivacious reader, of all genres. Kids has slowed me down a little. Now I only read one book at a time instead of four! 

This is Praying the Scriptures for Your Children by Jodie Berndt. One of her great ideas is to praying specific passages personalized to your family (such as swapping "yourself" or "you" with "name", nothing sacrilegious!) in the "small spots" of life. Such as when you're washing dishes or doing laundry.

I hung two of my favorites in my laundry area: Ephesians 6:11-18 and Colassians 3:12.

Clothe my family with your full armor so that they can take their stand against the devil's schemes. Help them to stand firm, with the belt of truth buckled around their waist and the breastplate of righteousness in place. Fit their feet with the rediness that comes from the gospel of peace. Give my family the shield of faith, with which they can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Place the helmet of salvation on their head and the sword of the Spirit, wich is your word, in their hands. Finally, teach them to pray, and to be alert. Ephesians 6:11-18

Clothe my family with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12

You can change "My family" with the specific names of each family member, if you happen to be doing a lot of laundry. As laundry is apt to do! ^_^

How everyone can help orphans and widows.

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. Isaiah 1:17 ESV

November is National Adoption Month. "But adoption isn't for me." Some may say. And then they ignore the month's plea. I'd like to present a different front that is for everyone. From those will little to those with much: Sponsorship.

There are child sponsorship programs. But there are also family sponsorship programs. This helps not only the child but the whole family.

An orphan can mean a child with or without parents. Many children grow up in orphanages simply because parent cannot provide for them. Orphanages are not nice places to grow up. See this article: Abuse in many forms. Not to mention the obvious fact: growing up without a family. So instead of spending money on orphanage care: Creating Problems in Haiti and Are we helping or hurting?

Let’s consider spending money more effectively: on sponsorship programs, programs that promote family unity instead of tearing them apart.

But let’s start with the statistics of this enormous problem. I am borrowing the statistics from this post, see the whole article here: http://skywardjourney.wordpress.com/orphan-statistics/

It is estimated there are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide (recent UNICEF report.)

The current population of the United States is just a little over 300 million… to give you an idea of the enormity of the numbers… (The current population of Russia is 141 million)

Every day 5,760 more children become orphans

2,102,400 more children become orphans every year in Africa alone 

Every 15 seconds, another child in Africa becomes an AIDS orphan

There are an estimated 14 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa (a number higher than the total of every under-eighteen year old in Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland combined)

This figure is estimated to reach 18 million orphans in Africa alone by 2010 (only two and a half years away)

8 out of 10 children orphaned by AIDS lives in sub-saharan Africa

Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but… 

Each year 14, 505, 000 children grow up as orphans and age out of the system by age sixteen

Each day 38,493 orphans age out

Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out with no family to belong to and no place to call home

In Russia and the Ukraine, studies have shown that 10% – 15% of these children commit suicide before they reach age eighteen

These studies also show that 60% of the girls become prostitutes and 70%of the boys become hardened criminals 

Another Russian study reported that of the 15,000 orphans aging out of state-run institutions every year, 10% committed suicide, 5,000 were unemployed, 6,000 were homeless and 3,000 were in prison within three years…

Sources: Human Rights Watch: “Abandoned to the State: Cruelty and Neglect in Russian Orphanages” November 1998 ; www.hfgf.org/statistics.pdf ;www.unaids.org/epi/2005 ; UNICEF’s Childhood Under Threat: the State of the World’s Children, 2005 ; www.unicef.org/uniteforchildren/  ))

Those are some big number! What can one person do?! A whole lot! Check out the benefits of sponsorship.

Here are just some of the highlights:

-- As a result of sponsorship, children stayed in school an extra year to a year and a half on average - more than 11 years in all, compared with slightly more than 10 years for un-sponsored children. In Uganda, girls obtained three more years of schooling, on average.

-- About 65 percent of sponsored children graduated from high school, with the best results in Africa, where education levels were lower to begin with. Just 45 percent of non-sponsored children had graduated.

-- About 7.8 percent of sponsored children graduated from college, "a remarkable rate among low-income families in developing countries," Wydick said. Just 4.3 percent of un-sponsored children graduated.

-- About 27 percent of sponsored children became teachers, health workers or other white-collar employees. Just 19 percent of un-sponsored kids did so.

For the full scoop, read the full report “Does International Child Sponsorship Work? A Six-Country Study of Impacts on Adult Life Outcomes” by Bruce Wydick.

Quite impressive the profound impact! And it helps not only the "orphan" but the family! (Here's to helping out those widow!)

Also quite impressive is that so much can be accomplished with only $20-$40 a month. “Ah, I can’t afford that every month!” Wait. Think about this. This monetary gift provides a child with 1) schooling 2) school uniform 3) school supplies 4) daily meals with CLEAN water 5) health care and, in many cases, 6) the lifesaving word of God. I don’t know about you, but I can’t feed myself, let alone my whole family for $20-40 a month. A visit to the doctor results in a co-pay of at least $25 here. And yet this little amount of money provides so much to a family elsewhere. And you can write to your sponsored child! This is a relationship.

Not sure where to look? Where will your money make the most impact? I happen to have a list of just a few sponsorship organizations with brief breakdown. Many of these I have personal experience sponsoring children from so if you have questions, feel free to ask! Also feel free to post your favorite sponsorship organization in the comments.

• Amazima Ministries (may have heard of “Kisses from Katie”?): http://www.amazima.org/7ways.html
• Country: Uganda
• Monthly Cost: $25
• Gospel for Asia (can also sponsor a pastor): http://www.gfa.org/
• Country: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other SW Asia countries
• Monthly Cost: $35 (100% goes to child, no overhead cost removed)
• Father’s Heart Africa (can also sponsor a pastor): http://fathersheartafrica.org/
• Country: Zambia
• Monthly Cost: $32
• Jua Project: http://mangomama.org/2012/05/meet-some-of-the-kids-and-our-new-moms/
• Country: Kenya
• Monthly Cost: varies, usually limited to 6 month spans for specific needs
• World Vision: http://www.worldvision.org/
• Country: many
• Monthly Cost: $35
• International Justice Mission: http://www.ijm.org/
• Not a sponsorship program per se, but has a profound impact on freeing people from slavery, including the sex trade. Many women are forced/sold/etc. or families sell their children. This helps to not only free the slaves but bring the oppressors to justice using the local laws. Thus preventing the freed from going right back to where they were freed from.
• Living Hope International: http://www.lovehopemercy.org/
• Country: Mexico
• Monthly Cost: $33 (100% goes to child, no overhead cost removed)
• Hearts for Christ International: http://www.ekg4christ.com/
• Country: Guatemala
• Monthly Cost: $20
• Compassion International: http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/
• Country: Many
• Monthly Cost: $38
• New Day Foster Home: http://www.newdaycreations.com/foster/help/sponsorship.htm
• Country: China (note: these children are in foster care or an orphanage, this is not a family sponsorship program but yet still important)
• Monthly Cost: $35
• Bethany Christian Services: https://sponsor.bethany.org/donors/sponsor.nsf/login?ReadForm&reason=1
• (Note: Link doesn't seem to open in Google Chrome)
• Country: Many
• Monthly Cost: $30

Child of Hope

As an adoptive mama, I am so very excited about this! Yet another reason why I love Trades of Hope!

Trades of Hope is pleased to announce a new Adoption Grant opportunity offered in conjunction with its Gifts of Hope program! It is called Child of Hope and its purpose is to assist families with the significant expense associated with the adoption process. It is our intent to offer up to two grants, each totaling between $500 and $1,000, every calendar year.   Applicants will be considered both from within the Trades of Hope Compassion Entrepreneur community as well as from its outside customer community.

First year grants will be made in December 2013. Completed applications must be received by November 15, 2013.  

The program is being independently administered by Compassion Entrepreneurs:  Colleen Biegger and Linda Jenkins.  All applications will be treated and considered in strictest confidence.  Please contact one of them for more information and for an application.  

              Colleen Biegger                              Linda Jenkins     

            cmbiegger@gmail.com                jenkins.toh@att.net

               (515) 988-1310                          (914) 591-9332

We look forward to seeing families blessed through this program! 

New Dishwasher Soap Recipe

I had previously blogged about a Homemade Dishwasher Soap. And it worked really well. Then I discovered that borax is a main ingredient in Terro.  *pause* Wait...if that's used to kill ants, do I really want it washing my dishes? So I searched the internet for a borax free version and found this.

From "My Healthy Green Family."

So here is the borax-free dishwasher detergent recipe:

• 1 cup washing soda (old recipe used  baking soda)
• 1/4 c. citric acid (old recipe said 1/3 c.)
• 1/4 c. coarse salt (old recipe said 1/3 c.)
• 10-15 drops of citrus essential oil (Optional.  Orange, grapefruit, or lemon essential oils have great cleaning as well as antibacterial properties.)
• Homemade citrus vinegar cleaner

Mix first 3 ingredients well in an air tight container. Add essential oil.  Mix again.  Fill your rinse aid compartment with undiluted citrus vinegar cleaner.

Use 1 tsp. detergent for average loads.
Use 1 tbsp. detergent for extra greasy, dirty loads.

UPDATE:  More is not better!  If you are having any build up issues use less! 

And Frugal Omma gives it two thumbs up. Works great! Maybe even better than the old dishwasher soap!

Trades of Hope - Empowering Women Out of Poverty

About a year ago I became a Compassion Entrepreneur for Trades of Hope. In case you've never heard of Trades of Hope, in a nutshell it is a fair trade organization that helps create sustainable business for artisans around the world; particularly in areas where women are devalued, unable to get an honorable job, or have been freed from slavery.  In honor of my one year "anniversary" I though it appropriate to talk about why I love this fair trade organization so much.

Trades of Hope's tag line is "Empowering Women out of Poverty."  It's nice, it's catchy, but what does that really mean. I'm going to use some pictures to explain the profound impact of those five little words.

This is my daughter, nearly 4, sporting the new turtle backpack from Trades of Hope, made in Guatemala. The bright colors are so fun, this picture doesn't do this lovely soft pack/friend justice! She can put quite a bit into that backpack, the shell is quite spacious!

This is "Jayanthi" who was one of the 27 million slaves world wide. That is until International Justice Mission (IJM) freed her and the other slaves who were working at a rock quarry and rice mill. (Picture from IJM's FB page.) This adorable little girl doesn't look much older than my daughter or nieces. And yet she grew up living and working in slavery. I'll just let that sink in a bit while you look at her stunning "I'm now free" smile.

This is "Yulisa" who was stripped of her innocence when she was 5 years old and left for dead. In her case her family actively sought justice with IJM, but in many other cases families are so poverty stricken that they sometimes sell their children to the sex trade or other form of slavery to survive.  Other children are stolen and are part of human trafficking. (Read my book review of "Terrify No More.") Living in a land of plenty, I cannot even begin to fathom what that might be like. And the fact that there are millions of slaves makes my eyes start to glaze over because of the sheer number. BUT that's not where the story ends. This is where hope begins.

Why am I telling you about "Jayanthi" and "Yulisa"? What do they have in common with my daughter. And what do they and IJM have to do with Trades of Hope?

I'm so glad you asked! See, girls like "Jayanthi" and "Yulisa" are NO different than my daughter. They didn't ask to be slaves, to have childhood stripped from them before they even experienced innocence, to be sold and used like property. When I see these girls, I see my daughter.  Each child is precious and a blessing. Life is precious. 

Organizations like IJM help free those who were slaves. But that's only part of it. What else is there for them? What prevents them from having to go back to slavery?  That's where organizations like Trades of Hope come in - teaching women a trade so they can become artisans and provide for their families. Not a handout, but skills to live. Making a difference to that one. Not only is the Trade useful but Hope is very powerful and contagious.

Products like the Guatemalan Turtle Backpack help little girls like this, so they don't have to live like many children in Guatemala do; being street children, or Living in the city dump.  Women of many walks of life: mothers, grandmothers, widows, single women, in the USA and around the world can have an honorable job and provide for themselves and their families. Meet our Trade of Hope artisans.

Please take time to check out all the beautiful, handmade, fair trade items available at Trades of Hope. New items are being added throughout the year. They are beautifully crafted and economically priced (all items are under $50!). You can bring hope to artisans all over the world by purchasing items, hosting a party, or becoming a fellow Compassion Entrepreneur. You can help create sustainable business that changes the course of lives when purchasing items you would purchase at a department store anyway! Pretty cool huh?

While my daughter sports the adorable and fun turtle backpack, another woman's daughter has the hope of a better life. That is why I love Trades of Hope, that is why I love being a Compassion Entrepreneur.