Relative Definitions

"I'm poor."

How many times have I said this? I don't know. I said it again today. Why? In response to the news that Old Navy is having a sale this weekend. I was seriously glum because I didn't think I had enough money to go buy any $8 dresses. 

But then I realized. I am seriously sad about this? When I have a closet and a dresser full of clothes? When I just got rid of things because I thought I had too much clothing?

It made me think: how skewed is our perspective of poverty. Of what it is to be poor. "Can't, I'm poor." "Wish I could, but I'm poor." "I don't have any money, but..." these and their similarities are the refrains of college students, including myself! What do we usually mean when we say these things? 

We can't afford a trip to Scarowinds.

Or a regular priced dinner at Moe's--we should wait until Monday.

We can't go to the movie; we'll redbox it.

We're not ordering pizza tonight; PB sandwiches it is. 

etc.

But, is this really poverty? As I sit on my couch in my climate-controlled dorm, settling down to do homework for my high quality, private, liberal arts college education, in my monogrammed soccer gear with my personal laptop and smartphone within arm's reach, I say "I'm poor" in response to a friend's invite to Cookout. 

Is that what poor looks like?

I recently read Ann Voskamp's blog: A Holy Experience (check it out here). Writing about child sponsorship, she says:

"If you have any food in your fridge, any clothes in your closet, any small roof, rented or owned, over your head, you are richer than 75% of the rest of the world. We are the Esthers living inside the palace.

If you have anything saved in the bank, any bills in your wallet, any spare change in a jar, you are one of the top 8% wealthiest people in the world. We are the ones living inside the gate."

I have lots of food in my fridge, plenty of clothes in my closet, a sturdy roof over my head and money in the bank. I do not seem as poor anymore.

I have a beautiful, loving Christian family. I have too many friends to count that love and care about me deeply. Most of all, I have the perfect everlasting sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I have hope.

Christianity Today, a leading Christian magazine, published their June issue with the cover story, "Want to Change the World? Sponsor a Child" (check out the full story here). It follows the story of Bruce Wydick, a top economist, and a few of his graduate students who led a study in three different countries on three different continents, measuring the effects of child sponsorship through Compassion International (their website is here). The results were phenomenally in favor of sponsorship. To me, the most striking finding of their study was the increased level of Hope found in sponsored children over non-sponsored children. 

So, all this to say: I decided to put the 'giving' into thanksgiving. In recognizing exactly how poor I am Not, God showed me it was time to share. A few of my friends and I have partnered to sponsor a little girl named Angelique in Rwanda. We would be honored if you would pray with us for her and her family!

I can honestly say that giving Compassion a credit card number is one of the best things I have ever done. I am so happy and excited to begin this venture! I am blessed to be a part of Compassion's ministry of Releasing Children From Poverty In Jesus' Name. I am blessed to be able to share the hope and love that I have receive every day. 

So today I am poorer than I was yesterday.

But I am so much richer already. 

I guess poor is a pretty relative term.

Awkward Moments

You know that awkward moment when you zone out while holding necessary morning-wake-up coffee and don’t notice your dog drinking it?

How about that awkward moment when you watched Tangled with the kid you nanny and the next day she runs around wanting to hit everything with a frying pan?

Or that awkward moment when you change your entire introductory paragraph eight pages into the paper?

Or even that awkward moment when your roommate/blog partner posts way more than you do?

Well, I don't know those awkward moments, but I've imagined them.

 This morning two of my sisters left me. They went adventuring to Michigan and Spain and this morning I saw them off on their journey. It was 7 a.m. (I hadn't intended to be awake, but I was) and I was sitting on the floor of our front porch with the family pooch, drinking coffee. So that's the scenario that prompted my first imagined awkward moment of the day. Usually Saltena (the dog) will eat/drink whatever is within her reach. I had set my cup down on the ground and she barely looked at it. I guess she doesn't like coffee. Oh well, more for me.

This summer I have started nannying an almost-two-year-old little bunch of energy that usually answers to the name of Clare. And yes, we did watch Tangled a few days ago, but she didn't actually start hitting things with frying pans, which would have been funny and kind of awesome. I guess she's not old enough to bring Disney movies to life. I also think she's more of an animated-Godzilla TV series fan. Thank you, Hanna Barbera. 

Ok so, my third imaginary awkward moment is actually true. I've been writing a paper for my summer college course and, what do you know, I had to change the whole idea of my paper two pages before the conclusion. It actually wasn't that bad. I'd rather re-work one paragraph than eight pages, wouldn't you? I'm writing on one of my favorite books in the whole world! 

"The Tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamillo is a little children's novel that won the Newberry Medal award in 2004. (The movie came out in 2008. It was good. Dustin Hoffman and Matthew Broderick and Emma Watson! But the book is better. duh.) The book is about stories and knights and a desire for goodness and forgiveness and love and ...soup.

The mini-prologue of "The Tale of Despereaux"

DiCamillo incorporates a profound sense of good and evil, the value of literature, and the prize of noble virtues in this simple book. That's why I'm writing about it! Although, I did have to narrow my paper topic down to one, tiny aspect of the book because it's proved more than enough for a thorough college paper! 

I am writing on DiCamillo's portrayal of good and evil in the book and, more importantly, her portrayal of how difficult it is sometimes to determine what is truly good and what is truly evil. Have you ever read "The Tale of Despereaux"?

And...I guess I have experienced the fourth awkward moment. But it doesn't matter now! See! I'm posting! Tana isn't the only one! I do enjoy her posts, as I hope you do, reader. It sounds like she's having fun, but guess what? I'm getting ready to have fun too!

Reading Room at the Library of Congress

 In July, with two of my English-major-librarian-nerd friends, I will visit

The Library of Congress.

Cue great noises of excitement and dancing!!!! We don't have all our plans yet, but they shall soon be made!

 ......

You know, frankly, I don't know why I waste time imagining awkward moments. I'm pretty sure real ones already automatically happen in my life without my having to imagine them. Oh well!

~Jojo