My own little world.

Life's been a little busy these days- like all last week, I was gone to KC, MO for a youth group mission trip. Our main service projects included working with and for the poor and homeless. We stayed at Grand Avenue Temple United Methodist Church- they house four homeless women and we had the pleasure of dining with and getting to know them. We also spent our mornings sorting and packing boxes for Harvesters.

My sentiments about the week can maybe best be shared using the lyrics below, from a song by Matthew West. It's certainly easy to get wrapped up in life, with little to no consideration of the people we encounter in our day-to-day. My challenge is to get out of myself, see others with the love and eyes of Christ, and do my part to live with greater purpose.  
My Own Little World
In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I've never gone hungry, always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet
In my own little world, population: me

I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church
I throw a twenty in the plate but I never give 'til it hurts
And I turn off the news when I don't like what I see
Yeah, it's easy to do when it's population: me

CHORUS
What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose
I could be living right now?
Outside my own little world

Stopped at a red light looked out my window
I saw a cardboard sign said, "help this homeless widow"
And just above that sign was the face of a human
I thought to myself, God, what have I been doing?
So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye
Oh, how many times have I just passed her by?
I gave her some money then I drove on through
And my own little world reached population: two

CHORUS

Father, break my heart for what breaks Yours
Give me open hands and open doors
Put Your light in my eyes and let me see
That my own little world is not about me

What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose
That I could be living right now?

I don't want to miss what matters

I wanna be reaching out
Show me the greater purpose
So I can start living right now

And here's the video for the more visually inclined.

Just like Papa and Farmer Tim.

What Who is under four feet tall, completely adorable and loves to randomly break out in song? My nephew and niece, Joshua and Ella. 

Last summer, Josh was given a handful of corn seeds to plant however he wanted. His idea of planting, consisted of throwing all the seeds into one hole. Makes sense to me. And low and behold, the corn grew up, up and up still until it was almost SIX feet tall! This year Joshua, Farmer Tim and Papa were a little more methodical in their planting: put some corn and soybeans in three rows and (fingers-crossed) something will come up. Lord knows the devastation in that little boy will be great if his hard work produces no fruit. Or corn, in this case- you get the idea.

And because whatever big brother does, she can do also, Ella Girl got a piece of the farming action.

Now c'mon little farm- GROW!