Seven: Excess Stuff

I can't believe tomorrow is March! I didn't expect February to be too hard for me, and that's how it turned out. Except for a bit of time-juggling with laundry loads (having to fit it in the part of the day that I could get away with wearing just a towel), it was pretty easy for me. I survived on just three shirts (even though there were two weeks that one of them was what I slept in), two pair of pants, two pair of shoes (could've made it with just one, but I didn't want to wear tennies to church on Sundays), a jacket and heavy coat (I am SO glad I had the coat the last three days!) I did two loads of whites this month for Allen's and my socks (since they weren't counted as part of the seven).

I keep trying to make March’s 7 project harder. I’ve thought about trying to find more ways to give, but since 7 is supposed to be about eliminating excess and it started to seem like I was just looking for a way to add to my to-do list, I am taking Ema's advice and keeping it simple. This month, I will choose seven items daily to give to someone who needs them. I will not be driving somewhere new each day, but by the end of this month all 217 items will have new homes. Since I will be gone for a week, I plan to work ahead and get my daily average up this week so that by the end of March, I've shared 217 things. Some of my piles will be easy to purge, some will be harder. I am also using this month as a reason to purge some things to the garage sale my friends and I are having to help raise money for my Uganda trip, but I do not plan to count the garage sale items as my give-aways unless that is actually what I do with them.

In the book, Jen Hatmaker dared herself to give all her items to “real people”, rather than leaving them anonymously at Good Will. That part will be a little bit of a challenge for me, but Allen suggested something that should work for me. If I donate to a group, rather than an individual or family, I will volunteer there so that I can see the needs and see how my excess can help real people. For instance, I will likely donate some clothes and pantry items to St. Paul; even though I may not personally meet the person who chooses my red blouse, I am still talking with someone who might and I’m there while they are choosing someone’s blouse. Though I may not put my kids’extra books in the hands of a particular child who needs it, I am filling a kids’ shelf for the Literacy Council's bookshelf and saying, “good morning” to children who are choosing books from that shelf. There are some things I know I can share with the people who can use them, and I’m looking forward to being able to bless others.

 

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ~ Matthew 6:19-20

Guess Who's Coming

Ben lost tooth #3 today. It has been loose for a while, but brotherly wresting took it out the rest of the way. Very little blood, but some tears until he realized it would be worth some money. Now, we are planning for the tooth fairy to visit tonight.

Introducing Cookie and Cream

Lately, my point-and-shoot pocket-sized camera has not been working right. When I take pictures, there is a 50% chance that the photo will be a bunch of digital noise instead of the picture I really wanted, so I asked for a new camera for my birthday. After reading reviews, I ended up choosing a different brand than what I've had for many years, and now I'm having to learn how to use the new one. Bear with me as I learn how to use it.... I know many of my pictures won't be great, but they are still able to show our family stories.

These are our new friends: a pair of Carolina chickadees that Ben named Cookie and Cream. We can't tell which is which, so they will both just be called Cookie-&-Cream. These two cheerful birds are supposed to be a bit more afraid of me than they seem to be. When I come check their nest in the birdhouse, they often watch and chatter at me. Allen thinks they might be saying, "Leave us alone you big thing," but to me it sounds a lot more like, "good morning, Sarah! Isn't it a beautiful day." Strange as it seems to me, when I'm sitting in the chair in the garden (with camera ready, of course) those two will come sit on the fence and chatter, come a bit closer and sit in the tree and chatter, then even go into the birdhouse -- with me just a few feet away. They continue to carry in grass bits, and bright green moss, and fuzz from cottonwoods or dog hair to build their nest. They will eat at the feeder, sip at the birdbath, and continue to sing at me, and I am looking forward to learning more about these sweet little birds.

My Next Big Adventure

Parental CareMinistries (PCM) exists to help poor and orphaned children of Uganda by meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in Christian schools. Currently, PCM has six school campuses in southwest Uganda, and they also equip 50+ pastors to spread the Gospel throughout Uganda.

I first learned of Parental Care Ministries at a Mothers of Preschoolers meeting when they came to speak about their ministry. Our group and my family donated to some of PCM’s projects, and we financially contributed to a friend joining PCM on a mission trip. A bit more than a year ago, Will wrote a letter asking Santa Claus to deliver chickens to orphans in Uganda. When PCM sent my son photos of the children in Uganda receiving chickens, I was ecastatic! Soon after that, our family decided to sponsor 13-year old Ssalli, one of the students at a PCM campus. Our experiences with PCM continued to be positive, so when I realized God was prompting me to apply for a mission trip, PCM was one of the first groups I approached.

I will be part of a team of 20-25 people going to Uganda, June 16^th through 27^th, this summer. On this trip, PCM will be partnering with Children’s Emergency Relief International (CERI), a health and human services organization dedicated to the long-term care of orphans, vulnerable children, youth and their families in crisis throughout the world. CERI will be bringing its shoe mission expertise to all six PCM campuses. Children in this impoverished area desperately need shoes to prevent foot disease and injury. I am excited to be part of the team that will travel to each school and minister to each individual child while sizing their feet and placing new socks and shoes on each of the 1500+ PCM school children.  

There are several ways for you to help our team. First, and foremost, please pray for our team. Pray for all the details to come together, pray that we can share God’s love with the children in Uganda, pray for our families who will be without us for twelve days (that is a long time for my husband and four young children), pray for our safety and health as we travel to, and in, a third-world country, and pray that our stories reach the hearts of others.

I am also seeking financial contributions for the hundreds of pairs of shoes ($25 per pair) and for my travel expenses (approximately $3000). If you are interested in contributing to either, please make a check out to Parental Care Ministries, put the purpose (shoes/travel) in the memo section, and send the check directly to me. PCM is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your contribution is tax deductible, and PCM sends yearly contribution statements each January. If you would like to learn more about PCM, visit the website and blog at www.pcmonline.org. To learn more about CERI, visit www.CERIkids.org.

(If you need my mailing address, post a comment with your email address. All blog comments must be approved by me before being posted, and I will not post your email address.)

Science with Classmates

Today was a family field trip day to the science museum in Shreveport. We had not been to this museum before, but it has been on our "things to do someday" list for quite awhile. This was the first Saturday-field trip set up for families in Will's school, and we jumped at the opportunity to enjoy it with others. This was such a neat place, and since we didn't get to see about half of it, we are hoping to go back someday. The parents who set up the outing, arranged for the students to get to watch two demonstrations that were related to what they are studying in science (those took up an hour and a half of the five hours we were there, but they were awesome!) The younger siblings all had a good time learning about different subjects, but their favorite thing to do was play at the water table (just like at other museums.) Will enjoyed playing with his school friends while he learned, and he thought the flaming salts were pretty awesome!

New Neighbors

The last two years, around this time, the Eastern Bluebirds start checking out the birdhouses and, when we are lucky, they begin building nests in them. I was surprised to see this little bird peeking out of the bluebird house, but maybe not as surprised as the bluebirds. I watched all afternoon as two little Carolina chickadees went in and out of the birdhouse, and all I could do was chuckle when Silas (the male bluebird) would watch from the tree or fence and turn his head in question. He did eventually go peek in at the chickadees, but got bored and left. I didn't get bored, though; I watched off and on most of the afternoon until the two birdies left and I could go see what they had been up to. Sure enough, they are nesting! I'm hoping we can get the other bluebird house put outside this weekend so the bluebirds can move in nearby, too.

Following

I have struggled with parts (or all) of this post for a while. So much is going on in my life and heart right now that I'm ready to burst, but everytime I start writing, it doesn't come out like I mean for it to. I want to share what God is doing and how I am trying to walk faithfully with Him. I don't want to journal some of the big things later and have my kids, family, and friends wonder where something so odd came from, so I figure I should just start sharing and hope that I can write what is going on in a way to show what God is doing IN me and through me.

I announced my upcoming plans to my Bible study group yesterday, and one of the young ladies who has been on many overseas mission trips suggested I read a book called Kisses From Katie (Katie Davis). I started reading the introduction on the "Look Inside" section on Amazon, and was instantly sucked into her story. The first parts put into words what is going on with me right now. Katie Davis explained that when she did more than read about or talk about Jesus and actually started following Him, He wrecked her life. Though that sounds quite dramatic and those aren't quite the words I'd use, there are definitely times I feel a bit the same. Somehow my life a couple months ago is not the same one I'm living now.

The last two months, my commitment to the Lord has changed. Dramatically, from my perspective. December 31st had me preparing my meals to eat just seven foods. January 1st had me craving everything except those seven foods. By the end of the first week, I had a completely different appreciation for what it meant to seek the Fruits of the Spirit, my prayer life was different than before, and I was trying to find a way to serve others. By the end of the second week, I had devoured the book A Hunger For God: Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer (John Piper), and started seeing my "fast" differently. I clung to a scripture that, a month ago, I likely would have skimmed as I rushed through the pages of my Bible. In fact, as I've been rereading 7 (Hatmaker), I discovered that this same scripture was actually in that book, too -- but, I didn't "notice" it the first time through, the way I would now. God was explaining, through Isaiah, what he expected from a fast.

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I."

                                                        ~ Isaiah 58:6-9

I read those words over and over and over, day after day after day. They spoke to me and clearly told me I needed to act. I needed to quit "considering it," and "just do it." Reading it again, as I'm writing this, I realize how MUCH is expected. It is nearly overwhelming to realize how challenging it would be to even know where to start; but, like Peter taking the first step out of the boat, all I can really do is take the first step, then another, and another, and keep on keeping on.

I am trying to move forward in several areas: I am filling bookcases in a doctor's office to help the Literacy Council because I believe literacy can break some chains; I am working in a food pantry weekly, filling boxes and handing them to the hungry; I am trying to gather clothes from our home to share with those who need them. It is the last part of verse 7, I am embarrassed to admit, that has challenged me the most. There have been times I've seen people -- flesh and blood people -- who have disgusted me. Maybe it isn't so much that the person disgusted me, but maybe it was their smell, or their crusty clothes, or the misspelled sign asking for money at the city intersection, or the cigarette hanging out of their mouth about to drop cinders on the baby sucking cola from a bottle. I have been disgusted by people. I have turned away from people made of flesh and blood... people made in God's image... people God loves like He loves me....

Being around some of these people lately has opened my eyes, and I believe God is using this Seven Project to open my heart and mind to seeing others as He sees them. There are few things as humbling as a man who has needed a shower for awhile looking into my eyes, telling me my smile made his day, then returning my smile with a bright mostly-toothless grin that lets me know how much he appreciated my kindness. I wanted to enjoy volunteering in the food pantry, but I didn't realize just how instantly I would find joy in the tasks. Gathering the groceries is about as exciting as it is when I get my own at the store, but the little bits of conversation I have with those who are needing help has really been a blessing to me.

By the third week of January, I put into words that I felt God was prompting me to go on a mission trip. I have had little seeds of wanting to do some sort of mission trip for the last couple years, but they have always been more like whims I might act on when my kids were older. I couldn't imagine going anywhere without Allen, and since he hasn't really been interested in going on a mission trip, I just pushed it to the back of my mind. Then I felt the God-nudges as He reminded me that I told Him I would let Him push me to being uncomfortable this year. I am so thankful to Allen and my friends for encouraging me and praying for me as I started the next roller coaster hill. By the end of January, I had enquired about two different trips -- one with a group from my church going to Muldova in December, and one with Parental Care Ministries (the ministry that supports the school Ssalli is in) to Uganda. Then I started reading Not A Fan (Kyle Idleman), and I knew I needed (not just wanted) to go on a trip.

There was a lot in Idleman's book I was not excited about reading, but the truth was there and I couldn't pretend it away. If I am going to actually follow Jesus, and not just talk about it, I have to be uncomfortable; taking up a cross to follow Him hurts. If I am following Jesus, I will make decisions and do things that my family may not understand or agree with. If I am following Jesus, I need to love as He loves. If I am following Jesus, I can't wait for my family and friends to go to the other side of the world with me if He is calling me now. That's the hard part... But He is calling me to be uncomfortable. To be working with hungry people on Fridays. To share with others what is going on with His people. To share what He is doing with me. To travel without my husband to the other side of the world. To ask for money when it would be easier to just write the check myself.

In the last week, I have decided to go to Uganda with a team who will be putting shoes on each of the more than 1500 children in the PCM schools (and, YES! that does include Ssalli). I will be out of my comfort-zone going without Allen -- to a beautiful foreign country, away from him for a seemingly long time. I will be out of my parents' comfort zone travelling to a country that is mostly surrounded by hostile countries. I will be out of my children's comfort zones being away for twelve days, but not taking them. I will be out of my comfort zone asking others to help sponsor the trip and shoes.

But... here I go.
One step at a time.
Following where He leads me.
Trusting Him to take care of everything.

It is interesting that living with just seven items of clothing has been fairly easy for me, and I have a feeling I will need to pack lightly for my June trip to Uganda. Right now, I am excited about the trip and everything is happening so quickly, yet also so slowly at the same time. (I'll post more soon!)

Weekend Away

This past weekend, our family had double the adventures, but we were divided. Allen and Will went with the Cub Scout group, and all the boys had their first backpacking camp-out. Though it was not a long hike, they did hike to the primitive camping area at a state park, camped overnight, then put it all back on their backs to head back in the morning... the very cold morning. (Hopefully a friend will share the only photo that was taken.)

Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to take Ben, Maddie, and Jon to go see my parents. We had a laid-back weekend with no firm plans, but we had a nice time visiting and resting and exploring and learning. We got to Waco Friday evening. Saturday morning, the kids were anxious to get outside to play. When I went out, we four investigated a cedar waxwing that had died after it flew into a window. I was interested in the feather arrangements on the wings, but the kids were curious, too. We were all quite surprised to learn WHY these birds are called "waxwings." The little orange things hanging off the bottom of the wing really look like neon-orange melted wax -- they aren't feathery at all, but may be an odd-shaped extension of the quill. I've read that the color of the wax-tip is determined by what the birds have been eating; based on that, I can only assume these birds have been snacking on orange traffic safety cones -- there really were that bright!

Dad took the kids out in the canoe before lunch. Maddie and Ben tried to fish from the boat while Jon helped Dad paddle. When they were done, the guys fished from the shore for awhile, but I don't think the boys caught anything.

After lunch, Dad and I took the kids to look for fossils in a riverbed. Last summer, Allen and Will and Dad had gone to the same place, but back then, the riverbed was dry. This time, there was water, so we walked along the rocky edge that had an incline. We ended up walking upward slowly -- at one point, I looked over a steep edge and wondered how we got there. Our adventure continued over a hill and then the kids were amazed at the huge hill that they sort of climbed down and slid till were were all at the river again. We did find some fossils, and Dad and I tried to teach the kids how to skip rocks on the water. It was mostly fun, but since I hate heights, I was pretty nervous when we had to pass the steep cliff again -- I was much more afraid the kids would go over, than I was worried about me.

Overall, the weekend was fun for all of us. Allen and Will said they were cold, but comfortable. The others and I were glad to get to visit with my parents, and all of us were ready to begin another busy week.

Seven: Not Much to Wear

I don't plan on writing weekly about each experiment, but I think I'll aim to write when I begin an experiment, when I'm a bit into it, and when I finish it. Here I am two weeks into wearing seven clothes and I'm not noticing the same huge changes that I did last month. So far, the weather has cooperated and I am rarely too cold or too hot for the clothes I chose. Allen is also wearing only seven items; he is not counting socks, undergarments, or his safety coveralls for work. We have managed to do our small load of laundry about every other day, but that is usually because he needs his workout clothes to smell fresh before he needs them again. We did work together to choose clothes that could all be washed in one load together (mostly dark blues, grays, and blacks). The laundry piles for the kids haven't changed any, but Allen and mine are noticeably different. The hardest part for me about doing laundry is getting them put away, but since I never have more than two of my shirts and one pair of pants to put away, it is quite nice.

I have started this post several times, and everything I write seems so ridiculous. I can tell my "nice" dark and dazzling jeans are fading. Even with frequent washes, they aren't fitting the same and I am fairly certain that after a month of almost daily wear, they will not be dark or dazzling anymore. To the faded jeans, the t-shirt that is growing little fuzzies, the black jacket that keeps showing white cat hairs -- all I can say is "so what?" Ultimately, none of those things really matter, and they don't bother me all that much. I used to vainly feel like people would notice if I wore the same things every day; no one notices. I was afraid I would be looked down upon for not dressing up enough for church; no one cares. I do miss a few of my normal clothes-- my fuzzy pajama pants, my slippers, some of my sweaters, my bathrobe, my earrings -- but it hasn't bothered me too much to live without them.

I am not sure yet what the lesson will be for this month, but overall Seven is changing me and my heart. A month ago I was pretty stingy with my time. My few hours a day were mine to use selfishly. Though I could still choose to keep all my time for me, I am really excited to be sharing it with others. Last week, I helped serve guests at a presentation at Will's school, and this week I helped his art teacher sort through a bunch of supplies (be still, my heart!). Wednesday, I started teaching Ben's class about money, and tomorrow I will finish the last of five sessions to Jon's class. (I'll be doing the same with Maddie's class after spring break.) I have a few more areas I'm volunteering to help, but I'll save those stories for another post. Now, I'm off to do another load of gray and black clothes! :)

Finishing Projects 5

Will just finished his fifth round of projects for school. He really enjoyed this group of projects, and I think he is a bit sad to see them done. The math and science class projects were both zoo-related. In math, the kids learned about fractions and their final presentation was a recipe book for treats they could feed to their assigned zoo animals. The kids had to use those recipes to inspire a similar kid-friendly healthy snack and write the recipes for those snacks, too.

Will and his math team were assigned to feed gorillas. It was fun to learn alongside him and see how much math really is involved in feeding the animals. In part of his preliminary research, Will found LOTS of fractions as he was learning about the diet of a wild Western Lowland Gorilla. Though he didn't end up using all the information he found in his project, these kinds of facts led to lots of great math-discussion in our afternoons together:

• The Western Lowland gorilla eats parts of at least 97 plant species
• About 67% of their diet is fruit, 17% is leaves, seeds and stems and 3% is termites and caterpillars.
• An adult male gorilla may consume more than 45 lb. of vegetation per day; an adult female may eat 2/3 of that.
• They rarely drink in the wild because they eat morning dew and succulents which are almost half water.

Each recipe in his cookbook had to be listed in order from smallest amount to largest. As he was doing the final touches, he pulled out lots of cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons (and all the partials) and made sure he had them in the right order. He was excited to explain to his teacher that he even took eggs into account and put them where they would fit on the list (2 eggs were listed after 1/4 cup of one ingredient, but before 2/3 of another.)

His science project was to design an enclosed ecosystem for a particular group of animals to be on exhibit at a zoo. His group was assigned a study of the marine life near Antarctica, and his team designed a series of large pools and caves for a beluga, narwhal, seal, and walrus. We made a special trip to the miniature-train store to get some fake grass to be the algae in the model they created, but the animals and smaller sea-life that would be food were made from clay.

Friday, the parents were invited to tour the zoo exhibits. All the kids were dressed up to explain what they designed and why they made the choices they did. They showed their blueprints, their explanations, and their models. They showed their zoo recipe books and had samples of the people-friendly healthy snacks, and they could all explain why those snacks were considered healthy. Posted all around the room were lots of the kids' artwork from the last several weeks.

Will's English-Language Arts-Reading (ELAR) class project was about heroes. The final project was to write a letter to a local television station nominating an everyday hero. The goals of the project were to define "hero" by studying several mythical and historic heroes. There were several mini essays that explained traits of particular heroes, and the final essay was a letter. Today, the school had a receptions so the students could honor their heroes. It was a sit-down-and-visit-type reception, but many of the heroes were in photos around the room, the older students (5th/6th graders) were interviewed for a video presentation about their heroes, and the students gave copies of their nominations to their heroes. I was happy to see that Allen is Will's hero -- is there anyone better than a dad for a son to consider a hero? Some of the reasons Will listed were that Allen helps him with his homework, he is honest and hardworking, and he does a great job loving his family. I'm hoping Will can always see what a hero his dad is.

As I said, I think the end of a project (or group of projects) is always bittersweet. After spending four weeks on these lessons, it is sweet to see it all come together to be something the kids can all be so proud of. It is great to be in the presentations and see how much they encourage and support each other, yet how much each student has learned and masted on his own. I love to see them beaming with joy at being able to share what they've learned. But, when Will gets into a project that he can be passionate about, I sort of hate to see that part end. In the next few days, he will be reflecting on what he learned -- not about the animals and heroes as much, but about what he learned about himself... what he did well, what he needs to improve upon, what he and his team struggled with, what they did with ease. Soon, the next round of excitement will begin.... and WE can't wait to see what the next projects are!

Seven: A New Experiment

Though I did have a few days I wondered if I could make it, I did survive month one. I did learn a LOT in that month -- about my food relationships, about me, about my stomach, about my will-power, about my God, about what He expect of me. (I'm just not ready to put it all into words for the world... yet.)

I woke up and enjoyed a cup of coffee with coconut milk. I put blueberries in my plain oatmeal. When I got back from taking the kids to school I had turkey and an apple. I am afraid of changing from my seven foods of January too quickly because I feel GREAT!! Maybe it is because I am not carrying around as much weight, maybe its because I don't have sugar and caffeine withdrawals, maybe its because I am putting only healthy, whole foods in my body, but I have enough energy for the day and I usually sleep really well. My patience seems to last longer and I'm not as cranky overall. I haven't had a tummy-ache all month (except when I was hungry) and I want to add new foods into my diet slowly enough to try to figure out what doesn't agree with me.

This month, I am surrendering clothing. Don't worry -- I'm not planning on going without, but I am limiting my selection severely -- to seven, in fact. For the count:

• 0. Undergarments, socks, glasses, contact, wedding bands, and necklace I've worn since Will was born
• 1. Dark jeans
• 2. Black jogging pants*
• 3. Long-sleeve black t-shirt
• 4. Long-sleeve gray fleece shirt
• 5. 3/4-sleeve rusty-colored blouse
• 6. Shoes - black tennies or Sketcher wedges
• 7. Coat - red winter coat or black jacket

*I was planning on my second pair of pants being a pair of jeans and spent the last couple weeks debating whether to have my nicer black jeans or my more casual blue ones be my second set. Yesterday (very last minute) I changed my mind. Neither of those two stay on after losing 11+ pounds, so I am choosing my black jogging pants because they are comfy AND they have an adjustable drawstring. No, I don't plan to jog, but I might walk sometimes.

Out of habit, this morning, I already kind of cheated -- but not intentionally. It was less than 40-degrees out and I put my gloves on to drive the kids to school. A few miles down the road I realized I was wearing them and took them off (because they aren't on my list). I can survive the month without gloves.

This morning, I spent much of my quiet time searching for scriptures to focus on and learn from this month. What a treasure it was to find so much about clothes in the Bible....Okay, so there wasn't much about choosing the perfect colors, and finding the great little black dress for every occassion, and how the perfect purse and shoes can pull an outfit from drab to fab; but, I found the list of what our wardrobe should have. I was a little bit glad to see my list had a bit more than seven things, but not too much more. We should clothe ourselves with:

1. the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 13:14, Gal 3:27),

2. compassion (Col 3:12),

3. kindness (Col 3:12),

4. humility (Col 3:12, 1 Peter 5:5),

5. gentleness (Col 3:12),

6. patience (Col 3:12),

7. strength (Prov. 31:25),

8. dignity (Prov 31:25)

Our accessories (adornments) should be:

• 1. a gentle and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4)
• 2. good deeds (1 Tim 2:10)

I found it interesting that some the fruits of the Spirit I prayed to crave when I was fighting my food demons are now on my list of approved-wear! I plan to use that line when my only clean shirt gets unintentionally decorated with breakfast. As for the accessories, well, I've always struggled with finding the right ones, and I expect the gentle, quiet spirit may be one of my biggest challenges this month.

 

I am thrilled to have some of my best friends doing some sort of clothing experiment with me this month -- including my sweet, supportive husband! It is amazing how much easier it is to stick with crazy plans when I have so much encouragement from them.