Every 7 Seconds...

Today is Global Food Crisis Day.  There have always been hungry people on our planet, but today, more than ever, millions of people on the planet are being afflicted by hunger.  It is estimated that a child dies every 7 seconds due to starvation.   Compassion International is doing something about it, but they need your help.  Compassion International estimates that it costs $13 a day to feed a child for a month and just a little over $150 to feed a child for a year.  How many times do you spend over $13 on one meal in a restaurant?  You can rack up over $13 a week with a Starbucks addiction!  We invite you to join us in supporting this great cause.  First, watch the video below: 

Secondly, go to the Compassion International Site, or Click this button below:

If you need more convincing, read this testimony by a fellow blogger, Musings of a Housewife.  She has some great things to say about why her family gives to Compassion International.  You can also link to some other blogs from her site that tell personal accounts of seeing the hunger crisis up close.  We hope you'll join with us today.  We know times are tight for a lot of your wallets, but $13 to feed a child for an entire month?  That is so worth it.

A few posts ago, we told you about David Toney and his commitment to the Blood:Water Mission Project through the sales of 10 hymns...
Well, Kari received her CD today, and she can't stop listening to it. What a wonderful way to spend $10! The hymns are done simply and beautifully---with acoustic guitar as opposed to the big organ Jill and Kari grew up with in church. :) If you haven't spent your $10 for your 10 hymns yet, click the picture above. All $10 will go to the Blood:Water Mission Project to help build wells in Africa for people who are desperate for clean drinking water. This is so worthwhile. Thank you, David Toney.

Enjoy Music/Help Africa

Check this out: David Toney Music.... A musician with a heart for Africa.
Here's the deal: You pay $10 for 10 hymns that you get to enjoy, well, for as long as you want to. David Toney commits to giving ALL $10 TO HELP BUILD WELLS IN AFRICA. Nice! We like hymns here at the Babs Blog. And we like David Toney for helping to support well-building in Africa, something we feel is important. We are especially mindful of this cause as we continue on our two-week H2O Challenge with Living Water International. Check out David Toney and consider paying the $10 for your 10 hymns---what a great thing!

The H2O Challenge...

Sorry about the delay in posts! It's been a busy start to the week. Jill went back to school this week (and she's still keeping her full-time job!), so she's been busy. Kari's been enjoying her break before school starts next week, so she hasn't been too great about sitting in front of the computer (because starting next week, she'll have a semester full of being tied to the computer!)

We have, however, started the H2O Challenge (see former post for more info). Kari fell off the wagon last night, though, as she had a dinner party and forgot about the H2O Challenge long enough to enjoy a great glass of red with dinner...so, she'll be adding on an extra day to her two-week commitment! We are already seeing the dollars and cents add up as we shun our Starbucks habits! It will be a great joy to mail Living Water International our checks at the end of two weeks!

We are wondering how many of you have joined us in this two-week project. If you've taken the H2O Challenge, will you email us or leave a post to let us know? And, good luck to you! You are making a difference!

Coming Next Monday...

Our New Year's Resolution looks different this year. Sure, there are the usuals: shed extra pounds, get organized, write more handwritten notes to people, etc. But those aren't just for New Year's...those little mantras are constantly with us! This year, we are going to try something different to kick off January. Beginning on Monday, the two of us are going to participate in the H2O Project and you are invited to join us...

Beginning on Monday, we are going to drink only water. No other beverage, just water. Trust us, it's going to take a little willpower. Both of us love our morning mochas, our Starbucks breaks, a good glass of red wine from time to time...we like a cosmo with the girls and we enjoy the convenience of the soda machine on occasion. But on Monday, it's water only for two weeks. Join us as we take this challenge (come on, it's not really that big of a challenge!) and bring awareness to the need for clean water on every corner of the planet. For two weeks, we'll be saving the money that would have gone to Starbucks or the soda machine and, at the end of those two weeks, we'll be writing checks to Living Water International. Check out the website here for more info.
Info on The H2O Project:

"Help bring water to the world by moving from consumption to contribution.

Every 15 seconds a child dies due to lack of clean water, while as little as $10 can provide one person with a lifetime supply of clean water!

The H2O Project helps educate people about the global water crisis and offers an opportunity to make a tangible difference by providing clean water for communities in developing countries.

Did you know that Americans spend more than $61 billion on soft drinks every year? That’s fifteen times the budget of USAID (United States Agency for International Development).

The Challenge
For two weeks, make water your only beverage. Save the money that you would normally spend on sodas, coffee, and sport drinks for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, contribute the money you saved to Living Water International for the drilling of wells. Churches, youth groups, clubs, and other organizations have all participated in the H2O Project. "

Oh...by the way...if you want to participate with The Babs Blog on this two week project, sign in to our comments section or send us an email. We want to hear how you're doing with this challenge and we'd be happy to point you in the direction of more information. We'll be reminding you all up until Monday and then it's go-time! (If your big New Year's Resolution was to get healthier, this challenge will help you with that, too. It's a two-for-one deal!) :)

A Little More Info

In response to our posts about the Advent Conspiracy, some of you have asked for a little bit more info...
You can check out what The Advent Conspiracy stands for by checking out their website at www.adventconspiracy.org. The Advent Conspiracy partners with Living Water International to promote the digging of wells and the delivery of clean, healthy drinking water to those in the world who do not have access to this resource that we take for granted in the United States. You can check out Living Water International's video below. We hope it moves you beyond feeling and into some kind of action. We want to be very clear that this is not the only great cause out there---there are many organizations out there showing love and compassion to those who don't have what we have here in the U.S. We hope you'll choose one that speaks to your heart and act on that.

One More Time...

Yep, we know we already posted about this...but it's so important and it keeps weighing on our hearts. We hope you'll check this video out (even if you already have!) to help keep your Christmas in perspective. The Advent Conspiracy is a beautiful thing. Imagine providing love, compassion and life-giving water to people who need it...instead of buying your kid another video game that will be "so last year" within months. And, if you have children, think of the beautiful lesson you could be teaching them through participating in this movement! Such a lesson is a gift that will last so much longer than that video game. :)

Something to Think About...and Act On...

Join the Advent Conspiracy...
The idea is to substitute compassion for consumption---making Christmas more meaningful for all.
Check out this video and think about how you can make a difference this Christmas season.

Make Your Gift Count

This year, if you are having a hard time figuring out what to get for someone, consider shopping at WorldVision, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving children's lives worldwide. They have an incredible gift catalog where you can purchase a wide range of items. Stumped on what to get that fisherman on your list? How about a fish pond? And for your cousin, the teacher? Education for girls in China seems like a good fit. For every gift, you receive a card that will tell your loved one exactly what you bought for them. It is truly a thoughtful, meaningful gift!