December 22, 2014 Monday

10 Minute solutions - Did some Boot camp today.  Gotta get my game back here.


Philippians chapter 2 - Imitating Christ's Humilty.  I'm sorry, we just can't.  We can never match his selfless giving and caring, but we can try.  The holidays are a good time to get started.  When family squabbles start up be like Frozen - "let it go".  Forgive and love everyone, you take the step back.


On this day;
1990 - Andy and Alice had a big Open house party for Christmas.  It was great. lot's of people and great memories.  This was the year of the great joke Aunt Theresa told Alice and I about her new mouse tattoo she got for Christmas.  Remember Alice?  Aunt Theresa is gone but her joyful memory lives on in this "bad" joke and little things like cooking 12 eggs and calling out to Uncle Hank "oh Hank" YOUR egg broke.  What a great lady!  so fun.  Enjoy your relatives, they won't last forever.


1939 - Gloria Jacobs became the first girl to hold a world pistol record when she shot 299 out of a possible 300 points. She was 17 years old at the time. This is for you Don! and the rest of you don't forget this when seeing a woman with a gun.


Parenting - It is impossible to raise all of your children the same way.  The dynamics of a family change constantly.  Adding new children creates different relationships for children to deal with and attention to share.  Watching the four kids under 8 that were here yesterday was a perfect example of this.  The first child had his two parents and two grandparents that he lived with.  The second child started off with the same but had a brother.  Then Mom and Dad moved away to the army with the two kids.  While Mom was expecting child 3 she moved back home to be with the other grandparents and divorced.  Dad remarried and has child 4 a boy.  The kids all have a pretty healthy relationship with each other, which is surprising.  Interesting. 


Gawlior India - How do they do with kids in India?

Sanjana "I need a sponsor!"  Sanjana is a 9 year old girl who came with her mother Deepa in July 2011. Sponsor A Child In India Your support can change a childs life!  Little breaks a heart faster than a child's smile. It may be a smile of anticipation...a smile of pure joy...a smile of longing ... a smile that says "thank you" (’Dhan’yavada ’ in Hindi ) that means much more than words in any language.  In "Snehalaya" there are more than 63 (the number grows daily) smiling faces. These are the children that have escaped the hard, menial, and monotonous future of living on the streets of India...and have come to a place where they are treated with dignity and all their needs are met.  "Snehalaya", meaning "the home with love" in Hindi, is a care home for disabled children, homeless women and the aged, where they live together as a family in individual cottages, with aims to help make them independent and live with dignity.  It is our aim for Snehalaya to become completely self sufficient. We have drilled bore holes to provide fresh drinking water, cultivated 15 acres of land and we rear dairy cows and poultry to provide food. We are making good progress but we are a long way off from being 100% self-sufficient, with electricity production being our biggest and most costly hurdle.    The Gwalior Children's Charity does not receive any government support from India, despite operating in one of it's poorest and most needy areas. Because of this we rely solely on donations from around the world. All running costs are met thorugh the kindness of our donors. Nothing is deducted for administration costs with 100% of funds going directly to help the children.   HELPING CHILDREN IN INDIA  Covering 25 acres, Snehalaya is an unique place combining community living with a Care Home (orphanage) for disabled and destitute children, homeless women and the aged. Mostly they live together as a family in cottages.  "Snehalaya" (in Hindi it means "Home -- with Love") also includes a school for special needs, a mainstream school, a regional rural hospital, a multi-sensory room, vocational training, facilities for yoga and meditation, farm, gaushala (cow shed) for our own cows -- all set amid gardens, farms and sports & play areas. Powered by Flash Gallery  Also on site, the new integrated school has facilities for 250 'special needs' children plus a further 500 places for children from surrounding villages, especially girls who would otherwise remain uneducated and undergo oppression.  A special focus is vocational training for these girls to make them more independent and provide them with confidence to start a career.  A little goes a very long way in India - and there are many ways an individual or an organisation can make a real difference. Sometimes, when we look at the need, the prospect seems daunting. But we carry on, remembering the simple adage that "because you can't do everything, it doesn't mean you should do nothing".  IMPORTANT: Although we operate in one of the poorest and most needy parts of India, the Gwalior Childrens Charity (formerly Gwalior Childrens Hospital Charity) receives no government support.  Not from local authorities. Not from regional or state sources. Not from central government. So we are forced to rely on the generosity of people around the world, like you. Any contribution, however small, is very much appreciated.  We need regular income, please consider becoming a regular donor by setting up a standing order. No amount is too small, every little helps. Please click here for more information. This sounds great doesn't it?  Good donation thought! Enjoy the Day!  Make it Memorable  Happy Birthday to Chris and Ron!