Change is a Good Thing

Since 2006, I have been blogging at Butterfly Kisses, but I was ready for a change, something that really fit me.

So here is my new home, 3 Little Sparrows. I sure do hope that you like it.

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Oh it's a wonderful day! The Eclipse trailer is finally out and it is incredible. June 30th can't come soon enough.

Faith in Kenya

I posted this over at 5 Minutes for Mom, but wanted to share it here as well.

Last week my 6-year-old daughter, Audrey, and I did something exciting. We searched through dozens of photos on the Compassion website and chose a little girl to sponsor together.

My heart has always been with Africa, so I did choose to look at children in Kenya. I also thought it would be fun for Audrey if we chose a child who was close to her age.

Audrey sat on my lap as we looked over the photos and read about the children waiting for sponsorship. That is when we saw Faith. Audrey pointed to her sweet picture just as I started to click on it. "I want to help her, mommy."

Audrey's middle name is Faith, so she was delighted that they had the name in common. She also loved Faith's darling smile and pretty pink dress.

We decided together that Faith would be the child we would sponsor. We said a prayer, and sent off our first monthly contribution.

This weekend, while blog hopping, I discovered that the Compassion bloggers will be in Kenya later this week.I am thrilled that Audrey and I will be able to follow the bloggers as they travel to several child development centers in Kenya.

While they won't be visiting Faith's center, we will still have the true joy of getting a glimpse into Faith's life.


I look forward to sharing with Audrey the stories, photos and videos that the Compassion bloggers will post from Kenya. I think it will help her to better understand why children like Faith need our help.

I hope that you are able to follow the Compassion bloggers on their journey. Here is more information about the Kenya team. You can also follow the team on Twitter.

Top Ten Tuesday

I just love Top Ten Tuesday. This week's is deliciously fun.

The Top Ten Foods I Would Totally Make Out With, If Making Out With Food Was Even Remotely Possible:

Click here to read more...

Top Ten Tuesday

I am loving posting a photo every morning as part of the 5,076 Miles Apart project with my friend, Sara.

But lately I have felt like I have been neglecting the actual art of blogging. It really has to do with the fact that I have been SUPER busy. So I thought a meme would be a great way to get back to chatting. Yes, it is cheating a little, but it's better than nothing, right?

So this morning I will take part in Top Ten Tuesday. Today's topic: (drumroll please)


Top Ten Things I Would Like To Be If I Could Not Be A Homosapien -

• 1.Canary
Oh to just sing and fly all day long! It couldn't get better than that. I wouldn't want to be a caged canary though. I would want to be free. 

• 2. Wild Horse
I love horses....always have, always will. 

• 3. Piano
I would prefer to be a loved piano in a home, perhaps belonging to a piano teacher. This way I could be played by trained fingers, creating musical masterpieces, as well as little hands, proud over their accomplishment of playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" perfectly. 

• 4. Dolphin
I have always loved dolphins and their friendly, playful nature. I think I would make a good dolphin. :) 

• 5. Fairy
Who wouldn't want to be a small and sparkly fairy living in the woods? Every little girl's dream at some point, right? 

• 6. A Kodak Theatre Balcony
Oh the performances I would get to see, including the Academy Awards. Oh and Idol too. :D 

• 7. A Field of Tulips
They are beautiful and cheerfully greet the morning, something that I still need to work on myself. 

• 8. A Rainbow
The beauty that appears after a storm and also symbolizes God's promise. What a delight that would be. 

• 9. A Cherry Tree
While I personally hate cherries, I LOVE, LOVE cherry blossoms. 

• 10. Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland
Well, it is smack dab in the middle of the Happiest Place on Earth.

Head on over to One Thing for more Top Ten Tuesday fun.

Check out my friend, Tiffany's, Top Ten Tuesday post.

Carnival Birthday

Well the miss is 6. We had a carnival birthday party yesterday and it was LOADS of fun!

There were bubbles and face painting.







We played a few games, including a tin can toss, goldfish toss, balloon darts and a duck hunt. Of course there were prizes as well. Each family also went home with a goldfish.











We had delicious Ice Cream Cone cupckaes which were super fun and easy to make. The kids devoured them.














All in all it was a total blast. I think all of the kids had great fun.

The Man On The Street Corner

This will most likely be lots of rambling...I'm not the best at being direct/getting to the point. Sara, says I'm verbose...it's true! But I have so many thoughts right now...stemming from the homeless man I saw this afternoon on the street corner..and I have to get them out.

It's cold outside...VERY cold. The weather channel says that it feels like 17 degrees right now. Despite the bitter chill in the air...and the THICK layer of ice I had to scrape off my windshield...I still ran an errand this afternoon.

But the cold isn't so bad when you blast the heat in your car...coffee helps too. I saw many drivers holding Starbucks cups. Thank goodness for cars, coffee and heat.

I sat in the left hand turn lane...headed home....and I saw him. He was across the way...at the other side of the intersection. I've seen him once or twice before, I think. He seems to hang out on this particular street corner a lot. He looks to be in his 50's...maybe older. He just stands, very still...holding a sign that says that he is homeless.

He doesn't get pushy...he never even directly looks at anyone...he doesn't go up to the cars and stare at the drivers, as I have seen others do in the past....He just looks straight ahead...holding his sign.

Seeing him today though, made me teary-eyed. It is just so cold outside. He had an old, worn baseball cap on...but that was definitely not enough to keep his head warm. He had nothing covering his ears. His coat was not very heavy. Thank goodness he did have some gloves on.

I couldn't stop watching him out of the corner of my eye. So badly I wanted to drive over to him..tell him to get in my car...take him to my house and give him a nice hot meal....but since this world is a scary place....since I have young children in my home...and since I don't know anything about him...I didn't.....I wouldn't....but oh how I wanted to.

Maybe he really is the sweetest man...maybe he served our country once....maybe he wouldn't hurt a fly...but of course...there is no way to know that.

I did wipe a tear from my eye...when I realized that I really couldn't help him. I did watch one lady roll down her window and hand him some cash. That was nice. If I had had a cup of coffee with me...I would have given it to him.

I know that many people say that the people who hang out on the street corners with their signs...are just trying to get some easy money...just trying to hit up a bar for a drink...or get some cigarettes. But, I don't know how much I believe that....not sure if that is true in all circumstances...BUT I do feel that anyone who is out there in THIS WEATHER...really has no other choice.

As I finished driving to my WARM home...I couldn't shake his image out of my head. Funny thing is, this morning when I woke up in my comfy bed.....ate breakfast....and played with my children in various rooms in our house...I never once thought about anybody else...about any homeless people dealing with the cold weather....never even crossed my mind.

I know I have a compassionate heart...I know I have helped people....I know that there are causes that I care about....but it seems like I do it in spurts....I'll really rally behind something for a bit...but then I get caught up in my life...my day to day.....and I find that some time goes by....before I REALLY help another person (outside of my family).

But then I see someone...like this man on the street corner....and it hits me. Why is it that we have TO SEE IT before our hearts break?

How different would it be...if all street corners were lined with young children from Northern Uganda with signs asking for help....or if street corners were lined with abused children....or children looking for someone to adopt them....or homeless families.

Is that what we need before we take action?

If you woke up tomorrow morning...and a mother from Africa was in your front yard with her babies.....would you help her then?

Just something to think about.

I prayed for the man on the street corner. I prayed that he would have somewhere warm to sleep tonight. And I'll continue to pray for him.