Showing posts with label jensi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jensi. Show all posts

Friday, November 4, 2011

Guest Blogger--My daughter!

I have loved being a mom...been at it now 11 1/2 years. I don't know about your experience, but the child God has given me has blessed me abundantly. Her heart for others is incredible. She is ONE determined, passionate child. When she had a chance to name her autobiography she chose this title:


"The Determined Life of Jensi Shaw."


She is passionate about horses and owning one herself one day. Soon. Like go check in the garage, is it here yet? But, she also has a growing passion for the poor, the orphaned and the destitute. 

With her permission, I am going to share with you her persuasive speech she wrote this week for her 6th grade assignment:


Pets or People?
Let’s say you have some money you have decided to donate. What would you do with it? Would you spend it at the animal shelter where it could help animals who need a good home? Or would you be writing the check to help impoverished people around the world? If you said the animal shelter, perhaps I can change your mind. I believe that we need to support people before animals.
Everyone wants to make good investment. People live longer than animals, therefore your money goes to something long term. People need to have food, water and shelter. They need it much longer than animals. Wouldn’t you like your gift to have a longer impact for a more important cause? I do.
The need of people is huge. 4,500 children will die today because of water related diseases. I understand that animal shelters are important and I am not against them, but human life is more valuable. Does it anger you that people desert their animals? Doesn’t it anger you that people desert their children? 15 million children under age 5 die each DAY because of hunger. We are the ones deserting the needy, the unloved and the poor. We open the cupboard wanting a snack and complain that there is nothing “good enough” to eat. Ring a bell? We are overlooking the hungry people of our world and crying about the homeless animals.
Source: maximsnews.com
People are most important because we are created by God. And yes, I agree, animals are too! However, only humans are created in God’s own image. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created human beings in His own image.” Because of this, we have the desire and ability to make a difference in our world. How do you do that if you are living in the slum? How are you able to make the right choice if you are only taught to steal in order eat? These people need our help. 1.3 BILLION people live on less than ONE DOLLAR PER DAY. God didn’t make us to sit there and be a couch potato. He wants us to care, because He cares. Proverbs 28:27 says, “Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing but a curse will come upon those who close their eyes to poverty.”  Proverbs 19:17 says “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord and He will repay you.”  Proverbs 22:9 says, “Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.” The Bible does not tell us that we will be blessed by saving animals.
[Play video from Tear Fund.org “What is Poverty?”]
Now are your minds changed? Giving to the poor is the right thing to do. Although giving and caring for animals is a good thing too. But I strongly feel we need to make people our first priority and then animals.


She was  pretty stressed working on this and was alarmed that she only had 2 days to get this done. Why? Because she wanted to not just change people's minds, but she hoped that by her giving this speech that kids will go home and ask their parents to donate to organizations that bring clean water or help the poor. She saw it as something greater than just an argument to win or an assignment to get done. I quote, "I want to get an A, and that's great and all, but what I really want to do is make a difference!"

I was also incredibly proud of her research. She did that herself! 

Sorry...
              am I being a boastful mom? 


I'm okay with that! :)




Monday, April 4, 2011

Jensi's Thank You Letters from Samaritan's Purse

I was so proud of Jensi when she first thought of her service idea...then when she worked tirelessly to find an earring that would work...then when she raised 4x her goal amount...but when she received this letter from Samaritan's Purse... I think my proud Momma heart swelled the MOST. :)

If you missed Jensi's project, go here and then the follow up here.





Saturday, March 19, 2011

The March of Birthdays...

  
I am so blessed. I have TWO delightful daughters both born in March. 


Often we combine their parties into one...this year, it was a wee bit different.

For Anneli's birthday, we took the whole family to CHICAGO!!!

We rode the train in from Wheaton...an experience that Oliver is STILL talking about! What fun! And we sat up on the top level! Yippie!

Choo choo!

                          












First stop...the AMERICAN GIRL store! :) (A long time dream of hers to go there!) She was delighted to find out that her grandparents had called ahead and prepared gift cards to the store! She looked carefully and decided to buy Kanani, the new Hawaiian girl of the year!


Next stop, Gino's East Pizzeria!
Time for these kids to have some genuine Chicago style deep dish!! We were so lucky, we avoided all lines and just walked in! Still had the HOUR to wait while they cooked our pizza...



So everyone found things to do!


Reading her new book about her Kanani doll

Oliver and Daddy and DQ had gone to the Lego store while the older girls and I were playing at the AG store. This gave Olly something to play with while we waited for PIZZA!

We're so cute!
           And then...

THE PIZZA CAME! 


Anneli got to a booth before another diner did!






And one of the best parts about
 Gino's East is being able to
 leave your mark!!







Jensi found a place on a support beam to leave her name.

I don't think he is left-handed...but maybe only for graffiti!

And finally I did this for ALL of us:



We visited a few more places...but the longer the day wore on, the fussier sweet little Darrah Kate got.
At the Bean in Millennium Park...in the wind and snow. Love Anneli's stoic pose. And Oliver's new Disney friend.

The next day, we went to my alma mater, Wheaton College!

And then discovered the Billy Graham Museum was OPEN! We HAD to take the kids there...
Standing at Billy Graham's preaching podium!

Jensi and my college friend's daughter pose with Billy

The heart of Billy's message etched in a big stone wall and lit up!

All the kids together!
And this is too cute to not show you:
Darrah Kate and Lillian...both kinda sorta 2 years old :)

Cake time!

A gymnast cake for my girl who spends most of her life upside down!

Her candle has bites out of it. Yes, Darrah Kate struck again!





And Jensi's ipod cake:

ELEVEN candles...oh my!

Surprise and excitement over Matthew West concert tickets for NEXT WEEK! :)
ipod cake with her favorite artist and song!


Birthdays in March...a fun time for everyone! Happy birthday to two of my favorite people on the planet! 




Thursday, March 3, 2011

She surpassed her goal!!!!

I am so very very pleased to report that Jensi's earring project far exceeded her  goal!! If you missed this project, check out the second to last day of the Love Strand Challenge or just click here.

Jensi's goal was to send TWO flocks of chickens to impoverished families living in Africa. She spent 2 years raising chickens herself for 4H projects. She was thumbing through Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog at Christmastime and got the idea to raise money to send chickens. She got so excited to think of all the ways that a flock could help a family: they could have fresh eggs, they could hatch new chicks and sell them, they could butcher the chickens for meat as well as use their manure for fertilizer for their fields.

After all the money was counted and earrings delivered, we were thrilled to realize she sold enough earrings to send EIGHT flocks of chickens to needy families!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!

Here's to good ideas, young kids and awesome organizations who facilitate such practical ways of helping!!!


Sunday, February 27, 2011

Love Strand 27/28 (Jensi's Earring Project)


Jensi had the idea MONTHS ago.  Make earrings to sell and take the money and buy a flock of chickens to give to an impoverished family in Africa. She was inspired by the Samaritan's Purse gift catalog that came out at Christmas time. I encouraged her idea.

She met with her principal, planned, made several failed attempts to make an earring that would be an adequate representation of the Pettisville Blackbird. We went to visit a scrapbooking friend, tried many many different prototypes that just didn't cut the mustard. Finally, thanks to a dear friend Ms. Becky, we have a final product.

GO BLACKBIRDS!

So today's Love Strand picture celebrates Jensi's hard work. It was LOVE that motivated her to come up with a desirable product to raise money for what she could see would help these families. It was  LOVE that cares for her OWN chickens out back--feeding, watering, gathering eggs--that caused her to see the value that a flock of chickens could be to a down and out family trapped in the cycle of poverty.

It was LOVE that didn't give up when she was totally discouraged after yet ANOTHER idea didn't pan out. It was LOVE that focused on the end goal and kept on trying. It was LOVE that motivated her to get up and speak in front of 4 classes of 5th and 6th graders to share with them her project. And it will be with great LOVE that she will send that money to people she has never met, providing the means for them to earn a perpetual living.

I am so proud of her. 


Saturday, February 26, 2011

Love Strand 26/28

You may not need my commentary for this one...but I'll offer it anyway.

Jensi had it in her head to have bangs cut. I gave her all the reasons not to do it (enter Mommish voice, "It'll take YEARS for those to ever grow back out!"), but she really really wanted them...so we looked at some pictures, talked about bang care (insert laugh here) and we got busy.

She is thrilled!!

 I think she looks grown up.
*sigh* 

I guess that's what this age is all about--her exploration, learning to navigate, me learning to merely guide. Someday she's going to take the reigns and completely drive away...and I'll be okay with that...I think.



Thursday, February 24, 2011

Love Strand 23/28


Today I was just looking around for symbols of love--the heart. I mentioned it to Jensi and she immediately made a hand-heart and said, "like this?" I love that kid!!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Love Strand 15/28

She's really quite good! :)

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