Cereal boxes and hope

Cereal boxes.

Hope.

Yep, I know what you're thinking~ oh, no... now she's really gone off the deep end!

But I promise you, I haven't. This is really, really cool. And potentially life-changing. I promise.

And it all starts with cereal. And our precious little ones. And their full bellies. And our desire to make a difference.

You see, in Haiti, children are orphaned every single day because their mothers cannot feed them. Because their fathers cannot provide for them. Because life in an orphanage is their ONLY chance for survival. Their only chance...

Can you imagine? Can you imagine releasing your son, your daughter to be raised by

another, simply because you didn't have the means to do so yourself... can you imagine?

I, for one, cannot. And that's why I'm so, so thankful for folks at Compassion International and World Vision who allow us-- we Americans so overwhelmingly rich as compared to the rest of the world-- to step in and bless out of our abundance. Well, here's another wonderful option... and EASY option... if you really want to make a difference. Consider it a Christmas gift to a hurting family, hundreds of miles away.

Here's the deal: when your family reaches the end of its next box of Lucky Charms, don't shred that cardboard. Don't squash it and cram it in to your recycling bin. Just flatten it and set it aside until you save another. And another. And another. And then, when you have a big box packed full of flattened, empty cereal boxes, drop it in the mail. And then pray. Give thanks. Count *your* blessings. And trust the Lord to do the rest.

Because when those cereal boxes reach Haiti, they'll be put to good use. Men and women, as part of the Apparent Project, will use those boxes-- believe it or not-- to make jewelry. Beautiful jewelry. Jewelry that provides enough money for them to raise their own children... in their own homes... with dignity and love and hope.

Simple.

Painless.

And a significant opportunity to change a life.

One cereal box at a time.

Will you join me??

"Then the King will say to those on His right,

'Come, you who are blessed by my Father;

take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and you invited me in,

I needed clothes and you clothed me,

I was sick and you looked after me,

I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer Him,

'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,

or thirsty and give you something to drink?

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in,

or needing clothes and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

The King will reply,

'Truly I tell you,

whatever you did for the least of these

brothers and sisters of mine,

you did for Me.' "

Matthew 25: 34-40

** If anyone who lives in my neck of the woods would like to participate,

I'd be happy to mail your boxes with mine...

just let me know :)

*** For whatever it's worth... I'm also saving other boxes--

ones from our Ritz Crackers, our Triscuits, our Graham Crackers--

that sort of thing.

I figure~ they're colorful, and they're no smaller than a Grape Nuts (cereal) box,

so hopefully they'll be acceptable, as well.