I think it should be a part of life that we all consider mercy.  I have found it hard over the years to do so.  I am the kind of person that gets totally overwhelmed when I think about the poor and rather than wanting to do something about it, it makes me want to hide in a hole cause I feel like I"ll never make a dent.  And the truth is I guess in the big picture I really won't make a dent.  But in the small picture I sure can.  I have heart especially for babies, kids, poverty, those caught in the sex trade.  Those are the areas that really tug at my heart strings.  

I recorded a CD that I think I'm going to call "the least of these" and all the money from that is going to help people like this in need.  For the first 6 months I am going to give all the money to Heidi Baker.

I have a friend in Africa right now too who is taking babies into her home and caring for them.  She said they need bottles, formula and clothes.  That's what I mean by helping the small.  Like in the big picture it's nothing to send $100 to her but in the small, that baby is going to have food.

One of my production ideas is a show called "the least of these".  It would be stories of those in need with a message of grace and hope.  I don't know.  That would be a lot of work and I don't have a lot of time.  I need someone who could be the director of the show.

When Aliya was 2 she put her big brother's pants on with both legs in one pant hole.  She decided to walk down the stairs but didn't make the step. She broke her leg.  Naturally she was very fearful going through the setting of the bone, the nurses many attempts to give her an IV and the xrays that were needed.  After this, any time she went near a doctors office she would scream in terror.  After many long talks and attempts to help her overcome her fear, I decided to create a club.  It was called "the girls of courage" and it started out as just stories about kids with super powers who helped others who were scared.  The girls of courage would tell other scared kids, "Don't be scared!  Be strong!  Be brave!" 

Any time that Aliya had to face a situation that was scary to her we would talk about the girls of courage.  Slowly she began to overcome her fears.

The girls of courage were super heroes who helped others.  At Christmas time, we gave money and gifts to those in need.  When we saw someone who was in need we did our best to try and help.  The girls of courage said that it was "better to give than to receive" so we went out of our way to try and give to people expecting nothing in return.  Because true religion was to visit the widows and the orphans we went and danced in the seniors homes, and gave to kids in single parent homes.

Aliya's heart for "the least of these" grew and she would say that when she grew up she was going to see the poor kids and take them straight to the grocery store to buy them everything they need!  Her heart was beautiful!  Her and I decided that we wanted to make small changes in our lives that would be unto giving more to those in need.  We go to Starbucks less and take our coffee and cookie money, put it aside and give to projects of mercy.  Right now we are saving to for baby clothes, bottles and formula for babies in Uganda.

There are so many kids out there with a heart of mercy and compassion.  I could just write a check that doesn't involve my kids but I want to cultivate a heart of compassion in them for those who have less than they have.  So I give them ways to express their mercy gift.  

 Do you want to be a girl of courage?  Tell us your story of how you are a girl of courage?  Times that you overcame fear, gave to someone, helped someone, did something selfless!