i told my mom what i wanted for my birthday.
"ever heard of compassion international?"
"uh-huh..."
"well i want to support a child in a foreign country."
"okay."
...
"how much is this going to cost?"
...
"thirty-eight dollars a month."
...

let's just say my family isn't rich. LIES. BIG. FAT. LIES. at this moment i'm drinking a glass of water. a glass of PURIFIED water. okay, scratch that. i just spilled it everywhere. ughhhh i'm so clumsy! next time i really should watch where i put it! now i'm getting rags to wipe up my floor with. my CARPETED floor in my COOL (thanks to our swamp cooler) house. i have a JOB, even if i'm not bringing in the big bucks; I LOVE IT TO DEATH. i know i want to do it for the rest of my life. i'm also writing this blog post on my LAPTOP. i can READ and WRITE this post too (i swear i read posts at least 33 times before publishing). i'm also listening to coldplay's trouble (acoustic) ONLINE. i am LOVED by an amazing FAMILY and big heap of FRIENDS, and most importantly a Saviour named JESUS. so. who's rich now?

i am SO spoiled with riches. and more riches. and some more. and again, more. everyday i'm not thankful enough for all the amazing things i've been given. i want to give back. so bad. this is going to be an ongoing project. i've been praying about supporting a child and for financial stability to do so. i added it up and supporting a child for one year is $456. although i don't have a large income right now, i'm trying to figure out ways to cut back so i can give back. i came up with two that i think will work: 1) no more take-out on saturday afternoons. my mom and i will pack lunches when we grocery shop. i figure we usually spend an average of $8 on lunch for two. once a week and that's $32 a month. and 2) no more starbucks. yep, i'm taking that away. STARBUCKS. the thing that makes grocery shopping bearable. and worth going. sheesh though, i can stinkin' brew my own coffee at my house if i feel that desperate! i wouldn't doubt that i spend $6 (or more!) on starbucks runs a month. in total that's the $38 i need. i'll definitely keep everyone updated on how this goes though. you guys won't be left out. :)