Todd and I went out to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary - it sometimes gets lost with all of the Christmas stuff, but it's nice to just get out alone for a little bit. I'm so thankful for my marriage and my husband. I can't imagine walking into this adoption adventure with anyone else!!

We went to see Slumdog Millionaire.... a wonderful movie. Really. Go see it. It's the story of some orphans growing up in the slums of India, and one in particular, who goes on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. It really struck me tonight, as we watched these characters grow up on the streets....there are an estimated 143 million orphans in the world...and though we are all shocked by that, say it's tragic, someone should do something....how often do we really consider what that means for a child? What is life like for a 6 or 10 or 12 year old living on the streets?

143 million children without a bed.
143 million children being exploited and used and abused because there are no adults to protect them.
143 million children who are hungry, frightened, and alone.

About now you might be thinking, "not again. not more of the sad orphan stuff"....I think alot of us just get tired of feeling guilty, and so maybe it's easier not to think about it.

I don't think that's okay.

I don't believe that everbody has to adopt. But I think everyone has to do something. Sponsor a kid....generously, sacrificially support an organization like Jump for Joel or Red Letters Campaign or Compassion International...help another family adopt a child. But we all have to do something.

Maybe it's because Jan.1st is right around the corner and we're thinking about who we want to be and what we want our lives to look like....or because I'm reflecting on the last 17 years of our lives...or maybe it's because "orphans" aren't so generic now. They have a face, a name, and very soon, one will have a family.