"You may say I'm a dreamer. But, I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us and the world will live as one. " Imagine. John Lennon.

I've adopted! You never thought I'd have a child, right? Well, I do now!

Congratulations! You have sponsored Bontu from Ethiopia

Bontu lives with her parents, 3 brothers, and 3 sisters. Her parents struggle to provide for the family. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a housewife. Despite their efforts, it is difficult to meet the family's needs.

Bontu and her family live in a community severely affected by the HIV and AIDS crisis. In some communities, AIDS affects the entire social structure as a generation of hardworking adults is being wiped out. Frightened children and exhausted grandparents rarely have money for food, school, or medical care. Through sponsorship, you can help with these and other basic needs for Bontu and her family.

Bontu is in primary school and she enjoys studying the native language. She helps at home by carrying water. She likes to play soccer. She is in satisfactory health.

Your sponsorship commitment will help provide Bontu and her community with the assistance they need to save a generation from the HIV and AIDS crisis. World Vision will faithfully use your sponsorship support of Bontu to meet her needs and minimize the impact of AIDS in her community through tangible prevention and care programs. You are an answer to prayer, helping children and families gain access to basic needs and learn about God's unconditional love.

Bontu was born on May 27th, 2001. That day, I was sitting in a long graduation ceremony for the AHS graduating class of 2001. I was playing in orchestra that day. I never imagined that 9 years later I would sponsor a little girl who was born that day. I couldn't even imagine 5 hrs in the future at that point!

I chose a little girl who has the same birthday as me. I think it will be awesome to know she and I share the same special day! This is also something silly, but I chose Ethiopia because in the Bible there was a "Candace" who was Queen of the Ethiopians. In doing some research, Ethiopia had a string of Queens named Candice (http://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2001/dec/page2.htm) and they were all female warriors. (My parents really chose a perfect name for me) I wanted to choose a girl that had ties to me. In whatever weird way.

I'll have to show a picture once I get a copy. I can't copy the picture from the website for security reasons. I am so excited. The amount they need per month is nothing. I can't wait to send her presents, cards and letters.

For a long time I thought about sponsorship and tonight I was watching "God Grew Tired of Us" and I cried. Some people are born all over the world in horrible conditions and don't even know if they can eat that day. I had come home and looked all in my kitchen at all my food and sighed and told my friend on the phone "man...I don't have anything to eat". That was a complete lie and how dare I even say that. God blessed me beyond imagination by giving me to my parents, in an amazing country (and state. hehe) and I don't know why I would have deserved that over some of these others that are less fortunate.

I may never understand the unfairness of life, but my heart is open. I want to do more. Times like these I want to resign my commissioning and join the Peace Corps to treat children in 3rd world countries. Maybe one of these days I will shock you all with some strange news....

Anyway, I had a friend in DC that worked at World Vision, who now is doing amazing things in Kenya, and she testified to the heart behind the organization. If you can spare, seriously.... $35 a month. $35 a month! That's 8 trips to Starbucks a month. You can feed a child. We walk in a grocery store floor to ceiling with food. They don't know when their next meal will come. We have to help.

www.worldvision.org

"Dog is a good old cat. People what do you think about that? That's where I'm at." Norma Tanega

I wonder if Norma's cat was co-dependent. I'm really starting to worry about Patton. This isn't a post about how cute my cat is or where I talk about how much I love him.....um. I'm seriously worried he's become co-dependent.

I've been sad to leave him at times, yes....but I'm actually worried to leave him in a few weeks again. Not for me! I'll be fine. I'm worried he'll go crazy. I used to think it was cute he followed me everywhere, wanted to constantly be touching me wherever I was, begged for attention, etc. At some points it even seemed as if the cat was in love with me, which was kinda creepy...I'm thinking I'll end up taking him to cat therapy. He has this little boo. He loves this stuffed dog. He used to just "knead" on it...then he kinda started humping it.....well, last night it had gotten way too graphic! He's now making noises and all sorts of stuff! He must have gotten closer to his boo when I was gone last week.

I can now see he has a huge problem and I've been enabling it and I don't know how to stop it. I'm slowly going to try to make sure when I'm home to distance myself from him so I'm not right there all the time. I wanted a cat! Not a dog.....I wanted my pet to be independent. sheesh.

"I love you like a fat kid loves cake." ~50 Cent

I'm on leave in Arlington and I'm headed back to Jax on a flight tonight. I've had a great visit and I'll talk about that at a later time. Right now, I have to get this out. Over the past few years I've been changing. Changing the way I look at household goods, stores, food, etc.

Today, I watched Food, Inc. Wow. Fifteen minutes in, I was crying. I don't cry much more at romantic movies....but ones about food....I bawled my eyes out. I don't think we realize what we put in our bodies. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease......food driven! You may think that you're saving money and therefore, enriching your life, but you are killing yourself. I am amazed that people would rather save money than enrich their bodies. I've been doing the same thing. I've been going to Winn Dixie because I can save money on my gas. Now, I've been trying to pick and choose there things that are fresh, cage free, organic, etc...but it's just hard to get it all that way. I'm done. I'm done trying to save money by compromising my health. Jacksonville has a local supermarket, Native Sun Natural Foods (www.nativesunjax.com ) right down the street from me. I'm going when I get home. I can't wait to talk to the workers, learn about their store, get to know my community and hope to spread the word that there are stores out there that are looking to heal and enrich human bodies.

Look at what it is doing to our country. Children are becoming diabetic at an alarming rate! Why do you think that is?? What has changed? Our food.

I'm a passionate person, as many of my friends know....and I think I am slowly becoming more passionate about this. A few extra dollars is worth your health and wellness. Please, listen. I'm learning and continuing to change. In no way am I perfect or eat the right things all the time. I need to learn how to socialize and eat out and still eat responsibly for me, farmers, animals and our earth.

We can all work to improve food for the next generations to come.....

www.takepart.com/foodinc