She comes into the kitchen, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a red ribbon once tied neatly in a bow, now dangles down her back.  Placing her leather glove on the crumb gritty counter she announces her team has won its game.

 

White softball pants all orangey-red down the sides, let me know that her ability to steal bases was used in this game.  We walk outside and pick blackberries beneath summer’s golden warmth and I listen to the play by play recounting of the game and who said what about whom in the dugout.

 

My friend, Lisa-Jo showed me pictures once of her homeland of South Africa. There was red soil much like here in Alabama.  I saw children playing ball, their bare feet dusty with the red soil kicked up from running freely on barren heights.  They live in a village where mothers, barely having food for their own children, gather into their homes children left without parents, as raise them as their own.

TreePlanting_62

Iron laden dusty red soil cannot bear life.  This soil, beaten down with rain and time, is inorganic in nature.  Void of all organic material that helps to bring life, red soil cannot bring forth gardens to feed children or sweet dark berries made for memories and desserts.  The soil seems to mirror the soul of the people – storm worn and iron strong, yet in need of new life.

 praying-

12441103275_9b5994433f_z12441096455_b36e964640_zPhoto credit Lisa-Jo Baker

 

There must be life to bring forth life.

 

There must be something organic to bring forth something organic.

 

There must be life laid down for new life to birth forth.

 

Love each other in the same way I have loved you.  There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command. (John 15:13)

 

What if, laying down one’s life for another was as simple as reaching out and giving some of your seeds to grow food, or sharing some of your good soil.

 

What if we saw mothers in Africa the woman next door?

 

What if, we begin to really believe the Bible and love as Christ, and give as Christ, and live as Christ!  How different this world would begin to look.

 

If we would love as Christ, then there would be no foreign land, no them and us, no keeping score.  We would realize that it all belongs to Christ, and we are all family.

 

I am joining Lisa-Jo and Pure Charity to help in this amazing fundraising effort called, “Fall in Love with the World Next Door.”

What if we realized that they were our sisters who live right next door?  How would your life look different if you gave your life to make a difference for the Kingdom of God?  Would you join us?

What if between changing the diapers, the laundry and the dishes a community of mothers around the world could change the future for a community of kids and their mamas, grandmas and aunties in South Africa?

 

human blue print

The goal is to raise $150,000 to fund the entire project between Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day – because love is more than a date on the calendar, and it never leaves anyone out. And Mother’s Day is a 365 days a year adventure, always worth celebrating.

{Click here to read the full back story about this project.}

Phase 1: Community Vegetable Garden 

Phase 2: Community Kitchen and Welcome Center 

Phase 3: Community Outreach Hall

Phase 4: 12 Classrooms

Phase 5: Playground

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Diane W. Bailey is the founder of The Consilium – an online community of wisdom and purpose for women over 45 years of age. She is a published author. Her books include String of Pearls – From Tears to Treasure, and 30 Days To A Better Stepfamily. She creates her own line of precious metals bracelets. Diane lives in the Deep South with her husband Doc. Together they have created a stepfamily, each having two stepchildren and two birth children, and share three grandchildren, one black lab named Charlie and one long haired tabby cat named Lil Girl. Diane’s passion is to encourage women to be all God has created them to be by pressing past fear and daring to live life as an adventure. Some of her life adventures include traveling to Israel, speaking, entrepreneurship and backyard farming with Doc. She loves Gumbo, fried shrimp and seeing all sunsets across water.

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