An Invitation to Fall in Love - Five Minute Friday

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know... for some, it's too sappy... too commercialized... too sweet.  For others it's too remind-y... too lonely... too exclusively not for them.  For some - for many... it's just another day! That's ok... I get it.

Not everyone has a Crafty Theme-Party heart and a Romantic Dreamy way about them. That's alright.  As Jen Hatmaker says, some people are spicy and some people are sweet. (She's spicy and she's good at other things!)

It's just that this Love day is my JAM, ya'll! This is my bent! I was this way long before Pinterest was ever a thing and while we were never the long-stemmed-roses-and-jewelry kind of couple, we could slow dance in our living room with the best of them!  Oh, and I am the first to admit that I miss (Oh how I MISS!) the classroom parties, the baking, and Valentine-making days back when my Girlie was a Little! I do... I really do!

I've still been known to cut out hearts and ink and glue myself in to a happy creative frenzy.  But it's more than that.  It's more than paper doilies and candy hearts... so much more!

I remember way back in the day, when our Only was maybe 7 or 8... In the midst of my romantic planning and the frosting of all the cuppycakes... God swooped in and lifted my vision for this 'holiday' higher. 

He whispered to me soft and invited me to celebrate Valentine's Day on a larger scale!  "Don't just make it about romance," He said. "Make it about Love!"

So we began new traditions that year... we included our Girlie and invited single friends. We set the table fancy. We lit candles and dimmed lights.  We ordered take out and took Communion. We laughed and enjoyed a meal and talked about the One who loves us best. We wrapped up with a little chocolate, of course... making sure we celebrated Love and shared it too.

It's been years... and traditions are nice... but our Little is working tonight and our favorite take-out place closed down and it was starting to feel a little less than lovely but then... well - then came this:

I know, right? Do you not just LOVE her?

Lisa-Jo has opened a door and invited us in and together we are falling in love... we are leaning in and being love... and we would be beyond delirious if you would jump in and join us, too!

Last fall, in 12 hours, we purposed to do laundry with our sisters across ocean and land and we built a water point in Maubane, South Africa. Twelve hours, ya'll! 

So today we invite you to Be Love...
to be someones' Valentine and help change the world.  

Our goal is to to build a safe place for sustainable food, child care, economic empowerment, job skills trainings, a gathering place for church, classrooms for HIV/Aids education, and a playground for their kids in the community of Maubane, SA.

This is an audacious project... we are believing God to help us fully fund each phase (there are 5) of this project, bringing in a total of $150,000. 

I know... that is huge.  It is scary. It seems ridiculous... but God, right?  But God is calling us and awakening us and we are realizing that we are never 'just Moms' and we have learned that every little bit adds up fast in the Kingdom of God!  He can take what little we have, and make much of it!

So between Valentine's Day (because, why not?) and Mother's Day, we are asking you to pray... to give... to join with us in audacious faith, believing that God will bless and multiply. 

Because if we believe that Love is more than a date on the calendar, this is our chance to fall in love with the world next door and pour out a gift that grows and gives all year long!  

When we give a garden, we can change a child's life... and this community of 400? There are 250 children, many orphaned or vulnerable, and having a Garden will not just change lives, it will save them.

You can visit PureCharity and read more about Phase 1 - "Help One Now - Veggies for Africa" where we are raising funds for a Community Vegetable Garden.  

And just in case you needed any extra incentive... there is this:

Seriously ya'll... check out these amazing Necklaces by Krafty Kash.  $12.00 from each purchase is going directly to help fund this project! I know this is what I asked for for Valentine's Day! (Win-win!)

So... here we are... a ragamuffin group of blogging Mama's stretching hearts and hands and wallets wide... inviting you to join us! We are about to get a front row seat in watching God do the miraculous... in watching Him take our small offerings and turn them into something BIG!  

Here is your invitation to fall in love with the world next door. Update - Phase one... in ONE day, ya'll - FULLY FUNDED!  But let's not lose momentum! You can continue to give to this project by clicking here:


There's room at the table! I'll save you a seat next to me!
Speak Life. Be Love. Shine On.
~Karrilee~

So - technically this is not actually a Five Minute Friday post... Admittedly, this took me more than Five minutes tonight, but we are talking "Garden" and we are linking up - literally and virtually, on Friday and beyond!

If you are not familiar with Five Minute Fridays, here's the scoop:  Five Minute Fridays are hosted by Lisa Jo Baker.  It is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE!  The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write using a prompt that Lisa posts at 10pm Thursday night (EST.)  I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!