A new year has begun. I am finished with my first week of classes and I am overwelmed. Welcome to college life Beth Burkey. I have realized that I have been really blessed the past year and a half because the work load was not that hard. Well that is about ready to change. I don't know how I will get through it but it will only be by God's great grace.

I also just found out that I have been accepted into the social work program at IWU. I am really excited. I have found the major where God wants me. I don't know what he wants me to do with my degree but he will reveal that in his time. In the meantime I will trust him and allow him to guide and direct me on the path that he wants me to walk down. He is teaching me so much. If I could sum up my life in a couple of sentences it would be: God has placed a holy discontentment in my heart for where i am at in my walk with him. I desire to step away from religion and to step into the unknown realm where Jesus lives. I desire to be a disciple of his. I desire a pure and authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. I desire to use the passions, talents and abilities that God has given me to impact the lives of those in need whether that be children that have been abused, neglected or sexually abused; young teen mothers that don't know where to turn, through the little sister i have through the big brothers, big sisters program, through taking a leadership role as a mentor in the new dorm on campus. I don't know exactly where but i have a passion for people.

He has also given me a passion for children that have been abused and for women dealing with domestic abuse. This is where my volunteer work is leading me and I cannot wait to see what God is going to do in this semester. I really would like to volunteer at an organization in Marion called Hands of Hope.

I read these statics and they amazed me. Things need to change and it is making me step into action to try to do something about it.

These statistics come from David Livermore's book Serving with Eyes Wide Open. The research supported these stats is well documented by the book.)
Population:
Every second, 4 babies are born. In the time that it's taken you to read the beginning of this post, around 60 newborns entered this story.
More than twice as many people are born each day than die.
There are 6.5 billion people in the world today.
20% live in China.
20% live in India.
5% live in the U.S.
55% throughout the other nations of the world.
Line up the 6.5 billion in a single file line, and it would wrap around the globe 110 times.
Nearly half the people in the world today are children, as compared to 20% of Americans are under age 15.
Poverty:
20% of the world live on one dollar a day.
Another 20% live on two dollars a day.
20% live on $70 a day.
The other 40% are somewhere in between.
The combined income of the 447 wealthiest people in the world is more than the combined income of 50% of the world's population (3.25 billion).
Americans (5% of the world) consume 50% of the worlds resources.Health:
30,000 people will die today because of preventable disease.
40% of the world today lacks basic sanitation facilities.
One billion people have unsafe drinking water.Displaced People:
More than 12 million people have been forced out of their native land (refugees).
Another 24 million have fled conflict and/or persecution and are displaced within their own country.