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Mother Teresa Had It Right

November 5, 2010 in Causes, Faith, Featured with 0 Comments

Harry and Heather

Harry and Heather at Tent City

Last Saturday, after a long day volunteering, I went home and rested. Because I was tired. This doesn’t sound like a particularly interesting opening line for a post, but it completely floored me last weekend. As I sat in my warm house on a cold fall evening, sitting on my couch watching Ohio State football, the realization hit me. I had been working with the unhoused (homeless) all day. I had gotten up early, bundled up, went downtown in the cold and helped run an event called Tent City.

The goal of Tent City is simple. Take a weekend, close to election time, and in addition to raising awareness about the plight of the unhoused, lend a helping hand by by providing food, clothing, haircuts, much needed medical services, and ID information to the unhoused in Toledo. This may not sound like a big project, but if you visit the website, you’ll see what I mean. We probably had 600 individuals there on Saturday to receive services. John Mellencamp is somewhat involved. It’s very cool.

But when my day was over, and we’d served dinner to those who were there, I was completely wasted. My voice was gone, my feet hurt, and I was emotionally drained. So I went home. Such a simple statement, but for almost everyone I interacted with that day, the streets were their home. They had nowhere else to go to relax, to get warmed up, to sleep for the night. It was probably in the 40s that night, and I know many of the people that stayed grabbed one of the provided blankets, but their sole bag of belongings under their head, and slept on the ground that night.

It flat out breaks my heart. I so nonchalantly said “I’m going home.”, when most people had nowhere else to go. They had no bed to sleep in, no bathroom to take a shower in, no television to watch, no couch to sit on, no place to be warm. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my “problems” that I completely fail to see those that are in real need. I think this is why I love Matthew 25 so much. It’s a reminder that we’re always supposed to be on the lookout for those that are hurting more than us, and do what we can to make a difference in their lives. It may just be something as simple as a smile and saying hello, but to some people, that’s all they need. Mother Teresa had it right:

The dying, the cripple, the mental, the unwanted, the unloved they are Jesus in disguise.

So tonight as I go to bed, I’m reminded of how grateful I am to have even a roof over my head. Or that I actually get to sleep in a bed, with a pillow.

BP Takes it Like a Man

May 10, 2010 in Causes, Leadership with 0 Comments

I have, like many of you, been watching the drama unfold in the Gulf Coast over the last few weeks. People’s incomes, ways of life, and dreams have so far become very close to being irrevocably changed. We watch with anticipation as people prepare sand bags, lay containment booms, and pray that the oil doesn’t make it to shore. Fragile ecosystems are in danger of being destroyed, much of the States seafood population is in danger, and one thing has stood out to me during this whole experience so far.

BP has completely stepped up to the plate to accept their share of responsibility. Repeatedly, BP has stated that they will cover the majority of costs for the oil spill and subsequent cleanup. They haven’t skirted around the fact that it was their lease on the well that exploded, even though they had subcontracted the management of the well to another company.

Not only has BP stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility, but they are doing everything they can think of to shut this well off. BP engineers are throwing every option that even remotely seems possible onto the table if they think there’s a chance that it might fix the problem. I believe if they thought an iceberg would solve the problem, they would cut a chunk off somewhere in the Arctic and ship it down to the Gulf.

I have to commend BP for accepting responsibility for the fact that this was their well, and doing everything they can to fix the situation. In today’s litigious society, it’s nice to see a company, and a multinational company, and an OIL company, step up. I understand that this may involve higher gas prices for us because of the amount this may cost, as gas is already starting to climb. But in an era of “blame the other guy”, it’s good to see such a large company set a positive example in the midst of a life-changing crisis.

Thanks for setting a good example British Petroleum.

Thrive Africa: A Little Part of My Heart

March 29, 2010 in Causes, Faith, Featured, Leadership with 0 Comments

Jesus talks in Matthew 25:40 of doing things for the “least of these.” In other words, those who for whatever reason cannot do it themselves. Whether it’s to provide food, clothing, shelter, medicine, etc, we as Christians are supposed to take care of everyone. An organization that is doing an amazing job at this is Thrive Africa.

The goal of Thrive Africa is to “equip and mobilize indigenous leaders to become strategic, Godly influences in their cultural communities.” When it comes to making societal changes, it’s great to have grassroots efforts, but you MUST have leaders to propel and champion change. This is what Thrive is doing by educating pastors, young people, and people of all ages.

We see poverty and heartache all over the world every day, but let’s go over so facts about South Africa that you may not know (I don’t think I did):

  • Did you know that South Africa is one of the few 1st world countries (like the United States, England, Japan, etc) that have 3rd world problems?
  • Did you also know that 1 in 4 South Africans has HIV?
  • 88% of the population is unemployed, and 75% of the population is chronically hungry.
  • 3 out of 4 children live in poverty.
  • There are 250 HIV positive babies born every day.
  • 1500 people become infected with HIV every day.

Those are sobering statistics in any country. Thrive Africa is training pastors, indigenous leaders, and youth through discipleship classes, AIDS prevention through abstinence, and in leadership. Their primary area of influence is with the Basotho people living in the Intabazwe and Qwa Qwa areas. This region is considered to be the poorest in the country. Thrive has also purchased what has to be an amazingly beautiful 2,500 acre game reserve as a operations base for their ministry.

Clearly, based on the information above, they have a fantastic team in place to attack such a massive problem. But you should meet Alece. She’s the founder and president of Thrive Africa. You know that list of people you have that you’d like to meet because they make you look really lazy and yet inspire you at the same time? Yeah, Alece is on my list.

So, what can you and I do? How can we help? Why now?
Part of my sudden interest is that Thrive Africa just recently came on my radar. I hadn’t heard about the organization until recently, and it’s a cause that’s close to my heart. Also, I believe and trust in the people and what they’re doing. I’m not going to encourage you to support an organization that I don’t believe in myself. They’ve got a proven track record of success; what they’re doing is working. I got this statistic from Sara’s blog:

Thrive Africa is feeding their needs. Before they began this program, one school averaged 40 pregnancies a year among 7th, 8th and 9th graders. In the four years Thrive’s program has been taught, there has not been one single pregnancy.

So what’s the best way to help? I’ll let Thrive tell you themselves.

We are facing one of the most difficult financial hardships we’ve ever experienced at Thrive Africa. We are pushing forward, assured that God’s not done with us, but the challenge confronting us is real and urgent.

Right now our financial situation is so dire that, unless there is a significant increase in funds, we will not be able to pay the bills at the end of April. We will have no choice but to scale down our AIDS prevention program and other ministry initiatives. We may be forced to decrease our staff team, affecting the 52 nationals we employ and the families who are dependent on their income.

We have taken action by reducing our expenses as much as possible. We have launched an online store and are making efforts to raise awareness through radio, billboards, and an increased online presence. Our founder will be traveling along the West Coast this spring, promoting Thrive in at least 8 cities in 6 weeks.

We have set a goal to raise $80,000 in new support by June 1.

$60,000 in one-time gifts by April 15
to get us up-to-date on our operating expenses

$20,000 in new monthly commitments by June 1
to continue our programs at current levels

We know this is a God-sized goal, but He’s given us a God-sized vision. We are trusting Him to move mightily, and hope your heart is open to Him moving mightily through you.

We humbly yet boldly ask you to help us reach this goal.

We ask you to give generously. Invest in the continued training of African leaders.
We ask you to speak up. Tell others about the need, the vision, and the opportunity to get involved.
We ask you to pray hard. Petition God for abundant provision and divine favor.

Together we can impact South Africa.
(See the nicely formatted version here)

So, I ask you to give. And spread the word. And of course pray.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ -Matthew 25:34-36

Health Care Reform

March 26, 2010 in Causes, Featured with 1 Comment

With the recent passage by Congress of a sweeping health care reform package, the blogosphere (is that still a word?) has exploded with people voicing their opinions. The “left” is overjoyed and is assuring everyone that this will solve all the problems in America’s health care system. The “right” is declaring that there will be anarchy in the streets and the Barak Obama is clearly the anti-christ. My politics on this subject, like many other political topics, is very “middle of the road”, with probably a slight “right” lean.

So what’s my opinion?

If I didn’t support some form of health care reform, and universal health coverage for all people, then this entire blog would be a sham, and everything I stand for would be exposed as some sort of fraud. I can’t ask people to follow Matthew 25:40 and yet sit here and say that health care reform is bad.

Clearly, health care reform is needed. My premiums continue to increase every year, and yet the quality and timeliness of care I receive continues to decline in some instances. I also feel that everyone should have some sort of health care treatment, especially preventative care in order to keep themselves healthy.

My concern truly is with the federal government. Sometimes, obviously, the federal government’s business management ability is lacking. Take a look at the post office, medicare, the Veteran’s Administration, etc. Yes, they do work, but they could work a lot better. So one of my concerns is if the federal government is managing this system, how well will they do?

Another concern that I have has to deal with how we’re going to pay for this. I know that taxes will most likely go up at some point, regardless of what the pundits say. It just doesn’t seem like the proposed savings, and where they’re getting it from, will really work out.

The final area of the plan that is puzzling to me is the punishment for not buying health care. I don’t understand why people would be punished for choosing not to buy something. There may be a very valid reason why this part of the legislation is there, but I don’t know what that reason is and how it can be helpful.

So, to summarize it up, I think health care reform is critical to our country, and something we absolutely need. The federal government’s business management skills sometimes aren’t good, and I truly don’t understand how we’re going to pay for this. I also don’t understand the reason why we’re punishing people for not getting coverage. But then again, I don’t have anything better, so maybe this bill can be a starting point for the health care reform that truly needs to be accomplished here in the States.

What about you, how do you feel about the health care reform bill? Can you answer any of the questions I left hanging out there?

Tired

March 24, 2010 in Causes, Faith, Featured with 1 Comment

I originally sat down to write a post about the health care reform package passed this week by Congress. But for some reason, that post didn’t come to mind while staring at the computer screen. Instead, this is what came out.

I’m tired. I’m tired of all the people I see hurting on a daily basis. Multiple people I spoke with today alone; this was one of the worst days of their lives. Maybe not the absolute worst, but it ranks up there pretty highly. These weren’t just “ah, I had a bad day” worst day, but more like a “someone broke into my house and stole my stuff” worst day.

Maybe tired isn’t the right phrase. I’m angry. Angry that we can’t get along, and we end up doing things that hurt others. We do things that cause others to grieve for extremely long periods of time. We kill, injure, hurt, rob, steal. I understand that it’s just a byproduct of our fallen world, but man, it’s really getting old.

I don’t want to see people hurt. Its breaks my heart to see people in pain and knowing that I can’t do anything about it. I’d gladly take their place if I could, but I can’t. There isn’t anything I can say but “I’m Sorry”, and while that’s a very correct response, it doesn’t fix anything. I’m grateful for a God that sacrificed His son so that I don’t have to endure this through eternity, but my nature causes me to want to fix things, and I can’t fix this. At least I don’t see how at this point.

Ideas on what we can do to fix this problem?

I Am Second – Sam and Colt

January 19, 2010 in Causes, Faith, Featured, Leadership with 0 Comments

If you’re not familiar with the I Am Second movement, you should definitely check it out. I love the premise of what the movement is about, and they’ve presented it in an amazing light. Recently, they sat down with both Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy, both shining examples of humility, and talked about being second. The combined video is above, and there are links to their individual videos below that.

Are you being second in your life?

I Am Second – Sam Bradford
I Am Second – Colt McCoy

Looking Ahead

December 29, 2009 in Causes, Faith, Featured with 5 Comments

As we come upon the end of another year, and in this case, the end of a decade, I’ve decided to skip the usual year in review and instead look ahead to next year. I’m excited for the potential of the next year for the first time in a long time, and it gave me extra incentive to write about it.

When I sat down to write my list of “goals” for the upcoming year, I think I came up with a fairly decent list of what I want to accomplish next year:

  • Lose weight and get in shape.
  • Improve my golf game.
  • Continue my involvement in student ministries at my church and grow the relationships that I’m developing with students.
  • Get back to playing baseball. I miss it a ton.
  • Increase my time spent with God and His Word.
  • Make sure I am where God wants me to be career-wise.

I’ve looked over this list a couple of times, and even thought I had refined it a couple of times, it still didn’t convey what I was really feeling. After spending some time reading through others’ blogs and in the Bible, I’ve come up with what my “goal” for the next year really boils down to.

I want to be authentic.transparent

I don’t mean this in some sort of ethereal sense, but I want to be truly authentic in everything I do. In my relationships online and offline, on Twitter, Facebook, at work, with my Creator, the causes I support, in every area of my life. Especially online, it’s very easy for us to phrase something a certain way or use certain words to make us sound a specific way, and I want to make sure that the person you see is the same whether I get the opportunity to meet you online, at work, at church, or in a bar on a Friday night.

I don’t feel like I’m starting from zero with this goal, but I know there’s definitely room for improvement, and I want to make this the major focus of my life in 2010. That’s the reason I’m putting it out here for all of you to see. I want to make sure you hold me accountable. Just because I’ve never met you in person doesn’t mean I don’t have respect for you and I would definitely listen to what you had to say regarding authenticity, especially when I’m sucking at it. For those of you that know me on multiple levels, I’m hoping you’ll step it up to make sure I’m being as transparent as possible. So for better or worse, you’ll hopefully be seeing the real me at all times in 2010.

Do you have a big “goal” for 2010? Is there anything we can hold you accountable for in the next year?

Homeless Memorial Day

December 23, 2009 in Causes with 0 Comments

On December 21, I got to participate in a touching, yet unfortunate event. National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. A group that I work with in Toledo, 1Matters, held the event downtown at a local Episcopal Church. (On a side note, it was a beautiful, old church with wood, stained glass, and a massive pipe organ.) I say touching, because the purpose of the event was to hold a memorial to recognize all the homeless that had died during the year. The unfortunate part is that we had to hold this event. Not because people had died, but because homeless people had died, and therefore the best they got from the community was a line in the local newspaper that read:

“A homeless man died yesterday…”

Imagine if you died, and you were able to attend your own funeral. Except there wasn’t a funeral. There was no funeral, no grave stone, no notice in the paper to let others know you had passed away, and no one showed up. That happened to probably ten people in Toledo this year, and those are the ones we know of. Instead of an obituary, these were some of their headlines.

A homeless man was found floating in the Maumee river…
A pregnant woman was strangled in an abandoned alley downtown…
A mother of five was murdered while she slept in her car on the street…

I can’t fathom what those people went through, and I really can only imagine what others who don’t have a home go through this time of year when the weather turns bad. I feel blessed every day. This memorial service was a good reminder that when it comes right down to it, every life matters. Every person we say hi to, smile at, or do something for is important. Especially at this time of year more than any other time.

Do you help out in your community? If so, what do you do? How about during the holiday season? How do you help out those around you?

To Write Love on Her Arms

December 19, 2009 in Causes, Videos with 0 Comments

I’ve had friends that have supported To Write Love on Her Arms for a while, and I just recently began supporting them by buying some gear from them. I encourage you to support them as well. It’s an amazing organization with an amazing story.

You can check out the story here.
And you can buy gear to sport in support of TWLOHA here.

Skid Row

December 8, 2009 in Causes, Videos with 0 Comments

Can someone explain to me how this happens in today’s society? We’re the richest country in the world, even in the poor economy, and our solution to the problem has been “containment”!? Seriously…

You can find parts 2-4 of the video on this site, and more information about homelessness here:
InvisiblePeople.tv

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