I'm No Superstar

Moving On

2011-07-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

I'm not moving, it's just the blog that's moved. My blog has moved to my new beautifully redesigned website at www.carolcool.com. So go follow it there. All of the Blogger posts have migrated there, so you can search for old posts. There's even links to my 5 years of blogs from before that (although they're not searchable). So please join me over there or follow me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/carolrcool), where my blogs are posted automatically. Hope you'll stay in touch!

Change Purse

2011-06-27T22:41:00.000-04:00

A few years ago I saw the original Butler Bag in a boutique in Lewes, Delaware. I was entranced.

The thing that made me want the bag was the inner organizer (pictured at left), hence the name "Butler."

I didn't buy it, though. I didn't want to spend the money for it, so I spent six months shopping for a substitute. I bought another bag that didn't work. It hangs in my closet.

Finally, after listening to me lament that I didn't own the Butler, Les told me to get it the next time I was in Lewes. So I did. I bought it in spicy ginger (above right).

I've loved this bag. But now the straps are going, and they don't make this style in any fun colors anymore. So I am back to looking. I bought a bag at an amazing Coach Outlet sale and haven't even unwrapped it yet. I have found someone who works in leather who might be able to replace the handles on my Butler Bag, so I am holding out.

How many purses have you ever bought that just weren't right? Well, now you can put that bag to work. Change Purse is an organization that takes your "didn't work for me" bags and resells them to raise money to battle human trafficking. You can send purses directly to them, or you can host a Change Purse party like my friend Jen Knepper, who began the Lancaster Gifts That Give Hope Gift Fair.

You gather purses and invite your friends. The organization provides you with a DVD and information on human trafficking. You sell the purses and send the money to Change Purse. It, in turn, supports Hope House, a place of restoration for teens rescued from sex trafficking.

If you decide to host a party, I have at least one purse to contribute!

Unusual Christian Environmentalists

2011-06-19T21:04:00.000-04:00

We are watching the long version of Pride and Prejudice—the Colin Firth version, of course—and as I began to write this, Mrs. Bennett says this to Bingley,"When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley, I beg you will come here and shoot as many as you please."

We could adapt that line for the way we are devouring so many of earth's creatures. It seems there is always a new fad food that begins to deplete the earth's stocks: Chilean sea bass, bluefin tuna, chinook salmon, and so many others.

Today I read this interesting interview in Christianity Today. Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message, and Peter Harris, talk about Christian environmentalism in a way I found unique and thought-provoking.

I encourage you to read all of it and then let me know through your comments here or on Facebook what you think of their thoughts, especially on urbanization and on how environmentalism and the Sabbath interconnect.

By the way, you're not invited to shoot any of the birds in our yard.

Give and Criticism Will Be Given Unto You

2011-06-10T07:13:00.000-04:00

Forgive the distortion of Scripture in the title, but it seemed appropriate for this topic.

Thanks to the Six Seeds parenting e-zine, I learned an interesting story about the University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt. He and his wife put their lakefront second home up for sale in order to donate more money to World Vision to help those in poverty. Last year they read The Hole in Our Gospel (which I blogged about here) by Richard Stearns, who was president of World Vision. As he told Chip Towers, who wrote the blog post:

So I’m reading this book and it really affected me. It helped me realize that what we have is way more than we need and that our ability to give is hindered by this property.

I love when God reaches out and talks to someone (including me) about how we personally can show compassion, about how he wants us to be involved in social justice or fighting poverty in our situation.

Unfortunately, when you do respond to what God is saying, it seems criticism is the next gift you get. For Richt, first it was speculation that he was selling the house because his job was threatened due to his team's poor record last year. Once Towers' blog was posted telling of their true motivation, more criticism followed in the blog comments section. People who wondered why he didn't have enough money to give already with his salary. People who were sure this was just a coverup for fear of a job loss. People who judged his motives, his behavior, his relationship with God.

It was a good reminder that no matter what we do, criticism will come. As the apostles Peter and John said, "It's better to obey God than men" because you can't please them anyway, I would add.

What has God ever told you to do that others have criticized you for? Les and I have experienced it multiple times when we invited people to live with us, whether for a few weeks or forever, as in the case of our daughter. I'm so glad we chose not listen to the critics because the blessings and joy have been tremendous (even in the midst of pain that sometimes came).

Don't be afraid to obey God and to ignore the critics. His voice is the one that matters. Share your story of obedience with us so we too can be encouraged (and we promise not to criticize).

A Tree of Life

2011-06-05T19:14:00.000-04:00

Grandparents brag. It's what we do. So when our friends Art and Sue Sell began to brag about their grandson Trevor, I was prepared to listen politely but nothing more. Of course there was the initial "just graduated from Temple with a degree in landscape architecture." But then they told me he was in Haiti, and my ears pricked up.

Trevor started the Montrouis (pronounced mow-wee) Tree Project (MTP) to help reforest Haiti, beginning with the town of Montrouis. Only about 2% of Haiti's original forests remain, and erosion means the good topsoil washes away, making farming difficult. He's made several trips over past two years, and was actually there when the hurricane hit.

MTP has set up community tree nurseries and works to educate the citizens in how caring for the trees can help them feed their families and make a living. They are teaching the school children how to grow trees and what they mean for their long-term sustainability. They hope to establish an educational community tree nursery on the school property as funds become available.

The school project will cost $3,370, if you would like to donate all or part of it. MTP is also in need of donations to support their on-site project coordinator at a mere $40 a month. Trevor is in Haiti right now planting more trees; you can view photos on his blog.

Here's someone who didn't wait until he had graduated from college to make a difference. He took what he was passionate about—landscaping—and went off and began working on a problem that needed solving. I'm impressed, and I guess his grandparents have more than enough reason to brag.

What's the Difference?

2011-05-24T17:02:00.000-04:00

When I worked as a copy editor for a large in-house agency at a corporation that will remain nameless, we had loads of scintillating conversation at our staff meetings. While your work team meeting might focus on action steps, brainstorming or implementation, ours focused on word usage: How do you decide if it's "which" or "that"? If the CEO wants "over" to be used only when its meaning is "above your head," does that make "more than" a superior phrase or simply a managerial quirk? And which is correct: "different from" or "different than"?

I still can't remember the answer to that last one. If I am editing something with one of them in it, I look it up. If I am about to use it in my speaking, I either say something else entirely or say both.

So when I finally got around to reading Same Kind of Different as Me I was really confused by the addition of "different as." But soon the book (by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, with Lynn Vincent) made me not care about the grammar. The true story centers on how Ron Hall, an international art dealer, allows his wife to convince him of their need to minister at a homeless shelter. There they meet Denver, a homeless man who is none too happy to make their acquaintance.

God had bigger plans and wove the lives of these two men together in a way they never dreamed possible. Watch the video to hear more about their unique friendship, and then consider reading the book.

Who do you perceive as different? (Notice how I avoided the whole different from/different than conundrum?) How might you approach a friendship or, at least, an understanding? One thing this book taught me is not to be so quick to see a slight.

Denver eventually tells Ron that those at the homeless shelter figured Ron and his wife were with the CIA because they were asking everyone their name and birthdate; apparently on the street, no one asks your name. The Halls could have perceived reverse prejudice in Denver's not revealing his name; instead they simply persisted in loving. I am often so quick to judge the motives of another, when I might be totally off base. I am asking God to help me accept that there may be valid reasons for the behavior of another that I think is odd or even rude.

No matter how different you think someone is, recognize they are a person cherished by God. Reach out in love. You may just discover an amazing friendship that will carry you through the hard times.

Hunter's Heart

2011-05-13T16:57:00.000-04:00

"I'm not going to school," my 6-year-old grandson insisted last Friday. Our daughter Joy was confused because Hunter loves school.

"Hunter, get on the bus."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I am taking the money I was saving for vacation to God's Warehouse [a local thrift store] and buying clothes and toys for the kids that don't have them."

A tornado had hit a section of their northeast Tennessee county and wiped out a community of houses. Hunter insisted that the children who had been affected couldn't wait another day for clothes while he went to school.

Hunter won. Joy loaded Hunter, his vacation change jar and a 4-year-old friend in the pickup and off they went to God's Warehouse. When Hunter asked the person in charge how much he could buy for the $38 in his jar, they told him he could fill the back of his momma's truck.

Because they knew some of the children whose homes had been destroyed, Joy had gotten a list of clothing sizes needed. She set up baskets on the floor labeled by size, and the boys carefully went through the clothing, selecting two outfits for each child. Toys and other items were added to the piles.

Hunter also tried to buy the eight bags of donations an elderly man was dropping off. "You don't want these clothes, Son, they're for old people," the man said.

"Well, there were old people whose homes were destroyed. Please, can I buy them?" The man apologized to the store clerk and placed the bags in Joy's truck instead.

When the truck was full, Joy and the kids took the donations over to those affected. The devastation hit them hard, and Joy worried about its effect on the boys. But there was satisfaction, too, in delivering the things they had picked out and that Hunter had personally paid for.

I'm proud of my grandson. He's been saving that money for months in anticipation of a trip to the beach this summer. And yet he was willing to give it up for what he saw as a greater need.

Yesterday, I got irritated about a very small kindness someone asked me to do. It cost me almost nothing, but my selfish nature protested. I need God to soften my heart like he has Hunter's to the needs of those around me and to help me put those needs before my wants.

What needs do you see today? Maybe you're called, like Hunter, to help those dealing with the tornado aftermath. Maybe it's someone at church that needs a hand. Maybe it's a family member who simply needs us to listen. Whatever it is, act quickly as Hunter did. Don't delay like I did. Allow God to bless others through you.

Whatcha Buyin'?

2011-05-03T07:00:00.002-04:00

I was at the mall just before Easter to pick up my new glasses at LensCrafters. The prescription was very different, so I wanted to walk around a bit to get used to it before I turned my car into a weapon on the road. As I took a few steps, looking at a few signs, I felt the tug. I wanted to shop.

My friend Cyndi and I, who worked at Bamberger's (now Macy's) together, used to be Olympic shoppers. We could open and close the mall, all on our day off from jobs where we were around merchandise all day long. I was the queen of bargains. (Cyndi was the queen of quirky, but that's another story.) I went broke saving money more times than I could count.

When I get near the mall, I am transported back to those days. I may no longer have the stamina for a 12-hour shopping spree, but I can still smell a bargain.

And yet those bargains aren't really a bargain for anyone, including me. For me, it means less money in my bank account or that I can be generous with and more money spent on one more thing I don't need in my closet or cabinet. And for the person who manufactured it, that bargain for me likely means pitiful wages for him or her. (How else can those stores afford to sell those "bargains"?)

May 14 is a World Fair Trade Day, a reminder that if I really do need to purchase something, there is a way to do it that at least eliminates the second poor consequence. While the price of the item I need or the gift I wish to purchase might not scream "bargain" like those sale signs at the mall, it will ensure that the worker who made it is paid fairly. That's priceless.

We're fortunate enough to live around the corner from Ten Thousand Villages, and in honor of World Fair Trade Day, they're hosting an "interactive food experience," called "World Kitchen Saturday." If it involves food, Les and I are sure to love it! So I hope we'll be heading over to enjoy the interaction.

If you want to have some fun, the World Fair Trade Day site has some links to events, maybe one in your community.

Oh, and just so you know, as the smell of the bargain hunt filled my nostrils, I ran for the doors. Better to brave the roads with the new glasses than to bag an item I just didn't need.

Imagine a New Life

2011-04-25T09:15:00.004-04:00

Not a new life for you (although that's fine, too, if you need one). Imagine a new life for families who deal with crushing poverty, for girls sold into sex slavery because their parents cannot feed them.

That's what Michelle Kime and Aiyana Ehrman imagined, and they did more than dream about it. They started Imagine Goods to work with a local charity in Cambodia. Imagine Goods provides fabric, which is purchased in Cambodian markets, and women rescued from sex trafficking make handbags, aprons, and tablecloths out of them. Imagine Goods then sells the finished product in the U.S. for a fair wage.

In order to continue helping Imagine Goods and its vision, Michelle and another friend Liz Marvin opened the Sweet Charity Thrift Store Boutique. If you live near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, check it out (it's in Willow Street). They sell gently used clothing and artisan crafts, and 40 percent of the profit goes to Imagine Goods. They also stock the fair trade items made for Imagine Goods by the women in Cambodia. I've already got one item stashed away for a Christmas present. (I can't say more, in case the future recipient reads this!)

You can read an interview with Michelle here and more about the advent of Sweet Charity here.

Michelle is living proof that we can all find time for our "one thing" to make a difference in the world. She's the mom of four kids, ages 5 to 13. And she's a pastor's wife. She simply took one thing that broke her heart and decided to do something about it. And it's progressed from there.

Tell me what breaks your heart?

Skipping Stone or Mill Stone?

2011-04-16T18:50:00.000-04:00

When I started my blog, more than six years ago now, I said my goal was to encourage those like me who are not activists but want to make a difference in the world by providing ideas and links to organizations worthy of support. That's still my goal.

But as I spent time in my Bible this week, I came to this passage:

"Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers" (Luke 11:46)

It made me wonder if my blog was weighing people down. After all, I toss out lots of ideas of things you can do. I mention lots of charities that need money. But I myself certainly don't practice them all or give to them all. In fact, I may not practice or give to most of them.

Does that make my blog a mill stone around the neck of readers, dragging them down with guilt? Does it make me a hypocrite who should heed the "woe" because I am not doing them all?

Today in my cryptogram was the following quote from Mother Teresa:

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."

That's what I want my blog to be doing. I want to be throwing skipping stones of ideas into the water of life that create ripples. Ripples that get a cool charity noticed. Ripples that encourage you to try one act of justice or kindness you might not have thought of. Ripples that get you thinking about a topic differently.

So tell me, do you find this blog to be a mill stone or a skipping stone? Is it drowning you or sending out ripples?

Well, That's a Deep Subject

2011-04-09T20:47:00.001-04:00

"The hurrier I go, the behinder I get" is one of those "Amish" sayings you find on trivets sold at tourist traps here in Lancaster County. There are days (weeks? months?) when I feel the sentiment is true. I let things slide (like timely blog posts, for instance). The magazines I receive go in a basket on arrival. Usually I get around to reading them, but often it's months after they arrive.

Sometimes I'll grab a pile of them and look through them while watching TV. While perusing an issue of the magazine put out by Compassion International, I found a page of water facts that reminded me how thankful I should be that I can turn on a faucet and have clean water:

800 million people do not have access to clean water
50% of the world's hospitalizations are due to water-related illnesses such as cholera
1.5 million children die of waterborne illnesses every year
1,000 parasitic worms often reside in poor children's bodies at any time due to unclean water
2.5 billion people do not have adequate sanitation facilities
1 in 5 children worldwide dies from diarrhea—that's more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined
Poor people living in the slums pay 5 to 10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city

A few months ago I was introduced to the work of a 13-year-old who did more than be thankful that she had clean water. She began Digging Wells for Hope so that others could have clean water for generations. Kelly Forsha and her advisory group of 7 friends started selling pencils for $1. Then they added rubber wristbands. And they ask schools and businesses to sponsor jeans days where people pay $5 to wear jeans.

In a year, they've raised $50,000. The first three deep-water wells have been dug in Haiti, and more are on the way. You can see more photos on Digging Wells for Hope's Facebook page.

It was a simple idea that's made a world of difference. Kelly didn't simply let things slide. She did something. And she and her friends are still doing it. When I asked Kelly if they planned to keep it up, she said, "Of course."

The need for water is a deep problem with a simple solution. Raise money. Dig wells for hope. Thanks, Kelly, for the reminder. Maybe you should inscribe that on a trivet.

Bonding with Book Characters

2011-03-29T07:09:00.001-04:00

Liz Curtis Higgs has been a favorite author for both Les and me ever since her Bad Girls of the Bible days. I met her at a book signing event and told her that Les had been reading Bad Girls on our vacation and ended up giving it to the breakfast hostess at the hotel because she was so curious about it. I even had her sign her book for Les, probably the only man she had inscribed a book for all day.

So when WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group offered me a free copy of Higgs' book Mine Is the Night to review, I couldn't resist. Mine is the Night is a continuation of the story begun in Here Burns My Candle. It is the story of the biblical book of Ruth transported to the Scottish borderlands of the 1740s. A leap, I know, but well done. Maybe a pastor's wife shouldn't say this, but I'm not normally much of one for retelling of biblical stories because I know how they end. But when a story is translated into such a different place and time, I can totally get into it.

Higgs is a master story teller, creating characters that you love or hate and who surprise you. The scenes are richly painted and the tension is taut enough to keep you walking the tightrope to discover the resolution. Being the detail freak that I am, I love that Higgs includes a map of the town so I can follow the movements of the characters. The faith of the characters and the poetic quotes that start each chapter minister to my soul and stir my spirit. I don't expect a third installment of this series since the book of Ruth is complete, but I can't help missing Elisabeth and Marjory and the handsome Lord Jack.

You can start reading chapter one of Mine Is the Night right here, but I warn you, you'll be hooked. Or watch the book trailer and see some of the countryside and town where the action takes place. you just may find yourself planning a trip to Scotland.

I am doing better about getting rid of books once I've read them, but this isn't one of those. This book is a keeper, and after Les finishes reading it, it will receive pride of place in one of the glass-fronted bookcases in our library (the room that's supposed to be the formal dining room in this house).

It's often hard for me to part with books because I become so invested in the characters (like those in Mine Is the Night), but I am finally recognizing that I can keep every book I read. I've been giving mine to the Ephrata Public Library. Budgets have been cut drastically for our state libraries (I'm guessing for yours too), so donations are always welcome. And if they can't use them for the shelves, they can always sell them in the bookshop or at the yearly book sale.

What do you do with books you no longer want or simply don't have the place to store?

Chronic or Crisis? How's Your Support?

2011-03-25T18:54:00.003-04:00

If you have a crisis in your life and need a sympathetic ear, I'm your gal. I have loads of empathy—and maybe some unasked for words of advice—for you as you deal with your problem. However, if you are still wallowing in the same problem months or even years later, I'm just not interested. I can't seem to muster up the enthusiasm to care. I find myself wondering why you're still in that place.

I'm not proud of those feelings. I'm just telling you how I am. I have a short attention span for pain and problems. I would never make it as a therapist.

So is it ironic or simply a lesson in maturity from God that I have a chronic illness? Maybe it's both. I've actually had this illness for 24 years, but when it only flared up once in 4 or 7 or even 11 years, it wasn't a big deal. It didn't feel chronic; it felt like a crisis. I would be incapacitated, even hospitalized. I would be given large doses of steroids. And it would be over, and I would be back to life as I knew it.

Now life as I know it includes chronic symptoms or, at least, daily medicine to keep chronic symptoms at bay. I have to make decisions around it, choosing what I can and can't do. It's rare for it not to come up in conversation. And yet I am very fortunate in how much I can do as I learn from the daily lives of others dealing with chronic illness.

Just like when you buy a new car you suddenly notice that car model everywhere on the road, when you have a chronic illness you suddenly become aware of how many people have one. According to the CDC, "In 2005, 133 million Americans—almost 1 out of every 2 adults—had at least one chronic illness," and "one-fourth of people with chronic conditions have one or more daily activity limitations." That's a lot of people with problems.

Now, those numbers include those with heart disease, cancer, diabetes and even chronic back pain. It also includes autoimmune disorders (the family of disorders my illness fits in) like lupus, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis. Everywhere I go lately I hear of someone having an autoimmune disease, including two pastors' wives I talked with at a meeting recently. It includes ALS (better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease), which a missionary friend of ours has been diagnosed with. The MS a dear friend has also falls into the chronic illness category.

Maybe I just never paid attention before. Or maybe it's just that people with an invisible chronic illness tend to only open up to another victim. Maybe they've met too many people like the me of the past, who got bored of their "complaints" and just wanted them to get over it.

Yet people with chronic illnesses need to talk, to share their pain. The risks of not doing so are tremendous. According to the website of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week (which takes place in September of each year):

The divorce rate among the chronically ill is over 75 percent.
Depression is 15–20% higher for the chronically ill than for the average person.
Various studies have reported that physical illness or uncontrollable physical pain are major factors in up to 70% of suicides.

So how can you help people dealing with a chronic illness?

Be willing to listen (when you ask how they are and they say fine, ask again and say you really want to know).
But also talk about things other than the illness.
Smile.
Provide times of laughter and fun.
Recognize their need for rest (and don't make them feel guilty about it; they're doing that enough on their own).
If they have kids, give them a break by taking the kids.
Offer to clean house for them.
Let them know about Rest Ministries, an organization that exists to encourage those dealing with chronic illness.
Support their specific illness walk or fundraiser.
Consider starting a Hopekeepers Group or some other support group/Bible study for those with chronic illness.
Pray with them and for them.

I'm still not that great at long-term illness, in myself or others. But I am learning to listen, to ask the right questions. Hopefully you will, too, and hopefully without a chronic illness of your own.

And if you have other ideas on how to provide support, especially if you have a chronic illness (or a loved one does), please add a comment with your idea. Thanks.

What's a Church to Do?

2011-03-15T20:36:00.000-04:00

You know my purpose for this blog is to help individuals discover ways they can make a difference in the world. I believe we can all do something that will improve the lives of others. Unfortunately, sometimes the "something" I really want to do is to sit back and criticize the "someone" I think should be doing something, like the government or the church or someone other than me. But I don't think that's what God has in mind.

I was staying in a hotel over the last few days and so I received USA Today on Monday. An essay entitled "America's Churches Can Help Change the World" jumped out at me. In it, Oliver Thomas talks about the concept of "cultural captivity," which often causes churches (and their members) to follow the culture rather than Christ. It's so easy to fall into that, for the culture is comfortable. (if that's not a problem for you, I'd love to hear how you avoid it being so.)

Thomas goes on to talk about the way individual churches are making a difference in their communities, and that's great. Our church hosts Angel Food distribution, collects coats and shoes for a local clothing closet, and collects food for a food bank, a veterans home, and a pregnancy center.

But Thomas wonders if churches shouldn't be doing more together to make a difference in the big issues of justice and poverty in our day. Do you see your church, your denomination, partnering with other churches to bring about positive change in the world?

After you read Thomas's article, I would love to have you post a comment telling me what your church is doing—alone or collectively—to make the world a place that more closely reflects "thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven." Your comment may just spur someone else to get started, or provide a way to link up with another church that is fighting the same battle. Let me hear from you!

Cause de Jour

2011-03-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

You expect fashion to go in and out of fashion. After all, it's called fashion for a reason. But what always amazes me is how causes seem to go in and out of fashion. I mean if people are homeless in Haiti, shouldn't it be important to care until the problem is solved, not just until something new comes along?

Right now the cause de jour is human slavery. Articles and workshops are everywhere. I am not saying it's not a worthy cause. I've blogged about it myself and attended workshops. I just don't want to see it fade off the scene, like so many other causes, when something new and shiny comes along. Maybe it won't, if you and I get involved and become part of the solution.

Today I am sharing a guest blog from Diane Adams, a friend of mine, on how she got involved in working to free slaves. Here are her thoughts:

Two years ago, I read a book called Just Courage by Gary Haugen, founder of International Justice Mission (IJM). IJM is an organization that combats injustice and modern-day slavery around the world.

After reading the book and learning about the atrocities that go on in the world, I couldn’t just go on with life as usual. I did some research and learned things like:

There are 27 million modern-day slaves.

600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year.

50% of trafficking victims are minors.

The average age of entry in prostitution is 11 to 14 years old.

I learned that there were slaves in India working in rice mills, in Africa working in brick factories, and in the United States working in forced labor. And all around the world there were young girls, and even boys, forced into the sex trade.

As I read accounts of victims and survivors, I began to wonder—What if my teenage daughter were sex trafficked or our family lived in a developing country and was enslaved by powerful tyrants? How would I feel if no one sought and rescued me, but went on with daily life, enjoying freedom without giving any thought or concern for me, an oppressed victim?

I kept noticing verses in the Bible in which God is described as a god of justice and felt strongly that the Church is called to act to promote justice in our community, nation, and world. But I also think the average churchgoer, like me, is unaware of the issue of human trafficking and how widespread it is.

I encourage people to learn more about this issue. Read a book such as Just Courage or learn from websites such as www.notforsalecampaign.org, www.ijm.org, or www.iast.net. Stay abreast of proposed U.S. legislation on this issue by visiting www.polarisproject.org and write to legislators asking their support of anti-trafficking laws.

Also, become aware of the products you buy and the businesses you patronize, being sure you are purchasing fair-trade goods not made by slave labor. Another key way to make a difference in this area is to volunteer to work with at-risk populations in the community so they don’t fall prey to traffickers. Big Brother/Big Sisters, local shelters, after-school programs, and foster care are good organizations to consider.

Finally, people can help fight slavery by financially supporting anti-trafficking organizations. There are many to choose from, and you may be surprised to find that one or two are nearby. Do some investigating and discover these local groups—you may decide to join them!

In the 1800s, the African slave trade was a huge business, integrated in the cultures, businesses, and economics of America and Europe. Yet it was abolished because people’s eyes were opened to its evilness, and they chose to speak up against it.

There is an abolition movement going on in our world today, and it’s gaining momentum. Take the time to learn more and consider how you can help fight for the oppressed.

If you would like to ask Diane any questions, please feel free to place them in the comments section and I will see that she gets them (and answers!).

This month's Fine Living Lancaster also had an informative article on modern slavery. To read it, click the link to access the PDF and go to page 78 of the PDF (76 of the actual magazine) for the article "Ending Modern Slavery." Then, like Diane, decide what you need to do to be involved. And don't give up, even when slavery is no longer the cause de jour.

Did You End Up in Italy or Holland?

2011-02-28T09:30:00.005-05:00

In church last week, my friend Christina—a mom of an autistic son—shared the following story to describe what being a mom in her situation means. As the mom of an older adopted child, and knowing the difficulties our daughter Joy had with her adopted children, I can say it applies to more than families dealing with disabilities. In fact, I would be willing to venture that in a fallen world it applies to life as almost all of us experience it at some point.

Welcome to Holland!

by Emily Pearl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability—to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel.

It's like this . . . When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip—to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Michalangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes and says, "Welcome to Holland." "Holland?" you say. "What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place. So you go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." The pain of that will never go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you will never be free to enjoy the very special, very lovely things about Holland.

Where are you today, Italy or Holland? And how are you learning to enjoy it?

If you know people living in Holland, be sensitive about bragging about Italy and instead encourage them by asking them to introduce you to the beauty of Holland. Open your eyes and notice.

The Me Project (and a Contest)

2011-02-25T09:30:00.001-05:00

Once again God has been sending me the same message over and over. He knows sometimes I am too dense (or preoccupied) to hear him the first time. Often I start with "Hmmm, that's interesting," but by the time I've heard the message the third or fourth time from diverse channels, I'm listening and saying, "God might want me to actually act on this."

Chazown, the subject of the last blog post, was about living out the vision God has for you. So I knew I was receiving a message from God when I received a free copy of The Me Project by Kathi Lipp after agreeing to participate in a blog tour. Kathi's subtitle—21 Days to Living the Life You've Always Wanted—sums up the book nicely. Kathi gives 21 projects that will help you move forward in fulfilling one of God's dreams for you. It makes a great followup to Chazown, which helped you identify the dreams and some first steps.

Kathi has a fun, encouraging writing style that makes you feel like you actually can do this. You can make progress on the dreams God has given you. I was most challenged by her call to find accountability partners, mentors, and even a "board of directors." I know this is an area lacking in my life, but I don't really know how to find those people for my ministry. So I am praying for God to bring them to me.

Kathi has provided an article with three first steps for you to get started on your dreams. You can enjoy it here:
Kick Start Living Your Dream

Here's a little bit more about Kathi:

Kathi Lipp is a busy conference and retreat speaker, currently speaking each year to thousands of women throughout the United States. She is the author of The Husband Project and The Marriage Project, serves as food writer for Nickelodeon, and has had articles published in several magazines, including Today’s Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal. Kathi and her husband, Roger, live in California and are the parents of four teenagers and young adults. For more information visit her website: www.kathilipp.com

And if you put a comment below telling me one step you are going to take toward one of your dreams, you could win a deluxe Starbucks gift basket. I will be sending in the name of one commenter (chosen at random), and one commenter from the blog tour will win! So go for it. Pursue your dream, even if you don't win the basket, you'll still be a winner.

Chazown! No, It's Not a Batman Word

2011-02-22T22:10:00.002-05:00

Zap! Zowwy! Bam! Whap! Pow! In our house, we call them Batman words. Nonsense onomatopoeia words like those that used to show up on the screen as Batman fought the bad guys.

But chazown isn't a Batman word, as odd as it sounds. It's the English transliteration of a Hebrew word that means "vision." And it's the title of a new book by Craig Groeschel; one I was fortunate enough to receive a free review copy of from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Chazown is an easy-to-use book that helps you recognize the vision God has personally designed for you. Like the books on finding your purpose that have come before—The Purpose Driven Life, comes to mind—Chazown wants you to analyze your life and your heart to discover how you are wired. Chazown has you journal about three circles—your core values, your spiritual gifts, and your past experiences. It leads you through a simple evaluation process to discover where your circles overlap to find your sweet spot, your chazown.

What makes Chazown extremely valuable are the spokes-on-the-wheel concerns that allow you to have success in fulfilling your chazown. Groeschel wants you to recognize where you need to work on your relationships with God and other people, your finances, your health and fitness, and your work and how these areas affect your ability to fulfill your vision.

With its ultra-short chapters, the book is perfect even for people who aren't crazy about reading. And the "You're the Author" sections provide the questions and challenges you need to make this not just a book but a kick in the pants on the way to a life of focused passion. I highly recommend it, whether you've never thought of your purpose or you simply want to refine it.

And no harm done if you get so excited pursuing your purpose that you simply must shout, "Chazown." Batman would be proud.

A Matrix Movie I Actually Want to See

2011-02-14T07:54:00.001-05:00

When the Matrix movies came out, Les went to see them without me. I had no interest. And that was infinitely interesting to other people. "What, you haven't seen The Matrix?" they would shriek. People I loved and respected kept telling me I had to see it, that I would love it, that there was so much in it.

Eventually they wore me down. One night I sat down and watched the DVD with Les. I hated it. My eyes glazed over (kind of the way Les's do when I make him watch an Academy award–winning movie). I had a numb spot in my brain. And I felt I had wasted a couple of hours of my life that I would never get back.

I told this to those who had insisted I would love it. Their response? "Well, you really have to watch it a couple of times to fully understand it and love it." As if.

But now, I have discovered that a Matrix movie is coming that I really want to see. No, not another one in the mind-numbing series. This one is called Mastering the Matrix and it's a documentary (Les just ran screaming from the room). The movie features interviews people who have made positive changes in their lives that have made positive changes throughout the world as well, including Sir Richard Branson and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The movie, which releases in September 2011, but can be preordered on the website. The filmmakers want it to be more than a collection of feel-good stories. They hope it will start a movement of positive change. I hope they're right. And let it begin with me.

A Billion Reasons Why . . . We Need to Remember NOLA

2011-02-11T10:06:00.002-05:00

"You are coming with us," said our friends Merrilee and Todd several years ago. "You love food like we do, and we know all the best places to eat in New Orleans." To make sure we actually went on the trip we had discussed for years, Merrilee made all the arrangements—flights, hotel, the planning of 21 delicious meals at classic NOLA restaurants. We graciously submitted (and handed over our cash to pay for our share.)

It was a wacky, weight-gaining trip. We didn't see as many tourist sites as we had planned on—the meals and raw oyster happy hours didn't allow a lot of time for museums. We did wander the French Quarter and the French Market every day in search of Merrilee's elusive Mardi Gras t-shirt. The aquarium wowed us, as did the zoo. And there was the unforgettable limo ride to a swamp tour, complete with the Vietnamese French bakery items spread out on the trunk of the limo for our feasting pleasure.

When Katrina hit, part of me wanted desperately to get back to New Orleans. Another part wanted to simply remember those beautiful fall days without the new reality to sully the picture. I was pleasantly surprised then to be immersed back in NOLA thanks to Kristin Billerbeck's new book, A Billion Reasons Why, which I received free from Thomas Nelson via booksneeze.com.

When offered Billerbeck's book, I grabbed it because I've always loved her writing. She was the original Christian chick lit writer, complete with the snarky heroine. A Billion Reasons Why displays Billerbeck's wit, but I think it falls more into the pure romance category than into chick lit. I can't help rooting for Katie, who rediscovers her NOLA roots and the man who sent her fleeing from the place to start with. It's a perfect curl-up-in-a-snowstorm book, with quirky characters and the all's-right-with-the-world ending.

The book's NOLA references, including beignets, crawfish, Cafe du Monde, the Garden District, and the streetcar, brought back wonderful memories of our own trip. But it also reminded me that Hurricane Katrina had occurred, and the poorer parts of NOLA have yet to recover.

If you want some fun, light reading from an author who makes her characters come alive, pick up A Billion Reasons Why. If you want to make New Orleans a better place for real people to live, check out CDC58:12 or New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity to lend a hand as a volunteer. Or help sponsor a Mennonite Central Committee worker who is advocating for justice for the poor in NOLA. There's a billion reasons why we should still care about New Orleans, and almost that many ways to help. Dig in!

To E-Read or Not to E-Read, That Is the Question

2011-02-07T08:31:00.006-05:00

My friend Mandy and I debate the whole e-reader conundrum. We both love books, but we love the feel of paper, the smell of ink, the pleasure of turning a page, the joy of the bookstore. Could we possibly cozy up to an e-reader and feel as good about it as we do the bundle of possibility that is a traditional book?

I can see some of the e-reader's merits, chief of which for me would be not having to allocate at least a fifth of my luggage weight on any trip to books. And it probably would decrease the number of times my suitcase gets searched at the airport because the word-bricks inside look odd to the scanners. It might mean I wouldn't be paying to mail books home that I discovered in some far-flung used bookstore and couldn't pass up. But then does that deny me the pleasure of browsing said stores for treasures or browsing the books themselves for a kindred spirit, be it character or author?

I can't bring myself to buy an e-reader. It just feels disloyal somehow.

But now I may have found a reason to buy one for someone else. Worldreader.org has established as its mission to distribute e-readers to students in the emerging world. They want to distribute digital books and readers to schoolchildren and community members to allow them access to textbooks and reading material at a reduced cost. They desire to work as well with local publishers to help expand access to culturally appropriate material, encouraging the transmission and expansion of community knowledge.

The program is new, with the pilot study taking place at six schools in Ghana and an expansion throughout Ghana and into Kenya in the works. Studies are being conducted to gauge if the e-readers provide an increase in books read by the children. Watch the video to see how teachers feel about the new technology.

You can donate a book for $5 (sorry, you can't choose the book, like, for instance, the one you wrote) or an e-reader for $200. If your Valentine loves books, you can honor him or her through a gift donation. It might be the perfect way to celebrate your love, showing you recognize what is important to your sweetheart. It's a great opportunity to express your love for your own kids without rotting their teeth with candy hearts.

An e-reader for me isn't on my list any time soon (at the very least I will wait for the industry to shake out the losers from the winners), but the idea of underprivileged kids having a library at their fingertips has great appeal. And I can still curl up on the couch with my old-fashioned paper book. What about you?

What's the Coffee; What's the Cup?

2011-02-02T17:35:00.000-05:00

My friend Mandy shared the following video with me, and I thought it was a great reminder of how life is meant to be savored. Watch it!

My favorite part is where it says:
Live simply.
Speak kindly.
Care deeply.
Love generously.
Sometimes when we do that, like with hot coffee, we will get burnt. Our family has experienced that this week. I pray that we will continue to savor life and to care deeply and love generously.

What's your favorite line in the movie?

When Is an Orphan Not an Orphan?

2011-01-26T20:08:00.000-05:00

When it's an orphaned sock might be one answer. I mean, seriously, unless you have a dog or cat that grabs your socks out of the laundry basket and drags them outside, your sock probably has a mate somewhere in the house. It's just that after a cursory look you give up and, voila, an orphaned sock it is.

Reading Conor Grennan's new book, Little Princes, enlightened me that this principle holds true in the world of human orphans as well. Grennan decided to spend two months volunteering at an orphanage in Nepal, mainly because it made girls in bars get all misty-eyed when he talked about it and made his planned yearlong trip around the world sound less self-indulgent.

The children—16 boys and 2 girls—of Little Princes Children's Home outside of Kathmandu innocently welcomed Grennan in and then stole his heart. Grennan returns to Little Princes after his year of travel and in 2006 founded Next Generation Nepal. What led him to begin a new nonprofit? The discovery that most of the orphans he was encountering in Nepal were not technically orphans.

Child traffickers preyed on remote villagers who feared the Maoist rebels in the civil war would force their children to become fighters. For a large sum, they offered to take children to Kathmandu and provide them with an education in safety. Parents sold much of their belongings to raise the money to "rescue" their children. Unfortunately, the traffickers dumped the kids in illegal orphanages (which often took money from international donors to care for the children but pocketed the money and starved the kids) or sold them into slavery.

Grennan met many children from the remote Humla region and made it his mission to reunite children with their parents. He and another volunteer established another orphanage to care for children in transition. And then Grennan began taking treks into the dangerous and remote areas to find the parents of his kids. Sharing photos and letters allowed him to see families reconnect and, where possible, reunite. Next Generation Nepal carries on his legacy, and you can help them do so.

A portion of the purchase price of Little Princes will be donated to Next Generation Nepal. But that's not the main reason to buy it. It's a great read. Grennan's story is engaging, written in a style that pulls you in, rooting for his success, or his life. If you liked Three Cups of Tea, you'll love Little Princes. Or if you like extreme adventure books, this one will get your blood pumping. Pick it up. Read a few pages. You'll be hooked.

And an orphan who isn't an orphan may get the opportunity to be in his or her family after all.

Peace Thoughts with Shane Claiborne

2011-01-17T08:09:00.012-05:00

Earlier this month my friend Mandy and I went to hear Shane Claiborne speak in Lancaster. We planned to get there early, figuring the place would fill up. Even with my I-know-exactly-where-this-church-is arrogance that got us lost, we were there a half an hour before the event started. The auditorium was already packed. As we squeezed in the side door with those who would begin to line the walls, people in the third row shifted closer together, opening up two seats. We snagged them (really, I felt justified; my autoimmune disease would never have allowed me to stand for the whole time).

By the time Shane got up to speak, people were seated all over the floor on the platform and in three auxiliary rooms. Shane is a cofounder of The Simple Way community in Philadelphia, people who are trying to live for Jesus by living in community and loving their neighbors. Mandy had read his book Jesus for President, and I had written a review of the Simply Enough DVD he did with Tony Campolo, so we were eager to hear him in person.

Shane was gracious, and funny, and unassuming. I appreciated much of what he had to say and the gracious way he treated people during the Q&A (and the way he plopped down on the floor to sit with everyone else during the offering). It's always good to be reminded of how radical our Savior was and to remember that cozy Christianity is much more a product of an American lifestyle than it is of living out the Scriptures.

The evening was sponsored by the Lancaster Coalition for Peace and Justice and a group called Taxes for Peace (which wants you to underpay your income taxes by $10.40 and attach a letter explaining you oppose your tax dollars being used for war). So I guess I should have been ready for the heavy questions on opposition to war. I really wasn't.

After a question about pacifism and if any war was just, Shane replied, "A 'just war' is just war." He made it clear that he is opposed to all war, and said that when Jesus disarmed Peter in the garden (after cutting off the servant's ear) he disarmed us all. I have trouble agreeing with that.

I tend to be more of the "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" camp. (By the way, the quote is variously attributed to Edmund Burke and to the English translation of Tolstoy's War and Peace.) I don't believe every war is just. In fact, I don't believe most war is just. But I am unable to believe that when innocents are suffering and being slaughtered, I am to do nothing or only work underground to save what lives I can. Is it not justice to bring to an end systemic injustice?

I usually end these posts with a social action idea. Today your action is to think, to grapple with the concept of peace, of war. Are any wars just? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section. Your musing just might help me, and others.

Remember the Orphans

2011-01-12T21:00:00.001-05:00

Les laughs at me for anthropomorphizing just about everything—the poor dinner plate at the bottom of the stack that never gets used, the soft soap bottle we're trying to throw away (I called her Dee Spencer), always my laptop. Now I'm doing it with my blog.

I imagine it feeling orphaned. After all, I haven't posted since the day after Christmas. I haven't totally forgotten about it. In fact, I've spent the time reading books about social marketing and blogging. That has led in part to the paralysis of analysis. All the instructions are so overwhelming; I don't think I can do it "right," so I've done nothing.

I've felt guilty about it. I know I should be blogging. But I am tired. Life is busy. I'm distracted by problems (and pleasures) in my own life. Tomorrow, I say, tomorrow I will blog. Tomorrow comes and goes, and no blog gets written yet again. My blog is orphaned.

When it comes to orphaned children, I often respond the same way I felt about my blog. I get busy, or I feel overwhelmed. It's not that I've forgotten that there are millions of orphans in the world. In November I went to the Mid-Atlantic Orphan Summit and heard many outstanding speakers talk about the plight of orphans here and abroad.

One of the keynote speakers was Tom Davis, CEO of Children's HopeChest, which helps 10,000 orphans in Russia, Swaziland, Ethiopia, and Uganda. I bought two books Davis wrote. Scared is the fictional story of Stuart, a photojournalist, who gets wrapped up with Adanna, an orphan in Swaziland. Davis hauntingly captures both Stuart's ambivalence and helplessness and Adanna's dreams and resignation. Scared places you in the middle of the orphan crisis and helps you think through your own response.

Davis's nonfiction Fields of the Fatherless talks of God's heart for the orphan and gives us ideas on what we can do to help. It gives us the analysis, but then shows us how to move beyond our own paralysis.

I don't need to anthropomorphize orphans. They're already humans, beloved children of God. I also don't need to feel guilty, and I don't need to be paralyzed. I simply need act, just like I took care of my orphaned blog by writing this post. You can do something too. Visit the Engage page at Children's HopeChest to find out what you can do in 5 minutes (pray!) or with $5 (feed a child 50 meals). Then do something (maybe read one of Davis's books). The orphans are waiting.

Charity or Justice or Both?

2010-12-26T16:05:00.000-05:00

I love the intentional charitable choices Les and I make at Christmas. We give coats to a clothing closet so someone will have a warmer Christmas. We buy gifts for someone we know in need. We put together shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. And because of my parents' Salvation Army background, I have trouble passing a kettle without dropping a little something inside. This year we added the alternative gifts for the family.

Giving to others in need reminds me of the real reason behind Christmas: Jesus came because we needed him. He gives to us and so, in his honor, we give to others.

Two articles in the latest PRISM magazine—the magazine published by Evangelicals for Social Action—reminded me, though, that giving isn't the only reason Jesus came. An arresting phrase turned up in the first article and then was the title (and subject) of the second: Charity is not justice.

Justice involves using the power you have to provide fair treatment for others, especially the most vulnerable. When Jesus announced his own mission in the synagogue, he used a passage from Isaiah that says:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

There are both acts of charity (giving sight to the blind) and of justice (freedom for the prisoners, setting the oppressed free) spoken of in those verses. When God, through Micah told the people what true religion was he said it was "to act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." To truly follow God, I cannot just "do charity." I must also "act justly."

I always say that I want the spirit of Christmas to be evident in my life all year long, and so I try to ensure that I continue to do acts of charity. But how committed am I to acting justly? And to doing my part to require those holding the reins of power—governments or corporations—to act justly?

That's harder, and to be honest, it doesn't usually supply the warm, fuzzy feeling that my charitable giving does. It often means slogging along for the long haul. It might mean writing e-mails or letters, making phone calls, choosing inconvenient shopping options, recruiting others to do the same. It can take years of work (think about the calls to end apartheid). I may never meet the "recipient" of my act of justice; they may never even know that anyone acted on their behalf. But it is still the will of God for me.

So I'm thinking. How will I "act justly" this year? What will I commit to? I can sign petitions through change.org or send an e-mail through bread.org when an important vote is on the table. Will I take the second step to make a phone call to a politician to make my voice heard? Will I use the power I do have—my money—and write a corporation and then choose not to buy their product or shop at their store when I hear of unjust practices, not just for a week or two until it gets inconvenient, but until they change? Will I regularly pray for justice to become the norm and listen to God's voice telling me where I need to work to implement it?

I hope I will consciously choose to support justice, to remember that charity is not justice, and that God desires both. How will you join me in the quest for justice in 2011?

Gifts That Give Hope

2010-12-14T11:14:00.001-05:00

This year the adults in our family are giving alternative gifts for Christmas. To make it more meaningful, we are choosing a charitable gift that somehow represents the person the gift honors. It’s been fun trying to figure out what to give that says, “I understand what matters to you.”

And sometimes it's just frustrating. I chose one gift for a certain relative (no specifics since some of the family occasionally check out this blog) that seemed perfect. I couldn't figure out how to make the targeted donation I wanted on the website, so I called the charity. I explained what I wanted. The pleasant young woman who answered said she would figure out how to designate the specific project; however, in order to make such a donation, the minimum amount was almost twice what I had planned to give. Since it was a charity donation (not just some overpriced knickknack), I decided to bite the bullet and make the donation.

Relieved I went to run some errands. When I returned home, there was a message from the charity chick, asking me to call her back. Of course, by the time I was able to do so, she wasn't there. I got another lovely representative of the charity. She read the first's notations and explained that I could only donate to the project, not a specific person. I assured her that was fine. She promised to process it and send a gift card I could give.

A few minutes later the phone rang again. It was the lovely woman, who had now talked personally to the charity chick. Apparently unless I was a monthly supporter, I could not donate to a specific project in a specific country. Of course, if I was a corporation doing a major gift (say, a minimum of $1500) they would have found some way to process it (yes, they told me this). Needless to say, that wasn't happening. I could donate to a generic pool that would go to some project similar to the one I wanted, somewhere in the world. It was possible it might even go to the project I wanted. Frustrated now, and realizing I could make that donation online in the original amount, I told her I would make a decision and take care of it online if I decided to go for it.

All that frustration and no further toward the gift. ARGHH!

Do you want to give a meaningful gift with no frustration? Back in September, I had Jennifer Knepper guest blog about the Gifts That Give Hope Alternative Gift Fair. Even though the one-day fair is over, you can order online through December 17. You can easily and simply choose one of 90 gifts in support of one of 30 organizations. Your gift will give hope for years to come. (And you won't be frustrated at all!)

A Little Child Shall Lead Them (to Compassion)

2010-12-10T22:23:00.001-05:00

We opened our Christmas presents from Joy while we were together in Williamsburg at Thanksgiving. Both Les and Ashlee got flannel jammy pants (I already had some). Earlier this week I bought us all new slippers with my $10 coupons for a couple of stores. It's been so cold here this week, we've all changed into cozy pants and slippers as soon as possible each evening.

When I am cozy, I love curling up with a book. (It's why I don't have an e-reader yet; it doesn't seem curl-up-able.) Books make me forget the cold. They take me off to another world, transporting me to someplace fun, warm or at least interesting. I get to live someone else's life for a few hours. And I learn so much. (I'll never forget learning from one of Gilbert Morris's fiction books that West Virginia came into being during the Civil War, when the western counties of Virginia refused to secede from the Union.)

Alyssa Deraco knows what I'm talking about. A 12-year-old who loves to read, she feels books can help us forget our troubles and she wanted to share that experience with others. So she started Alyssa's Bedtime Stories, to collect kids' books, uses and new, to donate to kids living in shelters who could use something to help them forget how difficult life can be. Worried that they have no "cozy pants," she decided to bundle the books with a pair of pajamas.

She and a few friends choose the pjs and appropriate books for each child, wrap the presents, handwrite the personalized cards, and deliver the gifts so they can meet the recipients. This year their handing out 124 pairs of pjs and over 300 books. Want to know more? Read the newspaper article about Alyssa. Donations are always appreciated, whether of books or pjs or money to buy them.

Or you could just allow Alyssa to lead you toward your own unique service. What makes you cozy? What helps you relax and forget your troubles? Maybe it's a hot cocoa and a family game night. Can you invite another family or a widow over to join you? (Don't forget to tell them to bring their slippers.) Maybe it's soothing music or a warm bath. No, don't invite someone over for a bath. But you could put together a gift basket with bath salts or bubble bath, a CD and a beverage for a single mom and give it with a voucher offering to take her kids out for a few hours so she can indulge.

The point is to share with someone in need something that nourishes you. What will it be?

Back to the Everyday Whining

2010-11-29T16:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, Thanksgiving and the parades, football and overeating are finished for most of us. Now we're in Christmas shlepping, I mean shopping, mode. And that leads to whining when the store is out of stock on the sale item you drove there especially for. Or sarcasm when the salesperson is less than interested in helping you. Or complaining when the crowds push you around.

To combat the ho-hums that have already begun to replace the ho-ho-hos, let's take a moment to list 5 things we're grateful for. I know Thanksgiving is over, but gratitude isn't just a Thanksgiving tradition. It's a daily exercise that lifts our spirits and reminds us of all the good things God has provided us with.

Be creative and list things other than your family, your relationship with God and your house and food. Here are 5 items off the top of my heart:

1. Books, and the ability to read them
2. Laughter, because it makes life bearable
3. Scones, especially with clotted cream
4. Climate control, in houses and cars (not too hot, not too cold, just right)
5. Socks, in a glorious array of colors and patterns

Put 5 things you're grateful for today in the comments section. Or at least name them to yourself, and maybe make naming 5 things a part of every day this Advent season. It may just change your attitude about the whole season of giving.

Picture Perfect

2010-11-23T15:09:00.001-05:00

I'm not much of a photographer. I took some photos with my phone when I was at the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico last year. Les made fun of me because most of them have my finger in them, as you can see in the photo at the right where it looks like a giant balloon is attacking the mountain.

So calls for photos don't usually interest me. However, I saw a newspaper article about GE's Ecomagination Photo Project and had to play along. You upload up to three photos and tag them with wind, water or light.

For each photo, GE will make a donation. Water photos bring donations of 480 gallons of drinking water. Wind photos, 4.5kW hours of wind energy. And light photos, 175 hours of solar power. It's a cool simple way to give. Here's one of the three light photos I uploaded. Taken on the same New Mexico trip, I might add, and nary a finger in sight.

So if you have an opportunity to upload a photo, your effort could help power clinics in rural Peru, give families in East Timor solar-powered lanterns or help build clean-water wells.

Now that sounds like a picture-perfect investment.

A Victim For Life

2010-11-18T22:36:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago Ashlee's Sunday school class took on the Heifer Read to Feed program. As part of the program, which raises money to buy animals for families in need, the kids were to read books and ask for donations for each book read. Heifer provided a suggested list of books that would help kids learn about other cultures and needs. Unfortunately, the books on the list all seemed to be picture books geared for younger kids.

So Ashlee and I spent some time at the library, using key words like "poverty," "justice" and "hunger" to try to find appropriate books for her age. We ended up reading two that told of children who were sold into sexual slavery. Both books—Sold by Patricia McCormick and They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne—were written for preteens. We read the books out loud, so I could deal with anything awful that came up. Both authors did a great job of communicating what these children dealt with as child prostitutes without graphic sex. Ashlee was captured by the stories and appalled to realize that each year 2 million plus kids are exploited in the sex trade.

The heartbreaking stories made me more sensitive when I got an e-mail from change.org about Sara Kruzan. Sara was "befriended" by a man when she was 11, who ultimately raped her and then made her a prostitute. At the age of 16 she killed him. A judge sentenced as an adult in 1994 to life in prison with no parole. Watch the video in which Sara tells her story.

Then if you agree that Sara has paid her "debt to society" over the last 12 years (plus the three years in sexual slavery), sign the petition asking Governor Schwarzenegger to commute her sentence. Does she need to be a victim for life?

What Do You Know?

2010-11-12T21:29:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we attended a missions conference where one of the speakers was Kurt Graff. Kurt and his wife Nancy spent years in Russia and Central Asia starting churches. Now they are working with an organization that encourages young people to invest their lives in countries within the 1040 window. (If you want info on the 1040 window, watch this video. I would suggest you turn off the sound, because I found the music very annoying.)

Anyway, Kurt had this quiz for us about Central Asia, Russia and a few other mission questions. Try the quiz yourself. Send me your answers. Anyone who gets them all correct, I'll have a prize for you. (What? I have no idea!) Maybe you'll learn something—like I did—even if it's how little you know about Central Asia.

1) What are the names of the 15 countries that made up the former Soviet Union?

2) Rank in order from the most to the least popular Russia Leader.

Putin Lenin Stalin Gorbachov Yelstin Czar Nicholas Catherine the Great

3) How many different people groups, live in the former Soviet Union?

10 30 50 130 300 1000

4) What country is the only one that that has all of natural elements listed on the periodic table?

America China Russia Kazakhstan India Brazil

5) What country is sending out almost as many missionaries as America?

Canada Korea England Germany Kenya Brazil

6) What percent of those who live in Central Asia claim to be believers in Jesus?

50% 25% 10% 1% .01%

7) What percent of the states in the country of Kazakhstan have at least one church?

100% 90% 75% 25% 10%

8) How many bibles can a one have in his possession in Uzbekistan?

0 1 10 50 unlimited

9) What is the major religion of Central Asia?

Atheism Orthodoxy Christianity Islam Buddhism None

10) What percent of the population are under the age of 18 in Central Asia?

05 15 30 50 65

11) What is the average life span for males in the former Soviet Union?

35 45 58 65 73 82

12) The most popular type of programs on prime time TV in Russia are?

Political shows music channels comedy Spanish soap operas Russian dramas

I Can't. Really?

2010-11-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

How often do I make excuses for why I can't do something for the world? I am easily overwhelmed by the immensity of the problems. Really, what kind of difference can I make anyway?

Take the Haitian earthquake and the new cholera epidemic, for instance. I don't have any medical skills, and I don't do body fluids. (God was wise not to give me babies.) I couldn't build if my life depended on it; just ask the people who worked with me on my occasional Habitat for Humanity forays.

And so my default mode is to pray and if, especially moved, to make a financial donation. At least that way my little bit combines with others' little bits to support those who actually have the skills.

It takes only a 10-year-old to shame me. (No, not my granddaughter Ashlee this time.) Alexys Palmer saw video of the Haitian earthquake at the Creation music festival and decided she had to do something.

She came up with a great idea. She would make dresses for girls in Haiti. 100 of them. Out of pillowcases. She wanted them all done by November to ship them to Haiti in time for Christmas. There was just one tiny little hiccup (my apologies to Sam in Love Actually for stealing his line). Alexys didn't know how to sew.

It didn't stop her. She had her mom teach her to sew. Now she's halfway to her goal. On each dress she's sewn a pocket, and in the pocket she places a Bible verse translated into Creole. She calls her ministry Lexy's Pockets Full of Sonshine. After she fills her Haiti quota, she plans to make more dresses for a group called Angels in Africa, which cares for impoverished children in African countries. You can watch a video about Alexys to learn more.

Creativity is a beautiful gift from God. Alexys is using hers to meet the needs of his children. May she inspire each of us to use our own creativity to find ways to serve.

Wandering Back Into the Light

2010-11-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

Debby Howell-Moroney, her husband Michael and their, at that time, small children Maddy and Ian, were part of our Delaware church while Michael was getting his PhD. They moved on to Birmingham many years ago, but we were so thankful to see them this summer when they visited the Mid-Atlantic region. Debby is a tireless advocate for social justice, so I asked her to do a guest blog. It’s different from what I expected, but I believe you will find it as challenging as I did.

I am finally coming out of a long dry spell, spiritually speaking. If you’ve been a believer longer than a week, you probably know exactly what I am talking about. Never one to see things as “half-empty,” I like to reflect on the children of Israel being led into the wilderness. God rescued them from Egypt, but this wasn’t exactly the Promised Land either. There was—and still is— a purpose to the wilderness. God doesn’t intend to leave us there either. That is what keeps me going. God had something better, awesome, amazing, planned for the children of Israel on the other side—they just couldn’t see it from where they were.

God has something better for you and God had something better for me too, and I think I caught a glimpse of it today. Back when I was feeling loved and special and basking in His glow (while I drove my minivan to ballet practice, changed diapers, and did mountains of laundry), my spiritual life consisted of daily conversations and meditations with God in the most unlikely places: the shower, while driving, or sitting in the car-pool line at preschool. I am, and maybe will always be, a completely undisciplined and rebellious Bible reader. I don’t want anyone making me feel guilty about how and when and with what frequency I “do” a “quiet time.”

Thankfully, God finds a way of smooshing in through the cracks and the spilled cans of soda. Bless Seeds Family Worship and The Donut Man—they are largely responsible for my knowledge of Scripture, with their catchy little jangles and funky little beats. (Those and my sweet childhood friend who dragged me along to every VBS and Awana meeting they held at her church.) God takes snippets of Scripture and puts meditations in my mind—often during “McPrayers” or while humming praise music that has stuck in my brain from Sunday morning worship.

I don’t know when He stopped speaking to me or, more likely, when I stopped hearing Him.

Somewhere in there we stopped leading a small group at our home on Sunday night. I stopped attending the playgroup that I have been going to since we moved to Alabama in 2002. I no longer have a preschool age child to use as an excuse to show up, religiously, for a recharge. Money got tight and we got busier with the busyness of life. Our desire to be foster parents ground to a halt as the certification process was inexplicably prolonged by bureaucratic inefficiencies. My 2½-year tenure of hip-hop dance fitness ended right as I was completing the process of becoming an instructor. What does it all really matter anyway?

Sometimes I think we get lost in similar “what does it matter” funk. We get to feeling as though we can’t make a difference on our own in the world around us or in the world at large. It’s not that I ever really felt like what I do doesn’t matter; I just felt like if I didn’t do those things, that wouldn’t matter either. After all, what is one Bible study group, more or less?

I received a note in the mail this week that began the course of my redemption from this dry place. It was from Alabama Youth Home. AYH regularly uses telemarketing to raise money for the youth they serve in several group homes. I typically pledge 10 or 20 bucks when they call and faithfully write a check when the pledge form arrives.

But this wasn’t a typical mailing from them. Inside was a letter reminding me of a $10 pledge I made back in January 2010 that I hadn’t mailed in. “Unbelievable,” I thought. Can you imagine—they were collecting on a commitment that I had made back in January and neglected to fulfill. As I am sure you can imagine, our budget was tight in January in the post-holiday crunch. I had made my usual pledge, but by the time the collection envelope had arrived, our money was nearly gone for the month and I had blown it off. What is $10, anyway? No big deal. Right?

Why on earth would they be collecting now? That seems crazy. Surely people make pledges and don’t pay them all the time, right? Maybe, but it struck me as incredible, brilliant. Assuming they are coming up on the end of their budget year and with a tightening economy, what an interesting thing to count unpaid pledges as assets. I love it. I made a pledge; I needed to honor it. I was convicted, and so I wrote a check—for $20—and dropped it in the mail.

I don’t know when it happened. Maybe it was last night when I was washing dishes and God shared the phrase, “Be a person worthy of respect, because it is the right thing to do. Don’t do it for recognition because you will largely go unnoticed.” Or perhaps it was in the car today when I clearly heard Him say, “No act, done in love, is too small when it’s done in my name.” That’s when I realized I had really missed hearing His voice. I am glad it is back or that I am listening again.

Déjà Vu

2010-10-29T19:49:00.001-04:00

Ever since Ashlee won the whole series of Little House on the Prairie books in her first month with us, she has been fascinated with Little House. We got the first season of the TV series and have been watching it together.

Last weekend we arrived at an episode called "Plague" about the spread of typhoid in Walnut Grove. As we were watching, I was flipping through the newspaper I hadn't gotten to the day before. And there before me was the plague in our time. No, it wasn't typhoid but cholera, spreading quickly in Haiti. Officials are worried about how the numbers will jump when—not if, they say—the disease hits the tent cities of Port-au-Prince.

Living our insulated lives, it's hard to remember that plagues still ravage the world, plagues that can be prevented, in this case by proper sanitation and clean drinking water. While officials try to find the cause, and some blame the U.N. peacekeepers from Nepal, the goal should be to eradicate this disease and other plagues from the planet. In most cases we have the know-how. We just need the will—and the funding—to do it.

If you want to help with the immediate need in Haiti, you can support Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in English, Doctors without Borders, or Partners in Health. If you want to work toward long-term solutions, consider a donation to The Carter Center's health programs or UNICEF's Achieving Zero Campaign.

If only plagues were relegated to old TV shows about an olden time rather than reality. (I guess I can be thankful that at least it's not yet on reality TV.)

The Potters’ Chin

2010-10-24T14:54:00.002-04:00

Jenn Potter and her husband Dan were members of our church in Delaware about 10 years ago. As Jenn puts it, we “share a love of reaching out beyond the church walls to be a light to the nations for the sake of the gospel, a light that Christ has made us and called us to walk in.” We still keep in touch, and I knew about a unique ministry Jenn is passionate about. That’s why I asked her to do a guest blog. I am sure it will encourage you in your search to make a difference.

Since our time in Delaware, God has brought us to the Dallas area and through a series of wonderful events, lead us to a ministry that is the answer to a cry of my heart since I was a teenager and a prayer for my family since we were married. I want to share with you a bit about our story for two main reasons: #1. to encourage you to persevere in prayer, especially if you feel called to serve in a certain area but see no way to do it at present, and #2. to let you know about a possible way to affect and interact with the nations without ever leaving your town.

Let me start in the present and tell you a bit about what #2 looks like in our lives. Dallas/Fort Worth is one of the six officially recognized resettlement sites for refugees in Texas. The resettlement has moved outward toward the suburbs, and today in the area I live (about 30 minutes from downtown Dallas), it is estimated that there are 2,000 refugees from the country of Burma who live, work, and go to school here.

They are a people group called the Chin, a group that has been persecuted for racial, political, and religious reasons in Burma since the early 1990s. They are a rural people, mostly living in villages where they farm, and have no indoor plumbing, little education, and none of the paperwork our country seems built upon.

The Chin have left Burma by the tens of thousands, largely to Malaysia where they have waited for years to be resettled. I met a Chin family yesterday who arrived in the U.S. in early September—they had been in Malaysia for eight years, waiting for a country to take them in. They come with one suitcase, little to no English, and limited government resettlement support, which ends after 8 months. Perhaps you can begin to imagine the culture, language, and way of life shock they live in, literally for years, and the massive need they have to make American friends who can help them navigate this complicate world we live in with all of our systems, paperwork, busy-ness, computers, etc. That is where “we Americans” come in!

There are countless ways you can help a refugee including donating items, assisting with paperwork and, more than anything, just taking the time to care about who they are, to smile and welcome them, to pray for them and their families back in Burma and Malaysia, and to continue to be there as a resource as they come up against more and more things they do not understand.

Sometimes we have volunteers who wonder about the danger of enabling them, or treating them as if they don’t know anything, and so on. I had a good wake-up call to the reality of what they are up against when my sister spent a morning with me visiting some Chin apartments. She had recently returned from teaching English is China for 18 months. She is a college-graduate, who has lived abroad before and speaks three languages (although not Chinese). She was so intrigued by what we were doing because she said, “This is what we had in China—someone to help us ‘figure out’ how to do things there because it is so different than in America.” The university she worked for had provided a “cultural liaison,” if you will, for her while she was there, someone who helped her know when she needed to reapply with the government for various things, how to find her way around, how to cook, how to live in China. So if my bold, educated sister needed help from the Chinese while she lived in their country, how much more do these refugees, who are mostly illiterate even in their own language, have little to no schooling, and are beaten down from years in refugee camps, need our help to navigate life in America?

I could go on and on about the Chin, and refugees in general, but if you are interested in more information about them or the specifics of this type of ministry, you can visit this link: hv.thevillagechurch.net/chin-refugees

If this resonates with you at all, I would encourage you to look for refugees in your area. You could try to find connections through schools or churches near lower-income apartment complexes. You could look up resettlement agencies located in your area. You don’t need a large ministry to get involved with—just find a family (sometimes the hardest part) and begin a friendship with them. Ask to help them with their mail. Or cook a meal together—I’ve found the Chin love spaghetti! Once you develop a friendship and they know you are going to keep coming back, they will open up to you and the ways you can help them will be countless.

And don’t give up. Whether it’s helping refugees or whatever your passion is, hang in there if connecting with it is not coming easily. I knew I wanted to serve the poor and oppressed, and I especially have a heart for those from third-world countries. But I didn’t know how to do that where I was living, short of mission trips.

My husband and I wanted to serve together, and once we had kids, we wanted to serve as a family. So for the 13 years of our marriage, we tried about everything we could find locally in addition to international mission trips: nursing homes, Habitat for Humanity, student mentoring, inner city ministries, ESL for Spanish speakers, soup kitchens, Thanksgiving and Christmas outreaches. But we always found the ministry wasn’t exactly for us, wasn’t where our hearts were, or wasn’t close enough for it to become a lifestyle for us.

But we kept praying and we kept trying. It wasn’t until 18 months ago that we got connected with the Chin Refugee Ministry, and it was actually through contacts made during those years of trying out various ministries. I am overjoyed to be able to use my gifts and passions in a ministry that feels tailor made for me (thank You, God!) but I still remember that frustration of desperately wanting a way to serve and not finding it.

If that is you, hang on—keep praying as the persistent widow of Luke 18, keep trying out things that might be a possibility, and trust that God will guide you to that place He has for you and equip you with everything good for doing His will.

Visit a Christian Bookstore; Help Haiti

2010-10-20T16:00:00.003-04:00

I love books. I know you know that if you've read the blog more than once or met me in person. Even when I try to swear off buying books for a season—"I'll use the library!" "I'll not buy a book until I read every book on my to-be-read shelves" (yes, it's way beyond a to-be-read pile)—the resolve only lasts until I enter the next bookstore or see the next book advertised.

So I'm thrilled to announce a compassionate reason to visit your local Christian bookstore on Saturday, October 23.

CBA, the Christian Booksellers Association, is hosting Christian Store Day to celebrate the service Christian stores provide to the community. The day will “include unique in-store product specials and appearance from authors and recording artists at a number of CBA retailers,” according to the website.

But rather than just celebrating themselves, they've teamed up with Compassion International, Operation Christmas Child and World Vision to raise awareness and funds for continued relief in Haiti. A special CD compilation will be sold in stores that day to raise money for Haitian relief. The artists on the CD have donated their royalties for the project, and music companies are foregoing profits to help support ministries in Haiti.

So you don’t even have to love books to help. Go buy some music. Show up and let your local Christian bookstore know you appreciate their business. And I suppose if you’re the type who can actually stay out of a bookstore, you can simply donate cash directly to Compassion, Operation Christmas Child or World Vision. Me? I'm off to buy a book. (Okay, a lot of books.)

A Cast of Thousands

2010-10-15T15:58:00.001-04:00

Today is Blog Action Day for water issues. I'm one of thousands of bloggers in 125 countries who will be posting today to help create awareness and action to solve the problems resulting from lack of clean water. Take my little quiz to see how much you know about water and the world. (Answers are at the bottom.)

What do you know about water?

1. How many people in the world lack access to clean water?

a. almost 350 million b. 625 million c. nearly 1 billion d. more than 3 billion

See answer info here

2. How many children under age 5 die every week from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions?

a. 38,000 children a week b. 2,000 children a week c. 1 million children a week

See answer info here

3. How many liter(s) of water does it take to produce one hamburger?

a. 0.5 liter b. 1.4 liter c. 2.8 liters d. 24 liters

See answer info here

4. How many liters of water does it take to produce one pair of jeans?

a. 5 liters b. 61 liters c. 522 liters d. 6,813 liters

See answer info here

5. How many liter(s) of water does the average American use per day?

a. 0.8 liter b. 52 liters c. 465 liters d. 1,144 liters

Discover how much you use here

Visit the blog action day website for ideas of ways you can help conserve water and ensure that people the world over have access to clean water. If you or I become one of thousands making a small change, we can make a huge impact.

And now the quiz answers 1. c, 2. a, 3. d, 4. d, and 5. c. Be sure to read the answer info pages to learn more about the correct answers. How did you do? Let me know in the comments which answer surprised you most and why.

Forgetting the Power

2010-10-06T16:11:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I blogged about Max Lucado's new book Outlive Your Life. It was a book I received free from Thomas Nelson via booksneeze.com. At the time I ordered Outlive Your Life, I also ordered the companion book for teens, You Were Made to Make a Difference, which was written by Max and his daughter Jenna Lucado Bishop, with help from Natalie Gillespie. I had hoped to review both books together, but You Were Made to Make a Difference was back ordered, and so I only now finished reading it.

It follows the same conversational arc that Outlive Your Life does, with the book of Acts as the basis for how to make a difference in the world. But the design and copy are teen oriented (although I feel it is geared more for young teens), and the stories told of people making a difference are all about teens and preteens. It even shares more of the story of Alex and Brett Harris, whose "rebelution" and book Start Here I blogged about back in March.

The user friendly content and the stories of people their own ages should keep kids interested and hopefully give them confidence that they, too, can change the world. Practical ideas for doing just that decorate the pages, and it also provides ways for teens to raise funds to do God's work. I look forward to sharing You Were Made to Make a Difference with some of the teens in my church. I want to see if it inspires them to do big things for God as they allow him to use them.

As I read the book, it reinforced many of the points that struck me in the adult version of the book, including the idea that we don't have to be anyone more special than we already are (as God's child) to be God's hands and feet in a hurting world.

This passage really hit me:

Prayer is our foundation for making a difference. Trying to change the world without prayer is like trying to use a new iPod without charging the battery. You have to connect to the power source before you can start rockin'.

How often have I tried to do something without first accessing God's power? Way more than I want to admit. Yet I'm a weakling. I have little strength and even less commitment and motivation. If I am going to impact my world, I need to first spend time in prayer. I need to seek God to change me and to change the world around me. I must have his power to make a difference.

Let's start right here:

Father, you are the all-powerful one. I'm useless without you. Too easily turned aside to other interests. I ask you to show me your heart for the world, for children in need, for people caught in a cycle of despair. Show me the helplessness of my own condition (even when I foolishly think I am self-sufficient) and lead me to you often so we can talk and you can share your plans with me. I want to be used of you; keep me plugged in to you as my source.

Hoping you, too, are seeking God's power to change the world.

And while your at it consider buying You Were Made to Make a Difference for a young teen in your life so they, too, can change the world.

An Alternative Guest

2010-09-22T16:00:00.004-04:00

One of the people I’ve gotten to know who is committed to making a difference here in Lancaster County and around the world is Jennifer Knepper. She is a staff nurse in the medical ICU at Hershey Medical Center, an adjunct clinical instructor for Lancaster General College, and a volunteer RN at Water Street Health Services. I’ve asked her to do a guest blog on an event that’s dear to her heart.

During a work shift at Hershey in 2007, I had some downtime at about 2 a.m. and decided to pick up the Patriot News. My eyes immediately went to the article that asked if your grandma really needed another sweater for Christmas or if your dad needed another tie. And I said “NO!”

My parents had actually been telling me for years not to get them anything for the holidays because they had enough “stuff,” so I began giving them gifts to honor them based on the impact that they’d had in my life. For example:

· I gave the gift of education for a child in Africa through World Vision in their name. I choose this for my parents because my education was always something that they wholeheartedly supported and encouraged. I have come to realize how the gender disparity that exists throughout the world would not likely have afforded me an education had I grown up elsewhere.

· One year, in honor of my sister, I gave to a cause she feels very passionate about—fighting human trafficking. I had heard the president of International Justice Mission speak at my church about the atrocities of modern day slavery, human trafficking and the like and decided to give the gift of aftercare to a young girl who had been rescued from a brothel for forced prostitution.

As I read the article, I discovered that a group of women in Harrisburg were hosting an alternative gift fair called Gifts That Give Hope. The best way to describe an alternative gift fair is to essentially think of a live version of a gift catalog that you may have seen or received around the holidays to further the work of various nonprofit organizations and to promote meaningful gift giving.

I immediately contacted and subsequently met with them in December of 2007 to brainstorm. In January of 2008, I gathered a small group of vibrant, committed volunteers to put this concept in motion for Lancaster. We hosted our first annual gift fair in November of 2008 and sold over $30,000 worth of gifts that benefited 30+ nonprofit organizations.

We’re now planning for our 3rd annual event and are excited to see how things have grown. We’ve worked to make this event unique to Lancaster with a celebratory and community emphasis. We will be featuring local flavors of well-loved cafes and restaurants unique to Lancaster County: Café Chocolate, Cocina Mexicana, Rachel’s Creperie, Spyro Gyro, Square One Coffee, Rafiki Café and Wendy Jo’s Homemade. Children’s activities are available from the following organizations: The Lancaster Science Factory, Heads Up Lancaster, Your Language Connection, Music for Everyone, and Kids and Cultures.

In addition to the alternative gifts, holiday shoppers can purchase fair trade gift items for loved ones, teachers, coworkers, and the like. Gift items range from “Bead for Life” jewelry made from magazines by women in Uganda, to “Delicious Peace” coffee (organic & fair trade) grown by Christian, Jewish, and Muslim farmers in a co-op in Uganda, and items from “Made by Survivors,” where every piece is handmade by a woman who has been removed from human trafficking and is now involved in respectable and dignified working conditions.

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, November 20, from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., at the Farm and Home Center (Penn State Cooperative Extension building), 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. We are still looking for volunteers to help with this year's event. Could you be one of them?

To learn more, check out our website or our blog. "Friend" us on Facebook. Contact us with any questions or to volunteer.

Hope to see you there.

Life Is Good (for me)

2010-09-17T14:21:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I'm a whiner. I know you find that hard to believe, but it's true. And it seems a little incongruous, considering that my standard uniform these days is a a pair of jeans and a Life Is Good t-shirt (one of the perks of working for yourself is you get to set the dress code).

And my life is good. I have part-time work that I love that pays well. I have an incredible husband who loves me and sends me away on trips with my girlfriends (headed to Myrtle Beach tomorrow). I have a beautiful extended family with no family feuds, even over my mom's estate. (Don't get me wrong; my brothers can still be annoying, but they can't help it.) I live in a lovely house in a great neighborhood. I have a relationship with Jesus that brings me joy. It's a good life.

I should never take it for granted or whine about it because many people do not have a good life. I've found myself changing out of the "uniform" t-shirt before serving in food ministries. Those coming might not agree with the sentiment. Today's paper noted that the Census Bureau has determined that 1 in 7 U.S. residence lives in poverty, 43.6 million people. That's staggering.

Last evening, I learned about another massive group of people for whom life is not good. I was privileged to attend a screening of the film At the End of Slavery, produced by International Justice Mission. Before the film, we heard some facts, things that boggle the mind. Let me share a few with you:

The trafficking of human beings is the second-most lucrative crime in the world.
In the 1700s and 1800s, a total of 11 million people were sold into slavery. Today 27 to 30 million people are enslaved.
In the 1700s and 1800s, a slave cost the equivalent of $40,000 in today's money. Now the average cost of a slave is $90, and one can buy children for $40–$50.
45,000 to 50,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year, and 15,000 to 17,000 of them are children brought in for commercial sexual exploitation.
2 children per minute are trafficked into sexual exploitation or slavery.
Only 46% of enslaved individuals are involved in forced prostitution. Of the rest, 27% are in domestic servitude, 10% in agriculture, and 5% in factories. Many become slaves due to debt bondage.

It's not a good life. We can make a difference. Become informed. The organizations represented at last evening's screening can help: LOVE146, North Star Initiative, The Body Shop (which has a petition you can sign), Made By Survivors, and, as mentioned above, International Justice Mission. You can also order "house party" copies of 30-minute film on its website.

Let's try to make life good for others. And I'll try to stop whining.

Live Life to the Max

2010-09-10T21:26:00.001-04:00

You know I consider myself ordinary, average, and that's why I named my blog I'm No Superstar as I explained in a post a few weeks ago. But I do believe we ordinary people (and there are a lot of us) can make an extraordinary difference in our world. I've been trying to get the message out through this blog and some articles I've written for Christian magazines. I've even (unsuccessfully) pitched a book on the topic for years.

Now, thanks to a free book I received from Thomas Nelson via booksneeze.com, I am confident that the message will get out to a far wider audience than I could ever reach. After all, I'm no Max Lucado.

Outlive Your Life has all the hallmarks of a Lucado book: The witty wordplay—"He walked on water but never strutted on the beach." The retelling of a Bible story so vividly, you think you were there—I especially love the retelling of Saul and Ananias. The alluring alliteration—"We—who came to Christ as sinful, soiled and small—accomplish things." The personal illustrations.

But this book includes a premise I have to admit I didn't expect to see in a Lucado book, the idea that, as Max tells it, "God has given this generation, our generation, everything we need to alter the course of human suffering." The way for us to outlive our lives is to use them to make a difference in the world today, so others who live after us, have better lives.

Taking an unusual approach to social justice, Lucado uses the first 12 chapters of the book of Acts to illustrate how and why God wants us to impact our world. Short chapters (6 to 8 pages, plus a prayer of application) provide for easier digestion and time to ponder. A discussion guide at the end contains not only questions, but a few practical action ideas to push us in the direction of outliving our lives.

And to put his money where his mouth is, Lucado is giving the royalties of this book to World Vision, which will use it to drill wells in northern Uganda. So buying the book helps you to already outlive your life. Go for it! And feel free to tell me what actions you're taking to outlive your life.

Are You a Butterfly?

2010-09-07T16:00:00.004-04:00

You've probably heard of the butterfly effect. No, not the Ashton Kutcher movie; the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings in South America affects the weather in New York City. It has something to do with Chaos Theory, which might be a good descriptor of my life if it was instead called Chaos Reality. Truly, I have no idea what Chaos Theory is (and if you know, don't tell me; I'm not that interested).

The point of the butterfly effect is that small, seemingly inconsequential actions can affect the world in amazing ways. And so Andy Andrews, the teller of parables whose book The Noticer I reviewed last year on my blog, has crafted his newest book, The Butterfly Effect, around this phenomenon. When the publisher, Thomas Nelson, offered me a complimentary copy through BookSneeze.com, I couldn't resist a peek.

Andrews is a masterful storyteller, and this book is no exception. The Butterfly Effect reminds me of It's a Wonderful Life, but with historical facts. And instead of tracing how one life affected his world, he traces how one wonderful outcome arose from many people who took one bold or brave action. He gets to the people behind the hero, those whose actions in the past allowed the superstar to become a superstar, to make a world of difference.

A beautifully sculpted gift book with exquisite pacing of copy and art, The Butterfly Effect makes an outstanding gift to a recent graduate, an uncertain teen, an adult trying to decide life's next step. If George Bailey had read it, he might not have needed the angelic review of all his life had meant to others. Who do you know that needs its message? (Read it yourself before you give it away.)

What results will your actions have? Is the thought that each small, insignificant choice you make or action you take can, and will, affect the lives of countless others enough to keep you moving? It drives me to my knees to ask God for wisdom to choose well. As Andrews says, "You have been created in order that you might make a difference." What difference are you making in your world? Every step is a small but powerful one. Make it purposefully.

Hit Me with Your Best Shot

2010-09-02T10:34:00.001-04:00

Ever feel like God is targeting a certain message right at you? It can be scary, but I love when that happens. It reminds me that I have a personal God, not just a rule book from an out-of-touch deity.

Yesterday I had to choose a new book of the Bible to start reading for my morning Bible reading time. Like most people, I tend to gravitate toward books I love for their practical application (Do this! Be this kind of person! Avoid that!) or at least to shorter books so I can feel I've accomplished something. And okay, usually the New Testament because, hey, all that talk of animal sacrifice and wars can get downright wearisome.

I'd just finished Mark, the shortest Gospel, to be sure, but still longer than most of the Epistles. Prior to that I had read the Psalms—great for the emotions I was dealing with as Mom became ill and was, as the Salvation Army says, "promoted to glory." So where to now?

For some reason (God, I'm guessing), I was drawn to Isaiah. Old Testament, 66 chapters, lots of prophecy (hate that) and curses. What was I thinking?

Well, God was thinking. In chapter one I came across these 3- to 4-word power-packed punches:

Cease to do evil,

Learn to do good;

Seek justice,

Reprove the ruthless,

Defend the orphan,

Plead for the widow.

They come right after God tells the people he's kind of sick of their sacrifices and religious traditions himself. “Straighten up!” he says, and then gives them these specifics.

It struck me that learning to do good, and seeking justice are intentional, conscious choices. It’s not going to happen when I am operating in default mode. I need to choose.

And it occurred to me that meant choosing harder, more expensive and less convenient things like fair-trade chocolate and tea. Could I justify the extra expense?

I picked up my devotional book (Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler) and heard God laugh. In talking of Christ being our Lord, it read, “Instead of striving to do what we want when we want, we will strive to do what God wants when he wants. As we do, we will begin to understand that his lordship will not diminish or impoverish us but that it will bless us in surprising ways."

Okay, okay, I get it. Later in the day, I went to Ten Thousand Villages to pick up my fair-trade tea. Um, harder than I thought. No decaf (which accounts for more than half the tea I drink). And only small quantities of regular tea, not the bulk bags I need.

The salesperson suggested I try Equal Exchange online. That led to a futile hour-and-a-half Internet quest. And now I am overwhelmed. First, very little decaf black fair-trade tea is available in the U.S. Second, the names of all the teas are very complicated; I have no idea what translates to the equivalent of basic Lipton tea. (Blah, blah, blah; yes, I know how much better the fancy-schmancy tea will supposedly taste.)

Third, it is very expensive. (I know, I am not supposed to worry about obedience “impoverishing” me, but when you go from a gallon of iced tea costing you about 40¢ to it costing between $1.60 to $4.80, that’s a huge difference. Especially if you drink at least a half-gallon a day as I do.) And finally, what is available is loose, not bagged tea. So now I have to deal with shlepping tea leaves?

Not sure what I’m going to do. (Drink more water?) If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. In the meantime, I’m asking God to continue to be personal and lead me to the right tea. Is that too much to ask? (And don't even get me started on the chocolate.)

What Are You Up To?

2010-08-29T14:00:00.002-04:00

I wish I were more disciplined to blog more often. I try to blog at least once a week, but it doesn't always happen. Life happens instead—work projects, fun times, granddaughter activities, church stuff, writers conferences, sleep, doctors' appointments, executor responsibilities, bill paying and budgets. You know the drill.

I'd love to blog more. I know a lot of great charities out there, but I certainly don't know them all. So here's my proposition: If you're involved in a compassion or justice organization, if you volunteer or give or petition or pray, send me an e-mail or comment below. I would love to either write about you or allow you to write a guest blog if you're up for it. And for some of you that I know are involved in cool stuff, I may contact you directly.

If I can't be more disciplined, at least maybe I can delegate. Let the guest bloggers arise!

What's That All About Anyway?

2010-08-24T22:46:00.002-04:00

I've been blogging since 2005, and until this year my blog appeared on my website (where you can still access the archives). Maybe you are a newer reader, and you wonder why I called this blog I'm No Superstar. As I wrote my first day on the blog, I chose the title I'm No Superstar because it's true.

I've never been a superstar. I'm good at lots of things, but I am not great at anything, not a superstar. (It was a rude realization for the woman who used to have a poster on her wall that said, "To be good is not enough when you dream of being great.") And maybe you aren't a superstar either. But that's okay. I want us to be whom God made us to be and do the things God called us to do. I want us to discover together how we can make a difference in our world just as average people.

I spent time ten days ago at a writers conference, in a track on compassion, justice and advocacy writing. It was amazing to meet John Perkins, hear Tony Campolo, and interact with people who are on the front lines, leading the justice movement. But honestly, I am not there. I am a foot soldier, and sometimes a reluctant one at that, or really a supply line person. I believe my place is to support those who are in the trenches, whether financially or as a volunteer.

It's taken me a lot of years to get to the place where I am (mostly) comfortable with being the person God created me to be and doing the work he has given me (including being a rural pastor's wife). I want to allow God to challenge me, I don't want to get lazy or too comfortable, so I read things on compassion and justice, look for opportunities I can be a part of and/or share with others through this blog.

I hope you find it encouraging, especially if you don't consider yourself a superstar either. Help us out; let us know what your favorite justice and compassion ministry is, so the rest of us can check it out. Maybe it’s a place we can shine.

No Care for You

2010-08-11T18:58:00.010-04:00

"I'm sorry, we won't be able to see Ashlee anymore." Those aren't the words you want to hear from your child's (or in this case grandchild's) doctor. We're running into a little problem with Ashlee's insurance from Tennessee not translating to Pennsylvania.

I panicked a bit (okay, I had a meltdown on the phone with Les), but God had a sense of humor. Within hours of my call, Joy (our daughter and Ashlee's mom) got a copy of a form that had already been filed asking that the insurance be transferred. So I am hopeful it will be all straightened out soon and we won't be without a doctor for long.

But lack of medical care is a daily reality for millions of people around the world. On my last post I mentioned Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The organization deploys medical personnel to 60 countries to help those in crisis situations. Child sponsorship organizations like Compassion International and World Vision provide medical care as part of their community programs. World Medical Mission (a division of Samaritan's Purse) sends doctors, dentists and other medical personnel to assist in mission hospitals that need help.

How can you help others get the care they need? First pray for quality medical care in areas across the globe. (One great way to do this is to pray specifically for countries you read or hear about in the news.) Consider sponsoring a child in another country. Offer to drive people in need of medical services through your church or area social services organization. Encourage parents to sign their uninsured children up for CHIP insurance in their state (here's the PA website; if you are in another state, simply google CHIP and the state name). If you have medical skills, take a short-term trip to volunteer your time. If you have no medical skills, donate to help others go.

And remember, there but for the grace of God go you and I. So be thankful for the medical care (and insurance) you and your family have.

Starved for Attention

2010-08-06T19:11:00.002-04:00

One of the biggest adjustments to having a 10 year old in the house has been the constant need for attention. I know my husband thinks I talk a lot, but Ashlee makes me seem like a recluse. She wants you to be listening to her whenever you are in the same house, and even if you're not able (or, let's face it, willing) to listen right then, she is busy talking or singing or simply making mouth noises. I'm someone who rarely turns on a radio or a TV, so the constant noise is taking some getting used to!

Kids elsewhere in the world are starved for attention in a different way. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has created a global campaign called Starved for Attention to call attention to the 195 million children around the world who suffer the effects of malnutrition.

Visit the website, view some of the videos from around the world. Like the one from Bangladesh where mothers think malnutrition is simply a normal part of everyday life. Or read the one from the U.S. that talks first about our WIC program and then about the mush we export as food aid around the world—mush we would never feed our children.

Then sign the petition on the website asking world leaders to ensure that these children are getting fed and fed food that helps them grow well, food filled with nutrition.

Ashlee watched a couple of the videos with me, and even she would have to admit that she is never starved for attention when it comes to getting proper nutrition. We are the fortunate ones. Speak up for those who truly are starving and need our attention.

Owning the Pond

2010-08-02T20:02:00.001-04:00

As I prepare for vacation, I am trying to organize my work, figuring out what I have to take along, supplying clients with hotel addresses for FedEx, and generally feeling bummed that I have to worry about work on my vacation. Ah, the joys of owning your own business.

But there are obvious benefits. I can work in my jammies. I set my own hours (though they may be longer than I like when I have a big project). I establish my own prices and get to keep all the profits. I know my own worth. It definitely makes up for the vacation-juggling issues.

I was reminded of that while reading John Perkins' book Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development. In it he reminds us of the old "give a man a fish/teach a man to fish" principle. And how obviously the teaching is better. But then he says it's not enough. Now, he says, we need "to ask the question: 'Who owns the pond?'"

It's a good question and one that has led to the rise of—and success of—microfinance in fighting poverty. When you own your own business, you're more committed to it. You work hard. You invest in your skills and your business. You treat your customers right because you know you'll lose them if you don't and that affects your bottom line. You're proud of what you accomplish.

Helping people run their own businesses can enable them to rise out of poverty, but it also provides them with dignity and allows them to serve as a role model for others. Many charities working in poverty relief allow you to fund a microloan for as little as $25. Kiva and World Vision allow you to pick the project you want to fund. World Vision provides updates on what your entrepreneur is doing. Kiva allows you to receive your money back when the loan is repaid (or you can reinvest it). Both allow you to give gift certificates so others can choose whose project to fund.

If you have a favorite microfinance site, please include it in the comments section so others know their options. Help others lift themselves out of poverty and enjoy the fruits of their own labors. They're still a long way from having a vacation to worry about.

Back to School with Justice

2010-07-26T12:34:00.000-04:00

It's been almost 20 years since I had to shop for back-to-school clothes. Where do I even begin, especially if I want to live justly?

Ashlee is at that weird in-between stage—outgrowing girls clothing, but not really a junior size. I remember those days from my childhood. For more than a year, the only place I could shop was Sears' "Lemon Frog" shop (but at least the clothes were groovy).

I've tried the reusit shop, the yard sale and the hand-me-down route, and it works pretty well for tops, but pants, shorts and skirts are a disaster! Way too much energy expended for little or no return.

Ashlee and I have begun making the rounds of stores, trying on all sorts of sizes from both the girls and juniors. A JC Penney the girls-plus 16 1/2 fits, but at Old Navy she's a ladies size 6 if anything fits at all. At Justice for Girls she's a 14 or 16. Other places, nothing fits. There's no buying without trying it on.

I know from reading Green America's Guide for Ending Sweatshops (download your own here) that most traditional retailers are still contracting with producers operating in sweatshop conditions. Most use practices that harm the environment. Few pay fair wages.

A decade ago, I stopped shopping at WalMart and KMart because of their unfair trade practices, sending them letters telling them why. After a few years, as I began to read that every major clothing retailer has similar practices, I succumbed to the lure of the cheap: If they all contributed to the problem, why pay more?

I was a buyer for Macy's, and I know that retailers all use the same factories. Let me say that I have been in some factories in the Orient, and they seemed fine to me. I've since learned, however, that many producers have "showcase" factories, where they take visitors, and other factories, or subcontractors, where working conditions are deplorable.

So if Justice for Girls offers no justice, and neither do other retailers, how do you responsibly outfit a preteen for school?

I went on worldofgood.com, which offers goods only by "eco-positive, people-positive" sellers, but there are no pants a self-conscious preteen would wear (little I would wear either). And since kids keep growing, and you need to regularly replace almost entire wardrobes, I can't afford to be spending big bucks for each item.

So what's the solution? I don't have one. I'm guessing we'll be shopping where all other preteen girls shop. If you have a more just solution, feel free to let me know. I'm certainly open to it!

Minding Micah

2010-07-21T14:01:00.000-04:00

Micah 6:8 says, "What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." I love that verse. It's underlined in my Bible. I have it memorized. There's a cross-stitch sampler of it hanging on my wall.

Now if I can only live it. I say I want to, but then my own selfishness intervenes. Last week I signed a petition (which I then posted on Facebook) asking big chocolate to stop using child labor, to become fair trade. It appalls me that so much chocolate is produced under conditions that amount to slavery. And yet on Sunday I was offering my friend Cyndi some chocolate-covered pretzel clusters (made with Lancaster County Hammond pretzels and Wilbur dark chocolate—a potent combination). Her reply: "No thank you. I try to eat only fair trade chocolate."

Ouch! Why don't I? It's not that I don't believe in it, but Wilbur doesn't produce fair trade chocolate (it's part of Cargill now), and I love Wilbur chocolate. And that's the only way my pretzel clusters are produced. So it comes down to my convenience, my wants, my (let's be frank) selfishness.

If I am going to "act justly," I need reminders from friends like Cyndi. I need the reminder of my values.

That's why I am so excited about the new Faith and Justice Coalition of Lancaster County. The group "exists to serve as a site of encouragement to all . . . to live out the daily call to be the hands and feet of Christ to everyone we encounter through issues of justice, fair trade, alternative gift giving, and the like . . ." (Feel free to join the coalition.) I need friends like these who will encourage me, remind me, spur me on and help me not feel like a freak if I actually pursue living justly. It's so much easier to walk with others, especially on the narrow road.

Who are your friends like Cyndi or the Faith and Justice Coalition who help you make the hard—but joyous—choices required in Micah 6:8?

What Can Social Media Do?

2010-07-16T22:45:00.001-04:00

I have loved catching up with old friends on Facebook (maybe you!). I've also blogged for five years because I wanted to share social action ideas with others, another use for social media.

But I wanted to know what else I could do with it. Could it help me in my speaking or writing ministry? Through a Facebook post, I found out about a free seminar on social media for small business. The best thing at the seminar was not winning a free book (and if you know me, you know I love free books) but connecting to Ken Mueller (the speaker) and his Inkling Media. Inkling Media's blog provides great resources, but Fridays are special. "Others First" Friday shares a need, a way to put others first.

Here's a link to today's blog about a little girl named Reagan with tough medical problems that have left her parents with big bills. There are ways to help (want to donate an item for an auction?) and I would add that we can certainly pray.

Social media is all about community, Ken says. Here's a way we can be community for a family in need.

Stuck in Afghanistan

2010-07-07T14:47:00.003-04:00

Not literally, of course. At least not me (maybe our military).

I figure I must be the last person on the planet to read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, which is mostly about his building schools in Pakistan, not Afghanistan. But reading it made me immediately read his second book, Stones into Schools, which is about Afghanistan. Then because the foreward to that was written by Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner (another book I must be the last to read) and A Thousand Splendid Suns, I got those two to read.

I'm still reading the first and haven't started the second, but I'm already thinking I want to buy Jeanette Windle's book Veiled Freedom, which is also set in Afghanistan and was a finalist for both 2010 ECPA Christian Book Award in fiction and the Christy Award. I've heard great things about it, but I originally thought I wouldn't be interested in a book on Afghanistan. Obviously I was wrong.

Mortenson's charity, Central Asia Institute, builds schools, primarily for girls, in some of the hardest to reach places in Pakistan and Afghanistan. His miracle producing team of rogue agents accomplish amazing things on minimal resources and are worthy of support, or at least prayers.

Then I read about the following way to help Afghanistan in Shelf Awareness: "Penguin Group's Riverhead Trade Paperbacks is launching the Picture a Book Changing Lives campaign to raise money for the Khaled Hosseini Foundation, which was founded by the author to aid the people of Afghanistan. The Foundation supports projects that provide shelter to refugee families and economic and educational opportunities for women and children. The Foundation also awards scholarships to students who have migrated to the U.S. under refugee status and women pursuing higher education in Afghanistan.

 Under the Picture a Book Changing Lives campaign, people may submit one or two still photos of themselves reading or holding a copy of Hosseini's The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns. For each such photo uploaded to the Hosseini group page of Penguin, Riverhead is donating $2 to the Foundation, up to $25,000. The campaign runs through August 31.  Geoffrey Kloske, v-p and publisher of Riverhead, commented, 'Khaled Hosseini's books have changed the way many around the world picture Afghanistan, so it's a great opportunity to give his readers a way to help raise money that will benefit the people of that country.'"

Here are the photos I posted, one for each book:

(And yes, that's what I currently look like; the professional shot was taken a few years ago with my hair was done by a professional.)

You don't have to own the books to upload your photos. So borrow them from the library or a friend and make a difference in Afghanistan. More schools and help for the people there contributes to a more stable country and just might mean our soldiers can come home sooner. And that would make everyone happy.

Birthin' Babies

2010-07-01T16:11:00.002-04:00

Even if you've never seen all four hours of Gone With the Wind, you probably know the line: "I don't know nothin' about birthin' babies."

I can say that with conviction. I've never had a baby. I've never been in a delivery room with someone who has. (And here's a piece of Carol trivia that has nothing to do with where this post is going: I have changed only one diaper in my life.)

But I do know that the birth of a child is supposed to be a joyous time, in spite of the pain. That makes this TIME magazine article even more distressing. If you wish, start with the video or the picture gallery of Mamma Sessay, an 18-year-old from Sierra Leone, married since age 14, which chronicals her death while giving birth to twins. It's not supposed to be like this, but it is. In Sierra Leone for every 100 women who give birth, one of them dies (1033 per 100,000 births).

In Lancaster County, where I live, there were 7229 births in 2008 (the latest statistics available). An equivalent maternal mortality rate would be 72 women, one every five days. In reality the U.S. ratio is 16.6 women per 100,000, meaning Lancaster County is likely to have one maternal death a year. And the U.S. rate is nowhere near the best (we rank 39th in maternal mortality rates, behind countries like Lithuania and Slovakia). And Sierra Leone isn't the very worst (Afghanistan holds that distinction, with 1575 maternal deaths per 100,000 births).

The Millennium Development Goals set a goal to lower maternal mortality in 2015 by 75% from 2000 rates, but, according to the article, "only 12% of countries are on track to meet that target." The solutions aren't complicated—education, transportation to hospitals, access to medical care (prenatal as well as delivery)—but they aren't simple to execute.

And for those of us who are pro-life, it can be difficult to determine what agencies to support as some include access to abortion in their agendas. But "World Relief’s Maternal and Child Health Programs presently serve over 3.8 million people in 9 countries." You can feel confident donating to them. If you know of other pro-life–compatible organizations working to reduce maternal mortality, please list them (and provide links) in the comments section.

Council of Values

2010-06-12T22:28:00.001-04:00

I remember when Hillary Clinton's book It Takes a Village came out. Hillary-haters immediately flew in for the kill, ripping the book to shreds with their talons and teeth. I, on the other hand, read the book. I found I agreed with most of it, remembering that the "village" that raised me was my church, Feasterville Baptist (FBC).

I thought of FBC again when I read Nancy Gibbs' essay in TIME magazine about how writer Bruce Feiler had set up a Council of Dads for his kids when he found out he was ill. He invited men to be a part of raising his daughters, teaching them the values he felt were important. Gibbs goes on to suggest that all kids (even those whose parents aren't sick) need Councils of Dads and Moms in their lives if they're going to learn all we desire them to.

A few weeks ago I sent letters to a couple of people who were still on my mom's Christmas list and who were far enough away not to hear of her passing. I got letters back from them, reminiscing about the old days. Mrs. Blocker reminded me of the time we magic-markered my brother Bob's belly with a smiley face while he was sleeping. I remember her as one of the adults who taught me what it meant to have fun (along with Judy Pierce). Mrs. McCollum taught what it meant to faithfully serve the church, even when maybe you didn't feel like it. A few months ago, at another funeral, I saw Mrs. Colby and Mrs. Taylor, two of the adults who modeled gracious open-door hospitality. So many adults at that church taught us to serve Jesus joyfully, to value friendship and fellowship, and to laugh.

They also kept me on the straight and narrow. Pastor Keller taught me with his disappointment and admonition when he caught us talking with the boys on the church steps in the middle of the night when we were supposed to be sleeping over in Janet's camper. If he told our parents, I never knew it, but I knew how he expected us to behave in the future. The counsel of my parents' friends became a Council of Values for us.

I've carried the Council of Values forward without even realizing it. Les and I were part of such a council for Joy and her sister Debbie long before they ever became a part of our family. Which means we can choose to be a part of a child's council without being asked to do so. We begin to invest in their lives, listen to them, and live our lives and values before them. We explain why we choose to do what we do, and we have fun with it.

Now we are part of Joy's Council of Values for Ashlee. And we are busy recruiting other adults who will be a part of her life. There's Leah the hugger; Ke and Lucy, the world expanders and playmates; Mel, Jeff, Kalihan and Teisha, and Kelly, Randy and Emily, the break (for us) and fun (for Ashlee) givers. There's pastors and pastors' wives who treated her as the mascot at our denominational conference and continue to pray for her (and us), and those who will help her learn to serve others through AngelFood, or like Mary by having her hand out bulletins and take the offering.

Do you have a Council of Values for your own kids? Tell me who's in it, and why. What do you want them to teach your kids? Is your council something that has simply evolved (like my childhood church) or have you actively sought specific people to be involved in the lives of your children?

And whose life are you investing in? Are there children or teens in your neighborhood or house of worship who you can come alongside and help them learn lessons that will serve them well throughout life? It's certainly a great way to pass on what's important to you. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is always looking for willing adults to make a difference in the life of a child and, so, in the future. Be part of the village, even if you never liked Hillary.

Welcoming the Stranger

2010-06-02T17:17:00.000-04:00

Ashlee, our 10-year-old granddaughter, came to live with us 12 days ago. It's a big adjustment for all of us.

Our church, Akron Grace E. C., has already made the adjustment a bit easier. Ashlee's first Sunday was incredible. People went out of their way to greet her; some, like Leah and Bob, with their trademark bear hugs. Other adults talked to her about school, yard saling and other shopping fun. Doug asked to look at her interesting, horizontal Bible.

Best of all were her peers. Jenna came up and asked Ashlee to sit with her and Sara and Kalihan during worship. It was wonderful to look over (nervous grandmom) and see all four girls moving with the praise band and Ashlee being included like a regular. That was amazing to me, because tween-aged girls aren't always so accepting. I know it made Ashlee's first week at church a positive experience, one she is looking to repeat.

I love that our church friends "welcomed the stranger" among them. I hope it's a lifestyle we are all living out

in our church when someone new enters, pointing out the important things like bathrooms and nurseries and asking them to sit with us to ease the unfamiliarity.
in our neighborhoods when new people move in, sharing info on the best pizza place and trash company, as well as offering an invite to church or our barbeque.
in our country as immigrants come here for a better life or to escape persecution, violence or poverty in their own land, no matter how they come.

When we welcome the stranger, Jesus tells us, we are welcoming him:

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. . . . I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:35, 36, 40).

We were all strangers, "alienated from God," according to Colossians 1:21. But God chose to reach out to us, in spite of our condition, in spite of our sin, in spite of our attitudes. He welcomed us, paying the price himself, through Christ's death. I am so thankful he didn't reject me because I was a stranger, an alien.

Who are the aliens and strangers in your world? What one thing can you do this week to welcome them? Tell me in the comments section!

Exhausted for My Sabbath

2010-05-16T21:34:00.001-04:00

Why does it seem that whenever I blog about a topic my life seems to reflect the opposite? Here I am sharing Keri Wyatt Kent's posts about steps for creating a Sabbath habit and I've had an exhausting weekend, with minimal rest. There was much spiritual refreshment (with Bible studies and church) and great fellowship (the 5K run and a graduation party). But it just might have been too much of a good thing. I'm vegging now.

I guess I need especially step 10 this week. Here are steps 7 to 10 for your edification. Thanks, Keri, for allowing me to share them on this blog.

I Just Need a Rest: 10 Steps to Creating a Sabbath Habit: Part III

By Keri Wyatt Kent

7. Sleep! Many of us are sleep-deprived. Why? We’ve said yes to too many things, or we believe way too strongly in our own importance. It may be that the first step toward Sabbath practice in your life is to give yourself the gift of a full night of sleep at least that one night.

8. Start at sundown. In over 15 years of practicing Sabbath, I have found that following the biblical timeframe for Sabbath works best. So if your Sabbath day is Sunday, it actually begins at sundown on Saturday. At that time, simply stop. Set aside your work, knowing it will be there in 24 hours. Your Sabbath might begin with a meal with friends or family. Take your time, make it leisurely. Have conversation, chew your food, savor the experience. Hang out with the people you love. Then go to bed, get up and go to church, and you’ve already made it through half a Sabbath! If this is all you can manage, that’s a starting point. Sabbath ends, then, as the sun sets on Sunday, which will give you some time to prepare for the week ahead if you need it.

9. Find your joy. Sabbath rest doesn’t mean sitting around watching the walls. Rather than focusing on what you cannot do, think about what you have freedom from, and what you can do with that freedom. Play is a big part of Sabbath practice: My husband and I like to go sailing on Sunday afternoons in the summer. We experience joy and praise God for the beauty of his creation when we are on the water. Take a walk or go for a run. Read a book. Call a friend and really listen. Play with your children. Take a nap without feeling guilty. Pray without watching the clock, because there is nowhere else you need to be.

10. Lean hard into grace. Like any spiritual practice, Sabbath-keeping won’t always go perfectly. Some weeks will be better than others. There are times when your best intentions will go up in flames and your attempts to rest will fail. That’s okay. God’s grace is sufficient. Know that you will get a chance to try again next week, and don’t give up! And if it does go well, don’t let yourself get legalistic or proud. This is not something you’re doing to impress God or anyone else.

Most of us are longing for rest. We are just so tired. But we never stop. Here’s the thing—no one is going to make you stop. You have to choose to receive the gift of Sabbath. It’s a choice you won’t regret.

Keri Wyatt Kent is a speaker and author of seven books, including Rest: Living In Sabbath Simplicity. For more on Sabbath and her ministry, visit www.SabbathSimplicity.com.

Resurrecting Your Sabbath

2010-05-12T19:35:00.000-04:00

If you haven't read the post from Monday, May 10, you probably want to do that first because today is a continuation of the article started there by Keri Wyatt Kent on Creating a Sabbath Habit. Monday's blog had the intro and the first two steps. Did you do them? Just remember that saying "No" isn't just so we can free up more time for our TV or our favorite book or sports—in fact, those might be some of the things we need to say "No" to—but to free up time to live at the rhythm of life designed by God.

Here is part two of Keri's article (the final 4 steps will appear later this week):

I Just Need a Rest: 10 Steps to Creating a Sabbath Habit (PART II)

By Keri Wyatt Kent

3. Delegate. Running a household is a full-time job. Moms who shoulder all of the work of a home by themselves are bound to feel resentment, but also will have trouble taking a day off because there is too much for them to do, especially if they do anything outside of the home (a job, volunteering, caring for an aging parent). If your children can reach the buttons on the washing machine, they should be doing their own laundry. By about third grade, they can pack their own lunches. Get a chore chart and make sure everyone in the house helps with dusting, vacuuming, mopping, dishes and so on. Delegating household chores will allow everyone the time to rest one day a week.

4. Do a little planning. Some of us are naturally planners, others are more spontaneous. But in order to have a day of rest (in which you can be totally spontaneous) you have to plan ahead. Before Sunday, get the grocery shopping and household chores done (with help from your family!!). Make enough for dinner on Friday and Saturday that you can eat leftovers on Sunday, or stock up on frozen pizza! Clean the house the day before. But if you don’t get everything done, let it go. Just stop, whether you’re fully prepared or not.

5. Make worship the focus. If we make Sabbath only about us and our need for rest and rejuvenation, we won’t sustain the practice. While Sabbath is a gift, it’s also a day to focus on God. Plan to attend church (working around kid’s sports schedules if need be). Take time during your 24 hours to be grateful. You can do this in private prayer, or have your family share around the dinner table what they were thankful for during the week.

6. Start small, and build slowly. Don’t go for an extreme makeover of your life. Just choose one thing to refrain from—be it laundry, grocery shopping, checking e-mail. And then choose one thing to engage in—maybe reading an inspiring book or taking a walk with a friend. Over the next several weeks, pick one thing each week to add to your Sabbath, and to subtract. Give yourself as many weeks as it takes to slowly build and refine your Sabbath practice.

Keri Wyatt Kent is a speaker and author of seven books, including Rest: Living In Sabbath Simplicity. For more on Sabbath and her ministry, visit www.SabbathSimplicity.com.

Resting with a Guest

2010-05-10T20:42:00.001-04:00

Les took me away for Mother's Day, not because I'm his mother, obviously, but because he knew I needed to rest away from the Mother's Day hype. Five weeks have not brought enough healing from my grief over Mom's death that I could deal with a day focused on how much we love our moms. Two days in Annapolis brought us much appreciated rest and refreshment, with friends and alone.

God planned our lives to include rest. Therefore, I am going to "rest" for a few blogs here and share with you a wonderful article from Keri Wyatt Kent on creating a Sabbath. I really want you to read it, so I am not going to share the whole thing at once. A few of Keri's 10 steps over the course of the week should give you enough to swallow and work on without being overwhelmed. I hope you'll enjoy it and apply it and come back later this week for more.

I Just Need a Rest: 10 Steps to Creating a Sabbath Habit

By Keri Wyatt Kent

Life sometimes seem to spin past us so fast. Our family, career, church, friends all seem to have needs that can consume us. Our involvements and obligations are not often optional. But there comes a point when it can feel a bit overwhelming. We need a rest.

The God who made us, who designed our bodies and souls, knew that we would not be able to function non-stop 24-7. That’s why when he laid out the rules for life, the best way to live, he told us to rest.

It seem odd that people would have to be commanded to take a day off—until we look in the mirror and realize we don’t obey that command. But just as our bodies need sleep to function, they’re also hard-wired by our creator to need a weekly break. Human beings function best when they take one day out of seven to just stop and rest.

Impossible? Not really. Taking one day a week to rest will actually help you to be more efficient, as well as making you happier and more connected spiritually. How do you get there? One step at a time. Here’s ten steps toward making rest a reality in your life.

1. Assess the current pace of your life: how many things have you said yes to that you should not have? While you cannot off-load your job or your children (as tempting as that may be), are there extra things you have volunteered for that you should not have? If you are a mom, have you signed your kids up for too many activities, so that you spend hours each day driving them around or managing their schedules? Maybe you need to cut back on the things you’re doing during the week, in order to make Sundays a bit less hectic.

2. Say no. We often say “yes” because we think it is the nicer thing to say, or we don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. But every time you say “yes,” you’ve automatically said “no” to other things—and that sometimes includes being able to have a day to rest. Say no by saying things like, “I’m not the right person for that job” or “Let me check my schedule and get back to you.” But then, say you simply cannot add anything else to your schedule. And don’t let your kids be in five activities just because they want to. Set loving limits so that they have some downtime.

Keri Wyatt Kent is a speaker and author of seven books, including Rest: Living In Sabbath Simplicity. For more on Sabbath and her ministry, visit www.SabbathSimplicity.com.

Searching for a Shield

2010-05-04T15:10:00.001-04:00

My mom died a month ago (yes, that's why there have been no blogs).

There are many ways I'll miss her presence in my life:

Some of them funny—Her breaking out in song to match something someone just said. Her response when I did the same: "That's okay, I can't sing either."
Some of them quirky—The way she was always reapplying lipstick in the car as you approached any stop. Her concern for everyone serving her in a restaurant, doctor's office, lab, or nursing facility as to whether they had yet eaten lunch and what time they got to go home.
And some of them vital—Her love for her kids and grandkids, and recently greatgrandkids. Her interest in my life and ministry. And above all her prayers.

It is this last item that I believe affects me the most. Mom always prayed for me. Daily. She prayed for my husband, my daughter, my friends when I asked her to. She prayed until God answered, asking me weeks later how so-and-so was doing.

She also prayed for my ministry and for every speaking engagement. As I seek to expand my speaking ministry in the months ahead, I am already missing her prayer covering. It was real and powerful. I knew God's power in and through me as I spoke to individuals about balance and serving and using the unique way God designed them to bring him glory and find meaning and joy in their lives.

So now I am searching for some pray-ers who will be a shield for me, praying for me and my ministry, especially on the days when I prepare and speak. If you are someone who would commit to regularly pray for me in this area (you define what regularly is), please let me know. I will be sure to let my shield-bearers know what my speaking schedule is and what my current needs are.

God took Mom in his perfect timing. Now I am counting on him to raise up a shield around me.

Feeling Virtuous and Chipper

2010-04-07T11:58:00.001-04:00

I saw a full-page ad this week in TIME magazine that said, "Nurture Nature." SunChips, which I happen to like, now makes its bags with plants so they're 100% compostable.

Ah, now it's virtuous to eat chips. In fact, eating chips will help the planet. How can I not do it?

There are a few caveats, though. The asterisk tells me it's only the 10.5 ounce bag that's made with the new material, so it doesn't mean getting the 1.5 ounce bag at Subway does anything good for the environment. Plus, I don't compost. And if I eat the 10.5 ounce bag instead, well, my salt and calorie intake might be enough that it's my body that will be doing the composting.

But if you have the choice between a family-size bag of SunChips and some other chip, choose the SunChips. Let's hope it's successful enough that all sizes of SunChips will soon come in compostable bags. And that other chip manufacturers will soon follow suit. Then all chips will be virtuous. Les would think that's heaven.

P.S. Congratulations to Mandy Bell for winning the copy of Here Burns My Candle.

The Power of One

2010-04-04T13:17:00.000-04:00

Charlie's only 7. But the Haitian earthquake deeply affected him and he wanted to do something. So he decided he would ride his bike around his local park and ask people to donate for each lap, with the hope of raising £500, the equivalent of about $761, for UNICEF. So far Charlie, and the publicity he's gotten for caring and acting, has raised £209,584.69, which translates to $319,000! You can check out his webpage here. That's the power of one person doing the hard thing and deciding to make a difference.

In Start Here, which I reviewed two weeks ago, the Harris brothers say this: "Many people . . . fail to understand a basic principle of life: changing something in your life requires changing something in your life." In other words, do something! I fear sometimes I fall into the category of people Les describes as those who believe that saying you will do something is as good as doing it. I have a good idea, but often get distracted before I ever act on it. And that changes nothing.

Tom Henderson is another person who knows one person can make a difference. After watching a tragedy unfold a decade ago, he brought an idea for a disaster kit to his local Rotary Club. ShelterBox has been active in Haiti since the earthquake, providing boxes containing a 10-person tent, cooking supplies, blankets and even crayons. You can read the TIME magazine article or watch the video. Or visit the ShelterBox website to learn more or donate.

What hard thing have you thought of that now you need to actually start doing? One person does have the power to make a difference—and it can be YOU!

P.S. Congrats to Jacque Fessenden, the winner of the free copy of Start Here.

Serving Those Who've Served—And a Book for You!

2010-03-26T22:31:00.001-04:00

Liz Curtis Higgs spent years making women laugh at her speaking engagements, on video, and with her first books. In the late '90s she wrote Bad Girls of the Bible (and its sequels), combining fiction and nonfiction to teach us lessons on life. Then she moved into historical fiction transferring the Biblical story of Jacob to 18th-century Scotland in her Lowlands of Scotland series.

Higgs must love Scotland for now she is back with Here Burns My Candle. (See the trailer here.) Having loved the first Scottish series, I couldn't resist Waterbrook Multnomah's offer of a free copy to review. (I know, I know, just 5 days ago I said I was trying not to accept review copies; I can't help it; it's an addiction.)

This book was just the mental escape I needed from my current stress. It, too, is the retelling of a biblical story, but I won't tell you which one so you don't know too much of the end before the beginning. It's thoroughly set up for the sequel, due out next spring.

The story revolves around the Kerr family in Edinburgh, particularly Lady Elizabeth Kerr and her husband Lord Donald. Donald's widowed mother doesn't accept the beautiful Elizabeth, a humble seamstress before Donald married her. When bonny Prince Charlie arrives in Edinburgh on his way to reclaim the throne for his father, the Kerr men join his army and Elizabeth, her mother-in-law, and her sister-in-law become those who wait and watch. Family secrets and sins threaten both family ties and livelihoods.

The war intrudes on the lives of the Kerrs in the same ways it does on the lives of military families in the 21st century. Fear, heartache, rumors, misinformation, changing loyalties, and disfiguring injuries plague the family and their countrymen. The story unwinds in a way that kept me reading and rooting for a marriage that seemed doomed to fail. You'll have to read it yourself to find out what the outcome is. If you want your own copy, you might win one by making a comment below. A winner will be chosen on Easter Sunday. Or you can buy your own copy through this link.

War has intruded into many American lives this decade as well. Maybe you're one of the mothers who waits. If so, check out Military Moms or Blue Star Mothers for encouragement. All of us can find ways to encourage military members on Linda Jewell's Support Our Troops weekly blog.

Thankfully, in our generation, fewer soldiers die from their war injuries. But it means many need to move through society with new limitations. If, like Lady Elizabeth you are good with a needle, consider joining Sew Much Comfort, an organization that creates adaptive clothing for those in military hospitals.

Let's not forget those who have served us by serving their country. Pray for them. Lady Elizabeth learns the power of prayer as she waits for Lord Donald. It's a power that still serves us well.

Start Doing Hard Things and Get Something Free!

2010-03-21T22:53:00.004-04:00

I've been doing a few hard things lately—watching my mother die, writing new speaking topics, trying to comfort my daughter as she deals with her daughter's problems.

One thing that's been hard for me lately is not getting to read much. I've even stopped ordering review copies of books to read because I just don't have time to read them all. Well, I've mostly stopped ordering them. When the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group offered to provide me with a copy of Start Here for review, I had to take them up on it. It sounded like it fit the purpose of this blog, that of helping people make a difference in their world.

I was right. Start Here is the second book by twins Alex and Brett Harris. Their first, called Do Hard Things, evolved from a blog they began at the age of 16 called TheRebelution.com. Rebelution is their compound word using rebellion and revolution and is defined as "a teenage rebellion against low expectations."

The Harris brothers through their blogs, conferences and books are inspiring kids to make a difference in the world, to listen to God and to do hard things. Start Here is the follow-up book, geared to helping teens take the practical steps to bring their dreams—God's dreams for them—to reality. I can't promise that it is inspiring writing, but the stories of what kids are already doing that illustrate their points are inspiring.

From sailing solo around the world at 18 to befriending lonely kids at school, from creating websites for nonprofits to creating nonprofits to provide wells in Africa, the projects these kids commit to are amazing. The brothers answer 30 or so questions that anyone (teen or 50-year-olds alike) might ask when trying to figure out how to get started making a difference in the world. (Although the 50-year-old might not need the part on what to do if your parents disapprove of your idea.)

Here's a sample:

A good exercise in planning a hard thing is to first ask yourself the question, What would I do if I had unlimited time and unlimited resources? That question helps you identify the big target—your vision as large as it can be.

Then ask yourself, What could I do toward reaching that goal within the limitations I face?

Finally, in light of the answers to the first two questions, ask yourself, What should I do?

The first question is a visionary question about what you would do. The second is a practical question about what you could do. And the third is a moral question about what you should do. All three questions are important.

I think this book might be more valuable if you've first read Do Hard Things (which I haven't). So if you know a teen who is excited about God and wants to make a difference in the world (or who you want to inspire to that level), get them both books. You can find options for ordering Start Here using this link. And you can find Do Hard Things here.

It's not easy to do hard things. (If it were they wouldn't be hard things.) We can get tired. We can get discouraged. We can get overwhelmed and give up before we start. Alex and Brett Harris's book Start Here can ensure we get started and keep moving into all the exciting avenues where God wants to use each of us.

You can get started doing hard things by winning a free copy of Start Here. Simply post in the comment section below one hard thing you've attempted. Winner of the free book will be chosen randomly from all comments made by Sunday, March 28.

Loving My Mother

2010-02-15T22:01:00.000-05:00

When I first moved my blog to Blogger, I was sure I would blog more often because I could do so easily. Not so much.

But this time, I have a valid reason (not an excuse, a real reason). My mom, who is 87 and lives at a retirement community about a half hour away from me, took ill just after Christmas and was subsequently diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. She was moved into the skilled nursing unit of her community three weeks ago. I have been down to see her almost every day, to visit or go to doctors’ appointments, lab tests and procedures. Today she fell when she tried to get out of bed on her own. We see the oncologist on Wed. to hear what the options are for at least making her comfortable.

While I also have retreats and other engagements at this time of year, obviously Mom is a priority. I'm the only kid that lives nearby (one brother is in New Hampshire; the other in Texas), and so while the boys are supportive and concerned, I am the only one who can physically be with her on a regular basis. It's been a sweet time.

So while I want to blog about ways we can make a difference in our world by showing Christ's love, right now I need to make a difference for the Mom who first showed me Christ's love. I'll blog when I can, and I'll encourage you not to forget those who are suffering in places like Haiti, but Mom gets my attention first. If you really want a social action project, donate to the American Cancer Society, or say a prayer for my mom, or call up your mom or another relative and let them know you love them. After all God's love should extend to our families as well.

I'm an Animal (fan)

2010-01-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

When Les and I put up our Christmas tree, we have two ornaments that receive pride of place. One is a tiny Raggedy Ann made by quilling, which is tightly rolled paper. She's only about an inch tall. After we place her near the top center of the tree, she looks so vulnerable that we must give her a guardian.

That's were Animal comes in. Sometime early in our marriage we bought a large paper mâché ornament of Animal from the Muppet show. We loved the show. We especially loved Animal. (If you've never heard the Muppets and John Denver's version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," with Animal screeching, "Won't go"—as well as the figgy/piggy pudding and bacon scenario—you don't know what you're missing.)

So when Disney ads appeared recently with Animal and the rest of the Muppet crew volunteering, I just had to pay attention. I grew even more excited when I realized what Disney was promoting.

In the "doing well by doing good" category, Disney is offering free tickets to one of their parks to one million people who volunteer for a day. You must sign up at Disney's Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. website and volunteer through HandsOn Network, Point of Light Institute, which you can link to from the Disney site.

One of the very cool things is that opportunities are provided so you can volunteer as a family (with some opportunities for kids as young as 6), and each of you can receive a free ticket. In our area you can help pack donations at a food bank, make blankets or volunteer with Habitat for Humanity (like Animal in the commercial). You can work with seniors or help Dress for Success clients pick out interview clothes. If you have computer tech or data processing skills, there are opportunities for you.

If you are going to vacation near a Disney park this year (the tickets have to be used by December 15), this is a great way to do well for yourself by doing good for others. And if like me, you're not going to be near a Disney park this year, volunteer somewhere this year anyway. It's still a great way to help your kids experience the joy of giving. Animal would be proud.

Continuing the Giving

2010-01-12T23:03:00.001-05:00

Here's an update on my daily shedding (read more on January 5 blog).
1/6 giveaway: Veggie Tale napkins (don't ask)
1/7 A china doll
1/8 & 1/9 Books of Les's
1/10 & 1/11 Linens I've kept in my hope chest for years
1/12 Food from our freezer and cabinet
It's already gotten harder to find things I am ready to give up (as the fact that I've counted Les's books that we gave away). I can't imagine what this will be like by the time I hit next December. I want to be strong and keep it going, but I am unsure if I can do it. Feel free to encourage me to keep it up!

Fighting for Life

2010-01-12T18:07:00.003-05:00

Back in 2002, I picked up a book lying on a give-away table in our office cafeteria. Love, Greg and Lauren was a book of e-mails that Greg wrote to keep their friends posted on Lauren's progress after being burned over 80 percent of her body in the World Trade Center 9/11 attacks. I was mesmerized. I felt like I was right there with them in that hospital burn unit awaiting each day's prognosis. I read like a junkie looking for another hit.

I felt much the same as I read Letters to Darcy, which was graciously supplied for me by Christian Speaker Services. Tracy Ramos blogged her joys, frustrations, fears and sorrows as she discovers first that she is pregnant and then that the baby she is carrying has trisomy 18, a birth defect that made baby Darcy "incompatible with life." Ramos shares her feelings sometimes with such naked honesty that I want to avert my eyes. But I keep on reading, all 11 months of posts, through the birth, death and aftermath.

Below is an interview done with Ramos. May it inspire you to fight for life no matter how small, especially as we approach the National Sanctity of Human Life Day on January 24. And if you want to win a copy of Letters to Darcy, post a comment about something from the interview that made you think.

1. When you received Darcy’s diagnosis, did you ever feel as if you were being punished for something you had done?

The question of whether I had done something that would cause God to punish me in this way did cross my mind. Jason and I both wondered this. But I know, as evidenced by how God used this special child, that he was not using her to punish me. Of course, the Bible says that God does discipline, or train, His children to put them back on the right course, but that’s not the same as punishment. If the blessings that came with Darcy are punishment, I don’t know what punishment is.

2. How did you hold on to your faith in God through the trials?

I don’t know how I got through. It would be easy to say that I wish I had slept through the entire thing and then woke up when it was over. But that’s not how I feel. My time with Darcy was the single most difficult series of days in my life. But I would not have gotten to know my little angel were it not for those days. I once heard that it is a beautiful experience that I would wish on no one. Been there, done that, and it’s so true.

I know one thing for sure: The Lord is the author and finisher of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). I had faith not because I had it in me to have faith. I had faith because He gave me just enough faith to go through this.

3. What more did you learn about your faith through your journey with Darcy?

I believe that the things I learned about my faith are only some of the blessings I mentioned above. The biggest lesson is that God will never leave us in our time of need. Another is that it relates to the second half of 1 Corinthians 10:13: that God will make a way for me to endure the testings, or trials, in my life. We should never underestimate the power of God or second-guess Him. He loves us and wants only the best for us. And even though we don’t understand how trials can be good for us, we must trust in God’s sovereignty. We need to have faith through the trials, and when we reach the other end, we can look back and see that He has been carrying us through them all.

4. How did you find the daily strength to go on, knowing that your baby would probably not survive long after her birth?

In the beginning, my focus was on finding a cure or anything that could save her. Eventually, my focus turned to wanting to make the most of the time God would allow me to have with her. He gave me the strength and inspiration I needed to focus, not on Darcy’s dying, but on her living.

I wanted to make sure I had no regrets after she was gone, so I made a list that was based on advice I solicited from many people who had already walked this road before me. I made sure that we did as many of the items on the list as God would allow, so that Darcy’s life—however long it might be—would have meaning for me and for everyone else who knew her. We had to make a lifetime of memories in a very short time. We didn’t know how long Darcy would live, but we went through that list as if she were going to die before the next minute came. I believe that gave me the energy and drive that helped me bear what could otherwise have been a horrific two weeks. Jason made it his goal to see to it that every item on the list was accomplished. I believe it was his shining moment.

5. What did you and Jason need to do—in your relationship—in order to persevere through the pregnancy and then after Darcy was born?

Studies have revealed that there is a high rate of divorce for parents of deceased children. We were aware of that and vowed not be a statistic. Our relationship has been tested more through the pregnancy and Darcy’s life than at any other time in our twenty years of marriage. We still struggle, but we are persevering. I believe that our relationship will eventually become unbreakable because we have a righteous multitude who continue to pray for us and provide love and support. We used to think of ourselves as independent people who do not need to rely on others for help. We were determined to meet this challenge head-on. But during that time, God revealed the pride that was the source of our independent attitude, even toward each other. He showed us in practical ways by gathering His people around us in our time of need. I guess this is where the phrases “for better or for worse, in sickness and in health” from our wedding vows come in.

6. In what ways has your experience with Darcy changed the person you are now?

God has made me much more compassionate toward those who experience similar trials, especially those who have kids with any kind of trisomy condition. Also, because I survived this heart-wrenching ordeal, I know that I can survive anything and can help others do the same. Last, I have a renewed commitment to help spread a new kind of “pro-choice” message: that we must choose to help those who cannot help themselves, especially our own unborn children.

And, of course, the negative thing about the experience is that there will always be a Darcy-shaped hole in my heart, a hole that will never be filled in this life.

7. What were some of the supportive things that friends and family did or said that were most helpful in dealing with the pregnancy and adjusting to life after Darcy was born?

Our Family

We came together and supported one another. There was no bickering or whining. The focal point was Darcy. It was the one thing we shared. We assured one another that her condition was not a result of anything we did. We said, “I love you” a lot.

Church

Where do I begin? Every day for several weeks, we enjoyed meals that church friends had lovingly created. Our deacon family coordinated activities during Darcy’s birth. During the delivery, several women were there to coach me. Those who had medical backgrounds were available to us 24–7. Those who knew photography took literally hundreds of pictures of Darcy and the family. Church families spent the night to help us care for Darcy. Our pastors and deacon constantly checked on us and made sure we were in need of nothing. They brought a church service to our home (one of the items on Darcy’s List was to go to church.) The list is endless, but the experience would not have been the same without the support of our church family. Our little church became a picture of how the body of Christ should act.

Friends

Friends (neighbors, doctors and nurses, and other acquaintances) were very understanding. Knowing that hundreds of these people were available to us at a drop of a hat was so reassuring.

Total Strangers

The comments posted on Darcy’s Web site from people all over the world were a source of inspiration to us. Finding out about lives saved, families reunited, and people finding their way back to God gave us a clear sense that Darcy’s life had purpose. We took comfort and strength in those numbers: Approximately four thousand people a day followed Darcy’s story!

Prayer

Prayer kept us connected to God. That connection stayed strong, due in large part to the thousands of petitions people brought to the only One who could help.

Scripture

It may be difficult to open the Bible in times of such intense pain, but there is so much comfort to be had in knowing what the Lord has to say about times like these. The verses I have stated above have been my inspiration.

Music

I played several specific songs constantly during our time with Darcy. Now when I hear those songs every now and then, my thoughts return to the sweet moments I had with my little girl in my arms, her smell, her softness, her purity.

You may find out more about this book at http://www.darcyanne.com/index.html.

Stop Them in the Nick of Time

2010-01-08T16:57:00.000-05:00

I know I've passed the 50th birthday, because I seem to do way too much talking about "the way things used to be." I don't really want to go back to the "good, ole days" because I love computers, microwaves, cell phones, sushi, microfiber, and too many other things to mention.

However, just last week I was talking to someone about what I do wish could revert to life as I knew it as a child—the innocence and lack of even awareness of sexuality and violence. I blissfully enjoyed life, not knowing what sex even was until 4th grade, and then I only found out because a friend told me (and I'm not sure I knew it as "sex"; just as "making babies."My response, which is classic, was: "That can't be how babies are made because people are always surprised to find out they're pregnant. And if they'd done that, they would know it!"

Today's kids are exposed to sex and violence everywhere—TV shows and commercials, the clothes marketed to them, toys, video games and, now apparently, Nickelodeon. Campaign for a Commercial- Free Childhood has the following info:

Nickelodeon, the children's media empire, is promoting sexualized and violent video games to children as young as preschoolers. Its popular gaming website, Addictinggames.com, features games such as Candy the Naughty Cheerleader, Bloody Day ("Back alley butchering has never been so much fun. . . . How many kills can you rack?") and the Perry the Sneak series, where gamers take the role of a peeping Tom trying to catch revealing glimpses of scantily clad and naked women. Nickelodeon promotes, and links directly to, Addictinggames.com on its Nick.com website for children and even on NickJr.com, its website for preschoolers.

Apparently there is another game called Naughty Classroom so kids who have a thing for their teacher can act out the fantasy. Help end this absurdity. Click this link to quickly send an online e-mail to Nick's leadership. You can simply send the e-mail the Campaign for a Commercial- Free Childhood has already written, or you can write your own in the blank.

You don't have to be over 50 to think preschoolers shouldn't be encouraged in sexual or violent fantasies. Let me know in the comments below that you took the time to click. Then provide a link to this blog or the action website in your Facebook status.

Creating Space through a Spirit of Giving

2010-01-05T17:30:00.000-05:00

Discipleship Journal's Online News e-mail came with an interesting article today, one on creating margins in your life (read it here, and subscribe to DJ's newsletter: www.navpress.com/magazines/archives/article.aspx?id=16167).
This is an issue I've wrestled with over the years, both from being too busy in years past, to where I am today—fighting feelings of guilt that I am not working harder, making more money, doing more. I am pretty sure the guilt is false guilt, especially since God totally created this space in my life by first uprooting me from Delaware and my job there and then with this autoimmune disease that incapacitated me for most of the summer.

I am trying to be more intentional about how I fill my time (not that I don't still waste too much of it, trust me). Things that focus on my health have to be high on the priority list so I don't end up in another flare-up or in pain.

Ministry opportunities that I am passionate about are also a top priority. That includes my speaking ministry and my volunteer work and an idea that is germinating from that (which I will share in weeks ahead; I am SO excited). I am also finding myself enjoying more time for Bible study, more time for prayer for specific needs and individuals and my community, and time for a new thing I am trying (we'll see how long it lasts) of using the Book of Common Prayer to do the Daily Office morning and evening.

As I said in last week's post, I also want to intentionally see myself as a steward of God's money and resources, not as the owner of the things I've got. To that end, I am trying to spend less on myself and to pray about my spending.

I have also made a decision (a resolution? I shudder at that word) to try to give away something every day from the things I own. I imagine this will be fairly easy at first—clothes that never fit right anyway, books I didn't like, curtains without a window—why do we hold on to these things—but if I follow it through, it will get harder. And I've decided to insist that I give away an additional thing for every new thing I bring into the house. That way I don't buy something simply to give it away so it doesn't hurt me. (I so know how I think!) Nor can I simply replace the things I gave away. And while some things may just go to Goodwill, mostly I am trying to target the gift to a person or organization that could use it.

So far this is what I've given:
1/1 A Beth Moore devotional book I finished with
1/2 A brand-new robe I don't need
1/3 Nail polish in a color I won't wear
1/4 A toy I bought 2 years ago as a gift but the child moved away before I gave it
1/5 Three solid color t-shirts that I found in a sweater box under the bed that will never fit my post-menopausal body again

I know it doesn't sound very sacrificial, but I hope I am clearing up some space and time in my life. In the DJ article I mentioned above, Richard Swenson says this:

Everything we own owns us. It takes time to use it, dust it, paint it, maintain it, build space in the house for it, and work to pay for it. Experts say we use 20 percent of what we own and maintain 100 percent of what we own. We're surrounded by all these things that drain our time.

Want to join me in getting rid of some things that own you?

Just Thinking About the New Year

2009-12-31T17:11:00.000-05:00

I'm always making to-do lists, which really are resolutions of what I am going to get done. But I don't do well at keeping real New Year's Resolutions (for instance, I've been trying to lose the same 20 pounds for a decade now).

So for this year I want to see myself as God's steward, not as the owner of my money and things (you can read more about it on my last blog on my website: www.carolcool.com/cgi-bin/blog/showblog.cgi?id=2009-12-30-07-50). I believe this will help me live more justly in 2010.

So what's your 2010 just living resolution?

A New Location

2009-12-29T21:22:00.000-05:00

For the past 5 years, I've blogged on my website—www.carolcool.com. But I've decided to switch over to blogger to make posting easier and so it's easier for people to find me. If you want to read any of the old posts, simply head over to my website. There's 5 years of postings with cool social action ideas geared for average people, not superstars.

Hope you'll join me regularly! I try to post at least once a week.