Samford Gives Back

As everyone knows, this area of the country was hit hard by the outbreak of tornadoes last week. Starting in Tuscaloosa, a tornado traveled some 200-plus miles through Alabama and into Georgia, leaving a path of destruction along the way.

I've only been able to get out to help once since it all happened. Sunday was the day. I'm still trying to wrap my head and heart around what I saw and I hope to share my experience, pictures and videos with you all on the blog here within the next week.

But for now, I wanted to share with you a story that appeared on our website today. It tells of the hearts of our amazing student-athletes, young men and women that I have the pleasure to work with every day. Students whose hearts explode for the people and communities around them in their darkest times.

The story is posted below. Please keep the disaster victims in your prayers as well as the thousands of people who are pouring out their hearts, lives and wallets to aid in relief. And pray that God continues to grow young people like the ones in this story.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 4, 2011

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - An estimated 100 Samford student-athletes spent most of the weekend volunteering in Pratt City, Ala., helping victims of last week's tornado outbreak.

Pratt City is one of many areas in the state of Alabama that was hit hard by the severe weather that came through the area last Wednesday. Scott Elementary School served as a base for collecting supplies people needed. Samford's student-athletes helped with delivering supplies to victims of the storms.

One of the groups of student-athletes who traveled to Pratt City to assist with the clean-up was football player Devyn Keith, along with teammates Bill Kottas, Jacobi Rodriguez and Jeremy Towns, and women's basketball player Jazmine Powers.

"Right after we saw the disaster, J.T. (Towns) and I immediately got on the phone, calling people, because we understood that those were people that we knew," Keith said. "After seeing what happened in Huntsville, I'm from Huntsville, and since I couldn't get up there, I said `let me go and see what happened to these people.' I didn't get to go down that day because I had to work, but we went down on Friday.

"We felt like it was an obligation," Keith said. "When you see that type of thing, you can't do anything but help, because here at Samford we were so blessed to not be affected that much by the tornados."

The group of athletes filled Kottas' truck with supplies and went down to Cherry Avenue, which was hit hard by the storms, checking door-to-door with people to see what supplies they needed.
One of the more touching stories that came out of this experience came from Keith. As he was working in the area, a lady pulled up in her car and Keith stopped her to see if she needed anything. She asked him if he was going to take care of her. He responded, "No, ma'am. I can't take care of you. God's going to take care of you. I'm just going to help out."

As the lady cried in her car, Keith reached in and hugged her and let her continue to cry. Keith loaded her car with sandwiches and other supplies. He then told her that he loved her and that everything was going to be alright. "We told her we loved her and we prayed for her," Keith said.

"She said she was really moved by the fact that we were out there. She said she had lost everything."

Powers said she had planned to go home that weekend, but she had a feeling she needed to help out in Pratt City.

"I was originally going to go home that Friday after class, but something just told me I needed to go and experience this," Powers said. "I was even packing up and my mind just shifted, telling me I needed to go. I got some stuff that I wasn't using in the house like soap and some other items I had and I just took it over and we went down there."

Powers said the experience of helping people who had just lost everything was something that really touched her. She said it was a tremendous experience.

"It was very emotional, but at the same time, you knew you were doing something great," Powers said. "I went to one lady's house, she was there by herself, and I brought a case of water into her kitchen. She just broke down and cried and gave me a hug. She said it was good to know that there are good people out there and that God is good and he is still looking after us.

"That was the part that was emotional for me, because they would get emotional, knowing that people were out there trying to help," Powers said. "It was a great experience and I was so glad I went over there."

Caroline Summers, Samford's senior photographer, was on hand to document the relief efforts for the university. Summers said she was touched by the efforts of the Samford students.

"I have always felt that I was blessed to work on a campus filled with such amazing people, both faculty and students," Summers said. "But, I must say, that I have never been prouder to be associated with Samford University than I was this weekend. These students don't just help out for something to do, they truly care."

Blog-Linkity Goodness 12.1.10

On this Wednesday, I share with you:

1. Our Fox channel here in Birmingham, spotlighted my church recently and talked to our pastor about what we call The Radical Experiment. I know it's reached people across the U.S. and around the world because we hear stories from those people and pray for those people every Sunday. I have to say I'm humbled by what I'm seeing God do throughout this process and very thankful that I'm being led by such a man as David Platt, along with other men who have a passionate commitment to making disciples of all nations. Click here to see the news package and here if you have 24:06 to watch the raw video of his interview.

2. If you haven't gotten Dave Barnes' Christmas album "A Very Merry Christmas", you need to drop what you are doing and go to iTunes or Dave Barnes' website and get it NOW. Seriously. My Christmas music collection never knew what it was missing until baby came along. His original songs are amazing and his version of "The Christmas Song" is chasing Avalon's for best version ever made. And his video for "Christmas Tonight" has everything, including Jennifer Lowe Hewitt. Watch it now.




3. If you didn't see my post about fashionABLE or if you did and don't remember where you can get a scarf, go here. Y'all they are cutie-patooty and are for a great cause. I just ordered mine Monday and can't wait for it to arrive.

4. Annie Downs' book, From Head To Foot, comes out in SEVEN days, people. That's exciting. It's her first and I know it won't be her last. It's geared toward teenage girls but I know the themes in her book will touch all women, young and old. This is a writer I admire so so much, who inspires me to take hold of what God has for me, and who I consider one of my spiritual heroes. If you have a teenage girl in your life who is facing or about to face those tough, yucky teenage-y years, this would be a great gift for her.

5. If you haven't seen the video for David Crowder's song, "Shine", consider this your Christmas gift from me.



6. And what's an editioni of Blog-Linkity Goodness without a link to SCL. Jon Acuff hit the nail on the head with this serious Wednesday post about when things in life don't go exactly as you planned.

fashionABLE

Y'all, I'm going to go ahead and confess to you right now that I have a small obsession with scarves. Ahem, small.

I go through different phases about every six months where I become obsessed with some item, whether it be clothing, food, etc. Right now, it's scarves. And this one has lasted more than six months, I'm sad to say.

Mocha Club isn't helping my little addition at all. MC recently lauched a new line of handmade Ethiopian scarves. And y'all, these things are beautiful. Not just because they are pretty and can complete a solid outfit but because there's a story behind them.

I love story. I love hearing stories. I love telling stories. I love knowing the stories behind people, places and things and what makes those people, places and things tick and work and special.

FashionABLE is special. Mocha Club is special. MC director Barrett Ward is special. Barrett has seen first-hand how life-changing these scarves are for women in Ethiopia. Watch this video and hear Barrett's heart for what is being done in Ethiopia right now.



Still need more convincing? Go here and read the stories of women whose lives have been changed by this program.

How about that? These scarves are saving the lives of women all over Ethiopia. They are giving them a safe outlet in which to sustain themselves and their families. I don't know about y'all, but that's worth $22 to me. Actually, I think it's worth a whole lot more.

I don't know about y'all, but I love when the money I spend goes towards making a better life for people who really need it. When it means more than giving money and getting an item in return. With a programs like Mocha Club and fashionABLE, you're not just getting what you pay for. You're giving opportunity, empowerment, sustainability. You are giving life.

So, if you're still looking for Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers or are two months late on a birthday gift, go order one of these scarves.

It really is the gift that keeps on giving.

(And it keeps your neck warm.)

Sometimes He Just Wants You To Say Yes

(I apologize that recently fun and usually sarcastic blog about my life has turned into a place where basically I preach. Not intended. It's just that God is working in my heart right now and he's given me things lately that I just can't NOT share with the world.)

I've been reading this precious girl's blog for a while and I'm sure I've shared about her before. I'm amazed everyday by her reckless abandon to obey God and be a part of his plan to accomplish his will in all nations. God, make me this passionate to see your glory and reknown across the world.

Today's post spoke to my heart and I just wanted to share it with whoever is out there reading. It paralleled what I've been studying in my daily reading of God's word. I recently read the story of Abraham and Isaac, when God asked Abraham to kill Isaac as a sacrifice to him (Genesis 22:1-19). If you don't know this story, please go read it.

We all know how it ends. God shows again his great plan for redemption when he provides a ram in the thicket to serve as a substitute for Isaac. I don't think God's ultimate plan was for Abraham to kill his son. I think he was just testing Abraham's faith, seeing if he was willing to go the whole way with this obedient faith thing.

After reading Katie's post today, I think, no, I know (as does she), that God was doing the same in her heart. He just wanted to see if she was willing to say yes.

I think I'm getting to the point where God is about to ask me to say yes. I'm a little afraid, but God's given me his Word to look to so that I know the ending of the story.

Please continue to pray for Katie as she ministers to those who need it most. And pray for me as I try to be obedient and muster up the faith to just say yes.

Haiti

I've been having trouble getting to sleep lately. Having trouble turning my mind off.

Night before last I couldn't go to sleep until I could remember who had won the World Series in the last ten years. The night before that my mind wouldn't rest until I remembered who was Homecoming Queen and Prom Queen all four years of high school.

WHO. IS THAT. WEIRD?!?! I mean, c'mon!

I try to drown out the thoughts with TV but that doesn't seem to help.

I think my mind has been racing because I've been reading a lot lately. Thoughts are provoked. Values are challenged.

I read a book in two days this past weekend. TWO. DAYS. I know to some of you that may not seem like a big deal. Some of you read books in one sitting in one day. For me, that's never really been a reality. I get distracted and usually get sleepy after one chapter. Ask me how many books I actually finished on my summer reading lists in middle school and high school. I can probably count them on one (and maybe half a) hand.

I read Same Kind Of Different As Me this past weekend. And boy, if it didn't completely turn my world upside down.

And then this Haiti Earthquake thing now. I sat in bed last night watching Anderson Cooper (I don't care what you say, he is precious and I love him) report live from Haiti. And I cried. And cried.

And I know those were just more little steps in the plan that God has to completely destroy the life that I have now and for me to never find anything to be happy about ever again.

I hope you detected a large amount of sarcasm lathered over that last statement because I couldn't been more fueled and excited while also completely scared out of my wits about the transformation that God is doing in my heart right now. It's scary. And real. And fun.

I started asking my dad questions last night about the Haitian kids that he's encountered over the years that he's been in the Jackson Public School District. Not only has he had Haitian kids, he's had Somalians and Kenyans and Sudanese. And he's had to play bodyguard a few times as well. But that's enough about my dad (I could go on for days).

He told me about how the Catholic Charities get these kids from refugee camps, take them from having almost nothing and place them in a home where there are given more than they could have ever imagined. They don't know when their birthdays are so they are all basically given the same birthday. A 24-year old Sudanese kid could be given a birthday that states that he is 16, just so that he has the opportunity to get an education and play sports.

How heart breaking is it to not even know your real birthday.

I hear that and my heart breaks. I look at the TV and my heart breaks. I look around my apartment and feel guilty for what I have. I had a hamburger for lunch and it's not even settling right in my stomach because not so far in the back of my mind, I know the desperation there is almost 1400 miles away from me. And all I can do is send money.

I can't get on a plane and fly there. I can't go and lift up stones and bandage wounds and wipe tears away. I can't take a plate of food to that woman that is sitting on a pile of rubble. I can't hug that little boy tight who just watched four members of his family die and share with him the hurt that I would feel if my family had been ripped out from under me.

All I can do is just sit and ask God why it's happening.

I read last night the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Don't worry. I'm not going to get all Pat Roberston on you.) Abraham pleaded with God on behalf of those people. He knew their sin but he pleaded anyway. He said, "God, how can you, such a loving, compassionate God, look at a place like that and completely destroy it knowing that there might be righteous people there?" He pleaded and pleaded until God finally told him that if even there were a few righteous found, that he would spare the whole place.

Now we know that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed but God spared Lot, because he remembered Abraham's compassion.

There's your hope.

Not matter what happens, not matter how horrible this all looks, not matter how many people die, God's got good in it.

Yes. It's very heartbreaking that most of the people who died in this catastrophe died without ever hearing the gospel. But the fact is that God doesn't allow things to happen without a purpose. And He will make Himself known no matter what. God doesn't just destroy cities and cause bad things to happen because it's fun. It's not fun. He allowed his own son to die for you and me. I'm sure that was not fun at all.

But there was a purpose. The purpose of salvation. The purpose of allowing someone perfect to come in a take all of my imperfection on himself, look the devil in the face, and say, "YOU LOSE. THIS ONE IS MINE." All for the purpose of freeing me from my imperfection so that I can be free to live a perfect life in Jesus Christ. And the hope (undoubtful knowledge) that I will one day sit with Him in the place that he has prepared for me.

"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes. May the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:21

Please join with me, and the rest of the world, in prayer for the Haitian people. Pray also for the rescue workers and people there working around the clock to supply aid. Pray those who are literally dragging people out of the rubble and pray for those they are rescuing. This is not an easy thing for any part involved.

Also if you would like to donate to aid, check out the following ways:

• Compassion International
• Worldvision
• American Red Cross
• Hope For Haiti
• Anyone with a mobile phone and an account with a major wireless carrier can text the phrase “Haiti” to the number 90999 and donate $10 to the Red Cross. Amount is charged to the donor’s cellphone bill.
• Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Fund
• Text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 to Yele Haiti.
• Samaritan's Purse

God Is Like Whoa

Ok, sorry for that title but after what I just read, that is the only word that comes to my mind.

Remember yesterday when I told you that Jon Acuff at Stuff Christians Like was trying to raise $30,000 to build a kindergarten in Vietnam.

Wanna know what God did?

He raised that $30,000 in 18 hours. 18 HOURS!

God is like WHOA!

Now, Jon has talked to the people at Samaritan's Purse and they said that there are two more kindergartens that need to be built. If you wanted to donated but didn't get to, or forgot to, or didn't think you should and you slept on it and now you think you should, donations are now being taken to build another kindergarten. And when the money is raised for that, I'm sure they will start raising for the third.

So, go. Donate now.

Live out James 1:27.

(P.S. I didn't plan on posting twice today. I know some of you are thinking that I've gone a little overboard with this NaBloPoMo overachieving thing. But, oh, just wait. There shall come another day or two or 10 that I'll forget to post.)

This Is Why I Blog...

And read blogs.

I love that there is a blog community out there that cares about living out James 1:27.

I love that there are people out there period that has committed themselves to living out this "religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless."

Jon Acuff, over at Stuff Christians Like, has committed himself and his family to doing just this. And he's asked the blog world to join him.

There's a need for a six-room kindergarten building in Hoang Then village in the Phong Tho district of Vietnam. It costs $30,000. And he wants to raise it by December 31, 2009. (And I just clicked over to the giving page and the total raised so far is $21.272.00. How about that? Click here if you want to give.)

Now, I don't have a lot of money but I do have enough to afford the internet connection that I'm using to write this blog post. (I would say my computer but I didn't exactly pay for it.)

I know it's the Christmas season now and stuff, or at least the retail world thinks so (because America never remembers that Thanksgiving and the Macy's Parade preceed Christmas), but my pastor has challenged us again this year to spend at least the same amount of money on living out James 1:27 as we would on Christmas gifts. I haven't done so well on this for the past couple of years, so I'm trying really hard this year.

Will you commit to that too?

13 Years Ago

Fifteen years ago, around this time of year, my best friend's mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, we were in sixth grade. I didn't really get what breat cancer was. In fact, I really don't think I actually knew it was breast cancer until two years later. I just knew that she was sick. Really sick.

Even through her sickness, for the next two years, after having to quit her job, my second mom dove in head first at spending every minute she could with her daughter. And those minutes that she was laid up due to chemo, Lauren was there, laying in the bed next to her.

I remember her leading a fundraiser at our school in eighth grade. She would come on during the morning announcements over the intercom to give a progress report. She dubbed herself, "The Morning Bird." I can still hear her joyful voice.

At first, I thought of her sickness as just something semi-severe. Like chronic bronchitis or something. You know, something that she'd just get over soon.

That never happened.

Thirteen years ago, at the end of February, my best friend's mom lost her battle. I remember the day it happened like it was yesterday. They came and got Lauren out of class. A few minutes later, we (her five closest friends) were called out of class. We knew this couldn't be good.

They sat us down in the office and told us what was going on. We cried and hugged and sent Lauren on her way. None of us could even think about class or math or science at that moment. We were given the option to not go back to class, considering the school day was more than halfway over.

I remember the visitation. The funeral. The burial. The memorial service at the school.

Then, breast cancer, at least to me, wasn't really as widespread or well known as it is today. However, just in the past 10 years, I could use up all digits on my hands and feet and still not touch all the people that I know that have been affected, either directly or indirectly, by breast cancer.

A few friends' mothers fought the battle in high school and won. Another friend's mom died our junior year of college, and recently she's taken precautions to prevent herself from being diagnosed with the same disease. Another friend that I met when I moved to Birmingham has done the same thing after a scare a couple of years ago.

For more information and statistics about breast cancer, click here.

I've come to love the month of October over the recent years. Not only because the weather starts to get cooler or because of Halloween or because this guy was born. (And not because it's National Sarcastics Appreciation Month either. Appreciate me, mkay?) It's because it's a whole month, a whole 31 days devoted to bringing awareness about breast cancer and raising funds to support the cause.

The Samford University volleyball team is chipping in this year, in support of a special person close to some members of the team. On Oct. 18, they will host a Dig Pink match to celebrate the culmination of a fundraising effort. (This also happens to be the biggest match of the year against College of Charleston, one of our toughest opponents, the team that handed us our first of only two conference losses last season. So if you're in the area, come out and support Breast Cancer Research and the Samford Bulldogs!)

If you haven't yet given and want to give, or if you feel so inclined to, I'd love for you to give, and it would be even better if you'd partner with the Samford volleyball team. If you'd like to help out, click here, or on the button on the sidebar.

Honor someone special with your gift. Save a life.

International Justice Day

What's your favorite holiday and what does it mean to you? You know, like most people love Christmas because of all the presents and fun songs and stuff. Or Thanksgiving, with all it's abundance of food and football and dog shows and parades. Fourth of July and the fireworks. Memorial Day marks the start of summer. Labor Day marks the end.

But what do those days really mean? What's the meaning behind them?

International Justice Day is a day when we all should open our eyes wide to the injustices of this world and see that we can do something about it. For me, it's becoming a day that I realize what's going on outside this bubble world of mine and get on my knees to plead to the Almighty on behalf of those who can't. Because alone I can't do a thing about it. But with Him, I've got all the help I need. You know, He's got the whole world in His hands, right?

Y'all, if you haven't already figured it out, there's some crazy business going on up in this world. Genocide, hunger, fatal disease, human trafficking, poverty, child labor, lack of education or medical care. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I could go on and on.

Many organizations lend their help to promote this day. Today, I'm helping Mocha Club spread the word.

Watch this video. It's pretty awesome.

So.

What's it going to mean to you?

Blog-Linkity Goodness 6.26.09

This post of BooMama's made me want to go out and get a subscription to Southern Living right away. 

LT shared this today and I almost peed my pants laughing. Almost. Fans of The Office, this is a must watch.

This picture that Charity: Water tweeted today is probably one of my top 10 most favorite images. Ever. 

This Clarion Ledger article found me perplexed today. Hate the sin. Love the sinner. But don't let that trump what is ultimately right in God's eyes and what his Word says is right before God.

No-Shave November

Have you heard of this phenomenon?

I've known of this for a while, or rather seen the look sported by many a male, but never heard of it referred to as the "No-Shave November" look until last week. Several people in a span of three days referred to the look, and since then I've noticed more and more guys with more facial hair than should be permitted.

I actually googled it. It a real thing.

"The cultural phenomenon, affectionately coined 'No-Shave November,' encourages young men to put the razor down, testing their will power to resist shaving. Women are also welcome to participate in the month-long movement." (Found here.)

(I think all women should avoid participating in this month-long movement. I get itchy enough after just four days. Unless you are a mountain woman. Then I guess it's okay. I once when whitewater rafting in the summer, and one of the guides, who was Sharon Stone's niece no less, had extremely hairy legs and said that she hadn't shaved in about four months. Gross. But I digress...)

Anyway, it seems as though this phenomenon has been tagged to charitable giving. Noshavenovember.org (which is a site that is still a work in progress) takes the long-admired month of willpower and attaches it to a pledge driven fundraiser for a non-profit organization every year. This year, all participants will be collecting pledges for the Save Darfur Coalition.

I'm guessing you follow the same rules as the old school Read-A-Thons and Walk-A-Thons. Someone pledges a certain amount of money per day you don't shave. Pretty neat idea.

For guys, this seems like a pretty easy deal. Well at least for the non-wussy ones who can get past the itchiness. Most guys I know carry on the NSN look long past November throughout the winter months before finally shaving it all off mid-February...or at least until their mom's or girlfriends or wives talk some sense into them.

I'm not a big fan of facial hair. I can handle the scruffy look and I've dated guys with the goatee, but massive amounts of hair on the face really get to me.

But girls, is a charitable cause worth looking like a cave woman for a month? Maybe? Maybe not? I don't think I'm willing to try it out. There are definitely more avenues I can take to give to these causes.

The itchiness would drive me nutty. I can't even stand to were an itchy sweater for the sake of looking cute during the winter. What makes me think I could do this? Plus, I have a hard enough time landing a guy in the first place. What would I say? "It's all for the cause, honey! Just think of the children."

It would take a really strong man to get past that.

I Need Africa Part Deux

Last week, I blogged about the statement, "I need Africa more than Africa needs me," in conjuction with the start of a campaign initiated by Mocha Club. Click here to read the whole thing.

Today is the official lauch of the campaign and I wanted to comment on a few things that have been tugging on my heart lately.

The whole world has been consumed with "philanthropic duties" for the past several years, and it's sort of become the "cool thing to do" to give to charity or have a cause to fight for. Not one thing is wrong with this picture. I actually think it's great that the world has finally woken up and become a different kind of people who seem to care what is going on, and is rising up a generation who cares about world issues rather than getting the high score on a video game.

However, I just hope that these causes aren't backed up by empty feelings, by people who are just doing "good" because they think it makes them a "good person" or because it's, like I said before, "the cool thing to do" or "the right thing to do."

It is the "right thing to do" (Can quotations be overused?), but I hope people are doing the right thing for the right reason.

As a Christian, I have been commanded to look after the poor and widows. However, feeding the poor and looking after widows will not solely get me into Heaven. It's the heart with which I do it.

We are all saved by grace along, through faith, not by what we have done for God or by how good of a person we are, but only by what God has done for us (Ephesians 2:8, Walden paraphrase, of course). We CANNOT merit our own salvation. It is a free gift from God. A gift that frees us to be "good people".

No amount of money or clothes or toys we give, no amount of food we serve, no matter how many houses we build, none of that gets us into Heaven. God does.

The reason we do "philanthropy" should be evidence of what God has done for us. Our motivation for doing "good things" is that we are so overwhelmed with the blessings that God has given us that we want to share that with others.

We are a relational people. God made us to build relationships with others. The more we get to know people, the more we want to help them right? My whole outlook on people who are, and I hate to use this term now, less fortunate, than I am has been changed over the past few months. I no longer look at them as someone who I need to give money to, but as someone who I should take to a restaurant, buy a dinner for, and have a real conversation with. Ask them what their story is and how they got where they are which may, in turn, lead to an opportunity to share my story of how I got to where I am through the grace of God. (Some people jest about Tony Romo and his taking a homeless man to the movies. I say, well done Tony Romo. That's just what I'm talking about.)

I read this on the Mocha Club website today:

"Many in the west think Africa is simply an object of charity. This mindset does
not breed true compassion. And there’s something about truth… when it becomes
clear, it hits you in a way that is hard to ignore. The same is true with
people. If we invest in knowing someone, love is the automatic response. We
can’t all make a trip across the ocean, but we can seek to have a conversation
that recasts the damaging images that force pity over partnership."

Pity over partnership. It should be the other way around, right? We shouldn't pity the people of Africa. We shouldn't be sitting back saying, "Mmmm, that's a shame." We should stand up, reach out to our brothers and sisters, and build relationships that will last for eternity. We should do it with a heart that knows that they would do the same for us. We should do it with the heart of Christ, knowing that because Christ loved us first, we can love each other unconditionally.

With our philanthropic deeds, we build relationships with those whom we are serving, but we also build relationships with those with whom we are serving. And we realize that "possessions in our hands will never be as valuable as peace in our hearts."

I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

I was asked by Mocha Club to write about why "I need Africa more than Africa needs me." Mocha Club is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas – to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

(The directions were to write "about 200 words" on this subject but I'm feeling that I might go a little over. Forgive me. Please.)

"I need Africa more than Africa needs me."

That sounds kind of backwards, right? I've got way more than anyone in Africa could ever imagine having. Shouldn't they be the ones needing something?

Sure Africa needs a lot. Millions of children are dying every year of AIDS, preventable diseases, starvation and war. UNICEF says that 5,500 children under the age of five die across the 21 countries of the eastern and southern regions of Africa. AND the majority of the deaths are largely preventable. More than 300,000 die in as little as two months. TWO MONTHS. I can't even remember what happened in the last two months because I've been so wrapped up in my own life. Did we elected a new President? Huh?

Anyway, I think what this statement means is that we need Africa to change our view of the rest of the world more than Africa needs us to "help". Now, I put the word "help" in quotations because we see Africa as this feeble continent of sick and dying and poor people rather and a continent that is rich of a hopeful future and an opportunity to display the glory of God.

I heard a man speak last night who had grown up in Africa. He and his sister were the only white kids in an African village. He said he would pray every night that he would wake up and he would be black. This was 54 years ago. You know, 54 years ago, America was fighting over Civil Rights. This four-year-old white boy was praying that he was black. Interesting? To say the least.

This man, when he was seven, lost one out of every four of his friends to preventable ailments such as small pox and measles and poisonous snake bites. He didn't get any of those diseases because he had gotten the vaccinations but he was stuck with the memory of holding his friends in his arms and coaxing them into an early death. That man was Wes Stafford, president of Compassion International.

Besides his life story, something else he said stuck with me. He said that we shouldn't look down on the poor and the impoverished. We shouldn't look down on them with eyes of pity and feelings of guilt. We should look at them as God looks at them -- beloved and blessed. Rich in righteousness and promised with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Africa is a nation of hope. A nation of opportunity for us Americans who live an ocean away and feel we can't do anything. We CAN do something. And as a Christ follower, I don't want to look at Africa with pitiful eyes and a soul full of guilt. I want to look at Africa with a humble heart, knowing that I have much more to give than I think, and relishing in the fact that God is getting the glory from every cent of that $15 that is taken out of my bank account every month. Fifteen dollars isn't a lot to most of us. But my $15 is helping several kids in Zimbabwe get an education. And that's a whole world of wealth to them.

Jesus said in Matthew 25, (Walden paraphrase) "If you done anything for anyone, especially those "less fortunate" (and I can totally see Jesus using air quotes here) -- fed, clothed, quenched thirst, bailed out, given shelter -- you've done the same for me."

Our ministry to others is our ministry to Jesus Christ. And we can't do any of that without Jesus Chirst. How neat is that?

James (1:27) tells us, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

So I think I've come full circle. Why do I need Africa more than Africa needs me? James just slapped me in the face with the answer -- to keep myself from being polluted by the world. I've never been to Africa but I have been to Honduras and New Orleans and the Latin slums of Arlington, Texas, and those people, who have no more than the clothes on their back, are happier, or should I say more joyful, and believe more in Jesus Christ inspite of their circumstances than I am with all the material things that I have in my possession.

So, if only to change my outlook on life, I truly do think I need Africa more than Africa needs me.

In closing, I ask you to share your thoughts in my comments, and challenge you to maybe even blog about it yourself. Take time to think about it. I was presented with this a week ago before I committed to even try to blog about it. Join in the worthwhile care of recasting the damaging images that force pity over partnership. Come back Dec. 1st to see what Mocha Club is doing about reforming that image.

Join the club...

So I've been pretty convicted lately about my service and my giving. I've wanted to give to an organization for a while but it was so hard for me to commit to on an intern's salary. When I finally got my big girl job, one of the things I said I was going to do was start giving and serving more. I'd promised myself that I was going to give to some charitable organization but kept putting it off until today. Today I took the plunge and joined this, the Mocha Club. It's an organization that is helping build Africa from within through monetary donations that go toward causes such as education, orphan care, HIV/AIDS, child mothers, job creation and Sudan regrowth.

Africa has been on my heart recently, as has been Honduras (since my visit there) and now Cuba, which is probably devastated by Hurricane Ike.

(Sidenote: Archie, one of my friends from our Honduras trip (he was our videographer and is actually from Venezuala), told a group of us one day about his heart for Cuba. His dream, and near-future reality, is to go to Cuba and lead a group to do mission work down there and get some discipleship in the works down there. Lord knows they need it.)

Anyway, since Dave Barnes promoted this at the first show I went to, it's been on my mind every since. I said to myself, and I think to Casey, that once I get a big girl check I'm actually going to start giving to this. I know it's $7 a month and I should have been able to give it up when I was on the intern salary but I'm just showing my selfish ways.

Anyway, if your heart is telling you to start giving, please check out my team at the Mocha Club by going to this link and let me know if you want to join by commenting and ask me to send you an invite. Or create your own team if you want to give to another cause. I won't be disappointed. I might even join your team too! You join mine, I'll join yours. (All little "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" action.) And it's easy to give. You give them your credit/debit care number and they take $7 out on the 15th of every month.

I wanted to give to more than one cause because so many of them mean so much to me but I had to just pick one. I chose education because it's just been a big part of my family. Both my parents are educators and now my sister has joined the ranks as well. Education is huge and is crucial for these kids on the road of life. Plus, it's fun. Yep. I said it. Learning is fun. I do it every day.

Anyway, so if you so feel called, join my team, Spreadin' the Love, because that's what we are doing.

The Play Pump

I know I've slacked a little bit and I promise I'm going to put up a Holidays post like everyone else to give you a peek at what I did, but I received this info today and I felt like I had to share it immediately. I'm on this Africa kick right now. Well...I shouldn't say it's a kick. I should say that my awareness has been hightened about the needs in Africa these days -- both physical and spiritual. I'm trying to find a way to go to South Africa sometime soon but I've got to get the funds first.

Anyway, go to this link. It will take you to a page about the water in South Africa. There is a man that has invented a pump that is a suedo-merry-go-round that actually pump cold, clean water into a tower and the people can come get clean water from a faucet. They've placed them all over South Africa and hope to extend it to neighboring countries soon. The U.S. gave $16.1 million (I think) in September and that helped the inventor move to a bigger factory to create these pumps while also giving African locals jobs.

This is awesome! Go to the page and click watch video.

My Heart Is In Africa

I'm so glad that God led me to Birmingham. I really think that God has designed my path through Birmingham for me to really get a grasp of what I'm here on Earth for and what my life is all about. I attend an amazing church led my an amazing young preacher with a heart for the nations.

I've definitely had a heart for missions since I was a teenager but I never have had the direction to do what I'm called to do, which is make his glory known in Birmingham and throughout the world by making disciples and sharing the gospel with as many people as I can.

For a while now, I have wanted to go to Africa. Last summer, I wasn't able to go to Africa but I did go to Honduras and got a glimpse of the needs that are out there. This summer I'm hoping to go to Africa. There are several avenues through which I can go, so right now I'm just trying figure out which avenue is best for me.

Anyway, I say all that to say this. Today at church, we had the most amazing service. We had a presentation from World Help, an organization that exists to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment through partnering, training, helping and serving, especially in the unreached areas of the world. They also have a foundation called Children of Hope where you can sponsor a child. World Help works mostly with areas in sub-Saharan Africa, trying to raise awareness and garner support for the HIV/AIDS epidemic that has taken its toll on Africa and affected on more than 15 million children.

Here are some facts about the World Help and the way that AIDS is affecting Africa:
- 15 million children have been orphaned by AIDS, a number that is expected to increase to 40 million by 2010. Every 14 seconds, a child is orphaned by AIDS in Africa.
- A monthly sponsorship gift of $30 provides food, clothing, education, and most importantly, a Christ-centered focus in a child's life.
- $25,000 provides one home to impact 12 orphans.
- $50,000 provides two homes to impact 24 orphans.
- $100,000 provides an entire Village of Hope to impact 48 orphans.
- Evangelical Christians are the least likely to aid efforts like these and only 3% said they would give to an organization like World Help.

Our worship today was led by the Children of the World choir, who not only were precious, but the choir was made up of about 15 orphans from several different countries. One young boy was from Uganda. His family had to leave Uganda and live in a refugee camp. Every child knows Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and that says a lot about this organization considering where thy come from. That shows that World Help is not just about helping these countries. It's about first and foremost winning people over for the sake of Christ and his desire for the world.


I encourage everyone to go check out the website. Get involved with this organization in some way. Get involved in any organization like this. Here a list of others:

- Invisible Children
- Blood:Water Mission
- Mocha Club
- Save Darfur

I know there are so many more out there. Get involved. Do something. If we don't, who will?

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40