the past few weekends we've teamed up with several organizations giving out thanksgiving dinners and groceries to those who need. it seems that the lines where much longer this year and the size of the needs are increasing. it was pretty cool....driving around town thankgiving day i noticed several places giving away food. i think that the newspaper even did a really good writeup of these events.
there is this economic side in which our leaders are trying to find ways to stop the bleeding and bringing some sense of hope to the poor and those that are struggling. in this area alone, hundreds and hundreds of people are being having to file for unemployment. imagine what that does to families.....to our communities.
then there's the moral and humanitarian side where loving, compassionate, caring, and giving people give and serve those in need. i saw a lot of that this past week. college students in serving lines on holiday giving out food. families distributing cloths and jackets together. ministers and community leaders organizing meals to give away.
as we are tempted to allow the commercialization of the spirit of the season to overtake us, i hope that we will pause for a moment and consider the impact that we can have as we work through the idea that it is better to give than to receive.
peace!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Crazy Weekend
This weekend was crazy. Saturday we did a manna drop in Lake Park with Camp Relitso (Velma Miles) and Francis Lake AME. This was our first time in Lake Park for a Drop. It was an amazing time. The whole vibe was surreal. Everyone came together and worked so hard to make sure that the people we were serving had enough food. When we got their the lines were already starting to form. One of the guys who came for food jumped on the truck and went right to work helping us get the pallets of food of the truck. And between trying to unload thousands of pounds of food in the grass (which i don't recommend) and the truck not starting we had lots of fun. thank you Ms. Billie for hanging out with us. and to all the volunteers who made this so much fun with your enegry and laughter. we've got to do this again real soon. hey frank, thanks for helping to load the truck and for hooking us up with the pears and tomatoes! everyone loved them.
saw a lot of familar faces. some helping and some coming in need of food. each time we do a drop i am reminded of the struggle of hunger. i am also reminded of the power of unity and community. how it effects me personally and pushes me to be a better person....whatever that may mean. i'm still trying to figure that out.
after the Drop me, cindy, and isabella raced down to the Swamp in Gainsville, Fl. for the South Carolina vs. Florida game. At the last minute we got tickets. What an awesome time. We had so much fun. i think the final score was 56 to 6.....celebrating with 90,000 of our closest friends. Isabella's first Gator game. We finally got home around 10:30pm.
The next day, cindy and i got up early and headed to atlanta with some friends to the Atlanta Falcon's game. saw an old buddy who was on the side of the road preaching as fans went into the stadium. as we were going into the stadium we noticed that the Atlanta Food Bank and the Falcons had teamed up to do a food drive. As fans went into the stadium they dropped off canned goods and monitary donations to help fight hunger in the ATL area. They really made a big deal about it. It's really cool to see the corporate world using their resources and influence to serve those who need so much; highlighting the suffering and pain of hunger.
As we were leaving the game some of the homeless crowd was out selling newspapers and helping people cross the congested streets. As people walked by you could hear conversations popping up about the homeless and the issues surrounding poverty. thanks Dale and Becky for allowing us to hang out and to Brian, Heather, and Carlie for watching over Isabella.
I love the poor and have a deep affection for them. Perhaps somewhat selfish....they offer me a glimps into God and force me to think about what really matters and how temperary life really is....and at some level we are all poor in some area of our lives. They expose my hypocrisy when i think that i am being good or forget that we are "spirits in a material world," not the other way around. They remind me that judgment is God's and that love and compassion are extremly difficult to live out. Often times we think that the poor need us but to be quit honest i need them.
saw a lot of familar faces. some helping and some coming in need of food. each time we do a drop i am reminded of the struggle of hunger. i am also reminded of the power of unity and community. how it effects me personally and pushes me to be a better person....whatever that may mean. i'm still trying to figure that out.
after the Drop me, cindy, and isabella raced down to the Swamp in Gainsville, Fl. for the South Carolina vs. Florida game. At the last minute we got tickets. What an awesome time. We had so much fun. i think the final score was 56 to 6.....celebrating with 90,000 of our closest friends. Isabella's first Gator game. We finally got home around 10:30pm.
The next day, cindy and i got up early and headed to atlanta with some friends to the Atlanta Falcon's game. saw an old buddy who was on the side of the road preaching as fans went into the stadium. as we were going into the stadium we noticed that the Atlanta Food Bank and the Falcons had teamed up to do a food drive. As fans went into the stadium they dropped off canned goods and monitary donations to help fight hunger in the ATL area. They really made a big deal about it. It's really cool to see the corporate world using their resources and influence to serve those who need so much; highlighting the suffering and pain of hunger.
As we were leaving the game some of the homeless crowd was out selling newspapers and helping people cross the congested streets. As people walked by you could hear conversations popping up about the homeless and the issues surrounding poverty. thanks Dale and Becky for allowing us to hang out and to Brian, Heather, and Carlie for watching over Isabella.
I love the poor and have a deep affection for them. Perhaps somewhat selfish....they offer me a glimps into God and force me to think about what really matters and how temperary life really is....and at some level we are all poor in some area of our lives. They expose my hypocrisy when i think that i am being good or forget that we are "spirits in a material world," not the other way around. They remind me that judgment is God's and that love and compassion are extremly difficult to live out. Often times we think that the poor need us but to be quit honest i need them.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Isabella's Birthday
So, my daughter celebrated her 4th birthday this past week. We actually share the same birthday. Pretty cool......except for the fact that somewhere along the way mine got lost.
My wife really goes over the top. But its so much fun; for the kids and their parents. this year our theme was Wizard of OZ. I can't tell you how many times i've had to watch that movie over the last six months. Maybe Isabella will let us retire it or something after the party. We dressed up....I was Scare Crow, my wife was the wicked witch (i'm not even going there), and Isabella was Dorthy. My parents came in from New Mexico. We had family from Atlanta and about 100 friends hanging out.
When we sent out the invitations for the party we put a note on the invitation asking for canned good donations for needy families in lue of presents. Something that we as a family discussed and agreed to do. Isabella was able to raise 411 pounds worth of food that night.
Amazing. That was way more food than any of us had expected. I want to thank Isabella for allowing us to do this at her party and for all those who gave something; especially as the colder weather starts moving in. As a father watching his little girl grow up these are some pretty powerful moments that we get to share together. I hope that as she gets older that will see the world and be a voice for those who have no voice. That my wife and I will somehow be able to show her and demonstrate thru they way that we live that even though it is not always easy it is better to give than to receive.
peace!
My wife really goes over the top. But its so much fun; for the kids and their parents. this year our theme was Wizard of OZ. I can't tell you how many times i've had to watch that movie over the last six months. Maybe Isabella will let us retire it or something after the party. We dressed up....I was Scare Crow, my wife was the wicked witch (i'm not even going there), and Isabella was Dorthy. My parents came in from New Mexico. We had family from Atlanta and about 100 friends hanging out.
When we sent out the invitations for the party we put a note on the invitation asking for canned good donations for needy families in lue of presents. Something that we as a family discussed and agreed to do. Isabella was able to raise 411 pounds worth of food that night.
Amazing. That was way more food than any of us had expected. I want to thank Isabella for allowing us to do this at her party and for all those who gave something; especially as the colder weather starts moving in. As a father watching his little girl grow up these are some pretty powerful moments that we get to share together. I hope that as she gets older that will see the world and be a voice for those who have no voice. That my wife and I will somehow be able to show her and demonstrate thru they way that we live that even though it is not always easy it is better to give than to receive.
peace!
Coldplay
Last week i took a buddy of mine to see coldplay in ATL. My wife bailed on me and missed an amazing concert. What energy and power. If you get into their music then you've got to go to a concert. It's a million times better live. These guys know how to put on a great show. It was well worth the three hour road trip back in the middle of the night; even if my friend couldn't hang and was snoozing by Macon. I guess old age gets the best of us......David (ha, ha). I also get what they are doing with "Make Trade Fair" and thier work with Oxfam. thanks fellas. The power of music and lyrics. What an amazing ability as a way to communicate to the world. How music can reach in and grab the soul, move it, and take it to places we didn't even know existed. Perhaps that is why music is such a spiritual force. It can skim the surface or it can take us way deep.
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