Good news

Last Saturday, Rachael & I were sitting in a coffee shop getting some work done and a gentleman walked in the door with a paper. He sat down at a table near us and said, while shaking his head, "I shouldn't have gotten out of bed today - nothing but bad news everywhere. I can't read the paper or turn on the TV without getting bad news - gas prices, Wall Street crashing, prostitution rings in my city, war in Iraq. Nothing good at all." Engrossed in my work, I said hi and did little more than agree with him, shaking my head with his. Shortly after the exchange, I beat myself up over a missed opportunity to possibly engage the conversation and attempt to interject some good news into the story.

But it also caused me to reflect on my own way of thinking. The truth is, with Christ in my life, I should not be discouraged by the events of the world. This is easier said than done for me. I tend to be a little on the brooding side - I get so frustrated with some of the policies of our government, and before I know it, I'm about as much fun as SNL's Debbie Downer. The truth is, with Christ in my life, there is hope. Along with my brothers & sisters, I can actively participate in a revolution that changes the events of the world. If I remain in my gloomy state, I'm of no use to anyone, and especially of no use to God. To be an agent of change requires action. I love this statement by Erwin McManus in his new book Wide Awake:

Sometimes the limitations we accept establish the boundaries of our existence.

Clean water

The past few weeks have been great. Equitas has raised enough money to put 75 children in Malawi through secondary school for one year, as well as two hand-dug wells and gardens. We're now moving on to drilled wells in remote Malawi villages. We already have one commitment for a well and still want to get two more by the end of the year! Our goal is 50. Clean water is essential to a healthy life.

Only 32% of the rural population of Malawi have access to water within less than a mile's walk. Women and children have been known to walk as far as five miles to get water. During dry seasons (May-September) rivers dry up, increasing the formidable burden of fetching water, which can consume four hours a day or more. Poor sanitation increases the potential for deadly water-borne diseases. Many HIV/AIDS patients are refusing to take their life-sustaining drugs because the side-effects caused by dirty water are worse than the symptoms caused by HIV/AIDS. When given access to clean water, a village benefits in several ways:

• Water-borne diseases diminish


• Women can spend more time at home taking care of their families


• Children can attend school, since they no longer spend large portions of their days fetching water


• HIV/AIDS patients can take their medications

When people have access to clean water, lives are transformed and quality of life is dramatically improved. Please help us achieve our goal of 50 wells.

I had a discussion with a buddy over lunch yesterday who said he was talking with someone about the global issues we face today. He said this person told him it was overwhelming, hopeless, and beyond help. I strongly disagree. We can all do our part. We can all make a difference. If enough of us can believe in the power of small changes, these small changes will exponentially add up to global change of significant positive impact. But it starts with one person and one dollar. Please give what you can.

Malawi Video

Unfortunate attacks

I've taken a break from blogging about politics. I'm no pundit, and I don't have a ton to say, but I do know that at this point, now more than ever, I'm glad I changed my voter registration card from Republican to Democrat. Did you happen to catch the Republican National Convention last night? It went from bad to worse. I simply cannot believe that Giuliani had the hubris to stand up there and actually laugh at Obama's work as a community organizer. He was mocking Obama, and as the cameras rolled to the crowd, they were all laughing, too. They were making a big joke of it. And all this before listening to the Republican's Vice Presidential selection - Sarah Palin - who, just a few years ago, was a hockey mom. When Palin took the stage, the pejorative comments continued.

Can somebody please tell me why they consider it so important to simply make jokes about the man for which I undoubtedly am going to vote? I was so happy to hear Joe Biden this morning actually complimenting Palin. She has been making one dig after another at Obama, and Biden has had nothing but good things to say about his friend John McCain. The interviewer asked him if, in light of Palin's derogatory remarks, he was going to have to change his tone toward McCain. He quickly responded, "No - there are more important things to discuss." Now I'm not going to blindly state that Biden or Obama have never made any political gaffes. I know they've all said things they shouldn't have. But I'm sick of the negative attacks.

I need to say a couple of things about Palin. She claims that she has more experience than Obama, since she has served in an "executive" position as governor of a state. According to this logic, she has more experience than McCain, too. Maybe he should be her Vice President?

And I just have to bring up an article I read this week. Palin attended an Assembly of God church in Alaska for several years. Watch a video of her returning to the church for a speech. Absolutely sickening. If you watch the video, listen to how she talks about the man praying for her. After the media took all of Jeremiah Wright's statements out of context and ran with them, I sure hope they jump on this one.

During the 2004 election season, Palin's pastor, Ed Kalnins, praised President Bush's performance during a debate with Sen. John Kerry, then offered a not-so-subtle message about his personal candidate preferences. Kalnins: "I'm not going tell you who to vote for, but if you vote for this particular person, I question your salvation. I'm sorry." Kalnins added: "If every Christian will vote righteously, it would be a landslide every time."

I'm not quite sure where he gets the authority to say this. Months after hinting at possible damnation for Kerry supporters, Kalnins bristled at the treatment President Bush was receiving over the federal government's handling of Hurricane Katrina. "I hate criticisms towards the President," he said, "because it's like criticisms towards the pastor -- it's almost like, it's not going to get you anywhere, you know, except for hell. That's what it'll get you."

So according to Kalnins, I'm going to hell, because I've criticized Bush on a lot of issues, not least of which is the Iraq war. I can't let this go without comment. I love God. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Yet Kalnins says I'm going to hell. Somebody, please - anybody reading this - explain to me where he gets the guts to make such an assertion!! And back up his statement with proof. I'm guessing you'll have a difficult time defending his statement. And this is the pastor of Palin's church where she received Christ and was baptized. Does anybody else out there see the irony in all this? I'm looking forward to the day when the mainstream media decides to run with this story. I wonder if Palin will reject Kalnins's endorsement when/if that happens.

I was raised in a charismatic church, and I believe in the gifts of the Spirit when they are used in wisdom and love, and not pride. I have attended Assembly of God churches for many years in my life. But I no longer attend one. Not because I wish to decry their message of salvation, but because I do not agree with the fundamental church's belief that war against terrorism is a war against evil itself. I do not believe that our war in Iraq is a "holy war," as many churches across America claim. I do not buy into the "prosperity" message - "name it and claim it" if you will. Do you truly believe that God cares about you getting that Mercedes when more than 30 million people in America are suffering from hunger? I'm just frustrated. I love God, and I attend a local church. But I consider myself 1) a Christ-follower, 2) a global citizen, and 3) an American. When we start standing up and praying that God will help our military to bomb the hell out of our enemies, I think we embrace an ideology of revenge that is as strong and severe, if not more so, as the ideologies against which we are fighting.

If you support McCain and Palin, that's your prerogative. And I'm not going to point my finger at you and say you're wrong, and I'm right. But I would ask that you consider the possibility that Palin is using religion as a weapon against her "liberal" opponents.

Are you kidding me?

I saw President Bush in an interview yesterday, condemning Russia for its "disproportionate response" to the conflict in Georgia. Apartment buildings were bombed, civilians were killed. Sounds very familiar to me. What about Iraq? How can the president remove the speck from Putin's eye when he's blinded by the plank in his own?

Things that make me want to puke

• The Iraq War - American soldiers even agree that we need to get out!


• $300 million spent on an Olympic opening ceremony. Give me a break.


• Olympic athletes saying "this is my time to shine and I'm going to go for it." I need a break from egos.


• Dogmatic individuals, thinking they know it all, that refuse to even listen to my points.


• Identity ideologies that put American citizenship over Kingdom of God citizenship.


• Killing of civilians labeled as "collateral damage - that's just war."


• China purchasing resources from pariah nations.


• The U.S. criticizing other nations for torture yet refusing to disallow waterboarding.


• "20-year-old" Chinese gymnasts. Yeah, right.


• Big oil companies spending more on advertising about their research into alternative energy than the actual research itself.


• The inequity between the rich and poor.


• Unaccountable corporations like Coca Cola, Nike, and McDonalds begging for our money.


• Politicians cheating on their wives. Hello!??! Just say NO!!!!!


• Wealth hoarding.

Alternative Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Alternative Opening Ceremony