I spent a good portion of my day in a spirit of gratitude for my family... My beautiful wife came to see me at work today with the most adorable trick-or-treater I've ever seen... Jen stopped by to see what needed to go to goodwill, because she has single-handedly remodeled the boys new bunkers... Riley helped me run errands today after work... Mike and Lianne gave us a mattress... and the evening was finished off with trick or treating and prayers with Mark, Amy, Micah, Jen, Kelli, Lianne, Mike, Debby, Mike, Dianna, Kerri, Riley, Trey, and Myself. It was a good day.

"Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that murder is justified to serve their grand vision and they end up alienating decent people across the globe"

- George W. Bush

Romans 12

In a document that I am preparing for certain religeous officials, I was asked:


2. Identify some of your personal convictions.

so I quickly jotted down a list... wrote out some thoughts... and realized that I had summarized Romans 12 in its entirety. Here's what I came up with...


Holiness (Romans 12:1-2) - I see a great need for the church as a whole to come to terms with what it means to be “set apart." Growing up I was taught that Christians were defined by what they didn't do. Christians were to be marked by an outer piety that refused to participate in certain "wordly" or "secular"” activities. Today, my heart longs for a greater awareness among the people of God of His calling on our lives to be alternative in a variety of ways. He is calling his church out of the ways of this world into a new polis. The world is offering us the chance to call ourselves Christian and still hold to its promises of power, relevance, pride, material wealth, safety, and comfort. Jesus warned against this saying "No servant can serve two masters" (Luke 16:13) and that those who choose to live this way would lack freedom, shackeled in a worldly social purgatory. He goes on to say of the Pharisees, who loved money, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight” Yet God is demanding that his people announce a new way to be human by living under the Reign of God.

The Functioning Body of Christ (Romans 12:3-8) - There are many people in the Body of Christ who have slipped into a slumbering state of apathy, allowing the role and duty of ministry to rest squarely on our well paid, professionally trained ministers. It is a conviction of mine to speak out against this atrophy in the Body of Christ and to energize each member of my local body in their special and unique vocations.

Service (Romans 12:9-13) - Christ demonstrated the way of service in many ways throughout the New Testament. When arguing which of them were the greatest, Jesus taught the disciples saying "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35) Service lived out shows the open hand of Christ to the world. It is an invitation to all who are in need.

Nonviolence (Romans 12: 17-21) - There is no doubt in my mind that Christ called all who would follow him to love their enemies ( Matt.5:38-48). In doing this Christ both energized the alternative way of peace and love and criticized the accepted ways of violence in his culture.

This world will come to know the way of Christ only through our service and love. A counter cultural witness to the world is an authentic and accurate portrait of Kingdom of God.

Pakistan

80,000 Dead

a letter from Trevor

Hope you get this. My computer died on me... hope to have it fixed today. Things here are unimaginable and its freezing cold--rain and hail the last few days. I have a cold already and I have warm clothes. Think of the millions that are sleeping under the sky. There are so many bodies here. The stench is terrible. They can't bury them fast enough because they don't have enough burial shrouds or shovels or people who aren't injured.

-Trevor in Pakistan


The death toll is now reported to be more than 80,000.

3,000,000 Homeless.... and winter is coming


MCC is responding
donate here

pumpkin soup

Spent some time this morning making pumpkin soup from the pumpkin riley and I bought at a farm yesterday. super fresh pumkin dude.... i would love for someone to come critique it. Riley and I also picked 2 peck of apples... so if your in the neighborhood...

garbage land

food politics

teacher: "now, class, which foods are most essential for a healthy, balanced diet?"

student: "OOO - I know... meat and dairy!"

Teacher: "very good Billy... and what is it about those foods that makes them so essential?"

student: "Their Washington lobbyists... who are so influential they can convince the department of agriculture to ignore the advice of nutritionists when presenting itself as an authority on nutrition!"

Teacher: "Very Good! ... because who knows more about nutrition than nutriitonists?"

Student: "anyone with the authority to publish a governmental document?"

Teacher: "yes... exactly! ... and who knows more about which technologies are safe to export and which are dangerous because of their potential "dual-use" in high-tech weaponry,.... weapons experts or the commerce department?"

Student: "The commerce department?"

Teacher: "Excellent! Excellent! Class dismissed!"


a couple of books from the library yesterday...
Food Politics: how the food industry influences nutrition and health by Marion Nestle
Selling Sickness: How the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies are turning us all into patients by Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels

The Future of Food

Let your friends know about it...
This documentary is gaining popularity across America... it is being shown in select independent theatres in other cities... but not in Columbus. So ....

on
Nov,3 @ 6:30PM
I will be showing the documentary "The Future of Food" at the
Grandview Heights Public Library
in the "meeting room"... it's on the first floor adjacent to the children's section.

"THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed by the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply.

Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, THE FUTURE OF FOOD examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world's food system. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today. "

Nov. 3
6:30 - 9 pm
GHPL
meeting room
some light snacks will be provided

want a flyer... print this out, fill it out and hang it up at work. This event is free.

"When food submerses the body, and through the body the soul, its relish disappears, and then alone does it begin to function in the way nature intended it to."
- Gandhi

"The great law of life is replenishment. If we do not eat, we die. Just as surely, if we do not eat the kind of food which will nourish the body constructively, we not only die prematurely, but we suffer along the way."
- Norman Walker, D.S. (at 100 years of age)

here's the deal

have you read this yet?!?!

Patagonia

Yvon Chouinard has climbed a glacier on the face of Mt. Kenya, survived an avalanche on Minya Konka in Tibet and kayaked down the Yellowstone River through a treacherous rock wall canyon. He has also helped preserve millions of acres of wild lands in the U.S. and South America — all this on top of building an outdoor apparel business with $240 million in sales. read more

bring them home

http://www.boingboing.net/images/babypeace_320.mov
http://www.boingboing.net/images/babypeace.wmv

E. coli

here's one good reason to buy local

Montana de Luz

Doug and Molly (pictured below) are family to Kerri and I. It would mean so much to us if you would read Molly's speech and then donate $5/mo. to the orphanage they will be serving in... or anything really.

send payment to :

815 North High Street Suite GG
Columbus, Ohio 43215


MOLLY's SPEECH
------------------------
It was just six months ago that I made one of the biggest decisions of my life. This was something I had been praying for, desiring and hoping for. And it has changed my life forever. The decision was to move from my comfortable home in Columbus, Ohio – to a small village in Honduras called Nueva Esperanza.

Nueva Esperanza means “New Hope”. It was named this with the purpose of building new homes, a new start, for victims of hurricane Mitch. Hurricane Mitch was absolutely devastating… much like what people in the south are experiencing today… with the exception that the people in Honduras, one of the poorest countries in Central America, couldn’t begin to rebuild. Nueva Esperanza was built with money given from Catholic churches and organizations in the United States. The homes are smaller than most living rooms in the U.S. and tend to hold families of 8 or more. But Nueva Esperanza is special for another reason as well. It is also the home of Montana de Luz where children with HIV and AIDS are given a new hope in their suffering. And this is where I am the new director.

To be poor… feels helpless. To be poor and have AIDS is a life of despair and death. But it doesn’t have to be. Montana de Luz means “Mountain of Light”. It began five years ago as a hospice – a beautiful place for children to die in peace. But with donations from people in the United States and abroad, we are able to provide children with much needed medication, nutritional meals, and a clean stable place in order to continue in life. In five short years Montana de Luz evolved fromm a place to die to a place of life, growth, learning and health. It is a place of hope where our morgue has turned into a library and where Miguel, a 13 year old boy, is president of his school and dreams of being president of his country.

Currently we have 23 children living at the project. We would love to at least double that amount, but it all depends on funding. Honduras holds 60 % of AIDS cases in Central and South America and has the fastest growing rate of children with AIDS. And it is worse off now than Africa was 15 years ago. Most of our children received the HIV virus through the birthing process and from sexual abuse...

Yulisa is just one little girl that has suffered such abuse. She is 10 years old and has been abused for 2 years. Sister Leondarda from Limon has been helping her but without a clinic, Montana de Luz is Yulisa’s only hope of escape from abuse and sickness. When I visited her home, her mother tried to convince me that there was no reason for her to leave Limon. She told me that Yulisa was happy and healthy. This was coming from a single mother of 6. And Yulisa is her only hope. Being the oldest, Yulisa leaves school early every day to help with meals and take care of younger siblings. Yulisa loves school. Math is her favorite subject, she’s beautiful, creative and enjoys playing with friends her own age. When I asked Yulisa if she felt safe in her own home, she told me that she didn’t. She lives in fear from men coming into her home and sickness entering her body. We are currently in the process of rescuing Yulisa to give her a safe haven, good education, and a chance at a healthy childhood.

I also want to tell you about Deybi. He is our most recent child admitted. He is 7 years old with the body of a weak 4 year old. When I met Deybi he had been in the hospital for 3 months. His parents would visit him (both of whom are HIV positive) and since Deybi refused hospital food they would bring him rice, bread and coffee on a daily basis. Deybi was so thin he could barely take a few steps at a time... But Deybi has amazing strength from within. He has hungry brown eyes, long lashes, and rarely smiles… but when he does smile, time stands still as his dimples deepen… and you are invited and able to share in his happiness. This happiness was shared more and more every day that Deybi was at Montana de Luz. Even though he battled through daily fevers, he managed to gain a couple of pounds and begin walking on his own... Unfortunately though, a month after being at Montana de Luz, he had to be readmitted to the hospital where he was poked and prodded as a case study for over a month. Even though we visited every day, brought tv/vcr, books and music to entertain him, he was understandably miserable and longed to return to Montana de Luz, his new home... Today I give glory to God and am excited to say that a week ago Deybi’s wish was granted. He loves being back at Montana de Luz. He never goes to bed hungry, he has clean water to drink and in which to bathe. He has people that love and care for him as well as 24 hour playmates. We had prepared a wheelchair fro Deybi, but he is determined to walk on his won, with hopes to run or ride a bike one day.

Yulisa is one of thousands of children suffering in Honduras. There are only three orphanages that accept children with HIV. Montana de Luz is one of them. Deybi is one of 23 children at Montana de Luz… One of 23 that are living instead of dying. If it weren’t for Montana de Luz, these children would not have a chance at life. Montana de Luz exists due to our loving Father in Heaven and because of people like you who donate time, prayers, money and concern to Montana de Luz.

I urge you to get involved in the lives of Honduran children. Please choose to get involved in Montana de Luz. These children depend on you. Come and visit the children, we have a mission team program set up... or support one in our sponsership program where you can write the children and they can write you. There are many ways to get involved. You can make the difference. You can choose life for a child without a choice. I will be down here in front after the service for those of you that have questions.

Thank you for your time, consideration and prayers.
Thank you.
__________________________________
currently playing:: Denison Whitmer: Are You A Dreamer?