Review: Leavings by Wendell Berry

I’ve always been a little slow to use gift cards.  I feel like they are innately a special gift, and so the use of such a gift should also be a special occasion.  Jamie’s mom and dad gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card for Christmas, and it took me until May to make a purchase with it.  Regardless of the reason, I finally did make a purchase, and I’m incredibly glad I did.

I picked up the latest book of poetry from Wendell Berry.  It’s called Leavings.  It’s a mixture of musings from day to day life, and latest of Berry’s Sabbath poems—which are of course a series of Sunday reflections afforded to the writer on his day of rest.

Wendell Berry himself is an agrarian or ecological writer, and his writings center on the land of his sojourn in rural Kentucky.  He has worked his farm for most of his life, and understands a little better than most in the West our close tie to the good earth.

As I picked up Berry’s book of poetry in the Morgantown Barnes & Noble, I felt like I was reading letters and reflections from an old friend, someone who has seen all of the ill of our myriad technological advances and increased consumption habits and tried to resist in the simple yet profound protest of farming a small plot of land and subsisting off those offerings.

He writes about the greed of our age and how it is costing us our lives.  He writes of tragedies that come from a careless lifestyle of hurry and haste.  He writes and reminds me of my own need for simplicity as well as my own complicity in using and abusing the land and our resources.

Last week, I picked up some of my own old poetry and began to read it out loud.  Jamie listened and was unaware that it was mine.  She thought it was Wendell Berry’s writing.  It’s one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received.

I don’t know Wendell Berry at all, but I’m tempted to write him a letter.  I’m tempted because I want to thank him for being a voice crying out against our own diversity of gluttony, and reminding us that we do have a choice.  There’s always a choice . . .

In light of the recent oil spill that is consuming our oceans and covering our wildlife with a reddish brown indictment against our greed, I highly recommend that more people give Berry’s latest installment a read.

If you do give it a try, please let me know what you think.  And also, do you think I should try to write him?

Regardless whether you read his or any other book of poetry or prose, I hope that you can make a small step of courage to use less today.  The irony is that you might feel somewhat useless yourself if you choose to do so—that’s why it takes courage.

Uncle Bill's Knee Surgery

The photo in this blog is an image of my dad and one of his brothers, Uncle Bill, who I am named after.  The photo was taken about three years ago in front of Camden Clark Memorial Hospital (CCMH) in parkersburg, WV. I took it during one of my mom's last visits to the hospital on a day when three of my dad's brothers stopped by to see how she was doing. (I should have gotten a photo with all of them together!)

Last night, I found myself in Parkersburg again visiting CCMH to check on my uncle this time. He has had really bad knees for several years, but has refused to get surgery done. One of the main reasons I believe he has refused is because of his great love and care for his wife. Ten years ago, knee surgery meant an inability to walk for several weeks, and my aunt has had her fair share of illnesses over the years as well. My uncle waited to get knee surgery until it was so debilitating, he was hardly able to walk.

When I visited him last night in the hospital, I asked him why he got the surgery, and he said it was because it was getting to a point that he was hardly able to walk. I asked him if he would be getting his other knee done, and he said that it depends on how fast and uncomplicated this first surgery was, but he was looking forward to being able to walk again with relative ease.

If you've never seen the after effects of knee replacement surgery, the apparatus is pretty amazing. There is a pump that keeps ice water flowing around the joint to keep inflamation down, and the leg is placed in a contraption that keeps it working through it's range of motion constantly so one can recover more quickly. While it is a bit painful, my uncle had the machine running constantly while we were there. He wants to walk again as quickly as he possibly can.

Why? Because he loves his wife. Sure, he will enjoy being able to move with less pain, but I believe it means more to him to be available to care for his wife with greater mobility than he would be able to experience otherwise. In a culture where people seem to place less of a value on commitment and love and more on the idea of "personal happiness" I am really touched by my uncle's commitment to care for his wife and to do everything he can to be back home and out of the hospital quickly.

I certainly hope my life can be defined by that kind of care for others, don't you?

May you and I grow to be the kind of people that love deeply and who commit ourselves to the care of those around us. In a world filled with tragedy, there's a beauty to be found in seeing people who love sacrificially and care deeply for others.

Greater love has no one than this, than someone lays down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Great Chesapeake Bay Swim

This past weekend, Jamie took a step or two, along with several freestyle strokes as she completed a goal for which she has been training for several months. At the beginning of the year, she registered to swim in the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim on Kent Island, Maryland. Swimmers came from all over (but most were from the bay area) to participate in the one mile swim. This swim was a qualifier for a second tier goal that Jamie had at the beginning of the year. The second tier goal, swimming 4.4 miles across the bay next year in an even more limited and competitive race.

In order to participate in the 4.4 mile race, one has to complete the one mile race in less than forty minutes. Jamie's time was 27:02, and she finished in the top 100 finishers for the race (there were 500 who registered). The 4.4 mile race takes over two hours for most to finish, and looks like it would be incredibly difficult. (In all honesty, the one mile race Jamie participated in didn't look like a walk in the park either!).

Her swimming (btw she's the one in the center of the photograph) is a great reminder about setting goals and staying focused. She set the goal in January to participate in this event, and has been training regularly for the last six months in order to be ready for this race. I'm really proud of her for her discipline in training, and her incredible performance on Sunday. She was pretty tired after the race, but I was just tired watching the mass of competitors swim into the open tide-water.

Jamie was incredibly tired as she stepped out of the water and crossed the finish line. After the race, she said that there was no way she could be completely prepared for that experience without actually swimming the bay herself. But, she couldn't do that, so she prepared by swimming A LOT back in West Virginia. There is nothing that quite compares with actual events.

It was a bit ironic too because one of Jamie's anticipated rewards after the swim was to eat some seafood while the five of us (me, her, her parents and my dad) were on the bay. It was ironic, because she wasn't as interested in seafood or as hungry as she thought she would be. I kind of think that for her, accomplishing her goal was more of a reward than eating a meal.

Are you training for any races or working toward any goals? What are they? How do you maintain your focus? I hope Jamie's swim can inspire you; I know it has certainly inspired me.

May you maintain your focus, and crush your goals as you pursue them!

Oliver Luck Returns To WVU and Morgantown

Last night as I was going to bed, I read a tweet from @hoppykercheval that former WVU and Houston Oiler's quarterback, Oliver Luck would replace Ed Pastilong as the Athletic Director at WVU. It's amazing to me that his Wikipedia page was already updated before 7AM this morning.
Luck led WVU in one of the greatest mountaineer football victories of all time in 1981 when WVU defeated Florida in the Peach Bowl. Not only was he an incredible athlete, but he was also an extremely gifted student. He was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship and had a nearly perfect GPA as a student athlete. He was a first round draft pick for the Houston Oilers when he graduated from WVU, and is considered one of the all time WVU greats. In 1997 he was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame.
What do you think about West Virginia's new athletic director? I'm sure Houston will miss him, but personally I'm curious to see what a legendary and brilliant student athlete will bring to West Virginia University.
I imagine there will be a press conference in the near future with more details so stay tuned to your local TV and news coverage. Also, I'm sure there will be ongoing coverage at MetroNews and MSNsportsnet.

Mrs. Stewart & Her Amazing Sixth Grade Class of World Changers

San Antonio School Teacher Being Nuru from billy williams on Vimeo.

For those of you who read my recent post, you know that Nuru had a nationwide awareness campaign that had 1500 hundred people participate at 26 sites. But what you didn’t know was that there were others who were inspired to take part in their own “Be Hope To Her” events.
In fact, just a few days ago, Mrs. Stewart, a sixth grade teacher at Nimitz Middle School in San Antonio, Texas helped her students organize their own “Be Hope To Her” Event. Collectively, starting at 830AM and ending with the last bell at 330PM these sixth grade students logged over 100 miles carrying buckets of water. They all wanted to be able to say that for one day they “walked a mile in someone else’s shoes.”

These students not only walked through the day, but they have been learning about the issue of extreme poverty throughout the school year. In fact, these students read Greg Mortensen’s Three Cups of Tea as part of their studies this year.
Mrs. Stewart first discovered Nuru through an article that made it on the apple website in November about how Nuru uses Macs in our efforts to end extreme poverty. When she read the article, she was personally motivated to do something, and she got her students involved in Nuru’s work.
These students have been scouring the Nuru website and reading staff blogs to become better educated activists. I am thoroughly impressed with Mrs. Stewart and her students because they are educating themselves on the issue of extreme poverty, and they are taking action.
On June 3rd, I was able to talk with her class through skype. It was amazing to be able to applaud this incredible woman and her world changing students through video technology. We spent about a half hour sharing with each other, and the students had some really great questions to ask. They are serious about ending extreme poverty, and they know that their involvement in this issue matters.
Some would possibly tell these boys and girls that they are too small, or that their efforts don’t matter, but I told them, and I will tell you as well, that everybody has a contribution to make toward the end of extreme poverty.

The goal is huge, but it is achievable. Because Mrs. Stewart took the time to educate them, and encouraged them to get involved, they are joining a generation of world changers, and I sincerely believe that together with your help, all of us can see the end of extreme poverty.
I hope you will follow the lead of these students and get involved in the issue. Together, we CAN end extreme poverty. Together, we can be part of a generation that sees the end of the greatest humanitarian crisis of the contemporary era.

Can One Person Really Make A Difference?

Morgantown Community Recycling Center, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

On Saturday morning, I participated in "Tire Amnesty Day" in Monongalia County by taking a few old car and bicycle tires to Sam's Club in Granville to be recycled. Usually there is a small fee associated with such efforts, but this past Saturday, it was free. I thought I would take advantage of the oppportunity to rid myself of some of the tires that various roommates have left at the house over the years, and do a good turn for the environment.

While I was there, I received an info packet containing ways to recycle virtually everything I might ever want to get rid of. Unfortunately it was packaged in what looked like a non-recyclable (at least locally) #4 plastic bag. Bummer if so, but maybe it is a compostable bag. In one of the pamplets it listed the top ten myths about recycling. The #1 myth is "One person can't make a difference."

Here's the Monongalia Solid Waste Authority's response to that statement.

In [Monongalia county], one person makes a big difference in the recycling rate. Each day, one person in WV generates 4.07 pounds of trash, which becomes 1485 pounds over a whole year. About 48% of this trash is recyclable.

This means, in one person has the potentialto recycle:
332 pounds of cardboard and paper products
74 pounds of metals
193 pounds of plastic
116 pounds of glass

Averaging current yearly recycling rates over the county population, one Monongalia County resident actually recycles:
49 pounds of cardboard and paper products
3 pounds of metals
3 pounds of plastic
12 pounds of glass

Even though a very small percentage of this county's population is currently recycling, in the past year, this small effort has saved:
1.9 million kilowatt hours of energy (enough to power 174 homes in WV)
171,596 gallons of oil
81,797 trees.


One person really can make a difference. Imagine if you recycled. Imagine if your business recycled. Imagine the possible energy savings and the positive good that YOU would be doing for future generations, whether you live in Monongalia County, WV or some other part of the world.

Today, may you take the time to begin to make your contribution to bettering this world.

Remembering Mom Three Years Later

My best friend in the whole world, Willie wrote and recorded this song on youtube to honor my mom shortly after she went to be with Jesus on June 6, 2007. It's hard to believe it's been three years since she laughed with us, or told stories about our family and our heritage, hugged us, or shared her wisdom.

This morning I went through some old blog posts and journals because sometimes time seems to take the vividness out of focus. As I began reading and watching Willie's video I wept. I wept because of the brokenness we experience in this world, and the sense of loss that we all feel on this side of the veil when a loved one leaves this world.

It's good to take time to remember. I remember two years ago, on the one year anniversary of my mom's leaving of this world to be with Jesus that I made the decision to cut my hair, and leave it short. I remember also taking a day to be away and remember, reflect, grieve, and rejoice. Rejoicing at someone's death could seem a bit morbid, hateful, or sadistic. I don't rejoice my mom's death in the sense that many think of it. I rejoice that she is free from cancer, from diabetes, from arthritis, and from pain. I rejoice that she is in the presence of Jesus, the One who loves her (and us) with a love deeper than we can even imagine on this earth.

I still grieve too. At relay for life this year, I found myself choking down tears when I saw her luminaries. They were just some candles in paper bags with my mom's name written on them, but they elicited so much emotion from me. When I saw her name and in memory, I think every memory I had of her flooded my mind all at once. I think it started with the relay for life in 2007 for which my sister and I organized a team. My mind went to the hopes we had back then that my mom would beat cancer, and that she would walk a lap as a survivor in 2008 like my uncles and my sister were able to do. Then I found myself confronted with the reality that I will never see her again in this life, and that made me sad. Not only because she is my mother, but because she is also one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever known.

As I sit here reflecting, I can't help but be filled with hope as well. My mom, will be better than I could ever remember her when I see her again. She will be more beautiful, more loving, and more filled with joy. But that day is not now.

And so now, I strive to imitate the qualities I saw in her and loved while in this world. And it's ironic, because even those qualities were just shadows of the fullness that we find in God himself. My friend Trey once said something like this--when we see or experience something that gives us great joy, it's like we are seeing the handiwork of God, and that God is shining through that thing.

Aa the writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith."

May we all cherish the opportunities that are given to us on this earth to allow God to shine through us, to bring others joy, and to love deeply.

Reflecting on Nuru's BH2O 2010 & New Video Release

BH2O+ 2010 Highlights from Nuru International on Vimeo.

Earlier this spring, 1500 college students and young professionals on 23 college campuses, 3 city centers, and one international site, decided to take a walk. This wasn’t a protest march, but rather a solidarity experience that allowed men and women in the western world to grow in better empathy and understanding of part of the daily life of one in eight people on our planet.
The event was called “Be Hope To Her” or “BH2O+” and was organized by Nuru International in an effort to inspire people to confront the crisis of extreme poverty.
The participants in the event placed a yellow five gallon bucket on their head and carried the bucket through their town or campus to a water source. At the water source, they filled their buckets with water, and began a journey through the area with about forty pounds of water on their heads.
Each step these men and women took made statistics a reality. No longer were they hearing about the reality of women and girls spending several hours each day gathering water for their families. No longer were they considering the opportunities that these girls and women would not experience because of the consuming need to gather water for their families. No longer was the problem of extreme poverty a far-away issue that affects people “over there.” When these men and women walked in mid-April, they were awakened to the issue of extreme poverty in a way that a statistic or a story of another could never do.
The story of nearly a billion people living in extreme poverty became the story of these men and women who gave up time and other choices for one day so that the people of Kuria, Kenya and beyond might experience a life filled with choices and opportunity. Now there are 1500 new storytellers who can tell about their experience of one day, and the daily experience of millions.
And as you watch this video, these young men and women invite YOU to join us in the fight. Make a donation, or just tell a friend, but get involved. These men and women invite YOU to be part of the solution, to be part of the END of extreme poverty. Will you join them in the fight?

LOST: A Reflection

After watching the series finale of LOST with my good friend Cameron King and many others, I found myself in a very reflective and pensive mood. My tweet following the end of the series was “Absolutely Beautiful!” and Cameron added the word epic. Epic and beautiful.

So why these two words?

Well I will start with the word epic. When watching LOST the first few times, the element that drew me in was the depth and intricacy of the story itself. LOST is the story of a group of survivors on a plane crash. As one watches the series, one discovers that the survivors of this plane crash have had their lives cross at previous occasions, but during their time on the island they do not realize how close their lives have come together previously. So this group of individuals seemed to be fated to come together, but as they come together, they enter into a story much larger than any of them can imagine. They each receive a fresh start, and it is the myriad array of strengths from their experiences that allows them to form a sense of team and of family as they struggle to survive on this island.
The setting of the island has its own array of strange twists that take it from the typical castaway desert-island trope to emerge as a strange location where polar bears and smoke monsters live, and where an array of strange properties are witnessed (i.e. healing of cancer and paralysis). And yet there is more. This same island proves to be a crucible for testing character as well as a fresh starting point for this unlikely mix of passengers on a plane. The story mixes the natural and the supernatural in such a way that the story grows in intrigue and mystery. There are knowns and unknowns, and just when one thinks they have figured out the island or the plot, a new twist emerges.

I could wax on about the epic simplicity and complexity of the show, the island and the characters, but I’d like to suggest that the there is much more to be said about the beauty of the show and the finale. The show leaves many questions unanswered, and in a way reflects the lives we live. There are subjects we know innately, experiences we can’t explain, and as much as we explore, there are new mysteries to be discovered. And yet, at the same time the numinous should not be a stumbling block. In LOST, of course there were unanswered questions—in some ways it is hard to fully ‘get it’ when watching the series. And yet, the way the story is told, and the endearing qualities of virtually every character draws the viewer in.

Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the show to me was how it wove great truths together in a beautiful way. We enjoyed watching the characters live out lives of sacrifice, grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption. In a whirlwind way as the series drew to a close, it appeared that each character discovered his/her unique purpose, and began to live it out in a way that benefitted the whole group.

I believe that there is something beautiful about seeing someone discover their unique purpose in this world, and even more than that, I believe that the most valuable part of our lives when we examine them is not necessarily our exploits and travels, but rather our relationships. Part of the beauty of LOST is that it enthralls the viewers with the characters of the story, but also that it allows us the experience of watching the development and cherishing of relationships. At different points in the story, we watch as characters work to serve themselves, but as the series draws to a close each of them works together to accomplish something truly beautiful. As Jack Shepherd remarks early in the series, “We can live together, or die alone.”

If you are a LOSTIE, I hope you enjoyed these thoughts. I’m tempted to write more, but this post is already a bit long. If you haven’t watched LOST, I believe it is one of the best written television shows in the short history of the medium.

And whether you watch LOST or not, I hope you will work hard in your life to live with a purpose that serves your fellow human beings and that puts a value on relationship, forgiveness, grace, redemption and reconciliation, those, I believe are among the views we will cherish and savor the most as the beautiful and epic stories of our own lives unfold.

Happy 69th Birthday Dad!

Dad's Birthday 2010, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Recently I gave an update on my dad’s health and just how impressive his recovery has been. Today, I want to let you know that he is now officially 69 years old. (I’m sure he will be really thankful for me sharing his age).

It’s pretty amazing to think back on the way my dad has poured into his children to spur us on to success. Growing up, he and my mom were our number one cheerleaders. He rarely missed a sporting event, choir concert, or academic accolade for any of us kids.

In fact, some of my fondest memories of dad center around how much care he brought to our family. Each day, he would rise early and be off to work. When he would arrive home, he would start taking care of household chores (along with mom). I can remember him working hard in our family garden (and sometimes us kids would even help), and then after mowing, gardening and sundry other activities, he would still have enough energy left to take me to a baseball field and help me work on my batting and fielding, or we would go fishing, or even play basketball together.

I guess I got a little more nostalgic because yesterday my dad and I spent some time walking and fishing around the small lake where my girlfriend grew up. He and I took our fly rods and worked our way around every structure we could find to see who could land the most and the biggest. It was a close race, but I’d say he probably won (How could I out-fish him on the day before his birthday?).

At the end of our fishing exploits we stopped in for a coke and some popcorn at the concession stand on the lake. It completed a fun journey for the two of us as we thought back to our numerous fishing trips over the years, successful catches, and even more wonderful times of being together with family.

I’m grateful for every year and every day that my dad has walked this earth, and I’m grateful that he demonstrated servant leadership at its finest by the way he took care of me, my siblings, and my mom. He taught us about the soil, about taking care of what we have, and how to love well.

I’m glad I have been able to sit under his tutelage for a few of the years he’s been walking the earth. If you have ever met him, you know what a privilege it is to know him.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Amanda Nicole Davis

Yesterday evening I heard this story about a young girl who is a student at Liberty High School in Clarksburg, WV named Amanda Davis. Amanda is finishing her junior year at the school, and is a finalist for a full scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan. The final hurdle she needs to make it over is an online voting program that is being hosted by WV Metro News.

I met Amanda last summer at a high school girls basketball camp that was held in Morgantown, WV at WVU. She is tenacious on the court, and I later learned that basketball is one of three sports at which she excels. (She has also received honors on the local, regional, and state level for soccer and volleyball). While her athletic accolades are impressive, she knows that sports aren't everything, and she applies herself with the same level of discipline in the classroom. She currently has a 4.0 GPA, and to maintain that level of academic success while being involved in the rigors of successfully playing three sports is very rare.

Beyond her strong sense of discipline in the classroom and on the playing fields, she also serves in her community. She has served with her local hospital, the Salvation Army, and even the Red Cross. She mentors and tutors others through the Fairmont State University Gear Up program as well.

After hearing her story, I felt like it was more than appropriate to vote for her to have an opportunity to gain a full scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan. I also felt like I should share the opportunity with you. She was selected as a finalist from an initial pool of over 100 students.

Will you take a minute and vote for this young lady to have an opportunity to receive this scholarship and attend West Virginia Wesleyan College? Click here to vote. Make sure you confirm your vote by opening the email they send you once you vote. The whole process takes less than a minute.

Thanks to everyone who votes, and I hope you have an awesome day!

Mulberries and Memorial Day

IMG_0211, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This morning, as I made my walk from the house to downtown Morgantown to begin a day of planning, writing, and strategy for Nuru I walked by a mulberry tree. Of course I walk by this tree along with a few others every day, but right now, mulberries are on the tree and fully ripe. Mulberries are a personal favorite of mine because they take me back to the place I grew up on 15th street in Parkersburg, WV. I filled my mouth with a small handful of mulberries, closed my eyes for a moment, and I was carried back to my childhood home.
When I was small, I can remember there being a concrete walkway in the back of our house (I’ve heard that this house was once a farmhouse, and being that it was built with a root cellar, I tend to believe it). That concrete walkway would get stained with mulberries every spring. It was one of the prime indicators that the school year was about to end, and my summertime fun was about to ensue.
I don’t think my mom ever made pies from the mulberries (we had a small grove of cherry trees on our land that we used for pies), I can remember eating mulberries until my stomach was full for about a week each May.
I also remember an old piece of barge rope my brother salvaged from along the Ohio River. When I was five or six years old, he climbed really far up into the mulberry tree and hung the barge rope to make a swing for us to play on. At the time, it felt like he was climbing fifty feet into the sky, but it was probably more like fifteen feet. He tied the bottom of the rope into a knot so people had something they could sit on. (Because I was smaller than everyone else, he had to tie the knot much lower to the ground than most wanted.
We had a four foot tall fence that went around our property, and my dad built a gate where the rope swing hung. You see, the tree was on the edge of our property, and the limb that the rope hung was situated perfectly in front of the gate. The gate also opened into a field that was part of my grandparents property. That field served as a football field, soccer field, baseball/wiffleball field and the prime location for catching lightning bugs (fireflies).
I think back to those times, and life seemed infinitely less complex. My brother and my dad were superhuman, and there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish (I actually still believe that about both of them!) My sister and my mom, were two of the most compassionate people I knew (still true!) and my life was filled with love from my family and an enjoyment of simple things like a rope swing and mulberries staining the pavement and my hands as I picked them to fill my belly with joy.
As we begin this memorial day weekend, I hope you can take a moment and journey back to your past and to some good memories. Where did you play? What brought you the greatest joy? Who were your heroes? It’s always good to take time to remember and reflect, particularly on weekends like Memorial Day Weekend.

An Invisible Children Video Blog From The White House

This isn't the actual signing of the "LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act", but it's still pretty cool. If you haven't read my earlier post about Obama and Invisible Children, read that before watching this video. It will give you a bit more context.

I'm posting this video mainly because of the excitement and energy of these guys. I'm posting it because they are living proof that our voices matter, and that we can influence our government. This was the most historic bill related to Africa to come out of the senate. Because of the hard work of these young people, an international villain will be brought to justice, and a new generation of children in northern Uganda will have opportunities.

If you don't know about Invisible Children, you should check em out. Thank them for their hard work, their persistence, and for the tenacity with which they went after this goal.

I think many of us have hopes and dreams that we long to see realized, but what we lack is the passion and the discipline to push toward them. Not every dream can be realized (For instance, I will never be able to run a sub four minute mile), but many can be realized. They need focus and determination.

What is stopping you from pursuing your dream? Has Apathy crept in and told you to give up on pursuing justice in an unjust world, have your friends and family told you that your contribution doesn't matter? These guys are just one example, one VERY tangible example of how every day people like you and me can make and are making a difference in this world.

May you dream in big ways today, and may those dreams of a more beautiful world become reality.

Country roads

So this afternoon my dad and I took a little drive down some beautiful
country roads from Morgantown to Elkins WV. While driving I just could
not believe how beautiful the sky and the weather was today.
Over the last several months I've been traveling a lot, and that has
been incredibly fun and exciting, but it's nice to be back on these
roads that are about as straight as a question mark.
It's good to get away, and even though I'm posting this blog from a
secret underground bunker, my Internet access is spotty at best.
I guess what that means is that for a few hours, I'm 'off the grid'.
But, I will return soon, and I'm hoping that this time in a cabin
along the shavers fork will help me to plan & focus.
I think I might just be compelled to enjoy a bit of this daylight
before I start into all of that though.
Hope you can carve out some space to enjoy a little bit of this
woundrous world today.

Obama Signs Historic Legislation with Invisible Children!

Now of course, everyone has an opinion on the President, and no one person is perfect, but what happened yesterday for the organization Invisible Children was quite remarkable. I'm really proud of our President for taking action and recognizing the hardwork and grassroots efforts of a generation of activists.

If you've been reading my blog posts for a while, then you probably already know about the organization Invisible Children and the mission they have been on for the last five years to see the government intervene in a horrible situation in Northern Uganda. Literally thousands and thousands of people have been moved from their homes into Internal Displacement Person Camps (IDP). They are over-crowded, and undernourished. They don't have access to adequate sanitation. They are suffering because of a warlord named Joseph Kony and his "Lords Resistance Army" (LRA).

Sure, our world has some bad people in it, but Kony is among the worst. He has been stealing children for decades from the villages and IDP camps of Northern Uganda. He goes after children between the ages of 5 and 12 because they are big enough to carry a gun, and small enough to sneak into communities to steal more children. Generations of children have lived in fear of the LRA. Literally thousands of children have been abducted each year to resource Kony's militia group. They are KIDS! They should be going to school, playing sports, laughing, and having fun. Instead they are being forced to kill other people. They are being forced to lose their youth and innocence out of fear for the death of themselves or the ones that they love.

As Invisible Children has lobbied over the last several years for the abduction of Kony and for intervention in Northern Uganda, they have been met with a groundswell of support. The organization was started by some recent college grads when they came face to face with children who made commutes each night from their villages into cities where there was additional protection for them. These kids slept in bus depots and hospital basements out of fear of being abducted.

Literally millions of american young people between 15 and 35 have gotten involved in this organization's work. They have believed in the ability of the people to be involved in government. People hosted video watching parties and learned more about the organization. They wore T-shirts, and donated money. They wrote letters and visited their congressional representatives. All because of a desire to see justice done in Northern Uganda. All because folks said enough is enough.

I'm writing this post today in celebration of what Invisible Children, Enough, and Resolve Uganda have been able to do through hard work and intense commitment to seeing change happen. Many of us gripe about politics but avoid getting involved in the process. We gripe about problems in the world, but aren't willing to get our hands dirty. We complain about injustice but then act like we are helpless to do anything.

I'm really proud of the folks at Invisible Children. I'm really proud of the activists who were catalyzed by this organization. I'm really proud to see a generation stand up for something wrong in the world, and see results. It's never easy to stand up for the right things, and it's always easy to just give up, but these folks persevered. They persevered and saw a bill go before congress, get passed, and then watched President Obama sign that bill into law. They saw what happens when people get engaged and stay engaged in the political process.

I hope you will take time to celebrate with them and their hard work. Many of my friends have worked, volunteered, and/or financially contributed to seeing this become a reality. I hope it increases your confidence that we can REALLY make a difference in the world. It takes hard work, but more than that, it takes many people making their small contribution to get in the fight.

As you go about your day, I encourage you to consider what you can do to continue to make a difference in this world as well.

Congratulations again Invisible Children!

Should We Fire God?

Just recd advance copy of "should we fire God" by @nlcfjim. Can't wait to read it!, originally uploaded by cherylsmith999.

That’s the question posed by my friend Jim Pace’s new book—it’s also the title! Should We Fire God? Finding Hope in God When We Don’t Understand. Jim was kind enough to send me an advanced copy, but unfortunately I was unable to write a review in a timely fashion. The good news for you is that you can now buy a copy in bookstores and not have to wait. It was released about a month ago (April 8th).
I really enjoyed Jim’s book, and saw a number of ideas presented that I found to be particularly intriguing. In fact there were a couple that I wished he would have expanded upon. They were so intriguing to me, and I feel like there is much more to be said about the ideas than his book was willing to delve into. One of these ideas shared briefly was the idea of mirror neurons. What are mirror neurons?
Well, these are neurons that fire when we experience empathetic pain with someone else. Have you ever seen another person getting injured and felt a shudder run through you? Maybe you watched someone get hit playing football, or saw someone prick their finger with a needle, and you winced. It is something beyond empathetic pain though—it’s as though our nervous system is registering another person’s experience as though we were injured. What this means is that we are much more connected to the suffering that we see in the world than we would like to think or realize. While Jim doesn’t delve much deeper than that, I kind of wonder if we reach a point where we wall off some of our emotions because we get so overwhelmed by the suffering around us—maybe it’s a coping mechanism for attempting to deal with the massive degrees of hurt we experience in this world.
Anyhoo, enough about mirror neurons . . . for now. I want to tell you a bit more about Jim’s book. I will keep it brief though. If you are looking for a deep philosophical book—this probably isn’t it. But, if you have a background in the Christian faith, and can appreciate insights from both the scriptures and from real life as people work their way through difficulties that are both overwhelming and make little sense, then you might want to check out this book. Jim led his faith community through one of the most heart-rending campus tragedies I can imagine. He leads one of the largest campus churches in the country, and this church is in Blacksburg, VA. In April 2007, a young man shot dozens of people one morning at Virginia Tech, and an entire nation wrestled with the question “Why?” And Jim was charged with answering questions from the media during this trying time.
Beyond that, he was challenged with the even greater and more important task of walking with his faith community through an ongoing period of mourning.
Jim writes not from the ivory tower of theology or philosophy, but rather from the hard school of experience. I believe that this is the greatest asset of Jim’s book. He’s writing as someone who has had to think through some really difficult stuff about God and about human nature. In fact, in some of the closing chapters, Jim brings in another interesting thought. Maybe one’s desire to fire God has a lot to do with one’s own cognitive biases as well as other less wonderful things that we have chosen to invest our time and energy in.
Give it a read if you are wrestling with a question about the goodness of God.

Going Viral With The Good News

ViralHope at Live LA Church, originally uploaded by dream awakener.

My good friend JR Woodward just compiled and edited a wonderful book. I think it is actually the first publication of Ecclesia Press which is the publication arm of the Ecclesia Network, a church planting network started by JR, Chris Backert, Jim Pace and a few sundry other friends who love Jesus. If you are interested in learning more about planting churches, or getting networked in a group that is highly thoughtful in it’s practice and execution of church, I highly recommend Ecclesia.
I also highly recommend JR’s book, Viral Hope: Good News From The Urbs to the Burbs. It’s a delightful book, and it can easily be read in an afternoon or over a longer period. It’s a series of short essays written by fifty different authors from around the world. Each author was charged with the challenge of summarizing “What is the Good News?” and to consider the audience being a local newspaper.
What came out of the exercise was a beautiful picture of the beauty and diversity of the Gospel as it makes it is translated from community to community in a unique way.
I love the title of the book as well—viral hope. Often in today’s world we talk about viral movements and we mean something either really bad or really good. When something “goes viral” it spreads really quickly and viruses themselves tend to adapt as they spread from location to location—all without compromising the integrity of the virus itself.
So we all know how viruses can spread, but what about hope. What if hope spread like a virus. What if hope passed from community to community adapting and getting stronger as it spread? What if instead of massive amounts of negativity in the world there was a massive movement of hope?
When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God, he talked about it in terms of hope, but he also talked about it spreading really quickly—like yeast working it’s way through dough, or like a tiny seed that grows into a tree where all of the birds of the air can find rest and make their homes.
I highly recommend you read this book—it was originally intended to be read between Easter and Pentecost, but it could be read any time during the year. It could also be read in a group as well. Maybe a group could read to each other as they gathered in a home or another relaxing space.
I also highly recommend that you consider the question as well. What is the good news? What would it look like if the Kingdom of God broke forth in your workplace, in your classroom, your home, or even your city? Personally, I think it’s a good question for any Christian anywhere to strive to answer. What does it look like for the Gospel to take root in your community? What differences should we see? What would it look like to be “infected?”
I hope you will give some thought today about how you might see this message of hope spread like a virus in your community and beyond.

The !deation Conference

Recently, I had the extreme pleasure of attending one of the most creative and innovative conferences I’ve ever attended. The name of the conference was The !deation and it was organized by a really sharp group of people led by one of the most industrious individuals I know, a guy by the name of Charles Lee @charlestlee on twitter.
Besides being a proficient blogger and utilizer of multiple forms of social media, Charles also teaches at a college in Los Angeles, pastor’s a church in Torrance, and co-founded a nonprofit that works to serve the poor and hurting both locally and globally. It’s called “Just One” and I recommend you check it out.
In his minimal spare time, Charles and his team put together an amazing gathering of non-profit leaders who worked toward realizing the tag-line of the conference. “Love Human. Do Good.” I arrived with Nuru’s CEO, and my old friend (and now boss) Jake Harriman on Monday April 5th for this two day conference, and although I had been to two other incredible conferences that Charles had assembled, I had very little idea of what to expect.
The environment of the conference was incredibly intimate. I think there were between 200-300 people in attendance, and this added to the very special atmosphere. But the team that designed the space really made that large group feel even smaller. From the arrangement of seating to some great opportunities for interaction in the space itself, it provided the perfect contect for networking with other likeminded people. In fact, the first night of the conference ended with a fashion show and mixer that allowed some very intense leaders from the non-profit world to relax a bit and interact with one another. I truly wonder what great organization and foundation connections were made under the umbrella of “loving human and doing good” at the ideation conference.
Instead of several days of long sessions from really sharp speakers, the !deation featured morning sessions that consisted of many influencers sharing their personal stories of getting involved in the non-profit sphere. There is something deeply soul-stirring that happens when you fill a room with people who have dared to step out in faith to help fight injustice in the world. There’s also something beautiful that happens when many of these individuals who may experience a bit of a rock-star status share from their mistakes and failings in an effort to help others learn from their experiences. I think the humility that I witnessed in the space was among the most touching aspects of the conference.
Each afternoon, there were a handful of “workshops” that consisted of someone who had done a great job in some aspect of non-profit work sharing his/her successes and failures as he/she guided a room full of passionate and idealistic leaders in ways that they could move forward in greater ways.
This was the first conference of its kind that I have experienced, and I hope it is not the last. Next year, I hope Nuru is among the non-profits invited back to participate in this wonderful event. I also hope that if you are in the greater Los Angeles area and you are interested in loving humans and doing good that you will make it a point to attend the 2011 !deation.

Dad: One Year Later

Well, sort of. Last year on April 27th, my dad was taken to Charleston, WV to have a routine test done to determine if his arteries were blocked. He found out that four of the arteries around his heart were 99%, 95%, 90% and 69% blocked. A few minutes after this determination was made, he had a massive heart attack.
I was in San Francisco, CA for a week of meetings with Nuru’s Senior Director Team. My friends at Nuru, bought me a plane ticket and took me to the airport for a red-eye flight to Charleston so I could meet up with my dad, sister, and best friend in the whole world, Willie, at the hospital.
My dad spent about two weeks in the hospital in recovery before he came home. When he came home he was week from the surgery (they break open your chest to do a quadruple bypass), he was really weak, and had lots of pain and discomfort. He was accustomed to walking about 12 miles per day, and he was unable to walk around the block for several days.
For all of you medical people, before his heart attack, he had an ejection fraction of 55%, and afterward it dropped to 35%. When he had an echocardiogram done last October, he had increased his ejection fraction to 40%. I imagine it has increased since then as well.
Last Monday, I went to work out with him—he has a membership at a local gym, and after twelve weeks of cardiac rehab last summer, he has built a habit of exercise (beyond walking). He goes three times a week, and works through a circuit of resistance machines as well as 20 minutes on an exercise bike, seven minutes on a rower, and 45 minutes on a treadmill. He’s no slouch as he goes through this routine either. He spends the first 35 minutes of his treadmill workout walking at 4.0mph, at a 4% incline (try it sometime). At 35 minutes, he increases the incline to 15% and continues at the 4mph pace for an additional 4 minutes. Then he gradually lowers the incline back to 4% to finish his 4mph walk. At 68 years of age, he’s probably in better condition than most people I know at my age.
It’s pretty amazing to see his level of recovery at about one year. I’d even go so far to say it’s been miraculous. I’m so thankful that he was in one of the best cardiac hospitals in the region when he had his heart attack, and I’m extremely grateful for his fast and strong recovery.
Friday night, he and I went to the blue and gold WVU intersquad scrimmage. Last year when we went, he was complaining about a tightness in his chest. This year, he was feeling much stronger, and looking much more energized.
For those who have been reading this blog for a while, thanks so much for your prayers. Together, we walked through a pretty difficult season, and I’m truly appreciative for the opportunities that I have had to spend time with my dad as he grows stronger day-by-day.

Shavers Fork 2010

I just realized the other day that it's been about a month since I
last blogged. The last year of transitions has posed some fair
obstacles as I have attempted to adjust. Recently I recalled that I
can mobile blog thanks to the gift of an iPhone from my best friend in
the whole world, Willie.
So, as I traveled down 92 toward elkins w Jamie & my dad for a day
away at our cabin, I figured I would try this mobile blogging thing
out. The last month has seen me travel a lot with minimal convenient
Internet, but with the help of AT&T the Internet is much more
convenient than I initially thought.
So this is the view of the river in front of our cabin. It's kind of
nice to get away & spend some time here. It's also interesting to see
the flood line where the water came near our cabin.
The stream was just stocked on Tuesday, but it's highly likely that
locals have fished out most of that stocking. I may give it a try
though.
Regardless, this little stream is a pleasant place to get away to
enjoy the early spring. Hope you are able to get out and enjoy some
unseasonably warm weather today too!