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!

WVU Final Four Rally Video

I wasn't sure time would permit me the opportunity to post this, and many have already seen this video, but as we come down to the final hours before our final four appearance with Duke, I thought it might be cool to allow folks to have one more look at what WVU Basketball has done since February 22.

I'm in California with my brother right now, and we were talking briefly last night about what it means to be a West Virginian. If you aren't from West Virginia, this video, and Coach Huggin's words at the very beginning might not have the depth of meaning that WVU alum and WV residents experience when when we hear those words.

We have a lot to celebrate in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia. As I sit in my brother's house to write this post, I can't help but think how difficult it is at times for West Virginians who are dispersed abroad. If I were not in California for a conference, I would probably be in Indy watching tonight's game. It's been a pretty phenomenal year, and I'm glad my brother will not have to watch tonight's game by himself! (As a tangent, we've been reppin' dub-V and wearing Gold & Blue everywhere we go out here! . . .& it ain't gonna stop!)

Enough about me and my brother for now, let's talk about West Virginia. Tonight, virtually every television in the state will be tuned into the game. Just like back in 1959 when virtually every radio in the state was tuned to listen to WVU playing Cal for a national championship. The games are being broadcast in workplaces because this is something special that all West Virginian's get excited about.

I'm hopeful for tonights game. It's been a pretty incredible season, and we just have 2 more games to win to make history.

Wherever you are watching the game, I hope you are able to soak up the fullness of this special time for Mountaineers everywhere "From Morgantown to Matewan and all points in between!"

Let's Goooooooooooooo Mountaineers!!!

Thirty-Six Years

As of this morning, I’ve been living outside the womb for thirty six years. That’s half a lifetime for some, and more than a lifetime for others. I’ve officially outlived Jesus’ time walking the earth by about three years, and I thought it might be a good exercise to step back and reflect a bit.

I can remember being plagued my senior year of high school with a nagging fear that I wouldn’t live to be eighteen, and now I've lived to twice that age. Looking back, it probably came from listening too much to the Doors and to Jim Morrison’s “An American Prayer” album. I never shared this with anyone other than my folks (and now you). But hey, I lived through that (and lots of other music as well).

I remember in high school one of my teachers shared that my generation was predicted to change careers at least six times in our lifetime. Since college, I’ve experienced three career changes, and during high school/college I had three other jobs, so it looks like I’ve met my quota a few years early. For comparison purposes, many in my parents generation have stayed in the first job they ever accepted and worked at it until the day of retirement.

A few years ago, I left a job working as an analytical chemist to pursue a career in ministry (which I left last fall to become a full time fighter of extreme poverty!). When I left my job at Mylan Pharmaceuticals, one of my bosses/friends bought me a book called “There’s Always Time For Greatness” (As a side note, it’s kind of cool/rare to be able to say that in every job I’ve held I have felt like my bosses were also my friends—I still connect with old bosses from previous jobs--just to talk about life).
So this book/gift I received lists off accomplishments that people have made at different ages, and I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the accomplishments made by different folks at age 36.

William Shakespeare writes Hamlet
Albert Einstein announces his general theory of relativity, revolutionizing physics and astronomy.
Francis Crick (along with 25 year old James Watson) discovers the structure of DNA.
Johnny Carson debuts as host of The Tonight Show.
Edgar Allan Poe publishes his most famous poem, The Raven.
William Penn, English Quaker leader, founds Pennsylvania.
Estée Lauder sells her first cosmetics at Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC.

As I look back over the last 36 years, the one word I would use to describe my life is blessed. Now that term can often feel a bit trite and overused in religious circles these days, but it describes at it’s core the feeling I have as I take a few minutes away from my work to write this note. I have a deep and growing relationship with the Creator of the universe. I have a strong sense of who I am, what I was made to do, and why it is significant. I have been given an incredible array of friends who live and work in various places around the world and who feel more like family to me than just “friends” whatever that term means. And my family, well they are nothing short of incredible. I live daily with an unshakable desire that my life and my time on this earth will make a difference in this world. I’m filled with gratitude, and again, I feel incredibly blessed.
I want to thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings on this 13,149th day of my life. I want to thank you for the way your time, your care, your friendship, and your support have helped me to become more whole, more purposeful, hopefully more of a servant to others.

I also hope that today that you will take the time to reflect on the good that you have seen in your life as well. It’s amazing opportunity we have together—we can be a part of bringing a little more beauty into this world. I hope that I have many days left to live and bring beauty to this earth, and I hope that we can work together toward that end.

Thanks for taking a few minutes to read, and may your life be enriched with gratitude, satisfaction, and blessing as well!

West Virginia Community

In a night during which number one seeded Syracuse fell to the Butler Bulldogs, the mighty Mountaineers of West Virginia University persevered and prevailed over the Washington Huskies and is now the last remaining Big East Conference team in the NCAA tournament as they move toward the elite eight.
Across the mountain state (and across the entire Mountaineer Nation), family and friends gathered around televisions to watch the Mountaineers play one more game on the road to a national championship. I sat with about a dozen others in the home of my first college roommate, Jimmy Shreeves, and really enjoyed the night and the victory.
For people outside this state, it’s hard to understand what it means to be advancing in the tournament like this. West Virginia doesn’t have a professional sports team, and for many people in our state, we rally behind the Mountaineers with the tenacity and passion of fans of pro teams.
Our state is victim to a number of stereotypes, & maybe sometimes it feels like we get a lot of negative press and sand kicked in our face. But when something good happens in this state, we all share in a sense of pride. In a manner of speaking, we can stick out our chests and say, “That’s our team!” People here care about the team like they care about their own family. There’s a special sense of community we have that permeates this state. Together, we celebrate the fact that we are Mountaineers. Together we celebrate the successes and the positives that emerge from the Mountain State.
It may be hard to understand for people outside this state, but there is a sense of solidarity here that is hard to imagine. People who routinely could give a rip about basketball are celebrating the success of our team--not because of a newfound love of basketball, but because of a deep sense of pride in our wonderful home in the hills of Appalachia.
And for our growing mass of mountaineer fans abroad. Come visit this state. Visit Morgantown. Come see why we believe this place is special. And keep rooting on the Mountaineers!!!

Nuru Update from CEO Jake Harriman

Nuru Farmers' Huge Maize Havest from Nuru International on Vimeo.


I just watched this video, and had to share it with you. This video was released to everyone who has signed up for the "I Am Nuru" recurring giving program Nuru initiated late last fall. Jake is sharing some incredible results, and it's incredible to think that the granary in which he is standing didn't exist six months ago. Local Kenyan's contributed to the building of it, and they grew 200 tons of surplus maize this year as a result of Nuru's work in the community.

I want to share it with you because this is incredibly exciting to see--lives are being changed because of Nuru's work in Kuria, Kenya, and I want you to be part of it.

I'm personally incredibly humbled and thrilled to be part of what's happening. If you haven't gotten involved with Nuru (I've been mentioning it from time to time for about three years now), I want to invite you to be part of this great organization. Check out Nuru's fan page and cause page on facebook. Visit Nuru's website and find out even more about this great organization, and maybe consider making a donation too.

Together, we are working to make a tangible difference in the world. Thanks for letting me share this incredible news with you today!

Saint Patrick's Day Fun

It's been a few days since my last blog post, and today is Saint Patrick's Day. I thought I'd share a couple of fun videos with you to celebrate the day. But, if you are interested in a more serious look at the holiday, here's an older blog post that explores a bit of who Saint Patrick was.

The first video is a news story from Mobile, Alabama. It appears that the residents may have discovered a leprechaun living in a tree in their suburb. Enjoy.



And for those of you who missed the wonderful dance moves of WVU basketball player John Flowers, here's a little video to get you ready for the NCAA Tournament. Oh, and in case you've been living under a rock, or in a cave. WVU won it's first ever Big East Tournament this year.




Personally, I'm really proud of our team, and I'm looking forward to watching them play and win six more games before their season is over. Let's go Mountaineers!!!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

Where Am I Wearing?

Recently I had the privilege of reading a book by an author named Kelsey Timmerman. Kelsey’s not the typical writer, and his book is far from ordinary. As far as genres are concerned, you could consider it a mix of travel writing, exposé, biography, and socially conscious advocacy.

The book’s roots come from curiosity. The author was simply reflecting on the fact that his clothes come from many faraway places, and he had no idea what life was like for the people who made his clothes (and I imagine the same is true for us). We hear a lot about sweatshops, child labor, and the horrible conditions in which those who make our clothes often work, but the truth of the matter is that very few of us ever really delve into what’s happening in the places where our clothes come from.
What I like best about Kelsey’s book is that it’s not an angry rant of a protester, nor is it the apathy of the person who is simply resigned to “that’s just the way it is, and their’s nothing we can do about it.” Instead, he advocates a third path.

That path? The path of the informed consumer. In fact, he encourages his readers, to take trips similar to his own. In an Appendix, he warns folks about possible pitfalls and roadblocks to completing the mission, and encourages us to go for it anyways.

At times as I read the book I would find myself laughing out loud because I could relate to Kelsey’s wit and life experiences (and you probably can as well). At other times, I would find myself in tears uncertain if these tears were as a result of morning the difficult life of those who make our clothes, or mourning the loss of community and family that garment workers cherish, but that is quickly eroding in areas in the west.

Another aspect I enjoyed as I read was that there was a transformation taking place within Kelsey as he traveled. He was realizing that the more he learned (and he admits that he’s still not an expert), the more he realized that the issues surrounding the clothes we wear are highly complex, and it behooves us to be better informed.

Among other things, he points out that it’s often not as simple as protesting or boycotting a clothing company. Even where work conditions are extremely challenging, at least there are jobs and opportunities for the people. Rather we can advocate for improving those conditions by writing congress as well as the companies we buy from. We can also choose to support companies that are regularly auditing and seeking to improve conditions.

If you can get a copy of this book, I would recommend taking the time to read it. Kelsey’s journey around the world is not necessarily something we can all do, but we can all be better informed about the people and the places that make the clothes we are wearing. It is a reminder of a truth that we can often forget in a global marketplace There are people who make the things we wear and the things we use. These days they don’t live down the street and we are growing more and more disconnected. Perhaps, we could use a little more connectedness to our brothers and sisters around the globe.

If you are interested in reading the book or finding out more about Kelsey, read his blog here. There's a link to order the book from amazon too.

If you’ve already read Kelsey’s book, I’d love to hear your thoughts as well. Thanks for reading.

Another World Is Possible 2010

I’m a little bummed that I’m writing this post after the fact, but I’m really excited to be able to share this with you. Last week, for the third year in a row, a group of ministries, churches, and individuals on the campus of West Virginia University hosted a week of events called Another World Is Possible. You can read previous blog entries to find out more about the event if you like, but the essence of the event is this.
Each night features an issue that deals with brokenness, injustice, and the great needs of this world. We all agree that we live in a broken world, but this series of events seeks to mobilize people to make a difference and contribute to being part of the solution in some small way.
In the past organizations such as Invisible Children, Nuru International, One Voice To End Slavery, Eleho, and others have been part of the event. What’s really cool is that each event gives people not only exposure to issues in our world, but also opportunities to do something about it.
The blurry photo above (I think I just have a dirty lens) was taken at a screening of International Justice Mission’s new documentary film At The End of Slavery. If you have the opportunity, I would highly recommend watching this film. International Justice Mission works to rescue slaves, free trafficked individuals, and work toward justice on behalf of people being oppressed.
It’s cool to see so many people coming out to learn more about these issues. At the end of the event, people were given an opportunity to write a letter to their congressional representative to support a piece of legislation working toward the end of child slavery. Here’s a link to the letter.
I love the title of the series of events, and I love the thought of people being mobilized toward action. Another world IS Possible. And we have an opportunity to be a sign of that world to come. I believe there will come a day when every injustice in the world will be put to rights by the Creator of the universe, and I look forward to that day. In the meantime, I’m grateful for the opportunity to work toward being a sign of the time to come.
Wherever you are, I hope you will take time today to consider how to be part of the solution and maybe you will check out some of the organizations I listed above. Whatever you do, get involved. Life is too short to just be a spectator, and maybe there’s some unique contribution that only you can bring—so bring it!

Something Special

I don’t know if you had the opportunity to hear WVU Basketball Coach Bob Huggins postgame interview after the team’s loss to UConn, but if you have twelve minutes, you might want to give it a listen, here. Also, I’d recommend reading his comments on MSNsportsNET.com.

Huggins made some comments to his players about the special place they have in the hearts and minds of the people of the state of West Virginia. He said that the state really rallies around Mountaineer sports. He said, “You have very few times in your life when you are special—very, very few. A lot of people never have a chance to be special.”

I’m a huge WVU Basketball fan. I think this is probably the best team we’ve had since the team that lost the national championship. And I like what Coach Huggins shared with these guys. They have the potential to be really special.

He told the team, “You guys have no idea. When you get older and you say ‘I wish I would have listened. I wish I would have . . .’ We all do. But this might not happen again.”

And isn’t that the way life goes. We’ve got one opportunity. As much as we would like it to be different, we have very few times in our lives where we can be special. We have each been given skills, talents, and resources. And the truth of the matter is that many of us squander them. We bury our talents, we let the opportunities that could be just waste away.

As you read today, I’m asking you to consider your life. Think about the talents and resources you have been given. Don’t let opportunity to pass you by when you could be special. You could do something really great that will help others, will encourage others, that will make the world a better place. Or you could do nothing. You could waste what you’ve been granted.

Don’t let this life you’ve been given be wasted. Make a difference wherever you are. Don’t surrender to mediocrity when you have the potential to make a huge difference in this world.

You won’t get another shot at today. Make it count.

Jubilee Conference

Last weekend I had the privilege of traveling with a talented team of volunteers from Nuru International to participate in a conference called Jubilee. The name of the conference comes from an idea in the Torah which talks about a time every 50 years when all debts are cancelled, property returns to its original owners, and everyone enjoys a time of rest and restoration.

The conference itself is a faith based conference that is hosted by Coaltion for Christian Outreach and seeks to encourage students to live out their faith in a way that meets the deep hurts of this world and works for the common good of all. It asks the question of everyone in attendance, “what does it look like to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God—in the place where you live, work, go to school?” Personally, I find that to be among the most profound questions that any Christian can ask, & it’s one in which I believe the whole world will benefit as we faithfully answer.

I found myself challenged and encouraged by the words of other communicators and the passion and fire I saw in the faces of the students who were participating in the conference. It was wonderful to be present at the conference because I believe that one of the biggest humanitarian issues of our generation is the issue of extreme poverty. It’s not a problem we can ignore, and I believe future generations will look back on our generation and either celebrate or criticize our engagement over this issue.

Being at a conference full of students and professionals who were thinking deeply about how they could actively work to use their time, talents, and resources to engage this problem was hugely refreshing. Imagine being around two thousand people who are thinking about their degrees as more than a means to a paycheck. I think there is something special that happens in us, when we realize that we have the potential to shape the future. We have the potential to be part of the solution to problems that exist in the world. We can say enough, and get engaged!

Seeing so many people who are engaged in these issues was more than a little refreshing for me. And to think, the folks at CCO who have organized the conference for over 30 years have been helping people get engaged for a long time. It is humbling to be invited to be part of this tradition.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend you check out Jubilee, and register for their conference next year. And if you can’t make it to the conference, I hope you take the time to consider how you might be used in some way to help make the world a better place.

Through Songs I Was First Undone

Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending a conference in Pittsburgh, PA called Jubilee (more on that in a later blog). While I was there, I had a great opportunity to talk to Singer/Songwriter/Pastor/Philosopher Justin McRoberts and share a bit about Nuru, about music, about the church, as well as about what God was up to in each of our lives. It was a great conversation, and one I hope to continue in the future.

Justin has a new album that is getting released tomorrow, and he gave me a copy of it to listen to and so I wanted to share a bit about it with you. I'd recommend checking out his website too when you have an opportunity, and I would definitely recommend picking up the album.

On my way back from Pittsburgh I popped in the CD, and began listening to the album. I think I've listened through the album four times already--it's one of those albums that grows on you with each listening through. Of course Justin is an extremely talented singer/musician, but this album is significantly different from other releases. This is an album of cover songs and the original renditions cover a wide array of musical genre's. One of the aspects I enjoy most about this album is the fact that while Justin play's another artists song's he doesn't simply mimic every aspect of the original. Instead, Justin's voice and style emerge as unique variations on these songs that in no way denigrate the originals. For instance, when you listen to the cover of a song like Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like A Hole" you do not hear a techno-industrial style song and an impassioned imitation of Trent Reznor, but rather a song that sounds like an acoustic folk musician's re-rendering of lyrics that have moved his soul. I would actually draw comparisons between McRoberts cover of this song and Johnny Cash's cover of the NIN song "Hurt".

The quality of the recordings is great, and the content is highly varied. Not many musicians would attempt to cover artists as varied as Tom Waits, NIN, and Depeche Mode, and George Michael, but Justin McRoberts is anything but typical. I'm at a loss at a personal favorite, but I'd say my top three are "Freedom! 90", "No One Is To Blame", and "You Can't Always Get What You Want". The recordings as a whole were heartfelt, passionate, and thoughtful, and across the album I found myself singing along as much as I was listening and reflecting.

One improvement I would like to suggest is an insert with descriptions of how each of these songs "Undid" Justin. Because we are around the same age, I found that the album was a bit of a walk down memory lane with a few songs across my lifespan that also stirred my soul. Maybe that's part of why I enjoyed the album so much. (On a tangent, after my third listening I found myself on youtube and iTunes listening to clips from several other songs from younger days as a result of my nostalgia!). I also discovered that the album gave an incredible opportunity to reflect on my life as I listened to these familiar songs in a fresh way and considered the profound shaping nature of music in my own life.

If you like Justin McRobert's other albums, I highly recommend making this addition to your collection. And if you've never heard of Justin McRoberts, I think you should look him up. He's an incredibly talented and thoughtful musician with a rich voice and a passion that comes through vividly as you listen. The album is available Tuesday February 23 via iTunes.

Ash Wednesday 2010

It is once again the lenten season, and this year, I thought I would take advantage of facebook and twitter to get some input on what people are doing for their lenten commitments. Of course feel free to read these blog posts from 2007-2009 to find out more about why I take time to examine my life during lent.

So people are giving up everything from red meat to sweets, and some are just drinking water so they can give the money they would have spent on other beverages to help make life better people in the developing world. Some are choosing not to eat out, or to maintain healthy habits like exercise. There are even a couple of people who are giving up snow (but there may be Someone else who has a say in that). It’s actually pretty cool to see so many people making commitments to yield areas of their life and practice self-control.

As for me, this year I’ve had a bit of difficulty. I mean the point of the lenten fast is to draw closer to Christ. We give up bad habits to know Christ better, or we commence new habits that help us draw more closely to Him. I’ve been trying to what things in my life distract me from knowing Christ more intimately, and I feel like it’s a little bit of everything, but none of it is essentially bad in and of itself. Part of the idea of lent is that we give up or add in order that we can better identify with Christ during his fast in the wilderness as well.

So here’s what I am thinking for myself this year. I think I’m going to attempt to make a habit of fixed hour prayer. In one sense, it’s nothing huge. I mean I’m not planning to spend 2 hours/day in prayer or read my Bible for 45 minutes or anything like that. Rather, I’m thinking about taking a few moments at 6AM, 9AM, noon, 3PM, and 6PM to just pause and reorient and center my life on Jesus. Just a few seconds—again it’s nothing huge like giving up soft drinks or caffeine, but my hope is that it will be pretty significant.

I don’t know if anyone can relate, but I feel like I can so easily get distracted during my day and miss out on the idea that whatever I do, I should do it with my whole heart and as an act of worship to God. Often, I find myself just doing tasks for the sake of people or organizations, or because they are good habits. I am also going to reduce my food consumption and do a partial fast during the week and increase my giving and service as I practice simplicity, but this year I just want to be intentional about knowing Christ better.

If you think of it, say a prayer for me as I strive to take a different tact with lent. I’m praying for you as I write this. My prayer is that if you participate in lent, regardless what you choose to add or take away from your life, that you would grow to be more like Jesus, and be more centered on Him.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great lent, maintain your commitments, and know Christ better!