integrate

Personal Blogging Has Been On Hold

2010-05-05T10:25:00.001-04:00

Even though I vowed to blog more regularly in 2010, quite the opposite has happened with my personal blog so far this year. So much is happening in our lives this year and I intended on documenting as much of it as I could.

But so much has been happening in our lives that I have not been able to find (or make) the time to post here. I don't see that changing much in the coming weeks, but you never know. I might just get inspired.

In the meantime, I'll be keeping busy planning some special time for Cherie's 40th birthday, spending some quality time with Miyah while Cherie is visiting her mom and sisters over Mother's Day, going to Guatemala for 11 days, celebrating with Ben & Alex as they get ready to graduate from HS and go off to college, celebrating 20 great years of marriage, leading Lemonade International and keeping the organization's blog updated.

So... in the meantime you can keep up with me on Facebook and/or Twitter. I hope to stay in contact with you there (or in person of course).

Record Crowd - Syracuse University Basketball

2010-02-28T11:47:00.001-05:00

I have been following Syracuse University basketball since the days of "Louie & Bouie" (Louis Orr & Roosevelt Bouie) - in 1976 when the pair helped to put the team on the national map (along with legendary coach Jim Boeheim).

Syracuse basketball is something that has been a part of my life as far as I can remember. And because I love basketball (college basketball in particular) it is still a big deal for me to see "my team" doing so well.

I really enjoy watching my favorite teams play... and the 2003 NCAA tournament championship run by the Orange was the biggest highlight of many years of cheering on the team from upstate New York.

After losing some key players from last year's team the expectations were not very high for this year's squad. Very few people, other than Coach Boeheim, knew how good players like Wesley Johnson and Scoop Jardine would be once given the chance to make a significant contribution.

The team has climbed in the Top 25 Rankings throughout the year, and with loses by Kentucky and Kansas yesterday, their huge win over #7 Villanova before an on-campus record crowd of 34,616 last night is predicted to move them to the #1 spot in the polls for the first time in team history (other than following the 2003 Championship game).

March Madness should be fun this year for SU fans!

I know that in the overall scheme of things sports don't carry a lot of weight, but when you grow up as an athlete (a mediocre one at best) and a sports fan it just becomes a part of who you are.

If only the Buffalo Bills could provide some brief moments of success...

Living Between Status Updates

2010-02-22T12:32:00.000-05:00

The subtitle of this blog is " processing life, not from segmented parts, but as a whole". It really should read "trying to process life, not from segmented parts, but as a whole".

This is a challenge for me. And my guess is that it is for you too.

With the continual pressure we face from so many external and internal forces, it can be really easy to compartmentalize our lives. And we can tend to evaluate "how we're doing" in each of those compartments" in a way that makes us feel very good about certain aspects of our lives and not so good about others.

I'm not so sure that's healthy.

I knew a guy years ago who would walk up to me (and many others) and simply ask, "How's your spiritual life on a scale of 1 to 10?". The tendency was to respond to that question based on Bible reading, time spent in prayer and meditation, and church attendance.

I am not sure something someone's spiritual life (or life in general for that matter) could even be rated on a 1 to 10 scale. I am not sure it's healthy to rate ourselves in separate areas of our lives on any scale. I think it's best to look at our lives as a whole... and to be honest with God, ourselves and those around us about how we are really doing.

For so many of us, we live in a world where our Facebook and Twitter status project to others what is going on in our lives and how we are doing. I've been asking myself lately, "Does my status on Facebook and Twitter reflect the reality of my life? Do I share "What's on my mind" when I am having a bad day or when I am struggling as openly as I share some of the great things or "newsworthy" things that are going on in my life?"

I think it's important for us to ask ourselves if our status updates reflect what our lives are really like in the time between those updates.

I utilize Facebook and Twitter to communicate things that are going on with our organization, Lemonade International, but I also share what's happening in my personal life. And if you were with me for every moment of my life you would realize that it's not all good stuff. There are struggles, fears, sins, insecurities, mini bouts with depression, and feelings of loneliness that go right along with the joys of life, the milestones, the victories, and the things to celebrate.

I have been realizing (but not necessarily always acting on this realization) that we can unintentionally project to others that life is always going well for us, and I get concerned that this could have a negative effect on others - especially if some of them look to us as leaders of some sort. We can leave people wishing they had our "great lives" instead of their mundane, boring, uneventful, lives that are filled with challenges. Or we can unknowingly encourage them to live vicariously through us (or through the unrealistic picture we paint of our lives).

In this new era of social media, I don't want my life to appear to be a quote book of life's greatest moments or thoughts, but an honest reflection of the reality of life - a whole life honestly lived before God and others. If I can't experience this in a healthy, holistic way I'm not so sure I'll be sticking with Facebook and Twitter over the long haul.

In the meantime, bear with me as I work on this...

Do you feel like your status updates create a realistic picture of what your life is like between those updates?

Miyah in La Limonada

2010-02-01T15:38:00.000-05:00

Miyah spent almost a week with Cherie and I in Guatemala last week. It was her first time out of the country since we brought her home from Nepal in May of 2006 - when she was 8 months old.

She loved it!

She was definitely exhausted each day... and thankfully we had some down time in Panajachel (on the shore of beautiful Lake Atitlan) over the weekend before we came home.

This is one of my favorite photos from our time in La Limonada. We celebrated Vitalino's 83rd birthday and Miyah enjoyed some cake with him. We were in his home for about an hour and a half and she didn't want to leave his side.

Celebrating My Birthday ODW Style...

2010-01-04T10:35:00.001-05:00

Hi, my name is Bill and I am 40.

I feel like there needs to be a 12-Step Program for this. I am in the denial phase right now, so I just thought I would put my issues out there.

Seriously... I am feeling really good about turning 40. I'm embracing this passage into my 5th decade of life with a lot of anticipation. I'll share some personal reflections on that coming up in the next few days.

In the meantime I want to celebrate my birthday ODW Style...

ODW stands for One Day's Wages - a new non-profit organization just launched this year by Eugene Cho and his wife, Minhee, from Seatttle, WA - who have been an incredible inspiration to me through their dedication and commitment to the work they are doing.

This risk-taking couple was inspired to start ODW after traveling and seeing for themselves the disparity in the world. They are driven by the belief that we have the capacity to end extreme global poverty.

ODW is an international grassroots movement dedicated to ending extreme global poverty. ODW promotes awareness, invites giving, and supports sustainable relief through partnerships, especially with smaller organizations in developing regions. Our vision is to change global issues ofinjustice affecting millions of people, regardless of race, culture, sex, age, or religion.

ODW inspires people around the world to simply donate one day’s wages, or any amount you wish to invest; and to renew that pledge monthly, quarterly or yearly on their birthdays.

Today, on my 40th birthday, I am giving one day's wages (1/365th or .04% of my income) to help ODW make an impact in the world.

One of the organizations that ODW is in partnership with is Not For Sale - a group that fights sex trafficking in places like Nepal (where my daughter Miyah is from). So, when you give to ODW you are making a huge impact in the world by helping to do vital work - like rescuing young girls from being sold into the commercial sex trade.

You have to check out the amazing work of One Day's Wages.... and consider giving one of your day's wages on your birthday this year!

The Movement of One Day's Wages from One Day's Wages on Vimeo.

Bono's Non-Top Ten... For The Next Ten

2010-01-03T18:29:00.000-05:00

Bono has become a regular guest columnist for the NY Times Op-Ed section much to the chagrin of journalists like Sara Libby.

In this column, Ten for the Next Ten, he presents a list of ten things we should be looking ahead to in the coming decade. Somehow he gets away with this after starting the piece pointing out how much we overindulge in top ten lists.

In most of the points in his list he hits home with things that really matter in the world. The most poignant of which I believe is: "People Power and the Upside-Down Pyramid". In this 7th item in Bono's "Non-Top Ten", he points out that the pyramid of power is bring turned upside-down:

"A lot of us have seen or lived the organizational chart of the last century, in which power and influence (whether possessed by church, state or corporation) are concentrated in the uppermost point of the pyramid and pressure is exerted downward. But in this new century, and especially in some parts of the developing world, the pyramid is being inverted. Much has been written about the profits to be made at the bottom of the pyramid; less has been said about the political power there. Increasingly, the masses are sitting at the top, and their weight, via cellphones, the Web and the civil society and democracy these technologies can promote, is being felt by those who have traditionally held power. Today, the weight bears down harder when the few are corrupt or fail to deliver on the promises that earned them authority in the first place."

I believe we will increasingly see this concept prove to be true in the decade we have just entered. I think this is meant to be.

"For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest." - Jesus (Luke 9:48)

What do you think are some of the most important things that need to happen in the world over the next ten years?

2010: Big Year For The Cummings Clan

2010-01-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

A few months ago Cherie and I were talking about how Ben and Alex would be graduating high school and going to college in the next year. As we talked about that it hit us that 2010 would include some big milestones for our family... and a lot of them.

All of these milestones are good things, but as we realized how much will be happening I think we began to prepare ourselves for the emotional roller-coaster to come. It all starts in a couple days and just keeps going from there:

January 4: I turn 40 (I'll be blogging more about that this week)

March 13: Ben & Alex turn 18

May 11: Cherie turns 40

June 10: Ben & Alex graduate from high school

Mid-August: Ben & Alex start college

August 25: Cherie & I celebrate 20 years of marriage

September 7: Miyah turns 5

Life will be changing for everyone in our house a lot this year and I think my sister put it best in a comment on my Facebook wall:

"What a year it will be! Shall I send you a supply of kleenex to have on hand?"

Let the roller-coaster ride begin.... and by the grace of God we'll take it one big day at a time!

"Jesus From Below"

2009-12-14T18:36:00.004-05:00

Our friends at the Center For Transforming Mission do amazing work in Guatemala City, in La Limonada (in partnership with Lemonade International), throughout Central America as well as in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Each month they distribute an e-newsletter called "Words From Below".

I had to share this from the newsletter they sent out today. It really connects with my post from yesterday:

The following is a simple portrait of Christ that we use in our training. We call it "Jesus from below." It is the Jesus that emerges when we read the Bible with and for those who have been labeled the least. It is a decidedly different image from the one that emerges when we read the Bible from the position of power, which often yields a Jesus that justifies us.

The portrait deserves more explanation, but hopefully you will be able to see its biblical roots. The inset facts represent those who might find comfort in this messiah. May it be so this Christmas.

ASIAN-BORN

The Middle East is Asiatic
Nearly 60% the world is Asian born

MIXED RACE HERITAGE

See Matthew's genealogy
Multi-racial is fastest growing demo in the U.S.

SCANDALOUS GRANDMAS OF CHRISTMAS

Grandma Tamar (prostitute)
Grandma Rahab (prostitute)
Grandma Ruth (Incest survivor)
Grandma Bathsheba (Murderous Affair)
4 million women, children victims of sexual slavery and trafficked as sex slaves in world worth $20 billion annually.

SHAMEFUL BIRTH

Not everybody bought the virgin Birth story.
79% of births to teenagers in U.S. are outside marriage resulting in bastard children.

TEENAGE MOTHER

Mary was probably 13
One million teenage girls become pregnant every year in the U.S.

POOR

Temple offering of the poor
1.7 Million U.S. children are in families that live on less than $6645 a year for family of 5.

POLITICAL REFUGEE

Flees persecution to Egypt
50 million people in the world have been forced to flee their homes in the last 10 years.

IMMIGRANT

Returns to Israel
8.7 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

DRUNKARD & GLUTTON

Friend of sinners
8 million suffer from alcoholism and 15 million from drug dependency

MENTALLY ILL

Jesus' family thought he was "out of his mind"
45 million suffer serious mental illness

URBAN

Went through cities of Galilee
By 2020 over 60% of the world's population will be urban, young and poor.

HOMELESS

No place to "lay his head"
3 million homeless men, women and children, last year in US

OUTLAW

Broke Sabbath Laws
25% of Young Adult African American Males are Incarcerated or on parole.

DESPISED & REJECTED

Seen as cursed by God
The leading motivations for hate crimes in U.S. are "race" 53% religion 16% and sexual orientation 15%

INNOCENT VICTIM

Blameless
Every 11 minutes a child is reported abused or neglected in the U.S. - nearly 3 million.

FORSAKEN BY FATHER

"My God, My God..."
Of 72 million young people in US, almost 25% live w/o their father. 50% for African-American

MURDERED
Crucified
Black males (14-24) make up 1% of the U.S. population but 30% of all homicides.
RESURRECTED AS "WOUNDED HEALER"

Shows Thomas his eternal wounds
150 million suffer from a chronic medical condition. 5 Million suffer chronic pain. 15% of vets suffer severe depression/PTSD.

Letting The Bible Live Again

2009-12-12T12:29:00.006-05:00

I think I will resurrect this blog in the coming weeks, but in the meantime I had to share a quote from something I am reading.

First, I will say that I have been reading the Bible regularly for the past thirty years of my life. I have been hearing Bible stories for more than than... starting with the classic flannelgraphs from Sunday School. And, to be honest, there have been times over the years that the Bible has become stale -a static book that tells old stories rather than something alive, engaging and to be interacted and wrested with in my life... now, today.

Over the past few years, I have often wished I could erase all the preconceived ideas I had of the Bible and read it as though I had never heard of God or Jesus... and to see what I would think of it.

I have become frustrated with the white male, elitist, republican, conservative, narrow-minded, always-have-all-the-answers, 21st century, American version of the Scriptures.

In that time I have hungered to explore and comprehend the first century, Jewish, poor commoner, illiterate, Samaritan, leprosy-covered, female version of the Scriptures.

Books such as Reading The Bible With The Damned by Bob Ekblad and From Stone To Living Word: Letting The Bible Live Again by Debbie Blue is helping me to do just that (in a figurative sense more than a literal sense).

In chapter eight of Blue's book, as she unpacks John 1:14 which says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.", she says:

"The incarnation is not something you can believe in like you can believe in the solution to an equation or dinosaurs or penecillin or the US victory in Iwo Jima. The incarnation is the foundation of our faith, and yet you can hardly think clearly about it enough about it to begin to comprehend it. You can look at it and look at it and still never get it in focus. It's blurry and puzzling and enigmatic and inapprehensible. Unsysytematizable. If it is somehow the greatest truth, the most important revelation, it's not something you can grasp. Kierkegard called the central tenet of Christianity, that God became a human being, an absolute paradox. It's not something you "get" through reason; it's something that challenges reason. It doesn't fit into a logical system."

Life around us can be so out of control that we seek for things that can be explained, reasoned, controlled.

And I am reminded that our faith is not something that is figure-out-able. It is alive and active. It is not static. It cannot become contained... even in a book (if we think so maybe we practice"Bibliolatry" - I know I have at times). It doesn't always include "answers, stability, certainty, clarity, and comprehension" (Blue p. 44).

It is (or it's meant to be) messy, something we get our hands dirty with. It should make us tilt our heads and say, "Huh?" as much as it makes our eyes light up as we say. "Aha". It should create as many questions as it does provide solid answers. And we should be honest with others about that.

Thanks to the words of Debbie Blue, I am reminded that the Bible is inspired: "to rouse latent energies, to inhale, to breathe into, to make alive".

And it is coming alive in my heart again...

More on this (hopefully) in the weeks to come.

Miyah On the Monkey Bars

2009-10-07T12:30:00.001-04:00

Miyah wanted to show me how good she is on the monkey bars on the playground at her school today when I picked her up...

U2 in Raleigh!

2009-10-04T11:13:00.007-04:00

I've been a huge U2 fan since the mid-80s when my friend, DJ, got me into them in our freshman year of high school. His older brother was in college at the time and was into the college music scene. DJ would learn about all kinds of music from him and we'd check out the bands.

Some other great music that we got into in those days: The Smiths, R.E.M., The Cure, Billy Bragg, and Violent Femmes.

Even though U2 have become one of the most well-known bands in the world today, I still think of them as the alternative, anti-establishment band that I was introduced to back before The Joshua Tree put them on the map.

The first time I saw them live was in 1987 during The Joshua Tree tour... and I haven't seen them again until last night when they played at Carter Finley Stadium (home of NC State Wolfpack football).

It was great to drive 15 minutes down the street and to get to see my favorite band and one of the greatest bands of all-time! It was even better to get to see them together with my wife, Cherie.

The show was excellent.... with the highlight for me being "Walk On" with a snippet of "You'll Never Walk Alone" that was dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi - the democratically elected Prime Minister of Burma, who has been under house arrest since her 1990 election by the military-controlled government of the country.

Also, "One" has always been a huge favorite of mine (especially the version with Mary J Blige)... so it was great to hear that song live. And the song, "Magnificent" from their new album, No Line On The Horizon, has quickly become a new favorite of mine. It serves as a worship song of sorts for me, with my favorite line being,

"Only love, only love can leave such a mark

But only love, only love can heal such a scar"

It was definitely a memorable night!

Zumba Class (For You... Not Me)

2009-09-10T10:16:00.003-04:00

Our good friend, and Guatemalan native, Maria Elena, teaches Zumba classes here in the Raleigh area... and I think you should consider joining her class on Saturdays at 1:00pm.

She is an incredible person... and he has more energy than anyone I think I've ever met.

The classes take place at 241 Horizon Dr in Raleigh.

You are sure to have an incredible time as you get a great workout! Contact Maria today at tarheel.zumba@gmail.com or by calling her at 252-402-6002.

Idea Camp - Behind The Scenes

2009-09-05T11:08:00.001-04:00

ICDC Behind the Scenes from The Idea Camp on Vimeo.

The Idea Camp - In Review

2009-09-02T21:02:00.004-04:00

I was in the DC area (Arlington, VA) Thursday night through Saturday of this past week for The Idea Camp DC – Justice Edition. From the workshop facilitators gathering at the home of a staff member of International Justice Mission on Thursday night… to the closing session on Saturday afternoon it was a great event to be a part of.

Here are some highlights:

Driving to DC and sharing some great conversation with my soon-to-be neighbor, Chris Marlow of H.E.L.P. and Randy Lawson of Agathos Foundation.

Meeting Eric Stowe, of A Child’s Right, in person. Eric, while working for Faith International, was our primary contact person through the adoption process of our daughter, Miyah, from Nepal. Our family considers Eric to be a special person because he was our lifeline to Miyah while we waited… and waited for the adoption process to be completed. He helped to keep us sane. What a crazy coincidence that Eric and I ended up at the same event in DC (especially since he lives in the Seattle are)! It was very cool to see him and to learn about the new work he is involved in with A Child’s Right. You just have to take their Clean Water Challenge!

Meeting Scott Page of Fellowship Church of NW Arkansas. Scott and I realized we have a mutual friend whom we work with in Guatemala. It was great to hear about the passion that the Fellowship community has for La Limonada. I’m looking forward to staying in touch with him.

Spending some quality time with Donnie Long, a fellow Lemonade International team member and my good friend, Damon Reiss, who is with Thomas Nelson Publishers. Good times!

Spending time with Ray (Lemonade Int’l board member) and Carole Strecker and sharing some meals together… enjoying some of the workshops together... and walking several blocks together through Arlington.

Seeing and talking with others from the church community we are a part of in Raleigh, Visio Dei. They have a huge heart for human traficking issues!

The “Guerrilla Warefare” (not what it sounds like) session with Hyepin Im of Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD). Hyepin shared some powerful tools for effective fundraising from her experience with KCCD.

The "Open Source Influence" session with JR Kerr of Park Community Church in Chicago. JR vulnerably shared from his years of experience as a “Task Force Leader” and how God has reshaped his views on leadership from being more of a dictator to being a facilitator... or what he calls an "Open Source Leader". I loved his passion and transparency!

Sharing a discussion in a workshop with a great group of people on "Micro and Macro Views of Compassion & Justice". I loved the passionate exchange!

Listening to Leroy Barber of Mission Year talk about his passion for “neighboring” (yes… he turned “neighbor” into a verb!). That’s a guy I would like to get to know more!

Meeting Todd Hiestand of The Well, outside of Philadelphia, and getting to learn about his heart for Guatemala.

The Idea Camp was the most unique conference I’ve ever been a part of. There was no “show”. It was simply people… gathering together to share their common passion for issues of compassion and justice… sharing thoughts and ideas on how to live out the Gospel in a substantive way in our cities and in our world.

Thoughts on Becoming Human by Jean Vanier

2009-08-25T12:42:00.003-04:00

Thanks to the encouragement from a few friends, I recently read Becoming Human by Jean Vanier. I had read a few books by Henri Nouwen, who was deeply influenced by Vanier, but hadn't read any of Vanier's work until Becoming Human. He is known for founding L'Arche, communities of men and women with intellectual disabilities, which now exists in thirty-five countries around the world.

There have been several times in my life when particular books came along at just the right time, and that was defiinitely the case with this one. Through it, I have been reminded that every human being is to be valued, regardless of social or economic status, beauty, intellectual abilities, eloquence, artistic abilities... and that each person is created in the image of God.

Vanier takes the reader down a path of greater understanding of the lonliness we expereince as humans and the pain such lonliness causes. He then highlights the importance of belonging to a community of "others", while also drawing attention to the fact that communities can also be dangerous if they become exclusive.

He then focuses on the power of healing that comes from open, honest relationships. He says, "When we are in communion with another, we become open and vulnerable to them. we reveal our needs and our weaknesses to each other".

His words challenged me to consider what it really means to be human, when he said, "We tend to reduce being human to acquiring knowledge, power, and social status"... instead of realizing that it is "love that reorients us from our self-centeredness, revelaing to us and to others the basic beauty of humanity, empowering us to grow".

Finally, Vanier encourages the reader to pursue forgiveness, which removes barriers we put up to protect us from being hurt in relationships again (which is inevitable). On forgiveness, Vanier says, "To forgive is... the greatest of gifts, because it is a gift of liberation from all the hurts of the past, hurts that prevent us from living fully and loving others".

I've been encouraged by the words of this book to seek greater freedom in my life from expectations of power, success, control and a self-centered life (even though I believe the challenge to fight these things is a lifelong pursuit), and to seek to be open and honest in relationshps with a community that is inclusive, and to fogive and release others to live free of unforgiveness.

"To be free is to put justice, truth, and service to others over and above our own personal gain or our need for recognition, power, honor, and success. When we cling to personal power and success, when we are frightened of losing social status, then we are in some way denying our humanity, we become slaves to our own needs. We are not free."

Miyah's New Thing

2009-08-22T09:51:00.002-04:00

All of the sudden, about a week ago, Miyah just started climbing up the frame of the doorway into our living room... on her own. Cherie and I were talking to her while she was doing it this morning and when she got about halfway up, she turned to us and said, "I gotta stay focused" (with a serious look on her face).

The Idea Camp DC - One Week Away

2009-08-21T15:50:00.005-04:00

A week from today I will be in Washington, DC to attend The Idea Camp DC - A Collaborative Movement of Idea Makers.

The Idea Camp is a FREE, open source hybrid conference designed to help people move from the realm of ideas to implementation.

We are gathering some of the most innovative and creative leaders from around the country (this means YOU!) to share ideas, intentionally network, and move collaboratively into idea-making. Whether your passion is church leadership, non-profit work, social entrepreneurialism, technology, media, creativity, culture making, church planting, spiritual formation, compassionate justice, etc., this is the conference for YOU.

The theme of the DC Idea Camp is "Justice and Compassion", and what I love about the concept of the conference (besides the fact that it is FREE), is that it is a collaborative effort. Just as much value is placed on relational connections made in the hall between sessions as is placed on listening to someone speak from the stage during a session.

Along with attending and collaborating with others who share a passion for issues of justice and compassion, I also have the opportunity to facilitate one of the workshops at the conference - Macro and Micro Views of Compassion & Justice.

I'm looking forward to meeting and interacting with people who I have respected and followed from a distance, like Don Golden of World Relief, Dave Gibbons of NewSong, Dave Ferguson of New Thing Network and others. I am looking forward to learning from representatives of organizations I have a lot of respect for, such as, Mission Year, ONE, Leadership Network, and charity: water. I'm looking forward to meeting Eric Stowe, from A Child's Right, in person for the first time (Eric was our primary contact through our adoption agency when we adopted our daughter, Miyah, from Nepal).

I'll be making the drive to DC with my friend, Chris Marlow of H.E.L.P., who is also my new neighbor. And I'll be meeting up with Lemonade International board member, Ray Strecker, and my good friends, Donnie Long and Damon Reiss, who will also be attending the conference.

This should prove to be a great time. If you are able to... please join us in DC.

It will be well worth your time.

Bummed For (And Impressed By) Tom Watson

2009-07-19T16:56:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my Dad, I've been watching golf on TV since I was a little guy. Some of my earliest memories are of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson battling it out for some of the big tournaments in the late 70's. In those days I would always root for Jack, but both guys have always been class acts.

I don't watch golf as much as I used to, but I try not to miss Sunday afternoon of the four majors (Masters, US Open Open Championship, PGA Championship). This weekend I was rooting for Tom. And as he says in the video below, "What a story it would have been."

He held the lead going into the 18th hole of The Open Champtionship (the "Brisitsh Open" for some)... and just needed to par the hole to be the oldest golfer (59) to ever win a major championship. If he did it, he would have been the oldest golfer by more than a decade to win a major! His last major victroy was 26 years ago (Open Championship '83).

He missed the putt and went into a 4-hole playoff with Stewart Cink... and the wheels came off starting with his second shot from the fairway on the first playoff hole. He was never in it after that.

I am bummed out for Tom. I love stories like this. A player who wins against all odds. This would have been one for the ages. But it doesn't take away from the classiness of Tom Watson as a golfer and competitor. He's one of those all-around good guys. He seems to always be honest and down-to-earth. You can see this even in his disappointment following the completion of the tournament today.

Worth Watching... Great Video, Great Song

2009-07-12T15:52:00.000-04:00

Thanks for posting this, Denise!

Chris Marlow Interviews Tom Davis

2009-07-05T16:03:00.002-04:00

Recently, my friend, Chris Marlow, director of H.E.L.P. (Help End Local Poverty), interviewed Tom Davis, author of the recently released novel, Scared. I had the opportunity to meet and get to know Tom a few months ago... and his passion for issues of orphan care and extreme global poverty are contagious.

My friend, Vince Giordano, moved from here in Raleigh to Colorado Springs, CO just a couple weeks ago to work with Tom's organization - Children's Hopechest - which is doing incredible work to transoform the lives of orphans around the world.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to know these guys and to learn from them as they seek justice for people around the world.

Here's Chris' interview with Tom...

Tom Davis Interview from Chris Marlow on Vimeo.

Thoughts on President Obama's Speech in Cairo

2009-06-04T13:23:00.006-04:00

While speeches don’t solve problems they do help set the tone and create the environment by which difficult and complex issues can be worked on. And we live in a day where there are several complex issues facing people all over the world.

Even leaders of some of our largest US companies are realizing (as a result of some huge failures) that to lead in today’s world requires listening and learning not just idealistic views that are communicated and adhered to regardless of what effect those views have in the real world and on real people’s lives.

The complex issues that President Obama addressed in his speech such as violent extremism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, nuclear proliferation, Middle East “democracy” and women’s rights are very complex and require dialogue not just monologue. I don’t think there will be progress made regarding those issues with one-sided, dogmatic thinking. And I think his speech paves the way for much-needed dialogue.

The US version of democracy is not necessarily the solution for other countries with deep and rich histories and with very different cultures and I believe we should be careful not to think our version of democracy is what is needed in very different parts of the world. As was said in today’s speech, “elections alone do not make true democracy.”

I am concerned that we, as US citizens, can be so US-centric. I feel like we are living in a day when we have a great opportunity to have a broader worldview, where we can learn about and grow to appreciate people who for so long have been “other”. But we sometimes come across like we are in a competition to be the best and most powerful nation on earth… and – for those of us who follow Jesus - our patriotism seems to trump our Christianity.

I think we would be helped by realizing that we are no longer living in the days of the Hebrew Scriptures (or “Old Testament”) when national boundaries were equivalent to religious ones. Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves….and he used an outcast like a Samaritan to drive that point home - a people group who were hated by Jews and today’s equivalent of a Muslim or a Palestinian.

I am concerned when it seems as though many people’s opinions are formed by email forwards or commentators who are predisposed to be against everything done and every decision made by the “other” party. This has been the case for years and happens from both sides of the aisle.

We have to be careful not to demonize the “other”… whether that is a politician who doesn’t share all of ours views or a people group who practice a religion that is so different than ours.

I think President Obama’s speech in Cairo this morning was marked by wisdom and given with the understanding that we can no longer use language and terminology that incites more hatred, war and destruction, but helps create the environment for dialogue, diplomacy and peace.

Some Christians may have a problem with recitations from the Qur’an in the speech, but it is important to note that Paul used a quotation from Greek poets to build a bridge in his communication with the philosophers in Athens (as recorded in Acts 17).

Yes, there are clear violations of human rights being perpetuated by predominantly Muslim nations, but there is a time and a place to address those issues and I don’t think today was the time nor the place. It is wise to “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” and to work in steps toward understanding and peace.

To draw a parallel with our work among the people of La Limonada it would be unwise for us to go into the community and try to confiscate all the guns and drugs from the people. It is best for us to sit down with them, to get to know them, to build relationships and to help lead them in steps out of a life of destruction.

It seems as though it is just as challenging for a nation to abide by the principal “love your enemies” as it is for us on a personal level, but I am hopeful.

There has been so much war, so much destruction and so much pain over the past several years as it relates to our relationship with the Muslim world. Too many mothers and fathers have had to receive news of slain soldiers. Too many Middle Eastern parents have watched their children die. But I have hope that another way is possible.

I Timothy 2:1-3 “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior..."

Challenges/Joys of Starting & Leading a New Organization

2009-05-27T10:33:00.002-04:00

Ever since Lemonade International hit the one year mark in late March I have been reflecting a lot on the challenges and joys that we have experienced in the past year. It has been incredibly rewarding, but there have been some definite challenges along the way. Here's some of both from my personal experience.

I'll start with the challenges:

Time. It takes a lot of time to start an organization and a lot of time to move it forward in the early days. When I left my previous job I had a few people ask me if this new work would keep me busy for 40 hours a week. My response has been that it is hard to keep myself from working 70 hours a week. This is something I am passionate about and it's tough to pull away and create boundaries. There have been many late nights on the laptop and on the phone with our friends in Guatemala.

Money. While I knew it was a huge risk financially for me to leave my job last year to do this work full-time (when it didn't make sense on paper to do so) I wasn't prepared for the amount of focus I would personally have to invest in fund-raising for this work. I really don't want to be perceived as the guy who is always asking for money, but it has become clear very quickly that it takes money to keep moving this work forward. Even though I feel like we live fairly simple lives nothing stresses me out like money. It doesn't stress me out to raise funds for the direct work we are doing in Guatemala, but it is a very real challenge for me not to be stressed out about whether or not I'll be able to draw a paycheck in order to provide for my family.

Staying organized. There are so many dreams in my heart for expanding our work in La Limonada (e.g. microfinance, community development projects, specialized music and arts programs for the kids), but as it is with anything new I find myself focusing so much of my time playing catch-up. I concur with what @ericbryant posted on Twitter today, "I really want to increase the amount of time per day that I'm creating rather than reacting". I am adamant about responding to emails within 24-48 hours and it's easy to have four hours go by just doing that.

Now for the things that bring joy:

Devoting my life to something I am passionate about. It is exciting to get up each morning knowing what I do with my time is making a direct impact on the lives of the people of La Limonada. So may of them have become our friends and it is so energizing to know that what I do is helping to change lives. I thank God for giving me this opportunity.

Working closely with my wife. While I know this type of arrangement doesn't work well for everyone it has been so great to work so closely with Cherie. Somehow I was blessed with a wife who is so great to be around. She does so much to help Lemonade International to be a really solid new organization. Along with being an incredible mom to Ben, Alex and Miyah.... she works tirelessly managing our child sponsorship program and our donor database.

Working with a great team. Cherie. Leah. Donnie. Kate. Tita. Monica. All incredible people with huge hearts for God and for the people of La Limonada. These people inspire me every day to keep pushing forward with what God has put on our hearts to do.

Meeting incredible people along the way. In just over a year we have had the opportunity to meet some great people. People we didn't know a year ago have become close friends. God has brought us together through a mutual love and compassion for the poor.

Getting close to the heart of Jesus. Regardless of your religious background or worldview you have to admit that the poor and marginalized were closest to the heart of Jesus. And as someone who desires to follow him with my life it has been a great journey to work closely with people who are closest to his heart. When you get close to the poor you really end up learning so much more from them than you could ever teach them.

These lists really do ring true. The things that bring joy really do outweigh the challenges. That fact doesn't minimize the challenges when they are staring me in the face, but it does provide strength to push through them.

Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal to win the prize
for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

A Re-Jesus Re-View

2009-05-22T09:03:00.004-04:00

Re-Jesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch is the first of (I hope) many titles I will read and review for The Ooze Viral Bloggers.

Frost and Hirsch pull material from their former collaborative effort, The Shaping of Things to Come and personal works, Exiles (Frost) and The Forgotten Ways (Hirsch) by reminding individuals and church communities not to forget that Jesus needs to be at the center of our mission.

Throughout the book they sound an alarm to the reader that Christianity's focus is Jesus. But they also creatively reveal that there have been many "pictures" (in some cases literally) of Jesus that have shaped not only our view of him but our living out what we think it means to be a follower of him (see Chapter Four: "Bearded-Lady Jesus, Spooky Jesus, Ordinary Galilean Jesus).

For the individual they claim:

"...it is time to recover a vital and active sense of Jesus: who he is, what he has done for us, the life he laid down for us to follow. His passions and concerns must become ours."

For the church community:

"...we believe that the church must constantly return to Jesus to find itself again, to recalibrate, to test whether we are indeed in the faith. The inference is that by and large the church as we currently experience it in the West has to varying degrees lost touch with the wild and dangerous message that it carries and is duty bound to live out and pass on."

While there are times that the book slips into more theological terminology than I was prepared for it is not simply for the audience of pastors and church leaders who will inevitably make up it's primary readership. All followers of "Jesus" (I intentionally used quotation marks because for some we may at times be following a different version of him) would receive a much-needed challenge to recalibrate our lives to the life and message of the true Christ revealed in the Gospels.

The straight-forward, no-holds-barred, yet conversational approach Frost and Hirsch take is the kind of jolt the church needs today. Where in many cases our "creative" and "relevant" sermon series packaged in TV show titles, our American Idol-looking stages, our trendy-dressing pastors, our Starbucks coffee-serving cafes and even our recent adoption of social/global issues have become the focus... we need to be reminded that:

"...we can hold up the models of church we find around us today... against the example found in the Gospels and the New Testament, and we can ask some serious questions about the disjunction we find there. It is time to recalibrate the church around the person of Jesus rather than around marketing ploys developed for a shallow consumeristic age."

Some find books like this to be attack on the church or look at those who say such things to be "anti-church". Frost and Hirsch provide a response to this that needs to be heard:

"...we have presented some rather pointed criticism of the way church is being done in the West. This has riled some readers and led some critics to suggest that we don't love the church, but we submit to you that it is our very love for the church that motivates us to write what we do. And besides, there is a difference between liking the church and loving the church the way Jesus commands us to. To be sure, we do not like gatherings of strangers who never meet or know each other outside of Sundays, who sit passively while virtual strangers preach and lead us in singing, who put up with second-rate pseudo community under the guise of connection with each other, who live different lives from Monday to Saturday than they do on Sunday, whose sole expression of worship is pop-style praise and worship, who rarely laugh together, fight injustice together, serve the poor together, eat together, pray together, raise each other's children together, serve the poor together, or share Jesus with those who have not yet been set free... But if it's a family of Jesus followers striving, no matter how inadequately, to be Christlike, holistic, peace-loving, worshipful, devoted, graced, holy and healthy then we will love it with every ounce of physical and emotional strength we have."

Re-Jesus is a glaring reminder for us to live a Jesus-centric life and for our church communities to be Jesus-centric in all we do. As followers of Jesus we have to believe that if we desperately cling to the Jesus of the Gospels we will be changed, our church communities will be transformed and the world around us will be moved forward in the redemption process in distinctly evident ways.

The Future Of Work

2009-05-17T20:04:00.013-04:00

While taking my son, Ben, for a haircut this afternoon the latest issue of Time jumped out at me as I sorted through the stack of magazines on the table in front of me... as I frantically looked for something male-oriented (ESPN The Magazine, US News & World Report) to pass the time.

This particular issue of Time grabbed my attention because of the title on the cover, The Future Of Work, and the creative corresponding photo. For the first three years we have lived in Raleigh, NC (it's hard to believe it's been four years now) I worked as a recruiter and then a branch manager for Kelly Services, a fortune 500 company and a global leader in temporary staffing and outsourced human resource solutions. In my time there I was trained to be a student of the ever-changing job market and the state of employment in our city and beyond.

Even though that's not the world I am in today I still have a special interest in the shifts that are taking place in the workforce.

The feature story in Time addresses "Ten Lessons For Succeeding in the New American Workplace", and covers a wide variety of issues such as technology, corporate integrity, benefits, the absence of the traditional "corporate ladder" climb, the increasing influence of women in the workforce, and my favorite "The Last Days of Cubicle Life", which is written by Seth Godin the author of the best-selling book, Tribes (side note... I highly recommend watching the video below of a lecture given by Seth Godin).

I think corporations, organizations, churches, employers and employees would do well to be students of the shifts taking place in our world today. It's almost a necessity to recruit, retain... and more importantly to engage in meaningful relationships through the work we do.

From the cover of Time magazine:

"Throw away the briefcase: you're not going to the office. You can kiss your benefits goodbye too. And your new boss won't look much like your old one. There's no longer a ladder and you may never get to retire, but there's a world of opportunity if you figure our a new path."

What are your thoughts? Maybe it's time for you to pursue that new path?

Heading Back to The Land of Eternal Spring

2009-05-02T20:05:00.003-04:00

While I have been back to "The Land of Eternal Spring" a few times since then... it has been since February of last year that Cherie and I have been in Guatemala together.

We are really looking forward to reuniting with Leah, Tita, the teachers, the kids... and Jocelyn and Suzy (the two girls in the photos above that we have been sponsoring for the past five years).

It was shortly after that trip that we followed our hearts to devote our lives to the work we felt God calling us to do there. A month after returning Lemonade International began and we moved into a new phase of our lives that has been somewhat of a whirlwind since then.

The book, The Barbarian Way, by Erwin McManus has been instrumental in encouraging us to step out into the unknown and to take risks (that don't necessarily make sense) and to give our lives in partnership with our Guatemalan friends to serve the people of La Limonada - an urban slum community of between 60,000 - 100,000 people.

Here are some quotes from that book:

"True religion always moves us to serve others and to give our lives to see those oppressed find freedom."

"A world without God cannot wait for us to choose the safe path. If we wait for someone else to take the risk, we risk that no one will ever act and that nothing will ever be accomplished."

"If you chose to make the insane decision to live your life for the sake of others, if you chose to follow the One whose barbarian path led him to the brutality of the cross, and if you embrace his invitation to take up your own cross and follow him, then it has begun. If you dare to allow God to unlock your primal spirit, He will unleash the raw and untamed faith within. Then you will know you have chosen the barbarian way out of civilization."

It still seems crazy to me at times that this is the path our lives have taken, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm thankful that God has directed our lives this way... and thankful that I get to serve Him together with my wife and our friends.

More to come from this blog and from the Lemonade Int'l Blog in the coming days...

Bono: Post-Easter Soul Searching

2009-04-20T07:12:00.008-04:00

In Saturday's edition of the New York Times, Bono wrote a brilliant Op-Ed piece as a guest columnist.

He draws our attention to the rhythms of the Easter season; from Carnival (or for some "Fat Tuesday") to the "giving up" of Lent season to the celebration of new birth through the resurrection, he reminds us that as we reflect on this season there are parallels to our own lives. It is a time of soul searching. But it is a soul searching that should not only be personal... but global.

Here is an excerpt:

"I come to lowly church halls and lofty cathedrals for what purpose? I search the Scriptures to what end? To check my head? My heart? No, my soul. For me these meditations are like a plumb line dropped by a master builder — to see if the walls are straight or crooked. I check my emotional life with music, my intellectual life with writing, but religion is where I soul-search.

The preacher said, “What good does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Hearing this, every one of the pilgrims gathered in the room asked, “Is it me, Lord?” In America, in Europe, people are asking, “Is it us?” Well, yes. It is us."

What should we do in response to our soul-searching?

"Lent is upon us whether we asked for it or not. And with it, we hope, comes a chance at redemption. But redemption is not just a spiritual term, it’s an economic concept. At the turn of the millennium, the debt cancellation campaign, inspired by the Jewish concept of Jubilee, aimed to give the poorest countries a fresh start. Thirty-four million more children in Africa are now in school in large part because their governments used money freed up by debt relief. This redemption was not an end to economic slavery, but it was a more hopeful beginning for many. And to the many, not the lucky few, is surely where any soul-searching must lead us."

The primary focus of the Easter season for followers of Christ should be his life, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection... but the life of Christ was one of feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, reaching out and touching those who had been marginalized, challenging the religious institutions of his day. It is this life we are to follow.

As Jesus so clearly reveals to us in the parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke's Gospel... we cannot walk by on the other side of the road while people of other nations, tribes and tongues lie there beaten and bruised.

We have to go to them, bandage their wounds, pour in oil and wine, put them on our donkey, take them to the inn, give our silver coins and make sure they are taken care of. After all this we may even need to go back, check in on them and give some more.

This is a picture of redemption.

The DelVecchios Go to North Carolina

2009-04-05T19:29:00.005-04:00

My sister, Lisa, and her three kids are here visiting from NY this week... and it is great to have them here! We just miss Jim... who stayed back in Yankee Country!

Nick is almost 18 and still best friends with Ben & Alex. They've been working on Alex's car together (Nick is quite the handyman... so he painted the front bumper of the Mazda), going to movies and driving around together.

Jayme is 15... it seems like she has become a young lady overnight. She is becoming a great young photographer too and has taken some great shots of our time together.

Joey is almost 11. He brought his lacrosse sticks with him and we've been tossing a ball around. Wow... does it bring back memories to have a lacrosse stick in my hands. He is a natural athlete!

It's been nice to just hang out and be around each other.

We took the R Line (Raleigh's free hydro-electric downtown bus system) to the "Cue Grass Festival" at The Pit for a quick bite to eat yesterday afternoon... here's a photo with Ed:

U2 in Raleigh?

2009-03-31T22:07:00.003-04:00

There was a rumor that U2 was coming to Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on October 3rd... but they just released new dates for their 360° Tour and they are scheduled to be in:

Charolottesville, VA - October 1
Atlanta, GA - October 6

What happened to Raleigh?

I would hate to buy tickets for a concert in another city only to have Raleigh added to the tour at a later date.

Does anyone have inside information?

Raleigh - Top City in US Three Years Running

2009-03-27T14:09:00.003-04:00

For the third straight year Raleigh topped the list of Forbes Magazine's Best Places For Business and Careers.

The magazine cited job growth (both past and projected), low business costs and a highly educated workforce as the major reasons the city was selected for the top spot again.

Not that Forbes asked for or needs my vote, but I would agree.

Ben - 2nd Interview / Alex - School Project

2009-03-26T22:51:00.015-04:00

Ben got a call from Chick-fil-a today for a second interview (how about a fast food chain doing second interviews?). So, it was time for Cherie to take him to the store for some new clothes. He'll find out tomorrow if they want him to be there in the afternoon or early next week.

I hope this works out for him. That would be a great place to work... and may even mean some discount for us!

And Alex just let me know his photo and a brief story was published on the Philanthropy Journa l Website here in Raleigh as a result of a project at school where his class is spending six class periods teaching computer skills to elderly people at an assisted living facility in downtown Raleigh.

It has been a great time to be a dad!

Alex - First Car

2009-03-26T14:59:00.004-04:00

It seems like a lot is happening at once with my sons lately. They turned 17 a couple weeks ago, they are getting college material in the mail like crazy, one is working, the other is diligently looking for a job, they are driving (still with a learner's permit) and top of all that...

Alex bought his first car this week.

It is a gray 1993 Mazda 626 with about 160,000 miles on it. We found it through our neighborhood email group. He saved up his own money from work and got it for $800. For the age of the car and the mileage it is in great condition. The owner kept receipts of all the work done on it and the people at the garage down the street were very impressed with the condition it is in. The only thing they said it needs is to have the belts replaced sometime soon.

I told Alex he will always remember his first car (mine was a brown 1980 Buick Skylark) and that he should really enjoy this time in life.

Congratulations, Alex. I am proud of you!

'Cuse in 6 OTs

2009-03-17T20:30:00.003-04:00

I'm a few (OK... more than a few) days behind on this... but I had to record something on this blog about the incredible game between Syracuse and UConn at the Big East Conference Tournament last week.

I have been following the Orange since before Andy Rautins' dad, Leo, played for the team in the early 80's. I even remember Louis Orr playing for "Cuse back in the late 70's.

They have been a fun team to follow all these years with players like Rafael Addison, Pearl Washington, Stevie Thompson, Sherman Douglas, Derrick Coleman, Ronnie Seikaly, Billy Owens... and of course Gerry McNamara, Hakim Warrick and Carmelo Anthony.

I remember being stunned by Indiana's Keith Smart and his winning baseline jumper as the Hoosiers beat the Orangemen 74-73 in the 1987 NCAA Championship game... after 'Cuse had never trailed the entire game. But redemption finally came when Hakim Warrick blocked the potential game-tying 3-pointer and secured the first ever NCAA Championship for Syracuse as they beat favored Kansas 81-78 in 2003.

I didn't think that could be topped, but the 2008-09 team did their best as Jonny Flynn and company battled through 6 OTs to beat UConn on Thursday night. It was definitely one of the best games I have ever experienced! Here are some highlights:

Ben & Alex are 17!

2009-03-13T14:18:00.004-04:00

I have no idea how we got to this point..... but I have two sons that turned 17 today. 17! Seventeen! S-e-v-e-n-t-e-e-n!!!

In one year they will register to vote. They will register for the ~~draft~~ "Selective Service". They may leave home to go away to college. One year. I know it sounds cliche... but it seems like they were just one year old... and now just one more year before our society considers them "adults".

While we have our challenges (who doesn't?)... I have to say I am proud of both Ben and Alex. They are great young men with great hearts. And it's great to look back over 17 years and to think of how thankful I am to be their dad.

For his birthday Cherie and I took Alex to breakfast (and let him go in late for school) while Miyah was at preschool. Ben had a French project that was due first period... so he chose to go out for dinner instead (which was a great opportunity for him to choose a place where he could get his favorite... steak) so Alex will stay home while Miyah's sleeping so we can spend time with Ben. We'll have cake and ice cream before we take Ben out for dinner. Just a simple day celebrating with them.

Happy Birthday, Ben & Alex. I love you guys!!

"The Blanket With Sleeves"

2009-03-06T15:57:00.009-05:00

This may be one of the most ridiculous infomercials I have ever seen:

Even funnier than that is this video of students from Grambling University talking about the Snuggie™ as they were stranded at a gas station on their way to the inauguration:

Have the Snuggie™ people ever heard of a sweatshirt?

Let Justice Roll Down

2009-03-04T13:37:00.005-05:00

Thanks to my friend, Hugh, for lending it to me I just finished reading Let Justice Roll Down by John Perkins.

In this autobiography, Perkins, recounts his life growing up on a plantation as a sharecropper in the deep south of Mississippi in the 1930s and '40s and the path his life took toward becoming a leader of the civil rights movement.

For years racial reconciliation has been a passion of mine, but living in the northeast nearly all my life has provided for a very limited understanding of the history of race relations in the United States. Even living in Raleigh, NC for almost four years has provided limited insight into the level intensity of racial discrimination experienced in the deep south.

Over the years, films like Mississippi Burning and Rosewood, have opened my eyes to how extensive the issues have been in the south, but reading the life story of a man who lived through those experiences made things much more accessible to me.

John Perkins and the organizations he has founded have made a huge impact on the inner cities of the United States. His work has brought spiritual and economic transformation to countless lives and he continues to be an inspiration to many who are called to urban ministry.

I highly recommend Let Justice Roll Down...

Cummings and Goings

2009-03-03T19:27:00.003-05:00

My parents just returned from Florida where they will now be living six months out of the year. They are officially "snowbirds".

While getting settled in their new neighborhood my mom noticed the sign in the neighbor's yard that read, "Goings" along with the street number of the home. As soon as my mom pointed out the sign, my dad (being the sociable person that he is) marched right up to the door and introduced himself to his neighbor.

Mr. Fred Goings answered the door, invited my parents in and gave them a tour of his house. They all got a real kick out of the fact that the Cummings' and Goings' would be neighbors.... and felt like they'd known each other forever.

True story (with a photo to prove it).

John Ortberg on the Economy

2009-03-02T09:28:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I watched a video message from one of my favorite authors, John Ortberg, as he spoke at Willow Creek Community Church a few weeks ago (where he used to be a Teaching Pastor). Since 2003 John has been the Senior Pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, CA.

He talked about how God should be "enough" for us even during challenging economic times. As usual his message was very challenging. But there was one thing he said in particular that really struck me.

He was recounting a conversation he recently had with a friend where his friend said to him, "We ought to be praying for the economy, but not for me". His friend went on to say, "When the economy goes down the wealthy are inconvenienced, but the poor get crushed".

We may consider ourselves somewhere in between the "rich" and the "poor", but what John shared can be a good reminder for us that while things may be challenging for us... there are others who are being crushed.

What are your thoughts about the state of the economy? How have the difficult times effected you personally? Or your family and friends? What should followers of Christ be doing during these times? What should others be hearing from our collective voices?

I Am Rich!

2009-02-28T16:20:00.003-05:00

I am a little late to the game on this one... but for the past several weeks I have been meaning to share this with you.

I am rich.

Yes. Even in uncertain economic times. I am rich.

I can prove it to you here:

I'm the 53,205,017 richest person on earth!

Discover how rich you are! >>

Go ahead... click on the link and see how rich you are.

With all the talk about the present state of the economy it seems like so many of us are focused on money more than usual (and the normal focus we place on money is already very high in many cases).

I understand the fear that comes during times like this. I am tempted to panic every day... especially as I lead a non-profit organization that is dependent on the generosity of others. But, the anxiety I feel is nothing compared to so many millions of people in the world who have no idea where their next meal is going to come from.

Global Rich List is trying to draw the attention of the richest people in the world to the needs of the poorest people in the world. And I can say that they got my attention.

Here is an example of what this website is attempting to draw our attention to:

"The world's 225 richest people now have a combined wealth of $1 trillion. That's equal to the combined annual income of the world's 2.5 billion poorest people."

It is easy to simply get overwhelmed with information like this. The challenge for us is to bring facts like this home to our lives and to make this a reality. If you don't personally know of any specific way you can help... here are some organizations that are doing great work among some of the poorest people in the world:

H.E.L.P - My new friend Chris Marlow and his team are working among the people of Zimbabwe and South Africa. If you live in the Raleigh area you are invited to attend their launch party.

Eugene Cho and his wife Minhee are very close to officially launching an organization that will focus on fighting global poverty.

Children's Hopechest - My friend, Vince Giordano, recently introduced me to Tom Davis and the work of CH. Vince also spent a couple weeks with CH in Swaziland where nearly 50% of the population are infected with HIV/AIDS.

And there is the work we are doing among the urban poor of La Limonada in Guatemala City.

Are you rich?

Darian in Uganda

2009-02-19T12:50:00.003-05:00

My best friend, Darian Colbert, who left the country for the first time as we traveled to Guatemala together in October of last year, just returned from spending two weeks in Uganda. He was part of a team of people from Lifechurch in Allentown, PA (where I used to serve) who installed a water purification system in a remote village called Katebo (about 60 miles SW of Kampala) on the shore of Lake Victoria.

It is amazing to me to know Darian's story of growing up in Allentown, to be his friend for the past ten years and to see him become the person he is today. I wish I could have been there with him as he stepped foot on African soil and as he walked through the village of Katebo and as he hugged the children there.

Ever since I have known Darian our lives have seemed to take parallel paths and I get the sense that now is no different. As He is with me, God is enlarging Darian's heart for the world. And as I look at these photos I can't help but think that we will be in the village of Katebo together one day.

Too Stinkin' Cute

2009-02-13T09:03:00.002-05:00

On her way out the door for preschool this morning, Miyah said to me, "When you get smaller you can go to my preschool too."

I responded, "But I'm not going to get smaller."

With a very silly face she shot right back, "Yeah, but if I get a real wand I can turn you."

It is so different having a daughter. I don't think Ben or Alex ever said anything like that...

Retiring?

2009-02-11T12:01:00.006-05:00

Is he really retiring? With Brett Favre you never know. I imagine it must be a tough decision to make when you've played a game you love for your entire life. I personally couldn't imagine retiring from anything prior to turning 40 years old, but Brett Favre has dragged fans through this for the past three seasons at least. Is he retiring... or isn't he? Will he resurface in August with another team?

He has been one of the most exciting players to watch for almost the past two decades, but I think it is time for this to be for real and for it to be a final decision. If it is... five years from now we will be watching as he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Mohammed Yunus - A "Worm's Eye View"

2009-02-05T16:36:00.004-05:00

I had the opportunity to attend a lecture given by Mohammed Yunnus at the Keenan Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill this morning. Yunnus is the founder of Grameen Bank and the father of the Microfinance movement. I read his book, Banker To The Poor, about two years ago and it had a tremendous impact on me.

There is a quote from him in that book that stands out as one of the most memorable quotes in any book I've ever read. He talked about how he was teaching economics at Dhaka University in Bangladesh and how he watched as poor people were dying in the streets right outside the university after making long journeys from villages to the city to find a better life for themselves. He realized the principles of economics were not working for those poor people and that something needed to be done.

So, he determined to learn to understand the life of the poor in order to help them.

"Instead of traditional book learning, I wanted to teach my university students how to understand the life of one single poor person. When you hold the world in your palm and inspect it only from a bird’s eye view, you tend to become arrogant—you do not realize that things get blurred when seen from an enormous distance. I opted instead for “the worm’s eye view.”

I think this is very similar to what Jesus did through his life on earth. In order to understand what life was like for humanity, Jesus left his place in heaven with the Father to get a "worm's eye view" of what it was like to be human. It was God's plan that Jesus fully understood what it was like to be human before he rescued us from the prison of our humanness and sin.

While I don't know if Yunus claims to be "Christian"... his act of getting a "worm's eye view" is more like Christ than what I have been willing to do in my own life many times.

And that challenges me.

Olives And The Light Of The World

2009-02-02T10:40:00.003-05:00

Recently I was with a small group of mostly new friends who were sharing personal experiences. One young lady in the group had just returned from Israel and was talking about how Middle Eastern culture provided such a fresh perspective of the Scriptures for her.

She shared a conversation she had with someone in Israel who explained the ancient process of making olive oil. Apparently it was a long and involved process... which including the crushing of the olives among other things.

The finished product was not only used for cooking, but for lamps that provided light.

The thoughts flooded my mind and have been with me since that conversation. When Jesus encourages us to be "the light of the world"... in our Western culture we think of flipping a switch which provides immediate illumination, but for someone in the ancient Middle East they had a completely different understanding of what it took to provide light.

Is it possible that our "light" is most effective following times in our lives when we feel like we are being "crushed"?

Friendship, Change & Letting Go

2009-01-29T13:26:00.004-05:00

Change can be challenging and exciting at the same time. I'm thinking about this today because we just dropped off our good friend, Leah, at the airport this morning as she headed to Guatemala on a one-way ticket.

While we will be directly connected to Leah through our work together with Lemonade International and our common hearts for the people of La Limonada, she has become like a member of our family over the past four years so it will be strange not to have her popping over our house on a regular basis and sharing life together here in Raleigh.

Letting go and moving on is such an important part of friendship. This can be difficult, but I think we can make it a lot easier by holding onto our friends loosely and by encouraging them to spread their wings and fly when they have something new and different on their hearts... even when that means they will not be a direct presence in our lives like we had become accustomed to.

It's not easy, but it feels good to let go. Spread your wings and fly, Leah... and grow in ways you never would by staying here!

A Thousand Questions

2009-01-28T15:23:00.005-05:00

This is definitely worth watching! Thanks to Jeremy Copeland... for posting this.

True Evangelical Faith - Menno Simons

2009-01-26T09:42:00.002-05:00

For true evangelical faith
is of such a nature that it cannot lay dormant;
but manifests itself in all righteousness and works of love;
it dies unto flesh and blood;
destroys all forbidden lusts and desires;
cordially seeks, serves and fears God;
clothes the naked;
feeds the hungry;
consoles the afflicted;
shelters the miserable; aids and consoles all the oppressed;
returns good for evil;
serves those that injure it;
prays for those that persecute it;
teaches, admonishes and reproves with the Word of the Lord;
seeks that which is lost;
binds up that which is wounded;
heals that which is diseased and saves that which is sound.
The persecution, suffering and anxiety which befalls it
for the sake of the truth of the Lord, is to it a glorious joy and consolation.
(Menno Simons, 1496-1561)

Missing History

2009-01-15T09:56:00.003-05:00

I will be in Guatemala next week and will miss being here in the States for one of the biggest days in our nation's history... the inauguration of our first African-American President.

While Guatemala has become like a second home to me, it will be tough to know I am missing such an historic event. I should be able to watch it online on Tuesday night, but just the thought of missing it live on American television is a little tough to take.

Now, don't get me wrong, if I had to choose between being in La Limonada on Tuesday or sitting in my living room watching history in the making I would still choose La Limonada. But, if I could be in two places at once that would be nice too.

What are your thoughts as we approach such a big day here in the US?

Business & Non-Proift Leaders - Together To Fight Global Poverty

2009-01-09T11:38:00.004-05:00

The past couple days I had the privilege of meeting and sitting down with about 20 business and non-profit leaders to discuss issues of global poverty. While it is easy to be intimidated among some "heavy hitters" who lead companies with revenues of over $1 billion, but there are some incredible people out there who have great financial success in the business world who want to make a huge impact in the lives of people who are living in extreme poverty, the oppressed, orphans and widows.

James 1:27 says, "Real, true religion from God the Father's perspective is about caring for orphans and widows who suffer needlessly and resisting the evil influence in the world."

One of the people I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with was Tom Davis, who leads an amazing organization called Children's Hopechest. The programs of this this organization help bring thousands of children in Russia, Ethiopia, Swaziland and Uganda out of the isolation of orphanhood and into the joy and warmth of family programs.

The last couple days have served as a great inspiration to me that there are great people doing incredible things around the world!

Check Out This Book

2009-01-08T20:09:00.005-05:00

It has been a slow start to blogging for me this year... which means I am already failing at one of my New Year's "Resolutions". But, I will start by plugging a book that I highly recommend. I have had the privilege of exchanging emails with the author, then had the opportunity to meet and spend some time with him when I was in Cincinnati this past summer.

Take some time to read "What Is Church?" by Mike Bishop in the coming weeks!

"What is Church? Shouldn’t we know the answer to that question? Yet there are people all around the world who are wondering if church should be something more than what we have experienced. Perhaps Jesus had something different in mind from our typical answers to the question, “What is church?” There are many books being written about why the church should be different or how it should be changed, but where are the voices who have lived this transition? For the past seven years, Mike Bishop and his friends have been living change among small communities of faith. Their story is not about the next great North American church movement, but rather the simple-and revolutionary-discovery of God’s Kingdom in a changing world." (from Publisher's Website)

Mike Bishop is a husband, father of three, thinker, trying-to-be-apprentice-of-Jesus, ecclesial trouble-maker, and wanna-be engineer. His wife Amber and family have spent the past seven years in South Florida with a rag-tag community of saints called The Well. Mike’s passion is to see normal people fall in love with Jesus and be able to realize their kingdom-born dreams. His blog, other writings, and contact information can be found at www.whatischurch.com.

The Family Photo Shoot

2008-12-18T07:19:00.002-05:00

Our great friend, Leah Craver, is an amazing photographer! Thankfully we squeezed in a family photo shoot with her before she leaves for Guatemala to serve among the people of La Limonada...

Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

2008-12-16T20:57:00.001-05:00

I have conquered the "Starred" Folder of my Inbox!!!

Here is proof:

Shoe Thrown at President

2008-12-15T07:16:00.005-05:00

An Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at President Bush yesterday during a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad.

Regardless of what you think of this president and his policies... the man has some great reflexes! He ducked both size 10 shoes - the first of which came very close and looked like it was thrown at the speed of a Mariano Rivera fastball.

Chriatmas Tree Lighting @ The Capitol

2008-12-11T19:50:00.002-05:00

There are some cool things to do in downtown Raleigh during the holidays. And even though it is a city that is growing rapidly... some of the things have a great small town feel to them. The Christmas Tree Lighting at the Capitol building is one of those things. This is our second year in a row doing this with our friend Leah.

Miyah had a lot of fun...

David Gregory - New Moderator Of "Meet The Press"

2008-12-06T13:43:00.004-05:00

It looks like NBC is about to announce that 38 year old, David Gregory will become the new moderator of Meet The Press. Tom Brokaw has hosted the show since the untimely death of my man, Tim Russert (wow... his death is still so sad for me... I really missed hearing his thoughts during such an historical election).

I really like David Gregory (I had no idea he was only 38... same age as me... do I look as old as he does?), but after checking out this video... I really like him. The white boy can jam!!! (and to Mary J too!)

Enjoy...

Last.fm

2008-12-06T13:00:00.002-05:00

I think last.fm is my new primary source for listening to music...

The Tree - Finished Product

2008-12-03T19:12:00.002-05:00

Family Tradition

2008-11-30T08:39:00.001-05:00

I love getting the Christmas Tree together as a family every year...

Samba - Before & After

2008-11-29T15:41:00.003-05:00

Before:

After:

Breakfast Time

2008-11-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

Cherie and I had just been talking about how we would look at the back of the cereal box while we ate breakfast as kids... and next thing we knew Miyah was getting the cereal box and asking if she could look at the pictures while she ate.

Coldplay Goes Urban

2008-11-28T10:58:00.002-05:00

At PS22 in NYC, the 5th Grade Chorus is incredible! Check out what might be my favorite YouTube video of the year. This is proof that music knows no cultural bounds:

Very Interesting Documentary

2008-11-26T17:25:00.002-05:00

"Why We Fight" is a 90-minute documentary worth watching...

Dog Grooming Day (A Little Overdue)

2008-11-25T09:00:00.003-05:00

Our dog, Samba, is going to the groomer today. Do you think she needs it?

Ben & Alex

2008-11-20T11:10:00.006-05:00

Cherie and I have been talking lately about how we have so few photos of Ben and Alex from the past few years. A huge part of that is that 16 year old boys aren't very excited about getting their pictures taken. So I went on a mission to get some photos... which meant at the time that I needed to catch them off guard and snap some shots without them knowing. The best time for that was while they were playing video games (not an uncommon thing at all).

I did get a couple other photos while we were watching the Buffalo Bills lose on Monday Night... but they look very depressed in those photos (we stayed up until about Midnight hoping they would pull it off... but no... another Bills field goal went "wide right").

In a couple weeks our friend Leah is going to take some family portraits (again... something the guys aren't too excited about) so I think we'll get some better shots of them at that time.

They would kill me if they knew I posted these... so thankfully they have no interest in reading their dad's blog.

Lemonade Int'l Post on Emergent Village Weblog

2008-11-17T14:51:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Steve Knight, the Emergent Village Weblog includes a post today about the work of Lemoande International in La Limonada. Please take some time to check out the post and leave a comment:
http://www.emergentvillage.com/weblog/loving-and-befriending-the-poor-in-la-limonada

Thanks so much for sharing in our passion for our work among the people of La Limonada!

One Upon A Time...

2008-11-16T16:12:00.003-05:00

Miyah has been wanting us to tell her stories lately. So, sometimes we tell her stories of how we went to Nepal to get her and bring her home.

Then we ask Miyah to tell us a story.

Yesterday Cherie and I were sitting at Char-Grill having a burger with her... and she asked Cherie to tell her a story. She did... and then it was Miyah's turn. She said:

"Once upon a time there was a little girl named Miyah and when she was a little baby her mom came and got her in Nepal 'cause she loved her."

The rest of the story... a mom and a dad cried at Char-Grill yesterday.

Soles4Souls

2008-11-12T18:43:00.003-05:00

Thanks to a "heads-up" from Chris Marlow I just became aware of an incredible non-profit organization that is doing something simple but profound:

Soles4Souls has a simple mission: To impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes.

I have been in places in the world where the condition of people's feet are horrendous simply because they don't have shoes.

For $5 you can help Soles4Souls by Changing the World One Pair at a Time™. I just did it and it was the easiest donation I have ever given.

President-Elect Barack Obama and Me

2008-11-05T09:00:00.007-05:00

When I was a little kid, for some crazy reason I would tell my mom that I wanted to have a black best friend someday.

I have no idea where I got that idea because it wasn't like I was surrounded by black people in those early years. Even by the time I was finishing high school there were maybe three African Americans in my graduating class. It wasn't until college that there were a significant representation of black people in my everyday life. My first college roommate was an African American guy named Wayne Simms. It didn't take me too long to realize that Wayne used different products in his hair than I did and that he used a lot of lotion on his body every day (I later learned that was so he didn't get "ashy").

Years later I found myself as a youth pastor at a beautifully racially diverse church in Allentown, PA. I felt myself being drawn much more to the black and Latino students than I was to the white students. I made sure we played music that was culturally relevant to their lives... feeling in my heart that the white students had plenty of youth groups they could attend that would represent their culture if all they wanted was a homogeneous environment.

In those years Darian Colbert became my best friend and still is today. Is it possible that my desire for a black friend as a child was something placed in me from the heart of God?

Several years ago while in Atlanta, GA together, Darian and I watched the movie "Remember The Titans" together and cried as the movie told the true story of a white and and a black high school football player forced to play on the same team in the 1970's due to school integration.

Just a few weeks ago Darian and I spent four days together in Guatemala as he experienced his first time being out of the country.

Through our friendship and other meaningful friendships with black and Latino friends... and now from my experiences in Guatemala and having a daughter from Nepal, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for being able to say that my life experience has been multi-cultural.

By God's grace I have had the opportunity to experience relationships that truly express His heart for reconciliation among all people.

During the election coverage last night, one commentator said, "We know that racism is a stain on America's history...". I must say that racism is much more than a "stain" on our history. It is a deep and dark part of our history that I believe needs to be redeemed.

As President-Elect Obama gave his speech last night he spoke of Ann Nixon Cooper and her 106 years of life in America as an African-American woman. He talked of how she was born at a "a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin".

She voted early the other day as she "she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change".

She has experienced the redemption process through decades of American history...

The redemption process took huge steps forward as Abraham Lincoln led over three million slaves to freedom through the Emancipation Proclamation.

The redemption process took huge steps forward as Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

The redemption process took huge steps backward as protesters attempted to peacefully march from Selma to Montgomery, but were beaten by state and local police with billy clubs after they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

The redemption took huge steps forward when the third march successfully made it to Montgomery.

The redemption took huge steps forward in 1963 through the March on Washington and as the the words "I have a dream" came from the mouth of an African-American Baptist preacher from Atlanta, Georgia.

The redemption process took huge steps backward in 1968 as "early morning April 4th... a shot rang out in a Memphis Sky" and Martin Luther King Jr. was slain.

The redemption process took huge steps forward last night as we elected Barack Obama to be the 44th President of the United States.

As I was writing this, Darian called me on my cell phone and told me ab0ut how he saw hope in the eyes of his African-American neighbors as they lined up on 2nd Street in Allentown, PA to vote yesterday. He ended the conversation by saying, "I called you this morning to tell you that last night we saw history made".

Amen, Darian.

May the redemption process continue...

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-31T14:18:00.002-04:00

Here's Miyah with the finished product (pretty basic for our first pumpkin with her):

Good Night...

2008-10-28T17:27:00.002-04:00

This was Miyah's prayer when I put her to bed tonight:

"Dear God, thank you for my dad 'cause he's my best friend...
and he has little big hair... and he's nice. Amen."

So adorable... and so confusing.

The Guat... With Darian

2008-10-21T00:28:00.004-04:00

Darian has been my closest friend for the past ten years. It is one of those friendships that can't really be explained in words. We have experienced a lot in the years we've known each other.... and now one more experience can be added. We've been in another country together.

For Darian it was the first time he has stepped foot on the soil of a country other than the United States. It was great to share with him as he soaked up everything he could about the Guatemalan people and the culture. He instantly became close with our Guatemalan friends and fell in love with the people of La Limonada that Cherie, Leah, Donnie and I have grown to love so much over the years.

One thing about Darian that I learn so much from is how he takes time to enjoy everything about life... even the things that others would consider insignificant. He engages all of his senses as he takes in everything around him.

The time he spent here (he left today, but I'll be in the Guat for a couple more days) was a huge encouragement to us and to Tita and her team and the work we are doing with Lemonade International. As part of his time here he tested the water in La Limonada to see if there is a need to install a water purification system in the community. We are wrapping up those tests now and will know what the need is along those lines soon.

Whether or not that is a specific need, I am pretty confident that we'll be back here together again some day. He's also scheduled to go to Uganda sometime early next year... and we're talking about how incredible it would be for me to join him on that trip. So, you never know....

Blog Action Day - Poverty

2008-10-15T16:16:00.005-04:00

Today I am joining a community of more than 12,000 bloggers who are focusing their blog posts on the issues of global poverty. The aim of this is "to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion".

While there is a real economic crisis that is happening in the global markets right now... for a huge majority of us life goes on. We drive our cars to grocery stores that provide us with thousands of choices of products that we simply take off the shelf and place in our baskets to take home, cook and eat. We meet a friend at a local coffee shop for a $4 latte. We go with our coworkers to our favorite Mexican restaurant and spend $10 on lunch.

All this while more than 80% of the world's population lives on less than $10 a day. All this while 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation. All this while 1.6 billion people — a quarter of humanity — live without electricity.

All this while our friend Nora in Guatemala has to hide her baby's formula from her other five children so they don't eat it and so her baby doesn't continue to live on the edge of malnourishment.

I share none of this to shame us, but to make us aware today that for those of us who are part of the 20% of the world's population who live on much more than $10... maybe we can make a difference.

Would you consider sponsoring a child in La Limonada today or by making a donation to help change the life of a child living in poverty? By doing so you can help to provide healthy meals, education, mentoring and most of all... hope and love.

Call + Response

2008-10-10T17:02:00.004-04:00

I wish this film was showing in Raleigh. Please support it if it is showing in your city. You can go to the the Call + Response Website for more information. More awareness is vital to end the human trafficking and slavery.

There are more slaves today than ever before in human history - 27 million!

From the website:

"CALL+RESPONSE goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to reveal that in 2007, Slave Traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined."

A Chair

2008-10-07T12:31:00.003-04:00

When dropping Miyah off for her first day of Preschool... I noticed a chair in a corner of the room. It was an old style school chair like I remember sitting in when I was in elementary school. But it was painted black... with a globe painted on the seat... and the words "Go into the world" painted on the seat back... and footprints along the sides and legs.

The chair caught my attention... so I took a picture of it. It wasn't until later in the day that I stopped to think of the significance of it. Since before bringing Miyah home from Nepal... and from our time in Guatemala, God has been expanding our hearts for the world and given us more of an international focus.

For me, this was one of those little things in life that didn't seem so little in my heart.

First Day Of Preschool

2008-10-06T12:55:00.002-04:00

Miyah had her first day of preschool today. She's been talking about it for days. When Ben & Alex got on the bus this morning... she said she wanted to take the bus to her school.

She was such a big girl! She didn't cry at all... and was really excited about investigating her new classroom. I got all emotional as she hung her backpack on her own hook and as I took the photo of her name written on construction paper in her very own "cubby"!

When we got to her classroom door, her teacher told the kids they could go to their parents if they saw them at the door. Miyah was the first one out the door... and ran right to Cherie. On our way home she said, "I'm really glad you came back to pick me up."

OK.... I gotta stop before the tears start flowing. Here are some photos:

Only in New Hampshire

2008-09-29T20:52:00.004-04:00

I wasn't the most "outdoorsy" person growing up. We weren't the hunting, camping, fishing type family. And now that I have my own family... that is still the case.

But, whenever I am in NH I end up doing things I have never done before. When I first visited Cherie here in NH the first summer we were dating... I rode my first four-wheeler (embarrassingly I have to admit that I sat behind Cherie because I was too scared to drive). Once I got comfortable it was tough to get me off that thing. Then several years ago I rode my first jet ski... and absolutely loved it!

This time around, thanks to my brother-in-law Allan and my nephew Zach (a motocross racer), I rode my first dirt bike ever... on a track they built on the property behind their house. Unfortunately, I crashed within seconds of being on it and scraped up my ankle. So, needless to say I took it pretty easy after that.

Great times!

Classic New Hampshire

2008-09-26T12:42:00.002-04:00

We are in NH to visit Cherie's family and to spread the word about Lemonade at a House Party at Cherie's sister's house and at a couple churches. Fall is the best time to be in NH. I love it here this time of year! Miyah had a blast at the Derryfiled County Fair with "Pepe" & "Grammy" yesterday (it was classic NH)...

Eye Opening (And Appalling) Numbers

2008-09-16T11:51:00.002-04:00

Take some time to read the 2008 Social Justice Quiz from Dissident Voice.

Here's a sample: 22,000 people are killed every year due to acts of terrorism while 25,000 people die every day due to poverty and malnutrition. With this in mind... the US military budget is $623 billion per year (more than the military budget of all the nations of the world combined) while we spend $23.5 billion in foreign aid (half as much as our citizens spend on pet food annually).

Why don't we hear statistics like this during presidential campaigns? Would a candidate that addressed statistics like these ever get elected to office in our country?

Proverb 29:4 "By justice a king gives a country stability..."

Proverb 29:7 "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern."

God, may we "act justly, love mercy and walk humbly" with you (Micah 6:8).

A Week

2008-09-12T21:43:00.005-04:00

Wow... has it been a whirlwind of a week! Sometimes it is amazing what happens in the course of a day or a week.

From sharing more time than ever with my amazing wife... to parenting Juniors in high school, including new class schedules, school supplies, after school job, watching the Buffalo Bills win on opening day.... to parenting a three year-old with laughing, yelling, legos, dancing, whining... to keeping up with family and friends that live in other places... to leading a new organization with phone calls, amazing stories of progress and stories that break your heart, emails, meetings with church leaders, planning missions trips, newsletters, computer problems... to BBQing with new friends, celebrating birthdays (a lot of them!), getting treated to lunch (thanks!), sharing a cup of coffee, walking downtown for an international festival (including some great Nepali food)...

It is life. And it is a gift from God.

But I do understand why He created the Sabbath. Time to rest.

Or cut the grass...

"Build-A-Puppy"

2008-09-06T18:12:00.001-04:00

We went to Build-A-Bear with Miyah today to "Build-A-Puppy" for her birthday...

The Dream Lives On

2008-08-29T16:38:00.003-04:00

In an exchange of emails with a close friends... some of my passions about the significance of the Obama nomination and the events of last night came out. I decided to share those thoughts here...

I feel that huge strides have been made by him becoming the presidential nominee of a major political party. This a huge boost of self worth and to a sense of human equality to those in the African American community. Having spent years of my life in close relationships with black friends... this is a huge deal for people who just 45 years ago were being lynched, beaten, relegated to the backs of buses, made to drink from separate water fountains. This is the kind of societal progress that the Harriet Tubmans and Rosa Parks of this country stood (or sat) for!

While Jesus' main focus was to come to earth to die (and be raised) for the forgiveness of our sins... he spent a lot of time on earth restoring people's sense of self worth and value as human beings. Lepers who were not accepted as part of the community of Israel (and had so stay outside the villages with a bell around their necks yelling "Unclean, unclean" were restored to acceptance into the community through Jesus' healing touch (when it was forbidden by law to touch a leper). Women who were seen as second class citizens (especially those who were Gentiles like the woman in John 4) or even "dogs" were valued by Jesus as much as any Israelite man.

While I think that some people see Obama as a sort of savior of our country (which is a wrong and unhealthy view to have of any person), I think God can use Obama's life to inspire self worth in those who still struggle so much with that simply because of the color of their skin. While I don't think any follower of Jesus should have unrealistic expectations that an Obama or a McCain presidency will bring the lasting change in people's lives that only God can bring... I think it is a day to celebrate huge progress for what has been an oppressed people.

I have to think of the incredible sense of self-respect and personal worth that black people felt (especially those in the older generation who lived through the civil rights movement of the 60's) as Barack, Michelle and their two girls stood on that stage last night as a healthy, solid family unit.... in a country - that in their lifetime did not provide black people full rights to even vote (until Jim Crow laws were overturned in 1965).

This has to help move our society closer to living out the truth of the Scripture that "there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman" (Colossians 3:11).

*Photo: EPA/Tannen Maury

Still Dreaming 45 Years Later

2008-08-28T09:14:00.003-04:00

Forty-five years ago today, Martin Luther King, Jr gave a speech that include a phrase which has become one of the most (if not the most) recognizable phrases in US history - "I have a dream". He talked about a dream he had that our society would be "transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice".

Let's continue to dream and to push freedom and justice forward.. not only here in the US, but around the world.

Big Day

2008-08-26T08:59:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day. It was my 18th Anniversary! It was Ben & Alex's first day as Juniors in High School! And it was Cherie's first day back to her part-time job of watching a 4-year-old girl in our home.

After Miyah was in bed we did manage to slip away to a local restaurant to have a meal together (using gift cards I received from coworkers months earlier... we're on a tight budget these days with the start of Lemonade Int'l).

I get a little overwhelmed on days like this. I love to reflect... and it just seemed like a bit too much to reflect on for one day.

But, I will say that I have a wife that is amazing (and that I truly don't deserve) and great kids (two of them that are clearly bigger than me and could probably take me in a fight... but we won't tell them that).

And I am grateful...

Sara Groves "I Saw What I Saw."...

2008-08-25T16:28:00.001-04:00

Thanks to a blog post from a blogger/email friend and former Raleigh, NC resident - Chris Marlow:

Miyah's Early Birthday Party

2008-08-21T20:31:00.003-04:00

We had a great visit with my family in NY & CT this week... which all culminated in a big early third birthday party for Miyah. Here are some pics...

Manning Quote

2008-08-17T00:33:00.003-04:00

"The communist who accepts Karl Marx but not his doctrine is scarcely different from the Christian who accepts Jesus Christ but refuses to shape his life according to Christ's teaching"

- Brennan Manning in The Importnace Of Being Foolish

Cincinnati Roadtrip

2008-08-07T14:10:00.010-04:00

Convergence On Cincinnati

2008-08-05T09:09:00.006-04:00

The Lemonade Crew is heading to Cincinnati tomorrow morning. I'll try to post some updates throughout our time there.

I am very excited to meet the people of the Vineyard Central community and Florence United Methodist Church. Our communication leading up to this trip makes me feel like we are close friends already. It's amazing how La Limonada has this effect on people who share the community as a common bond. Our common love for the people there draws us together like a family... even though we're spread out around the country and around the world.

One of the guys from the VC community in Cincinnati, Chris, got the very cool idea of doing a series of shows to raise awareness for our organization called The Lemonade Show (see flyer to the left)! This is too much... and makes me want to go back to Cincinnati on Sept 21 for the show... even though I haven't even been there once yet. Thanks Chris!

This trip is going to be crazy. We get to meet Jeremiah and Kevin and their families, reconnect with Rebecca and we get to see Monica (aka Mo-ko-na) from Guatemala while she is here in the States!

I am also excited that I will have the opportunity to meet some people in person that I've only met online through blogs, email, etc. it just so happens that Mike Bishop and Jason Evans will be in Cincinnati this weekend too. These guys have been more helpful than they know to our Merge community! Looking forward to it guys...

AND, our friend Nicole will be in town with her mom to watch her nieces while her sister and brother-in-law are away. So, there is a convergence on Cincinnati this weekend. Anyone else want to join in on it?

Our Merge Community

2008-07-31T13:45:00.005-04:00

I just love our Merge community! We are a group of people who don't pretend to have it all figured out... and we are on a journey together discovering day by day what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We don't have all the right theological "answers".

There is no "Bible Answer (Wo)man" in our midst. We don't adhere to some doctrinal statement that we hold as high as we do the Scriptures themselves (as I have seen in some cases). We haven't boiled the Scriptures down to a "Statement of Faith" list of 3, 5 or 10 "absolutes".

We see the Bible as a narrative that cannot be narrowed down to any man-made list of "essentials".... we see it as the story of God's interaction with His people... that played itself out in real time in the lives of real people. And we see ourselves as privileged people who continue to live out that story today... wrestling with the message of the Scriptures and with the way of Jesus as proclaimed in the Gospels and lived out through his followers as we see in the Acts of the Apostles and communicated in Paul's (and others') letters.

Last night our discussion centered around Matthew 22:36-40 and a blog post written by Renee. It was a discussion that challenged me and continues to challenge me (and probably will for the rest of my life). If you get a chance... read her blog and ask yourself the question, "What would your shirt say?"

Lemonade Website

2008-07-03T18:07:00.005-04:00

After months and hours of prayer, conversations, dreaming, planning, research, laughter... and some impatience (OK, a lot) on my part... the Lemonade International website is officially up and running. Words cannot express how excited we are that we have made it to this point where we can raise awareness and support for the people of La Limonada that we have come to love so much.

Thanks to the great friends on our team... Cherie, Leah, Donnie, Tita and Monica... we are fully on our way - doing something we are very passionate about.

While we have big dreams for the future, our primary goal right now is to get all 205 children sponsored. We invite you to join us with your prayers and your support for these incredible kids.

A Favorite Place To Be

2008-06-13T16:29:00.004-04:00

I don't have time to share much today because we have some close friends visiting, but I wanted to let you know I am home from my most recent trek to Guatemala... and I have to say that it is one of my favorite places to be in the world. It is just one of those places you go to that when you are there it just seems right.

I had the opportunity to meet with Tita and some other church leaders who have been involved in special projects with her ministry. We shared the developments of Lemonade Int'l with them and had some time to share our desire to continue to help Tita expand the ministry she leads in La Limonada.

...and there are some incredible opportunities to do just that. In just five days I was made aware of or updated on some really tough situations in the lives of the people of this community.

One home we visited had three children staying at home alone during the day. When asked how we could pray for them, the youngest replied, "that my mom would love us".

Former gang members are being loved and cared for by Tita and her team... a 35 year-old woman who has been a prostitute and drug addict since she was 15 has been sent to a rehab home where she is being visited and helped through the major challenges of overcoming that lifestyle.

I could share so much more... but I'll save that for an upcoming newsletter or blog...

La Limonada

2008-06-09T10:30:00.002-04:00

I am in Guatemala City right now with our friend Tita to work through some of the details of the partnership God has established between us and the work she and her team are doing among the people of La Limonada. It is so exciting to see God's hand at work and to sense the passion he has given us to raise awareness and support for the incredible people of this community.

The ravine you see in this map is La Limonada.

View Larger Map

How "Walkable" Is Your Neighborhood?

2008-06-05T20:14:00.006-04:00

Tragedy

2008-05-22T19:38:00.004-04:00

When Cherie and I were 19 our song was "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman. I surprised her by having a friend sing the song for us at our wedding the following year.

When we were right in the middle of the grueling wait the adoption process can be, his song "When Love Takes You In" was a huge encouragement to us. It remains one of my favorite songs ever.

Over the past several years, Steven, his wife and their three biological children brought three girls from China into their family through the miracle of adoption... and their love and passion for the orphans of this world has been an inspiration to us.

Today, I mourn for the Chapman family, as their youngest adopted daughter, five year old Maria, was tragically killed by an SUV driven by one of their teenage sons as he was backing out of the family's driveway.

I can't imagine the pain they are feeling. At this point there are no answers... only questions... and a minor hint of the grief they must be experiencing.

Here is a clip on Steven and Maria just a couple months ago:

Steven's most recent hit song that is playing on Christian radio stations is "Cinderella". Here is the music video as well as an interview with him about the meaning behind the song:

Finding Our Way Again

2008-05-19T21:28:00.004-04:00

I am just about finished with Brian McLaren's new book, Finding Our Way Again, and I was compelled to read this one section over and over. I know for some, Brian's theology is a bit (or more than a bit) controversial, but God has used his words over the past few years to challenge me to think outside the theological box I found myself in after years of being a Christian.

I have been challenged to consider myself more of a follower of Jesus than a Christian. I believe that is what the early disciples were. They were more focused on following Jesus than they were on being part of a religion or an institution with theological rules and regulations and a set of beliefs that had to be adhered to in order to be considered "in".

I am not sure what the protocol is for what amount of content you are allowed to quote from a book in a public forum like this, but somebody let me know if I am breaking those rules with the following quote. It is fairly long, but worth the time to read. May these words challenge you as they have me...

We found ourselves the inheritors of amazing gifts - ultimately, gifts from God contained in the original possibility of "Let there be...", gifts that had appreciated like a compounding investment through millions of births and deaths, adaptations and evolutions. And tragically, we squandered our gifts, wasted our inheritance, turned our Creator's parental dream into the heartbreaking nightmare known too well by parents of prodigals everywhere.
We had inherited the wealth and beauty and balance created by unaccountable generations of living things in the garden of possibility. We had become the CEOs of planet earth, its managers, its politicians, overseers. And we botched the job. We lost the plot, missed the point, forgot what it was all about. We, as Pascal said, "departed from him, left him, fled him, renounced, crucified." Tragically. Criminally. Stupidly. It was, in the truest sense of the words, a damned shame.
The result? War. Waste. Wealth at the expense of others. Stripped mountains. Eroded soil. Extinct species. Ghettos. Genocides. Refugees, slums, squatter camps, kids begging on the sidewalks where they sleep. Slaves. Hostages. Prisoners. Obscene opulence for a few, obscene depravity for many. Tears. Curses. Fear. Mocking laughter. Raised fists. Wailing widows, grieving mothers and fathers, orphans... so many orphans. Funerals. Depression. Agony. Angst. Atheism, and even worse, vicious religion.
...we have withdrawn ourselves from the fire and lost the glow of glory. We have changed from what we were, and what we again could be, into something cold and hard and dead. And so some of us long for the fire. We want to rejoin God. We want to defect from the trajectory we are on... But not just for ourselves, not just for our souls. That would only be a partial healing, a pseudosalvation, a semisalvation. To want to save my own precious soul but remain careless about the rest of humanity and the rest of creation would be to join a religion...
We want... we dare... we refuse to settle for anything less than finding God.

If we have lost our way. If our salvation has been focused on 'going to heaven when we die'. If we have centered our thinking on ourselves and our own spiritual advancement. If we have ignored the widow and the orphan. If we have been like the priest and the Levite and crossed by on the other side of the road so as to not come in close contact with the man who had been beaten. If we have held rocks in our hands - ready to cast them at the woman caught in adultery. If we have refused to speak to the woman at the well because of her multiple marriages and her tarnished reputation. If we are so bent on being first by climbing the corporate ladder of success, stepping over others along the way. If we look at the suffering of the people in Myanmar or China and change the channel to watch "American Idol". If we roll our eyes at the man holding the cardboard sign and mumble, 'Why doesn't he just go get a job'....

maybe we need to find our way (again).

The Swell Season

2008-05-16T06:28:00.005-04:00

Cherie and I went to the Meymandi Concert Hall last night to see The Swell Season. It was a sort of belated birthday celebration for Cherie that included a Raleigh Rickshaw ride (thanks, Marlin!) to dinner (Zelly & Ritz) and to the concert.

What a great night with my wife... and what a great show!

The Swell Season is made up of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who played the lead roles in the movie, "Once"... and who won the Grammy Award for Best Song In A Motion Picture for "Falling Slowly". If you haven't seen it... do.

It was well worth it to see them live. They were great performers. They were creative, funny, down-to-earth, and personable - even in a concert hall setting.

Ryan and Denise, I thought of you throughout the show... and thought it would be something you would both really enjoy (they'll be in NYC and outside of Philly in the next few days...).

Our First Garden

2008-05-12T19:10:00.005-04:00

Over the past few weeks we planted our first garden ever in almost 18 years of marriage. Miyah even got to help plant some of the seeds.

We both had gardens as kids, but I think life has always been too busy to do something like this. I get the impression that having this garden will help us slow down a bit more and it will be a great opportunity to get our hands dirty in the soil of God's creation.

My "Gramps" had the best garden ever. His specialty was his tomatoes. We would eat them right after they were picked! I don't think our garden will quite measure up to his, but I think he would be proud of us if he were still around.

We had a garden at our house one year when I was a kid. We grew so many tomatoes that we couldn't eat them all or even give them all away. My dad and I ended up having a rotten tomato fight in the back yard (our own version of 'La Tomatina'). That was the best use of them... and my favorite memory of that garden.

We decided to go with... tomatoes, green beans, carrots, cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelon, and sunflowers.

I remember Gramps always had one big sunflower in the back corner of his garden... so I had to make sure we had sunflowers in his honor. The photo shows one of the sunflower plants just getting started. It is amazing how the seed is still hanging on the the edge of the leaf.

This is for you Gramps...

The Kite Runner

2008-04-13T09:23:00.006-04:00

My sister had been on my case to watch the movie "The Kite Runner" for weeks. Usually when someone so highly recommends a movie to me I will be sure to watch it right away, but it took me awhile to get around to this one.

What an incredible story!

It is a story of friendship, fear, betrayal, risk, redemption and love. One of my favorite lines in the movie is when Rahim (family friend) says to Baba (Amir's father) as he is explaining his frustration that his son is not developing a tough enough character.

He says, "children aren't coloring books, you don't get to fill them with your favorite colors".

It made me think about how, at times, I wish that my own children would develop into the people I would like them to be. While I believe there is a definite influence we have on our children, we clearly do not get to determine who or what they become.

As a parent I need to mentor, train, encourage and love my children... to "bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).

But, at some point, they need their own canvass on which to paint.

Flying A Kite Is Good For The Soul

2008-04-05T08:33:00.007-04:00

We just returned from a spontaneous two-day trip to the Nags Head area of the Outer Banks to wrap up Ben & Alex's spring break. It was a great time with family and friends (Drew & Leah joined us).

Here is Miyah flying a kite for the first time...

American Christinaity?

2008-03-22T08:39:00.006-04:00

Maybe Christianity worldwide isn't the "white", "male", "evangelical" version we see so much here in the United States:

(From Joel Vestal's Blog) A few interesting stats from a missions journal...

Total number of denominations worldwide - 37,000

Percentage of the world’s 6.6 billion people who call themselves “Christian” – 31.4% - 2.2 billion

Ratio of “white” to “non-white” Christians - 44% are white, 56% are non white

Number of evangelical Christians in the world – 259 million
Number of languages worldwide with at least a portion of Scripture translated – 2,238

Number of women in full-time Christian ministry serving around the world – 4.4 million
Total number of Christian foreign missionaries currently deployed worldwide – 443,000 in 4,340 agencies

The six countries that receive the greatest number of foreign missionaries – USA – 35,100; Brazil – 26,400; Russia – 20,100;
France – 16, 900; Britain – 15,800; D.R. Congo – 15,800
Number of Africans who are serving as foreign missionaries on other continents – Almost 19,000

New Merge Blog

2008-03-19T07:45:00.002-04:00

For those who may read this blog using RSS... I wanted to let you know that this blog is no longer linked to the Merge website. We have begun a new blog that we hope to be shared by those from the Merge community. You can find it by clicking on "Blog" at www.mergeraleigh.org or by going directly to www.mergeraleigh.org/blog.

You can also now reach this blog directly at www.billkcummings.info.

Are you as confused as I am?