Petition this

Have you seen the info about the petitions where people promise not to shop on Thanksgiving? We drove by Walmart yesterday, and I don't think they worked.

I also went to see a movie last night. And yes, it reminded me that I am thankful that we do not live in a totalitarian regime where children are randomly selected to kill one another every year.

I did have a great thought though. If we could get a petition going where people would promise not to be all sick on thanksgiving, and not hurt themselves and promise not to get into drunken family brawls and traffic accidents, then maybe many more policemen, firemen and nurses could stay home with their family on the Holiday.

So, what do you think. I will get it started. Will you sign it?

Tradition....?

This year, at the family Thanksgiving dinner, we were assigned Green Bean Casserole. None of us even like green bean casserole, but we will make it anyway.

An informal poll had revealed to me that most people don't care for this dish at all, if they have even heard of it. I have also learned that everyone who has heard of it and doesn't like it also happens to have the best recipe for it.

I don't know where the idea for a bunch of green beans in a dish with mushroom soup on them came from and who ever thought it would be a good idea, but we have learned not to mess with tradition.

One year, we were assigned potatoes. Not wanting to be so dull, we opted to go with a potato casserole dish that we all really liked.

One would think that we had betrayed our family to the Normans or something. We got scowls of disappointment and disapproval from all and someone had to run out and buy potatoes so they could be properly mashed and served in the way God intended them to be at Thanksgiving when he told Moses to write it down in the Torah.

Our casserole was finished completely, cause it was delicious. But that was not the point, was it? And at least we weren't asked to throw marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes, or something dumb like that.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah!

What I was trying to say.

I won't let info about my daughter's upcoming trip co-op my blog forever, but here is another.

At her fundraising party, she talked a little about what she would be doing, then I tried to share a little too.

Here is what I was trying to say:

Not everyone gets a chance to go to the poorest parts of the world and help make people's life better. Not everyone gets to touch the life of children. Not everyone gets to share God's love with the others in other culture's. Or do they?

The work we do takes up a big chunk of or lives. And the money we make is a tangible piece that we get from the work we do. When we are able to give money to those that go and do stuff like that, then we are not only sending them, we are sending a part of ourselves as well.

So when we give to projects; the hungry, the downcast, the stranger, we are not only sending them, we are sending a part of ourselves too.

So, thank you for all that you do to support the work of those that do go and thanks you for sending a part of your life towards the good things that still happen in our world.

And here is the organization that Emily is going with: Go International

And if you want to help, you can check out her fundraising page at: Stayclassy.org/EmilyAllerton

What can a day do?

Here is another one about Emily's upcoming trip.

So far, she has raised around $3,600 for her 7 month mission trip. Her goal is to raise a total of $8,000*.

The remainder of the money she needs is to cover her lodging, food, transportation and other living expenses. It works out to right around $25 a day she will need.

I would like to ask you to consider a monthly donation to help her cover these expenses. Our family is unable to pay all of that, so we are hoping you will see the value of paying for just one day ($25) a month from November through August.

Here is what a day can do:

- One day can mean an orphaned child seeing that they have a loving family for all eternity.

- One day can help some school kids see that someone cares about them and is even concerned about how well they do in the classroom.

- One day can show a delinquent kid in the Quito ghetto that he can be forgiven, and is life can mean something.

- One Day can inspire an Ecuadorian college student to devote their life to helping others and making their world better.

- One day can encourage a Pastor in Ecuador to continue keeping his hand to the plow and to continue to love and care for his city.

- One day can help someone from the U.S. to realize their dream of reaching across cultures to share God's love.


Will you be a part of that?
Go to her donation page and click the donate button. Fill in the details and remember to indicate that you are giving a monthly amount. We will be sure to remind you when you need to stop it in August:

Emily Allerton

Remember
$25 a month = 1 Day a month
$50 a month = 2 Day a month
$100 a month = 4 days a month

Thanks so much for all you do.


* Note: We found this trip to be very reasonable. Many short term mission trips last 1-3 weeks and are in the range of $2500-$4,000. For the amount this one will cost, she will be there for 7 months, giving her a real chance to learn the culture and make a real difference in people's lives. In addition to this, she will be helping others plan and serve in their short term missions.

Notwithstanding other donations we get from now til she leaves, we need around 30 people that will donate a day a month. Or 15 to donate two days a month. Or some that will give half a day and some that will do 2. You get the idea. Thanks for being a part of this.

Learning.......

When I was a Pastor, it is probably accurate to say that I was better at some things than I was at others. For instance, I am an exceptional speaker and do quite well in front of groups....when everything turns out as it should.

However, I wasn't always as good at attending to some inter-personal issues and I wasn't always as good at working through some of the details and minutea of the "business" aspects of the work.

I just realized that I am in a season of learning that might help me shore up those areas a little.

I have two new volunteer positions that I was asked to serve in and I am trying to do my best with both so I will have something to bring to the table. But I think I will learn more from them than I have to offer.

The first is with Northwest Fire. I am now a volunteer Chaplain with them and I did my first ride with a crew last night. It really is the life. We hung out, had dinner, ate dessert, lounged on the patio smoking pipes and conversing before moving to the TV to play some XBOX.

I wondered why everyone didn't sign up for this job, until we had a call. After we all rushed out and they worked on a dying patient, I realized that it took some different kind of people to do this job. And it is my role to figure out how to connect with them and support them in what they do.

I will tell you about my other new role later.