Saturday, May 23, 2009

Memorial Day thoughts...

from two years ago.

This Memorial Day...

remembering those who gave "the last full measure of devotion."

The Myth of Free Will

Based on a classic essay of Martin Luther's, Ivy shows how we are not, contrary to popular myth, born with "free will," or only in a limited sense. But we can be freed!

Excuse me while I crow...

at least until today's game.

Can Homelessness Be Abolished in Ten Years?

The cost of maintaining a person in homelessness is more expensive than solving his homelessness. Can I spend $35,000–$150,000 per year on emergency rooms, police, fire, public defenders, and so on for a chronically homeless person? Or should I spend $13,000–$25,000 on supportive housing in order to create stability for that person and a trajectory toward self-sufficiency and recovery? You don't have to be Warren Buffett or Suze Orman to figure that out.
See here.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Practical Advice for Loving Others

Yeah, this uses a homely metaphor, but it makes a good point. Too often, my judgments of people have been based on whether I agree with them on such tangential matters as political preferences, musical tastes, food choices, sports allegiances, or other things. What a goofball I can be.

More, in a similar vein, here. (Thanks to my friend, Glen VanderKloot, for this.)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Monday, May 18, 2009

The "PSST" Food Drive Helps Local Needy Households

Here's a press release I just sent to the local newspaper about our PSST Food Drive. (PSST stands for peanut butter, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, and tuna.)
The second phase of the Saint Matthew Lutheran Church PSST Food Drive happened on Saturday, May 16, resulting in at least 218 bags of food for Hocking County households. “They filled two offices and a hallway” at the Hocking County Jobs and Family Services, where the items were taken for distribution, noted assistant director Cindi Garrelts.

On May 9, thirty-four members of Saint Matthew distributed empty sacks to about 800 Logan households. Attached to each sack was a flyer asking residents to donate peanut butter, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, and tuna, place them in the sack, and then set the filled sack on their porch the following Saturday.

On May 16, Saint Matthew members went out to collect the sacks. About 40% of all the households receiving the sacks filled them with food donations.

The sacks were then brought back to Saint Matthew’s fellowship hall where, joined by six employees of Jobs and Family Services giving of their time during “off-hours,” the food was sorted into the 218 bags for distribution among needy households in our county. Jobs and Family Services will see that families they serve receive the food.

About 50 Saint Matthew members were involved in the pick up of sacks. Among the words used by them to describe the experience were “Fun!” and “Awesome!”

Becky Webb, who chairs the committee which spearheaded the effort, Saint Matthew’s new Servanthood Team, described herself as “overwhelmed.”

“I am so thankful to the people of our community who responded so generously,” said Saint Matthew pastor, Mark Daniels. “I also can’t thank the people of Saint Matthew enough for their hard work on this project and for their Christian compassion,” Daniels also said. He added, “Of course, the biggest thanks goes to God for working in our community in this way.”

An additional forty pounds of food not bagged will go to the CHAP emergency food bank. Several people who said they’d forgotten to get the PSST items donated cash, which will also be used for the Servanthood Team’s efforts.

The Logan Kroger store provided the sacks, Daniels noted. “We’re thankful for their help,” said the pastor on Saturday.
It was a fantastic event. Sharing the love of Christ with others is a mountaintop experience...and it can also be a lot of fun!


Some of the 50 Saint Matthew members who participated in the second phase of PSST sorting food in the church fellowship hall. [Click to enlarge image.]


Saint Matthew members formed "bucket brigades" to get completed sacks from the fellowship hall to vehicles waiting to take them to Hocking County Jobs and Family Services. [Click image to enlarge.]