slum weekend

so here is a great idea, i am going to try.....

yes i am going to build a home!'

Astonishingly we can look at these pictures and think.........HOME! I don't think so. Man, places like that smell, yet millions live in houses built with nothing, garbage, scrap and bits of plastic. What always has astonished me that garbage has a different meaning in places like this.....EVERYTHING is useful.

What i would like to do is to challenge people to a weekend where on friday night they go out to build themselves a shelter out of the scrap they find around town. THEN LIVE IN IT for the weekend..

WHy? because living it helps us understand how others have to live in it! And because the people that do it could raise money, and awareness of homelessness and of poverty and actually raise some money.....to help.

slum weekend FALL 2009

Hmm should i come back?

Well it has been a long lay off. Filled with baby preparations, broken down computers, and lots of meetings. I've been asking the age ol' question.....should I keep the blog going?



Well, if i don't let's go out with a bang.



Consider your margins.....ARE YOU LIVING?



ARE YOU SURE?





I recently challenged some folks in a pilgrimage seminar whether their life margins had actually ordered out, squeezed out, compartmentalized GOD-our creator and the author of fun, or whether we had merely given up on living. Cause sometimes i wonder if God is sitting up in heaven wondering, 'I created so much fun stuff, and amazing things...when are they going to try them, discover them, open their eyes and see them??'



THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO, to TRY.....get busy. here is some incentive.




LIVE an adventure.

advent ideas

So I have been searching for creative things about advent. ADVENT- You know that strange word for the 40 days before Christmas. It means, something....

In Latin, it actually means 'the coming' or 'before the coming'...it is the time we sit in darkness before....the BABY. (A little reminiscent of my life this year).

I actually like it just about as much as lent. I think it is probably the most important thing for us as Christians to remember and celebrate. Darkness, Longing, Hope, Despair, WAITING.....

Proost....a creative uk group has several things to engage churches. Including a snazzy litl' video I want to show at church.

Marshill has their congregation doing a community blog...

My personal favorites are still posts by Jonny Baker. Jonny just finished beer and carols....(man I can't believe I haven't met this guy). Search his links for advent...worship tricks 48-51

Jonny also lists some awesome ideas from Cheryl Lawrie, 'the pregnant pause' an idea that i stole.....with love. Cheryl has some advent services that are very creative and thoughtful.

If it takes all your faith to simply survive advent,join your prayer to those

throughout timeand throughout the worldwho despair at hope’s promise.
Take a baby,hold it in your hand
make your prayer of protestor your prayer for peace.

If you are looking for a video cause that is your thing, the church of england has put together a series of meditations you can watch every day......its called why we are waiting. It is also a great explanation of advent.

My Advent Addition: Last week I bought the youth candles. We had been talking about the word 'saved'. I made the connection between knowing you need something and WAITING. I told them to remember their need as they waited for a savior....in the dark....as they studied. Burn the little, fragile light and LONG FOR, and WAIT FOR IT.

Ted.com

While I am at it, I might as well pass along another great link my friend told me about last week. Most of you will already know about it, since I am usually the most technologically backward.

It is a sight called TED.COM

this site brings interviews, short films and the worlds greatest minds together to share ideas. My buddy uses it as a launch pad for creative devotional discussions with his teenagers. Maybe it will work for you too.

cheers