IN THE BEGINNING

In the morning when Eve and Adam
woke to snow and their minds,
they set out in marvelous clothes
hand in hand under the trees.

Endlessly precision met them,
until they went grinning in time
with no word for their close
escape from that warm monotony.


- Jack Gilbert

She started to sing. "'Keep the home fires burning,'" she sang in a thin, reedy voice, and slowly the others joined her. As I walked toward the lodge they began other songs, going quickly after a few bars from one to the next. They sang of wars they never fought, of losses they have never sustained. They were singing, forgetting the words, appropriating the harmony for themselves, convinced of a heroic desolation, toasting their sadness in the big campfire like another marshmallow. "'It's a long way, '" they sang, "'to Tipperary.'" It is indeed, I thought.

Congo

Orphaned, Raped and Ignored

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: January 31, 2010

"Sometimes I wish eastern Congo could suffer an earthquake or a tsunami, so that it might finally get the attention it needs. The barbaric civil war being waged here is the most lethal conflict since World War II and has claimed at least 30 times as many lives as the Haiti earthquake."

Take a look. Really. I'm personally grateful and overwhelmed with gratitude which the media, grassroots groups and various NPO have put forth to address the on-going concerns post earthquake in Haiti. But where was I when Haiti, the most poverty stricken country in Western Hemisphere, was simply a country of poverty?

Where will I be when Congo gets hit by a natural disaster, or even worse, a disaster induced by men? Will I be living there to address the needs of the community or will I simply send money, post things on facebook, watch celebrity pledge drives because it's sexy and the right thing to do. It's the current cause and that has to be okay because it's also the right thing to do - to respond with love, attention and tangible assistance.

This article has encouraged/challenged/convicted me that sometimes enough is simply just not enough.

More excerpts:

A displaced family near Kalehe, eastern Congo. The area has been suffering for a dozen years from a brutal and complex civil war. More than one million people were displaced by fighting there in 2009 alone, according to the United Nations.

Utukufu Nabuziralo is homeless and, perhaps, a widow. Rebels attacked and burned her village in November, she said, and killed five people in front of her. Then the rebels led her husband into the forest, and she didn't know if he was still alive. At one point, Utukufu said she had been raped, but at another she said she had been only beaten. She is holding her baby, Chiza.

so i have this beautiful cousin.

so i have this beautiful cousin who does beautiful things in the world to make the world a little... well, a little more beautiful. you can follow her work on the Harambee Arts Blog or at real deal web-site: Harambee Arts.





In case you need a quick synopsis before you head on over to their web-site, we have one for you!

Harambee Arts: Let's Pull Together partners with African grassroots programs to train local caregivers to provide art programs for vulnerable children in an environment that fosters their sense of joy, creativity and exuberance. Through its arts programs, Harambee Arts strives to promote the well-being of homeless, orphaned and other neglected children, enhance the stability of their families and support systems, and develop their sense of self-worth and positive personal ethics by creating opportunities for children to help other children.

Really, you should trust us on this one - take time and check it out: Harambee Arts

Hand & Cloth

if you're looking to give a most beautiful gift for a most wonderful occasion or to a most wonderful personwe really strongly suggest you consider visiting Hand and Cloth and purchasing one of their handmade throws.


Some quick facts about how amazing of an organization this is:

our mission
Through creative enterprise and the transforming love of Jesus Christ, we seek to empower women to begin new lives.

our work
Hand and Cloth works holistically with young women from Calcutta (Kolkata), India to address their needs as they seek to begin new lives outside of red-light areas. One of our starting points is to provide alternative employment. Using the kantha stitch, the young women create kantha dorokha, a traditional two-sided quilt made from recycled sari material. These kantha throws are then sold in the United States. Hand and Cloth provides school fees and tutors for the young women and also offers regular Bible studies.

our vision
Old Testament writers used the Hebrew word רפא (rapha) to refer to healing, especially divine healing. More literally, rapha means to sew together or to stitch. And so our name, Hand and Cloth, is an image not only of the creative work these women are doing, but also of the creative, healing work God is doing in their lives. As each product is handmade by a woman, our hope is that she would come to know that she is handmade by God.

Really, think about it. Great people are doing great things for great people and it would be an honor for you to join this circle of love.

Charter for Compassion



Charter for Compassion

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

http://charterforcompassion.org/

Home Again.

After a most wonderful two week road trip we're back in the saddle again and into the daily routines of life. More later - but in the meantime, here are a couple of pictures from our adventures (not necessarily in order).

Twin Falls, ID

Somewhere in our travels in Idaho.

Devil's Tower, WY

I just love this shot - good ole' wildlife breaking the barriers in WY.

Jake @ the Badlands in SD.

New Year's Eve with our homies in the Springs.

Tina and Superman (in disguise).

Scrambling has to be one of our favorite activities.

Horse-thieves, all of them!

Knee-deep in luscious mountain style love.

Having a Most Wonderful Holiday Season

We're sorry for the delay in up-dates but life has been a bit full lately. With Holiday gatherings, time with friends and family, preparing, presenting, planning, school finals and celebrating we continue to look forward to what is to come.

This morning we head out west for two weeks of playing, exploring and simply enjoying the mountainous woods. If you scroll out a bit you can see the route we intend to track up.



View Larger Map

We look forward to sharing our time with you upon our return. Have a most peaceful and joyful Holiday Season.

Hi folks,

I wanted to let you know about two special events that Jake and I are attending this holiday season. We are placing this invite up here because you are a group of people that I like to see and/or catch up with and/or hang out with. We would love it if you joined us for one or both of these events. Both are hosted by our church but I want to tell you, in a very vehement fashion, that this is not at all an attempt to convert anyone. I'm inviting you because these types of things are more fun if my friends are there.

1. Wicker Park Grace Love Feast

Every year, our church community gathers and brings our friends to our annual Love Feast, which is our special Thanksgiving celebration. We bring potluck and many of us try to donate what we would have spent on a nice dinner out. This donation doesn't go to operating expenses; it always goes to folks in need. Also, it's totally optional and only a secondary or tertiary part of the evening. The primary reason we get together is to celebrate and give thanks for a year full of friends and blessings by eating yummy food. The Love Feast this year is this upcoming Sunday at 5:00. We'll start with a short (30 minutes?) vespers service and then dig in to the feasting and fun. I'd love it if you came. We'll be at 1741 N. Western and you can definitely contact me if you want more details about types of food to bring or other questions.

2. Embodying the Change: World AIDS Day Ubuntu Benefit Soiree

This fundraiser benefits work being done by friends of our community in South Africa to combat the effects of the AIDS pandemic. There will be art, performances, music, food, drink and kibbitzing. It will be on Saturday, December 5, starting at 7:00 at 1741 N. Western. Tickets are a donation are a sliding scale of what you can afford ($10-$25) and can be bought at the door or ahead of time through paypal. See the website for more information: www.wickerparkgrace.net

Thanks for considering both of these events. I know the holidays are always hectic but we wanted to reach out to you because I believe both of these events will have the space to actually spend time with one another and will be much fun. If neither of them work, please email us back so that we can figure out some other way to hang out.

*Thanks Rebecca for letting me steal some of your words!

a couple days in the woods.

: dad "hunting" - or so he calls it :

: thanksgiving dinner with family & friends :

: an evening around the fire :

: pie for breakfast :

: our cabin & lake michigan :



: a morning walk on the Manistee riverwalk :
: a beautiful walk on the Mainstee pier with friends & fishermen :

: pure delight :

Family Times

-baked beans w/ BBQ-










-our new nephew, Malachi-










-a beautiful autumn afternoon with family-
































-family (we missed you Mary!)-









-two of my favorite gals-










-for some reason i love this shot of jen & i-

-completely unrelated but very relevant, richard posted these pics of gracie & amelia + a walking house and a leashed bunny. both made me laugh uncontrollably and needed to be posted-

:a corner with a view:

:a few precious moments from our weekend:

:the best representation of our neighborhood:

off to prepare dinner to eat with our neighbors...

the last couple of weeks.

these past four+ weeks have really flown by! with great company by our side we have enjoyed early mornings, late nights, and weekends with both friends and family.

although i always forget to take pictures when they are around, i always have my camera as my companion when physically alone. enjoy.

a beautiful deeply colored mum for our home this fall.

filling our home with sweet autumn liquids as we prepare for an evening around the fire with good good friends.

after a 30 mile ride up lake shore drive we found a deliciously wonderful community cafe' where we feasted on a huge breakfast burrito & almond, walnut, cashew berry whole wheat pancakes + coffee. yummmm!

as Rebecca would say, "and then there was this..." what a beautiful marriage, friendship & ceremony to be a part of.

two handsome guys.

herman stretching high for the sun. he's going to have a long, long winter ahead of him.

oak park farmer's market finds.

today we're busy making squash, pumpkin, sewing gaiters, packaging packages due over a month ago, buying halloween costumes for the kids in my program and enjoying long walks in cool autumn weather.

off to see john & elaine - take care and we'll hope to touch base with you soon!