Washing as Sacred Act
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer...
Hidden Voices
We will not, do not, or cannot hear the voices that are hidden in our community. We will not…hear hidden voices We stay within the confines of people more or less like us. We...
Planning a Summer Mission Trip?
A Different Kind of Mission Trip Church groups plan mission trips for their members. They do backyard Bible schools, build buildings, paint, work in soup kitchens and any number of other activities. The participants...
A Different Kind of Mission Trip
A Different Kind of Mission Trip Church groups plan mission trips for their members. They do backyard Bible schools, build buildings, paint, work in soup kitchens and any number of other activities. The participants...
Compassion Retreat
Have you ever thought deeply about compassion? It is a word I use a lot. In fact my mission statement says that I work to enlarge understanding in order to decrease judgment and increase...
Where Do You Fit In?
People ask me, “What can I do to help people who live in poverty?” and that’s always a hard question for me to answer. Each one of us has a particular passion or interest...
Back to School for Angelika
August 1 Journal Entry I’ve been feeling a tightness in my insides. I look at Mama and she says that she’s already eaten when she gives us our supper but she looks skinnier and...
What Defines a Good Act?
What defines a good act? According to Parker Palmer, good acts “are those that allow people the freedom to choose their own destinies.” (Active Life, p. 47) If we use this definition, how many...
What Can I Do?
Edward Everette Hale penned these words that I’ve seen on posters and quoted many times. That must indicate that he said something significant! You decide: “I am only one, but still I am one....
Follow up: The Man at the Side of the Road
In my previous blog posting, I wrote about the man that my husband Jim and I found lying beside a major thoroughfare. I have now talked with Nick Bush of United Ministries Place of...
Even After All These Years…
On Saturday my husband Jim and I headed out in the car. As we passed the corner of Randall Street and Rutherford Road, Jim said, “There’s a guy lying in the grass over there.”...
How Our Eyes Were Opened Got Its Name
Sometimes I’m asked about why I named my company Our Eyes Were Opened, Inc. Well, the Inc. part is just part of being a company. The name, Our Eyes Were Opened, however, has several...
Angelika’s Christmas
Here is an excerpt from Angelika’s Journal. She and her mother and brother are now staying in a shelter. December 20 Today was our last day of school before the winter break. I’m sad...
Innocence
I told a friend about my mantra verse for all these years of working in poverty: Matthew 10:16 where Jesus is teaching the disciples before sending them out. He says, “Be ye wise as...
That’s Understanding!
This week I was in Roswell, Georgia,to present workshops to both Roswell Presbyterian Church and to nonprofits who partner with the host organization, HomeStretch, a vital nonprofit that works with families for 12-18 months...
Many Gifts
I met a long haul truck driver who shared with me his personal ministry of caring for others. While he is out on the road, he writes articles of encouragement which appear in his...