Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Please read this blog!
Pray for this young girl's family as they mourn her loss. And PLEASE, parents of young women...do NOT get this vaccine until it is researched further.
Fair Warning
The Meaning of Love
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
As most of you know, Annie is in the third grade at the Environmental Charter School at Frick Park. All of the education there is infused with teaching the students to care for , respect and preserve our environment. It is located in regent square and Frick Park is their outdoor classroom. Right now it is only grades K-3 and it will add a grade each year until it is K-8. All of the classes go outdoors many times throughout the week for Environmental Science. They walk through the park and observe it's ecosystem and how the living and non-living things interact.
One day in December Annie's class was out on a hike and they came upon a homeless man laying on the ground. Anyone who knows Annie knows she is quite a sensitive little girl who loves people. When Alex was working in Oakland we would often meet him for lunch or dinner. If we ran into homeless people we would give them our leftovers or gift certificates for food...so Annie was familiar with the issue of homelessness and sensitive to it. But out on a hike with 20 third graders - it isn't smart to approach a stranger so the teacher wisely moved the class along. Annie came home that day absolutely broken hearted. She was just despairing over this man and that she hadn't been able to talk to him or help in some way. She just kept saying "mommy he must be so cold".
I started telling her about homeless shelters and the good work people in Pittsburgh are doing with the homeless. I told her to think and pray about what she could do to help. A few weeks later she came up with the idea of holding a blanket drive at her school to benefit the homeless. So with the full blessing of the principal at school Annie got up in front of the whole school and explained her idea. Since it was in February she called it the Have A Heart Blanket Drive. In just 10 days her classmates donated close to 50 blankets! On Valentine's day our family went down to Family Links' homeless shelter for youth in the lower Hill District and gave them the blankets.
It was amazing and Annie is already talking about expanding the drive next year to involve more schools. She is hoping to be able to donate more than 200 blankets next year. I'm attaching some pictures of Annie donating the blankets. Isn't she just amazing!
The Dream Lives On
Monday, January 19, 2009
Two years ago, Alex made this video to show at youth group. It is powerful and moving. I hope you'll take the time to watch it. How great that Inauguration Day is tomorrow - the day after we remember Dr. King and his legacy.
Let's Get This Party Started!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
A moment that will live forever in history took place this election day. Barack Obama became the first black man ever elected President of the USA. I am hopeful for our country for the first time in a long long time. I believe that he will unite people and that he will look out for people who have no one looking out for them right now. I think the war in Iraq will be over very soon and I think a wave of hope and compassion has begun to sweep over our nation.
I know this election was very polarizing - especially among Christians. I know many people I consider dear friends cannot understand how I could embrace Obama because of some of his policy positions. I know I have a hard time understanding the same about those who supported McCain. But my hope and prayer is that we can all come together and give Obama a chance to lead...and see where it goes. I think it's the least we can do.
Yeah, whatever!
So another sick child has disturbed my plans to blog. Wyatt was sick all last weekend and Monday he was officially diagnosed with an ear infection in his right ear! Plus Alex and I spent some time at the National Youth Worker's Convention downtown so my time was limited.
So now you'll just have to guess at my top three reasons to vote for Obama!
The Best Laid Plans
Friday, October 31, 2008
My Top Ten List got knocked off track on Wednesday by a sick 6 year old. Little Lucy has been fighting something for a long time...she has been on one round of antibiotics but hasn't rebounded well. She started to go downhill fast on Wednesday and she ended up back in the docs office today. She is on a stronger medicine now and hopefully it will knock this thing out. She did rally enough to make it to a festival at our church tonight so Halloween wasn't a total bummer.
Approximately 100 hours until the election now - my nerves are already shot. I vacillate between confidence and panic. I'm finding myself so irritated by all of the propaganda and rhetoric...I feel like people are blind and it makes me so angry. I'm sure the other side feels the same way.
So tomorrow I will try and pick up with my 3 most important reasons for voting for Obama. Tune in and chime in!