Coffee 101

• do you ever think of the labour that goes into that cup you are enjoying?
• travel to Costa Rica with a Kiva Fellow to see how the small farmers manage.
• then surf to Kiva.org to make a small $25 loan to help out a neighbour.

later man, jan

for facebook

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGrrpjJ5e34

XacBank-Kiva Christmas and New Year Ecard

sweet...

XacBank video describing the Kiva loan process at XacBank, Mongolia. Made by Jane Lim, Kiva Fellow (KF9) in December 2009.

later man, jan

My Grown Up Christmas List

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7zRtLptyc4

This video slide show was created to help bring more awareness to the plight of homelessness not only this holiday season, but every day. No matter where you live, you can make a difference. Please help in any way that you can. A small gesture can help to better a person's future - and help get them off the streets for good.

Song is Kelly Clarkson's rendition of "My Grown Up Christmas List."

my personal favourite...
later man, jan

CCT Christmas Fun

Here's 'a short collection of videos' from the blog of the Kiva Fellow, Ujwal Kharel, currently in the Philippines.

I watched the last minute of those kids over and over :)

CCT stands for Center for Community Transformation Credit Cooperative (CCT) and is one of the financial partners you can loan through at Kiva.org

"... CCT reaches micro-entrepreneurs, service workers, itinerant vendors, orphans, and abandoned children in urban poor communities. In addition to CCT, the Center for Community Transformation operates training and development programs, clinics and disaster relief operations. CCT also runs a generic pharmaceutical distribution business called Tindahan Para Sa Bayan which allows micro entrepreneurs to access low cost medicine while funneling any extra income to social service projects."

enjoy - and Feliz Navidad to you and yours
later man, jan

Jesus and Santa...

Santa lives at the North Pole.

JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh

JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year

JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies

JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited

JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. And then enters your heart.

You have to stand in line to see Santa

JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap

JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"

JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly

JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO

JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry"

JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.

Santa's little helpers make toys

JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but

JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree

JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.


It's obvious, for me, there is truly no comparison.

I need to put Christ back in my Christmas.

Jesus is still my reason for the season.


May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your loved ones this Christmas 2009
And may He prosper and bless the work of your hands in the New Year.

check out our Christmas Events calendar at Living Spirit United Church

and thanks Pat...
later man, jan

One Love | Playing For Change | Song Around the World

Playing For Change

"From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes an incredible rendition of the legendary Bob Marley song "One Love" with Keb' Mo' and Manu Chao. This is the third video from the documentary and a follow up to the classic "Stand By Me" and the incredible "Don't Worry." Released in celebration of Bob Marley's birthday on February 6th, this tribute to the legend is performed by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it traveled the globe.
...
Join the movement to help inspire people from around the world to come together through music."

later man

Heartsick at the news from Uganda

Stephen Harper slams Uganda on anti-gay bill
Harper told reporters he met privately with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni during the Commonwealth leaders’ summit to express “Canada’s deep concern and strong opposition to the bill.”

“We deplore these kinds of measures,” Harper said. “We find them inconsistent with any reasonable understanding of human rights.”

Why is Uganda attacking homosexuality?

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Human rights groups: Bill would spur a witch hunt of homosexuals in Uganda
* President blames foreign influence in promoting and funding homosexuality
* Media outlets have inflamed sentiments by publicly pointing out gays and lesbians
* Canadian PM tells Ugandan president bill is deplorable, inconsistent with human rights

If Uganda Executes Gays, Will American Christians be Complicit?

..."American Christians who help sow such sentiments may be held liable -- at least morally -- for the results. A Nov. 18 report, "Globalizing the Culture Wars: U.S. Conservatives, African Churches, and Homophobia," from the liberal think tank Political Research Associates (PRA), documents how extensive -- and influential -- those contacts are.

"Just as the United States and other northern societies routinely dump our outlawed or expired chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, and cultural detritus on African and other Third World countries, we now export a political discourse and public policies our own society has discarded as outdated and dangerous," Tarso Luís Ramos, head of the PRA, says in the foreword to the report. "Africa's anti-gay campaigns are to a substantial degree made in the U.S.A."

Whether those campaigns will succeed is still an open question. Despite wide support for the bill in parliament, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni may seek to stall the legislation for fear of losing international support.

But many Ugandan church leaders have also signaled their support for the broader bill if the death-penalty provision is removed. "I think the death penalty is not acceptable," Anglican Bishop Stanley Ntagali of Masindi-Kitara diocese has said. "I think taking someone to jail for a period of time would be sufficient."

With an estimated 500,000 gays and lesbians among Uganda's 31 million residents, they better start building prisons fast."

What to do, what to do?

Here are links to two petitions where you can add your voice against this bill:
Christian leaders must condemn Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill
Rick Warren: Please Denounce Anti-Gay Bill in Uganda

For help for myself...
well, some days the news makes it difficult to call myself a Christian... and one of my Jewish heroes, Rabbi Rami, always manages to put me back on track just when I need help the most.

This manifesto was written by Rabbi Rami Shapiro (author of many books including 'The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness')

"An Open Letter to Peoples of Faith
WE BELIEVE God transcends theology; that no idea about God can adequately encompass the reality of God.
WE BELIEVE that revelation is not given to a people, but through a people to the world.
WE BELIEVE that the truth in each scripture is common to all scriptures, calling us toward justice, compassion, humility, dignity, respect, love for both person and planet, and the transcending of self through service to others.
WE RECOGNIZE that filtering divine revelation through human hands allows fear, greed, anger, ignorance, and violence to masquerade as truth.
WE RECOGNIZE that much if not most of the evil plaguing our world is rooted in this masquerade, and the violent image of god that comes from it.
WE COMMIT ourselves to ending this evil by rejecting religious violence and the false god who sanctions it.
WE COMMIT ourselves to separating timeless truth from time bound bias in our respective scriptures; affirming the former and moving beyond the latter.
WE COMMIT ourselves to teaching the God of justice, compassion, love, and respect Who speaks to us through all scriptures, and Who calls us to free ourselves from fear, greed, anger, ignorance, and violence.
WE CALL upon peoples of every faith to liberate the wisdom of God from the xenophobia of tribe and ego, and to free religion from fear and violence by distinguishing the holy from the merely sacred.
WE CALL upon peoples of every faith to share their wisdom with the world, to fearlessly speak out when their faith is kidnapped by evil, and to remind us all that there is no god but God, and that justice and compassion are the way of God for all time and for all people."

To participate in this project please copy
this manifesto and pass it on.

-jan-

Moderator's Advent Message 2009

I wait and try to love and mostly I hope - I am called to "be the change" as Ghandi said. Thank you God for your constant presence, the Source where I live, and move, and have my being.

later man, jan

CALGARY SAYS 'NO' TO HATE

"Such [hateful] acts inspire our deepest fears." -- Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman

Two weeks ago, the Calgary Jewish Community Centre and neighbouring locations, including the Holocaust War Memorial, were defaced with red-paint swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans. In light of what city police are calling "hate crimes," a gathering of support for Calgary's Jewish community will be held at:

The Boyce Theatre
Calgary Stampede Grounds
Thursday, November 26, 2009
5.30 p.m.

Please attend if you are able.

later man, jan

My Paper Boat

The winner of the One Minute To Save the World competition.


The first runner-up in the One Minute To Save the World competition.

Take some time to go to the website and watch some of the others. Our children will inherit whatever we leave behind us. Sad.

later man, jan

Psalm 23

Always John's favourite... Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi tells how he sees the 23rd psalm. I've been following links ever since spending a wonderful weekend listening to Rabbi Rami Shapiro. All the world's religions have so much in common.

here's the video link for the facebook post...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7d5eh8PY5E

later man, jan

Women for a Change ask WHY?

In 1993 The UN passed a resolution which declared:

"States should condemn violence against women and pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating it."

16 years later...
At least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime.

WOMEN FOR A CHANGE ASKS - WHY?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHuN6Kcfi78

later man, jan

LightSail in the News...

I have read many science fiction books in my life. One of the biggest ideas for space travel was to somehow use the light from the sun to propel the craft through space.

My subscription to Planetary News has paid off and revealed to me a quote from the New York Times

"Peter Pan would be so happy.

If the launching of LightSail-1 goes off according to plan next year, humans may soon be solar-sailing, as shown in this illustration. About a year from now, if all goes well, a box about the size of a loaf of bread will pop out of a rocket some 500 miles above the Earth. There in the vacuum it will unfurl four triangular sails as shiny as moonlight and only barely more substantial. Then it will slowly rise on a sunbeam and move across the stars."

cool.
later man, jan

THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION

this is a *must watch*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wktlwCPDd94

later man, jan

Berlin Celebrates today - 20 Years since the Fall of the Wall

Congratulations - and enjoy the Festival of Freedom...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1By1ZnWNb7c

later man, jan

GoD And DoG by WJ Francisco

here's a link I was sent to this morning...

and a video that just *has* to be watched...

later man, jan

Which Religion Should I Follow?

This link from 'The Friendly Atheist' will either...

___answer that question...

___start a conversation???

___just make a whole lot of people angry as hell :)

later man, jan
(thanks Gord)

Equality - what a concept...

We need more testimonials like this one...

later man, jan

Kiva lending is such a 'feel good' thing...

This video was posted on a loan that is 47% paid back. I just love the look of pride in this man's eyes as he shows off his accomplishments. This is the kind of connection that makes lending through Kiva such a worthwhile use of my time.

later man, jan

Vittana - Invest in Education, One Loan at a Time

Vittana is new and Vittana is growing. They have asked me to tell 5 of my friends. I'm not sure I have 5 people who actually read my blog... but you never know.

I loaned $25 to Maria in May, a 22-year-old studying administration in Paraguay. She has a husband who works but they could not afford her tuition up front. She made her first repayment on Oct 6th and my PayPal account was credited with $7.39. Woohoo!

I loaned $25 to Nardith in September. She is a 23-year-old studying laboratory sciences in Peru. She is now fully funded.

Today I loaned $25 to another Maria. She is a 23-year-old studying bank administration in Nicaragua. I worked for a bank all my life. I hope she does well. Her loan is 49% funded so far.

later man, jan

After the Storm, A New Morning Comes...

One of the Kiva Fellows, Mary Reidel, is newly arrived on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. She posted today on her blog that she attended a Catholic morning devotion. This video was in Mary's words...

"followed by a moving talk about hope and service. We were all encouraged to think about what we could do for the community- “Take out your cell phones and text yourself– ‘what is the legacy of service I’d like to leave behind?’ He then asked, “Could we give up some time today to pack relief goods?” This is a true reflection of the type of organization ASKI is, they go beyond microfinance with their ASKI foundation arm."

It always amazes me that people who have the least are usually the ones who can always find it in their hearts to give more. The employees working for this microfinance organization in the Philippines work for small wages and spend long hours trying to reach and help people in remote and under-served areas.

We are so fortunate in our beautiful Canada. We have much to be thankful for this weekend. Let's not forget to set aside a little of what we have and give it to someone who needs it more.

later man, jan

Tchau Mocambique

Sometimes we can begin to get negative at Kiva Friends. Nothing in life works perfectly and Kiva.org is built and run by fallible humans just like me. Yesterday was such a day. But today, when I see and read something like Cameron's blog from Mozambique, I lift my head and smile and go looking for someone else to lend to. Life is terrific for us, I want to help make it better for someone else.

later man, jan

What Joy comes from a Pre-Schooler...

It is a privilege to carry a little one to pre-school and back.

Being woken up early in the morning with cold little hands saying "get up, Gramma, get up" :) I open the front door and turn on the lights and then climb back into bed. I sometimes even get a chance to drift back off to sleep before he arrives.

It's fun watching a small child inhale a whole apple juice box in pretty much one long suck and then stuff down the last crumb of raisin toast because he *knows* he won't get one of Gramma's candies if he doesn't finish breakfast.

Enjoying that look you get when he catches you brushing your teeth in your hands under the tap. And that long discussion about why Gramma's teeth fell out because she didn't look after them when she was a teen. And the joy when he quickly ran to the other bathroom and standing on tippy toes, he turned on the light, reached in the cabinet for his toothbrush and quickly brushed his teeth, all by himself!

Every time we go, Gramma parks in a different spot and it's fun to go 'find where the car is hiding'. He's getting really good pushing the remote to lock and unlock the door and today we had a giggle because for some reason, the trunk popped open.

Today is really special because I now have a Thankful Tree to put up on my fridge. The items on the tree are mommy and daddy and Peter and "Hoot" and jellybeans and Spiderman toy and my dog and my blue blankie and macaroni & cheese. What an assortment. And what wonderful teachers to take all that time to explain his picture.

And now I must go bake chocolate chip cookies for the Sunday School's big and little ones this weekend. It's a privilege. Don't worry, I'll save us a few for Thanksgiving at the cabin as well.

later man, jan

Letter to my friends

John offered me a gift last week. He said “I have a professional day next Monday. We have a long weekend. Want to go to the cabin?”

September! The month where I am already missing summer with the knowledge that only Thanksgiving is left for one more trip to the lake.

It was a magical weekend.

We made such good time that we had 20 minutes at the Tim Hortons where I enjoyed cheese biscuits and a butter caramel smoothie. Our timing was superb and there was hardly anyone waiting at the ferry. I was thankful for the hot water bottles at the cabin though. I needed just to warm the bed because I am still trying to shake this dry cough.

Katie and I woke before John and took our cup of tea to the lakeshore. Most of the flowers are done except some pink phlox and that new rose bush I planted quite late in the season. There were actually 14 flowers and more buds to come!

At the lake, everybody showed up except the eagle and the otters. The geese that had woken us started honking as Katie ran down the boat road, but soon quieted when she paid them no attention. A group of 5 and a group of 3 and one lone guy. We spent some time watching them paddle around but the groups never changed. The sun line was just creeping down the mountain across the lake drawing a silhouette of the mountains behind us. The heron was fishing off to the left in the grass showing where the lake has receded and just behind him was one loon. Then the osprey called from behind the trees and took off toward the river.

I looked right to see that the lake had gone down so that there is a lot of sandy shore between it and the big stump and the sand bar out from Henry’s place can be seen as a different colour change in the water and lots of grass showing on the high spot out in the middle of the lake. There is no smoke coming from Commaplex mountain so the fire must be finally out.

Sharon, I am sure you will understand when I say I spent quite some time redirecting our little Wine Creek to make sure it has a clear path. Then I headed back up with wet runners and a dirty housecoat but a great sense of being home.

While John worked in the shed, I decided to build a fire to get rid of some of the junk I had gathered during the ‘no fire’ summer we had just enjoyed. We must have missed a good rain because everything was damp and it was nice to feel that it was finally safe to enjoy a fire. Then, Sharon, I took John and his chainsaw down to our new path from Beer Creek to the road. He commented that he wanted that board to help get the beer out easier and we had made the bridge in the wrong spot. So I took him and showed him a couple of willows too big for me to prune and he got to make some noise and was happy again. All we need now is about 3 steps dug in the hillside, I’ll take the grubhoe next trip.

After lunch we thought we should walk round to see if the redfish had arrived. The weatherman had warned of a partly cloudy day. I dressed in my partly sunny day clothes, t-shirt and jeans, rubber boots and a raincoat. Some snacks in my pocket and off we go.

We went down the path through Rose’s morel mushroom garden but all I saw were those ugly big red and white ones. (There are lots of different mushrooms now everywhere Rose, so Thanksgiving you may just find the Chanterelles). The cedar crossing Beer Creek was a little slick and John commented on how worn and tired the big downed cedar was from Lee’s continual pacing. We spoke of what would happen when the tree finally rotted and hoped it would last for Darwin to follow. No redfish in our creek so off around the bay to Thompson creek.

We followed the hidden path toward the corner of our property and the road, commenting on the size of the spruce we had planted 10 years ago on the high water line. I turned back to the path and just before reaching the road I saw apples! Apples! Sharon did you know we have an apple tree? Rose, you go that way lots of times, have you ever seen apples? They are all about the size of Katie’s tennis ball. The tree is not short and certainly not hidden. John had to hold a branch down later for me so I could pick some to save to show you at Thanksgiving just in case the bear got to them first. I can’t believe we have been there 16 years and it took me 13 to see the pin cherry trees and 15 to see apples.

On the road now we passed the spot where some people had their trailer on Labour Day. Right by where the water tap is usually under water, remember the tap, Peter? Well, these folks had rolled some of the huge boulders into a circle for a fire and cut up a mighty big pile of firewood. They only stayed 2 nights and left behind a huge stack of split wood. Most of it is pretty punky so they must have found some old downed cedar and hemlock in the Harrington woods. We went by later with the quad and trailer to take some of the better stuff back. It will only turn into more driftwood next year at high water.

Just past where Smoker and Walter had their trailers last week, John picked up a travel size shampoo. Still full and clean. Amazing what people drop. All I found was a heart shaped rock for Danielle.

At Thompson creek, we scrambled down the bank right where we had canoed in, Sharon. I remember you saying that it would be easy to cross this year, and it was. The water had gone down enough so that rubber boots did the trick. And redfish? Everywhere you looked. They were quite skittish of Katie and of course, she didn’t even notice they were there. We spent quite a bit of time there encouraging first one and then another in their attempts to jump the falls.

We could see a little weather front coming through the pass but thought since we were close enough to Don’s place we could drop in. A bit hard to find a trail up, the bank changes every year. Absolutely nobody home. Not a single cabin with people in. Tthis meant we were alone in the valley. We checked the garden, lots of tomatoes still so we would have to come back next day with a bag.

As we started home the rain began. A light steady rain. We crossed back over the Thompson and headed back down the old road and I was thinking that my Gortex probably needed a good wash because I could feel my shoulders getting wet. Just then, the sun came out from under the clouds and the warmth on my back was such that I was sure steam was rising back there. And right in front of us the most amazing event began.

The mouth of the Fish began to glow and gradually arching over the trees and right over the property and ending in the hillside on our right was the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. We saw one a few years back and I remember taking a photo from our boat of Rose and Al canoeing home and the rainbow arching over their heads. This was the same, only better. After a few minutes a second formed above the first and the band of grey between them was quite dark. Then the first rainbow got brighter and brighter. We could see each colour so distinctly and right into the violet layer and then if it didn’t start to double up on itself with more green and purple. The whole arch gradually moved to the right so that it looked like it was coming out of the top of Henry’s cabin and then from the clearing in front of George and Barbara’s place. Do you know, I don’t actually remember when it stopped raining because John and I were so awed by what we were seeing. As the clouds blew away and the rainbow faded we felt that we had been given such a gift, no wonder the bible has a story about it.

When we got home we took the quad and trailer to pick up some driftwood for the Thanksgiving campfire and I built up the fire I had left. A supper of satay pork and veggies and rice, some Sambuca at the fire watching the stars come out and Chitter talking to us while taking his peanuts from the tree were a perfect end to a perfectly magical day.

How could tomorrow be better?
Well, of course it was, I learned to drive the quad :)

Later man, jan

"Typical"

Joel Carlman has finished his Kiva Fellowship in Kenya and posted one last video which I would like to share with you...

later man, jan

The Elders are in the Middle East

I received this message from a Facebook group this morning and felt it worth passing on...

"The Elders are in the Middle East - Follow their blogs, watch videos and add a message of peace.

Hi,

This week a delegation of The Elders is in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Theyre meeting a wide range of people from all walks of Israeli and Palestinian life and were pretty sure theyll have lots to talk about.

So, we thought the best way for them to share their thoughts and experiences would be for them to blog about their trip on our website. The site will be updated every day with photo stories, videos and blogs from both the Elders and some of the people they meet along the way.

Were also going to be hosting a live webcast. Some of you may have tuned into our website in July to watch our live Q&A with Desmond Tutu. Well be trying something similar live from Jerusalem but this time on a bigger scale.

The six Elders participating in the trip will be joined by young Israelis and Palestinians to talk about some of the issues that both sides face in efforts to reach peace in the Middle East.

Theyll be joined live via satellite by participants from Ramallah and Tel Aviv too. We hope that by hosting this conversation, the Elders can help to connect people virtually who rarely have the opportunity to meet in person.

We also want you to join our efforts by sending us your message for peace in the Middle East. After all, this unresolved conflict it affects us all. The Elders and many of their friends have already uploaded their message and a photo, why not add yours?

The Elders team"

later man, jan

Could you help Wells Fargo donate $25000 to Kiva?

Wells Fargo is willing to donate $25,000 to Kiva

For every person who answers 9 short questions Wells Fargo will donate $1 to Kiva! By answering you can get a quick estimate of your retirement eligibility without giving any of your personal data to Wells Fargo or use them for any services. So far only $1331 have been raised and there are only 4 days to go.

I did it - it's a snap - and it looks like I can only keep eating for 2.8 years if I let John retire - lol :)

later man, jan

Our Haven in BC needs rain...

BC needs rain. The forecast is good for our place - supposed to rain all next week. I really hope so because BC has hundreds of fires all throughout the province. This link takes you to see the two fires on either side of our cabin.

If you click to enlarge the Galena Bay fire (fire 280)(SE corner of BC) you can see where our place at Beaton has another fire (fire 313) just to the north of us. Forestry has this fire marked as in Modified Response. Fire management specialists continue to observe the fire, and have built a machine guard on the south flank of the fire to prevent growth in that direction. They have it estimated 178 hectares with 1 piece of large equipment assigned. The large Galena fire has now 40% containment but they say there is still a lot of smoke on highways 23 and 31.



This is a view taken from our friend Don's place looking across the bay at our beach and the fire on Commaplix Mountain behind it. This was taken 10 days ago and the fire was still burning when we left and had moved to the right and also lower down in the valley which is where I am assuming they have built their "machine guard".

The smoke in the valleys certainly makes for interesting views from our beach front...



and also lovely sunsets from our front porch.



later man, jan

Rodriga Escabarte, a cook, businesswoman, and CEV client

what a lovely smile...
later man, jan

Hear Me Now - The Green Children

Wonderful new single video you can download for free at Green Children .org. 50% of their iTunes single sales go to a new lending project for the poor of India.
Hear Me Now Lyrics...

A scarf uncovers a smiling face
That tells the story of a changing place
She knows no greater wonder than what she's seen
She bears a heart of secrets from where she's been, she says

Hear me now
Hear me now
Hear me out, she cries
See me now
See me now
See in me and I'll rise

She's worked hard and achieved
A new life's been received
So much pride in her eyes
She's thrown out her disguise
She's got a chance to make it on her own
Just one man gave hope to his home, he says

Hear me now
Hear me now
Hear me out, he cries
See her now
See her now
See in her and she'll rise

She speaks unfamiliar words
But so easily understood
It's like a tone in her voice
Reveals the power of choice
She's so wonderful
The way she holds herself
She finally broke the spell
You can tell

Hear me now
Hear me now
Hear me out, she cries
See me now
See me now
See in me and I'll rise

Hear me now
Hear me now
Hear me out, he cries
See her now
See her now
See in her and she'll rise

A scarf uncovers a smiling face
That tells the story of a changing place

later man, jan

Calgary Kiva Team

We had a nice meet-up potluck picnic in the park last night. Kiva lenders are terrific people - so many people from different walks of life who have the same value system and want to help others. I'm looking forward to the growth of the group and our next potluck on September 12th.

so nice to meet Jonathon and Justin and Reed and Lili and Kathy and Doris and Greg. Thanks for having a camera Doris, and thanks to the anonymous friend who I coerced into taking this photo :)

Giving feels good...

There are so many ways to help in our world today it makes me quite sad at times. We won the birth lottery and sometimes we forget and act like everything we have is deserved or is our reward in some way.

I try to balance our lives to make sure there is something left over for someone else. Our church gives us many opportunities to help people here in town in a practical way. There's Inn From The Cold and Neighbourlink and the Interfaith Food Bank and the Mustard Seed Street Ministry and on and on and on.

But I like/love/am addicted to spending time on my computer.

That's why I like Kiva.org so much.

That's why the projects at DonorsChoose are so attractive.

That's why GlobalGiving is so easy.

And with Kiva, you can actually do some good with a loan of as little as $25. With DonorsChoose and GlobalGiving, well, you can donate as little as $10.

I am a firm believer in the "drop a pebble in the water" concept. Foley's poem goes on to say "just a splash and it is gone, but there's half and hundred ripples, circling on and on and on..."

That's the part that feels good. My little bit added to your little bit combined with another little bit from someone across the globe can make a huge difference in someone's life. Drop a pebble today, and see how good it feels.

later man, jan

Become a Green Child! (HD)

Please take 3 minutes and 7 seconds to view this cool new video from The Green Children. I believe in microfinance.

later man, jan

Kiva, Kiva, Kiva...

Have I mentioned Kiva lately?




I know I used to bombard you with photos and descriptions. I have *mentioned* the reasons why small loans to small businesses done by small people like you and me are such a wonderful way to help reduce poverty in our poor hurting world. I'm sure we have discussed why I think a loan allows people to retain their dignity and self-worth much more than just receiving charity which is spent and gone again.

But maybe, just maybe, I have a new reader out there? Someone who doesn't have a Kiva experience under their belt yet :)

Well just you get on down to Kiva.org

Explore the site - See the photos - Read the descriptions - click on the Lend Now button to send your $25, which added to a bunch of other $25's, will change someone's life for the better and make you smile for the rest of the day - guaranteed!

Your donation is forwarded thru Paypal, which donates all their fees so 100% of the transaction will arrive at the other end. As the borrower pays back, your account with Kiva will be credited and when you have the $25, well, you can take it out, or better yet, lend it again. You'll get no interest - but then neither is your bank paying you much right now :)

Go take a peek at our lender page. Just looking at it brings joy to our life. Enjoy the photos of all those people striving to improve their lives and doing it with just a little loan from us.

later man, jan

This blog post is part of Zemanta's "Blogging For a Cause" campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

Living the Questions...

Last year, we spent many hours as a group, delving into the Living the Questions study. I could easily do it over again, knowing that my journey into my faith will be never-ending and ever-changing. Now there is a new video series aimed at young adults that looks very promising...



later man, jan

Afghan Woman Torn by Old Vow...

Rahila Muhibi has started a program called 100 Mothers Literacy Program. This is a photo of the first class conducted in the program.



Quoted directly from NewsObserver.com

"Rahila Muhibi was engaged at 7 years old and a refugee by 15.

Saturday, when she accepted a diploma from Methodist University, the 24-year-old arguably became the most educated woman from her tribe in Afghanistan.

In the past year, Muhibi has established a literacy program that is teaching young mothers in far-flung Afghan villages how to read and write.

Despite all her accomplishments, Muhibi's future is uncertain. She wants to return to her country and fight for women's rights after she earns a master's degree in the U.S.

But the patriarchal system she wants to change back home is slowly closing in on her.

Muhibi's father wants her to return immediately after graduation and marry her 25-year-old cousin.

"He is still waiting for me to marry him," Muhibi said recently. "But my strategy is to finish my graduate school so that hopefully by then he gets tired of waiting and he marries somebody else."

She left Afghanistan in 2003 with her father's blessing and a scholarship to finish high school in Canada, she said. In her tribe, most women marry in the ninth grade and start families, she said.

Muhibi -- whose parents never had formal schooling -- wants to shift that paradigm. The catalyst, she hopes, is in education and her 100 Mothers Literacy Program.

While a student at Methodist University, Muhibi organized the program to teach Afghan women with no formal schooling how to read and write. It started with an August 2007 fundraiser in Richmond, Va., Muhibi said. With a buffet of Afghan food as her backdrop, Muhibi pitched her idea at the private fundraiser organized by a friend. She raised $8,000.

Her program has been supported entirely by donations from individuals, she said.

She returned to Afghanistan in December for a month to get the program started in a relative's village. In March, the first class of 105 mothers graduated, she said. They were taught by ninth-graders from a recently opened school in northwest Afghanistan.

"Women are the most vulnerable population in Afghanistan," she said.

Trapped by tradition

Muhibi is determined to be empowering.She has undergraduate degrees in political science and international studies.

But she still can't get out of an arranged marriage.

Muhibi, a member of the Nikpai tribe, was promised to a cousin when she was 7 by her father, she said. Tradition dictates that she cannot break off the arrangement without hurting her family's honor. The cousin is free to marry another without stigma, she said.

"At home, once a man promises, then he has to do it," Muhibi said. "No matter what it takes."

For years, Muhibi has told most of her close family that she has no interest in marrying her cousin, she said. In the few times she has talked with her betrothed, she told him to move on and find someone else.

But that, like most things Afghan women say to men, was taken as a joke.

Her betrothed comes from a family of nomad cattle herders, she said. When he was a boy, he moved to Kabul with Muhibi's family. He currently works in telecommunications, she said.

Dad puts his foot down

Muhibi knows a difficult conversation with her father is coming. He called her Thursday and was more insistent than usual.

"He actually told me, 'If I am your father, you will listen to me and come home,'" she said. "He has been telling me that for a very long time, and I didn't take him very serious. I thought he would listen to me."

Muhibi wants to expand her literacy program into a nonprofit organization based in the U.S. Her brother, Ismael, is manning the operation in Afghanistan. Like most of the Afghan men in her life, he supports the project. But he doesn't see the real value in it.

"It's a joke to them," she said." (end quote)

For more news of Muhibi follow this link or do your own search :)

You can help with as little as a $10 donation online - painless for us, a world changing moment for these women.

tip of the hat to my friends Elizabeth and Ramona and Charmaine at KivaFriends.org
later man, jan

Be Still...

When we get tangled up in our problems, be still.
God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.


I get so many emails and usually I'm very fast with that delete key. This one stopped me in my tracks. It was the beginning for a candle prayer chain sent to my by my friend and hairdresser. Like a bolt from heaven - and my first thought was 'of course'.

I think I have mentioned before that my life seems to have weekly themes. This Sunday, Traci told us to 'be still'. The youth choir sang 'be still'. Today's email actually gives me the 'why'.

I learned as a scouter that when your rope had a knot you couldn't untie it until you stopped pulling. These last few weeks have found us flailing around trying to find answers. So stop. Sit back. Let God direct our actions this time.

Ps46:10 Be Still, and know that I am God.

later man, jan

Judgements...

After all the hoopla this week over the Susan Boyle audition on Britain's Got Talent... I received an email from my Godfather that just ends my week with an exclamation point. Sometimes the theme for the week appears to be directed to a point where I can no longer ignore the message and I have to dig deeper inside myself to find answers. Of course, the more I dig, the more I find. I usually need to be slapped awake now and then :)
I did an internet search and found 'author unknown' so I will copy the whole thing here. Hope you have time to read it...

Clay Balls
A man was exploring caves by the Seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake.. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock . Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!
Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.

Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

later man, jan

This Is Priceless...

You have to go see for yourself.
The Passion Narrative According to Facebook

(hat tip to Frodo)
later man, jan

Brave Girls Defy Taliban...

Please take 2 and a half minutes to honour these brave girls and their families and teachers in Kabul, Afghanistan. It's worth the 15 second commercial at the beginning.

Check out this news story posted on CNN yesterday.

later man, jan

Spielzeugland (Toyland)

My KivaFriend Wolfgang says...
"It is in German, I am afraid, but it should work quite well even without understanding the dialogue.

Germany 1942. Marianne Meißner with her son, Heinrich, are good friends with the Jewish family Silberstein (the two boys, Heinrich and David, are both playing the piano); the Silbersteins are about to be deported. Marianne tells Heinrich that the Silbersteins are going to move to Toyland. Heinrich wants to go, too. The movie starts on the morning of the Silbersteins' deportation - interspersed with retrospectives to the preceding days."

works too well, in my opinion...
later man, jan

National economy is a "pyramid scheme" ?

The United Church Moderator, The Right Rev. David Giuliano, has written a statement to all Canadians the total text can be found here.

Coverage of this has hit the national papers as shown by this article from the Calgary Herald.

Quoted from the article... "Giuliano said Canadians can’t simply shop their way to renewed prosperity. That would simply perpetuate what he sees as an economic system “that’s a crumbling pyramid scheme that rewards those on top and devours everyone and everything below.”"

He has also written a Pastoral Letter to all of us in the church "calling us to be church in riskier ways than we are used to."

"As church, we can do more for our neighbours together. We are surrounded by countless others of faith and goodwill. God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God."

I thank God we have a strong voice in our current leader.

later man, jan

Senegal Ecovillage Microfinance Fund

Kiva has 3 partners in Senegal. SEM is one of them. It is such a privilege to be able to lend to people like this who are determined to lift themselves out of poverty.

later man, jan

Funny Dog/Cat/Pepsi Commercial

Hilarious....
later man, jan

Miksang Contemplative Photography...

Miksang Contemplative Photography


I thought of Lyle and Rose when I watched this... I have always been in awe of your photography insights and the skill to capture what you see...

with thanx to my friend PEI Rick...
later man, jan

Lost Generation

Thanx Eli...
"AARP (American Association of Retired People) sponsored a video contest called 'U @ 50". This video won second place. (Wonder what first place was like!?) So simple and yet so brilliant, and all in just 1 minute and 44 seconds."

later man, jan

Women for Women in Rwanda...

This video is 3:46 long. This is a story of success. We need to focus on joy and hope and help each other, one person at a time.

hat tip to Natasha...
later man, jan

Wondercafe is open to discussion not judgement...

WonderCafe is joining the dialogue raised by the "There's probably no God" ads, launching a campaign of its own encouraging people to join the discussion on the question of God.

later man, jan

We are all one - spread this video

very well done... beautiful video - please sit back and allow yourself to feel and realize how dependent we are...

later man, jan

Win a Trip with Nick

What an awesome chance for someone interested both in journalism and in the issues of our world.

I love following Nicholas Kristof so much. I subscribe to his blog and what he discovers and shares about poverty in our world will astound you. We need this kind of an education. I personally need to be reminded of how fortunate I was when I won the birth lottery that placed me in Canada.

later man, jan

Cat playing Red Light / Green Light

I found this so very funny - I just can't stop laughing...

later man, jan

10 Things you need to know about Global Agents for Change

A Vancouver based group of young people - watch the video - then check out their website to see why I am so excited about their goals and how fast they are growing. There are 2 bike rides planned this year and the new Education Generation site is providing support for struggling students around the world.

later man, jan

Kiva video shown at International CES Intel Keynote Speech, January 9 2008

The footage for the video was shot by Kiva Fellow Nicholas Sabin who managed to get such great footage out there in Sierra Leone.

And if you'd actually like to check out these entrepreneurs' business pages: Abu Conteh, Musu Marah, and Alie Sesay at Kiva.org.

later man, jan

Outrage In Gaza...

Does dropping another bomb solve anything?
If you throw a rock on my house and I throw a rock at your house, what have we proven?
That we cannot/will not/have given up on finding a peaceful solution.
It is not 'Anti-Semitic' to try to tell Israel that there must be another way.

I want to send you all to this link I was pointed to...

Outrage in Gaza: No More Apologies

December 28, 2008 by Rabbi Brant Rosen

... where a Jewish Rabbi has the courage to stand up and say "The news today out of Israel and Gaza makes me just sick to my stomach.

and the comments on his blog are worth reading and praying over...

later man, jan

Are you quitting smoking ?

Then this is for you...

Noel --- Trish --- anyone else ???

later man, jan

Stop and Hear the Music

Will one of the nation's greatest musicians be noticed in a D.C. Metro stop during rush hour? Violinist Joshua Bell experimented for Gene Weingarten's Sunday Magazine story in The Washington Post. This was done in April 2007 but the world and people have not changed. I am not sure how long I would have stopped because a violin is not my first choice in music. But this video is surely a great reminder that I need to pay attention to the world around me and not be so full of my own self-importance.

later man, jan

Watch this before they ban it...

A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan from Kieran Ball on Vimeo.

You can read the full text that Kieran published on his blog as a Kiva Fellow. Kieran is one of the young folks that leave a good job and go around the world to volunteer their time with Kiva just to help a stranger in a different country. Each and every one has my utmost admiration and my thanks.

later man, jan

Three Cups of Tea...

I need to buy another copy of this book, Three Cups of Tea. I have loaned it out and really want to read it again. Now they have published both a little kids' version and a young readers' edition. This is such an amazing story and it is still going on.

This morning, while we were at church, there was a video on CBSNews called No Child Left Behind. It's the story of a 36 year old ER nurse from San Francisco who, while trying to climb K2 in Pakistan in 1992, found his life changed forever. Lost and alone and sick, he walked 58 miles to the nearest village where they nursed him back to health.

He wished to know what he could do for them in return. This gentle, humble man is still raising funds and building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It's 15 years later and the story goes on. The video is only 8:17 minutes out of your life and you have to suffer through a short advertisement but it is worth every minute.

later man, jan