Into the Flip Side

status update

2008-07-21T08:57:00.003-05:00

hey all,

I apologize that it has been awhile since my last post. I wanted to give a quick update on something. A website is in the works that will soon replace this blog. the same theme will be the focus of the new website. it should be up and running soon, and is being graciously built by me very talented brother-in-law (and close friend) Jer.

In the mean time, please continue to stay current by reading the news updates.

also, please feel free to contact me with any suggestions from the new website. I am very excited about it.

Myanmar Update

2008-07-02T14:20:00.002-05:00

here is an update on the food rations in Myanmar. these people will be affected for a very long time

Darfur Ambulance

2008-06-30T14:53:00.003-05:00

this is a Darfur refuge camp Ambulance. The amazing thing about pictures is that they convey so much better than words can the real nature of the situation. It can be hard to truly imagine what it would be like to be forced into these refuge camps. thank you again to Mia Farrow for her photos and her heart for these suffering people.

Photographs of the Sudan by Mia Farrow

2008-06-30T14:44:00.003-05:00

I will be posting pictures that have been taken by Mia Farrow from here visits to the Sudan. I want to give her full credit for the pictures and thank her for her willingness to openly share them in the hopes that they will be a tool of awareness. Please visit her website to see the full galleries. her website is miafarrow.org.

The unfair election

2008-06-30T09:01:00.002-05:00

The Coffee Addict over at Pajamas Media has a good round up of Mugabe and the unfair election that was. Mugabe: The Anti-Mandela

good news to start the week with

2008-06-30T08:54:00.001-05:00

this is very good news Fast donor response keeps WFP Humanitarian air service flying in Sudan

the not free at all elections

2008-06-27T09:43:00.002-05:00

turn out low for the Zim elections pray that God will intervene for the people who are starving

By whose love?

2008-06-26T13:09:00.002-05:00

I am currently reading John Piper's book "Don't waste your life" (which by the way, you can read for free online at Desiringod.org along with many other of Piper's books). In the book he is talking about the true definition of love and he suggests that we ask our selves "would you feel more loved by God if he made much of you, or if he liberated you from the bondage of self-regard, at great cost to himself, so that you enjoy making much of him forever?" great question.

Isn't this what it is all about? I have a desire to be liked. That is not simply to say that I want people to appreciate me through their words. That means I want to look a certain way, I want to be perceived in a certain light. I want to be thought of a certain way. I want people to see my family a certain way. Some of that is not bad, as long as it is in relation to God. But I am talking about the bad stuff here.

What if I let go of all of that (you know, that stuff that Christ died for)? What if I didn't care what people thought about when they saw my clothes were not name brand, or that I did not live in a house but in an apartment, or that my family shopped at the cheapest grocery store and bought the non-name brand foods.

What if I truly felt most loved from knowing I had been "liberated from the bondage of self-regard"

once that has been done, I would be so free to truly care about the things of this world that matter.

I am sitting here and I can not remember all that I got for Christmas last year except one gift. I got a pass to the zoo for the year. I take my oldest daughter pretty much every week and it is the greatest thing ever.

I found this website that was talking about making a list of the items you bought that you thought you really wanted and would really use that did not measure up to your anticipation, in fact it suggests keeping an on going list.

You know, I could probably put 97% of the things I have ever gotten on that list. That should tell me a lot about advertising, about how I lie to myself, and sadly where my heart is in a lot of areas.

What if I could return for cash all of the items that I had bought or were given to me that I thought I was really going to need and I could give that money to people who were starving today?

what if I could have the foresight to do that now?

today

2008-06-25T16:05:00.002-05:00

I have not posted today for which I apologize. Please continue to review the articles and feel free to draw my attention to any article you find note worthy.

more posting tomorrow

The outlook is not goof

2008-06-24T13:41:00.002-05:00

"Vehicles are getting hijacked at the rate of almost one a day" Pray for the hearts of these hijackers. Pray that Christ would intervene and allow food to get to the starving in Darfur. This is unacceptable, and we need to get all of the people in there that have been promised along with protection.

UN needs to take action

2008-06-24T10:37:00.002-05:00

Security Council condemns violent campaign aganst political opposition in Zimbabwe just always keep in mind that while this continues aid is still being denied to the thousands of men, women, and children who rely on it for survival.

Chris Morthey reports on Myanmar

2008-06-23T16:34:00.002-05:00

Chris Morthey reports from Myanmar. "She was one of the first international aid workers permitted into the Irrawaddy Delta, following the government's announcement that it would allow foreign emergency teams access to all cyclone-affected areas"

Darfur food cuts

2008-06-23T12:24:00.002-05:00

who does this? UN calls for urgent action as ration cuts continue in Darfur . seriuosly? who attacks people delivering food to starving people? what mentality do you have to have to get to this? Who talks you into this?

I just don't get it.

Zimbabwe updates

2008-06-23T09:25:00.003-05:00

The situation in Zimbabwe has gotten worse over the weekend.

On Sunday: the oppostion leader pulled out of the race against Mugabe This is heart breaking. Although I understand Tsvangirai's reasoning for dropping out. I just can't imagine what this will do to the people who are currently faced with such oppression. Mugabe has already cut off aid, and per the article "85 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes, most of them opposition supporters."

This morning Foxnews.com also has the following article: Police raid Zimbabwe Opposition Headquarters, taking away 60 . There is a common thread in what Mugabe is doing, dishonesty. He is lying and then his police are using the lies to violently overthrow their opposition.

Here us a good article by Bridget Johnson at Pajamasmedia.com: Help the Zimbabwe Opposition Now! couldn't have said it better myself. Men, women, and children are starving because Mugabe refuses to give up power.

a thought:

as a believer in Christ, when I read articles of events like this that are taking place around the world as we speak, it focuses me. It brings my attention back to reality. I find myself less concerned about the minor aspects of comfort, that appear so important in western civilization, to the crucial truth of life. We are living in a time in history that desperately needs Christians to stand together. to care for the hurting, to sacrifice, to devout our lives to meeting needs and declaring the kingdom of God.

When I was a youngster and full of zeal everything seemed so meaningless. It seemed like something bigger was out there. I think others can relate to that. The thing is, I thought I would outgrow that or that I had outgrown that. I am finding though, that it is becoming a stronger calling, a pressure.

I am not unrealistic, I understand the need for us to work, to be dedicated to things, to be obedient in the small stuff. The Christian life is all encompassing. I guess my concern is, should it stop there? Should we stop at working a full time job, taking care of the fam, going to church, giving money, or should that just be the beginning? What if we started looking at that as just the starting line? What if we start really being radical in our faith? I don't mean in a cult like way... I mean truly pushing the bounds of faith. Trusting God to take care of us, as we sacrificially give all we have for the needs of others.

James McDonald says something to the affect of: "I should be living my life in such faith in God that if He does not exists I will fall flat on my face" I think I messed that saying up, but the point is, I need to be out there in my faith, I need to give up some comforts physically and emotionally so that I am truly relying on God. Not because of how great I would be, but because of how great God is, and because God's creation needs us.

This is meant to convict myself by the way. I am not writing to you from a jungle or something. I do not live in a hut somewhere. I just feel God stirring.

To borrower from Ecclesiastes; all is futile.

the only thing that matters at the end of the day is Christ. The onlything we can rely on is Christ.

testing future posts

2008-06-21T10:35:00.000-05:00

2008-06-20T08:42:00.001-05:00

2008-06-20T08:26:00.000-05:00

please Jesus step in

2008-06-19T13:43:00.003-05:00

Myanmar

2008-06-19T09:01:00.002-05:00

UNICEF begins rebuilding schools in cyclone-stricken Myanmar - they also need to allow the other groups in that can provide food and medical care to the people who are suffering

Worse Than Hell

2008-06-19T08:32:00.003-05:00

SaveDarfur.org has a post called "Niemat Ahmadi ‘s Statement to the U.N. Security Council" that's worth checking out...

When Niemat Ahmadi speaks about Darfur, people listen. On Tuesday, she spoke to leading international diplomats during a special session of the U.N. Security Council. Ahmadi, a women's rights activist and Save Darfur Coalition employee, spoke for millions of Darfuris who live in circumstances…

UN update on Darfur

2008-06-19T08:24:00.002-05:00

Council members brief the UN in regards to their recent mission to Africa: "Sudan must live up to commitment to remove obstacles hindering full deployment of African Union-United Nations Darfur Mission, security council told council members brief on recent week-long mission to Africa Assess progress in Sudan, Somalia, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire" this seems obvious to me, but at least they are stating it.

comment spaming

2008-06-18T16:10:00.002-05:00

I have a spammer who comments in my posts. The name they use is "Caleb" because of the (what I consider) abusive nature of their posts I have put some time into tracking "Caleb". I believe I have caught this person and have blocked them from this blog.

If I have accidentally blocked you in the process, please email me and I will be happy to adjust it.

I wish this person would spend the time they waste writing long comments that will never get posted and invest it at places like freerice.com where they can save lives.

sorry for the light blogging day, more tomorrow.

CARE Partners with Cargill

2008-06-18T10:47:00.002-05:00

CARE Partners with Cargill to Advance Long-term Solutions to Poverty - this is a good thing. It is important to note with all that is going on there are companies out there that are partnering to make a positive impact.

how you can feed the hungry by clicking your mouse

2008-06-17T14:39:00.002-05:00

check out this website Free Rice get the def. of the word right and donate 20 grains of rice.

check out this article about how much grain is being donated. Free rice to support victims of Cyclone Nargis. want to help but don't have money? get some words right and send rice.

Here is another one: The Hunger Site click on the button on the website and they donate 1.1 cups of food.

there is no reason in the world not to add to favorites and hit these websites everyday. Hit them instead of coming here if time is an issue.

Zimbabwe updates

2008-06-17T08:42:00.002-05:00

here are some important articles/links in regards to the situation in Zimbabwe. The elections are coming next Friday 6/27.

from The Zimbabwe Guardian through All Africa: Britain is seeking more sanctions in preparation of what could happen (and looks likely) if Mugabe does not give up the presidency after the run off election.

Also joining the call to Mugabe for a fair election is "Former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano" reports All Africa. According to the article the open letter that he has signed along with "40 prominent African personalities" calls "for the restoration of "full access for humanitarian aid agencies". The regime of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has shut down the operations of international NGOs, even though an estimated four million Zimbabweans (almost a third of the entire population) are in need of food aid." Mugabe is simply allowing his people to starve. So why do we care that Chissano signed the letter? "That Chissano has signed this letter is of considerable significance, since in the past he has been very close to Mugabe (and was Mugabe's best man at his marriage to his second wife, Grace)." Very informative article make sure to read the whole article.

Here is another article in regards to the open letter that was signed by the "forty Prominent Africans". This article comes from the Zimbabwe Standard linked and posted at All Africa. "Africa Seeks Mugabe Assurance on Poll". I believe this is a prime example of how the more we focus on Mugabe, the more attention we draw to him, the more he will not be able to hide the atrocities that he is committing. As I think this article makes clear, Mugabe does not have plans to step down regardless of the will of the people of Zimbabwe. from the article: "Mugabe told supporters on Thursday he would immediately take Zimbabwe back to war if Tsvangirai beat him on 27 June."

Again, please pray for the people of Zimbabwe who are paying the price through starvation. Please also talk about this. Talk about it with friends, with family, with your church. We need to talk about what is going on in our world. we can not turn our heads any longer. The more we talk the more aware people will become and the more attention will be drawn to the situations around the world.

A.W. Tozer in one of the greatest prayers I have ever heard prayed to God that he would desire to desire God more. Along those lines, I need to pray that I would have more and more compassion for God's creation that is hurting. That I would desire to desire God's will more. This is how I believe in many ways faith works. The more I desire to know God the more I search God, the more time I spend in pursuit of God, the more fruit is produced through it. I will naturally (or super naturally) be more loving, more forgiving, more peacefull, more faithful or faithfilled (see the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians). Read your bible, read what Jesus says is important to Him, then read what is happening around this world. The poor, the weak, the oppressed, the homeless, the suffering, the widowed. Not only in Africa or Asia, but also in our own neighborhoods.

This is what I want for my life and the life of my family; I want to be so consumed with the passions of God's heart, with the desires of God's will, that I can not be comfortable in "the comforts" of our culture. I mean after all isn't this what we are called to? I am not there. I love T.V. and food, and nice clothes. I love having a home and two cars and toys for my kids. Is there anything wrong with that? The question is, do I love them more than I love God? Do I love them so much that I put them before what God has called me as His child to?

It is all about fear. Piper gets to this issue in his book Future Grace. I fear that God is not better than T.V. is not better than the "nice" things I have attained. I fear that I will not be as "happy" if all is stripped away and all I have is my family, food for my family, shelter for my family, and God. You know what though, there are countless people around this world who do not even have that yet are filled with the Joy of Christ, who live and die only to hear God's word one more time, only to be able to be called God's children.

Into the Flip Side

status update

Myanmar Update

Darfur Ambulance

Photographs of the Sudan by Mia Farrow

The unfair election

good news to start the week with

the not free at all elections

By whose love?

today

The outlook is not goof

UN needs to take action

Chris Morthey reports on Myanmar

Darfur food cuts

Zimbabwe updates

testing future posts

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please Jesus step in

Myanmar

Worse Than Hell

UN update on Darfur

comment spaming

CARE Partners with Cargill

how you can feed the hungry by clicking your mouse

Zimbabwe updates