Just listened to a great podcast at The Noble Heart, a conversation with Brian Golter & Gary Barkalow discussing "Search & Rescue", the need for, and roll of a mentor / "sage" in our lives. Inspiring stuff, give her a listen at: http://www.thenobleheart.com/#/podcasts/4539573809

Orphan Statistics

Orphan Statistics

It is estimated there are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide (recent UNICEF report.)

The current population of the United States is just a little over 300 million… to give you an idea of the enormity of the numbers… (The current population of Russia is 141 million)

Every day 5,760 more children become orphans

2,102,400 more children become orphans every year in Africa alone

Every 15 seconds, another child in Africa becomes an AIDS orphan

There are an estimated 14 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa (a number higher than the total of every under-eighteen year old in Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland combined)

This figure is estimated to reach 18 million orphans in Africa alone by 2010 (only two and a half years away)

8 out of 10 children orphaned by AIDS lives in sub-saharan Africa

Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but…

Each year 14, 505, 000 children grow up as orphans and age out of the system by age sixteen

Each day 38,493 orphans age out

Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out with no family to belong to and no place to call home

Heading to Edmonton May 7-11th!

Looking forward to my upcoming trip to Edmonton, AB. I've lived in Alberta for the better part of ten years, so it's a bit of a homecoming each time I make it back to the Prairies. My good friend and former colleague Myron Penner (Myron and I co-authored a book together back in 07 "A Knew Kind of Conversation")has arranged for a number of presentations of Mark's Gospel for the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton. I think Taylor Seminary is also having me present too. Can't wait. Go Flames Go!

fighting fundies

Newport Half Marathon is Coming! Yikes

This is the first time i've ever ventured anything like this, and I'm a getting keyed up. A great place to run, along the Hudson River looking out over Elis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan Skyline! And it's all flat, which is a BIG help. Last night I started getting a percpective on 13 miles as I mapped out how far that would be in relation to places near by my house, thats when fear set in. 13 miles is a long distance! Here is the course I will be running on Sunday.

interview on home 106fm

Yesterday had a little interview on Spring Arbor's College radio station home 106fm here in Spring Arbor, what a great little station. Tonight I do Mark at the College theatre called the "prop shop" should be fun.

Imagine the Bronx!

Had a great time at Fellowship Church in the Bronx two weeks ago, haven't had time to post about it, but I did want to mention this ministry date and the great blessing it was to me. My professor at Alliance Theological Seminary in Manhattan Dr. Louis DeCarro is Pastor of this Church, and invited me to come share the Gospel of Mark with his congregation. His wife is an amazing singer and leader of worship, they really made me feel at home, and I was blessed to see this little Church doing the work of God in this place. Five days a week the ladies of Fellowship Bible run a breakfast kitchen for folks in the neighborhood, and the place is packed everyday! An added bonus was being able to bring my old friend from Grad school Chuck Goodin with me, he ran sound and drove me to and from the city.

Let your light shine!

I've been spending the week with the Salvation Army doing some teaching at their arts conservatory and came across this story. I want to let my light shine like this.

In 1891 The Salvation Army opened its own match factory on Lamprell Street, in Old Ford, London, England, in answer to the pressing social problem of necrosis, popularly known as “phossy jaw”*.

In the match industry the work of making matches was usually done by young women, who hand-dipped the wooden match stems in white phosphorus, a chemical that was very dangerous and potentially fatal. Continuous exposure to this phosphorus on-the-job meant the jaw-bones of workers rotted away, facial skin glowed greenish-white in the dark and eventually led to brain damage. The Army challenged the industry by using non-toxic red phosphorus, providing better working conditions and by paying the workers higher wages.

Before long Army matches, known as “Lights in Darkest England”, caught the imagination of the public and forced the matchmakers to become aware of the social consequences of their work practices. Having accomplished its purpose, the Army closed its factory in 1901, though it took nine years before government legislation ensured that safety matches were indeed safe.