Heading Back to Ethiopia

Look for many postings with lots of photos from the Ethiopia 2012 mission trip taking place between January 29-February 11.  We will be working with the Moriah Development of Ethiopian Children (MDEC) ministry to street boys once again and look forward to sharing with you many exciting sights and experiences from this time.

Please...COME BACK and take a look through the Ethiopia Mission trip postings later in February.

Who am I and what have I learned as I begin 2012

This essay was written by my friend J. Michael Smith.  His thoughts offer good points for reflection for us all as we live our own lives for eternity.  What have you learned?  How are you beginning 2012?

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I am a father, I am deeply loved by God, I am a proud American, and a part of my heart always remains in Ethiopia....

I am a highly motivated and dedicated individual working with other like minded men and women toward a common goal: achieving success with integrity and high moral character. FHTM provides an opportunity for thousands of FHTM Independent Representatives, regardless of education, experience or current financial situation, to reach their goals through hard work, successful sales efforts, personal development, team building...and become leaders in our communities and in our businesses....

I am a restauranteur, I am a team builder, I am a business builder, I am a beach lover, I am a Mountain lover, I am a dreamer, I am a reader, and I am a traveler.

I produce more than I consume. I reject complacency, mediocrity, conformity, and dependency. I am not held captive by fear. I am fueled by vision and passion, governed by principles, guided by ideals and values. I do not succeed through luck. I succeed through conscious effort. I am not entitled to the fruit of another man’s labor. My life, my results are my responsibility. I am not a victim of circumstance. I am a victor by choice and determination. I live by design, not by default. I seek not the stale comfort of a safe harbor, but the thrill of the open sea. While others complain about problems, I create opportunities and solutions. I see abundance where others see scarcity. I am relentlessly innovative. I do not wait for “someday” happiness; I choose happiness now. I am not afraid to act and fail; failure is simply accelerated learning. I value persistence as much as talent and intelligence. I trust my inner voice, not the wisdom of crowds. While others gnaw on the bones of security, I feast on the meat of freedom. While others criticize from couches, I toil in trenches. While others are blaming, I’m busy building. I will not lie in my deathbed tormented by the thought of what might have been. I will leave a legacy of service and contribution. I am a producer.

• I've learned in life that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
• I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
• I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."'
• I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
• I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back sometimes. 
• I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you, but, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
• I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
• I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
• I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
• I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

Bring on 2012... 

"Art for Ethiopia" Needs Your Support

Art for Ethiopia Online Auction Fundraiser

This auction, which runs between November 28 and December 11, 2011, is in support of the Moriah Development of Ethiopian Children Evangelical Ministry (MDEC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The ministry's focus is on serving the street boys of Addis Ababa in a holistic way: physical, spiritual, emotional and educational. There are an estimated 60-100,000 people living on the streets of Addis Ababa alone, and MDEC is playing a very important role in helping the least of our brethren to rise above the difficult circumstances of homelessness and hopelessness in this very poor country. All art selections are framed unless otherwise noted in corresponding descriptions.

I have personally watched the growth of this young ministry and the dedication the staff members, many of whom are volunteers, have toward meeting street boys where they are, introducing them to Jesus Christ, and serving them in many life-changing ways.  They currently have three family-style homes where roughly two dozen former street boys are now living.  They have been enrolled in school, provided shelter, clothing and love.  Additionally, they serve breakfast with Bible study five mornings a week to several dozen boys still living on the streets.

This is a young ministry that was begun by college students only about five years ago.  Some of the founders had once been sponsored children themselves, thus understanding full well the ravages of poverty and hopelessness on a person's spirit, mind and body.  Yet they had been set free by the redeeming power of Christ Jesus, and it was inside of their souls to carry on in service to others.

So, I do hope that you will visit the auction, bid on one or more pieces of artwork you see there.  Tell your friends, relatives, work colleagues, neighbors, acquaintances, and everyone you possibly can that they, too, can bid on some beautiful pieces of art and support a great and worthy cause.  We can all come out winners in this auction!

These are only a few samples of some of the beautiful pieces you will find up for bid at Art for Ethiopia. Please...stop in today and get in on the action. Support the cause. Help the Moriah boys! You'll be so glad you did!.

These are just some of the boys you can help by your participation in this fundraising event.
They are Fromsa, Sintayehu, Cayu, John, Masresha, Bereket, Caeleb and Solomon.

Even Children Need to Eat!

Imagine, when my brother and sister were barely more than toddlers, they had to find their way in the world.  While most children were eating spaghettios and hot dogs, Susie and Doug were hunting for small game.  Just look at this lucious bunch of squirrels they'd be preparing for a grateful family later that night!  Ummmmm...

When I came along, the folks were a little less trusting about putting a firearm in my hands, so they sent me off with rod and reel to bring home the bac...er' fish.  Seeing as I was not so fond of the smelly, slimy creatures, I did the wet, dirty work of catching them, but used the good common sense God gave me and donned gloves before I'd touch 'em.  I always thought cows were more suitable fare, but they told me the brown trout was delicious.

Now, all these years later, I steer clear of squirrel and fish.  But I still gotta survive, right?  So I eat Ethiopian food with my good friends in Addis Ababa.  Woohoo!

Letting My Alter Ego Out

Do you have an alter ego?  Sometimes ya just gotta let it out and, well, Halloween is as good a time as any for such an endeavor.



Me in my element, sharing a light moment on Lake Awassa in Ethiopia in early 2011.  The real me?



Or...sharing the inner me.  I'm the one in front.  What do you think?



 

Hidden Beauty

I did something this past Saturday that I hadn't done in 44 years.  (Imagine that...a woman giving indication of her age!).  I visited Luray Caverns in western Virginia with a good friend.  While I remembered being intrigued by the caverns even as a young child all those years ago, I decided that perhaps I couldn't quite understand the true beauty of this natural setting at that young age.  In fact, what I saw was quite spectacular.



That's some great looking limestone behind me.


When I visit my favorite exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution's Natural History Museum, I am always awed by the fact that so many rocks look like roundish, gray, uninteresting...well...rocks.  That is, until they are cut open to reveal the wonders of beautiful agates, quartz and many more varieties.

That is the same feeling I had when I visited Luray's caverns.  To think, just a few dozen feet above, the countryside looks like anyplace else where there are rolling hills covered by trees and perhaps some farmland.  Maybe even a few homes dot the covering scenery.  But just under the surface, the limestone filling the earth has opened chambers and passageways and with the help of rainwater seeping through, formed stalactites draping themselves down from above.  In fact, in some areas, these stalactites are even referred to as drapes.



Notice the texture in these drapes.  They look, even on close view, almost like hardened fabric.  Yet they are rock formations in all different shades due to varying degrees of calcium and other mineral elements that make them up. 



The stalactites, over thousands, even millions, of years drop moisture onto the ground, just as a melting icicle does on the side of a building, and stalagmites grow from the sediment that forms.  In the end, what is created is a glorious, natural wonder where even the small lake is so clear that it mirrors the beauty above it so much that it's difficult to know that there is water there at all.

This is an accurate depiction of Dream Lake, the largest body of water in Luray Caverns.  At its deepest, it is only about 20 inches. 

Andrew Campbell, William Campbell, and Benton Stebbins discovered this natural wonder because cold air came blowing out of a sinkhole in 1878.  They quickly began digging and, within four hours, found more than their imagination could have conjured up.  Within only a few months time, they began offering the first tours of the location, which is still the largest series of discovered caverns in the eastern part of the United States.  Today, the walk through these caverns, about 75% of which is now open to the public, covers about a mile and a quarter.

Just imagine how many more things are yet to be discovered in this beautiful world God created.  The possibilities are truly limitless.


Enjoy one more view of this amazing wonder of nature.  Put this on your tour list.  It's worth it!

Doing What I Hate

Romans 7:14-16
Good News Translation (GNT)

The Conflict in Us

 ¹⁴ We know that the Law is spiritual; but I am a mortal, sold as a slave to sin.^{15 (A)}I do not understand what I do; for I don't do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate.¹⁶ Since what I do is what I don't want to do, this shows that I agree that the Law is right.

This brief post is not all about spiritual laws and my inability to live up to them because I am a mere human, although the title of this piece brought that reference to mind.

You see, about a month ago, I signed up to take advantage of my company's gym.  To most people, I don't look terribly unfit, but I know that my body can definitely use some toning and shaping.  That, of course, means that I need to undertake some efforts that I haven't been making for far too long.  I need to exercise more, eat smaller portions and motivate myself to change the habits I've developed over time.  You know, those habits that allow me to happily vegitate in front of the TV in the evenings or websurf for far too long when the TV lineup is boring.

Anyway, the first week, I visited the gym every other evening and worked out hard for one hour and 15 minutes each time I went.  The 2nd week, I nearly kept pace with the first.  The third week, I dropped to a couple of visits, and by the fourth week, I'd sunk to one workout in the middle of the week.  Mind you, every time, I still hit it hard for an hour and 15 minutes.  Still, motivating myself to get into workout attire, go back to the company gym (which is very close to my home), work out when my energy is ebbing, well...I've simply let the little guy with the pitchfork and pointy tail standing on my left shoulder convince me that I don't need to go when I'm tired or not feelin' it.

Thus, the Bible verse above smacks me right between the eyeballs. "I do not understand what I do; for I don't do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate."  That about sums it up.  I hate that too often I sit around being lazy when I know I want to get into better shape.  Considering Paul's words in Romans 7, I guess I fall into good company.  On the other hand, I have to agree with him.  I know what is right, even while I do just the opposite.

Fortunately, the old cliche, "knowing and doing are two different things," can be the start of changing my tune.  Why not rewrite that to "knowing leads to doing that which is right?"  Hey, I think I've created a new mantra.  Ask me in a month how I'm "doing".