WaterAfrica Presentation: Jennifer

Here is the clip from my portion of WaterAfrica's October 21 presentation:

 

I'll be putting together the rest of the clips and loading them to WaterAfrica's site over the next few days.

Today is BlogAction Day

The topic is Water. 5,000+ bloggers in 140 countries around the world writing about Water.

From the BlogAction site this evening: "Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking a global discussion and driving collective action."

You'd think I could write about water today too. But instead, I used up my brain working on WaterAfrica presentation materials. 

 

So. For my BlogAction Water post.....I invite you to join us at Lake Grove Presbyterian Church next Thursday evening, 7pm. Lots more Water talk then.

My Friend....

I hit a creative slump this week and I need to get past it because our WaterAfrica Zambia trip presentation is October 21. I am supposed to have the media pieces to rough draft form by our planning meeting next Wednesday night. I needed to prime the pump. And so I spent the afternoon putting together a bit of my own story:

 

Untangling a Moment....of Blessing

My twitter feed just ran this from Rich Stearns : "Our charge is to both proclaim and embody the gospel so that others can hear, see, and feel God's love in tangible ways."

I have one more story to write for this blog. It fits because it's about my trip. It fits because it's a story about God's love, care, and purpose blasted into my consciousness with fantastic drama and tangibility. That's been the point of this blog....to tell God's story as it weaves through the details of my life. Particularly as those details carried me to Africa and back.

During my lengthy writing silence here I've often wondered what to do with this blog. I could take it down. But people are still reading it. I could keep writing. But I don't want to bait and switch. People came/come to read about my trip. They don't come to read the random jottings of a stay at home mom. Then again, not many people are coming. That's what not writing will do to a blog. So I guess it's a good time to bend the path a bit. I've got that "one more story" but I'm going to write about something else first.

A couple days ago I wrote to Rute and included pictures from our visit this summer:

David, the boys, and I pray for this little girl and her family every day. They are never far from our hearts and conversations. As the result of a series of life-changing events, choices, and miracles, I found myself in this African village on this August morning. Across the years, the memories, and the miles I came to this moment in time.

And now I am working to untangle the memory.

A couple days ago Jars of Clay released an album with a final song titled Benediction. You can listen to it here.

The lyrics:

Go into the world
Showing how much He loves you
Walk in the world
In merciful ways, He loves you
He loves you

Emmanuel on earth

Yours is the body, the hands and the feet
And Yours are the eyes to look compassionately
To bless you and me, bless you and me
He will bless you and me

Go into the world
Showing how much He loves you
Walk in the world
In meaningful ways, He loves you
He loves you

Emmanuel on earth
God with us on earth

Yours is the body, the hands and the feet
And Yours are the eyes to look compassionately
To bless you and me, bless you and me
He will bless you and me

To bless you and me, bless you and me
To bless you and me

Go into the world
Showing how much He loves you

_____

Yesterday I was listening to Mark 6 (MSG)--

The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves, let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat.

So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke--like sheep without a shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.

When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough--it was now quite late in the day--they interrupted. "We are a long way out in the country, and it's very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper."

Jesus said, "You do it. Fix supper for them."

_____

Pronounce a benediction...A blessing.....Send these folks off....let's get on with the details of our lives.

No. You do it.

BE the blessing.

That's what I heard.

And the crazy, mysterious thing is....across years and memories and miles, in a moment of proclaiming and embodying the love of Christ to this little girl....I looked into the eyes of Emmanuel on earth.