Why I love Baccalaureate

Posted on 23. Jun, 2010 by kchristieh in education, religion

The night before my oldest child graduated from La Canada High School, our family attended the community-wide Baccalaureate ceremony at our local Catholic church, St. Bede the Venerable. The ecumenical ceremony included prayers, music, a featured speaker, and student speakers of different faiths. I’d never attended such a service, but I really appreciated having a chance to:

• Take time out to reflect upon what matters in life;
• Reflect upon how our children can make our world a better place;
• Appreciate the faith journeys of students of different faiths;
• Find our common ground;
• Gather together as a community of Seniors and their families. Graduation is so crowded, and so rushed afterwards. My best conversations with fellow parents, some of whom I’d met when our kids attended preschool together, occurred at Baccalaureate.

When I spoke to the organizer, she said that she’d tried to get student speakers from more faiths, but that some religious communities either didn’t have any teens they thought would speak or chose not to participate. I offered to help identify students that might be inspirational speakers when she organizes next year’s ceremony.

I’m all for separation of church and state, but I think that was adequately satisfied by holding this off-campus and making it completely optional. Also, because it was ecumenical, it wasn’t pushing one faith over another. I didn’t count, but I think about 1/3 of the students from the graduating class attended.

I meant to blog about this earlier, but I’ve been very busy. I finally did, however, because not only did I see a Facebook thread discussing it, but I hosted friends from Pakistan this morning who spoke about how they organize a big event after Ramadan to bring Christians and Muslims together. We’re so fortunate to live in a country where getting along is a blessing, and not critical for survival.

New website launched: LCPC

Posted on 13. Jun, 2010 by kchristieh in religion, work

After years of whining that my church needed a new website, I finally put my hours where my mouth is and redesigned the website for La Cañada Presbyterian Church.

I customized a premium Wordpress theme, WP-Genius by Solostream. The site has over 133 pages and dozens of posts, which are mostly for events. It also includes six different templates. I migrated years worth of past podcasts, presentations and videos from the old site to the new site. I integrated Google calendars for each ministry area, Formstack forms for event sign-ups and website editing requests, Flickr slideshows for photo albums, and Vimeo for embedding videos.

Besides creating an easy-to-navigate, informative, attractive site that complements the new church logo, my main goal in this project is to delegate the daily maintenance of the site to church staff and other volunteers. I spent countless hours creating a detailed Wordpress instruction page, and have held four training sessions thus far for people who will update the site. I don’t expect to completely extricate myself from the process, but I’d like to be called on only when necessary.

It’s a work-in-progress, but I think it’s pretty cool.

Watch parables come to life

Posted on 07. Apr, 2010 by kchristieh in religion

I’m a visual person. I’m far more likely to remember an image I see than words I read. That’s why I love the 36 Parables video series. This innovative project is bringing the parables of Jesus to life via short films.

These films are well-made and thought-provoking. They’re not at all dorky, and their messages have really stuck with me. Here’s one of my favorites: “Sean”, about a boy who’s in big trouble at school. It’s based on the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6-9)

The 36 Parables blog advises that you view the movie first, then read the passage it’s based on, then watch it again. I found that to be especially potent, as it helped me to internalize the message of the video and of the parable better.

Which one is your favorite?

Happy Easter

Posted on 04. Apr, 2010 by kchristieh in religion

As seen at La Canada Presbyterian Church this morning. People bring flowers from their gardens to adorn the cross.

“The Life of Christ” – Painting by Ayres Houghtelling

Posted on 04. Apr, 2010 by kchristieh in art, religion

Jesus fit a lot into the short time he ministered here on Earth, and Ayres Houghtelling did an excellent job of conveying the most important events in one painting, “The Life of Christ”. My grandparents had a print of “The Life of Christ” hanging in their home when I was growing up, and I loved it so much I found my own copy on Ebay a few years ago. I wish that my photo of the print did it more justice, because its incredible details draw you in as your eye follows key events in Christ’s life.

The Life of Christ by Ayres Houghtelling

Houghtelling called this technique of visualizing a series of events on one canvas an “art-told tale”, and it’s the same technique he used for the Alice in Wonderland painting I recently blogged about.

I found the article below from the Dec. 22, 1948 Norwalk (CT) Hour via Google’s impressive archives:

From the Norwalk (CT) Hour, Dec. 22, 1948

It explains that before even starting the painting, Houghtelling spent six months preparing himself mentally and spiritually, studying the New Testament and determining his concept of the characters and the continuity of the scene. The painting was ultimately praised by prominent religious leaders including Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, who wrote that, “This beautiful picture evidences deep and reverent knowledge of the life and mission of the Saviour and inspires one to prayer and meditation.” Another article in the Google archives, from page 23 of the the , says that the original painting depicts Christ 46 times in a span of 40 ” x 30″. It was scheduled to be displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York later that Spring, and was featured in Collier’s magazine the following winter. The article said that his next project was slated to be a pictorial depiction of “Treasure Island.”

After I blogged about “Alice in Wonderland”, I was honored to hear from Houghtelling’s widow, Lydia Houghtelling. She says the following about “The Life of Christ”:

It was his first attempt at painting in an allegorical style and he thought that if he could paint the entire life of Christ in that style, then he could do anything. He spent a year on Marco Island (before it became a settled community), researching and painting it. It was viewed in the Crowell-Colliers Boardroom by Cardinal Francis Spellman who wrote a lovely letter commending the painting…After it was published, Ayres’ agent told him that the painting had perished in a warehouse fire….That was then…years later, when we had met and married, he decided to redo his Life of Christ ….and also painted another beautiful painting, Restaurare Omnia in Christo…representing the Renaissance of Christ.

Mrs. Houghtelling generously sent me some absolutely amazing cameo prints that her husband painted after the original “Alice in Wonderland” painting. I’ll share them with you in a later post.

Have a wonderful Easter, and I hope that you are inspired by this incredible painting.

Video of Kara Powell speaking on “Graduating from Faith” (Part 1)

Posted on 08. Mar, 2010 by kchristieh in religion

Who do teens say provide the most support to them? Parents or friends? What percentage of kids leave their faith behind when they leave high school? What characterizes kids who don’t leave their faith behind?

Find the answers to these and more by viewing Kara Powell’s great presentation from yesterday’s Growing Families talk at La Canada Presbyterian Church. I even purchased a Vimeo account so that I could post a 38-minute video. Mark your calendar for her next talk at 9:30 am on March 28th.

from on .

Location: La Canada Presbyterian Church (LCPC)

Date: March 7, 2010

Guest speaker: Kara E. Powell, Ph.D. Executive Director, Fuller Youth Institute, Fuller Theological Seminary

Description:

“As leaders, parents, and grandparents, we do all we can to help kids develop a faith that lasts. Yet according to research conducted by the Fuller Youth Institute, somewhere between one-third and one-half of graduating seniors pick up their diplomas and ditch their faith. Why is that? And equally important, what can we do NOW when kids are in preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, and college to help them develop sticky faith? Regardless of how old or young the kids you care about are, come and learn all sorts of practical tips that you can apply immediately to help kids develop a faith that sticks for the long haul.”

Dr. Kara E. Powell serves as an Assistant Professor in Youth and Family Ministry and the Executive Director of the Center for Youth and Family Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary. Prior to that, Kara was an Assistant Professor of Youth Ministry and Practical Theology at Azusa Pacific University.

In addition to her roles at Fuller Seminary, Kara currently volunteers in student ministries at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena. She was also college pastor at Lake Avenue Church from 1995-1998 and was the Associate Youth Minister at San Diego First Assembly of God from 1991-1995. During college, Kara gained an ongoing commitment to church/parachurch partnerships during her time on Young Life Student Staff in the Stanford area.

Kara is the co-author of Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, as well as many other books on youth and women’s ministries.

Kara is also a regular speaker at Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Conventions, Forest Home Christian Conference Center, as well as retreats and conferences across the country.

How does Tim Tebow offend and Danica Patrick doesn’t?

Posted on 07. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in advertising, religion, things that bug me

For weeks, I’ve been hearing about how offensive was going to be. A coalition of women’s groups called on CBS not to run the ad.

When I finally saw the commercial, I was indeed stunned: I couldn’t believe the brouhaha was over this.

Here’s the script. What’s offensive about it?

Tim Tebow’s mother: “I call him my miracle baby. He almost didn’t make it into this world. I can remember so many times when I almost lost him. It was so hard. Well, he’s all grown up now, and I STILL worry about his health. You know, with all our family’s been through, we have to be tough!”
[Tim Tebow comes out of the side of the screen and tackles her.]
Mom: “Timmy! We’re trying to tell our story here.”
Tim: “Sorry about that, Mom! Do you still worry about me, Mom?”
Mom: “Well yeah! You’re not nearly as tough as I am!”
For the full Tebow story, go to FocusOnTheFamily.com.

Frankly, I could have filmed that commercial. My son was in neonatal for eight days after he was born, and I didn’t get to hold him until he was five days old. I still worry about him, especially when he plays football, and with good reason. He used to tackle me when he was two years old, and I’m glad he doesn’t anymore.

Where’s the feminist outrage over the GoDaddy commercial where Danica Patrick gets a massage from a woman who rips off her shirt to declare that she’d be a great GoDaddy girl (and if you see the internet version, dances like a skank)? Is this what “equal rights” means? Or how about the , where Kim Kardashian seduces a salad and winds up eating it in a bathtub? And speaking of bathtubs, how about the Motorola commercial where the woman takes a picture of herself and sends it over the internet, including to a young boy behind a closed door? So much for all the anti-sexting lectures we give our kids!

My husband and I have long disagreed about abortion: he’s pro-choice, and I’m pro-life. But even he’s stunned by the negative reaction to this ad. It’s sad when something this benign is slammed, even as people close their eyes to other offensive material playing all around them.

A few more notes:

Check out the Focus on the Family link. Tim Tebow’s parents talk about how they were advised to get an abortion because of medical problems. They chose not to, because they had faith that God had a plan for their baby. Later in the interview, when asked what she’d tell a young woman who’s pregnant and thinking of aborting her baby, Tim’s mother says,

“I would say that baby’s not a mistake, even though it might seem that way to her, and that God will enable her to do the right thing, and to give her the encouragement she needs, that there’s also help for her, and there’s help that she doesn’t even know about yet. There’s so many people, so many pregnancy crisis centers across the country just waiting to encourage someone in her position. And girls have those options. They have a choice.”

Isn’t it ironic that pro-choice people are complaining that someone is reminding people that they have a choice?

By the way, I’ve been switching accounts away from GoDaddy ever since I saw one of their offensive commercials a few years ago. These days, I choose Bluehost.com instead. They’ve got great customer service, and are good for not only regular websites but for Wordpress installations.

The Westboro Baptist Church forgets that God is love

Posted on 29. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in religion

Here’s a shout-out to the students, parents, staff and supporters of Gunn High School in Palo Alto, CA for protesting the demonstration by the members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church. These insensitive, hateful people had the nerve to tell the Gunn community that the reason that five of their students had recently committed suicide was that they failed to obey God.

“You’ll be in front of the train next! God laughs at your calamity!” shouted Margie Phelps, wearing an American flag as a skirt.

The daughter of Westboro Church founder Fred Phelps, she said that the Gunn students died because they failed to obey God, and now live in hell.

This story literally made me cry. I can’t fathom the pain that Gunn has gone through, and am completely appalled that anyone would try to drive such a knife through that hurt. The fact that these people call themselves Christian is shameful and embarrassing, and I hope that people realize that the Westboro Baptist Church does NOT represent the viewpoint of mainstream Christianity.

When the church members (oh, it hurts to call them that!) sang ugly lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” students countered with “All You Need is Love.”

They get it. Just like the rest of us, Gunn students need love. The God I embrace is a God of love, not a God of hate.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (I John 4:8)

After the Gunn protest, the WBC folks (better label!) went to the Stanford campus to protest in front of the Jewish student center, Hillel. They wanted to tell Hillel students that they too were destined for Hell. I’m so proud of the Stanford response: over 1,000 people showed up in solidarity to let the WBC know that their hatred wasn’t welcome on campus. The band and the Tree were even there.

“I just wanted to come out and show them that being a Christian isn’t about hate, it’s about love,” said Monica Alcazar, a Stanford freshman and Gunn graduate.

I wish I could have been there.

Links:

• “Protestors at Gunn, Stanford confront ‘God hates America’ group” (San Jose Mercury News)
• “Op-Ed: Westboro: A Christian Response” (The Stanford Daily)
• “A Few Comments on Westboro Baptist Church’s Visits to Stanford and Gunn High School” (Fiat Lux blog)

Christmas caroling at any age

Posted on 10. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in music, my life, religion

This past weekend I sang Christmas carols at a local nursing home with junior high kids and fellow youth group leaders from our church. I vividly remember doing this with my high school youth group, and I wanted to do what I love and hopefully cheer people up at the same time.

I think they enjoyed our visit; they smiled and thanked us at the end. It was a lot like how I remember it was in high school, but with one exception: it was all I could do not to cry. At least I knew the songs by heart, so when my eyes welled-up it didn’t matter that I couldn’t see the page as easily. I live a life that’s so sheltered from the difficulty and isolation that can accompany aging, and it was overwhelming to see that all of the residents were in wheelchairs, and that some clutched dolls and stuffed animals but still looked so alone.

At first I thought it was because I’m 30 years older than I was in high school. I’m closer to most of these people in age than I am to the junior high kids who sang with us.

But this evening, one of the junior high school girls told me that she’d had a hard time not crying too. And a high school girl told me that she’s surprised at how emotional she gets at times.

So I won’t over-analyze my reaction. I’m grateful for the blessings that allow me not to have to visit or live in a nursing home, and for the people who opened up their lives to us this weekend and allowed us to sing. I don’t know what the next 30 (or 60, or whatever) years hold, but I hope I always appreciate a good Christmas carol.

Next time we’ve got to bring jingle bells…

The dolls to the right remind me of my sister. Not only does she love little dolls like these, but her singing voice is identical to mine. We’re the alto sisters who grew up in NJ but moved to CA. Too bad our voices aren’t super-amazing, because maybe we could take our act on the road. In the meantime, I can’t wait for her to visit so we can sing next to each other on Christmas Eve.  :)

Did my ancestor need to apologize to the Indians?

Posted on 29. Nov, 2009 by kchristieh in history, religion

If my kids were to construct a physical family tree to reflect what we know of their ancestors, it would be incredibly lopsided. My husband can barely trace his ancestors back to his great grandparents, whereas I can trace at least one branch of my family tree back to the late 1500’s. One of my more famous ancestors was Everardus Bogardus, who was the second minister of the Reformed Dutch Church in New Amsterdam, which we now know as New York.

So it was with great interest that I read that Rev. Robert Chase from Collegiate Church, which is the current incarnation of the Reformed Dutch Church, Indians for the church’s role in their massacre and displacement. (see the to the right)

“We consumed your resources, dehumanized your people and disregarded your culture, along with your dreams, hopes and great love for this land,” the Rev. Robert Chase told descendants from both sides. “With pain, we the Collegiate Church, remember our part in these events.”

As a center of the new colony, it’s not surprising that the church would have played a role in persecuting the Indians. Still, it was disappointing to envision an ancestor of mine playing such a big role in it. Fortunately, I found an article about Everardus Bogardus that says that he actually was kind to the Indians.

Before arriving in New Amsterdam in 1633, The Dutch minister had served as a ‘ziekentrooster’ (comforter of the sick) on the Guinea coast. While there, he developed a concern for the spiritual condition of Africans that carried over into his dealings with New Amsterdam’s West Africans. In 1636, Bogardus pleaded for a schoolmaster to be sent from Holland. As New Amsterdam’s minister, he routinely married African men and women and baptized their children, and made a great effort to welcome Africans into New Amsterdam’s Reformed Protestant Church.

…

Everardus Bogardus was a controversial figure in more than one way. He was at odds with one of the settlement’s first leaders, Willem Kieft. Bogardus denounced Kieft from his pulpit due to Kieft’s decisions to initiate wars with the local Indians.

I wish I could meet my ancestors. It’d be amazing to see firsthand what their lives were like and why they made the decisions they did.

I found a website dedicated to tracing descendancy to Everardus Bogardus and his wife Anneke. It says there are probably a million people who can claim them as ancestors. I wonder if this is true. If so, it shows that many of us are more related than we ever imagined. The website also puts to rest rumors that Anneke was descended from King William the Silent in Holland. I always wondered how I could descend from someone who was silent. Instead, it turns out she was born in Norway. That adds yet another country to my list of Northern European countries I descend from, so that’s cool.

The antidote to “Black Friday”

Posted on 27. Nov, 2009 by kchristieh in non-profits, religion, shopping

I’m burning out on rampant consumerism, and am trying to be more careful about how I spend my money in a tight economy. I found no reason to drag myself out of bed early this morning to join the throngs of people hitting the stores early to take advantage of the latest bargains.

Instead, here’s what I’m excited about: the LCPC Christmas Market. I’ve been helping my church, La Canada Presbyterian Church, with its alternative Christmas market for several years. You’re probably familiar with the concept: instead of buying a physical gift for a relative, teacher, client, etc., you buy something such as a goat, school supplies, tuition, etc. for someone who really needs it in your friend’s honor.

For the past few years, I’ve created a long online list of all the items available, with a PayPal button for each. It wasn’t very elegant, since you’d have to hit “back” every time you added something to your cart if you wanted to purchase something else. But none of the ecommerce packages I’d ever used – Yahoo Stores, GoEMerchant, Volusion, Miva Merchant – were cost and time-effective enough to bother with. This year I finally found the solution I’ve been looking for: BigCommerce. I had a blast creating this year’s online Christmas Market with BigCommerce, and am enjoying using it for other clients. After living through the creation and launch of eToys so many years ago, it’s mind-boggling how quickly and effectively I can now launch an online store.

Please visit the LCPC Christmas Market and put this year’s holiday dollars to good use!

Over 60 Ways to Help a Sick Friend or Relative

Posted on 16. Aug, 2009 by kchristieh in health, religion

This weekend my husband’s youngest sister found out she has acute myeloid leukemia. She entered the hospital today, and if the doctors determine she’s up for it, she’ll start intensive chemotherapy tomorrow.

Unfortunately, she lives halfway across the country. We’re praying a lot for her, but we’d like to find more ways to help and support her. I’m not an expert in these matters, so I turned to Google and compiled the following list of ways to help a friend or relative who’s sick:

• Be supportive without expecting anything in return. In particular, don’t burden them with your problems.
• Listen more than you talk.
• Don’t judge them because of their illness. Have compassion.
• Don’t try to take over their life.
• Keep in touch, even via phone.
• Send notes and cards frequently.
• Allow the person to be scared, and to cry.
• Keep your emotions under control. You don’t want to add to their burden by making them worrry about how you’re handling their situation.
• If you talk for a long time and they’re in the right state of mind, share stories from your life, so that they can stay in touch with the outside world and have news to pass on to others.
• Take pictures or videos of family or social events they can’t attend.
• Learn more about the patient’s illness or disease so you can understand what they’re talking about.
• Offer to create and maintain a page on CaringBridge or CarePages that will help keep friends updated and will allow those friends to communicate their get well wishes on.
• Ask people who are in touch with the patient if they can think of anything you might be able to do.
• Offer to pray with the person, if that’s appropriate.
• Let the person complain about what their doctor has instructed them to do, but encourage them to follow the instructions.

If you can visit,

• Call first to see if you can come.
• Learn about the patient’s condition and about their illness before you visit.
• Wash your hands and sanitize them before you touch the patient or anything you plan to give to them.
• Don’t stay longer than 15-20 minutes.
• Avoid close contact so you don’t spread disease.
• Turn off your cellphone, or at least the ringer. Give your attention to the patient, not to your cellphone.
• Be willing to sit and listen. Even watch tv. Your mere presence will be appreciated.
• Ask to see what you can cook them for dinner. Bring it in disposable containers. Better yet, organize a calendar so that friends can make sure that food deliveries are spread out evenly.
• Offer to do specific tasks such as: minor home repairs, care for pets, mow the lawn, drive the kids, wash windows, buy groceries, help set up for the holidays, buy birthday gifts, etc.
• Ask the patient and their family “What needs to be done?” instead of “What can I do?” They might not realize the extent of your capabilities or connections to others who may help.
• Tell them when you’re available to help. If you say you’re available on Tuesday morning, for example, they might ask you to pick up a prescription that’s ready then.
• Offer to read to the patient.
• Patients interviewed on various websites mentioned that they appreciated when someone brought perfume, a coloring book and crayons (from a granddaughter), music, magazines, knitting supplies, candy, flowers, books, lotion, Chapstick, gum, socks, t-shirt, phone card, a notebook, and non-hospital food. Of course, make sure it’s ok for the patient to have something before you bring it.
• Offer to give the patient a manicure, a pedicure or a massage.
• Bring healthy snacks and non-alcoholic, caffeine-free beverages.
• If they’re not allowed outside, bring them fall leaves, winter snow or spring flowers.
• If they can go out, take them for a ride.
• Ask them if there’s anyone that you can contact for them.
• Give them frozen cookies or brownies that they can either eat when they’re feeling better or that they can offer to guests.
• Let them know they look great, all things considered.
• Let them know you admire their strength.
• Offer to write thank you notes and cards.
• Give the person a chance to discuss their spiritual concern by saying something like, “It’s difficult to be sick and not have control, isn’t it?”
• Offer a shoulder to lean on if the person needs to walk as either exercise or to visit the lavatory.
• If it’s appropriate, bring humor and a light mood to them. Laughter can be a terrific medicine.

If you visit them in the hospital,

• Speak to the nurses first to prepare yourself for the condition they’ll be in, and to see if there are any special instructions regarding what you can bring into their room.
• If the door is closed, check with the nurse before you open it.
• Don’t wake a sleeping patient before checking with a nurse first. It’s probably best if you wait until they wake up or if you leave a note and visit later.
• Give them privacy. If they’re being attended to by doctors or nurses, you should probably leave the room.
• Show respect for the doctors and nurses, no matter what your past experience has been.
• If the room is crowded, it’s probably best to come back another time.
• Sit down in a chair.
• Offer to refill the water pitcher, answer the telephone, or call a nurse if necessary.
• Ask doctors and nurses to explain things you don’t understand. Have faith in them.

Here’s a list of what NOT to do:

• Don’t ask them how they’re doing. This one puzzled me, but the explanation that Associated Content gave makes sense: “You already know how they are. They’re in the hospital and don’t need the extra frustration of having to answer a question that has an obvious answer. People naturally use the phrase “how are you” to start a conversation. Using that phrase when we know what the answer is going to be can be annoying and aggravating for someone who is ill. Also remember that the majority of people in the hospital are usually being administered pain medications. The effects of these medications alone are enough to irritate someone.”
• Don’t offer unsolicited medical advice. Of course, if they ask your opinion, give it. But be aware that they’ve already got medical professionals advising them, and what works for you or someone else you know might not work for them.
• Don’t second-guess the doctor.
• Don’t visit the patient or a hospital if you have symptoms of an illness that might be contagious.
• Don’t promise them that God will bring total healing.
• Don’t say “God wouldn’t give you something you can’t handle.” It makes it sound like the patient is being targeted with bad things by God.
• Don’t gossip or relay bad news.
• Don’t delve into their personal life.
• Don’t tell them you know how they feel. You probably don’t, and even if you do, who cares? It’s not about you, it’s about them. Just listen to them, and don’t be judgmental.
• Don’t visit if you’ll increase the patient’s stress or anxiety.
• Don’t expect the patient to entertain you. They should not be expected to keep you occupied.
• Don’t smoke, even if you step outside to do so. The lingering smell may make the person nauseous.

Remember, everyone’s different. Although the above suggestions may work for most people most of the time, remember that everyone’s personality and situation are different.

PS – If I’m ever really sick, please make sure I have a Kindle to read. Hopefully a hospital would allow it. I think that would be a great way to have books, magazines and newspapers without having to worry about the germs they might carry.

White House | Black Market vs. Pakistan

Posted on 08. Aug, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, international, religion

Sometimes I think my brain has a brick wall between its different sections. Sometimes that’s bad, but sometimes it’s necessary in order to fully process what’s going on.

For example, the other day I was waiting to see whether my daughter liked a shirt at White House | Black Market when my cellphone started its merry little ringtone. It was my friend Majid, who’s a pastor in Lahore, Pakistan. He told me about an awful massacre of Christians in Gojra, a village near Lahore. We had an imperfect connection, not only because he was in Pakistan but because I was in the heart of the Glendale Galleria, but even as I gave thumbs-up to my daughter’s clothing selection, I heard about how a mob of 1,000 burned nearly 150 homes, killing 11 people. It was surreal to hear of such horror even as I stood in such a safe and comfortable place.

Majid said that the people of his church are not only giving aid to survivors of the attack, but on August 11th they’re going to bravely protest the government’s mistreatment of religious minorities. August 11th had already been declared a national holiday commemorating the anniversary of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s 1947 speech calling for impartial government, religious freedom, rule of law, and equality for all, so it’s fitting that this would be a day to protest for these things.

These people are very brave to protest, and deserve all the prayers and support that people can give them. I hope it makes a difference.

Links:

• Were Pakistan’s Deadly Gojra Riots Enough to Provoke Change? Widespread outrage might lead to reconsideration of country’s blasphemy law or other reforms. (Christianity Today)
• Pakistan churches to hold day of protest on August 11 (Presbyterian Outlook)
• Pakistani Christians Stage Protest Rallies after Violence (Assist News Service)
• Violence against Christian Minority in Gorja City, Punjab Province (ACT International, which is also raising funds to help displaced villagers)
• Majid’s Church
• Proud of being Pakistani? & Flames of Hate (great blog posts with more details about the attack and the current situation in Pakistan)
• (shows how close it is to Lahore)

Here’s part of a message I received from Majid today. He said it was ok to publish it here, since he wants to get the word out about this tragedy.

The Gojra Tragedy is another shameful incidence of religious intolerance and violence against minorities in Pakistan. This is not the first time that the fanatics/ extremist amongst the majority community have committed serious acts of aggression and murder against the minority groups for no fault of theirs.

The brutal attack on Christians in a village called Korian near Gojra town on 31st July 2009 where more than 50 houses were burnt and the people were terrorized on the pretext of desecrating the Holy Quran which in fact never took place.

After two days the Christians living in Gojra town were attacked and seven members of a family were burnt alive, two shot dead and their houses were burnt completely.

An emergent meeting of all Church leaders and primary members of the community was called on 3rd August 2009 at NCCP Ecumenical Center and unanimously condemned the incident of Korian and Gojra.

It was further resolved that the NCCP along with the Catholic Bishop Conference and representatives of the community at large urge the Government and Parliament from the day that the Blasphemy Law was enacted, hundreds of Christians were subjected to prison and torture of no fault of theirs.

It was also resolved that the leaders of the community with the support of the community at large demand the government to repeal the 295 B & C and save the community from religious fanatics and terrorists. For decades these acts of extremism and intolerance have taken place in Shanti Nagar, Sangla Hill, Bahawalpur, Taxila, Murree, Bamian Wala, Kasur and now Gojra and many other places.

It was decided that a protest and prayer meeting be held of all the churches on 11th August, 2009 at Naulakha Church, Lahore in remembrance of the martyrs of Gojra as an expression of solidarity with the Gojra victims.

“Hernandez Quesadilla Salad” launches at Los Gringos Locos in La Canada

Posted on 09. Jul, 2009 by kchristieh in food, religion

If I get to Heaven and God says I can eat whatever I want, I’ll choose the following:

• A Hobee’s omelette and coffee cake for breakfast
• The “Hernandez Quesadilla Salad” from Los Gringos Locos for lunch
• My mom’s amazing sausage lasagne for dinner
• Mint chocolate chip ice cream mixed with brownies for dessert.

But since I’m here on Earth, I’m still determined to eat healthy food, so I’ll just stick to the “Hernandez Quesadilla Salad.” I think that Los Gringos Locos manager/owner Bent Hansen, my amiga Jody Platisa and I did a fantastic job of concocting the best salad north of the Rio Grande. I won the opportunity to develop a new dish at this year’s LCF Educational Foundation gala. It’s a win-win-win: the Foundation gets $1 every time it’s ordered for the next year, Los Gringos gets more business, and I get to finally eat a healthy, tasty Mexican salad.

The salad consists of two grilled tortillas with melted cheddar cheese between them, covered with romaine lettuce, an avocado pico de gallo salsa and the yummiest marinated grilled chicken strips you’ll ever taste. It’s served with a spicy tomatillo dressing on the side. I knew we’d done a good job, but when I had it the other day I was blown away by how amazing it is. I could eat it every day. Truly. I hope they keep it on the menu when the year is up.

Check it out! Here’s a picture of last year’s Foundation president, Deborah Weirick, me, and Bent, posing with the famous salad. It ran with this week’s Outlook article.

Check out the Valley Sun article. Ruth Longoria actually came down to Los Gringos Locos and took an action shot of me actually eating the salad. Too funny. It could have been a much worse picture, so I’m ok with it.

I can’t wait to eat the salad again!

What is your calling?

Posted on 06. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in quotes, religion, work

I had the privilege of speaking about my website design business at the 8th grade career day at the La Canada High School junior high school just over a week ago. After my sessions were over, I volunteered to take some pictures of Todd Johnson, a Fuller Theological Seminary professor, speaking to a group of kids. I know Todd already, so I knew he’d be wonderful, but I was curious to see how he’d handle a theological discussion in a public school.

He was perfect. He was very diplomatic, and stuck to the questions that the kids asked him. I was struck by how interested the kids were in deeper faith issues. I wish our kids had more opportunities to discuss theology. The Mormon church and Catholic schools do a wonderful job of this, but my kids don’t attend either of those. My teens get great support for questions of faith and life issues, but they don’t have as much of a biblical education as I wish they would. It’ll be interesting to see if they pursue that in college.

Anyway, I actually wrote down my favorite quote from Todd:

“Your calling is where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.”

May we all find our calling.

It is a great quote, orginially from theologian Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking “…Vocation is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet…”

26 Great Things About My Church

Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, international, religion

There are so many reasons I love La Canada Presbyterian Church: the beliefs, the people, the programs. Today I was reminded that I also love how much our church reaches out to the world. I’m constantly amazed by how many people at our church take on so much. Here’s the list of 26 upcoming events I put on the Outreach portion of our church website this evening:

• Sat., May 2nd:
  Mother-daughter-friend lunch
• Wed., May 6th:
  Scott Chamberlain speaks at Pastor’s Bible Study
• Sun., May 10th:
  • Sign up for a Go Journey on the patio
  • Rev. Bob Engel preaches: “Starting Churches in L.A.”
  • A Light Lunch at LCPC with the Women of the Walter Hoving Home
• Wed., May 13th:
  Rudy Carrasco speaks at Pastor’s Bible Study
• Sat., May 16th
  • Make Breakfast for Inner-City Church Planters
  • Work Projects with World Impact
• Sun., May 17th:
  • Sign up for a Go Journey on the patio
  • Philip Lotspeich preaches: “How Can God Use LCPC to Start New Congregations?”
• Thurs., May 21st:
  Tour After-School Tutoring Program
• Mon., May 25th:
  Run a Marathon (or cheer them on) for Child S.H.A.R.E.
• Tues., May 26th:
  • Tour After-School Tutoring Program
  • Learn about China with Kathy Call
• Wed., May 27th:
  Oasis in the City – Discovering Urban Mission Together
• Sat., June 6th:
  Bring Joy to Women and Children in Need (Hope Gardens)
• Sun., June 7th:
  Visit the Walter Hoving Home
• Wed., June 10th:
  Microfinance: A Solution to Global Poverty
• Mon., June 22nd:
  Changed Lives & Changed Villages in Ethiopia
• Sat., June 27th:
  Work Project with Harambee
• Fri., July 3rd – Sun., July 5th:
  Improve an Orphan’s Home
• Sun., July 5th – Sat., July 11th:
  Help Rebuild in Galveston, TX
• Sat., Sept. 26th:
  Hammer with Habitat for Humanity
• Wed., Oct. 7th:
  East Africa Vision Evening
• Mon., Oct. 12th:
  Hear About Ethiopia
• Sat., Nov. 7th:
  Hammer with Habitat for Humanity

I wish I had time to do all of these!

Tomorrow’s Parent Ed speech / message / talk

Posted on 21. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in parenting, religion

Here’s the talk I’m giving at La Canada Presbyterian Church at tomorrow’s 9:30 am church service about the great Parent Education program:

Yesterday I attended a baby shower. At one point the expectant mother held up one of her gifts and said, “I don’t even know what to do with this!” We all laughed because it’s true: kids don’t come with instruction manuals, and it’s sometimes hard to figure out what to do with them.

That’s why I love Parent Ed. so much. I learn how to be a better parent from the amazing instructors and from the other parents.

When my family moved to La Canada in 1996, one of the first things I did was sign up for the 3/4 Parent Ed Class. I had a three-year-old and a four-year-old, so I couldn’t resist enrolling for something where I didn’t need to leave the other child at home.

My instructor was the amazing Claudia Zentmyer. She calmed our fears, gave us advice, and let us share any concerns we had. My children and I have friends to this day that we met in that class.

I took a break from Parent Ed for awhile when I went back to work, but I returned when my oldest entered high school. Our terrific instructor, Jan Roberts, does the same things for our teen class that that Claudia did for my 3/4 class: she calms our fears, gives us advice and lets us share concerns.

An expectant mother, who’s immediately concerned with how to change a diaper or swaddle a baby, might wonder why it’s still important to have a Parent Ed class when your kids are in high school. Well, when teens mess up, it’s more likely to have a life-changing impact. And as a parent of teens, it’s frustrating that I can no longer hold their hands and keep them away from all of life’s dangers, or kiss their foreheads and make it all better.

At Parent Ed, I learn ways to teach my kids to make good decisions, and techniques to help them navigate the ups and downs of high school. Jan and the parents of older kids alert me what to watch out for in the future, and we all share  what’s happening in our local community.

But most of all, Parent Ed has taught me how to apply my faith to my parenting. I’ve learned to be less judgmental of fellow parents, since we’re all struggling to do the best job we can. I’ve learned that children need to know that we love them unconditionally, because sometimes they can feel like the whole world is working against them. And finally, I’ve learned to forgive them when they mess up. We all make mistakes, sometimes big and sometimes small, but just as God forgave us, so should we forgive our children.

I’m definitely not a perfect parent. But Parent Ed teaches me to be a better one, and I am incredibly grateful for this important ministry.

This could be heaven or this could be hell

Posted on 05. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in books, inspirational people, religion

Are you motivated out of hope or fear? How you answer that question might determine if you’d prefer the book on the left or the one on the right. I spotted “90 Minutes in Heaven” and “” side-by-side at a nearby Ralphs supermarket. I was surprised there was a full rack of Christian books near the checkout lines.

I haven’t read either, but both sound interesting. I’ve always been fascinated by near-death experiences, since it seems that the people who have them are often deeply impacted by them.

I wonder if the one on the right is shorter since it’s only about 23 minutes instead of 90? But I bet it’s way scarier. Hopefully the guy on the right had enough of a wakeup call that he’ll wind up in heaven next time.

Why I give money to the Father of the White Monkey

Posted on 22. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, international, religion

Can you imagine putting yourself in mortal danger by training medics and bringing humanitarian aid to besieged people in an ongoing civil war? Would you bring your spouse and young children behind the enemy lines?

Several years ago I heard the founder of the Free Burma Rangers speak, and that’s exactly what he does. He’s the son of missionaries and a former U.S. Special Forces major, so he’s well-equipped to risk his life to bring medical care and hope to the ethnic Karen people of Burma. In order to shield his identity, he’s referred to as “Father of the White Monkey” in the recent Atlantic article, “Lifting the Bamboo Curtain.” Here’s how he describes his work:

“We stand with the villagers; we’re not above them. If they don’t run from the government troops, we don’t either. We have a medic, a photo­grapher, and a reporter/intel guy in each team that marks the GPS positions of Burmese government troops, maps the camps, and takes pictures with a telephoto lens, all of which we post on our Web site. We deal with the Pentagon, with human-rights groups … There is a higher moral obligation to intervene on the side of good, since silence is a form of consent.

I was incredibly impressed by him (and his family). He’s brave, honest, hardworking and loyal. I feel completely confident that my donations to the Free Burma Rangers are used wisely and have an incredibly positive impact.

If you want to learn more, visit the Free Burma Rangers website. It uses photos and stories to document what the FBR relief teams have found on their missions. Note: it’s not for the faint of heart, for the Burmese Army has perpetuated some horrific atrocities.

Someone should make a movie about the Father of the White Monkey. In the meantime, I’ll keep donating, praying for them (I have a Memo to Me reminder to do so every day) and will make sure to wear the Good Life Club t-shirt he gave me to Curves tomorrow.

Would you ever or never believe a faith healer?

Posted on 18. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in disabilities, health, inspirational people, local news, my life, religion

This evening, three very dear, level-headed, grounded friends of mine arranged for a Catholic faith healer named Paul Miller to perform a service at our local community center. They had heard him before, and were so moved and so convinced that he’d change lives here that they flew him out from New Jersey to speak. They sent emails to friends they thought might be interested, and via word-of-mouth about 100 people attended.

When I received the email, I was pretty skeptical. I figured that I’d rather do just about anything than attend such a service, but I was curious about why these women whom I trusted would be so sure that this was true. Then I spoke to one of them in person the other day, and she told me about the first time she heard Paul speak. She said that when Paul laid hands upon her, she felt a “whoosh” pass through her body. That reminded me of what I sensed when my dog died. (I mean that only in a good way.) So, my curiosity was piqued enough to convince this Presbyterian gal gave up a Saturday night to hear a Franciscan faith healer.

I was impressed by Paul. He’s a very humble, sincere man. He spent about two hours telling his story, and it was clear that this was something he felt called to do, not something he had sought to do. As he related how he came to this healing ministry, he made it clear that he was just as skeptical at first as any of us listening. (Note: He NEVER asked for money, and there were no collection baskets or ways to even give money.)

After a short break, he laid hands upon people. This was way outside my comfort zone. Did you know that Presbyterians are sometimes called “the frozen chosen”? That perfectly describes me. I am not prone to emotional outbursts, speaking in tongues, waving hands, or dancing in the aisles at church. In fact, I don’t even like to clap to songs. These things embarrass me. Laying on of hands conjured up images of the old-time revival meetings run by charlatans that I’d seen in movies and tv shows. So, I was seriously hesitant about this whole thing. Even so, I was moved by what Paul had said, and didn’t want to be such a doubter that I’d never be open to a new way for God to communicate with me.

As I mentioned yesterday, I live in a town that’s small enough that I recognize lots of people. That was definitely true this evening. I probably knew half the people there, and nearly every person I knew went up front. I was amazed to see people that I think had just as many doubts as I did stiffen and fall after Paul prayed over them. When they got up, many of them were grinning ear to ear. I definitely felt something special in that room, and as a Christian I’d label it as the Holy Spirit.

It’ll be interesting to hear over the next few days, weeks and months about any healing that took place. Paul emphasized that he was there for both spiritual and physical healing, and that his true goal was to bring people closer to God.

That sounds good to me.

PS – I did go up front. It was very moving. No, I didn’t fall. (Since I know you’re curious!) But there are some things that are personal enough that I’d rather not blog about them. Thanks for understanding.

If he can wind up on Skid Row, so can we

Posted on 14. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in economy, non-profits, religion

The other day my son asked me whether anyone could wind up homeless. So it was striking yesterday when I received the Union Rescue Mission newsletter, which featured a man living on Skid Row who had lived a solid middle-class life until recently:

For almost 15 years, Colin lived the American Dream. He earned a degree in economics from Westmont College. Built a successful career working in a string of four-star hotels. Started his own coffee-importing business. Got married and fathered a beautiful daughter.

But last spring, Colin’s business collapsed and the home he was renting went into foreclosure. Almost overnight, Colin, his wife, Jackie, and their 3-year-old daughter, Shema, found themselves walking the streets of Skid Row to Union Rescue Mission.

Thankfully, Colin’s hotel background helped him to become URM’s Hospitality Coordinator, so he’s able to help other people in dire straights. Here’s how he describes his experience:

“It just shows how quickly things can unravel,” says Colin. “When we came to Skid Row, we were suddenly surrounded by a lot of hurting people, and we could literally feel the poverty and danger. All I could think was, ‘What am I doing here? This isn’t my story.’

“But our experience is far more widespread than people want to admit. When I started listening to people’s stories down here, I realized anyone can suddenly find himself here. Whether you’re a CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a beggar on the street, things outside your control can quickly change.

“They say an untested faith can’t be trusted. This experience has tested my family’s faith. Faith is no longer an abstract term we just talk about — we literally have to live by faith every day.”

When my son had asked me about who might become homeless, I had told him that the more education a person has and the stronger their support network is, the less likely they are to become homeless. Still, as Colin’s case proves, it can happen when you least expect it.

Just a reminder to appreciate your blessings and show compassion for those who need it.

34″Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37″Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40″The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:34-40

Why I understand why Barack Obama invited Rick Warren to speak even though I wouldn’t

Posted on 29. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in religion

Since I took such a long break between postings, I figured I’d step back into blogging feet first and post something controversial…

Two summers ago, my son played on a travel baseball team. One weekend he had a tournament in Costa Mesa, so he and I spent a few nights at a hotel there. Because his Sunday game didn’t start until the afternoon, we decided to worship at Saddleback Church in the morning and hear Rick Warren preach. I’d seen him in the videos for “The Purpose-Driven Life” book our church small group studied, and I was curious to see what he and his church were like in person.

I was very impressed. Although the church campus was huge, we were made to feel very welcome. As for Rick Warren, he was an amazing preacher. He spoke for several times longer than any pastor that I’d ever heard, but I didn’t look at my watch once. He challenged us to give more of our money to people who need it and causes that make a difference, and spoke about how he and his wife “reverse-tithe” and give 90% of their money away. He was sincere and thoughtful, and I talked about that sermon for weeks afterward. In fact, a few weeks later, when our whole family was in Orange County on a Sunday, I brought my husband and daughter to Saddleback.

Even so, I don’t agree with everything Warren says. For example, I opposed Prop. 8 (the anti-gay marriage proposition), whereas he supported it. There are very few people I completely agree with, so I’m still willing to appreciate the way he’s challenged me to grow in my faith because I believe him when even though he doesn’t think they shouldn’t be able to legally marry. In fact, he and Barack Obama are in agreement on Prop. 8 – with full marital rights, but not marriage itself. They disagree on abortion, however.

I believe that Obama chose Warren to speak at the inauguration because he wanted people to hear an outstanding orator who would inspire them to come together to support each other at a critical time in our country’s history. Choosing Warren demonstrates that people can disagree on key issues but still agree to come together for the greater good.

I’m sure Warren will inspire, but I don’t think I would have chosen him. I think he stands for divisiveness in many peoples’ minds, and I’m sure Obama could have chosen someone more inclusive who would articulate how his vision fits with a spiritual one. However, I have no idea who an alternate speaker might be. Is there an amazing preacher out there who can inspire without dividing? There must be. And I wish Obama had asked that person to speak.

Do you find salvation at the spa?

Posted on 18. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in religion

If you went to the BRAVO urban spa | salon in Pasadena you might. Then again, you might not.

Here’s a picture I took today between the Macy’s on South Lake Ave. in Pasadena and Bravo. I was struck by the irony of the word “SALVATION” on the sign even as the Salvation Army bell-ringer stood 20′ away. We had a nice discussion about it, and he happily agreed to pose next to the sign.

Where do you find salvation?

Handbells were my ticket to California

Posted on 01. Dec, 2008 by kchristieh in animals, music, my life, religion, travel

Miss G Dog would have played handbells if she could have. Unfortunately, she lacked opposable thumbs. Hopefully God gave them to her in heaven. At any rate, she gets them in cyberspace on my new Christmas-themed header.

I first visited California with the Tower Hill Presbyterian Church (Red Bank, NJ) high school handbell choir. We landed in San Francisco, and I was thrilled to see palm trees for the first time. The family I stayed with gave me a tour of the city, and constantly apologized for how dirty it was. Are you kidding? I thought it was 100x nicer than any East Coast city I’d ever been to. It’s no wonder I wound up out here.

Our trip continued up the coast, where we played in a handbell festival at Humboldt State. We also saw Crater Lake and Medford, Oregon, which remains the most beautiful place in the U.S. I’ve ever visited. We drove back down through California’s Gold Country, and enjoyed visiting Yosemite and the old mining town of Columbia.

I remember wondering why the palm trees didn’t have coconuts, and why I didn’t see a bear in Yosemite. I finally saw coconuts on my honeymoon to Tahiti, but I’m still waiting to see a bear. That’s probably good.

We were a pretty awesome handbell choir. We even cut a record, but I think that only our parents bought it. I played the third position from the bottom, which meant I handled pretty big bells. When the choir director would turn his back, I’d flip them. I never missed. To this day, I’m awesome at flipping my hairbrush like that. The bells were REALLY expensive, and he would have been really peeved if he’d known I flipped them.

That’s as rebellious as I got in high school. Flipping handbells. My parents were really lucky. I think they knew it, too.  :)

Pray for Obama and write that check to the Southern Poverty Law Center

Posted on 27. Oct, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, religion

The current breaking news is that authorities have foiled a white supremacist plot to kill Barack Obama and African-American schoolchildren and adults.

I cried when I heard this. It’s times like this when I’m completely ashamed of some of my fellow Americans. I’ll keep praying that no plot like this ever comes to pass.

I also just signed up to be an automatic monthly donor to the Southern Poverty Law Center. They do great work building cases against people who perpetuate hate crimes, and have developed incredible classroom resources as part of their Teaching Tolerance project, which helps teach kids to appreciate people different from themselves.

How tolerant should we be of intolerance?

Posted on 22. Jul, 2008 by kchristieh in books, education, international, religion

I value love, and an outshoot of that is that I value respect and tolerance for people with other viewpoints and beliefs than my own.

But what should I do when the other person is not only intolerant, but actually advocates hating people such as myself? According to the Slate.com article, A Textbook Case of Intolerance, government-sanctioned textbooks teach Saudi schoolchildren to hate non-Muslims:

In fact, any child who sticks around in Saudi schools until ninth grade will eventually be taught that “Jews and Christians are enemies of believers.” They will also be taught that Jews conspire to “gain sole control of the world,” that the Christian crusades never ended, and that on Judgment Day “the rocks or the trees” will call out to Muslims to kill Jews.

These passages, it should be noted, are from new, “revised” Saudi textbooks. Following a similar analysis of earlier versions of these same textbooks in 2006, American diplomats immediately approached their Saudi counterparts about the more disturbing passages, and the Saudis agreed to conduct a “comprehensive revision … to weed out disparaging remarks towards religious groups.”

It’s hard for me to be tolerant of that. Sounds to me like American diplomats need to protest again. If only this were just a Saudi problem. Slate says that these textbooks are also “distributed, free of cost, to Saudi-sponsored schools as far afield as Lagos, Nigeria, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.”

This is so sad. All it does is encourage hatred and division. All the more reason for our government and private individuals to help fund organizations such as Greg Mortenson’s Central Asia Institute.

Why Barack Obama should read “Three Cups of Tea”

Posted on 15. Jul, 2008 by kchristieh in books, inspirational people, international, politics, religion

For all the money we’ve spent fighting terrorism in Pakistan, it seems to me the situation is far worse off now than it was several years ago. Too bad our government doesn’t adopt Greg Mortenson’s tactics. Nicholas Kristof agrees:

Mr. Bush has focused on military force and provided more than $10 billion — an extraordinary sum in the foreign-aid world — to the highly unpopular government of President Pervez Musharraf. This approach has failed: the backlash has radicalized Pakistan’s tribal areas so that they now nurture terrorists in ways that they never did before 9/11.

Mr. Mortenson, a frumpy, genial man from Montana, takes a diametrically opposite approach, and he has spent less than one-ten-thousandth as much as the Bush administration. He builds schools in isolated parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan, working closely with Muslim clerics and even praying with them at times.

You can read all about Greg Mortenson in the book, Three Cups of Tea. (Wow. It’s as of this time.) I finished reading it recently, and was totally inspired by this humble American mountain climber who sacrifices his time with his family and a potentially higher standard of living to help people halfway around the world. His willingness to adapt to local customs and the love he has for the people he is trying to help have earned him immense respect among people who are usually suspicious of Westerners.

Today I had lunch with a friend who’s involved in a ministry in Ethiopia that builds schools and especially tries to educate girls. Hopefully I’ll be able to help them by creating a website in the next few months so that they can convince more people to support them. Here’s an impressive ministry our church supports that I think someone should write a book about: The Free Burma Rangers. They brave incredible dangers to bring emergency assistance to the indigenous Karen people of Burma, as well as document human rights abuses.

We’re so blessed in this country, and it’s incumbent that we share our blessings. Hopefully our next President will understand this and we’ll make REAL progress towards peace and understanding.

Ask Belief-O-Matic what religion you should be

Posted on 27. Jun, 2008 by kchristieh in cool websites, my life, religion

Not sure if your religion matches your beliefs? Take the 20-question Belief-O-Matic quiz to determine how your beliefs match 27 of the world’s major religions. Questions range from “What happens to humans after death?” to “Why is there so much suffering in the world?” After answering each question, you can give it a low, medium or high priority.

My results matched my chosen religion, Presbyterianism. Here are the three religions that had more than an 80% match for me:

1. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (100%)
2. Orthodox Quaker (82%)
3. Liberal Quakers (80%)

Several years ago when I took the quiz, Orthodox Quaker came in at 100%. I guess my beliefs have changed slightly over time. But they’re still Christian. I was surprised that Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) showed up as more of a match than Roman Catholic. (60% vs. 50%) Still, they’re nowhere near the 100% my chosen religion got.

Note: Belief-O-Matic won’t assume legal liability for your eternal soul!

Hate is here

Posted on 28. May, 2008 by kchristieh in my life, politics, religion, startling statistics, things that bug me

Here’s the Los Angeles section of the Hate Groups Map from the Southern Poverty Law Center. I’ve overlaid it on top of a more detailed Google Map so you can see city names:

If you go to the official map, you’ll be able to click on each symbol and see what it stands for. It’s scary that there’s a Neo-Nazi group only one town away from me, in Glendale. Hopefully they’re losing members, not gaining them.

Some of the groups have surprisingly benign names. For example, there’s the OMNI Christian Book Club in Palmdale. Sounds ok to me. But here’s part of the description from the Southern Poverty Law Center site:

That’s mild compared to the offerings that grace Omni’s book catalogue, including Richard Harwood’s Did Six Million Really Die? (published by neo-Nazi Ernst Zundel); Henry Ford’s The International Jew, available abridged or in a deluxe, four-volume set; Arthur Butz’s Holocaust-denying The Hoax of the Twentieth Century (“a must read into the biggest hoax in world history, who’s behind it, how they’ve profited from it, and what can be done to put an end to it”); several issues of the late Father Leonard Feeney’s Jew-bashing monthly The Point; The Judaic Connection, describing a Judeo-Masonic conspiracy against the Catholic Church; and even defenses of Hitler.

I don’t understand why someone would hate a group of people, let alone dedicate so much energy to that effort. Don’t they have better ways of spending their time, even if they do hate so much?

When I was young, my Mom always told me it was ok to say I hated what someone did, but I should never hate the person. It was her way of interpreting Matthew 5:43-48 for me.

You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I try to teach my kids the same thing, and find myself saying, “You can hate things, but you shouldn’t hate people.” It’s hard sometimes. I’m lucky I don’t come across many people I’m tempted to hate in my personal life. In fact, I’ve told people that if I say I don’t like someone, it probably means they’re pretty evil.

If I were a parent of one of the girls mentioned in my previous post, I’d definitely find it hard to love Gregory Serrano.

Should someone be fired for divorcing?

Posted on 30. Apr, 2008 by kchristieh in my life, religion

Have you ever answered a question that was so far-fetched you couldn’t believe it was even being asked?

That’s how I felt today when I saw the following poll in the Christianity Today email newsletter:
“Should a Christian school fire members of its faculty who divorce?”

Here are the results so far:

I’ve been happily married for nearly 21 years, so this isn’t a personal issue for me.

I think it would be awful for someone to either be afraid to divorce because they’d lose their job, or to get divorced and then lose their job at the same time. I’m all for putting lots of effort into making a marriage work, but I’m not going to judge someone who’s made the painful decision to get a divorce.

Maybe the people who think it’s ok to fire someone for divorcing are themselves perfect. Somehow I doubt it, however. I think we should be showing divorcees love, not judgment.