Greater things are still to be done in this city
Via Facebook today from fellow NightWatcher, Brittany:
I was just sitting here thinking about you and the people of Greensboro. I wanted to send you this video for Charlotte and you can imagine the people and places of Greensboro!!!! I believe this with all my heart over Charlotte and Greensboro as well. Be blessed and be encouraged because GREATER THINGS ARE YET TO COME AND GREATER THINGS ARE STILL TO BE DONE IN THE CITY!!!!!!!!!!!
Amen, girl, amen. I believe it, too. Thank you. Love you.
Lyrics below. Read more
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Chosen Fast, now with WP 2.5 goodness — and a few kinks to work out yet
I just upgraded to WordPress 2.5. Smooth and easy using the automatic upgrade plugin. I like the new admin interface. I’ll have to test drive it a while to see what else I think, before I upgrade my web clients.
Some kinks to work out: My RS Event plugin is no longer working, so although I do have upcoming events, they aren’t showing in my sidebar. And my popular posts plugin doesn’t work either — it wouldn’t even activate. I’m looking for alternatives to those plugins, but also hoping that the plugins will be updated.
I added the Publish to Facebook plugin, so we’ll see how that goes…
Your thoughts on juicy WP 2.5 goodness? Here’s what darkmoon and Sue have to say. (Note to Sue: I’m a coder, too. I’m going to try the visual editor on 2.5 for a while, but it’s weird. I’m also doing the enter twice, delete once thingy. Old habits…)
P.S. I’m not totally getting this whole Facebook plugin…
Update: My homegirl Emily weighs in.
Update, 04/05/2008: My Slideshare plugin doesn’t work, either. Fortunately, there’s an embed option, so I went back and edited those posts.
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Golf Tournament to benefit Maya Penland
Maya Rae Penland is the beautiful baby daughter of my friend, Cat. Maya was born in September 2007, and we knew before she was born that she had Spina Bifida. In the first five months of her life, Maya endured nine surgeries — she was just 10 hours old when she had the first one.
Cat regularly emails her friends about Maya’s journey — the progress and the setbacks. And through it all, there are the photos of Maya’s smiling face and there is Cat’s obvious joy and delight in her daughter — so evident in her words, as is the love and faith that sustains their family.
On Saturday, May 17th, friends will hold a golf tournament at Winding Creek in Thomasville to benefit Maya Rae Penland. All proceeds will go to assist Maya’s parents with medical expenses. Donations are tax deductible through Neurostrides of High Point. If you can’t participate in the golf tournament, but you’d still like to help, please see the flyer below for the address to send a financial contribution, and for more information and contact info. If you’d like to participate in the golf tournament, please complete the registration form below.
» Maya Penland golf tournament flyer
» Maya Penland golf tournament registration form
While she was a student at UNCG, Maya’s mom, Cat, interned with us in the CARE Ministry at Grace Community Church. Cat worked with our team in providing financial assistance and access to community resources for homeless and low-income people, and Cat and I did street outreach together. Cat’s daughter has inherited her mom’s beautiful smile and strength of spirit. God bless the Penlands. Please pray for them, and bless them financially, if you’re able to do so.
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I just want to be somebody’s friend
A commenter at Today at the Mission says:
“….but when the context has been shot to hell with addictions, abuse, self abuse, poverty, hopelessness, and then I’m coming along behind ‘the church’ mopping up a lot of bull s**t and lies and utter usury, I’m just wondering — where in the world do I start? The best I can come up with is being a friend. I’m wishing I was in a typical mission field — where the culture is intact, and a social structure exists.”
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Obama is not Jesus and politics will never change the world
From Pastor Russ:
“A 49 year old graduate student arrived at the War Memorial Auditorium at 5:10 this morning and was the first person in line to get in. She said, ‘I want to look into Barack Obama’s eyes,’ she said. ‘I want to have a personal experience with him.’ She went on to say, ‘I’m really ready for not just change but absolute change.’
Herein lies the problem: Politicians promise, sometimes explicit and other times implicit, to deliver FAR more than they possibly can. Absolute change will never occur through the political process. Absolute change can only occur through the renovation of the heart, that is only possible when one has a ‘personal experience,’ not with a charismatic politician, but with the King of kings and Lord or lords, Jesus Christ. It is not until an individual looks into His eyes that they will undergo absolute change. And when that change comes over several individuals, a family experiences change. When several families experience this kind of change, communities are changed. When several communities are changed, cities are changed. When several cities are changed, states and nations are changed. When several nations are changed, the world changes. So our hope for change is only in Christ, and is found only in His Gospel.”
Amen, brother Russ. America needs change. The world needs change. But it will not come, not now, not ever, from a politician.
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Santa Billy’s bike and chicken farm
A friend and I stopped by Blogging Poet Billy Jones’ house on Tuesday afternoon, where he was waiting for the Bicentennial Torch Run to pass through. We went to Billy’s to pick up a bicycle that he repaired and was donating for another friend who needed transportation, after recently moving from homelessness to housing.
photo: The first bike Billy donated. He already has a second one ready to donate.
While we were at Billy’s house, we met his chickens and I got to hand-feed two of them. (One is shy.) The neighbor kids saw us through the fence and called out, “Hey Santa, can we come feed the chickens?” The kids call Billy “Santa” because of his beard and because he plays Santa each year at Christmas. He told them to ask their moms and come over if it was OK, and it was, so they did. Soon there was a row of outstretched, corn-filled, young hands, accompanied by big eyes and quiet whispers, beckoning to Billy’s chickens.
photo: A row of young hands reach out to feed Billy’s chickens.
A quiet afternoon on Santa Billy’s bike and chicken (urban) farm. Way cool.
P.S. Thanks for the bike, Billy. Our friend had it taken apart in no time — cleaning, oiling and polishing the parts — and he’s already making plans to find some new handlebars. You’d be surprised what all gets thrown out over by the colleges. One of his housemates found a perfectly good mountain bike in the trash and repaired it with the help of a nice guy at a nearby service station. Our friend thinks he can find some good handlebars by scouting around what other people throw out. Gives a whole new meaning to “freecycling,” doesn’t it? 
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Protesting the war and feeding the homeless
This afternoon, a group from World Can’t Wait came down to the block (Lee and Eugene) to protest the war. Later, the folks from Food Not Bombs served their regular Thursday evening meal for the homeless (usually served at St. Mary’s) under a tree in front of Greensboro Urban Ministry, just down the road. My friends from GPD’s bike squad hung out and kept watch over the calm and peaceful scene. Good times. Photos below.
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