ONE - LUCAS, BLOOD WATER MISSION

I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again. ~William Penn

We've focused on folks this week who have made a difference. I especially love that ONE person can change the world for hundreds, thousands, even millions.

Today's ONE is very special to me. His name is Lucas Kovasckitz and I have the distinct privilege of not only being one of his youth group leaders, but also his friend. He's like a deep creek, flowing steadily, nourishing those he streams by. He inspires me to do more, love deeper, and linger longer in God's presence. You can get a glimpse of his heart through his music (some of my fav!!) https://noisetrade.com/johnlucas. And should you ever get to worship with him in person, you will leave a different person.

Last year Lucas changed a community of folks by daring to challenge our youth group to something BIG. I asked him a few questions...hope you're inspired by him like I was!!



*Lucas is the 7th guy from the left

1. Why did you want to raise money for Blood:Water? Blood:Water is my favorite non-profit organization...their heart and vision for those who have almost nothing of earthly value, specifically in Africa, is pretty amazing. I heard about their goal to dig 1,000 wells in African communities, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. One of their fundraising ideas was to drink nothing but water for 40 days, and to give away what you would have spent on coffee or soda. It’s a really simple idea, but it can also have a lasting impact on both the giver as well as the people the well serves. Instead of just writing a check and forgetting about it, you’re daily making a conscious choice to give up a small piece of American comfort. In a way, you’re identifying with those that the final result of your efforts is blessing…a beautiful community of people around the world that you’ll most likely never meet. The main goal, at least for me, wasn't the dollar figure at the end of the fast, but hopefully a small but tangible heart transformation. Too often I’m convicted of my consumerism, and my pursuit of things that will never last. I don’t want to forget about the people that the world has forgotten.


2. What steps did you take to go about raising money? I really felt like the fast was something that I was supposed to do, but I also wanted to get others involved. I ran it by my homeboy/youth pastor, and soon the youth got behind the fast. This then spread until much of our church community was also participating. The response was a huge blessing, and also extremely humbling.

3. How much $ was raised over what period of time? How many wells does that equate to? We raised about $2500, which is about half of the amount it takes to dig and build a well. It wasn’t a million dollars on a ten-foot check, but it’s pretty amazing what can happen when a group of people makes sacrifices to change the world around them.


4. Would you do it again? or something else like that? I would definitely do it again, and I want to learn how to better serve those in my own community and around the world that are struggling in poverty. I’m in the process of getting my degree in economics, to hopefully use it in an organization like Blood:Water – one that meets practical needs but also shines the love of Christ.

Click here for more about Blood:Water!

Blood:Water Mission (An Overview) from Blood:Water Mission on Vimeo.

But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,miracles that cannot be counted. He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside. The lowly he sets on high,and those who mourn are lifted to safety. ~Job 5

ONE-ELIZABETH, MARTA, DEMEKE

Loose the chains of injustice...untie the cords of the yoke...set the oppressed free...break every yoke...Share your food with the hungry...provide the poor wanderer with shelter...when you see the naked -clothe him... ~Isaiah 58

I purposed to introduce Marta and Demeke only, but their road lead me first to my dear friend Elizabeth Marx. Elizabeth radiates joy and stunning hope. Her heart oozes love for others like warm golden honey drizzling from the comb. She captures the world as she sees it through her business, Almond Leaf Studios. In her words, "I see my camera as a means to reveal the beauty I see in people, objects, and Light that usually go unnoticed...the driving force behind Almond Leaf Studios is a deep desire to see that same freedom and joy realized in the lives of women and children suffering injustice throughout the world." {source: http://almondleafstudios.com}

With that said, it's no wonder she partners with Silent Images, begun by David Johnson (another ONE!). Silent Images "seeks to tell the stories of hope in the midst of persecution, poverty, or oppression through journalistic photography, videography, and writing. The stories and images are provided to non-profit organizations in an effort to educate and be a voice for the voiceless around the world." {source: www.silentimages.org}

Travels with Silent Images took Elizabeth Ethiopia, where she spent time with Project Mercy, an International Emergency Relief and Community Development Ministry established by Marta Gabre-Tsadick and her husband Demeke Tekle-Wold.

"Marta initiated innovative food and sewing programs that enabled Project Mercy to distribute food and clothing to hundreds of thousands of starving, needy refugees from Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Project Mercy has helped create a holistic community development model in Yetebon. With the help of volunteers and the staff of Project Mercy, Marta has directed the construction of a school, state-of-the-art hospital, skills training classes, agricultural development programs, clean water delivery, all-season roads and countless other initiatives." {source: www.projectmercy.org}

Captivating photos are yours to see by clicking any of the links above!!

Elizabeth, David, Marta and Demeke...four ONE(s) changing the world!! Won't you join them today through prayer and/or financial support?

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank

ONE - COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" ~Isaiah 6

The work an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden underground, secretly making the ground green. ~Thomas Carlyle

"Compassion's work spans 57 years, from modest beginnings in 1952 when one man felt compelled to help 35 orphaned children in South Korea, to today, where more than 1 million children in 25 countries benefit from that original vision." {Source: www.compassion.com}

Wow, I could stop there and 'nuff said! But I had the awesome privilege of going to El Salvador with Compassion International which instilled in me 1,000,000 words to share! No worries, I won't. But I do want to give a sampling of the world-changing things they do...all because ONE man in 1952 felt compelled to make a difference...

Child Survival Program: "Kanamma came to the meeting with her two newborn granddaughters and laid them on the floor. One baby weighed under two pounds and the other weighed 2 1/4 pounds. Kannamma said very openly to the staff at the Child Survival Program,

'We can’t take care of these two children. If you want to save the children, please help us; otherwise we don’t mind killing them.'

Both babies were enrolled in the Child Survival Program. And now, the girls are in the child sponsorship program." {All rights reserved. Compassion International. Source: http://www.compassion.com/about/programs/childsurvivalprogram.htm}


Courtesy of Compassion International

Child Sponsorship Program: Keely Scott is a CI photographer...on her recent trip to El Salvador she meet three sponsored children and shares their stories and photographs here. This post is a must see/must read! Here is an excerpt:
Hi. . .Mr. Soh in Korea, I met sweet Milagro.

I love that when you heard her story (in her letters) Her story of how she was in a fire as a baby and has had medical needs you didn't just read

You Lept!

Lept into action. Milagro is doing amazing and is gaining strength with her new arm each day!

Did you know her name means Miracle?

Yeah, its okay. . . I cried at that too! Our God is Amazing.
{Kelly Orr Scott. All rights reserved. Source: http://www.keelymariescott.com}


And the Leadership Development Program is where my friend Nixon is flourishing. Thriving. Living a life with dreams and hope. Hope to provide for his sister and mom. A mom who has literally given herself to provide her family with one meal a day. All that changed when Nixon was sponsored.


*Nixon is the first guy on the right, his sister is in front of him, and his mom is the second woman on the left

Want to hear something cool? The original program started back in 1952 was so effective in South Korea, it is no longer needed!!

1,000,000 words I would love to share. 1,000,000 world-changing things Compassion does. 1,000,000 children effected because ONE man committed, Here am I. Send me.

ONE- LOVE146

What these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their voices are stifled we shall lend them ours, that while their freedom depends on ours, the quality of our freedom depends on theirs. ~Elie Wiesel



Hands down, Ten Shekel Shirt {http://tenshekelshirt.com/} and LOVE146 {www.love146.org} are two of my favorite ONE(s)! Ten Shekel Shirt's lead singer, Lamont Hiebert, helped start LOVE146 in 2002, with Co-Founders Rob Morris, Desirea Rodgers and Caroline Hahm. They "went on an exploratory trip to SE Asia to determine how they could serve in the fight against child sex trafficking." Out of this trip Love146 was birthed. They partner and network with other abolition orgs in Asia, Europe and the U.S. to grow the abolition movement and provide restorative care for survivors. {*all info taken from www.love146.org}



Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ~1 Cor. 13

Ten Shekel Shirt's album's, Jubilee, lyrics revolve around freedom and restoration. The title track, Jubilee, has an especially phenomenal, behind the song story. You can take a listen here: {www.facebook.com/pages/Ten-Shekel-Shirt/52267945483?v=app_5179614317} and read the story here:

Jubilee
The origin of the word Jubilee has nothing to do with a wedding anniversary or a schmaltzy Las Vegas show. It has everything to do with the emancipation of slaves and the celebration of freedom and justice. When I wrote the title track, Jubilee, I combined that ancient meaning of the word with this true story of a teenage girl rescued from slavery and her first moments in a safehome.

At the tender age of 12, she was sold to a brothel by her stepfather. After 4 years of unspeakable violence, cruelty and shame she was rescued and brought to a safehome our charity (Love146) supports. The first moment she entered the home she noticed a small picture of Jesus on the wall. When she saw it she fell down and wept in utter relief and astonishment. She then explained that while she was in captivity she would often dream of being in a safe place and that in those dreams she would picture that face.

A strange thing happened while I was writing the song. Although I was writing about a safehome I kept feeling like the song had another layer to it, one that was somehow linked to the hereafter. I told the safehome director about this unintended sense I was getting from my own song. She then told me that after a successful, restorative year in the safehome the girl that had inspired the song had died of AIDS. The caregiver said she past away with a peaceful countenance on her face as she expectantly prepared for her ultimate Jubilee. *Source: www.myspace.com/tenshekelshirt/blog#ixzz129vJwldO

Please, check out Ten Shekel Shirts' CD, Jubilee, and LOVE146. These ONE(s) are literally saving lives by passionately pursing the end of children becoming victims of slavery, rape, and exploitation.

Ten Shekel Shirt {http://tenshekelshirt.com/}
LOVE146 {www.love146.org}

ONE - TOMS

Bread for myself is a material question. Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual one. ~Nicholas Berdyaev


*My Own Two Hands, Ben Harper & Jack Johnson

ONE person can change another's life. Can change a family-community-country.

Be it the man on the street giving lunch to the homeless - The nurse holding a lonely elderly woman's hand as she passes from here to eternity - The teenager investing his summer job money to rescue a girl trapped in the sex slave trade.

Oh, how I love to hear how ONE person changed a life and made a difference.

So each day this week, I want to highlight those ONE(s) who make a difference. They inspire me. I hope they'll inspire you too.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seuss

TOMS {www.toms.com}
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Check out these smiles as they give away their 1,000,000th pair of shoes! {taken directly from TOMS website}

Oh to be there putting shoes on these precious feet! Hope you love this video as much as I do!!

Lil' Lovelies

~ Mikeschair, My Lovely



I found these lil' lovelies at a thrift store at the bottom of a decrepit box bound by aged, yellowed masking tape. Labeled ".10 cents each," the worn cardboard overflowed with discarded spools of frayed yarn, mangled rainbows of thread, seamstress tools--some rusted, some broken--all attempting to escape.

Digging carefully to avoid needles, I discovered these adorable rulers hidden deep down. It was love at first sight! Immediately I started planning how to re-purpose them, and give them a fresh start.

As far as I was concerned, I'd struck gold!! But the ladies at the register saw my find differently. Throwing their heads back, they hooted and snorted, tickled I would pay money for "trash." My valuable find was so worthless to them they were willing to give me it for free! (I ended up paying .49 cents.)

I gave those ladies a good ol' fashioned "what for," and let them know they didn't have any vision and the problem wasn't the rulers, it was the hands that had used and abused them. No matter these rulers had been tossed out. Labeled as worthless. Forgotten about for years. Only to endure jeering and disdain. In my mind's eye, these sweet babies were better than new and I had big plans for them! They had finally landed in the right hands that would lovingly give them new life. Humph!

I couldn't wait to take my treasures home. Wash them off. Give them a new purpose. A place to display their beauty. Sure, they're chipped, worn, faded, and broken. But they've seen a lot of life. That's part of the reason I love them so. The marks they bear tell a story of character, depth, beauty.

Parts of us are like these dear lil' rulers, aren't they? Hearts that have been tossed out, beat up, broken down by circumstances, people, events. We sit at the bottom of a crumbling pit, surrounded by a whole lotta junk, feeling worthless, ugly, looked down upon, dumb, without purpose.

There is Someone who sees us. Really sees. Beyond the hurt, broken, despair, worn. He sees a rare and beautiful treasure. And no matter what others think, He fights for us and is passionate, not ashamed, to pull us out of the junk. He's already paid the price to take us home and brush us off. He has a vision and plan to give new life where the old is no longer feasible. And He knows the scars, hurts and pains that have broken us, have equally made us beautiful and given our stories depth that display His glory. And that, my friends, in the right hands...His hands...is lovely.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

They will be...a...display of his splendor. ~Isaiah 61

Who Am i?

Just a little something i'm musing over as i find it hard to wrap my head around this:

The God who was before time and who is and who will forever be, sees me. Billions of humans, and He notes me. Noted me long long long ago. Who am i that "before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name" (Isaiah 49:1)?

He wants to hear my voice in prayer and praise. Who am i that the Lord would desire my frog in the throat when for years He's been serenaded when "the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise?" (Job 38:7)

With the same voice that He "counts the stars and calls them all by name," He calls me "by a new name" (Psalm 147:4; Isaiah 62:2).

i know my heart, and at times i want to escape it. So who am i that, though He could be anywhere in the world, God would make His home with me (John 14:23)? And there, i have "rest in His presence" (1 John 3:19).

Read Genesis, Job, the Gospels, Revelation. Then tell me if you can wrap your head around who the Lord is. i bet you'll wonder and marvel too, who am i that He would see me, want me, call me and abide with me?

But He does. And I'm pretty sure it's less about who i am, and all about who HE is: "Faithful and True" (Revelation 19:11).