You may say, I am only one person…what can i do?  You can support the National Association of Letter Carriers help stamp out hunger by leaving a bag at your mail box, on Saturday May 14, 2011, with non-perishable food items.  That is only 2 days from now.   Make sure that the items you are donating are not out of date or in danger of expiring any time soon.   Don’t have a lot to give; give what you can.  If you are blessed enough to have the means to give…give generously; we all have a responsibility to share our blessings with others.

Support businesses and organizations that sponsor the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.  This is an amazing grass roots program that blesses your local food banks.  All the food collected by your local mail carrier stays in your local area.  The people you help may be your own friends, family or neighbors. With the economy being so challenging in recent years more people are affected by not having enough to eat.  The numbers of children in homes without enough food is rising.  The elderly are having a harder time making ends meet.  Young wage earners are finding themselves without steady income to support their families sufficiently.   Natural disasters have hurt many families and those people still need to eat.  Churches can’t do it all…they need our help to provide food for those who are struggling with hunger!  Won’t you help?

Would you like to learn more?  Visit their website here:  Stamp Out Hunger and if you happen to have a Facebook account or a Twitter account…then Like them or Follow them to lend your support.  Spread the work online and off.  Tell others about the food drive…encourage others to donate.

Remember to thank your mail carrier.  They are dedicated to helping people stamp out hunger in your community.   Do you know someone who has had to use food from a food pantry or food bank?  Tell them about my friend Connie who heads up a website that teaches people how to eat healthier with the food that they bring into their homes through SNAP, food pantries, commodities, and farmer’s markets.  She does this in a way to help people stretch their budgets and to encourage the people who visit her website to form a community to share tips and ideas with one another.  Her site isn’t just for food stamp users…but for anyone on a tight budget who wants and needs to eat well.  Food Stamp Cooking Club

So, how does someone who has a great product go about letting it be known that they have a great product and get people to buy without all of that ugly over the top hypey advertising.  How does an honest marketer revolt and let others see what they are doing online to make money in an honest and ethical way?  They do it by being genuine…they do it by being real; by creating great products your customers can use, and raising the standards of their own conduct and raising the standards of what their potential customers can expect.

This is what the Real Guys are doing…but their product is only available for the next few days until March 31, 2011.  Watch this and see if there isn’t a part of this message about what they are trying to do with their product and the way that they are getting the word out about how they do business.  They have a great product that teaches targeted traffic methods and list building and includes a private label rights aspect as well.

This video series helps teach people who are looking to make money online at home the best way to do it…and it includes a product that they themselves can market.  It is a product that provides great content and allows them to market online with every confidence that they are providing real value to their customers. They have over-delivered a quality product with which everyday real people can make money in an honest and ethical way.  The people behind the Real Guys are well known internet marketers who themselves have a strong and loyal group of customers who have great things to say about how each of them conducts their online businesses.  Check it out the program here:  Real Guys

*Just so you know…this article includes an affiliate link…and should you purchase anything from the Real Guys I would be compensated.  However, that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a great product…because it is a great product…but it is only available for a few more days.

Within the first few tweets on their page, I saw tweets prompting the reader to “learn how to play poker”, to buy a specific insurance, to learn about electronic cigarettes, to team up with a beer company to buy the best T-shirts promoting beer, get a payday loans, promoting certain credit cards…etc. I understand the need to make money.  I get that churches struggle to raise funds…but, to me this smacks of leading people into financial slavery, gamboling, destructive health habits, encouraging addictions and gives a stamp of approval to activities that ought not to be encouraged.

This is a church that is “sold out” plain and simple.  If you don’t get my drift; these are paid ads that this pastor and church are condoning by putting tweets up on their page and trying to make money off of each link.  Understand, this is only my opinion; however, some of these are things that are being promoted are contrary to traditional teachings of the scriptures.

Can I tell you what I didn’t see on this Pastor’s Twitter stream?  There was no mention of God,no  Godly things, no tweeting of scripture…no building up of the spiritual nature of the readers…no encouragement to seek a relationship with God.  It upsets me…because I do believe in the power of social media to influence people; because of that, I believe that this pastor and his church are missing the mark.  Not only are they wasting the opportunity to win souls for Christ…they are in effect…leading them away from a life that is dedicated to strengthening the readers relationship with salvation and living a life of service for God.

How do you feel when you hear or see such things?  To me it feels like spiritual prostitution.  I would not want to be judged by God for erring in such a hurtful way to the Kingdom of God.  Scripture says that to those that have been given much, much is expected in return.  They have the opportunity to win souls for Christ and they had best be about the Heavenly Father’s business. It is hard to have respect for Gods values when some teachers, preachers and those in spiritual leadership make it appear as if it is ok to participate in these areas of life that God instructs us to avoid.

Do you challenge yourself to be authentic to your Christian faith online?  How do you make sure that you aren’t contrasting what you say you believe with your personal conduct and interactions online?

I believe that just being aware of the world around you and noticing where the acceptance of God is lacking and doing your best to be of service in some way; of bringing a light or help to those who are in need, is a ministry itself.  Some have a pull on their hearts to teach, preach, do missions work, or evangelize.  There are others who are drawn to a particular effort of outreach which may be to take Bibles into areas of the world which have little or no access to the word.  Then again, there are those with an online ministry to edify or build up disciples such as the Live Sticky movement which encourages people to spend a portion of their online time being dedicated to bringing awareness of God to those that they impact. These are all ministries that are needed.

A ministry might mean that you take meals to someone who is home-bound, lonely or spending time with someone who is depressed.  It might mean providing comfort and help to those in poverty, a hospital/jail setting; or it could be a position of raising funds for someone to go out and do missions work.   Some of those ministries can be dangerous; but still, God puts a calling on those individuals hearts.

Today in the news there is some sadness which highlights that statement.  In recent days, there have been four Americans held hostage, on a yacht, which were hi-jacked by Somali pirates allegedly.  It basically is a form of human trafficking…to hold humans against their will in the hopes of making money off of them.  There was a military warship that was tailing them and as the shots rang out, the Navy warship took action capturing and killing the pirates.

Today, unfortunately the news says that all four American hostages were murdered by the pirates.  The yacht was owned by Jean and Scott Adam and they had two passengers on board, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle.  Jean and Scott often traveled distributing Bibles around the world on their yacht.

They knew the risks of traveling this part of the world where pirates have been wreaking havoc on ships traveling through the area.  Still, they were committed to doing what they loved to do and felt called to do.  This required tremendous courage on their part.  They believed in more than just life here on Earth and it is a terrible loss to those who knew them and loved them.  May God comfort their friends and families during this time of grieving. They sacrificed their lives to do what they felt called to do; many people do not understand that kind of commitment.  It is a love that goes beyond the general human attitude of thinking only about oneself.

Did they want to die…no, I am sure they did not set out with the purpose of loosing their lives.  There are many examples of people who have lost their lives for Christ.  I believe that God has welcomed them home.  They faced this danger knowingly…but it is still a tragedy in human terms.  Spiritually, God will deal with those who took their lives.

There are many parts of the world which are hurting and struggling with war, with natural disasters, with political unrest and with spiritual warfare.  Those areas of the world have people in need; just as there are people suffering and hurting in your own local neighborhoods and countries.  Whether you feel the call to do missions work, teach/preach or evangelize in person or online…know that lives are being affected and changed for the good.

This is important work that you do, wherever God places you to do it. It is important to pray for those who set about doing the work of God…no matter where they do it.  There are forces at work intending to persuade Christians to stand back and let the world take care of itself.  That is not what God asks of us; be about the business of God.  Be an encourager, support ministry in any way that you can.  If it is working with children, in administration, or in actively pursuing those who don’t know Jesus…find a way to be in service.

I have friends and family who are doing amazing things because of their love of God.  There is Friends Like Us who work with children with cancer and their families.  They provide chemo bears to the pediatric patients that they work with…as well as providing gifts for the patients siblings.  They talk with and support parents of those patients.  They often send blankets from another organization called Layers of Love and a book on living with cancer from an author that they work with. Please visit them and support the work that they do.  These are all ministries at work, in my humble opinion, because they show love and help people who are hurting and in need of some sort.  This is just a small sample of people in my circle of influence.

My daughter recently went to Haiti and worked in an orphanage where the love of God is at work trying to improve the lives of those they touch.  I intend to do a series of blog posts soon about some of the work being done there.  Here is a link to the Haiti Foundation Against Poverty through which she felt called to work on a recent missions trip. http://haitipoverty.org/Updates.aspx

I just want to recognize those who are about the business of doing the work of the Lord.  Thank you for the sacrifices of your time, your money, and your efforts. Never forget that the time is short and that God is coming soon.  He alone knows the day and the hour…so when you get weary or feel burdened; remember that the life that you connect to God will have the opportunity to go to Heaven rather than the destination of Hell, a place of eternal suffering. This reason alone is why God gave us his word in John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”.

What type of work do you do for the kingdom of God?  What do you feel called to do or share?  Are you actively involved in some kind of outreach ministry? Have you ever felt in danger while doing your ministry work?  Will you tell us about it here? What do you do for the love of God?

The Good News meaning that Jesus was born the son of God, come into the world to offer hope to a lost and dying world that they might accept him, repent of their sins and grow in their relationship with God the Father and have eternal life with him in Heaven, instead of living a sinful life of destruction and pain.

I have admiration for those who can and have witnessed in that way door to door or on the streets.  It is not for everyone however, and it is not the only way to win souls.  Society has changed and in some ways not for the better.  Personal safety issues are part of the equation.  It simply is not safe to send teens or young people into settings where they are encouraged to step foot into the homes of strangers where they may, or may not, be wanted.  Today’s secular world has little respect for life, or for Christian values.

Today, that type of witnessing still happens on some level…but, times have changed in the way that we deliver the good news.  We still need to honor and perform the great commission (the task of evangelizing) around the world; however, our approach must be different to be considered highly effective.  People’s hearts are hard and their sins are proudly displayed and openly encouraged by the misguided members of our society.

We have to bring the message to where they are; and, many people are online.

The reasons for changing how we deliver the message of Salvation to the lost are varied.  To get the word out to the masses you must take the message to where the people gather together.  The biggest arena today for ministry is the internet; not a superdome or sports arena. This could include websites, blogs, webinars, tele-seminars, social media, tele-casts,news-letters or even, advertising spots.

The opportunities are endless as people are spending untold hours online.  Getting their attention and helping them to live their lives for Jesus in a way that “sticks” is important because they are constantly being bombarded with messages in the media that conflict with a life’s goal of living in Heaven.

Just think about how the enemy, Satan, is reaching out to people online; both the Sinners and the Saints.  The temptations and the opportunities to lead them into a continual life of sin is right there at their fingertips.

There are sinful things online that become addictive and their “drug of choice” is always there waiting for them to connect.  Shouldn’t the messengers of God be there as well?  Why can’t a word, a thought/idea, a scripture or an encouragement to do what’s right in the sight of the Lord be just as available as the sinful content at the click of a mouse online?  It can be if Christian people would join this writing project to encourage people to come to know God and apply his life principles to their lives.

So it is, that the message of God’s love and his plan of Salvation is still desperately needed to be broadcast around the globe so that every ear may hear, and every eye may see, so that every tongue has the opportunity to confess Jesus is the son of God and their own personal Lord and Savior; BEFORE the rapture takes place.

Believe it or not, some have not had the opportunity to know of God’s love.  Missionaries around the world can tell you that from experience.  We must employ every means possible to reach out to a lost and hurting world so that everyone can know the love of God, experience his protective power, and the fullness of living in his service.

Whatever your circle of influence is, if you are a Christian you are called to proclaim the message that Jesus died on the cross and rose again so that each and every person who confesses their sins and sincerely repents choosing to live by God’s commandments will be allowed into Heaven when the trumpet sounds.

Not every person has the personality, the skills, or the Biblical knowledge to knock on doors or able to stand on the street corners and win souls for the Kingdom.  However, by choosing to #LiveSticky in a public way online, you have even more opportunities to have an outreach that you may not have access to otherwise.  Souls can be saved, seeds can be planted, and lives can be impacted in a very real way.

Be a witness, be an encourager, be a good listener and look for opportunities to be a lighthouse.   Lead by shining God’s light and guiding people to him through your online relationships and interactions.  Offer hope to people who have been hurt and lost or broken in life; only God can heal their lives.  Let the local churches and ministries help develop those people to a life of discipleship…but, be a vital part of opening their hearts to the call of God for their salvation.

That is what #LiveSticky is all about.  Won’t you be bold and commit to living your faith out loud online?  I’m going to try to be more bold online.  You can follow me on

Twitter  at      http://twitter.com/WritewhereUr

It is my understanding that there is nothing against the law about this agreement.  If an employee doesn’t willingly agree to this…they may not be hired; or if they’ve already been hired and refuse to sign this agreement, they can be fired or scheduled for work so little, that an employee is compelled to start looking for a new job.

I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t sit right with me.  I understand that many businesses are now 24 hours a day, seven days a week in their operations.  However, what is wrong with hiring & regularly scheduling a staff to work those separate shifts?  If someone is willing to be a floater, meaning working any shift as needed, then I see nothing wrong with that.  On the other hand, forcing employees to be available at any time, or basically being on call, to come into work, just doesn’t seem fair nor does it seem like a good way to keep up company morale.

I mean think about it, people have lives outside of their work environment.  Those employees often have other responsibilities outside of their jobs; such as those towards a spouse, a parent or maybe even to children.  I am thinking off of the top of my head here; but, how many child care places are going to be as flexible as an employee needs if they are obligated to work at all hours of the day or night?

Many baby boomers are what they call the sandwich generation meaning they are taking care of their parents while they are at the same time working and raising their own children.  Schedules have to be somewhat co-ordinated with a spouse or significant other to meet all of those requirements.  I wonder too about people who have more than one job.  Many people can’t earn enough money to support themselves & their families one the income from a job, especially if it is part time.  How could they agree to come in at any time if they are holding a second job…having a concrete schedule is the only way to balance two jobs.  Also what about college students who are trying to get an education as well as work to pay for that education; how are they to be expected to come into work at any given moment when they must be in class on a set schedule?  These issues impact a lot of people.  It is important to the quality of life that people need to enjoy life.

I read about one employee who was asked to sign one of these agreements.   She had a personal conflict regarding her religious beliefs.  The young woman expressed concerns about possibly being forced to work on a Sunday; when she felt very strongly that Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest according to scripture in the Bible.  Once the media became aware of this woman’s conflict about signing the agreement… she was allegedly told by her employer that she would not be required to sign it.  She was worried that if she signed it she would find herself in the position of having to choose between her job and her faith or possibly loose her job altogether if she refused to sign it.  I wonder how that particular company will enforce this worker agreement with other employees if they allow some to sign it and others to refuse?  It gets complicated in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on this subject?  Is this an abuse of power?   Should employers get dibs on an employees time twenty four hours a day, seven days a week?  Who should have priority over decision making regarding the employees time…an employer, family members or the employee themselves?

I know that some people celebrate Christmas without having any religious meaning to it…but honestly, why?  They could just as easily have get-togethers with friends and family without having to go through the motions of celebrating Christmas, right?   For me, my friends and most of my family; we choose to go deep into the meaning of Christmas.

I understand the biblical story can seem fantastical to an unbeliever.  A virgin girl gives birth to the son of God so that he can live among his people teaching them of the ways of God and to eventually sacrifice his life so that those who believe in him can live for eternity in Heaven with God the Father.   It is an amazing way to impact people.  It is extraordinary!  How else should the son of God be viewed except as an extraordinary person?

Put yourself into the position of young Mary the mother of baby Jesus.  She herself was a young girl who had known no man physically.  When the angel of the Lord came to her and told her of this miraculous plan; Mary had to have been shocked and fearful.  After all, even today being a young pregnant woman who is unmarried is no easy task.  Imagine even more so in the time in which Mary lived when a young woman could be not only socially destroyed by a pregnancy while unmarried…she could also be stoned to death for her sin.  This was the way of the world during the time that Mary lived.

Can you imagine her thoughts?  Not only that, but she was betrothed to Joseph.  Would he still accept her as his wife to be once it became noticeable that she was pregnant?  Did she tremble with the knowledge that the angel shared with her?  What about her family would they still love her, stand by her… or would they think her a liar and condemn her to the punishment that was sure to come her way?

God in his wisdom prepared Joseph by letting him know that his was his plan for Joseph and Mary.  He told Joseph that the child Mary carried was the Messiah that had been foretold of in scripture.  He told Joseph what to do when the time was right.  Joseph had to have struggled with his own thoughts of doubt, insecurities and fear.  Was he good enough, strong enough and faithful enough to support Mary in public and raise the child of God?  After all, he was about to become an adoptive father, a step father in effect.  How intimidating is all of that?  What about all that whispering of rumors that would happen when people would believe that he and Mary had just had sex and got caught…so maybe, just maybe, they came up with this fantastical story to cover their tracks?

I mean really, people are still the same today as back then when it comes to talking behind peoples backs, right? Joseph could have accused her in public of cheating on him, he could have shamed her; he could have walked away or “divorced” her severing their betrothal to one another.  He could have doubted his own worthiness to fulfill the role that God had chosen him to serve by protecting Mary, being the father figure on earth and by instilling all of the values that God in Heaven wanted his son Jesus to have while he grew into the man that God wanted him to be.

Courage is what it took for Joseph and Mary to accept God’s plan for their lives and for the life of baby Jesus who WOULD grow into the man who would die to save the world from their sins; if only they would believe.  Obedience is what was required.  Faith is what it took to make it happen.

The human side of the story is one in which I suspect most of us can most relate to.  The fears, the doubt, the questions… the awe when God’s plan was fulfilled.  As they planned and prepared for the birth of Jesus…imagine their surprise when he was born in a lowly stable (barn).  He was to be the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords…the son of God.  How could it be that he was to come into the world in such a common way?  There was no room at the inn as Joseph and Mary traveled…the stable was the best that Joseph could come up with at the moment of the onset of Mary’s labor.

Once the baby was born and God sent worshipers to him from around the world…don’t ya think that all were amazed?  I can only imagine it.  I mean…any other mother looks to prepare her nest.  Get things clean, prepared and just so.  I am sure that Mary was no different.  She was getting ready to welcome the baby who would be called Jesus.   Those who came to see the child were welcoming the baby.  The animals in the stable were privileged to see and greet the son of God.  The chosen human parents were welcoming the baby gratefully the he arrived safely.  There was joy.  There was celebration.

Today we should be no less filled with joy or celebration.  Yes it happened a long time ago.  But, just knowing that it happened and how it affects us all; we should still be welcoming the baby in our lives.  It should not just be at Christmas time either.  Jesus is a gift to us all; from God, so that we can have eternal life and not spend eternity in hell because of our sins.  If we believe in Jesus as the son of God, claim him as our own, live our lives under the guidelines and rules in the Bible… do our best to serve God in all that we do, say, think and feel; then, we will truly be welcoming the baby Jesus in the way that God intended.

How does that translate into a world that barely acknowledges God let alone his son?  We must do our best to include him daily.  Be the person that God has created you to  be.  Live your best life by doing what is right, striving to be holy, praying,  reading the Bible…affecting the people around you in a positive way.

This Christmas, how do you intend to celebrate the birth of Christ?  Do you include honoring as the main goal of your holiday celebrations?  Do you have traditions that show why you give gifts, prepare a feast of food, invite visitors and have a party in general?  Tell us about your Christmas celebrations…we’d love to hear from you.

I blog the same way that I cook.   If I begin my cooking using someone else’s recipe…I can’t help but tweak it a little.  You know, a little of this and a little of that.  Spice it up and toss in a few ingredients that normally, one wouldn’t think would go along with that kind of a dish.  Well, it is going to be absolutely no different here with this blog challenge.  Sorry, Karin…I just never was one to color strictly between the lines.  So, here goes…

I am thinking…I write because it is what I do.  If I were to “talk” the way I blog…my rambling, over the top, shout it out thought process about whatever moves me, on any given day; it would drive everyone out of my life-except the random, unsuspecting person who stumbled along my path that day.  See, if I start on a subject, I have to examine it closely.  If it’s something that I am passionate about it could, and often does, get lengthy; and let’s face it, I am passionate about everything I write…otherwise, why bother?

And as far as 10 reasons why you should read my blog…well, I am just not sure you should.  See, #10. I have things to say and my family gets tired of trying to invent ways to escape the room when I am trying to move them to my point of view-really, you are doing them a service by reading the blog;   #9.  I am TV free and the issues I blog about are often news items that other people get to view nightly on TV and they often accept that subject as fact-on my blog…we discuss what ifs and what you think about that kind of subject;   #8.  I give you an opportunity to express your opinions on things from relationship issues, to health concerns, to spiritual matters, as well as subjects you may have never even considered before;   #7.   I am all about family, friends and heart matters-some people have a hard time with all of that deep thinking on touchy feely matters;  #6.   I have a lot of curiosity about the world and I am not afraid to indulge myself;   #5.   I find that blogging is a way for me to explore my deep need to understand myself and the minds of other people-Just so you know…in real life…people get weirded out when you push them to think deep and “talk” about it; as my profile on Twitter says, I am addicted to interesting people, places, and subjects and I blog about it all;   #4.   I need feedback and blogging is the best place in the world to get it without getting “stuck” in an uncomfortable conversation with someone if they get a little too intense on a subject;   #3.   I am very entertaining most days and even when I get serious about something…I try to be very sensitive to the reader because I never know who will be reading the blog and how it will affect them;   #2.   My blog has been known to create relationships – I found this especially rewarding on subjects such as triple negative cancer patients who were trying to connect with others with information that impacted their lives;   The  #1.   reason you should read my blog is because I think there are too many places in this world that focus on the negative aspects of life and really…life is too short to be focused on negativity…we need to encourage one another and find joy where we can.

As for the twist on the recipe part of the blog…here are a few added ingredients…I was distracted much of this summer from my blogging.   I need to feel moved to write; that is just how I was created.   However, consistency is a main ingredient for any blogging success.  My last post was August 16^th and today is September 7th.   I have needed a shot in the arm to get the creative juices flowing…and since it is the back to school season…immunizations are a big thing right now.  I want to thank Karin for giving me my booster shot.

My twist on this challenge is that I should have turned in a list of 10 reasons why I DIDN’T write more this summer…but really, those reasons would just turn out to be excuses with some mundane explanations thrown in the kitchen soup.  The truth of the matter is… that I was very busy living my life and enjoying it immensely.  I make no apologies for that.  I have gained some wisdom over the years and one of the most important things I have learned is that if you don’t take the time to enjoy life and merely become an observer (which in my mind is what I do on my blog…observe, document, inspect, and regurgitate for the reader) then you find yourself with many regrets at the end of your life.  I want no regrets.  Life is precious…I am greedy…I want to see, do, hear, witness and participate in all that I can, so that I can feel peaceful about how I spend the days of my life.  Thanks for being a part of it all!

       After all, men and women have fought and died for the privelege that we all enjoy of living free from the will of others being forced upon us regardless of their own values and beliefs.   We don’t thank our military men and women enough for that and we should.  

        Our own country’s Declaration of Independence was based on the idea and principals of freedom.  Without that document as the basis of our country, we would still be forced to accept another country’s authority of what we could and could not do as individuals, in America.  Human beings still value freedom today, as much as during the formation of the United States of America; we just don’t always talk about what that means in our everyday lives. 

        Relationships are often broken or strengthened on the basis of the people’s concept of the boundaries and limitations of freedom in their relationship.  It does not matter whether that relationship is romantic in nature or whether the relationship is based on friendship, or is a family relationship such as parent to child or, even a working relationship with a co-worker  or a boss. 

         Freedom and it’s limitations are important.  If you think I am wrong consider this… if a couple has differing views on what kind of freedoms are going to be allowed in the relationships regarding physical relations, financial spending or saving, discipline issues with regard to raising children…or even freedom to pursue a chosen career…how does one compromise the limits of such freedoms without compromising or destroying one person or the other’s sense of what is acceptable?   They must consider the other person’s feelings regarding freedom as being equally important as their own and be willing to find an acceptable solution to both parties.  This is not easy…because everyone wants what they want and they want it their own way, if given a choice.

        A child who wants freedom, to do what they want at age two, will try to determine the outcome of how much freedom he or she has by acting out behaviorally.  It is the same with a teenager who is experiencing conflict between what they consider acceptable limits to their freedom as far as the use of the phone/computer/video games/ romantic relationships or even curfew.  When they don’t feel “heard” or at least met half way by a parental authority figure…often teens will rebel; sometimes even risk leaving home and damaging their relationship with parents or their siblings, over their own idea of how much freedom they should be allowed.

        Another population of people who understand the value of freedom is someone who is incarcerated or imprisoned.  The basic freedom of coming or going from place to place is something that most people enjoy and take for granted.  However, a person who is being punished criminally or in a war situation may experience a severe form of limitation of their freedoms.  They are not allowed to come and go freely.  They eats, sleep, work and interact only when they are allowed to do so.  This is meant to be a deterrent to commiting crime against societies.  It works for some, but truthfully, most people do not know how much they value these basic freedoms until it is taken away from them.  It is frightening to lack control over every aspect of your daily life.  Most people will be persuaded to live a life free of crime to avoid loosing their freedom.

        In general, the trick to having freedom that works is balancing freedom with responsibility and having a mutual respect for those with which the conflict is occuring.  Freedom to make one’s own choices is never free…it comes with a cost.  People who offer freedom to another person (from those in whom they are in disagreement with) WILL have strings attached or ulterior motives; even if they aren’t evident at the beginning. 

          We each must earn our own way in the freedom department…but, ultimately, the rights we enjoy as individuals are fought and won in battle through our military men and women who’ve paid a high costs; our court systems  and through legal challenges; and, in our own personal relationships through our communication with others of our needs and expectations; and our willingness to consider the rights and freedoms of those around us as being important as well. 

         The thing about freedom is also that the person who is expecting it, demanding it  needs to consider whether the freedom that they are wanting and seeking is worth the cost.  It must be weighed in each circumstance and if meeting in the middle or compromising can’t be done without one or both people feeling like they have given up too much…then relationships can be damaged.  It doesn’t matter how those relationships come into being…everyone wants to be valued and considered worthy of having equal say in how they conduct their lives.  It is human nature.

        The solution was the wonderful hospitality house that is connected to Spectrum Hospital downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan called the Renucci Hospitality House.   I can’t tell you what a wonderful service this Renucci House offers.  It was built in 1999 and helps to house family members of the hospital’s patients that are in need of having a place close by to sleep and rest.  It was designed to provide comfort and rest for the weary soul.  There is a small healing garden that is darling.  There is a playroom for young siblings or children of the hospital patient.  The staff is wonderful and caring, from the hosts to the cleaning crew.   There is a computer for the patient’s family members to use, a laundry facility, an exercise room…and quiet rooms for relaxing.  The dinning room is open 24-7 and the kitchen is stocked with non-perishable food items for those moments when food or drink is needed.

        The Renucci House was founded by Peter P. Renucci and his wife Patricia Renucci.  Back in 1968 one of their children was born through a premature situation and had to stay in the hospital’s neonatal unit.  This was the basis of their awareness of the need to be close to your loved one who is in crisis.   They helped to fund the Renucci House with a gift of $1.6 million because they wanted to thank the community for what had been done for their family.  This is a gift that keeps on giving with a pay it forward theme that I love.

       The atmosphere is one of love, support and healing.  You feel very comforted if you find yourself in need of the Renucci House.  It goes beyond the staff or the comfortable rooms.  There is a very wonderful program of volunteerism that happens here.  Organizations, churches, families and individuals are encouraged to give of their time, talents, and blessings.  You can volunteer to donate and prepare meals for the families who are staying there.   This is normally a great expense for families who must stay nearby their family members during a hospital stay; it may be an expense the family cannot afford.   Truly, this is a huge blessing and one that shows an important part of caretaking and nurturing of families in crisis. 

         Our family benefitted from several meals that had been prepared and served by some of these volunteers.  It was a service that was provided with joy by the volunteers; and that was a wonderful blessing.  The meals were wonderful from the main dish to the salads, drinks and desserts.  One evening, a church had their youth providing community service help to serve the families of the Renucci House.  It was a group of fifth graders and their mentors.  These people went out of their way to be of service to those who stayed there that evening.  They mingled and interacted with the families and showed great care.   I think it is great that young people are being taught the importance of giving back to a community through volunteering their time, skills and willingness to be of service.  Kudos to those involved.

         Volunteers are encouraged to come and bake in the kitchen homemade baked goods or some other treat.  Put together snacks or care bags for the families.  This also opens the door to have conversations with family members who may need someone to talk to.  Comfort and peace are evident throughout the Renucci House because of the volunteer programs.

        The Renucci House actually operates quite a bit through their volunteer programs…from donated non-perishable food items which stock the kitchen for family members to use when they need it; to volunteers to help pay for the family members stay who can not afford to pay, to help cover the cost of staying in the Renucci House.   This is a big deal if a hospital stay goes on for very long.  Family members may have a hard time paying for their rooms, or much needed items to be able to stay close to their loved ones.   Some volunteers give gift cards to be used at local stores or restaurants in the area.    Perhaps donating a telephone calling card would benefit families who are staying at the Renucci House but have long distance calls to make.   Talk to the manager of the house to see if current magazines can be donated or perhaps you have a nurturing spirit and have time to greet guests or maybe volunteer to help in the library.  Empty nesters  or retirees who find themselves with time on their hands may wish to do something meaningful with all of their spare time.   The Renucci House volunteers provide breakfast and dinners daily…they need a large number of volunteers who are willing to provide this needed service.

       You know, the Renucci House is near to the Lemmen -Holton Cancer Pavilion, the Devos Children’s Hospital, and the Lena Meijer Heart Center; all of these facilities have patients and families.   There is a huge need to support those patients and their families at a time when they are facing some of the biggest battles of their lives.   Often there are so many emotions to deal with such as fear, anxiety, depression, sadness and hope.  The Renucci House provides the basics to allow people to cope with their emotions.   Please, spread the word, volunteer and give help when and where you can.  Having compassion and opening your hearts to opportunities to help is an important part of life…please get involved.   You never know when you or someone you care about may need some of those same things.

        If someone has time or talent to give or just feels moved to donate monitarily to the Renucci House you can contact their house manager at (616) 391-1790.  

 You can view their website here: http://www.spectrum-health.org/renucci .  My family is going to volunteer soon…we may even take our youth group down and prepare a meal for the family members in the near future.  As a family who has benefitted from a stay at the Renucci House recently, I want to say thank you to all of the volunteers, to the staff of the Renucci House and to the Renucci Family themselves for impacting the Grand Rapids community and it’s surrounding area with love, compassion and support.  You are appreciated greatly!