My friend Mary was telling me about two websites yesterday as we were walking through Earth Fare here in South Charlotte. Both are sites with fabulous green home cleaning products with very different and interesting stories on how they came about. Check them out.
www.methodhome.com
www.imusranchfoods.com
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Having taken the 21 day challenge to not be negative or critical has proven challenging in more than one way. I have caught myself in negative thinking mode more than once in a given day. There is definately room for improvement when your spirit is trying to be intentional.
Proverbs 12:8-9
8 A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.
9 Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food.
Proverbs 12:8-9
8 A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.
9 Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Do you see any parallels in these verses? If so, tell me. I see something.
Deu: 14:28-29
28 “At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year’s harvest and store it in the nearest town. 29 Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.
Luke 8:42-48
As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. 43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding,[g] and she could find no cure. 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
Deu: 14:28-29
28 “At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year’s harvest and store it in the nearest town. 29 Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.
Luke 8:42-48
As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. 43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding,[g] and she could find no cure. 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Luke 8: 4- 15
Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed 4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’[b]
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed 4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’[b]
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
I received a powerpoint presentation from my friend Cheryl Jones. It was terrific. Let me see if I can blog it? Try to find a PPS file called wheregodwantsme. I found it for you. http://www.cephasministry.com/wheregodwantsme.pps Tell me what you think.
I don't know why I thought you might want to know about a cetain immoral woman before you wanted to know about God's call to hear and obey Him?
Luke 7: 36-50
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman 36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.[h] 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver[i] to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”
50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Deu. 8:1-10
A Call to Remember and Obey “Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.
6 “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
Luke 7: 36-50
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman 36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.[h] 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver[i] to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”
50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Deu. 8:1-10
A Call to Remember and Obey “Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.
6 “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
These are the verses that spoke to my spirit today. I am very excited about a new website that we are developing. Not only updating Jan's website but trying to put another one together to provide microloans for many. The task is so big that everyone is invited to join. See what you can do to make a difference. Hook up together to make a difference.
Luke 6
Do Not Judge Others 37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.[a]”
The Tree and Its Fruit 43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
Deu 4: 5-14 Moses call to obey (A father's last words)
5 “Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. 6 Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’ 7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him? 8 And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?
9 “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. 10 Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai,[a] where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’
11 “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness. 12 And the Lord spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice. 13 He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments[b]—which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets. 14 It was at that time that the Lord commanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.
Luke 6
Do Not Judge Others 37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.[a]”
The Tree and Its Fruit 43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
Deu 4: 5-14 Moses call to obey (A father's last words)
5 “Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. 6 Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’ 7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him? 8 And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?
9 “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. 10 Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai,[a] where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’
11 “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness. 12 And the Lord spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice. 13 He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments[b]—which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets. 14 It was at that time that the Lord commanded me to teach you his decrees and regulations so you would obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
• Volunteering can make a differenceMarch 22: TODAY's Al Roker talks with Michelle Nunn, founder of the Hands on Network, about her new book, "Be the Change."
Today Show Books
So, I'm watching the today show and they are doing a feature about classicial musicans who happen to be people of color. They blew my socks off. I found myself appauding after a Latino girl played the violin. Check this dude out. He is making a difference.
Baerbel Schmidt for Newsweek
Mentor: Dworkin with some of Sphinx's Detroit public-school students
THE ARTIST Aaron Dworkin, Sphinx Organization
A violinist whose life is introducing the music he loves to inner-city children.Growing up in rural Hershey, Pa., Aaron Dworkin was something of a double oddity: a black kid with a violin in his hand. There was only one other black family in town, and they looked nothing like Dworkin's household. He was adopted and raised by Jewish parents. His birthmother is Irish Catholic; his father is black. Diversity is literally in his blood. So picking up a violin at the age of 5 was just one more thing that made him different. It wasn't until college, though, that he realized how special it made him. At the University of Michigan, a music professor introduced him to the work of African-American composer William Grant Still. "I was overwhelmed," says Dworkin, 35. "No one ever told me this music existed. It would enrich so many people in the minority community. I thought, Why aren't they hearing it, too?"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,912940,00.html
A brain implant, it's on it's way. Check out the above story.
Here's a taste.
Brain implant may restore memory
Tim Radford, science editor
Thursday March 13, 2003
The Guardian
US researchers are poised to test an artificial aid to the brain. They have made a mathematical model of a memory store called the hippocampus, and programmed it on to a silicon chip. This could one day be fitted to a human with brain damage from stroke, epilepsy or dementia. May I add forgetfulness.
A brain implant, it's on it's way. Check out the above story.
Here's a taste.
Brain implant may restore memory
Tim Radford, science editor
Thursday March 13, 2003
The Guardian
US researchers are poised to test an artificial aid to the brain. They have made a mathematical model of a memory store called the hippocampus, and programmed it on to a silicon chip. This could one day be fitted to a human with brain damage from stroke, epilepsy or dementia. May I add forgetfulness.
Insufficient MemoryCan a pill boost your brain’s ability to hold information?By Jamie Talan (c) Newsday.com Nov. 18, 2003view original. Check out this article. I think techology should come up with an answer. Computers are becoming so small. Could implanting a chip be the answer to help the oldies but goodies? Or mind you anyone who needs a good retrival system.
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/dll/memory_drugs_newsday.html
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/dll/memory_drugs_newsday.html
Yesterday I went to Kiva's site www.kiva.org. Please check it out. It matches little givers with people having large needs.
According to an article on NPR's website
Young Donors Turn to Micro Loans
All Things Considered, December 23, 2006 · A new kind of philanthropic giving -- particularly among the young and web-savvy -- is facilitated by a non-profit organization called Kiva. Donors are encouraged to give microloans to entrepreneurs in the developing world.
Then this morning I read in Proverbs about how we are refreshed and satisfied when we freely give. Awesome blessings from the LORD. Try it and see. Actually see if you can find my picture on Kiva's website. It can be a treasure hunt and put your picture besides mine.
Proverbs 11: 24-45
24 Give freely and become more wealthy;
be stingy and lose everything.
25 The generous will prosper;
those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
According to an article on NPR's website
Young Donors Turn to Micro Loans
All Things Considered, December 23, 2006 · A new kind of philanthropic giving -- particularly among the young and web-savvy -- is facilitated by a non-profit organization called Kiva. Donors are encouraged to give microloans to entrepreneurs in the developing world.
Then this morning I read in Proverbs about how we are refreshed and satisfied when we freely give. Awesome blessings from the LORD. Try it and see. Actually see if you can find my picture on Kiva's website. It can be a treasure hunt and put your picture besides mine.
Proverbs 11: 24-45
24 Give freely and become more wealthy;
be stingy and lose everything.
25 The generous will prosper;
those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
GOD FORGIVES ALL OUR SINS, NOT SOME, NOT THE SMALL ONES, NOT THE ONES THAT WE HAVE TROUBLE FORGIVING OURSELVES, BUT ALL OF THEM. REMEMBER THAT ALWAYS.
Psalm 65
For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David. 1 What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, 2 for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. 3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. 4 What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple.
5 You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. 6 You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength. 7 You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations. 8 Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.
9 You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. 10 You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops. 11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. 12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. 13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!
Psalm 65
For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David. 1 What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, 2 for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. 3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. 4 What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple.
5 You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. 6 You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength. 7 You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations. 8 Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.
9 You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. 10 You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops. 11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. 12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. 13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Have you ever seen or heard of someone who inspires you to do something. Well last week 15 year old Zach Hunter was on a morning TV show telling about his crusade to abolish child slavery. I did a search on him and came up with an article that was featured on the 700 club website. It has all the links to him and his ministry. Check it out, you may be inspired too.
January 23, 2006
15-Year-Old Inspires People to End Slavery
Today, an estimated 27 million people are in slavery—more than in the 400 years of the transatlantic slave trade. Many of these modern-day slaves are teenagers. But one 15-year-old crusader, Zach Hunter, is proving that there is no age requirement on making a difference in the world. Hunter is leading a revolution, mobilizing students (and adults) to end modern-day slavery.
Hunter hopes to inspire students to bring about an amazing change in themselves and the world through his new book, Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World in Other Ways. This important new release is an official companion book to The Amazing Change campaign (www.theamazingchange.com) -- and it coincides with the new major motion picture, Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce and the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade (in theaters February 23rd -- watch for CBN.com's upcoming special section).
Hunter has been fighting slavery and other forms of oppression for the past three years through activities like:
Starting the Loose Change to Loosen Chains program when he was 12 years old;
Serving as the global student spokesperson for The Amazing Change; and
Speaking at schools, music festivals and conferences about ending modern-day slavery.
In Be the Change, Hunter helps teenagers understand the reality of modern-day slavery by providing startling statistics, real life stories from former slaves, and practical tools to mobilize people into action. Hunter parallels the powerful stories of those who fought for change centuries ago -- such as William Wilberforce and Harriet Tubman -- with examples of contemporaries fighting for justice, such as Mother Teresa, Bono and Jon Foreman from the music group Switchfoot.
"There is a yearning for justice inherent in the lining of every heart, and a sense encircling every synapse that tells us things are not as they ought to be in this world," says Jars of Clay vocalist, Dan Haseltine. "Zach Hunter's life and words cry, "freedom" with the force of William Wallace."
Hunter believes that today’s generation can abolish slavery and looks at the elements people need to make amazing changes in the world; elements such as courage, leadership and compassion. Hunter encourages others to ignite their passion and start making changes.
"A new generation of prophetic voices is emerging that understands (like the prophets of old) that God desires justice to roll like waters," says author and pastor John Ortberg. "Zach Hunter, at the age of 15, is one of those voices. We all need to listen."
Order your copy of Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World in Other Ways
Learn more about Zach Hunter and his ministry.
Watch the trailer for Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace Official Movie page
For information on Amazing Grace group sales or other requests in the US, please call 1-888-81-GRACE (47223)
E-mail Craig with your comments on this Blog
ChurchWatch Front Page
More from Craig von Buseck on CBN.com
More from Spiritual Life
January 23, 2006
15-Year-Old Inspires People to End Slavery
Today, an estimated 27 million people are in slavery—more than in the 400 years of the transatlantic slave trade. Many of these modern-day slaves are teenagers. But one 15-year-old crusader, Zach Hunter, is proving that there is no age requirement on making a difference in the world. Hunter is leading a revolution, mobilizing students (and adults) to end modern-day slavery.
Hunter hopes to inspire students to bring about an amazing change in themselves and the world through his new book, Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World in Other Ways. This important new release is an official companion book to The Amazing Change campaign (www.theamazingchange.com) -- and it coincides with the new major motion picture, Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce and the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade (in theaters February 23rd -- watch for CBN.com's upcoming special section).
Hunter has been fighting slavery and other forms of oppression for the past three years through activities like:
Starting the Loose Change to Loosen Chains program when he was 12 years old;
Serving as the global student spokesperson for The Amazing Change; and
Speaking at schools, music festivals and conferences about ending modern-day slavery.
In Be the Change, Hunter helps teenagers understand the reality of modern-day slavery by providing startling statistics, real life stories from former slaves, and practical tools to mobilize people into action. Hunter parallels the powerful stories of those who fought for change centuries ago -- such as William Wilberforce and Harriet Tubman -- with examples of contemporaries fighting for justice, such as Mother Teresa, Bono and Jon Foreman from the music group Switchfoot.
"There is a yearning for justice inherent in the lining of every heart, and a sense encircling every synapse that tells us things are not as they ought to be in this world," says Jars of Clay vocalist, Dan Haseltine. "Zach Hunter's life and words cry, "freedom" with the force of William Wallace."
Hunter believes that today’s generation can abolish slavery and looks at the elements people need to make amazing changes in the world; elements such as courage, leadership and compassion. Hunter encourages others to ignite their passion and start making changes.
"A new generation of prophetic voices is emerging that understands (like the prophets of old) that God desires justice to roll like waters," says author and pastor John Ortberg. "Zach Hunter, at the age of 15, is one of those voices. We all need to listen."
Order your copy of Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World in Other Ways
Learn more about Zach Hunter and his ministry.
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Sunday, March 18, 2007
Here is a list I found of the top 11 poorest countries in the world. Why do you think they most are in Africa? Is there anyone who wants to put them in order? Or is being on the top eleven poor enough? Can we be part of a solution?
Malawi
Dem. Rep. of Congo
Eritrea
Guinea-Bissau
Tanzania
Ethiopia
Burundi
Mozambique
Nepal
Sierra Leone
Niger
Malawi
Dem. Rep. of Congo
Eritrea
Guinea-Bissau
Tanzania
Ethiopia
Burundi
Mozambique
Nepal
Sierra Leone
Niger
I have a dream.
I have a dream about global connectivity.
I have a dream where everyone in this world has access to a phone line and a computer. Do you think that might foster change?
Read how some of the poorest countries in the world are getting connected. http://www.ipsterraviva.net/TV/ldcs/en/viewstory.asp?idnews=751
Here is the beginning of the article to wet your appetite.
CONNECTIVITY WORLD'S POOREST NATIONS SLOWLY GET ONLINE byThalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS - An African diplomat from one of the world's 50 poorest nations, described as least developed countries (LDCs), once complained that it took about five to 10 years to get a landline telephone connection in his home country -- and an additional five years to get a dial tone on the new phone. Do we take technology and access to technology for granted?
I have a dream about global connectivity.
I have a dream where everyone in this world has access to a phone line and a computer. Do you think that might foster change?
Read how some of the poorest countries in the world are getting connected. http://www.ipsterraviva.net/TV/ldcs/en/viewstory.asp?idnews=751
Here is the beginning of the article to wet your appetite.
CONNECTIVITY WORLD'S POOREST NATIONS SLOWLY GET ONLINE byThalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS - An African diplomat from one of the world's 50 poorest nations, described as least developed countries (LDCs), once complained that it took about five to 10 years to get a landline telephone connection in his home country -- and an additional five years to get a dial tone on the new phone. Do we take technology and access to technology for granted?
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Check out http://startupspark.com/ and
http://cuberules.com/blog/2007/01/12/donate-to-microcredits-and-microloans/ two interesting blogs that say something about successful entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs, that is a word that I stumble with the spelling. I wish I had an implant in my head that could spell check and grammar check all my writings. Then I would not be so self conscious. I could let it rip.
http://cuberules.com/blog/2007/01/12/donate-to-microcredits-and-microloans/ two interesting blogs that say something about successful entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs, that is a word that I stumble with the spelling. I wish I had an implant in my head that could spell check and grammar check all my writings. Then I would not be so self conscious. I could let it rip.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Numbers 22:32
32 “Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.
My thoughts this morning were in what areas of my life am I stubbornly resisting God. I know that one is in my food and drink. Do you ever eat something you know you like or even love but it is going to cause you indigestion? Yet you eat it anyway. Can you see my point? STUBBORN RESISTANCE!
God please help me in the areas of my life where I am resisting Your leading and blocking. Help me to have the strength and determination to do it Your way not mine for our way may please the flesh yet is very self destructive unfortunately.
32 “Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.
My thoughts this morning were in what areas of my life am I stubbornly resisting God. I know that one is in my food and drink. Do you ever eat something you know you like or even love but it is going to cause you indigestion? Yet you eat it anyway. Can you see my point? STUBBORN RESISTANCE!
God please help me in the areas of my life where I am resisting Your leading and blocking. Help me to have the strength and determination to do it Your way not mine for our way may please the flesh yet is very self destructive unfortunately.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Good morning everyone. I was up at 4:30 am and looked at my e-mail before I even did my devotions. Usually I don't do that but today I did. Seeing I had an e-mail from a friend in South Africa I read it with delight and interest. Remember my inspiration about micro financing, well I shared it with Tonia. She was very encouraging and had many good ideas. So, please pray for this effort to bring opportunity to women who have none but are very hard working and needy of a blessing. For many of them support families of 10 and more on less than $1.00 a day. Together we can be part of the solution and not be blind to the problems of our society.
Proverbs 11: 9-11
9 With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous.
10 The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the wicked die.
11 Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.
Luke 1:37, 45
37 For nothing is impossible with God
45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
Proverbs 11: 9-11
9 With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous.
10 The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the wicked die.
11 Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.
Luke 1:37, 45
37 For nothing is impossible with God
45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Came across a great website today that I'd like to share with you. http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001484.php This is Kevin Kelly's website. He's very cool. Get to know him and what he does is very interesting. Especially in the area of networking, technology, film, sustainability, and solutions for social problems.
The soul of a kind man nurishes himself, those were the words I read this morning in my bible. Therefore, if I'm kind it nurishes my spirit. That hit home for me. Maybe it will hit home for you?
Proverbs 11:17 (Amplified Bible)
17The merciful, kind, and generous man benefits himself [for his deeds return to bless him], but he who is cruel and callous [to the wants of others] brings on himself retribution
Proverbs 11:17 (Amplified Bible)
17The merciful, kind, and generous man benefits himself [for his deeds return to bless him], but he who is cruel and callous [to the wants of others] brings on himself retribution
Monday, March 12, 2007
Just returned from the Hope of Israel's Sisterhood Annual Retreat up in Blowing Rock. Come next March with us and have a great time.
Read my friend Shannon Hopkin's Monday Morning Newsletter. She is involved with a campaign that seeks to find a solution for human trafficking and prostitution. Check out the website in London that has some information about this problem. Maybe you can get inspired to be part of the solution. http://www.thetruthisntsexy.com/
Read my friend Shannon Hopkin's Monday Morning Newsletter. She is involved with a campaign that seeks to find a solution for human trafficking and prostitution. Check out the website in London that has some information about this problem. Maybe you can get inspired to be part of the solution. http://www.thetruthisntsexy.com/
Friday, March 09, 2007
Reading Numbers 14 today I'm not going to blog the entire passage, but tell you what struck me and why. You can find the text online at www.biblegateway.com. I'm reading the New Living Version of the Bible. They have about 14 versions you can view. I like the New Living and the Amplified Bible.
So, the scouts went to Canaan and were afraid of the people who lived there. They spead vicious rumors in the camp and the people wanted to go back to Egypt or even die in the wilderness rather than be enslaved or killed by the Canaanites. The long and the short of the story is that GOD was mad. I mean furious. He wanted to kill each and everyone of them.
What stuck me was that Moses pleaded for forgiveness yet judgement of sin. God said ok.
What was His judgement? Was it too harsh or too easy? What case did Moses make for God to forgive? What lessons did you learn from the story.
I learned not to test God but to trust Him. Even when the enemy is bigger than life, much bigger than we could ever handle ourselves. Read the passage and tell me what you think.
So, the scouts went to Canaan and were afraid of the people who lived there. They spead vicious rumors in the camp and the people wanted to go back to Egypt or even die in the wilderness rather than be enslaved or killed by the Canaanites. The long and the short of the story is that GOD was mad. I mean furious. He wanted to kill each and everyone of them.
What stuck me was that Moses pleaded for forgiveness yet judgement of sin. God said ok.
What was His judgement? Was it too harsh or too easy? What case did Moses make for God to forgive? What lessons did you learn from the story.
I learned not to test God but to trust Him. Even when the enemy is bigger than life, much bigger than we could ever handle ourselves. Read the passage and tell me what you think.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Are you racked with guilt, doubt, shame, depression? This psalm which can easily be turned into a pray can help you. Try it! No matter what you have done, God wants you to tell Him and turn to Him for forgiveness.
Psalm 51
For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. 1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.[a] 5 For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. 6 But you desire honesty from the womb,[b] teaching me wisdom even there.
7 Purify me from my sins,[c] and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. 14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. 15 Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. 18 Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit— with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.
Psalm 51
For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. 1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.[a] 5 For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. 6 But you desire honesty from the womb,[b] teaching me wisdom even there.
7 Purify me from my sins,[c] and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. 14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. 15 Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. 18 Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit— with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
After exploring the concept of microcredit and how it can enable women to overcome proverty. I found Yunus who is the visionary for Grameen Bank, Banladesh. He was given the Pulitzer Peace Prize. Read what he has to say. It is a very intersting speech. You may get inspired to be part of the solution to world poverty.
SME and Microcredit
Muhammad Yunus
Keynote Speech delivered by Professor Muhammad Yunus at the conference on "Bridging the Gap Between Micro and SME Finance", on November 28, 2005, at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh
“I'm delighted that we can all assemble here with such a big attendance, particularly such a large representation from the microcredit group. I think this will be a good opportunity to reflect where we are, and where we want to go in the future. This conference could have been held anywhere in the world. A good reason why I think that it should take place in Bangladesh, is not only because Bangladesh is the birthplace of microcredit, but also because this is where most of the world's microcredit operation is concentrated. The issues for the future are emerging here right now, because the intensity and density of microcredit is greater in Bangladesh than in any other country in the world. Another reason why we should be looking at the microcredit situation in Bangladesh is because Bangladesh has changed the banking world forever. I don't think banks can forget microcredit and go on with their business as usual. Banks have to rethink, redesign and reposition themselves, for the questions raised by Bangladeshi microcredit. They have to answer a lot of difficult questions. So this is the place where the exercise can begin because of the long experience, outreach, and diversity of microcredit in this country. Until now, the bankers were telling us that the poor are not credit-worthy. But now we have changed that. We insist that the question should be raised the other way around. The real question should be whether the banks are people-worthy. I think the answer is obvious: they are not.Two thirds of the world's population remains ineligible for bank credit. So what kind of banking structure have we built? If that structure cannot serve all people, we must go back to the drawing board and find a way to make it all-inclusive. Again the question to be asked is: Are the banks people-worthy? We are told that the conventional banks are watching us closely. But those conventional banks should be told that we are watching them too! It's not a one way process. We'll be watching you to ensure that you do the right thing and serve the people. The subject of banking with SMEs naturally raises the question, which kind of banking is required for SMEs? Is it the kind of banking that doesn't require collateral or requires banking with collateral? If banks want to talk in terms of collateral, then unfortunately we cannot deal with them, because people are not eager for conventional style of banking. Therefore, this issue must be resolved first, i.e. SMEs with or without collateral. What are the other issues? For example, are SMEs designed for illiterate people? If SMEs cannot be done with illiterate people, then we don't have any business here. Because in microcredit, we work with illiterate people. What about the kind of SMEs we are talking about? Is it SME for men or SME for women? All these issues need to be addressed so that we can go into the microcredit area. There is a wide gap between credit for the poor and for the rich. Banking that exists is the banking for the rich. Poor people have no room there. Mr. Governor has mentioned about the summit goal of reaching 100 million poorest families by the year 2005, and this is 2005.
We are celebrating the International Year of Microcredit and we are proudly announcing that we have reached those 100 million poorest families as we promised back in 1997.But the question is - where are these 100 million poorest families located? Out of these 100 million, 85 million are in Asia and the remaining 15 million are in Africa and Latin America. Asia has become the hub of microcredit: Bangladesh alone has reached around 17 million families.Try to imagine the meaning of reaching 17 million families with microcredit and doing business with them on a daily basis. With a billion plus population, for India this would mean 170 million families, i.e. if India had achieved the same intensity as in Bangladesh, they would have 170 million families reached with microcredit. But what's the real situation in India? It's 17 million at the most. India is way behind. There is plenty of room in India for microcredit to grow, develop and flourish. Next issue that is usually raised is where is the money coming from? Who is providing the money for all this? We have been arguing over and over again that the money issue is not an issue; it's a non issue, because it is available right there where we work. We have made our legal system in such a way that MFIs cannot pick that money up and lend it to people. Because of the non existence of appropriate laws, NGOs are running around for money to carry out their jobs. The solution is very simple. The solution is to create a law enabling the MFIs to convert themselves into microfinance banks. If they become microfinance banks, they'll take deposits from the same locality where they work. So the question of finding money from the donors disappears right away. Micro -credit should be working with the local money, to give it to the local poor and build the local economy, unlike conventional banks which mop up the local money and funnel them into big cities, preventing the money from being utilised locally. That is what our traditional banks have been doing. They invest very little in localities where they work.Microcredit works in a very different way. It can mobilize deposits and use it right there for poor people of the locality. It's a win-win situation for everybody. People who have money to save, can save. People who need money to invest, can borrow. Poor people can borrow and create self-employment. The local economy becomes rejuvenated.If MFIs are allowed by law to convert themselves into banks, they would not have to look for money outside. Along with the creation of that law, we need another law for creating a Microcredit Regulatory Authority. When you create banks, you need a regulatory authority to oversee whether they are doing things in the right way. This is important because dealing with public money is a very risky business. This is a new kind of banking we are talking about. We have argued very passionately and convincingly in Bangladesh, that a central bank doesn't have the capacity or the expertise to regulate microcredit banks. We argued to create a separate regulatory body. In Bangladesh microcredit is a significant sub-sector of the financial sector. It should be taken seriously.I'm happy to say that the Government, the Central Bank, and all concerned have responded to it positively. We have drafted both the laws, the law for creating "Microfinance Banks" and the draft law for a "Regulatory Authority". We are still waiting for it to be enacted by the Parliament. If these two laws are ratified, the Microfinance Banks can start functioning to fill all the gaps that we see existing in the financial picture. We usually find an incomplete financial structure. We find financial services on the top of the structure, and then the rest is empty. That's where money-lenders step in to fill the empty space. We want to complete the financial structure. We are talking about SMEs; to me more important than SMEs is agricultural credit, which really doesn't exist. This too is a curious situation. We have agricultural banks that do not run as proper banks. We need genuine agricultural banks. If we create the legal framework we can move into filling up these existing gaps in the new structure. So my question is, are we approaching this "filling the gap" issue with a traditional approach by extending the philosophy and technology of old, or are we talking about building a new structure from the bottom up? This is the issue we have to resolve in the coming discussions. My fear is that if we approach this from the old banking perspective, we would be going back to square one. The old structure is not suitable for the common people and we need to change that. In trying to resolve this issue with a new approach, we may make mistakes along the way. But today the chances of making those mistakes are less, since microcredit is so efficiently established in this country. We have a better chance in moving with a new approach.The most reassuring aspect is that all human beings are endowed with enormous energy. The unfortunate part of the story is that very few get a chance to unleash that energy due to the failure of the banking structure. Microcredit has shown that if you give the poor a little money, they can explore themselves. A woman who had nothing, if given a loan of Tk. 3,000 could buy some paddy from the market, husk it at home and sell the rice and earn her own living. If she is given more money, perhaps she can buy herself a cow, sell the milk and pay the bank back and move on with her life. Today through microcredit, the money is available; people are taking care of themselves and moving out of poverty. In Grameen Bank, not only are we lending money to 5.5 million borrowers, we are also focusing on their children. We want to make sure that they are sent to school. This is not a job that the conventional banks will think of, but we do it as a social business institution owned by the borrowers. Many of their children are now getting their medical, engineering and other professional degrees.
Grameen Bank gave them student loans. As a result, a new generation of educated youth is emerging out of these rural families. We give housing loans so that they can build themselves houses. We give interest free loans to beggars so that they can start up their own door to door businesses, rather than continue door to door begging. They need tiny loans, as small as $ 10. Even a beggar has that wonderful gift of creativity and ingenuity. The only thing we need to do is to recognise them.We need an appropriate financial system to match the enormous potential of all human beings, not a system to support only a few selected people. All human beings are entrepreneurs. If you don't know how to do business with all people, you'll have to learn, you cannot just give up. You cannot just say it cannot be done. It is against the universal human spirit to say "it cannot be done". It can be done! It has to be done! And that's what Bangladesh has done. It has shown the way. Bangladesh is the learning ground for the world. Our young people who made it happen make us proud. They have made the whole world look at Bangladesh, with the hope for creating a new financial structure. Orthodox bankers keep raising questions. Let them keep on asking questions. We'll convince them. We'll show them that this new banking is as good, and even better, than the old.”
SME and Microcredit
Muhammad Yunus
Keynote Speech delivered by Professor Muhammad Yunus at the conference on "Bridging the Gap Between Micro and SME Finance", on November 28, 2005, at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh
“I'm delighted that we can all assemble here with such a big attendance, particularly such a large representation from the microcredit group. I think this will be a good opportunity to reflect where we are, and where we want to go in the future. This conference could have been held anywhere in the world. A good reason why I think that it should take place in Bangladesh, is not only because Bangladesh is the birthplace of microcredit, but also because this is where most of the world's microcredit operation is concentrated. The issues for the future are emerging here right now, because the intensity and density of microcredit is greater in Bangladesh than in any other country in the world. Another reason why we should be looking at the microcredit situation in Bangladesh is because Bangladesh has changed the banking world forever. I don't think banks can forget microcredit and go on with their business as usual. Banks have to rethink, redesign and reposition themselves, for the questions raised by Bangladeshi microcredit. They have to answer a lot of difficult questions. So this is the place where the exercise can begin because of the long experience, outreach, and diversity of microcredit in this country. Until now, the bankers were telling us that the poor are not credit-worthy. But now we have changed that. We insist that the question should be raised the other way around. The real question should be whether the banks are people-worthy. I think the answer is obvious: they are not.Two thirds of the world's population remains ineligible for bank credit. So what kind of banking structure have we built? If that structure cannot serve all people, we must go back to the drawing board and find a way to make it all-inclusive. Again the question to be asked is: Are the banks people-worthy? We are told that the conventional banks are watching us closely. But those conventional banks should be told that we are watching them too! It's not a one way process. We'll be watching you to ensure that you do the right thing and serve the people. The subject of banking with SMEs naturally raises the question, which kind of banking is required for SMEs? Is it the kind of banking that doesn't require collateral or requires banking with collateral? If banks want to talk in terms of collateral, then unfortunately we cannot deal with them, because people are not eager for conventional style of banking. Therefore, this issue must be resolved first, i.e. SMEs with or without collateral. What are the other issues? For example, are SMEs designed for illiterate people? If SMEs cannot be done with illiterate people, then we don't have any business here. Because in microcredit, we work with illiterate people. What about the kind of SMEs we are talking about? Is it SME for men or SME for women? All these issues need to be addressed so that we can go into the microcredit area. There is a wide gap between credit for the poor and for the rich. Banking that exists is the banking for the rich. Poor people have no room there. Mr. Governor has mentioned about the summit goal of reaching 100 million poorest families by the year 2005, and this is 2005.
We are celebrating the International Year of Microcredit and we are proudly announcing that we have reached those 100 million poorest families as we promised back in 1997.But the question is - where are these 100 million poorest families located? Out of these 100 million, 85 million are in Asia and the remaining 15 million are in Africa and Latin America. Asia has become the hub of microcredit: Bangladesh alone has reached around 17 million families.Try to imagine the meaning of reaching 17 million families with microcredit and doing business with them on a daily basis. With a billion plus population, for India this would mean 170 million families, i.e. if India had achieved the same intensity as in Bangladesh, they would have 170 million families reached with microcredit. But what's the real situation in India? It's 17 million at the most. India is way behind. There is plenty of room in India for microcredit to grow, develop and flourish. Next issue that is usually raised is where is the money coming from? Who is providing the money for all this? We have been arguing over and over again that the money issue is not an issue; it's a non issue, because it is available right there where we work. We have made our legal system in such a way that MFIs cannot pick that money up and lend it to people. Because of the non existence of appropriate laws, NGOs are running around for money to carry out their jobs. The solution is very simple. The solution is to create a law enabling the MFIs to convert themselves into microfinance banks. If they become microfinance banks, they'll take deposits from the same locality where they work. So the question of finding money from the donors disappears right away. Micro -credit should be working with the local money, to give it to the local poor and build the local economy, unlike conventional banks which mop up the local money and funnel them into big cities, preventing the money from being utilised locally. That is what our traditional banks have been doing. They invest very little in localities where they work.Microcredit works in a very different way. It can mobilize deposits and use it right there for poor people of the locality. It's a win-win situation for everybody. People who have money to save, can save. People who need money to invest, can borrow. Poor people can borrow and create self-employment. The local economy becomes rejuvenated.If MFIs are allowed by law to convert themselves into banks, they would not have to look for money outside. Along with the creation of that law, we need another law for creating a Microcredit Regulatory Authority. When you create banks, you need a regulatory authority to oversee whether they are doing things in the right way. This is important because dealing with public money is a very risky business. This is a new kind of banking we are talking about. We have argued very passionately and convincingly in Bangladesh, that a central bank doesn't have the capacity or the expertise to regulate microcredit banks. We argued to create a separate regulatory body. In Bangladesh microcredit is a significant sub-sector of the financial sector. It should be taken seriously.I'm happy to say that the Government, the Central Bank, and all concerned have responded to it positively. We have drafted both the laws, the law for creating "Microfinance Banks" and the draft law for a "Regulatory Authority". We are still waiting for it to be enacted by the Parliament. If these two laws are ratified, the Microfinance Banks can start functioning to fill all the gaps that we see existing in the financial picture. We usually find an incomplete financial structure. We find financial services on the top of the structure, and then the rest is empty. That's where money-lenders step in to fill the empty space. We want to complete the financial structure. We are talking about SMEs; to me more important than SMEs is agricultural credit, which really doesn't exist. This too is a curious situation. We have agricultural banks that do not run as proper banks. We need genuine agricultural banks. If we create the legal framework we can move into filling up these existing gaps in the new structure. So my question is, are we approaching this "filling the gap" issue with a traditional approach by extending the philosophy and technology of old, or are we talking about building a new structure from the bottom up? This is the issue we have to resolve in the coming discussions. My fear is that if we approach this from the old banking perspective, we would be going back to square one. The old structure is not suitable for the common people and we need to change that. In trying to resolve this issue with a new approach, we may make mistakes along the way. But today the chances of making those mistakes are less, since microcredit is so efficiently established in this country. We have a better chance in moving with a new approach.The most reassuring aspect is that all human beings are endowed with enormous energy. The unfortunate part of the story is that very few get a chance to unleash that energy due to the failure of the banking structure. Microcredit has shown that if you give the poor a little money, they can explore themselves. A woman who had nothing, if given a loan of Tk. 3,000 could buy some paddy from the market, husk it at home and sell the rice and earn her own living. If she is given more money, perhaps she can buy herself a cow, sell the milk and pay the bank back and move on with her life. Today through microcredit, the money is available; people are taking care of themselves and moving out of poverty. In Grameen Bank, not only are we lending money to 5.5 million borrowers, we are also focusing on their children. We want to make sure that they are sent to school. This is not a job that the conventional banks will think of, but we do it as a social business institution owned by the borrowers. Many of their children are now getting their medical, engineering and other professional degrees.
Grameen Bank gave them student loans. As a result, a new generation of educated youth is emerging out of these rural families. We give housing loans so that they can build themselves houses. We give interest free loans to beggars so that they can start up their own door to door businesses, rather than continue door to door begging. They need tiny loans, as small as $ 10. Even a beggar has that wonderful gift of creativity and ingenuity. The only thing we need to do is to recognise them.We need an appropriate financial system to match the enormous potential of all human beings, not a system to support only a few selected people. All human beings are entrepreneurs. If you don't know how to do business with all people, you'll have to learn, you cannot just give up. You cannot just say it cannot be done. It is against the universal human spirit to say "it cannot be done". It can be done! It has to be done! And that's what Bangladesh has done. It has shown the way. Bangladesh is the learning ground for the world. Our young people who made it happen make us proud. They have made the whole world look at Bangladesh, with the hope for creating a new financial structure. Orthodox bankers keep raising questions. Let them keep on asking questions. We'll convince them. We'll show them that this new banking is as good, and even better, than the old.”
Monday, March 05, 2007
As I was reading this morning I thought about what I should blog. If someone asked you what the most important truth of your life was, what would you say?
Mark 12: 28-34
The Most Important Commandment 28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’[a] 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] No other commandment is greater than these.”
32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”
34 Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Mark 12: 28-34
The Most Important Commandment 28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’[a] 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] No other commandment is greater than these.”
32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”
34 Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Have you ever wanted to know a secret? Have you ever wanted to know what works for a marriage? Well I have answers to both those questions. Prayer works, prayer is the first line of defense, and prayer produces results. Try this prayer from the last blog (3/3/07) for 30 days and tell me what happens. Pass on the secret to as many people as possible.
Lord, I pray for open physical affection between my husband and me. Enable each of us to lay aside self-consciousness or apathy and be effusive in our display of love. Help us to demonstrate how much we care for and value each other. Remind us throughout each day to affectionately touch one another in some way. Help us to not be cold, undemonstrative, uninterested or remote. Enable us to be warm, tender, compassionate, loving and adoring. Break through any hardheadedness on our part that refuses to change and grow. If one of us is less affectionate to the other’s detriment, bring us into balance.
Where any lack of affection has planted a negative view of marriage in our children, or taught them an incorrect way of relating to a marriage partner, help us to model the right way so that they can observe it. Show us how to openly confess our errors to them and demonstrate our commitment to live differently.
Change our habits of indifference or busyness. May we not so take each other for granted that we don’t make the effort to reach out and touch one another with affection. Help us not to weaken the marriage through neglect of this vital means of communication. I pray that we always “greet one another with a kiss of love” (1 Peter 5:14). I know that only the transforming power of the Holy Spirit can make changes that last. I trust You to transform us and make us the husband and wife You called us to be.
Where any lack of affection has planted a negative view of marriage in our children, or taught them an incorrect way of relating to a marriage partner, help us to model the right way so that they can observe it. Show us how to openly confess our errors to them and demonstrate our commitment to live differently.
Change our habits of indifference or busyness. May we not so take each other for granted that we don’t make the effort to reach out and touch one another with affection. Help us not to weaken the marriage through neglect of this vital means of communication. I pray that we always “greet one another with a kiss of love” (1 Peter 5:14). I know that only the transforming power of the Holy Spirit can make changes that last. I trust You to transform us and make us the husband and wife You called us to be.
Friday, March 02, 2007
This is our reading for March via www.oneyearbibleonline.com. Write me and tell me how God speaks to your heart.
March 02 Leviticus 25:47-27:13
Mark 10:32-52
Psalm 45:1-17
Proverbs 10:22
03 Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54
Mark 11:1-26
Psalm 46:1-11
Proverbs 10:23
04 Numbers 2:1-3:51
Mark 11:27-12:17
Psalm 47:1-9
Proverbs 10:24-25
05 Numbers 4:1-5:31
Mark 12:18-37
Psalm 48:1-14
Proverbs 10:26
06 Numbers 6:1-7:89
Mark 12:38-13:13
Psalm 49:1-20
Proverbs 10:27-28
07 Numbers 8:1-9:23
Mark 13:14-37
Psalm 50:1-23
Proverbs 10:29-30
08 Numbers 10:1-11:23
Mark 14:1-21
Psalm 51:1-19
Proverbs 10:31-32
09 Numbers 11:24-13:33
Mark 14:22-52
Psalm 52:1-9
Proverbs 11:1-3
10 Numbers 14:1-15:16
Mark 14:53-72
Psalm 53:1-6
Proverbs 11:4
11 Numbers 15:17-16:40
Mark 15:1-47
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 11:5-6
12 Numbers 16:41-18:32
Mark 16:1-20
Psalm 55:1-23
Proverbs 11:7
13 Numbers 19:1-20:29
Luke 1:1-25
Psalm 56:1-13
Proverbs 11:8
14 Numbers 21:1-22:20
Luke 1:26-56
Psalm 57:1-11
Proverbs 11:9-11
15 Numbers 22:21-23:30
Luke 1:57-80
Psalm 58:1-11
Proverbs 11:12-13
16 Numbers 24:1-25:18
Luke 2:1-35
Psalm 59:1-17
Proverbs 11:14
17 Numbers 26:1-51
Luke 2:36-52
Psalm 60:1-12
Proverbs 11:15
18 Numbers 26:52-28:15
Luke 3:1-22
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 11:16-17
19 Numbers 28;16-29:40
Luke 3:23-38
Psalm 62:1-12
Proverbs 11:18-19
20 Numbers 30:1-31:54
Luke 4:1-30
Psalm 63:1-11
Proverbs 11:20-21
21 Numbers 32:1-33:39
Luke 4:31-5:11
Psalm 64:1-10
Proverbs 11:22
22 Numbers 33:40-35:34
Luke 5:12-28
Psalm 65:1-13
Proverbs 11:23
23 Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46
Luke 5:29-6:11
Psalm 66:1-20
Proverbs 11:24-26
24 Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29
Luke 6:12-38
Psalm 67:1-7
Proverbs 11:27
25 Deuteronomy 4:1-49
Luke 6:39-7:10
Psalm 68:1-18
Proverbs 11:28
26 Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25
Luke 7:11-35
Psalm 68:19-35
Proverbs 11:29-31
27 Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20
Luke 7:36-8:3
Psalm 69:1-18
Proverbs 12:1
28 Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22
Luke 8:4-21
Psalm 69:19-36
Proverbs 12:2-3
29 Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32
Luke 8:22-39
Psalm 70:1-5
Proverbs 12:4
30 Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23
Luke 8:40-9:6
Psalm 71:1-24
Proverbs 12:5-7
31 Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20
Luke 9:7-27
Psalm 72:1-20
Proverbs 12:8-9
March 02 Leviticus 25:47-27:13
Mark 10:32-52
Psalm 45:1-17
Proverbs 10:22
03 Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54
Mark 11:1-26
Psalm 46:1-11
Proverbs 10:23
04 Numbers 2:1-3:51
Mark 11:27-12:17
Psalm 47:1-9
Proverbs 10:24-25
05 Numbers 4:1-5:31
Mark 12:18-37
Psalm 48:1-14
Proverbs 10:26
06 Numbers 6:1-7:89
Mark 12:38-13:13
Psalm 49:1-20
Proverbs 10:27-28
07 Numbers 8:1-9:23
Mark 13:14-37
Psalm 50:1-23
Proverbs 10:29-30
08 Numbers 10:1-11:23
Mark 14:1-21
Psalm 51:1-19
Proverbs 10:31-32
09 Numbers 11:24-13:33
Mark 14:22-52
Psalm 52:1-9
Proverbs 11:1-3
10 Numbers 14:1-15:16
Mark 14:53-72
Psalm 53:1-6
Proverbs 11:4
11 Numbers 15:17-16:40
Mark 15:1-47
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 11:5-6
12 Numbers 16:41-18:32
Mark 16:1-20
Psalm 55:1-23
Proverbs 11:7
13 Numbers 19:1-20:29
Luke 1:1-25
Psalm 56:1-13
Proverbs 11:8
14 Numbers 21:1-22:20
Luke 1:26-56
Psalm 57:1-11
Proverbs 11:9-11
15 Numbers 22:21-23:30
Luke 1:57-80
Psalm 58:1-11
Proverbs 11:12-13
16 Numbers 24:1-25:18
Luke 2:1-35
Psalm 59:1-17
Proverbs 11:14
17 Numbers 26:1-51
Luke 2:36-52
Psalm 60:1-12
Proverbs 11:15
18 Numbers 26:52-28:15
Luke 3:1-22
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 11:16-17
19 Numbers 28;16-29:40
Luke 3:23-38
Psalm 62:1-12
Proverbs 11:18-19
20 Numbers 30:1-31:54
Luke 4:1-30
Psalm 63:1-11
Proverbs 11:20-21
21 Numbers 32:1-33:39
Luke 4:31-5:11
Psalm 64:1-10
Proverbs 11:22
22 Numbers 33:40-35:34
Luke 5:12-28
Psalm 65:1-13
Proverbs 11:23
23 Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46
Luke 5:29-6:11
Psalm 66:1-20
Proverbs 11:24-26
24 Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29
Luke 6:12-38
Psalm 67:1-7
Proverbs 11:27
25 Deuteronomy 4:1-49
Luke 6:39-7:10
Psalm 68:1-18
Proverbs 11:28
26 Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25
Luke 7:11-35
Psalm 68:19-35
Proverbs 11:29-31
27 Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20
Luke 7:36-8:3
Psalm 69:1-18
Proverbs 12:1
28 Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22
Luke 8:4-21
Psalm 69:19-36
Proverbs 12:2-3
29 Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32
Luke 8:22-39
Psalm 70:1-5
Proverbs 12:4
30 Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23
Luke 8:40-9:6
Psalm 71:1-24
Proverbs 12:5-7
31 Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20
Luke 9:7-27
Psalm 72:1-20
Proverbs 12:8-9
This is the first of three paragraphs I typed this morning and will share with you. As you can see it is a prayer for our husbands and our marriages. After being married 27 years, sometimes our relationships need a prayerful overhaul in some areas. Join me if any of these words touch a tender spot. Mommilner
Prayers for our Husbands
Lord, I pray for open physical affection between my husband and me. Enable each of us to lay aside self-consciousness or apathy and be effusive in our display of love. Help us to demonstrate how much we care for and value each other. Remind us throughout each day to affectionately touch one another in some way. Help us to not be cold, undemonstrative, uninterested or remote. Enable us to be warm, tender, compassionate, loving and adoring. Break through any hardheadedness on our part that refuses to change and grow. If one of us is less affectionate to the other’s detriment, bring us into balance.
Prayers for our Husbands
Lord, I pray for open physical affection between my husband and me. Enable each of us to lay aside self-consciousness or apathy and be effusive in our display of love. Help us to demonstrate how much we care for and value each other. Remind us throughout each day to affectionately touch one another in some way. Help us to not be cold, undemonstrative, uninterested or remote. Enable us to be warm, tender, compassionate, loving and adoring. Break through any hardheadedness on our part that refuses to change and grow. If one of us is less affectionate to the other’s detriment, bring us into balance.
This is the first of three paragraphs I typed this morning and will share with you. As you can see it is a prayer for our husbands and our marriages. After being married 27 years, sometimes our relationships need a prayerful overhaul in some areas. Join me if any of these words touch a tender spot. Mommilner
Prayers for our Husbands
Lord, I pray for open physical affection between my husband and me. Enable each of us to lay aside self-consciousness or apathy and be effusive in our display of love. Help us to demonstrate how much we care for and value each other. Remind us throughout each day to affectionately touch one another in some way. Help us to not be cold, undemonstrative, uninterested or remote. Enable us to be warm, tender, compassionate, loving and adoring. Break through any hardheadedness on our part that refuses to change and grow. If one of us is less affectionate to the other’s detriment, bring us into balance.
Prayers for our Husbands
Lord, I pray for open physical affection between my husband and me. Enable each of us to lay aside self-consciousness or apathy and be effusive in our display of love. Help us to demonstrate how much we care for and value each other. Remind us throughout each day to affectionately touch one another in some way. Help us to not be cold, undemonstrative, uninterested or remote. Enable us to be warm, tender, compassionate, loving and adoring. Break through any hardheadedness on our part that refuses to change and grow. If one of us is less affectionate to the other’s detriment, bring us into balance.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Mark 10:13-24Jesus Blesses the Children
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
The Rich Man
17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard[b] to enter the Kingdom of God.
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
The Rich Man
17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard[b] to enter the Kingdom of God.
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