I was a privileged last-minute guest on this morning’s Techology Show podcast. We had great conversation about numerous things including Microsoft’s new tablet (Surface), Vizio’s new computer line, and a few powerful quotes from stories that you’ll want to check out, too.
Watch the episode here and I’d love to hear your comments below…
inmate Rontrell Wise portraying the angel Gabriel – convicted of murder and serving a life sentence
The story follows the Angola Prison Drama Club at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola and is a fantastic glimpse into a unique thing taking place there.
70 inmates are participating in a dramatization titled, “The Life of Jesus Christ”.
If you have 10-minutes, this story is well-worth your time.
The audio-version of the story (accessible at the same link here) is incredible.
If you take a minute (ten, actually) to read/listen to the NPR story, I would LOVE to hear your comments here on the blog!
There is some dispute to whether Mahatma Ghandi actually said, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” But every time I hear that quote I can’t help but nod, duck my head, and admit that even if he didn’t say it, I know there are MANY others who hold that exact statement as their own.
I stumbled on a video recently that solidifies this idea that much of our culture looks at those who follow Christ are horrible reflectors of His grace, mercy, and love.
I think this video will soon be making it into a Sunday sermon illustration in my church!
My sister Sherilyn is up to some God-sized things in the heart of Uptown Chicago. She has been there for a few years now living in community with many of the “castoffs” of our society showing them Christ’s love in action by doing life together. She has established a non-profit organization called “JUSTembrace” to help manage the finances and administration of this community.
In her words:
“I remember the first time that I came to this neighborhood… I was overwhelmed with the vulnerability that I saw all around me – I felt like every person that I passed had a story…everyone has a story, but not everybody wears it on the outside…
This neighborhood has an overwhelming concentration of vulnerable men and women. …this is the part of Chicago where we have just shoved all of the forgotten and unsightly and unruly people in our society. That made me fall in love with this neighborhood immediately.
I believe our vulnerability puts us in a position to be able to experience healing and love and authentic community in a way that is more difficult when we haven’t been in touch with authentic vulnerability.”
Last year I went up with my Dad and Uncle to help her move from her first Uptown apartment into the upstairs apartment of the community-friendly house she currently lives in.
Just recently the bottom (larger, more suitable) apartment became available and she desperately needs help to afford to rent out BOTH the upstairs and downstairs to increase her reach in positively affecting her community there in the Uptown neighborhood. The cost to rent the downstairs apartment for one year is $18,600. I have encouraged her to try and “crowd-source” this fundraising need and am trying to help by posting about it here on my blog. Originally we though Kickstarter or HopeMob would be places to do this with a wide-audience, but both fell through.
Watch this video for a better understanding of the impact Sher and her team at JUSTembrace are having within their community:
So, will YOU consider helping to make a WORLD of difference in this Chicago neighborhood and “JUSTembrace this place”?
How YOU can help right now:
Wesleyan Headquarters recently made available a highlight-reel of sorts from some of the happenings this year at General Conference. I think this gives a great perspective of some of those ‘wow’ moments that I was privileged to have been a part of at General Conference.
