Friday Freebies: Join the SASE Club!

July 30, 2010 at 9:30 am | Posted in design, freebies, indie | Leave a Comment

I’ve admired the work of the folks at Invisible Creature for awhile now. From the Sasquatch Music Festival to the Hurricane Poster Project, Invisible Creature has developed a strong voice in the design world.

Now, you’re invited to join the fun! The Lil’ Happy Invisible Creature S.A.S.E Club is kind of a throwback nod to the days when people actually sent letters to each other (“S.A.S.E” means “self-addressed stamped envelope, by the way).

Here’s how it works:

It’s real simple. Send us a self-addressed stamped envelope and we’ll fill it with goodies. Put 2 stamps on your return envelope and we’ll fill it with more.

However, we thought we’d make it a bit more fun and interactive. Regardless of your artistic ability, we ask that your envelope addressed to us be creatively designed or illustrated. No rules, anything goes – and we’ll post the coolest ones on the Lil’ Happy Twitter page.

Let’s Talk About…

July 23, 2010 at 11:00 am | Posted in church, communication, conference, hope | 1 Comment
Tags:

… The Idea Camp, which has just launched a new site today!

On September 27-28, 2010, The Idea Camp will be hosting an important conversation about sex, the church, the world, and ideas for good.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m uncomfortable talking about this topic. However, it is simply too important for us, as the church, to look the other way.

I love the heart behind #ICSEX (the Twitter hashtag for this Idea Camp):

The issues related to human sexuality are too often misunderstood, ignored, or avoided in far too many churches. The Idea Camp will facilitate a safe and transparent environment of learning, sharing of insights from the respective fields of focus, and practical insights and examples of holistic care. As a faith-based conference, there will be an on-going focus on the importance of living as God’s loving expressions of grace and hope to the world through tangible acts of care in this area.

During the weeks leading up to #ICSEX, different bloggers will be hosting conversations around a topic each week.  The first week has already wrapped up, and there have been many honest, challenging reflections already.  Upcoming topics will include sexual abuse, gender, and slavery.  I’m looking forward to hosting one of these discussions here at headsparks* in September.

Being part of The Idea Camp tribe has been so life-giving to me: nowhere else have I found the friendship, collaboration, and inspiration I have found from this diverse group of like-minded people.  This time, what happens in Vegas could transform the church and change the world!

Six Months Later: Hope for Haiti

July 13, 2010 at 10:32 am | Posted in church, environment, hope, justice, nonprofit | Leave a Comment

July 12, 2010 marked the six-month anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti that killed over 200,000 people, leveled countless buildings, and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.

In March, I wrote a review about Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God’s People by Scott Sabin, executive director of Plant With Purpose. PWP is a nonprofit working to alleviate poverty by addressing deforestation. From their website:

By reversing deforestation, Plant With Purpose helps the poor restore productivity to their land to create economic opportunity out of environmental restoration. Since 1984 we have helped more than 100,000 people in some 230 villages lift themselves out of poverty through our holistic approach to sustainable development.

PWP has worked in Haiti for thirteen years, and continues to help in the rebuilding process after the devastating earthquake.  From The New York Times:

(PWP) has so far hired some 2,200 workers to plant more than 170,000 trees to protect communities. The extra available labor has allowed him to scale up Plant With Purpose’s operations, constructing more than 260 miles of soil erosion barriers to protect farmland from hurricanes and tropical storms.

There is still much work to be done.  Visit the Plant With Purpose Haiti Relief page to contribute towards rebuilding hope for Haiti.

Do It Yourself (Together!)

July 8, 2010 at 1:37 pm | Posted in community, indie, music | Leave a Comment

Last month, I was able to catch Far on their reunion tour.  Despite being down one guitarist, Jonah Matranga and the band put on a fantastic show. Amidst the massive riffs and singalong choruses were smiles all around.

In this era of generic big-box musicians and carefully cultivated images, Jonah maintains a fierce DIY (do it yourself) ethic.  At his online merch store, appropriately called the Yard Sale, Jonah was years ahead of Radiohead in pioneering a “pay what you want” approach.

With the same spirit of community and togetherness, Jonah recently invited singers, drummers, steel pedal guitarists, cellists, and others to join in the recording of his new album, due out in August.  Jonah gives a basic sketch of what he’s looking for, but true to the DIY attitude, there’s plenty of room for performers to give their personal perspective. For example:

130bpm, Key of D, romantic and yearning, sweet. Ebows and long high notes, but skitter-y stuff would be nice too.

If only I had not returned my brother’s e-bow to him after stealing it for several years!

______

Listen to the title track from Far’s latest album, At Night We Live below.  The bridge reminds me of the LOST series finale.

Living A Better Story

June 15, 2010 at 12:10 pm | Posted in Kingdom of God, asian american, church, faith, justice | 2 Comments

Recently, I have seen an increasing amount of discussion about “story.” Not just fictional tales, but the unfolding narrative of our lives.  For followers of Jesus, understanding the big story of what God is doing in the world can change everything.

Faith becomes more than just a “ticket to heaven” but becomes an invitation into a compelling way of life — an eternal kind of life that begins today and continues on into eternity. Jesus rescues us and — amazing grace! — invites us to join Him in His work of redemption in the world.

Continue reading Living A Better Story…

Freedom Fridays: 5 Weeks for Freedom Tour

June 11, 2010 at 10:00 am | Posted in justice, nonprofit, travel | 12 Comments

From June 28th through July 31st, a team of riders will be cycling down the 1800 miles of the historic Underground Railroad route in order to raise awareness of and bring an end to modern-day slavery on the Stop Injustice: 5 Weeks for Freedom tour.

5 Weeks for Freedom supports the work of International Justice Mission, a human rights agency doing incredible work around the world to fight injustice and bring hope to many people trapped in slavery and other forms of injustice. The cycling tour will be led by Venture Expeditions, who have sponsored cross-country ride:well tours with blood: water mission in the past.

Continue reading Freedom Fridays: 5 Weeks for Freedom Tour…

Telling Our Stories

June 8, 2010 at 10:44 am | Posted in asian american, church, justice, leadership, ministry, worship | Leave a Comment

I just posted the first of a two-part interview with Daniel DK Kim over at Next Gener.Asian Church.  DK is the worship leader at Newsong Church in Irvine, California; he and his family are moving to Mexico City this month for the next two years to fight human trafficking.

We all need stories of courage and redemption to push us further along the path to which God has called us.  You can support DK and his family in their journey by purchasing his album thefirst over at his site.

Building Hope In South Africa

May 17, 2010 at 10:30 am | Posted in Kingdom of God, church, design, faith, family, justice, missional, race, reconciliation | 4 Comments

Our church community will be partnering with Amor Ministries this summer to build a home in South Africa for a family in need.  As I learn more about South Africa, I see a story that is both broken and beautiful.

The oppressive apartheid regime ended in 1994, and yet economic and social problems continue to linger today.  One third of the population lives on less than two dollars a day. Almost ten million people live in poverty housing, crowded into townships in shacks made of whatever people can piece together — cardboard, scrap wood and corrugated iron.

Our church has partnered with Amor over the last couple of years in building homes in Mexico.  We appreciate the heart of service behind their ministry — Amor works with local pastors to listen to the needs of their communities and to find ways to bring long-lasting hope and transformation.

I designed a graphic below to give supporters a quick glance at our South Africa trip.  I deeply appreciate your prayer for our team.

Hope In A Suitcase

May 3, 2010 at 10:30 am | Posted in family, hope, justice, tech | Leave a Comment

On the way to gather with our church this morning, I heard a great story on the radio about WE CARE Solar (Women’s Emergency Communication And Reliable Electricity). Their motto is, “Saving mothers’ lives with solar-powered light and communication.”

WE CARE was founded by Dr. Laura Stachel, an obstetrician, and her husband Hal Aronson, a solar power engineer.  Maternal mortality accounts for half a million deaths worldwide each year, of which 99% occurs in underdeveloped countries.  Proper medical/surgical care is greatly impeded by a lack of reliable electricity to power lighting, equipment and communications.

Dr. Stachel and her husband developed a “solar suitcase” that can provide much-needed electrical power to fulfill their mission, which is to promote “safe motherhood and reduce maternal mortality in developing regions by providing health workers with reliable lighting, mobile communication, and blood bank refrigeration using solar electricity.”

The “solar suitcase” powers two overhead LED lighting, charges walkie-talkies and cell phones, and includes LED headlamps that come with their own rechargeable batteries. The first deployment of these systems occurred in June 2009. Now these systems have been introduced in nine countries. Most recently, we were asked to send solar suitcases to Haiti, where they are being used by medical relief teams and maternity clinics.

A donation to WE CARE could make a fantastic Mother’s Day gift this year!

Book Review: The Sacred Journey, By Charles Foster

April 20, 2010 at 2:15 pm | Posted in books, reviews | 2 Comments
Tags:

As part of the Booksneeze review program from Thomas Nelson, I received a copy of The Sacred Journey, by Charles Foster. Journey is part of the Ancient Practices series, which includes titles focused on fasting, the liturgical year, the Eucharist and tithing.

In the foreword, Phyllis Tickle, general editor of this series, makes a keen observation about Journey: “Every one of you who reads this book will find at least one thing you totally disagree with and a whole handful of those you want to question. Please do so. Otherwise, none of it is pilgrimage.”

Journey provides some interesting historical information and analysis, but I found its strength to be its emphasis on the reality of actually following Jesus around. While “gnosticism” might sound like conspiracy fodder for the Da Vinci Code set, Foster rightly notes that it is a serious danger for the church today:

Gnosticism says that there are two opposing forces in the world: good and bad. The good forces are “spiritual”; the bad are corporeal. For a gnostic, being a good person involves rejecting the earthly and being “spiritual.”

While Scripture does describe a struggle within followers of Christ between worldly and Christ-like desire within us, it would be a mistake to attempt to live a purely “spiritual” life, as if we could disembody heart from soul, mind from strength.

As Foster unpacks the concept of pilgrimage, I see a theology of walking emerge. Walking forces us to travel light, live simply, move slower, notice more around us, and recognize the whole life we live in following Christ in the Kingdom of God that is already here and on its way:

Pilgrimage is wandering after God… Christian pilgrimage can and should be a walk with Jesus. And that is necessarily a walk in kingdom territory, under those upside-down kingdom rules. The pilgrim road is a physical peninsula of the kingdom. As the kingdom sprang up around the sandals of Jesus, so kingdom flowers can spring up around pilgrim boots. Not necessarily, of course, but it often happens.

Next Page »

Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.