What Jesus said about homosexuality

The Walks Continue

I've written here about AIDS Walk so many times and I am grateful that so many participate at AIDS Walk events all over the country. I've been very fortunate to have many personal sponsors, although there is always room for more donations!

There are some people who have forgotten about those early first days of AIDS and there are some who think there is already a cure.  No so.  That's why I walk.  That's why I write about it so often.  That's why so many caring people are passionate about this. 

Today is AIDS Walk New York, one of the biggest each year. My best wishes to everyone there in the Big Apple making a difference. If you are not near New York, you can still make a contribution to that event, of find an AIDS Walk that is nearer to you. There are several here in Arizona, the state where I now live, but I will be going back to San Francisco for the 21st time participating in their event. To sponsor me, just click HERE.

AIDS is still with us, and we need to keep on fighting.  Tomorrow is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day - to learn more, click HERE.  This Tuesday is National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.  More information on that is HERE.  Stay informed.  Do what you can.  The walk continues .   .   . until there's a cure.

Help for a hungry man

Lately I have been seeing a lot of kindness in this world, and that is such a wonderful thing! This story, reported by WTVD in Durham, NC, is one you may have already heard.  Other outlets have picked in up in the past day or so, and many are springing to action.

Here's what happened: an 81-year-old North Carolina man had been hospitalized for months of cancer treatments, and when he returned home, he hadn't even thought about the cupboards being bare. They were though - he had nothing at all to eat and nobody to turn to, so, it being an emergency, he called 911. Well in some cities they may have ignored his call, but in this case, the very operator who he spoke to, along with police officers, went to his house with food. It was very touching. Oh and that operator even made him sandwiches while she was there!

According to news reports, the Fayetteville Police Department is working with a local church to make sure the man's future needs are met. His cancer is seriously slowed him down and some reports suggest he may not have long to live. It's nice to see folks helping to make sure his end days are comfortable. The Fayetteville Police Department (at 910-433-1529) welcomes any assistance that might be offered to help.

Auctioning for Saint Dorothy's

There is a wonderful facility in Northern California, operated by the Diocese of California, that hosts all kinds of great memories. It's called Saint Dorothy's Rest, and I have written about them here before. (Click HERE for my words from last December).  I could go on and on about how great this place is and what a difference it makes in so many lives.  Check out there website at http://stdorothysrest.org/ and find out a whole lot more.

Looking for a place to support?  This is it!  There are many ways of giving as you can find HERE, including giving them items on their wish list.  There is also an online auction with a whole bunch of great things to bid on.  These fun and unique items are being auctioned to raise money in support of Saint Dorothy's Rest's Hospital Camps. Beginning today and going through June 7th, you can bid on a chance to sponsor the new stained-glass chapel windows, a weekend retreat and guided hike at Saint Dorothy's Rest, dinner for up to eight people served in your own home by Saint Dorothy's kitchen staff, a 14K Gold - 12 diamond ring with a story that is sure to warm your heart, and several other items. Check out the entire list (with pictures) and place your bid, by clicking HERE.

Saint Dorothy's Rest is amazing, truly amazing!  It's the oldest camp in California, and serves children, youth, and adults.  I have never heard anyone not be impressed.  Here is a wonderful way to help more people become acquainted with this place and it's programs.  Give them a closer look, and get involved in that auction, a truly inspired fundraising idea.  Let the bidding begin!

The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love

Remember that slogan "The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love"? It was for the Peace Corps, where nearly 220,000 Americans have served in 140 countries since President John Kennedy created the Peace Corps 54 years ago. You might have been one of them, or perhaps you wanted to signup, but just didn't. A friend of mine is about to go, and I don't know if the slogan will apply to him, but I do know he is about to do some pretty amazing things! His name is Michael Nguyen, and he has already done amazing things.

It was just after Christmas when I heard that Michael had accepted an invitation to serve in Zambia, Africa. I smiled. I know he is up to the task. It's been that way when he organized fundraisers, or parades, or HIV testing. If Mike is doing it, you know it's going to work out. Since I have faith in him, and already knew about how great the Peace Corps is, I settled back in hope of an occasional update.

Let me tell you, there is going to be a lot of information. Mike has begun a blog and has already started posting, even though he is still a few weeks away from leaving. To stay up to date, check it out at https://2yearsinzambia.wordpress.com/ and to find out more general information about the Peace Corps (or to volunteer), click HERE.  I'm sure I will have some updates here during the next two and a half years, too.

 

One more thing - and this is important.  Mike has a big expense in getting ready and could really use a hand.  He needs journals to remember this mission, a sleeping bag, some sturdy boots, a dependable hiking backpack, and various emergency supplies.  Any idea how expensive this will all be?  There's a fundraiser at http://www.gofundme.com/zambiamike to help raise some money.  Click on that link if you can donate - ANY amount (yes, even if it's just a dollar or two), and share this with your friends too!  Thanks and watch the adventure ahead.  I'm certain Mike will have some inspiring tales from Zambia!

Free Food!

Remember that peanut butter and jelly restaurant in Warr Acres, Oklahoma that I told you about last month, or the Philadelphia pizza place I wrote about earlier in the year? They are doing an amazing job of feeding the homeless, and many other restaurants are helping out. I just heard on facebook of a place in Leeds, England called Taste.

Deli owner Gary Hendrickson has a sign posted in his window which says "If anyone is homeless or otherwise and in need of a hot meal or a hot drink, please ask a member of staff inside. We guarantee total discretion." 

 

The food they show on their facebook page (such as the stuffed potato and salad shown above), looks truly delicious, but what really warms my heart is that here once again is someone who cares about others and doesn't want to see them going hungry.  Taste is a place I will definitely stop in, when I am in that area!

 

If you know of other restaurants that are helping to feed those who would otherwise be going hungry, tell us about them in the comments section below.  Oh and when you hear about these businesses with a heart, be sure to patronize them.

The Maypole

It was fun when I was just a kid. We danced around the maypole. Looking back, I realize how much work was involved just in making this thing. My teacher was like that though. She was always creating things for her students. My aunt had been in this same teacher's class many years earlier and she told me that was how it was then. My sister was fortunate enough to follow and be the beneficiary of this gifted instructor a few years later.  Letha Sines was her name. 

Of course the first day of May, which is referred to as May Day in many parts of the world, is famous for a number of things. There is some kind of commemoration on this day in much of Europe and North America. In Hawaii, this is Lei Day, celebrating island culture.

 

Somehow though, despite all the different kinds of celebrations that might occur, I always find myself thinking back to sixth grade and a teacher who made a maypole for us to dance around.  She is the only teacher that I think about often, because she truly made a difference!