These are pictures from my visit to Haley Farm in TN. The ark is the interfaith chapel, designed by Maya Lin - the designer of the Vietnam Memorial, among others. It is designed to be symbolic of Noah's Ark, as well as the Children's Defense Fund logo.

The logo is - obviously - the Children's Defense Fund Logo.

Things that Should Not be

Every 51 seconds, a child is born without Health Insurance.

Things that should not be

In America - every 36 seconds, a child is born into poverty.

Children's Defense Fund Training

I've spent the last 2.5 days in Clinton, TN at Haley Farm - the spiritual home of Children's Defense Fund. This was a piece of property owned by Alex Haley (author of Roots) towards the end of his life. CDF bought it in 1994 and has used it several times a year to train college students and adults to serve in various capacities - all towards the end of child advocacy.

Marion Wright Edelmen was the first African American woman admitted to the Mississippi bar in the 1960's. As founder of CDF, she has been a voice for children for the past 40 years.

The training in which I'm participating is equipping pastors, church members, social service agency staff, and other concerned individuals to communicate effectively to our neighbors and legislators the importance of protecting ALL of God's children - in ALL of the ways they need protecting.

As someone who has had my heart stolen by many children over the past 15 years, I have a low tolerance for what brings me to tears as I sit & hear the statistics & stories of children in America and throughout the world. I think of my nieces & nephew, and my friends' children as I hear how many children are living in poverty, are being born into homes with no health insurance, and are being sent to schools where there aren't enough supplies, books, or teachers to go around.

I feel incredibly blessed that my family & those of my friends don't fall into the categories I descibed above. I feel blessed, and s-t-a-r-t to sit back, comfortable in my blessing.


AND then.

And then I think of Jesus' words on the topic of children, and his words on taking care of the poor and "least of these." I think of all of times when God through the prophets spoke words of justice - time and time again.

So I sit right back up again, no longer comfortable, no longer feeling really blessed. Only feeling a conviction that I need to work until ALL children have what my family & friends are able to provide for the children in our lives. I find a blessing in the knowledge that I have been called to a vocation of social justice - currently taking form in a ministry of child advocacy and child care resources. I feel blessed that I belong to a church that is deeply rooted in a theology & practice of caring for all of God's children as a form of worship.

I am uncomfortable with all I have, and with all that there is to do for the children.

For Katie - the first child to steal my heart.

For all of the katies in the world who don't have what my katie has - I will work until they do.

The only good news we could get

It's amazing how your perspective on "Good News" changes. Once upon a time, I thought "good news" was finding something I liked on sale. I thought "good news" was my favorite movie being on TV on a lazy saturday afternoon. Good News used to be simple. Something that made me happy.

And yet, here I am, faced with what is ACTUALLY good news, but in light of the circumstances, I have to learn a new phase: The only good news we could ask for.

For, if you've read my blog before, you'll know that my heart belongs to two little boys - Andrew & Reece Littleton - sons of Max's best friend Jim & Lisa Littleton.

They found out in December that the boys have Muscular Dystrophy. It was initially diagnosed as Duchenne's MD - the most severe kind. After many months of this line of thinking, they had a biopsy done on Andrew 11 weeks ago. The results finally came in.

We've all spent these last 11 weeks waiting for the confirmation of Duchenne's, just so we could continue on preparing for the inevitable: wheelchairs, steroids, new home.

No one expected this.

Andrew's body - his precious, skinny little body - is producing dystrophin.

Until yesterday - this phrase meant nothing to me. I've since learned, however, that the production of dystrophin is the determining factor in Duchenne's vs. Becker's MD.

Duchenne's = no dystrophin
Becker's = dystrophin production with some mutation of the gene.

So - what this means, folks - is that Andrew & Reece will have a more normal childhood, and a longer time of walking and a longer life. They won't have to go on steroids, and research trials are put off for the short term.

It's such a shock to my brain - I almost can't get a grip on the fact that this is good news. I didn't think we'd get any more.

Everything is Holy Now

Sung by David Wilcox on June 12 at WorkPlay in Birmingham, AL

This songs helps me put into words my understanding of holiness, God's presence among us and with us. This song helps me grasp for the faith that so often eludes me these days.

"Holy Now"(Peter Mayer)
When I was a boy each week, on Sunday we would go to church
And pay attention to the priest, He would read the Holy word
And consecrate the Holy Bread, And everyone would kneel and bow
Today the only difference is, Everything is Holy Now
Everything, Everything is Holy Now

When I was in Sunday school, We would learn about the time
Moses split the sea in two, Jesus made the water wine
And I remember feeling sad, That miracles don’t happen still
But now I can’t keep track, ‘Cause everything’s a miracle
Everything, everything, everything’s a miracle

Wine from water is not so small, But an even better magic trick
Is that anything is here at all
So, the challenging thing becomes, not to look for miracles
But finding where there isn’t one

When Holy water was rare at best, it barely wet my fingertips
But now I have to hold my breath, 'Cause I’m swimming in a sea of it
It used to be a world half there, Heaven’s second rate hand-me-down,
But I walk it with a reverent air, ‘Cause everything is Holy now

Read a questioning child’s face, and say that’s not a testament,
That’d be very hard to say
See another new morning come, and say it’s not a sacrament
I tell you that it can’t be done

This morning outside I stood, And saw a little red-winged bird
Shining like a burning bush, And singing like a scripture verse,
It made me want to bow my head, I remember when church let out
How things have changed since then, Everything is Holy now,

It used to be a world half-there, heaven’s second rate hand-me-down
But I walk it with a reverent air,

‘Cause everything is Holy now.