Every person can make a difference. How many times have you heard those words? How many times have you heard ‘em, thought about ‘em, but shit you failed to act on ‘em? Not to worry, you ain’t alone. The reality is the majority of us feel as if our small contributions can’t make a difference. Aside from giving a few coins to the homeless as we walk the streets of downtown, what else can little ‘ol we do to give back? Without pals like Oprah or Bono, or their bank accounts and clout, what can we do to change the world for the better? While there are many who give to the gills, so many more feel as if our small steps won’t make a difference in a world with big problems. We couldn’t be more wrong. Let me prove it to you – let me share with you my take on how giving back can be fun, exhilarating, rewarding and not so complex as performing let’s say, brain surgery.

Here goes:

• Donate things you don’t really need/no longer want. The Salvation Army loves this stuff. Save yourself the trouble of hosting a garage sale and give to this organization. Your unwanted goods will de-clutter your home, finding a new home for someone who could really use ‘em. My dad is a saint for this – he always thinks and gives to them first.

• Big Brother/Big Sister. I was a part of this program for a little over a year. When my schedule got too hectic, I had to stop. But let me tell you, the positive impact you can make on a young man/young lady’s life – is worth more than you seriously realize. In fact, it changed me for the better. It made me realize that I, yes I, can actually influence some young mind and be someone in whom they look up to. Encouraging them, empowering them. I’ll get back on board, helping out this great organization once again soon.

• Are you a socialite? Do you like the nightlife, the parties, the music, the dancing? Host an event. I did this with a group of my friends several years back. We hosted one event raising funds for breast cancer research, and another for ovarian cancer research. In total thousands were raised. Both events took place in a Montreal nightclub. People danced, partied and gave back – gave back by simply buying a ticket to attend one awesome night.

• Team up with an artist. Whether it be a painter, musician, writer. Get creative. When I worked at PUMA a few years back, we collaborated with a well known Montreal painter. He pumped out 21+ original, one of a kind paintings featuring his trademark work, and a synergistic mash up of the PUMA logo and themes. Thousands of dollars were then raised at an event thrown at a Montreal art gallery, with all proceeds from paintings sold going to a Montreal hospice for those dying of AIDS.

• Enhance your fantasy football league this season. Make something special out of your office hockey pool. You’ve got an audience right there in front of you. Guys and girls with time and cash. Up the stakes a bit, add a certain % to the entry fee this year, with those extra $’s going to a good cause everyone votes on come season end.

• Watch TV, or help a life in need? So many people out there need help badly with the basics. Stuff we take for granted. The disabled, the elderly, the less fortunate. Something as simple as helping with groceries. Something as fun and rewarding as helping out with handy work around the house. Another episode of American Idol? Or someone thinking the world of you for giving a damn and taking the time.

• It starts at home. Its starts with those closest to you. Begin here. Sometimes you need not venture any further than your own family tree. Keep your eyes and ears open. Your second cousin or close relative may need support. Someone in your own extended family may be in rougher shape than you think. Don’t feel awkward. Have the audacity to reach out.

I’d/we’d love to hear your ideas. Please do share. Your creative input may spark someone to move – moving to give back.

From Progressive Railroading:

After suffering track damage from heavy floods in June, Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. (IAIS) will offer some relief to Iowa and Illinois communities that also were impacted by the flooding. ...

On Oct. 18, a double-headed freight train will travel from Iowa City, Iowa, to Rock Island in an attempt to set a new record for steam-hauled revenue tonnage. ...

On Oct. 19, IAIS will operate a one-way limited excursion train from Rock Island to Iowa City, then return the steam locomotives to their home in Newton, Iowa. ...

And, yes, if I lived closer than the 50 miles I know live from the store, I would certainly would go, there, although probably not to buy furniture. Although I enjoyed looking at the catalog, for me the real interest would be to use that as inspiration to find used furniture that looks like Ikea or could change to look like Ikea  (painting a desk red, for example, which I saw in the catalog.)

Of course, this is generally can’t hold a candle to the prices at the Salvation Army. Today, I went there and saw a real wood twin bedset (four pieces) that was $135. If you took right then, you got 75% off, which meant you paid about $35.

That price is cheaper than anything Ikea offers, and the quality is better, too. I bought a Drexel dresser at the Salvation Army for $100, and I didn’t even have to assemble it. Ikea’s quality has been rather suspect. Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, the interior designer who is the author of www.apartmenttherapy.com, said that many of Ikea’s products are not designed for heavy use. This is echoed in the July 3’s New York Times article by Mike Albo, in which he writes that many of the products are “cheaply made” and that these items will be thrown away in a few years

coup d'church  n : a sudden and decisive change of church structure outside normal means or by force if necessary.

I have gone over the edge, friends.

I was in Minnesota recently holding tent meetings.  I was watching folks getting saved every night while the church focused on their own agenda and while church people were generally too busy to show up to support the work.

But that's not sent me over the edge.

I saw people come just in case we had a Bentley-like healing service and not come back because we preached a straight word out of the Bible (gasp!) or because we actually viewed the gift as a means to salvation and not an end all by itself.

Entire post HERE

Explanations for this behavior are heavily debated. One possibility is that hipsters, having had all of their needs consistently met and exceeded by indulgent suburban parents, have nothing with which to contrast happiness. Therefore, the hipster's baseline level of contentment is much higher than that of the average human being.

Hipsters do occasionally smile, but the act is almost always coupled with the act of swiping a major credit card through a reader when making a purchase, especially at faux-vintage clothing stores located in Brooklyn.

To some, especially self-righteous Canadian anarchists, this behavior is looked upon with extreme disdain. In the most recent issue of Adbusters magazine, Douglass Haddow cited this hipster phenomenon as evidence that hipsters are solely responsible for the decline of America Civilization (See article here).

"Less a subculture, the hipster is a consumer group – using their capital to purchase empty authenticity and rebellion," Haddow writes.

But I don't think the blame should fall completely on the hipster. Being part of the first generation to face the onslaught of advertisements through technologically advanced mediums, hipsters have simply done what has been asked of them by the capitalist machines past generations have failed to prevent and thus, have effectively created. The fleeting smile in response to capitalistic exchanges - and little else - is something to be expected. Moreover, the modern hipster has come to expect enjoyment from buying things like the people who typically criticize them expect fulfillment from sexual intercourse. (note: while the expectations built around sexual intercourse often exceed the actual pleasure received, the pleasure a hipster experiences from buying random crap is real and can consistently produce a euphoria that lasts hours. This act also requires smoking a cigarette immediately after exiting a location where a purchase was made.)

Additionally, researchers have concluded that the loss of facial motor function and inappropriate emotional response is merely the hipster's way of adapting to a world in which real anguish is not commonly experienced. This is also why, the worst possible thing for a hipster to encounter is to find out that access to her constant stream of monetary parental support has been cut off until she gets a "real" job to actually earn money to feed her compulsions. This imposition, however, is too ironic for hipsters to handle for the following reason: The only way for hipsters to break out of the patterns that characterize them as such, is to join the very organizations that contributed to their awkward state in the first place: the advertising industries, the corporations, Hollywood - which are the only industries that are still functioning despite the decrepit state of the economy (besides the war profiteering industry).

Perhaps, the satisfaction a hipster gets from shopping at second-hand stores comes from the subconscious knowledge that in buying these products, they are failing to contribute to sweatshop labor and global warming, thereby chipping a minute amount of income away from Corporate America, the Dr. Frankenstein of the hipster cohort. (Note: sadly, these effects are canceled out when anyone shops at Urban Outfitters and American Apparel - 50 items must be purchased at the Salvation Army in order to karmically redeem one item purchased at Urban Outfitters.)

_______________________________________________________________________

Photo by Christophe Legris for Stuff Hipsters Don't Like ©2008.

And, yes, if I lived closer than the 50 miles I know live from the store, I would certainly would go, there, although probably not to buy furniture. Although I enjoyed looking at the catalog, for me the real interest would be to use that as inspiration to find used furniture that looks like Ikea or could change to look like Ikea  (painting a desk red, for example, which I saw in the catalog.)

Of course, this is generally can't hold a candle to the prices at the Salvation Army. Today, I went there and saw a real wood twin bedset (four pieces) that was $135. If you took right then, you got 75% off, which meant you paid about $35.

That price is cheaper than anything Ikea offers, and the quality is better, too. I bought a Drexel dresser at the Salvation Army for $100, and I didn't even have to assemble it. Ikea's quality has been rather suspect. Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, the interior designer who is the author of www.apartmenttherapy.com, said that many of Ikea's products are not designed for heavy use. This is echoed in the July 3's New York Times article by Mike Albo, in which he writes that many of the products are "cheaply made" and that these items will be thrown away in a few years.

One of the first place that we went to was EcoThrift, one of the local thrift stores here. This place always has some interesting items displayed. From electronics to antique sports memorabilia to some cool clothes, the aisles are lined with treasure. Before we left we invited Kirstiana, but she didn't want to come. She knew what was about to go down. We said that we'd be there for only an hour, but she still didn't want to. Yeah, grandma and her chauffeur were about to be digging like crazy. Way too many X's on the map in that place.

I've definitely noticed a change in me after camp. I've definitely become more patient. There is no other way that I would have found as many things as I did if I had the expediency of the journey in mind from the beginning. I really wanted to take everything in. I was like the snail on the sidewalk. I took my time moving from aisle to aisle and people didn't hesitate to pass me by. I think I was just as mucousy, too. Darn sickness.

I found a vintage Nintendo "Legend of Zelda" hat from 1989, a Michael Jordan's Restaurant snapback hat (complete with original tags and the Jumpman logo on the snap back), 2 plaid shirts, 3 tee-shirts, and a bomber jacket. Yeah, I cleaned that place out.

I know that brand name stores and high-end fashion will always be supreme over the local thrift stores and mom-and-pop's. But, that's not to say that the latter are not worth looking through.

Every time I walk into any of the local Thrift stores, it's always an adventure. While cleaving through clothes and navigating through the trees, leaves, and old furniture, discoveries are made. Like an explorer, the aisles are the open sea and all that's left to do is claim them before someone else does.

It's also interesting to see how today's society is so eager to chuck out things of the old and embrace the new. Every day, there are different things on the shelves. Bags never stay the same. Shoes are always being taken away. Toys are put into display shelves. It reflects the idea that America's definition of "junk" is always changing. What one throws out, the other wears. What one puts in the trash, the other recycles. What one donates, the other buys it for $1 and sells it for thousands on eBay. We are so fueled by the present that the value of everything that we own is blurred by our own desires. The Bible says,

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV).

It may seem a bit preachy, but whatever. One of my professors called me out on it, too. What I'm trying to say is be thankful. Be grateful. Everything that we have and own is a gift.

I've been listening to Switchfoot for a while. They were promoted to "driving music" upon the first few listens. One of their songs, "Gone," is one of them cruiser classics for me. The bridge goes like,

We are not infinite,
We are not permanent,
Nothing is immediate.
We're so confident
In our accomplishments.
Look at our decadence.

Life is short. Don't spend it all at once. Let the Lord save it for you. Christ is the wisest investment anyone could make in this life. Money comes and goes. Nearing the end of the song, it goes like,

All the riches of the kings end up in wills.
We got information in the information age,
But do we know what life is
Outside of our convenient Lexus cages.

But by no means am I saying to stop donating your clothes to thrift stores. Please. :)

Also, two other pickups from yesterday. My dad's camera and the first picture I took with it.

The first person that comes to mind is my mom's brother, my Uncle Glen Johnson.  He was named after his father and was the firstborn child and son of my maternal grandparents.  Uncle Glen attended school in Greene County, Ohio and graduated from Bath Township Consolidated High School in 1936.  He then went on to Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.  Uncle Glen played the Sousaphone in the Ohio State Band and in 1937 was the first Sousaphone (or "big horn") player to dot the "i" in the Script Ohio at halftime. (Please see the article at Central Ohio for more information.)  The Ohio State Band history also reads: 

History of the "i"-dot
At its first performance, the Script Ohio's "i" was dotted by a trumpet player, with no special attention or honor being given to the movement. When the trumpet player, John Brungart (1933-36), dotted the first Script Ohio "i" October 10, 1936, the march from the top of the "o" to the top of the "i" was just another movement to complete a formation. Brungart simply took his place in a complex single file line drill. Over 60 years later, the honor of dotting the "i" is known throughout the world.
Because director Eugene Weigel provided several new floating formations throughout the 1936 season, the first Script Ohio was seen by bandsmen as just another formation. No charts were used--Weigel simply placed members in their spots. "We knew that we did something different, not started a tradition," Brungart said, "I wasn't picked to dot the 'i', I was just in the right place at the right time." Script Ohio was performed two more times during the 1936 season, both with Brungart dotting the "i". During a field rehearsal in the fall of 1937, Weigel had a spur-of-the-moment idea, and shouted to Glen R. Johnson, a sousaphone player, "Hey, you! Switch places with the trumpet player in the dot." After several run-through with the exchanged positions, the script was ready to be performed. At the game on October 23, 1937, the marching band, led by drum major Wesley Leas, performed with Script Ohio with Johnson dotting the "i". Johnson was in the band from 1937-40, and during all of those years he dotted the "i". From that time forward, the i-dot became the province of the big horns.
The familiar kick, turn, and bow by the sousaphone player at the top of the "i" was an innovation introduced by Johnson at a game in 1938. "(The turn) was an impulse reaction when drum major Myron McKelvey arrived three or four measures too soon at the top of the "i"," Johnson explained, "so I did a big kick, a turn, and a deep bow to use up the music before Buckeye Battle Cry. The crowd roared when this happened, and it became part of the show thereafter."

My grandparents took many photos of the OSU band during their trips up to Columbus to visit their son.  Uncle Glen went on to graduate in 1941 with a Bachelors in Business Administration and spent 41 years working for Clark Equipment Company in Battle Creek, Michigan.  He retired in 1982 as National Accounts Manager.  Throughout his career and his life, he was very successful.

My mom's sister, Genevieve, graduated from Bath Township Consolidated High School in 1938.  She then went on to receive her nursing degree from Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio in 1941.  Aunt Genevieve was a registered nurse for the City of Dayton for a few years prior to death in 1958.  In fact her granddaughter and great-granddaughter have gone on to pursue nursing degrees. 

My dad's sister, my Aunt Marie, attended Salvation Army College in New York and still holds a rank with the S.A.

My mom's first cousin, Fred Wilt, received a Bachelors Degree from Indiana University and a graduate degree from Purdue.  He was a special agent for the FBI for over 30 years.  In his youth, he participated in the 1948 Olympics held in London and the 1952 games in Helsinki competing in track and field.  After retiring from the government, he held coaching positions for many years at several universities.

My maternal grandparents never completed high school - attending only through the 10th grade so it is a great testament to their nurturing and advice that two of their three children went on to complete higher education.  My paternal grandparents also did not attend college and even though only one of their children attended college, I'm sure they were immensely proud of the sons who volunteered to serve their country during World War II. 

Though each generation strives to give their children a better future with better opportunities, let us not forget those who choose other avenues to explore besides college.  Those who serve their country, state or local government.  Those who give their time or skills to help those in need.  Those who use their creativity to make a difference and influence others.  Those who choose to be in public service.  Those who choose to be a stay at home parent.  Those who set examples for others.

Who is the first person in your ancestry that you've found who has gone on to college?  What impact has your grandparents' or parents' education or lack of had on you?  What impact has your's had on your children?  Would you do anything different (finished college, gotten a different degree, gone on to graduate school)?

(Picture: Genevieve and Glen Johnson)

PASSION is a gathering for university-aged young people throughout South Africa (Ages 18 - 25). Believing in the university moment, and what God longs to do in this strategic window of time, the entire event will focus on the bigness of God, calling students to prayer, worship and action, and a Story so much bigger than their own.

The heartbeat of PASSION is to:

• Encourage the church
• Foster unity among those who love Jesus
• Spark vision for the universities of the nation
• Tell the story of redemption in compelling ways
• Inspire students to embrace their part in God's global plan for the nations

The tour will also feature Chris Tomlin and the David Crowder Band."

------------------------------------------------------

VENUE: Belville Velodrome - Cape Town, SA

DATE:   13 August 2008

TIME:    Doors open 18:00 for 19:00.

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CALL US OR EMAIL US BEFORE 4th AUGUST IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY A TICKET

(R50 per person).

Here's a sneek peek at what I'll be offering.

by Lisa Katrakis, 10th Grade

Every day my grandpa sits on an old bench, and thinks about stuff. He does it from sunrise to sunset. He doesn’t do much else, really. He wakes up, goes to the pond down the street and thinks.

I don’t know what he thinks about all day, but sometimes it gets him angry. Sometimes he mutters to himself a few curse words, othertimes he gets “throw-a-handful-of-pennies-at-the-ducks angry” and we have to walk down to the pond to calm him down.

One day, Grandpa was going through a bag of clothes that were going to be donated to the Salvation Army, and took a pair of Mom’s old maternity pants, muttering something about “a perfectly good pair of pants” and since then, that’s all he’s been wearing.

Grandpa’s beard has a little streak of yellowish-orange right above his lips. I’m pretty sure that it comes from this weird canned meat he eats for lunch every day. I don’t know what it is, but I have a feeling it might be Friskies. That’s what it smells like, at least.

Sometimes people try to talk to him at the pond. He never responds. Occasionally someone will simply greet him, and all he will do is shift his beady eyes towards them and stare at them until they’re out of his point of view.

A lot of neighborhood kids will come and try to mess with him. The older ones leave him alone, and the younger ones are mostly afraid of him. The kids in-between are the problem, as they make fun of him and call him names from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. He will usually ignore it, but if the kids get too close, he grabs them by the arm and whispers something into their ear. I have no idea what he says, but the kids stay away from him after that. I hope he doesn’t get in trouble for saying whatever he says.

The reason I worry is because back in the 70’s, Grandpa ran a religious cult, and got in a lot of trouble. We usually don’t talk about it in our family.

Despite all of this, I don’t think he’s a particularly unhappy person. He returns home at the end of the day in a good mood and brushes the cat’s hair for a while, while my parents watch Jeopardy. Then he’ll join us at the dinner table and ask if anything needs to be fixed around the house. Then he’ll go to sleep and do the same thing the next day.

My Grandpa may be a little strange, but I love him. He’s my Grandpa. He never shows his love in the traditional way, but I know he cares about me. He always shows up when I sing with the choir, although he stands in the back the whole time, creeping out the late parents, stinking up the place with his cat food breath. You don’t have to like my Grandpa, but I love him. And that’s why I wrote this report on him.

MP3: Helvetia "Old New Bicycle" (zSHARE)
Buy The Acrobats
Visit the HelvetiSpace

Purchasing new clothes is not exactly environment-friendly. Energy is wasted during the production process, and the dyes and bleaches used can be harmful to the environment. Not to mention the possibility that sweat shop labor has been used to produce your new wrap dress from Forever 21 or those cute ballet flats from Urban Outfitters. However, fashionistas don't have to despair -- there are several alternatives to buying new clothes.

1. Thrift Stores

Thrift stores are a lot of fun. Yeah, those clothes were worn by somebody else, but it's really not as gross as some people think. I would definitely advise washing your purchases before wearing them, but there's no problem in buying second-hand clothing. Plus, you're recycling!

Here are several tips for thrifting:
- Check for holes & stains. If you are handy with a sewing machine, that loose button would be an easy fix. However, stains can be difficult to remove. Think twice before purchasing.
- Avoid impulse buys. Sure, that coat with "Pink Ladies" embroidered on the back seems pretty rad, and it is only $2.00...but would you really ever wear it?
- On the other hand, experiment! Thrift stores are a great place to find unique items that no one else has, and with those affordable prices, you can buy things you might not at full price.

2. Consignment Shops

Consignment Shops are generally more expensive than thrift stores. Owners buy your old clothing (and other items) and then re-sell them at a higher price. Consignment shops are generally more picky than thrift shops, so you're usually bound to find higher quality garments. The only downside -- you might end up shelling out more $$.

3. Dumpster Diving (proceed at your own risk!)

Harlequin and I have never personally attempted this. However many people are quite successful at dumpster diving. For some examples of clothes that people have found, check out Found Clothing.

The closest I have gotten to dumpster diving is getting free clothes from the mounds of "trash" at my college. At the end of the year there's always a clothing drive to donate to the local charity shops. It's pretty common to see students rifling through the piles of cardigans and Abercrombie jeans to find something to take home with them. You never know what you might find!

Two very informative sites:
http://eco-chick.com/2008/04/29/the-art-of-dumpster-diving/
http://www.wikihow.com/Dumpster-Dive

4. Swaps

A swap is just what the word means -- a barter. Clothing swaps are when two people exchange their used clothing (or other items, ranging from homemade goods to postcards) by mail or in person. It's a great way to find an item you really covet, while exchanging it with something that your swap partner loves as well.

Whether you find a local clothing swap (Painfully Hip recently ran a San Francisco-based swap) or swap online (Swap-Bot is one site I've run across), swaps can be rewarding and fun. Try Googling your town's name and "clothing swap" to see what you can dig up.

5. Ebay

Ebay and I have a love-hate relationship. As in, I love buying clothing from it, and my bank account hates it. I recommend setting up a Paypal account for safe internet shopping.

There are a lot of ways of using Ebay. You can search for a specific item or label, depending on your style and preferences. Or, you could look through the many vintage "shops" hosted by Ebay.

Here are a few of my favorites:
http://myworld.ebay.com/thriftwares/
http://myworld.ebay.com/sleepyheadvintage/

6. Eco-friendly materials

When in doubt, buy green! There are stores now that only use eco-friendly materials. Some might be expensive, but with a little research you might find some affordable sites.

Here are a few that I found:
Rawganique
Jonano

Don't forget, too, that although adding to your wardrobe can be fun, it is important to clean out your closet every once in a while. Donate your clothes to the nearest thrift store or consignment shop (try Goodwill and Salvation Army for starters). Good articles by Icing's Gala Darling on clearing out your closet can be found here and here.

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080726/NEWS/807260326/-1/rss01

washed and drying

I have been sourcing all my fabrics from recycled clothing purchased at the Goodwill or Salvation Army, for two reasons. One, when I get these shirts and pants they have already had a life and a history; someone has used them as garments and there is a story. Second, the money that I am paying for my supplies is going to support various "helping" organizations in Savannah.

pile of pieces and pieces stretched with resist

After everything is washed I pull the garments apart at the seams and start to make a series of marks of the fabric. The pieces are stretched and tacked and I pour resist onto them. With the big piece of pink (insulation) foam, I lift it and tilt it back and forth, side to side, and let the resist run around. With this more indirect method I am allowing other factors besides my hand to control the shape and movement of the mark. Depending on the type of fabric and the consistency of the resist I get different sorts of marks, but they are all basically like big drips, or paths.

Once the resist is dry, then I stain the fabric with tea and paint and a lot of water. I am trying to make the fabrics look more travel-worn and to emphasis the idea that they have had previous experiences. At this point I am working to make and make and make (some more) treated fabrics.

stack dry and ready to be washed again

These fabrics are working themselves into embroideries. Unfortunately as I am sitting here writing this post I don't have any images of the embroideries themselves to post as the next step, but check back next week to see images.

This week has been a big critique week for me- class critique on Tuesday and critique with visiting artist, Anne Schaefer on Thursday. There is always a lot to think about after a week like this as I continue to grapple with my transition from object-maker to art-maker.

My big question of the week: how do engage my audience with an experience/idea without giving them an object to use?

Today I had to make a 'to do' list of stories. Not counting the one already sent, I'm working on five stories. My editor at The Fort Pierce Tribune said she's keeping me busy. I told her that's what I like.

However, these stories won't print until next week. The Salvation Army story I worked on today requires more sources for me to contact tomorrow, but my editor said that story won't be published until Tuesday at the latest. As mentioned in my last post, I'm covering the local Obama political rally on Saturday, which means that story will print Sunday.

In addition to getting started on yet another story that will print later next week, I have a lot of background research to do and preliminary interviews to conduct before covering live stories both Tuesday and Wednesday nights. More on those to come.

Today is kid's day---anything related to kids is half-off. So today I loaded up on diapers, Pampers, that is. I bought four boxes and one large bag....for $25!! Yeah! I also bought some sunscreen (Neutrogena 70 SPF) for $1.99...usually it retails for $10. I bought a camera, too, Samsung Vega 140. I'm trying to see if it works...maybe a new battery...but for $3...I took a chance.

 Our little family including the camera, we have to include the camera as it goes everywhere:

Trip down memory lane. My old house where I lived from age 4 until age 18 years. Really has not changed.

The next phase of the trip - Down to Devon and the M25........

God Bless you!

The Salvation Army

This year's camp is from the 18 - 21 December, 2008.
Hahas! This is the place where you can find out all about camp!

Tired of television?

TIME TO GET HYPED UP!

I have gone over the edge, friends.

I was in Minnesota recently holding tent meetings. I was watching folks getting saved every night while the church focused on their own agenda and while church people were generally too busy to show up to support the work.

But that's not what sent me over the edge.

I saw people come just in case we had a Bentley-like healing service and not come back because we actually preached a straight word out of the Bible (gasp!) or because we actually viewed the gift as a means to salvation and not an end all by itself.

But that didn't send me over the edge either.

I saw "Prophetic" people get irate because we actually expect them to do something more than soak and wave banners. Recently in Minnesota the prophetic folks have been saying that a "Leviathan" spirit had swam down the Mississippi river and that its tail knocked down the I-94 bridge in Minneapolis. They are saying this, really, and what's worse, they seem to actually believe it.

I keep expecting that the next prophetic fad will be with them wearing tin foil helmets so that the CIA can't read their minds.

These same folks are excited because Bill Yount gave a prophecy that claimed that angels were embedded in the walls of the churches waiting to be activated. Yes, the same Bill Yount who gave the infamous "candy bar names" prophecy is actually allowed to minister somewhere. Shocking.

The same folks are dispensing "Godka" and are "Toking the Ghost" at meetings. And pardon me if I seem religious but I think that maybe God would be better served by you witnessing your faith or cleaning the church or teaching kids out of the Word or...

That had me close to the edge but not quite over it.

What put me over the edge was the understanding that the church simply will not correct itself, it is in a free spinning descent and no one seems to know that eventually you must hit the ground.

I was given a gift for visiting a church on a Sunday morning recently. The church was an Assembly of God and they gave us June's copy of "Today's Pentecostal Evangel". Inside was an article on "The Changing Face of Evangelism" and there was a picture of Billy Sunday and some hipster that I didn't know.

Anyway, as I read, I became livid.

First was "Gone are the days when a camp meeting was a big event in town". I thought, "Okay, that's just  opinion. It lacks foresight but I can agree to disagree with that." Then I read further "An Evangelist supplements by providing a particular specialty that may not be the local Pastor's strength, such as teaching on Spirit baptism." Um...what?

"The Evangelist complements by teaching the people from a second voice that confirms what the Pastor has been sharing with them."

Are you kidding me? That is the job of the Evangelist in the church, to complement the local Pastor? And this was coming from the AG! I'm sorry but I don't know what books they are handing out in Springfield for leaders to read but apparently it isn't the Bible anymore.

Here's the problem: you are besieged. You are trapped behind the four walls of your church by the enemy outside and the only ministry that you know is to other besieged people. You are devouring one another and defining ministry gifts by what you can do while you are besieged, not by what God had intended for us as His church!

The job of an Evangelist is not to supplement a local Pastor, sorry. The job of an Evangelist is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world, in the world. But our Evangelists are not Evangelists anymore, they are travelling preachers with an career agenda and money on the brain.

And it is time and high time for a coup d'church.

The prophetic movement is starting to teach that the Bible is not the Word, Jesus is. Therefore, since the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy, prophetic declaration is higher than the written word. When you do that, you cross the line from heterodoxy to heresy and I will do all that is in my power to expose you as false prophets prophesying lies.

When a false movement deserts the Word of God to follow fables, it is time for a coup d'church.

What of the Moravian Church, who at one time held a 24/7 prayer ministry for 100 years while sending out over 300 missionaries to areas unreached by the Gospel message. Today they have homosexuals ordained as preachers and many of them doubt the infallibility of the Word.

When those who should lead us have fallen into secularism and liberalism, it is time for a coup d'church.

Methodist women used to have "pray-in's" where they all sat as a group in front of the doors of local taverns and prayed, refusing to move and refusing to allow anyone inside. Methodists used to hold camp meetings where God moved, people repented and were saved. They used to send circuit riders all over the country, covering rural areas with the good news. Today they are mainstream and neither God nor the people move.

When the new wineskin becomes the old wineskin, unable to contain any new wine, its time for a coup d'church.

We could mention the Salvation Army or the Presbyterian church and how far removed they are from the radical manifestations of revival in their past. We could mention Pentecostals who now too dignified to have the gifts of the Spirit operate in public or the Word of Faith folks who took revelation from God and started commanding stones to become bread for their own use.The list is too long and too painful for me because I love the church. But I can not abide what a church does to people when it is based on lies, compromise and the world system.

The disease of the church is systemic and what change can come to it, must come from outside, period.

We must take what we can from the past and never lose them while being sure to lose everything that came later as a result of the compromises of weak men.

To be clear, I am calling for an outright revolt where it is deserved. I am calling for a coup in the church because they are simply not competent to lead us into the future.

And if no one calls out and says "What should we do?" I don't mind, I will simply be the change on my own and that would be enough for me.

-JC Smith

"'Do good to all people,' Paul writes (Gal 6:10).  Does this mean that Christians should be concerned mainly with preaching the gospel?  Or should they also be working for social improvement?

Protestant teaching has traditionally tended to stress gospel preaching.  In this view the world will improve only as more people are transformed by accepting Christ.  At times this view has led to neglect of the poor, indefference to people's material needs, and silence in the realm of public policy where mass resources for relief are often allocated. (Stephen Carter's The Culture of Disbelief [New York: Basic, 1993] makes some of this silence in modern times understandable: The prevailing social welfare agenda intentionally rules out the Bible's prescriptions for addressing society's ills.  Christians are then silent--because they have been silenced.

In the nineteenth century the view that humankind could be perfected through change in society spread.  An optimistic view of man and his upwardly evolving social state became popular.  At times preaching the gospel of Christ's cross was replaced by social work activities and educational, economic, and political strategies.  The 'social gospel' movement was born and still flourishes today.

If apostolic writers like Paul are our guides, we dare not minimize the centrality of individual repentence and faith in Christ.  But Paul also writes that Christians should 'do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers' (Gal 6:10).  This means helping people, all people, in practical ways, not just preaching to them.

Groups like the Salvation Army seek to combine gospel ministry and social relief so that the two flow together.  It should be the desire of churches everywhere to meet the needs of both body and soul, not just one or the other, for all person around the world" (Elwell & Yarbrough pg 301).

Elwell, Walter A, & Robert W. Yarbrough, Encountering The New Testament: A Historical And Theological Survey.Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998.

Photo by Vit Hassan