Tuesday's Child recently mentioned GoodSearch as an easy way to raise money for a cause you believe in. I've found a few additional cool ways that you can use your regular web activities to raise money for charity. Most of these use the money from ad revenues to make donations, some use referral fees to get you to shop at their stores. Either way, these are easy ways to make an impact.
The Hunger Site (and related sites): click a link and sponsors donate money toward food for the hungry. Bonus: shopping at their online store generates even more donations.
The Bible Site: same idea, but it raises money to give Bibles to the poor.
iGive.com: Shop at one of their designated stores and get a percentage of your purchase price donated to a charity of your choice.
I'm: configure Microsoft Live Messenger to make a donation to one of ten charities every time you have an instant messaging conversation.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Darfur Awareness Week
The Save Darfur Coalition has declared this week "Global Days for Darfur," a week to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. This post is my little way of participating. Despite international pressure, the government of Sudan has been performing and supporting ethnic and religious cleansing in the southern province of Darfur. Over 400,000 people have been killed in the last three years. We read so many statistics that it's easy to gloss over them, so I'll say it again: over 400,000 people have been murdered in the last three years! Millions more have lost their homes and are completely reliant on foreign humanitarian aid. Thousands of women have been raped. A peace agreement was reached last winter that was supposed to help. But the government of Sudan is not keeping up its end of the deal, and conditions are getting very dangerous for humanitarian groups.
There are a lot of things you can do. If you have a blog, you can post like me and help to raise awareness. You can join the Save Darfur Coalition and help with advocacy. This effort incorporates regular people from across the political and religious spectrum who just don't want to stand by any more. Their TV ad may have made you cry and their petitions have been getting the attention of Congress. You can support the humanitarian work of Mercy Corps for free via The Hunger Site. Or if you'd like to aid the persecuted Christian Church, you can support The Voice of the Martyrs. Last, but certainly not least, you can pray. It's going to take a God-sized solution to deal with such a huge, evil problem.
There are a lot of things you can do. If you have a blog, you can post like me and help to raise awareness. You can join the Save Darfur Coalition and help with advocacy. This effort incorporates regular people from across the political and religious spectrum who just don't want to stand by any more. Their TV ad may have made you cry and their petitions have been getting the attention of Congress. You can support the humanitarian work of Mercy Corps for free via The Hunger Site. Or if you'd like to aid the persecuted Christian Church, you can support The Voice of the Martyrs. Last, but certainly not least, you can pray. It's going to take a God-sized solution to deal with such a huge, evil problem.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Horse . . . it's what's for Dinner??
Reader beware: This post is not for the faint of heart. Some of you have been clamoring for more from Tuesday's Child. Well . . . be careful what you wish for, you might get it. Without further ado, my latest work, as follows:
So this is completely unrelated to any of the usual spiritual or insightful themes typically published on this blog . . . but it is a subject very close to my heart(and a very heated and controversial one in certain circles, as well). Some of you may or may not be aware of this, but horses are slaughtered every day in this fine country for dinner. Yes, you read that right, for dinner.
"But do Americans eat horses?" you ask. No, no they don't. American horses are slaughtered for the dining pleasure of such fine people as the Italians, Belgians, French, and Japanese. "What??!??" Oh yes, this nasty little industry has been around for awhile. There are 3 plants, no, slaughterhouses (let's say it like it is) in the US that slaughter horses, Beltex and Dallas Crown in Texas, and Cavel in DeKalb, IL. All 3 of these are foreign-owned. All the meat (since it is actually illegal to sell horsemeat in the US, after all Americans DON'T eat horsemeat) gets shipped back to those other countries where it is consumed as a delicacy *shudder*.
But surely horses get humane treatment, surely they don't suffer in the process, surely they are treated with dignity in their final moments? Well, if you can stomach it, you may watch the video here. Be warned, it is pretty graphic but very accurate.
They are hauled to slaughter in doubledeck trailers designed for cattle, shocked with electric cattle prods, transported long distances without food or water, and then forced into chutes filled that smell of death where they are improperly stunned and then hung by a leg and bled to death. It is a process which is designed for cattle and not for horses, with their longer necks and their sensitivity to fear and pain. Humane? Hardly.
Some of you probably are aware of this, but many are not, I'm sure: I lost a beloved horse to slaughter 10 years ago this August. It was one of the most traumatic moments of my life. I won't go into all the details here, but suffice it to say it was at least 3 years before I could talk about her without breaking down completely. I commended her to Jesus' care, and I firmly hope and believe she is there with Him now . . . I look forward to going on a trailride with Jesus and Lady and some point (hopefully still a long way down the road). I cannot watch the above listed video without feeling the agony of knowing that is what her last hours on this Earth were like. I am haunted by horse slaughter constantly, as I think of all the auctions out there where perfectly good, but unwanted horses are sold to kill buyers for nothing more than their price per pound. I am reminded of her when I read about stolen horses (oh yes, horse thieving is alive and well in the US, and where do you think these horses end up?). I am reminded of her each time I donate money to Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation for an auction rescue, or look into the eyes of one of their horses, like Mary (visit the Adoption Horses page, you'll see who I'm talking about).
I know my current horse, Sammy, will never end up at a slaughterhouse. He will be donated to Scott and Karen at MHWF to adopt out to a loving person if, for some reason, I am not able to care for him any longer. Or he will be euthanized, when the time comes. I owe him that much. And he owes me nothing. None of them do.
They work for us, listen to our sorrows, take out frustrations and anger, teach us and our kids and friends how to ride and how to love and how to be responsible. They can be therapists. They can be confidantes. They can be friends.
And folks, I'm here to tell you that after years of struggle from concerned horsepeople all over the country, they can no longer be dinner!! That's right, as of this past Thursday, March 29, horse slaughter has been completely stopped in this country. 4 truckloads of slaughterbound horses were turned away from Cavel after the announcement was made that the slaughter of horses in the US for human consumption has been declared illegal. The ruling may be temporary, and requires laws passed by Congress to make it permanent and to prevent US horses from being shipped over the borders into Canada and Mexico, but this is great news for the horses! You can read more about the ruling at the MHWF forum thread here. Make sure to read it through from beginning to end. The last page has a link to the above posted video page, where you can send a note to your congressmen urging them to support the permanent bans of both horse slaughter and the transport of US horses to Mexico or Canada to meet the same fate.
This is FANTASTIC news. It came 10 years too late for my poor Lady, but hopefully another girl out there won't lose her horse to the same horrible fate. Hug a horse, and if you don't have one to hug, you are more than welcome to come and hug mine :)
PS : Oh, and while you're at it, use Goodsearch as your search engine and list Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation as your charity. They give money everytime you search, and then you too will be helping America's horses. Thanks for listening . . . er . . . reading :) T.C.
So this is completely unrelated to any of the usual spiritual or insightful themes typically published on this blog . . . but it is a subject very close to my heart(and a very heated and controversial one in certain circles, as well). Some of you may or may not be aware of this, but horses are slaughtered every day in this fine country for dinner. Yes, you read that right, for dinner.
"But do Americans eat horses?" you ask. No, no they don't. American horses are slaughtered for the dining pleasure of such fine people as the Italians, Belgians, French, and Japanese. "What??!??" Oh yes, this nasty little industry has been around for awhile. There are 3 plants, no, slaughterhouses (let's say it like it is) in the US that slaughter horses, Beltex and Dallas Crown in Texas, and Cavel in DeKalb, IL. All 3 of these are foreign-owned. All the meat (since it is actually illegal to sell horsemeat in the US, after all Americans DON'T eat horsemeat) gets shipped back to those other countries where it is consumed as a delicacy *shudder*.
But surely horses get humane treatment, surely they don't suffer in the process, surely they are treated with dignity in their final moments? Well, if you can stomach it, you may watch the video here. Be warned, it is pretty graphic but very accurate.
They are hauled to slaughter in doubledeck trailers designed for cattle, shocked with electric cattle prods, transported long distances without food or water, and then forced into chutes filled that smell of death where they are improperly stunned and then hung by a leg and bled to death. It is a process which is designed for cattle and not for horses, with their longer necks and their sensitivity to fear and pain. Humane? Hardly.
Some of you probably are aware of this, but many are not, I'm sure: I lost a beloved horse to slaughter 10 years ago this August. It was one of the most traumatic moments of my life. I won't go into all the details here, but suffice it to say it was at least 3 years before I could talk about her without breaking down completely. I commended her to Jesus' care, and I firmly hope and believe she is there with Him now . . . I look forward to going on a trailride with Jesus and Lady and some point (hopefully still a long way down the road). I cannot watch the above listed video without feeling the agony of knowing that is what her last hours on this Earth were like. I am haunted by horse slaughter constantly, as I think of all the auctions out there where perfectly good, but unwanted horses are sold to kill buyers for nothing more than their price per pound. I am reminded of her when I read about stolen horses (oh yes, horse thieving is alive and well in the US, and where do you think these horses end up?). I am reminded of her each time I donate money to Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation for an auction rescue, or look into the eyes of one of their horses, like Mary (visit the Adoption Horses page, you'll see who I'm talking about).
I know my current horse, Sammy, will never end up at a slaughterhouse. He will be donated to Scott and Karen at MHWF to adopt out to a loving person if, for some reason, I am not able to care for him any longer. Or he will be euthanized, when the time comes. I owe him that much. And he owes me nothing. None of them do.
They work for us, listen to our sorrows, take out frustrations and anger, teach us and our kids and friends how to ride and how to love and how to be responsible. They can be therapists. They can be confidantes. They can be friends.
And folks, I'm here to tell you that after years of struggle from concerned horsepeople all over the country, they can no longer be dinner!! That's right, as of this past Thursday, March 29, horse slaughter has been completely stopped in this country. 4 truckloads of slaughterbound horses were turned away from Cavel after the announcement was made that the slaughter of horses in the US for human consumption has been declared illegal. The ruling may be temporary, and requires laws passed by Congress to make it permanent and to prevent US horses from being shipped over the borders into Canada and Mexico, but this is great news for the horses! You can read more about the ruling at the MHWF forum thread here. Make sure to read it through from beginning to end. The last page has a link to the above posted video page, where you can send a note to your congressmen urging them to support the permanent bans of both horse slaughter and the transport of US horses to Mexico or Canada to meet the same fate.
This is FANTASTIC news. It came 10 years too late for my poor Lady, but hopefully another girl out there won't lose her horse to the same horrible fate. Hug a horse, and if you don't have one to hug, you are more than welcome to come and hug mine :)
PS : Oh, and while you're at it, use Goodsearch as your search engine and list Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation as your charity. They give money everytime you search, and then you too will be helping America's horses. Thanks for listening . . . er . . . reading :) T.C.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
This Little Light
I was driving into Minneapolis one evening, enjoying the jewel box that is the city at night. Gazing at a particular building it occurred to me that all I was looking at was someone's office window. There was probably just a boring gray cubicle inside where someone cranks out their daily grind. A very ordinary place. Yet grouped with all the other lights, so beautiful. The thought came to me that maybe that's how our lives are. God calls so many of us to service that seems mundane and commonplace. Raising children, visiting neighbors, ushering at church. And from our small perspective, these things might seem drab and boring. But when we can see the work of all the church from the perspective of eternity, each little light will join with the others to form a shining, sparkling, scintillating masterpiece that will put the Milky Way to shame.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Psalm 103
"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being,
praise his holy name.Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed
like the eagles." Psalm 103:1-5
"Redeems my life from the pit"...
I have never been in a pit, literally speaking, but I imagined myself in one this morning as I read this ...how I got there, I don't know....maybe I fell in, or someone threw me in, or even worse, maybe someone who I thought loved me, threw me in, or maybe I threw myself in...I don't know but what I can imagine is feeling so alone and afraid, no light, little air, maybe in pain, hungry, thirsty, dirty, maybe I don't care, maybe I want to die...maybe I feel worthless, loved by no one, maybe no one even knows I am gone...or maybe I deserve to be here, maybe I have done something so horrible to others, to myself, and the feelings of guilt and shame threaten to tear me apart...how would it feel to be left to die all by myself?
Days past, the tear streaks woven through my dirt covered face remain, almost as if they were cemented in. I have given up, tried everything I could to get out, finally, exhausted and weak, I put my face in my hands, my body heaves with sobs that my eyes can no longer cry...I am nothing. I have nothing. I deserve nothing. My life means nothing.
"He redeems my life from the pit"
And then...out of nowhere I feel a hand reach down and touch me and then another. Gently, carefully I am pulled up out of the darkness and those strong arms that pulled me up are now wrapped around me, holding me, whispering to me that I am everything. I have everything. I deserve everything. My life means everything.
"He crowns me with love and compassion"
He wipes the dirt from my face, He crowns me with a crown of love, of compassion.
"He satisfies my desires with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's"
_ _ _
And though I have never been in a pit like that, I have been in pits symbolic of it and He has done the same for me and for all who love and believe in Him and He will do it for you too because...
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love..." Psalm 103:11
So today, if you get a chance, imagine yourself in that pit...imagine the feelings you would have...now imagine His arms reaching down, embracing you, crowning you with love and compassion, giving you the desires of your heart. "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits..."
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Goose, Anyone?
The good old Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is at it again. This is the music industry lobby group that is boldly continuing it's crusade to kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Their latest target: they've co-opted Congress to pass a law requiring new, higher royalties be paid by internet radio stations. I'm all for artists being paid for their work, but this is a clear-cut case of blind greed. If they were just applying the standards for regular radio stations to internet radio, I might consider it foolish, but understandable. But the new rules would have web stations paying more than terrestrial broadcasters, and the rates are so high that many analysts are predicting it will bankrupt most, if not all, streaming services. This goes well beyond stupid into just plain wrong. Think about it: with the system the way it is, millions of people can listen online and discover new music. Under current regulations, industry gets paid a little bit for the broadcasts, but they get tons of free advertising. When the new rates drive Pandora, Live 365, and others out of business, the industry gets paid nothing. Period. Since I've started listening to internet radio, I've bought three CDs purely because I heard them online and nowhere else. I bought about he same number of CDs because I heard the artists on the regular radio. If RIAA wants to cash in on the internet radio phenomenon via gouging, their only going to end up killing half of their promotional pipeline. You'd think that a group so interested in golden eggs would like to keep the goose around.
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