Ever have so many thoughts bouncing around in your head - you just don't know where to start sorting? I've just finished reading Anne Lamott - who always makes me think. I found profound and extremely simple truth in her words. For all the capital LIBeral she is and all the capital CONservative I am - I find in her writing the gospel straight up without a twist. She gets the whole Jesus thing....and after reading her - I feel that much closer to understanding Jesus and the gospel He taught.

Live 8 was this wkd. I listened to the highlites on CBC radio and caught some on tv. I was pretty moved. Yes, I get the cynicism. I get that a bunch of really rich singers singing to raise awareness about poverty in Africa is really, well, kind of useless. But then, so what? The point was made, it was done well, and it seemed that everyone had a lot of fun in the process. I like that. This whole "Make Poverty History" stuff has really got me thinking. How should I live? How do I change my lifestyle so that I (& obviously my family) makes a difference. What exactly does my faith - my being a disciple or apprentice of Jesus, have to do with eradicating poverty? How does it play out in real life?

The choices that we make in everything need to reflect our value system. If I really believe that God will supply my needs, and I am to take care of the poor, the orphans, the widows, the suffering and the oppressed, then I must make daily choices that relfect those beliefs. By North American standards, I may not have much, but I can still live simply, choose wisely in which companies I do and don't support, I can give much away and in doing so I am, in one respect, living my faith and I'm teaching our daughters to do the same.

May I have the wisdom to understand my choices, and the courage to live my convictions.

Selah.