Sep

27

A Night For Africa with Jeff Foxworthy

Post Category: Blog Posts, Conferences, Social Justice 

I’m super excited about this special event on October 10. If you’re going to be at Catalyst consider sticking around for A Night For Africa hosted by the hilarious Jeff Foxworthy and the equally funny Lanny Donoho with musical guest FEE and the Daraja Children’s Choir of Africa.

It’s going to be an amazing night and I’m really looking forward to it. If you’re planning on going be sure to send me a txt so we can hook up and sit together.

Check out the trailer for A Night For Africa (video below):

Sep

22

Investing In The Lives of An Amazing Couple

Post Category: Social Justice 

Steven Bush (or Bush as he’s affectionately known) is one of those guys I know I would totally get along with if we were to hang out in person. For now I only know him through his blog, his music and his trademark beard. This guy’s the real deal.

Bush and his wife have been in the process of adoption for the last year or so. Anyone who has adopted a child or knows someone who has knows how long and expensive this process is. Bush and Maris are on the home stretch right now. They’ve raised money and applied for all the necessary loans and grants but they’re still about $4,000 short and their last deadline is next Thursday.

Please take a minute and consider helping in one of the following ways:

1. Buy A Print

Bush is an awesome photographer and has made 12 of his best prints available for purchase for $35 each. When you buy a print the proceeds will help this amazing couple become a family.

2. Donate Online

If you can’t buy a print (or if you want to give directly to their adoption fund) click here to donate via PayPal. Every little bit helps.

3. Tell Someone

Consider posting this on your blog or emailing the link to a friend. Let’s not be selfish and keep others from participating in this awesome event!

So many of us have been blessed with children yet there are so many couples like Steven and Maris who have been waiting a long time to provide a loving home to a child who doesn’t have one. If God has blessed you consider sharing some of your blessings with them.

Sep

16

Order your Ransomed T-shirt!

Post Category: Creativity, Social Justice 

Thanks to everyone who voted for my t-shirt design. Thanks to you this shirt design won! Blirts.com is taking orders for the first run of 100 shirts. They’re already selling like hotcakes so order yours now before they’re sold out!

The t-shirts will sell for $20 with $5 going to the Compassion International Global Food Crisis Fund and $1 to Blood:Water Mission to give a child in Africa clean water for a year. Neither myself or Carlos will make a penny. This is a great way to grab some new threads and support some great organizations.

Order your t-shirt here.

UPDATE: In less than 3 hours we have already sold over 50 shirts! Get yours before they’re gone!

Sep

16

For Tomorrow - The TOMS Shoes Story

Post Category: Social Justice 

I just watched the short documentary film For Tomorrow - the TOMS Shoes Story (I originally wrote about TOMS here and here). The film tells the story of how Blake Mycoskie, a former contestant of The Amazing Race, was inspired by the low-cost alpargatas (espadrille-type shoes) he found during a trip to Argentina. He was also struck by the extreme poverty he saw and decided to do something about it.

In 2006 Blake launched TOMS based on the premise of giving away a pair of shoes to shoeless children in third-world countries for each pair he sold. To date TOMS Shoes have sold over 200,000 shoes and given away the same number.

I already own a pair of TOMS (pictured above) and knew the story behind the shoe but watching the images of little children putting on their first pair of shoes and mothers kissing and thanking the volunteers helped remind me how many simple ways people are making a difference around the world.

If you get the chance be sure to watch this inspirational documentary. And, if you don’t already own a pair of these very comfortable shoes, be sure to check TOMS out.

If you’re heading to Catalyst be sure to look up Carlos Bradley working the TOMS booth in the Social Justice tent and tell him you read about TOMS on BradRuggles.com.

Aug

11

Was I Really “Roughing It”?

Post Category: Authenticity, Social Justice 

I just got back from a fun weekend of camping and boating with my brother and sister-in-law (posts & pics coming this week). This weekend we were “roughing it” which meant we

  • cooked our food over a campfire instead of an oven or microwave
  • lived in a tent rather than our comfortable, climate-controlled house
  • slept on the hard ground rather than our soft, pillow-top bed

However, at no point during our “roughing it” camping trip did we have to

  • worry about where our next meal was going to come from (we packed plenty of food ahead of time)
  • wonder whether we would catch a potentially fatal water-related illness because of unsafe drinking water (we brought bottled water with us)
  • lay awake at night worrying about which member of our family would fall victim to AIDS and how that would affect our income (we’re all healthy and carry health and life insurance)

Waiting For Someone To Help Her
I enjoy camping and spending time in the great outdoors but it’s also important to remember that for some people around the world, the outdoors really isn’t that great. Many people, like little 8-year-old Ishimwe, live in parts of the world that are ravaged by war, disease, rape and hunger. Our world is so different from theirs.

Ishimwe Joseline lives in Rwanda in an area that has been dramatically affected by the genocide of 1994 in which over 800,000 people were killed. She’s been waiting over 6 months for someone to sponsor her for only $32 a month through Compassion International.

If you haven’t yet sponsored a child through Compassion or if you want to add another one, would you consider Ishimwe? That small check every month makes such a huge difference for Ishimwe and the thousands of others like her that Compassion helps around the world.

Click here to sponsor Ishimwe. If she is already sponsored click here to search for another child.

If you decided to sponsor Ishimwe or another child or already sponsor children through Compassion let me know about it.

Jul

21

A Day Without Shoes

Post Category: Authenticity, Culture, Makes You Think, Social Justice, Videos 

Yesterday for my day of the 40 Day Fast I decided to fast from my shoes for the day. I walked all day with nothing to protect my feet and even managed to sneak into a Big Boys. Although I did cheat and slip my flip flops on when I went in the restroom. :-P

A few things I learned…

  1. I have really wimpy feet.
  2. I spend a lot more time looking down when I’m walking without shoes.
  3. I’ve taken so many little things in life for granted.
  4. People look at you funny when you walk into restaurants and stores without shoes. Remember, I live in Indiana not Alabama ;-)
  5. I have so much to be thankful for.

They say you can’t really understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. In the case of the 300 million plus children around the world who have no shoes, we need to shed ours to understand what they deal with every single day.

Here’s a little video I put together.
click here if you can’t see the video

Here’s a few ideas you might consider for your family, church or youth group:

  • Set a date for a “shoeless day” where your family spends an entire day without shoes (you may need to get permission from your employer ahead of time). During this day educate yourself on some of the humbling stats about how many shoes are produced every year but how millions still go without.
  • Host a “1 Mile Shoeless Walk“ to raise awareness and money for those without anything on their feet. This could be a great opportunity to take the issue public and get local media to help tell the story.
  • Host a TOMS Style Your Sole party for your friends, church or youth group. It’s a great time for you and your friends to get together, express yourself through your own designs and support a good cause. Whether it is the theme of your party or a community building activity, you will be putting shoes on children’s feet somewhere around the world. Wear your originally designed TOMS and tell the story!
  • Buy a pair of TOMS for yourself or a friend!

What are you doing with your time, talents and resources to make a difference?

Jul

20

40 Day Fast: Putting Shoes on Jesus’ Feet

Post Category: Authenticity, Blog Posts, Blogging, Makes You Think, Social Justice 

Today’s my day to blog and fast for the 40 Day Fast and I’m fasting all day from…my shoes.

As I’m sure you figured out from Friday’s post, I had an ulterior motive for asking how many shoes you own. The average American owns at least 10 pair of shoes. The key words there are ‘at least’. Many of us own way more.

Last year alone over 14.8 billion pairs of shoes were produced to be sold to consumers who are only too happy to purchase them. That equals out to over 2 pair of shoes for every man, woman and child on the planet.

Unfortunately, while millions of Americans wake up each morning and choose what shoes they’ll wear based on their outfit and activity, there are still 300 million children around the world whose tiny little feet are left unprotected.

TOMS ShoesThat’s why I’m excited to tell you about an organization with you called TOMS Shoes - shoes for tomorrow. It was founded by Blake Mycoskie on a question. What if there was a company that gave away one pair of brand new shoes for every pair purchased? Since 2006 that is exactly what TOMS has done.

To date they has given away 10,000 pair of shoes to needy children in Argentina and 50,000 in South Africa. They’re already on track for giving away 200,000 shoes this year alone!

In Matthew 25 we’re told that when Jesus returns some will be honored for attending to his physical hunger and needs. They ask “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in or naked and clothe you?” To which Jesus replied, “In as much as you have done for the least of these, you have done it unto me.”

Somewhere around the world Jesus is walking barefoot across the hot, rocky ground longing for something to protect his feet. When we give to organizations like TOMS we’re doing so much more than just buying a pair of shoes. We’re putting shoes on the feet of Jesus.

Today’s post is part of the 40 Day Fast, a collection of 80 bloggers joining together to shed light on needs around the world and the people who are making a difference. Joining me today is Shawn blogging about child trafficking in America.

Jul

16

Does God Want You To Be Rich?

Post Category: Blog Posts, Makes You Think, Social Justice 

Does God Want You To Be Rich?

Today’s question is a simple one that Christians have struggled with for centuries. I wrestle with the implications of this question all the time. In the increasingly consumeristic society we live in, how do we reconcile our excess with the need of millions around the world?

I’ve really come to the conclusion that there is no simple black-and-white, formulaic, answer to this question because in order to answer this question we have to define ‘wealth’ and that’s a relative term.

In parts of the world you’re wealthy if you have access to clean water.

To some, like this Pastor in the Dominican Republic Pete & Anne blogged about today, having electricity in your home would make you wealthy.

And of course, even in our own United States of America we have varying degrees of prosperity. In your own cities you have the “wealthy part of town” and the area where the not-so-fortunate call home.

Can I let you in on some of the questions I wrestle with?

  • For me, living here in the Midwest in 2008, how can I be a good steward of the “wealth” that God has entrusted to me?
  • Where is the line between legalism and excess in my spending?
  • Do I give enough to those in need?
  • Do I spend too much on my ‘wants’ and ‘luxuries’?
  • What are the things in my life that I’ve grown accustomed to that really aren’t necessary for my happiness and contentment?
  • If I were to let a person from a third-world country spend a week with me, how would I justify to him the things I spend my money on?

These questions and more plague me on a daily basis. There are times that I wish I could just budget out the money I need to give away so that I didn’t have to think about it. Then I could go along my merry way and convince myself that I was a generous person doing my part to alleviate the needs of the world.

That would certainly be the easy thing to do but I think Christ requires a different response from those of us who call ourselves his followers. It’s not enough to simply brush the crumbs off our table into the mouths of the starving millions while continuing to live our lifestyle of excess and self-indulgence.

The question I ask myself and am asking you is the same one Francis Schaeffer asked:

How then should we live?

Jul

9

40 Day Fast Update

Post Category: Blog Posts, Makes You Think, Social Justice 

This is just a reminder that we’re just over two weeks into the 40 Day fast where 80 bloggers have teamed up to fast for one day each and highlight an organization that is making a difference in the world. My day is coming up soon (July 20) and I’m excited to be participating in this awesome event.

Here are a few posts from the last couple of weeks that really challenged me:

Below is a complete list of the bloggers who will be participating with me. Set aside a few minutes each day to read these blogs, pray and take action.

40 Day Fast Bloggers

6/23 Brant
6/24 Amy April
6/25 Brian Rick
6/26 Annie P.D.
6/27 Autumn Kelly
6/28 Scott Gene
6/29 Lorijo Fay
6/30 Licia Chris
7/1 Jason Ambre
7/2 Laura Beth
7/3 Steven Sarah
7/4 Tim Leslie
7/5 Mama’s Andira
7/6 Shawn Stephanie
7/7 Shaun Polly
7/8 Prairie Charley
7/9 Mark Kat
7/10 Crystal Davida
7/11 truvyne Valerie
7/12 Pete Brent
7/13 Jonathan Jeanine
7/14 Brody Lori
7/15 Natalie Kjaere
7/16 Adam Jacquelynne
7/17 Euphrony Dan
7/18 Todd Rodney
7/19 Mandy Randel
7/20 Brad Shawn
7/21 Stephen Blake
7/22 Brandy Michael
7/23 Annie Joel
7/24 Ryan Maryann
7/25 Kristin Alex
7/26 Melissa Clint
7/27 Emily Erin
7/28 Bart Doug
7/29 Liz Mike
7/30 Nancy Kristi
7/31 Jessie Jane
8/1 Tressa Toby

Jun

27

When Good Intentions Lead To Bad Decisions

Post Category: Blog Posts, Makes You Think, Social Justice 


If you hadn’t noticed, I got hammered in yesterday’s blog post. I’m talking two black eyes and kick to the stomach. Even my own wife disagreed with me!

First of all, let me just say how awesome it is to have an environment like this where you feel comfortable disagreeing with me and expressing different viewpoints. This is exactly the kind of discussion I want to have on my blog.

So let’s continue the conversation from yesterday. As you know, I picked up a bottle of Ethos water from Starbucks and wrote that that it was a “simple way to make a difference.” The point I was trying to make (and actually one I still stand by) is that a lot of people doing a little can make a BIG difference.

However, several valid points were raised that are worth discussing:

  1. Ethos only donates 5 cents from each $1.79 bottle towards clean water efforts.
  2. Their marketing is somewhat misleading and could lead you to think it is a purely charity-driven product
  3. Fixing one problem (lack of clean water around the world) could cause another (8 out of 10 plastic water bottles don’t get recycled causing build-up in our landfills) - a case of Aegrescit medendo (the remedy being worse than the disease)

I’ve read through all of your comments and I appreciate those you of you who took the time to write them. Here are a few observations:

  1. While it’s true that 5 cents out of bottle of water that cost $1.79 isn’t much, it’s better than .00 cents donated from the $.99 cent water we normally buy. At the very least I commend companies who at least recognize and participate in social action on any scale even if it’s not to the degree we would like.
  2. The biggest argument against products like Ethos is, Why not skip the bottled water or go with a cheaper water alternative so you can give more? To which I reply, ABSOLUTELY! That is undoubtedly the best solution to solving the global water crisis - make do with less so we can give more. My question then is, so how much are you giving up and how much have you given? It’s easy to point fingers at corporate giving practices and ignore our own. Could Ethos give more than 5 cents a bottle? I’m sure they can. Could I give more than I’m giving? Absolutely.
  3. A bigger problem is the issue of creating excess waste to the tune of over 38 billion plastic water bottles in our landfills every year. It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture one year’s supply of bottled water. That’s enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars. Not very good environmental stewardship.

There are some very real issues facing us and I for one, don’t want to sit on the sidelines. Social change first begins with awareness, then education and results in action.

So, what are we going to do about it? I’ve got some ideas but I’d like to hear yours.

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