Posts Tagged ‘hope’
by:
Jimmy Spencer Jr.
09
Feb
2010
As the tragedy in Haiti fades into the background of the news media the real rebuilding and restoration begins. Gone are the constant headlines and outpouring of kindness from around the world, replaced with the business of helping restore a country which even before the earthquake had multiple challenges facing it’s leaders and people. As casual viewers from a far, it’s easy to let apathy or even the overwhelming nature of the situation lead us to look past the needs of the Haitian people, but this we can combat that urge with small, tangible—yet life saving steps of kindness and generosity.
Like we’ve said above, Love Without Agenda friends “Haiti Partners,” have ran an orphanage in Haiti and been a consistent partner in Port au Prince for over 15 years and are on the frontline of helping to rebuild and care for the people of Haiti. If you are able to, please consider supporting them on an ongoing basis financially and check out the projects they have been working on during this rebuilding process. Organizations like this are the life blood of
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Tags: Haiti, hope, poverty, Social Justice, structures
Posted in Social Justice | No Comments »
by:
Jimmy Spencer Jr.
22
Dec
2009
I’m a practicing Christian…although Love Without Agenda isn’s faith based– I do recognize the powerful foundation faith can provide for loving others—this is a note my friend Andrew Wood posted and I really like it’s sentiment…and since I’m a Christian & it so captures LWA’s spirit — I think its appropriate for me to share this here– Love you all….Spencer
A ‘Letter’ from Jesus about Christmas
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity
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Tags: christmas, hope, jesus, mindset
Posted in Culture, Spirituality | 3 Comments »
by:
Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel
07
May
2009
steeped. to be immersed in something so that it is re-created.
green tea leaves steeped in water=my morning tea.
as a child i was steeped in school system during the school year, language and math
for the summer it was dreams i was steeped in as i played outside from dawn to dusk
as a new wife it was making him better and being the woman i should be
as a mom it was my boys, steeped in discovering they are and how to help them be all they are to be
in the suburbs it is: our home.
when i had less it was surviving, when i had more it was thriving.
in spiritual life it is sacrifice and service.
i suppose this is life, in part: to create a place within this big bad world for people to be steeped in the breathing in and out of love. one where people act out as they seem to be made to be. where they focus on what to give, not to get. where they love without an agenda. where help is given to one in need. one where emotions are as physical, both in need, both feel pain, both heal and give life.
there are so many causes and places in this world trying to create
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Tags: action, change, hope
Posted in Culture, Spirituality | No Comments »
by:
Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel
18
Dec
2008
Back in 2005 LWA had a speaking tour named the NOBODY tour, prior to our Stop Consuming Campaign, which some of you have heard of. Not many more than nobody were part of the Nobody Tour, but you gotta start somewhere. I still love the name nobody…..
i love the name nobody for in my mind it attempts to take back a truer definition of success than our culture defines as success.
I want to have eyes that laser in at the great in the somebody God created in everybodybut that the world puts in a garbage can and labels as nobody. I hear so many people feel like “nobodies” :
nobody =
is a child who does have one adult that they are crazy important to
is the feeling of one with great spirit -left unheard
is the uncredited woman behind a great man
is the man of greatness left disrespected
is any of great heart and noble means
is one who has great invention yet unvalued
one of great words-yet unread
those who move mountains with prayer
one of great intelligence-without a pedigree
a beautiful woman- in a simple body
and man of great strength -in a small
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Tags: hope, mindset, purpose
Posted in Culture | No Comments »
by:
Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel
07
Sep
2008
true or false:
1. all questions are valid ( whether innocent or cutting and sarcastic)
2. there are sometimes “front questions” (or question pt 1 of 6)
3. which cover up “the real question”(often non intentionally)
4. they have a personal feeling behind them (true, think about it)
5. they provoke thought (some people dont like that)
6. they can be good answers. (i learned that from jesus)
7. they can highlight or mask (intentionally)
8. the feelings and reason= attitude behind the question, shapes the question
9. a question can reveal true feelings and reasons (question behind the question)
10. the question is therefore far more powerful than their innocent face
all true.
—————–
a question is very powerful. it is a window into a brain. it is a hand that can move a thought.
a question is very important. especially when shaping a vision.
—————–
have you ever thought.”why doesnt he answer my question?”or: “we cant get him to answer a simple
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Tags: hope, mindset, purpose
Posted in Culture | No Comments »
by:
Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel
23
Aug
2008
my son is studying chemistry in college, he wrote me yesterday to tell me that he has 3 labs.
yes, the lab. hands on independent discovery. theory tested. reality defined. problems solved.
most of us like the lab part of class.
cool equipment. dangerous work, bunson burners, safety goggles, chemicals that explode and burn and do cool stuff.
important work
discovering life
and death
and how it all works in between
in my own lab of life i have noticed :
that leaders have a freezing point.
anyone of of us, when leading
just like water, alcohol or oxygen
there are freezing points in our lives:
places
where one moment we were one way
and the next…
……………we are are very different
our old alive, moving, working as made to be
becomes frozen………….
oh, we swear we will never freeze
and then in frozen state
its too late
only the unfrozen
can rescue us
it looks like this in my living leaders lab:
a passionate person
they go into life with hope to use their talents to make a good mark on this
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Tags: hope, mindset, purpose
Posted in Culture | No Comments »
by:
Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel
22
Jul
2008
the shema house, where the LWA guys live and i work at, is quiet this week.
perfect opportunity for me to throw away some garbage that weve collected, mostly old sofas and random stuff people give us as hand me downs, which is thoughtful, and the reason that it is hard to get rid of old crap. inevitably someone will give reason as to why we should hold onto this or that just a little more.
i understand. but i also see the need for occasional executive decision. i did the same when my kids were little. we together decided to give away some of our one hundred stuffed animals to other kids who may have none. as we went thru the animals in order to share our over abundance of bunnies, cute puppies, beanie babies and pokemon, the children loved each one and found reason to keep each one, and “gave” what amounts to “not giving” a couple of animals from their cedar chest home. the animals were not played with, or even remembered until it was time to give them away. my lesson in learning to give was failing. and i gave up. i let the kids give what their little
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Tags: change, growth, honesty, hope
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by:
Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel
16
Jul
2008
i loathe cliques.very seriously.
as a young girl, starting in kindergarten, i was the kinda kid who had all kinds of friends from all kinds of cliques and groups. i was nice. my long time best friend was a girl most people found odd at least until high school when she found belonging amongst “burnouts” which led her into trouble, but ive always loved her all the same, for the person she is at her core. i was able to hang with her friends and never try smoking, booze or anything. i also had lots of guy friends. played mostly ‘keep away’ and ’500′ at lunch time and climbed trees and rode bikes after school with the boys. none of them were boyfriends and it didnt even enter my mind until much later. guys are still my favorite friends by far, so long as you keep them friends. i think it was easier when i was young. i was free to be a non sexual girl for in jr high, it was a wonderful childhood. i wasnt bombarded with sex everywhere until later highschool.
the lunch room is a class, in behavioral science.
i recall walking into the elementary
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Tags: change, faith, hope
Posted in Culture, Spirituality | No Comments »
by:
Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel
11
Jul
2008
-community
dies in competition
-love
has no agenda
-action
will reveal your loyalties
-information
will not alone make transformation
-walk
more than talk
-temptation
is an opportunity
-grace
is rich soil
-leaders
serve
-sacrifice
saves
-emptiness
fills
-joy
marries suffering
-pain
can be a purpose
-consumption
creating apathy
-giving
is a mindset
-programs
can prop
-loneliness
can prepare
-everyone
must overcome
-forgiveness and respect
are not options
-trials and tribulations
are part of the plan
-hope
will carry it
undefeated
hand to hand
Tags: action, belief, hope
Posted in Culture | No Comments »
by:
Lisa O'Brien-Wentzel
13
May
2008
grace
a place
the only
true key
unlocking jails
setting self made prisoners
free
addiction the prison
walls slowly built
a need that we feed
a deadly way
knowing full well
slowly lead astray
good hearts
it is well
we say
its just for today
i cant do it another way?
first a lie
then you try
not to cry
so you hide
your face from your deed
those who love you plead
but in your greed
for ecstasy
you cant see
love and life
grace
and the place
in the honesty of community
where together we can be free
trust now bust
a lot of pain
will remain
to all in reach of the breach
of the promise
somehow they must
find a way
to still be grace
in the space
where now pain has taken hold
if not bold, we grow old
angry and bitter
finding the way
we can stay
fitter
for life
filled with strife
we become free
of tangible reality
we become able to see
a place
where joy is not contingent
on what is happening to me
how
can we be grace
for the pain
seems to gain
a place in our wounded hearts
it numbs our emotion
trashes hope
instills
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Tags: growth, hope, pain
Posted in Culture | No Comments »
