(RED)

I noticed a call to the (RED) this weekend as Sprint mentioned that a portion of money from the purchase of a new Red Motorazr would go to Global Fund. As I viewed Relevant today I came across an article that talked about this very topic. Comments were shared concerning the authors article and many people had valid replies. It is important to help with the fight against Aids, tuberculosis and malaria and to be informed about the magnitude of the problem. The best point is that if Christians followed Christ like He calls us too then there would be no need for a color campaign, because we would taking care of 'the least of these'. There is a great focus on using finances to meet physical needs right now. There needs to be a signigicant effort to meet spiritual needs as well. If the two were combined it probably would not have the same success. People would not catch onto (RED) the same way if Jesus was part of the solution to a growing problem like Aids. Consider how you can make a difference, hopefully it does not involve the purchase of an iPod Nano.

Make Up

A recent trip to Starbucks in Joplin revealed that some people care about their customers. I was talking with an employee there that I know from college and church. We shared greetings and conversation about family and life. I stepped away and then remembered that I needed to ask him about the unknown beverage, the Iced Cafe con Leche. I shared that another Starbucks fell short of the mark on knowing the drink selection and how to make them. He said that no drink should take 20 minutes and then he proceded to make things right by preparing a free Iced Cafe con Leche in about 30 seconds. Josh knows how to treat a customer and make up for how someone else dropped the ball. I appreciate his commitment and kindness.

Winter Wonderland

Joplin, along with a large majority of the Midwest, actually received a significant amount of snow. It looks very nice when you can look out the front door and see nothing but a smooth white sheet of snow. Amanda loved every part of the winter storm except when we drove down Rangeline in all of the ugly, dirty slush. This is also the first snow that Mason has truly experienced. He enjoys watching Noel, our dog, go out and take care of business in the backyard. Noel does not like the cold and definitely does not desire to play around in the snow. As a native of Iowa I am experienced in dealing with snow, from driving in it, to shoveling off the driveway and sidewalk, to staying inside out of the cold. However, whatever level of experience you have, a winter storm can always catch you off guard. It is easy to see the wonder of winter but it is different to try and experience the wonder. This is evident in the difficulty of driving out of our neighbor, to seeing a number of people stuck in large piles of snow in the entrance/exit of gas stations, supermarkets and restaurants. May our wonder and amazement of snow always be greater than the frustration that it can also bring us.