10.12.08 x 2

greed.
ick.
the elephant.
the BIG pink elephant.
nate.
dude, you rocked it tonight.
for those of you that missed the stirring
tonight.... you need to listen to the podcast.
do yourself a favor.
this was totally my heart tonight.
for the longest time i've been struggling with

how much that we have as Americans.
i got some new perspective tonight....
it's okay to have wealth, but it's how you use your wealth..
is it moving you towards God?
or away?
it doesn't matter how much you have
we're all in the same boat.
i made 28,000 dollars last year.
28,000 dollars! (when i think about it-that seems like SO much to me)
but the crazy part about it all is....
i can have the same level of greed as a person that makes 100,000 a year.
it's not God's fault that we have credit card debt or student loans. . .
it's my fault that I needed all of this stuff so it could fill my drawers and cupboards..
it's crazy that some of our cupboards are full
to the brim.
most of us have plenty of food in our pantries or our freezers to eat off of for at least a week.
doesn't that bug you guys?
that there are people out there that are lucky to get one meal a day.
if any.
we have a closet just for our coats....
our coats that we don't even wear all but once or twice a year.
and then there are those that can't even afford to buy a coat, so they wear a trash bag to keep the rain off...
we have to go out and buy a new pair of shoes because none of our 20 other pairs match our new sweater.
then there are those that don't even own a pair.

or if they do, they're full of holes.

can you imagine what our world would look like if we put aside our greed and focused on the need around us?
can you imagine how much we'd be able to give away if we stopped stock piling for our future? For the "American dream.."...
i'm sorry but screw the American dream.
that's not why God put us here on this earth.
it's not.
we have a higher calling.
to love.
to stop being greedy.
to start caring.
to stop the want.
to start filling the need.

i hope this ruins your world as much as it did mine.
we need it.
we need the change.
i want to be known as someone . . .
. . that gave it all away.
who cares if I don't have a retirement saved up?
I'm pretty sure that God will still be able to provide for me.
i want to be known as faithful.
i want to give it all away.

enough is enough.

one guy i know, Chris Cable is giving it away this weekend...
in the form of a BBQ for the folks living at the Market Street Manor Hotel.
he could use some help.
some people.
some toys for the kids.
some winter coats to keep the people warm.
c'mon, you can help.
stop being greedy.

i hope you know that most of this blog was directed towards myself. . . after all, that's what this is, just a way for me to get my thoughts out. . .
loves-a.