Friday, January 22, 2010

HELP! I need Somebody!

Picture by
Juan Barreto, AFP, Getty Images c/o The Canadian National Post.

With everything going on in Haiti, and all the work that God has given us to do there, I struggle deeply with the people here in America, so against helping. The thing that saddens me to the core is that the people I know that are the most against helping the Hatian people are Christians?! They are CHRISTIANS?!?! Their argument, help our own first. But if we are all God's children, aren't they our own too? It seems that alot of American Christians have really lost their way. I keep hearing this argument to help America first, then Haiti. When did God begin to value Americans above all the rest of the world's citizens? What has happened to America that we believe this? Now, if you want to say that you are unable to help because you don't have extra money right now, that is understandable. It is a hard time economically, but if your argument is that we have a responsibility to American people over other people, well I think you are wrong. Also, this argument that people should take the $10 they are giving to Haiti and give it to the U.S., well you may have just convinced them not to help Haiti, but I doubt they stopped what they were doing and researched where else to give that $10. Let's also not blame the Haitian citizens for their government. We can judge how they misused their funds originally, but the poor crying baby whose parents were killed in the earthquake had nothing to do with the misappropriation of government funds. Does she deserve to be ingnored because she isn't American? I think that Americanism is sick and pervaded, and to find ourselves superior over others merely because they are in a third world country whose government corruptly devestated a people financially, well that's the worst kind of pride. God calls us to be a light and a city on a hill. Well, if we just stay on that hill, protecting our own skins, we are nothing like the Jesus we claim to follow. My heart is sickened this morning by "healthy debate." I am broken by what I see around me. It is disheartening to see that the most generous people in these times often turn out to be those that claim no faith at all, but help in the name of humanity. How much greater would the help of spirituality be in a time like this? Shame on those of us who think that helping here and helping there are mutually exclusive.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Its So Hard to Say Goodbye

Actually it isn't. It isn't hard at all in certain cases. For me, saying goodbye to Tivo and HELLO LOVELY, to ATT Uverse was not hard at all. For the most part it wasn't hard. What was hard, was continuing to pay for Tivo service despite having rid ourselves of the Tivo box 7 months ago. I called today, because I couldn't remember when the contract ended, turns out not until April. Don't worry your little head though, the very nice customer service rep helped me out by cancelling but charging me the lump sum of those last couple of months now, to avoid me forgetting to call and cancel. Thanks so much TIVO for charging me for 10 months of service, even though you keep telling me how you can see I haven't connected in 7 months. And I won't before April either, seeing as we don't even own the box anymore. TIVO is worse than a cell phone company. I couldn't even pay an exorbitant termination fee. I would have had to pay for all the remaining months of service in full. See ya TIVO, I won't be recommending you to anyone. I will be sleeping with my Uverse remote by my bedside, happy with everything they have to offer. Especially the fact that there is no contract.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

There is no better time than now

By now everyone is aware of the devestating situation in Haiti. I myself, have a special place in my heart for the people there. While I have never been there to see the poverty myself, a dear friend of mine was so in love with the people and the culture there, that she gave her life helping those less fortunate. Five years ago, Mironda Heston contracted Dengue fever while working withe the people in Haiti, and ever since, I've known that one day I would do something to help those people too. There has never been a better time to do so. Before the earthquake, 80% of the people there lived on less than a dollar a day. Right now, there is nowhere for them to go. The poor quality of the structures there has led to horrible devestation. People are wandering the streets among collapsed buildings. These are the moments God calls us to. These are the times for those that call themselves Christ followers to follow. If you are interested in helping, our church is in the process of trying to get an ER doctor down there to assist with medical relief. They have already secured a place to stay. The doctor is willing to give 10 days of his time. Now is the time to secure the funds to get him there. If you would like to give, please send checks made out to Tim Sutherland and send them to

Tim Sutherland
1512 warbler drive
naperville, il 60565