my parent's health

John Bozeman has been hounding me to approach the church with this issue. It's hard for me to mention more bad news after reading one of Mike's latest blogs... but the cold hard truth of my parent's situation needs your prayers as does Mike and Stacy's situation (I really feel for Mike and Stacy, please pray for them).

My parents are on their medical and financial last leg. I have been sending them money while I had a job and from my savings. Now I don't have either and I'm searching for work. I've been searching for so long to find the RIGHT job so that I can actually afford to help support them rather than just take any low paying job.

My parents have asked that they not receive any more than $1000/month because of the complications that arise from having any excess finances under their current social services assistance. But the assistance is barely enough for them to eat (literally, I'm not exaggerating) and not nearly enough for my dad to drive to Cleveland where they are waiting for him to arrive under their charitable care program for the special intestinal disease surgery for which they are testing him. He is an intestinal cancer survivor (long story).

This surgery is what has been holding him up from obtaining a full time job (or any work) since graduating with his Ph.D. last May. He is anxious to take a position (any position) that can feed him and mom and has told me that if we help him out, he would love to be able to contribute to us with in-kind giving of his expertise in health care planning, social services consulting, low-income advocacy, microenterprise assistance and community development. He has 16 years of small business administration and operations and a Masters and a Ph.D. in community development and adult education (I think he's brilliant, but that doesn't equal income as we all know).

Mom has Multiple Sclerosis and recently went blind in her left eye from the disease. She would like to be able to contribute to us for helping too, but she is sincerely too sick from the fever-inducing injections that M.S. control requires of her every other day. I really feel for her. It breaks my heart.

Here are the hard facts of mom and dad's finances right now:

$600 this month will bring their critical bills current and allow any earnings dad can make at the flea market this weekend to go to his next month's bills.

Another $600 would pay their February and thereby allow him to travel to a free home-care situation he has waiting for him in Akron, Ohio near the Cleveland Clinic.

Those are their immediate needs to help them get back on their feet.

If you have any ideas... I'm out of them. I would love to hear your ideas for them.

Thanks,

Israel
P.S. Mom has been denied disability 2 times so far but her lawyer is really good and supposedly 3 denials are about average for disability applications. So they are really hoping for a third-times-the charm.

Who is this Shane Claiborne guy?

Looks like some guy name Shane Claiborne from the simple way is making an impact on Kelly... Has anyone read this book?

both and both and both and both and... not both

You scored as Servant Model. Your model of the church is Servant. The mission of the church is to serve others, to challenge unjust structures, and to live the preferential option for the poor. This model could be complemented by other models that focus more on the unique person of Jesus Christ.

Servant Model		83%
Mystical Communion Model		72%
Sacrament model		72%
Herald Model		67%
Institutional Model		0%

What is your model of the church? [Dulles]>
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Stunning story

Check out the news on Uganda from Jamie Arpin-Ricci. Thanks to Mike C. for making me aware of this stunning story.

embrace wonder

My friend Kelly posted a beautiful audio message by Don Miller. If you can take a second in this breakneck city in this breakneck culture in this breakneck nation in this breakneck world to breathe and experience some of the "why" that you are here more than the "what" you are here for... take a listen. God loves. God loves you. Light and Truth. Beauty and Protection loves you. The All-Kind One loves you. And your every doubt is o.k. listen here