We are at the two week mark of the devastating earthquake that leveled Haiti. The videos and images keep resonating in out hearts. The stories of miracle rescues are quickly blighted by the dust, stench, and growing human despair.
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We on lookers to this terrible catastrophe have remote after shocks going off in ourselves. We need calibration and re-orientation to deal with the spiritual, emotional, and physical assault on our human sensibilities.
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As I considered who had the largeness of heart, the depth of experience to bring a healing word, and offer a set of guidelines on how we can navigate our journey forward, Pastor Monte Sahlin is the name that was the obvious choice.
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Pastor Monte Sahlin
Sahlin is an ordained pastor in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, currently serving in the Ohio Conference of the denomination. He served for 12 years at his denomination’s North American headquarters with responsibilities for church ministries, media projects, social needs , and research and development.
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He then served eight years as a regional vice president. He has pastored small and large congregations in major metropolitan areas and Appalachia.
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Pastor Sahlin has worked as director, board chairman or strategic consultant with more than 100 innovative, community-based ministries, church plants and nonprofit organizations over the last four decades.
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In 1994 he was awarded an Outstanding Public Service Award by the United States government and in 1996 he participated in the Presidents’ Summit on Volunteerism as well as the prepatory gathering of 50 representatives of the nonprofit sector at the White House.
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I was indeed privileged to get a few ticks on his impossible schedule to dialog on how we can move forward in a constructive manner in the rebuilding of Haiti.
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The questions and challenges are daunting, but his keen insights provide the building blocks that we can add our equity to make Haiti2.0 possible.
The category 7 tragedy of Haiti has delivered continued after shocks as we witness the spiraling, wrenching human pain.
I have mentally stepped aside from the gruesome, helpless scenes to think about the last few days.
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Listening to my Haitian colleagues through tear-stained sharing have given me an up close tearing at the heart of the enormity of the loss.
Hearing from one’s relative is comforting, but losing your place of abode steals one’s sense of roots and home.
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A set of questions have formulated in my mind to help me put context to this horror.
We live in a world of instant communication, but it takes finite time to put in place a working logistics to relieve the seemingly unending suffering. How do I guide my heart to the reality of this reality?
How do I explain the devastation and the seemingly arbitrariness of pain given my belief in a loving God?
When your house became the tomb of a family member, how does one find a renewed meaning in HOME?
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Texting support is so simple. Do I need a more tangible means of get a sense of supporting the cause?
Recounting the history of Haiti is healthy , but how can we leverage the information garnered instead of a Babylon blaming tirade?
How do I prepare for a long range support after the cameras have turned to other issues?
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The Haitians friends here will need our continued support. How do we organize to have an effective ministry to them?
How can we stay informed on the development in Haiti and not getting a numbing dose of despair from the TV coverage ?
There are earthquake fault lines that can affect the Caribbean plate. How do we prepare for additional shaking given our limited resources . Can we develop a pooling security blanket for the Caribbean?
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Lots to think about. But let us remember the power of hope.
One of the sentiments we all seem to cherish in our hearts is being home for Christmas.
It is a time where the home hearth, being close to family and friends takes on added, eager meaning. We share our love by sharing gifts and cherished greetings.
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Well, some folks are practicing an alternative tradition , where giving takes on a deeper meaning, as this giving is like that of the three Magi, traveling to foreign lands and giving of themselves with a special treasured meaning.
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My eldest daughter, Christina is a modern day missionary given of herself in a lifestyle impactful way. Christina and her husband Tom have dedicated their lives to service others in diverse places around the world. She spent nearly three years in India building churches and schools. Although she is now based in California, her frequent flyer miles rival most road warriors.
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They work for a very interesting missionary organization, Maranatha International, who has brought a new energy , and innovative spirit to this field of transforming lives. Maranatha is very adept in connecting to the local cultural norms, yet can put up a solid church structure in a day!
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For two Christmases in recent years, Christina has been a part of a short term missionary team who have dedicated the Christmas holidays to building a school, and its subsequent expansion in Ecuador.
As we take down the Christmas tree, and put away the decorations, look what we found under the tree, unwrapped, waiting to bless you.
It is the gift of determination.
This wonderful gift is given by a a teenager.
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Her name is Kayla Moffett.
She is just 13 but possess a deep determination to develop her God-given capabilities, and her numerous awards are testimony to her commitment to excellence. Let’s see what wisdom this young lady has to share.
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As I begin this New Year, I cannot help but reflect on 2009 and the many challenges I faced in trying to stand up for what are right and not compromise just to be accepted. I choose to stand firm on my beliefs, knowing that I would not be popular among my peers.
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When asked, why I choose to act the way I do, I firmly say, “I am not acting, I am living my normal life that I am not going to change for anyone” Doing what’s right always pays off. Ben Carson is one of my role models and despite his ridicule, look where he is now.
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I will not give up or give in but always push myself to succeed to the best of my ability because ultimately, the end results can prove rewarding. I have reaped many great rewards at age 13 and the best is yet to come.
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I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
The term I use to describe the last decade is one of shock & awe as our sensibilities on so many fronts were shaken at their foundations.
I can personally testify to this experience as in one year of the last decade, I experienced shock & awe in marriage, health and employment . Around our recent Christmas dinner table , I had a tear-filled moment as I remembered being wheeled out of a hospital by my brother and his dear wife on New Year’s eve, 2000. I am forever in the debt of care and grace of them and many others who supported my restoration from my season of enormous struggle.
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I was able to land on my feet, and finished this decade with a growing hope of the future.
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Others have not been that fortunate. They have experienced shock & awe of greater magnitude and lack the support network to rebuild and restore. They suffered from menacing hurricanes in the Caribbean, Katrina, or are caught in the vortex of the global economic tsunami with the resulting loss of homes , jobs, and dignity.
Shock & awe also produces the menacing fog of fear.
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It is like a category five hurricane tearing through our spiritual and emotional lives, crippling our will and cowering our faith. A general of yester-years shared that fear kills more people than death. We fear poverty, dependence, illness, pain, being abandoned, and being ignored. The stress this produces is more crippling than arthritis!
How do we overcome this life stifling environment?
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Realize that how we respond to circumstance does matter. Leverage hope and the freshness of a new beginning to flush the fear-filled attitude and drink deeply from your well of faith.
Realize that keeping up with the Jones is so yesterday, and prepare for a new normal where internal treasures matter more than external show.
Join an organization dedicated to rebuilding or restoring the social trust of an institution that has been overwhelmed in the past decade.
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Our material well-being is also very important.
We will need a new mind set to also turn the tools of technology from being job eliminating to job creating .
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The Internet’s omnipresence is menacing to so many, but we need to adapt our sails to take advantage of the new wind.
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Yes, the last decade was life disrupting. We however find ourselves at a critical life intersection. What will you do?
I pray that we will energize our circumstance with a spirit of resiliency , lock arm in arm, and move forward in faith.
It can be so easy to quit. Life seems hard, bills are pressing in, you have family issues, the job or business isn’t going the way you want it.
You just want to curl up into a ball and hope the world passes you by.
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I’ll be first to admit it. I’ve been in this place many times over the last 6 years.
There I would have remained, like so many people in the world except for one
thing.
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You, dear reader, may well have been there too. Maybe you’re there right now.
If so, take heart. It’s never over till the final siren sounds.
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Now I am not advocating that you never stop doing something you don’t like. By stopping before you’ve given it everything, you’re likely to miss out on some really
good stuff that could be just around the corner.
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So what is Perseverance?
It can be summarized this way, “Winners never quit and quitters never win”.
Patience is a skill while perseverance is an art.
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Every day I ask God to help me so that I don’t quit, but that He will help me understand the opportunity when I see it.
So what’s the secret to success?
The famous song, “wish upon a star to make your dreams come true”, may be fine in theory. But in the real world, you need perseverance and fortitude. You need to hang in there till the final siren goes. You need to get up one more time than you get knocked over.
Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.
Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.
It’s been a tough year for many of us and although the economy has shrunk and many businesses have closed their doors, my small business Strokes & Slants on the other hand has increased tenfold.
Because fraud has increased tremendously.
The biggest scam artist of all being Bernie Madoff.
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While most of my cases are not of the magnitude of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme there has been enough work to keep my company afloat. Many do not realize how a signature or a change of a letter can alter a person’s integrity.
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Over the past year I have looked at dozens of documents, Wills have been altered, pages added , signatures forged, checks with changed numbers, documents tampered with and land transfer claims distorted. An extra zero here , an initial or signature in dispute - Families divided and trust is completely lost.
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I work hard at providing a good service, and quiet recently while out shopping I found at the bottom of my shopping cart an Angel card with the word “Integrity” .
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I took the card home with me and it has been sitting on my coffee table ever since. I felt this word spoke to me – because during these hard times it is so easy for anyone of us to pick something that doesn’t belong to us, change something that you may feel may not be noticed. Your inner voice should tell you to step outside of your conscious self and do the right thing.
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I sit over these documents with magnifying glasses and micscropes examining and diciphing each letter and symbol to be sure that my opinion is correct, because attached to my opinion someone’s life will change forever. They will either loose the contents of the will that they thought was so clearly in their sight or may even end up in jail for fraud.
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I once told a potential client who could not afford to hire me – “It’s not whether you can afford to use me but whether you can afford to lose what’s in the will if you don’t use me?”
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Your inner voice should be whispering to you to STOP because when you get caught it is a stain on your character that is not easily erased which will have a lasting effect on your career and your personal life.
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Integrity – is never second guessing yourself of who you really are.
Integrity is honoring your word and holding tight to what is right.
A gift that we must value every single day because better days are ahead for sure.
Tough times do not last forever only tough people with Integrity!!
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Beverley East
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Beverley is a leading authority in handwriting analysis and a two time bestselling author. Her books are:
Finding Mr. Write - A New Slants on Selecting the Perfect Mate
Reaper of Souls – a novel of the 1957 Kendal Crash.
The grip of old man winter has begun to tighten his icy noose around the souls of those who are tropic-centric.
The symptoms are rapidly blanketing the Northern hemisphere.
During the blizzard on the US East coast the week before Christmas, I received requests to showcase the gift of warmth. I received explicit hints such as pictures of beach scenes. Some desires have become more stark. Folks are commemorating going from the “oven to the freezer”!
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It would be easy if we could just be whisked away to our favorite paradise spot. But for a variety of reasons, we may not have that option.
Is there any relief for the tropical soul?
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A few years back during the bleakness of winter, I ran across a magazine that filled my heart with a great serving of home. This magazine is :
I know it’s salivatingly savoring and low cal to boot, but stop licking the picture!
Seriously, like a skilled anthropologist, editor Grace Cameronscours the globe to capture the rhythm of soulful living of people of the Caribbean, and share her findings with a warm vibrancy.
During a very cold wintry night, I dared to take a journey to the mall to look for a special gift for my grand daughter.
From birth, I have exposed her to books, not taking for granted that she may be an avid reader in the near future. While out in the cold, I reflected on the times in my life when on Christmas day, I expected something grand and spectacular from my parents (aka Santa Claus). Yet, each year I was disappointed in the gifts because they didn’t really last and left no memorable impression upon me. Christmas time was just a season and opportunity to be with family, and for that I was grateful.
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By the time I was 12, that expectation that I would receive a gift seemed to fade because the gifts became more about my changing relationship with my parents verses the hunt for a present to impress or one-up my siblings. As I reflect on those gift exchanges, the principles my parents sought to convey had nothing to do with the gifts we gave. But they did have much to do with building my character, self esteem and respect for family. Because of this, I became more knowledgeable about where my true gift in life lay.
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Freedom and the Reformer
One of the most important skills in life that we tend to take for granted, is the ability to read. Reading is the difference between freedom and slavery. The have & the have-nots. Leaders and followers. Success and failure. In 1855, the book “My Bondage and My Freedom,” a slave narrative was published by Frederick Douglass., John Stauffer writes for the 2003 Modern Library paperback edition,: It was [is] a deep meditation on the meaning of slavery, race, and freedom, and on the power of faith and literacy, as well as a portrait of an individual and a nation a few years before the Civil War.” As his narrative unfolds, Frederick Douglass—abolitionist, journalist, orator, and one of the most powerful voices to emerge from the American civil rights movement—transforms himself from slave to fugitive to reformer, leaving behind a legacy of social, intellectual, and political thought.
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This gift of literacy is a powerful tool and should not be taken for granted. The legacy that lead to a nation of readers, thinkers and generations with the ability to transform a race of people proud of their heritage, communities, economic and social status’, is the same legacy we cannot fail to pass on to future generations.
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As you give at Christmastime, and especially during Kwanzaa, remember to give our children books that entertain their minds, enlighten their knowledge and elevate their self-esteem. Books do not necessarily have to be reflective of us, because we don’t live in this world alone. However, we mustn’t forget to include exposure and knowledge of other cultures. Lest we forget , “Out of many, we are one”.
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During the holiday season, plan to increase your family involvement in reading together by sharing a passage from your favorite book or one that you are reading now.
Talk about your feelings, reflect with your children and use those opportunities as teachable moments. They will not forget. Give praise to your ancestors who maintained the spirit of Africa in the Caribbean and America. Reflect on our fore brothers and sisters who have helped to bring about awareness of our cultural differences and heightened the Caribbean contributions in America.
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And at Christmas time, remember Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa means “first fruits”. We celebrate harvest- the harvest of food, of love and of good deeds and friendship. Kwanzaa begins December 26. This would be a great opportunity to find out more about Kwanzaa if you are not familiar with it. Allow your children to participate in the various phases of preparing for Kwanzaa. This will give them a sense of responsibility in being a part of your family tradition.
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As I watched my own children grow up, I watched many toys break. The gift of literacy gave them something to hold on to—a healthy imagination, a genuine interest in reading and an increase in general knowledge. I was able to teach them the value of knowledge. What you put into your mind cannot be taken away. It lasts a lifetime. Reading is a tool; a way to find out how to do something to gain knowledge.
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Many people read to find out how to make money, others read to improve their relationships and yet writers of spiritual passages read to bring understanding and peace into their lives and the lives of others. The pursuit of knowledge should be to improve your future and the future of your family, or your community. Reading is practical. Only when you do not use what you learn does it become a waste of time.
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Ways to tell if a book is worthwhile
Ask yourself the following questions:
1) Is it interesting – did you enjoy it? A good book should always be one that you enjoy reading.
2) Did the book leave some clear pictures in your mind? A worthwhile books usually leaves some pictures in your mind. You can see things almost as if you had been there when they were happening.
3) Did you learn something new? —about adventure, travel, history, invention, science, religion, art, people, fairy tales, or many, many other things?
4) Are the people in the book like real people? – whether good or bad?
5) Did you enjoy the way the author used words?
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During the holiday break, set aside an hour or two to take your child or family members to the library. With the increased use of computers, we have decreased our opportunities to allow our minds and imaginations to wander or gather from the wealth of information available in these free public repositories.
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Give the gift of literacy
Over the past five years, the Read Across Jamaica Literacy Project has played an important role in gifting children’s books and educational materials to 30 schools throughout Jamaica. The Literacy Project is an initiative effort to help strengthen literacy services and improve reading instruction for all ages. Guided by its motto: Share a book with a child and you have given illiteracy a dose of cure…”the primary focus of its hands-on approach has been encouraging children to view reading as a form of entertainment.
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You can help the Read Across Jamaica Foundation (RAJF) continue its work in disadvantaged rural communities of Jamaica by giving the Gift of Literacy.
Your tax-deductible contributions to RAJF help facilitate their program across the island.
It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. But be cautious with that adage as Joan Hutchinson usually will have you in stitches!
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However, there is much brawta in her presentations as she also delivers a high sense of cultural heritage and pride like no other.
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But let’s not underestimate Joan as “just a comic” – although she certainly is one of the most prolific Jamaican humorists of all time.
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Joan Hutchinson is a fantastic entrepreneur who is building a profession on the strength of her personality, intuition, innovation, drive, and determination.
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In addition, she presides over a business encompassing authorship, professional
speaking, plays, and television projects fueled by her incessant invention of self and boundless creativity.
The latest demonstration of her ingenuity can be found in her latest work,
Kin Teet Kibba Heart Bun
The book and the CD document the creative and resourceful practices of ‘not so well off’ Jamaicans in the past, as they found interesting ways to survive and raise their families on a shoe string budget.
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The book and CD will be released a few days before Christmas.
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Many Jamaicans who grew up ‘poor’ did not realize that they were supposed to have been poor, until later in life they realized what they did not have.
The experience of growing up with people who knew how to ‘tun yuh han meck fashion’ and ‘tan pon crooked cut straight’, taught us all how to survive hard times, skills which are proving very useful at this time.
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Jamaican parents wasted nothing, and were guided by the principle that everything has a second purpose. We carried half exercise book and half pencil to school, used newspaper to stuff big shoes and then cut out the toe when they became tight, used and reused tea bags, converted butter tubs and plastic containers to dishes, ate condensed milk and bread, and learnt very early to make our own toys.
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Girls whose parents could not afford dolls converted a coconut, an ear of corn, a tuft of grass or a mango seed to their ‘dolly baby, and boys made fish tanks from old car batteries, raced board horse in dirty water and played cricket with coconut bough and green orange.
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Do you think you can learn a thing or two from Joan?
