“Samasource, a non-profit that connects people living in poverty to work via the Internet …” (full Empowering the poor to be breadwinners story at Reuters)
This seems like a great social enterprise making a difference in Africa and India.
Author Archives: WhittleThinker
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was a Catholic girl born in Albania who asked to be sent to India to serve the poorest of the poor after her 18th birthday in 1928. She became a nun there and established the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta years later. As of her death in 1997, there were 610 missions in 123 countries (more in 133 countries now) that provide home for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, plus hospices services. They also help families with food, schooling, and counseling (See full Mother Teresa story at Wikipedia).
A woman under five-feet tall, Mother Teresa was a giant in making a positive difference in the world. She even won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Her secret to success was having a mission in life that no one, not even a Pope, could deter. I read a story once of how she pushed the Catholic Church over years into allowing her new order in Calcutta.
Why is Mother Teresa one of my favorite people? She showed that one person can make a tremendous difference in this world by having a great vision for people to rally around and a lifelong commitment to making it happen. She displayed unconditional love to people in the worst conditions of the world. She did not judge. She just pushed on and expected God to provide – and He did! Her selflessness moved the world’s morale needle in a positive direction over the periods of the Great Depression, World War II, and all the dramatic world events from the 1950s to the 1990s.
I could only hope to be one millionth of the goodness that she was. She was beatified as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta in 2003 on her way to sainthood.
Learn more about Mother Teresa at the Mother Teresa Center.
NEWS: World Population Reaches 7 Billion
The world population crossed the 7 billion mark on Monday. Check out these pictures from around the world from Reuters.
Moses is Born (Ex 2: 1-10)
Bible Summary:
A man and woman from the Levi tribe have a son. After three months, she can no longer hide him from the king, so she places him in a watertight reed basket and sets him in tall grass by the river. The king’s daughter sees the basket, has a slave girl (the baby’s sister) get it, and is surprised to find a Hebrew baby boy inside. She has the slave girl find a woman (the baby’s mother) to nurse it. Later, when the baby is old enough, the king’s daughter adopts him and names him Moses.
My Thoughts:
Compassion: The king’s daughter felt sorry for the Hebrew boy, a boy from the lowest class of people, showed him compassion and saved his life.
With compassion, we can change the world. Crossing the invisible boundary between classes of people is just a “hello” and smile away.
Israelites Grow Numerous in Egypt (Ex 1)
Bible Summary:
Eventually the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, Jacob’s sons, all die in Egypt. The Israelites continue to grow in number and Egypt becomes filled with them.
Years later, a new king of Egypt that knows nothing of Joseph comes to power. He forces more cruel slavery on the Israelites for his building projects and in the fields, but they still grow more numerous. He tells the midwives to kill the Hebrew boys but, fearing God, they disobey. Finally, the king commands that all newborn boys are to be thrown into the Nile River to die.
My Thoughts:
Catalyst: Sometimes bad things or bad people are catalysts for good things to happen. Without this new king, the Israelites may have lived in their excepted slavery, which was more like the serfdom of Europe during the Middle Ages until he arrived, for many more years.
Look for the potential good that could come from your bad situation, hang in there, and pray. God bless!
Genesis Summary
One Family: Genesis is the story of one family, the family of Abraham. It explains how Abraham was related back to Adam and Eve, the first people God created 19 generations earlier, and then continues the story of his descendants, son Isaac, grandson Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel.
This focus on lineage has given me new perspective on how important family is – for generations to come. Give your children a strong foundation. Teach them that God has a plan for them, maybe not saving a whole country from famine like Joseph, but a plan to make a difference in this world through love and appreciation of others – and most of all through their children, grandchildren, and all of their descendants.
Last Days of Jacob and Joseph (Gen 49: 29-33, 50)
Bible Summary:
On his deathbed, Jacob asks to be buried in Canaan next to his grandparents Abraham and Sarah and parents Isaac and Rebecca. Joseph orders Jacob’s body to be embalmed which takes 40-days. After 70-days of mourning, Joseph asks the king to allow him to bury Jacob in Canaan. The king agrees and a huge entourage ceremoniously transports Jacob’s body to Canaan and then buries him.
Joseph’s brothers are worried what he will do after the burial. They send a message seeking forgiveness for their crimes against him. Joseph reassures them not to be afraid since God orchestrated everything so he could save many lives. He tells them he will care for them and their children.
Joseph lives in Egypt with his sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons until he is 110 years old. He tells his brothers God will care for them and lead them out of Egypt back to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He asks them to bring his body back with them, so they embalmed it and put it in a coffin.
My Thoughts:
Faith, Forgiveness, & Love: Joseph has had complete faith in God’s plan for him. He forgave his brothers for their awful crime and believes it was God’s Will all along. He feeds everyone so they might live and makes sure each family has an allowance even in slavery. He is emotional, cries and shows his love to his family.
Joseph sounds a lot like how Jesus taught us to be.
Jacob’s Farewell to His Sons (Gen 49: 1-28)
Bible Summary:
In a farewell speech, Jacob tells the future of each son:
- Reuben, though first-born, is not to be the most important because he slept with Jacob’s concubine.
- Simeon and Levi are cursed for their fury of killing the Shechem men after their sister Dinah was raped. Their descendants will disperse throughout Israel.
- Judah is like a lion and his descendants will always rule.
- Zebulun will live by the sea.
- Issachar will remain a slave.
- Dan will be ruler of his people, but a snake that knocks a rider off his horse.
- Gad will be attacked by robbers, but pursue them.
- Asher will produce food from his lands fit for a king.
- Naphtali will bear lovely fawns.
- Joseph is a wild colt attacked fiercely by his enemies, but is protected by the Mighty God of Jacob. He is surely blessed.
- Benjamin is a vicious wolf that kills morning and night.
My Thoughts:
Twelve Tribes: These are the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel. I get the feeling this farewell evolved over many years of verbal retelling until it was actually quite accurate, like Zebulun living by the sea. I was surprised what Jacob said about Benjamin who he protected for so many years. Of course, some of these “blessings” could be metaphorical with different meanings than the direct translation. Like today, some people refer to attorneys as sharks. It is bad if you are against one, but good if you have one on your side.
Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons (Gen 48)
Bible Summary:
Joseph brings his sons Manasseh and Ephraim to his ill father Jacob for a blessing. Jacob tells him the two boys will receive the family inheritance but no others born to him after. During the blessing, Joseph places his oldest son Ephraim on Jacob’s right, but his father crosses his arms and gives the birth-right blessing to the younger son Manasseh. Joseph tries to correct his father but he says Manasseh will be the greater son. Jacob also gives Joseph the fertile lands in Canaan instead of to his brothers.
My Thoughts:
Blessing: Joseph, the favorite son, receives the family blessing for his sons. Of course, it helped that he saved the extended family and all the people around Egypt.
A blessing is God’s favor and protection or prayer for one. Right now, I pray that God will bless you.
Hebrews Become Slaves (Gen 47)
Bible Summary:
The famine becomes so severe that the Egyptians and Jacob’s family give all their money to Joseph, the governor of Egypt, for food. The next year they offer livestock for food. And, the following year they offer their land and finally themselves as slaves to the king so that they might live. Only the lands of the priests did not become owned by the king.
Joseph makes slaves of the people all across Egypt. He gives them seed and declares a law that one-fifth of the harvest goes to the king. The rest is to be food for their families and seed for the following year.
After 17 years in Egypt, Jacob makes Joseph vow that he will bury him in the land of his fathers when he dies.
My Thoughts:
Slavery: Wow! I knew of the story of Moses freeing the Hebrews from slavery but I never knew how they became slaves in the first place. They, and the rest of the people in Egypt and the surrounding areas, freely gave themselves into slavery to survive the seven year famine. This is the only case I know of where the people were willing to become enslaved.
Strike that. Many people today willingly accept what might be called psychological slavery. They drone on for years in a job they don’t like just to “pay the bills.” There are dancers, singers, artists, inventors and yes even writers trapped in what they consider a meaningless job. They try to eek out a couple hours a week to enjoy their passion, but most of the time they just work.
I say, “Break out!” Take time off or reduce your hours and find a way to live your dream. Start your own business, tryout for that local play, write your novel. You will be surprised how your passion will carry you to success and maybe, just maybe enough money that you can leave that job altogether. Carpe Diem! Seize the day! Live your life instead of someone else’s.
NOTE: this message is for people trapped in a boring job. If you like your job or are already living your dream, please disregard this message.
Love and happiness to all!