blabbery featured: cademon's call china earthquake debbie downer jennifer knapp lyndsey parker maria sue chapman myanmar cyclone nargis nichole nordeman oxfam america OxFam International rachel dratch shaohannah's hope steve curtis chapman susan ashton that's really week
by Blabby

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Warning - Debbie Downer post…
When I became a Christian in my early 20s, it was mainly because of music. My sister gave me a Susan Ashton tape (that’s right, a tape) for Christmas one year, and it spoke to me. Then I started listening to Nichole Nordeman, Jennifer Knapp, Cademon’s Call and lots of others. Especially Steven Curtis Chapman. It was through the music of these awesome singer/songwriters that I came to have a strong faith of my own. I can only imagine how the Chapman’s faith is being tested now. I was so sad to hear about the tragedy in his family - here’s an excerpt from the That’s Really Week blog by Lyndsey Parker:
Maria Sue Chapman, the 5-year-old daughter of Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman, was accidentally, tragically struck and killed Wednesday by an SUV driven by her teenage brother.
How does a family deal with that? Yeesh. So sad. Maria Sue was the third daughter that the Chapman’s have adopted from China.
Which makes me think of all the families in China that lost their state-mandated only children in the earthquake! Awful.
So here’s some hope:
The Chapman’s foundation, inspired by their adoption experience: Shaohannha’s Hope
Oxfam’s relief efforts in Myanmar and China.
There are things we can do to help.
Uncategorized: burger king fair working conditions oxfam oxfam america OxFam America Unwrapped OxFam International protect farmers tim fullerton
by Blabby

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The evil King…of burgers
From Oxfam:
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forest friendly: buy mom a sheep gifts mom mother's day mother's day gift ideas OxFam America Unwrapped OxFam International
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Mother’s Day gifts at Oxfam Unwrapped
A few weeks ago, I listed some Mother’s Day gift ideas at Oxfam in a post called “Give Mom a Sheep.” Yesterday, I went on both the Oxfam America Unwrapped and the Oxfam Great Britain Unwrapped sites to order my Mother’s Day gifts. My mother-in-law lives in France, so I needed to use one of Oxfam’s European sites in order for the card to get to her for Mother’s Day.
It turns out that the European site is much cooler. They have a lot more items and the recipient gets a cool fridge magnet. They also give the option to add a small gift for a few more euros to go along with the magnet, so that the recipient gets an actual gift - like fair trade chocolate or a nice calendar.
Anyway, I had fun shopping, and I hope these mothers enjoy their gifts - I’ll keep you posted on how well they are received. I ended up getting Plant 50 Trees, Peace Books for Kids, and 21 Mango Saplings.
blessings: buy mom a sheep mom mother's day mother's day gift ideas OxFam America Unwrapped OxFam International poverty stop poverty
by Blabby

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Give Mom a sheep for Mother’s Day…
What do you get for all the mothers in your life? I don’t even have a mom anymore, and I spend more money at Mother’s Day than any other holiday - except Christmas, of course. So, what do I get for all these women who buy themselves most things they really want? Well, how about a sheep?
OxFam International is a non-profit “that seeks increased worldwide public understanding that economic and social justice are crucial to sustainable development.” In other words, they work with poor people to improve life. That is of course, extrememly generalized, but you see where I’m going with this. So, for the donation of $45, your recipient will get a nice card in the mail informing them that a sheep has been purchased in their name. Here’s what OxFam America Unwrapped says about the purchase of a sheep:
No need to feel sheepish about this gift! Raising these fleecy critters allows women to create their own income. What’s more, the sheep’s wool is used to make local textiles. When you give this gift, you know it’s helping others, so there’s no need to count sheep — you’re sure to sleep well!
There are gift categories ranging from under $25 (Peace Books for Kids, $18, Irrigate a Farmer’s Land for two months, $20, etc.) to over $500 (Build a Shelter, $1000, Train a CHANGE organizer, $1500).
For my mother-in-law, I have selected Provide Gender Rights Training for Community Activists at $90. Here’s the description:
Provide support for three community members to participate in a training program that will help educate them about gender rights and equality. This program helps women to speak up in their communities and educates men about the importance of women’s roles as leaders, citizens, and breadwinners.
What mother doesn’t support that?
Happy shopping, everyone. It’s not hard to help.