The causes of world hunger are complex and inter-related. The single biggest cause of hunger is poverty. People keep themselves out of poverty by earning money. How do you earn money? You get a job. BUT…What if the job you get is dangerous? What if the only job available to you doesn’t pay enough to cover all of your expenses? What if it does, but the company you work for is polluting the environment or consuming natural resources at an alarming rate? Will you quit over it, knowing that if you do, you won’t have an income?

Individuals who are lucky enough to have choices of employment offers and/or some disposable income have a responsibility to consider how their choices affect the world and others who live here. But not all individuals are so privileged, and if faced with the choice of working for a polluting factory or eating, I’m going to eat now and worry about the pollution later, even if that pollution is a danger to me and my future employment. Businesses play an important role in building sustainable livelihoods. Arguably the best businesses find a way to earn a profit while also treating their employees well and not ruining the environment.

Perhaps one example of this type of business is Grays Harbor Paper, a small town paper mill located in Hoquiam, WA.  Formed to bring jobs back into the local community, Grays Harbor Paper is dedicated to increasing its sustainability as it focuses on people, paper and the planet.

Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Jamie, Grays Harbor Paper’s Sustainability Coordinator. Her job includes over-seeing the biannual sustainability report (following reporting guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative) and making sure that the company follows through on their sustainability promises. Jamie helped me understand a little bit about how an 82 year old mill site is giving back to the local community and the environment; thanks to a belief in sustainability’s economic, social and environmental benefits.

Grays Harbor Paper provides more than 230 full-time jobs

Caring for people and communities:

The original mill site was built in 1928 as the Grays Harbor Pulp Company and has changed hands over the decades. In 1992 the functioning pulp and paper mills on-site were closed and about 600 local jobs were lost. A year later, in 1993, Grays Harbor Paper was opened by local investors and as of 2008 reporting, 231 full-time jobs with benefits are in full swing (in a town of roughly 9,000 inhabitants.) The mill also houses a water treatment plant. Grays Harbor Paper’s 125 acre riverside location means that special care must be taken not to pollute the local waterways as nearby beach towns are historically supported by the fishing and crabbing industries. In addition, docks located close to the mill are a favorite spot for local recreational fishermen. All of the mill’s storm water, as well as water used in the paper manufacturing process, are sent into the water treatment system before being released into the natural environment. They also treat waste water from a neighboring fish protein plant.

Caring for the earth – an economic competitive advantage:

In 1997 the mill installed its first of three turbines which generate thermal and electrical energy from biomass. This carbon-neutral process was initially installed as a cost saving measure. Biomass comes from the wood waste of logging and clear cut sites in the forests found within a 20 mile radius of the mill. Normally, the wood waste would be burned on the logging site, releasing CO2 back into the environment, and preparing the land to be replanted. Today, Grays Harbor Paper collects this wood waste and brings it to the mill where it is burned to create the energy necessary to produce paper. It is considered carbon-neutral because the carbon released through burning is equal to that which the trees sequestered during their lifetime. While there is some debate over whether this waste should be left on the land to rot and return to the earth, using it as biomass keeps the methane which may be produced from it rotting out of the air, uses its energy to create a product and clears the land for replanting. Additionally, the scrubbers and filters present in the machinery at the mill allow the biomass to be burned slightly cleaner than it would in a forest environment. In addition to its carbon neutral energy, 30% of the mill’s paper is made from post-consumer recycled pulp. Harbor 100, their 100% recycled paper product, is “Green e” and “Forest Stewardship Council” certified. According to Grays Harbor Paper’s 2008 Sustainability Report “every ton of Harbor 100 produced saves an estimated 11, 847 gallons of water, 8 million BTUs of energy, 719 pounds of solid waste, and 2,460 pounds of greenhouse gases.” Harbor 40 is the other recycled option – it contains 40% post-consumer recycled pulp. Grays Harbor Paper purchases its pulp on the open market. The majority of its recycled pulp is trucked from a mill in Oregon, just 80 miles away. Other pulp is delivered by rail from the Midwest.

The on-site water treatment plant helps Grays Harbor Paper to be a good steward of their riverside location

It is also encouraging that other organizations are catching on to this recycled paper trend. Nike, the World Bank, the State of Washington and the International Monetary Fund all use Harbor 100. There are a number of paper mills who produce 100% recycled paper in the United States. Grays Harbor Paper is one example of an exciting and growing trend, but is going above and beyond with their use of biomass for power production.

Lessons:

It is important to remember employment’s relationship to hunger as well as a business’ relationship to the environment. As we purchase products in our everyday life, we must consider who we are supporting. Are the businesses behind the products that we buy concerned with ethical, environmental and social standards? When we support, lead or work for businesses which care for creation – God’s earth and people – we also support positive employment opportunities, helping more individuals to support themselves and their families. Also, the more sustainable a business, the more generations it can benefit.

Current book: Strategies for the Green Economy by Joel Makower…good stuff so far!

Today’s favorite link: www.waterbobble.com

Happy Earth Day ~ Lana

*ELCA World Hunger receives no incentives from any of the companies mentioned in this blog series. The writer has chosen each company based on their proximity, availability and their work toward green and/or sustainable practices.

I was at a coffee shop with my brother, Krister, a few weeks ago sitting next to the window and drinking out of some more-or-less sustainable “for here” cups when we got talking about energy usage and good lighting. A designer by profession, he began to talk about lighting and how giving up the ambiance of warmer, more energy expensive lights isn’t the only answer to conserving energy through lighting. Apparently when it comes to lighting design, there are many ways to think about energy usage, and this got me thinking about sustainability practices in basic design in general.

As design is a huge industry, and we are seeing LEED certifications become the trend, it seemed to me that there was also something intrinsic to good design that was more sustainable than, well, not-so-good design. I started by asking the question – how does sustainability play a role in Plank Island Studio’s business practice? Well, it turns out that being a designer in a small town means necessary supplies aren’t always easy to find. So first off, when Krister buys something for his work, he only wants to buy it once. Though it may be more expensive, a quality tool or product lasts longer, works better and reduces both shipping and manufacturing costs and emissions in the long run. He also likes to reuse and repurpose. His desk is a good example. The glass top is actually the door of an old downtown candy shop which has been recently renovated into a vintage ice cream parlor. His studio has been created in the forgotten location of an old labor union office, slowly renovated over the past few years to bring back the history of the building. He adds that a friend once made the point to him that beautiful buildings are the greenest buildings because they never get torn down, thus a new building won’t be needed to replace it. (Though efficiency updates may be in order.)

So how can we tie elements of design sustainability into hunger? Let’s focus on lighting. Energy consumption affects natural resources and pollution levels. According to an ELCA Shareholder resolution filed in 2009, “U.S. power plants are responsible for nearly 40% of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions, and 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions.” Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases contribute to climate change which plays a role in shifting water levels and rain patterns globally. According to ELCA Advocacy, “as the earth’s climate gets warmer, droughts will grow more frequent and more severe in many parts of the globe, particularly in areas that are already water-stressed.” Droughts negatively affect crop production and access to clean, drinkable water. Yet in good design, lighting is everything. So what are we to do? Here are a couple of interesting examples of how good lighting design can help a normal home become more energy efficient, thus working toward sustainable emissions levels to keep our climate change impact low.

The subject of our coffee conversation that day was how to use lighting better. Track lights, dimmer switches and task lighting, Krister believes, make all the difference. You can dim incandescent bulbs always, and you can buy dimmable compact fluorescents (CFL). So whether you prefer the warmth of an incandescent or are just as happy with an energy saving CFL, dimmers help to keep energy consumption low no matter the type of bulb. Additionally, accent lights and track lights are commonly halogen, a form of more efficient incandescent light. You can also use CFLs for many types of accent lighting. Check out Krister’s offering of 5 Tips for Better Living through Better Lighting on The Table. (Note: incandescent bulbs require the use of the metal tungsten – while the majority of the tungsten used in the US comes from abroad, one-third of our supply comes from our own recycling of the metal¹. Additionally, CFL bulbs contain small amounts of mercury which can be released if broken, however, they cause considerably less mercury to be released into the atmosphere through power production than incandescent bulbs.)

Next, as lighting technology continues to transform, LED is hitting the scene. LED lights are cool to the touch and require incredibly low levels of energy to function. They also outlast any competition. Plank Island Studio recently teamed up with a local furniture maker to design a commissioned bedroom side table that doubled as a night light. It utilized a low impact LED light to shine through Japanese shoji paper without heat concerns. It serves as an example of energy efficient task lighting. Plus, LED lights contain no mercury² and because of their efficiency, expend little in power production as well.

To be truly sustainable we would probably all need to buy 100% renewable energy or install a windmill on our roof to produce the electricity which lights our homes. Kudos to those of you who do so, and to the rest, please consider good lighting design as a step in the right direction. Proper lighting for proper places means sustainable energy usage and sustainable, happy ambiance.

Lesson 1: When possible, buy tools and supplies that last.

Lesson 2: Design (and restore when possible) beautiful buildings that stand the test of time.

Lesson 3: Utilize good lighting design and you’ll be on your way to a more sustainable energy consumption level. This will be good for the environment and your pocket book.

Next book in cue: Strategies for the Green Economy, by Joel Makower

Today’s favorite link: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_barber_how_i_fell_in_love_with_a_fish.html

~Lana

1: http://www.mii.org/Minerals/phototung.html

2: http://www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/imerc/factsheets/lighting.cfm

This is an introduction to a new series that I’m going to be writing. The focus will be on sustainability, specifically as it has to do with business, industry and its link to hunger and poverty.

Why sustainability? The old saying goes, give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime. But what if the fish run out? If we overfish to the point of extinction, what will we eat in ten years? Sustainability is important because it helps our resources continue from one generation to the next. If we build sustainable lives we sustain a world for the future.

Why business and industry? Because they are big! Whether a business is a small, family-owned farm or a huge corporation selling products, they have a far larger impact than me going to the farmer’s market. I want to learn more about businesses who are making a point to be sustainable and/or sell sustainable products, and why they have made that choice. Is it due to ethics, profits or a niche market? Maybe it’s all of the above. I’d like to find out, and I am excited to share what I discover.

This blog series is going to be a journey. I hope that it will ask unexpected questions, make sustainability’s connections to hunger and poverty reduction more clear, and most of all, be informative as it introduces new ideas and topics for conversation.

Off I go to read and interview! See you next week.

Lana

p.s.  Currently reading: Making Globalization Work, by Joseph E. Stiglitz.

Today’s favorite link: http://www.fastcompany.com/1603979/infographic-of-the-day-the-seasonal-food-calender

I am grumpy. I am hungry, tired and have no head space to think about what to write in a blog of all things. I worked all day, went running this evening, and all of the fruit in the kitchen basket seems to have gotten soft and bruised. Since I’m getting home late, dinner is late. On top of that I basically had the same thing for lunch. All I really want to do is go to sleep.

What does all of this mean? Well, truthfully, that I’m in need of a little perspective. I just need to go to the grocery store tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll have to eat some lettuce instead of the fruit I’m craving, and it might be good to get a little better at scheduling too.

When all of this complaining was going through my head on the drive home tonight, I could not help but think: What if I was REALLY hungry? What if on top of being hungry I could not simply get clean water out of the faucet? What if my bed was much less soft, and what if it was the ground? Well, then I probably would not be so grumpy about soft fruit.

It’s time to count my blessings and give a little extra help to those who are REALLY hungry.

~Lana

As I was thinking of what to blog about this week the idea that came to mind was exercise. The problem was, although an avid exerciser myself (though I have no illusions of being any sort of expert in the field), it almost seemed counterintuitive to write about burning calories on a hunger blog. So why is it that I can’t seem to shake the idea? Here’s my attempt at that answer:

When I think of ELCA World Hunger I don’t just think of our projects which help people to grow and attain the food they need to survive. I don’t just think about water collection systems and domestic hunger grants. In fact, I don’t always think about food! That’s because I also think about advocacy, education, simplicity and sustainability. I know that these are often based on food and water issues, but ultimately our concern is the good health of God’s people, and that includes you and me. Last summer as an intern I learned a lot about domestic obesity and food quality. I also followed the map in our office as the Tour de Revs bicycled across the United States raising awareness for hunger, poverty and wellness issues. Overall, I discovered that ELCA World Hunger isn’t just trying to feed people in the literal sense, “feeding” is also figurative. People need spiritual, mental, emotional and movement food as well. Movement food? Don’t worry this isn’t a term you should know, or one that I have ever even heard someone use, I made it up. What I am referring to is our God-given gift of movement. While we all have different ability levels many of us enjoy running, jumping, walking, climbing, crawling and every other form of movement you can think of. It is my experience that there is something very fulfilling about movement; for me, exercise can even have a spiritual impact. Sometimes, however, movement food can double as emotional food. Remember back when you played double-dutch at recess? Games can also provide the fruits of laughter, social interaction and fun.

Exercise can also be simple and sustainable. You don’t need much to jump rope, go for a run or walk your dog. Snowball fights and hourlong games of freeze tag only require imagination and weather cooperation. In my experience these simple activities can help to sustain both good health and big smiles.

It’s also a lesson, because when we value movement food we teach others through our actions. Exercise, drinking clean water and eating nutritious foods are all powerful ways to practice good health and to thank God for the gift of our bodies.

~Lana

They are cardboard, small and round. We all have them, often in multiple rooms of our home, and all too often…they stack up in our garbage bins. What are they? Toilet paper tubes! As silly as it may seem my pet peeve is having nowhere in the restroom to put a used up toilet paper roll’s tube (except the trash) when it’s ready to be switched out and prime for reusing or recycling. Last week I finally put an extra receptacle in my bathroom to collect these tubes in one place. Now they are prime for recycling! Today I also found some great ideas for how to reuse toilet paper tubes from the World Environmental Organization and The Green Parent’s websites.

Here are my favorites:

• Use in place of a peat pot. Fill with potting soil, place in a plastic butter/ice cream tub, plant the seed and water. When the plant sprouts, plant the seedling (tube and all) in the ground. The tube rots away.
• Stuff an extra set of stockings into a tube and keep in your desk drawer at work, your glove compartment, etc. in case of a run.
• Stuff a few plastic bags into the tube and then place the tube in the glove compartment of your car. It will keep them tidy and on-hand for when you need them.
• Use for storing long pieces of ribbon which have been saved from packages. This will keep the ribbon smooth.
• Donate old toilet paper or paper towel tubes to your local school or library to use as craft projects.

So whether you reuse your toilet paper tubes for gardening or ribbons, or you recycle them straight away, thanks for keeping them out of the trash!

There is a place where the trees breathe wind and the skies bring nourishing rain. There is a place where rivers supply food and flowers spout bursts of joy. There is a place that was created with love and beauty and a pulse. If you’ve seen Avatar lately you may be dreaming about the planet of Pandora, but I’m describing the very dirt on which you stand.

When I was younger my siblings and I practically lived in the forest behind our house. We built forts, climbed trees and unblocked the stream after storms. We only came in at the call of dinner from my mother, a woman who grew up learning from the woods and was sure that we were safe doing the same. We would run home through our self-made trails dirty and scratched, all from a good day’s work. Yes, we played video games and “house”, but we also had mud ball fights. There were also the days when we kayaked on the lake nearby. I remember being both frightened and intrigued by the lily pads at the end of the lake surrounded by a small inlet with hanging trees and sparkling silence. I built a connection with nature at a young age, and had a lot of fun doing so.

When I think about the environment today I hope that we don’t forget the beauty and connection we instinctively have with nature, God created this Earth to be cherished and enjoyed. My reaction, however, is my own realization that I must start thinking about that nature when I think about “environmentalism”. There are lots of lenses through which people connect with an environmental cause – global warming, climate change, save the whales, hunting & fishing rights, organic agriculture, protecting national forests and habitats, endangered species…whatever way that you look at the environment around us, thank you for caring. A need to reconnect with the environmental movement on a very personal and real level has been brewing in me for awhile. You might even call it a spiritual necessity.

Outside my window trees sway, rain falls and in the spring time flowers will bloom. The Pacific Northwest is my backyard. I love barbecues with fresh caught wild salmon and picking my own pumpkins for Halloween. I smile when I see the little trees popping up all over a clear-cut thanks to renewable forestry, and when I see an advertisement for Harbor 100 – a carbon neutral, 100 percent recycled paper product. I breathe deeply when I visit our temperate rainforest and when I step outside after a nourishing spring rain. My favorite place on Earth is this tiny tulip and daffodil bulb farm 20 minutes from my house – you could make anywhere beautiful with a few bunches of their fresh cut perfection. Each of these things makes my life happy and full. While I’m glad that environmentalism through climate change is being addressed worldwide, I think it’s also so important to remember what feeds the soul right where we are. For me, remembering that God created this world is the most influential environmental lobby I can think of. I think of our interconnection with the resources of the earth – food, shelter, water, joy and peace can all be found in the nature and wildlife that surround us. I can’t imagine giving away the earth for prosperity, indeed there is no such thing as prosperity without our natural environment.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Feed your soul.

~Lana

The news from the earthquake in Haiti permeates our media and our hearts.  When we turn on the television there are images of death and destruction, and for some loss and despair.  At times like this hope can seem hard to grasp.  Andrew Brown is a former classmate of mine at California Lutheran University; his numerous trips to Haiti have greatly impacted his life and deepened his faith.  I was able to ask him a few questions about his experiences.  I hope that his answers help to paint for you a living picture of the country and it’s people.  Please read on as Andrew helps us to see into the heart of Haiti.

How many times have you been to Haiti and what did you do while you were there?

Andrew: I have been to Haiti on four different occasions.  My first three trips I took to Haiti were work trips focused on building an orphanage, hospital, and school for children living just outside downtown Port-Au-Prince.  My last trip, however, was to visit friends and film their stories for a documentary.  All of my trips to Haiti have been extremely humbling experiences and root my life again in Christ’s work.

What is your favorite memory from your time there?

Andrew: Where to begin.  I think my favorite memories are the times I get to share with my Haitian friends.  Leonard is a Haitian man who works as a “Taxi driver” in Haiti.  He is usually our driver when we are in Haiti working or visiting.  Leonard is the kindest man I have ever met.  The times I have been able to share with Leonard fill my life with purpose to be a better person.  You often hear him shouting the Lord’s praise in song on our car rides or simply shouting, “No problem!!!”  Each time I have been to Haiti he has kindly opened his home to my friends and I.  It is somewhat dangerous for a Haitian to open his house to white people as it puts a target on them as being rich, or privileged.  Leonard does not care.  We are his friends.  And he opens his home for us because God called us to do so.  The faith Leonard demonstrates is often incomprehensible.

My other memory, although a little more difficult to understand are the times I have spent in hospitals and orphanages.  Holding children who are very ill or massaging lotion onto the dying.  I never realized how my hands, how my presence, could soothe a crying child, or calm a dying man.  I get to be Jesus for a moment and feel the presence of him through my hands.  Those little moments are always in my heart and resonate with me whenever pain and sadness exist.

How has your experience in Haiti impacted your life?

Andrew: The relationships I have built with Haitian friends over the years continues to impact my life everyday.  Many of the men and women I have met have very little by world standards.  But yet I find myself being called to become a better person because of the faith they have in God.  It has caused me to remember their faces and in time of trial praise God for all of the blessings in my life.  The people of Haiti have instilled a sense of urgency to serve.  Since the moment I arrived in Haiti, I have not forgotten their faces or their smiles.  I feel called to give my time, my talent, and my gifts to the Lord who has created me.  The people of Haiti have taught me what it means to love unconditionally, and to have faith in a God who’s plan isn’t always prevalent.

What is one thing we should all know about the people of Haiti?

Andrew: The people of Haiti are some of the most incredible people I have ever met.  They have literally been plagued by corruption, famine, poverty, and injustice for 200 years, and yet continue to love each other and their country so much.  The people of Haiti are good.  They will give you the shirt off their back, even if it is their last.  Haitians are the hardest working people I have ever encountered.  They will prosper and they will succeed.

Have you personally heard any updates from people you know in Haiti? Would you be willing to share?

Andrew: I have a very close friend who has been working in Haiti since Thanksgiving of 2009.  I received word this morning through Facebook that she has been working around the clock at a make shift outdoor clinic.

From her Facebook: “I know very little other than I am ok. We are working through the night at an outdoor clinic. 3 hours of sleep since the incident. I have to be honest it is kind of terrifying to be here. It is a total battelfield. My heart races all the time. Thanks so much for your prayers.”

Other than Joanna, I have heard various reports of other friends in Haiti being safe, but the news is very scarce.  It could be many days before I am able to really understand the gravity of loss to the great people of Haiti.  Their words are piercing.  But God is good and in control.

How does your faith affect your response to the recent earthquake in Haiti?

Andrew: I think in any time of catastrophe, our faith is challenged.  We ask ourselves, “why do bad things happen?”  I don’t know that I have that answer, but I do know that God is good.  Faith is something you cannot see, and the basis of faith is to trust in the Lord in times like these.  That is what faith is built for, times of darkness and hurting.  So although it can become easy to question God and His plan, your faith grows exponentially in times of trails.  God allows us to suffer because it unlocks our ability to love unconditionally.  When we struggle we are able to love without question.  We come together, separate our differences, and remember the common good of humanity.

Is there is anything else that you would like to offer?

Andrew: “‘I may have lost a loved one, but also I may have lost my country.’ You feel so sad, terribly sad. Everyone does. But Haiti’s the kind of place where people develop an incredibly strong will. The motto of Haiti is ‘L’union fait la force’: ‘in unity there is strength.'”  -Haitian-born American novelist Edwidge Danticat

If you are comfortable, would you please write a short prayer that readers could pray for the people of Haiti?

Andrew’s Prayer: Father, the people of Haiti are hurting.  They are crying out in pain asking for your healing.  May your hand come down on them and provide them the strength they will need to rebuild their country.  May you comfort those who have lost everything.  Father, may you sing praise through the streets of rubble that Your will be done and you are present in every corner of their country.  Father, give strength to the rescue teams.  Father, bring compassion to the world and give us the desire to share our resources necessary for healing and rebuilding.  Just be present Lord.  In any way.  Haiti needs you.  The world needs you.  May we remember the unconditional Love you give us in these days of hurt.  Be with us now and forever. Amen.

Andrew currently resides in California; he is still a member at the church where he grew up, Calvary Lutheran Church, Golden Valley, MN

You can help make a difference today. Please consider making a donation to help the ELCA’s efforts in Haiti. We are currently working with the Lutheran World Federation. Our partners in Haiti have survived the quake and are already working on the ground. Please make all donations directly at www.elca.org/haitiearthquake. You can also read more information and download bulletin inserts for Sunday here. Thank you for your gifts and your prayers.

~Lana

I started researching what to blog about today by looking at my twitter feed to see if any news stories or aid organization’s post would catch my eye. I was drawn to a slew of articles about Iran’s recent protests. As I read through the articles I began to think about how striking the Middle East is and my passion for learning more about the region…

As an undergraduate I traveled to Turkey with a group of fellow students in search of what we thought would be Saint Paul’s footsteps. As beautiful as the city of Ephesus and the view from Assos were, their echoing of Paul was not the lesson that I brought home. Instead, it was a lesson by another faith. I was mystified by Islam. My two weeks in Turkey took my preconceived notions and turned them upside down. I felt welcome as a Christian to commune with Muslims, maybe this sounds odd, but what I mean is that I discovered the love that runs through our two faiths and connects us. Shortly after my trip, I began to take classes on the Middle East and do research into the similarities and differences between the two faiths. I began to think about all the good that could be done in the world if we were confident enough in our faiths to show love to someone who was “different.”

My thoughts entrenched; I turned back to my twitter feed. I continued to scroll down where I found a new post by The Charter for Compassion. I followed to their feed and clicked on a TED talk link. A man from Pakistan spoke to his audience in India about peace, passion, raising people from poverty – Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and Nepalese people – and providing them with healthcare. He made a point of talking inclusively, treating his fellow humans with respect.

I started my research thinking about human rights and protests and ended thinking about compassion and inclusion. When I think about the work of ELCA World Hunger and our partners, like Lutheran World Relief and The Lutheran World Federation, I think about the value of human dignity. I think of the programs that support rehabilitating prisoners into viable members of society, the donations that make it possible to supply relief seed for crop growth, the dedication of three pastors to ride across the country in the name of doing away with hunger, the micro-credit lending that creates opportunity in the face of poverty and the soccer balls given to kids as play helps put a smile on their face. When we talk about development and relief work we are not just helping people who believe in the exact same way that we do. We are walking with God’s children around the world, whether they know Him as we do or not, because we are called to love, and this love moves! We do not educate and advocate simply on behalf of the Lutherans or even the Christians, instead our Christ-filled hearts look wider, seek further and touch deeper than ourselves.

The Charter for Compassion begins…

“The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.”

In this Christmas season we have been given Jesus, let us show His light to the world. Working with and for others does not mean denying who we are or what we believe, it simply means giving the best of what we have.

I just got home from a little trip to get my Christmas cards for the season. Hopefully they will all fly out in the post just in time for Christmas, if not, well then I hope the recipients enjoy a little extended Christmas cheer. This errand of buying Christmas cards, however, was quite special.

My brother is friends with a very artistic couple who live in the next town. They are kind and super fun to hang out with. The wife happens to be an amazing artist, and creates the most interesting and beautiful greeting cards I have discovered to date. Needless to say, I bypassed the store and went straight to her dining room table for my small batch of Holiday cards this year. Of course she also sells her cards through distributors, but it was fun to buy them from the artist herself, and enjoy a little farmer’s market pumpkin pie at the same time.

All this to say there is more to the cards than meets the eye. Each card is printed on recycled paper and 10 percent of the profits are donated to organizations which support peace, compassion, education & sustainability – it’s like each card has a little heart. This little bit of information made my card buying experience just that much better. I hope that each card brings lots of cheer to my loved ones, but I am also very thankful for the 10 percent which will be donated, because when you put it all together one little card equals a whole lot of happiness.

Happy Holidays and I hope that everyone, whether on purpose or by chance, will find a favorite brand of “greeting cards with a heart”.

~Lana