Things are going to get better, aren’t they? My finances are going to stabilize, right? My job is going to become more satisfying? My kids are going to stay out of trouble and reach their potential? My wife is going continue to love me, right? The politicians are finally going to get it right and soon we will all experience world peace? A chicken in every pot and every child will live out the American Dream even if they were born in the slums of Mumbai? Hunger will go away, AIDS and cancer will be eradicated, exploitation of the poor will dissipate and everyone will have at least one friend that they can depend on? Paradise will be found won’t it?

It’s funny the things that we hope for. We are looking for life to get better. Even if things are going pretty well, we look to the future to be brighter than it is today. What is it about the human heart that it always feels a twinge of discontentment that “things are not like they could or should be”? The main reason we feel that is that things are not like they could or should be! We were never intended to live life in a fallen sin-filled world. The good that we experience in this world is but a dim foreshadowing of what is to come. At least that is the hope of the Christ-follower. If not we are all in trouble.

A couple of days ago, I ran into a passage in First Peter that caught my eye. In Chapter one he writes, ^13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

The thing that sticks out to me if that Peter exhorts us to place our hope COMPLETELY on the grace to be revealed. Not PARTIALLY but FULLY. When we are HOPING for things to get better we are looking for GRACE. We spend most of our time hoping for things to get better here when we should be hoping for future grace to be revealed. The reality of our experience is that we want to experience now a grace that will make everything all right. Whether that grace is from God or from others we want the favor of someone or something to shine on us. The reality is that may or may not happen in this world.

Last night, I was involved (for the first time) in a service project called Laundry Love. Once a month a group of folks from the Cobblestone Project go to a local laundry mat in my city and assists the people there with their laundry. When we got there the place was packed. Every washer was spoken for and the organizers were scrambling to get everybody signed up and give him or her their wash and dry tickets. Each participant was given three wash tickets and three dry tickets. I got to play the roll of quarter-man. I roamed around the laundry and put quarters into people’s machines. I had forgotten how expensive it is to wash your clothes in a laundry mat (three to five dollars for a wash and one to two dollars for a dry).

Now, I suspect that most of the participants in the laundry project had some money if we ran out of quarters but some may have come dependent on the hope of getting their laundry done for free. Not knowing what would happen created some tension I am sure for the participants. I know I felt the tension of what happens when the quarters run out and somebody has a load partially dry. Hoping fully to experience grace given would be like coming to Laundry Love project with no quarters or detergent at all. Being fully dependant on the quarter-man and soap boy (we had a couple of those as well) to supply your laundry needs. Hoping that neither runs out of resources.

I think that is a great illustration of how we should place our hope. Our hope is not in the change in our pocket (ie. the grace of this present world) but ultimately we are to be dependent on the grace that will be revealed when Jesus comes again and sets up his kingdom. Things are not going to get better here. We will struggle until creation is made right again at His second coming. We will experience glimpses of His grace but will also experience much of the fallenness of this world. I don’t know about you but I am ready for things to be set right.

When He comes I wonder if He will have the quarters and soap? I hope so because my heart need a good cleaning.

One of the most grueling races that I have ever participated in was the 400-meter. Back in the day it was called the 440-yard dash, which made it sound even longer. In my prime, I ran a respectable quarter and hated every minute of it. Actually, every 54.5 seconds of it.

Once around the track as fast as your little legs can take you. This race is meant to break you. The first 100m are pretty much an explosion of speed as you try to set a good pace. The 2^nd 100m are an exercise in discipline as everything within you wants to step off the track and take a break. The 3^rd 100m starts with the big turn and the lean of the curve is a momentary distraction to navigate before the final ascent to the finish line. As you near the home stretch, a large monkey comes from nowhere and literally jumps on your back. Your legs pound, your lungs are exploding and your manhood is seriously called into question.

For me, the last 100m were always surreal. I felt like I was having an out of body experience. Most time, I found myself glancing at my legs just to make sure they were moving. This race is where the phrase, “gut it out” comes from. As you cross the finish line, you realize that you have accomplished something significant even though you may not have looked very good pulling it off. You also hope you don’t have to do that again anytime soon. Endurance now has a face. To master one’s self in an endurance race like the 400 is a struggle. The race is only the outward struggle. The real battle occurs in the heart of the runner. Your must resist what your mind and body are telling you to do and push through to accomplish your goal.

That same kind of endurance is needed in our fight against sin. Our mind and body cry out for us to continually give in to our temptations. Yet our spirit and the Spirit of God for that matter say that we must resist and push on through. Listen to the writer of Hebrews describe our battle with sin:

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ^2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ^3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  ^4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

I love the imagery of the race and how easily entangled we can become. I also love the example of looking at Jesus who endured great suffering in His battle against sin. William Barclay has a great thought on Jesus endurance against sin in his commentary on Hebrews.

No one was ever surer of Jesus’ complete identity with men. He went through everything that a man has to go through and is like us in all things—except that he emerged from it all completely sinless. Before we turn to examine more closely the meaning of this, there is one thing we must note. The fact that Jesus was without sin means that he knew depths and tensions and assaults of temptation which we never can know. So far from his battle being easier it was immeasurably harder. Why? For this reason—we fall to temptation long before the tempter has put out the whole of his power. We never know temptation at its fiercest because we fall long before that stage is reached. But Jesus was tempted far beyond what we are; for in his case the tempter put everything he possessed into the assault. Think of this in terms of pain. There is a degree of pain which the human frame can stand—and when that degree is passed a person loses consciousness so that there are agonies of pain he can not know. It is so with temptation. We collapse in face of temptation; but Jesus went to our limit of temptation and far beyond it and still did not collapse. It is true to say that he was tempted in all things as we are; but it is also true to say that no one was tempted as he was.

Contrasted with what Jesus experienced, the author of Hebrews makes an astute yet somewhat obvious observation about mankind. He says, “^ in your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood”. What an understatement. Not only have I not shed blood, I have hardly even broken a sweat in my battle against sin. In my battle with sin I usually walk off the track in the 2^nd 100m. On the backstretch where no one can see. On the backstretch before the race gets really grueling. On the backstretch before I break a sweat. Just once I wish I could round the last curve and make it the homestretch. The homestretch where you can’t feel your legs. The homestretch where your lungs are exploding. The homestretch where your body moves in pure and simple submission to your will. The homestretch where the finish line is!

Photo by √oхέƒx™

by The Howitzer

When we lived in Little Rock, we had some good friends that truly impacted our thinking related to what we should teach our children to become. We did not have children at the time but loved to hang around couples that did. They had a little girl who was probably 4 or 5 at the time who was a delight to be around. I don’t remember the specific circumstances surrounding the comment (I think maybe we had brought her a little gift or something) but her response was not the typical thank you that kids are begrudged to give but rather a thoughtful comment that we still remember to this day. Her comment was “Thank you, that was very kind”. I remember how cute it sounded to have such a little one evaluating life through her mother’s words. Kindness. What a big word! What a great concept! What a great character trait to add to your list of things to aspire to! What a great thing to try to help your children build into their lives!

This morning as I was working through my Bible reading, I happened upon a great verse that stood out to me. In Luke 6:35-36, Jesus says, “^35 but love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ^36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

If there were any group that it would be justifiable to be mean to it would be the ungrateful and wicked. Yet, it is to this very group that our Father in heaven is kind to.

What does it mean to be kind?

Dictionary.com defines kindness this way

2.	having, showing, or proceeding from benevolence: kind words

3.	indulgent, considerate, or helpful; humane (often fol. by to):to be kind to animals.

4. mild; gentle; clement: kind weather.

I think Jesus’ illustration of loving your enemies and doing good to them takes the concept of kindness out of the realm of tea parties and nice words. This active goodness toward ungrateful and wicked people elevates the idea of kindness to a contact sport. Kindness is not for the faint of heart or the weak of will. To do good to the challenging people around us takes courage and discipline of spirit.

I don’t know about you, but I know very few people who I would consider kind as a central characteristic. Most people I know are guilty of random acts of kindness. But, to find someone who has as their central disposition a spirit of kindness is rare. People like Mother Theresa are thought of in this way. Yet, I know that one of the characteristics that should be true of a follower of Jesus is kindness. In fact, one of the fruits of the Spirit is kindness. What will it take to move from random acts of kindness to a disposition of kindness? Even more to be known as a kind person. That’s the kind of person we should aspire to be.

We lost track of these friends when we moved away and I have often wondered how the little girl grew up. She is probably in her early 20s by now. I wonder if she is a kind person today. I know she inspired me to be one. How about you? What “kind” of person are you?

photo by gregor_y

By Greg Primm

Ever feel like you can’t accomplish something, like the task is too big?  I was flipping through “The Big Moo”, a collection of short essays by numerous authors and edited by Seth Godin, and read this brief account of how the Berlin Wall came down.

It struck a chord with me right now.  I’ve got several major opportunities laying in front of me and frankly, I’m struggling with how to tackle them.  At least a couple of the opportunities are potentially game-changers in my life.  Bottom line, they’re important.

After reading the excerpt below, I committed to just focusing on doing my part - taking the next step.  I can’t guarantee that the results will be exactly what I’ve planned.  But I know this . . .

The outcome will take care of itself.

Tear Down This Wall!

An Excerpt From “The Big Moo: Stop Trying To Be Perfect And Start Being Remarkable” By SethGodin

Suppose I had asked you, in the mid-1980s, what you thought it would take to bring down the Berlin Wall? What would you have said? I can imagine the answer. Perhaps another world war. Perhaps some kind of multilateral, long-term rapprochement between East and West Germany. At the very least, some kind of intervention costing billions of dollars. Certainly that’s the kind of scenario that was envisioned by all the world’s so-called experts on Eastern Europe. When it came to predicting the life span of the Soviet Bloc, the CIA, State Department, and Pentagon did not think in terms of months or even years. They thought in terms of decades.

But what actually happened? In September 1989, a small group of dissidents in Leipzig, East Germany, held a protest rally and - for reasons no one quite understands - the local police did not shut it down. The next day, in the next town over, another group of dissidents held a protest of their own, and it was a little bigger this time because they were emboldened by what happened in Leipzig. The policy in that town didn’t stop the protesters because, after seeing what happened in Leipzig, they thought that maybe they weren’t supposed to do anything.

The day after that, there was still another protest in the next town over - a little bit bigger than the last, the police a little more passive - and on and on. All through East Germany, the protests got bigger and bigger and the police grew more and more passive until a million people gathered in the streets of East Berlin in October 1989 and tore down the Berlin Wall as the police sat and watched.

This was the biggest change any of us will ever see in our lifetime. It took a month, it cost nothing, and it started with a handful of people in a town no one would ever have pegged as the birthplace of a revolution.

Remember that the next time someone says, “It can’t be done.”

Photo credit:  straymuse

by The Howitzer

Without recanting one word from my previous article I want to write a rebuttal to my own position. Although there is a definite need for wisdom and discretion about what you share of your personal walk with the Lord there is a case that must be made for transparency as well. Introspection definitely has it place but men were never intended to live life alone. One of the first sociological observations ever made about man was about his struggle in living an “alone” life. God said, “it is not good for the man to be alone”. Man was created to live in community. He was also created to live in communion with his Maker.

I think this oxy-moron of being open about your life and being private about your life is a tough one to navigate. Personality type plays a big part in how we approach our sharing. Some of us are wide open and some of us are very private. Personally, I am both. Part of my make up is very public and likes to air out my thoughts, feelings and opinions to the world (I guess that why I enjoy blogging). Another part of me is very private and is really unknown by most people. Over the years I have learned painfully that if you share some of you most intimate secrets with the wrong person it will come back to bite you on the butt. That is what is so wonderful about a real relationship with God, you can share your most intimate thoughts with Him and He doesn’t judge or reject you. He also doesn’t rat you out or use that knowledge against you.

My observation is that most men don’t have a close enough circle that really gives a rip about how they are really doing. That is really sad. I know a few years ago I was in a really tough situation and I actually got on the phone and ask some men to come and stand by me in a do-or-die kind of a scenario. One came and the others were too busy living their own lives. We would all like to think that we have some friends who would come in a moment’s notice but that may or may not be true. I do know that as we share our lives with others and they get to know what is going on inside us, the likelihood of having a last-minute-man show up is more more. I may be wrong, but I think most of us would like be a part of a band of brothers who know each other and accept and support one another. I know there are some bah-humbuggers out there who say, “Howitzer, I have no interest in having others know about my crap and I really don’t want to know about theirs.” But, it is those same folks who have probably experienced some kind of rejection at the hand of friends. Man was not created to live on an island by himself.

My point (as rambling as it may be) is this. We need others around us to share our lives with. We are lonely as a culture and most men I know privately bemoan the fact that are not satisfied with the social aspect of their lives. And even if friendship is not on the top of your felt needs it is a real need that you probably need to connect with. Solomon said it this way in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

^9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: ^10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  ^11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  ^12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.   A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Photo by Arenamontanus

By Greg Primm

We all have numerous communities that we live in — groups of people that we spend time with, that we identify with.  Family, neighborhood, work, church, soccer team, the gym.  Once you are in a community, truly in, it can add so much to your life.  True communities foster encouragement, support, love, and commitment to a common cause.

Lately, I’ve been involved in several new communities.  New bible study group; new group of Tuesday morning breakfast guys; new project team at work.  Joining a new community of people is tough.  You don’t know how to act because the rules have already been set long before you joined, or the rules are being made up as you go.  ”Is this guy going to whack me if I give him a hard time about something?”  ”How much information should I share with this new bible study group?”

What I’ve learned as I joined these new communities that while its fun to meet new, interesting people — it’s hard.  It’s not automatic.   I might break the unwritten rules of the group and not be accepted.

And then what?  I have to find another community that’s a better fit.

I think that’s why this passage from John Eldredge impacts me.

A true community is something you will have to fight for. You’ll have to fight to get one, and you’ll have to fight to keep it afloat. But you fight for it like you bail out a life raft during a storm at sea. You want this thing to work. You need this thing to work. You can’t ditch it and jump back on the cruise ship. This is the church; this is all you have. Without it, you’ll go down. Or back to prison.

Suddenly all those “one another’s” in Scripture make sense. Love one another. Bear one another’s burdens. Forgive one another. Acts of kindness become deeply meaningful because we know we are at war. Knowing full well that we are all facing battles of our own, we give one another the benefit of the doubt. Leigh isn’t intentionally being distant from me – she’s probably under an assault. That’s why you must know each other’s stories, know how to “read” one another. A word of encouragement can heal a wound; a choice to forgive can destroy a stronghold. You never knew your simple acts were so weighty. Its what we’ve come to call “lifestyle warfare.”

We check in regularly with one another, not out of paranoia (“Do you still like me?”), but in order to watch over each other’s hearts. “How are you doing?” But be careful about what you are looking for from community. For if you bring your every need to it, it will collapse. Community is no substitute for God. I left our annual camping trip absolutely exhausted and disappointed. As we drove home, I realized it was because I was looking to them to validate me, appreciate me, fill this aching void in my heart. Only once in ten days did I take time to be away with God, alone. I was too busy trying to get my needs met through them. Which is why community cannot live without solitude.

(John Eldredge - Waking the Dead, 199, 200 )

He’s right.  We have to fight for our community.  Not because we like it.  Not because it’s fun.  Because, without community, we’re not living the life we were intended to live.  We were made to share our lives with others.  And sharing means giving something up that is important to us.  And that requires taking a risk.  Taking that risk means we might fail.  It also means we might be successful beyond out wildest dreams — to be a part of a community that gets it, that makes a difference in the lives of the community and in the lives of those outside the community.

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Philippians 2:1-4 (The Message)

Photo credit:  Mattox

I had an interesting conversation this week with a really good friend. Let me give you a little backdrop to the conversation: Our church is in a 50-day growth campaign called Draw Near. It is geared to encourage parishioners to spend an extended time period focusing on their own personal spiritual growth. The idea is to attempt to draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Great idea and to be honest I have had a great first 6 days. I did all my assignments, spent some extended time praying and generally felt a connection with the Lord. So why is it that when my friend asked me about how it was going that my gut response was THAT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! Now I didn’t say that. What I said was, “oh it’s great, I have done all my stuff and really enjoying it.” But in my heart, I felt a surge of privacy overwhelm me.

I learned some interesting things about myself and maybe some of you guys would relate. Intimacy with God is something that is uncomfortable to talk about. With intimacy comes a certain level of secrecy. There is something in the psyche of a gentleman that doesn’t want to kiss and tell. I am not talking about locker room talk. I have heard many a guy brag about his sexual escapades with a trollop he happened upon. But, rarely do you hear men sitting around sharing about true intimacy with the woman he loves. He doesn’t share that with his buddies. He doesn’t talk about sweet nothings whispered between lovers. THAT’S NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS!

Don’t believe me! Next time you see one of your married friends, ask him about his sex life with his wife. Or ask him what’s is the most tender things he has said to her lately. Depending on how close a friend they are you will probably experience the continuum from getting laughed at to getting cursed at. Why is that? Intimacy is something shared between people and it is intended to stay there. In a business setting you might hear someone say, “Nothing spoken in this room is to leave this room.” In a relational setting you might hear someone whisper, “Nothing spoken between our hearts is to be shared outside this room.”

I have always heard that when people say that my faith is a private matter that usually means that they usually don’t have a growing intimacy with the Lord and it is a cover screen to keep you at bay. I think I am beginning to realize that is not always the case. Sometimes an unwillingness to share may actually be a sign that true intimacy exists and that they do not want to cast their pearls before swine. And even if the recipients of the juicy details are honorable compadres there are some things that are intended to stay between you and the Lord.

So next time you see me don’t be surprised that if you ask me how my relationship with God is I say, “Nunya !@#$ Business”.

Photo by FreeWine

By Greg Primm

The last couple of posts I’ve been writing about lessons learned from the book of James.  This small book could be billed as “How to Live Out your Christian Faith.”  It’s full of everyday, practical lessons like, “Don’t just read the bible do what it says” and “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins”.  So far, I’ve written about tough times and the difference between hearing and actually listening.  Today, I’m focusing on a sometimes contraversial topic — showing our faith through our actions.

. . . faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.   James 2:17

James is my kind of guy.  No beating around the bush.  He gets straight to the point.  So here’s the question — if you have faith in Christ, should you be able to tell through your actions?  A few people will answer no — “my faith is a personal issue between me and God.”  Your faith is very personal and it is between you and God, except we’re called through Christ’s Great Commission [Matthew 28:16-20] to spread the message of Christ to all people.  We can’t live a life of faith and do it in a way that doesn’t show to others.

Most, I think would agree that, yes, we should live out our faith in our everyday life.  The big question to me is, how much?

Crazy Love

That’s essentially the premise of one of the best books I’ve read in a while — Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  Francis is a pastor from California who has challenged how I view my faith.  Here’s the premise:

It’s crazy, if you think about it.  The God of the universe — the creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies, and E-minor — loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love.  And what is our typical response?  We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss.

. . . the American church is a difficult place to fit in if you want to live out New Testament Christianity.  The goals of American Christianity are often a nice marriage, children who don’t swear, and good church attendance.

- Francis Chan, Crazy Love

The book is a call to action.  A call to outwardly live your faith the way you say you believe.  James had the same message so many years ago — that faith without action is dead.

Chan outlines the typical “lukewarm” people that inhabit many churches today:

Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act.

Lukewarm people rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor.  They are quick to point out that Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, only that the love of money is.

Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to.

So what’s the point?

I don’t have a prescription on how you should live your life, but I agree with Chan that “having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. ”  We must do things that cost us here on earth but that will be worth it in eternity.  And that goes against the grain of everything we know.

But the promise is that it will be worth it.  The promise is that if we give up ourselves, live a life that appears crazy to others, we’ll experience a life that is lived to the fullest.

A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.  John 10:10 (The Message)

Photo credit:  Eduardo Deboni

In tough economic times, difficult decisions about finances .are being made at every level. At the individual level, decisions are being made about what kind of housing adjustments need to be made, what kind of food is to be eaten, what kind of extra-curricular activities need to be participated in and even if clothes can be worn for one more season. For the working poor it can be even more difficult as decisions are being made about which bills to pay and which not to pay. Which is accentuated when cutbacks and layoff and loss of opportunities begin to show up in their work environment.

At the corporate level, decisions are being made about who gets paid and who doesn’t. The reality for most businesses is that one of the key determinants for viability is to control labor cost. If a businessman cannot keep a tight rein on these ever escalating costs, their company will suffer greatly and the workers in their charge are susceptible to loss of jobs if the business doesn’t make it. Thus creating quite a dilemma for the conscientious owner. How can I sustain my business and the jobs of the many while maintaining integrity in the handling of the employment of the few? Said another way, if your company can only sustain a $1000 dollars a day in labor cost and your payroll is $1500 a day what is the right thing to do?

This is nothing new. For centuries, business owners have had workers in their employ. Most employers are honorable and treat their employees with a fair amount of respect. Some employers not so much. Listen to James’ exhortation to the corporations of his day in James Chapter 5.

^4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.

This passage does not speak to whether you cut your workforce or not but rather making sure that you are compensating those in your charge. The day laborers life in James’ time was literally a day-by-day experience. Work secured today paid for today’s food. If the landowner didn’t pay what was owed families didn’t eat. Honestly, things have not changed that much for some of today’s working poor as they live paycheck to paycheck. Growing up in a single-mom household I experienced first hand what it means to make it by the skin of your teeth. Sometimes I am not sure how we made it.

Mistreatment of the working poor was not looked at lightly in these verses. The employer had a practical and moral responsibility to his laborers that was held accountable all the way up to the judgment seat of God. That’s pretty heavy stuff and fodder for self-examination for those of you who are making payroll decisions. One of the noble charges to the bosses out there is to TAKE CARE OF YOUR PEOPLE.

The median income in the US is $50,000 and the poverty level for a family of four is $22, 050

Annual Salary	$25,000 /yr	$50,000 /yr	$75,000 /yr	$100,000 /yr
Weekly Hrs	45	45	45	45
Hourly Wage	$10.68 /hr	$21.36 /hr	$32.05 /hr	$42.72 /hr

Recent poverty rate and guidelines (Wikipedia)

The 2008-2009 poverty threshold was measured according to the HHS Poverty Guidelines^[12] which are illustrated in the table below.

SOURCE:  Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 14, January 23, 2009, pp. 4199–4201^[13]

In addition to family status, race/ethnicity and age also correlate with poverty in the United States. Although data regarding race and poverty are more extensively published and cross tabulated the family status correlation is by far the strongest.

[edit]Poverty and family status

According to the US Census, in 2007 5.8% of all people in married families lived in poverty,^[17] as did 26.6% of all persons in single parent households ^[17] and 19.1% of all persons living alone. ^[17]

[edit]By race/ethnicity and family status.

Among married families: 5.8% of all people^[17] including
5.4% of white persons, ^[18]
8.3% of black persons, ^[19] and
14.9% of Hispanic persons (of any race) ^[20] were in poverty.

Among single parent families: 26.6% of all persons,^[17] including
30% of white persons, ^[18]
44% of black persons, ^[21] and
33% of Hispanic persons (of any race) ^[22] were in poverty.

Among unrelated individuals and people living alone: 19.1% of all persons,^[17] including
18% of white persons ^[23]
27.9% of black persons ^[24] and
27% of Hispanic persons of any race ^[25] lived in poverty

[edit]Poverty and race

The US Census declared that in 2007 12.5% of all people, ^[17] including
- 10.5% white people ^[26]
- 25.5% black people ^[27]
- 21.5% all Hispanic people of any race, ^[28] lived in poverty.

[edit]Poverty and age

The US Census declared that in 2007 12.5% of all people including
- 18% of all people under age 18
- 10.9% of all people 19-64, and
- 9.7% of all people ages 65 and older, lived in poverty ^[17]

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) uses a different measure for poverty and declared in 2008 that child poverty in the US is 20% and poverty among the elderly is 23%.^[29]The non-profit advocacy group Feeding America has released a study (May 2009) based on 2005-2007 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Agriculture Department, which claims that 3.5 million children under the age of 5 are at risk of hunger in the United States. The study claims that in 11 states, Louisiana, which has the highest rate, followed by North Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas,South Carolina, Tennessee, Idaho and Arkansas, more than 20 percent of children under 5 are allegedly at risk of going hungry.The study was paid by ConAgra Foods, a large food company.^[30]

Image by kenyee

By Greg Primm

It’s been a crazy week around the Primm house.  So crazy that I haven’t had time to write.  I probably need to write a post about balancing life, but that’s for another day.  Here’s a post I wrote last November (hard to believe its almost been a year since we started RAL).  It’s one of my favorites and I needed to hear it today.  Enjoy!

We’re bombarded with it everyday. Everywhere we look there are reminders that we need M-O-R-E. More money, a nicer car, perfect kids, better relationships, more stuff. We compare ourselves to our neighbors, co-workers, friends. The other guy’s got it all we think — the house, the car, the wife, the family. It’s an illusion of course. I know he’s got the same problems as me, but I keep coming back to the thought that somehow he’s got it all figured out.

Just be content already! I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being told to be content. After all, its the American way to want more, to never be satisfied, right? Our country was founded by people who weren’t content with their lives. I think that’s one reason the the United States has enjoyed so much success. We’re a country made up of people who were willing to sacrifice life in their home countries for the chance at a better life. They launched out into the unknown with no guarantee of success, just the hope that they could improve their lot in life.

As a Christian, though, I’m told to embrace contentment. Throughout scripture, I read that I should be happy with what I have.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Here’s my problem – doesn’t discontentment make us better? A healthy dose of discontentment is what made me go to college. Being unsatisfied is what led me to change jobs for a better opportunity. If I was happy with the status quo, would I read books to improve myself? The biggest and best changes in my life occurred when I finally said to myself, “I’ve had it! This has got to change right now!” If I had been content with my life, would I have made the same decision?

So which way is right — Contentment or a life of Discontent?

To unwrap this issue, let’s look at a passage in Matthew that I think sheds some light:

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34.

I’ve heard people use this passage as an excuse to go after their own agenda. I’ve done it myself many times. I think, “if I just follow God, I can ask for almost anything and get it.” Of course I know this isn’t really the case. Most people don’t read the first couple of verses. Jesus is talking about food, clothing, and maybe shelter. He’s not talking about anything else. What’s this mean? I think God means he’s most concerned with the basics of life. I don’t think God cares whether we have the big job, car, the latest gadget. He’s more concerned about our character. Are we seeking the things that He thinks are important?

Rick Warren who wrote the Purpose Driven Life has one of my favorite quotes about the subject,

“In order for us to not become too attached to earth, God allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life – longings that will never be fulfilled on this side of eternity. We’re not completely happy here because we’re not supposed to be! Earth is not our final home; we were created for something much better. “ Purpose Driven Life, 50.

So what’s the answer? While its different for everyone, I’m striving to be Discontentedly Content. Yep, I just made up that concept I think. Probably should get a trademark on it. What in the world does it mean?

God made us to strive for more, to strive for something unseen. That’s Rick Warren’s point. At the same time, God wants us to know that he’ll take care of the basics. If we trust in Him, the basics of life will work themselves out. I think God is saying to us, “Trust first in me, seek my plan for your life, then GO FOR IT! If it doesn’t work out, I’ve got your back. I’ll make sure you eat and have a place to live, that the kids won’t go cold this winter.”

How to be Discontentedly Content in three easy steps.

1. Trust God, seek His will.
2. GO FOR IT!
3. God will cover the basics.

So, am I way off base or what? Let me know in the comments.