New York χmas!

Merry Christmas, New York!

What is Charity?

I recently have come across this guy's website, Scott Harrison. I really can't get over the quality of product/branding he has accomplished. His story is quite impressive and it seems to have a fingerprint of the supernatural. My favorite thing is that it's not just another product, his product is charity. And not some new mission or recent cause. It's water, a subject I have had close to my heart since digging wells in Mexico. Check it out here: charityis.org - be sure you find your way to the videos. They are incredible.

Read his personal story below:

Just more than two years ago I left the streets of New York City for the shores of West Africa. I'd made my living for years in the big Apple promoting top nightclubs and fashion events, for the most part living selfishly, thoughtlessly. Unhappy, I desperately needed a change in my life.

I asked myself.... What did the opposite of my life look like?

Service aboard a floating hospital with Mercy Ships, a humanitarian organization which offered free medical care in the world's poorest nations. Through surgery ships. They'd been doing it for more than 25 years, producing astonishing results and I'd never heard of them.

Top doctors and surgeons from all over the world left their practices and fancy lives to operate for free on thousands who had no access to medical care. The organization I soon found to be full of remarkable people. The chief medical officer was a surgeon who left Los Angeles to volunteer for two weeks - 19 years ago. He never looked or went back.

I was offered the position of ship photojournalist, and immediately traveled to Africa. At first, being the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court felt strange. I traded my spacious midtown loft for a 150-square-foot cabin with bunk beds, roommates and cockroaches. Fancy restaurants were replaced by a mess hall feeding 400+ Army style. A prince in New York, now I was living in close community with 350 others. I felt like a pauper.

But once off the ship, I realized how good I really had it. In new surroundings, I was utterly astonished at the poverty that came into focus through my camera lens. Often through tears, I documented life and human suffering I'd thought unimaginable. In West Africa, I was a prince again. A king, in fact. A man with a bed and clean runningwater and food in my stomach.

I fell in love with Liberia - a country with no public electricity, running water or sewage - Living in a leper colony and exploring remote villages, I put a face to the world's 1.2 billion living in poverty. Those living on less than $365 a year - money I used to spend on a bottle of Grey Goose vodka at a fancy club. Before tip. Our medical staff would hold patient intake "screenings" and thousands would wait in line to be seen, many afflicted with deformities even Clive Barker hadn't thought of. Enormous, suffocating tumors - cleft lips, faces eaten by bacteria from water-borne diseases. I learned many of these medical conditions also existed here in the west, but were taken care of - never allowed to progress. The amount of blind people with no access to the 20 minute cataract surgery that could restore their sight - all part of this new world.

Over the next eight months, I met patients who taught me the meaning of courage. Slowly suffocating to death for years and yet pressing on, praying, hoping, surviving. It was an honor to photograph them. It was an honor to know them.

CHARITY:

For me, charity is practical. Sometimes easy, sometimes inconvenient, always necessary. It is the ability to use one's position of influence, relative wealth and power to affect lives for the better. charity is singular and achievable.

There's a biblical parable about a man beaten near death by robbers. Stripped naked, lying roadside - people pass him by, but one man stops. He picks him up and bandages his wounds. He puts him on his horse and walks alongside until they reach an inn. Checks him in and throws down his Amex. "Whatever he needs until he gets better."

Because he could.

The dictionary defines charity as simply the act of voluntarily giving to those in need. The word comes from the latin "caritas," or simply, love. In Colossians 3, the Bible instructs readers to "put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."

Although i'm still not sure what that means, i love the idea. To wear charity.

Join us as we explore living differently.

– Scott Harrison

Seen this dude?

See Video clip here.

I read this article and I am somewhat dumbfounded. I am so saddened at the misdirection he is causing students and how he has been deceived to believe that flash and bang (- bang as in "go ahead, hit me with a chair while I pray with this guy") are more valuable than forgiveness and purpose. His passion is so loud it's hard to hear his off-base message. I wish someone would redirect this misguided (perhaps well intentioned) man, to not try and compete with culture in regard to flash and hype, but rather offer the truth of forgiveness and purpose found only in Christ.

I think his "harder than nails" approach is very effective at producing shame and condemnation. I also think that his "ministry" produces many followers that are driven by an impossible set of rules of working to earn points with God based on good behavior. My guess, and it is only my guess, is that many of these students, just like their leader, are trying real hard to get God to like them more than he already does.

This approach and message is disturbing. It's not biblical, it not representative of the life of Jesus (Fatica claims he's being like Jesus- however, the crucifixion of Jesus was not self-inflicted) and I can only describe what I've read in this article as one thing: abuse.

Please call me Justin Fatica, let's talk.

Meet Ledell

This is just plain funny.

Can you say "excessive?"

Okay, so I'm a little at embarrased at the purchase, but I'm also quite blown away at the capabilities of this thing. If I had a million dollars, I might even subscribe to one of the thousands of services available, like MobiTV -which is stinkin' cool (free trial) or the builit-in GPS(monthly fee for the premium service.)

For now, I am still trying to convince myself that this phone (read tiny laptop) is necessary and actually easier to use than my old phone- which it is not. Not to mention that this phone has Wifi - so my apologies to all the iphone people. I can even check my email from the office exchange server on here. Ridiculous.

So far, the biggest problem? I'm starting to really like.

Goodbye phone

I've got a new friend for now!

Career Day

I had the great pleasure of being a part of Career Day today at Sykesville Middle School. I had a great time and enjoyed getting to share about my career and getting to interact with the students. I am certainly grateful to Sykesville Middle, Mrs. Corbell, and all those that put Career Day on and hosted each of the presenters. The lunch was very nice and it was a very enjoyable experience! Thanks again!

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Still snowin'!

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Snow, Baja & Starbucks! Fun trip to the airport!

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MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL! COLD! COLD! COLD! Flurries & Wind! Go Ravens!

Big Day: 100th Post!; Shared Epiphany, MNF!

Song lyrics | Embracing Accusation lyrics

I heard this song one day while hanging out with my friend Jonas (truly one of the funniest, quick-witted people I know) and it remined me of a thought I had a while back. I was thinking about sin. You know, particulary my past sin. Like the times of getting drunk and doing something really stupid, or the times of embezelling money, or all the affairs, or how about when I lied, blasphemed God or simply did not believe (read sin of unbelief). You know past sins. Of course, I haven't done ALL of those, but I not giving details. We all have them, right? What do we do with them? Do we wake up and constantly recount them and think, "Dang, I wish I wouldn't have done that?" Or do we just shrugg it off with a hearty, "I'm only human." My thought is we do both extremes from time to time, but live in the tension or unhealthy guilt.

When I think of past sin I find it interesting that the ones I think about are not necessarily the worst ones, but the ones that caused pain to others. Whether it be hurting a friend, or dissappointing my parents, or failing myself or my spouse, when I told both of us that I wouldn't do "that" again. (you want to know what "that" is don't you.) One could argue that the worst ones caused the most pain, but I would argue that my worst sins caused the most pain to God, and in fact probably caused me the least - if I even noticed them at all; however, that is a different discussion for a different blog.

BOT - (txt for back on topic) I find it most interesting that Satan doesn't bring sins to my attention that often. However, he often brings a sin to my attention. In fact, I would say daily, if I don't walk in the presence of Christ, then I hear a new accusation everyday. Sidenote - the latest accusation is not a past sin, but a false assumption - he preaches (to borrow from the song above) "Jason - you have nothing to say and you are a preacher! Come on, you must not know what you are doing. Do you really claim to know God?"

BOT - The accusation is rarely more than 1 or 2 and if it is, then, it is a chain of accusations that are linked arm-in-arm of a root sin. Why? Well, I think that the Shanes came to the same conclusion I came to. Satan's accusations about each of our sins are true, but he never brings more than one to us, for if he did, we would be forced to run to the Cross. For at the Cross all my sins are there, nailed to it and forever gone. But if he brings only one, then we are foolish enough to hold it instead of running to the place where it truly belongs and placing it with the rest of the accusations. Why do we continue to play the games of the enemy and think we can win?

Romans 8:1 never takes a break - no matter what thoughts enter our heads: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

If you can buy the Shanes' song Embracing Accusations and listen to it. (I am not getting paid or any kickbacks from the Shanes - however, I think I should)

Bye the way, pray that I can believe the truth about my calling and realize that if I am called to proclaim truth, then what business do I have thinking I have nothing say.

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MNF: That's right people, as if it wasn't fun enough living in Maryland, my good friend, mentor, boss, person I mock, and long time rival, Lance Burch called me yesterday and told me that he and I were going to tonight's MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME! Can you believe it? Free tickets to see the Ravens play the Patriots - doesn't matter what you think of either team, it will be fun and I will cheer for any team playing the Patriots! I know, chances are slim, but miracles still happen. Go Ravens!

All Together Now

This happened a while back. I finally got around to getting it posted. Hope you like it! We had fun learning it!