Mercy Rising - The Book

Mercy Rising book's official release is next Monday, March 1st. Pre-order copies are available now. Visit the blog again next week to join in on the celebration and to enter to win copies of the release.

What others are saying:

"In Mercy Rising, Amber Robinson presents the issues of social justice through personal and powerful stories, encouraging women of all ages to actively live out their faith in a hurting world.”
—Dr. Wess Stafford
President and CEO,
Compassion International

"Amber strikes the perfect balance of kindness and conviction as she encourages young women to step outside of their comfort zones and be their faith in the world - one act of love and compassion at a time."
--Joan Ball, author of Flirting with Faith: My Spiritual Journey from Atheism to a Faith-Filled Life

“Amber Robinson’s Mercy Rising is a quick and powerful read. She doesn’t avoid the difficult questions surrounding poverty, and she testifies to facing her own fears and obstacles. Packed with practical information and inspiring stories, this read is a must for anyone diving into changing the lives of the least of these.”
—Craig Hilton Dyer
President, Bright Hope International

Wk2 Inspire Challenge - Got a Camera?

(From Amy)

Inspire with dignity.



Join those in your area who are setting up events in your area for December 12th, 2009.

Find out more information at Help-Portrait.

Cars + Clunkers + Donate = Smile

Our little car held together - sparking, hissing, squealing. We loved her through our last decade of life and hated to see her go. We knew she went out in a blaze of glory when the dealer wouldn't even take her *for free*.

What to do? Find someone to tow her away.


Check list.
1. Get a tax-deduction for car donation.
2. Sort through internet scams
3. Flip through random charities - dog grooming, non-profits?
4. Found Cars 4 Causes
5. 30% of donation goes to Cars4Causes' educational initiative, 70% to charity of my choice (a legit one).
6. Tow company calls me for pick up date
7. Got receipt from Cars4Causes
8. Smile


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Yard Sale Queen

What to do with all the stuff?

There is a cool site called Yard Sale Queen that is thorough, organized, and has a certain coolness factor.

Donate some or all of the proceeds to a responsible charity of your choice.

How do you do it? ....Courageous giving in a fearful economy...

This question has rattled around in my brain for a couple weeks. Recently my husband found out that he and his co-workers are being laid off. What do I really believe about giving when it hurts?

How do you give courageously in a fearful economy?

Leave some practical tips and have a great day!

Clean Sweep for 2009

How much stuff is enough?

Can I pare down?

My husband has been helping some family members move. And it got me remembering my moving days - the shock of seeing everything I own in boxes and thinking, "Where did all this come from?" In college, everything I owned fit into a mid-size sedan...not anymore.

What's the big deal how much we own?

Well it's what owns us - our time, our resources, our hearts.

Besides my obsession with Goodwill - (getting rid of stuff, not more shopping)

My best tip for 2009 is to fire up the scanner. My tendency is to drown in a pile of papers. It has been so freeing to lose the unnecessary files, journals, business papers, etc. I'm not done yet. But doing a little each time I do the bills sure helps.

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End of the Year Giving

Tomorrow is the last day of 2008. Now is a great time to get those last financial contributions into your favorite charities. Make sure the check is dated and postmarked 12/31/08 or earlier.

Save all those receipts for a deduction at tax time.

Thanks for giving to the people in your world and stretching yourself to give to those outside your circle of family and friends. You are making the world a better place by changing one life at a time.

Have a fabulous New Year!

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Giving more than money

Yesterday, I had a speaking assignment in western/central Indiana. I received such a warm welcome from those ladies! I felt like I had grown up with them. It was a small group and was so nice to be able to have more time to dialogue than when I speak to bigger groups.


Some days, I think I learn more from them than they do from me.


I was once again reminded the importance of:

Smiles
Hugs
Friendship
Real caring and compassion
Creative gifts
Time spent

I think it is the practical side of me that sees giving in how much it costs financially. Giving is bigger than that. Sometimes what I am least likely to give is when it costs me emotionally.

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Help for Single Mom and Kids

Last Friday night I found myself sorting books and toys. Lots and lots of books and toys.

A local church opened up their doors to a single mom. She was needing to clean out their house that had contained the remnants of the lives of 2 adults and 6 kids. November weather is iffy in Indiana at best. So this church opened up it's meeting hall area supplied lots of tables and some of the men on staff along with her neighbors, co-workers, and friends helped load up her stuff, sort it, organize it into areas and price it.

I was blown away at the 20+ people coming together to get so much done. She said more were coming on Saturday to help man the sale. I mentioned to her during a dinner break how loved she was. She said "yes", and started to cry looking around at all the help and support she had.

The answer isn't always to join a committee, organization, or group. Sometimes what means the most is just being available to live life together.

The Day after....Embracing the Courgage to Create

The day after... the political predictions are swept away like the morning sidewalk trash. Half of the country is rejoicing...the rest are grieving, angry, or indifferent. Both sides can give into the natural bent of human nature to criticize, to tear down, to our dark gravity.

Or we can have the courage to create.

A political leader cannot change your neighborhood, you can.
Government cannot heal hurting hearts, Jesus can.
The White House cannot give safe refuge to someone in need, your homes can.
The party of choice cannot give someone a place to belong, our churches can.

Can we care as much on November 5th as we do on November 4th?

Whatever your issue of choice - do something. Create the community you want.

Need some ideas? Check out the people and organizations on the right of this screen living justice and mercy everyday.


"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." - Col 3.15

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Kingdom Justice trumps Social Justice

Society says, "Fight and claw your way to the top."
Kingdom justice says, "The last shall be first."

Society says, "Take care of yourself and your family first. Give away your leftovers."
The Kingdom says, "Look to the interests of others."

Society says, "Seek out the wealthy, the brilliant, the famous, the well-bred. Use those connections to win."
The kingdom says, "Humble yourself to aid those who can never repay you."

Social justice follows the whims of a fickle crowd.
Kingdom justice is age-old wisdom,
Never changing,
Ever–constant,
Until one day when the
Author of Justice returns.

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"2 Whole Tables..."

Aaron and I were working the Denver and the Mile High Orchestra concert this past Sunday in Avon, IN. (Happy Birthday, Aaron) There were 2 concerts and we saw 40 Compassion International Child sponsorships just in the first concert!

One little boy was walking with his mom to the table and asked my husband about the pictures of the children. Aaron told him it was to help boys and girls who don't have all the things that they need.

As the family was leaving the table the boy looked up and realized that the packets we had spanned two tables (80 packets). He said incredulously, "Look they fill two whole tables!" The little boy was astonished that there were that many kids who lacked basic necessities, unaware of the millions of children these faces represent that lack basic necessities.

I hope I will never see the statistics of child poverty as cold facts but will remain astonished that poverty is something that in the face of the love of Christ and the work of the church should have it's place in this world.

Help change the life of one child today. (www.compassion.com)

A Good Cause?

We hear that slogan shot around like a puck in table hockey. Help out - it’s for a “good cause.”

What makes it a "good cause"? Because it's doing good or because it makes us feel good?

We all have limited funds. There are so many causes doing good? Where do we start?

Mission of organization – what is their mission statement. What is their goal?

Financial Integrity – money goes where they say it goes

Low overhead costs – small percentage goes to running the business – most goes directly to the work at hand.

Flexibility of organization to adapt with changing world – is it an outdated business model or is there a strong web-presence, embrace of technology, striving to reach new volunteers/members, and a fresh leading of the holy spirit?

Leadership structure of organization – is it the boss from the top or a group effort?

Personal Integrity – from the CEO, marketing VP, to the worker on the field

Centrality of Christ – it is easy to put the “good cause” in the center instead of Christ.

Sub-causes – Does this charity have links, ties, or take substantial donations from political parties, lobbying groups, or major corporations such as pharmacuitical companies, media groups, pro-abortion, or other causes?

Reputation – Word on the street value

Well managed – organized, professional, returns calls promptly

How to find out? – What is a charity's financial transparency rating? (charitynavigators.org, wallwatchers.org)

How is their financial efficiency? (wallwatchers.org)

What's right with the Church?

"What's right with the church?" was the question of the day on Chris Fabry Live! radio show for Tuesday July 1st.

Sometimes living with the passion for helping the poor can leave me a bit cynical, so that kind of a question is good for my thinking.

Imagine my surprise when over and over many calls were about social justice! I had expected the usual answers of worship, sermon, classes, programs, etc.

What I got was instead:
A bus ministry of 30 years to inner city youth, a roof replaced, a man on disability who was given meals for a month, a workday in the local community- all worked out with in context of the local church.

The joy and excitement of the callers were contagious.

The picture above is taken in Christ's Church Cathedral in Oxford, England. The beautiful structure of the building is made visible by the light streaming in from the windows. The beauty of the church is made visible by the acts of love in service.

What is right with the church? Sacrificial Love

What is right with your church? Leave your comments below.

Bring a Friend

This past weekend, I worked at the Pro-Life Music Festival in Leesburg, Indiana. There were some well known Christian artists there: Seventh Day Slumber, Leeland, SuperChick, and Hawk Nelson. Aaron and I staffed the Compassion International table. It was a great time.

The best moment for me was a high schooler came and sponsored a child. Then he came back with a friend he had talked into coming back with him and she sponsored her own child.

This is how it should be - our joy in giving spills over into the rest of our lives and we can't help but bring our friends and family into that joy with us.

This is my command, that you love one another, that your joy may be full. 2 John

Don't let the Recession Put the Squeeze on Giving

My natural tendency is to give what I have left over.
Lately, I've realized this isn't the best thing to do.

My friend Andi, just had her 5th child. She is a stay at home mom on a limited budget. We have been bouncing ideas around for her interview in the book project, Mercy Rising. I am blown away about how many times God has provided for her family. I love her spirit about giving first.

She came to mind as I listened to a web-cast on saving $. Sometimes giving might also mean cutting back in other areas. Need some ideas on cost cutting?

Visit middayconnection.org. Click on past programs - April 15th.
They also have some other great archives on orphan care, the AIDS crisis, and helping the poor.


Give generously and without a grudging heart. Then the Lord God will bless you and all the work you put your hand to. (Deut 15)

Big Give or Not Big Give

As most of you know Oprah's "Big Give" show phenomenon is gaining popularity as well as controversy. I decided to make the plunge and watch the show to see what all the hype is about.

Pro's
Highlighting how fun it is to give
Giving no name charities and organizations- big publicity
Motivating the viewer at home to help
Showing how creative people can be if they are motivated
The help those in need actually receive from the show

Con's
Making a production out of helping someone else
Is this demeaning to those getting help?
Linking helping others to see what's in it for us- like in this case $1,000,000
Those in need will have no contact with the givers after the show
Emphasis on $ help instead of $ with relationship and true compassion/love
Charity work is a trendy way to feel better about yourself

Summary
The word Compassion means to suffer with. Is that really happening here? True love that changes life can only be found in Christ. The Oprah Big Give isn't evil, just a good idea that is a bit misguided.


"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be done in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matt 6.2-4 NIV