So, this year, I’m doing the same. I originally thought I’d give books to kids with the donations, but I teamed up with the water guy cuz they’re more organized and I totally love the cause. Check out here what it’s all about, watch the video and donate below.

I’ll be fund raising from now until June 30th. So, help spread the word by sharing this post on facebook, emailing the link to your friends or whatever works! PS I’ve decided to match all gifts in by June 30th.

The story of charity: water – The 2009 September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

Click here to give children clean water!

Also, if you feel the giving bug, share your birthday, wedding or do something else to raise money and awareness for something YOU believe in.

This is just the beginning of what i hope is a lifelong journey of giving. Thanks for giving!

Well, in a moment of frustration and ADD I was surfing around my cluttered Facebook account. When you check your account 20 times a day it’s exciting to see the little red notification light at the bottom…I pounced. And for once, what I saw wasn’t clutter. It was a link from a friend to a little video, the one you’ll see below and it changed my frame of mind. Whereas I was just barely experiencing frustration, I felt hope. Whereas I felt anger, I felt love. Whereas I had lost focus, I once again regained it.

Along this road of life I’ve learned that action helps to solidify belief. So, I’m going to take our first $3,300 from our Sprouts project and donate it to Charity: Water, where 100% of the donations will be used to build clear water wells in Ethiopia. Please join me in some way to bring an ease that we so often take for granted to some of our brothers and sisters the world over!

The September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

Interesting real life reflections on 2 Nephi 28 “And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none —and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.”

Just as my thoughts were leading me to recognize a modern day Korihor (anti-Christ) I spotted an ad for the *NEW* Desperate Housewives. It’s curious indeed that the media so often reports on the world’s ills and asks in apparently sincere tones why these things are happening; then they turn around and in the same breathe advertise “entertainment” that reinforces the baser instincts of human life. You can’t question the consequences of the actions that you applaude or even silently support.

As the video news stories rolled through their queue I was reminded in another way that the end is near. With vivid images of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction I pondered again the question that I’ve come to ask myself so often these days, “Do you have a testimony of Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?” Perhaps an odd question to ask at this point you say? Maybe. But then again, we never know when we’ll be called home to stand before our Savior. I imagine that it will be pretty important at that time to have an answer to that question.

Perhaps the digital snippet of saddening haps that stirred my blood the most was the story on the new “morning after pill”. Referencing the sexual revolution that began back in the 1960s with the advent of the first “Pill”, birth control, the story spoke about the possibility that a similar change in sexual behavior may be on the way. The pill is called “Plan B” and will soon be available over-the-counter. To me the biggest potential negative effect of a pill like this is a further degradation of how we as a society see and value life.

We as a culture are continually seeking new and ever secret ways to hide from public view the consequences of our poor and bad decisions. Sure, we may hide our poor food habits with liposuction; we may mask our alcoholism with mouthwash and a cold shower; we may hide our sexual irresponsibility with pills and contraceptions, but when all is said and done, each poor decisions becomes part of who we are. Yes, we may overcome the effects of our bad choices I believe; however, the very real danger we run is to wake up one day, without the motivation to change our ways. We will then begin to lay the foundation of flawed character and the rewards we gain, will be just as flawed.

If negative news stories were saturated fat, the next Super Size Me video would have to be about how mainstream media is clogging our minds and dulling our desire to do good. I recommend that we eat news sparingly and make sure to include lots of service in our diets in order to keep our perspective clean and priorities in order. Perhaps the following will help us realign:

• Team Hoyt

Wow! I don’t think I’ve read a thread like this in a long time. This has gotten me so riled up and as I read each comment on the trial I couldn’t help but think of Jack Johnson‘s song entitled “Cookie Jar“. The bottom line is that every is blaming everyone else for the ills that exist in society and in the very process of doing so they all are shirking their own responsibilities.

If there’s a problem it’s ALL our faults. It’s not the website owner alone, it’s not the little girl that gets online and reveals her personal information alone, it’s not merely a parental breakdown.; Every person is involved and is responsible. If you hear about it and go about your way without committing to make things better for someone else in some other way…it’s YOUR fault, YOU’RE TO BLAME.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack Johnson
Cookie Jar

I would turn on the TV but it’s so embarrasing
To see all the other people I don’t know that they mean
It was magic at first when they spoke without sound
And now this world is gonna hurt you better turn that thing down
Turn it around

“It wasn’t me”, says the boy with the gun
“Sure I pulled the trigger but it needed to be done
Cause life’s been killing me and the censor begun
You cant blame me cause I’m too young”

“You can’t blame me sure the killer was my son
But I didn’t teach him to pull the trigger of the gun
It’s the killer on this TV screen
You cant blame me its those images he seen”

Well “You can’t blame me”, says the media man
Well “I wasn’t the one who came up with the plan
I just filled my camera with what the people want to see
Man it’s a two way mirror and you cant blame me”

“You can’t blame me”, says the singer of the song
Or the maker of the movie which he based his life on
“It’s only entertainment and as anyone can see
The smoke machines and makeup
Hey you cant fool me”

It was you it was me it was every man
We’ve all got the blood on our hands
We only receive what we demand
And if we want hell then hells what well have

And I would turn on the TV
But its so embarrassing
To see all the other people
I don’t even know that they mean
And it was magic at first
But it let everyone down
And now this world is gonna hurt
You better turn it around
Turn it around

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are so many ways to make a difference. Go out and find them!

First a smile, then a touch,
Their embraces calm our fears

A favor sought doesn’t feel right,
but their words are candy sweet

Walking cautiously forward,
again, trusting, the deed is done

Betrayed by them they comfort,
they smile, they reassure

Disgusted by our own actions
We turn again to pain

And the very ones that cut us
we embrace because they know it

And through our pain they can find
a slave. Indeed they’ve found a few

Though misguided we walk with Evil
a true passion remains within

It’s to that spirit we must listen
Only then will Evil retreat

—-

One must know what one is getting
into before one agrees to things

Swing Heil!

And the moon shall be red like blood…CNN.com – Lunar eclipse to turn moon red – Nov. 8, 2003: “In ancient times, the phenomenon was believed caused by some unseen monster bloodying the moon, an omen of disaster. ”
posted by King Arthur # 5:25 PM