An Oz Book

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Tom Bolton

I’ve carried over my 2013 project to read all the Oz Books in the official Baum OZ cannon into 2014. A few weeks ago, I finished The Magic of Oz.   L. Frank Baum’s last beloved Oz book before his death, this story deals with the discovery of a powerful magic word by a young boy from Oz, who immediately is plunged head-first into adventure through his discovery. We get to see many of the classic OZ-book characters in different groupings, along with some new characters of course.
The discussions of evil in this novel are particularly good. Young Kiki Aru is an interesting character–early in the book he says “I didn’t know I was being wicked, but if I was, I’m glad of it. I hate good people. I’ve always wanted to be wicked, but I didn’t know how.” How detached!  He is a good student for the Gnome king.
Here are a few of the quotes that I particularly like in this book:
“It’s a bird of some sort. It’s like a duck, only I never saw a duck have so many colors.”
The bird swam swiftly and gracefully toward the Magic Isle, and as it drew nearer its gorgeously colored plumage astonished them. The feathers were of many hues of glistening greens and blues and purples, and it had a yellow head with a red plume, and pink, white and violet in its tail.”
“Why, I’m not afraid to go anywhere, if the Cowardly Lion is with me,” she said. “I know him pretty well, and so I can trust him. He’s always afraid, when we get into trouble, and that’s why he’s cowardly; but he’s a terrible fighter, and that’s why he isn’t a coward. He doesn’t like to fight, you know, but when he HAS to, there isn’t any beast living that can conquer him.”
“The Glass Cat is one of the most curious creatures in all Oz. It was made by a famous magician named Dr. Pipt before Ozma had forbidden her subjects to work magic. Dr. Pipt had made the Glass Cat to catch mice, but the Cat refused to catch mice and was considered more curious than useful.
This astonishing cat was made all of glass and was so clear and transparent that you could see through it as easily as through a window. In the top of its head, however, was a mass of delicate pink balls which looked like jewels but were intended for brains. It had a heart made of a blood-red ruby. The eyes were two large emeralds. But, aside from these colors, all the rest of the animal was of clear glass, and it had a spun-glass tail that was really beautiful.”
It is interesting to me that the main characters try to keep the evil characters in the Emerald City at the end–after the evil ones have forgotten everything–and try to teach them to be good in their community.

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All Thanks

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Tom Bolton

On Ephesians 5:20

Image

All Thanks

For little things, this day,

We give thanks.

We recognize these daily gifts, and

we are thankful.

We thus seize our spiritual gifts in joy.

For each small spiritual nugget we give thanks.

For each experience and love offering, we see God there.

For my wife who can finish my thought as I first hear it,

I am thankful.

For my sons who are me, and more, each day,

I rejoice.

For a friend who creates love–communities

among homeless–I am in awe too.

For my utility-serving friend who teaches deep messages,

I am thankful too.

For my pet cat who may love me each day

in aloof dignity, I am thankful.

For the beauty on my snail male stamps

and confabbed currency, I am thankful.

For the gadgets in my pockets

which serve me in unexpected ways, I am appreciative.

For friends I will first meet today,

I am ecstatic, delighted.

There small things not really small,

I do not settle with small.

I dream of more significant days.

I grow and give thanks.

Always and for everything,

in the name of our Lord,

I give thanks this morning.

Always and for everything,

in the name of the Christ,

I will live thanksgiving.

(c) Tom Bolton, Sven’s downtown, 13 March 2014

Ephesians 5:20        The Message (MSG)

18-20 Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.

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St. Patrick’s Breastplate

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Tom Bolton

The past few years at the evening meal around March 17 time at Divine Intervention for the Homeless, our wonderful Cook has included a feast of Irish entree’s, linen tablecloths, and a hand-crafted card with portions of a prayer attributed to St. Patrick.  I have usually passed my card on to a youth sometime in the next year.

This prayer is often called “St. Patrick’s Breastplate” because it seeks God’s protection in aleutian-cacklling-goose-capture-and-translocation_w494_h725a world of both tangible and invisible dangers. Though Patrick of Ireland lived more than 1500 years ago his prayer asking that God himself would cover him often seems relevant today. Who of us haven’t been filled with fear about one thing or another? Patrick’s solution: Run to God!

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through the confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of demons,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

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Yes: Development Works 4

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Tom Bolton

The fourth essay in the Bread for the World series, called Development Works, was all about farmers solving problems. I think this would please, but not much surprise, my ancestors and Karen’s ancestors.

Agriculture

Here are the key points, but please do read the whole paper at the link above:

Every year, U.S. humanitarian assistance, such as food aid, eases the hunger of millions of people who have fled natural disaster or conflict. These are clearly emergencies. But
worldwide, most hungry people are hungry or malnourished as a fact of their everyday
lives. Chronic hunger and malnutrition sap the strength of adults trying to earn a living
and the potential of children trying to learn.

The 2012 Africa Human Development Report identifies two areas of bias as “principal
factors in explaining Africa’s food insecurity”—a bias toward towns rather than
rural areas and a bias toward men rather than women.

Local farmers, most with less than five acres of land and little or no animal or mechanical power, bear most of the responsibility for feeding people in developing countries. Enabling small-scale farmers to increase their productivity is essential to reducing
hunger or even maintaining recent progress. More than 75 percent of the world’s hungry people are smallscale farmers or landless laborers. Fortunately, growth in the
agriculture sector is very effective in reducing poverty. (My Grandpa Bolton knew this, but lived far off the farm–poor most of his life. Grandpa Neville died of exhaustion on someone’s farm, knowing this, I think.)

Gender bias is a principal cause of hunger since women produce well over half of the global food supply and are more likely to spend additional income on food.

Nonetheless, few female farmers own the land they work, have the authority to make decisions about crops and livestock, or control their own incomes. New tools such as the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index help track progress toward
gender equity.

“Fortunately, boosting agricultural productivity has proven to be one of the best ways of reducing global poverty. Feed the Future, the U.S. global hunger initiative, reports that growth in the agriculture sector is at least twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. In fact, improvements in agriculture deserve the credit for much of the recent significant progress against hunger—which was at 14.9 percent of the world population in 2010-2012, down from 23.2 percent in 1990-1992.”

The information in the Bread For the World paper is compelling and detailed. I urge you to read it. Digest it. Share it!

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Repeating Development Works: 2

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Tom Bolton

Americans Reaching Out

Bread

Bread for the World created a wonderful series of reports in 2012 under the umbrella name Development Works.  I posted a link to the first paper last summer, and I reposted it this past week.  The second paper, which is linked at the top of this post, is called Americans Reaching Out.  In it, the organization notes, “Concern for those who are less fortunate is a value that resonates with Americans. Many of us, aware of all we have, are very willing to help people in need. Using common sense, being practical, can be considered an American value as well. A quick “reality check” to be sure the assistance is needed and wanted is important to many people who are motivated to help.”

I recommend the entire paper to you, but here is a snapshot of the key points:

Americans agree that helping hungry people is a high priority for our country. Both today  and in the past, policies and resources that fight hunger earn the support of people across traditional lines—political, religious, economic, generational, and a range of others.

The United States can use its history of successful development programs and emergency relief efforts to help make lasting progress against hunger and malnutrition.

Building on past experiences is more important than ever as new factors, such as climate change and unpredictable changes in food prices, further complicate the efforts of poor people to feed their families and improve opportunities for their children.

U.S. international development efforts are now guided by both a new understanding of the importance of nutrition, particularly in early childhood, and a renewed appreciation of agricultural development as a vital ingredient in the “treatment” of global hunger.

I feel a bit guilty (certainly not very creative) in sharing these links and quotes from the Bread for the World Institute, but frankly they provide the best materials to educate us, in my opinion.  Bread for the World Institute provides policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it. The Institute educates its network, opinion leaders, policy makers and the public about hunger in the United States and abroad.  Nobody does it better.

I urge you to read the full paper here:  Americans Reaching Out

I’ll also warn you that I plan to do these articles every Sunday for a while.

And sometimes, I will probably urge you to support Bread for the World.  Cash contributions are great, but letters and phone calls help too.

Related articles
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Your Neighbor

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Tom Bolton

           In Serving

In the neighbor, new and newly embraced,
He comes to me.
Found in ways newly dreamed,
He embraces me and him,
and we walk together, and
He is apace with us.
God’s goodness is there with us,
each step of the way.
We seek to be like Him,
fearing what we may be,
and desirous of walking the path.
Blessed, we meet the Christ.
It is in that walk, skipping and stumbling
with the child, that we embrace and are embraced.
We are here blessed.

(c) Tom Bolton, approaching a place, 11 March 2014

200px-Circuit_rider_illustration_Eggleston

On Mark 9:37
36-37 He put a child in the middle of the room. Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said, “Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me—God who sent me.”

The Message (MSG)

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Bread Letter Writing

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Tom Bolton

We included letter writing for Bread For the World at our Second Saturday Servants activities yesterday.  A few of us wrote letters to Congress encouraging changes to make food aide more effective.

fruit

Here is a link to information on how you can join the letter writing campaign:  http://bread.org/

Below I am repeating a blog about Bread for the World from last year.

Bread For the World Institute published an excellent series of papers, called Development Works, in 2012. The first paper, in March 2012, focused on some questions we often hear:

How can it help hungry people overseas?

But what exactly is development assistance?

And why should we support funding for it when many Americans are facing hard times?

I recommend reading the paper:

Click to access dw-1.pdf

The summary is:

• Development assistance enables
people in poor countries to build a
better life for themselves and their
children.

.In developing countries, investing
small amounts in training,
tools, or start-up costs can
yield significant improvements
because people make good use
of the resources available to
them. Development assistance
helps communities and nations
strengthen their economies and
create better living conditions—
for example, by enabling people to
buy seeds and fertilizers, establish
small businesses, or meet public
needs such as clean water.

• Countries develop successful
strategies against hunger by
using their own resources and
development assistance to
strengthen the essentials, such
as more productive farms and
access to nutritious food and
basic health care, particularly
for vulnerable groups such as
pregnant women and young
children.

• Effective development assistance
saves millions of lives every
year—and this is done through
programs that the United States
can afford. It is both the right
thing and the smart thing to do.

I learn regularly when I visit Bread For the World.

http://www.bread.org/institute/development-works/

Related articles

Bread For the World on the Farm Bill (tbolto.wordpress.com)
Rich countries are not keeping their promises on aid: new analysis from ONE (one.org)
Turkey becomes 4th donor of international assistance (en.trend.az)

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