A Loving Spoonful is a volunteer-driven, non-partisan Society that provides free, nutritious meals to people living with HIV/AIDS in Greater Vancouver.
Every week, all year round for over 19 years, our volunteers deliver approximately 1200 frozen meals and over 250 snack packs to men, women and children who are primarily homebound with AIDS. Our average meal cost is only $3.55. A Loving Spoonful is the constant support of over 250 adults and children living with HIV/AIDS throughout the Greater Vancouver area.
Our History
A Loving Spoonful started in 1989, sprung from nothing more than Easter Armas’s determination that no one living with AIDS should live with hunger. She saw an acquaintance of hers, a brilliant lawyer who had lost his job because he was HIV-positive, eating from a dumpster. She was devastated. November 19, 1989 marked the first of many Easter’s Sundays, monthly dinners held at McLaren House for people living with HIV/AIDS. Each meal was lovingly prepared by volunteers, and there was often entertainment. Easter’s Sundays aimed to diminish the isolation felt by people with AIDS by providing food, community, and comfort. From the determination of one woman and her tireless friends, the Vancouver Meals Society was born. It was the first meal program in Canada to provide free meals for people living with HIV/AIDS. They had five clients.
In 1994, the Vancouver Meals Society was re-named A Loving Spoonful. Our clients now include more than 250 adults and children in Greater Vancouver.
Our Mission
Our mission is to make sure that no one living with AIDS lives with hunger. Achieving our mission requires the loving, coordinated effort of a community of volunteers, staff, donors and supporters. It is through this dedicated support that A Loving Spoonful has been able to provide our services free of charge for almost twenty years.
Click here to find out more.
October 03, 2009
Encouraging Words 10/2/09-God Works Among Us
From the HRC's Out In Scripture series, scripture taken from the Common Lectionary:
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Proper 22), Year B
God comes to us in our flesh — on our terms — to draw us into right relation with one another and all of creation.
This week's lectionary Bible passages: Job 1:1, 2:1-10 and Psalm 26 or Genesis 2:18-24 and Psalm 8; Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16
Click here to read this week's commentary and questions for meditation/discussion.
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Proper 22), Year B
God comes to us in our flesh — on our terms — to draw us into right relation with one another and all of creation.
This week's lectionary Bible passages: Job 1:1, 2:1-10 and Psalm 26 or Genesis 2:18-24 and Psalm 8; Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16
Click here to read this week's commentary and questions for meditation/discussion.
SNN Recommends 10/3/09-All Saints Community Church, Cortland, OH
All Saints recently voted in our good friend, the Rev. Doug Sewell, as Senior Pastor, removing the interim tag. We know firsthand that you will receive a blessing when you hear him deliver a message or just get the chance to spend time with him.
From the All Saints website:
We are an affirming Christian fellowship, welcoming all to worship with us regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, socioeconomic status, or spiritual background.
We offer the unconditional love of Jesus to all who enter.
We recognize that all of God's children are special, wonderful, and unique.
We use our God-given gifts to promote Christ's love and justice to and for the world.
We believe the salvation of Christ is given to ALL who accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior. We will introduce Christ to all who seek Him.
We offer the Sacraments of Baptism, Anointing, Marriage, and Holy Union to all official members. We offer the sacrament of Eucharist to all of the community of believers.
We celebrate the Eucharist each time we gather for Sunday worship.
Click here to find out more.
From the All Saints website:
We are an affirming Christian fellowship, welcoming all to worship with us regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, socioeconomic status, or spiritual background.
We offer the unconditional love of Jesus to all who enter.
We recognize that all of God's children are special, wonderful, and unique.
We use our God-given gifts to promote Christ's love and justice to and for the world.
We believe the salvation of Christ is given to ALL who accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior. We will introduce Christ to all who seek Him.
We offer the Sacraments of Baptism, Anointing, Marriage, and Holy Union to all official members. We offer the sacrament of Eucharist to all of the community of believers.
We celebrate the Eucharist each time we gather for Sunday worship.
Click here to find out more.
Matthew 25 Resource 10/2/09-WISH Drop-In Society (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Operated by women for the exclusive use of female survival sex workers, the WISH Drop-In Centre Society is a registered non-profit society that furnishes a variety of services within a nurturing and non-judgemental environment.
In addition to meeting essential needs by serving nutritious, hot meals, providing showering facilities, dispensing make-up, hygiene items, and clothing, WISH offers on-site nursing care, referrals to detoxification centres, rehabilitation houses, and shelters for upwards of 150 women per night. Our programs, including Literacy and a Learning Centre have been hugely successful in providing opportunities to participants to consider alternatives to their present high-risk lifestyles.
Guided by a 15 member volunteer Board of Directors, a cadre of dedicated volunteers, and a committed staff, WISH's underlying philosophy is one of recognizing the innate dignity of every woman and affording her the respect she inherently deserves. We seek to build self-esteem through unconditional acceptance, friendship, empathy, compassion, and humour.
Click here to find out more.
In addition to meeting essential needs by serving nutritious, hot meals, providing showering facilities, dispensing make-up, hygiene items, and clothing, WISH offers on-site nursing care, referrals to detoxification centres, rehabilitation houses, and shelters for upwards of 150 women per night. Our programs, including Literacy and a Learning Centre have been hugely successful in providing opportunities to participants to consider alternatives to their present high-risk lifestyles.
Guided by a 15 member volunteer Board of Directors, a cadre of dedicated volunteers, and a committed staff, WISH's underlying philosophy is one of recognizing the innate dignity of every woman and affording her the respect she inherently deserves. We seek to build self-esteem through unconditional acceptance, friendship, empathy, compassion, and humour.
Click here to find out more.
SNN Helping Hands 10/4/09-Gay Men Fight AIDS (New Hampshire)
We are Gay Men Fight AIDS (GMFA), an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that seeks to prevent new HIV infections and reinfections among negative and positive gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. GMFA serves the greater Portsmouth area in New Hampshire and nearby Maine and Massachusetts. GMFA's primary vehicle to achieve this are the sessions that comprise a LifeGuards workshop.
We acknowledge, honor, and respect the diversity of our community: gay, bisexual, transgender, or simply "Men Who Have Sex With Men." Regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or how we choose to identify ourselves, we all have the right to receive HIV prevention education.
Our mission is:
To prevent new HIV infections and reinfections among negative and positive gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM)
To organize a strong community response to all the challenges we face until the pandemic is over
To mobilize as many men in our community as possible to support each other to stay safe and enjoy healthy sex lives
To eliminate the myths and stereotypes about HIV/AIDS
We acknowledge, honor, and respect the diversity of our community: gay, bisexual, transgender, or simply "Men Who Have Sex With Men." Regardless of race, ethnicity, age or how we choose to identify ourselves, we all have the right to receive HIV prevention education.
Click here to find out more.
We acknowledge, honor, and respect the diversity of our community: gay, bisexual, transgender, or simply "Men Who Have Sex With Men." Regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or how we choose to identify ourselves, we all have the right to receive HIV prevention education.
Our mission is:
To prevent new HIV infections and reinfections among negative and positive gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM)
To organize a strong community response to all the challenges we face until the pandemic is over
To mobilize as many men in our community as possible to support each other to stay safe and enjoy healthy sex lives
To eliminate the myths and stereotypes about HIV/AIDS
We acknowledge, honor, and respect the diversity of our community: gay, bisexual, transgender, or simply "Men Who Have Sex With Men." Regardless of race, ethnicity, age or how we choose to identify ourselves, we all have the right to receive HIV prevention education.
Click here to find out more.
Dallas Judge Grants Gay Divorce--Is Gay Marriage on the Way in Texas?
More than likely, not anytime soon but this ruling could start that ball rolling. From the Dallas News (hat tip to Pam's House Blend):
In a first for Texas, a judge ruled Thursday that two men married in another state can divorce here and that the state's ban on gay marriage violates the U.S. Constitution.
Both a voter-approved state constitutional amendment and the Texas Family Code prohibit same-sex marriages or civil unions.
Although the case is far from settled, and the state's constitutional ban on gay marriage is a long way from being thrown out, Dallas state District Judge Tena Callahan's ruling says the state prohibition of same-sex marriage violates the federal constitutional right to equal protection.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott had intervened in the two men's divorce case, arguing that because a gay marriage isn't recognized in Texas, a Texas court can't dissolve one through divorce.
Callahan, a Democrat, denied the attorney general's intervention and said her court "has jurisdiction to hear a suit for divorce filed by persons legally married in another jurisdiction."
"This is huge news. We're ecstatic," said Dallas attorney Peter Schulte, who represents the man who filed the divorce. The man, identified in court documents as J.B., asked that he and his former partner not be identified.
Schulte said that the ruling was a surprise and that he hoped to have a divorce order for the judge to sign in the "next few weeks."
In a prepared statement, Abbott said he would appeal the ruling "to defend the traditional definition of marriage that was approved by Texas voters."
His statement also said, "The laws and constitution of the State of Texas define marriage as an institution involving one man and one woman. Today's ruling purports to strike down that constitutional definition – despite the fact that it was recently adopted by 75 percent of Texas voters."
Of course, if we left human rights up to a popular vote, slavery would likely have persisted much longer in the South and there could be areas even today where interracial marriage would still be illegal.
Fortunately we don't do that anymore, except apparently when it comes to LGBT people. That's one of the purposes of our courts, to protect us from the tyrany of the majority.
We'll be keeping a close eye on further developments in this case.
Click here to read the rest of the Dallas News story.
In a first for Texas, a judge ruled Thursday that two men married in another state can divorce here and that the state's ban on gay marriage violates the U.S. Constitution.
Both a voter-approved state constitutional amendment and the Texas Family Code prohibit same-sex marriages or civil unions.
Although the case is far from settled, and the state's constitutional ban on gay marriage is a long way from being thrown out, Dallas state District Judge Tena Callahan's ruling says the state prohibition of same-sex marriage violates the federal constitutional right to equal protection.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott had intervened in the two men's divorce case, arguing that because a gay marriage isn't recognized in Texas, a Texas court can't dissolve one through divorce.
Callahan, a Democrat, denied the attorney general's intervention and said her court "has jurisdiction to hear a suit for divorce filed by persons legally married in another jurisdiction."
"This is huge news. We're ecstatic," said Dallas attorney Peter Schulte, who represents the man who filed the divorce. The man, identified in court documents as J.B., asked that he and his former partner not be identified.
Schulte said that the ruling was a surprise and that he hoped to have a divorce order for the judge to sign in the "next few weeks."
In a prepared statement, Abbott said he would appeal the ruling "to defend the traditional definition of marriage that was approved by Texas voters."
His statement also said, "The laws and constitution of the State of Texas define marriage as an institution involving one man and one woman. Today's ruling purports to strike down that constitutional definition – despite the fact that it was recently adopted by 75 percent of Texas voters."
Of course, if we left human rights up to a popular vote, slavery would likely have persisted much longer in the South and there could be areas even today where interracial marriage would still be illegal.
Fortunately we don't do that anymore, except apparently when it comes to LGBT people. That's one of the purposes of our courts, to protect us from the tyrany of the majority.
We'll be keeping a close eye on further developments in this case.
Click here to read the rest of the Dallas News story.
Daily Devotional 10/3/09 "The Initiative Against Despair"
From: My Utmost for His Highest
Rise, let us be going. Matthew 26:46
The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of the irreparable is apt to make us despair, and we say - "It is all up now, it is no use trying any more." If we imagine that this kind of despair is exceptional, we are mistaken, it is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink into despair; and Jesus Christ comes and says - "Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing." Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with Him.
There are experiences like this in each of our lives. We are in despair, the despair that comes from actualities, and we cannot lift ourselves out of it. The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said - "Arise and do the next thing." If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption.
Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.
Rise, let us be going. Matthew 26:46
The disciples went to sleep when they should have kept awake, and when they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of the irreparable is apt to make us despair, and we say - "It is all up now, it is no use trying any more." If we imagine that this kind of despair is exceptional, we are mistaken, it is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink into despair; and Jesus Christ comes and says - "Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing." Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with Him.
There are experiences like this in each of our lives. We are in despair, the despair that comes from actualities, and we cannot lift ourselves out of it. The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said - "Arise and do the next thing." If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption.
Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action.
October 02, 2009
LGBT Helping Hands 10/2/09-Iowa Safe Schools
words and harassment are things that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) students deal with everyday in our schools and communities. Making schools a safe place for all children, particularly GLBT students, is difficult and an issue that many prefer would go away. Unfortunately, school administrators, teachers, school board members, other school personnel such as nurses, guidance counselors and social workers, as well as parents and students, are hampered by the lack of information and resources for teaching and meeting the educational needs of GLBT students.
The emergence of the GLBT Youth in Iowa Schools Task Force in April 2002 was critical in filling this information gap and in improving the safety and awareness of GLBT students in Iowa. The Task Force was initiated as a partnership with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, and is a broad-based coalition, comprised of representatives from major statewide education organizations and leaders in the civil rights, gay/lesbian and business community.
The Task Force’s mission is to increase understanding in local school districts and communities about GLBT students, increase awareness and address the inequities regarding safety of GLBT students in Iowa, and improve school climate in order to increase the personal safety, mental health, and achievement levels of GLBT students. In our short existence, we have helped create safer schools for GLBT students.
Click here to find out more.
The emergence of the GLBT Youth in Iowa Schools Task Force in April 2002 was critical in filling this information gap and in improving the safety and awareness of GLBT students in Iowa. The Task Force was initiated as a partnership with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, and is a broad-based coalition, comprised of representatives from major statewide education organizations and leaders in the civil rights, gay/lesbian and business community.
The Task Force’s mission is to increase understanding in local school districts and communities about GLBT students, increase awareness and address the inequities regarding safety of GLBT students in Iowa, and improve school climate in order to increase the personal safety, mental health, and achievement levels of GLBT students. In our short existence, we have helped create safer schools for GLBT students.
Click here to find out more.
Encouraging Words 10/2/09-"A Heart For Worship, Part 2"
Enjoy Part 2 of "A Heart For Worship", a sermon delivered by Pastor Tom Millner of the Church of the Holy SpiritSong in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
SNN Recommends 10/2/09-(Just For Fun) Saturday Night Live
Whether it's the classics from the 1970's with Belushi and Akroyd or more recent clips like Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin, NBC's official Saturday Night Live website has a treasure trove of video clips for your enjoyment. A few of our favorites:
Steve Martin performing his hit "King Tut"
Eddie Murphy in "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood
Wayne's World with guest appearances by Aerosmith and Tom Hanks
Here's the website so you can search for your own favorites. Enjoy!
Steve Martin performing his hit "King Tut"
Eddie Murphy in "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood
Wayne's World with guest appearances by Aerosmith and Tom Hanks
Here's the website so you can search for your own favorites. Enjoy!
Matthew 25 Resource 10/2/09-Helping Hands, Monkey Helpers for the Disabled
Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled is a unique national non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that places specially trained capuchin monkeys with people who are paralyzed, or who suffer other severe mobility impairments. Helping Hands monkey helpers offer independence, hope, and connection to individuals with severe disabilities all across the country. No fee is charged to the recipients. All costs are underwritten by donations from individuals, foundation grants, and corporate partnerships.
As a service to the larger community, Helping Hands also conducts public education programs that teach young people how to avoid risky behaviors that can lead to spinal cord injury and how community service can be a powerful way to help others.
Helping Hands trained and placed the first monkey as a helper and a companion to a paralyzed individual in 1979. Since that time, Helping Hands' has developed programs to support the lifespan needs of the monkeys and their human partnerships.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to watch The Today Show's feature on this organization
As a service to the larger community, Helping Hands also conducts public education programs that teach young people how to avoid risky behaviors that can lead to spinal cord injury and how community service can be a powerful way to help others.
Helping Hands trained and placed the first monkey as a helper and a companion to a paralyzed individual in 1979. Since that time, Helping Hands' has developed programs to support the lifespan needs of the monkeys and their human partnerships.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to watch The Today Show's feature on this organization
Cuban Gays Have an Ally Named Castro
From the Advocate:
Mariela Castro Espín is a slender, pale, and elegant mother of three children. Married to an Italian photographer, she is straight, even though some Havana gossips have suggested otherwise. She also happens to be the 47-year-old daughter of President Raúl Castro, who last year officially succeeded his ailing brother, Fidel, as president of Cuba. As director of the government-run National Center for Sex Education, or CENESEX, Castro Espín has used her guile -- and her dynastic clout -- to push for gay rights in a country where hard-labor, “reeducation” camps were once vaunted as an antidote to homosexuality. “Homophobia in Cuba is part of what makes you a ‘man,’” she says. “It’s part of the masculine role. Boys are taught to have violent reactions so they can show their masculinity. Boys are destroyed in this country this way."
...these are not ordinary times, and Mariela Castro Espín is no ordinary president’s daughter. To the Havana police she’s the thorn in their side who shows up at the station on behalf of those arrested and detained on trumped-up loitering or prostitution charges. The transgender community knows her as the woman who turned her offices into a refuge for those who have been expelled from their homes, or worse. Wendy Diaz, a beautiful young trans woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to the pop star Shakira -- and who drew admiring glances from the men at the various tables around us when we met for drinks one evening on the terrace of the Hotel Nacional -- told me how Castro Espín once chased a boy for five blocks before collaring him for throwing rocks at “Mariela’s girls” outside the offices of CENESEX.
“I think Mariela’s leadership has been a key factor in the success of the work of CENESEX, and the prestige she carries because of her family name has only helped,” says Margaret Gilpin, a New York–based filmmaker whose award-winning 1996 documentary Butterflies on a Scaffold was the first to explore gay and drag culture in Cuba in the mid '90s. “Her presence, and the fact that [CENESEX] has focused its work on educating the general Cuban population on issues of concern to the LGBT community, to combating homophobia, and to trying to change laws and regulations to conform to current thinking on LGBT issues, has been critical to whatever success has been achieved so far.”
Under Castro Espín’s auspices, 2008 was a pivotal year for LGBT rights in the country. The government passed a resolution allowing transsexuals to undergo sex-reassignment surgeries free of charge. And Cuba stepped onto the stage of international gay rights discourse with its inaugural Day Against Homophobia, sanctioned at the highest levels of the Castro government and attended by thousands of ordinary gay and lesbian Cubans, as well as gay rights activists and government officials. The 2009 Day Against Homophobia numbers surpassed the attendance of the 2008 event, and organizers intend to make it an annual occurrence.
Castro Espín is also carefully but persistently lobbying on behalf of a bill to legalize same-sex civil unions that is proceeding slowly through parliament -- the term “gay marriage” being as problematic for Cubans as it is for many Americans. “Instead of just working with Cuban gays and lesbians so they could fit into the rest of society,” Castro Espín explains, “our strategy [at CENESEX] is to work with the population so that they could accept, and be educated on, sexual diversity. The people who have the problem are not gay people, but the general population.”
Click here to read the rest of the feature on a remarkable woman and LGBT ally.
Mariela Castro Espín is a slender, pale, and elegant mother of three children. Married to an Italian photographer, she is straight, even though some Havana gossips have suggested otherwise. She also happens to be the 47-year-old daughter of President Raúl Castro, who last year officially succeeded his ailing brother, Fidel, as president of Cuba. As director of the government-run National Center for Sex Education, or CENESEX, Castro Espín has used her guile -- and her dynastic clout -- to push for gay rights in a country where hard-labor, “reeducation” camps were once vaunted as an antidote to homosexuality. “Homophobia in Cuba is part of what makes you a ‘man,’” she says. “It’s part of the masculine role. Boys are taught to have violent reactions so they can show their masculinity. Boys are destroyed in this country this way."
...these are not ordinary times, and Mariela Castro Espín is no ordinary president’s daughter. To the Havana police she’s the thorn in their side who shows up at the station on behalf of those arrested and detained on trumped-up loitering or prostitution charges. The transgender community knows her as the woman who turned her offices into a refuge for those who have been expelled from their homes, or worse. Wendy Diaz, a beautiful young trans woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to the pop star Shakira -- and who drew admiring glances from the men at the various tables around us when we met for drinks one evening on the terrace of the Hotel Nacional -- told me how Castro Espín once chased a boy for five blocks before collaring him for throwing rocks at “Mariela’s girls” outside the offices of CENESEX.
“I think Mariela’s leadership has been a key factor in the success of the work of CENESEX, and the prestige she carries because of her family name has only helped,” says Margaret Gilpin, a New York–based filmmaker whose award-winning 1996 documentary Butterflies on a Scaffold was the first to explore gay and drag culture in Cuba in the mid '90s. “Her presence, and the fact that [CENESEX] has focused its work on educating the general Cuban population on issues of concern to the LGBT community, to combating homophobia, and to trying to change laws and regulations to conform to current thinking on LGBT issues, has been critical to whatever success has been achieved so far.”
Under Castro Espín’s auspices, 2008 was a pivotal year for LGBT rights in the country. The government passed a resolution allowing transsexuals to undergo sex-reassignment surgeries free of charge. And Cuba stepped onto the stage of international gay rights discourse with its inaugural Day Against Homophobia, sanctioned at the highest levels of the Castro government and attended by thousands of ordinary gay and lesbian Cubans, as well as gay rights activists and government officials. The 2009 Day Against Homophobia numbers surpassed the attendance of the 2008 event, and organizers intend to make it an annual occurrence.
Castro Espín is also carefully but persistently lobbying on behalf of a bill to legalize same-sex civil unions that is proceeding slowly through parliament -- the term “gay marriage” being as problematic for Cubans as it is for many Americans. “Instead of just working with Cuban gays and lesbians so they could fit into the rest of society,” Castro Espín explains, “our strategy [at CENESEX] is to work with the population so that they could accept, and be educated on, sexual diversity. The people who have the problem are not gay people, but the general population.”
Click here to read the rest of the feature on a remarkable woman and LGBT ally.
Daily Devotional 10/2/09 "Are You Exhausted Spiritually?"
From: My Utmost for His Highest
The everlasting God . . . fainteth not, neither is weary. Isaiah 40:28
Exhaustion means that the vital forces are worn right out. Spiritual exhaustion never comes through sin but only through service, and whether or not you are exhausted will depend upon where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter - "Feed My sheep," but He gave him nothing to feed them with. The process of being made broken bread and poured out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you to the dregs. Be careful that you get your supply, or before long you will be utterly exhausted. Before other souls learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus direct, they have to draw on it through you; you have to be literally "sucked," until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and His sheep as well as for Himself.
Has the way in which you have been serving God betrayed you into exhaustion? If so, then rally your affections. Where did you start the service from? From your own sympathy or from the basis of the Redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually go back to the foundation of your affections and recollect where the source of power is. You have no right to say - "O Lord, I am so exhausted." He saved and sanctified you in order to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that your supply comes from Him. "All my fresh springs shall be in Thee."
The everlasting God . . . fainteth not, neither is weary. Isaiah 40:28
Exhaustion means that the vital forces are worn right out. Spiritual exhaustion never comes through sin but only through service, and whether or not you are exhausted will depend upon where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter - "Feed My sheep," but He gave him nothing to feed them with. The process of being made broken bread and poured out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you to the dregs. Be careful that you get your supply, or before long you will be utterly exhausted. Before other souls learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus direct, they have to draw on it through you; you have to be literally "sucked," until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and His sheep as well as for Himself.
Has the way in which you have been serving God betrayed you into exhaustion? If so, then rally your affections. Where did you start the service from? From your own sympathy or from the basis of the Redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually go back to the foundation of your affections and recollect where the source of power is. You have no right to say - "O Lord, I am so exhausted." He saved and sanctified you in order to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that your supply comes from Him. "All my fresh springs shall be in Thee."
October 01, 2009
LGBT Helping Hands 10/1/09: Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective (CT)
Founded in 1983 by volunteer health professionals and supporters, and incorporated in 1986, The Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective, Inc. (HGLHC), has become an organization with full and part-time staff and nearly 70 volunteers contributing thousands of hours annually.
Since its inception, the Hallmark of the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective has been the provision of quality services by professional and highly skilled staff and volunteers in a Safe, and welcoming environment, free of judgmental attitudes or prejudice.
The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health collective currently provides medical services, support groups, mental health services and health education tailored to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities but serves clients of all genders and gender identities, sexual orientations, ages and ethnicity. The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective is especially proud of its services to people living with HIV/AIDS. We touch the lives of thousands of people every year.
The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective is an advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and is proud to maintain a prominent presence at meetings, events and venues where issues of relevance to HGLHC's constituency are discussed, decided or celebrated.
Our Mission
"The Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective empowers individuals of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions to lead healthy lives through the provision of health and support services, education and advocacy."
Our Vision
“The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective will continually address, anticipate, and respond to the comprehensive health needs of people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions in Connecticut, while maintaining a financially stable and viable organization.”
Our Values
The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective will apply the following values as it carries out its mission:
*We are committed to providing client centered quality services and programs consistent with professionally accepted standards of care.
*We celebrate and embrace the commonalities and differences of all persons touched by our organization.
*We treat all persons with dignity and respect.
*We encourage and support professional growth and development.
*We strive to create and maintain a physically and emotionally safe and inclusive environment that runs seamlessly through all aspects of our programs and services.
*We aspire to be a positive and influential leader in all aspects of our service to the community.
*We are advocates for mental and physical health in our community and encourage and support all in making healthy choices for their lives.
Click here to find out more.
Since its inception, the Hallmark of the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective has been the provision of quality services by professional and highly skilled staff and volunteers in a Safe, and welcoming environment, free of judgmental attitudes or prejudice.
The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health collective currently provides medical services, support groups, mental health services and health education tailored to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities but serves clients of all genders and gender identities, sexual orientations, ages and ethnicity. The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective is especially proud of its services to people living with HIV/AIDS. We touch the lives of thousands of people every year.
The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective is an advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and is proud to maintain a prominent presence at meetings, events and venues where issues of relevance to HGLHC's constituency are discussed, decided or celebrated.
Our Mission
"The Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective empowers individuals of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions to lead healthy lives through the provision of health and support services, education and advocacy."
Our Vision
“The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective will continually address, anticipate, and respond to the comprehensive health needs of people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions in Connecticut, while maintaining a financially stable and viable organization.”
Our Values
The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective will apply the following values as it carries out its mission:
*We are committed to providing client centered quality services and programs consistent with professionally accepted standards of care.
*We celebrate and embrace the commonalities and differences of all persons touched by our organization.
*We treat all persons with dignity and respect.
*We encourage and support professional growth and development.
*We strive to create and maintain a physically and emotionally safe and inclusive environment that runs seamlessly through all aspects of our programs and services.
*We aspire to be a positive and influential leader in all aspects of our service to the community.
*We are advocates for mental and physical health in our community and encourage and support all in making healthy choices for their lives.
Click here to find out more.
Encouraging Words 10/1/09-"A Heart For Worship, Part 1
Enjoy Part 1 of "A Heart For Worship", a sermon delivered by Pastor Leslie Tipton of the Church of the Holy SpiritSong in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
SNN Recommends 10/1/09-Fortunate Families
Grounded in Catholic tradition, Fortunate Families ministers primarily with Catholic parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender daughters and sons—but welcomes families of all faiths. When parents explore and value their personal stories, they are empowered to share that story with their family circle, their faith community and the larger society.
Parents just learning that a son is gay or a daughter is lesbian will find resources—including the Fortunate Families Newsletter—and support to help them understand, accept, and affirm their child who is a child of God. Catholic parents will find information regarding Church teaching and pastoral responses to the gay or lesbian child. Parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender daughters and gay sons who yearn for a more welcoming church and society will find strategies for making their faith communities and their world safer and more just for their children.
Grounded in Catholic tradition, Fortunate Families welcomes families of all faiths.
Click here to find out more.
Parents just learning that a son is gay or a daughter is lesbian will find resources—including the Fortunate Families Newsletter—and support to help them understand, accept, and affirm their child who is a child of God. Catholic parents will find information regarding Church teaching and pastoral responses to the gay or lesbian child. Parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender daughters and gay sons who yearn for a more welcoming church and society will find strategies for making their faith communities and their world safer and more just for their children.
Grounded in Catholic tradition, Fortunate Families welcomes families of all faiths.
Click here to find out more.
Matthew 25 Resource 10/1/09-The Illumination Foundation (Irvine, CA)
The Illumination Foundation (IF) is a grassroots organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness in Orange County. IF provides stable housing and comprehensive wrap-around services for the families in the program, so that they might build a future life of independence. IF is a non-denominational organization that combines services from public agencies and private organizations to offer an on-site comprehensive wrap-around approach to homeless families. These wrap-around services include: case management, medical services, mental health counseling, tutoring, and counseling on life skills, job, and financial matters. IF’s vision is to help the homeless families reach self-sufficiency. To do this, IF is anticipating needs and developing comprehensive and effective programs that acknowledge the dignity of those that they serve and focus on breaking the cycle of homelessness.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to find out more.
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