Walk Across Alabama

So have you been thinking about walking with us? Are you debating the entire walk, a few days, or just walking in your town…whatever fits you…it’s time to register and help us spread the word! Here’s how it works…go the walk site if you aren’t on it, then go to the tab called “Walkers”. Print off the registration form, fill out and send in. If you are going the entire distance it is a $50 registration fee. Less than five days is $15. If you are walking in your community, there is not a registation fee. The Walker’s Manual can answer all your questions. Plus we have segments like the Faq’s, Fundraising Tips, etc. You get to become part of our fund raising team with a large goal to raise $111,000. We are actually at close to the $3000 mark at this point. So, get registered and get ready!

Can’t wait to see you on the walk!

While I was in Iowa, we stopped at a Starbucks. As I was waiting for my 2 pump Grande Mocha, I peered down at the daily copy of the New York Times. On the front page was a picture of a large group of individual sized dome tents outside a small river in California. I mused about what seemed the modern day Hoovervilles-but then I glanced at the picture’s caption. That is what these were being called. As you may recall, in the early years of the Depression under Herbert Hoover, people had no work, had no money, were forced out of their homes,  and therefore set up small tent communities along railroad tracks and creeks. They became known as “Hoovervilles”. I was saddened to think that the same things were happening again and people were losing their homes.

The day we left Iowa was cold, gray, and some snow had begun to fall. It was dreary and a bit meloncholic. As we crossed a river in Des Moines, I looked through the barren trees along the banks and winced. Along the river were about 10 small domed tents huddled together with bits of laundry hanging from the tent lines. On top of one of the tents was a battered and dirty US flag. This wasn’t some picture in a newspaper-this was real. It painted a haunting image of what life is like for some people. When a thin piece of canvas is the only thing holding off the cold, when your neigbors can hear your conversation, when their is no bathroom or clean running water…and this is America in the 21st Century….does anyone see and does anyone care?

Sitting from even my comfortable office with all the modern day technologies at my fingertips…I wondered who was going to these families? Who is going to walk among the tents, sit inside them, and hear the stories of these families…who is going to care…does our faith and belief in Christ have anything to say to them? I hope it does.

I haven’t seen any “tent cities” in Alabama yet. But I’ve seen alot of shacks and alot of brokeness. Again, does our faith have anything to say to them? I believe so…and we plan to walk among them, take steps with them, and communicate a love that is immeasurable- as Paul writes in Ephesians 3:17-19 ” I and I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ”

We will walk together to share this love and to prevent the notion of “Hoovervilles” in our communities. We’ll walk to end poverty housing in Alabama.

See you on the walk! lisa

Jesus said, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” Matthew 5: 41 NIV. Back in the day when the Romans had occupied the land that we know as Jerusalem, it was a requirement to carry a soldier’s bags for one mile. The Jews despised this practice and the Roman government in general. So, imagine the shock that as Jesus talks about loving your enemies-he gives some concrete examples. You’ll show someone you love them when you go beyond the stated requirement and beyond the law.

I think Jesus was saying when you walk,  ”walk this way” -with an attitude of love. When I think about our walk, I am reminded that justice means simply taking something that is wrong and making it right. It is for the woman who hires a contractor, pays him up front, and then he never shows up to do the work or only half finishes it. It is for the predatory lenders like every Cash Advance place you see on the corner that is charging 400% interest and keeping people in poverty, not helping them…. so as we walk-we walk in the way of Christ and that is with love, compassion, and understanding. We aren’t forced-but definetely motivated because of His love.

Hope you are starting your training and I’ll see you on the walk!

As some of you may know, I’ve been in Iowa for a few weeks wrapping up some National Guard training. I’ve been involved in a planning and team development exercise that has been a great learning experience and somewhat fun. I guess what I realize is that I’m just not a big fan of cold weather. Never have been-most likely never will be. So, my training has been about 2 miles every other day for the past two weeks. Not exactly the 20 miles/day I need to be working toward. But, that is ok. Beginning this weekend, the training begins.

Also-this week we are also launching our sponsorships for Sonshine Kids Day Camp. This camp in Livingston (West Alabama) provides children with a safe place to learn about God, play, and have enrichment opportunities. It is a positive intervention into children’s lives. Knowing the hardships that children in poverty face make sour walk that much more critical. We walk so that we can repair homes but also so we can be play a positive role in a young child’s life. Christ’s message of love is SOOOO HUGE…and it takes all of us to continually and daily communicate it.

Would you like to walk? There is an information meeting next Thursday April 2nd 6:30 PM at Auburn UMC RM 102 in the Britt Building. It is for those in the Auburn/Opelika area interested in the walk. Are you coming with us??? Then this is the meeting you can come to. Blessings to you all and see you on the walk!

One of my first memories of ARM was a lady named “Ms. Lard”. Kinda a strange name, most likely a slave name given when she was young. Ms. Lard was 93 years old and lived in a remote area in West Alabama. We found out it was raining in her bathroom and her kitchen floor was about to cave in. Students from the Auburn Wesley Foundation came and reroofed her entire house-not just the bathroom, fixed her floor, and made sure her stove was working corrrectly. In turn, she told us stories of growing up in the deep south-how she could grow anything and how hard she had to work. I learned alot from Ms. Lard. As the students prepared to depart after a hard week of work, we circled up to pray….as we were closing…she interupted and said she had to pray for us and ask God’s blessing on the group. It was very touching and meant so much. Ms. Lard is why we are walking…to help those who are alone…to build friendships and relationships across our state. Come walk with us!

“Give me your eyes for just one second…give me your eyes so I can see…everything that I keep missing…give me your love for humanity…give me your arms for the broken-hearted… the ones that are far beyond my reach…give me your heart for the ones forgotten…give me your eyes so I can see”   This song by Brandon Heath resonates with me so deeply. Someone once said “may the things that breaks God’s heart break my heart”.  As we plan to walk across our state I pray we can see. Although we don’t like to talk about it…even deny it exists….lack of respect, deep rooted racism, and disdain for others still unlike us is very much present. It may lie underneath the surface but it is there.  Walking across the state means recognizing its presence but also carrying a banner of love that calls us to go much deeper into continuing to understand and work to right the wrongs we see. The challenge is that to experience such a love- all of us will be required to sacrifice in some way…and that is so hard. What do I mean???? For example, if I want African American kids  and minority children to have resources for better schools…something will have to give…like I may need to tighten my belt and be willing to pay higher property taxes so all can win. An educated state benefits us all. In Sumter County and other counties peppered on the Alabama/Mississippi state line our schools are still legally segregated…white kids go to the small often under resourced academies and blacks, minorities, and poor whites go to the public schools and our resources are divided and another cycle of hate, distrust, and lack of respect for each other continues…That is just one example. And it is another reason we are walking…We pray for the eyes to see, and for arms to reach out. We walk and ask God to give us the “arms for the broken hearted…the ones that are far beyond our reach”.

God bless and see you on the walk!

I keep trying to figure out when to train….it really starts when I get back from Iowa. The plan is on our website for how to prepare yourself for walking such a great distance over many days. I look forward to just having long walks and hopefully doing lots of thinking. There is something really peaceful about that. Plus, I’m still stoked about my mom walking across the state with me. It just doesn’t get much better than that. So, if you are coming along, get your heart and feet ready!

blessings! See you on the walk!

‘Thinking about walking across Alabama…. so who really cares? Sometimes we can be so involved with what’s on television, the latest fashion sale at Old Navy, and what actor is getting what award….the we become oblivious to what is happening around us… In our community in Lee County 40 families were seriously affected by a tornado that hit two weeks ago today. But once the newscasters quit broadcasting and a day or so goes by…it is out of site and out of mind. It’s not that we don’t care, we just don’t see. Some of these families still are not in their homes and it will take months to get them back settled. It is the government’s job or the church’s job? Maybe it’s all of ours. So….all that to say that we at ARM are trying to see and then help people get in connection so that they can be a help-a real and tangible expression of Christ’s love. I pray we can look beyond the frivilous things that grab and hold our attention and enter into the experience of others-their joy and pain and truly express Christ. Those Christians…should be labled as a people who go out of their way to care. I pray we can…and this is why we are walking!

See you on the walk!

Part of our reason for walking is to help families do needed repairs on their homes. In this economy-it is even more challenging. The issues in the economy have hit even my family.  A few months ago my mom was laid off from her job. She is 5 years from being able to retire but watching those investments she put away dwindle down. But, my mom, who is also my inspiration in so many ways,  refuses to let anything get her down. You can imagine my surprise when she called to tell me she wanted to walk with me. Although I really want her to find work…it would be way cool to have her along on the journey. What a great bonding experience for mother and daughter. This gives me one more thing to look forward to….so-a huge shout out to all the moms out there.

Have a blessed day- see you on the walk

We are ready! The registration is up and ready for you to access. Just simply print this off, fill out, and send back with your registration fee. Once we have it we will put your walker’s profile on our site. Also, check out the complete walker’s manual for all the details about the walk. Questions….don’t hesitate to ask! All the info is found in the tab called “walkers”.

I’m walking three miles this afternoon!