Browsing Tag

PathLight

Belize, PathLight,

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas from Junkyard Wisdom! Here’s a letter (slightly updated for today) I wrote some time ago. It still seems powerful and has always been one of my favorites. This year, more than ever, it is my hope we can gather together around the true hope, meaning, and power of Christmas.

David L. Fleming writes, “The son of God became poor by becoming incarnate. He embraced poverty in the circumstances of his earthly life. God was born in a stable manger and was given the name Jesus. His parents fled with him as refugees to escape a murderous tyrant. Later he lived

Book Reviews, PathLight,

PathLight and Becoming Brave

I’m going to be interviewing my friend Brenda Salter McNeil in an online forum on October 30. It’s completely free, and I’d love for you to join. Here’s a bit of background about how this came about and why Brenda is my guest.

Most of the readers of this blog know that I’m a co-founder of PathLight International, and I currently serve as board chair for the organization. PathLight provides educational opportunities for at-risk youth in Belize.

Every year I organize what we call PathLight Conversations. This is typically a luncheon with a fascinating guest speaker, like Bob Goff or …

Belize, Book Reviews, PathLight,

Rooting for Rivals

Rooting for Rivals by Peter Greer and Chris Horst is one of those books all of us in ministry need to read. The premise of the book is simple: when nonprofit groups work collaboratively, generously, and across organizational boundaries, putting aside rivalry, great things can then transpire. All of us who work in the nonprofit world know how obvious this is, but we also know it should be practiced more frequently. I’m glad Peter and Chris finally wrote what we all needed to hear.

Despite the lovey-dovey image of the nonprofit world, it can sometimes be as ruthless as the …

Belize, Jaguar Creek, Junkyard Wisdom Book,

Transition, Purpose, and Laughter

When two dozen people go to the Belize rainforest to discuss wealth and justice, while also spending their evenings talking about seemingly insolvable issues like Middle East peace or child exploitation, it’s either going to be an amazing experience or an absolute explosion of entrenched opinions and logistical challenges.



Thankfully, no doubt in large part because of your prayer, it was an amazing experience.

The second annual Junkyard Wisdom Belize went off without any logistical challenges, thank God.

 

More importantly, the people who came had a wide range of opinions and perspectives, but a shared love for God …

PathLight, Random Thoughts,

Christmas Mystery

There is a mystery about Christmas that should eternally amaze us; The Almighty God, creator and ruler of all, becomes a child born in poverty. That, my friends, is a marvelous truth. It is why we celebrate Christmas.

Sometimes we are busy or distracted or simply weary of the story, so to our detriment we fail to be awed by this mystery. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The lack of mystery in our modern life is our downfall and our poverty. A human life is worth as much as the respect it holds for the mystery. We retain the child in us

Belize, PathLight,

Abundant Joy

As readers of this blog know, the work PathLight does in Belize is among my favorite ministries. Recently the CEO of PathLight, Roger Dermody, wrote the letter below announcing the launch of a new campaign built around Abundant Joy. I’m sharing it here in whole because it is so good!

Dear Friends,

I am writing this letter after spending a week in Belize surrounded by people who have what the Apostle Paul describes as “abundant joy” in his letter to the Corinthians. In the midst of poverty, with no obvious way out, the people Paul wrote to embraced joy –

Belize, PathLight,

Back to School!

It’s back to school time! Millions of students are returning to school this time of year, and almost all of them are receiving some degree of financial aid. Not just college students — but anybody who attends a public school, in any nation, is receiving a subsidized education. Even those who attend private school are being assisted by an endowment or scholarship.

We’re fortunate in America to have good school systems and generous donors (or local governments) who provide for students. Unfortunately, in Belize, the government struggles to meet the needs of students, especially thousands who live in poverty. Secondary …

Belize, Jaguar Creek,

The Founding of Jaguar Creek

The folks at Jaguar Creek recently asked for my reflections on the early days, so I drafted this for their blog. Seems worthwhile to share it here as well.

It was nearly 25-years ago when the phone call came. I answered with a simple, “Hello?” and the crackly voice on the other side said without any preamble, “I found it.”  The voice was my friend Kirk calling from Belize. He and his wife had been searching for a unique property in the Belize rainforest so we could build an environmentally friendly research and education center. The goal was to have …