http://www.harfordchamber.org/Memdirectory/business/BusinessA.html
Arrow joins Chamber in Harford County.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Arrow Jimmy Wayne event
http://events.marylandfamilymagazine.com/event/4190/arrow-child-family-ministries-ambassadors-dinner/
Takes place on November 09, 2011
Arrow Child & Family Ministries' Ambassadors Dinner
Takes place on November 09, 2011
The needs of area foster children will come into clearer focus during National Adoption Month when country music recording artist Jimmy Wayne, himself a former foster child who rose to fame with seven Top 40 singles including “Do You Believe Me Now,” headlines a local fundraising dinner. Wayne completed a
1,700-mile walk halfway across America last year to raise awareness of the needs of teens “aging out” of the foster care system.
Wayne will share, through song, his compelling story of teenage homelessness and foster care during Arrow Child & Family Ministries’ annual Ambassadors Dinner. The event will also feature Michael Reagan (adopted son of the late President Ronald Reagan), an advocate for public policies that benefit the safety, stability and wellbeing of children and families; and Arrow Founder & President Mark Tennant, a former foster child as well.
The number of Baltimore-area children in need of foster and adoptive parents is increasing faster than the availability of homes. Proceeds from the Ambassadors Dinner will help support the local child and family programs of Arrow Child & Family Ministries (www.arrow.org).
Where:
Baltimore Marriott Waterfont
Address:
700 Aliceanna Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
When:
November 09, 2011
Time:
1.5
Event Phone:
410-882-9133 Ext. 253
Venue Phone:
410-385-3000
Price:
Tickets start at $200 per person and are available at www.arrow.org/dinner or by calling Gary Coiro at 410-882-9133 Ext. 253
Website:
Hours
1.5
Event Time
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Host / Sponsor
Arrow Child & Family Ministries
My shortcomings, His grace.
This week, I will let Jesus fill in my gaps.
You’ll fail; it’s inevitable. But God already has a plan in place for making you a success.
I fall short. Here I am, serving in ministry, but I don’t have what it takes. Again and again, I find that I’m not educated enough — or not experienced enough — or not holy enough — or whatever.
But is God frustrated? Not a bit. His plan is that imperfect people, people without complete knowledge and wisdom, trust God and give themselves over to be used by him however he sees fit — and God somehow makes it work!
When the apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Christians in the Greek city of Corinth, he talked about this same inadequacy: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25-28). Perhaps some Corinthians thought their salvation should have transformed them into supermen. But Paul set them straight: “...Think of what you were when you were called,” he went on. “Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things....”
If I feel guilty, ashamed, or discouraged by my own shortcomings in ministry, those aren’t signals I’m receiving from the Spirit of Christ! Someone else is whispering to me. Paul states emphatically in 1 Corinthians 1:30 that Jesus has become wisdom for us — he has become our righteousness. Where we come up short, he fills in the gaps.
Paul himself — perhaps the greatest Christian ever, the Billy Graham or Mother Teresa of his day — admitted that even he wasn’t all that sharp. According to 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, he showed up without eloquence, without superior wisdom, in weakness and fear (to the point of trembling). About as unfit for his God-given assignment as one could possibly be!
So Paul — hopeless as he was — threw himself on his one and only hope: he resolved simply “to know” Jesus. To walk with him, to listen to his voice, to commune with him day in and day out. With no other hope for success, Paul simply flung himself on Christ’s mercy, and said, in effect, “Do with me what you will!”
The result: “a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” that inspired a healthy faith in the people to whom Paul was called to minister. This is our potential too ... as we focus on Jesus alone, and let him “do his thing” through us. Our ministries can express his power — and that will be far greater than any “greatness” we could produce.
My Prayer for the Next Seven Days... I know I fall short, Lord, but don’t let me be discouraged or sidetracked by my shortcomings. Walk with me intimately, and remind me continually of your commitment to use me effectively for your glory, no matter what. Amen.
You’ll fail; it’s inevitable. But God already has a plan in place for making you a success.
I fall short. Here I am, serving in ministry, but I don’t have what it takes. Again and again, I find that I’m not educated enough — or not experienced enough — or not holy enough — or whatever.
But is God frustrated? Not a bit. His plan is that imperfect people, people without complete knowledge and wisdom, trust God and give themselves over to be used by him however he sees fit — and God somehow makes it work!
When the apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Christians in the Greek city of Corinth, he talked about this same inadequacy: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25-28). Perhaps some Corinthians thought their salvation should have transformed them into supermen. But Paul set them straight: “...Think of what you were when you were called,” he went on. “Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things....”
If I feel guilty, ashamed, or discouraged by my own shortcomings in ministry, those aren’t signals I’m receiving from the Spirit of Christ! Someone else is whispering to me. Paul states emphatically in 1 Corinthians 1:30 that Jesus has become wisdom for us — he has become our righteousness. Where we come up short, he fills in the gaps.
Paul himself — perhaps the greatest Christian ever, the Billy Graham or Mother Teresa of his day — admitted that even he wasn’t all that sharp. According to 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, he showed up without eloquence, without superior wisdom, in weakness and fear (to the point of trembling). About as unfit for his God-given assignment as one could possibly be!
So Paul — hopeless as he was — threw himself on his one and only hope: he resolved simply “to know” Jesus. To walk with him, to listen to his voice, to commune with him day in and day out. With no other hope for success, Paul simply flung himself on Christ’s mercy, and said, in effect, “Do with me what you will!”
The result: “a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” that inspired a healthy faith in the people to whom Paul was called to minister. This is our potential too ... as we focus on Jesus alone, and let him “do his thing” through us. Our ministries can express his power — and that will be far greater than any “greatness” we could produce.
My Prayer for the Next Seven Days... I know I fall short, Lord, but don’t let me be discouraged or sidetracked by my shortcomings. Walk with me intimately, and remind me continually of your commitment to use me effectively for your glory, no matter what. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God —that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God —that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Principles for Philanthropy
People give for a reason even if it’s hard to quantify at times. Getting to the bottom of those reasons is the best way to sustaining success in fundraising.
In his book “Risk Only Money,” Jack DeBoer, founder of successful hotel brands such as Residence Inn, describes the reasons he and his wife Marilyn felt compelled to participate in philanthropy. Those reasons are laid out in 15 principles. Below are six that will help you better understand why donors give:
In his book “Risk Only Money,” Jack DeBoer, founder of successful hotel brands such as Residence Inn, describes the reasons he and his wife Marilyn felt compelled to participate in philanthropy. Those reasons are laid out in 15 principles. Below are six that will help you better understand why donors give:
- Giving is personal. Giving should be guided by a plan that reflects the values that guide your life.
- Philanthropy is a free market. In the free market as we know it, the entrepreneur makes a living by finding a need and filling it. In the philanthropy free market, each of us finds a need that lines up with our passions and fills it, not for our own profit, but for the good of people who are in need.
- Put dollars where dollars are scarce. Money will have the most effect in places where poverty is rampant. The DeBoers gave a lot of their money to organizations that help struggling areas such as Burma.
- Ego-holics and anonymity. While some donors will give money with the hope of getting recognized, most donors prefer anonymity.
- Donors aren’t ATMs. DeBoer wrote that some charities began to view their foundation as a money machine. Donors want the proper respect when they are asked for money.
- Visit and listen. There is no substitute for visiting charities in the field. This will give you a better idea if it’s an organization worth your time and money.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Nike Black and Tan
Sneaker giant Nike is backtracking after a St. Patrick’s Day-themed shoe dubbed the “Black and Tan” by retailers drew criticism for paying unwitting homage to the British paramilitary forces of Northern Ireland.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Viral Warlord Video
Calif. Nonprofit's Warlord Video Goes Viral and Fuels Debate
A small San Diego charity has created a worldwide Internet sensation, and prompted a skeptical backlash, with an advocacy video calling for the arrest and war-crimes prosecution of fugitive Ugandan militia leader Joseph Kony, according to Reuters and the Los Angeles Times.
A small San Diego charity has created a worldwide Internet sensation, and prompted a skeptical backlash, with an advocacy video calling for the arrest and war-crimes prosecution of fugitive Ugandan militia leader Joseph Kony, according to Reuters and the Los Angeles Times.
6 Things You Don't Know About a Special Needs Parent
By Jacob's Mom [Maria Lin]...
About 6 million kids in America receive special education, according to the U.S. Department of Education. One out of every 10 children under the age of 14 has some type of special need, which includes any physical, cognitive, or medical disability, or chronic or life-threatening illness.
My 3 year-old son Jacob is one of them.
He has a disorder of the 18th Chromosome. The 18th Chromosome has various named disorders, including Ring 18 and the more well-known Trisomy 18 (which affects Rick Santorum's daughter, Bella). My son has the more rare 18q-. Only 1 in 40,000 Americans have Chromosome 18q-, which means that less than 7,800 Americans are affected by this disorder.
Raising a child with any disorder, condition or special need, is both a blessing and a challenge. A challenge for the obvious reasons, and a blessing because you don't know the depths of victory and joy until you see your child overcoming some of those challenges (sometimes while smiling like a goofy bear).
Chances are that you know a special needs parent, or you may be one yourself. As a special needs parent, I often don't share my feelings on this aspect of my life, even with my closest friends, so I decided to compile a list here with the goal of building understanding (I was largely inspired by this beautiful post, authored by another parent to a child with a chromosomal disorder). I don't claim to speak for every special needs parent out there, but from the ones I know, some of these are pretty universal. If I've missed any, please leave a comment below.
1. I am tired. Parenting is already an exhausting endeavor. But parenting a special needs child takes things to another level of fatigue. Even if I've gotten a good night's sleep, or have had some time off, there is a level of emotional and physical tiredness that is always there, that simply comes from the weight of tending to those needs. Hospital and doctors' visits are not just a few times a year, they may be a few times a month. Therapies may be daily. Paperwork and bills stack up, spare time is spent researching new treatments, positioning him to sit a certain way, advocating for him in the medical and educational system. This is not to mention the emotional toll of raising a special needs child, since the peaks and valleys seem so much more extreme for us. I am always appreciative of any amount of grace or help from friends to make my life easier, no matter how small, from arranging plans around my schedule and location, to watching my son while I am eating.
2. I am jealous. It's a hard one for me to come out and say, but it's true. When I see a 1 year-old baby do what my son can't at 4 years-old (like walk), I feel a pang of jealousy. It hurts when I see my son struggling so hard to learn to do something that comes naturally to a typical kid, like chewing or pointing. It can be hard to hear about the accomplishments of my friend's kids. Sometimes, I just mourn inside for Jacob, "It's not fair." Weirdly enough, I can even feel jealous of other special needs kids who seem to have an easier time than Jacob, or who have certain disorders like Downs, or autism, which are more mainstream and understood by the public, and seem to offer more support and resources than Jacob's rare condition. It sounds petty, and it doesn't diminish all my joy and pride in my son's accomplishments. But often it's very hard for me to be around typical kids with him. Which leads me to the next point...
3. I feel alone. It's lonely parenting a special needs child. I can feel like an outsider around moms of typical kids. While I want to be happy for them, I feel terrible hearing them brag about how their 2 year-old has 100 words, or already knows their ABCs (or hey, even poops in the potty). Good for them, but it's so not what my world looks like (check out Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid). It's been a sanity saver to connect with other special needs moms, with whom it's not uncomfortable or shocking to swap stories about medications, feeding tubes, communication devices and therapies. Even within this community, though, there is such variation in how every child is affected. Only I understand Jacob's unique makeup and challenges. With this honor of caring for him comes the solitude of the role. I often feel really lonely in raising him.
4. I wish you would stop saying, "retarded," "short bus," "as long as it's healthy... " I know people usually don't mean to be rude by these comments, and I probably made them myself before Jacob. But now whenever I hear them, I feel a pang of hurt. Please stop saying these things. It's disrespectful and hurtful to those who love and raise the kids you're mocking (not to mention the kids themselves). As for the last comment, "as long as it's healthy," I hear a lot of pregnant women say this. Don't get me wrong, I understand and share their wishes for healthy babies in every birth, but it's become such a thoughtless mantra during pregnancy that it can feel like a wish against what my son is. "And what if it's not healthy?" I want to ask. (My response: you will be OK. You and your child will still have a great, great life.)
5. I am human. I have been challenged and pushed beyond my limits in raising my son. I've grown tremendously as a person, and developed a soft heart and empathy for others in a way I never would have without him. But I'm just like the next mom in some ways. Sometimes I get cranky, my son irritates me, and sometimes I just want to flee to the spa or go shopping (and, um, I often do). I still have dreams and aspirations of my own. I travel, dance, am working on a novel, love good food, talk about dating. I watch Mad Men, and like a good cashmere sweater. Sometimes it's nice to escape and talk about all these other things. And if it seems that the rest of my life is all I talk about sometimes, it's because it can be hard to talk about my son. Which leads me to the final point...
6. I want to talk about my son/It's hard to talk about about son. My son is the most awe-inspiring thing to happen to my life. Some days I want to shout from the top of the Empire State Building how funny and cute he is, or how he accomplished something in school (he was recently voted class president!). Sometimes, when I'm having a rough day, or have been made aware of yet another health or developmental issue, I might not say much. I don't often share with others, even close friends and family, the depths of what I go through when it comes to Jacob. But it doesn't mean that I don't want to learn how to share our life with others. One thing I always appreciate is whenever people ask me a more specific question about my son, like "How did Jacob like the zoo?" or "How's Jacob's sign language coming along?" rather than a more generalized "How's Jacob?" which can make me feel so overwhelmed that I usually just respond, "Good." Starting with the small things gives me a chance to start sharing. And if I'm not sharing, don't think that there isn't a lot going on underneath, or that I don't want to.
Raising a special needs child has changed my life. I was raised in a family that valued performance and perfection above all else, and unconsciously I'd come to judge myself and others through this lens. Nothing breaks this lens more than having a sweet, innocent child who is born with impairments that make ordinary living and ordinary "performance" difficult or even impossible.
It has helped me understand that true love is meeting someone (child or adult, special needs or not) exactly where he or she is -- no matter how they stack up against what "should be." Raising a special needs child shatters all the "should bes" that we idolize and build our lives around, and puts something else at the core: love and understanding. So maybe that leads me to the last thing you don't know about a special needs parent... I may have it tough, but in many ways I feel really blessed.
About 6 million kids in America receive special education, according to the U.S. Department of Education. One out of every 10 children under the age of 14 has some type of special need, which includes any physical, cognitive, or medical disability, or chronic or life-threatening illness.
My 3 year-old son Jacob is one of them.
He has a disorder of the 18th Chromosome. The 18th Chromosome has various named disorders, including Ring 18 and the more well-known Trisomy 18 (which affects Rick Santorum's daughter, Bella). My son has the more rare 18q-. Only 1 in 40,000 Americans have Chromosome 18q-, which means that less than 7,800 Americans are affected by this disorder.
Raising a child with any disorder, condition or special need, is both a blessing and a challenge. A challenge for the obvious reasons, and a blessing because you don't know the depths of victory and joy until you see your child overcoming some of those challenges (sometimes while smiling like a goofy bear).
Chances are that you know a special needs parent, or you may be one yourself. As a special needs parent, I often don't share my feelings on this aspect of my life, even with my closest friends, so I decided to compile a list here with the goal of building understanding (I was largely inspired by this beautiful post, authored by another parent to a child with a chromosomal disorder). I don't claim to speak for every special needs parent out there, but from the ones I know, some of these are pretty universal. If I've missed any, please leave a comment below.
1. I am tired. Parenting is already an exhausting endeavor. But parenting a special needs child takes things to another level of fatigue. Even if I've gotten a good night's sleep, or have had some time off, there is a level of emotional and physical tiredness that is always there, that simply comes from the weight of tending to those needs. Hospital and doctors' visits are not just a few times a year, they may be a few times a month. Therapies may be daily. Paperwork and bills stack up, spare time is spent researching new treatments, positioning him to sit a certain way, advocating for him in the medical and educational system. This is not to mention the emotional toll of raising a special needs child, since the peaks and valleys seem so much more extreme for us. I am always appreciative of any amount of grace or help from friends to make my life easier, no matter how small, from arranging plans around my schedule and location, to watching my son while I am eating.
2. I am jealous. It's a hard one for me to come out and say, but it's true. When I see a 1 year-old baby do what my son can't at 4 years-old (like walk), I feel a pang of jealousy. It hurts when I see my son struggling so hard to learn to do something that comes naturally to a typical kid, like chewing or pointing. It can be hard to hear about the accomplishments of my friend's kids. Sometimes, I just mourn inside for Jacob, "It's not fair." Weirdly enough, I can even feel jealous of other special needs kids who seem to have an easier time than Jacob, or who have certain disorders like Downs, or autism, which are more mainstream and understood by the public, and seem to offer more support and resources than Jacob's rare condition. It sounds petty, and it doesn't diminish all my joy and pride in my son's accomplishments. But often it's very hard for me to be around typical kids with him. Which leads me to the next point...
3. I feel alone. It's lonely parenting a special needs child. I can feel like an outsider around moms of typical kids. While I want to be happy for them, I feel terrible hearing them brag about how their 2 year-old has 100 words, or already knows their ABCs (or hey, even poops in the potty). Good for them, but it's so not what my world looks like (check out Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid). It's been a sanity saver to connect with other special needs moms, with whom it's not uncomfortable or shocking to swap stories about medications, feeding tubes, communication devices and therapies. Even within this community, though, there is such variation in how every child is affected. Only I understand Jacob's unique makeup and challenges. With this honor of caring for him comes the solitude of the role. I often feel really lonely in raising him.
4. I wish you would stop saying, "retarded," "short bus," "as long as it's healthy... " I know people usually don't mean to be rude by these comments, and I probably made them myself before Jacob. But now whenever I hear them, I feel a pang of hurt. Please stop saying these things. It's disrespectful and hurtful to those who love and raise the kids you're mocking (not to mention the kids themselves). As for the last comment, "as long as it's healthy," I hear a lot of pregnant women say this. Don't get me wrong, I understand and share their wishes for healthy babies in every birth, but it's become such a thoughtless mantra during pregnancy that it can feel like a wish against what my son is. "And what if it's not healthy?" I want to ask. (My response: you will be OK. You and your child will still have a great, great life.)
5. I am human. I have been challenged and pushed beyond my limits in raising my son. I've grown tremendously as a person, and developed a soft heart and empathy for others in a way I never would have without him. But I'm just like the next mom in some ways. Sometimes I get cranky, my son irritates me, and sometimes I just want to flee to the spa or go shopping (and, um, I often do). I still have dreams and aspirations of my own. I travel, dance, am working on a novel, love good food, talk about dating. I watch Mad Men, and like a good cashmere sweater. Sometimes it's nice to escape and talk about all these other things. And if it seems that the rest of my life is all I talk about sometimes, it's because it can be hard to talk about my son. Which leads me to the final point...
6. I want to talk about my son/It's hard to talk about about son. My son is the most awe-inspiring thing to happen to my life. Some days I want to shout from the top of the Empire State Building how funny and cute he is, or how he accomplished something in school (he was recently voted class president!). Sometimes, when I'm having a rough day, or have been made aware of yet another health or developmental issue, I might not say much. I don't often share with others, even close friends and family, the depths of what I go through when it comes to Jacob. But it doesn't mean that I don't want to learn how to share our life with others. One thing I always appreciate is whenever people ask me a more specific question about my son, like "How did Jacob like the zoo?" or "How's Jacob's sign language coming along?" rather than a more generalized "How's Jacob?" which can make me feel so overwhelmed that I usually just respond, "Good." Starting with the small things gives me a chance to start sharing. And if I'm not sharing, don't think that there isn't a lot going on underneath, or that I don't want to.
Raising a special needs child has changed my life. I was raised in a family that valued performance and perfection above all else, and unconsciously I'd come to judge myself and others through this lens. Nothing breaks this lens more than having a sweet, innocent child who is born with impairments that make ordinary living and ordinary "performance" difficult or even impossible.
It has helped me understand that true love is meeting someone (child or adult, special needs or not) exactly where he or she is -- no matter how they stack up against what "should be." Raising a special needs child shatters all the "should bes" that we idolize and build our lives around, and puts something else at the core: love and understanding. So maybe that leads me to the last thing you don't know about a special needs parent... I may have it tough, but in many ways I feel really blessed.
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