Friends,

I would like to draw your attention to a courageous young boy named Youssiff. Please take a moment to read his story, and this update. Proceed cautiously, as the articles are upsetting and somewhat graphic.

I have sincere gratitude for The Children's Burn Foundation -- a non-profit organization – that has agreed to provide Youssiff’s treatment without charge. The foundation is accepting donations to help fray the cost, should you wish to contribute.

I challenge you to take another look at this little boy. Take a moment to consider how badly he needs medical care. Then consider what strong medicine it would be to know that people in this world care about him. A thoughtful and compassionate friend brought this particular point to my attention. His idea is to contact the Foundation and gather donations of cards, drawings, toys etc., for the little boy whose treatment may take a year to complete. Let me know if you would like to get involved. I don’t think it would be expensive or time consuming.

I’d like to urge everyone to add the Children’s Burn Foundation, Youssiff and his family, and my friend to your prayers.

I am just one person. And so are you. That is powerful stuff. What will you do with your power?

more on meaningful touches

I think I am a bit homesick. I wrote previously about meaningful touches...and I think that not really having them here is what has made me long for home so quickly.

In college I dated an amazing fellow who would send me hugs over the phone when I was away at school. He'd get me to close my eyes, and even follow up asking me if I'd felt them. It was so sweet...though I don't think another guy could have gotten me to take the ritual seriously.

It hasn’t hit me yet that tomorrow is my last first day of school ever. The day-to-day routine in law school can get old. Life gets old sometimes too. It is part of being human. But, I believe that everything that has been, will be again. I am issuing myself a personal challenge to focus and make the most I can of my short time left in Birmingham.

I start out fired up every year of school. Inevitably, though, I get tired. It is tempting to take it easy, rest, relax…and I admit that sometimes rest is indeed needed. I have taken on a very full agenda this semester, and it will take strength to get through it all in one piece.

Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us, “You lazy fool, look at the ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest, it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: you can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!”

I pray that I never stop learning and seeking, and aspire to live out the following creed:

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.

For the day we stop learning and loving is the day we truly stop living.