What's The Difference?

When Haiti happened, the response was amazing. And heart warming! I took part in the Hope For Haiti telethon that actually started with George Clooney and MTV. Crazy, right?

So now I'm watching the videos of Pakistan and I've read that the need is big, people are saying even bigger than Haiti.

This is from the site How Big Really powered by the BBC:


You can change the center using this link: http://howbigreally.com/dimension/environmental_disasters/pakistan_floods

And I keep wondering...
Where are the celebrities?
Where are the telethons?

The comments I keep reading on CNN/MSNBC are disheartening.

I understand that Pakistan has harbored terrorists. I understand that there have been flag burnings there. And people have been murdered. Innocent people. But I look at those little children and think about how much they hurt.

I understand that the economy is bad. I don't blame my friends for not donating. It seems like everything has gone wrong this year, right? You've got Haiti and you've got the BP oil crisis and it just keeps coming. "Donor fatigue" as a friend of mine put it.

Maybe it's that. Maybe it's just all coming on the tail of so much disaster that we're tired of it. That we need a little sunshine in our lives.

I can understand that too.

Plus, it's hard to empathize with someone who is so far away. My mom always likes to tell the story of the alarm she felt when my sister (very, very young and a long time ago) had heard about a plane crash with no survivors. My sister said, 'Why should I care? I didn't know them.' (My mother feared for YEARS for my sister's compassion after that)

There's a quote that is very accurate for me:
Do not commit the error, common among the young, of assuming that if you cannot save the whole of mankind you have failed.
~ Jan de Hartog

Sorry. I'm not really going to wrap this up. It's almost time for work to end, I have a headache, I don't know how to wrap it up, really. There are my thoughts, splattered across a page.

If you are interested in donating through the PRIVATE SECTOR: http://www.oxfam.org/ , http://www.theirc.org/ or through the U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: http://www.state.gov/

Photos!

Sorry this took so long! I forgot my digital camera so we bought a disposable. The pictures are terrible, but you can see a little bit. Father Gregory Boyle talking about his book 'Tattoos On The Heart'





Sara Groves was the opener for an Amy Grant concert. I just wanted to see Sara Groves. It was great!





Have you ever heard of Peter Luger's? It's a famous restaurant in NYC. We went with another couple. It was really good, but I'm feeling guilty about how much we spent. Ack! That one picture is bacon. So good :)





A few blocks from our apartment was the Puerto Rican Day festival. We got some AMAZING food. We got it today, but it wasn't as good - the place we got it from yesterday (photos below) didn't have as much food made today. It was really windy and I think that everyone was just trying to keep their tents up.

The Winner!!

Before I announce the winner, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who donated. We really appreciate everything you've done and it couldn't be done without you!

The winner of the $75 gift certificate is...

Danielle

Congrats, Danielle! You can send me an e-mail at DanaeHudson at gmail dot com to choose your gift card.

LAST DAY TO ENTER!!

The Blocks are $7 away from $300 in their fund! If 7 people put in $1 or one person puts in $7 or any combination thereof, the giveaway will go up to $75 in gift cards!!

Even $1 will get you entered in the drawing! So far, we only have 3 people in the running, so if you donate, your chances are still pretty high :)

The Blocks received $20,000 to help with their last adoption. They realized that it shouldn't end with them. They have already given away $10,000 to a family adopting and are raising another $10,000 to give away to another family. If you'd like to read more about their decision to raise $20,000 for others, please visit here.

Kenzie was born a little bundle of energy! She learned new words and then...suddenly it all stopped around her 2nd birthday. A specialist diagnosed her as having Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Integration Disorder. Autism is such a mysterious disorder and the only proven treatment (not cure) is ABA therapy. To learn more about Kenzie and her family, please visit here.

I really want to be able to give somebody $75 in gift cards (though I'm still willing for $50!!). If you can donate, that would be awesome! If you can't, please pray or pass this blog on!

Winner will be announced tomorrow. What a great way to start a Friday, right?

BONUS!!! Plus An Apology

Apology first: In my first post, I said that this contest would end on SEPTEMBER 19th. That was a lie. It actually ends TOMORROW, August 19th. BUT, if you were to comment and say that you wanted to donate, but had to wait until next week, I would hold it. Because I like you.

Now, for a BONUS!

I notice that we've gotten the Block's Chip-In to $292.83. That is awesome and I thank you!! So here's what I'm thinking. If we could get the Chip-In to $300, I will add another gift card for $25. So the winner would get a $75 gift card instead of $50!!

So I would ask that you pray about it, think about it.
If you can donate, please do! Donating something like $10 could get you $75!
If you can't donate, that's okay! Maybe you could send your friends here. Or you know, anything. :)

Thank you for all of your help! I really appreciate it. I know how hard it is with the economy. I'm thinking of doing Rice and Bean days like The Blocks, but my husband is pretty close to vetoing that one. ;)

SO CLOSE!! Two More Days To Win $50

Hey guys!

I'm going to draw for the gift card in two days. Which is okay because, so far, I've only got one person who's entered...she's got pretty good odds at this point!

But I looked at the gift cards that I could purchase and, your options are:
Gap
Banana Republic
Best Buy
Shop Rite
iTunes
Chilis
Applebees
Olive Garden
Even just a regular old Visa gift card that you can spend on ANYTHING!

Even if you just donate $1, I know that both of the bloggers will appreciate your contributions.

The Block Family
(Credit To The Block Family)

The Block Family received a generous gift of $20,000 to help pay for their adoption. They've decided that this will not end with them. They have already given away $10,000 to help with one adoption and their goal right now is to help with a second adoption.

Baby Be Blessed

(Credit to Baby Be Blessed)
Baby Be Blessed is raising money for Kenzie. She has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Integration Disorder. Autism is such a mysterious disorder and the only proven treatment (not cure) is ABA therapy. Donating to Baby Be Blessed, you are eligible for both my giveaway and the giveaway that Baby Be Blessed does on their website.

Leave a comment on this blog post if you've donated and I'll make sure you're put into the drawing! Tell your friends!! Tell anyone!! I could use a little help :)

THANK YOU!!

What I Can't Get Out Of My Head

"You have to be able to imagine lives that are not yours."
- Wendell Berry

So Much Fun!!

That strange spiral creation? A POTATO!!!! I was looking for that in Korea when I was there, but never found one. So Steve and I saw a Catholic street fair happening in Jersey City and what do I find?! THE POTATO SPIRAL!!! So excited. So now I'm sharing it with you. The other thing was a rice ball. I only got one, but I should have got more. Absolutely delicious.

I hope you guys are all doing well! I just wanted to remind you about the contest that I'm doing right now. Even if you donate just ONE DOLLAR, you'll still be put in the race. I really want to help The Blocks in Texas grow their money to give it away. I believe they're doing something after God's heart and I think that's amazing. So, if you'd like to be a part of it, go ahead and donate to the chip-ins on the left hand of my blog and leave a comment on this blog post:

http://divinemrsd.blogspot.com/2010/08/now-if-youll-look-to-your-leftwin.html

If you can't donate (I understand), but would still like to help (which would be AWESOME), please link back to that post and I would really REALLY appreciate that :)

Thank you!!

Now, If You'll Look To Your Left...(Win Something Here!)

You'll see that I have to Chip In widgets!

The Pass It Forward widget is for The Blocks They have adopted children from all over the world. When they were looking for money to adopt (since international adoption is definitely expensive), a donor kindly gave them $20,000. They do not believe that this gift should end with them and they are now trying to raise $20,000 so that they can give this gift to another family who wants to adopt.


The second widget is for Baby Be Blessed's Give A Blessing. The recipient this month is Kenzie. She has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Integration Disorder. There is no cure - only therapy. And that therapy is expensive.


Well, this makes me wish that I had more followers on my blog. So that more people would know about this.

THE IDEA

If you donate to EITHER Chip In located on the left, no matter the amount, you will be entered to win a $50 GIFT CARD

What? You want me to tell you WHERE the gift card is for? Here's what will make it interesting. I can't get ALL kinds of gift cards, but I can get quite a few so...if you win the gift card, I will allow you to choose from:

Olive Garden



Best Buy



Itunes




Chilis


AND! If those don't work for you, I am willing to work with the winner. I live near a Shop Rite and a BJs and a bunch of other places. I'm willing to work with you!!

I feel like Bob Barker. And I'm secretly praying that it doesn't go the way my last 'giveaway' did. That was slightly depressing, but I'm gonna try again! :)

HOW TO WIN

1) Donate to one of the Chip In widgets on the left hand side of my blog. It doesn't matter how big or how small your donation. If you donate more than once, comment more than once.
2) Leave a comment on THIS post.
3) Drawing will be on September 19th using random.com!! Let all your friends know!

Holy Cow! It's Been Forever :)

Sorry about that. And I have a few things to tell you!

I wish I had pictures - I saw Father Greg Boyle speak at The Strand in New York City. He was telling us stories about the homies and how to love the poor. His book 'Tattoos On The Heart' is amazing and I literally have purchased 15 copies to send to friends and family.

He was telling us this story:

He was taking two homies up state in California when he hears that one of them has a text message. A guy from Homeboy has texted him saying, 'Hey, vato, I'm in jail.' And the guy with Father G says, 'What?' Father G is thinking...oh no. When the guy in the car gets a second message, 'Yeah, I was arrested for being the ugliest vato in East L.A. I need you to come back and prove that they got the wrong guy!'

The thing was, these two guys who were joking back and forth by text message were from rival gangs. They should have hated each other. Loved it!

I was the third person in line to get my book signed. He signed it 'With a no-matter-whatness, Father Boyle.' I made a comment about the book and he said, 'You've read it?' And I said, 'Twice!' (You could almost say three times now) and he seemed stunned. I told him I'd purchased 15 copies, but I'm not sure he believed me. ;)

I have pictures to post from the Sara Groves concert Steve and I went to as well, but I'll do that at home. I called my dad after that concert and he was asking me where we were. I told him that we had gone to an Amy Grant concert, but didn't stay for the main act because we had only gone for Sara Groves.

My dad: 'Wait, so you went to a concert for the opening act? You paid money to see the band BEFORE the show is supposed to be?'
Me: 'Yeah!'
My dad: 'Danae, you have always been your own person.'

HA! Cracked me up. I didn't think it was THAT weird.

How are you guys doing? How have you been?

A Dream

Yeah, it seems as of late that I've been a dreamer. I had asked God for a dream, but I was looking for a simpler one. ;) (It's okay Big Man, I'll take what I can get)

A few weeks ago, I actually auditioned for the Wheel of Fortune (this is real). I made it to the last round and they said that, if we were selected, we would get a letter in the mail.

So here's the dream. It's short:

I received a letter from the Wheel of Fortune people and they wanted ME on the show! My NAME was on that letter! But then I realized that the details didn't really describe me. They were talking about someone who had ALL sorts of tattoos and I only have two. In my dream, I was nervous: should I call up the people and tell them that they had the wrong person or should I just go on the show?

Then I woke up.

In the end, I do have to tell you...the dreams I've been having lately are MUCH better than the ones I grew up with...those always involved the death of my brother or me being chased through my elementary school by Nazis. I'll take letters in the mail any day over being burned at the stake by pirates :-D