Picturesque America New Poll

From sea to shining sea and from the rolling green hills of Ohio to the prairies of Nebraska, many American churches rest in lavish pastoral communities far from the poverty of our cities. Today, HIA launches a new poll. We ask, "how is Picturesque America doing?" In your opinion, what is our record on serving the poor and the homeless from the calm of our pristine settings? Please scroll down towards the bottom of this main page and respond to the poll …

In my opinion, the poor and homeless prompt this reaction from the average established Christian congregation worshiping in a common middle class American suburb today.

** Homeless? Are there many? I haven’t seen any here.
** We organize an ongoing food pantry, clothing drives & more!
** There was an outreach last Thanksgiving.
** We write a check to the Rescue Mission at Christmas.
** None of the above.
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Why we Love others ...

Love is sufficient of itself; it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in the practice. Of all the movements, sensations and feelings of the soul, love is the only one in which the creature can respond to the Creator and make some sort of similar return however unequal though it be. For when God loves, all he desires is to be loved in return. The sole purpose of his love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love him are made happy by their love of him. --Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

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From Foreboding Foreclosure to Homeless – 18 Tips to Prepare

Foreclosure pending? Planning to be homeless soon? You will need to know alot more than 18 tips, but this is a good start ...

1. When you know you are about to be homeless, you should take as little as you can, but as much as you need - no more than one bag per person.

2. Get with all of your children and decide what clothing they will need. They will need mostly warm clothing, but also have the ability to dress up or down in layers, depending.

3. Gather up all the storable foods you can find in your home if you still have a home. Don’t take foods that require refrigeration.

4. Foods that are good to take are canned beans, soup and canned meats, canned Spam and potted meat. Vienna sausages and canned ham that is cured and doesn't have to be refrigerated are good, too. Bread should be kept for sandwiches.

5. Have games ready for those times when the kids get annoyed with each other and bored with riding. For faith and encouragement, have some Christian CDs to play in the car, assuming you still have one.

6. Rest areas are a good place you can stay for a little while. If you get to know the park ranger, he may let you stay indefinitely. One family I heard of stayed a month in a park.

7. Make sure you always have enough gas. You do not want to run out of gas in a strange area, especially at night.

8. Stay close to truck drivers. If you are in trouble, they will look after you. They stick together in most situations. It is like travelling with family. They know what it is like to be homeless – they live on the road most of their lives.

9. When you arrive in the city you wish to live, find a place to rest. For instance, sleep in the parking lot of a well known superstore.

10. Large parks with lakes are great places to camp out. Of course, they usually charge you a fee. Park rangers can be unkind, but with any conscience, they may come around and be your ally.

11. Have some way of cooking. Don’t make huge bonfires; it draws attention – just very small fires to get the job done for you and your children.

12. Don't be too loud and let your children run around without supervision. It draws attention and you become more of a liability.

13. Remember, being homeless draws attention from city officials, too. The Family Services people may come and check on you. Make sure you have school books and impress them with how well you are homeschooling your children.

14. Acquiring a job can be difficult when you have only freezing cold water coming from a lake or a gas station bathroom. If bathing outdoors, it can be dangerous. Not only do you have to watch out for wild animals, but strangers wandering up, as well. This is why it is never a good idea to go to the park bathroom by yourself.

15. At night, there are wild animals that prowl in most remote places where there are woods. In this case, have family members take turns doing watches in the night. It is commong to see wolves, foxes, bears and mountain lions. They are looking for food and leftovers. Always seal and store food in the car at bed time. Have the night "watchman" use a powerful flashlight to ward off animals. Don’t flirt with deer or other “cute” wild animals, they will bite and charge you!

16. Remember, it is better to be homeless in a small town. People tend to be more helpful. You need to find out where they have places to help people in your situation.

17. Get a job where you can. That doesn't mean a bad job or indecent job. This means if a fast food restaurant is where you have to work, do not be ashamed. Do whatever it takes to feed your family without lowering your standards.

18. The one important thing to remember...."never lose your faith". Jesus and his mother and father(there was no room in the inn) were homeless too, they understand what you are going through. Pray, and the Lord will come to your aid. Believe in miracles!

Adapted from a writing of HarleyAngelBrat, a mother of faith with seven children, a writer and who personally understands family homelessness.

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Eager?

Immediately after the death of Jesus around 33 AD we know that Peter and the apostles remained in Jerusalem. It was here that they were entrusted with the good news of the gospel for the Jews, announcing to the people the continuation of Christ’s mission - that he had come to “preach good news to the poor and to set the captive free” (Luke 4:16-21). From the day Jesus commissioned himself in Luke 4 and then the apostles - they were always to be first and foremost mindful of the poor.

Later, the Apostle Paul, by the year 38 AD carried on the same mission to share the gospel with the poor, but specifically those among the Gentiles. Paul states in Galatians 2:7-14, “And when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me, James and Peter and John, who were reputed pillars, gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised [Jews]. Only, we were to be mindful of the poor, which is the very thing I was eager to do.”

Today, we continue the same ministry of Christ and His church pillars, Peter and Paul – meaning we first and foremost are required to have preferential treatment for the poor, the homeless, the imprisoned, the lost and forgotten. Like Paul, are we “eager” - mindful of the poor in our lives today, this week? Are we personally continuing the core mission of Christ’s journey?

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Isaiah 66, the “Route 66” to Heaven

Thus says the LORD, Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things. Thus all these things came into being, declares the LORD. But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:1-2

Let us pray …

Lord, you said about the humility of little ones, “For thus is the kingdom of heaven.”
- Grant homeless children everywhere food, water, clothing, shelter, peace and safety.

Your compassionate Mother prayed, “For God has looked with favor on my lowliness.”
- Look mercifully upon the lowliness of all broken mothers living in poverty on our streets and supply all of their needs for today.

Dear Jesus, when you taught us to pray you said “Our Father” and “Forgive us our trespasses.”
- Teach fathers the humility of forgiveness, patience, kindness and compassion with their sons and daughters and through their charity and example, end the cycle of homelessness among abused teenagers.
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Poor, Prisoner, Oppressed, Immigrant, Orphan, Hungry & Blind the LORD Comes to Save

And Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.” Luke 4:18

Psalm 146

Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD, O my soul…

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,

the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,

the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the immigrant
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked...
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The Dumbing Down of America?

Chris, a longtime HIA reader and a frequent messenger of mercy to the poor and homeless in California sends to us this Business Week cover story, August 6, 2007 edition: The Pet Economy – Americans now spend $41 billion on their pets.

The article reports that Americans are doling out $41 billion a year for their pets - everything from gourmet and designer foods to Fido’s nose job. What that basically means is that a lot of humans are getting rich and people’s priorities are all messed up.

American society has evolved to the point where each year there are 3.5 million homeless (about the size of Phoenix, AZ) being ignored. We have human beings who are not even basically housed, fed or clothed. Yet our pets are essentially living in the lap of luxury.

Increasingly, Americans are making the choice to pamper pets that do not have the thinking capacity to understand designer differences. For instance, they cannot comprehend the difference between nourishing wholesome dog food and hand crafted, glazed and decorated treats – ones that are handsomely boxed and laid to rest on festive tissue paper; the latter of which can easily cost 10 times the former’s price. Some have gone so far to say that expensive and irrational choices such as these are another validation of what is popularly called, “The dumbing down of America!”
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Dear God

Dear God, there is no place like home, so help me with this prayer. I bring to you a brother in need. He is beloved, Divine and has talents within him to express and share. But he does not know this. He lives on the street and eats out of garbage cans. For living this wretched life, I have blamed and mocked him. I do not know his name, but call him “Homeless”. I do not know what has injured him. In fact, I do not know him at all. I have only seen him—sleeping in doorways, wandering aimlessly—staring up at me with hollow eyes. He barely survives. My blaming cannot stir him from his pain, but only increase it. So I release all blame now and call for your compassion to fill me.

Lord, I am so grateful that I have a home; that I have a place in which to eat, bathe, rest and love. I cannot imagine the chaos of living without one. Intervene on behalf of this beloved one. He is so dear to you and has so many faces—male, female, teenager, toddler, boy, girl, old and young. Fill this one with the most intimate knowledge of your love. Enter the hearts, minds and bodies of my brothers and sisters, and awaken within them knowledge of their holiness and gifts. Fill me with compassion for their journey and use me in your love and care for all so that many will no longer be known by the name “homeless” because you sent me – they have me, the hands of Christ to embrace them.

And so it is … Amen.
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Something many People may not be Ready to Hear; Angela of Foligno tells us how to Know God

On one occassion, Blessed Angela of Foligno (a wife, mother and mystical writer who died in 1309) was asked why one should embrace poverty, suffering, and contempt, she replied ...

"One must know God and oneself ... From these [poverty, suffering and contempt], one begins to attain to knowledge of God ... Christ, the beloved always had, always loved, and always practiced poverty, suffering and contempt. Therefore, like Christ, the one who loves Him should always love, put into practice, and posess these three things."
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Despised and Rejected, Children & Teens Unite with Christ’s Homelessness in Omaha, NE

A Michigan mother recently drove roughly 12 hours to Omaha, so she could abandon her 13-year-old son at a hospital under the state's unique safe-haven law, Nebraska officials said today. State officials met with the boy's mother. They believe the boy's parents are married but not sure if the father has agreed to the decision.

Last week, a 14-year-old girl from Iowa was left at an Omaha hospital by her grandparents. The girl has since been returned to her family.

Nebraska's safe-haven law is unlike similar laws in that it allows anyone, not just a parent, to drop off a child, of any age, at any state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution for abandonment. Several parents or guardians who have left children cited uncontrollable behavioral problems. An out-of-work widower who left nine of his 10 children said he simply felt overwhelmed by his responsibilities.
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Regulating Jesus in Orlando, Florida?

Apparently regulating charity has become the responsibility of city government? Check out the laws governing the feeding and care of homeless at the home of the “Magic Kingdom” - the city of Orlando, Florida. Is there anything magical about the laws?

Excerpts from: Section 18A.01, of the newly revised Code of the City of Orlando:

"(a) It is unlawful to knowingly sponsor, conduct, or participate in the distribution or service of food at a Large Group Feeding..."

"(23) ...Large Group Feeding is defined as an event intended to attract, attracting, or likely to attract 25 or more people, including distributors and servers."

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http://jesuswashomeless.com/

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Elizabeth's Story

While some kids don't always like what mom or dad is cooking for dinner, they don't have to worry about where to find their next meal. Elizabeth Murray grew up with drug-addicted parents and often didn't have warm clothes or food. "It would be common for me to go into my kitchen and see my parents shooting drugs into their veins," Elizabeth told 20/20. When Elizabeth was 10 she found out her mother had AIDS. A few years later, while most teenage girls were worrying about what to wear, Elizabeth was looking after her Mom, who's AIDS had become full blown and were complicated by tuberculosis. Her Mom died at age 41 in 1996.

At 15 Elizabeth was homeless. Her mom was gone and her dad was on the street. After her mom's death she knew things had to change and she knew it was up to her. "I connected the lifestyles that I had witnessed every day with how my mother ended. And if there was anything I could do about it that would not happen to me. So I went back to school. But mind you, I was homeless," explains Elizabeth.

Her high school didn't know Elizabeth was homeless, not that she cared. She took an extra load of work, studied on the stairs and made excellent grades. When she read about a scholarship offered by The New York Times she quickly applied and won. She will receive $12,000 for every year at college. Elizabeth was determined to go to Harvard and the university didn't turn her down.

Right now Elizabeth lives with her little sister in New York while she waits to become a full-time student. She isn't too sure what she wants to major in yet but plans on pursuing theater, film and literature. She's working at the New York Times right now and they offered her work for the summer. Elizabeth has gone from homeless to Harvard.
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Our Hope is in You, O Lord

He went around Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. Matthew 4:23

With confidence in God's saving love for the lost, abandoned, hurt and suffering, we pray:

R Our hope is in you, O Lord

For the hopeless, the frightened, the needy and the oppressed:
- grant them strength through faith in You. R

For the deaf and blind, the injured and ill:
- heal all their ills. R

For the dying who await their judgment in fear:
- change their dread to joy. R
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10 Tips from Islam that any Family can do to Serve the Poor, Part II

Continued from, Saturday, October 4, 2008 ...

Today wraps up a two-part post containing valuable tips from Islam about how families, and for the matter individuals - how they can better make serving the poor a way of life. Here are tips 6-10...

6. Have a family garage sale and donate the proceeds to the poor
Do your kids get bored as the summer wears on? Get everyone to take out any unwanted toys, clothes, etc. from their closets. Then organize a garage sale. All of the money should go to a shelter or soup kitchen.

7. Visit a homeless shelter or soup kitchen as a family
We become so used to just opening up the fridge when we're hungry, we forget there are countless millions who don't have this luxury. Call up the local soup kitchen and ask if you can make the food there for one meal. Nothing fancy – just make some pasta for instance. Get the family and some friends to help too.

8. Make it a habit to meet with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Have you noticed that all of your friends and social contacts are from the same economic class? Friendship must never be based on the size of a house or bank account. Teach yourself and your kids this valuable lesson.

9. Make one "poor" meal a month in the home
What do you usually eat for dinner as a family? If you've been eating rich, heavy food, give it a break for just one day out of the month. Make a very, very simple meal. This will give everyone a real live example of what it feels like to live with much less for a day.

10. Fast and make Dua for those living in poverty
One of the great things about fasting is that it makes you more aware of what it's like to live with hunger. Do a Nafl (optional) fast for a day. Get a friend to do it with you. When it's time to break your fast, make Dua for those who are living in poverty worldwide and ask Allah what you can do to help alleviate their suffering.
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10 Tips from Islam that any Family can do to Serve the Poor - Part I

Today begins a two-part post containing valuable tips from Islam about how families, and for the matter individuals - how they can better make serving the poor a way of life. Here are tips 1-5...

1. Make sure to pay Zakat
What is Zakat? It is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is the obligation we have to benefit the poor and the needy. Your family assets such as jewelry and a family business are "Zakatable". [Sounds like a "tax" or type of tithing]

2. Start a family Sadaqa (charity) box
Wouldn't it be great to give charity as a family? You can do this in a systematic way by setting up a family Sadaqa box in a particular spot of the house. Then, each person puts a portion of their allowance or salary in this box. Once a month, hold a family meeting to decide exactly where and to whom the money will go.

3. Have a "secret Sadaqa box"
Ideally, your left hand should not know what your right hand has given in charity. To encourage secret charity, put a secret Sadaqa box in the home. Tell the kids where it is hidden and why it is there. Monthly, decide as a family where the money should be given.

4. Be in regular social contact with community members
Do you think the only people who are really living in poverty are those who ask?  There are a number of people who, due to their sense of nobility and self-respect, cannot and will not ask from others, even if they are in need.

5. Use food wisely at parties
Where do you see so much good food wasted? Usually it is at weddings and dinner parties and social occasions. Once a party is over, drop off leftovers at a shelter for the homeless, a soup kitchen, or a family you personally know who is in need. To be continued next week…

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More on the Internet
http://www.soundvision.com/Info/poor/familytips.asp

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Just a Homeless Bum that Floats, Soars and Bilocates

You’ve heard the Apostle speak about entertaining angels, unawares while talking to strangers and visitors? However, how about this … All this time you’ve been encountering homeless bums on our city streets, you may have been entertaining saints unawares!

Consider that one such instance in history has been documented. Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, also known as the Beggar of Perpetual Adoration was the oldest of 15 children in a prosperous middle class family. Saint Labre was educated by his uncle, a parish priest. Following his uncle's death, he tried to join the Trappists, Carthusians, and Cistercians, but was rejected by them all.

The Saint spent years wandering Europe, especially Rome, in complete poverty as a homeless man, spending his days in perpetual adoration in the cathedrals. Given to religious ecstasies when contemplating the Crown of Thorns; reputed to float, soar, and bilocate. He begged in the streets, and if he was given more than he needed for the day, he would give the remainder to some one he considered more in need than he was.

He reportedly cured some of his fellow homeless, and reported to have multiplied bread for them. He was also a noted counselor to people of all walks and income brackets in Rome. He died in a hospice, exhausted from his life of austerity. His biography, written by his confessor Marconi, describes 136 miraculous cures attributed to him within three months of his death.
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Purple

For all the poor, lost, forgotten, crushed and abandoned, which is pretty much the whole of the human race – in God’s great desire for the glory of His grace to be revealed, God the Father predestined us to be adopted as His children. This was His will and pleasure says the Apostle, so that His glorious grace freely bestowed on us in His beloved might redound to His praise. Saint John Chrysostom, famed preacher and commentator on Holy Scripture said in this regard ... 

Clothing Him in Purple, Puts A Crown on His Head ...

“Why does God wish to be praised and glorified by us if not to make our love for Him more fervent? His desire is not to receive service or glory or anything else from us, but only for our salvation, and for this He made the whole world. Being filled with praise and wonder because of the grace bestowed on us will make us more diligent and more zealous.

“Imagine a man suffering from repugnant and infectious disease, and afflicted as well by old age, poverty and hunger. Suppose someone suddenly transforms him into a comely young man, surpassing all others in beauty, his cheeks glowing, his eyes shinning more brightly than the sun; and suppose that having endowed him thus with the bloom of youth, he then clothes him in purple, puts a crown on his head, and gives him all the insignia of the king. Well, that is exactly what God has done for your soul: He has made it beautiful, desirable and lovable. The angels, archangels, and all the powers of heaven desire to look upon such a soul. So He has made us pleasing and desirable in His eyes. As the Psalmist says, ‘The King will desire your beauty.’” St. John Chrysostom (+407)
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