Teamwork

So they say the first year of marriage is the hardest... Well I agree! Relationships are not always nice-and-easy and marriage is not all about wine and roses like many assume. I like to think of marriage like mountain biking or rock climbing. It consists of teamwork, perseverance , trust, sweat, blood, difficulties, twists and turns along the way, however the sense of accomplishment, the joy through the difficulties, and the results make all the hard work so rewarding. So how this relates to marriage, it too has its ups and downs (as does any other relationship since we live in a fallen world), but there are lasting results in how we choose to handle the difficult situations that arise. Many give up, throw in the towel, and many end up divorced, but there is no sense of accomplishment in that. Why go through all the work without reaching the top of the mountain? So we choose to press on, continue to make it our daily goal to learn how to love one another in practical ways, and try to make an effort, in our way too busy, lives to spend time together. Like mountain biking, marriage is fun, exciting, and an adventure!

The Invisible Children

I just got back from viewing the Invisible Children's documentary film at Jammin Java. This film is about the thousands of children in northern Uganda who have to flee their homes and sleep in the city streets, hospitals, or make-shift safe haven buildings in order to escape the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) so they too are not abducted. Being abducted means you become numbed to any sort of feelings because you experience brutal beatings, cruel killings, and the fear of death. However, not being abducted also means fear of death and abduction, the great possiblility of sexual behavior at a very young age, being raped, contracting HIV/AIDs virus, same sex encounters at will or by molestation, etc. So there is a whole generation of children who are being jaded and made to grow up too fast. Here are some of the cold hard facts...

Northern Uganda called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today because of the lack of attention

1.7 million people forcibly displaced

An estimated 20- 50,000 children abducted to fight as soldiers

tens of thousands of children commuting nightly

130 people die per day in Northern Uganda due to violence

This is shocking news that never hits the press here in America. Not belittling the harsh reality that there is a war going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is genocide going on in Africa yet everyone seems to turn a blind eye. Here is what people all around the world are doing to make a difference. On April 29 there is going to be a Global Night Commute where people all around the World are going to commute to their city and sleep on the streets for one night as these children do every night. Please be a part of this stand. How can you ignore the harsh reality of these Ugandan Children? I have a link to the right in order to find out more information for the Global Commute in your city.