Taking Heart

Waiting for Tomorrow,

Morning is Coming!

We had the opportunity to sing these words, yesterday, at North Way's Good Friday services.

Below is a moment captured by our Production Director, Jonathan Cooper.

See you at one of our services on Sunday morning!



The Founder of Salvation

We have the opportunity to remember what Jesus conquered on the hill of Calvary many years ago that remains and presides today.  He stretched his arms out upon the cross and conquered death for us!  I have heard, year after year, the greatest story ever told.  I was reminded, yesterday, of how necessary it is to ever and always be in awe of the cross, no matter how many times I've heard the Story.  Myself, my pastor, and a few others climbed up on the rooftop of our church, in the heart of the city, under the hot Sun, to pray for this holy weekend of celebration and also for our city. 

Pittsburgh, particularly, the University of Pittsburgh, has been under attack with lots of bomb threats in university classrooms and dorms.  As I sat down for a 10am Recitation in the Cathedral of Learning yesterday, a bell resounded the halls, indicating yet another threat had been received to the building (#23 to be exact).  I looked around at the other students as we walked down the steps and out the doors.  Frustration and fear were in the eyes and conversations as we all exited.  My class resumed our discussion on the lawn of Schenley Plaza, yet my peers and I couldn't help but look up anxiously as sirens rang and groups of people passed near our gathering of chairs.

There was definitely temptation to give in to fear at these times.  But we have already gained victory under the providence of the cross.  Death has been defeated by love!

This morning was a wonderful gathering in Homewood called Prayer for Peace, where community members walked side by side on the streets of Homewood in prayer and unity.  Many violences and insurrections have crossed the very streets we tread upon.  As we finished our walk, Franchise reminded the walkers, that Homewood is the city of God.  Under Him, all things are reconciled.

Hebrews 2 reminds us Who has already saved us.  Speaking about Jesus,
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.  But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (v. 8-9).

Because of the work finished by Christ, we can remain fearless in any circumstance.  He's got us.  We just need to claim what he is already offering us.  Saved from fear; founded by the Savior Himself.  Happy Good Friday!

#3: Warby Parker

"Eyewear with a Purpose"

Here is Warby Parker's Story!

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We believe that everyone has the right to see. Unfortunately, millions of people around the world today don’t have access to proper vision care. To help address this problem, Warby Parker partners with renowned non-profits, such as VisionSpring.org, to deliver one pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair that we sell. In doing so, we enable you to share the gift of vision with someone who can’t see today and give them the opportunity to read, to work and to live a fuller life.

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Shameless plug, my sister, Meg, and my sweet friend, Kate both have Warby's!

"When you buy a pair, you give a pair!"

Visit their site at www.warbyparker.com
*Note: This non-profit is Hipster-Friendly! (:



#2: North Way East End Christian Community!

My beautiful church family!
Take a look at this link! (:
http://vimeo.com/37117607

Non-Profits That I Love! #1: Sseko Sandals

Over the next couple of posts, I will be posting some of my favorite non-profits out there!

Number 1: May I present Sseko Sandals! 
My sister, Meg, had the opportunity to visit this great organization during her travels to Kampala, Uganda!

Here is their story!
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If you happen to find yourself in Kampala, Uganda, make your way to the Old Taxi Park. From there, grab a taxi van to Matuga. Jump off at the end of the line, and hop on a boda boda to the Cornerstone Leadership Academy. After a (bumpy) ride along a dirt road, you will find yourself in the company of some of the most intelligent and committed young women in Uganda.
These women are graduates of the Cornerstone Leadership Academy and employees of Sseko Designs.


Sseko \say-ko\ Designs was created to help these bright young women continue their education. The Ugandan school system is designed with a nine month gap between secondary school and university. These nine months are intended to allow time for students to earn money for tuition before continuing on to university. However, in an impoverished and male dominated society, many of these young women struggle to find fair work during this time.

Sseko Designs hires recent secondary school graduates for this nine month period to live and work together, while earning money that will go directly towards their university education. These women will not make sandals forever. They will go on to be doctors, lawyers, politicians, writers and teachers that will bring change and unification to a country divided and ravished by a 22 year-long war.

Sseko Designs is a not-just-for-profit enterprise that recognizes the power of business and responsible consumerism to support sustainable economic development, which in turn affects a country's educational, justice, and health care systems. The goal of Sseko Designs is two-fold: provide university tuition for these promising young women through a sustainable monthly income, while also contributing to the overall economic development of Uganda.

Although consumerism makes many empty promises, responsible and proactive consumerism has the ability to change lives. Like the lives of Mercy, Mary and Rebbecca.

Every sandal has a story. This story has only just begun, but with your help, it will be a story of hope, success and change.
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These sandals are so neat!  They are simply made of a rubber and leather bottom with your choice of colored fabric that you can create into numerous styles.
Visit their website here!
http://www.ssekodesigns.com/

Sparing Bagels

Yesterday morning started off like any other morning. I woke up early, devos, went running, got ready for class. The Sun was extra bright, life's pretty good at this point! Ran into my friend, Steph Mangold, who told me they evacuated the whole Cathedral of Learning (for the 4th time this week), so classes were cancelled for the morning!! To celebrate, I decided to grab a Chocolate-Chip Bagel with Hazelnut Cream Cheese from Panera Bread (I'm such a girl!). As I was walking home, thinking about the endless possibilities of spending my morning (reading the Word, eating my awesome bagel out in the Sun on my roof), I also asked God to open my eyes and ears to what He wanted me to see and hear, out of the whims of excitement from my free morning. As I rounded the corner on Atwood, the homeless man that sits by the mailbox almost every day, caught my attention. He has a long, gray beard, and sits at the corner wrapped in old blankets and a sleeping bag, rain or shine, whether it's 80 degrees like today or 8 degrees. He never heckles or make eye contact. His presence there, though, screams that is in need and helpless. "Give him your bagel", I hear deep inside me, the Spirit prompts me. It took me a while for this message to even come to my conscience out of my morning plans. I wish I could have ended this story in victory, to tell you that I knelt down beside him--regardless of whether I think if he is REALLY in need, whether he can find help and food elsewhere, whether he's just too lazy or not to get a job, or whether I support Obama-care or not--I wish I could to tell you that I gave him my bagel with a smile on my face, ask him if I could pray for him, and share the Gospel with him if he's never known Jesus.

But I didn't. I kept walking. I clenched my bagel bag tightly and walked home, up to my roof, and ate it in the Sun.

This makes me flashback to something I had the opportunity to witness in Valparaiso, Chile. Pontificial Catolica, the university I attended, is in the heart of the city. Naturally, there are a lot of homeless people in the city, just like in any city, even our city. The homeless in Valpo are even more marginalized and visible there. They often suffer physically or mentally, with missing teeth, dirty faces, dirty clothes, and missing limbs. Okay--maybe they are pretty similar. I try to keep loose dollars on me to give to people freely. If they are at a point in their life where they are on the streets, begging, they must be in need. I would try and practice this while in Chile as well, having loose change on me to bless another.

There was one day that will always resonate with me. As I was waiting to catch a bus home from class, I saw a guy, my age, knelt down and eye-level in front of a homeless man that I would pass practically every day to and from class. The homeless man was sitting up, engaged, listening intently to this guy with a smile on his face. The guy my age had a Bible propped on his knee, gesturing excitedly to the homeless man, clearly sharing the Good News. This homeless man wasn't receiving money or food from the world, but Everlasting Life!

It's so evident in Scripture how Jesus feels about our attitudes toward the poor.  He tells the rich young man, in love, that he lacked one thing: "go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." -Mark 10:21 (ESV)  This isn't a suggestion or room for opinion--it's a command.

Seeing this guy really challenged me. The Lord gave the opportunity to present the Gospel to a girls' orphanage there through a VBS involving the salvation bracelets with different-colored beads to represent each part of the Story. I loved every second of it, but I also realized that I was in my comfort zone. Here was a guy, probably a few blocks from his own university, by his friends and peers, knelt before the lowest of us (who, when we stand before God, will be before us), in his hometown, by his home school, and near his home friends. Such guts!!

Praying for greater boldness in my own city of Pittsburgh. Challenged, without condemnation, but definitely challenged!