The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

Praying with Mimi
Who would have thought that my most consistent prayer partner would be a four-legged friend?
By Anne Simpkinson, New York, New York

I start my day with prayer. Centering prayer, in which, rather than saying prayers aloud, you sit in silence, letting go of thoughts and distractions and resting in God. The point isn’t to talk to God, or even to listen to him, but to simply be with him.

Early every morning after I feed the cats, I settle into the big gray overstuffed armchair tucked in a corner of my bedroom by a window.

First I read a devotion from one of the books I keep beside the chair. Then I put the book down and hit the start button on the meditation timer app I downloaded onto my phone. A soft bell chimes, signaling the beginning of my 20 minutes of prayer.

I close my eyes, repeat a sacred word two or three times then sit in silence. The sixteenth-century mystic Saint John of the Cross wrote that God’s first language is silence. I’ve chosen centering prayer as a way to connect with God–beyond words, beyond thoughts, beyond emotions.

Centering prayer has been my spiritual practice for almost 20 years, one that’s seen me through many changes–my divorce, my parents’ deaths, several moves, new jobs. A constant through the inevitable ups and downs of life.

I was content with my practice. But then one day a friend and I were discussing our prayer lives. She happened to mention that when she sat on her sofa to pray every morning, her cat joined her. My reaction was instantaneous... and not very Christian. I was green with envy!

My friend certainly hadn’t trained her cat (who can?), so I reasoned that she must exude such a peaceful aura that her cat couldn’t resist basking in it. Obviously, I was less holy, less spiritual than she was.

My two cats did nothing like that when I prayed. They nibbled at their breakfast. Stood sentinel at the window, watching for birds. Lounged in their favorite spots in the living room. Groomed themselves. They did what cats do.

And I did what we humans often do. I let my feelings of inadequacy niggle at me for a while. I wondered why my connection to God was somehow lacking. Then I got caught up in the busyness of my day-to-day life and forgot about my friend’s feline prayer partner.

Until one morning about a year ago. I was sitting in my big gray chair, eyes closed in prayer, when I felt one of my cats leap onto its overstuffed arm and slowly walk across my lap.

I kept my eyes shut, trying to stay centered. But it was hard not to be distracted when my cat turned and walked across my lap the other way. Which cat was it? I took a peek.

It was Mimi, my nine-year-old tuxedo cat. She stretched out next to me, settling herself against my left side, and rested her head on my thigh. She lay there, completely relaxed. Completely still.

I closed my eyes again. I listened to the gentle rhythm of Mimi’s breath. I let the soft warmth of her body seep into me. And something about her stillness seeped into me as well, lulling me, pulling me deeper into silence, into peace.

Since that day, every morning when I sit in my comfy chair to pray, Mimi has joined me. As soon as the meditation bell chimes, she pads into the room, jumps up on the chair and nestles against me. Then we both settle down, close our eyes and rest in the presence of God.

After all, didn’t Jesus say, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”?

[kuhio98]

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Two lots where abandoned homes once sat were turned into open space park areas today on Cleveland's West side. They are situated between the home of Gina DeJesus who was one of three women who were held captive for ten years before they escaped last spring.

Kelly Weiss says the parks are a way to help neighbors and the DeJesus family heal from those emotional wounds.

"The DeJesus family has been through a lot and so has this neighborhood.'''

The parks are called Camden Community Place which covers open spaces where abandoned homes once sat. Norma Sanovich says those abandoned homes attracted crime.

"I don't want to be scared to come out of my house because there has been a shooting in the neighborhood so yes that's why I did all this,'' Sanovich said.

All the resources from the park were donated free of charge with no help from the city.

''That's what it takes, neighbors taking care of neighbors.''

The band ''Heaven's Best Kept Secret'' helped to kick off today's dedication, which has neighbors moving away from the past and toward the promise of a new day.

[kuhio98]

Police Officer Saves Baby's Life, Attends Her Wedding 20 Years Later
"This is one job you don't forget about."

New York police officer Capt. Joseph Barca first met Shammarah Hamideh 20 years ago, when she was two months old and choking to death. Barca saved her life that day, and now, two decades later, he's back--not to rescue her, but to watch her get married.

"He's very considerate," Hamideh told the Journal News. "Every year on my birthday, he sends me a card and a check. They treat me like I'm their daughter."

Hamideh will marry in Chicago later this month. Barca is set to attend with his wife, Helen; he'll have the opportunity to celebrate Hamideh's big day--a day that, were it not for him, Hamideh might not have survived to see.

[kuhio98]

PHOENIX -- A critically injured dog found lying on the side of the road in Phoenix is recovering at a no-kill shelter.

Phoenix Police Officer Gary Potts found the Rottweiler, later named Abe, near 28th and Van Buren streets and took him to the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA's veterinary clinic.

The dog, believed to be about 6 years old, was covered in lacerations and had a large gash across his head. A section of muscle had been torn from his back leg, and one of his ears was almost completely severed.

A veterinarian determined Abe was most likely attacked by a group of dogs.

The veterinarian and clinic staff cleaned and sewed Abe's wounds and were able to reattach a large portion of his ear. They worked on and watched over him from the time he arrived shortly after 7 a.m. until about 8 p.m.

Abe eventually moved into an employee's office and, although shy and under medication, has started to greet people in the hallway.

"Every animal deserves a chance for a happy and healthy life and, although this is an extreme case, it is the core of what AAWL & SPCA does day in and day out," President and CEO Judith Gardner said in a statement.

Abe will be available for adoption once sufficiently recovered.
[img]http://media.azfamily.com/images/470*264/8-13-14-INJURED-ROTTWEILER-ABE.jpg[/img]

[kuhio98]

AZ man walks thousands of miles picking up litter

PHOENIX (CBS5) - Long before the sun is high in the sky, Jerry Meyers, 72, is on the move.

I wear out a couple pair of shoes a year, two or three," Meyers said.

What started out as a recommendation from his doctor for exercise has turned into an 8-year ritual, walking Recker Road in Mesa every morning and picking up litter along the way.

"I usually got a sack that I look for stuff, you know. I haven't seen anything yet here," Meyers said.

"I've had people stop and wanted to give me a ride and I said, 'no, I just enjoy the exercise," Meyers recalled.

Jack Carlson happened to drive by Meyers several years ago and something in him told him to stop.

"I'll be darn, there's Jerry walking and a little light went on and I said, 'Jack, why don't you get to know this guy and find out what you can do,'" Carlson said.

What he found out was the two Midwestern guys with military backgrounds had a lot in common.

They soon became friends and that's when Carlson decided to do the math on Meyers' jaunts.

"It's between 7,000 and 8,000 miles, which to me is very impressive," Carlson said.

Not to mention the tons of trash that are no longer on the street, so Carlson wanted to pay it forward to his friend.

Carlson, with the help of CBS 5's Pay It Forward program, presented Meyers with $500 cash.

Meyers has always been an active guy, playing and coaching several softball teams over the years. But diabetes has slowed him down these days.

"I have people wave and honk at me and I don't know who they are. They're nice and friendly people and I try to wave when I can," Meyers said.

While he doesn't think his litter walks are any big deal, he has developed a philosophy from the people he bumps into and says it's helped him trudge on when the shoes are worn and the days are hot.

"People are nice people regardless of your age or what you look like or clothes they wear. It's the person inside," Meyers said. "Live a normal life and help one another out if you can."

Meyers tried to donate the money right back to Carlson's church, but Carlson made him keep it, if only to buy shoes for several more years of community service.

[kuhio98]

Pillowcase Dresses http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/

Changing lives one little dress at a time…
Little Dresses for Africa is a non-profit 501c3, Christian organization, which provides relief to the children of Africa. Simple dresses are made out of pillow cases, and distributed through the orphanages, churches and schools in Africa to plant in the hearts of little girls that they are worthy!

Knowing the history of the girls in Africa and the difficult road that lay ahead, Rachel O’Neill decided she would take some dresses to the children in the villages. A small group of ladies began to sew simple little dresses, made out of pillowcases, to be distributed to young girls through the orphanages in Africa.

WHY PILLOWCASES? The pillowcase pattern has been around since the pioneer days and is easy enough for even a novice seamstress. Pillowcases are available in so many colors and patterns. They already have the hem and sides in them and are often sitting unused on shelves in closets all across the country. With just a little help they can be turned into bright little sundresses, perfectly suited for the African climate. Pillowcase dresses are only a suggestion. Any simple pattern is great to use.

This ministry captures the hearts of so many and continues to grow as groups of all sizes spring up across America. These groups cross age, gender and denominational lines, to serve the most vulnerable of God’s children: little girls. To date we have received well over 2.5 MILLION LITTLE DRESSES and donations from all 50 states across the USA as well as from the UK, Ireland, Canada, Mexico and Australia. 2.5 MILLION! That’s a lot of little girls!! With your help these beautiful dresses have been distributed in 47 countries of Africa! We are happy to partner with mission teams and travelers to get these dresses to the children who need them most. One generous supporter, Nancy’s Notions, has sent over 100,000 to us. We are so grateful. Dresses have also been sent to other countries in crisis such as Honduras, Guatemala, Thailand, The Dominican, The Philippines, Cambodia, Mexico and thousands and thousands to Haiti. In addition, we have sent dresses to children in need right here in the United States, in the Appalachian Mountains and South Dakota. But more importantly than how many have been shipped, are the lives that they have touched as these little dresses go out as little Ambassadors in the name of Jesus, to give hope to the children that receive them.

HOW TO HELP: With Little Dresses for Africa there are many ways to provide help…from starting or hosting your own sewing group, sizing and packing little dresses, or donating financially toward shipping costs. To ensure that they actually get to the children, the majority of our dresses are sent with mission teams here in the United States, as they travel on their missions, for personal distribution. We are happy to mail them to your teams to take in your extra bags for distribution. Please have your team contact us. We also mail them internationally. Little Dresses for Africa hosts a team once a year to deliver the little dresses personally to the grateful and excited little girls that need them so desperately.

Remember, the job is not complete until these little dresses are actually on the the little girls that need them. Please enclose your tax-deductible donation to help with shipping whenever possible. It costs an average of $2.00/dress to get the dresses to the children. Although it is not required, any amount you can send help. Thank you in advance for your help! Check the gallery for pictures! Due to the amazing response, we can’t promise specific pictures, but maybe your little dress will turn up in a picture on a precious little girl!

Simple patterns are downloadable below, or feel free to use your own pattern, if you prefer.

“We’re not just sending dresses, we’re sending HOPE!”
Click here for pillow case dress directions
Free boys shorts download available: http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/nanc...oys-in-africa/

To confirm your dresses were received,
please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Thank you so much for your help!
Any simple pattern is great! Zikomo! Finished items and financial donations for shipping can be sent to:

24614 Curtis Drive, Brownstown, MI 48134

or donate on line

Making a difference, here and across the ocean, one little dress at a time!

[kuhio98]

Man tracks down family who left home videos of newborn baby in Goodwill camera

A perfect storm of old-fashioned sentimentality and new media fervor created a little miracle this week.

A Kentucky dad who bought an old video camera at a thrift store was just planning to revisit his own family’s memories, using the outdated gadget to play his old videotapes.

But inside the camera bag’s pocket, he found hours of footage of another family’s milestones – a little boy meeting his newborn brother for the first time, parents and kids carving pumpkins and the family on vacation. He could have just taped over those memories; but, then again, he couldn’t.

Instead, U.S. Army Sergeant Joseph Lynch made still pictures from the tapes, posted them on Facebook and Twitter, and shared them with local television news outlets. Reporter Scott Adkins of Wave 3 News did a story about the find. Within a few days, the adorable images went viral, and before the week was up, the family Lynch saw in those videos was at his doorstep to reclaim them.

“To be honest with you, I didn't do anything special,” Lynch told TODAY.com. “Anybody would have done that — I think so. If anyone saw pictures of a woman with her child for the first time, they would have done it. I think most people are good like that.”’

Phillip and Stephanie Humphrey had no idea that their videos were missing until a relative texted them to say images of their family were going viral on the Internet.

“It was a shock, needless to say, to see those out online,” Phillip Humphrey said. “It’s kind of surreal, the whole fact that we’re something people have gravitated toward.”

Humphrey said he gave the old RCA camera to his brother-in-law Kit Applegate more than seven years ago because he had another one that used the same sort of tapes. Applegate told Wave 3 News he barely used the camera and so he donated it to Goodwill in Clarksville, Indiana.

That’s where Lynch bought the old clunker for five bucks.

Lynch credited his wife, Geneva, with pushing him do the right thing. “My wife saw it and said, ‘There’s no way someone would give something like that away to Goodwill.’”

It turned out to be true: The Humphreys never wanted to let those memories go. They just forgot to check the camera bag’s pocket before they gave it away. They wanted those memories back so badly that on Saturday, they piled into their minivan with their four kids and drove more than four hours from DeMotte, Indiana to the Lynches in Louisville, Kentucky.

“I just feel very fortunate,” Phillip Humphrey told TODAY.com. “Really, we were very grateful to be able to go across two states and go pick those up from Joe and thank him.”

Now the family is viewing all sorts of old footage from years gone by, and Humphrey said his kids, Cooper, 12, Greyson, 10, Ella, 6, and Everly, 17 months, love the home movies. The rediscovered tapes let the two younger girls see their older brothers as little boys for the first time. Humphrey said he plans to get a new video camera and make some more memories.