Be The Change 180

Tag: Africa

  • In Need of Aid 05: The Seed of An Idea

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    In August of this past year my oldest daughter and her husband went on a vacation trip out to the West Coast to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. They love hiking and spent much of that time visiting and hiking various trails in California, Oregon, and Washington. One of their first stops was at the…

  • Notes Along the Journey 07: Time, Not Distance

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    I’ll be honest. I was a bit torn tonight when it came time to provide a title for this particular blog. On the one hand, this specific thought came about because of my current research emphasis on development aid and poverty alleviation. So, to that end, I thought it should be a part of my…

  • In Need of Aid 04: Perspective

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    [NOTE: This blog is actually from a personal Facebook post that I originally shared on Saturday, Dec. 27th, 2025. I am (re)posting this here for my own future reference. For those who are reading this, the first half of the blog is from the original social media posting on my personal Facebook page. I have…

  • Simple, But Useful

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    I’ll begin by providing the starting point for my own thoughts tonight. I say that because I’m not feeling particularly “clever” or creative at the moment. No catchy opening. No interesting analogy to use as a base for a profound lesson. Just a straightforward thought, but also a crucially personal one that grabbed me by…

  • In Need of Aid 03: Agency and Responsibility

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    Some very personal musings regarding development aid and poverty alleviation on the “white board” called WordPress… (concluded with an equally personal reflection at the end of the blog) I am currently reading the book “Interventions” by Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN (1997-2006). I’ll be completely transparent…

  • In Need of Aid 01: The Essential “Why”

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    NOTE: Over the next few weeks, I plan to use this blogging site as a “whiteboard” to record some of my current thoughts and ponderings around “aid development and poverty alleviation.” I know. Exciting!!! In some cases, the focus will be on the specific challenges around aid, economic and social development, and humanitarian efforts directed…

  • Upgrade Your Value Meal? Or Change Someone’s World? It’s Our Choice…

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    [NOTE: This was originally published back in 2014 when I was blogging anonymously on a self-created page entitled “Just a Thought Devotionals.” Just revisted this specific blog today and wanted to bring it over to this page. The only substantive changes are in the timeline referenced. Instead of “5 years” you can now insert “20…

  • Notes Along the Journey 05: To Serve and To Care

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    The inspiration for this particular blog comes from a marvelous work by Paul Kalanithi entitled “When Breath Becomes Air.” It is a very open and transparent book written by neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi, who was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 2013 at the age of 36. He would die two years later while working…

  • Notes Along the Journey 04: Aspirations, Daydreams, and Discipline

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    Note: By way of reminder… This particular stream of blogs is really just “online journaling” for me. I’m basically recording some of my own more personal thoughts for future reference. Not sure if they will have any relevance for anyone else who takes the time to read these. In this case, the source of my…

  • People Are People

    —

    by

    Glenn Lawrence
    in

    Based on a “random” encounter I had as a late-in-life college student back in 2013 (I returned to college in my mid-40s to finish my undergraduate degree)… A young man on the Mercer campus stopped me recently to comment on my Chelsea jersey (EPL soccer). His accent was noticeable, so I asked him, “Where are…