Tag: Service
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In Need of Aid 05: The Seed of An Idea
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…
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Notes Along the Journey 07: Time, Not Distance
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…
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In Need of Aid 04: Perspective
[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…
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In Need of Aid 03: Agency and Responsibility
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…
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Random Thoughts: Bread and Fish
A collection of some of my daily, random thoughts from the “feeding of the 5,000” in John 6…
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In Need of Aid 02: My Own Indifference and Apathy
Notes to myself while reading (specifically from p. 130 of the book “Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty” by Thurow and Kilman)… 𝑨𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑬𝑵𝑬𝑺𝑺 𝒊𝒔 𝑪𝑹𝑼𝑪𝑰𝑨𝑳… most people, myself included, really have no clue as to how much of the world lives out their existence on a daily basis. I know…
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In Need of Aid 01: The Essential “Why”
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…
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1 Hour Closer To 10,000
I’ll start with a bit of honesty. Yes, I am rapidly closing in on 60. And no, I am nowhere close to retiring from a pursuit of purpose. Now, don’t misunderstand me. My life is fulfilling. I am beyond satisfied with my current place in this journey we call “life.” I have the unbelievable privilege…
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One Seed and One Life: How Change Happens
One seed at a time. One life at a time. That is how most change happens. I recently helped a young man in Cameroon get set up on the United Nations Volunteers portal. I walked him through the entire process while offering some “advice” based on my own personal experiences during the past 3 years.…
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Upgrade Your Value Meal? Or Change Someone’s World? It’s Our Choice…
[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…
Be The Change 180 