Hi Guys.
I begin on a sad note. Many of you responded to my sister Emily’s bulletin a couple weeks ago. She was writing to ask for your prayers for Sean Hargreaves, an 18 year-old high school senior from our hometown of Melbourne, Florida. Sean has battled leukemia for the last two years and his fight has been met with so much support from our community. It is with a heavy heart that I write to say that Sean’s battle with leukemia ended this week.
I am thankful that Sean is free today, that the pain is gone. Our prayers now are for his family and friends as they begin this difficult new life without him. It is estimated that Sean’s family is now facing $1 million in medical and travel expenses. It feels small in the face of that debt, but TWLOHA is proud to donate $500. I was touched by this article today: [url]http://floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/NEWS01/612210345/-1/archives[/url]
On that note, I know that this is a difficult season for many of us. Pain has a way of showing up this time of year, whether it’s someone you’ve lost or some thing you dream of losing. Perhaps the pain just sneaks in with the cold, or maybe it’s that so many things finally slow down and our focus shifts to all we wish for, and all we remember. I know that for me, late December always finds me taking inventory, looking at my life, what’s there and what’s not, and all the wrestling that comes with such.
I’ve talked to both Renee and Trisha about this. Renee told me a few months ago, as the cold began to arrive up North, that this would be been her hardest season, that it’s always been that way. Christmas Eve marks Renee’s 10th month sober, this her first sober holiday season in years.
Trisha lost her brother Trey six years ago, to suicide, and I know that this season brings back memories for her and her family. There will always be an empty seat, someone missing, something sitting different against the songs and gifts and ringing.
All of that to say that if you’re hurting, if these words find you wishing things were different, you are not alone. You are not the only one. We are all in need of some healing, some answer, some love, some redemption. They don’t sell it at the Mall. It’s easy to forget that this fuss, all the busy and the presents and the songs, it started with a promise and a king coming as a baby, 2000 years ago, the possibility of hope and love and change and freedom.
Those things I mentioned, the things it seems we’re looking for, the answers to the aches that hide in the lights, I believe that we begin to find them when we look back. That birth, that baby, that King born to die, He is yours. I believe that.
[b]Part 2:
Renee in PA[/b]
Renee is in Pennsylvania at the moment. Today she spoke to students at Karns City Jr. & Sr. High, and she’s speaking tomorrow at Moniteau High School in Bruin, PA. These are Renee’s first solo speaking dates, and it sounds like today was an amazing start. As you know, Renee’s story is amazing and beyond this she is an incredible communicator. If you’re interested in booking Renee to speak at a school, church, or event, please email [email protected]
[b]FL / MI / NYC / CA:[/b]
I’m back in Florida after two weeks up north. I was in Michigan staying with Craig Gross and planning TWLOHA ’07 and from there, I went to NYC to visit the Origins community, which is home to TWLOHA_NYC. TWLOHA is honored to be one of four non-profit movements that calls Origins “home”. [url]http://www.OriginsNYC.com[/url]
On the note of Origins, my dear friend A.J. Sherrill leaves Orlando for Long Beach, CA next month, heading west to begin and become Origins L.A. [url]http://www.OriginsLA.com[/url]
[b]Northwest USA:[/b]
Our good man Jake Dockter led the first-ever TWLOHA_Portland meeting this week, for folks interested in getting involved in and around the wonderful city of Portland, Oregon. The group included everyone from high school students to counselors, and it sounds like they’re off to an exciting start in bringing TWLOHA to life in the Northwest.
Next month is meeting #2 for Portland as well as the start of TWLOHA_Seattle. If you’re in the Northwest and you’re interested in getting involved or simply finding out more, you can email [email protected]. Please tell him I said hello.
[b]India – January 12-21[/b]
Trisha, Emily (my sister) and I are among a team of 32 traveling to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India on January 12. We were invited by Anberlin’s Stephen Christian to join him and friends in working with the TEN organization, which fights human trafficking and offers support to it’s victims in India. Part of TEN’s work is a project called “Made by Survivors”, which helps provide an income and transition for those rescued from slavery. [url]http://www.madebysurvivors.com[/url]
This trip (to India) includes members of Anberlin, Underoath and Showbread, as well as my friend Clint from [url]XXXchurch.com[/url]. There will also be some film and photo folks. While there, each band, as well as TWLOHA and X3 Church, will be working with TEN to design a product that will be made by those rescued from slavery in India, and then sold and discussed on our various tours and online stores, with all profits going to support TEN’s efforts in India.
Stephen Christian is a good dude. He has an incredible heart to see the world change. Earlier this year, he led a smaller group of musicians and friends to Haiti, where they helped build an orphanage. We promise to come back with lots of photos and I promise to write lots of words, as I am 100% sure that this trip will change my life. We are truly honored to be going.
[b]Texas & California in February[/b]
I am speaking at a conference in Dallas on Feb 16, and it looks like I’ll be heading to California in February as well, for some speaking as well as some meetings to get TWLOHA rolling. We’ve heard from so many of you in TX and CA so I’m excited to get there.
If your church or school or wealthy cousin might be interested in booking a TWLOHA speaking gig, they are certainly invited to email [email protected]
If you’re anywhere in the west and interested in getting involved, please email [email protected]
[b]Australia in April[/b]
I am committed to spending atleast two weeks in Australia, and possibly New Zealand, in early 2007. Suicide outnumbers murder in those places, and we’ve seen so many emails and messages from folks there. I’m hoping to connect with some key people in seeing how TWLOHA can be part of the solution. I’m super open to doing a “Stop the Bleeding” as well as speaking while I’m there, though I believe the majority of the trip will be meetings and learning. And surfing at Kirra. : ) If you’re interested, [email protected]
Finally, Lauren Ranzino comes on full-time next week, as our Director of Counseling. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this. She’s been working on some amazing stuff. Through TWLOHA, Lauren recently connected with a girl in California, who, to say the least, has had a difficult year. Lauren has shown her so much grace and strength and encouragement, and this girl is actually coming to stay with Lauren for a few days next week. It is certainly a work in progress but it’s already a beautiful story. I’ll let her, perhaps even “them” tell it sometime soon.
This concludes the longest blog in the history of the world. I must go to sleep now. We are all more loved than we will ever know. Yes you.
Merry Christmas.
jamie
PS: An encouraging email from author Dave Eggers made my day yesterday. Eggers wrote the book “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius”, which because it was exactly that, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. Besides being one of the greatest writers on the planet, Dave Eggers founded 826 Valencia, a nonprofit tutoring center and writing school for children, which began in San Fransisco but has since spread to Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, NYC and Ann Arbor, MI. Find out more at [url]http://www.826national.org[/url]
PSS: Congratulations to fans of the Denver Nuggets. Your team is now awesome. (I like Allen Iverson)