Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 148

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. Proverbs 28:27 New International Version
A week ago last Friday, my daughter called and said she had some news. I waited for her to spill it and in those two seconds, I began to wonder if I would see this as good news or bad news.
She couldn’t wait for long though to tell me that her nonprofit organization, Tumaini Volunteers Inc., had achieved tax exempt status. Which means that now anyone who donates to it can deduct that donation on their income taxes, which means people with extra money have further incentive to share their money with us.
Since I returned from Africa in May of 2013, I have set up a booth at I believe six events. At these shows, I have been selling the Kenyan arts and crafts which we had brought back with us or which our Kenyan friends had routed to us. All of the money raised at those craft shows goes right back to Tumaini. Inevitably, while I am telling our story to anyone who is willing to stop long enough to hear it, someone will say something that rubs me the wrong way. Here are the things I have heard:
1) But we have poor people in this country. True, we do. And luckily there are many government and private programs to help these people. I do realize too that some of these people slip through the cracks, either they are too proud to ask for assistance, they don’t know that help is out there, or some loophole prevents them from getting any aid. I have worked in the medical field for over 25 years, so I know that this is true. And it frustrates me. But I still believe these people have more resources available than those living in third world countries do.
2) But the people living over there really don’t have it that bad. Really? Really? And you can say that because you have been there?  Coz I have been there twice and my daughter has been there three times. All together, the two of us have spent nearly a year in Kenya. We weren’t there as tourists, instead we saw how the majority of the residents live. Not in plush hotels, not in safari resorts, but in slums and hovels and mud huts. Most of them live without running water or reliable electricity. There is no such thing as insurance, of any kind. If you get sick, you may find help at a local clinic run by a charity, or you may end up dying alone at home from a simple infection that no one in America would ever die from. There’s no foster care system to take in the thousands of children who have been orphaned or abandoned by parents who simply can’t afford them. I hate to tell you this, but it really is that bad.
3) But I don’t have that kind of money. What kind of money would that be? The average Kenyan lives on less than a dollar a day. I am just going to make up a figure and say that 80% of Americans can find an extra thirty dollars a month somewhere in their budget that they could spend on a worthwhile charity. If you don’t want to send it overseas (as in example 1), than give that money to a local charity.
4) But I’ve heard that there is so much corruption that my donation won’t really end up helping the needy. Finally a statement I can agree with. But all that this means is that you have to check out the organization you are sending your money to. Just like in this country, some nonprofit organizations have CEOs who garner an obscene income, and only a very small percentage of your donation goes directly to those who really need it.  If you should choose to give your hard-earned money to Tumaini Volunteers, I will show you exactly where your money is going, who it is going to help and how it is going to change their life. Or better yet, you can sign up for a volunteer trip with us and come see for yourself.
Ok, so that’s me on my soapbox this week. I will promptly climb down now and return to my normal life. No, hold it, I don’t have a normal life, so that’s not going to happen.

 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.1 Peter 3:8 New International Version 

Gone, just gone

Wow, look at that. I have had this post planned for a while now, not thinking about the date. Yet there it is, the anniversary of when our lives changed here in the United States. We were suddenly as vulnerable as the rest of the world. I think though that since 9-11-01, we have let our guard down. We've begun to think that the good ol’ USA is invincible, that we will always be safe here. I sure hope people wake up pretty soon. It is not good out there in the world, and all the badness is right at our doorstep.
But I wasn't going to write about that today. But (sigh) my pictures sure fit.
What I really wanted was to open with a quote. I wasn't able to find the exact quote, so my apologies to Margaret Mitchell. The premise is that Scarlett is returning to her home, the plantation Tara, following the Civil War. It is night-time and there is cloud cover. Just as she is thinking the following line, there is a break in the clouds and the moon comes out.
“Was Tara still standing or was it gone with the wind which had swept through Georgia?”
Every day for the last six months, as I would drive down Lincoln Avenue, I would think of that line as I approached the old Sacred Heart Hospital and wonder if it was going to still be standing. I’ve taken over a hundred pictures since March, since it was announced that they were tearing the old hospital down. March 30 August 13  August 19 September 3  The cloud cover broke and this is what met me the other day.  September 9 Considering the eyesore which our old hospital had become, it is probably best that it comes down. But do we want our homes, our schools and our churches to meet the same fate? 

Streets of Hatchet Creek - Day 15

If you study the yellow on my map, if you can find the yellow, you will see I didn’t walk much. But those few streets turned out to be about quality and not quantity. Instead of taking the usual twenty to forty pictures, I took a mere seven, but I can use most of them.

This house went up in flames back in February. At the time they said it was a total loss. From the outside it doesn’t look so bad, but fire can do a lot of insidious damage which makes a structure unsound. It’s just sad it is still standing here. I suspect these pieces fell here during the blaze, but then someone doctored them up to look as if they are little homes all of their own.
Tomahawk’s original high school was built here in 1889. I had a great-aunt who lived just a few doors up Wisconsin Avenue from Whittier School. Whenever we went to her house, I would stare in awe at the old building. It makes me kind of sad that I never got to step inside. 
After the school was torn down, housing for the elderly was put up. Another aunt lived in one of these for a few years. Cute compact apartments, but nothing like the rambling Whittier School.
And then as I was walking down the sidewalk, I ran across these. Yes, they are donuts. 

When I returned to my car, I looked up and had to take a picture of these guys reroofing the house on the corner of Spirit and Fourth Street. Not the job for me. 

Feeling Thankful This Morning

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. Psalm 18:30-33 New Living Translation
I have had a lot on my mind lately. Ok, when do I not have a lot on my mind? I came in my office this morning knowing that I needed to write an inspirational blog. My daughter’s non-profit organization just gained tax exempt status so I wanted to write about that, but just didn’t know what angle to take. I knew I needed to consult the Bible for the answer and I knew that God would guide me.
Instead, God said, “look out your window, the clear window you just washed yesterday.” (Yes, He really said that, I think He is proud of me for washing those windows.)
There were two deer hanging out in my yard. My camera was right there, inches from my hand, so I took way too many pictures. I thank God for giving me this beautiful yard and beautiful creatures which frequent it, but I also thank God for digital photography.

I think His message to me today is to sit back, relax and enjoy the wonders around me, the gifts He has so freely granted me. I hope you can do that today too. 

If I could travel back to Bible Times

Thirteen-year-old Benjamin is brave; but when a Roman soldier stabs his mother during an uprising in the Jerusalem marketplace, he is unable to protect her. Struggling with guilt and sorrow, he prays that she will live. When his prayers go unanswered, he vows never again to ask God for help.
Still struggling with his mother’s death, Benjamin obediently attends temple with his father and grandfather. At the service, a stranger stands next to him.
As Benjamin's arm accidentally brushes the man's cloak, a wave of peace washes over him that he hasn't felt since before his mother's death. Why does the man's presence affect him so deeply? Who is this stranger? Where did he come from?
In pursuit of the answers, Benjamin takes an incredible journey of discovery.
"The Two-Edged Sword" by Caye Patterson Bartell 
I love reading stories where the lives of fictional characters cross paths with people we all know. I especially love when those stories are set in Biblical times, a time and place that we all imagine but can surely never really picture.
Benjamin, the main character in “The Two-Edged Sword”, could be a normal teen-ager of today. He loves and respects his parents, but he has those yearnings that every boy has when he is on the cusp of becoming a man. Then he learns about the man named Jesus and his life is turned upside down. 
This is a great book for teen-agers, young adults and up. Caye has done a wonderful job bringing the day to day lives of her characters into our lives. We can picture eating, sleeping and traveling in the same way that Jesus and His contemporaries did. And by understanding His life better, I feel as if I can better follow Him. 

Streets of Hatchet Creek, Day 14

Out and about one day last week, I asked my husband to drop me and the dog off in town so that I could walk home. I know, who does that? I just had that one stretch of highway to cover and didn’t even think I would blog about it. I travel this road every day, there is nothing here, I told myself. Well, that’s the whole point of getting out and walking those streets and highways. You just don’t see it from the car.
So here’s where it all starts. Or ends. Just depends on which direction you are traveling.

I think this used to be Johnson something or other (Johnson Brothers Construction sound at all right?). The sign on the door says “CREATE”.
The sign by the road says, “NIRVANA paper fiber art studio”. What are these places that we all drive by and have no clue what they are?
Like what is Star Marketing and Distributing? One of the few buildings in the south-side industrial park.
Many, many years ago, when I was still with the first husband, a woman riding her bike was hit and killed by a car at this spot. Pretty sad. I think she was from out of town, but someone still at least partially maintains her memorial. This piece of property is a long story. Ready for it? The house was blown away by a tornado in July of 1996. I know that date because I wrote about this in my travel journal. The hubby, kids and I were in Madison goofing around for a few days, when the state news mentioned our beloved city to the north. A tornado had been reported south of town. This was before cell phones, so I called Mom from the hotel room phone and she said I better call my sister as she had been out in it. Turns out my sister was heading into town with a friend when they saw the tornado heading east. They were close enough to our road that they turned in, broke into my house and took shelter in my basement. Crazy, huh? Of course my son was most miffed that he had missed the whole thing. Darn family vacations!

And this last picture needs no explanation. Or maybe it needs lots of explanation. You decide.

Streets of Hatchet Creek - Day 13

Lucky walking day 13 and time to make a confession. I walked the following places on August 26. Because I take so many pictures and have to weed through them first and crop them and such before I post them, and also because, unbeknownst to the world outside of Tomahawk, I have a rather crazy life already – working 36 hours a week at the clinic being only the tip of the iceberg, it takes me a few days (or a week) to pull each blog post together. If you started out with me at the beginning, you know that I got this idea from Matt Green who is walking every street in New York City. He has gotten so far behind that he is just now posting his pictures from May! Of course, Tomahawk is no New York City, but I have certainly run across my share of interesting places, and some of them require research outside of my own vast knowledge of my home town.
Anyway, it is time to get on with my walk from August 26. I’ve walked the road of Bradley Park before and even though I haven’t documented it here, I’ve adventured out to the Point many times. (I need to do that here I suppose, because it is one of the coolest hikes anywhere.) This day however, I was going to walk Mirror Lake Drive out to Frenchtown. That did not quite happen, as you will see.
First stop – cabin built by Carl O Nystrom, a park ranger and police officer. When Bradley Park had camping, this is where campers registered. In 2003, the cabin was restored and dedicated to the only Tomahawk officer killed in the line of duty. I’m pretty excited that I found this article on Nystrom. Beaver home.  I took Dino with this day. He had a blast. He is wondering what is taking me so long to go up this trail. [image error] The trail went down and around Mirror Lake.
No words needed.
The leaves are starting to change. Yikes. And then this happened to my camera. Double Yikes. You can only imagine my despair. But with all the various setbacks I have endured over the years, I took it as a sign from God that I had taken enough pictures this day. Dino and I hiked back to the car; I drove home and had apple pie for supper. And that’s how I roll. 
Duh, I just realized this was day 13, maybe that explains the camera incident. 

Unburden Your Troubles

What a friend we have in Jesus,All our sins and griefs to bear!What a privilege to carryEverything to God in prayer!Oh, what peace we often forfeit,Oh, what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carryEverything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?Is there trouble anywhere?We should never be discouraged—Take it to the Lord in prayer.Can we find a friend so faithful,Who will all our sorrows share?Jesus knows our every weakness;Take it to the Lord in prayer.
(Joseph M. Scriven, 1855, public domain)
We sang this hymn in church last night, and since now it is stuck in my head, I thought I would put it in your head as well. What I find so amazing about these old hymns, as well as the Bible itself, is how relevant these words still are today. God is surely trying to tell us something.
Hope you are having a beautiful holiday weekend.
Mirror Lake in Bradley Park, Tomahawk. A place to go to unburden your troubles to God. 

Streets of Hatchet Creek - Day 12

I need to start making some tracks. It is the end of August already. School starts next week. And here in Northern Wisconsin, that means it could snow any day. I know, nobody wants to hear that, but it’s the truth and you know it.

I had the support of my friend Nancy to walk a loop with me this time, along the Hiawatha Trail down Leather Avenue and back up Fourth Street to the hospital. I had to scan a new map for the north side of town.

 The sign just went up this week, that Pop's Feed and Garden is going out of business. Always sad when a store closes in a town like Tomahawk.

 The rest are self-explanatory, but below is the New Tomahawk Pharmacy. It just opened in the last month, in the building that had been Elaine's Village Square. On the inside, you would never recognize the place.

 Ok, and finally, the picture below was not taken in Tomahawk. It is from Jim's Apple Farm and Candy Store in Jordan, Minnesota. It made me smile, especially the "old Dog N Suds". Not old in Tomahawk.
 And last, the map, our route in yellow. Sorry it's not too clear. I need to clean this up, don't I?

Streets of Hatchet Creek - Day 11

When you look on the map, you will think to yourself, “she hardly walked at all this time”. Yet, I must tell you the truth, I took 40 pictures. What can I say? Most of the pictures were in the Waterworks Park, a small, little-known park. And an old park.  
When I was in high school, circa late-1970s, we had our yearly German class picnic here. We played soccer on this field and I don’t remember there being any trees. My memories from high school tend to be pretty skewed though. 
After looking at the ponds in the park, 
I don’t know that it is sound advertising to include that second statement on this sign. Anyway, the Water Park is in Frenchtown, which will get its own billing on another walk, but for now I want to show off the paper mill.  It used to be THE place to work in town, or that is again my skewed memory as my dad worked there for 30 years, as did most of the dads of most of my friends.
The Bill Buedingen Training Center and the farthest south point of my walks. I had to include this sign  and this canoe coz they were cute.  Then back to the Water Park, in case you need a garbage receptacle. But not if you need to go to the bathroom, as the doors were boarded up. Oh, yes, and I did walk farther than is shown in yellow on the map, as I crossed the Hwy 86 bridge over the Wisconsin River, which anyone who knows anything about Tomahawk would realize. 
See ya soon.