<![CDATA[TheWorldsBiggestBlogParty.com all News Posts]]> http://www.wbbp.spruz.com en Tue, 6 May 2008 16:21:57 GMTTheWorldsBiggestBlogParty.com all News Postshttp://www.wbbp.spruz.com<![CDATA[My SEO Hero]]>In case you are wondering, the WBBP is still partying! It's just quite partying now. We are laying the ground work for our 2008 WBBP to be held in October (hopefully in Nashville with some music stars). As I write this, I am at the Ritz Carlton Hotel with my professional speaker buddy Rene Godefroy.  I wrote about Rene last October and the great work he is doing to bring fresh water to his village in Haiti. Rene is also a SEO expert and soneone worth knowing.
 
I thought I would let readers knows we were still alive just not as active until the fall. Keep giving!
]]>Tue, 6 May 2008 16:21:57 GMT<![CDATA[Promoting Understanding & Kindness]]>In our busy and hectic schedules it is too easy to forget about the simplistic importance of understanding and kindness and we can never have enough of it in our world.  The non-profit I founded in 2004, Blossom International, dedicates its resources to doing just that.  Our mission is to inspire humanity to make a difference in the world by implementing programs that increase understanding and kindness.
 
To do this our organization establishes programs that each have their own set of objectives but all of our programs must do the following:
Create Positive Change
Raise Awareness Through Action
Promote Empathy & Compassion
Include Community(ies)
 
Our organization is still run from a home office and all of our "staff" is 100% volunteer.  What this means is that almost all of our donations received go directly into one of our four currently established programs.  A donation of $10.00 allows us to provide a Care Pack for a foster care child with just a donation of $3.50 we are able to purchase a book that will go directly to a child in our Cultural Education 4 Kids program while a larger donation of $150.00 is enough for our organization to purchase our 2008 Gifts in Kind International registration so that we can get corporate donations for pennies on the dollar.  Please help us today by considering a donation. 
 
 
 
Donate Visit
 
Images from our Family Volunteer Day event where we create 400 Care Packs for children in foster care through our Care Pack Program:
 
              
 
Images from our 2007 Cultural Education 4 Kids program:
 
           
]]>Wed, 2 Jan 2008 11:10:38 GMT<![CDATA[Blount Habitat - Celebrating 15 years!!!]]>

Donate Visit
There is a great article this morning in The Daily Times (Maryville, TN) about Blount County Habitat for Humanity celebrating 15years of building homes .... really building LIVES!  The articles gives all the details about how Habitat helps families imporve their lives through home ownership.  Research shows a stable home environment helps children learn better.  Tony Gibbons, ED for BCHfH, stressed Habitat housing “this is not a give-away program.”  Partner families getting homes must earn 450 to 500 hours of “sweat equity” volunteering on the job site or at the Home Store.  They must also complete 12 months of homeowner education.  “We’re here to help make a difference and give people an education on how to be self-sufficient. Giving a person a house without education would be like giving a teen-ager a car without a drivers license,” Gibbons said.  The program teaches home owners to read and understand a credit report, establish a working budget and adhere to it and increases their understanding of the need for an emergency fund for unexpected expenses.  Gibbons said it gives people a real chance to break the cycle of poverty by educating their children through positive role modeling.  It also cuts their likelihood of living in poverty and reliance on government assistance.  Habitat home owners must make monthly payments on a no-interest mortgage.  The average construction of a Blount Habitat house is $97,000, including land cost, construction materials, infrastructure, legal fees, closing costs and staff oversight.  Gibbons said “the backbone of the agency is the volunteers. We use them in every facet of the organization, including the Home Store, office and on construction sites. The bulk come from local churches and businesses. Often the same people who give donations to Habitat also serve as volunteers.  Wherever you are reading this, there is likely a Habitat affiliate in your area.  This Holiday season, consider giving to a charity like Habitat so they can continue to change lives.
]]>Sun, 9 Dec 2007 13:22:34 GMT<![CDATA[Pearls of love]]>recently spent two nights aboard the USS Yorktown in Charleston, SC, I have a new appreciation for what our WWII vets have been through.While on the Yorktown, I had the pleasure being on a tour on the Yorktown with a WWII vet and it increased my patriotism and support for those who served.

Since yesterday was Pearl Harbor Day, it seems fitting to make a gift recommendation for anyone you know who served in the US armed forces. My professional speaker colleague Al McCree has put together the largest collection of military music available in the world. Contact Al to order a CD. Al also is involved with another project called Share. Below is a blurb from Share's Website and what Al is doing to help make a difference:

Once upon a time, not long ago, a small group of Nashville music industry professionals started talking with a small group of Alcohol and Drug Treatment professionals.  They said, "Hasn't Nashville always gotten such a bad rap for all our drinking songs? Isn't it a shame that so many people are afraid to ask for help or even support the cause because of the stigma it places on them? We ought to do something about that.  Why don't we make a record about it?"

So this group started putting together a list of some of the best, and worst, drinking songs ever recorded in Nashville.  Then, they added a few more of the most inspirational songs about recovery from alcohol and drug abuse ever recorded.  That small group of people got a little larger and they got a name: SHARE: Songs of Hope, Awareness and Recovery for Everyone. 

Before you know it, a wonderful group called Join Together, who could help with some seed money, heard about their idea and wanted to participate. So it was decided that they would all “Join Together” and compile a CD of these songs.

]]>Sat, 8 Dec 2007 11:44:44 GMT<![CDATA[When trash turns to treasures ]]>Beading has become Big Business in the United States. You can find everything form a humble plastic bauble to the expensive Swarovski crystals.  But I have discovered beads of a far different nature... beads that change lives and create a livelihood!

BeadforLife eradicates extreme poverty by creating bridges of understanding between impoverished Africans and concerned world citizens. Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads, and people who care open their hearts, homes and communities to buy and sell the beads.

The beads thus become income, food, medicine, school fees -- and hope. It is a small miracle that enriches us all.

All profits from BeadforLife are invested in community development projects that generate income and help people work their way out of poverty.
 
If you've wanted jewerly this Holiday season, treat yourself and others to bracelets and necklaces that give as much to the creator as to the wearer!
]]>Wed, 5 Dec 2007 20:19:41 GMT<![CDATA[Where $10 Makes a Difference]]>My buddy Ken Medema, a superb songwriter/singer and the musician on our CD, The Littlest Angel, just came up with a GREAT giving idea.Instead of the usual Christmas gifts that he sends to over 200 friends and supporters, Ken sent out $10 to each of us. Here’s why:

He received money as a gift at the same time his new CD, Sea Change,  came out. This album encourages us to engage in a new way of seeing and acting in our world and community.  Rather than use the money to pay bills. Ken decided to share the wealth, inviting each of us to use it to make Sea Change.

Sea Change—or could it be to “SEE Change”. That’s been what I’ve experienced since the end of October when we all realized that our 91 year-old Mom could no longer be alone in her duplex in Ft. Lauderdale.

Transition is never easy. And when one’s short term memory is slipping away along with energy and vitality—ahh what a hard change to see!  This money will be part of my donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.  Every 72 seconds, someone in the US develops Alzheimer’s.   Our rapidly aging population will see the incidents of this horrid disease skyrocket.  It takes a toll on everyone. And—of course—resources are very limited.

If you had $10 to give, what would be your sea change

 ]]>Mon, 3 Dec 2007 18:20:53 GMT<![CDATA[Holiday Gift Giving]]>Dream for Kids. It is an amazing organization that has helped over 20,000 kids have a Christmas every year. My son and I attended the DFK party last year in Chicago and it was the best thing that happened to me in a great 2006. The kids who come to the DFK party, have never been to a party like the one I hosted last night. Some of the DFK kids are  homeless, parent-less, and some have extreme physical challenges. We are helping DFK founder Tom Tuohy, with his effort to share the holiday with kids all over the world. Won't you?  Please visit www.Dreamsforkids.org to see how you can help.
]]>Sun, 2 Dec 2007 13:17:52 GMT<![CDATA[Be Different this Year! Give a gift of Charity!]]>
Now, I want businesses to prosper. Profit is good. Success is good. And I’m sure my idea for some of your Holiday gifts won’t break the bank for the stores.

Here’s an idea that will keep you from tearing your hair out, wasting a lot of gas running around looking for the ‘perfect’ gift, and it will help make the world a better place…

Pick a couple of the causes on this blog that touch your heart.
 ~ Make a list of all the people on your gift list who really just want to hear from you… they don’t need more “stuff.”
 ~ Find something small that represents your charity. (maybe an ornament)
 ~ Create a card that reads:
    “Happy Holidays!
    "I have made a donation in your name to [charity]
    "Enclosed please find some information about the charity and a small memento to serve as a reminder of the good you’ve done."

~~
This year I’m supporting the Phoenix Area Animal Care Coalition (PACC911) and the Dreamchaser Premarin Mare Rescue group. I’m finding little dog, cat, and horse ornaments to send out to friends and family. I’ll print a page off the charity's websites to enclose with each card.

My sister has been doing this for years. I have wonderful ornaments on my tree from years ago to remind me donations have been made in my name to Unicef, The Heifer Project, and many other worthy charities.

Think about it. Not only will you help those in need, you’ll spread the word, and make the world a little better with your compassion and caring.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving.
And… as the saying goes, “Don’t just count your blessings, make sure your blessings count!”

Cheers,
Beth Terry
ww.BethTerry.com
www.CorporateCowgirl.com


]]>Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:00:38 GMT<![CDATA[]]>
Today I wrote a post for my other blog about guitar playing and life. Click here to read it. Tomorrow I will write more about my best friend who died almost ten years ago of melanoma. His short life inspired me to take action to make a difference.

Click here to read Bill's story and learn how you can help people learn about a deadly disease that is on the rise.
]]>Sun, 18 Nov 2007 03:37:04 GMT<![CDATA[ELWA shortwave on the air!]]>

                                               
DonateVisit
We got the new short wave transmitter on the air on Tuesday night for the first time, and have run every evening for the rest of the week with no problems.  Thank you, Jesus.  The reports from "upcountry" are that the signal is loud and clear, and the folks are "very excited" to have their station back on.  We will run at 2 kilowatts for now, until technical issues are resolved and funds become available for increased diesel fuel consumption.

You can help by specifying a gift to SIM as being for "ELWA radio operations".

Next week we hope to install an additional  antenna that will improve coverage in the daytime.

God Bless
John and Ruth Stanley



]]>Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:14:00 GMT<![CDATA[Doing Good Things: Feed Your Faith]]>

                                               
DonateVisit

The World's Biggest Blog Party has been going on for a couple of weeks now, and I am just now getting to contribute to this project conceived my our friend Tim. (Actually, I maintain that it was a synchronous a-ha moment between Tim and me, but his superpowers kicked in and made it actually happen.) So, the WBBP has a goal of "Connecting the Globe for Good" through blogging about a specific organization or charity.

Feed Your Faith is a not-for-profit ministry to which I am particularly attached. For one, it is run by our friend Mike, and Mike is a great guy. And for another, Mike  does more than just talk about helping others. He put his words into action and formed Feed Your Faith. And--best of all--he put his plans into action. Feed Your Faith exists for two purposes:

  • Building up the body of Christ by bringing Christian speakers and events to the Knoxville area.
  • Helping needy persons by donating the proceeds from Feed Your Faith events to local charities.

Feed Your Faith is a group of evangelical Christians working collaboratively outside and across denominations to engage Christ's Church in East Tennessee. FYF is dedicated to bring the best Christian speakers, teachers, and artists to engage Christians and non-Christians in our sphere of influence. In turn, FYF donates the proceeds from  events to local missions and ministries in the greater Knoxville area. FYF's mission is to teach Jesus during our seminars, praise Jesus during our concerts, and to be Jesus to people in our community by assisting area ministries.

The most recent events: what I  hear was a fantastic concert by Christian bands Sanctus Real, NEEDTOBREATHE, and This Beautiful Republic. I wasn't able to go to this, but Randy and Jesse gave it rave reviews. Ben Olin from This Beautiful Republic talks about his experience with Feed Your Faith here. I am looking forward to more events like this. And the money generated by the concert? Yeah. It goes right back into the community. Just like when Lee Strobel did a Feed Your Faith event in the spring and all the money went to Knoxville's Compassion Coalition.

Mike's got things in the works with several other speakers, and I look forward to seeing what God does through Feed Your Faith. If you live in the Knoxville area, be sure to subscribe to the Feed Your Faith website to see what's coming up. And if you are led to become a supporter of FYF, click on the link above and check out the "donate" options. Ten dollars a month goes a long, long way; in fact, most homeless ministries can feed 10 people for $10.00. Imagine this. You give $10 to Feed Your Faith, which puts on an event and 20 people hear the Gospel for the first time. And FYF turns around and  donates $15.00 to a homeless ministry. 

]]>Sat, 17 Nov 2007 03:08:37 GMT<![CDATA[]]>Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:15:50 GMT<![CDATA[A late entry ...]]>School of Hope.

On top of that, I don't see School of Hope on the list. So, what I'm going to do is blog about Community Food Connection and the School of Hope, because I'm familiar with both of them.

Blount County's Community Food Connection
I think it was around 1991 that The (Maryville, TN) Daily Times helped sponsor a workshop on hunger in Blount County. A number of people from different Christian traditions were involved in the workshop. Two of them that I seem to remember were Father Joe Bando, of Our Lady of Fatima, and the Rev. Joe Colquitt, from St. John Missionary Baptist Church. Those were the only two I remember with any degree of certainty. The workshop was held because there was this perception that hunger was not a problem in Blount County, and the workshop proved it to be a wrong assumption. At the time, various churches had small food pantries, but the need was great.

Out of that workshop came an idea for a centralized pantry supported and served by the community. The need is still great ... maybe even greater today. A recent story in The Daily Times noted that the connection serves more than 850 families a month.

Green Meadow School of Hope
Like the Community Food Connection, the School of Hope addresses poverty in its own way. This is a county where some studies show that one in three families are headed by single mothers, well above the U.S. average; about one in four never completed high school; and nearly one in four households (23 percent) live below the poverty level — less than $15,000 a year. The U.S. average: 14 percent.

All of those conditions put the community’s children at high risk — households below the poverty line, adults without a high school diploma, households headed by a single mother. All of that adds up to children — and adults — in need of basic necessities such as food, housing and jobs.

The purpose of the School of Hope is to share God’s love by equipping teenage parents, parents to be, and their children to meet the challenges of life through spiritual, parental, academic, and life skills education in a nurturing, nonjudgmental, loving environment.

Specifically, the school is a Category IV, church-based school for teenagers whose education has been interrupted by pregnancy or parenthood.  A Christian based home-school curriculum, Alpha Omega, is used to maximize individualized instruction and advancement.  Additionally, on-site day care is provided for the students’ infants and toddlers to enhance child development and parenting skills.

The seeds for this mission were planted during a spiritual gifts retreat attended by a small group of church members at Green Meadow United Methodist Church.  As the group members began to identify their gifts and passions, the vision of serving teen parents began to take shape.  Several years later, all of the doors opened that allowed the church to apply for Category IV school status and to begin serving teen parents.

Since the school opened, it has served 13 students.  Five of these students have received their GED and one received a high school diploma.  The others are still working on passing the exam.  However, this program is more than an academic program as students find a safe and loving environment that has allowed them to grow in con]]>Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:33:51 GMT<![CDATA[Good Deeds for Good People]]> As far back as I can remember, my family would always take clothes we had outgrown, bikes we were too big to ride, and other odds and ends to Goodwill. We always had a station wagon growing up and we'd load it up and take these items to our local Goodwill. Now 35 years later, it's still my preferred choice for donating items I no longer need. It's really a quadruple win - I get rid stuff, the landfill is less full, people who can't afford new items get used ones at a greatly reduced price AND Goodwill employees benefit (they are often hired from a select job pool are paid to organize, price, and sell these things).
 
Looking back, I had no idea that I would some day work for Goodwill as a paid professional speaker. Borrowing from Delta Airlines old motto, I guess "Good(will) Goes Around"! 
 
BIG NEWS for WBBP! USA Weekend, who sponsors Make a Difference Day interviewed me again last week and is going to run our blog party in their December 2nd issue. Check it out!
]]>Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:09:51 GMT<![CDATA[Help is on the way]]>Sat, 10 Nov 2007 03:15:56 GMT<![CDATA[Next 2 Weeks on the Schedule]]>I posted the next 2 weeks of Daily Featured Charities on the Schedule page... I have a bit more 'playtime' since we are going Through' the Holidays before bringing this party to a close (we're just having way to much fun!)  Most days we are featuring 2 charities and I'm trying to do a high profile (national/international) and low profile (local/religious).  This is not possible everyday as the high profile causes tend to outnumber...  Still, I am trying to keep it varied and relevant.  If you have any comments or suggestions or just know of a an event that makes a particular cause relevant on a specific date just click on SongofIncense at the top of this post to go to my profile and leave me a comment or shout out.  Here's a copy of the schedule for those of you who prefer not to click over there before blogging :)

Sat Nov 10 ----- Casa de Sara / Camp to Belong

Sun Nov 11 ----- Be A Village Hero / Goodwill

Mon Nov 12 ---- 25 Years of Hope

 

Tues Nov 13 ---- Children of Uganda

 

Wed Nov 14 ---- Airline Ambassadors / Katrina Krewe

Thur Nov 15 ---- Heifer International

 

Fri Nov 16 ---- Room to Read

 

Sat Nov 17 ----- Habitat for Humanity / Persecution.com; the Voice of the Martyrs, Servants of the Persecuted Church

Sun Nov 18 ---- Bill Walter III Melanoma Research Fund / Samaritan Hands

Mon Nov 19 ---- Serving In Mission / Community Food Connection of Blount County

Tues Nov 20 ---- Lending Promise

Wed Nov 21 ---- Free the Children

Thur Nov 22 <Thanksgiving >---- Feed Your Faith / The Humane Society

Fri Nov 23 ----- Dreams for Kids

Sat Nov 24 ----- To Write Love on Her Arms

 ]]>Fri, 9 Nov 2007 04:21:20 GMT<![CDATA[photos from the blog kick off live event!]]>

Lori Santoro and Dan Frye of Casa de Sara


Charles, from Spruz!


Blog Think Tank


TWLOHA interview


]]>Wed, 7 Nov 2007 19:17:19 GMT<![CDATA[Update from Monrovia, Liberia]]>

                                               
DonateVisit
ELWA radio has been in Liberia for many years.  The radio
station, hospital and school are well known to most
Liberians.  25 years ago, ELWA had several shortwave
transmitters that reached most of West Africa with many
different tribal languages. Many called it “our BBC”.

Sadly, during the recent civil war, the radio station was
destroyed, not once, but twice.  They have had a hard time
getting back on their feet as the whole country is in such a
bad state.  There is no commercial power available so they
have to operate diesel generators to light the school and
hospital and to run the small low power FM station.

Recently, a German charity donated money to buy a new short
wave transmitter.  Made in Costa Rica, it arrived two months
ago.  Although small by past ELWA standards and certainly by
international broadcasting standards, its 5 kilowatt signal
will allow many in Liberia and neighboring countries to
again hear the radio programs that they count on for news,
education and spiritual uplift.   Many are eagerly awaiting
the resumption of “their” broadcasts.

If all goes well,  we hope to get ELWA back on shortwave
radio any day now.  However, the hours of broadcast and even
the power they will run will have to be limited because
there is not enough money to buy the necessary diesel fuel
for the generators.    You can help by going to the SIM
(Serving in Mission) website and designating a gift for
“ELWA radio operations”.    Many Liberians will be grateful.

John and Ruth Stanley, Monrovia, Liberia
]]>Tue, 6 Nov 2007 23:10:55 GMT<![CDATA[Chasing the Dream: horses of Dreamchaser PMU ]]>Gulliver’s Travels was right on: Horses ARE smarter than humans. And each has their own very distinct personality.

Dreamchaser PMU, one of the animal rescue groups supported by the Phoenix Animal Care Coalition (PACC911) has an amazing family of horses on their ranch. Many are up for adoption, and some are living out the rest of their lives in retirement after being used and used and used to make Premarin® (also known as pregnant mare’s urine.)

 Dreamchaser PMU rescued them from being sold as food. These gentle and beautiful creatures are grateful for a home, and for the chance to work with special needs kids.

If you have been thinking of buying a horse, go to their site and look at the photos. They have many beautiful horses up for adoption. You also have the option of sponsoring a horse. They are a 501(c)3 non profit, so your donation is tax deductible. It costs about $2,825 per year to sponsor a horse. Even a few hours of your time will not only be good for the horses, it will be good for your heart.

Here’s what Susan has to say:
“If you can give, please do so; large or small, every donation helps. Whether you love horses or have never even seen one up close, come and give of your time; an hour, a day, a week or a month, every moment that a volunteer gives brings us a step closer to the goal.

“Single donations are the backbone of our ability to care for and feed these horses. Whether it be a dollar from your piggy bank or a check for a million dollars, every penny of your gift is equally important. Virtually 100% of your donation will directly serve these animals, but if you prefer to make a direct in-kind donation of hay, feed, medical supplies or other necessities, your generosity will be more than gratefully accepted.  To see our immediate needs, please see our Wish List.

The following is just a representation of the costs involved in the care of a PMU mare or foal.
One Year of Vaccinations for One Horse       $100.00
A Bale of Hay                                              $12.00
Bag of Oats                                                  $19.00
Bag of Barley                                               $11.75
Ground Feed Bucket                                   $70.00
Pasture Feeder                                         $250.00
Teeth Float for one Horse                    ]]>Mon, 5 Nov 2007 23:04:14 GMT<![CDATA[HOPE is what it's all about]]>Sat, 3 Nov 2007 22:51:40 GMT