Why go there??

I suppose this is a cliche question isn't it? A person living here in wealthy Alpharetta - there's plenty of poverty here to work to solve - that' s for sure - and you who've known me this last year know that I KNOW THAT very well. The "streets" of Atlanta are not devoid of poverty issues - drugs - booze - addictions. Every person - EVERY one - seeks "wholeness" - Pascal called it a "God shaped vacuum" - only one thing can fill it - and it's not self, drugs, booze, a car or someone who "completes" you (sorry Jerry...).

McManus - in his book "Uprising" offers what I think is one of the keys to the door to the path of wholeness - you have to choose to enter it - and use this key - he says simply enough...

"Wholeness is not found through receiving - but through giving".

Let's together embrace this addiction...

...giving away what you cannot keep!

And in the end, you cannot keep any of it.

I pray you're filled with the love of Christ - never ending flow - so much so that no one - not a single person on God's green earth - is needed to fill your tank. That is a journey of course - and the fleeting moments when we find complete awareness of that truth - give. Find a place to give - of your SELF -

All that being said - - - I'm going to Kenya - 2+ years ago, I traveled to Indonesia to do some basic business consulting for a group of Indonesians wanting to start small businesses - since then, I can't shake this thing inside me that tells me it's not about me. Uh - that big question above?? It's not about me - but yet, I want to make it about me - I want people to like ME - to want to be around ME - ME, ME, ME, ME!!!! Scripture flat out predicts - tells us - what it's all about and where this junk we live in comes from. Jeremiah pegs it - "The heart is more deceitful than all else - and is desperately sick - who can understand it?"

It's about a village that has no running water. I've got running water that is available 24x7x365 despite the water shortage - I've got it. They walk miles - so we're going to dig a ditch. Not glamorous - dirty work - probably back breaking. So what the heck? I can't add it up in the context of this world's "system" - the world's system says a lot of different things - and you're very welcome to post what you think about all this - why am I going? Why would you go? What would compel YOU to go?

Take a look - http://www.410bridge.org/video.php - this is what it's about.

Join me - come with me. I need your help - spiritually there's things going on that are attacking my physical and financial - and a bit of emotional/mental health - hey, I'm going to Kenya so you must figure there's a bit of nutcase in me as well 'eh.

Uh - I need to raise about $3,500 in support as well - but I need YOU on board as my back-home-team-member too!! As of this posting, I am about $1,300 shy of raising enough - and praising God for those who've stepped in to come along...

Prayerfully consider helping - joining me. You can post to this blog with encouragement, thoughts and prayer - please do commit to praying for us - and if you're led - write a check! The church has set up an online thing - info is -

https://ssl.northpoint.org/ssl/globalx/giving.html

The answers to their questions are as follows - - -

Country: Kenya
Trip: Kenya NPCC Family 2 – 07/10/08 – 07/20/08
Individual: Uh – me – Clay Zirkle

Or – you can mail a check – tax deductible – to the following –

Payee: Northpoint Community Church

Mail to –
Clay Zirkle
14275 Thompson Road
Alpharetta GA 30004