"I'm what the world considers to be a phenomenally successful man. And I've failed much more than I've succeeded. And each time I fail, I get my people together, and I say, "Where are we going?" And it starts to get better." - Calvin Trager
We've all been inundated with media coverage of Katrina, so there's no need to tell people of the need. It's pretty obvious. Sept. 1 (tomorrow) is a day that bloggers around the world are trying to raise awareness and funds for hurricane relief. So I'll jump on a little bit early and urge you to take a minute, scroll down to the new button you'll find on the right hand side of this blog and make a donation to Katrina Relief through Episcopal Relief and Development (or just click on those words).
While you're on the ER-D site, check out the Gifts for Life Catalog -- a great way to give gifts of love in areas of need for any occasion.
Good news from down south is that Leine McNeely was kind enough to drop an email and let me know that she and Tom and Shadyside are doing just fine down in Natchez, MS. So praise God for that!
One more thing. When you give, please give new money. By that, I mean don't give money you were planning on giving somewhere else. One of the things that happens when something like this or the tsumani hits is that other NGOs and development agencies in places of chronic extreme poverty and disease get hit too ... because people give to the highly-publicized causes and not to the stuff that doesn't make it on CNN.
So eat Mac n Cheese instead of going out to dinner and give that money. Stay home and play Scrabble instead of going to a movie and give that money. Bike to work instead of driving and give your gas money.
EGR resources and connects the church to embrace what one person, one congregation, one diocese and one church can do to make this mission of global reconciliation happen.
Want to find out more ... check our our website at www.e4gr.org.
"Christ's example is being
demeaned by the church if they ignore the new leprosy,
which is AIDS. The church is the sleeping giant here.
If it wakes up to what's really going on in the rest
of the world, it has a real role to play. If it doesn't,
it will be irrelevant."
- Bono
Episcopalians for 
