Today is the last day of The 40 Day Fast over at InspiredToAction.com.  These logos represent all the organizations talked about.  

It’s been a pretty amazing thing to see so many different organizations represented in such amazing ways.  To me the most amazing part of watching this thing happen, for the second year in a row, is to see so many people working with so many different causes.  

There is a massive need in this world, and it’s great to see the competition for the “best charity” disappear, and everyone involved work together for something bigger than themselves. 

Today over at InspiredToAction.com everyone has the opportunity to participate in adding to the day by posting about something big or small that you personally are doing to help change the world.  Write something on your blog and then head over there to participate.  

For those of you here that read, what post inspired you the most?

Today is Kristin’s day to blog for the 40 Day Fast. Today she has blogged about Fair Trade, and the amazing things that simply buying Fair Trade products is doing. There’s also a video on the post that is full of information on what Fair Trade is doing.

One of the many amazing things about Kristin is that she really digs in when she is doing something. She never does anything half-way. Recently I have noticed things around the house with the Fair Trade Logo on them and I have noticed very conscious decisions made by Kristin over the last few months to change the way we do things as a household. Ever since we have been married we have tried to be environmentally and globally focussed, and in a consumerist America that can be a hard thing. The awesome thing about Kristin, is her persistence to make a difference in the world in spite of what others think, feel or say.

Check out Kristin’s blog on Fair Trade today and also check out Alex’s blog about focussing locally on community resource centers in your own neighborhood.

Here’s a project today. In your outings today, whether it’s the grocery store or the coffee shop, find something today to purchase that is labeled “Fair Trade”. Then head to Kristin’s blog and comment what is is that you found with the Fair Trade logo on it. Sounds easy right?

Today is day twenty-two of the 40 Day Fast at InspiredToAction.com.  I was able to be a part of this amazing movement last year and wrote about Compassion International.  Since there are so many other folks out there talking about Compassion, I wanted to take the time to focus on another organization who’s primary focus is children.  

According to Wikipedia:  The United Nations Children’s Fund (or UNICEF) was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II. In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations System and its name was shortened from the original United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund but it has continued to be known by the popular acronym based on this old name. Headquartered in New York City, UNICEF provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries.

UNICEF is currently focused on five primary priorities: Child Survival and Development, Basic Education and Gender Equality (including girls’ education), Child protection from violence, exploitation, and abuse, HIV/AIDS and children, and Policy advocacy and partnerships for children’s rights. Related areas of UNICEF action include early childhood development, adolescence development and participation, life skills based education and child rights all over the world.

In my opinion, there isn’t much more of a worthy cause than to focus on the children of this world.  I know we’ve all heard that children are our future, almost to the point of becoming a little cliche’, but the fact of the matter is, there are too many kids being forgotten by my generation and the generation before me.  There are too many problems in the world and many of them are simply falling on kids because of the laziness of the generation before them.  I see that as an issue that my generation has created and with that comes the responsibility to fix some things.

One of the things I love about UNICEF is it’s willingness to get involved in so many different aspects of the world.  From sanitation and clean water in East Timor, to malaria nets in Malawi, UNICEF isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty and ask the same from anyone willing to get involved.  In over one hundred and fifty countries and operating for over sixty years UNICEF has helped develop simple, affordable, and innovative solutions to complicated problems. A few examples: birthing kits to help women have safe deliveries; oral rehydration salts to treat diarrheal dehydration in children; portable School-in-a-Box kits to make classes possible almost anywhere; and solar-powered cold storage units to transport vaccines to remote villages. All of these are now in standard use by many humanitarian organizations, saving millions of children’s lives.

I know there are plenty of organizations out there that are helping children and I think it’s important to get aligned with something.  There’s no reason at all anyone with the ability to read this post wouldn’t be involved in the effort to save the lives of children.  UNICEF is one of the hundreds of ways to get involved.  The 40 Day Fast has been, and continues to be, an amazing venue for the Church as a whole to lay aside differences and get involved in things that really matter, and when that happens I believe lives are changed and a difference is made.  Thanks for letting me be a part.

Now make sure to check out Lori’s post today as the second part of this movement.

Today marks the beginning of something that is going to be pretty powerful for the next forty days.  The Forty Day Fast starts today with a post from Brant about the slums of Nairobi.  It’s a pretty powerful look at the understanding of Jesus from someone who lives there.  

Make sure to bookmark Inspired To Action for the next forty days and check in.  There are also plenty of badges to put in your sidebar to help get the word out.  

Anyone been to Nairobi? 

Last year Kristin and I were able to participate with a group of other bloggers in an event that, what I can only imagine, has made a difference in the lives of everyone involved as well as hundreds of people around the world.  The brain-child of Kat, the ”40 Day Fast” has gotten a lot of attention around the internet and even became the origin of a great site call “Inspired To Action“, of which Kristin is a writer and editor for.

Here’s how it works.  For 40 days, a different blogger fasts and writes about a specific organization or part of the world that is dear to them and they feel needs to be recognized.  Each day a new organization that is making a difference in the world is featured and supported.  As readers we are encouraged to link to each blogger fasting and help get the word out.  It’s a pretty amazing thing to watch happen over the span of the 40 days.

Registration is open today, so if you are even the slightest bit interested go to InspiredToAction.com and register to be one of the 40.  Seriously check it out.  It’s a pretty amazing thing to get involved in and it makes all this blogging stuff worth it.

Go here for all the info.

I know this is a little different “Positive Post Tuesday” but, I think what Kat, Kristin, Euphrony and Amy are doing is a pretty amazing thing and they can use all the support that we can give them.  Who’s with me?

Welcome to Tuesday again. For those of you just showing up here’s how it works. It’s pretty simple. (1) Write something nice about someone, building them up, encouraging them, you know.. being nice. (2) Fill out the box below. Have fun.