NorCalUrban

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. The Yankees are surging, travels, visits to Napa... A more personal update is forthcoming... In the mean time, I came across this book review in USA Today and ordered the book. Here's a couple of quotes from the article and book: "Go out into this newly globalized world you're profiting from," he writes, "go visit the people being 'lifted' out of poverty, the workers who are making your products. Go live in their huts, eat their rice and plantains, squat on their floors, and listen to their babies cry. Sniff some glue and pray with them. Try to get justice from their police if someone hurts you. And then come back and let's talk about freedom." "If you can read this page, you are on top of the world and billions of people are beneath you. Your ignorance and your lack of a program will likely equal the squalor of your grandchildren's existence." Wow! Got the book today... I'll let you know...

Dr. Canales wrote an excellant piece at the Out of Ur Blog. Here's an excerpt: Throughout our history there have been times when non-Christians see through our hypocrisy. They recognize that not everyone is truly welcome in our churches. These are times when we’ve worried about being politically right when we should be focused on being biblically correct. The root of American evangelical hypocrisy is smugness; a historical inability to understand God’s unfailing mercies for the immigrant, his unfailing love for the poor among us. If our sense of worth is measured by privatized religion and political culture—from our color, to our work ethic, to the neighborhoods we live and worship in—we remain independent of God and self-sufficiently smug. Christ cannot help us. We are not being his church. So the question I ask myself, and pose to every pastor, is: Shall I build a church that isolates us from immigrants, or should I embrace God’s story of welcome? It is easy to raise a church w...

Time reports. on an innovative program teaching urban students financial literacy in Chicago. ... Ariel Community Academy is unusual. Its 420 students, nearly all black and about 81% from low-income families, are testing an intriguing proposition: Can teaching urban black kids finance and economics help some of them escape poverty — and shake African American skepticism about Wall Street? Despite the growth of the black middle class, the percentage of affluent blacks investing in the stock market is actually falling, while such investment by their white peers remains steady. That's partly because blacks have historically relied on real estate as a primary wealth builder. Plus, blacks save far less than whites for retirement. That's why John W. Rogers Jr., CEO of the company that backs the academy, says, "The issue of financial literacy in our schools will hopefully avert a crisis." The experiment began in the early 1990s. A young Chicago executive named Arne Duncan...

I've been reading the book, "The Lessons of St. Francis" by musician John Michael Talbot. This morning I read the chapter on joy. It struck me that with the pace and intensity of my life I sometimes lack joy and the sense of the present moment. Having an entrepreneurial spirit, I tend to focus on what is next and how to get there. This can be a very joy robbing life when I let it out of control. This attitude can be particularly hard on my wife and son. Today, being the 6th anniversary of 9/11 it seems especially poignant to reflect on how to maintain joy in an ever changing and difficult world. To summarize the chapter Talbot reflects on how to cultivate joy in our lives: * Don't Worry About Tomorrow - ...in small and big ways, (St.) Francis sought not to be distracted from the responsibilities of today by worrries about tomorrow. The Jesuit writer Jen Pierre DeCoussaid describes this kind of attention to the here and now as 'the sacrament of the present moment...

Came across this today... "Christians pride themselves upon an ethic that exceeds the requirements of law. But it is significant that Jews, schooled in their legalistic tradition and also the inheritors of the prophetic spirit, are on the whole more depth in the field of justice than Christians. They might well say to Christians what Cosimo de'Medici said to Catholics in the Renaissance: "You have built your ladders into the heavens. We will not seek so high or sink so low." Christian businessman are more frequently characterized by a spirit of philanthropy than by a spirit of justice in asserting the claims and counterclaims of economic groups. Love in the form of philanthropy is, in fact, on a lower level than a high form of justice. For philanthropy is given to those who make no claims against us, who do not challenge our goodness or disinterestedness. An act of philanthropy may thus be an expression of both power and moral complacency. An act of justice on the ot...

New York Times Article on the debate regarding the societal benefits of non profit donations. It's a somewhat rambling article, but my feeling is that this is a brewing debate. Eli Broad, a billionaire businessman, has given away more than $650 million over the last five years, to Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to establish a medical research institute, to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and to programs to improve the administration of urban schools and public education."What smart entrepreneurial philanthropists and their foundations do is get greater value for how they invest their money than if the government were doing it." "I got a plaque in the mail and an invitation to an awards ceremony. I never gave them another nickel. What were they spending money on plaques for?" The rich are giving more to charity than ever, but people like Mr. Broad are not the only ones footing the bill for such generosity. For every three dollars the...

Yankees sweep Boston at the Stadium and pull ahead in wild card race. They also pull to 5 behind the slumping Red Sox! Go Yankees! The victory, completing a sweep on the heels of strong pitching from Andy Pettitte and Clemens, moved New York into sole possession of the American League Wild Card lead. New York closed within five games of the AL East-leading Red Sox. "We know we're better than what we did in Detroit," manager Joe Torre said, referring to a lost weekend in which the Yankees dropped three of four. "There wasn't anything we had to answer to. You're going to do as well as your pitching, and our starting pitching in this series was terrific." "Nothing's over until your last out," Cano said. "We've got a month left. We've got to keep playing hard and win games."

Here's a recent New York Times article sent to me from Katie at NCHM on payday lending. I know that the NCUD / CTCU-EPA partnership is going to have to create the right program addressing the needs for short term lending for low income families. We don't have the answers yet, but it's definitely on our radar. APPLETON, Wis. — This city of 70,000 has five McDonald’s franchises, three Pizza Huts, four Starbucks shops — and 19 payday loan stores, brightly lighted storefronts with names like EZ Money and Check Into Cash that offer two-week loans without credit checks. Peggy Truckey, 53, knows the allure. Last year she owed nearly $1,300 to four of those stores, and was paying about $600 a month in finance fees alone. “I thought I was going to have to take a second job just to pay off the interest,” Ms. Truckey said. Then she heard about a new nonprofit program operated out of a Goodwill thrift store, one of several hundred lower-cost payday loan products that are now bein...

The New York Times reports about some of the faith struggles Mother Theresa had. It's actually comforting to me to see the 'real' life of those I admire. To me, it makes her more of a saint. How many of us have similar thoughts as we walk through life? The private journals and letters of the woman now known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta will be released next month as “Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light,” and some excerpts have been published in Time magazine. The pious title of the book, however, is misleading. Most of its pages reveal not the serene meditations of a Catholic sister confident in her belief, but the agonized words of a person confronting a terrifying period of darkness that lasted for decades. “In my soul I feel just that terrible pain of loss,” she wrote in 1959, “of God not wanting me — of God not being God — of God not existing.” According to the book, this inner turmoil, known by only a handful of her closest colleagues, lasted until her death in 1997. In ...

We live in a very unique and exciting place. I would say that our area is one of the worlds leaders in many areas, certainly technology but also medicine, education, philanthropy and many other arenas. We live and rub shoulders with trend setters and world shakers every day. However, there is a out of control feel to life here that can sometimes take charge, where enough is never enough. With crazy housing costs, even folks who would be considered wealthy and rich other places are only middle class here. The New York Times did very interesting article on life and riches in Silicon Valley called "Millionaires Who Don't Feel Rich" I've excerpted some of the article below. It's a glimpse into the lives of folks right across the bridge from East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park. The article shows the mid set of people who live in our region. It eludes to the cost of living in our area and what it takes to love here, but also the 'golden treadmill' and the te...

Counting Crows , a great 90's band that produced two timeless records, "August and Everything After" and "Recovering the Satellites". Those two records are still in regular rotation on my ipod. They are perhaps one of the most underrated live bands out. My sister Kelli turned me on to them when we lived in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1994. Although at the time she pretty much lived on tacos and the Cure. Here a live version of their classic, "Rain King" recorded in 2003. This song is one of my favorites from 'August..."

Time magazine on the last moments of Ruth Graham Bell: ... Three days later, Billy and their five sons and daughters were ringed around Ruth's bed, reading scripture, singing Great is Thy Faithfulness , a hymn sung by millions of people at Graham's crusades. Finally, at twilight, she took a few last breaths. Billy leaned over and kissed her cheek and her forehead. He asked his children to sing the doxology with him, and they struggled through it, praising God, "from who all blessings flow." The cat that has been shooed away from the bed for months was now allowed to jump on the bed and curl up beside her. And then the family lit a fire in her fireplace, just the way she liked it. "I know God has prepared a home for her in heaven," Billy told his friends at her burial. "I just hope she saves a room for me." But it has become clear that a man who spent his life teaching people how to die, with hope for an eternal kingdom that is no longer a theologic...

Internet is down at our office - so I'm in Starbucks. Wonder how many folks I'll bump into when I'm here. Starbucks is the center of the East Palo Alto universe. As if I don't need more things to distract me, Jason sent me this. It's the top worst album covers. Swing your gospel axe! (a quote from one of the albums...) Man, this is great stuff. Jason says he has four of the records, he's an '80's music nerd.

Just like dat!

I usually have three books going at once. One for devotional reading in the morning, one for enrichment or work related issues and a novel for recreational reading. For my daily devotional reading (along with my NIV / the Message Parallel Bible) I've been reading Henri Nouwen's "Can You Drink the Cup". I really enjoy Henri's perspective on faith and spirituality. If you're not read any of Nouwen's material, I strongly encourage you to do so. I would start with the book "In the Name of Jesus". "Can you Drink the Cup" was written near the end of his life and is reflective in nature. Here's an excerpt from what I read this morning from the chapter "Lifting the Cup": Mostly we are willing to look back at our lives and say, "I am grateful for the good things that brought me to this place." But when we lift our cup to life, we must dare to say, " I am grateful for all that has happened to me and led me to this...

COMMUNITY TRUST CREDIT UNION of East Palo Alto POSITION TITLE: Financial/Member Service Representative (PT) SALARY: $12.00- 15.00/ Hr (DOE) We are looking for a friendly, energetic, dedicated individual for our East Palo Alto Branch. We train in all aspects of our front line operations. If you are anxious to be part of a team that values team work and excellent member service, Community Trust Credit Union is the place for you. JOB SUMMARY: Responsible for performing a broad variety of paying and receiving functions, including processing deposits, withdrawals, loan payments, cashiers’ checks, money orders, and cash advances. As well as a broad variety of member services such as opening accounts, renewing certificate accounts and assisting members with bookkeeping and checking account matters. Candidates that meet the following requirements are encouraged to apply for this position IMMEDIATELY. This is a part-time position. To apply for this position, please email your resume and cover l...

Picked this up at (where else) Guy Kawasaki's blog. Oh man - has this been true for us as we've started NCUD . Here Guy quotes Glenn Kellman, the CEO of Redfin . This speaks volumes to me - many of the things he addresses are things I've thought, said or worried about. As someone who has been involved in four start up works and many re-engineering projects in the ministry / non profit world, Glenn's comment ring true. I've edited comments - you can see the full article on Guy's website. Like the souls in Dostoevsky who are admitted to heaven because they never thought themselves worthy of it, successful entrepreneurs can’t be convinced that any other startup has their troubles, because they constantly compare the triumphant launch parties and revisionist histories of successful companies to their own daily struggles. Just so you know you’re not alone, here’s a top-ten list of the ways a startup can feel deeply screwed up without really being that screwed up at ...

Boards With Passion and Purpose Committed - Active - Well-informed - Accountable. Do these words describe your Board of Directors? If not, they should! Learn what it means to have a board that supports the mission and the staff, taking ownership in the success of the organization. In this workshop, you will hear essential principles for having an effective Board. We will answer questions about: Recruiting and Involving Board Members Key Responsibilities of a Board Member Board Members' Role in Fundraising and Other Sustaining Activities. Who should attend? CEO's, Directors of Development, and Board members. Thursday, August 16, 2007 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Club Donatello The Terrace Room 501 Post Street San Francisco, CA 94102 *Convenient Public Parking Available At Union Square Seats are limited to this free workshop; please sign up right away. You may register online for this free workshop here. To learn more about other Mission Increase Foundation trainings ...

I'm headed out of town for a few days of rest and relaxation. I was invited by a good friend of mine to join him for a few days of golf and fellowship with a group of guys. I'm VERY thankful for the opportunity to get away. We'll be golfing at Bailey Creek Golf Course each morning until Friday. I'm hoping to improve my game a little and clear my head after an incredibly busy season. Not sure how much blogging I'll do...