It is Super Bowl week. I will be rooting for our hometown Colts. What a classy person in Tony Dungy. I felt the need to commend on the many Colts players who are involved in the community. Their passion for this city is refreshing. We could debate on whether the salaries are out of wack, but i will tell you, we have many football players who are heroes to many in our city. Whether it is the Thanksgiving food given out or the Christmas party for our children….Shepherd’s neighbors have benefited….with no fanfare or need for acclaim. They are winners in my book.

GO COLTS
GO BLUE

I am so excited. Last Saturday we had our open house for our new health clinic. We have a great group of medical professionals who are helping us start this totally free clinic and pharmacy. Yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I read, like i am sure you do, the complaints about people going to the ER. “Why don’t they just go to the doctor?” Well, if you have no doc, then you have no other option. We are just beginning to touch this critical need for our neighborhood. Too many are not getting the health care that you and I probably are blessed with. A friend, a lady we had known for a few years, died of cancer because she could never have the surgery she needed. Finally, when she got on the list….it was too late. I prayed with her just prior to her death. Who is to blame???? I don’t know, but instead of blaming, we are trying to help those we can. Thanks to some great folks. Stop complaining and start doing…and they are. Are you?

2007 has come in much like 2006, full of crisis, blessings and heartache. On New Year’s Day I celebrated with a family at the new addition to their family, a beautiful young boy and wept with a family at the passing of a father and grandfather just hours later.

Interestingly, money had no impact on either. One did not bring anything into the world, and the other took nothing with him. So poverty obviously is not just money. In that regard, both were rich as family gathered around at both the celebration and the loss.

Another point struck me…..the hyphen– you know, the line between the day you are born and the day you die, as listed on your tombstone. So the hyphen, that is the true story of your life. It is a story not defined by the money you have or don’t have.

In this new year, how will your hyphen define yourself? What will you measure yourself by? That special New Year’s Day helped me realize I could have all the money in the world and still live in poverty. Live richly this year of our Lord, 2007.
jay