Loving Trash

"Trash, human trash hurts, it feels pain. Trash may not know that feels anything but maybe anger Trash is confused, if you treat trash like trash it becomes convinced that is not human and there for tries hard not to feel.

We don’t like trash around so we look past it and pretend it’s not there, we keep in the alleys or jails or other dumps so we don’t have to see it or acknowledge it.

But trash learns, it learns that trash is trash and it starts acting like trash.It even treats it’s self and other trash like trash. It knows it is not wanted in our nice clean don’t bother me, Don’t make me feel world.

A 33 Year old piece of trash that I loved died the other day. I tried for many years to tell that she was human but it’s hard to break through generations of lies."

Memorial Service at the City and County Building of Denver, "We will Remember." A National Day of Mourning.

Please contribute to the fund to create a permanent state memorial for those who have been homeless who died here.

I must admit that the movie Last Holiday charmed me because of the warmth of the two lead actors, Queen Latifah and L.L. Cool J. In that red dress Queen Latifah is styling to the max!

The love story between the Queen and L.L. won't win any famous awards but the life lessons of the story are hard to resist. Here are four of those lessons that I hope will help you:

1. That Special Trip or Vacation is Definately Worth SAVING For!

The depth and length of this recession we find ourselves in, the Great Recession (some are calling it) reminds us that spending some and saving some of our precious dollars is what we all need to do. Saving for travel can be exciting because the anticipation of visiting famous destinations can sustain us until it's time to go! We all can benefit by looking forward to a time when we can throw caution to the wind and just kick back and enjoy ourselves.....even if it's only for a little while.

2. Don't Keep Your Talents to Yourself!

Queen Latifah's character, Georgia from New Orleans, was so careful about her life that she kept her talents hidden and obscured. She kept them to herself. But when a doctor told her she only had 3 weeks to live (sorry to spoil for you if you haven't seen it yet) all of a sudden she let her talents flow. And folks took notice too. Your talents are meant to be used and shared. USE THEM!

3. Let Love Take Hold

L.L. Cool J's character, Sean, didn't even know that Georgia was diggin' on him. Not really. But once he got the hint he could follow up and it turned out he was carrying a torch for Georgia himself. They looked like a happy couple on screen. We've got to let the folks we love know it. We've got to let go of all that fake shyness and let love flow!

4. Don't Be Shy About Making New Friends

Another lesson of the movie was the relationship that developed between Queen Latifah and the french chef at the hotel where she was staying in Europe. He felt appreciated because she ordered every dish on the menu. She clearly took delight in enjoying the gourmet dishes the chef prepared. If we can simply learn to enjoy the moments we're given and live life to the fullest while we can there are people out there waiting and willing to befriend us and make our lives fuller and richer.

If you're going to pick up a movie this holiday season on DVD....try this one! It's great entertainment and the love story also re-enforces some life lessons that remain timeless. Enjoy!

SpectrumTalk Blogger Rev. Dr. James E. Fouther

James Ellis Fouther, Jr. is the inspirational architect and spiritual leader of the United Church of Montbello. This northeast Denver based, progressive community of Christians embraces and welcomes folks of all backgrounds, races and levels of need. The church itself has been a groundbreaker in many ways. It has led the effort to feed hundreds of families and individuals through the Montbello Cooperative Ministries Food bank and sponsored refugee families from different parts of Africa.

While James is a pastor who embraces the need for ministers to be serious scholars, his bachelor of arts degree is from Illinois Wesleyan Univervsity, his master's degree is from the Chicago Theological Seminary, and his doctorate degree is from Eden Theological Seminary. James comments on current issues as well as spiritual, motivational, religious and funny matters on SpectrumTalk as well as his own blog site at http://revjamesfoutherjr. blogspot.com/

Memorial Vigil December 21, the First Evening of Winter East Steps of the City/Cty Bldg 5:30 p.m.

Where we stand we peer into the mouth of the gaping storm

swirling around and up like the vortex of a funnel cloud, we wait

standing below trembling, huddled together in prayer

calling for the Great Spirit

by my side a hand reaches to clasp my twisted shoulder

murmuring, "let us rise!"

We awaken from deep sleep to gaze into the furnace of the depth of longing and innocence that warms us and forgets that we have lost our step and poise.

Heartily the clad warrior revels in lifting us from the depth and makes a way for us, "Let us rise," she rejoins

We see the wisdom of this plaintive chorus. we know that we must stir or be swallowed in the torrent that washes away

Our feet are set on unsteady ground that shakes and loosens as we stumble forward

Voices murmuring on "Let us rise,

let us rise,

let us rise,

let us rise."

We hearken to the sound of this rhythm and press on holding one another up

realizing that all we ever had is here.

Thankfully, graciously, humbly we rise. We offer our shattered lives

We await an uncertain tomorrow peacefully resigned to remain in stillness

supplicating, resonating, carrying forth the blessing of those who came this way before.

We know that there is no end here and that we are safe, we are fixed in our awareness though we are held fast

we rise,

we rise,

we rise,

- Hide quoted text -
we rise

knowing that nothing, no walls, no storm, within withstands the clasp of a hand on a twisted shoulder of we,

the people, who are home no matter where and what may cross this way.

We rise and greet the day, scattering dark clouds

sanctify our home and presence in this churning sea with hope that dispels the losses and lives that passed.

Our spirits soar above the din of thunder and crackling, we are joined with all the ancestors and those unborn

we see herein that what we are is fertile and benefits all

mindfulness and presence offers stillness inside

arraying the world with light brilliant glowing for all

We know that our hearts will burst with the gift overflowing and spilling across the landscape

LET US RISE,

LET US RISE

let us rise

On Campaign Contributions and Citizenship


This perspective has a place in the guidelines for all public discourse on poverty, health and mental illness.

Many of the people who we see and who we serve are distressed in ways that we cannot grasp.

A lot of them are in the system, that is that they receive benefits and whether they utilize those services well or not depends on their general stability and case management.

I have listened intently to people who serve on the Health Care Policy and Finance Office State Disability Advisory Committee, and also people from CART, (Consumer Action Research and Training) and people who live marginally in many capacities.

I interact with people with profound illnesses and still participate in an analysis of the relationship from the stand point of a person who is ill, vulnerable, and who is capable of cutting across social and economic lines.


Fund raising is a necessary responsibility.

Most of those people who I listen to are excluded from the democratic process because of their personal perception, rightly or wrongly, that they do not belong. They are reverse stereotyped by themselves in to thinking that there is something wrong with them and they are not welcome participants in the democratic process.

There are many exceptions but for the most part, people with disabilities feel a profound sense of being excluded and this thwarts the concrete purpose of a republic to hear from and represent all voices. We might call this family voices, or voices of the extended family, or of the talking circle, where every single contributing person is welcomed, embraced and valued.

When democratic and social policies and politics represent all interests, for whatever means, we can expand our communal circle, than we are adhering to the principles of the sunshine laws and the gavel amendment. When people are recognized as inherently invaluable as citizens then people will not feel that they are left out and feel honored to be included as representatives for their convictions.

We can then emerge and listen attentively to each other for the best that we have to offer.

¡ö
"We Will Remember" Memorial Service for those who have died who have been homeless.

Dear Friends,

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is hosting the annual Homeless Persons' Memorial Vigil on Tuesday, December 21st on the steps of the Denver City and County building at 5:30 p.m. A similiar service will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the Bandshell in Boulder. Contatc Joy Eckstein at the Carriage House about the sermeony on Boulder.

Another service will be held in Colorado Springs. Across the nartion this is the day of remembrance for all of those who have died who were without a stable place to live.

¡ö Please help us honor those that lived on the streets and died in the past year by providing us with the names of anyone you may have worked with that should be recognized.
¡ö Please send all information to me via email at mcostello@coloradocoalition.org. Please provide as much of the following information as possible by Friday, December 17h.
¡ö Names submitted after December 17th will still be read at the event but likely will not be listed on the press release.
¡ö In your email, please include as much of the following information as possible: ¡¤
Name of Deceased¡¤

Age ¡¤

Date of Death¡¤

Location of Death¡¤

Cause of Death¡¤

Referring Source ¡¤

Additional Notes Feel free to forward this message to other homeless service providers. Please call or email me with any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Meg Costello Public Policy Analyst Colorado Coalition for the Homeless

303-285-5220

mcostello@coloradocoalition.org www.coloradocoalition.org

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What happened to Charles Rangel the distinguished leader of the Black Caucus, and the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, is one of the saddest and most profound testimonies of modern political turmoil. Unlike Jack Abramoff, the self appointed tsar of politics, Charles Rangel had a great impact on generations of leaders of the African American community and far beyond. He grew up in a time of austerity in a place that was reeling and witnessed the renaissance of Harlem in ways that were unimaginable to the community in the 1930's. What he achieved in civil and human rights is unparalleled. As he correctly determined, "His record will far out strip the pain that he has endured in this era at the eclipse of his career.

We were fortunate to have Charles Rangel as a leader and if we don't have compassion for his plight than we do not realise how alike we are when we look in the mirror. Thinking about the fallout from his decades of graft and deception, it is easy to dismiss him because he was caught and penalized. What he forged in the hard fought committees and inscrutable bastions of Washington, D.C. was of far more meaning. Charles Rangel stands as a champion of values that far out weigh his greed and lack of good judgement.

When it is said and done we are all culpable for the folly of twisted values of circumspect misuse of power and arrogance and we all bear the burden for the ill fated collapse of Charles Rangel's career. Not many people have served in the legislatures and stood the test of time. Too many leaders squandered the opportunity and did not represent the impoverished constituents for which they were elected. This cannot be said of Charles Rangel. He was a champion of the people and is one of us.