“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ? John Bunyan It could literally fill a bathtub, that being the amount of jewelry that my aunt had squirreled away in hollowed books in her office. It was willed to my mom, who she passed away last year about now. My thoughts would bump into her […]
Regifting
Food Wizard
“Just a minute Lord! Before you serve that fish, let me dress it up with a sprig of these!” the bearded boy suggested as he plucked wild herbs from this bush. “Anything else, Mikey?” “Be sure to hone your knife before you cut those loaves. You don’t want to cut your finger.” And that’s how Jesus ended up feeding five thousand instead of […]
Catch of the Day
While most wills leave loved ones big estates, bank accounts or cars, I was left something bigger than I could ever imagine. A seven foot marlin. Julie and eyed the eighty four inch fish, reeled in by my four foot eleven Aunt and bequeathed to me. It was hanging over her king size bed, the blue wash board […]
A New Door
Today, I entered a new door. I moved into Jesus People USA, aka Hippies for Jesus. It’s community style living where the residents serve the poor and homeless in Uptown, Chicago, of which I am one of them. It’s where I’ll be staying until whatever door opens next. Julie Andrews, the housing director, let me into my new home. Make […]
Breaking Bad
If you’re in urban ministry, you know someone who is hooked on: Methcathinone, better known as Crank. Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, better known as Ecstasy. Or oxymetazoline hydrochloride, better known as Afrin. You’re kidding? People are addicted to nose spray? Nasal decongestants aren’t hip enough for their own TV series, but let me tell you,they are just as addictive. And you’re not alone if […]
Unsafe at Home
Imagine you sent your only child eight thousand miles away to go to school in Chicago. Not a suburb, but Chicago, the murder capital of America with shootings heard around the world. You trust your child at a faith based school, spending as much as $40,000 a year to live and study there. And this is the only thing […]
Guide to Unexpected Teen Pregnancy
Peeing. Taking a whiz. Draining one’s dragon. Going to the can. Nothing can give more relief than finding a sparkling clean toilet seat at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. But as much as peeing can make car passengers feel good, peeing on a pregnancy stick can bring fear and stress to the typical teen. Strolling down that […]
About TastyFaith
In 2001, TastyFaith was created to equip urban youth workers with materials that cut the mustard with at-risk youth. At the time, I was a volunteer urban youth worker in Chicago and made it my mission to create lessons that were culturally relevant to city youth, hoping that they’d put down a gun and pick up a bible. These lessons were first […]
Ginger Sinsabaugh MacDonald
Ginger Sinsabaugh MacDonald I grew up in a small farm town in Southwestern Michigan that had more cows than people. After college, I moved to Chicago and worked at an ad agency with more employees than my home town had cows .I lived with him in a small studio apartment with a foam rubber Buddha until he was reincarnated into throw […]
Every 7 Seconds: teen thoughts on sex
While being a classroom teacher in China, I kept in mind that every seven seconds, those boys were not thinking about English grammar but scantily dressed Victoria Secret models. Honestly, how could a power point presentation on diphthongs possible compete with butt thongs? But that popular seven second stat has about as much validity as Big Foot. According to an […]