It seems everyone has an answer to poverty: Government creates welfare, churches set up programs, celebrities set up publicity campaigns.

But maybe in all our efforts to address poverty we overlook what poverty really is. Some might say it's the lack of adequate resources. I'd say that's partially true.

I like what Bob Lupton says about poverty:

"The greatest form of poverty is having nothing of value to give."

When we look at poverty through the eyes of charity, we only see ways for us to maintain our role as the "giver". But when we expand our view, we seek out ways to initiate an equal exchange, allowing everyone to experience the joy that comes with giving.

Poverty isn't just about resources - it's about equality and God's humanity. No one, whether they live in the heart of Africa or in the heart of Memphis, should be stripped of the dignity that comes with giving. God has placed in each of us something of value to give. The role of "giver" was never meant to be assigned to a select few in society.

So how can we address the overwhelming drain of poverty? It seems to me that we have the responsibility to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to give of the gifts that God has generously given to each of us.

Here's a great looking pepper. (It's not in our plot, but we can still admire it can't we?)

Yesterday I was taking a drive around our neighborhood and was reminded of some of the really cool things in Uptown. I love how our neighborhood has a mixture of new homes, old homes, and newly restored old homes. (I got several of these photos from the Uptown Swings website.) I've also added a list of links on the right side of my blog if you're interested in reading/learning more about Uptown.

Here is a really cool old house that was restored:

This was an old fire station - now it's a house:

These are some apartments that were redone:

As I drove around, I couldn't help but think how much potential there is for the area as I headed north on 2nd Street. There is some really beautiful, hilly terrain (unusual for Memphis) and some incredible old buildings. Unfortunately, the area has been largely abandoned. The huge old train dock on 2nd just sits there lonely on a hill, waiting for the trains to return...maybe someday.

I'm also curious about the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum - this place is also on 2nd St., and really close to our house. We need to stop in sometime soon, when it's open. Anyone been there?

Our cars were broken into for the first time since living in Uptown a few weeks ago. Since we don't keep anything in our cars (I don't even have a CD player), I'm sure it was a pretty disapointing experience for this individual. Experiencing a break-in is never fun, but we did get to support a great local business as a result - Jack Morris Auto Glass - we highly recommend them.

My overacheiving wife has been hard at work building a flower bed in our back yard. Take a peek:

We're still waiting for some important developments to take place in the neighborhood. The biggest development we are waiting for is a grocery store, but I'm guessing that it's going to take a while now with the current landscape of the economy.

I'm also curious about the status of the Greenlaw Community across from our house. Supposedly bids were put out from the city to outsource the management of several community centers by local organizations, but I still haven't heard if anyone has signed on for our community center. Anyone know anything?