Affinity4 Community Blog

Dating back officially to 1868, Memorial Day was born out of the war that nearly tore apart this great nation and honors those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom. With the states each taking the time to honor their own casualties, it was not until after WWII that we pulled together to recognize them in a more fitting way, United under one great union. 



This holiday gives us the time to reflect on those sacrifices with a not-so-subtle resemblance to another day to remember the sacrifice of another person who gave his life to protect us. Memorial Day and Easter both honor the unselfish sacrifice of others. These two solemn days recognize that nothing great can be accomplished without sacrifice. Our fallen service members reflect what Jesus said in John 15:13 when he told his disciples that there is no greater a thing than to lay down one’s life for someone else. This is why we call this the ultimate sacrifice.

This Memorial Day, take the time to not only remember each of these sacrifices, but also take the time to thank a service member who put his or her life on the line with us in mind. Have a safe Memorial Day.

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Primaries were held in many states in the last week, and the results have mixed. Perhaps the greatest upset is the loss of Sen. Arlen Specter, R-PA, to Democrat Joe Sestak, ousting Specter from a bid for a sixth Senate term. Specter’s switch to the Democratic Party last year in favor of President Obama’s stimulus plan, causing wide-reaching speculation that this is resulting in Specter’s popularity to plummet.

In Kentucky, where Rand Paul, son of former Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul, defeated Secretary of State Trey Grayson, the Tea Party movement is strong, and Rand Paul has their backing, as well as that of former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Grayson had the backing of Kentucky’s senior Senator, Minority leader Mitch McDonnell, but the Republican Party’s full support is now behind Paul.

Both of these elections are significant in that they signal a major shift in the political mood of the United States. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is quoted as saying, “There is no question. There is, at this moment, an anti-incumbent mood.” House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, says, “Politicians beware,” he warned.

What do you think will happen in the elections between now and 2012?

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Austin Gutwein is the incredibly inspiring 10-year-old behind Hoops of Hope, an organization that raises money to help AIDS orphans in Africa. Take Your Best Shot is the book Austin wrote about his personal journey and focuses on his passion to help others. Affinity4 is proud to make Take Your Best Shot our May Book of the Month!

When Austin was 9, he watched a brief video about the AIDS orphans in Africa. He felt a calling to do something to help these orphans. Take Your Best Shot documents his personal journey and focuses on his passion to help those in need, and his dedication to God’s word in his heart. Not only is this book inspiring, but you will leave shaken to see how God’s gift used a child to bring change to an entire continent!

To get your own copy of Take Your Best Shot, click here.

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Every 14 seconds, somewhere in the world, a child is orphaned by HIV/AIDS. That means that every day, 6,000 children join the already 15 million children and lose one or both of their parents to the disease. Kind of makes you stop and think doesn’t it? I don’t know what I would do if I lost even one of my parents. That though probably went through 10 year old Austin Gutwein’s mind after watching a video on how HIV/AIDS has affected children all over the world. After asking God for guidance, he decided to shoot free throws on World AIDS Day. Austin shot 2,057 free throws to represent the 2,057 children who were orphaned while he was at school that day. From that year on, people have joined Austin in his shoot-a-thon called Hoops of Hope. Hoops of Hope is now the biggest basketball shoot-a-thon in the world, where people all over the world can shoot hoops to help provide food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities to the children left behinds by AIDS.

This year, on World AIDS Orphans Day, we are proud to kick-off our fundraising initiative on Friday, May 7th, to raise money to help support Hoops of Hope! Even better, On Thursday, June 3rd our whole office will participate in our Hoops of Hope event right outside our building to shoot free throws. One thing I learned from Austin’s story is that no matter how small the contribution, you can always make a difference. So even though I’m not good at basketball, I truly can’t think of a more exciting way to start making an impact on the world to help those in need of the most basic necessities.

Want see how you can help? Click here.

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