Top 10

2013 is now behind us.  Here is a listing of the top ten most viewed posts of 2013 on An Arkies Musings.  It is always interesting to me to see what topics other people are interested in.

The most viewed post of the year is my post on Duck Dynasty from February 5th 2013.  I'm sure the Phil Robertson controversy had a lot to do with it's Number 1 position.  You can read the post here. 

The number two post of the year was titled Happy Holidays.  Although the post didn't address the term Happy Holidays, I wonder what drove the traffic to the post.  Probably the cute photo of me as a child.  :)  You can read the post here.

Number three for the year was a post on 9/11 that told the story of a 9/11 massacre that happened in 1857, not 2001.  You can read the post here. 

The number four post wasn't written by me. When a friend of mine, Maurine Burden, passed away this story was found in her possessions. It was read at her memorial service. It made such an impact on me that I shared it with my readers.  You can read it here.

As Easter was approaching I wrote the fifth most popular post of the year.  I titled it What Did Jesus Do?  You can read it here.

Each week I participate in the ABC Wednesday Meme.  Those of us who participate write about something that starts with a designated letter each week.  The number 6 post of the year was written for the letter "E".  E is for Empathy.  You can read it here.

Number 7 was a post titled, "All You Need Is Love".  Did The Beatles have it right?  Read the post here.

This spring my granddaughters participated in a cardboard boat race. They had to construct a boat from nothing but cardboard, duct tape and paint. It was amazing how seaworthy the boats were. The boat race provided the topic for the number eight post of the year.  You can read it here.

The 9th most popular post of the year highlighted the organization ADRA.  ADRA stands for Adventist Development and Relief Agency. It is a charity that I support on a regular basis.  You can read the post here. 

In March, my wife and I attended the Jonquil Festival at Historic Washington State Park.  The number ten post was a photo essay of the event.  You can see the photos here.

Just because I can, here is a special bonus.  It wasn't one of the top ten most visited posts of the year, but it was my favorite.  You can see my favorite post here.

I can't wait to see what adventures and experiences 2014 will bring.  I wonder what the top ten posts of 2014 will be.

A is for ADRA

The ABC Wednesday Meme starts it's 12th round  this week.  Since it is the start of a new round, the letter this week is A.  I would like to spotlight the organization known as ADRA.  ADRA is one of the charities that I support on a regular basis.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency, ADRA, was started by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a way to follow Christ’s example of serving and caring for those in need. Put simply, ADRA improves the lives of people around the world. The agency searches out deprivation, social injustice, and need—then works to eliminate them.  ADRA has projects in more than 120 countries

ADRA is lowering the incidence of horrific diseases by promoting health and wellness. And by improving sanitation and access to clean water, ADRA helps prevent many of the common medical problems that plague communities.

One of the ways that ADRA raises money for these projects is through the ADRA Gift Catalog.  On the ADRA Gift Catalog website you can browse projects and donate to whatever projects you would like.

Because my daughter has started raising chickens, the last project that I chose to support from the gift catalog was #12, Give Chickens to Orphan Caregivers in Tanzania.  Many widows and grandmothers are caring for orphans, often several at a time. Feeding and educating these children is very difficult. ADRA will provide each household with 10 hens, one rooster, training in poultry production, and tools—everything needed to sell eggs and become self-sufficient.

By providing food and water and the ability for families to grow their own, ADRA gives people the nutrition they need to not just survive, but to thrive.

In the wake of emergencies such as famines, floods, or earthquakes there are often thousands of people needing basic necessities. ADRA works to get them back on their feet again by not only responding quickly, but following up with long-term support.

ADRA is currently one of the leading non-governmental relief organizations in the world. In 1997 the agency was granted General Consultative Status by the United Nations, a unique opportunity giving ADRA added voice in the international community. Last year ADRA assisted nearly 24 million people with more than US$159 million in aid. More than 4,000 ADRA staff members currently work in 125 countries. As new challenges and needs arise, ADRA continues to strive to realize its mission of reflecting God's love through compassionate acts of humanitarian service.