Archives: eNewsletters - 2004
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Simply 60 Seconds - December 28, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com You're welcome to order by phone. Free consultations, M-F, 9-5 Central Time at 800-821-6153. Leave a message anytime.
We offer rewards. Submissions are due May 1, 2005. Call for guidelines or visit http://www.simpleliving.org/main/SermonGuidelines.html * * * NEW TITLE OF THE WEEK SEVEN SONGS OF CREATION: Liturgies for Celebrating and Healing Earth Seven Songs of Creation, an Earth Bible resource, provides worshipping communities
with fresh and dynamic new liturgies to revere, honor, love, and serve Earth.
Each liturgy begins with a description of the setting, the symbols and imagery
associated with the theme; a biblical text and reflection for the preacher
or celebrant; and an order for worship that includes prayer and song. The book
also includes additional songs, hymns, alternative prayers, litanies, blessings,
confessions, and reflections, as well as a special text for celebrating the
Eucharist. Visit http://SimpleLiving.org/catalog/Worship.html If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. Order from the web site or call toll free 800/821-6153. * * * Wouldn't You Like to Help Alternatives AND Lower Your Taxes? The Alternatives Endowment is receiving donations. You have many other options while you're still living both to help Alternatives stay healthy and to reduce your tax burden. Be in touch for more information. * * * Answer a few questions. Get a $5 GIFT CERTIFICATE. To show our appreciation, we will send responders a $5 gift certificate. One response per person please. * * * Now available: Alternatives' UPDATE Newsletter, winter issue. Visit * * * TIME FOR 2005 SUBMISSIONS Contribute to our most widely-read, family-oriented booklet, "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" Send ideas and items before January 15, 2005. Prepare something during the holiday season when it's really on your mind. An item may be new or not, original or not. If it's by someone else, include a complete description of the source. ART (line drawing, photo) that depicts the tension between faith and culture. We print over 100,000 copies and reach many more through our website. We translate some of it into Spanish and use much it for radio programs. To read past editions 1) order the Whose Birthday Sampler (ten issues for $10), 2) order "Simply the Best: Over 30 Years of Alternatives" CD-ROM ($15) or visit http://www.simpleliving.org/Archives/XB/XBindex.html * * * EASTER COMES EARLY IN 2005! Alternatives' 40-Day Guide for Lent 2005 Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator Simply 60 Seconds - December 21, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com You're welcome to order by phone. Free consultations, M-F, 9-5 Central Time at 800-821-6153. Leave a message anytime. COMMENT OF THE WEEK Hypocrisy Factor We've found it almost impossible to raise money for voluntary simplicity from foundations. Why? Because they don't want to appear hypocrites for funding simple living while living extravagantly. As one said, "It's hard to fund simple living projects when we have two million dollars of art on our office walls." Alternatives is not a grassroots poverty organization. We know funders feel better feeding starving kids. That's charity and it's really important! The "privileged needy" need help too. North Americans need help controlling their over consumption, increasing their giving to charity and their working for justice. Working for justice means changing systems, especially government and corporations. And most folks don't want to change the system. Down deep they're happy with things the way they are, thank you. Please help fund simple living education -- both the inspiration and the nuts-and-bolts ideas to move from stress, debt and guilt to the joy of a life of integrity. Alternatives needs your help to fulfill its mission. You benefit from our help to meet your need to share with others your commitment to justice. As you plan your year-end giving, please include Alternatives as generously as you can. Call toll free 800-821-6153 Thanks. * * * NEW TITLE OF THE WEEK In the midst of rapid economic change on a global scale, many people feel
ill-equipped to respond. The author explains the dynamics of globalization
and the ways this issue affects the daily lives of ordinary people. Drawing
on scripture and exploring successful economic justice efforts, the author
provides options for addressing this critical topic. Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. Order from the web site or call toll free 800/821-6153. * * * To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" visit * * * EASTER COMES EARLY IN 2005! Alternatives' 40-Day Guide for Lent 2005 * * * Answer a few questions. Get a $5 GIFT CERTIFICATE. To show our appreciation, we will send responders a $5 gift certificate. One response per person please. * * * Now available: Alternatives' UPDATE Newsletter for winter 2005. Visit Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator Simply 60 Seconds - December 14, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under a minute.
The Alternatives Endowment is receiving donations. You have options both to help Alternatives stay healthy and to reduce your tax burden while you're living. Be in touch for more information.
This Christmas Let's Share Our Abundance, Not Just Our Excess "We only consider offers & requests received on recycled paper." What Does JESUS Want for Christmas? These thoughts come on Simple Living Labels, available as a set or as part
of the Christmas Campaign Kit. Use the labels on envelops and packages to "Send
a Message."
Raising Financially Fit Kids Financial literacy is economic self-defense. And our collective responsibility
as caring adults is to arm the next generation with the skills and knowledge
they need to handle themselves in a world in which financial safety nets are
being replaced by the imperative of financial self-sufficiency. Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. Order from the web site or call toll free 800/821-6153. *** To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit *** EASTER COMES EARLY IN 2005! Alternatives' 40-Day Guide for Lent 2005
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator Simply 60 Seconds - December 7, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under a minute.
YES, you can still receive your order before Christmas. Please order before
Dec. 17th.
Yes! to Jesus & Joy -- No! to Stress & Stuff Bearing Gifts Does Not Make Us Wise. These thoughts come as Simple Living Labels, available as a set, as part of the Christmas Campaign Kit, and in our Stationery Sampler. Use the labels on envelops and packagess to "Send a Message." Vote for your favorite Simple Living Thoughts in the up coming Stakeholder Survey. Watch for it!
Contribute to our most widely-read, family-oriented booklet, "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" Send ideas and items before January 15, 2005. Prepare something during the holiday season when it's really on your mind. An item may be new or not, original or not. If it's by someone else, include a complete description of the source. ART (line drawing, photo) that depicts the tension between faith and culture. We print over 100,000 copies and reach many more through our website. We translate some of it into Spanish and use much it for radio programs. To read past editions 1) order the Whose Birthday Sampler (ten issues for
$10), 2) order "Simply the Best: Over 30 Years of Alternatives" CD-ROM
($15) or visit
New Edition If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. Order from the web site or call toll free 800/821-6153.
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - November 30, 2004
We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com YES, you can still receive your order before Christmas. Please order before the Dec. 17th. You're welcome to order by phone. Free consultations, M-F, 9-5 Central Time at 800-821-6153. Leave a message anytime.
Visit
The Little Earth Book In this uncompromising book you'll discover countless facts that the government
and mass media sweep under the rug. Packed with informative sidebars, detailed
illustrations and clear diagrams, this book contains practical answers and
ideas for saving our planet. Written in bite-size, easy to digest chapters,
each one is backed up with references and sources. If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. Order from the web site or call toll free 800/821-6153. To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
Let's put 9-11 into perspective. Some 3000 innocent people died in that ghastly attack. According to the UN, some 35,000 innocent children die from malnutrition and preventable diseases EVERY DAY. Over ten times the number of victims of 9-11 die everyday because of inattention and diversion of funds for military use, instead of humanitarian and educational aid. Yes, we can continue to depend on economic growth to raise everyone's standard of living above the starvation level. "Economic growth" is a euphemism for plundering of the Earth. We need to be SMART capitalists! The essence of capitalism is that we preserve our capital. But we are bleeding away our natural capital -- oil is the best example -- for short term profits. Oil has many really beneficial uses, like plastic heart valves. We must stop burning it up. Let's promote alternative energies and transportation! Or we can choose to live more simply -- that's why it's called voluntary simplicity. Three-quarters of the world's population live simply INvoluntaily. We have a choice. VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY means we have a choice to live as Jesus taught. Let's choose to live within our means, within the Earth's carrying-capacity. At the Creation God made very clear one of primary reasons for us being here. "God put humans in the Garden to work it and take care of it." -Genesis 2:15. Please help us as we work in our frugal way, as we have for over 30 years, to produce inexpensive, Earth-friendly eduational resources -- both inspiration and nuts-and-bolts ideas. We cannot simplify peoples' lives for them. We can only present the ALTERNATIVES. You can be a part of this noble cause. Please give generously. Peace, P.S. Members of our board of directors have made substantial commitments for
a three year campaign to keep Alternatives mission alive. We very much need
your support as well. ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator Simply 60 Seconds - November 23, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. YES, you can still receive your order before Christmas. Please order before Dec. 17th. You're welcome to order by phone. Free consultations, M-F, 9-5 Central Time at 800-821-6153. Leave a message anytime. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com COMMENT OF THE WEEK SimpleLiving.org provides the best information on how you can benefit your life and the whole human family. I warmly support their vision and agenda. JOHN McCONNELL, 89 year old founder of Earth Day and Minute for Peace As you plan your year-end giving, please include Alternatives.
DECEMBER CALENDAR: CELEBRATING
CREDO William Sloane Coffin has long fought for social justice and argued that faith
must be at the heart of political and intellectual life. Now, Coffin gives
this record of his remarkable public life, offering his inspiring words on issues
ranging from charity and justice, politics, economics issues, the environment,
nuclear disarmament, and morality to the meaning of faith, the church, and
a pastor's responsibility. These brief quotations and excerpts demonstrate
the wit, fire and passion he brought to the task of preaching and the moral
commitment he has made to change the world. If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. Order from the web site or call toll free 800/821-6153.
ADVIENTO MUESTRA EN ESPAÑOL Most of our Spanish resources also appear on our updated CD-ROM, "Simply the Best: Over 30 Years of Alternatives" ($15). NEW RESOURCE REMINDER "What Does JESUS Want for Christmas?" Alternatives' "CHRISTMAS AUDIO TRILOGY" Fun ways to begin simpli fyingChristmas.Listenbyyourself,witha group or while traveling. Or send a gentle message by sharing these CDs with friends and relatives. Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. ******** To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - November 16, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. YES, you can still receive "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" and other resources before Advent begins, Nove mber28th.Pleaseorderbeforethe 19th. You're welcome to order by phone. Free consultations, M-F, 9-5 Central Time at 800-821-6153. Leave a message anytime. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK "We wish you a low stress, no-debt Christmas!" "We wish you a joy-filled, simple Christmas." "Let's Have a More-with-Less Christmas!" These thoughts come as Simple Living Labels, available as a set, as part of the Christmas Campaign Kit, and in our Stationery Sampler. Use the labels on envelops and packagess to "Send a Message." Vote for your favorite Simple Living Suggestions in the up coming Stakeholder Survey. Watch for it! COMMENT OF THE WEEK For over 30 years Alternatives has been showing North Americans that simpler living, not the gospel of prosperity, is the way of Jesus. Anyone who supports Alternatives can be assured that the mission is solid and the organization truly cares for Creation. RON SIDER, author of "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger" As you plan your year-end giving, please include Alternatives. NEW TITLE OF THE WEEK A Gift for the Christ Child: A Christmas Folktale This South American folktale offers a heartwarming message about the importance of giving. Two young boys journey far from their modest home in the mountains to the big church in town to make the family Christmas offering. Along the way, they are challenged to be brave, resourceful, and unselfish when they meet an older woman in need. This story offers a vivid lesson about true generosity -- giving even in hard
times. And it shows that God knows when we give from the heart. Visit NEW RESOURCE REMINDER "What Does JESUS Want for Christmas?" Alternatives' "CHRISTMAS AUDIO TRILOGY" The 65 minute CD is only $10 (including shipping). Fun ways to begin simpli fyingChristmas.Listenbyyourself,witha group or while traveling. Or send a gentle message by sharing these CDs with friends and relatives. These CDs are so new that they're not in our fall Resource Guide. Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. Order from the web site or call toll free 800/821-6153. To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit Peace. Gerald ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - November 9, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. YES, you can still receive "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" and other resources before Advent begins, Nove mber28th.Pleaseorderbeforethe 19th. You're welcome to order by phone. Free consultations, M-F, 9-5 Central Time at 800-821-6153. Leave a message anytime. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
There is a desperate need for Christians to repent of the consumeristic lifestyle prescribed by the dominant culture in which we live. This ministry is helping us to understand what some of the new directions are that we must take if we are to save the planet, have peace in the world, and plot out a future for our children. It is God's will that we live more simply and this ministry offers us options on to how to do that. TONY CAMPOLO, Professor Emeritus, Eastern University As you plan your year-end giving, please include Alternatives.
"What Does JESUS Want for Christmas?" is now available on audio CD! The 55+ minute CD, a pageant based on "Carols with Justice," is only $15 (including the carols booklet and the pageant script). The CD includes all 15 carols from the collection and the scenes from the pageant blended into an inspiring program. The scenes are "What Does Jesus Really Want for His Birthday?" "Thoughts While Not Listening to the Christmas Story," "The Story of Jason: 'Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?'" and "Ten Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Christmas." Here's an inspiring way to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Listen by yourself or with a group or while traveling. Or send a gentle message by sharing the CD with friends and relatives. Visit
I'm Your Child, God: Prayers for Our Children This collection of prayers, which embraces issues that children and teens face in an increasingly complicated world, is a testament of faith and love. It is also an expression of hope for the empowerment of young people, and a more just and peaceful world. Grouped according to themes such as hope, gratitude, and help, and filled with wisdom and insight, these prayers offer our children a powerful opportunity to connect with their own spirituality. Bryan Collier, recipient of a Caldecott Honor Medal, captures their vibrancy of our multicultural world in his stunning collage-and-watercolor artwork. 90 pp. $20 (cloth). IYCG Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. Order from the web site or call toll free 800/821-6153. To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
Peace. Gerald ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - November 2, 2004
Peace. Gerald ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - October 26, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com NEW TITLE OF THE WEEK The Errant Knight Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser.
NOVEMBER CALENDAR: CELEBRATING
After 10 rewarding, turbulent and sometimes frustrating years of working to stop the marketing of violent entertainment to children, THE LION & LAMB PROJECT will be closing October 29, 2004. We do not have an economic environment supportive of small nonprofits like Lion & Lamb. It will take thousands of advocates at the local, state and national level to bring about the needed changes in marketing practices. Lion & Lamb still has some materials left to assist you in these outreach efforts -- at a discounted price. Parent Action Kits (now $5 each, minimum purchase of 10 Kits); a few copies of our violent toy trade-in manuals (now $10 each); as well as copies of an 8-minute video tape called Sex, Lies & Video Games ($35 each). The videotape is the most powerful material we have ever developed. It shows clips from some of the most popular and violent video games on the market right now. You can order any of these materials through our website or by calling 301-654-3091. (Please do not attempt to order these resources from Alternatives.) The Lion & Lamb website (www.lionlamb.org) will remain on the internet at least until the spring, as a historical site only. It contains many links to like-minded organizations. We will not be responding to e-mails, phone calls or requests for materials after Oct. 29. Daphne White, Executive Director, The Lion & Lamb Project ******** YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
Peace. Gerald ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - October 19, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com Apologies if you receive this more than once. We're having server problems. LINK OF THE WEEK Get ready for International Buy Nothing Day, November 26th, the day after Thanksgiving Day (USA). On this, the biggest shopping day of the year, instead of shopping, write a "letter to the editor" promoting sustainability. Visit www.Adbusters.org or call 800-663-1243. COMMENT OF THE WEEK Please, please, please don't say you don't ship overseas. However, if you must, then please tell me how I CAN get a copy of [Unplug the Christmas Machine] workshop leader's guide. I understand that postage will probably need adjusting but that's OK. I just want the guide! [Oct. 6] I am totally amazed at how quickly you have delivered this order! It was hoping, at best, to get it by Christmas -- and it's already here [Oct. 15]! You people are wonderful! Thank you so much!! -- Pat Pollard, Beechboro, Western Australia NEW TITLE OF THE WEEK Earth Day Birthday This sing-along, read-along book honors the animals, the environment, and a universal holiday all in one fresh approach. To the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," appreciate twelve endearing North American species in their natural habitats. Earth Day is a holiday worthy of celebration every day! $9. EDB Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. Order from the web site or call toll free 800/821-6153. ******** YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit Peace. Gerald ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - October 12, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com NEW TITLES OF THE WEEK -- BEAUTIFUL 2005 WALL CALENDARS
Extraordinary photos by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Each month contains a country profile; each day, holidays from around the world - the most complete list we've ever seen. Full color. $15. PCCAL
Constructive daily lifestyle reflections and suggestions; special days, celebrations, moon phases and seasonal lore. Black & white. $7. ASPICAL Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser.
Yes, YOU CAN make a difference on the media in your community! Idea #2. LETTER TO THE EDITOR [date] Editor: Christmas is coming. Merchants are doing their best to help us prepare for this wonderful day. We will have spent billions on extra purchases just for this event. Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to blame them for starting to push December 25th in October or September since it is going to take a bit more of our time in those checkout lanes to spend more money this year. Christmas is a time of year when we are more generous and caring towards others. It is also a time when suicide and depression run rampant. "Tis the season" to say "I love you" or "I care about you," usually with some material gift. But do those gifts really bring us much satisfaction in life? We try so hard during the four or five week Christmas season to be so good and happy. But on the day after Christmas, most of us are a bit down if not down right depressed. Somehow the whole Christmas season seems to be phony on December 26th. But Christmas can become a more meaningful celebration for us if we decide to try to do a few things differently this year. Let's drop Christmas activities that are not enjoyable or meaningful. Let's dream up new ways to celebrate what Christmas means to us whether that be the celebration of human love and caring for each other or the Christian celebration of Jesus who showed us the way to love and care for each other - even unto death. Let's give the gifts of ourselves and our time to the people we really care about and want to love more. Let's give our best friend a gift certificate for an evening on the town together. We can celebrate both the gift and the relationship that is nurtured by the gift in the new year when time is less hectic. Let's give our little sister or brother a gift certificate for a free lesson in making something. Let's write Mom and Dad a letter about some special thing they taught us when we were growing up. Let's seriously consider volunteering our services in the new year to a human service organization that helps people all year long. This way we can keep our Christmas spirit going throughout the coming year. Many have been found The Big Buddy Program (phone #) and Operation Up-Grade (phone #) to be rewarding. For more ideas on gift giving and other ways to celebrate Christmas in more meaningful ways, come to [event/day/date/time/place] (or contact my favorite source of inspiration and nuts-and-bolts ideas about simplifying Christmas -- Alternatives for Simple Living at 800/821-6153 or www.SimpleLiving.org). [adapted from Brenda Broussard in "Reaching Out Through the Media," which comes by itself ($2), in Simple Living 101 ($10), and on "Simply the Best: Over 30 Years of Alternatives" CD-ROM ($15) and in our web site archives at http://www.simpleliving.org/Archives/XPac/XPac1989index.html] ******** TIPs! 1) If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. 2) If you get an error message, eliminate # in the URL and the information that follows it. When you arrive, scroll down a bit. YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - October 5, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com SITE OF THE WEEK Bread for the World Sunday will be October 24th -- celebrating 30 years of seeking justice, ending hunger. Special resources are available at www.bread.org or 800-82-BREAD. NEW TITLE OF THE WEEK Keeping the Garden Are you ready to make a difference? To see the ruin our way of life makes in the Earth? Are you looking for new images of the Sacred? New images of community and economy? Welcome. You have come to the right place! Over 20 musicians, engaging folk style, 14 selections on 2 CDs with texts in recycled sleeve. $20. KG Visit COMMENT OF THE WEEK Don't let the election cloud the message of a simpler Christmas. Regardless of who's elected, North America still needs voluntary simplicity. Be prepared November 3rd! Advent begins November 28th. Yes, YOU CAN make a difference on the media in your community! As Alternatives produces more resources electronically -- videos, DVDs and audio CDs, you have the opportunity to get the message of simpler living on stations in your community. 1. Contact your local CABLE company about carrying our two videos "Break Forth into Joy!" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on the community access channel. This is normally free. Then help the cable company promote the broadcasts when they are set, to attract more viewers, by including a blurb in your church newsletter or letter(s) to the editor(s) of your community newspaper(s). You or we will provide VHS tape or a DVD. 2. Contact your commercial and public, secular and religious RADIO stations about carrying our audio programming. You can help by trying to find "underwriters" or "sponsors." Help promote the broadcasts when they are set, to attract more listeners, by including a blurb in your church newsletter or letter(s) to the editor(s) of your community newspaper(s). We will provide CDs. "Carols with Justice" (15 vocals) Demos of both programs come on "Whose Birthday" 2004 audio CD. Or
listen to the MP3 files on our home page. Another idea next week. ******** YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit Peace. Gerald ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator Simply 60 Seconds - September 28, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
OCTOBER: FOOD
In these difficult times there are many needs. "Simple" can help with many of them. -- Warren Shufeldt, Springfield, IL For more customer comments, visit ******** TIME FOR "WHOSE BIRTHDAY" WEB POSTINGS Your help is needed and much appreciated. Please post the following brief message on any internet bulletin boards, with any internet news groups, etc. as soon as possible. Simply copy the message, insert your organization's name where indicated (if appropriate), and paste the message into your posting. Last year we received numerous orders through such postings. Please urge your web master to link our site to yours if s/he hasn't already done so. A Link or Button will make it possible for someone viewing your web site easily to pull up a description of the "Whose Birthday" booklet on our website. [The specific address from the Whose Birthday cover page is http://SimpleLiving.org/xb/xbcover.html] If you have questions or concerns, please contact me. We'd appreciate knowing where you do your postings. Thanks for your help! MESSAGE: BRING YOUR FAMILY AND CHURCH TOGETHER THIS CHRISTMAS! Preparing for Christmas tends to be a time of stress. Try some peace this season with the 2004 edition of "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" from Alternatives for Simple Living, a partner of [your organization]. Designed for individuals, families and small groups, this booklet includes Biblical reflections, articles, activities, a daily calendar and suggestions for remembering those in need. "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" is available in quantity pricing as low as 70¢ per copy. For over 30 years, Alternatives has provided people with ideas to celebrate responsibly. For a current free catalog of resources for responsible living and celebrating, call anytime 800-821-6153, fax 712/274-1402, or e-mail Alternatives@SimpleLiving.org, or visit www.SimpleLiving.org [End of message] To see the entire booklet, order a copy on paper or the Christmas Campaign Kit. Alternatives' UPGRADED "CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN KIT" -- ideas and tools for a more meaningful, less commercial celebration in your home or church. $50+ value, only $19! To order, scroll down a bit when visiting (To order any resource in our catalog or eStore, click on the highlighted item code at the end of an item description. That will take you to an order form.) After you've arrived, if you want more details and quantity prices for all
of the items in the kit click Most of these resources also come on the CD-ROM "Simply the Best: 30 Years of Alternatives," $15. (Version 3.1 available now.) Pledge not to go on auto-pilot this year. Order your Christmas Campaign Kit today! ******** YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit Peace, P.S. If you have any problems with our web site or email please call or email us. Some spammers have borrowed our address to send out their own messages. Our messages are safe. We never send attachments with our "Simply 60 Seconds" e-newsletter. Some phoney attachments may have contained viruses. So, don't open an attachment purported to be from us unless you are expecting it. ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - September 21, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
HOW TO LOOK AND FEEL GREAT Visit
WORLD FOOD DAY, October 16th
I plan to use "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" in "Advent by Candlelight" Program in November. I heard about you in our church bulletin. Your salesperson was very friendly and helpful and I like the content of the Resource Guide. -- Darlene Caldwell, Urbandale, IA ******** YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
Peace. ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - September 14, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We hope you find our new format helpful and interesting.
SHINE ON, STAR OF BETHLEHEM Writers from around the world have joined together to produce this best-selling anthology which offers a wide range of worship resources, from simple prayers to complete service outlines, for the season of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Now in its second edition, an entirely new section of prayers and reading has been added. Christ's coming into the world is supremely good news and joyful prayers, songs, poems and readings from many cultures will enrich our seasonal celebrations and personal preparations. Yet the incarnation, now as then, profoundly challenges the unjust systems and attitudes that condemn millions to lives of hunger, poverty, disease and homelessness. Their voices are heard in this anthology too, reminding us of our call to continue building the kingdom of God which Jesus' birth announced. 320 pp. $21. SOSB Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser.
Medieval Peasants Worked Less Than You Do! October 24th is TAKE BACK YOUR TIME DAY, a major U.S./Canadian initiative to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment. Visit www.TimeDay.org to read the Take Back Your Time Legislative Agenda. An Initiative of The Simplicity Forum, of which Alternatives is a founding member.
I checked out your website first, then ordered Wedding Alternatives as a resource for couples marrying at our church. I can possibly use other resources in this affluent parish that struggles with having too many possibilities! Excellent service all around. -- Our Savior's, Hartland, WI For more customer comments, visit ******** YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
. Gerald ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - September 7, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com We hope you find our new format interesting and helpful.
Thanks for keeping the dream alive. -- Stephen D. Mayberry, Raleigh, NC For more customer comments, visit
September: Non-conform Freely
THE WAY OF PEACE This book is designed on the model of prayer, study, and action. It is excellent for classroom use at the high school and college levels, for parish study groups, adult and youth religious education, for small Christian communities. It is an excellent resource for people of any age who want to explore, understand and practice nonviolence. 178 pp. $18. WPEACE Visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. ******** YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
Peace. Gerald ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - August 31, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
Alternatives' Advent and Christmas Resource for Families and Churches, "Whose Birthday Is it, Anyway?" -- Ideas for a Christ-Centered Holiday (2004) -- GOES ELECTRONIC. Whether you read the booklet or listen to the CD for your personal edification or in a group, we hope you will be inspired to celebrate a simple, joy-filled Christmas with less stress and debt. Then we hope you'll want to SHARE THIS MESSAGE WITH OTHERS in your community. You can do that in several ways. Consider radio and TV broadcasts and webcasts. PLEASE TAKE THE AUDIO CD AND BOOKLET TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS -- religious and secular, commercial and public. Ask the Program Director to preview TRACKS 3-9, a shortened version of WHOSE BIRTHDAY IS IT, ANWAY? RADIO SHOW (a 28 minute magazine designed for weekends). A series of six radio magazines is available free of charge for broadcast the six weeks from the First Sunday of Advent until Epiphany -- Sat./Sun., Nov. 27/28 - Jan. 1/2. Also ask the Program Director to preview TRACK 2 -- MORE-WITH-LESS CHRISTMAS* (a 90 second segment designed for weekdays) -- and consider it for broadcast. A series of 30 segments is available free of charge for the six weeks through Advent and Christmas to Epiphany, Monday-Friday, Nov. 29-Jan. 7. Demos of both programs can also be downloaded as MP3 files from our home page
SimpleLiving.org or at To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit To order the booklet and CD ($12 postpaid), call 800-821-6153. Let us know of your interest in this project. Stations are not required to broadcast what you request or when you request it. If you have a group of interested people or if you know someone who has influence at the station, ask them to support you with a phone call, letter or face-to-face visit. If possible, raise funds to sponsor the broadcasts. That will get your church, organization or family name on the air. Cash will give you more leverage for better broadcast times. Or provide a list of potential sponsors. Then offer to help promote the broadcasts through blurbs in your church newsletter or letter(s) to the editor(s) of your community newspaper(s). When you find a station that is interested -- one that will at least give you a strong "maybe" -- contact Alternatives. We'll send a free complete set of the series to the station. Also, take the video "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on VHS or DVD to your local TV or cable company. Your best chance is your cable's community access channel. If you have a community, regional or company webcasting service, ask the Program Director to preview both the audio CD and video for webcast. The message of voluntary simplicity is so powerful and so needed that your efforts will be well worth your time and energy. Do not have high expectations. Be friendly but persistent. Be enthusiastic! If we do nothing, be assured that nothing will happen. WE are God's hands on Earth. Peace, *P.S. "More-with-Less Christmas" is our new gift version of "Whose Birthday" designed for relatives and the general public, for newsstands and bookstores. ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - August 24, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
***** Know any funding sources that Alternatives might pursue? Our financial situation remains precarious. Please provide contact information. (We need more than "call Bill Gates.") Thanks! ***** Need a volunteer speaker or workshop leader on Simplifying Christmas for your congregation or group this fall? Now's the time to get started! Contact us.
YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - August 17, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
FREE Hunger Education Activities That Work from Church World Service A 24-page collection of simulations, skits, worship materials, and bulletin inserts guaranteed to engage a local congregation, because that's where they were developed. Great for hunger educators, CROP WALK organizers, youth leader, religious/mission educators, camp directors, anyone interested in engaging their community on the issue of hunger. ED 0447 Order up to ten copies are FREE! Please pre-pay: CWS, PO Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515 ******** YES! I want to help promote Alternatives' 2004 Advent family booklet Send me the following FREE PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL by (date) ______________. Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser.
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - August 10, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
The "Autumn" section of "Treasury of Celebrations" includes: Treasury of Celebrations also includes sections on Making Choices, Gifts, January-April holidays, May-August, Advent, Christmas and Rites of Passage. A copy of the whole 288 page book on paper is only $12 (originally $20). To
go the description in our catalog, scroll down a bit while visiting For more resources on Building Community, visit If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. ******** YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
Peace. ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054
Simply 60 Seconds - August 3, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute.
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - July 27, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute.
Peace,
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - July 20, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute.
Peace,
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - July 13, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
The SLOw Down Network -- short for Speakers, Leaders, Organizers and Discussion makers -- consists of over 800 volunteers who stand ready to speak or lead workshops at churches, service clubs, schools and other gatherings about Simple Living. They consult on organizing events, like Third World Craft Fairs, and help people start Simplicity Circles and study/action/accountability groups. Alternatives provides free materials -- catalogs, flyers, resources -- upon request for displays at conferences, meetings, conventions and other events. Editor: For the names of speakers in your area, contact us. Read this whole article at For more on the SLOw Down Network, visit ****** FEATURE ARTICLE People throughout North America seem really hungry for information about living more simply. Our hope is that people can learn ways to simplify their lives so that they are not overtaken by stress, debt and guilt. Our SLOw Down Network offers help. We provide tools for simplifying, such as books and videos. But the best motivation to change comes through face-to-face sharing, education, support and accountability. That's how volunteer empowerment happens. Read this whole article at To read some Success Stories, scroll down a bit when visiting ******** TIPs! 1) If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. 2) If you get an error message, eliminate # in the URL and the information that follows it. When you arrive, scroll down a bit.
Name: To read the current and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit Thanks. ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - July 6, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
Help Build Community with an Alternative Christmas Event An Alternative Christmas Community Festival is a concrete, exciting way to offer ideas and support for those who want to have more meaningful Christmas celebrations. It is also a positive way to introduce the need for change to people unaware of the problems connected with the way we celebrate Christmas. Read this whole article at Alternatives offers helpful guidelines in the Alternative Event Organizer's
Kit for planning fall events. To read more visit To read about "Simple Living 101," Alternatives' toolbook for activists
shy or bold, which also includes Alternative Event Organizer's Kit, visit To read about "Simply the Best: Over 30 Years of Alternatives" CD-ROM,
which also includes "Simple Living 101," visit ***** "UNPLUG THE CHRISTMAS MACHINE" Still Sparks the Movement for a Simpler, More Meaningful Celebration "We were inspired by Alternatives to write 'Unplug the Christmas Machine,'" says author Jo Robinson. Since 1978, this classic and its Leader's Guide have been used to lead thousands of workshops on simplifying Christmas. "Unplug" is a phenomenon! Read this whole article at To read more, visit "Unplug" Combos
Name: To read past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - June 29, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. [no e-mail newsletter this week?]
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - June 22, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
Here's Help -- the 2004 Edition of "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" Preparing for Christmas tends to be a time of stress. Try some peace this season with the 2004 edition of "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" from Alternatives for Simple Living. For over fifteen years, Alternatives has provided people with ideas to celebrate responsibly in this Advent-Christmas resource booklet. This is Alternatives' most widely read resource. Over two-and-a-half million copies have been distributed. It is also available on audio CD and CD-ROM. A NEW GIFT VERSION, called "More-with-Less Christmas," has high quality paper throughout and some articles of more general interest, appropriate for friends and relatives who may need a more gentle approach. ($3.50 per copy with same bulk prices as regular edition). The all new year 2004 edition features Esther Armstrong and Dale Stitt, founders of Journey into Freedom. Designed for individuals, families and small groups, the booklet includes biblical reflections, worshipful ceremonies, activities, an Advent calendar and suggestions for remembering the needy. All can be read quietly or aloud. "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" is available now in quantity pricing as low as 70¢ per copy. Also available soon is a version of the booklet in Spanish entitled "Adviento." Articles present meaningful Christmas alternatives and worship aids. The booklet's calendar - "Gentle, Faithful Steps Toward a Simpler Christmas" - offers thoughts and actions for each day in Advent and the twelve days of Christmas. The calendar is also available as bulletin inserts and as a guided journal. Alternatives offers other resources appropriate for reevaluation of Christmas and for simpler living all year. "Christmas Campaign Kit" -- a $50+ value -- contains over 20 items for $19. "Family Stories and Games" contains 3 collections, 2 games, and a craft activity ($16 value, only $10). "Home Worship Kit" contains reflections, singing and journaling (6 items, $25+ value, only $15). Single copies of the "Whose Birthday" booklet are $3 each postpaid; 5-19 copies, $2 each; 20-49 copies, $1.50 each; 50-299 copies, $1 each; 300-999 copies, 85¢ each; 1000+ copies, 70¢ each. Shipping charges are added above four copies. Alternatives produces customized versions for numerous denominations and dioceses. To read the 2004 and past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit The popular "Ten Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Christmas" is available on-line at http://www.simpleliving.org/main/MR/10tipCeleb.html For a current free catalog or to order, contact 800-821-6153 or Alternatives@SimpleLiving.org. Visit www.SimpleLiving.org. ##### EDITORS: For more information and interviews, contact Gerald Iversen. * REVIEW COPIES and art are available upon request. * If you would like to REPRINT parts or all of "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" contact us. NOTE: For a wealth of Alternatives' material, visit www.SimpleLiving.org. Click on "Information," then "Media Releases" and "Archives/Featured Articles." If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser. YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - June 15, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
Cookbook Authors Need Your Help! The "More-With-Less Cookbook," written more than 25 years ago, has more than 800,000 copies in print. "More-With-Less" it has become the favorite cookbook of many families. Full of recipes from hundreds of contributors, it gives suggestions "on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources." The second in the series is "Extending The Table," available through Alternatives for Simple Living. It shows how you don't have to leave home to experience a wide variety of foods from other countries and so learn about other cultures. Interspersed among the recipes are stories about how hospitality is practiced around the world. Now comes "Simply in Season." Not so long ago, within the memory of many of our parents and grandparents, most fruits and vegetables on North American tables came from our own gardens or from gardens close by. Eggs, milk and meat also came from local sources. Today, the average item of food travels over a thousand miles before it lands on our tables. It's a remarkable technological accomplishment, but it has not proven to be healthy for our communities, our land or us. Through stories and simple "whole foods" recipes, this new MCC cookbook will explore how the food we put on our tables impacts our local and global neighbors. It will show the importance of eating local, seasonal food -- and fairly traded food -- and invite readers to make choices that offer security and health for our communities, for the land, for body and spirit. Please take a second to go to the web site www.MoreWithLess.org. We are looking for people to submit recipes, and would like to have as many as possible. We are looking for recipes from all seasons and using all kinds of ingredients.
Name: To read past editions of "Whose Birthday," visitŠ
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - June 8, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
Host of the popular PBS primetime special, ESCAPE FROM AFFLUENZA, Wanda is co-author with Frank Levering of SIMPLE LIVING: ONE COUPLE'S SEARCH FOR A BETTER LIFE and the forthcoming NOTHING'S TOO SMALL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Wanda and Frank speak with authority about making significant choices and changes in life. Both had successful careers in Los Angeles (she as a journalist, he as a screenwriter) and put the fast lane behind them when they headed to the family orchard in the Blue Ridge Mountains to make their lives contain less and matter more.
Shot in 10 states around the nation, each half-hour includes a segment called "The Thing That Refused to Die," focusing on items people have taken care of beyond the date of planned obsolescence. Simple Living is an upbeat look at how to enjoy the best of every day without turning life into a clutter of good intentions. Wanda and Frank, like Alternatives for Simple Living, are founding members of The Simplicity Forum, a international network of authors, academics and organizations who promote VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY. Contact your PBS station for broadcast time. To locate your PBS station, go
to www.pbs.org and scroll down to link called "station finder." +++++ YES! I want to help promote "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" 2004 Name: To read past editions of "Whose Birthday," visitŠ
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - June 1, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute.
THE LONG MARCH From what little they have, the Choctaw collect $170 to help the starving
Irish. As Choona learns the terrible truth about his own tribe's Long March,
he must decide whether to answer a faraway cry for help. $7. LM
If a web address does not appear as a hot link, please copy and paste it into your browser.
Name: To read past editions of "Whose Birthday," visit
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - May 25, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. We welcome your replies at afsl1@longlines.com
The cover is friendlier, less confrontational. The size is larger, magazine size. A new "gift version," called "More-with-Less Christmas" is appropriate for a general audienceŠ a publication you'd feel more comfortable sharing with friends and relatives. It has more general articles and good quality paper throughout. We will release WHOSE BIRTHDAY 2004 next month. PLEASE HELP PROMOTE the booklet by distributing COLOR FLYERS or other material to your constituents and colleagues. Or share them at a conference or convention. The flyer comes flat or folded. It fits in a #10 envelope as a "stuffer." It
could easily "piggy-back" on a mailing you're already sending.
Yes, send me by (date) ______________ the following at no charge. __ copies of the flyer: __ flat; __ tri-folded Name: To read past editions of "Whose Birthday," visitŠ Keep watching this newsletter. We'll let you know when this year's edition
is available in print and on our web site.
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - May 18, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. [no e-mail newsletter this week?] Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - May 11, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute.
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - May 4, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute.
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - April 27, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. [no e-mail newsletter this week?] Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - April 20, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. NEW TITLES
Diary of a Compost Hotline Operator relates Spring's hilarious adventures
during her twelve years on the hotline. Packed with barely credible real-life
tales from the trenches of the urban horticulture avant-garde, it deals with
all manner of gardening lore -- such as: It is a mine of useful resources -- perfect reading for garden fanatics, gift-givers,
ag-academics and environmentalists, and all who like to laugh while they learn. Scroll down a bit when visiting
Visit Or scroll down a bit when visiting If these web addresses do not appear as hot links here, copy and paste them
into your browser window.
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - April 13, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. HERE'S HELP TO BRING SIMPLER LIVING TO YOUR GROUP! "SLOw Down Network" Workshop-on-a-CD (audio) There's no reason to delay having a Simple Living Event in your church, your home, your car! IF YOU WANT A LIVE SPEAKER, Alternatives will send you several prospects from your area. IF YOU WANT THE CONVENIENCE OF A RECORDED SPEAKER OR WORKSHOP, order a Workshop-on-a-CD. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A PRESENTATION, Alternatives has materials you can use in "Simple Living 101." IF YOU WANT TO STAND READY TO MAKE PRESENTATIONS upon request within 50 miles of your home, join the SLOw Down Network. No cost or obligation. Receive a free newsletter. Other services include Yes, you do want to help yourself and others to live more simply, more joyfully. We can help. Call now! 800-821-6153 Alternatives' is a non-profit organization. Our services are FREE. We welcome help with expenses, such as postage, and the cost of any resources you may decide to buy. "Simple Living 101" comes on paper in a packet for $10 or in a binder with tabs and the accompanying audio CD "Living Simply and Loving It!" (a $27 value) for $20. SL101SET-A "Simple Living 101" is one of over 100 resources on the interactive CD-ROM, "Simply the Best: Over 30 Years of Alternatives." It contains over 1500 pages of educational materials and dozens of graphics. The latest version includes "Leader's Guide to 'Unplug the Christmas Machine' Workshop." Also available: the book "Unplug the Christmas Machine" ($13), "Leader's Guide to 'Unplug the Christmas Machine' Workshop" (on paper, $10), Participant's Manual ($2); "Unplug the Christmas Machine" kit (book, manual and audio CD, $25 value for $20). Visit OVERCOMING THE "CONTINUITY" PROBLEM OF "UNPLUG" WORKSHOP If you as a workshop leader want to present "Unplug the Christmas Machine" Workshop on four consecutive Sundays instead of one four-hour workshop, you may have the "continuity" problem -- not everybody's going to show up for all the sessions. The workshop builds carefully step-by-step. The solution is our new "Unplug" audio CD. If Ralph knows he's going to miss session 2, he can borrow the CD from the leader and listen to the appropriate session on the CD and do that session in the Participants Manual before coming back for session 3. Likewise, if something comes up suddenly and Sally misses session 3, she can borrow the CD and catch up before session 4 the following week. Whether you're a workshop leader that wants to be prepared, or a curious person who wants to experience "Unplug" but has no group to attend, get the CD now. Be ready for the COMMERCIAL CHRISTMAS CRISIS that will happen soon. Immunize yourself and your friends now.
Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - April 6, 2004 Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. FREE, helpful information on May-August holidays! Treasury of Celebrations includes sections on Making Choices, Gifts, A copy of the whole 288 page book on paper is now only $12 (originally
SEEDS OF DECEPTION This explosive exposé reveals how industry manipulation and political Visit Or scroll down a bit when visiting
From the down side of today's food choices to a fascinating and even "She helps us choose not only the health and enjoyment we each want from "Destined to become THE essential companion for everyone trying to make Visit If these web addresses do not appear as hot links, then copy and paste them Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - March 30 Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. NEW TITLES SIMPLICITY LESSONS Simplicity Lessons is a practical guide for those who long for a slower Visit Or scroll down a bit when visiting
Many people feel the need to change their own lifestyles as a tangible way Visit Or scroll down a bit when visiting (Highlight, copy and paste these URLs into your browser if they are not hot
Peace,
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - March 23, 2004 Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. NOTE our NEW ADDRESS / PHONE below
RESPONSIBLE PURCHASING FOR FAITH COMMUNITIES Scroll down a bit when visiting
Our modern civilization is in trouble. We have created a bubble economy, Visit Peace,
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - March 16, 2004 Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. TV-Turnoff Week -- April 19-25 TV-Turnoff Week 2004 promises to be the biggest and best one yet! Millions of children and adults around the world will turn off their Why Turn off the TV? * On average, children in the US will spend more time in front of the Who Participates? What's So Great about TV-Turnoff Week? Benjamin Loxley, a second-grader, sums it up well, "I had a great time,
and TV-Turnoff Week Works! Sound like fun? It is! Join thousands of parents, teachers, pediatricians TV-Turnoff Week is supported by over 70 national organizations including To learn more check TV-Turnoff Week fact sheet: TV-Turnoff Week Works! BRAND NEW! Check out "Six Easy Steps to a Great TV-Turnoff" -- an "I really didn't like TV-Turnoff Week except that I did notice that my Visit www.TVTurnOff.org
Peace,
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - March 9, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. LAST CALL! * Includes specials and new titles! Any quantity. Please do not combine
Peace,
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - March 2, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. COMMERCIALIZED Christmas last December 26th. Now's the time to begin planning a simpler, alternative celebration. We will help you. Contact us today. Your Group Can Benefit from Customized Copies of "Whose Birthday Is It, Place your order now for the 17th edition of "Whose Birthday Is It, The featured writers are Esther Armstrong and Dale Stitt of Journey into Designed for families and small groups, "Whose Birthday...?" can
be used in This resource is so well received, contains such valuable material and yet Partners have three pages inside and their name on the front and back Copy is requested March 31st for June 1st delivery. We are planning no fall Ecumenical, national catholic and most denominational versions will be in For past issues, visit
-->The text of our 40 day guide for Lent 2004 is available on-line at --> Distribute free copies of Alternatives' Resource Guide at a meeting
or
Peace,
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - February 24, 2004Simply 60 Seconds: The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under
a minute. NEW TITLESSHELTERWOOD (Grades 3-6) Young Sophie stays with her grandfather one summer to learn She watches as he harvests trees that will be cut into boards to build Visit
Jennifer Simmonds "When I get angry, it's like all I see is REDŠ!" All of us get angry at some time or another. It is how we deal with anger (Ages 6-12) Seeing Red is a unique and effective approach to anger Visit
The text of the guide is available on-line at
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - February 17, 2004The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under a minute. NEW MUSIC CDs GO BEFORE US Go Before Us expresses a commitment to social justice, challenging us all
Based on the Mass, this phenomenal work uses music from many cultures and For details and to order, visit
The text of the guide is available on-line at
Peace,
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - February 10, 2004The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under a minute.
NEW TITLES
One person's terrorist is another's freedom fighter. This guide gets behind
the causes and contexts of both group terrorism and state terrorism. The moral
and political theories and highlights the battle of images and ideas, the war
on terror and its fateful consequences for democracy. 145 pp.
How democracy is constricted and deformed by economic power-brokers and
self-serving political class. A sterile consensus of technocrats,
neo-liberals and spin-doctors worldwide has usurped the hopes for a
democratic future. A guide to the rich practical ideas for empowering
today's voters around the world. 145 pp.
All too often what passes for development improves life for the better-off,
while actively hurting the very people the venture was meant to support.
Black argues for a process to be put in place that truly defends the
interest of poor people. 145 pp. For details and to order, scroll down a bit when visiting
The text of the guide is available on-line at
Gerald ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - February 3, 2004The e-Newsletter on Simpler Living you can read in under a minute.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY You can be a part of our exciting 30th anniversary plans! In addition to our annuals -- "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" and "40
Day Scheduled for 2004-05 are: * If you would like to receive and comment on one of these items before it $10,000 is needed for production and marketing. Recognition of sponsors is
--> A new 40-DAY GUIDE FOR LENT AND EASTER 2004 -- "Connecting with
God, The text of the guide is available on-line at
Peace,
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - January 27, 2004
NEW TITLES WATER WARS Shiva uses her remarkable knowledge of science and society to analyze the Visit
César Chávez, the founder of the United Farm Workers, left an
indelible Visit
* Includes specials and new titles! No limit on quantity. One discount BRIEFS: --> A new 40-DAY GUIDE FOR LENT AND EASTER 2004 is now available. The text of the guide is available on-line at
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - January 20, 2004
February is Black History month Great African Americans in CIVIL RIGHTS Meet Martin Luther King Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters For these three books scroll down a bit when visiting
ACTS OF MERCY POSTERS We are God's hands on Earth! Feed the Hungry, Clothe the Naked, Give Drink Scroll down a bit while visitingŠ
--> A new 40-DAY GUIDE FOR LENT AND EASTER 2004 is now available. The text of the guide is available on-line at
Do Not STUFFocate Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - January 13, 2004
NEW HOME-IN-THE-DOME SALE Please help us move! * In stock copies only. One discount only. Please do not combine discounts. ** Item codes ending "-A." Includes "Our Resources" on our web site.
THE GLOBAL BANQUET: Politics of Food VIDEO Corporate globalization of food threatens the livelihoods of small farmers Visit
Justice speaks of the way that God would have us treat one another so that These complete worship services are written by pastors and lay leaders from Each chapter includes a call to worship, an opening prayer, a prayer of Visit OR http://www.simpleliving.org/catalog/Worship.html
** A new 40-DAY GUIDE FOR LENT AND EASTER 2004 is now available. The text of the guide is available on-line at
To contribute to the 2004 edition of our most widely-read, family-oriented Peace, ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
Simply 60 Seconds - January 6, 2004
A new 40-day guide and other resources for Lent and Easter 2004 are now The text of the guide is available on-line at "Ten Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Easter" is available on-line
at Since Alternatives will be moving into The Earth Dome in spring, 2004, it In the style of it's most widely read resource - "Whose Birthday Is It, It contains six sets of reflections on the Gospel lessons for Lent and The entire collection, plus over 1500 pages of other resources, is A collection of 15 past guides for Lent is available on paper for $5. The winter Resource Guide contains many new resources, as well as Books for Lent and Easter include "Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent
and New titles include "Responsible Purchasing for Faith Communities"; "Plan
B: "The Vision of Simpler Living: Alternatives' Video Collection" on
DVD New music CDs include "Go Before Us: Singing and Working for Justice";
and Other resources produced by Alternatives include: "Wedding Alternatives," a "Spirit of Simplicity: Quotes & Art for Simpler Living and Global
Justice" Alternatives is a non-profit organization that "equips people of faith
to Contact Alternatives at 1-800-821-6153 or 712/274-8875, fax 712-274-1402,
To contribute to the 2004 edition of our most widely-read, family-oriented
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
NOTICESIf you prefer to read our catalog on our Website and not receive a paper copy, notify us and we will stop sending one by mail. Or receive only the Fall catalog on paper. If you're not receiving a paper copy and want to, contact us and we'll start sending it. Free Catalog options:
If you prefer not to receive these occasional messages from Alternatives, just send us an e-mail message that says, "Personal e-mail only." Please link your Website to us. For help, contact us. Simply at your service, Gerald
ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living Resources for responsible living and celebrating since 1973 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa 51054 712/943-6153 or 800/821-6153 Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator |
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| ALTERNATIVES
for Simple Living, 109 Gaul Dr. * P.O. Box 340 * Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
51054 800/821-6153 * 712/943-6153 * Fax: 712/943-1402 E-mail: Alternatives@SimpleLiving.org |
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| This page last updated 20 November 2004 | ||
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