Happy New Moon of Scorpio! The energy in the air this month is wicked *intense*. It's my friend Cephora's birth month, and if you know her, you'll have some idea what to expect. Ye-ouch! (Cephora, you know I love you darlin').

So, in the true spirit of scorpio, I have set a new Malawi goal. One that is, for me, awe-inspiringly "impossible" to achieve. And yet, at the same time, it's a dollar amount that I know for certain I will hit.

FundRaising $101,000 Malawi.

Why is it a good number? I understand 101 is the numerical value of the Angel Michael, who is the energy of Mercy...which is also the energy of this month. This is the month of Noah's flood. The floodwaters of judgment for the hellions who had it coming. Or, seen another way, the floodwaters of mercy to clear the land of evil...and yet, not kill indiscriminantly. Mercy is always available for those who will receive it.

At my accidental wedding (meaning I got married way too young) I insisted on a father-daughter dance. I chose Peter Gabriel's, "Mercy Street" as our song. I was so drunk, my poor dad had to hold me up. The wedding video is still too painful to watch. Thank God for mercy.

But where was I?

Oh, 101. It's also the numerical value for the Light energy of "giving without agenda". I like that. I mean, I certainly have an agenda to help raise a village, but I have no personal agenda for glory. That defeats the whole purpose.

I share only to make a contribution to others who are up to something in their lives goalwise. I share to bring awareness of the issue of poverty and what we can do about it. And, lastly I share to help cause a movement in my community to make a difference in the world. God as my judge, that's my agenda.

Now, acknowledgments in this new Light:

Thank you Dan Miller for your very generous contribution to Raising Malawi and for being the first $150 donation (which we'll add to the $25K) against the new $101K goal.

Dan Miller I know from a six-month leadership training course, the ILP (i forgot what "I" means (Intensive??), but I know LP stands for leadership program). This is the course where I met Cephora.

What's the numerical value of Bonnie, I wonder? Negative 10? I actually mean that as a positive, but man Bonnie was impossible. She was also in our group and I remember a lot of Bonnie energy. She went to med school I'm pretty sure. Columbia?

We were all blocked in different ways. Me? I was the ice queen. Bonnie? She would swing on a dime....just couldn't see her vision through on her own. Dan? I don't remember his struggle. Maybe because he was so good at helping all of us. I recall him giving Bonnie some good coaching in a car ride home from Philadelphia after a weekend-long bootcamp. I tried and tried with her. Then Dan stepped in and connected. He was great. Lucid. Bonnie got it, and that's saying a lot.

Dan is also an IT expert. We recently reconnected for a research project I was leading for IBM. He just CRANKED on it. (I wasn't supposed to tell you IBM was my client, but since you're done with the study, I suppose there's no harm in your knowing.)

Dan, your insights are gold, my friend! You make the hard to understand easy. You will go very very far. Best wishes in your new endeavor and, of course, thank you so much for your oh-so-generous donation to Raising Malawi. Like I always tell you, you SO ROCK!