Crazy Weekend

This weekend was crazy. Saturday we did a manna drop in Lake Park with Camp Relitso (Velma Miles) and Francis Lake AME. This was our first time in Lake Park for a Drop. It was an amazing time. The whole vibe was surreal. Everyone came together and worked so hard to make sure that the people we were serving had enough food. When we got their the lines were already starting to form. One of the guys who came for food jumped on the truck and went right to work helping us get the pallets of food of the truck. And between trying to unload thousands of pounds of food in the grass (which i don't recommend) and the truck not starting we had lots of fun. thank you Ms. Billie for hanging out with us. and to all the volunteers who made this so much fun with your enegry and laughter. we've got to do this again real soon. hey frank, thanks for helping to load the truck and for hooking us up with the pears and tomatoes! everyone loved them.

saw a lot of familar faces. some helping and some coming in need of food. each time we do a drop i am reminded of the struggle of hunger. i am also reminded of the power of unity and community. how it effects me personally and pushes me to be a better person....whatever that may mean. i'm still trying to figure that out.

after the Drop me, cindy, and isabella raced down to the Swamp in Gainsville, Fl. for the South Carolina vs. Florida game. At the last minute we got tickets. What an awesome time. We had so much fun. i think the final score was 56 to 6.....celebrating with 90,000 of our closest friends. Isabella's first Gator game. We finally got home around 10:30pm.

The next day, cindy and i got up early and headed to atlanta with some friends to the Atlanta Falcon's game. saw an old buddy who was on the side of the road preaching as fans went into the stadium. as we were going into the stadium we noticed that the Atlanta Food Bank and the Falcons had teamed up to do a food drive. As fans went into the stadium they dropped off canned goods and monitary donations to help fight hunger in the ATL area. They really made a big deal about it. It's really cool to see the corporate world using their resources and influence to serve those who need so much; highlighting the suffering and pain of hunger.

As we were leaving the game some of the homeless crowd was out selling newspapers and helping people cross the congested streets. As people walked by you could hear conversations popping up about the homeless and the issues surrounding poverty. thanks Dale and Becky for allowing us to hang out and to Brian, Heather, and Carlie for watching over Isabella.

I love the poor and have a deep affection for them. Perhaps somewhat selfish....they offer me a glimps into God and force me to think about what really matters and how temperary life really is....and at some level we are all poor in some area of our lives. They expose my hypocrisy when i think that i am being good or forget that we are "spirits in a material world," not the other way around. They remind me that judgment is God's and that love and compassion are extremly difficult to live out. Often times we think that the poor need us but to be quit honest i need them.