Coldplay

Last week i took a buddy of mine to see coldplay in ATL. My wife bailed on me and missed an amazing concert. What energy and power. If you get into their music then you've got to go to a concert. It's a million times better live. These guys know how to put on a great show. It was well worth the three hour road trip back in the middle of the night; even if my friend couldn't hang and was snoozing by Macon. I guess old age gets the best of us......David (ha, ha).

I also get what they are doing with "Make Trade Fair" and thier work with Oxfam. thanks fellas. The power of music and lyrics. What an amazing ability as a way to communicate to the world. How music can reach in and grab the soul, move it, and take it to places we didn't even know existed. Perhaps that is why music is such a spiritual force. It can skim the surface or it can take us way deep.

Thanks

This morning i gave a lecture at VSU to a class in the communications dept. Thanks dr. eaves for the invitation and to the students for enganging in the subject of hunger and poverty. that we would all aspire to do something bigger than ourselves that would help the 'lest of these' in our communities. 9:30am is not so easy to deal with such deep issues. i hope that you have a great semester, good luck on your papers, and keep thinking......peace

These Days

This week i received a call from some friends who were in need of food. Normally i go and give them food undisturbed. But over the past several weeks i can't seem to go into a community to give away food and literally people come out of their homes begging for help. In two years i've not seen it this bad. People seem to be struggling everywhere we go.

People seem scared about the ecomony, their jobs, and thier future. a lot of uncertainty these days. But it is important to go. To give them some help with food....but also to listen to their stories. Many that i come across are not only scared but feel alone and hopeless; especially those with medical problems, disabilities, or who have simple made some wrong choices. To be among those who are suffering or struggling every day. To touch them and to really listen to what they have to say. Making friends with strangers who need so much help. This has changed my life. i am a better person for meeting them and for their willingness to let me into their lives for a brief moment.

If we really want to change the world we have to know what world we want to change. The old saying, "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Chili's & St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Tonight Cindy, Isabella, and i went to Chili's. 100% of the profits are going to the hospital to fight childhood cancer. Awesome! Now there's capitalism at it's best. Thank you Chili's for the huge commitment and to St. Jude's for the amazing work that you are doing on behalf of those children and families who are fighting childhood cancer. I hope that you raise a ton of money and that you are able to make some amazing strides!

We all have value

This past Saturday we were giving away food at one of the housing projects in Valdosta, Ga. i was astonished at how long the lines were and how quickly the food went. Usually we hang out from about 9:30am until noon. We were nearly done around 10:30am with some of the largest crowds we've seen at this site. I'm starting to make some friends as we keep going back. To listen to their stories and their different struggles. one guy who brought all five of his kids looked at me and said, "i guess i should stop having kids, huh....?" we just laughed. but as we were talking he told us how appreciative and thankful he was that we were out there in his neighborhood.

And i hate that drugs and violence has captivated many who live there. But somehow i believe that our little presence is a light that gives hope to those who perhaps haven't seen hope in a long long time. i dont' know. maybe somehow God uses these small acts to whisper grace into the soul of those we touch, meet, and give food to....i sure do hope so.



Last night i was invited to give a talk to teenagers about hunger, poverty, and the spiritual life. One guy about 15 or 16 came up to me after the meeting and hug my neck and thanked me for the words. pretty cool. the connection that can be made in that setting in just a few minutes is really indescribable i suppose. the power of our words. we must be very wise as to what we say and how we say it. i am learning that our words have the power to change, to inspire, and if we are disciplined in meditation, prayer, and the spiritual life, be used to communicate God's love. to use my words to breath life, peace, and hope in a world of death, chaos, and despair.

received a call late today of a woman who is most likely dying from AIDS/HIV. Can't get her out of my mind. She has no family around. Struggles to make it every day and is scared of dying. I've known her for over a year now. She's become a good friend. I pray for her. I keep thinking about how valuable and important she is. If life means anything today it is because we all have value no matter who we are or where we come from.

Homeless Project

We have a number of homeless and extremely poor people living in the Valdosta Area. Mission Pointe Baptist Church has dedicated themselves to serving them and helping them to get back on thier feet. Right now they are collecting blankets and jackets for the winter season. And eventhough we have a milder winter than many other parts of the country it still gets pretty cold out there. If you are interested in donating or assisting in helping to to give out these items, please give me at call @ 229-244-2678 and we'd love to help get you plugged into this extremely important outreach program. Mission Pointe has been out there on the streets for the last year building relationships and serving the many needs that come with poverty and homelessness.

Peace!

Bad Days

There are days when things just don't work out like you would like them to or had anticipated. These days usually come unannounced and unapologetically. But they are important and necessary days in our lives. As we wrestle both internally and physically they help us to shape the person we are hoping to become. In the fight against hunger and poverty these 'bad days' allow us to reflect and to identify with those we are reaching out to and serving.

I am attempting to learn to lean into these bad days and allow them to move me closer to the person i need to become spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Especially as i see so much suffering in the work that we do. So.......eventhough we hope to have less and less encounters with these bad days, they seem to be the days that teach us most about ourselves, life, others, and God.

Peace!