The last several weeks at The Gathering we've been working our way through the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7. The discussion has been quite good and the questions have been honest. Jesus is making some folks, including me, a little uncomfortable with his bold preaching! Hallelujah, your kingdom come, LORD!
Here's Shane Claiborne reading it.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
All We Are Saying, Is Give Peace a Chance!
This is not a new idea...
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children . . . Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron."
-Dwight D Eisenhower, April 16, 1953, from "The Chance for Peace" address delivered before the American Society of Newspaper Editors
http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/chance.htm
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children . . . Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron."
-Dwight D Eisenhower, April 16, 1953, from "The Chance for Peace" address delivered before the American Society of Newspaper Editors
http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/chance.htm
Sunday, August 10, 2008
BOYCOTT BEIJING!
I've decided to boycott the Beijing Olympics. I could try to be spiritual and call it a fast, but actually I'm just so disappointed with the IOC and so upset over China's ongoing human rights travesty and their international meddling and empire-building that I'm just boycotting. SAVE DARFUR!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
'54
It has been 54 years since 1954, Willie Mays' first full year in the majors. After returning from the Army he was named Most Valuable Player and led the Giants to the World Series victory.As I celebrate #54 today, I wonder what else 54 brings to mind:
Wikipedia says that "54 is a 19-gonal number. Twice the third power of three, 54 is a Leyland number. 54 can be written as the sum of three squares in three different ways: 7 squared + 2 squared + 1 squared = 6 squared + 2(3 squared) = 2(5 squared) + 2 squared = 54. It is the smallest number with this property."
Also, 54 is the atomic number of xenon.
1954 was the year of the first hydrogen bomb, the first color TV, the first nuclear submarine, the running of the first four-minute mile and the first edition of Sports Illustrated. In 1954, the US Supreme Court issued the landmark desegregation ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Dow Jones Industrial average finally surpassed the 1929 high of 381.17.
Wow, that makes me feel REALLY old! Oh well, birthday greetings to the "class of 1954", including Howard Stern, Oprah Winfrey, John Travolta, Patty Hearst, Ron Howard, Dennis Quaid, Tony Dorsett, Willie Randolph, Jackie Chan, Jim Belushi, Elvis Costello, Brad Spradlin, Don Edwards, Roger Bellar, and me!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Forgiveness?
Within hours of writing the last post (see below), I received a phone call from a one-time friend who just got out of jail. DD was an intimate and important part of "The Gathering" from its inception, and we had great plans for him. We each invested money, time, encouragement and personal contacts in this "rising star". But instead of shining, he fell, losing his job, all his possessions and our respect along the way.
So, he called Friday night, not asking for anything but our forgiveness, still proclaiming his innocence of the charges filed against him, but confessing and admitting his mistakes and poor choices which headed him in that direction. I don't know if he'll follow up and return to us, eventually, but his return will test our (my) capacity to forgive. The world is watching!
So, he called Friday night, not asking for anything but our forgiveness, still proclaiming his innocence of the charges filed against him, but confessing and admitting his mistakes and poor choices which headed him in that direction. I don't know if he'll follow up and return to us, eventually, but his return will test our (my) capacity to forgive. The world is watching!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Everything You Do Is Important!
I joined the masses and read "The Shack". I was very skeptical, not because the premise was too radical, but because of the fervent evangelical mindset of some of those recommending it. You see, I've become very jaded in my opinion of the USAmerican Protestant Church, with its emphasis on maintaining the institution, watering down the "Cost of Discipleship", and its emphasis on "good management" (yes, that is too harsh a perspective, and I repent, on my better days, anyway). This book was a quick & easy read, but struck me as being too "preachy" at times in the manner of the "Left Behind" books.
But, here's a paragraph from near the end of The Shack which is beautiful, to me. Here the main character is getting final instructions from the voice of God:
“Everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again.” The Shack, p. 235, by William P. Young
That, my friends, will preach!
But, here's a paragraph from near the end of The Shack which is beautiful, to me. Here the main character is getting final instructions from the voice of God:
“Everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again.” The Shack, p. 235, by William P. Young
That, my friends, will preach!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Bishop Wright on Colbert
One of my new favorite religious authors, Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright, appeared on the Colbert Report (the "t"'s are silent) on Comedy Central last week. This is a tough gig for anyone trying to make a serious point, but Bishop Wright made a solid attempt at it. He had some valuable things to say to an audience that needs to hear them. I fear that most are more likely to remember Cookie Monster's appearance on the show, however.
Monday, June 02, 2008
When God Speaks (3)
BONUS TIME!
I should be dead! That was my thought (and that's still my thought) as I laid on the ground Memorial Day weekend, 2000. I had just been up in a tree in our backyard, about 20' up, I guess, with my trusty hammer tearing down an aging treehouse. Its condition was questionable enough that I had attempted to keep everyone out of it, and I finally found the time that holiday weekend to climb up and tear it down, so no one would get hurt. I was kneeling on the treehouse floor, I reached and knocked loose an outer board, and the entire structure collapsed. I turned a 1/2 somersault on the way down and landed on my neck.
I found that I could move, and other than having the wind knocked out of me and being unable to breathe right, I seemed OK. I stumbled into the house and let Dana know I had fallen, still not breathing right. She called the ambulance, and they arrived quickly and strapped me to the
backboard and hauled me to the ER. After the X-rays, they put a neck brace on me and sent me home with some Celebrex. When I went to see the neurosurgeon that week, he said I had a compression fracture of a Thoracic vertebra and several chipped ones in my neck. He also said there wasn't anything they could do about it until it degenerates further.
I took all this as a gift from God; that every subsequent minute of life was BONUS TIME, to which I was not entitled, but was still being given. So, I determined to go on with my life in a manner that will be a blessing to others and to not hide or deny my leading by the steady hand of the Holy Spirit. Our youngest daughter graduated from her high school and youth group that same week, so we went ahead and made the switch of church congregations we had been postponing. We found a grace-filled group of Christians who took us in and accepted us with our faults and baggage and whose worldview was much closer to our own. I don't think I ever did adequately explain to our dear friends at the previous congregation all the factors that went into our move. Some thought I was angry, some thought I was jealous of not being selected as an elder, and many were just puzzled. After all, we had been members there for 13 years and had raised our kids there! After all, my Dad was still a member there, so we were splitting up the family!
Some asked if we found anything that was really different there. My answer has been that Yes, we felt a breath of fresh air within Glenwood. For one thing, the predominant perspective of the members is that, if someone comes in and claims to be a follower of Christ, then they are accepted as such, until and unless they prove otherwise by their actions. At the previous congregation, no one from the outside was accepted as a fellow Christ-follower unless their history and actions led the members to believe their claim. Neither of these two views were unanimous, but my perception was that they were predominant.
So, that is why I no longer care what others think about me, as long as I'm being led by the Spirit. I refuse to be judged by anyone, even myself. I AM the Dead Man Walking! I AM crucified with Christ. I AM dead to the old way of life. I AM a new creation. I AM redeemed!
Peace to all!
I should be dead! That was my thought (and that's still my thought) as I laid on the ground Memorial Day weekend, 2000. I had just been up in a tree in our backyard, about 20' up, I guess, with my trusty hammer tearing down an aging treehouse. Its condition was questionable enough that I had attempted to keep everyone out of it, and I finally found the time that holiday weekend to climb up and tear it down, so no one would get hurt. I was kneeling on the treehouse floor, I reached and knocked loose an outer board, and the entire structure collapsed. I turned a 1/2 somersault on the way down and landed on my neck.
I found that I could move, and other than having the wind knocked out of me and being unable to breathe right, I seemed OK. I stumbled into the house and let Dana know I had fallen, still not breathing right. She called the ambulance, and they arrived quickly and strapped me to the
backboard and hauled me to the ER. After the X-rays, they put a neck brace on me and sent me home with some Celebrex. When I went to see the neurosurgeon that week, he said I had a compression fracture of a Thoracic vertebra and several chipped ones in my neck. He also said there wasn't anything they could do about it until it degenerates further.I took all this as a gift from God; that every subsequent minute of life was BONUS TIME, to which I was not entitled, but was still being given. So, I determined to go on with my life in a manner that will be a blessing to others and to not hide or deny my leading by the steady hand of the Holy Spirit. Our youngest daughter graduated from her high school and youth group that same week, so we went ahead and made the switch of church congregations we had been postponing. We found a grace-filled group of Christians who took us in and accepted us with our faults and baggage and whose worldview was much closer to our own. I don't think I ever did adequately explain to our dear friends at the previous congregation all the factors that went into our move. Some thought I was angry, some thought I was jealous of not being selected as an elder, and many were just puzzled. After all, we had been members there for 13 years and had raised our kids there! After all, my Dad was still a member there, so we were splitting up the family!
Some asked if we found anything that was really different there. My answer has been that Yes, we felt a breath of fresh air within Glenwood. For one thing, the predominant perspective of the members is that, if someone comes in and claims to be a follower of Christ, then they are accepted as such, until and unless they prove otherwise by their actions. At the previous congregation, no one from the outside was accepted as a fellow Christ-follower unless their history and actions led the members to believe their claim. Neither of these two views were unanimous, but my perception was that they were predominant.
So, that is why I no longer care what others think about me, as long as I'm being led by the Spirit. I refuse to be judged by anyone, even myself. I AM the Dead Man Walking! I AM crucified with Christ. I AM dead to the old way of life. I AM a new creation. I AM redeemed!
Peace to all!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
When God Speaks (2)........
AND SOMETIMES HE SAYS "NO"!
Continuing from the March 2 post:
Ten years later, our youngest daughter was about to graduate from high school. Dana and I had been growing more dissatisfied with our church – mostly with the leadership’s reluctance to implement or even allow Spirit-led changes in methods, practices and ministries, and I frequently found myself out on the “edge of orthodoxy” and being increasingly marginalized. My role as a deacon, Bible class teacher and as a frequent participant in the public worship was being reduced continually, and we felt the need to move on and change congregations, but we stayed due to some good friends and to allow our girls to complete their Youth Group experience. Our attitude and our words were increasingly negative. The church was entering the process of selecting additional elders that spring, and several friends wanted to submit my name. It seemed like I would be a controversial nomination, but I was praying for guidance. The weekend we were out in Midland attending the Stream in the Desert worship conference, I got my guidance in the middle of the night, as I clearly understood that I should not allow my name to be introduced into the elder selection process. I did not fully understand why, at that time.
More later....
Continuing from the March 2 post:
Ten years later, our youngest daughter was about to graduate from high school. Dana and I had been growing more dissatisfied with our church – mostly with the leadership’s reluctance to implement or even allow Spirit-led changes in methods, practices and ministries, and I frequently found myself out on the “edge of orthodoxy” and being increasingly marginalized. My role as a deacon, Bible class teacher and as a frequent participant in the public worship was being reduced continually, and we felt the need to move on and change congregations, but we stayed due to some good friends and to allow our girls to complete their Youth Group experience. Our attitude and our words were increasingly negative. The church was entering the process of selecting additional elders that spring, and several friends wanted to submit my name. It seemed like I would be a controversial nomination, but I was praying for guidance. The weekend we were out in Midland attending the Stream in the Desert worship conference, I got my guidance in the middle of the night, as I clearly understood that I should not allow my name to be introduced into the elder selection process. I did not fully understand why, at that time.
More later....
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Best Show on Television!
Battlestar Galactica has begun its fourth and final season. Even non-science fiction fans can appreciate it, if you dare to watch the SciFi Channel. The show has plenty of action, but also plenty of drama, with well-developed, interesting and complex characters galore, and storylines that constantly explore the boundaries between faith and doubt, parent-child relationships which haunt both, good works being done through really bad individuals, the nature of revelation and worship and prayer and true believers. If you want to get caught up on the history of the first three seasons, try this.
And what a class act to point the story to a definite conclusion, revealing answers and pieces of the puzzle along the way! Enjoy!
And what a class act to point the story to a definite conclusion, revealing answers and pieces of the puzzle along the way! Enjoy!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Why Do We Have the Gospels?
"Imagining that the point of Christianity was to enable people to go to heaven, most Western Christians supposed that the mechanism by which this happened was the one they found in the writings of Paul . . . and that the four gospels were simply there to give backup information about Jesus, his teaching, his moral example, and his atoning death. This long tradition screened out the possibility that when Jesus spoke of God’s kingdom, he was talking not about a heaven for which he was preparing his followers but about something that was happening in and on this earth.." N.T. Wright
My religious tradition certainly fits this description. We joked that you could tell a good COC'er when their Bible showed signs of overuse at Acts 2. I've even heard it argued that Jesus's teachings didn't apply to us since they were given under the Mosaic Covenant! LORD, help us, or strike us down! N.T. Wright is becoming one of my favorite Christian writers. I'm currently reading his book "Paul in Fresh Perspective." Mike Cope quotes him further here.
Peace to all, He is risen!
My religious tradition certainly fits this description. We joked that you could tell a good COC'er when their Bible showed signs of overuse at Acts 2. I've even heard it argued that Jesus's teachings didn't apply to us since they were given under the Mosaic Covenant! LORD, help us, or strike us down! N.T. Wright is becoming one of my favorite Christian writers. I'm currently reading his book "Paul in Fresh Perspective." Mike Cope quotes him further here.
Peace to all, He is risen!
Time out for David!
Last Sunday, The Gathering was blessed to get to know David and La'Tice. They arrived on foot: tired, weak, hungry, smelly and homeless. But during "share time", David wanted us to know the gratitude that was on his heart. In spite of his abusive childhood, two prison terms, former dependency on illegal drugs, inability to read or write, and his conversion to Islam, he discovered God's love and had turned his life back to the awesome Creator! This tale of redemption reminded us why it is that we continue to take part in this ministry. God is at work in this world and is looking for people to join Him. Sometimes that looks like a smile or a hug, sometimes that looks like a plateful of sandwiches, sometimes that looks like a ride in our vehicle, and sometimes that looks like something much greater or smaller. But, God (one of my favorite phrases) is truly at work! HALLELUJAH!
Sunday, March 02, 2008
When God speaks.............
My experience has been that sometimes God's calling or direction comes through in a very clear, direct and personal way. I have usually been blessed by these special times of clarity during prolonged and intense periods of worship.
On one occasion, in 1990, I was in a time of uncertainty and disquiet about my job. I had survived the downturn in the oil industry, but had been forced to move twice due to office closings and transfers. We had ended up in Tyler, Texas, a beautiful small town that seemed to be a great place to raise a family. As my employer was in the midst of a merger with a larger entity, I was looking at a near-certain transfer later in the year, probably to Houston.
One day while checking the Dallas Classified ads in the Sunday newspaper, I saw an ad for an oil & gas Engineering position. I responded to the ad that week and discovered that it was for a privately-owned independent whose only Operations office was in Tyler! I was a good match for their needs, and I made the switch, even though it meant a significant pay cut, since it seemed to assure me the ability to remain in Tyler.
After three years of essentially running my own small company, without the financial risk of going without a paycheck, my relationship with the absentee owner soured and I planned to branch out on my own. I couldn’t actually make the “leap”, however, as I was trying to reduce the risks. One weekend Dana and I were attending an intensely uplifting worship conference Ken Young was leading in Irving, Texas, and I was perusing the Dallas newspaper classifieds at breakfast. I saw a “blind ad” for an engineer, and I knew immediately that it was for my replacement! The ad listed no company or person's name, and the response address was to a UPS Store box. This was the only day I read those ads, and this was the only day that the ad appeared in the newspaper! This was God saying to me, “Get out of this situation, now!” It took a week of investigating to confirm (I actually saw the newspaper's invoice for running the ad), but it was true that the owner was preparing to fire me as soon as he found a replacement. I quit the job that week and became an independent oilman with lots of ideas, but no income. Talk about significant pay cuts! More later.......
Thank you, LORD, for your steadfast love!
On one occasion, in 1990, I was in a time of uncertainty and disquiet about my job. I had survived the downturn in the oil industry, but had been forced to move twice due to office closings and transfers. We had ended up in Tyler, Texas, a beautiful small town that seemed to be a great place to raise a family. As my employer was in the midst of a merger with a larger entity, I was looking at a near-certain transfer later in the year, probably to Houston.
One day while checking the Dallas Classified ads in the Sunday newspaper, I saw an ad for an oil & gas Engineering position. I responded to the ad that week and discovered that it was for a privately-owned independent whose only Operations office was in Tyler! I was a good match for their needs, and I made the switch, even though it meant a significant pay cut, since it seemed to assure me the ability to remain in Tyler.
After three years of essentially running my own small company, without the financial risk of going without a paycheck, my relationship with the absentee owner soured and I planned to branch out on my own. I couldn’t actually make the “leap”, however, as I was trying to reduce the risks. One weekend Dana and I were attending an intensely uplifting worship conference Ken Young was leading in Irving, Texas, and I was perusing the Dallas newspaper classifieds at breakfast. I saw a “blind ad” for an engineer, and I knew immediately that it was for my replacement! The ad listed no company or person's name, and the response address was to a UPS Store box. This was the only day I read those ads, and this was the only day that the ad appeared in the newspaper! This was God saying to me, “Get out of this situation, now!” It took a week of investigating to confirm (I actually saw the newspaper's invoice for running the ad), but it was true that the owner was preparing to fire me as soon as he found a replacement. I quit the job that week and became an independent oilman with lots of ideas, but no income. Talk about significant pay cuts! More later.......
Thank you, LORD, for your steadfast love!
Thursday, February 07, 2008
When is enough going to be enough?
The prophet Larry James reports:
"President Bush unveiled his proposed budget, another recording setting development: the largest budget in our nation's history totals $3.1 trillion.
The plan seeks to cut spending on Medicare and Medicaid, boosts military spending and projects the deficit this year and next will hit near-record levels. Pentagon spending would rise 7.5 per cent to $515 billion, the 11th consecutive year of increases."
Seems to me there are moral and spiritual decisions being made along with the obvious fiscal ones in a budget document. If there's one thing history has shown us, it is that the constant escalation of military spending will not bring us (or anyone else) peace! It is time to stop this death spiral! Bring the troops home!
"President Bush unveiled his proposed budget, another recording setting development: the largest budget in our nation's history totals $3.1 trillion.
The plan seeks to cut spending on Medicare and Medicaid, boosts military spending and projects the deficit this year and next will hit near-record levels. Pentagon spending would rise 7.5 per cent to $515 billion, the 11th consecutive year of increases."
Seems to me there are moral and spiritual decisions being made along with the obvious fiscal ones in a budget document. If there's one thing history has shown us, it is that the constant escalation of military spending will not bring us (or anyone else) peace! It is time to stop this death spiral! Bring the troops home!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Homeless in Tyler
Glenwood's Trent Spradlin did a great job with this special report for the local CBS TV station.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
A Whole 'Nother Country
Being a proud Texan, though admittedly not a native, it is difficult to get "a discouraging word" about this State. But the prophet Larry James quotes these statistics from a recent Dallas Morning News article. Looks like we have much work left to do!
"Consider the facts, just the facts, about Texas:
* A child is born in poverty every 7 minutes
* A child is abused or neglected every 10 minutes
* First in teen births and the most repeat teen births in the U. S.
* 25% of Texas' children are born into poverty
* 49th in the number of working poor (that is, Texas is second in the number of people who work and remain poor)
* $14,700--the average annual income of the poorest 20% of Texas families
* $203,200--average annual income of the richest 5% of Texas families (13.8 times as high as the poorest 20%)
* 16% of Texans live with hunger or in fear of starvation, just ahead of New Mexico and Mississippi
* 48th in the nation in state and local government expenditures for public welfare--$808 per capita
* Second highest Gross Domestic Product in the U. S.
* Number 1 in cancerous emissions into the air and toxic chemicals into the water.
* Ranks 50th in the number of insured people in the nation--5.5 million Texans are not covered by health insurance or 24% of the population (compared to 15.7% for the U. S.)
* 1st in the U. S. in executions since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976
* 2nd highest incarceration rate
* 60% of children under Texas Youth Commission supervision come from low-income families
* 83% of these children have IQs below 100
* 41% experience serious mental health issues
* 52% come from families with a history of criminal behavior
* 76% have parents who are separated or never married
* 34% of Texas high school students drop out--8th highest in the U. S.
* 49th in verbal SAT scores and 46th in math
* Texas ranks 41st in per capita spending on students in public schools, compared to 25th in 1999. [Did I hear someone say, "No child left behind"?]
* 8th largest GDP in the world--$1.1 trillion in 2006
* 1st in number of shopping malls in the nation
* 12th in church or synagogue attendance
Not a pretty picture.
If I'm a Texas preacher today, I figure I have a few things to bring up with my congregation.
If I'm a Texas legislator, after I take a long look at myself in the mirror, I figure I've got a few things to work on.
If I'm a citizen of the state, and I am, I figure I need to be engaged at several levels."
"Consider the facts, just the facts, about Texas:
* A child is born in poverty every 7 minutes
* A child is abused or neglected every 10 minutes
* First in teen births and the most repeat teen births in the U. S.
* 25% of Texas' children are born into poverty
* 49th in the number of working poor (that is, Texas is second in the number of people who work and remain poor)
* $14,700--the average annual income of the poorest 20% of Texas families
* $203,200--average annual income of the richest 5% of Texas families (13.8 times as high as the poorest 20%)
* 16% of Texans live with hunger or in fear of starvation, just ahead of New Mexico and Mississippi
* 48th in the nation in state and local government expenditures for public welfare--$808 per capita
* Second highest Gross Domestic Product in the U. S.
* Number 1 in cancerous emissions into the air and toxic chemicals into the water.
* Ranks 50th in the number of insured people in the nation--5.5 million Texans are not covered by health insurance or 24% of the population (compared to 15.7% for the U. S.)
* 1st in the U. S. in executions since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976
* 2nd highest incarceration rate
* 60% of children under Texas Youth Commission supervision come from low-income families
* 83% of these children have IQs below 100
* 41% experience serious mental health issues
* 52% come from families with a history of criminal behavior
* 76% have parents who are separated or never married
* 34% of Texas high school students drop out--8th highest in the U. S.
* 49th in verbal SAT scores and 46th in math
* Texas ranks 41st in per capita spending on students in public schools, compared to 25th in 1999. [Did I hear someone say, "No child left behind"?]
* 8th largest GDP in the world--$1.1 trillion in 2006
* 1st in number of shopping malls in the nation
* 12th in church or synagogue attendance
Not a pretty picture.
If I'm a Texas preacher today, I figure I have a few things to bring up with my congregation.
If I'm a Texas legislator, after I take a long look at myself in the mirror, I figure I've got a few things to work on.
If I'm a citizen of the state, and I am, I figure I need to be engaged at several levels."
Saturday, December 15, 2007
I'm Back!
Just a short note to document my return from the hospital yesterday. This recovery from the hip resurfacing surgery has been harder than I anticipated (slight understatement there). I'm trying not to let my disappointment and surprise influence my attitude going forward, knowing that won't help, so I'll just try to celebrate the milestones and enjoy(?) each day. There'll be plenty of time for analysis, later.
Grace and peace to all!
Grace and peace to all!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Ebola
I received the horrific news tonight that there is an outbreak of a new strain of Ebola virus in western Uganda! For updates from the front lines, check out the Drs. Myhre's blog. Lord God, please stop this horrible disease which targets those caring for the ill!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The End of Homelessness
The prophet Larry James says the solution for homelessness in America is to provide permanent, private residences.... duh!
"Housing First" Works!
By Larry James
Newsflash: homeless people are not criminals, nor are they deserving of the treatment they usually receive. What people who lack homes need is decent, permanent housing.
As I've related here before, lots of national research and numerous case studies document the fact that once given a place to call home, an overwhelming majority of formerly homeless persons manage their lives very well without much additional intervention (87%, to reference one major study).
Well, we now have our own experience to report in validation of the reports from other cities.
Thanks to a grant from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Central Dallas Ministries is placing homeless persons in permanent housing in two undisclosed Dallas locations.
We have funding for 50 apartments. We have secured these housing units through an agreement with one property owner. We control 25 one-bedroom apartment units in each of two different locations. In each location our living units are part of a much larger, multi-family development.
So far we have placed 18 homeless men in permanent housing. These guys now have a key to the place they call home. Thanks to a couple of area churches, they also have what they need to set up housekeeping.
We've been at this for several weeks now. Before too much longer we will have filled all 50 of our apartments.
Guess what?
No problems whatsoever from our tenants. They are so grateful for the housing and for the freedom, you should hear them talk. Without a doubt, these gentlemen will become some of these developments' best residents.
Their stories are all a bit different.
All are dealing with various disabilities.
All are capable of life on their own. They proved that surviving on our mean streets, some of them for several years.
What they share in common is an extremely positive, appreciative response to having a home of their own.
Here's the chief solution for our Downtown "problems with the homeless." Develop the housing. Provide the support to move folks from the street to a quality, decent home. The problem can be solved. We are kidding ourselves if we say otherwise.
If I was a Downtown, upscale developer, I'd call CDM and ask how to make an investment in our future development plans.*
I'm just wondering if we have the will, the smarts and the vision as a community to simply practice the Golden Rule? If we do, the outcome will be wonderful for everyone.
(*By the way, my phone number is 214.823.8710 ext 116!)
.
Posted on www.UrbanDaily.org
"Housing First" Works!
By Larry James
Newsflash: homeless people are not criminals, nor are they deserving of the treatment they usually receive. What people who lack homes need is decent, permanent housing.
As I've related here before, lots of national research and numerous case studies document the fact that once given a place to call home, an overwhelming majority of formerly homeless persons manage their lives very well without much additional intervention (87%, to reference one major study).
Well, we now have our own experience to report in validation of the reports from other cities.
Thanks to a grant from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Central Dallas Ministries is placing homeless persons in permanent housing in two undisclosed Dallas locations.
We have funding for 50 apartments. We have secured these housing units through an agreement with one property owner. We control 25 one-bedroom apartment units in each of two different locations. In each location our living units are part of a much larger, multi-family development.
So far we have placed 18 homeless men in permanent housing. These guys now have a key to the place they call home. Thanks to a couple of area churches, they also have what they need to set up housekeeping.
We've been at this for several weeks now. Before too much longer we will have filled all 50 of our apartments.
Guess what?
No problems whatsoever from our tenants. They are so grateful for the housing and for the freedom, you should hear them talk. Without a doubt, these gentlemen will become some of these developments' best residents.
Their stories are all a bit different.
All are dealing with various disabilities.
All are capable of life on their own. They proved that surviving on our mean streets, some of them for several years.
What they share in common is an extremely positive, appreciative response to having a home of their own.
Here's the chief solution for our Downtown "problems with the homeless." Develop the housing. Provide the support to move folks from the street to a quality, decent home. The problem can be solved. We are kidding ourselves if we say otherwise.
If I was a Downtown, upscale developer, I'd call CDM and ask how to make an investment in our future development plans.*
I'm just wondering if we have the will, the smarts and the vision as a community to simply practice the Golden Rule? If we do, the outcome will be wonderful for everyone.
(*By the way, my phone number is 214.823.8710 ext 116!)
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Posted on www.UrbanDaily.org
The River
The chorus is:
"Baptized in the river
I've seen a vision of my life
And I wanna be delivered
In the city was a sinner
I've done a lot of things wrong
But I swear I'm a believer
Like the prodigal son
I was out on my own
Now I'm trying to find my way back home
Baptized in the river
I'm delivered
I'm delivered"
Enjoy "The River" from Good Charlotte-
"Baptized in the river
I've seen a vision of my life
And I wanna be delivered
In the city was a sinner
I've done a lot of things wrong
But I swear I'm a believer
Like the prodigal son
I was out on my own
Now I'm trying to find my way back home
Baptized in the river
I'm delivered
I'm delivered"
Enjoy "The River" from Good Charlotte-
Good Charlotte - The River
Posted Feb 08, 2007Good Charlotte and M. Shadows baptize themselves in the concrete LA River.
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