I never understood before how people could be so upset over the loss of a “celebrity.” How can you be so upset over someone you have never met before? Give me a break. I’m sure you enjoyed their movies or sports, but come on, you didn’t even know them. Recently when Kobe Bryant passed away I had friends on Facebook who were so distraught. I just really didn’t get it. Yes, Kobe was a great person, he was a great basketball player, but did his life really effect yours? However, today, for the first time, I do understand. I understand how someone that we admire, even though we have never met or spoken to, can cause a deep hole in our hearts.

Today is a bittersweet day for me. It’s a sad day as Dr. Ravi Zacharias is no longer with us, but it is a celebration of where he is now, and imagining the welcome he received from Christ as he stepped into heaven. I can see Jesus say, as it says in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” You see, for those of you that don’t know Dr. Zacharias, he is one of the greatest Christian apologists of our time. In the great tradition of Justin Martyr, he defended the Christian faith against attack after attack like not many can or have ever done.

I didn’t know him personally, but I did have the chance to hear him in person just a few years ago. When I began school, and I was going through which emphasis of Christian studies I wanted to pursue, I chose philosophy. I had always wanted to be able to answer the tough questions like, “Does God Exist?” and “How can a good God allow evil in our world?” These were questions I had been confronted with over my lifetime, but had no idea on how to answer them in a confident manner. I will never forget that day that I saw him. Finally, I was going to get to see someone who could help me answer those questions.

At that time, I was an usher at the church I attended, so not only did I get the privilege to hear him, but surprisingly, he spoke two different messages that morning. He was a man of large stature, he commanded the room like a general. All eyes were on him with anticipation, yet he spoke in such a calm voice. He never rose his voice, but with the smoothness of a great orator, he intelligently defended the beliefs that I hold near to my heart. That day began the trajectory of where I am today.

Today, as I reminisce on that day, I am almost finished with school. The class I am currently taking is Historical Theology. As I was reading today about modernism, and post-modernism, ideas such as existentialism, I saw that he had passed. I knew he had been sick, and even this morning I was listening to Pastor Louie Giglio from this past Sunday speaking of his dear friend. My heart dropped. Someone I had looked up to was no longer here. As I sit here writing I can look up to my bookshelf by the bed and see his many books that I have, now the only words of his that will ever be put on paper again. It is sad, but I know where he is. I know where he came from many years ago, from a hospital bed in India after attempting suicide as a 17 year old boy, asking the question, “Why on Earth did a sovereign God care enough to speak to somebody to come into that hospital room to speak to me?”

He is now gone, but not forgotten. His Youtube videos and books will live forever. He has no idea the impact he made on me that day in Bluffton, SC just a few years ago. He has no idea the impact he had on so many. The generations of apologists that come after him will span the globe, answering the questions that he successfully answered for so many years. Hopefully, if I am ever in the position to have to defend my faith, my Christ, my God, I can so eloquently speak the way that he did during his lifetime.

Goodbye Dr. Zacharias. I can’t wait to see you again!!!!

“The day you wake up and it dawns on you that you matter to God as an individual , that you never realized the dreams and plans that he has for you, and the fulfillment he can bring in and through you, the majestic name that he holds is willing to indwell you.”  -Dr. Zacharias “Passion Conference, 2020”

I’m baaack. And I’m back because I can no longer sit idly by with everything that is going on in this nation and in the world. This one is gonna hurt. If it “offends” you, then maybe you are the one that needs to read this the most. I can no longer put my support behind individuals and organizations that claim to live for Christ, but in their actions show the opposite. This world has become a sickening place, and it’s now time for me to speak up in the only way I know how.

How far we have come since the founding of this nation on ideals of freedom and equality. Our political system has gone from governing for these great ideals this nation was founded upon, to who can hit the hardest and hurt the most. How can someone professing to be a follower of Christ ever tell someone to go back to where they came from? And this issue with a border wall has become so political that I don’t believe those on either side believe what they are saying anymore. Don’t tell me about national security. I was a United States Marine for 14 years, I know about national security.

I fully understand that Paul told us to be submissive to authorities. For Paul said, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1, ESV). With that said, I believe that we are living in an age where evangelical elitist politicians are straying very far from living like Christ. I don’t need someone defending my God and my God’s principles through their political actions. I don’t know about you, but my God doesn’t need defending. He is all-mighty and all-powerful. He holds all of humanity in the palm of his hand. My God can defend himself. I am just blessed than He decided to give me a part in his plans.

At what point are we more concerned about keeping people out than taking care of those in need? I can’t help but think that Jesus would flip over a wall that gets in the way of serving others. In my Bible, Jesus says this about those in need, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me’” (Matthew 25:35-40). 

As Christ-followers we are to do exactly as he said. He never said, “Help those that are in your borders already. Help those that look like you. Help those that speak like you. Help those that believe what you believe.” Jesus’ last words to his disciples were this: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20, emphasis added). 

I don’t have to agree with all the beliefs of others to care for them, to serve them. The issues that I don’t believe in or think are unbiblical are numerous. However, there is a clear difference between loving and excepting ALL PEOPLE, no matter what they believe and how they act, and advocating their platform. In fact, Jesus told us to have love for our enemies and pray for those that persecute us (Matthew 4:43-45). As Christians we should be sprinting towards those that we don’t agree with to show this love; not putting them down and blasting them all over the press and social media.

It’s absolutely crazy to me what is going on. There are 2 BILLION people in the world that don’t even know the name Jesus. And it seems to me that instead of trying to love, encourage, and share the Gospel, we are more concerned with tearing others down and being right. This all has to stop.

I have friends that don’t go to church, not because they don’t believe in God, but because they don’t want to have anything to do with the traditional religious establishment. If I wasn’t were I was currently, it might not be too hard to understand why they choose to live this way. I heard recently of a church that turned away a blind man and his service dog. They would not allow him to enter. WHAAAT? Of all places, a church should be the only place on Earth that welcomes everyone. It has nothing to do with 4 walls and a building. It has everything to do with community. We should all be striving to live out the Universal Church of Acts. There were no denominations. There were no Methodists or Baptists. There were no Catholics or Lutherans. There was just a group of Christ-followers who lived daily to share the love of Christ to all. “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:32-35).

For far too long, we as Christians, have lived in our country club churches, with our coffee bars, and beautiful buildings. We have projected an image of perfectness, when we all know full well that we aren’t perfect. At one point we were all broken and hurting, otherwise Jesus would have never reached down to save us. So why do we hold the treasure of Jesus Christ inside us and not share it with our neighbor who is broken and hurt? We allow those in power to speak for us and sometimes for Jesus himself.

It has to stop and it has to stop now. We have to start living for Christ. We have to start running to those in need. It has nothing to do with free handouts, but truly taking care of those that need assistance, and being the light in a world that is full of darkness. For Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). We must learn to love all people, at all times, and in all circumstance.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!

Life…..circumstances….suffering….pain…..renewal….growth….all around us. A swirling storm of activity. Never-ending….Never-ceasing. All the time. What does today hold? For that matter, what does the next five minutes hold? Life can be tough. Life can be challenging. And who knows where we will be in the future except for God?

These last five weeks have been full of ups and downs…..Full of trying times where I felt like I couldn’t go on. Times where I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. No sleep. Not eating. Lots of prayer. Lots of time in God’s Word. Close friends. Spiritual growth. All things necessary for God to work through us.

No matter how much faith we have, sometimes things just don’t go as we planned. In our minds we set everything up perfectly. This must be what we are supposed to do….I’ve prayed about it. However, we don’t see life from the orbital view that God does. We don’t see how all of the pieces fit. We don’t see the grand design. In the midst of it all, it’s not our place to see what God sees. It’s our place to follow with faith.

How many times in life has a door begun to close on something you held so strongly to? You spend all of your energy fighting to keep that door open…trying to find something to jam in before it closes. Fighting God. What I have learned in these situations is that, as hard as it may be, we must step back. Breathe. Put our faith in God. Because here is the deal…while WE are fighting for what WE want, God is opening a door on the other side of the room….a door we could see if we would just take a step back.

God is perfect with His timing. We are not. God will make a way when there seems to be no other way.

While the world was crumbling around my family and I, God was preparing us for what was next. In fact, I believe God has been preparing us from the beginning.

For 2 weeks now, we have been on the launch team of Venture Church…something I never thought I would be involved with. But through God’s plan, here we are.

Now yes, that means that we aren’t a part of our “former” church, but we still are closely involved with the people whom we have great relationships with. Some of the strongest people I know helped my family get where we are today, and I just know that these same people will be with us again soon.

We are all taking the next step in faith. We are doing this together. Sunday, God willing, we are opening a church….a Life-Giving church. We aren’t the first, we definitely won’t be the last.

As Peter once said, “Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent: Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it. To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him, The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone. For the untrusting it’s… a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way. They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.”

‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:4-8‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Breakthrough is coming. We won’t be stopped. As long as we keep God front and foremost, He will use us to find the lost. He will use us in His glorious plan.

As Elevation Worship so awesomely put out in a new song, “I know, Breakthrough is coming. By faith, I see a miracle. My God, made me a promise and it won’t stop now.”

I’m new to this team. I’ve not done the legwork that so many have. I don’t have the blood, sweat, and tears invested that so many do. I don’t claim ownership of any of this. I’m humbly along for the ride. We are following in the footsteps of Paul. We are planting a church….like those in Ephesus, Corinth, and Thessalonica. We are all here to serve. We are all here to fulfill a vision that God placed in a few not so long ago.

Sunday is almost here. I can hardly sleep again. My appetite is gone. However, this time it’s different. This time it’s because of the excitement I can hardly hold in. This time I know it’s because a breakthrough is coming like one I’ve never seen before. A breakthrough than can only happen through God.

What seems like a lifetime ago, way back in high school I was extremely involved with my youth group.  It wasn’t always that way, trust me.  It took many fights on Sunday mornings for me to get to church, but after a while, I enjoyed going.  I began making friends and it became an important part of my life.

We went on summer trips, we went to Mazzio’s Pizza after church every Sunday night.  We hung out at lock-ins.  But the most influential part of my life was music.  I was in the band, the church orchestra.  It was at this time I began listening to Christian artists like DC Talk, Audio Adrenaline……and one of my favorites was the Newsboys.

These artists, I now know, where a part of God’s way of reaching out to me.  A kind of outcast who only had a small group of friends, I listened to the Newsboys all the time in my car.

Years and years later, God would use the Newsboys again to get my attention.  For those of you that don’t know my story, I decided God was telling me to go back to school after seeing the Newsboys perform in God is Not Dead 2 at the Grand Canyon University Arena.  Through a series of other events, I knew when I saw them at that arena, God gave me my first assignment.  I jumped on board without any question.

As a family we had already begun our move, changed churches, and God was already working in my family’s lives.

But now I sit here tonight, with my youngest about to fall asleep watching me type while my wife an oldest son are at a Newsboys concert.  They are both what I would call new Christians.  They recently accepted Jesus into their lives and were baptized.

And once again, the Newsboys are back in the picture.  It’s funny how life comes full circle some times.

My point in this short story tonight is this…..the Newsboys have been performing for years.  They have touched the lives of millions.  They don’t know, when they go out on stage each night, whose lives they will touch.  They don’t know what God is doing in that arena, but they do know God is there.

That’s how we should live our lives.  Everyday we come into contact with countless individuals.  What kinds of influence do we carry?  Are we showing the love of Christ in our actions, or are we turning people away?

I hope and pray I am bringing people closer to Christ.  I hope that I am helping those out there, who may not know Jesus, that there is a higher power that loves them and wants a relationship with them.

Jesus spoke of this in His sermon on the mount when he said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV).

The Newsboys keep coming back into my life…..and they have been involved in my salvation, God’s continuing purpose for me, and now my wife and son’s lives.  Who would have thought all those years ago when I bought my first Newsboys CD, the one that apparently at some point I downloaded onto my phone where we would be today?

Let us all be cognizant of how we act on a daily basis.  Let us shine Jesus’s light.  Let us be that city on the hill.  Let us bring those around us who don’t know Jesus closer to Him.  Or in the least, let us allow Jesus to do all of those things through us.

As one of my favorite Newsboys songs so powerfully says:

After serving in multiple capacities throughout the week, on Thursday night we would finally get to go to a church service at Angelus Temple.  Angelus Temple is the church of the Dreamcenter.  It is only a few blocks from the Dreamcenter and most residents make the walk over.  Angelus Temple was opened in 1923 and has been in continual operation ever since.  It has had its down years but in 2001 Pastor Matthew Barnett took over as head pastor and merged it with the LA Dreamcenter.

Every Thursday night they usually have a guest speaker.  This Thursday we were blessed with Pastor Doug Garasic from The Movement Church out of Cleveland, OH.  We knew who he was earlier that morning when we were loading the Food Trucks for our outreach and this large man in a black T-Shirt said, “Hey, you know that guy is speaking tonight right?”  Pastor Doug quickly responded, “Man, why you always gotta do that?”

Either way, it was cool to get to know him as I worked with him as we unloaded the truck later.  We spoke for about an hour and at the end he told me to stop by his table after service and he would give me a copy of his book.  Being that I feel more and more everyday being pulled towards the ministry, it was really cool to get to spend a few minutes in a one on one conversation with a pastor.

Later that evening we all made our way over to Angelus Temple.  Service started out with some amazing music, just like our church back home.  It’s when Pastor Doug began his message I knew I was in trouble.  I had kept my emotions in check all week.  What the “ladies” didn’t see was me at times holding in my tears after an outreach or something else that may have happened along the way.  But as soon as he gave the title to his sermon, “What to do when you don’t know what to do,” I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hold it in.

His message was from James 1:5-7.  “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in his ways.”

His first main point was so profound.  He said, “The blessings will come when you don’t seek the blessing, but you seek the blesser.”  So often we can pray for things in certain situations, but what if we just praise God.  He knows best, He knows what we need.

His sermon had three points.  The first point was when you don’t know what to do, ASK GOD!!!  It says it right there in the scripture.  His second point was that after you ask, BE READY TO LISTEN.  The most important part is to listen to God, not ourselves.  Often when we ask God something, we already have a pre-determined answer and that’s not good.  When you receive that answer, the way you know it is from God is that you believe that ultimately it is God’s will that is being done, and not our own.  His third point was ADHERE TO GOD.  Don’t let go, don’t get distracted…ask, listen, get in the Word, and hold on for dear life.  Growth is painful, but never let go, no matter what.

This is where I went down for the count.  He told us to close our eyes, put our heads down.  He said if we were being called to something, in a situation we weren’t sure what to do, raise our hand.  I raised my hand.  He spoke from Ecclesiastes 4:12, ” And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him.  A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”  He told us to open our eyes.  Hands all over the room were raised.  He told us to find people to talk with, to work through things, because its hard to do things alone.

Then he told anyone whom had raised their hand to get down front, we were going to be prayed over.  By this time I’d lost it.  We started singing Good Good Father, one of my favorites.  He told us to raise our hands…..we worship God because we know He is good. And if times are tough we worship God until he is good. As I made it down to the stage, Pastor Matthew Barnett stopped in front of me, held onto my hand and prayed.  Pastor Doug eventually came by and prayed.  6 months ago I had no idea what the LA Dreamcenter was, who Pastor Barnett was…..but after this week of serving it was pretty cool to have these men praying over me.

After service I went back to the lobby and met up with Pastor Doug.  He gave me his book.  We took a picture.  I followed him on Instagram and we have communicated since.

As I went to find my team I went back inside the auditorium.  My team leader was down front.  She told me I needed to go be prayed over by Mona.  Mona is an awesome lady.  She is the head of their prayer teams at Angelus Temple and every week prays over every seat in the auditorium (all 5300 of them) for Jesus to work in the lives of whomever may sit in that seat.  I wasn’t sure about it, but eventually I went to Mona.

The rest I won’t be sharing, but Mona is  a very special lady.  Somehow she knows things. That’s all I can really say.   It was an awesome experience……I’ll leave it at that.  But by the reactions of others who came into contact with her, I’m pretty sure she blew their minds and hearts as well.

I ended the night walking back up the aisle to join my team with tears running down my face.  What an awesome place.  The Dreamcenter……Angelus Temple…..hand in hand are doing God’s work.   They are changing lives.  It’s an experience I will never forget.

I love the Adopt-A-Block Ministry.  We have our own version at the Lowcountry Dream Center that we have modeled after the original.  It is the first real outreach that I ever participated in once my family decided we needed to step up and do more for our community.  It’s an amazing way to really get out and meet people, build relationships, and fill needs that otherwise we wouldn’t know about.

The neighborhood we went to serve in while we were in Los Angeles was Nickerson Gardens. After a little research, I found that it is the largest public housing project west of the Mississippi River.  It contains 1066 residences.  At first glance it is like every neighborhood represented in movies like Friday, Boyz in the Hood, and Menace II Society……..even down to the tennis shoes hanging from the power lines.  This is what is truly known as the projects.

I really didn’t have any preconceived notions about going to Adopt-A-Block.  Like I said, we have this outreach at home….but when we arrived, one of my biggest fears started to bubble to the surface.  The reason I knew God was calling me to go on this trip was my fear of the inner city, or my fear of places like this.  And as the van pulled up to park, I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to get out.  I took a breath, prayed, got out of the van and followed my team across a dusty, grass-less field.  We were surround by townhouses like in the picture above….as far as you could see.  Off in the distance was a basketball court and a hockey rink being used to play soccer.

The Dreamcenter was already there and setting up.  There were kids everywhere playing, with music blaring.  This is their Kidzjam ministry that partners with Adopt-A-Block.  They also had one of their Food Trucks there so we began to set up our distribution point.  The lines for food were already starting to form.

Our job was to carry groceries throughout the neighborhood to those that couldn’t get to the truck…the elderly, those in wheelchairs…those who were immobile.  We gathered our groceries, split up into groups and began to head across the field to the first house.  All of the sudden………..BANG.  I jumped, but then quickly remembered that this was 4th of July week and we had been warned that the noises weren’t gunshots, but those of fireworks.  I calmed down and continued on.

We walked past a porch.  There were 3 men outside.  They started making comments….almost inappropriate ones.  Then, all of a sudden they stopped as if they realized who we were.  They said, “We are just kidding.  We love you DC.”  As we walked down the street more people shouted, “What’s up DC?”  DC is short for Dreamcenter….that’s what we would be called all day.

The second house we stopped at had a man in a wheelchair on the front porch.  This is when I realized what the Adopt-A-Block was truly about.  He was excited to see us.  He is visited the same time every week.  The biggest lesson I learned over the week is that consistency is key when trying to establish relationships throughout the community.  As we talked to him I quickly realized that the LA Dreamcenter has perfected this with the Adopt-A-Block ministry…just like with their others.  After putting his groceries away one of our team members prayed with him, we wished him well, told him we would see him next week and headed off to our next house.

This is when we met Grammy.  Grammy is a legend in Nickerson.  Everyone loves here.  She is everyone’s Grammy.  She invited us all into her small residence.  She was extremely proud of her place….she had just vacuumed, knowing we were coming over.  She told us stories about her daughters, one in Belize, the other in Italy.  She showed us pictures of her granddaughters.  She is an amazing women.  We all prayed for her as well and continued on our journey.

We finished passing out our groceries and began the last phase of our outreach.  We began cleaning up as much trash as we could on our way back to our van.  I didn’t know you could pick up so much trash in such a short distance, but we did the best we could, and cleaned up all that we could.

At some point along our journey God took all of my fear away.  We always group up at the end of a ministry and share the good, the bad, things we learned, things we didn’t expect.  It was at this moment that I spoke up.  My fear stemmed from stereotypes….prejudices…..television and movies.  My fear was based on false beliefs.  Once again, we were in a place of need.  These were just people.  These were God’s creations, just like those we had made contact with in other areas of the city.  These were just people who were doing the best that they could in the circumstances that life had thrown at them.

Adopt-A-Block is about getting to know people….realizing what their specific needs are and helping them out.  It’s about taking back the community from despair and bringing a little bit of Jesus into it each time we go out.

The cool thing is that LA, once again, isn’t the only Dreamcenter doing this.  While we were in LA, thousands of miles away my family was participating in our Adopt-A-Block back home.  My boys love it.  My wife loves it.  And on this occasion, my wife heard the story of a Jamaican “Grammy” that almost mirrors that of the “Grammy” we met in LA.

Adopt-A-Block not only provides groceries, fun, Jesus, and whatever else these residents might need, but it also offers hope.  A hope that one day prejudices and stereotypes won’t exist anymore.  A hope that fear of walking into a new neighborhood won’t exist.  I thank God that he opened my eyes…..and my heart to these awesome people in Los Angeles’s Nickerson Gardens.

I don’t even know where to begin when talking about my experiences on Skid Row.  I have been all over the world, including the Middle East, and I have never seen anything quite like it.  At times I felt as if I was in the middle of Post-Apocalyptic Atlanta during The Walking Dead.  There are few businesses open, although the occasional car does drive through.  The people live in the most impoverished conditions you can imagine.  The sights, sounds, and smells are overwhelming.  Here is the thing, before the first mission trip meeting, I never even knew this place existed.  I just assumed the term “Skid Row” described a hair band from the 80’s.

Skid row has been home to the homeless since as far back as anyone can remember.  As early as the 1880’s people began to move into this section of Los Angeles.  As early at the 1930’s the homeless population of Skid Row numbered in the 10,000’s.  Many times throughout its history there have been attempts to rehabilitate the area, but all with no avail.  In 2005 it was found out that mental institutions had begun dumping their patients into this area of Los Angeles.  After many lawsuits between the City, the Federal Government, and the ACLU, eventually Skid Row was officially established as a place for homeless residents to reside.

The Veterans Program at the LA Dreamcenter runs the Skid Row outreach program.  Before we left the Dreamcenter we received our brief, explaining what conditions we would encounter.  We were told when moving through the city that there would be a point man and a rear guard.  Various veterans would mix in amongst us as we passed out food and prayed over anyone wanting prayer.  This is a perfect role for the veterans.  Being a veteran myself, I felt completely comfortable heading into this environment (although not initially….I will cover this more later in the week).

We arrived at Skid Row and set up on a basketball court.  The first individuals we encountered were sitting in folding chairs and were extremely cordial.  The smells were bad, and the “puddles” (it doesn’t rain in LA) were scattered throughout.  Some of our team stayed behind at the basketball court to pass out food, while others of us began walking the streets.

Our first real confrontation arose when a man came out of his tent and began preaching.  At first he was spot on, until he began telling us God hates Jesus because God is a jealous God.  As we talked about it later, the devil often uses distractions to take our attention away from the real issues at hand.  On the street behind us was a man who stopped for food and prayer.  He had tried to commit suicide earlier in the day.  After prayer, his whole attitude changed and he walked off after thanking us.  The devil tried to distract us from this man by using the false preacher to keep our attention.

I watched a man sitting on the sidewalk with a paper cup filled with water.  He was holding it for his little chihuahua.  One of our leaders said these people wouldn’t be able to survive without their pets.  I would see the same thing when we returned at night.  I met Egypt, the very well-behaved gray pit bull while his owner was walking him.

When we did return to Skid Row the next evening I quickly settled into my role.  The fear that I once had was gone and I felt as if my job there was to be a protector, to watch over my teammates as they would pass out food, water, and prayer.  There were times when I would be blocks away from the majority of the group, just hanging out with 2 or 3 people from other teams.

This is where I met Paul.  He was our rear guard and he had years of experience with street ministry.  In fact he came to the Dreamcenter on a short-term mission trip, like us.  However, he never left.  That was three years ago.   We talked for awhile…..he had questions for me about the Marine Corps, since he may be looking to finally leave and the military seems to be the direction he wants to go.

Throughout our two trips down there, once in the day, and once at night I watched my team break through barriers and step out of their comfort zones.  The most amazing story involved a lady, Denise, whom prayed to receive Jesus and proceeded to throw away all of her drugs and paraphernalia.  She joined our prayer circle and said she wanted to go to the Dreamcenter.  I continue to pray for her, because I can’t imagine how tough her life is.

There were times I would just look around and it was almost an out-of-body experience.  There were those that were clearly high, rolling around on the ground next to their tents or talking to themselves.  There were those that were clearly drunk…..stumbling down the street.  When they would get close enough to you, you could look in their eyes…..often times there was nothing there.  It was like they were dead on the inside.

As one of the Dreamcenter leaders told us as we prepared to leave after our night visit…..so many times all it takes is one bump in the road for someone to end up down there.  Their disability check or social security just isn’t enough to pay for an apartment and food.  He made a huge point, that by this point in our trip I had already come to realize.  They are real people.  Not statistics, not stereotypes….but real people who God created, just like He created us.  Our leader told us to imagine walking down the streets of Skid Row, with our eyes closed, and all of the judgements gone.  “Just talk to them, listen to their voices.  They are loved by Jesus too.  When you talk to them without seeing the conditions they are in, you see them the way Jesus does.”

I don’t think I will ever get the images of Skid Row out of my mind.  At the same time, I don’t think I want to.  I never want to forget the hurt people, the people in despair, the people with no hope.  These are the people we are supposed to be helping and loving on.

(As a closing side note…..there were people down there with way stronger faith than I possess.  Even in the most difficult of times, they know God is there for them and watching over them.  That enduring, trusting faith is something I don’t know if I have ever seen before.  As bad as it may seem down there, I know that there are just as many angels walking those streets as there are demons.)

Every morning before I woke up, the food was there.  The pallets were placed behind the five bread trucks that would be used to distribute mounds of food to the people who needed it.  I don’t know where it came from…..I never saw a forklift.  However, I do know that the Dreamcenter has the largest food bank in LA…..and that food is provided by none other than God Himself.  I have absolutely no doubt about that.

Once the food was there, it was Evalyn’s job to figure out what food and how much would go out on each truck based on the sites that we would go to that day.  She is a genius at her job.  A sharpie and a piece of cardboard were her only tools….and the 3 times I went out, the food ended up being almost the exact amount needed for the people who showed up.

I had no idea what I thought I would encounter at the various sites we would go to, but the people there……they were amazing.  They appreciated us so much and told us “God Bless” and other nice things as they passed by collecting their items.  99% of the time it was in broken English, but we still all understood.

You see, LA has so many cultures living within its boundaries.  We encountered Hispanic, Asian, Black, White……all kinds of people in need.  And the need wasn’t just about food.  At the end of the food line we offered prayer.  These were the times you could really see what the Food Truck Ministry was all about.

At one stop a grandmother was there.  Her daughter had just had her two children taken away.  This woman needed prayer badly.  One of our team members went to her, but called for Evalyn for assistance, since she is Hispanic.  Evalyn prayed and moved on, but the woman wasn’t finished.  Our team member continued to pray over her….even though she knew the grandmother couldn’t understand what she was saying.  The grandmother could “feel” what was being said.

At another stop a woman needed prayer for her knee….which immediately felt better.

At our last food truck stop we met a little old Asian Lady named May.  She was feisty, but quite the helper.  She knew who was number one though because all she could say in English was, “Jesus #1…….” and then she would pick another name and rate them as well.  Somehow I made it to #1 as I dropped off three boxes of pineapples in front of her…..She said, “Jody #1” as she smacked my backside.  My #1 status was short-lived as just a few seconds later it was back to, “Jesus #1, May #5.”

At the same site we had a woman who almost had heat stroke.  That day it was 115 degrees.  That temperature is never seen in LA.  So after waiting for 2 hours for food, her fragile body couldn’t take it anymore.  After much convincing she allowed us to drive her home, at which point one of our team members, a nurse, carried her up three flights of stairs to her apartment, got her cooled off, and gave her a banana.  Who knows what would have happened had she not been there?

As I stood in the back of the truck on more than one occasion it was very hard to look at the lines that would often stretch around the city block corner.  How does this happen?  How do we allow people to go without food?  But the LA Dreamcenter does the best that they can, and I think they do a marvelous job.

Because it isn’t just about the food.  It is about the relationships with the people that have been built over the years.  Evalyn knows everyone in line.  Each site has volunteers who have the families already signed in and lined up ready to go before we ever get there.  Those volunteers don’t get paid for what they do….and they aren’t at just one site either.  The same volunteers will show up multiples times a week all over town.

The compassion that the Dreamcenter staff had for these people in some of their worst possible times is evident.

“Do you know how hard it must be to completely humble yourself, possibly daily, to beg and ask for things necessary for survival?  Dignity – the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect. In God’s creation plan, He placed us just below Himself.  He put us in dominion over the Earth.  In Christian theism human beings are indeed dignified.  Human dignity is derived from God.  God does not love us because we are so valuable; we are valuable because God loves us (Sire, 2009).  What I am recognizing more and more is that these aren’t just “people” that we are serving, but God’s creations.  And they are meant for greatness, just like we are.”

Except from my journal, 7-5-18

I think the Food Truck Ministry reaches more hurting and suffering people than anything else that the Dreamcenter does.  They have been to the same places, on the same days, at the same times, unceasing, for no telling how long.  These people trust the Dreamcenter to help them survive.  These people know that the Dreamcenter trucks will be there with food necessary for survival, but also there with prayer and other things that spiritually get them through their toughest times.

Of all the things we did while in LA, the Food Truck Ministry was my favorite.  You could see lives changing right before your eyes.  The young families with children in strollers, the elderly with their laundry carts (often times so proud of a new one that they had gotten that they had to show you and tell you all about it.)  The occasional homeless that would come through the line.

At the end of the day the trucks would be empty.  All the broken down boxes would be recycled…..the trucks swept out.  The sun would set…..I would go to bed……I would wake up and look out my window………………only to see freshly line up pallets behind the trucks again…..ready for a new day, and new people to provide for.

I’m sitting on my back porch….The grass is green, there is a small wooded area between my house and the rest of the neighborhood.  It is quiet out, other than the birds chirping and the sounds of insects.  This is the complete opposite of what I have lived this past week.

Los Angeles, California…..very little grass, no wooded areas, and too many sounds to even process at times.  Even though there are almost zero similarities between there and here, there is one very important thing that remains the same.  I AM.

God is everywhere.  God is here, God was definitely there.  Over the next few days hopefully I can convey how our mighty God is always working towards restoration and redemption of a fallen humanity; no matter where in the world, no matter the conditions, no matter the parties involved.

I think today I will start with a little history about the LA Dreamcenter and finish with a list of very important players that I met there throughout the week.

I’m not even going to try to summarize what the Dreamcenter does, so I took this right off of their website Dreamcenter.org.

“WE GET TO SERVE”
The Dream Center is a faith-based charitable organization that finds and fills the needs of struggling people from all over the United States. Since 1995, thousands of individuals and families have found hope and healing through the programs that only the Dream Center offers. The Dream Center aims to not only meet the immediate needs of communities like providing food and clothing, but also focuses on the full successful transformation of people’s lives, all free of charge.

Our mission is to connect broken people to a community of support by offering free resources and services that address immediate and long-term needs in the areas of poverty, addiction, and abuse. The Dream Center serves as a resource center focused on finding solutions to homelessness, hunger, and the lack of education through residential and community outreach programs.”

The Dreamcenter was started back in the 90’s by Matthew Barnett. One day he set up shop in Echo Park, one of the roughest, gang-infested areas of Los Angeles.  Echo Park was a body dump for gangland murder victims.  However, this did not deter Matthew’s dream. One day he sat down on a street corner….with a table and chair that he brought with him….and began to build and establish relationships.  All of these years later, the Dreamcenter’s buildings cover an entire city block and Angelus Temple is a gorgeous facility used for worship services on Thursday and Sundays; right across the street from a beautiful, transformed Echo Park.

Matthew Barnett’s vision has inspired those around the world to try to duplicate his Dreamcenter culture.  We have a Dreamcenter here in the Lowcountry; thus our involvement and mission trip to the original.  Yes, we spent days serving the community of Los Angeles, but we also soaked in all of their knowledge and experience to bring back to our own Dreamcenter to better serve the needs of our community.  Find a need and fill it!!!!

That place is a powerful place.  God helped me find myself.  I watched God work in the lives of my teammates; watching them do things they never thought they could do.  The growth for all of us is almost immeasurable. The Dreamcenter truly changes lives.  I’ll end this day by listing some of those people I met and will never forget.

Evalyn – Food Truck Extrordinaire – She was our leader for the Food Truck Ministry. She has a passion to serve like no other.  A successful graduate of the program and now full-time staff.

Craig, Willie, Eddie, Michael – Veterans Program – These were my boys, for obvious reasons. They protected us on Skid Row, they shared the story and vision of the Dreamcenter as we picked up trash around Echo Park.  Eddie, a young kid from Texas, only in the program 9 days, was born at the same hospital as myself.

Victor – Food Truck Ministry/Skid Row – Victor is special.  Although living through tragedy on almost a daily basis it seems, always has a positive outlook on life and has an unwavering faith.

Lucy – Adopt a Block – Young girl from England in the Leadership Program.  Her love for the community and relationships she has with everyone she ran into is amazing.

Paul – Skid Row Outreach – Arrived as a member of a Short Term Missions team.  Never left.  That was 3 years ago.

All of their stories are so powerful.  What’s more powerful is how you can see God in everything that they do; everything that they say.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.  Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?  And when did we see you a Stranger, and invite you in, or naked, and clothe You?  When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'”  Matthew 25:34-40

Oh, how can we forget May…

May – Food Truck Ministry Volunteer – Elderly Asian lady.  Site helper.  Firecracker.  She always puts Jesus first.  “Jesus number 1, May number 5.”

Today is a year from when I started this journey with my blog.  Over that time I have written 71 of these.  My life has changed in so many ways that I almost can’t even count.  None of this has happened because of what I have done, but because of what I did on the day I came home from work and turned it all over to God.  I’m re-posting my first blog today.  Over the last year I have made so many new friends…or should I say family.  There are so many people around that may not even know where any of this originally came from or may not have seen this.  Tomorrow I will write and try to give a recap of the past year, of all that God has done in the lives of myself and my family…..but for today, let’s look back on where it all began.

Tetelestai

Tetelestai. Literally translated from Greek means, “It is finished. Done. Paid in full.” The last words that Jesus Christ said on the cross before he bowed his head and died. Jesus lived a life for us. He came down to Earth in human form to save ALL of us from our sins, his blood washes us clean. Then He rose from the grave and ascended into Heaven to continue to watch over and guide us.

Now I start this by saying I am not an ordained minister. I am not a preacher. I have had no formal training in theology; I know only what I’ve read in my Bible throughout my life. I am just a normal person like you. I have a wife and two amazing children. I have a job. Some days are better than others, but I am fully blessed. I have a house, two cars, two dogs, and an assorted array of fish. All things that most of you have. But what I didn’t have until about a month ago was a True relationship with Jesus Christ. A relationship that provides me with the opportunity to speak all day, every day with Him if I so choose. A relationship that allows me, through Him, to step out of my comfort zone and share with all who shall take the time to read this.

I won’t start today by giving a full history of my life, or even the changes that have taken place in a little over the past year, but I will start on the day when my life changed. Now with that being said, I was saved in high school. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I truly believe that. But as the circumstances of life changed, so did my relationship. We grew apart. We never talked anymore. The world took over, like it so often does and my Faith was put on the backburner.

The Day it All Changed

May 8th, 2017. A day that started like any other day. I woke up, got ready for work, took my Spark and headed out the door. Immediately, and I literally mean immediately, something started happening. I started to feel a pressure, an anxiety like a dark cloud came over me like I have never felt before. I worried about my children, I worried about my wife. I felt lost, afraid. I felt something was not right, an impending doom. About an hour later I clocked in at work but knew I wasn’t supposed to be there.

I tried to find my mentor, someone to talk to. He told me he was busy, come find him on Wednesday. I went to the only other person I knew could help. We went into the break room. I said, “Something is extremely wrong. I don’t feel like I’m supposed to be here.” He replied seriously, “Like on Earth, or at work?” Now as strange and drowning as I felt, suicide never crossed my mind. Finding GOD is what I was after.

We talked awhile, he had no answer other than prayer. I told my boss I couldn’t be there anymore. I clocked out and drove home. On the way, I listened to a sermon my mother had sent me the day before. A sermon about how to know what we are supposed to do with our lives. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I walked in the door, over to my couch and fell on my knees. I prayed like I have never prayed before. I prayed for God’s guidance, for strength, for the ability to get through the day. I found my Bible and randomly flipped through and read many passages that put everything in perspective.

You see, up until that point I was controlling my life. I had the reins in my hands, being led by what seemed to be the fastest horses on the planet. I zoomed here, I zoomed there, but I was always in control. I knew what was best, why did I need to go anywhere else for answers? I believe this is where most of us find ourselves one day….OUT OF CONTROL.

The Truth of It All

Here is the thing, this is what I realized that morning a little over a month ago. Until you relinquish the reins over to God, your life will always seem like a runaway train. Always going downhill at a breakneck pace, making the hairpin turns at the edges of cliffs at the last possible moment (at least we hope we can make the turn.) We were never meant to be in control. So even though we know that God is there, and that Jesus Christ died for us, why do we try to “take the bull by the horns?” Now I’m not saying we are meant to sit on the couch and wait for the cloud to move (Exodus 40:34-38) but we are supposed to surrender our lives to God. He has a plan, He has a path, He sees from a vantage point way higher than ours the course of our lives.

I’m not here to preach. I am not perfect. I’m not here to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. I’m not telling you to go right now to your local church and find the first Pastor you see. I’m not telling you to get down on your knees right now and pray to Jesus to forgive you of your sins (although if you haven’t done that, it might be a good idea.)

What I am here to do is share my story. Share my life. Share my experiences. In the hopes that it may help even one of you out there. I don’t know how blogs work. I’ve never done this before. I’ll say that again, I’ve never done this before, but it’s time to get out of my comfort zone. This whole process is completely new, and I know that there will be many bumps in the road along the way. But as I sat in church this morning something spoke to me. Well, not something, but God spoke to me. Not in an out loud way, but in my heart. I knew at that moment I was meant to come home and do this. So, if you choose to embark on this journey with me I welcome you. I welcome you along for all the good times, all the bad, and all those in between; and hopefully in the process we can all grow together in our relationships with our friends and family as well as in our relationship with the one who really is in control, Jesus Christ.