Hero Quest Chapter 1 Part 3

“Have I not commanded you?  Do not be terrified.  Do not be discouraged.  For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.  Father, let me stand like Joshua.  Maybe he felt like I do before I go to work.  We’re not told much except that the people followed his commands.  But surely there were nay sayers in the bunch, those that would discourage him.  Maybe his command was as much for himself as it was for the people.”  Hero wrote out his thoughts.  He wanted to believe that he would remember such a profound lesson but experience had taught him that was not to be true.  For quite awhile Hero conversed casually with the Father about situations, concerns, hopes and dreams.  When he heard footsteps and the shower going he knew that his oldest daughter was up and getting ready for the day.  Turning his wrist slightly he gazed at his watch.  Just 15 more minutes before the rest of the family would need to get started.  The time had gone quickly.  Hero pulled out his planner and showed it to the Father.

“You see my plan here.  I can be pretty rigid and unmovable with this planning stuff but I offer this day to you.  Father, take this day and use it, despite my plans.  If anything needs to change to please you, then so be it.”  The Father simply nodded and smiled.  Hero looked over the schedule for the day.  There were a couple of touchy meetings in the mix.  Silently he rehearsed the opening to these meetings.  “Start with small talk then ask them their thoughts on these situations.  Absolutely!   That is the way to do this. “Make sure that they know that they have been heard.  Even if they completely lie they will have their opportunity.  Ask clarifying questions, look for opportunities to share the Father’s story with them and then listen for the Spirit to guide you to the right answers”    

Real Life at the Crisis Shelter January 23-29, 2012

Monday January 23:   We received a reminder of God’s protection.  A guest who had moved out in the morning had gone to Spokane Mental Health.  They called to ask a few questions and shared that her mental illness made her very dangerous and they would be keeping her.  She has been at the shelter a couple of times and had some scary behaviors  but nothing that felt threatening.

Tuesday January 24:    Drama in room 9.  Three of the singles were in verbal conflict and staff came in to try to bring peace.  It mostly seems to be personality conflicts (cold room vs hot room, loud vs quiet, young vs old, etc)  One of our guests was keeping others from being able to apply for jobs by taking up the computers for game play.  She was banned from the computer room.

Wednesday January 25:  One of our good workers was caught going through past guest belongings and taking other items.  She was asked to leave.  The drama from room 9 replayed and staff have now figured out the source.  She was given an ultimatum to get along with her room mates.  Later in the day she started another conflict and was asked to leave.  Bed bug sniffing dog came through the shelter and gave us a clean bill.  No bed bugs at the Crisis Shelter!  Everyone rejoiced!

Thursday January 26:  Drama in room 5.  Ladies were in conflict with one another over one being loud, obnoxious and using bad language.  The guest was talked with and things seem to calm down.            

Friday January 27:   Three of our ladies got job at the new Marshalls Store coming to Northtown mall.  They were singing a song about it in the check-in line.  We had a few issues because one of our guests are a diabetic and one other guest feels that allowing her to use her needles makes her a trigger.  She needs to keep the needles close by due to her illness and her own feeling of comfort.  One of our ladies reported a date rape that occurred last weekend.  We encouraged her to talk with another local agency and to press charges.  It took awhile to help her overcome her fear of the police; but she finally made the decision to make the report.

Weekend:     We had an intake who showed up very worked up and angry.  It did not take long for her to become unsafe for the rest of the shelter and never even made it a night before we had to have her leave.  A car repeatedly pulled into the parking lot of the shelter, peeled out and raced into the parking lot across the street.  Police were called.  Many ladies report being blessed at church this morning from assorted churches in our community.       

General comments:  I saw many current and former guests at the Spokane Homeless Connect.  Many great services and gifts were given to the ladies that attended.

Progress on my goals January 22-28, 2012

	Target	Actually Done
Leadership Bible	Be on page 168 (5 pg a day)	On page 169
Faith in Action Bible	Be on page 140 (6 pg a day)	On page 140
Message Read Through	7 Days youversion program	On track
Running	15 miles a week	15 miles
Crunches	1000 a week	1200
Floss	7 times a week	7 Days
Face Cleaning/Lotions	7 times a week	7 Times
I Like Book	7 times a week	7
Modules	2 a week	2
Guy Time	1 a week	1
Self Exam	7 a week	3
Book Reading	1 Book a week	0
Evening Prayer Meeting	26 times a year	3
Date with Cara	1 a month	1
Date with Rachel	1 a quarter	0

This was a very busy week!  I was able to pull off most of my targets but did fall short on self exams.  I don't want this to become a check the box event but an honest examination of my character and a look at how I can be more like Christ.  I am thinking that I will move my target to 4 times weekly to keep it honest; but I have not decided yet.  I also did not complete a book this week though I am nearly done with a John Bevere book that I will talk about next week.  I am hopeful this week to up my fitness training and read two books. One of the things that I am beginning to get excited about this week is the Time Bank concept.  There are many challanges to making this happen but I see great benefit for my community if we can make this happen.  I also see that while it will take great effort to get it going, eventually it will take off like a rocket.  I continue to be excited for 2012 as a year of true heroics.

Hero Quest Chapter 1 Part 2

Everyday Life- Monday

 “He who wants to change the world must first change himself.”  The voice is Ronald Reagan inside the head of Hero as he struggles to get himself out of bed.  It is only two minutes after five and the argument has nearly been won.  “I want to change the world.  I must get focused.  I must be the warrior.”  Hero slips out of the covers and stumbles toward the bathroom.  To the left his eyes catch a glimpse of his laptop.  “I should check emails real quick.  No I shouldn’t.  I need to stay focused.”  Battles in the mind are going to rule the day for Hero.  That much is obvious already and it’s not even ten after five in the morning.  Silence fills the house, Hero smiles and begins to lather his face.  It’s the quiet that makes him happy at this point.  Soon enough the house will raucous with the radio, kids talking a mile a minute, cell phones buzzing or ringing and there will be no opportunity to think of anything rationally.  For now, Hero enjoys the silence and razor coolly moves across his skin freshly ripping his flesh, blood trickling from an old battle scar.  “I can never be a hero unless I can figure out how to shave without committing hari kari.”  Splashing a bit of water, Hero suddenly feels awake and alive.  “I am a warrior, I am Hero.”  Reaching behind the door, Hero wraps his robe around, slides his feet into his slippers and meanders through the bedroom.  Through the corner of his eye he notices his wife sleeping silently.  The bedroom door creaks loudly as Hero gently pulls the door closed.  “I need to get some WD40 on that door.”  Light fills the room from the lamp.   Hero looks around the room.  Everything seems in order so with creaking bones and sore muscles he ascends the stairs from his basement bedroom and makes himself a nice bowl of oatmeal.  “Why do I do this? I should still be in bed. Couldn’t be a well rested hero?”  He smiles at the thought as he drinks from a large glass of chocolate milk.  After a shower Hero sits in the hero chair and begins to pray.  “Father, you know that I really want to go back to bed.”

“If you do you know that your time with Me will be disrupted and you will lack focus.”

“That is true.  I’m going to read your Word today.  Will you show me what I need?”

“You know that I will.  My Word will cleanse you from the wiles of this world and will strengthen you character for the challenges that lay ahead.”

“Can you tell me of the challenges?”

“In good time, my son, for now read, ponder and journal what you experience.” 

Real Life at the Crisis Shelter January 16-22, 2012

Monday January 16:  One of our guests attempted to beat the BA machine by sucking in instead of blowing into the machine.  When she got tired she breathed out very hard and had a lot of spit.  Bottom line she blew a .03 and was asked to leave.  A former guest called to ask if we had found a small urn with her cats remains in it.  We did not know that she even had an urn with her onsite.  We began the process of guests having food in crates only.  

Tuesday January 17:    All rooms have crates to use for food at this point and are working to reduce the food and clutter in each room.  All crates are labeled with the same letter that is on the bed as well as will be on the tubs that we switch to by the end of the week.             

Wednesday January 18:  Staff began working with anger management issues with our guests.  A worksheet has been developed to help guide these conversations.  This came from an accountability with a former guest who believes that all staff are idiots as well as the other guests.  The guest worked on her anger management sheet and then came in on Saturday (1/21) to discuss it with staff and came back in.  Shelter guests, volunteers and staff began shoveling out the parking lot as well as the sidewalks around the shelter.  With the snow continuing to fall throughout the day it was difficult to keep up with it but the ladies did super!

Thursday January 19:   Two of our guests who have been verbally abusive to each other made up and seem to be on the right track for now.  Only one day left to the switch from the guests being able to bring any and all worldly belongings (except weapons, drugs or alcohol) to just what they can fit into a 30 gallon bin.  Most of the bins are in and the ladies are making progress.  Adjustments are being made for example, one coat per person may hang in the closet.          

Friday January 20:    UGM Thrift picked up most of the usable dressers.  Since all of the bins did not arrive not all rooms are on line yet, however most are on line with the new policy.

Weekend:  We have many mentally ill guests and we are being challenged to help other guests feel more comfortable with that fact.  Some of the ladies come here anxious so those that talk to themselves or show any other behaviors that seem strange means that staff must spend more time comforting them.  We had a guest who was depressed because she had gone to have an abortion earlier this week.  She was filled with guilt as she told us what had happened.        

General comments:   We got our basement back Friday afternoon and are working to reset it up for use as storage again.  It will be nice to have our space back next week!

Progress on my goals January 15-21, 2012

	Target	Actually Done
Leadership Bible	35 pages a week	35 pages
Faith in Action Bible	42 pages a week	42 pages
Message Read Through	7 Days youversion program	On track
Running	15 miles a week	15 miles
Crunches	1000 a week	1000
Floss	7 times a week	7 Days
Face Cleaning/Lotions	7 times a week	7 Times
I Like Book	7 times a week	7
Modules	2 a week	2
Guy Time	1 a week	1
Self Exam	7 a week	6
Book Reading	1 Book a week	2 Books read
Evening Prayer Meeting	26 times a year	1
Date with Cara	1 a month	1
Date with Rachel	1 a quarter	0

This is the first week this year that I have really felt the pain of this personal challange.  So much coming at me from my little ordinary life.  Some things that God is showing me is that really I am insignificant apart from Him.  God can do little or big things with me and all I can do is be obedient in the daily tasks.  The books I read this week.  Run by Dean Karnazes reignited my passion for ultra distance running.  The second book by Smith Wigglesworth called Ever Increasing Faith is really pushing me to seek more of God.  I added to my list of self examinations this week the Resolution from Courageous.  This is one that I will do every week.  I read the Resolution daily and remind myself to love and serve God, my family, my friends and yes even my enemies on a regular basis. 
I have big dreams and I see that my progress on these small tasks make those dreams more likely to come true.

Hero Quest Chapter 1 Part 1

This is the draft of the first section of the fictional portion of the Personal Development Legend of Hero Quest.  Each of the first 7 chapters include a section that spells out the moment when a hero must be a hero.  A majority of each chapter shows God preparing the hero through everyday real life.  Join the adventure here every Wednesday to see what happens.

Chapter 1 

The moment

    “Is that it?  A lousy $500?  That’s an insult!   I’m worth much more than that.”  John Hero laughed silently with a mischievous smile sneaking out.  “No worries,” he thought.  But then almost as if a voice was speaking to him, giving him orders as a drill sergeant, he leapt into action.

 “Honey, you and the kids should go stay with your parents for awhile.”

 Corrina looked up from her quilting with a perplexed look on her face, “Why?”

 “There might be trouble with hornets.” 

“What?”  John showed her the email. 

“500?”

 “Yeah.” 

“Let’s get packed.”

“Actually I’ll stay here.”  He braced himself for her to disagree and argue with him.  Everything within him hated to fight with this woman that he loved from the bottom of his heart.  “I think God wants me to poke the nest a bit.  It might get hairy.  You guys need to get somewhere safe.”  Corina paused.  She had seen that look before.  Hero continued, “A reporter will be here in a couple of hours.  It would be great if you were already out of town before that.” 

Corina knew that it was an impossible moment.  She began to cry. “John, I …” She lost her ability to speak for a moment. 

John delicately hugged her.  “You’re probably right, But I am convinced  that this is what God would have me to do.  I can’t leave town because of $500.  At the same time I must protect my family.  This would not be something that I would want them to experience and many years from now have to share with a counselor.  For me life must appear to be normal.  I know that you’re afraid.  I am too.  If I run over $500 this will never end.”  He smiled at her.  She sobbed.  “Besides how do I know you won’t take the $500?”

Corrina allowed a little laugh to sneak out.  “Ok, we’ll go but I don’t like it.  Kids!  We’re going to grandma and grandpa’s house. Pack a bag to last a few days.”  Screams of delight echoed throughout the house and three packed bags suddenly appeared in the kitchen.  “Did you remember underwear?”

“Yeah.” Long pause, “I’ll check” All three faces were smiling.  Hero helped carry all of the bags to the minivan.  Corina became silent.  “I’ll call you after the reporter leaves.”  They kissed as a couple who would never see each other again. Strangely the kids never asked why daddy wasn’t going with them.  The ecstasy and innocence of childhood clouded their minds from the seriousness of the moment. “Honey, its $500.  They can’t be that  serious.  I can handle this, but I can’t if I need to worry about you and the kids.  This too will blow over.  Corina pulled herself together and climbed into the van, started it up and pulled out of the driveway.  The kids waved goodbye happily, Corina and John looked at each other deeply, gazing into each other’s eyes and then turning away; the van casually moved away from home.   Life was about to get interesting.