Hero Quest Chapter 1 Part 4

John put away his Bible and his planner, a smile crossed his face as he made his way into the kitchen to make the woman of his heart a coffee.  He still remembered why he did this every morning.  She had asked him one day to start waking her up early.  While she was very beautiful, this woman has never been a morning person.  He had feared her and then devised a pleasant way to wake her up.  Each morning he would bring her a latte, just as she liked it, kiss her on the cheek, say good morning and then leave her to move into her day.  If she was not out of bed in fifteen minutes he would go back and prod her some more but that had never happened.  On most mornings, Corrina would appear in the kitchen ready to help prepare breakfast for the kids who only liked her way of making toast.  A tired smile would greet John as he finished stirring the kids chocolate milk, or some other small task that needed done before he dove into his day.

“What’s the plan?” Corrina asked knowing that John Hero always had a plan for the day.

John rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “I thought that I would go to the gym.  It just looks to icy to run outside this morning.  Then I’ll go right to work.”

“Sounds like a plan.”  Corrina finished buttering the toast for Ricky the youngest of children.  “What do you want on your toast?”

Ricky was obviously in a different world. “I don’t know.  Let me think.”  He smacked his lips a couple of times trying to discern what his taste buds would desire this day.  “Butter and honey.”

“Butter and honey it is then.”

“What’s your plan?”  John asked knowing that her plan was pretty much the same everyday.

“You know.”

“I do but I love to hear you talk.  For many your life might seem dull but when you tell it I get goose bumps.  Besides sometimes it’s different”

“Well I don’t know the laundry, which I will remind you was totally done yesterday at noon is already up to my eyeballs.  So I might jump into that.   Besides that adventure we will keep working through home school.  What time will you be home tonight?”

Real Life at the Crisis Shelter January 27-February 4, 2012

Real Life at the Shelter January 27-February 4, 2012. 

Monday January 30:   One of the ladies who had been asked to leave last weekend came to use our overflow.  Overflow officially starts at 10:00pm.  She showed up at 8:35 pm.  The class that was in the

Gathering Place

(Where overflow is) was running late so the overflow was not yet available.  The guest kept ringing the bell and demanding to be let in early.  While staff can do this when nothing else is going on, most nights we do hold to the 10:00 pm start time.  She was told that if she rang the bell again she would not be able to use overflow.  She went and hid out behind the shuttles.  A short while later when a guest who is eligible for regular guest stay showed up; she was harassed and told by the former guest that if she rang the bell she would get in trouble.   This new guest had called and was therefore a bit confused and told the lady hiding behind the shuttle that she had called.  That was when the former guest asked if she can ring the bell for her.  This former guest was ultimately put on the no overflow list.

Tuesday January 31:   Two other ladies were put on the overflow list after they continued to be disrespectful to the Good Workers (guests who take care of the shelter overnight).  They had done this on several occasions and staff had talked with each of them on different nights.  They are all welcome to meet with staff to see if they can have services restored.  Our guest who had experienced date rape last week finally talked with the police.  Major event tonight.  The shelter experienced its first Flash Mob in the parking lot.     http://youtu.be/zBQkH1VYucw  View the link to see the event take place.

Wednesday February 1:   One of our guests who we later discovered had escaped from a residential facility (Not dangerous for us but she needed more care than we usually provide.) was creating a concern among her room mates.  Some were unwilling to show her grace and this gave us many opportunities to share God’s Grace with them.  We had an incident with the green shuttle.  The gas pedal stuck to the floor but with great strength one of our volunteers pushed the brake hard enough to get the shuttle to stop and then pried the gas pedal up.  The shuttle was then dead on East Sprague and the ladies walked a couple of blocks back to the shelter instead of going to Family of Faith that night.  The only tears were from a group of kids who could not make it to church that night.  In my book the volunteer was a hero who kept his head.  Great job!  The shuttle was towed around the corner and awaits repairs.

Thursday February 2:   Staff had an accountability meeting with the young lady from Monday night.  It was decided to give her grace and let her stay at the shelter today.  Many of our guests are really seeking God right now.  Pray for them.  One of our guest who has a very negative attitude has created a hostile environment in her room.  She does not see herself as negative but honest.    Staff had a late accountability meeting for a former guest, she too was given another shot at staying at the shelter.

Friday February 3:    Quiet day with the exception of some guests missing items when they came to pick them up. 

Weekend:   Overall fairly quiet weekend.  Many have found housing and should be moving over the next few days.          

General comments:   Three different ladies all report to seeing an angel in one of the rooms.  All three are starting to seek God as a result.  Our new policy of all belongings to be in a tub and a crate makes packing them up much easier.  We are also having many challenges when ladies show up 5 days later looking for items that they left behind.  (Our policy says that we hold items left behind for 3 days.)

    

Progress on my goals January 29-February 4, 2012

	Target	Actually Done
Leadership Bible	Be on page 210 (5 pg a day)	On page 211
Faith in Action Bible	Be on page 175 (6 pg a day)	On page 178
Message Read Through	7 Days youversion program	On track
Running	15 miles a week	15 miles
Crunches	1000 a week	1100
Floss	7 times a week	7 Days
Face Cleaning/Lotions	7 times a week	6 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	1
Evening Prayer Meeting	26 times a year	4
Paid Speaking	3 a quarter	0
Date with Cara	3 a quarter	2
Date with Rachel	1 a quarter	0

This week I felt like I was slipping just a bit.  My diet was pretty terrible and my discipline let me down.  But I am coming into this new week feeling motivated and focused on what I need to do.  I finished reading John Bevere's book, "Relentless"  The premise of this book is really that we as the church have undervalued Grace by making it only about salvation and restoration to God.  It is that and John Bevere makes that very clear.  But this is a call to grasp that God's Grace is also about healing, inspiration, motivation and a spirit that is unbreakable.   It is all of these things not because of a strength inside of us but because God's Grace will (if we but ask) deliver these things.
My date with Cara was great but seemed to go by too fast.  It was over before I knew it.  This week also was encouraging despite the fact that I felt like I fell short as I now have 2 up and coming speaking engagements that I am being paid for.  I will chalk those up when they actually take place but it is very exciting to know that I am one step closer to making a living doing this.
I also felt honored when the ladies of the Crisis Shelter practiced and then made sure that I was there for a Flash Mob at the Crisis Shelter.  One of my life ambitions is to be a defender of women and this event told me that I am on track there.
My friends I thank you for taking time to help hold me accoutable to what I am shooting for this year.  While I fell just a bit short in my heart, the numbers reflect growth and sustainment.  I will press on.

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.”