ALERT

Greetings all,

My email was hacked yesterday and the so and so's have been sending out blogs and emails in my name saying that I am in Scotland and need assistance.   I apologize for any and all problems this may have caused you and am re routing all corespondence through my new email address.  Again, I am so sorry.

De Colores

From the time that we were told that we would be keeping silent from that point until the next morning I knew that something different was taking place.

Here I was in a small wooden chapel (reminiscent of the school house on “Little House on the Prairie”…except red) with some 50 other men, most of us experiencing this for the first time and praying (literally) for a life changing experience.  After a few hours of getting instructions and being led to the chapel here we now were, being asked to keep silent for the next 8 – 10 hours.  And so began my first “Walk to Emmaus”

I could try and explain to you in detail what happened on the walk, but other than the fact that this is impossible (I cannot convey to you the feelings involved in the experience and without that part I would be doing the event a serious disservice), I want everyone that can and will to experience this walk on their own terms with fresh eyes…that was the first gift my sponsors (Pastor Dusty and His wife Audrey Reynolds of the AMAZING Sycamore Church) gave me.  

What I will give you is a little bit of what I am left with after those 72 hours in the woods.

Some quick back story first…I have spent the last decade or so reevaluating many things when it comes to my Christian life…my relationship with Christ.  I have been apostate and have turned my back on Him like a petulant child; hands over my ears, eyes squeezed closed trying to kick away the Hands that were trying to hold me. 

Today, though, I am overwhelmed looking back on God’s  prevenient grace, grace that held me in His love as my orbit spun out of control…waiting like the Father, hungry to embrace His prodigal son when he returns Home. 

This weekend those Arms held me closer than ever before.  I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of love that came to me from people who have never met me…people locally and from around the nation and around the globe…including brothers in prison…who were praying for me BY NAME.  People who were praying each hour of my 72, praying in shifts of an hour each, just to see me move forward with Christ! Grace extended to me by brothers and sisters who came out to serve me…not just volunteering there time and resources, but they PAID MONEY to be there to serve me. Did you get that?  People ministered to my pain, my short comings, my lack and left me with the abundance of His love by being “Jesus with skin on” to me.  Such self sacrifice was so absolutely overwhelming to me.

Which here in my “Fourth Day” (what everyday after the 3 day walk is called), I look back on and recognize that it is just like what Christ was illustrating to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:3-42) “-but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."  They did what all Christians are supposed to do, Love me with the love that He has poured into them…love that is so abundant that it overflows out of us so that those around us can get a drink.  Like those champagne glass towers you see at weddings, filling us up to overflowing (Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:38) and filling up those that we give His love to and so on and so on... 

This has been one of the most pivotal 3 days of my life and I am champing at the bit to see what God does from this point on in my life.  My burn to help those in need was not only confirmed, but the flames were liberally fanned.  I pray that God will let me not only pay back all of you wonderful people involved in my Emmaus experience, but that I can pay it forward sponsoring others and seeing His work in the fields accomplished with my own hands for His glory!

Thank you all, May God bless you 100 fold for what you have done for me! 

In the matchless name of Jesus Christ,

Amen.

De Colores!

If you would like to find out more about the Walk to Emmaus you can here;

http://upperroom.org/emmaus/whatis/

Love Violently

LOVE VIOLENTLY

12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, [a] and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12 ~ English Standard Version Anglicized (ESVUK)

(I will tell you this…what I am about to write next I have been living my whole life to get to this moment.  I have seen the work of the Lord pulling me into this direction and this is the primary path of ministry I will spend the rest of my life in.)

A question was asked during our 9:30am Church Service Sunday about what happened to all of the people who came and filled the churches (edifices) after 9/11/2001. Where did they go, why did they leave?  The consensus was that these people came to our churches and cathedrals for comfort, for absolution, for direction and found us…not ready …found US (Christians) no different than their poor, lost selves.

So what does violence have to do with following Christ, and more than that, winning souls for Christ?

I first read the above verse a few years ago and was profoundly troubled by it.  VIOLENCE?  I didn’t get what this was saying and never could have dreamed that when the opportunity for understanding would happen, it would unlock a brand new way of looking at Christianity. 

Merriam-Webster online gives these definitions to the word VIOLENCE;

Definition of VIOLENCE

1

a : exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse (as in warfare effecting illegal entry into a house) b : an instance of violent treatment or procedure

2

: injury by or as if by distortion, infringement, or profanation : outrage

3

a : intense, turbulent, or furious and often destructive action or force <the>violence of the storm> b : vehement feeling or expression : fervor; also : an instance of such action or feeling c : a clashing or jarring quality : discordance</the>

The third definition is the one I want to focus on here.  Fervor, turbulence, a clashing or jarring quality: discordance.

We look at the nature of John the Baptist...he was called a “Wild Man”, a voice crying (shouting, screaming) in the wilderness “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!” (Luke 1:17, Luke 3:16c-17, Luke 3:8, Luke 3:11)   John had taken all religious convention and tossed it out on its ear.  He was an affront to the very eyes of those in religious power and his statements were unbridled, even furious at times.  John was unashamed, completely sold out to the concept of serving others and serving God and he had no time whatsoever for the religiosity of the Sanhedrin.  He overturned their apple cart…Jesus would then burn it to the ground.

Peter fulfilled his calling from Matthew 16: 15 – 17 transforming through a process of miraculous and unsettling events (the Transfiguration, Feeding the 4,000 and 5,000, walking on the water, Jesus’ arrest, His denial of Christ, Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension) from Simon son of John into Peter (small rock) on the day of Pentecost.  Standing before thousands this once prideful, angry, unstable, brooding and uneducated fisherman from the blue collar hamlet of Galilee spoke with an elegance and breadth that shook people down to the foundations of their very souls (Acts 2). 

The conversion of the Apostles and disciples of Jesus from that day forward was clear and palpable; people could not help but be changed when they were around them.

Acts 2:42 – 47

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 And athey devoted themselves to the apostles’ bteaching and the cfellowship, to dthe breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe4 came upon every soul, and emany wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and fhad all things in common. 45 And fthey were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, gattending the temple htogether and ibreaking bread in their homes, they received their food jwith glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and khaving favor with all the people. And the Lord ladded to their number mday by day those who nwere being saved.

 They were completely self sacrificing – giving their all to everyone because Christ gave his all for us.  They changed the world and are still changing it.

I would ask that you take a few moments and look at the Voice of the Martyrs website and see what amazing things are being done right now, today by those who have given themselves over completely to the service of their fellow man by glorifying the King of Kings  http://www.persecution.com/ .  They are fulfilling the words of Revelation 12:11; “Our brothers conquered him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to their lives even in the face of death. (International Standard Version)”

Don’t you see this is what it is all about?  We gotta get real in this Christian Walk! The ministry is out there; in the community, in the places that are untouched or to those who have forgotten the gospel.  As Christ said in John 4:35b “ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.” We have to get out into the fields!

 I used to believe for so long that our main job as a Christian was to stand and resist the devil…but Christ told Peter that upon Peter’s revelation of who Christ was in Matthew 16, that “Upon this Rock (the revelation of Christ) I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  Gates are not offensive weapons…they are defensive.  We are to build the church in front of the gates of  hell itself and then go on the offensive to save the lives of many!!!!  Here in Savannah last week there were 11 shootings in 24 hours!  Something must be done, it is time to violently and decisively overturn this world’s applecart here in America and across the globe!  (Ofcourse I hold with Christ, Gandhi and Martin Luther King…physical violence is wholly unnecessary and unwarranted in this kind of Love)

Love Violently!  We need to break down strongholds by caring for others, we need to rescue

 drug, sex and alcohol addicted folks by praying for them, loving them and taking them, if even physically, out of the jaws of death and destruction and SHOW them that there is a better way by the example of our lives completey committed to Christ!  LOVE VIOLENTLY!  We must give ourselves over completely to the agape love of 1 Corinthians 13, Love wholly, completely, generously, patiently and we WILL save many from the fate of eternal damnation.  We will give them hope and joy in the life that they live here on Earth and the promise of eternal life after.  LOVE VIOLENTLY!  Give like the widow gave the 2 mites, give out of sacrifice, give because in your giving someone will be saved (many times quite literally) from dying, lost to this wicked world . 

Please…Love and  LOVE Violently!

Sex …Can’t…Heal…Anything.

This is, at times a very frank discussion on this topic – if you are easily offended, I would ask that you read no further.

I have been introspective lately, taking some inventory and seeing, unfortunately, how often I have completely fallen woefully short of the mark.

Regret is baggage that we all carry after a certain age (whether we want to admit it or not) and I believe that in some ways regret is good.  Regret can lead us to the point of identifying times in our lives when we should have turned left instead of turning right.  Regret shows us, as we approach that same fork in the road, the better way to turn this time. 

This point strikes even closer to home when you have children…and doubly so if you are a man and your child is a young woman (I believe.)  Regret can then be turned into an object lesson that (prayerfully) our children can hear and learn from before going down that same broken path.

One of the lessons that I hope to teach my child is that sex, no matter how wonderful in the moment it is, is a panacea for nothing…and at times can even cause much hurt and devastation in our lives and in the lives of others…at times causing wounds that can be permanent.

I grew up an overweight child, craving love and affection that I got sporadically for various reasons (my mother was/is dealing with often crippling illness and my father just never was around).  The lack of affection dug a deep chasm within me that I tried to fill with food (and sadly still do at times even now…old habits…).  Yet food had no arms to hold me so that plan was, ofcourse, doomed to failure.When I was halfway through High School, I experienced a growth spurt coupled with hanging around with a group of guys that really liked physical activity I leaned out.  In fact I had transformed so much between my tenth and eleventh grade years that I was hardly recognizable.  Yet it took me a couple of years to figure out that I was suddenly attractive to the opposite sex and even longer for me to actually engage in sex.  But after my first experience I was like a caged animal unleashed and I craved sex like a fat kid wants cake.

 And, in retrospect, I pursued like-minded women – hurt, lonely, most of them having had their sexual selves awakened prematurely through acts of coercion  and/or violence (as I had been at the age of 7).  Just to clarify, I did not put two and two together until a few years ago where a very good friend pointed this fact out to me.  I had convinced myself up to this time that I was “one of the good guys” finding and helping (at least helping them feel good) little lost birds that needed care and affection…what a joke.  I never took sex from anyone, but I could seduce and ply.  And by the end of the night there I was getting my feel better on with someone that I barely knew, and generally wouldn’t try to get to know any better after that point. Looking back, I know realize that the women I was with were pursuing healing in the act as much as me. “Maybe if I put myself out there like this someone will genuinely love and care for me”.  So here we were two hurting people hungry for the comfort that intercourse seemed to promise.  The awful truth was, we only ended up coming away from the experience a little more diminished, a little emptier than we got naked.  To paraphrase Chris Rock, My penis was no more a syringe full of medicine than was her vagina a cast for my brokenness. 

Sex can’t heal anything independent unto itself.  Sure there is physical release and the endorphins and the closeness of another person and all that noise.  But there is no healing in the act, and out of the context of a loving, committed relationship, it becomes a desperate, repetitious ride on a ship of fools.  How many of us can truly say that after a casual sexual encounter that we parted with that person and ourselves better people for it?  Were we released from the emptiness in our spirits for good, finally satiated …or were we soon back out and about trying to quench that awful hunger with just one more sexual conquest.

And what does this repeated throwing our bodies on the crap table like worn out dice do for sense of self, our purpose, our plans, our esteem, our spirit and soul?  Even the most nymphomaniacal among us (and I have serious doubts about the motivation behind the claim of sex addict) have to admit one certain point…You can love sex, but sex can’t love you!

 I have been burned (in most every sense of the word) by my continued casting into that stormy sea, and worse, have hurt many in the process (not just the women I was with but at times my and their friends and family as well).  This kind of encounter is like filling a hole up in your backyard, inviting friends and family over to admire your handiwork while there is a ticking time bomb sitting in the bottom of the hole ready to explode. And explode it will and always does.  And here you are standing on the fill dirt.  The crazy thing is, you can never tell what is going on UNDER the hole…are you next to a gas line…or cesspool?  How bad will the fallout from your actions be, and how far reaching will they be?

(Ofcourse I am speaking from my point of view here…many of you may disagree so feel free to ignore whatever I post here.)

Again, sex outside of a committed, loving relationship – a relationship where there is mutual respect, give and take, trust, care and appreciation – one that requires real, substantial investment (and that means the scary kind of investment that will cost you if lost…it’s ok, true relationships should always have a little fear mixed in, a hint of the possibility that this other person is so worth it and desirable that if you don’t bring your “A” game you could lose that person!) I.E. MARRIAGE (I know I will take some heat over that) breeds contempt.  Many times contempt is found in silence, not being able to – or wanting to – communicate without the pain of the post-coital rejection surfacing like Jaw’s fin.  This includes those awkward and often painful silences that make the air so heavy that everyone around you feels it, feels the chill (boom). 

Sex (even phone sex, internet sex and masturbation) sends out “feelers” during the act, trying to find real connection with the other person.  We ache for connection on other levels than just the physical; spiritual, emotional, mental trying to find some sameness, some unity.  But when those connections return unfulfilled what follows is awkwardness, pain, bitterness, anger and shame.  Look, we are human beings, and yes our parts are made to fit together to bring mutual pleasure.  But does that give us the right to try to plug into every available (and unavailable) outlet within our proximity?  Isn’t that selfishness? Isn’t that immaturity?  Is that pathetic to anyone else out there but me?  Yes we are people; spirit wrapped up in flesh, what happens when we treat ourselves like the end all and be all to us is the physical?  And what of “our partners”?  Do they deserve to be treated like our waste receptacles carelessly using them to try and find some solace for ourselves and then discarding them when they ultimately fail to satiate our deep down desires for wholeness?

My brothers and sisters, you are worth more than that.  Find the beauty in self because you will never EVER find it through your loins!  If you treat your bodies like a flop house after a while that will be all that it will be good for. 

But it is never too late, as long as you have breath in your bodies, it is not too late to make a change, take a different road.  At long last I am finding healing and I found it through my relationship with Jesus Christ.  He promised to, and is, filling that emptiness that I have had in my soul for so long.  And I guarantee that He can do the same for you – He can love you past your pain!  And I am not talking about some superficial, genuflecting, religiosity here – but a deep, personal, intimate, loving relationship with Christ.  It is possible to have that kind of relationship without sex!  And though I have never been the greatest example of a Christ-centered life, by His grace and mercy He has given me the tools and strengthens me to keep trying to get it right through Him on the daily.

To all that I have hurt in my wrong-headed pursuit of healing – I am truly heartsick and sorry for my abuse of your body and spirit.  I beg your forgiveness.  And to those who are reading this who may still be on the same dead end path (Yes my brothers, There is no great reward waiting for you for getting another notch on your belt) there is Hope and Life available to you RIGHT NOW. 

Honestly, we all need healed.  So why not go to the Doctor this time instead of trying to bind your wounds one more time unsuccessfully?  Trust me, if He can heal a broken down whore and hopeless sinner like me, He can save you too.

Galatians 2:19-20, John 14:27, 2 Timothy 2:8, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Acts 2, Romans 10:9-10

Much Love and God Bless you all.

follow up to yesterday's post

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKinney-Vento_Homeless_Assistance_Act and Connecticut does receive McKinny -Vento money...there may be a way to use this law to help this woman

"There has to be a penalty for stealing our services,"...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110425/us_yblog_thelookout/rally-for-prosecuted-homeless-mom-who-sent-son-to-a-better-school-district

"There has to be a penalty for stealing our services,"...smh...Homeless woman faces $15,000 fine and up to 20 years in jail for sending her son to a better school...Please, I need people to respond who think that this is justified...help me understand the reasoning behind this...and, if you can...work something in about Brown vs. the Board of Education where "seperate but equal" was ruled unconstitutional.

Can I Be A Christian and NOT Help the Poor? Part 2

WWJD?  In this case the answer is “What DID Jesus do, and say and teach and believe?”...let's see shall we...

Prov. 29:7. The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor; the wicked does not understand such concern.
Luke 12:33. "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys."
Luke 3:11. And [John the Baptist] would answer and say to them, "Let the man with two tunics share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise."
Lev. 19:19ff. Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.
Prov. 22:9 He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.
Prov. 19:17. He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.
Is. 58:10. "And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
Luke 14:12-14. "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

I could go on...but The Word doesn't just stop there with the warm fuzzies...there are consequences for treating the poor and downtrodden with so much disregard...

Is. 10:1-3. "Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who continually record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights... Now what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the devastation which will come from afar?"
Jer. 5:28f. "[The wicked] do not plead the cause, the cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; and they do not defend the rights of the poor. Shall I not punish these people?" declares the LORD. "On such a nation as this, shall I not avenge myself?"
Ezek. 16:49ff. "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it."
Luke 16:19-25. "Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.
And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.'
But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony...'"

Seems pretty clear cut the calamity the Lord will visit on a person or COUNTRY that fails to look out for the poor and needy.  And as Christ stated in his excellent parable in Matthew 25: 31 - 46;

31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For 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, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

So "Can I Be A Christian and NOT Help the Poor?"  Not according to the Bible, at least...not a good one.  But you must choose for yourself which is more important...to serve God or to serve Count - wait, this isn't really about Country is it...so I guess it is serve God or political expediency?  So am I first a Christian or an American?  As Peter said in Acts 5:29…” We must obey God rather than men.”

Resources:
http://www.zompist.com/meetthepoor.html
http://niv.scripturetext.com/matthew/25.htm

Can I Be A Christian and NOT Help the Poor? Part 1

1 John 3:17. But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

After posting this blog a few weeks ago
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3451&emailView=1 
I was told by a friend, a good Christian brother, that he fully supported Chairman Ryan's budget cuts even though two- thirds of the cuts come from programs for lower income Americans.  Since that time I have been kicking around an idea and I feel I have to pose this question now.  Can I Be A Christian and NOT Help the Poor?  Or In tough economic times can I make the hard choices that will hurt the disadvantaged for the sake of the country despite my beliefs?

These a difficult times, faced with mountains of debt, social programs on the verge of insolvency, banking and financial systems going haywire and jobs and sustainable housing at a premium the ground America seems to be standing on seems shaky at best.  If we can't tighten our belts now then our glorious country, that "city on a hill" is set for a tumble. 

But i was always told that you can't squeeze blood from a stone.  So how is it that we plan to balance the budget on the backs of those who have the least?  This may seem to be fiscal prudent policy, but is it morally right? How can I stand on the Christian values that The Bible lays down and yet bite the economic bullet and condone cuts to desperately needed social programs?  Or to go even deeper, “Am I a Christian first or an American first?”

And just what does the Bible say about helping the poor?
Deut. 15:7. "If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks."

But what about
Proverbs 6:6 "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.”
Proverbs 19:15”Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep and an idle person will suffer hunger." and
2 Thessalonians 3:10 "For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." Aren't these clear cut ordinances that say those who are lazy deserve their lot in life and if they were more industrious they would enjoy the fruits of their labor and not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from?  Isn't that what the Bible teaches?

This shows the general misconception i.e...The poor have little money and few resources and depend on the aid of others to make ends meet (charity, Government programs etc...) and lazy people are generally poor so All poor people are lazy.   Logically I know most of you realize how spurious an argument this is...Logically.  But emotionally....emotionally many people feel there are boatloads of truth in this statement, even though it flies in the face of logic, the face of facts. 

Most of the poor are no more content in their situation as an ant is under a magnifying glass on a bright, sunny day.  Most of the poor work a hard scrabble existence and do more with little than most should be able to do.  Underemployed people, unemployed people who are desperate for work-ANY work (I have seen stiff competition for dishwasher jobs), single mothers, grandmothers raising grandkids on social security and food stamps. Ex Cons who are desperately trying not to fall back into old habits washing cars for tips to keep from going back to jail, people with bachelors and masters degrees unloading trucks and flipping burgers because those were the only jobs out there to get.   Are these the lazy, the lay-abouts the sluggards and hobos?  So when we ask for a hand UP-for the sake of fiscal responsibility are you to slap it down?  Can we do that and with a clear conscious dress up in our Sunday's best and head down to our local tabernacle and worship God with a settled and happy heart?

Are You Kidding?

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3451&emailView=1

This is so offensive that I can not speak.

I Feel Like Throwing Down the Gauntlet

 It is easy to sit back in a lazy chair and pass judgment down on others when you can just click past the offending image by moving your thumb a fraction of an inch.  What happened to compassion, to Love to care for your fellow man ...just because they need to be cared for?  Just because you may be afraid or angry or unsure of what is happening NEVER gives you the authority to abdicate the fact that you are a member of this human race just as the undesirable person is, as the black, the white, the yellow, brown and red, immigrant (illegal and legal) the slave the free, women and men.

In Michigan they are looking to pass the same type of bill that has caught fire down in Arizona...stopping suspected people and questioning them over their immigration status.  No matter how many onuses you put on this it still smacks of racism, bigotry and a wholesale denial of civil rights to me.  In Savannah, a Homeless person can be stopped at any time for any reason just because they LOOK Homeless...and now we want to stop people who LOOK illegal?  It is odious when it is done to any group and people don't seem to realize what a slippery slope this puts a nation on. 

We also have a Congressman questioning whether the Muslim community is doing enough to stop the spread of radical Islamic theology.  As if the community can be held accountable for what a kid sees on the Internet, or decides, after reading news articles and propaganda, to strike out and strike back at "The Great Satan".  When did we start blaming entire communities for the actions of a few or one (or wait, I forgot about Japanese Internment camps, McCarthyism and Rosewood)

I gave a more reasoned argument in a previous note...you may read it on my facebook notes page if you choose, but today I feel like cutting heads.

We have an expression at Grace House, "If it is good for one, it is good for all."  so lets see....

Jihadi Jane was an American citizen...and there seems to be a large push in European nations to radicalize non-assuming citizens into Jihadist.  So we should probably have the police pull over everyone who has a European flag bumper sticker on their car.  After all Al Qaeda is insidious don't you know, no stone must stay unturned to make sure that we are safe.

And since many African nations are being targeted as proving grounds for terrorist training camps, I suppose that every black person here should be pulled over and searched as well, oh wait, doesn't that already happen in too many cities (Dade County, I'm talking to you).  I wonder how the courts would stand up under that mountain of law suits.

And since we are poking the finger at communities...I expect hearings to take place anytime now to address why the Catholic community has let pedophile priests operate with almost near autonomy for the last 50 years...what could be more of a danger to the children of America.  Come on Catholics, what are you doing turning a blind eye for so long?  I am sure that would make things interesting on Capital Hill...I wonder what Congressman would sponsor these hearings?

I'm sure if nothing else it would make for some interesting television...

You see the slippery slope...America; can we please, for the love of God and each other, stop trying to roller skate uphill?

Form follows Function

We have been studying this fact for the last few weeks at my church.  It is imperative that we never lose focus of the "why" we do things vs. the ritual, the action, the tradition.  If there is a traditional thing that you are doing and you never stopped to ask yourself "Why am I doing this?"  Then it may be time for some self examination.

Eld. Robert Martin Jr. of Zion Temple Church in Denver used to say this all the time "Know what you know what you know!"  If you are doing and have no knowledge of why, you may be setting yourself up for a "Values Battle", where what you believe comes into direct conflict with what you are doing.  I have had several internal knock down drag outs as I tried to make a shaky foundation look solid.  God help me I am trying to be consistent, which is difficult in an inconsistent world.  I find that most people expect a measure of hypocrisy in their fellow man now a days.  That grieves my soul...especially when I am the one failing to live up to my own standards.

Form follows Function...the great thing about this attitude is that it allows a much more flexible attitude in personal interactions than when we have reversed the two.  I am one of those people who feel equally at ease with white people as well as black.  I can talk with and like either group when I am with them and I do it, not as imitation, but because that is how I was raised.  My extended family flowed in an interracial community though we lived in the poor side of town.  We adapted naturally to changing environments and to those in them.  It is a gift, and there is nothing phony about it, it is just what we do...how we were raised...adaptability in our form to get across our function. 

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
19
7 Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible.
20
To the Jews I became like a Jew to win over Jews; to those under the law I became like one under the law--though I myself am not under the law--to win over those under the law.
21
To those outside the law I became like one outside the law--though I am not outside God's law but within the law of Christ--to win over those outside the law.
22
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
23
All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.

Here we see the perfect example of changing his form to follow his function.  Beloved, never let what you do supersede why you are doing it.  Great men and women let their work show what was in their heart...Go and do likewise :)

The Quality of Mercy

It has been a while since I have written anything here.  Toward the end of my blogging, I kinda felt that I was just putting content out there that wasn’t really my voice in saying what I felt needed to be said.  So with sickness came the time to reflect and read what others were saying and to begin to feel the need to bring something fresh to the debates, and hopefully now to return to edifying many, not only on the plight of the Homeless, but to offer something enlightening to us all.

We live in a judgmental society, so many are filled with the pain of indignation of the shameful acts of others.  It is a seriously understandable reaction to state of this world.  Crimes against our humanity and our souls are taking place daily and upset over them is a reasonable response.  With molestations, abuses, rampant greed and suffocating apathy threaten to drain the last drops of compassion from our hearts with each new news report.  Man seems to be wholesale wallowing in a pit of his own manure and relishing it.  Yes, you have ever right to be appalled, upset and angry.  But, no matter how tempting it is, is passing judgment over even the most base and low down of our society a productive thing to do?

The place where I live is called Grace House, and Grace means ‘unmerited favor’, you can do nothing to earn grace, grace is given like the smile of your child, out of the blue and freely.  Her twin sister mercy is just like that many times.  Mercy can not be given to those who earn it for it to be real and perfect; mercy needs to given to the ones that are the least deserving to get the most from it.

One can not save when and where to apply mercy, and there are two reasons for that.  1.  The arbitrary use of mercy for those deemed the most ‘worthy’ of its receipt, cheapens the quality of mercy.  Putting some sort of caste system in the judgment centers of our brains, ranking the most deserved to the least deserved (by our own questionable standards) puts us in the unnatural position of Lording over someone else.  The crack addict who steals and kills the grandmother of four on her way to Wednesday night Bible study does not deserve mercy, but the woman who kills her abuser does?  (I am talking here of personal judgment, judgment of the heart and mind not the judgment reserved within the confines of our legal system – that use of judgment is for ethical (societal) use and is very necessary to ensure the rights of all…what we are discussing here is intimately more personal and can breed the seeds of bitterness and hatred in our hearts)  

2. And this reason is the ultimate qualifier… Has anyone ever showed you mercy when you real REALLY didn’t deserve it?  Did anyone defer judgment on you when you should have been cast out, locked up or trodden under?  Christ did that for you.  He gave you grace and mercy when you not only deserved but were already slated to die.  He only asks us one thing…to Love others as He has loved us…and He loved us filthy, He loved us funky and foul, He loved us past our disgusting and  murderous ways (did you know that gossip is murder?  Who have you ‘slain’ in your heart today?).  He loved us to the point that when we were still his enemies he died on the cross for each and every one of us.  (Romans 5:8).

I can’t say this is easy, it is crazy hard to hear of a child molester destroying the innocence of a four month old baby and not want to lash out in ‘righteous indignation’.  I will, but ask you to remember one thing.  No one acts in a vacuum…those that hurt were first hurt by someone else…and though they do deserve to be tried by the courts and suffer the penalty for their actions, let us be careful not to throw a one such as this into the prison of our minds , under the bars of bitterness and anger.  Remember, someone loved you past your pain…even when that pain hurt others.  I am no saint, I struggle with this to…I am just asking us all to remember…

From Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, 1596.

PORTIA: The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.

"Sorry I Have Been Away so Long"

My apologies all, but I have been battling a pretty nasty bug the last few weeks and have only been able to be online sporadically.  I will return soon and have more thoughts on how to improve the plight of the Homeless.  As well, I hope to open the gates of empathy in all our hearts so we will stop seeing each other as "us" and "them" and realize there is only "us".  Remember again, Circumstances don't define any part of who we are, but our reaction to circumstances does!"  Take care and we will talk soon...

Read this

http://slohomeless.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/are-homeless-support-services-organizations-doing-their-job/

Life = Risk

 thanks Maureen...

LISTEN

 Best believe!  Choose to be defined OUTSIDE of your circumstances!

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdBp2_ygcTSA&h=66034

God is Good

This song encourages me greatly...hope it does you as well...and if you don't know Him, come talk to me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlcdx2rH_CE

No Such Thing as Coincidence

 The Luck of the Irish, The Luck of the Draw, Dumb Luck, Lucky Duck....All these are various ways to describe what we call fortunate coincidence.  We have as many labels for bad coincidence.  All of which seem to say that our life is nothing but a shambling existence that bounces us around like a pinball in a pinball game, randomly, inexplicably, blindly.

That is a load of crap!  To buy into that mind set also sells yourself as a puppet manipulated by "Fate" or worse just a random occurrence yourself...eeking out a pitiful and meaningless existence.  Ugh!  What a tepid and miserable way to look at yourself, I am nothing and less than that, I am inconsequential.  Then what is the purpose of your ability to think, to feel...to dream?

You are not a random occurrence nor are you in a world of random occurrences.  You are SPECIAL and UNIQUE!  The only YOU in this special and unique world.  And everything...EVERYTHING that happens to you is meant for a reason!  For your growth, for your insight...even at times to tempt you to failure.  Everyone you meet, everything that is said to you or done to you has meaning.  The most evil and sadistic things have relevance, the most unfortunate and tragic things are meant to be.  And that is off putting to many of you, but understand...the worst things in life at times bring out the best of us.  For the Lepers there was Mother Theresa, for the downtrodden there was Gandhi and MLK and Caesar Chavez, for a lost and dying world there was Christ.

Look for the connection, search for the meaning...many times to find it you may have to look past your own blinders...see out to the daisy chain that is you and me and the world and every moment in time locked together for a purpose.  It may take you a minute or a lifetime to see it but you will see signs of it.  Those will be the times when you call what happens a Coincidence.

"One of the most amazing revelations of God comes when we learn that it is in the commonplace things that the deity of Jesus Christ is revealed" Oswald Chambers

Thanks Marvin for the idea  http://homelessnessinsavannah.blogspot.com/

---

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Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center.

Be not weary in well doing

I had the opportunity to give some coaching and direction yesterday.  But today that instruction seems to have boomeranged and caused those I instructed to doubt doing the right thing.  What do you do with this?

Some people who knew better broke the rules here at Grace House.  The two men, who were in charge at the time yet novices at their job, did not respond properly when the incident happened.  I found out about it the next day (yesterday) and told them of how serious it was that they respond, even a day later to these malefactors.  So, I lead them through what was necessary that they do and...Nothing happened.  Admin discussed the event, folks made their excuses and no one was held accountable.  Except that the men of Grace House are grumbling thinking there are two sets of rules here,  and that these two men doubt doing the right thing. People are now whispering behind these guys backs as to weather their report can even be considered trustworthy.

I feel for these men and I have to follow up today with administration to nudge them into some response.  None of us want to lose our housing, but that may be the price to see that justice is evenly handled here.  And, trust me, I am not being overly dramatic here.

But that is the price for being the honest guy sometimes.  You do not get to pick and chose when it is the proper time to do what is right or wrong on any given occasions.  You can't say, this might hurt me so I will stay silent.  You have to be compelled to do what is right regardless many times of what might happen next.  Because that is the only way that the principals that you aspire to can exist.  There has to be something bigger than you that you strive to measure up to if you are going to be any kind of just person in this world of injustices.  These men did what is right and they are suffering for it.  I am going to try to help them and I may suffer for it.  But that is not the issue.  Personal discomfort and even pain can not preclude you from doing what is right.

Many times in life you do what is right just because it is the right thing to do.  I will let you know what happens, dear reader...but today go and do the right thing.

Spectator

I hear that the Packers won over the Steelers.  I hear that Christina Aguilera messed up the National Anthem and that the Black Eyed Peas gave a less than ground breaking performance at the Halftime show. 

I didn't see a moment of it and that has caused absolutely no upset to my peace of mind.  I saw the men at the shelter today getting ready to get ready for "The Big Game"...people were already drawing lines in the sand.  I got dressed for church.  Then at church people were talking about what Superbowl parties that they were having/going to.  After church me and a group of guys went down to Forsythe Park to feed the Homeless like we do most every Sunday.  While we were there a few people talked about who they wanted to win the game, I talked to men who were struggling to get on their feet and congratulated them for their first, tentative steps back to normalcy as they did to me as well. Then I caught the free shuttle and came in to work.
 At work I chided some of the workers here for not having the game on and having snacks on hand.

But when someone (again) asked me who I wanted to win the Superbowl and my reply came out the same as it has been for the last couple of years..."you know, I really couldn't care less."

No, this is not going to be one of those preachy posts about how we could spend our time money and efforts on better things than some big blowout to make a bunch of other people rich.  I didn't tell you what I did to come off as "holier-than-thou" all “see what I did today” to make you feel bad.  I just want you to think about something, though.  At the end of the day, especially if your team lost, was it worth it?  Was it worth the preparation and the overspending and the stress? 

To many of you, I would say...it may have been.  If only for the opportunity to share these moments with friends and family...focused on a common purpose and goal.  That is a great feeling to have to go to bed with.  That is a feeling that can bring some warmth to you.  

Now what I am going to say next is...why not carry that feeling with you out of the vicarious, living through someone else's, realm, and gather your friends and family and volunteer at the local Homeless shelter next weekend, clean up the yard of an elderly neighbor, pick up the trash on your block, give some tutoring help to disadvantaged kids...not as an individual but as a group...the same group that gave their time to watch men in colorful uniforms throw themselves at each other, come throw yourself into this.  Make a plan, make a pact that sometime within the next month you all are going to get together again and do something more for your community and for yourselves. I guarantee that you will sleep warmer and feel better that night as you lay down for sleep after that day, than you have in a while…even after tonight. 

Come on, get IN the game...Heck, you can even eat Buffalo Wings afterwards if you want to!

Rize ...On the Beach

 Just wanted to send out a little message about breaking through this morning from the movie "Rize"...enjoy!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWp3kfg0yzY

Fireworks on the River

You know, I really love Savannah.  I think the weather is great here and the people are charming and the buildings and moss covered trees are gorgeous.  I feel in love with this place about 10 minutes after being here and, even though I have seen some of the uglier sides of this town, I am becoming devoted to the future of Savannah.  I always say I love Savannah, and I can't wait for her to love me back.  I want to do something to help this town live up to the promise of its better angels. 

Recently I was presented with the opportunity to apply for a position on the Savannah/Chatham Authority for the Homeless' board of directors.  I am going for the position and, Lord willing, I will get on the board.   I hope to be able to help bring real and lasting change to the plight of the Homeless in Chatham County.  The promise of this town is becoming a real, personal thing for me and I truly believe that we can all take the steps together to grow this promise in the hearts of all of the residents here in Savannah.

Savannah is a beautiful city, in parts.  We put our best foot forward for the tourists.  We show them our museums and our legendary homes and picturesque landscapes.  Heck, we even shoot off fireworks the first Friday of every month down on River Street.  And these visitors are impressed.  But what if we took the same care and pride in making sure that all the residents of Savannah felt pride in Savannah?  What a day of celebration that would be! 

I believe in the better angels of your nature Savannah, I trust that you will rise to the call and help bring about necessary change to your most forsaken citizenry.  Together we can strip away the stigma of Homelessness and begin the real, focused and yes difficult process to help everyone feel the love that Savannah gives so willingly to even the guests that come here.  Wow, that will really be a great day to set off fireworks on River Street!

Sunset Road

I explained in earlier blogs that the few things that the Homeless have become very precious to them.  But at times some of the things that the Homeless hold on to (even among the very few things we have), some of those things have to go.

We all are faced with these kinds of decisions through out our life.  A new friend of mine is getting a divorce and she is trying to figure out what she can take from the old life into her new, smaller life.   These types of changes are familiar to us all and not very much liked by any of us.  But to the Homeless having to lay down one more thing may carry the emotional heft of an amputation.  Much of that has to do with the ability to get back anything given away.  In these circumstances, one's ability to replace generally is diminished dramatically.

So old things, tired things, things that have outlived there usefulness become cherished to the Homeless.  But many times these items become albatrosses around our necks.  We have to learn to throw away the daggers at our chest.  Many times those cherished items are fuel behind our lack of necessary change and growth...i.e... Just because the dagger is familiar, doesn’t mean that cutting into our flesh is a good thing.

Old thoughts and attitudes must give way to new ones for growth to occur.  And without growth no one can navigate successfully out of the sea of Homelessness to your new life.  You have to spend sometime in self examination and see the signs for what they are.  Continued abuse is not good, toxicity is not good and anything that brings those into your life that you can't shake free of should be looked on as addiction.  And all addiction needs to be acknowledged and help needs to be sought to break free from it. 

Thankfully, here in Savannah there are several groups that offer assistance in saying goodbye to detrimental things in our lives.  If you need to break free from painful things and you are not sure of where to go, the

United Way

has a list of organizations that can be accessed by dialing "211" on any phone. 

Sometimes, it is ok to say goodbye...other times you have to say goodbye to stay alive.

Crying Out

Many of the Homeless feel that way...but since we are the hands and feet of the Lord, is it really us that are forsaking the Homeless?

All praise to Yeshua Ha'Mashiach (Jesus The Christ)

Homelessness BY CHOICE

Before I go all in, please read this
http://www.socialoutcast.net/blog/2009/03/24/10-reasons-why-homeless-people-choose-to-be-homeless/

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Community/HomelessnessServices/InformationKitForVolunteers/Module1/DoPeopleChooseToBecomeHomeless.asp

Did you read those posts; I sure hope you did...because I will not be so kind.

You know the philosopher George Santayana said: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.", So I was caught off guard when someone, who is an advocate for victims in other arenas, asked me to write a blog about the community of people who choose to be homeless.

Again, I sure hope that you read those articles.

This is the STIGMA that I didn't think I had to address as an individual issue.  The image of a Happy Hobo's leisurely scaling Big Rock Candy Mountain, eating beans out the can over an open flame, hoppin' trains, all his belongings nestled safely in a bandana knapsack tied securely to a stick...Is this what you believe Homelessness to be? 

The Homeless who say that they are happy being out in "God's Country" are no different than the porn star who says she loves the industry while covering the sexual molestations of her past.  Did you know some slaves were upset at being Emancipated?  Even some blacks in the south were more comfortable living under 'Jim Crow" than after it was dismantled?  The Children of Israel complained that they should have stayed in Egypt instead of coming into the wilderness to die...Moses had to plead with God not to strike them dead for their insolence.  Do you not get it?  We can adapt to any situation; that never means that that situation is GOOD for us.  A frog in a pot will sit in the pot as you slowly increase the heat under him until the water boils and he dies...acclimating until he is stew.

People WAKE UP!  The plight of the Homeless is real!  The kids who decide to ride the rails or hitchhike for a year to experience America MUST NEVER color your perception of those who are truly Homeless (My God, didn't I already say this?)  The mentally ill individual sleeping in a tent city and saying he loves it there can not make up for the countless women who are raped and sold into prostitution while living on the streets.  The ramblin' man with banjo in hand strumming on River Street must not color your perception so that the family living in their van in the middle of a field, gas running out while  running the heater while the temperature hits 32° and dropping never gets help.  The panhandler with the "Let's Face it I just need a Drink" sign does not look like the heart of the man who has just about ruined the soles of his feet chasing after job after job, trying to maintain his sobriety while door after door gets slammed in his face…no employment, no future, ‘cause he doesn’t have a phone, or address or good, clean clothes.

Do you all know the story of Little Suzy?  Little Suzy's Dad told her that at the end of the week he was going to take her to Disneyland.  So, excitedly, Little Suzy packs her stuff in a little case and come Saturday morning she is, dressed and at the door, suitcase in hand waiting for her Dad and the ride to see Mickey Mouse.  Well her Dad comes down, dressed like he is going to work, apologizes to Suzy and says that he had an unexpected business meeting.  They would not be going to Disneyland today, but he promised next week, next week we will go and rushes out the door.  Little Suzy is left there, crushed but hopeful...OK, it will just be one more week then DISNEY!  Of course that was the longest week of Little Suzy's life, but come Saturday morning, here she sits in the entry way again almost as excited as she was the first week.  Until her Dad comes down the stairs dressed in his golf clothes...”Important Client, sorry honey…but next week...” And this same cycle goes on for a few more weeks. And after a while Suzy begins not to want to go to Disneyland, she even begins to hate the idea of Disneyland.  So when her father comes to her again with an excuse that "maybe next week"  Suzy's heart will not permit her to hope again "No. don't worry about it Daddy...I don't even like Disneyland anymore."

Do you get it?  Sometimes the thought, the idea of having a Home is so painful that many have even given up the hope of having a home.  That doesn't mean that they want to live outside, sometimes it just means that they can't let themselves be hurt again by hoping.

The bowing and scrapping of an Uncle Tom with minstrel makeup on never overshadows the desperate plight of African Americans in our society.  The Taco Bell Chihuahua and Speedy Gonzales are not the defining images of my Mexican brothers.  The 16 year old put on the stroll, high on horse and smiling, trippin’, leaning into the car of the 50 year old letch making money for her pimp…No one takes her drug addled opinion of her environment over the desperate need to try and get teenage prostitutes off the streets.  So the, what, 1% of the Homeless population that chooses to be Homeless for whatever reason (I don't want to live under someone else’s rules, I love the freedom of nature, I want to experience it, I have a mission, etc...) MUST NEVER DEFINE the 99% that are praying and trying and scraping and flailing against the whirlwind to make it to a place called Home, at least one last time.

Nobody picks hepatitis, staff infection, hypertension, diabetes, athlete's foot, colds and flu and respiratory infections, chronic coughs, itchy skin from the harsh chemicals used to  wash your clothes, curfews, and having to see your family under someone else's schedule, going hungry & going cold, sleeping above someone, or below someone in bunk beds, not having any where to go between the hours of  6am until 7pm sometimes, people cursing around you incessantly, arguments, fights, not being able to watch what you want on T.V (if you can watch T.V at all), being inside for tonight and not wanting to deal with where you might end up tomorrow, separating the family, can't eat when you want, smoke when you want, shower when you want, sleep when you want, get up when you want...not ever...or if you are outside always being vulnerable to the police breaking up your camp and throwing away your important papers, children's pictures, medals you earned in combat (I will get to how this country treats her Homeless Vets in a future post, it will not be kind either.) told you can't sleep here, you can't sit here, you can't wait here, you can't stay here or you may end up in jail.  This precludes the higher rape estimates
( http://jacksonville.com/community/shorelines/2010-03-20/story/rape_shows_dangers_to_homeless_women ), physical abuse estimates ( http://wellesleyinstitute.com/files/wi%20backgrounder%20-%20homeless%20violence.pdf ) , depression and mental illness       
( http://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/07/weekinreview/the-nation-seeing-a-link-between-depression-and-homelessness.html ) and drug and alcohol addiction estimates ( http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/addiction.pdf )and, of course, the higher mortality rate of the Homeless   
( http://www.nhchc.org/PrematureMortalityFinal.pdf ).

So, do you really believe that most of the people on the street are there BY CHOICE?