Road Rage

I am so fortunate to have great friends who really have a heart and openness to help out my kids and my grandmas. Tom and Kim have been helping us paint houses with their youth group over the last two years. I have so much appreciate their heart in being servants! It was at Christmas during our outreach to the downtown homeless that I actually discovered what they do work wise. As their passion for video and communicating unfolded I realized that God had opened a door for me to be blessed through their putting together a high end video to help me raise awareness of the great need in South Phoenix.

So as we are doing our typical Wednesday night tutoring I have Kim and her production crew visiting and interviewing some of our kids and our tutors. As little Bookie, one of my kids, talks about life with his dad being in jail, his mom being out of control and grandma being the one who is truly there for him it hits Kim out far out all of the stories with Barrio/New City happen to be.

As we were driving around on Tuesday afternoon my main road was blocked off. I had no clue that this wasn't your typically auto accident but actually a road rage shooting that left one individual dead. I end up having to take a long detour to drop everyone off. The next day I pick up Bookie to hang out with me and then I hear the story that it was his dad's cousin who was shot last night and died because of the road rage. Wow - it gets closer and closer to home.

As we finished tutoring and Kim's production team wrapped up we talked about Bookie and his crazy life. How do we get people involved when there are always some concerns about safety and being around danger. Yet, what draws me to do this is that I don't Bookie to be like his dad or mom and become a statistic. All of this is happening because I wrote a short piece on Bookie in my monthly newsletter. Kim, who is really sharp, fell for Bookie's picture and story.

So is it wrong to use my little Bookie as 'bait' to get people to step up and be involved in making a difference in my South Phoenix neighborhoods? God is at work and will use both the forgotten and those who seem to be important by the world's standards.

Busted?

I was rather impressed or taken back by one of my teens who asked if she could sit in the front seat of the van so she could talk with me. I had no idea what was going to unfold. So after a normal Tuesday night of great food, some chaos and an interesting discussion on Stuff Happens we end up driving everyone home.

As we drop off most of the kids with a detour that turns out to be a road rage murder I let this teen transition to the front seat. She proceeds to tell me about getting in trouble at school for something that isn't ok - smoking dope. Her teacher and then the principal get her attention by explaining that if she was really involved with this then she will be suspended or expelled from school.

This teen was so paranoid that her parents would find out. So when her dad and mom show up at school that same day she knows that she is in big trouble. I know that it is easy to always shift the blame to someone else. So I asked her who else was involved. Then she rattled off three young teens who I know and now am concerned about how peer pressure pushes us to do crazy stuff.

The dad decides to have her drug trusted to make sure that her answer about being clean is actually true. So the tension of waiting for the results which if this teen is clean isn't a big deal if the teen is guilty then the results will mean the teen is in trouble. The reality is whether the teen is clean or dirty this individual has chosen to hang out with the wrong group. We talked about how to be a positive influence that steers your peers away from doing drugs, alcohol or sex. The response was that it is so hard to do this because there is so much pressure to be like everyone else.

I now put on my 'dad' or 'father' hat and talk in an open and honest way. She is very open and responsive. I talked about how her mom and dad usually respond to her and how she can reach back to them to help them see her heart in the matter which should be one of repenting or honestly confessing that she blew it big time and does deserve to be kicked out of school.

The tests come back negative which shouldn't be a surprise if the teen is clean but it can always be a wake up call. The dad is the one who gives her the results and now knows that his daughter has been honest but made some rather foolish choices to hang out with friends who are doing some bad stuff. I know that this can happen again but hopefully our van ride discussion will have an impact and the gospel will continue to get into her heart.

I am so thankful that she opened up. I know this wouldn't have happened if we hadn't been doing Tuesday night dinner and discussions.

Starbucks Addiction?

I know that my wife jokes that I live at Starbucks and other friends seem to boast about my whereabouts with posting on Yelp on occasion. I don't want to sound as if I am justifying my addictions but it is amazing to see what can potentially happen when you choose to be around people.

Joseph took over managing my Starbucks just a year ago. We have talked at a distance and it wasn't until I asked for free coffee at Christmas time that we started to dialogue. One of his older baristas has become a great friend and related back to her manager what types of things I did. So it was both a surprise and joy to have Joseph ask me to help organize and put on a big community event in the Strip Mall where our Starbucks is located.

I attempt to be organized and on top of things months in advance not weeks or days in advance hopefully. So when Joseph asked me to help it was only 5 weeks out. So we met and started to map out a plan and have have 'action' steps for each week. So this little event is turning into a big event! It is interesting to see what happens when we step outside of our comfort zone and start networking and working with people. I made a tactical bobo when talking with the new manager at Staples and he obviously isn't interested in giving up freebies for our event so I went to Office Max around the corner and asked if they would do a banner for the event. I get a call back from Mercedes and the banner is going to happen.

I have gone back to my contacts with the City Council Office and asked for specific help. I have asked by Police Officer friend, Chris, who had been the CAO of my area. So our real needs are potentially being considered. I now have to turn to my Barrio/New City friends to ask for help for the actual event. I am hoping that I can get a group of at least 10 to help out for the day and another group of 10 or so from our teens to be there. I am hoping that I can also do hot dogs or sell tacos or something else.

Now Joseph has become a good friend who is comfortable with me to express himself and also dialogue about hot topics. God thanks for my Starbucks!

Best Laid Plans

Saturday was an amazing day between painting 5 houses with a hundred volunteers, doing a bbq in our South Ranch Park and finishing with taking my dad to dinner at his favorite Chinese Buffet. I am learning to trust God with both the biggies and the little things in life. After doing 40 houses over the last 3 years I know that I take a chance in putting out equipment the day before the event. I have gotten lectures from different grandmas about not taking chances. So this Saturday I truly believed would be ok with putting out paint and supplies for 5 houses.

The morning started off great with a large group of volunteers gathering at Hermoso Park. We had Stormwind, a video company, doing a video of the event along with key interviews of different partners and some of my grandmas. I know that the best plans can always be given a detour by God's design. So I had already gotten a call from Mrs. Jefferson saying that she had a funeral, Sylvia had texted to say she had to work and that we had to come to her if that worked. So as we are doing the send off one of my real partners, Brad Ghaster, decides to show up for a few minutes. So the video crew gets to interview him! I get a chance to fill him in on how he has helped over the last 2 years.

As I make my way to the first house it struck me that I had 2 main groups back out or 'flake' out at the last minute. Yet, as I pulled up to Deborra's house there were 20 volunteers working on the house. I was excited to see some of my youth that typically don't help much actually diving in and doing something. As I am finishing say bye to everyone I get a call from one of the houses saying that there is only 5 gallons of pain there? I am confused and again ask the person to go look again and make sure it isn't some place different. It becomes clear that the paint had been stolen - bummer how could anyone do that and not take all of the supplies. I am actually glad they took the paint and not supplies. So I had one of my special helpers, Jared/Sammy, follow me to my house and get some more paint. The house actually needed lots of prep so the group continued to do scrapping and attacking a large dead bush. Everything worked out just fine in spite of me having a minor heart attack.

As I check out another house it again strikes me that as one group isn't able to gather too many volunteers another group steps up and makes a big difference. I was blessed to see the homeowners go out of their way to clean up their houses and get ready for the blitz. So I drive to the last house which is close to my house. This is an older grandma who is in her 80's on oxygen and does dialysis 3 times a week. My lunch group is the one who is rock and rolling on this house. They have the sprayer going and have taped everything. My video crew shows up and I get to be interviewed for the next 30 minutes. While this is going on I know that my bbq group has encountered one of the South Ranch moms who is on the hoa board and is causing some heart ach. I know that I had 'sinned' by not getting official permission to use the park. She definitely is upset but calms down and the event in the park is a great success. So as I am being asked questions I have all of this going on in the back of my brain.

I am now finishing up with the crew and get to talk with Molly the grandma. She is in tears because of the help and is so thankful to discover that I am a pastor and can help her grandsons. I am humbled to see how God puts all of this together in a way that shows His plan unfolding!

As usual the waterside and bbq is a hit at the South Ranch Park. We enjoy sitting around eating, talking and watching the kids have fun. It is a warm 96 degrees this Saturday whereas last Saturday it was raining and 50 degrees. Again God's timing is perfect and that I need to relax and trust Him with the details. So as I am typing this Joseph, the head guy for the Starbucks in my neighborhood, asks if I will help him organize a large neighborhood event in a month. I am excited but again humbled to think of all the work that will go into a huge event with probably a 1000 people not a couple hundred.

I am learning that I get what I need as I need it not in any advance setting usual. It is going to be a great day as Easter is just a few days away.

Everyone Needs a Hero

I know that I have a temper and at times something will happen that pushes my button and I will express myself. I do understand that some people/youth are wired in such a way that it doesn't take too much to push them over the edge and the bomb goes off or fist start swinging or foul language sprays everyone.

One of my kid's cousins just got arrested and placed in J.V. Detention Center for loosing it on a bus. I can imagine the look of the bus driver who is trying to calm down a bad situation. This young eight year old has obviously been told that he has anger problems and that expressing himself is the only way to get it out or deal with it. The problem this time was that the kid brought with him a knife that he had kept in his pocket for moments like this when someone told he to do something he didn't like. I'm sure the driver was taken back by this small kid threatening him with a knife. Obviously the police were called and this ended up with the youth being cuffed and arrested and taken to the Detention center.

As I attempted to talk to two of my teens that had pushed each other's buttons it becomes clear that the culture in which they have been raised has taught them that you can't ever lose a fight or a verbal altercation. Both come out of horrible circumstances where they don't have any dads in the picture and one doesn't have either parent. (The mom is actually deceased.) Just as I think I am making progress with both of these young men they get into a verbal fight inside a McDonalds after church. We had a great worship time and talked about who was our real hero. We had just talked about the fact that might doesn't equal right and that Jesus way to making things right involved humbling himself, being judged and punished for my sin and theirs and then dying the worse death of anyone. Obviously this really hadn't sunk into either of the guys.

I know that the path to change and life transformation is a process that involves years not months. I do know that as I have watched another youth for four years that he has made great progress but still under the wrong circumstances with the wrong youth around him will have an attitude and let forth with profanities. I know that deep down inside I can rationalize my approach which is to more intellectually slice and dice someone. Ultimately as I talked about the Skillet Song Hero I was saying that we all need a hero that is superhuman who can help change our situation. The only hero I know that fits this description is Jesus because He is the Godman who is our redeemer and savior.

I am considering getting permission from their parent/grandmas to talk with their teachers to better understand how they help these guys to control themselves. I know that Jesus used his temper on many occasion to express his righteous anger for the false religion that was around him. I too tire of false expressions of religion that is too much part of the diverse culture in South Phoenix. The only way for this to change is through the genuine expression of living faith. It is easier to go to church, conform to certain practices and put this legalistic framework on others assuming that this is God's path for life.

Excuses

I know that I have a temper and at times something will happen that pushes my button and I will express myself. I do understand that some people/youth are wired in such a way that it doesn't take too much to push them over the edge and the bomb goes off or fist start swinging or foul language sprays everyone.

One of my kid's cousins just got arrested and placed in J.V. Detention Center for loosing it on a bus. I can imagine the look of the bus driver who is trying to calm down a bad situation. This young eight year old has obviously been told that he has anger problems and that expressing himself is the only way to get it out or deal with it. The problem this time was that the kid brought with him a knife that he had kept in his pocket for moments like this when someone told he to do something he didn't like. I'm sure the driver was taken back by this small kid threatening him with a knife. Obviously the police were called and this ended up with the youth being cuffed and arrested and taken to the Detention center.

As I attempted to talk to two of my teens that had pushed each other's buttons it becomes clear that the culture in which they have been raised has taught them that you can't ever lose a fight or a verbal altercation. Both come out of horrible circumstances where they don't have any dads in the picture and one doesn't have either parent. (The mom is actually deceased.) Just as I think I am making progress with both of these young men they get into a verbal fight inside a McDonalds after church. We had a great worship time and talked about who was our real hero. We had just talked about the fact that might doesn't equal right and that Jesus way to making things right involved humbling himself, being judged and punished for my sin and theirs and then dying the worse death of anyone. Obviously this really hadn't sunk into either of the guys.

I know that the path to change and life transformation is a process that involves years not months. I do know that as I have watched another youth for four years that he has made great progress but still under the wrong circumstances with the wrong youth around him will have an attitude and let forth with profanities. I know that deep down inside I can rationalize my approach which is to more intellectually slice and dice someone. Ultimately as I talked about the Skillet Song Hero I was saying that we all need a hero that is superhuman who can help change our situation. The only hero I know that fits this description is Jesus because He is the Godman who is our redeemer and savior.

I am considering getting permission from their parent/grandmas to talk with their teachers to better understand how they help these guys to control themselves. I know that Jesus used his temper on many occasion to express his righteous anger for the false religion that was around him. I too tire of false expressions of religion that is too much part of the diverse culture in South Phoenix. The only way for this to change is through the genuine expression of living faith. It is easier to go to church, conform to certain practices and put this legalistic framework on others assuming that this is God's path for life.

Special Friends

I will always remember this special friend, Pete. He volunteered to help paint with a group from his workplace. He stood out a little because of his shaved head and his marine like attention demeanor. He had brought a group from his work that were participating in a community service project. He was mister organized and did a great job with his friends in making their 2 hour or so project rock.

This began a friendship that saw us have lunch discussion at Rubio's in my neighborhood over the last year plus. We talked about community transformation, spiritual growth and making a difference. We partnered with helping a family in our group that has some serious challenges. Pete stepped up and partnered with me in helping this one families' older son who was still living at home with four little kids from two different mom's. He helped with the painting group that painted this mom's house. We then organized a couple of work parties that helped this mom put her house and life back together.

What I love about Pete is his passion to make a difference. He is someone who won't do something 1/2 way. He is all about giving 150% or more. This is a sad happy story. I knew that Pete wasn't happy with his job and deep down inside wanted his young family to be closer to he and his wife's families back in Ohio. So I knew that unless he found a local job that gave him more opportunity to live out his passions that he would be gone. So he started job hunting and considering different opportunities.

He discovered this amazing business grad program that actually close to where his parent's live. I was excited for him but selfishly didn't want him to leave. He had to take the GRE and pass a few hurdles that would allow him to get into the school and then transition back home in a few months. The time came for his test and he didn't attain the score his school required, missed by 10 points. So he committed himself to retaking the test in a month. So I prayed and waited to hear back. The morning of the test I text him and say I'm praying for him. I get the bad news back that he did worse the second time. He was totally bummed out and ready to 'kill'. I could sense that he couldn't fathom how he could bomb the test the second time. I text back a couple of times that God was in control and that he had been humbled but the world wasn't coming to an end. I knew that I wasn't in a place to meet or talk. So I text him the next day to discover that the director of the program want him badly so he was going to be allowed into the program on a provisional basis.

Now he has 3 weeks to pack, walk away from his work situation and move a few thousand miles away. I had lunch with Pete and he was a transformed man who had truly experienced God's grace and mercy. He could scream and leap tall buildings because of what happened. I sensed he knew that God wanted him in this program. As we shared a few tacos at Rubios and he thanked me for letting him be part of New City - Barrio over the last year or so. I really needed to have done a better job in thanking him for being part of starting a movement that is still growing and figuring out how to make a difference.

I know that May 3 will come to quickly and maybe I'll have lunch with Pete another time at Rubios before he is enrolled at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. I am thrilled to have been able to impacted Pete's life and have a special friend for life who will now look at the world in a different way. I know that his two young sons will grow up with a radical dad whose head will always be shaved but he will understand what it means to be humbled before God and man. Thanks Pete!!