tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51495452529913057162024-03-13T03:50:10.769-07:00the outer circleinnerCHANGE, San FranciscoPaul Nixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08640682815593948869noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-83325094008736243262017-09-01T19:35:00.004-07:002017-09-01T20:31:31.349-07:00Vunerable- Written by: Hania Rivers<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The most powerful thing you can do to change the world is to change your own beliefs about the nature of life people and reality, to something more positive and begin to act accordingly.” ~Shakti Gawain </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRUSizI6TPM/WaoW0wjRxCI/AAAAAAAAi-Q/EK5eNm4MGxcdWHgg2L7sovKivOQtnlugQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170901_070540056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="723" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRUSizI6TPM/WaoW0wjRxCI/AAAAAAAAi-Q/EK5eNm4MGxcdWHgg2L7sovKivOQtnlugQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20170901_070540056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a child I was naturally trusting of people around me, my family and those whom I called friends. I would’ve bought the moon if you tried to sell it to me. Even into my mid-teens I was an extremely unquestioning young man to the point that I could’ve gotten into legal trouble by “friends” taking advantage of my gullible nature. Dating as a young man was a disaster; I trusted that the girl I was madly in love with would follow through on all her promises to love me forever. When our relationship ended after three years of dating I was crushed. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Growing up my parents met only my basic needs and I did not receive the emotional support that I craved. My life turned into perpetually hunting for the love and affection that I did not receive at home. In adulthood,this search led to marriage and divorce, twice, with each marriage lasting three years or less. After some time being single, I was found by a wonderful woman with whom I fell in love with, only for her life to be ended thru a car accident after three years of bliss.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being vulnerable with people is not one of my strong points because of the emotional pain I’ve endured. Some of the anguish I’ve brought onto myself. Other times, it’s been brought upon me. Learning to accept full responsibility for the emotional distress I brought onto myself has been instrumental in helping me mature and heal. Shutting down emotionally became my default action for many years when I felt I was being attacked by those in my life.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My acquired learning of how to be egocentrically numb led to becoming harsh, abrasive, confrontational and rejecting of people which in turn led to automatic suspicion of everyone. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3IVrlK35qxc/WaoW3XN5fQI/AAAAAAAAi-Y/g7FlL5UP4pEiFJs2nOAfSHcoRCvKXm6cwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170801_154552693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="723" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3IVrlK35qxc/WaoW3XN5fQI/AAAAAAAAi-Y/g7FlL5UP4pEiFJs2nOAfSHcoRCvKXm6cwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20170801_154552693.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So how does one learn how to be trusting and unguarded after so much rejection, guilt, bitterness, and hardness of heart setting into someone’s life? I can only speak from my own experience on this. My journey began when an unexpected woman and her friends came into my life and offered me nothing but their friendship. Naturally, I was suspicious of their motives and kept them at arm's length for several months. When I figured out that they were giving me a genuine offer of friendship, I cautiously started to accept them into my life. Prior to meeting my friends, I had a jaded and distorted view of love, acceptance, friendship, and family.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I learn to be vulnerable with others I’m reminded of Christ’s vulnerability with mankind. I think popular worship leader Misty Edwards says it best in her song </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arms Wide Open</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at Me</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at me….</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He had arms wide open, a heart exposed</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arms wide open; He was bleeding, bleeding</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Love's definition, love's definition was looking at me...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is how I know what love is, this is how I know</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What love is</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genuine love and true friendship requires open arms which means you have to have an exposed heart. For someone who has been hurt, abused, taken advantage of, traumatized, and rejected this is not an easy task. Are there times that suspicion wants to raise its ugly head and I get the urge to cut and run? Absolutely! In those moments, I’m reminded by my friends, “How does Jesus feel about this”? Of course I never really want to hear those pearls of wisdom, but in the end I know they’re right. Arms Wide Open, a heart exposed. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It feels so good to be able to go and be able to talk freely with someone who “gets” you. Even with all your quirks and flaws, they’re able to let you be you without judgement and condemnation. Not only have my friends have done that for me, but through them I’ve come to realize that God truly wants me to be vulnerable with Him. His open arms and exposed heart have given me the ability to be start being vulnerable with others regardless of how many times they stab me, lash out at me, or reject me. Through their actions, they have modeled for me how Christ has opened Himself up to mankind's rejection, scorn, and abuse, yet His arms are always open to receive you in your mess. Vulnerability can be very messy and painful, if you go about it correctly, it can lead to very big returns in your life.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BGpxe-bP020/WaoYxdq8GcI/AAAAAAAAi-w/5O1cLjwoEBcpl9jkSaVNj5k5_1KV7WiygCLcBGAs/s1600/Image%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="408" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BGpxe-bP020/WaoYxdq8GcI/AAAAAAAAi-w/5O1cLjwoEBcpl9jkSaVNj5k5_1KV7WiygCLcBGAs/s320/Image%2B3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have found that forgiveness is a key ingredient for becoming open with those who love you most. Knowing who you are is another additive to achieving freedom from the cage of emotional seclusion and feeling unworthy of love and acceptance. These are just a small amount of the actions that must be done to attain vulnerability. Healing, freedom, connection, and acceptance are all fruits that grow in your life when you allow yourself to be vulnerable. Take it from someone who once considered vulnerability to be a weakness and who is learning that being exposed emotionally leads to a plethora of freedom in life.</span></div>
<br />clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-36065434597253528942016-12-05T09:14:00.000-08:002016-12-05T09:15:50.598-08:00ResilienceIn the months leading up to this election, I found myself asking more fervently than at any other time in my life:<br />
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Am I willing to die for what I believe in?<br />
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Betraying my own privilege, I’ve rarely wondered what choosing between integrity and life would look like. Now, I imagine – will I say good-bye to my husband, my comfort, my freedom, in order to faithfully follow Christ?<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MmueO4WZjOM/WEWghJEOO1I/AAAAAAAAACE/lTtYlfuxOQkIkoVw9I_2LVum1WWIWqmugCLcB/s1600/15036527_731934267418_7077754858472170038_n%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MmueO4WZjOM/WEWghJEOO1I/AAAAAAAAACE/lTtYlfuxOQkIkoVw9I_2LVum1WWIWqmugCLcB/s200/15036527_731934267418_7077754858472170038_n%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>This line of thinking has alternatively culminated in tears, intercessory prayer, or tight-lipped stoicism depending on the day. Mostly, I worry that no matter how much I bully myself into pre-committing to death (assuming that I’ll even have a choice when it comes), my resolve could fall flat.<br />
In Deuteronomy, God lays a similar choice at the feet of Israel. Just before they enter this land flowing with milk and honey, God says, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live!”<br />
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I know in my brain that the timeless God of Hosts lays the same choice before me, my family, my InnerCHANGE team, my people, daily. But rarely, in any day, do I think of myself choosing life or death. At first, I’m tempted to think the whole dichotomy feels too melodramatic, too black-and-white. Certainly, picking up a couple of dropped crops from my own field isn’t death, right? Surely, holding onto a debt until it’s entirely paid, rather than seven years and kaput, is reasonable?<br />
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Rarely does choosing “death” as it’s laid out in Torah really look or feel like choosing death at first glance. And let me just say up-front, I’m not advocating for a black-and-white, wholesale, literalist reading of the scriptures. I’m all for harm reduction, for small steps towards life. Rather, I’m struck by how rarely I think of choices as moving me towards life or death, no matter how small the increment.<br />
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Perhaps that’s why I’m so drawn to the attentiveness of our friends who have struggled with substances here in San Francisco. We spent our Monday evening bowling with a friend who was celebrating many years of sobriety. Between shots at the pins, I asked about the process of getting sober, what year was hardest, etc. He told me that the first year was hard, especially leaving his old circle of friends, hang-out spot, and so forth. The fourth year, he said, was hard because it was tempting to think that he was better. He said has not returned to Golden Gate Park since his first day of sobriety.<br />
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Another friend this week echoed the sentiments when he talked about going into detox. “After a few days, you start wondering ‘why did I do this’?” He talked about well-meaning family members giving people in rehab money “since they’re doing so well” and tripping them up. As he prepares to move into our house for a time, he’s intentionally communicated triggers and behaviors that might indicate he’s looking for some of the rush that other substances give.<br />
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These friends’ words exude an awareness I lack; each choice has potential to move towards life or death. I often permit myself little indulgences without scrutinizing if one has the potential to entrap me longer-term. I wonder what it would look like to move through the world with the intentionality of someone journeying away from substance abuse?<br />
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Even more perplexing: what if I knew that choosing life could look like death? It’s hard to imagine that choosing life can look like saying good-bye to all your friends, puking for days, and creating an entirely new life. It sounds terrible.<br />
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This week, I wrote a card for a different friend in rehab. When I asked what to write, having never written to someone in detox, our team leader chirped “hope you’re not puking too much today.”<br />
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I dutifully wrote it down and signed all of our names, keenly aware that I have a thing or two to learn out here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-88217122728760807312016-09-07T10:24:00.001-07:002016-09-07T10:29:54.728-07:00Thoughts on showing up<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ia63P7sRIB4/V9BM8JxsobI/AAAAAAAAGgc/CxPvaCTc2lwDEIqdnYdQTrGpbmWGw7lxQCK4B/s1600/13240538_707092226068_5220840969574536829_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ia63P7sRIB4/V9BM8JxsobI/AAAAAAAAGgc/CxPvaCTc2lwDEIqdnYdQTrGpbmWGw7lxQCK4B/s400/13240538_707092226068_5220840969574536829_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span class="s1">"Hey, you been comin' around for a while now, yeah?" and "Oh hey, I remember you guys! What's up?" and "You're in the park every Monday and Friday, right? Every week..." and "You guys are the cool pancake people!" </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Lately, I've been noticing that the consistency of being present is an incredible gift. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">In a city whose culture is permeated with transience, and in a park full of travelers and train-hoppers, consistently showing up is a refreshing change of rhythm. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I love that we're able to have deeper relationships with our Amigos bible study friends, but sometimes I struggle with not feeling as though I'm connecting in a meaningful way with people in the park. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Is it really worth it, to have conversations that feel like small talk? But, God has been showing me that being persistently present speaks a powerful word of love to friends in this transient place. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">It says, </span></div>
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"I am not here to get something from you or to try to fix you. </div>
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<span class="s1">I am not just passing through. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I am just here with you, just sitting and listening and loving and learning alongside you. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I am not concerned with achieving a result or an efficient outcome. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I just care about you deeply and love you for you. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">You are worth spending time with and you are valuable in God's sight." </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I pray that God can use my small act of coming to sit with our friends to powerfully communicate His relentless and gently-pursuing love for them!</span><br />
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<span class="s1">- Georgia Lee</span></div>
clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-1817110552016378232016-02-04T10:54:00.002-08:002016-02-04T10:55:31.026-08:00<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.9px;">"For the past 10 years, the San Francisco Outer Circle team has been enjoying a weekly pancake picnic with friends experiencing homelessness in Golden Gate Park. Here is some footage from our 10th Anniversary Celebration. Many thanks to Meredith Stutz for her editing expertise!"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f4f6f6; color: #4e5a5e; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.9px;"><br /></span>
Here is our Video!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/153983358" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/153983358">SFOC Celebrates 10 Years of Pancakes</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/georgialee">Georgia</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-33743930058928864552015-05-24T08:05:00.002-07:002015-05-24T08:14:31.575-07:00So you Wanna Know What You Can Give That Really Helps?<h2 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeK1HGpC2sk/VWHopXyWEzI/AAAAAAAAAZE/TcZw55yx9ek/s1600/Image%2B21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeK1HGpC2sk/VWHopXyWEzI/AAAAAAAAAZE/TcZw55yx9ek/s200/Image%2B21.jpg" width="150" /></a></h2>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"> If you have ever worked at a non profit you have received some terrible well meaning donations.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">So a friend asked us what we can REALLY use... So we decided to give you a big list!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />Street needs:</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">First and foremost as always, socks<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and underwear (any traveling kid will be your best friend with a pair of clean socks :)</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Feminine products</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Tents</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sleeping bags (army bags preferably)</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Small Tarps (preferably brown or green)</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Backpacks</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Goodwill gift card</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Id voucher</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Quality counseling sponsor</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Flywheel coffee gift card<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Whole Foods gift card</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Another way for homeless friends to eat on a daily basis in Haight</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">A safe dry place to sleep that allows dogs and significant others and discipleship- a transitional but loving home. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Lockers so you can go to appointments or even church easily- without what you own being stolen</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Friends who are sober to hang out with our friends on the street and do normal life things together!</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">New full time staff!</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jobs short and long term- so they can get experience and a more current resume as well as legally earned cash!</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Vehicles for specific sober friends </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Travel help- flights or greyhound tickets to go home!</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Housewarming gifts for newly housed friends:</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Laptops</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">George forman</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Crock pot</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Electric tea pot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Coffee set up</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Microwave</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Warm blankets</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Stuff our house can use:</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Financial support to get each staff fully funded- http://www.crmleaders.org/give</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Airline miles, or sponsor one of our trips!</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Grocery cards (safeway, whole foods, trader joes, rainbow, foodsco)</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Gas cards</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Blankets </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Small heaters</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">4 Fans <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Shelving for storage<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Back up pancake power box or someone to invent a new awesomer longer lasting system!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">A 2000+ watt power inverter <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">We could use your Talents and Connections!<o:p></o:p></span></u></b><br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Legal council for friends as well as for pancakes as issues arise<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Personal assistant<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Wifi consultant to make it reach our whole house!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Volunteer counselor for homeless friends who are scared to go to a center or don’t qualify for free counseling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Babysitters (esp during bible study)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Handyman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Plumber<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Bible lovers- to guest facilitate bible study on specific topics as they come up! Perhaps a theology nerd?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">A person older then us who wants to have kids over for tea and cookies and love on them! Be grandma/grandpa for many who don’t have elders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">A house sitter who is willing to host kids while we are gone.- Just sleep at our house and make sure people are alive </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">A musician who can jam with kids<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Someone who can introduce good Christian hardcore/punk/folk music to our kids!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">A Job connector please! To connect us or our kids to possible jobs or to hire them! Please!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">A passionate person to manage our Odd Jobs website- connecting youth to short term odd jobs for individuals and individuals to a person who needs a short job!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">A job coach- helping kids get to where they want to be!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Rainy day or emergency housing- a person we could call when we have someone who really needs housing but we can’t provide it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">A writer to collect our stories and write them well<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">A once a year house deep cleaner volunteer group<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Moms to visit moms for play dates who are holed up in hotels and learning how to parent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">We go on retreats a few times a year to pray or to plan for the year, or sometimes when tough stuff happen to get away and pray and process, so houses with 1+ empty bedrooms that are within 2 hours of SF that you would be willing to let SFOC staff stay in for 2 or 3 nights would be lovely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Other random skills we don’t even know you have! – Tell us what you could do for us and we can tell you if a situation comes up where we could need you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Pancake supplies- <o:p></o:p></span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">for 1 year we buy in bulk and spend on average:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"> 926.42$ for Syrup, Sugar, Creamer, Coffee, Pancake batter, Forks, Plates, Cups, etc… <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;">Rainbow Gathering Kitchen supplies:</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Around 300$ plus gas. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Thanks for caring!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">SFOC<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">2960 21<sup>st</sup> Street<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">SF CA 94110</span><span style="color: white;">SF CA 94110</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-21741640365821043692015-05-09T18:03:00.004-07:002015-05-09T18:03:53.170-07:00Joe's Video!<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Here is a link to our 4 min video Paul and Peter made with Joe telling part of his story!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvsjgCS_WsM">Joe's Story: Turned around for good</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span>clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-52923401945023436022014-12-01T08:29:00.002-08:002014-12-01T08:29:37.884-08:00SFOC STATISTICS 2014! <div class="p1">
<b>Happy Advent to you all!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KU4Gd1kuqL0/VHyXHRyqUtI/AAAAAAAAATw/YuQllDFIK9Q/s1600/15252447463_9f183b1228_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KU4Gd1kuqL0/VHyXHRyqUtI/AAAAAAAAATw/YuQllDFIK9Q/s1600/15252447463_9f183b1228_o.jpg" height="179" width="320" /><b></b></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KU4Gd1kuqL0/VHyXHRyqUtI/AAAAAAAAATw/YuQllDFIK9Q/s1600/15252447463_9f183b1228_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></b></div>
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<b><b>In celebration of the end of the year coming up I (Claire) decided to try</b></b></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<b>and count up all the fun SFOC statistics for this year that I could and share them with you! I used my calendar and our guest book and was amazed and what we came up </b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>with! Especially considering we were a team of three and then two full time staff this year! The Lord has truly blessed our work. </b></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b> I stuck to the numbers I could prove, </b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>so some say "over" or "more then" cuz the number is actually way higher but I couldn't prove it on paper. I hope you enjoy this list and we are so grateful for your partnership and friendships this year! </b></div>
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</div>
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<span class="s2"><b>San Francisco Outer Circle 2014 Statistics:</b></span></div>
<div class="p4">
<b>This year we have:</b></div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li4"><b>Served over 1680 people pancakes in golden gate park</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Trained 3 new Bible study facilitators</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Served thousands of pancakes at the Rainbow Gathering and created a partnership with 3 other Christian kitchens</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Helped 4 friends into rehab</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Hosted and trained 9 short term interns</b></li>
<li class="li5"></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Assisted 9 friends in transitioning into housing</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>15 friends began to get to know Jesus, started attending church and coming to bible studies and small groups.</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>1 local leader came on staff</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>5 local pastors began to partner with us in serving our homeless friends</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>3 friends radically committed their lives to Jesus </b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Celebrated birthdays, sobriety anniversaries, memorials and holidays together with homeless friends</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Housed over 75 guests at our house for short term and emergency stays</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>1 hair stylist came to the park and cut hair</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>3+ friends chose not to commit suicide</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>We baptized 1 friend</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Helped 5 homeless friends reconnect with their family and move back home</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Let at least 98 people borrow a cell phone to call home for the first time in a very long time. </b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Mediated complicated dynamics between 3 homeless friends and their family members.</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Visited 3 friends in the Hospital</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Shared way over 100 home cooked meals in our living room with homeless friends</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Visited 1 friend in jail</b></li>
<li class="li6"><span class="s4"><b>Helped create 2 new videos- </b><a href="http://innerchange.us6.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=a62b5ed902d348f6f9fad3646&id=33befac449&e=f52ca2bf75"><span class="s5">http://www.innerchange.org/category/tags/photo-video</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Hosted InnerChange’s Apprenticeship and SummerXChange Orientations</b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Collected 98 surveys on homeless issues </b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Began a new prayer and worship time in the park and a new Bible study at a Christ Church which is hospitable to and led by both housed and our un housed friends.</b></li>
<li class="li6"><span class="s4"><b>Took lots of fun new pictures- </b><a href="http://innerchange.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a62b5ed902d348f6f9fad3646&id=b11ecefb0c&e=f52ca2bf75"><span class="s5">https://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Francisco-Outer-Circle-InnerChange/63915111179</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li4"><b>Connected with three families who were willing to host homeless friends in transition and disciple them!</b></li>
<li class="li7"><b></b></li>
<li class="li4"><b>And had thousands of conversations with homeless friends old and new!</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="p1">
<b>
<br />
We are so grateful to the Lord for such an incredible year and excited for the one to come!!!</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5384bLm2NH8/VHyWOMMhJYI/AAAAAAAAATg/u-pYKmZ4r1M/s1600/IMG_20141128_132142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5384bLm2NH8/VHyWOMMhJYI/AAAAAAAAATg/u-pYKmZ4r1M/s1600/IMG_20141128_132142.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-4246099124946108532014-10-08T20:18:00.001-07:002014-10-08T20:22:24.863-07:00Our friend Lee helped make a great 3 min film of our teammate Danny telling his story!<br />
Check it out! <a href="http://vimeo.com/100744207">http://vimeo.com/100744207</a><br />
<br />
<img alt="Photo: Help us support this guy! We are so excited for him making a 1 YEAR commitment to the sfoc and psyched to have him around!
Danny is working on fundraising and is at 365$/1500$ and is headed into all staff orientation next week and we would love to see him hit a grand, or be fully funded by next monday!
sooooo if you were thinking about donating twards him, here is your reminder!
Contact him at lowcarddan@gmail.com
His fund will be up in the next week or so soon you will be able to support him online at- http://innerchange.org/support -Ill let you know when-
but he would be encouraged if you let him know if you are thinking of supporting him!" class="scaledImageFitWidth img" height="504" src="https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/p417x417/10653658_10152746676271180_407026383224809794_n.jpg?oh=8e1f77d328636922ce4595a7ada82d0f&oe=54C23C36" width="378" />clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-52513893099537563632014-05-13T20:42:00.000-07:002014-05-13T20:42:41.254-07:00Relax<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_8zVEPGxzgY/U3Ll5tnodQI/AAAAAAAAARQ/gccSNUDgJoU/s1600/10011506_10152082235838873_1043730624915904231_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_8zVEPGxzgY/U3Ll5tnodQI/AAAAAAAAARQ/gccSNUDgJoU/s1600/10011506_10152082235838873_1043730624915904231_n.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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Monday morning I sat down next to Job on our brown plaid picnic blanket. A
few others were bustling about setting up to cook pancakes. I asked him how his
week was. And he muttered some unintelligible words threaded together as only a maybe 50 year old long term speed user can do, but then pointing at my little book,
asked if he could draw. Surprised I immediately found a pen and watched him
begin. Circles. Endless circles. Getting deeper. Pushing harder. Almost ripping
the paper. I picked up my guitar and began to play. “Give me your hand, and we’ll
walk, walk down together” I could watch as the words filled the space bouncing
around and calming the area. “lift up your heart and we’ll dream, dream dreams together”
And Job began to draw. Slowly but surely. He began to draw. First lines. Then
waves. The final product ended when he received his pancake, and wasn’t much to
talk about but it was beautiful to me. It was beautiful to see him relax.</div>
clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-42884562208619291352014-05-08T22:24:00.002-07:002016-02-04T11:49:09.240-08:00What can you give that we can REALLY use?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lra-gOhVYS0/U2xjkeptuCI/AAAAAAAAARA/n8wzuwt4gLE/s1600/20140203_140641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lra-gOhVYS0/U2xjkeptuCI/AAAAAAAAARA/n8wzuwt4gLE/s1600/20140203_140641.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gift we really loved! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">If you have ever worked at a non profit you have received some terrible well meaning donations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">So a friend asked us what we can REALLY use... So I decided to give you a big list!</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">But first I will tell you some stories.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">Step is a friend we have known for a few years. He found a bagel shop that was setting its leftovers in a bag in the trash nightly and began acquiring this bag sunday nights and bringing it to pancakes to feed the early arrivers before we made it in the morning. It was such a blessing. There was no desperately hungry souls- we could eat slowly as we love!</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">Mud is another friend we adore who has been picking blackberries in the park every year in season and bringing them to pancakes to add!</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">Ryan ground scored (found on the sidewalk) a travel apple to apples game last week and brought it for me, knowing my affinity for the game!</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">One week I forgot my wallet and needed bus fare- I turned to the nearest friend spanging who immediately gave me the 2$ in change I needed without a hesitation and with a smile- we all know how fun it is to give!</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">Suzanne would come over monthly around the day her food stamps got turned on a cook a feast at our house and take it out to the park.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">Our friends our crazy generous.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="color: white;">Its easy to give when you can look around you and see what is needed and look at what you have to give and make it happen! </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">So there you go!</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">I leave you with a quote.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.” </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">― </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2697.Henry_Wadsworth_Longfellow" style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Henry Wadsworth Longfellow</a></span></div>
clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-46837461642136340432013-11-01T21:38:00.003-07:002013-11-01T21:39:44.365-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k-Jp0jAW1Uk/UnSBgp1QcJI/AAAAAAAAAOA/Rn1wzwX5HvQ/s1600/534711_10151073913046180_2009418206_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k-Jp0jAW1Uk/UnSBgp1QcJI/AAAAAAAAAOA/Rn1wzwX5HvQ/s200/534711_10151073913046180_2009418206_n.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
“The challenge before the church is that 60% of the world is poor by US standards and 20-30% desperately so, only a tiny fraction of missionaries serve incarnationally among the poor.<br />
<br />
These figures constitute a math problem that is difficult to justify.<br />
<br />
In an age that is quick to speak of the need to minister to unreached people groups the poor remain ironically the <b>single most under reached people blocks in the world. </b><br />
<br />
<b></b>Said another way, poverty is keep more people out the kingdom then any peculiarity of geography language culture or ethnicity.<br />
<br />
We believe Christ grieves over this disparity and is busy addressing it.”<br />
<br />
-Postcards from the Journey<br />
http://www.innerchange.org/innerchange-postcards
clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-90692733559922693482013-01-16T17:14:00.001-08:002013-01-16T17:14:37.119-08:00Zeek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
I walk away from so many conversations with ideas and regrets of things I wish I said, or what I ought to have said different. One Thursday evening I met a guy named Zeek, and our conversation did not end up that way at all.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Oi17Ui-CtI/UPdPVENOCTI/AAAAAAAAAFs/ZxnyoeCeVjk/s1600/kids+hanging+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Oi17Ui-CtI/UPdPVENOCTI/AAAAAAAAAFs/ZxnyoeCeVjk/s320/kids+hanging+out.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I was walking past the McDonalds towards the park with Claire and Jess late on a Thursday afternoon when we were stopped by a guy wanting to sell us something. There was loneliness in his words as he began his story. He said he was from Maine, and had driven his Winnebago out of the winter into the sunshine, and then back again into the gloomy fog that looms over the SF peninsula. He said he was looking for some kids he could trust to join him on the road up the coast through Oregon, and wondered if we were the kids. He said he studies philosophy, does a little music, some poetry, and was a bad writer, but all he really knew how to do was sell dope. Jess wondered if he could sell other things. He said His father was a sales man, and he thought he could but thought it hard selling things he did not believe in. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The conversation wandered through learning that his father was protestant, and he was trying to figure out what he believed. I was surprised because he had some very Jewish seeming features. He said that when he was thirteen he felt it was time to own his own belief, and so he began reading and studying different ways of thought, and that he had basically collected a lot of ideas from many different places and had put a bunch of them into a big pot of soup.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
That prompted me to ask him what he was searching for, and followed up before he could answer with another question, "What are the qualities of something that made them authentic?" He struggled with this question, and said he really found himself to be an agnostic and a skeptic. So he did not know what makes something real or true. He wondered if it was that many people believed it, or was it that he believed it? I told him that I was sure we could find some guy out in this park who thought he was Paris Hilton, but we would both know that was not true. I asked him again personally what made something authentic to him, and what was he searching for. He said he found the question stunning, and said that was something he really needed to think about. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Then he asked us how we came to our convictions. We told stories of having grown up in the church, but at 13 plugged into our youth groups. For Jess, she said that in high school she received a really strong conviction to get serious with her faith, and I gave further testimonies of God's provision and faithfulness in many times of need when I had stepped out into the unseen out of obedience.<br />
He seemed to really be intrigued but our conversation soon ended. He said we had really challenged him to think about what it was he was searching for, and that his best guess of where he would look for an answer would be according to the laws of the world, such as the laws of physics for instance. Before he left, he said that he did wish he had the certainty to know when he was walking in the right way and when he was not. I gave him the last word and we parted.<br />
<br />
Two weeks later Jess saw him again, and he had this wild story that happened the evening after we met him. He lost his dog and then met Christians in the park, while looking for his dog. They gave him Pizza, and then all surrounded him and began to pray. It really freaked him out, and he would have left, but he heard a voice tell him that every thing was going to be okay. Then he felt peace like he had never felt before. He found his dog again, and went to bed feeling some sort of amazing peace. He thought his life would never be the same after that. He was surprised to wake up the next morning feeling normal again. He was discouraged, but really wanted to talk to us. Jess invited him to our Amigos bible study. He was excited, but then he never came. Two more weeks went by and then we ran into him again. He seemed to be preoccupied with something but told us he had been busted for selling dope and had been to jail. We continue to keep an eye out for him every time we are in the park, hoping to continue that work we hope that perhaps the Lord has begun.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10781433339299181125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-12078375979865041552012-05-08T17:47:00.000-07:002012-05-08T17:47:54.809-07:00The time Andy gave me 112$When I was 17 I saved up money so I could go to work with an outreach ministry called Prodigal Project in northern California connecting with hippies. I made myself a budget and worked coaching gymnastics to reach it. When I had enough money for the train ride and 300$ extra for spending money, I excitedly bought a one way ticket! I was super psyched! My birthday was a few days before I left so some friends threw me a surprise party! As I was getting ready to go, a friend named Andy walked up to me and slipped me a wad of rolled up money and said Jesus told him to give it to me for my trip. I thanked him- a bit surprised as I hadn’t asked anyone for money. When I unrolled it, I counted 112$. Aghast, never having received money like that, I went back to him and told him it was too much. He put it back in my hand and said Jesus would show me how to use it. I kept that wad, rolled up in my drawer. Every time I had an opportunity to give in a big way I smiled, knowing I had the means, if God wanted me to use it. Every time I felt like I was supposed to use my own money and kept watching for that one special thing that this money was meant for. I got live simply and thus had the ability to do lots of fun things in sharing my 300$, but at the end of my 3 months there I was a bit frustrated wondering who this 112$ was for and sat down to pray. Then I realized. That 112$ had changed me. It gave me the eyes to look for how God may be allowing me to give. I laughed, and when I got home I gave it back to Andy, telling him that his money had done exactly what it was supposed to do- changed my heart and given me the eyes to look for where I have the capacity to give, because I do have a reserve in heaven! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TDWAFzr9hME/T6m-Zda6iiI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/sRjvg59c2yA/s1600/land%2Bgirls%2B02.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="215" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TDWAFzr9hME/T6m-Zda6iiI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/sRjvg59c2yA/s320/land%2Bgirls%2B02.bmp" /></a></div>clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-89403100907745205692011-06-08T15:12:00.000-07:002011-06-08T15:15:37.992-07:00A night at Amigos<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><b> </b></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WqA9-JVTQwE/Te_uzIewE1I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/hwqY-9Jvx7w/s1600/IMG_5774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WqA9-JVTQwE/Te_uzIewE1I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/hwqY-9Jvx7w/s320/IMG_5774.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amigos Chow Line</td></tr>
</tbody></table></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Every </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Thursday night the Outer Circle hosts a gathering we call Amigos. Our purpose for this gathering is to provide a space where our Christian friends from the street and our friends from church can mix it up and learn to follow Christ together. I say this, because an outsider walking into our kitchen or living room during a typical Amigos night might not be able to figure out what was going on. It is a complicated scene.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">By 5:30 a meal is usually nearing completion. What this meal looks like depends on each person's contribution for the night. It is usually a hodge-podge of food bank faire and some large, simple, and delicious main dish, perhaps chili or spaghetti. The clanking and banging of pots that functions as a musical prelude during the preparation of food for a group is accompanied by a quartet of singing, crying, and chasing-each-other-through the kitchen two-year-olds. Add to these sounds, conversation, laughing, especially Jessica laughing, a timer going off to remind Claire to take the biscuits out of the oven, and it is understandable that it requires yelling to gather everyone to pray for the food. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Once circled up and in the kitchen, we all join hands. The kids either want to hold hands with the adults or stand in the middle of the circle and ham it up for the crowd. Capitalizing on a moment of quiet, I pray: "Lord, thank you for this chance to be together tonight. Thank you for this food. Please be with all of our friends that don't have any food or anyone to be with tonight. Please bless our fellowship, amen." Then plates are filled up, and the eating begins. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Dinner actually goes by quickly. It's the transitions from prep to meal, meal to clean up, and clean up to worship that end up taking the most time. When the dishes are done and most of the people have moved from the dining table to the living room, someone starts playing the guitar to kick off our worship time. Somehow, when we sing together at Amigos no one seems uncomfortable. It's fine with everyone if someone sings loudly and another doesn't sing at all. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">After we finish singing, someone from the group teaches on a passage of scripture that has been helpful to them recently. This week it's my turn to share. I sometimes struggle about feeling discouraged and have recently been looking at some scriptures about pressing on. After reading Philippians 3:7-14 to the group I ask, "How do you all press on? What makes you continue to want to live and seek God?"</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">A few different people share their experiences or advice. Someone reads a verse that they find helpful when they are feeling discouraged. Then Joe shares.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Joe</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">"My biggest problem is my own stinking thinking. If I listen to the advice that I give to myself, I get in trouble fast. I have to figure out how to shut me up and listen to God. Praying usually helps. I pray everyday, every time I leave my house. I struggle with myself everyday," he says. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Joe's simple, honest advice spurs me on, challenging my hopelessness. Something shifts in my heart and mind. I feel lighter. I am encouraged. I am grateful for this community. We pray to close our time together and another night of Amigos is over.</span></span></span></div></b></span>Courtney and Lukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00368460155602875084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-51761850314122684132010-08-16T21:38:00.000-07:002010-08-16T21:54:56.081-07:00todays inspiration...It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.<br /><br /> The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,<br /> it is even beyond our vision.<br /><br /> <br /> We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction<br /> of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.<br /> Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying<br /> that the kingdom always lies beyond us.<br /> No statement says all that could be said.<br /> No prayer fully expresses our faith.<br /> No confession brings perfection.<br /> No pastoral visit brings wholeness.<br /> No program accomplishes the church's mission.<br /> No set of goals and objectives includes everything.<br /><br /> This is what we are about.<br /> We plant the seeds that one day will grow.<br /> We water seeds already planted,<br /> knowing that they hold future promise.<br /><br /><br /> We lay foundations that will need further development.<br /> We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.<br /><br /> We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation<br /> in realizing that. This enables us to do something,<br /> and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,<br /> but it is a beginning, a step along the way,<br /> an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.<br /><br /><br /> We may never see the end results, but that is the difference<br /> between the master builder and the worker.<br /><br /> We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.<br /> We are prophets of a future not our own.<br /> Amen.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />-Oscar Romero</span><br />(who served the people of El Salvador and was assassinated in 1980 while he was saying mass in San Salvador.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UjJN_iWWWpY/TGoVeXQaYfI/AAAAAAAAAII/ApdrHiW9jNk/s1600/DSC05024.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UjJN_iWWWpY/TGoVeXQaYfI/AAAAAAAAAII/ApdrHiW9jNk/s320/DSC05024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506237105796964850" /></a>clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-15302325849563663932010-05-18T16:02:00.001-07:002010-05-18T16:03:28.424-07:00Songs from the StreetI just posted a page where you can listen to 'Songs from the Street', the music compilation that has been dreamed about for several years! Look at the top of the blog to see the link.<br />
enjoyPaul Nixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08640682815593948869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-55925180077762011742009-12-17T22:30:00.000-08:002009-12-17T23:14:02.945-08:00application<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UjJN_iWWWpY/SysrjBI2XwI/AAAAAAAAADk/TrUJ6wGPGWM/s1600-h/DSCN4320.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UjJN_iWWWpY/SysrjBI2XwI/AAAAAAAAADk/TrUJ6wGPGWM/s320/DSCN4320.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416470857444122370" /></a><br />I was walking with Molly to the memorial. Her dad and brother had died.<br />She had spent the night and I am currently in the night time rhythm of reading some cool quotes about Jesus that inspire me, so we had read a Fredrick Dougless quote that read “I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” <br /><br />Now it was probably 1 am by the time we had calmed our giggling and crying and settled down to bed so we were pretty tired and emotionally fried as we walked to the memorial. We were quiet as we got closer. <br /><br />Memorials in the park are held by getting really drunk and writing a note on something to remember them by. <br /><br />“Jesus,” I began to pray “please keep everyone safe today, and keep alcohol away from this memorial.” Molly laughed. I glared at her- “what- I can pray for a miracle.” I responded. “Maybe we should start praying with our hands” she responded.<br />I smiled.clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-38021570489501368392009-12-16T11:11:00.000-08:002009-12-16T11:12:12.018-08:00Merry Christmas from Jashobeam<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SykxDDeBJaI/AAAAAAAAAbs/FHriIEzhn2k/s1600-h/IMG_3844-732020.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SykxDDeBJaI/AAAAAAAAAbs/FHriIEzhn2k/s320/IMG_3844-732020.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415913955430311330" /></a></p>Jashobeam is our angel on our tree this year.<br>He is named after one of David's mighty men, and loves to sing punk-rock christmas songs.<p>-paulPaul Nixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08640682815593948869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-45391350333619144042009-11-30T12:08:00.000-08:002009-12-16T12:28:34.321-08:00Thanksgiving 2009<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/Syk-v57rBTI/AAAAAAAAAb0/rl5VEQecuGw/s1600-h/IMG_3680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/Syk-v57rBTI/AAAAAAAAAb0/rl5VEQecuGw/s640/IMG_3680.jpg" /></a><br />
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This was our thnxgvng crew this year. and here are some more pics from the day...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylBpljPHQI/AAAAAAAAAcc/KOXMrNh5pyM/s1600-h/IMG_3694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylBpljPHQI/AAAAAAAAAcc/KOXMrNh5pyM/s1600-h/IMG_3694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">you can buy these beads...email me if you're interested :)</span></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylBpljPHQI/AAAAAAAAAcc/KOXMrNh5pyM/s1600-h/IMG_3694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylBpljPHQI/AAAAAAAAAcc/KOXMrNh5pyM/s1600-h/IMG_3694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylBpljPHQI/AAAAAAAAAcc/KOXMrNh5pyM/s320/IMG_3694.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylBgweak-I/AAAAAAAAAcE/8FFTKWY1f5I/s1600-h/IMG_3674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylBgweak-I/AAAAAAAAAcE/8FFTKWY1f5I/s320/IMG_3674.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylBjm4ZW-I/AAAAAAAAAcM/jlmOXDK7cIc/s1600-h/IMG_3688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylBjm4ZW-I/AAAAAAAAAcM/jlmOXDK7cIc/s320/IMG_3688.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Paul Nixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08640682815593948869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-75729241964447146842009-11-15T12:35:00.000-08:002009-12-16T12:40:44.787-08:00On Mt. Tam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylE0fsIbUI/AAAAAAAAAck/SX_N3Pn818Q/s1600-h/IMG_3447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylE0fsIbUI/AAAAAAAAAck/SX_N3Pn818Q/s640/IMG_3447.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
So this is us on the top of mt. tam!<br />
It was windy and cold. we were celebrating luke, courtney, and claire finishing their novitiate commitment. <br />
Top row, L to R: Jess, Mariah, Corrina, Courtney, Jacob, Claire<br />
Bottom: Paul, Luke, WestonPaul Nixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08640682815593948869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-76986358424861971382009-10-17T13:52:00.000-07:002009-10-17T13:54:00.335-07:00Tattoos hurt. <br />But they are art so we bare with it for the result. <br />The artist (hopefully if all went well) brags to friends about how fast and sharp he threw up the piece on your arm. <br />“Nah, the pain wasn’t that bad. Only 6 hours of work.” You respond to the inquiries hoping for that nod of affirmation that -yes, you are a bad ass. <br /><br />Allowing Jesus to work on us hurts.<br />It is uncomfortable.<br />He may brag to the angels how great we are doing, how proud he is of us but we don’t come out looking like a bad ass, at least not to our eyes.<br /><br />I am on a solitude retreat right now. <br />Sitting still. <br />Allowing God to work on me.<br />Show me pieces of me I never knew were there. <br />Lousy prison tats. <br />He is doing a clean up job.<br />And it is beautiful.<br />When I go home I am sure I will complain. <br />I won’t like the colors he chose.<br />It should be a little smaller or more to the right.<br />But that is a slam on his art.<br />And he only does perfect work. <br /><br />So I will go back.<br />I will bite a sock and ask for more. <br />Lay out on that plastic table.<br />Awkward, half naked and a little scared <br />and ask,<br />What are you thinking now Jesus?<br />I am ready.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tiny pricks on my skin<br /> The ink sinks in<br />The blood rises<br /> I am a masterpiece<br />Of my Fathers hand.clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390582988416640945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-86375950054887840512009-08-29T12:43:00.000-07:002009-12-16T12:44:07.826-08:00mother teresa is cool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylGaxWNzgI/AAAAAAAAAcs/bS9HMOToAYo/s1600-h/IMG_0210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SylGaxWNzgI/AAAAAAAAAcs/bS9HMOToAYo/s640/IMG_0210.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Paul Nixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08640682815593948869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-80272005762849609312009-03-13T10:02:00.000-07:002009-03-13T10:08:14.675-07:00release<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">as they fall</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I’m reminded</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">of their refreshing role</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">to express deep</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">and complex things</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">their ability</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">to communicate far beyond words</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">they respond to that inside</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">their droplets of beauty</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">which</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">washover my face</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">renew a needful heart</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I lose to them</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">coming under their release</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">they stream down</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">with each one that falls</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I remember your care</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I know you see them</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">they were stored for years</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">believing they represented weakness</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">acknowledging I have needs</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I need you Jesus</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">in disbelief, mourning, joy, and sadness</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I need you</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I need you to pour from me</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">fill me, come closer to me and move inside of me</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">its wonderful to be reminded</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">apart from you i cannot stand</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">my life comes from you</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">you alone make things right</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I see these things in tears</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">not spelled out</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">but in a mysterious way </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">like your kingdom</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">continue to come my tears</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">saturate this heart</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">that is yours and in great need</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10788458843184287331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-48954569570275405692009-02-11T16:09:00.000-08:002009-02-11T16:35:56.033-08:00untitledwhen nothing is left and you cant find the answers<br />for why things have gone and disappeared into blackness<br />i've tried to remain but change happens fast<br />too fast to notice until it's long past<br />trapped <br />etching inside are proverbs<br />i've been here before the static no longer bothers<br />fathers<br />cannot make life any harder<br />mothers <br />love lost to drugs<br />my offerings are altered<br />custom fit crosses that come taylor made<br />i've buried the hatchet reopening graves<br />being haunted by demons is hard to forget<br />i'm waiting for patience that doesn't come quick<br />my quest continues maybe this is as good as it gets<br />my clothes are still ripped from the the chain linked fence<br />full of incense from the bowls that were lifted<br />laid open and bare in the presence of drifters<br />the organized mislead<br />organic mechanics<br />trapped in the orbital magic of bad habits<br />and the ancient agreements<br />of those who have come to a decision<br />nobody asks for the life that their given<br />a prison surrounds the tap water with bars<br />we all fall apart and reopen scars<br /><br />by wes<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SZNuuYWM1nI/AAAAAAAAAO0/zpKQZyrvwKE/s1600-h/IMG_3122.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8Wo-DT3B0_w/SZNuuYWM1nI/AAAAAAAAAO0/zpKQZyrvwKE/s200/IMG_3122.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301702929433810546" /></a>Paul Nixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08640682815593948869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149545252991305716.post-76953227487705414272008-11-22T12:25:00.001-08:002008-11-22T12:26:14.652-08:00Advent Conspiracy<a href="http://adventconspiracy.org">adventconspiracy.org</a><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eVqqj1v-ZBU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eVqqj1v-ZBU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Paul Nixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08640682815593948869noreply@blogger.com0