I asked him

My vanity wakes me, it wakes me early. I rise ready to defeat the world.
This summer, I am tasked with the chore of taking my daughter to early morning workouts.
 It is brisk out and we are on our way to practice. I look over at my daughter and
 tell her "this old lady will out do you today." She smiles and responds with a "mom!" 

I barely survive the workout and get ready to head to work.
On my drive in I stop and get my dreaded addiction, Chick-fil-A.
I am feeling good about myself.  I love the feeling of accomplishment so early in the morning.
It brings on an extra dose of cockiness. Head high, shoulders back, I commence my stroll into the building. I am busy thinking about me. Cup in hand and tummy full, I straighten my hair.
I look down to admire my perfectly painted toes. Vanity is present. 

I barely make it in the door when I am brought to a hault, by our lovely receptionist.
She informs me that the gentlemen using the phone needs some help. I wait till he gets off the phone and then I ask him, how I can be of service. He tells me he is in need of a bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo. I ask him to wait in our lobby as I run to our hygiene closet, to retrieve his request.
 I run back into the building, as I reach him I hand him the bag. I ask him to follow me to my office. 

We reach my office and I ask him to sit. I notice how clean he is. I notice there is no vanity there, he is humble and meek. I begin to lose interest in my self and my vanity quickly leaves me. Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

I begin by asking him his name and he gently replies. I ask him about his educational background. He softly tells me "I finished the 7th grade." I ask him what his current struggles are. He takes a moment and then he speaks "I just finished serving 15 years in prison." I pause for a moment, I look up and his gaze is to the floor. My heart aches as I see shame in his posture.
My next question is if he is employed. He reply's with "No one will hire people like me."
I continue to ask him questions. I ask him if he has any type of income. He answers "no".
I ask him where he stays and he quietly responds "my truck."  I ask him where he eats and his voice cracks as he speaks  "I don't like crowds, because it brings back memories of prison."
  He looks up at me and I can see his pain. He speaks again "When I get really hungry  I go to Salvation Army, but most of the time I just don't eat." I observe his sunken cheek bones and his thin stature.

He leaves and I go about my day. All day I am troubled about this one man that will not eat today. I am reminded that many veterans in this business often tell me I can't help everyone. That is not what my heart saids. My heart reminds me that this man is someone's father. This man is someone's child. This man is human. Who am I to deny food to a human. 

It is 5:00 and I go to Wal-mart. I buy some pop tarts, peanut butter and other things that require no cooking.  You could say I made an adult snack pack. I go back to the office and I call him. He answers and I ask if he is near. He tells me he is across the street at the park. I ask him to swing buy and pick up his dinner. I meet him at the door and hand him his goods. He smiles and I feel his spirit.   

 What does that mean any way, "people like me". I want to be a "people like him."  
 

“Do all the good you can,

 By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.”  

John Wesley

Keynote

We had another successful Opportunity Conference.
I had the opportunity to witness a Neighbor win a $50 gift card and because there
was someone at her table that was in more need than she was. She gave her gift card away.
It was a wonderful day with many of the community present. It we will be my

pleasure to  help these families daily and see them succeed little by little.

By Monday I have  recovered and I am quickly making plans to leave town for the week.

I have plans to get on a plane Tuesday afternoon but not  before I
I attend my 18 year old sons funeral.
No it was Not real, it was a mock funeral created by an organization called "every 15 minutes"

Every 15 minutes we lose a loved one as a result of an alcohol related collision.
It was not an experience I care to repeat. My son wanted to take part to help save a life
and me and my husband reluctantly agreed.
My son will graduate this year and he will pursue a life in ministry.
He is a servant and wants to help all people in need.

His death was announced on that Monday. He was taken to a secluded place and we would have no contact with him for over 24 hours.
Even though we knew it wasn't real we couldn't help think what if.  A tombstone with his picture on it was placed in the school cafeteria.
Tuesday as we walk into the school for his mock funeral, they hand us his obituary. It was the worst 15 minutes of my life.
All to show those students, that every thing we do matters to someone somewhere.

I survive and  arrive in San Antonio ready for my first key note experience. I do not use note cards or power point slides.

I prefer to stand and bare my heart to anyone who will listen, but because it is my first keynote, I was uneasy.
 Tuesday at midnight because I felt so unprepared, I decide I would work on tailoring my presentation to their theme
"Planting a Seed and Reaping Success"

Wednesday morning I wake up and run down stairs to print my notes on this new power point I have developed.
All computers in the hotels business center are busy.
I go down several times that day and each time everything is occupied.
Finally it is 2:37 and I am scheduled to speak at 3:00.
Again everything is full.
I notice a young man playing on face book. I'm instantly irritated and yes I approach him.

I ask if he would allow me two minutes on his computer so I can print some notes.
He responds with a glare. I notice a guitar sitting at his side. I ask if he plays, he
picks it up and begins to play and points out that he is missing a string.

My mind is racing and I tell him I  will make him a deal. I tell him that I am about to present to a
large crowd and if he allows me the use of his computer, I will let him be my opening act.
He agrees. I print my notes and off I go up stairs and now I have an entourage.

I stand in front of the crowd before me and explain I want to welcome them , San Antonio style.

I motion for my "band" to take the stage and the crowd goes crazy. Then I explain that I just
met the young man down stairs and the room is quickly filled with laughter.

 

After this adventure I decided I want to give opportunities when I can to every one I can.

 

 

Everything you do matters to someone somewhere somehow

   Elia Moreno

The Dime

Friday morning and I have but a few hours left before our big event.
 It has been 26 days with out a day of rest.  My list is made and we will work until its all done.

I get in the shower, only to discover the mess my daughter has left.
Apparently she took a bath last night and she didn't bother to drain her water.
Not, how I wanted to start my morning. I grab my tub cleaner and begin scrubbing.
I've lost precious time and now I won't have time to fix my hair.
I decide that will not be a problem, I will put it up in a pony tail.
I reach for my hair spray, in hopes that it will keep my hair in place.
I spray it on thicker than usual. I notice a thick white foam sitting on my head.
That is when I realize that I am spraying tub cleaner on my hair.
No time to rewash my hair. I grab the bottle of hairspray and spray it over the tube cleaner.

All day I battle with getting my list complete. I hustle and bustle,  finally 8:30 rolls around.
My husband calls and asks, if I've eaten dinner. I tell him, "I'm starved".
We decide to meet at an eatery on Soncy.

I run to the bathroom to freshen up. I take my hair down and I am shocked at what I see.
My hair has an undesirable crispiness to it. I'm thinking I should of taken the time to rewash my hair.
It is 8:30 pm and no beauty salon is open. It hits me,  my husband is about to go to a barbershop.
I know what your thinking but at this point this is my only shot.
I call and ask if they will cut my hair. They agree and I am relieved.
I print a picture of a short haircut, off the Internet.

When my husband walks in I am already in line for my hair cut. He knows me o so well.
He is horrified and asks what I'm doing. I tell him I am in line for a haircut and the two men behind
him stare in bewilderment.
In a hushed voice through clinched teeth, my husband responds. "They don't cut girls hair here!"
I reply with a gentle, "Oh yes they do, I called and asked."
My husband turns around and takes his seat as I head to my "barbers chair".

I hand my short hair cut picture over. I sit for a very short time and as I am handed the mirror.
I notice I have just received a bowl cut slash skater boy hair cut. I am beside myself.
I am disgusted with my bowl cut, I guess the bowl on the counter should of given me a hint.
I just thought it was a candy bowl.

I arrive at home and my 9 year old runs out to greet me. He begins to tell me of his day.
I am not paying attention my focus is still on my hair. Who invented the bowl cut anyway?
He is waving papers in front of me and all I hear is "I'm selling them for a dime",
that catches my attention. I ask "why are you selling bookmarks for a dime?"

He begins to explain how he made them and took them to school to sell. I immediately
begin to think of how I will explain this to his teacher. I hear, "Mom do you know what I'm selling them for?"
I start to explain that he can't sell things in school. My baby boy responds,
"Mom I am going to take the dimes and buy food to help the poor people"
"Just like you mom." All of the sudden my bowl cut doesn't matter.

Anybody want to buy a handmade paper bookmark?

Eyebrows

Hello Lifechangers,

I am busy getting ready for my trip to North Carolina. I notice my two eyebrows
are quickly connecting and forming one. I decide that is my queue to visit a beauty technician.
I arrive and I am approached and asked about my needs. I point to my eyebrows and the kind
technician quickly grabs my hand and leads me to a chair.

We begin to make small talk. She starts by asking if I am from Thailand. I assure her that I am not.
I explain that I am Mexican. She smiles and begins to try and convince me                                                           
that I may be from Thailand. I can not seem to convince her, so I try and change the subject.
I ask her where she is from and she begins to talk of her beloved China.

What vanity would have us do. She works on me what seems for hours. The
moment of truth, she hands me the mirror. I look into the mirror and see a few scraggly strands of hair,
where my eyebrows use to be. I politely say thank you and run towards the door.  
I am convinced that this technician was desperately trying to make me look a little more asian.

I am horrified that I will have to travel with a team of leaders and I have no eyebrow's!   
I call my daughter and ask for help learning to draw eyebrows on my face.
I explain how I was invited to speak at a large church in Amarillo and after that I will travel out of state.
She comes to my rescue and begins my eyebrow drawing lesson. She also makes me promise that
I will no longer visit this technician.

So it is Sunday morning and I have to present at Paramount Baptist. 
I begin to worry that someone will notice my eyebrow less face.
I enter the church and I am greeted with undeserved love and kindness.
I am escorted through the front of the stage and seated on the front row.
My face is covered in a light shade of red. I feel like all eyes are on my eyebrows or lack there of.

At the end of service I am introduced and I stand and share my heart.
I still can't shake the thought of the focus being on my eyebrows.
I am greeted and hugged by several people. I think I notice a young woman
tilting her head at my eyebrows.
I try and shake the thought but I can't. My vanity holds on tightly.

After the first service, I am escorted down stairs to meet a class he calls Special Adults.
I walk in and I am speechless. He ushers me to the front of the class.
I stand there motionless. I can not comprehend this atmosphere.
There is joy, love and excitement all in a single breath.
I am ready to sit on the floor and sob.
I tell myself I must refrain.

My escort begins to speak and everyone faces the front.
He tells these beautiful special needs adults of what we do for people in need.
They begin to clap and some begin to stand.
He begins to ask if they would please pray for this effort.
They begin to cheer and clap with such excitement.
I am touched beyond comprehension.

I want to exit because I can no longer hold back my tears. As I am leaving a woman calls
me over and I walk in her direction. She stands and reaches for me with such love such
innocent incomparable love. I hug her tight and she tells me I am pretty. She tells me thank you for helping
people in need. She assures me that she will pray for me.

I make it out to the hall and my escort begins to speak off how this class was started. I tell him
to please excuse me as I begin to sob. I am overwhelmed by such unconditional love.
My vanity is gone and I care of nothing more than coming through for my new friends.
They are helping us with prayer and together we will do away with poverty.

 

 

 

Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful." 

 -- Annette Funicello

Who is listening when you speak?

I am sitting in my office when my phone alarm goes off, it is reminding me of a lunch appointment. I type one last email and start searching for my keys. I empty my book bag and move my stacks of files from my desk. Then it hits me "what if I locked them in my car." "No it can't be". I run out to my car and peek in my passenger window, I want to see if my keys are dangling from my ignition.
"Yes yes they are", I run back inside to text my appointment. I inform her that I will not be able to meet her. I explain my dilemma. She asks if she can come get me, I agree. As soon as I type in yes and hit send,  I remember where my purse is. I text her back and tell my friend that she will have to buy my lunch.  She agrees.
No panicking needed my next appointment is coming to my office. I go through the day thinking that I will soon have to go through the yellow pages and find someone to retrieve my keys.
I decide I will not worry about it till the end of the day. I call my daughter to let her know about my mishap.
With  in minutes my phone begins to ring. I answer and while I am speaking I notice another caller is trying to get through. These are phone calls  from people I haven't spoken to in years. Friends asking if they can help.
I am reminded that I have spoken kindness and hope in peoples life's along the way.
Then I shutter as I think of all of those I have not spoken hope and kindness to. To those I have given grief instead of kindness and to those I have shown judgement instead of hope. I think of all the people I have offended.
I  try and focus on something else. As I sit in my office waiting to be rescued, I hop on Facebook. I am looking for what my daughter has posted. I want to see how these friends know that I am stranded. This is the first thing I see when I log in, another reminder of the language we should speak.

This is why I am an educator. One of our sweet kids gave me a Chicken Soup for the Soul book today. This was not a student I knew...and she only knew me from listening to announcements. I am often asked how many languages are spoken at our school because we are a diverse campus. Today I say we speak one language...the language of hope.

I am consumed with heart felt emotion as my friend Dr. West shares her heart. This has reminded me "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," because you never know who may be listening.

Failure or Success

I wake to a dreary and cold day. The day begins with many phone calls, each call includes needs.
I turn on the computer only to discover more need. I click on an email, it is from a super duper Navigator.
She begins by telling me about May, a young mother of two that has been abandoned by her husband. He has chosen to seek a life of drugs and everything it has to offer. Her first step is to take May to receive local resources, while they are there,her purse is stolen. In her purse is her green card. It isn't long before they are in to get a replacement for her green card.
It is impossible to work with out one.

We are now a couple of months in to this dilemma.May finds herself a month behind on a house they bought just last year. She is distraught not understanding where it all went wrong. Just last year they worked hard to save for a down payment to buy this home.She was working with hope to attend college this year.
That is until her husband left her for a life of drugs.
Success no longer in sight, her light and water have been shut off. She can no
longer stay in this house with her young children. She is now staying with family.
It only takes a month before May's family decides she can no longer stay with them.
They decide two families with children,is to much chaos for one small house. She is forced to return to her cold home.
This is where Life Changers are called in. I send out an alert for help.
She is down to her last 4 ounces of milk,when these Life Changers answer the call for help.
We secure a months mortgage and other necessary items.
She comes to my office and I get to meet this lovely family, face to face.
May walks towards me and I sense her broken spirit. She does not look up, I can only imagine the defeat her eyes display.

We chat for a while and then it is time for her to leave. I tell her all will be well.
Her Navigator and I help her get her necessity's to the car.
I tell her she is doing a great job. I tell her I am proud of her. She reaches for a hug. I hug her small frame just like I would hug my
own child. She falls apart and all I can say is all will be well. May was helped by strangers
and that shows her that we believe in her. May is given hope.

Another month goes by and she is desperate to work and provide for her family.
Her children are 1 and 3, they don't understand why they are in need.
There is still no green card. We've done all we can and still no results.
An update from her Navigator reveals no green card, no work, no resources.
She has left to find her husband because she can no longer survive.

So I ask you did we fail or did we succeed?

"Failure can not succeed when there is Hope"
Elia Moreno

The Climb

It was Sunday night. I leave Channel 10's toy giveaway with plans to stop by a  Life Changers home. 

Earlier that day, I received a call from this Life Changer. She kindly asked that I stop by to pick up some donated items.

At the close of this event, I walk out to get in my car. I can feel the weather changing. By the time I reach her home, it is drastically colder and windy. Regardless the harsh weather, I know it isn't going to be a barrier for these Life Changers. I arrive and we begin to load my SUV with goods for our Neighbors.

Monday morning I park my loaded SUV, in front of my office, with the intentions of running in
for a short while. I get out of my SUV and skate to the front door, ever so elegantly.
Once in the front door I shake the cold off. I smile at our gate keeper and she returns the smile.

I reach my desk and it doesn't take long before the first call comes in. It is a young mother of

9. She tells me she is currently living in a shelter, with no hopes of getting a place

of her own. Her monthly income is only $600 a month. I ask how she got our number and she said

another Neighbor shared it with her. 

More calls come in and before I know it, plenty of time has passed. It is 2:00 and my stomach is

telling me it is time for lunch. I dread that it is cold outside and I am not looking forward to waiting in my SUV,

while it warms up. I don't think it is a good idea to leave my SUV running while I wait inside. I convince myself to sit in my SUV and wait patiently while it thaws... it thaws ever so slowly.

I am finally off to my adventure for the day.

My first stop is delivering a tree and ornaments. I feel like Santa.

I arrive and get into the back seat, to arrange the items I will be unloading.

I finish arranging  and as I try to exit I notice my child locks are in place.

I am now trapped in the back seat of my SUV.

A few minutes go by and I spot a truck pulling up beside me, I jester for help.

He merely waves and I do the only thing I can do, I wave back.

My SUV is still on and well at least it's warm. I have moved everything out to the front so it will be easier to unload. I sit and wonder how I will get out of this one.

I begin to clear a path to the front seat. I finally reach the front handle and decide the only way out is to push the door open. I begin to shove

the Christmas tree towards the door. I mange to push it open and the tree is maneuvered out the front door. This will allow enough room for me to escape.

I guess I can now say I was held captive by my SUV, a tree and some ornaments.

I realize how heavy it is when I try to lift it so I can carry it to the front door. No other option but to drag the tree to the door. At this point I am treating it as if it were to

blame for my misshape. By the time it reachs the door it is full of snow and I happily begin to kick it.  I

kick and I kick and I kick, to get the snow off of course.  

I laugh as I write this, the mere thought of me kicking this poor tree.

A man passes by as I am kicking this tree, he doesn't even say hello. Hmm I wonder why?!

If you find yourself frustrated or stressed I recommend the

kicking of a tree. (No tree was injured by this event)

I guess I missed that "How to be a Santa" class. I am certainly not as graceful as what a Santa should probably be. 

I make several trips unloading all of the ornaments and experience some slipping and sliding in the process.

If you are interested in skating, I think I found the perfect parking lot for that.

Finally the tree is out of my hands and no longer in danger of being harmed. I turn it over to recipients and
they are pleased. I bid my farewell as my hunger continues to grow.

Hungry enough to chew my arm off, a clear indication to find the nearest Chick-fil-A.

I have my food in hand, park my SUV and I decide to sit in their parking lot as I eat. Satisfied and thankful, I take in the soft melodies of 

Christmas music as I watch the snow fall ever so gracefully.

Lunch is complete, now it is time to continue my life as a Santa.

I head to deliver the rest of my donated goods.

I arrive at my destination and there is no chimney in sight. I park in front of the house

instead of the roof. As I get out of my SUV I notice a hill, between me and my recipients doorway.

It looks much like a black diamond.

I do not ski so I am now wondering how I will survive this. For all those wondering, I am wearing heels. They are boots but heels none the less.

I make my first trip with no casualties until I reach the front door. I begin to fumble the TV and just then the

8 month pregnant recipient steps out to rescue me.

As I fall into her home I notice how tidy it is. I also notice the small contraption she is using for heat.

I notice cold floors with no rugs. No relief for her cold feet.

As I am headed back out, I happen to glance at the not so fortunate victim whom is trying to make the same climb. She is not so lucky she does not get far up this black diamond before she rolls back down to the bottom. She has no one helping her.

That day, I made several trips up that hill. Each trip was more difficult than the one before.

Each time I would make it close to the door our Neighbor would step out to rescue me.

My journey up that hill is over I got to drive off and head to my nice warm house.

This Neighbor isn't so lucky, she makes that journey up that hill daily.

Thank you Life Changers for making her daily climb easier.

Thank you for stepping out to always help me as I climb. We have a goal and that is to remove barriers that prohibit our Neighbors from attaining

an education.

She dreams of her children graduating.

She dreams of them attending college someday.

She dreams of returning to school herself.

She has hope, that someday her climb won't be as difficult.

After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
Nelson Mandela