Recently, LEGOLAND reached out to us to do a drive for our “LOVEKIT…” campaign. In fact, they are doing a DRIVE for #lovebeyondwalls to help us reach our goal of 300 hygiene kits for the homeless in ATL. Read an earlier blog [HERE] about why we are doing this drive.
Below is the verbiage they have placed on their site,
“We’re having a hygiene drive for Love Beyond Walls throughout the month of February! Donate 10 items to receive a special offer!
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Atlanta will be having a hygiene drive for Love Beyond Walls Organization throughout the month of February! Bring 10 hygiene items for a special discount offer!
We are so happy to be working with Love Beyond Walls Organization this February”
Click the image below and it will take you directly to the offer! Thanks for your support.
Terence
I really can’t believe I only have 26 more days until I walk 30+ miles on behalf of ALL who are homeless in this country! This is totally something I have never done before in my life, but I feel like I should. I may be as focused as ever at this point! Why? Because I truly have a heart for those without a voice!
Here’s why:
This past saturday, we mobilized 40+ volunteers to hit the streets with us to engage those who are homeless in ATL! I truly encourage those who serve with us not to give ONLY a hand-out, but connect with them as people and HEAR their stories.
I encourage people to build relationships in hopes to create trust between the served and those that serve. NOT TO SAVE, BUT TO RESTORE DIGNITY! Well, something special happened this past Saturday…
A young lady (Flowers) who has been serving with us connected with a gentlemen, heard his story, talked to him for hours, and wrote down tons of free resources for him to use to get himself together (and off the streets).
Well, when we went out there again… this same guy walked up to her, and shared with the entire group all the steps he had taken. He was clean shaven, showed the group many of the things he had collected, was looking for work, and mentioned he was checking himself into a facility this week (WED). Even better, he prayed with us at the close…
People who served (young and old) got a chance to see what God can do through relational power!
This story is powerful because he remembered not the handouts, but Flowers taking time to hear his story.
We are checking up with him this week for encouragement and to make sure he follows through. With stories like these, I can’t help but to see this 30 mile walk through, continue to build #lovebeyondwalls, and continue to love on those that are forgotten… Continue to pray for my strength as I prepare mentally to take this huge step of faith.
Below is a picture of our new friend Tony! Pray for him, and his new steps toward freedom!
Terence
Yesterday, I received a few emails from people asking me, “Why are you walking so far for homelessness?” or “Can I walk with you?” Well, you’ll find my answer in the four points and picture below:
1) I am walking because I believe the voiceless often times go unheard — There are many people who have hit rock bottom, and have had a hard time recovering from that low place. You’ll never hear their stories, or see them on the news. Nonetheless, their stories MATTER (no matter where they are, or what happened). Therefore, #lovebeyondwalls would like to sacrifice our time and energy to do something that will uplift them.
Maybe you can relate with being voiceless… I know many of us who were trapped in cars the other day for hours and hours can relate.
2) I am walking because of my homeless friends under the I-20 75/85 bridge — There are many that I have befriended under that bridge. In fact, they call me every other day, and I truly care about them. Of course I don’t have tons of resources to pull them off the streets (yet), but I listen to them, know their stories, shed tears with them, model Christ to them, and consider them people that God loves dearly. And, if God loves them, I am going to love them too… Hopefully, my walking will inspire someone to come along side #lovebeyondwalls, and help restore “some” that want to be restored.
3) I am walking to teach people what I’ve learned — While homeless around Christmas time, I learned five lessons from walking in the shoes of the homeless. And, I would like to share those lessons. One of the lessons has to do with walking. When you are homeless, there is non-stop physical movement… especially during the winter months! Without the ability to walk, you could stay somehwere and literally die (if you don’t have that ability or support).
Do all people who are homeless have to walk? No. However, many people who stay on the streets do…
4) I am walking because of the picture below — Below is a picture of one of my homeless friends that uses socks for shoes. Have you ever walked miles in socks? I haven’t either. Therefore, not only am I walking to raise awareness, restore dignity, and mobilize people — I am walking to help some people get simple things like shoes to survive and live.
Short answer, YES people will join in at various points to walk… That information will come in later blogs…
Until then, continue to pray our strength as we prepare to make this journey…
Terence
Yesterday was my hardest day! I left them gym, and thought to myself is this even possible? “Can I really lose 25 more lbs…?”
My old schoolmate Cooper suggested, “You can if you keep going…” Cooper is a new personal trainer who decided to train me after my last trainer dropped out due to schedule conflicts.
Now I’m 33 DAYS out and wonder if this is possible… I literally had to reflect on Jesus’ life when he was in the “Garden of Gethsemane…” His disciples were sleep, and he was thinking about what was about to happen to his life… Jesus prays, and asks God to take the cup, but ended up saying an incredible and encouraging statement in the face of a Roman scourging and crucifixion… Jesus says,
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done (Luke 22:42, NIV).”
Jesus did two things that are encouraging in the midst of tension! Firstly, he acknowledged the “cup” or hardship. Jesus had a healthy reality of what was before him, which gave him the proper strength to ask God for help…Having this perspective helps one to not live in denial about what has to be faced.
Secondly, Jesus asked. Although this did not remove the “cup” Jesus’ journey, Jesus asked. Sometimes asking helps us to accept and weigh what we are being called to do… Jesus gained strength from what he felt God was calling him to do.
I believe God is calling #lovebeyondwalls to raise awareness about homelessness on this daring journey! In fact, we will need God’s strength to continue. Today, I am reflecting on this scripture…
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13, NIV).
Below is a short video before we release the second campaign…
[embedplusvideo height=”500″ width=”500″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/19WYXc9″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Tpe8lGRxzgM?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=Tpe8lGRxzgM&width=500&height=500&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=” id=”ep9715″ /]Terence
Below is a picture of me and my brother (Rahkeem)… These reason why I post this picture is because I truly believe in this young man. Currently, he lives under the bridge with his mother, and is only 19 years old. I make it my goal to spend time with him once or twice a week.
Why? Because I am building a relationship with him, and hope to grow #lovebeyondwalls enough to remove him from the streets. Yesterday, he read a poem/rap to me that he wrote for us… It went something like this, “Been struggle since I was thirteen seeing homelessness for me…”
He is only a kid, and still has so much future ahead of him! However, he is voiceless! This must end… I am going to sacrifice my life a little this year to make sure that people like Rahkeem and others get help, or at least be heard.
There are three ways we are planning on helping this young man, and his wife. I ask that you keep us in your prayers as we make preparations to do so in months to come. I consider this young man not only a friend, but a younger brother that needs a “hand up” not a “hand out…”
Terence
Yesterday, I almost cracked and gave up on my weight loss journey…
It is so hard to stay disciplined, but I have made a resolve in my heart to keep going. Why? I received a phone call from one of my homeless friends (Rahkeem) yesterday. He is a 19 year old that stays under the bridge in tent city…
He reached out to say thank you for being a friend (and keeping our word)… talk about tears forming…
It was inspiring and moving to me that he considers me a friend, and trusts our team. He went on to say that everybody under the bridge appreciates #lovebeyondwalls having people help them while they are in transition. That alone is reason enough for me to keeping going, stay the course, and share more of what I have learned from going homeless around Christmas.
It is my prayer that God keeps me while on this journey! So far, I have lost 10lbs… I need you to pray for #lovebeyondwalls, and the second awareness campaign that I will release next week. 35 more days to go!
Terence
We are approaching February, and have two service opportunities coming up before #lovebeyondwalls’ second awareness campaign. If you’d like to volunteer with us, details are on the flyer below:
Terence
Below are the top five things I’m learning about focus and distractions! Why am I sharing this? Because it takes laser focus to complete this task of losing weight and #lovebeyondwalls’ next awareness campaign!
Here goes:
1) You can’t focus if you don’t have a plan — If you are building something great, losing weight, or seeking to reach a goal… you MUST have a plan. Without a plan, you’ll allow life to take you in any direction. When this happens, it is easy to give up completely.
2) Focus can be easily broken if you have options — A mentor of mine once shared, “you can’t give half of yourself to something you want full results from…” In other words, it is important for a person to go ALL in, and cut off ALL options to escape the plan.
3) Focus needs accountability — You can’t achieve anything great alone! Therefore, accountability and support as your strive toward reaching your goal is important. Your accountability system will keep you on track, and challenge you to stay committed to your own commitments.
4) Focusing on the big picture helps one to ignore the small distractions — The big picture will always remind you of why you started in the first place… It is easy to become distracted by the smaller “picture type” experiences that are negative and draining. Focus requires seeing that every experience contributes to the bigger picture!
5) Focus takes sacrifice of immediate gratification and may be uncomfortable — Focus means that you forfeit some things that you enjoy to reach your ultimate goal. Focus is a sacrifice! However, this type of sacrifice will push you outside your comfort zone, and strengthen you as you let go of things temporarily.
All of these points above mean so much to me as I prepare myself for this life daring challenge!
Terence
