Amplifying the noise

I have had the great pleasure to interview some of the clients who receive food from the High Plains Food Bank.  It was an idea I had.  I see the disconnect all the time when I am speaking to people about what I do.  They just cannot fathom people in America being hungry.  The problem was, there was no face on hunger.  So I started tell everyone that I wanted to talk to our clients and let them be the face of hunger.  If you can see it, sometimes it makes it easier for you to understand.

I got a call from one our agencies, Loaves and Fishes in McLean Texas.  It's about 70 west of Amarillo on I-40.  I met Vonnie, the Executive Director, who's one of the most amazing people I have ever met.  Then she introduced me to Penny, her client.  Penny's smile lit up the room, and I instantly connected with her.  She's amazing.  We sat down and she started to tell me her story.  I fought back tears the entire time.  She's been through more than any person should ever have to go through, and what her hard times have done to her was make her closer to God.

Needless to say, I didn't know what was going to happen when I put the video together. Penny, is great, but I just wanted to tell her story.  I wish I could say I knew I was making something that was going to change someone's life, but I didn't see it, all I could see was telling a story, Penny's.

I uploaded the video and the people of McLean started to see it.  I got a call from Vonnie today, Penny's story has inspired local pastors to show the video of Penny to their congregations and have Penny talk about her life. One of the people I work with said, "You have not only given hunger a face and name, but also a voice."

Who can you give a voice to?  Penny had been screaming, and not one heard.  All she needed was a microphone.  I have thought about that, when I started this project, I never thought that was the goal.  It has made me look around to find other's that need someone to amplify their noise.  I think you should too.


Here's the video about Penny.

-Broc

I said what?

So I was teaching a lesson to the 5th and 6th graders I work with at my church.  This group is a group of preteen leaders.  They are the most amazing kids you'll ever meet and I feel very fortunate to get to be a part of this team.  


Yesterday, I was teaching them a lesson about Baptism and the importance of having their quiet times.  I had everything prepared, and I started in my lesson, when all the sudden I had a thought.  Now, I said I had a thought, it really wasn't me, it was really God.  I was talking about how The Word is a lamp to your feet and how it also shapes you.  Needless to say, they weren't getting it.  Crickets......... 


Quickly, I thought, and thought and thought (it seemed like an eternity, which was about 10 seconds in the real world).  Ah ha... "So let's say you have the thought that your parents are crazy."  They perked up, I mean at that age, you do think your parents are crazy.  It is a real emotion you have, but one you never thought anyone else had.  I loved watching them feel like it was okay to think that. Then I said, "But then you read in The Bible, Honor you father and mother is the only commandment with a promise.  Do you know what that promise is?"  Collectively, they all said no... very enthusiastically.  I went to the 10 commandments, and read it: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you."


They were less than stunned.  They didn't get it.  I said, "So, if you want to live a long life, honor your parents."  Then, in that very moment, the lights came on.  I felt compelled to say, "The Word just shaped your belief."


Then, as only the innocence of a child can bring, one of the boys from the group asked a question: "Mr. Broc, what if your parents tell you to clean your room, and you do it, but you still think their crazy?"  ( l loved this, because it proves my theory, kids want to know their boundaries)  "Well, you're being fake.  And the Word is clear, that God doesn't just see the outward, but he sees the the intentions and inner thoughts." He smiled, "Oh, okay, I just wanted to make sure."  More shaping.  


It then shaped me.  

Reading through Journals...

I went through my old journal the other day. July 13, 2010, the most exciting time in my life, ( I had just gotten married 10 days before) I found myself missing something. My wife was and is perfect, so that wasn't the issue. In fact, I had been experiencing quite a mixed bag of emotions that past year. One year before, to the day, I had been laid off. Getting laid off is not pleasant by anyone's standard, but getting laid off from the place you call your church home is even worse.

I had no grid for this. I had never been let go from a job. I had never even had a bad review from a job. It was devastating. BUT! As only God can, he positioned a very amazing girl with a very amazing family in my life. Needless to say, I learned who my friends were, and more importantly who wasn't. I, luckily, had positioned myself into a great group of volunteers in the church, so I had great support from them! I worked with great people, but they never called to see how I was doing, and neither did anyone from the church. Mostly I feel like no one knew what to say, so no one said anything. (sidenote: if you know someone who is laid off, call them.... a lot.)

So, let me paint a sort of picture for you, because I was in quite a myriad of emotions. First, I had been laid off. Second, I was in love with a girl who I knew was going to be my wife. It truly was the BEST and WORST of times rolled into a soft corn taco that I had to get up July 14, 2009 and eat.

The manna season.

I found a job... in retail. I worked and ate it's manna. I got engaged. Mixture. I felt like I was wondering in Egypt, and right in the middle of blessings all at the same time. I began to love my job in retail. I remember telling God that I didn't want to do this forever, BUT if this is what He wanted then I was okay with it. (although I am not sure I would have made it forever). The best part, I was around unsaved people again. I loved that a lot. If you ever get around too many saved people it will make you go crazy. The unsaved are so precious and so loving, and so amazing and as you can imagine, working in a church doesn't put you into contact with them very much.

I learned a lot about myself. I also learned a lot about God, and just how much His love makes you open. I got mad at the church (the one I got let go from not the body). I was determined not to become hardhearted..... so I quickly forgave them. I understood this was a business decision, they couldn't pay their bills so of course they had to cut overhead. I moved on. Although I stayed at the church (even today) I separated myself from some people. It's amazing what freedom comes from not having to play politics, and power games. (sidenote: I know that sounds bitter, but the truth is, I have never talked with anyone who has worked in a church and that stuff didn't exist or anyone who worked in an organization for that matter).

I interviewed for job after job and thought surely this is the one. But sadly I didn't get them. I would walk into every interview and know this was the perfect job for me; only to find out through a letter that I hadn't been chosen. I got married, July 3 2010, and what a lovely day that was. It was the cornerstone of a season of change. Marriage did me good. I had a built in cheerleader.

So back to that journal entry on July 13 2010: "today I heard the Lord tell me He's preparing a place for me in a job. He's putting the things together . He gave me the impression that it was going to be the perfect place for me. That I would get a lot of satisfaction from it, and such. I like that confidence, so for now, I will continue to eat the manna. I choose to be grateful today. The Lord has provided greatly and I am thankful. I am happy where I am at today."

Wow, looking back, what a great testimony the Lord brought forward. The next month I landed the perfect job for me. One that fulfills me. One that let's me do the work of the church, but in the world. One that lets me use my gifts. I never thought that getting laid off would be a considered a blessing but God has a way of turning everything around for good. I choose to remember that today.

Think globally, shop locally, and pull up a chair, this might take a minute.

I stirred up quite a crazy debate today. I said one thing about local businesses, and I was quickly flooded with opinions from both sides of debates. I think this is something that needs to be discussed. I love local businesses, in fact, I come from a long line of personal business owners. In my short life have worked with many local businesses and enjoyed them.

All that being said, I have noticed a trend in Amarillo and I don't think that it's a very good marketing trend. I have affectionately called it "banking on local." This trend consists of local companies only differentiating themselves from the chains only by being local. I'm not impressed. People of Amarillo are a lot more creative than that, and if they aren't, there's another empty storefront.

Local companies must think globally, and be ingenious. Creative niches are how to get the job done. I have friends that own The Ground Cafe in Amarillo. This little coffee shop on the ground floor of the Chase Tower in downtown Amarillo has created such a buzz you'd think they were the original coffee shop in Amarillo. There are other local coffee shops, and yes there is Starbucks. They compete and very successfully I might add, because they know who they are, and they put themselves in the right place. They sell good coffee and they sell it at a smart price. I talked to them about this how microcosm of local versus out-of-towners, and this is what they said, "We wouldn't be here is Starbucks wasn't in town." They carved their place because a national chain brought relevance to their shop. They built The Ground Cafe about 8-9 years after Starbucks had been in town. There attitude to their customers is, "We don't want our customers to feel bad if they go to Starbucks, WE go to Starbucks." They don't see the national chain as competition, but a vehicle where by they can be seen and heard because they created a place in Amarillo. They are local, and they are good, and they compete because they are good at what they do (and they are the nicest people I know).

So, Amarillo business owners, I get it, you're local. I hear a loud and clear.... BUT, if you think that's enough, I think you're sadly mistaken.

Uncushy

That title might throw you back a bit, or even make you sweat, or better yet maybe it even peaks your curiosity. I must admit, it's not my original idea. What does uncushy mean to you? Well first read this blog: Uncushy. It's the belief that we must reach what the Bible calls "the highways and the byways," to work together for a common purpose, and be all the God created us to be. Comfort zone is often where we Christians live. Uncushy is getting out of the comfort zone and getting into life. Sure, we get gussied up for church on Sunday, and we shake the right hands, but what does the rest of the week look like? We simply don't have enough time, and we'd, "like to get to that."

Cushy always make me think of a nicely stuffed chair and ottoman for me to rest. The perfect place for me to make my way through the mundane world. "It's a blood bath out there," we say as we watch the news at 10. We think, "what an awful place to call home," when we see homeless men in the downtown ghettos of our communities. We think, "maybe we should help those unruly kids with pink hair." We make our judgements while look down from our city on a hill. We sit back in our cushy chair and think of all the reasons we shouldn't do something, not even letting that still small voice inside guide us to a place where we can really be used. We've gotten our hands dirty until the camera lens pans the other direction.

I have heard more than one person say, if you are in the very center of God's will, it's not a safe place. That statement stuck to me like a tick sucking the life out of me, while I told myself that God's will is a safe place. It just isn't, it's not safe. There are million of variables and trillions of could've, should've, would'ves. The truth is, if you look in the Bible, everyone was in the middle of strife while on the middle of God's will. All the disciples died really horrible deaths while dong what they were created to do. I'm not saying that everyone must die for their faith in order to be called uncushy. If it's truly not safe then I'm sure it's called uncushy. I think of my sister's in-laws. They are missionaries in Nicaragua. They are right where they need to be, and yet they are so near danger.

I like the way uncushy has felt on me. Yeah I'm not perfect, and that's okay. That feels good to say that. It feels good to know that while saying that, I have a friends that love me despite me. My intentions are ever to move to a place where truth and love intersect. That intersection is the place I want to dig a well and drink the water. The kool-aid is getting old and stale, and it's not even about me.

vaya con Dios -- really

-b

Nicaragua Changed my life!

I have got to get this out of my system!

I went to Nicaragua. I had a blast; it was so surreal. Let me tell you a few things about that country. First and foremost the government is run by a socialist named Daniel Ortega (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega). He has his face plastered everywhere. He's on billboards, painted on walls, on the news, and everywhere you could think of. Yes, it seems as if he is trying to convince someone he is awesome.

He is a member of the sandinista party. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandinista) Through public speeches and from several public policies it's easy to see that Ortega hates America. He has even made negative comments about to seemingly "untouchable" Barack Obama. the FSLN, as the party is reffered to is corrupt. Ortega claims to be changed and to be a man of God. Funny, he says he is helping the homeless, and the truth is, he built apartments for the homeless and let his cronies move into them. He is not helping the enormous orphan problem. In fact, all he is doing is pushing his liberal agend

a to the masses. He is corrupt and MUST be stopped!

The second issue is the majority of the citizens of the country live in dire poverty. If it weren't for the mass Christian missionaries feeding, clothing, and care for the medical needs of the people there would be massive deaths. While is was there, we went to the dump ground. There is a whole system of living that goes on inside the dump ground. Kids, cattle, men, women, dogs, and vultures are all digging through the same trash piles. The humans are looking for food to eat and plastic and metal to turn in for money. Parents make their kids beg, and dig through the trash all day. Many of the parents don't work but rather stay at home all day and consume drugs. It's a sad to see little boys and girl

s without clothes, or shoes digging through the trash. Many of the children are forced into prostitution by their parents to ensure they get first pick through the trash that each truck brings into the ground. That means little 5-12 year old girls are prostituting to the men who drive the trash trucks. It's simply impossible for my mind to wrap around that, until I saw it. Can you imagine being so desperate that you gave yourself up for trash? It's a travesty!

Thirdly, the country is a BEAUTIFUL! It's surrou

nding is lush vegetation and think rain-forests. They have many exotic fruits and of course I LOVE the coffee! So, if you see something is made in Nicaragua....BUY! If you like coffee buy the Cafe Don Paco, you are helping!

If you are interested let me know and I will let you know where you can get it!

BUT mostly the country needs your prayers, so please do!

Juarez....

I have to admit, part of my heart was left in Mexico.  I just couldn't help but fall in love with a people so hungry for what God was doing.  They weren't just hungry for God, but many of them where hungry in their stomachs for something, anything.  They live on, tortillas, beans, and rice.... they scrape the bottom of the barrel for one last morsel.  It's safe, unless you drink the water.  There are no thugs ripping purses off of old ladies.  There are no gangs of men holding up missionaries.  It's safe, and those people need us.  They need our help.  The world has forgotten them, and left them to die.  They suffer from a lack of hope.  We can provide it.  Think about all the waste we produce, and the consumerism that has taken a hold of us, think about knowing where your next meal is coming from, and then think about how a few moments of help can change the plan of a community.  Help Amarillo, Help Juarez.... JUST HELP!