All names but mine have been changed in these following stories of my new life.

After an adventurous night, I joined my brother Samson for morning Bible study at our new church Grace And Glory Fellowship.

Samson and I had coffee, morning prayer, and a little Bible study at Burger King then headed over to church.

Sammy cooks; that is his main job at Grace and Glory. Sometimes I his sis help him in the kitchen. Today I helped serve the main lunch.

But Bible study.

I am finding, walk the path, walk the path. This morning it was following Sammy, who is shorter than me and has an actual staff, down the old paths in Florida.

Today I walked across actual cobblestone skirting the cemetery in the middle of downtown. Florida is ODD. Moldy, damp, full of history.

Through the green, the green! Tucson a desert parched for water. Here it is buy an umbrella and a poncho; they are NEEDED. I bought an umbrella and it’s clear I should have picked up a poncho too when I got THAT.

Before Bible study, after coffee and fellowship, Sammy and his staff led me to hopefully my new home for awhile here. I have to get a bed. I am gonna bunk it with Sammy until we can both do better; PLANS. He doesn’t have terribly good accommodations so I am seeking better.

This morning I fill out paperwork reminding me the South is all about RACE. There is a question asking RACE and another ETHNICITY. Wow, I have never had to think beyond “white” so when they ask “ethnicity” I put “Celtic.”

Oh boy. I don’t think Florida is prepared for me. At all. Florida is finding this out too.

Except I am brown skinned so obviously THERE ARE SOME SHENANIGANS IN THE FAMILY TREE.

Bible Study Is Epic

The text is John 17. Pastor Hill, a younger earnest man who nonetheless has a full head of gray hair, dives in with Sammy, myself, a bunch of semi awake street people, and an enthusiastic visiting pastor, Pastor Welton. Pastor Welton is enthusiastically telling people, you either have LIFE in Jesus or you DON’T.

That’s right!

The conversation sort of devolves after awhile into a crossfire between Pastor Hill, Pastor Welton, Sammy, myself, and other people dozing or semi-following. We are excitedly tracking down the secrets of life! To wit:

1. Jesus Christ manifested/transmitted the Father to His disciples (miracles, His ministry, etc.).

2. He transmitted the Father via the words His Father gave Him (the Word).

3. The disciples KNEW God as a result! 

4. This KNOWING is an INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP, like husband and wife!

5. The whole point is union with God and each other!

I talked a lot about Tucson, my life. The pastors pegged my struggle.

I had gone through so much, that despite being scary angel warrior for the Lord, I didn’t feel loved by Him.

Pastor Welton, who is a gem of a man, summed it all up in the art for this post. I am hanging onto this. THE POINT OF LIFE!!

Serving Lunch To The Homeless

Of COURSE I am in another homeless ministry and OF COURSE I am working there although I flew into town a few days ago.

Today I got to man the food distribution table. The person helping me wasn’t terribly committed; ended up wandering off doing someone’s hair. I ended up managing everyone myself.

Yay for waitressing skills!

I guarded the sugar; those people are addicts man!! I could tell who genuinely wanted extra and who was scamming me. They sized me up quickly: SHE DOES NOT GIVE EXTRA SUGARS.

Between wangling people, food, the volunteer who wandered off and did hair, I was pretty tired by praise and worship.

The music quieted; I was just chilling really. Wondering what life had in store next.

And then an emotional prayer. An older couple who had wandered in. The gentleman’s voice breaking. How Grace and Glory had provided food fellowship “and if that isn’t God’s love WHAT IS???”

I caught my breath. All this is REACHING PEOPLE.

And then a goofy guy who goes on, tells everybody earnestly about the love of God and just trust Him, it will be OK. God loves you and so do I, he basically said.

My peeps.

My new sis hadn’t heard from her all day. Finally got a breathless long voicemail so full of encouragement I saved it.

I gotta go; Sammy is waiting back at Grace and Glory.

My days of living life alone; being omnicompetent as I had to do everything all by myself, are OVER.