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
Today is day 11 of my training and healthy eating! Today kicked my butt, but I am determined to lose these 30+ pounds to raise awareness about homelessness. When days get rough like this, I have to force myself to think about the big picture! #lovebeyondwalls cannot wait to release the second campaign! As a matter of fact, this quote came to me while working out,
“Whenever you feel yourself becoming distracted, remind yourself of why your started out in the first place. Never allow second and third things replace the main things!”
Terence
Have you ever gone 3 full days or even a week without a shower or bath?
What about this… Have you ever stood in a line of 100+ to take a shower, and got discouraged by the time it got down to only 20 in front of you (because it took hours for you to go)?
Well, many of our homeless brothers and sisters experience this week in and week out. In fact, when I lived on the streets for three days, I found out that personal hygiene was hard to maintain if you are a homeless person (especially if you live on the streets). Why? Because there isn’t easy access to everyday products like toothpaste, soap, rags, lotion, q-tips, etc… (products that are some times at arms length for us)
I remember day 2 when I went homeless… I decided that I wanted to take a shower… I wasn’t able to because a gentlemen fell out in the shower, hurt himself (causing blood to be on the floors), and they shut the shower down for a few hours (by that time, I was discouraged). It took hours for the shelter to clean it up and by that time, I was on day two without a shower… It was hard because I wanted to shower or at least keep clean, but wasn’t able to.
Point blank, it is hard. It is hard to maintain cleanliness when there are only “few” showers around the city for thousands of homeless people. Therefore, if you wanted to know why #lovebeyondwalls is collecting hygiene products, this is why… With walking in the shoes, and hearing the heart of many of my homeless friends… We have decided to provide hygiene “LOVEKITS”
In the month of February, #lovebeyondwalls is collecting “LOVEKITS” filled with hygiene items that will aid our homeless friends with items to survive on the streets. To participate, contact us [HERE], or simply drop-off items at one of our three locations on the flyer below.
Terence
Below is a piece of the LBW’s story and how it started.
-LBW Team
[embedplusvideo height=”600″ width=”600″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/1meCGa7″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/8Dfs-ea6Vvs?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=8Dfs-ea6Vvs&width=600&height=600&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=” id=”ep9744″ /]Today we celebrate what God has done and will continue to do! We have a different scorecard… We don’t count how many people sit in seats, or dollars & budgets… We measure the feet we mobilize on the ground loving people with the love of God. Below is our one month update for #lovebeyondwalls
Terence
Yesterday was was both hard and emotional… Not only did it rain and pour down, but our team encountered many homeless people who literally were standing out in the rain without shelter (getting soaked)… Their clothes were wet, and we even encountered some who did not have on shoes (just socks and flip-flops). It was hard seeing God’s people without safety, refuge, or hope.
That’s why when we go out, we try to listen to stories, get to know people, and restore dignity back to what some would classify as “invisble people.” Although hard, it gives me hope knowing that God can use #lovebeyondwalls to pray for people, and love on them right where they are…
Also, my wife and one of our teammates went into a shelter yesterday and saw over 60 kids, and many mothers who were with very few resources… My wife said,
“When we walked in… it was like nothing I had even seen before… kids sitting there under-dressed, and mothers hoping that someone would bring their children some food and clothing…It broke my heart…We have got to keep raising awareness”
This alone is enough for me to remain FOCUSED and continue this journey toward our second campaign to raise awareness (I can’t wait to share what it is…)
Thinking about yesterday… I guess I’m filled with compassion right now… I want the world to know that there are many redeemable stories and people… I want the world to hear those who go unheard… I want God’s people to have a sense of dignity restored back to them!
Not only has reflecting on stories above ignited something in me, my homeless friend Tony ignited something in me when I was able to pay him back 100 pairs of socks for him giving me his last pair of socks the first night I went homeless. Below is a picture of my friend and I…
I ask that you pray for #lovebeyondwalls, for me as I continue to prepare myself for this next awareness campaign, and for people to join in our on next campaign to raise awareness.
Terence
This morning, I have to be honest… I asked myself & God, “Can I really do this?” “Can I really get prepared in 50 days?”
I tried making excuses… “Maybe I can do something else…Or, maybe I can find somebody else to do this with me… Or, better yet… Maybe I can say it is too hard…”
Then I shook myself out of it, and gave myself what “kid president” calls, “A Pep Talk…people”
NO EXCUSES…
Why did I ask these questions and make these excuses though? Because I looked at my weight on the scale yesterday, and surprisingly the scale revealed a shocking number that not only pained me, but revealed how unhealthy I have lived (in my eating habits) over the last few years. Are you ready? I weigh 260lbs (I need to lose 25-30lbs)… This is the most I have ever weighed in my life. Of course, I am big guy, but I am not comfortable with that.
As a matter of fact, my “weight” number shocked me so much I dropped down on the floor and asked God to help me get my life healthier so I can be transformed personally, and physically prepare to raise awareness for my homeless friends. Isn’t it amazing that before we can fully help others we must be willing to transform ourselves?
I know we all make health commitments throughout the year, and soon break them with inconsistency. But, when I saw this something happened in me… I was reminded of how important my health is, and how important it is to remain healthy if you are homeless (living on the streets)…
When I was homeless for 72 hours, I encountered many people who had medical conditions that were life-threatening. In fact, many people revealed how those conditions increased when they started living on the streets with no resources.
I clenched my fist, looked at the scale and said… “I’ve got to change… I’ve got to beat this so I can raise more awareness for my friends…Lord, I can do all things through you… NO EXCUSES…”
Ever feel like you need supernatural strength to make it? Well, over the next 49 days that’s what I am going to rely on (God’s strength).
Yesterday was rough, but I found support…I reached out to an old friend that does personal training… His name is Lucien. We attended the same High School (Westlake), and it “just so happened” that he lives in the neighborhood across the street and runs “bootcamps” at parks. Without thinking, he told me he’d help me train to get the weight off for this big challenge that I am about to embark on in 49 days. I agreed and began exercising yesterday along with changing my eating habits (water only, and clean foods).
THIS IS HARD PEOPLE… I had two meetings in Chick-Fil-A yesterday. LOL.
Can you do something to help? Yes! I need you to pray, hold me accountable via social media, and push me until I am ready to reveal #lovebeyondwalls‘ next challenge to raise awareness about one of many social ills we care so much about.
Terence
Below is a snippet from the interview at Relevant Church… Pastor Carl asked me to give closing remarks about this tweet:
Below is the snippet…
Terence
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