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| Howdy all,
I hope this finds you well and enjoying the last days of summer (or if in AZ, BARING the last days of summer!). I’ve had the privilege to make several trips back east in my enduring effort to become the male version of “27 Dresses”! It’s been nice to connect with friends and family… and of course… escape the heat.
I wanted to share with you an opportunity that I have through my involvement with the BRANDED movement.
As part of my job, I am responsible for organizing various events to raise awareness and resources for our programs. In an effort to “practice what I preach” (support raising is something I have advised on for multiple interns), on September 21, I will be golfing in the Golf Marathon to benefit BRANDED (www.brandedphx.com) and our partner organization StreetLight (www.streetlightphx.com) that is working to build a holistic safe-house for victims of child sex slavery in the Southwest. I’ve shared with many of you about this cause, and would like to ask you to consider sponsoring me in this event. I have a goal of raising $2,500 through donations, and per-hole pledges (we are trying to golf 100 holes in one day!). If you are interested or would like to know more about what we are actually doing, please let me know by phone or email, otherwise information and giving instructions can be found here → http://www.brandedphx.com/take-action/golf-marathon/ Regardless of financial support, I ask that you please pray for this event and the cause of eradicating child rape for profit. What is happening in PHX is quickly being noticed around the US as a model for dealing with this injustice. Therefore the impact of our efforts are not confined to the Valley, but are being exported to other cities.
I do not take lightly this act of soliciting your sponsorship. Working for a non-profit, we share the challenges resulting from a struggling economy. As a point of integrity, we are devoted to maximizing the use of each dollar donated. The money raised during this event will fund the awareness, prevention and after-care programs that are essential for saving victims of domestic child sex slavery and combating this injustice.
Thank you all for various and multiple ways you have impacted my life. To risk cliché, I would have never guessed that the trajectory of my life would lead me to where I am today. The Lord is faithful to those who believe. That doesn’t mean it’s easy… or fun… or comfortable… but His plan is good and right.
Blessings to you all… and as always…
Keep going…
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| With ‘misters’ spraying, caffeine in hand, and a self-prescribed break from daily work, I bring to you a long over-due update. Thankfully I’ve had the blessing of connecting with many friends and family between my last update in December and now. My email-update blackout has not been for a lack of interest in YOU, nor a dearth of interesting and exciting events that occur in the Valley of the Sun and beyond. Once life reached some semblance of stability, I decided to cut back on the updates. At the same time my propensity to update does not come out of a pompous sense of purpose, or that my life is any more interesting or noteworthy than any other… but because as loved ones and supporters I own the responsibility of sharing my journey with those who have invested in my life.
That being said I’ll give you the bullet-points of the past several months:
* I met my to-be girlfriend last April when she was hired for the job I originally applied for! It obviously worked out well for both of us, and we began dating in October. Brittani has been incredibly influential in my life, bringing a refreshed understanding of Grace-in-action, and offering a profound wisdom that I desperately need. I’m so blessed to have her beautiful smile illuminate my world everyday! Sorry that I'm not sorry for the sap 
* Food for the Hungry has gone through an intense period of restructuring that has not been without challenge and pain. To skip the confusing details, I’ll just share the direct impacts on my job and Brittani’s
o As of the end of June, the Internship Program which Brittani and I coordinated was placed under a new program and leadership, effectively dismissing us from our responsibilities with internships. This was not a ‘demotion’, for actually the program was growing steadily in numbers and success. Instead the decision was made with “cost-effectiveness” as priority. This has been a very difficult transition, particularly for Brittani, as we both moved across the country to participate and invest in this program. Even more difficult has been the need to finish our current responsibilities with the Summer Term (18 interns sent around the world), and coming to the realization that we were GOOD at serving in this capacity.
o Now that the transition of the program is almost complete, our jobs have changed significantly. Once again, the decisions have had a more poingnant effect on Brittani than myself. Before, I was spending half my time coordinating Internships, and half coordinating the BRANDED movement. Brittani spent about 90% time with Internships, 10% with BRANDED.
o My “new” role has me fully focused on the BRANDED campaign to raise awareness on the issue of child sex slavery in Phoenix. This is actually a good opportunity as the movement continues to grow and require more attention. Brittani’s new role to is TBD…as many of you can expect this is a very difficult place to be. Her faith is strong, and she finds comfort that God, and not FH, has control of her life.
* Despite the confusion and struggles of FH organizational structure and identity, BRANDED (www.brandedphx.com) continues to grow at an alarming rate. Now ,a year after the release of the documentary that portrays the issue of child prostitution as it looks in Phoenix, the movement is soaring to regional and national notoriety. With the growth of the movement comes an increased number of opportunities, as well as responsibilities for those involved.
The role and responsibility of coordinating the BRANDED movement has challenged me in ways I was not prepared for. The emotional and spiritual strain of hearing and sharing… story after story… about young girls being raped for profit, is draining to say the least. Though the joy of justice and redemption is worth the fight, the fight itself runs deep and pain-full. I ask for continued prayer as we advocate on behalf of victims, and seek justice for those who perpetrate unthinkable acts… while also maintaining emotional health in the process. I am incredibly blessed to be a part of this ministry, and to have a job that so closely correlates with God’s heart for justice.
Thank you all for various and multiple ways you have impacted my life. To risk cliché, I would have never guessed that the trajectory of my life would lead me to where I am today. The Lord is faithful to those who believe. That doesn’t mean it’s easy… or fun… or comfortable… but His plan is good and right.
Blessings to you all… and as always…
Keep going…
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| On Friday morning, two weeks ago, I sat in a courtroom in downtown Phoenix, chatting with an expecting 16 year old, VICE officers, a county attorney and my coworkers, while starring at a man being prosecuted for the sexual exploitation of the expecting girl. Nearly a year ago, the VICE officers found the girl bruised and bloody after the man had beaten her with a baseball bat because she hadn’t done everything he wanted. The man had pimped the girl out for two years…since she was 13 years old. He continues to play games with the court, asking for new representation at every hearing, claiming he was not fully informed about the charges against him…but in time, justice will prevail, and a new sense of order will exist.
Four weeks ago, soon after my City Initiatives team and I had returned from Atlanta, we received a phone call from our friends in Georgia telling us of a case they needed help with. A 14 year old girl in Phoenix, who had fallen into a life of prostitution and exploitation, wanted out but was being pressured, harassed and stalked by her pimp. Her older sister had been brutally assaulted at school, and the pimp was driving by the girl’s family’s house several times a day. Desperate to get the girl to a safe place, the mother searched on the internet for places her daughter could go to and be loved. She found our friends in Atlanta who operate a Christian, holistic rehabilitation center for underage girls and contacted them for help. Our friends immediately called us, and within two hours the VICE squad, county attorney, and city councilwoman were at the family’s house, ready to safely transport the girl to Atlanta. Though the trouble will endure in the lives of the girl and her family…a new life of hope and restoration surrounds them. A page turned. All things new.
I was able to speak at a missions conference the other week and told a group of people this last story. A historically iffy subject, one vulnerable to judgment and disgrace was revealed new…an evil for what it is, and not in the deception its often clothed in…a crime bereft of victims, instead of teeming with them. A new perspective that offers renewal to an issue desperate for it.
At a screening of BRANDED two weeks ago we were fortunate to have in attendance one of the woman on the film that passionately talks about her own life as a child prostitute…and the need to know there is something else for her in life. She received a standing ovation from the 150 present. A testament to the saving grace and love that abounds when people hope in the notion that…God makes all things new.
A year ago I was student teaching in Kentwood, MI. Unsure of what was ahead. Where I was going. What I would do. Today, I am full of joy in knowing that God creates all things new…in time, more or less, and according to His GOOD and PERFECT purposes.
I sit on an airplane, returning from a voyage to the Northeast. A beautiful time of productivity, relaxation, learning, exploring…and being renewed through meaningful relationships. The trip began in New York City where I, and the rest of my amazing City Initiatives team, participated in various meetings and events over the course of four days. A screening of BRANDED around the corner from Time Square, a meeting with a head administrator from Kings College in the Empire State Building, informational meetings with students at NYU, and valuable team-building time are but a few of the highlights of our time in the “Big Apple”.
I then was also fortunate to travel and meet my good friend Scott in Boston for a few days. Clothed in the waning days of fall, and blessed by the constant presence of the sun, Boston afforded us an amazing opportunity to explore the city, while we explored our own hearts and passions. The visiting of historical landmarks and basking in the glory that is a New England autumn, was but a miniscule part of the enjoyment, as we had the chance to catch up on months of separation. The additional time spent with other dear friends in the city was the icing on the cake, completing an experience that was exhilarating, yet also rejuvenating…relationships rendered anew…refreshed…new wine-skins for this season in our lives that bares new wine.
I am doing well, rejoicing in the completion of an AZ summer. Speaking of “all things new”…November in AZ is like May in MI…everyone is found outside, and if you aren’t…then you wish you were!
I continue to chew on the notion that “Jesus was always busy…but never in a hurry”. I understand this to be a lifelong endeavor, but it is particularly of my attention over the past months.
I’m sorry I haven’t provided an update in some time. And I’m sorry this one is fairly haphazard and random. It is not a reflection of my appreciation for all my friends and loved ones who continue to support me through prayer, thoughts and notes. Thank you.
I love you all…
…and keep going…
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| Greetings from perpetually sunny Phoenix. Let us rejoice that the heat of summer is letting up, temperatures are FALLing, and the outdoors beckons us out our doors. This is cause for much celebration, for my roommate and I victoriously immersed out of our ACucomb and enjoyed the first post-summer sunset hike. Beautiful. Unfortunately the long months avoiding heat has left us quite out of shape. Oh well!
Before I go into my trip details and stories I want to thank everyone for your prayers and support. I’ve jumped right back into the mix, having intern orientation, key meetings with professors and administrators from ASU, and email catch up over the past week. On Wednesday I’ll travel to Atlanta, GA with some of my City Initiatives Team to consult with area churches, community leaders and law enforcement regarding the issue of Human Trafficking and the Sexual Exploitation of Children. One of the things I continue to struggle with is the concept that Jesus was always busy, yet never in a hurry. How do you reconcile that? Balance that? I understand that rest is a key, biblical component to it all… yet its always the hardest to come by when attempting productivity. Jesus made it look way too easy! Just kidding, but it definitely has been a challenge for me over the past eight months, and I don’t know if I’ve made any ground on figuring out the magic equation as it exists for my life. Keep going…
Ok, now for the trip recap. It has been 15 months since I last used my passport, so the act of wiping the dust off the tattered document was as anticipated and exciting as picking up the baseball glove on the first spring day. Many people first began reading my updates due to some trip abroad I had taken… South Africa, London, or Indonesia… so thank you to those you have stuck with reading my domestic ramblings in the meantime. I appreciate the continued ways you speak into my life and learnings, despite a lack of exotic contexts and stories from foreign places.
Our trip began with a major delay. The night before Ben Homan (president/CEO of FHUS) and I departed Phoenix, one of the largest monsoons of the year came crashing through the valley, with high winds and major rain. What this did to the air traffic was quite substantial: all incoming flights were diverted to Las Vegas, and all grounded aircraft were subject to thorough inspection due to the debris. What transpired was a 4 hour delay in PHX and us missing our connection in San Francisco by ten minutes! Thankfully this was a blessing in disguise, as our 24 hour delay in SanFran afforded myself, Ben, and travel partner Jon Shirley (lead/worship pastor of Heartlands Church in Kansas City) ample time to relax, hang out, and build relationship. It was a fantastic way to begin the trip. Ate appetizers at the top of the downtown Hyatt, and chowder on Pier 39 with the seals.
The next day we headed to Seoul, South Korea and then on to Butan which is in the southern part of the country. Our purpose for being there was to attend an annual conference of Korean Food for the Hungry International. Ben gave some congratulatory remarks, and Jon played a mini-concert for the nearly 1000 volunteers in attendance. One of the days, we were given a tour of the community where KFHI was partnered. We stopped at both a hospital and a university where KFHI was mobilizing leaders to engage in various issues around the city. Also, Ben had a couple meetings with other leaders of KFHI and Japanese Food for the Hungry. It was great to see the cordiality and grace that Ben exhibited during these sometimes intense discussions.
The thing to do when you are in Korea, particularly those of the business world, is to meet, discuss, plan, etc. at the Jimjilbong. So what is a Jimjilbong you ask? I will explain. A Jimjilbong is a public bath house/sauna/spa that also serves as a community or common space. The facility is divided into gender realms, with a communal rest area for all. When you enter, you are given a fresh pair of PJ’s to be used when lounging or in the communal area. Otherwise, the rest of experience is enjoyed garment-less. The spa room consists of several pools, all of differing temperatures (very hot, hot, mild, cool, cold, some may have an ice pool). There are also a couple types of saunas with differing temperatures, moisture levels, and aromas. And it is here that you spend the next 2-4 hours… solving the worlds problems, telling stories, expressing concerns, supporting each other (ahem?)… all as we lay vulnerable in community! I actually found these experiences to be utterly relaxing and tranquil. A very nice change from the bustle and hustle of Korean culture. One quick story that should act as a “heads up” for those that might venture into this clad-less context: As we sat down in our first sauna (we being Ben, Jon, KFHI President Dr. Chung, and two other KFHI staff) be careful of the bare behind. Sitting down on the cooked wood did not sound all together different than bacon on a griddle… but this is hardly my warning. After we all sat down, nestled into our relaxed state on the wood bench, Dr. Chung rises and walks over to a large barrel full of what we found to be salt. He took two big handfuls and walks directly towards me with the biggest grin a Korean man can make and offers “let me help you!” I proceeded to be rubbed down, or should I say cured, with salt… all… over… Much to the enjoyment of my friend Jon who thought it hilarious! Such is the tale of my time in a Jimjilbong… now you know what you were praying for! Haha
The next stop on our trip was Siem Reap, Cambodia, though we had a three hour layover in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (former Saigon). Layovers don’t really mean much, but due to the significance of this particular city in modern American history, it was quite meaningful to me. I spent some time thinking about all that happened in this region only one generation ago. I thought about what life for the common, drafted, 23 year old would have looked like. A major storm passed through as we waited in the terminal, and I was immediately reminded of the various portrayals of this place in movies like Forrest Gump, Good Morning Vietnam, and others. It’s amazing how much life has changed over the last 40 years. I, an American, sit safely in Saigon (and later in the SAME trip, Hanoi) with all the comforts of home, such as TV, wireless, and coffee. I’m not doing that event justice, but my time spent in that airport was meaningful, I wish we could have done more…
We landed in Siem Reap, a northern city, and immediately jumped in a truck for a three-hour journey up to Anlong Veng province, along the Thailand border. For the most part, Northern Cambodia doesn’t look altogether different than Indonesia, except for the noticeable absence of Mosques. Everyone rides around on motor scooters, break out into contagious smiles when smiled at, and the landscape is very similar to the jungles I experienced in Aceh. We spent most of our time visiting field sites, existing and prospective, driving on “roads”, hearing the stories of the province. A major concern and active danger in the region are the widely dispersed mine-fields that cover much of the country. After decades of civil war (Pol Pot, the Thai, and other such characters involved), mines are everywhere to the point where walking off the beaten path is extremely dangerous. The village experiences at least one casualty to mines each week. Many of our beneficiaries have lost limbs, hearing, etc. from this reality. There are many ramifications for this predicament as well, including ease of transportation, infrastructure building and barriers to farming. That coupled with the constant border disputes just 15 miles up the road with Thai neighbors, makes Anlong Veng a district of perpetual fear and apprehension… but you wouldn’t know it from the people.
FH programs in the area are some of the best I’ve heard about. John Tuggy, Country Director, as set up both programs and the organizational structure to not only serve the tangible needs of the communities such as education, agriculture, and livelihoods, but also to undermine (no pun intended) cultural aspects that are unjust and damaging, such as corruption, hierarchy, authoritarianism, and more. I learned a lot from hearing about FH-Cambodia, not least of which is how comprehensive and well thought-out our development practices should be in order to meet the wholistic needs of the world.
The most penetrating and unforgettable event of the trip occurred on our way home. We were fortunate to drive past the ancient ruins of Ankor Wat, a 1500 year old complex of temples that has maintained through the centuries. But afterwards we visited a far less impressive place: a jail. Back in Anlong Veng, a pastor was asked by a community leader for his land. The pastor respectfully declined, and one day traveled to another community to preach and pray. When he returned to his home, he was arrested on charges of stealing. Six witnesses had been bought to testify against him. He has been in jail in Siem Reap ever since (6+ months). The judge can be purchased for an estimated $4000, evidence of SYSTEMATIC corruption. We anxiously arrived at the jail not knowing how this event would go. We left broken and infuriated. We spent about 15 minutes, talking and praying with the pastor as he sat in a dark, concrete room behind chicken wire. He wept, we wept, and I’m quite certain God wept. THIS is the face of injustice. But to make matters more heart-wrenching, we had brought his young wife and two year-old daughter. You see, if she were to try to make the journey down from Anlong Veng to Siem Reap and back again, she would be forced to pay a series of bribes, costing enough that she can only afford to come visit every two months. Our visit provided her a rare opportunity to see her husband. After we finished our prayers and votes for encouragement and perseverance with the pastor, we left him to have time with his young family. As we walked away from the cell, we could hear the eager screams of his daughter, trying with all her might and strength to shove a can of coke through the wire, to no avail. An innocent gift that she wanted to give her daddy… a desire to be in relationship with him… but confused that such a barrier would restrict such love… and getting no good reason for it…
I was infuriated. I wanted to approach each of the guards and personally wipe off their stupid grins that were resultant of the rare visitation of someone as white as I. It pissed me off… and still does. I’ve seen a lot of instances of poverty and injustice. I have many faces in mind that represent topics such as AIDS, disaster, victimization, exploitation, Tuberculosis, etc. Never have I felt such anger at both the situation and the perpetrators.
I think I’ll leave you with that story… devoid of my typical commentaries, I want you to make your own. I’m still trying to respond “decently” to this event. Specifically I have taken on Romans 12:9-13 as a lens to view it. I try… but I fail because I’m human. But I continue to try… try to respond in love and compassion ALWAYS, but also HATE what is evil. Please don’t read ahead to verses 14 and 15. I’m not there yet with my heart… baby steps…
Because it has taken me so long to write this journal (2 weeks or more), I already have so much to report on my trip to Atlanta. I guess I’ll be writing again soon. Hope you don’t get sick of my wordiness… and thank you for baring with me and continually participating in my life by doing so.
I love you.
Keep going…
Pictures from Korea/Cambodia:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059696&l=7398f&id=15301624
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| Summer wears on here in the sun-scorched lowlands they call Phoenix. Except now we get the exciting and intermittent event of a monsoon about once a week. Nice to have a wrench thrown into the daily forecast that is predictably “sunny with a high of 105”. It’s not as bad as I expected, which is a blessing in. But it is by no means preferable. We Phoenicians pine for October breezes that beckon us out of our AC blasted living spaces, and into a blooming garden regaining its composure after months of oppressive heat. A reciprocal circumstance from the seasonal trends I’ve become accustomed to in the Midwest.
And life keeps trucking on. I ended my 2.5 week house-sitting stint in the northern town of Cave Creek somewhat reluctantly. The little affluent oasis grew on me, it’s tranquility and beauty. It provided a wonderful pause and mute to each day, something that you don’t know is necessary or desired until experienced. A 40-minute commute now seems a small price to pay for the blessing the Homan Homestead affords their family. I now understand a little better.
On the topic of our President Homan, I received some exciting news last week! At the end of the month I will be Ben’s travel assistant on a trip to South Korea and Cambodia. I don’t have many details yet, but it sounds like I’ll spend about a week in Asia split between attending a conference in the mountains along the North and South Korea border, and visiting various field sites in Cambodia. Though it’ll be a quick and busy eight days, I’m grateful for the opportunity to go along for the ride, visit a new part of the world, and also get a better view into the activities and responsibilities of the President. I’d be extremely grateful for prayer as we travel over thousands of miles, maintain a fast pace of activity, and enter into new and difficult cultural contexts. This should be an adventure! I look forward to updating you all when I return!
Other news includes the release and progress of BRANDED – A documentary on Sex Trafficking in Phoenix. The DVD is now available at www.brandedphx.com. Two weeks ago, myself and other members of the FH-City Initiatives team traveled to L.A. and Orange County, CA to meet with various organizations and officials on the issue, as well as put on a seminar. The trip was very successful, lots was learned and communicated, relationships were built and strengthened, and team bonding was achieved.
Another event that has taken front stage over the past week for me was Summer Intern Debriefing. Brittani and I were able spend a good amount of time with the various interns, discussing what they learned and experienced over the past three months. These discussions were thoroughly enjoyable as we discussed how the various challenges and events brought about a new understanding of development, the world, and self. From all indications it was a valuable time for interns to rest their minds, take an objective look back at their experience, and critically analyze their internship. Many things came up that were encouraging, as each individual intern was stretched and challenged, and therefore struggled with various topics. Some revealed a new and confused sense of self, others struggled with the point and purpose of development in general, and even some questioned their convictions of Faith in Christianity itself. Though it seems like this would be quite the adverse effect we would desire an intern to have, actually the very opposite is true. I feel it a success that our interns our being challenged so much. Just as I asked God to take my world apart when I went to Indonesia 14 months ago, so the trend continues… thankfully and hopefully with similar results of strengthened conviction, a matured and tested worldview, and a deeper concern for God’s broad and beautiful creation. It is good to struggle… and to overcome… Which leads me to the topic that has dominated my thoughts and emotions recently: The immanency and influence of Conflict.
Much of what I confront on a daily basis is set in a context of conflict. It is literally the name of the game when it comes to fulfilling a vision that asks us to respond “until all physical and spiritual hungers ended worldwide.” Engaging in issues of poverty and injustice is to wade head deep into a world that is not meant to make sense… it is to interact with a world most plagued by the fall of man… a place where our human reason will grant little comfort. This isn’t really a shocker to me; I’ve been in enough developing-world situations to know full well that this is the genetic make up of the business. What I didn’t expect to realize is how much my life outside of work is riddled with conflict. That it literally surfaces in all relationships I possess. Whether it be with a co-worker that I disagree with, a driver sharing the highway, a roommate, a politician, a family member… just as conflict renders unavoidable in my occupation, so does it also in every other facet of my life. Call me ignorant but I’ve never identified this before. What it seems to come down to for me is this: Relationships are everything. And due to a little earthly problem we have called sin, our relationships are broken. Easy enough.
On a positive note, however, I feel this a hopeful opportunity. A chance to reveal a sort of redemption that God himself would endorse. I can already see the rolling of eyes that this remark generates from those that regard me the “eternal optimist”, but hear me out!
As I tried to talk through the need to acknowledge, engage, and resolve various issues of conflict with people in my life… I’ve come up with an analogy that helps me. In light of the Olympics, filled with its superhuman contests and contortions of body and mind this might have extra application! (PS – Those that are frequent gym goers, have you noticed the two-fold increase in attendance?! Can’t say I’m too thrilled with the Phelps wannabees, particularly those that emulate his competitive garb! Is that really necessary?!)
Let us regard a relationship as a muscle. If we truly desire growth and strengthening of that muscle, some specific processes need to happen. Namely, we need to challenge and test that muscle until it eventually tears and reaches a point of stress. Then the necessary rest is required for that muscle to actually heal, but in turn it comes back bigger and better (much to the AMEN of all ye meatheads!). Now all you doctors take it easy on my menial and elementary explanation of the muscle-building process, I’m aware of my ignorance but bare with me please.
Now if the muscle symbolizes relationships. Then the actions taken that end up ripping the muscle we can regard as conflict… the fights, and arguments, and frustrations, and tragedies, and confusion that bring us that much closer to a point of stress and emotional fatigue. The conflict in itself is not a very glorious, and advantageous event. But that’s because the event is not the end, but the means. Here’s where I feel I have gained a new perspective on how to deal with such occasions of conflict in my life. Dealing with the conflict itself is not the autonomous and stand alone event… but part of the process by which that particular relationship is strengthened. Though there may be a lingering frustration with a certain individual in my life, my goal is not to resolve the conflict because it bothers me, or makes me angry or sad… but because I look beyond the conflict and acknowledge that it’s resolution will only improve the quality and depth of that relationship. I do not lift weights, or run miles, or swim laps, or bend myself into convoluted shapes (that’s for you yoga practitioners, I literally don’t do this. Haha) for the sake of simply performing those tasks. That would be flat out silly because often times it simply doesn’t feel good. But it is because I look BEYOND the specific task and understand it as a means for growth and strengthening. It is a fundamental approach to how we understand the event of conflict, its immanence, its purpose in our relationships, and its importance as a means to a greater end.
With that said, and still ringing in my ears, I’ve got a lot of work to do. Conflict is something I acknowledge I am very poor at. Either ignoring it in hopes of its disappearance, or bottling it up till the point of combustion. Neither of which is a responsible nor efficient means of dealing with conflict in light of what I’ve just discussed. What is affirming is that I’ve addressed my mistake. Now it’s time to bring practicality and application to these findings.
Thanks to all who continue to pray, think, write and support me. I am blessed to have so many healthy relationships in my life. I pray that they only get stronger. I hope that all is well in your respective corners of the world.
As always, keep going…
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