Gas Shortage . . .
Are we really this short on gas? YES & NO! . . . the problem is self made by the 5+ million people we have in the greater ATL. People in Atlanta started filling their tanks up the moment they heard that hurricane Ike was going to wipe out the oil refineries in TX. That started a problem / shortage . . . the refineries were actually not hurt and the gas was not interrupted for long if at all (decreased a small amount). The issue is the great people of Atlanta continue to fill up their tanks ever time they see a gas station with some gas . . . continuing this cycle. The buying habits for gas in the greater ATL have changed greatly according to one report I was listening to this evening and until the people of Atlanta stop filling up their tanks and let the system catch up we will continue to find lines like the picture above. Atlanta is operating at 60% right now according to this source on the news, but it would seem we have less than that by the lines and the empty stations. Stop filling up if you do not need gas . . .
Mystery Cafe . . .
Last night, Nikki and I had a date night and we were looking for something to do that would be really fun and different . . . enter - Mystery Cafe! I was searching for places while she was in her conference and I came across this place. Sounds like fun . . .
“A shot rings out! Someone Screams! Gales of laughter are heard!
What’s going on here?
Don’t worry, it’s just the Mystery Cafe, Albuquerque’s original interactive dinner theater – where murder is always on the menu. Located in the MCM Elegante Hotel, Mystery Cafe scares up laughter and mayhem along with a delicious four course meal every Friday and Saturday night.”
All of this made it sound really nice and the price $39.99 per person – well, you are expecting something really nice at that point. When our taxi pulled up at the MCM Elegante Hotel . . . I was sure he had dropped us at the wrong place. This was like an old school holiday inn . . . problem was they had my debt card number and were going to charge me $80 even if we didn’t come on in. We entered this (former holiday inn) and found our spot in the room that was set like a cheap family reunion for a REALLY FUN time full of laughter and pretty good food. Promise this . . . we would not have had such a good time had we ended up at a nice restaurant. Here are some pictures from our evening . . .
Making new friends (pt. 3) . . .
Today after I sent Nikki off for her conference, I found me a great place to watch people as I drank coffee, read, prayed, and asked God to send me a new friend for the day . . .
I have been asking God all week to send the right people and everyday he has done just that. There was John on Wednesday, then Tom yesterday and today he sent me LeDonta. I was able to take LeDonta to Subway for a pizza and some cookies and allow him to share his story with me as I shared God’s Love for him. 
One thing you will notice in the picture below is how intently LeDonta is listening to me as I tell him God Loves him . . . and this Love God has for him has nothing to do with him and everything to do with God. It isn’t a cause and effect kind of Love he is so use to. This Love is a FREE GIFT FROM GOD! See LeDonta tells me his story of growing up in a military family and never feeling like he had a place to belong or fit in. His mom divorced his dad and took up with another military man. Then they just kept on moving. He moved here to run from all of the problems he had everywhere else. Problem is there were problem waiting for him here. He is homeless and makes it the best he can . . . asking people for food or money – but he has lately started prostitution. He has found a lot of men who will pay him well to give them “company” as he put it . . . I was praying today – just like every other, “God if you have someone for me to meet and Love on, then you bring them to me.” Literally, 5 to 10 homeless guys have passed me today, made eye contact and nothing. Nothing . . . then LeDonta, comes up and asked me if I have 65 cents so he can get something to eat. I tell him “No, but if you want – I’ll take you to dinner.” He accepted and I was able to listen to his story . . . show him the Love of God and send him on his way with a full belly. Pray LeDonta will continue to have encounters with God’s children.
Making new friends (pt 2) . . .
Today Nikki and I spent the morning together in Old Town then she headed off to her conference and I went to the park across the street from our hotel in down town. There I found a great environment to read, pray, and wait on the Lord to send someone if He so desired. 
There were a number of homeless guys on different benches and I am more than comfortable going and engaging them in conversation, but I have felt like God is going to bring the right people to me here in Albuquerque. After about 1.5 hours of reading Galatians and coming across verse after verse that will just rock your world (like 2:10, 5:1, & 5:6 to mention a few) . . . Tom approached me (that’s God) it’s really Tom – God just sent him. Tom came over and asked, “can you watch my stuff while I go to the hotel and use the bathroom?” I said sure and even moved from the bench I was on to the bench he was on (that was strategic) . . . He came back and I stayed put! We talked for about and hour and then I was able to take him to subway and get him some dinner before he needed to head off and meet up with some other people. We were able to have a good talk and I was able to share a little with him about God’s Love for him and the fact that God does have a plan for him (Jer. 29:11).
Making new friends . . .
I meet a new friend here in albuquerque nm today . . . I was hanging outside the hotel starbucks reading crazy love by Fracis Chan when I meet John Reed. We spent about 2.5 hours together. I got to listen to his story and share a cup of coffee with him. After about an 2 hours I asked John if he had dinner plans and then we headed for the local subway where I picked up his dinner tab (i couldn’t eat – dinner plans with Nikki). John asked, “why are you listening to me like this?” When I told him it was because God loved him and I wanted him to know that. He wanted to know, “how do you know that?” I explained the love of God and Jesus . . . I explained that as a believer in God I am to Love God and Love Others so that they will know they are Loved by God and created in His imagine . . . he was blown away by those truths. He said he had never heard God loved him or that he was created in God’s imagine. John and I are going to try and connect again this week. Here are some pictures from our time together.
Environment is important . . .
Setting the right environment is important – it is important for so many reason . . . let me share my current environment with you as I have time alone with God while Nikki is in her conference. She and I are hanging in her free time and we have time to go to dinner at night. We took so food and feed a homeless guy last night who is living just down from our hotel. I will be spending some of my free time hanging with the homeless here in the downtown area as God opens those opportunities . . .
this is the view out my widow (16th floor)
checking the iCal . . .
I leave for albuquerque nm on Sept. 23rd for time to hang with Nikki and to spend time alone with God while she is at a conference. We will make our way home on Sept 28th. Then we will be home for one week before heading out on family vacation to FL. – we have been given access to a beach front condo for a week. We will be gone from Oct. 6th – 12th! Once we return from FL and some much needed time as a full family unit . . . I will head to Guatemala City Dump on a mission trip to figure out ways the local church can connect with the people there. I will leave on the 15th and come home on the 20th. Praise God for time spend with my wife, time to spend alone with Him, for time with my family and for time to Love Him while Loving Others . . .
As I travel and spend time going . . . I’ll share the things that are going on.
Fall is in the air . . .
Fall is in the air and this is what it does to my kids. Weatherly has the same issue, but has already been asking “how long till the leaves fall and we can jump in them” . . .
Dance Party (@ the Car Wash) . . .
My blog has been quite for a couple of days . . . not because I don’t have things to say, but because I feel like part of the time God is giving me right now is for reconnection with family. Here is a video of some special time spent with the kids.
Next week I we be in New Mexico for 6 days with Nikki [reconnecting 
,] while the kids hang with my mom (aka . . . grandma babysitter).
One man’s trash . . .
One man’s trash is another man’s ablity to live . . .
Today I was having coffee with Kevin Queen and he invited me to be apart of a scouting team that will travel to Guatemala City Dump during Oct. There was no arm twisting involved in this . . . I have a passion for Loving God through Loving Others and I jumped at the opportunity! I check with Nikki, grandma babysitter (my mom – named by Weatherly), and the airlines to make sure there was room for me to get there . . . Now less than 5 hrs after this conversation was first brought up, I have a round trip ticket to go and Love God through Loving Others in the Guatemala City Dump Oct. 15 – 20 . . . I am pumped for the opportunity and for the fact God has surrounded me with such a family who Loves God through Loving Others!
Here are a couple of video’s I have come across to give you an idea of what we will be getting into while there. To be honest . . . if you watch this video – you will know as much as me. I am going because I was asked and there are people who need to know the Love of God. Details, who needs those?
The ministry in this second video is not the one we are connecting with – I just thought it gave some insight into the life families are living in the Guatemala City Dump.
