Financial Needs Coming Due Soon

As a retired Christian I seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness the best I can as much as I can.

As I look to being the doer of the Word of God and following the promptings of the Holy Spirit then God guides me into ministry. I have been doing this for decades and taken very little concern for my needs. God has met my modest needs in various ways right on time.

Today I filled out an online application for a man I have known for 2 years that is applying to enter a Christian residential drug rehab. I was a house manager at a sober house for 2 years. And in my opinion Frank is ready for this big step.

Tomorrow I go with Jason to the clinic. He is new to Dallas and he has cerebral palsy. He needs to rest every 2 blocks because his legs are weak. After he gets connected with the charity hospital system of Parkland then he will get a primary care doctor, physical therapy, neurologist, eye doctor and more. Plus after his disability is certified he will gain access to the DART paratransit system. He will call ahead and they will pick him up and take him to doctor appointments, shopping, church and more for a very low cost.

Jason lives in the same homeless shelter where I have been for 3 years. He has gone with me to church twice and likes it. He needs a supportive community and those who will pray for him.

My cash flow has been very thin lately and that has motivated me to get outside my comfort zones to finally put digital resources online that will lead to income streams.

There are a few products that are getting ready to go public.

The first product is Some Prayers and Psalms - Volume 1 that has 7 chapters. I have done all the writing and I have put it on gumroad as PDFs for Pay What You Want  https://gum.co/SPP-Vol-1  

My next step is to make a video for each one that shares my feelings along with the words.

Also on Saturday I will preach again at Mercy House church http://mercyhousedallas.org/ I will continue a sermon series named Remembering God’s Love about the Bible verses and illustrations related to Holy Communion. And I plan to rework that sermon to become another product online as a Pay What You Want.

Meanwhile the door is open for me to move to Ennis using the section 8 housing voucher. I will need to pay for my electricity. My retirement money arrives next Wednesday June 28. The Lord has blessed me with those that helped with the application fee and deposit. I want to wait until Wednesday so that I can start off in the new place paying my own way. The rent is heavily subsidized contrasted to the cost to stay at the homeless shelter.

Meanwhile here are my financial needs.

72 dollars 6 nights at shelter 12 dollars each

65 dollars cell phone with unlimited data so I can go online in the shelter

10 dollars DART day pass 2 days - help Jason and attend church

147 dollars total

More would be nice

Again I request that you pray for God to guide me and provide these needs right on time.

God Provided Rent Money Plus

By the grace of God my need for rent will be met for a good while.

The Lord prompted 3 people to give generously so that I can both pay my rent at the shelter and afford to pay some in advance on the electricity in the apartment in Ennis.

The power must be on when they do the inspection for the section 8 housing. The manager suggested that I set up pay as I go.

My immediate needs are met but there is still pressure to keep moving forward to get my lessons online that will lead to income streams.

Besides the lessons I need to gain the habit of publishing a daily vlog that is a short video about my spiritual pilgrimage. This will both help me to process my many thoughts, feelings, fear, hopes, doubts, aspirations, etc. That will help keep me clear so that I can be consistently creative,

Plus there are those who have been and will be praying for me that will use these to better target their intercessions.

It feels like I am about to burst inside. There are so many lessons in my heart, mind and notes that want to go online. But these internal matters have had them blocked. When I took the 10 day video course I briefly overcame those blocks. I need to go back to that online community and get their support.

I tend to be most creative in the evenings and late night. That is when the lessons want to flow through me. But due to the 8 PM curfew and 1030 PM lights out that flow gets blocked. During that time I take lots of notes that adds to my backlog.

It is not like there is just 1 ebook or 1 ecourse inside of me that wants out. There are several that all want out at the same time. Each one is important and valuable. All are related to biblical Christianity. It will take years for most of these to become fully expressed online.

In order to help me get organized and to help those I will connect with in the future I have begun to create a website that will serve as the central hub for all these many units. The name of the website is Brother John’s Workshop. Pray for me to soon complete the basics of this and publish it online.

Even in writing this long message it is feeling clunky. Now I feels like I must start making short videos instead of these text posts.

I admit that I have a bunch of fears related to rejection. When all this starts to spill out of me it will overcome some people. There will be several kinds of lesson including on prayer, holy communion, theology, Bible basics and more. There will be ways for individuals to opt into any one or several of these. I will segment the list instead of sending it to everyone like these days.

I have been wrestling with a huge internal issue about charging a price for my lessons. Thankfully the Lord has led me to a system that has worked for others called Pay What You Want. And what they have found is that when a sliding scale is offered it leads to more income than a fixed price.

So in conclusion, God has provided me with this window of opportunity. May I leverage this time wisely. Pray for me to get into the healthy habit of publishing a short video vlog daily. That will address me internal matters. Then the creative flow will begin. After that ice breaks there will likely be a bunch of lessons coming online.

After the lessons start to flow online then I am sure they will greatly benefit others who will gladly share them. I will put into place ways for them to subscribe to several email updates. After this initial burst I hope to publish 1 lesson per week for at least 3 different email lists. That will lead to more prayers and more donations.

When I have moved out of the shelter and I can use the evenings and nights for creative expressions then there will be a steady and large flow of new materials online.

I will stop writing now. And I request your best prayers.

Shalom

Brother John

Rent Past Due

My rent is past due at homeless shelter. I owe 36 dollars for the past 3 nights and 12 dollars for tonight. I trust that God will provide again.

Plus I need to find another income stream until next retirement income at the end of this month and beyond.

After the apartment in Ennis passes inspection and I do some more paperwork, then I will be cleared to move in there.

My cost of living will greatly decrease in Ennis thanks to the voucher system.

Illness and helping other homeless men got me behind. Thankfully I am well. And the men are out of crisis mode.

Also a person that has been a generous supporter for years has suddenly dropped out of sight He has not been answering the phone or replying to emails. He has not posted to Facebook for a long time.  He may be very sick or dead. God has used him to help me during times like this for years. Pray for me to connect with Howard, if that is possible.

Now I need to focus on taking care of me and my financial needs.

I have many lessons I will put online this week for donations and later for sale.

May the Jesus Christ anoint and prosper me along this path.

I request your best prayers for God to guide and provide.

Shalom

Housing Delayed

After all the paperwork is submitted then she was told it could take 10 to 30 days before there is an inspection. She said that was too long a wait to keep a vacancy. She is going to call others on the waiting list to fill the unit that I saw.

Darlene said that there is a possibility that a vacancy as soon as July first.

Also my voucher expires on Saturday June 10. I plan to go to the housing authority on Monday June 12 to get yet another extension. My paperwork says that this extension is my final one. So I will need grace and mercy.

She will hold the 300 dollar deposit check in hopes that I might move there.

She said this will take much prayer. I think she wants me to live there. Several times she said I would an asset to that small community. It is like a village of senior citizens.

This housing search has been a mental, emotional and spiritual challenge for these 11 months. Here at the very end all I can do I pray and request prayers.

There is no guarantee that they will grant me another extension.

There is no way to know when there will be another vacancy.

So all I can do is wait and apply myself to my other projects as this unfolds.

THANKS again for each of your prayers.

Shalom

John

Jason’s Doctor Appointment Friday

Friday is a big day for Jason Fudge. I will go with him on his doctor’s appointment at 1230.

What makes this special is that Jason has cerebral palsy and he is homeless. I met him at the shelter where I live. He moved to Dallas very recently from Springfield Pennsylvania. He is 43 year old.

God has used me to provide guidance and encouragement. I went with him to the main charity hospital named Parkland last week. Then they set the appointment for this week.

At this appointment he will get into their system. From that he will get referrals to physical therapy, neurologist, eye doctor, primary care doctor and other services as needed.

Then after this appointment he can qualify for paratransit with DART. That will allow him to move around the city much better. When we went to the hospital the first time he needed to stop and rest about every 2 blocks. He walks with difficulty using a cane or he is in a wheelchair.

I told him that I would be requesting prayers for him. He asked prayers for his legs to become stronger.

May this appointment go smoothly on Friday and may he get all medical help he will need in the future.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy

http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/definition

Closer but Not Yet

This morning I went to the housing authority. There I learned that the paperwork needs to be delivered there in person. It  cannot be faxed or FedExed.

I called the apartment manager in Ennis. She graciously drove the 45 minutes each way to deliver the pages.

Then we learned that this particular property is not in the Dallas system database. So more pages were passed to her with lots of highlighted lines where the owner of the property needs to sign to get that property registered.

She talked with the owner, that has a few other properties. And they plan to meet tomorrow morning to get the signatures.

After those pages are submitted, then the housing authority will send those to inspect the unit.

After passing the inspection, then I can move in there.

The apartment manager often expressed concern that the inspection happen sooner than later. There could be a short or long time gap between the paper processed and the inspection completed.  Otherwise she feels pressured to contact others on the waiting list to fill the unit quickly.

God has blessed me with a wonderful relationship with Darlene. We talked at length on many subjects both while waiting for more than an hour at the housing authority and when she graciously bought me a meal at Whole Foods afterwards.

Darlene has an amazing testimony of the goodness and faithfulness of God. She has overcome many challenges through trusting God during hardships.

Pray for these remaining technical details to come together gracefully.

THANKS for your prayers.

Shalom

John

Lord, Cut the Red Tape

I have just returned from Oak Timbers Apartments http://oaktimbersennis.com/ in Ennis and I saw the apartment that is available.

It is far better than I had ever expected!

The unit is roomy and clean.

The apartment complex is unlike any I have seen in Dallas. All units are one story and seem like a cluster of red brick small houses around a courtyard.

The grounds are well kept and many residences keep a small garden in front of their unit.

This is a senior living for those 55 years old plus.

There are only 65 units. So it is like a small village inside a small country town of Ennis.

The whole place was super peaceful and quiet. That is just fine for me.

They have public transportation when call ahead for arrangements and it is only 2 dollars each way inside of Ennis.

The manager is a super friendly Christian woman named Darlene.

God made a way for the money orders to be there as I filled out my part of the paperwork.

I left Darlene with dozens of pages for her to read, fill out and fax to the Dallas Housing Authority.

There are many details that need to line up before this lease can be approved. That includes that they need to send a person to inspect the unit.

I will go to the office of the housing authority to help move this process forward.

I have had troubles in the past connecting with my caseworker at the housing authority. I know that they must juggle a huge case load. Pray for me to ask right questions and get clear answers.

May Darlene complete her parts of this process in a timely manner.

I would like to live there, but I am powerless over many variables. So again I let go and let God. Plus that is why the title of this message is Lord, cut the red tape.

THANKS for your prayers.

Shalom

John

Battle for Frank’s Soul

These are critical days for Frank, so your best prayers are requested.

It is rare that God permits me to see a person a closely as I have seen Frank recently. I have witnessed how much he wants to leave his past life of drug addiction and he wants to become a minister of reconciliation in prisons. And just as the spirit is willing also his flesh is weak.

Frank was not in his bed at the shelter several nights this week. He got tangled up in his harmful patterns of panhandling to support his drug addiction to K2. So he did not get back to the shelter before 8 PM curfew. He slept out in the rough like he has for many years.

When I talk with Frank I feel the presence of God unlike talking with any of the dozens of drug addicts I have helped before. I have a knowing that the hand of God is on Frank in a very special way.

After days of not seeing Frank, the Lord caused our paths to cross recently while I was running some errands.

I told him that I had contacted Denton Freedom House that is a Christian residential rehab that is an hour and 15 minutes north of downtown Dallas.

I watched 2 amazing testimonies of their graduates and I was convinced God can use this ministry to complete the needed transformations in deep in the soul of Frank.

https://vimeo.com/127614966

https://vimeo.com/98350062

It is a 6 month program that is free to those residents that are in their Christian discipleship program.

The next step is to fill out the online application http://dentonfreedomhouse.org/admission

Frank recognized that was a wise choice for his next season.  I began to fill out the online application on my laptop for he does not have a laptop or smartphone. During that process it called for his Texas ID number. Suddenly he recognized that he has lost it recently.

To not have an ID is a big deal for a homeless person. Access to most help is closed. So his next step is to go to the Texas Depatment of Public Transportation and pay a fee of 11 dollars https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/replace.htm

Going to take care of that detail is just an inconvenience for most people. But during this season for Frank it might be a huge challenge. Pray for God to guide him to get this task done soon.

When he has that Texas ID number then we will complete the application. The next step is for the admissions counselor to talk with him on the phone. Hopefully he will be accepted and move there.

The first days and weeks of rehab are the most challenging. There is a big temptation to bolt. Many years of unhealthy lifestyle are familiar and the fear of the unknown future can be rough.

God is moving in my life about housing after 3 years at the homeless shelter. I could move to Ennis that is 45 minutes south of downtown Dallas. That might happen in a week or two.

It is possible that Frank could move to Denton Freedom House that is more than an hour north of downtown Dallas at about that same time.

I have been struggling to let go of my mental and emotional attachments to the outcomes of how God has been ministering to Frank through me.

I have a certain faith that Jesus is the grand Good Shepherd. So the Lord can take care of His own sheep without me.

I thought about the saying the cat that has 9 lives. In that context Frank has had 10 near death experiences on drug overdoses. So he is on life number 11.

I admit that I fear that Frank might continue in the old patterns that are self destructive.

God can bless and help Frank if I move away. I just want to do my best at this time.

The bottom line it that Jesus is Lord.

The Good Shepherd has begun a good work and He will complete it in Frank.

I seek to enroll plenty of prayers for Frank during these days.

Pray and believe that God will open the best door for drug rehab right on time. Amen?

Ennis housing update

By the grace of God the Lord has promoted a sponsor of the deposit money of 300 dollars. 

Hopefully I will be able to stretch my funds to cover the 35 dollars for the application fee.

Lord willing on Sunday I will arrange with the person to provide the ride there and back on Monday.

There is lots of special paperwork. And there are approvals to be gained before I can move there. Pray for God to make a way for this to unfold gracefully.

My sermon went well this morning. The preparations were easier than I expected.

I have continued to pass gas. But got the generic kind of Beano due to the recommendation of the pharmacist. That CVS did not have the charcoal tablets she said might be best. If someone has these to bring to church on Sunday then that would be a blessing. 

THANKS for your prayers

Shalom

RESET for Monday - I’ve been feeling sick and weak

I might have food poisoning and or this might be spiritual warfare related to leaving the homeless shelter after almost 3 years.

Last night I started to pass gas and that has continued until now more than 18 hours later.

If I had been with small children they would have laughed much due to the frequent toot sounds from my bottom.

This morning I needed to walk around downtown to collect documents like a print out of my bank statement that I normally get online.

My head was hanging down. I could only look about 6 feet in front of myself. I felt like the cartoon character with the storm cloud overhead.

I needed to stop and rest often due to weakness.

I called and told the apartment manager in Ennis about my lack of health and weakness. She reset our meeting for Monday.

Please pray for the ride and the funds to line up gracefully.

My top priority today is to prepare for my sermon tomorrow. The topic is standing on the promises of God as our base for improving our prayer life. All I need is to locate 7 to 12 related verses and arrange them in an orderly way.

I will make my visual aids that are 11 x 17 print outs with key words bolded and underlined.

All I need to preach is an introduction and a sense of the beginning, middle and end of the message using selected Bible verses.

After that I just pray and go with the flow.

Normally such preparations are easy but today it is like I am swimming upstream in a river just to get this far. I trust that God will guide and provide like He always has done. For God is faithful. Amen?

Thanks again for each of your prayers.

Shalom

John

STRANGE symptoms in my body just since making recent announcement

Please pray for my health and strength. Especially pray that I am healthy to go apply for the apartment on Friday.

I was happy to hear about the open door in Ennis. I was excited when talking with the manager.

I sent out the announcement and prayer requests. 

THEN my body started to react. I felt EXHAUSTED way down deep inside. It flet like I had completed a marathon in the rain.

This has been a difficult journey and seeing the potential end is promising BUT the FATIGUE from pushing myself repeatedly caught up with me.

My gut and middle of my chest started to hurt like they never had.

I went to the shelter to get some dinner but I did not have an appetite. All I wanted was some ice cream. That helped for a while.

It has been less than 4 hours but I feel unusually weak and frail. 

If this was a normal way to rent an apartment then I would wait until Monday. But the manager said she will hold it for me only until I come on Friday.  Then she needs to call others on the waiting list.

I believe God can provide the grace and strength to complete this critical next phase on Friday. 

Before I got that call back my hope meter was at an all time low. It was challenging to keep calling others. 

Maybe it was the sudden swing of emotions that triggered the reactions in my body. 

I am not a very emotional person.  

I am grateful for Pep-to Bismal and Gas X that have masked the symptoms. 

Hopefully I will get restful and refreshing sleep tonight.

Shalom

PROBABLE Apartment Opening in Ennis Texas

During my previous round of apartment search phone calls, I kept hearing the managers say to call me back at the first of the month. So today I made many calls. Most of those went to voice mails. Then I got a return on a voice mail a little while ago.

This seems like EXACTLY what I want. I could be a HUGE answer to many prayers that go back for 11 months!

It is a small apartment complex with only 65 units and mostly senior citizens. Hey, they have BINGO once a week! And no swimming pool.

The manager used the word QUIET over and over again when describing the place. That was music to my ears. I just want to read, write, pray, meditate and sleep.

This unit just came open and they are making it ready for occupancy by late next week.

I was asked to come see the unit and start the paperwork as soon as possible. There are special kinds of forms to fill out for section 8 housing voucher.

I hope to get a ride there. It is 45 minutes south of downtown Dallas. The DART train and bus does not go there but she said they have some kind of local public transportation.

Besides my ID I need to take 2 money orders or checks. They are 35 dollars for application fee and 300 dollars for deposit.

The unit is Oak Timbers in Ennis Texas http://oaktimbersennis.com/ Note that Ennis is a small town https://www.visitennis.org/ That will be a HUGE culture shift from living in Dallas since 1985.

THANK God for this option.

There are a few needs for prayer.

Ride to get there and back tomorrow, Friday June 2.

Money orders or checks for 35 and 300 dollars. I have only a little money.

The paperwork is processed smoothly.

Logistics of moving my few possessions from the shelter and storage there.

Favor with the manager and fellow residents.

Settle in and get into graceful rhythms of rest and productivity.

I have talked with dozens of apartment managers. All the ones in Ennis were far more laid back than all the ones in Dallas. This ones is especially friendly.

THANKS again for EACH of your prayers.

Shalom

John