Be the change you wish to see in the world

That quote up there is from Ghandi.
if you really want to,
you can buy the Toms with that phrase on it,
or you can just start contributing to society in the same way Jesus and other disciples would.
either way...

There's a place in the downtown slum of OKC called,
The Refuge.
it's a small building that once used to be a crack house.
no more.
you see,
this guy Tim Ulrich,
was called out by God to just go into this area full of the homeless, the broken, the dried out, the washed up, the hurt, the suffering,
and start making a change in their lives.
did it work?
you have no idea...

i discovered this building for the first time,
by complete chance, of God
around sometime in september or something i think.
Curtis Lilly and i had been talking the day before about searching for God's calling.
or purpose or what have you,
last march i went to help the homeless community in San Antonio,
and i wanted to continue something like that in Oklahoma
then the next day i started driving around okc thinking i was heading to the skatepark.
but i saw from the highway,
what looked like a community clean-up project.
so i said, "wow, you couldn't have made it any clearer."
i got down there,
and these people just told me to hop on a mower,
and start mowing the grass on this exit.
i did,
but when they left i was hanging out like,
wait who's mower is this?
i guess everyone that was there had come with a group from school,
or a church or something,
but i had no idea what going on.
i saw this guy on another mower,
i said, "hey man, i'm done with this exit, but i have no idea who this thing belongs to"
he said, "its mine, just follow me"
i follow him over to this sketchy looking white building.
he and i talked for a little while,
then he said something like, "well man you probably need to get back to your group."
i said, "oh no man i came alone. this just seemed like something to do."
he said, "what? okay, come with me. let's talk"
that was tim.
he explained the refuge and what he was there to do.
we talked for a long long time.
and it was incredible.

God opened my eyes and revealed this place.
i rarely go there,
because i'm rarely in the city.
but man,
if it isn't the most amazing place.
everyone there is hardworking.
they are in that building to fulfill a purpose.
the homeless people around them are becoming influenced by their hardwork,
and sometimes,
come around and pick up trash,
or just come in the garage thing to talk to some people,
whom they know will listen.
if you ever get the chance,
check this place out.
they're always doing something in the name of the Lord God out there.
bunch of crazies.
the refuge.