This is a blog I did several years ago updated for today. Enjoy!

Panhandlers – America’s great entrepreneurs? Alan, you have really gone off the rocker now. I know that is what you are thinking even if the thought is a little fleeting so hear me out. Can you imagine what it is like to get up most days and journey by public transportation to a street corner somewhere to stand out in the elements hot, cold, rain, shine, wind etc? Or to wake up in your urban camp (they are everywhere in Austin) without a shower, sleep deprived only to be faced with hours begging for spare change. Stand there on your feet for hours baking or freezing while marketing yourself to each passerby hoping someone will spare some change. All of this for about $25 to $50 bucks on an average day? Well, I have tried panhandling, sleeping in urban camps, sleeping under and on bridges as well as alleyways, shelters and the like. Very hard work to say the least coming from someone who works very hard and long hours.

Even if you can maintain the $50 average five days a week 52 weeks a year that adds up to a whopping $13,000 per year. That is less than 30% of the median family income required for one adult to live in Austin. Who do you know other than a homeless person or someone on SSI that lives on this amount of money? Crazy, to say the least! Lots of work, lots of energy expenditure, and lots of puritan work ethic going on here but the rewards are very small. Is there a way to refocus that energy to something more rewarding and productive? Stay tuned as we begin to put another tool into the toolbox of solving social issues.

I know what it means to be an entrepreneur. My entire adult life I have been an entrepreneur. In fact when I learned what an entrepreneur truly was it changed my life. In 1978 I dropped out of the University of Texas frustrated with the academic way of life and went into the real estate business in Austin, Texas. This changed my life forever and I learned then that I could be my own man in charge of my life (to the extent one can truly be in charge) and the fruits of my labors would be freedom, flexibility, purpose and perhaps even a little financial reward. I felt truly empowered.

You see I later came to realize that the typical academic structure did not fit my personality too well. Perhaps as a youngster I would have even been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder or something like that. I can tell you that while in high school and college I did not spend a lot of time in the classroom focusing on academics. My mind was always wondering. But somehow I was blessed with enough DNA to get by in this model without a lot of effort. It is precisely this type of behavior that I witness day in and day out with my brothers and sisters who live on the streets; folks that struggled in conventional education and had a hard time focusing on the details. However, I also found that there was a strong puritan work ethic in each of these people. I gotta tell you that it takes a strong, resilient and resourceful individual to survive in a state of homelessness.

In fact people like me and my brothers and sisters on the streets have a model that we can look to to lift us up into this life of freedom, flexibility, purpose and yes financial reward. Walk across any border bridge from the United States into Mexico and you will enter into a gauntlet of entrepreneurs. Whether it is the girl selling chicklets, or the vegetable stand or someone making fresh tortillas or someone selling handmade jewelry or whatever, people are purposefully working under their own power. Somehow here in the good ole USA we have regulated ourselves away from this entrepreneurial spirit; some good reasons and some bad. You have heard the old saying, “you can give a man a fish and he will eat for the day or you can teach the man to fish so he can eat for a lifetime”. I have a new saying, “most people already know how to fish but now it is up to us to help them get the license to fish”.

So back to the statement I made earlier that the homeless are some of the most resilient and resourceful people I have ever met. I have never met so many talented people; mechanics, carpenters, craftsmen, musicians, salesmen, teachers or you name it, they are out on the streets. There are many impediments to conventional employment so we have to get creative; to help them get that license to fish. Check out www.mlf.org/roads to see what we are doing to help these budding entrepreneurs. I say we get creative to convert all that energy that is going into panhandling into something fulfilling and rewarding; something that is a benefit to our communities. Let’s take this entrepreneurial spirit and this puritan work ethic and really make it work. Let’s help turn these brothers and sisters into effective entrepreneurs.

Check out the following video too!

Street Treats Video

-Alan

Tags: home, Homeless, MLF, mlfnow

WOW! Hard to believe we are at the end of this 21 day Daniel Fast. Spiritually this has been awesome. Today I finished a three day Street Retreat and I gotta tell you that was a great way to culminate this powerful fast. I witnessed some great transformation from those who participated. Also, have to share that I am witnessing a new level of desperation on the streets. Particularly downtown at 7th and Neches the epicenter of homelessness in ATX. Having been on nearly 30 of these retreats over the past 12 years there is something materially changing. I will wait for the next retreat to see if this is an anomaly or now the way it is. Regardless, it was a beautiful time on the streets!

Looking forward to coffee, cheese and perhaps a little chocolate tomorrow. I will weigh too and see how many lbs were lost. I know I lost a few. Perhaps I will report back.

Please continue to pray for Community First! We need to intentionally cover this vision in prayer. Also please pray for Mike, Zane, Will, Meliton as they need our special intercessions.

God bless!

-Alan

Tags: Fast, Fasting, home, Homeless

Day 20 on the Daniel Fast and Day 2 on the Street Retreat. In both cases there is light at the end of the tunnel. As I have said all along the fast has been spiritually awesome but not without a few attacks. The Street Retreat is also nothing short of awesome too. Don’t tell anyone but we found ourselves inside a warm cozy building last night thanks to one of our retreatants skillful past.

I love these retreats because you never know who God is going to bring into your path and this retreat is no different. One after another He has brought us some life changing colorful characters like Sassy Grace, Zion, Zane, Quinn, Budda and Aidan. Budda on our first night out welcomed us into his “home” with great hospitality. He guided our team to a place to sleep and helped us find cardboard which is “street gold”. He complimented me on my dumpster diving skills. He also pointed our team to places to eat throughout the week. Of course, as a Street Retreat veteran I know most of what is being taught but it is awesome to watch others experience this hospitality. It is a stereotype shifting transforming experience.

This retreat I succumbed to including a couple of meetings into the schedule dealing with Community First! This too has been an interesting experience for me. Living on the streets but floating in and out of my world and the world of those who live on the streets. When we share with our brothers and sisters that we are here spiritually and that we are not “pretending” to be homeless they seem to have a deep admiring respect for what we are doing. They resent the pretenders…a lot! They know, we know and God knows that we are not homeless so why pretend. They are astute at authenticity. Or in their vernacular, they have great bullshit meters!

Looking forward to what God will unfold today. He never ceases to surprise and entertain. He must be pretty humored at us.

Please continue to cover Community First! in prayer. There is a lot of great and exciting stuff happening and that always means the evil one is looking to mess it up. Lets rebuke together the evil wicked snares of the devil.

My warmest blessings to you!

-Alan

Tags: community, Fast, Homeless home

This morning during my hike and morning prayer time I began to reflect how spiritually nourishing this fast has been. I even love to say the word “nourish”. It sounds so refreshing doesn’t it? Nourish! Repeat it a couple of times slowly.

From this I began to prayerfully reflect on Genesis 2:10, “A river rises in Eden to water the garden; beyond there it divides and becomes four branches”.

How nourishing is water to all of life? Vital, to say the least! I love the word “vital” too! It is from Latin and means “life giving”. And, that God would have a river rise in Eden and divide into four branches. He intended to completely nourish the Garden of Eden. How wonderful is our God!

Then I began to imagine and dream that what if we, the Body of Christ, are the river that rises in Eden and that each of us individually are the branches that are being divided from the Body to go forth and nourish?

Genesis 2:5-6, ” While as yet there was no field shrub on earth and no grass of the field had sprouted, for The Lord God had sent no rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil, but a stream was welling up out of the earth and was watering all the surface of the ground”.

I believe you and I are the branches of the wellspring being encouraged to go out and nourish and till “souls” so that from them beautiful gifts will flourish for the glory of the Kingdom!!

Lets go out and nourish today those who need our vital, life giving, presence and see what God can restore.

May God warmly nourish you today!

-Alan

Tags: community, Fast, home, Homeless

Today is the 5th Sunday of Lent. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday. Every year now for 11 years we do our annual Holy Week 72 hour Street Retreat (www.mlf.org/streetretreat) that begins late afternoon on Palm Sunday. I have done all 11 of them plus about 25 others. You could say I have been there and done that! It is about this time when the anxiety begins to creep in. Both the joyful anticipation and anxious dread. Do I have to go??? Then God says something like, “Hey!, snap out of it! Your going and that’s all there is to it.” Okay Lord, whimpering somewhat. So you want to go? Powerful and transforming to say the least. You can register by clicking on the link above. Tonight at MLF HQ there is an orientation meeting if you want to come. Starts at 6:30. Powerful way to enter into Holy Week.

Day 11 of the fast is going well. No food temptations at all. Battling all the other temptations fairly well. Today I have a Community First! tour. It is a continuing dialogue regarding someone who may lead the spiritual direction of the community. Taking their whole family out this time. Part of their discernment is moving into the neighborhood and being close to not only the village but the surrounding neighborhood. Please pray for their and our discernment.

As Christians the joy of our essence is embedded in the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we begin to approach the celebration of this extraordinary week I pray for you and ask you to join me in solidarity of prayer for our Community First! Village initiative. God bless!

-Alan

Tags: community, Fast, Fasting, home, Homeless

I want to quote from the Daniel Fast book.

“Even though you can eat during the Daniel Fast, it is no less effective than a complete fast. The power in fasting has less to do with food then with setting yourself apart for a specific period of time to focus more on the Lord, prayer, and worship. In other words, the power of fasting is found when you consecrate yourself to the Lord and discipline yourself to focus on him. That’s how your spiritual experience is enhanced.”

Most mornings I go out and hike in my neighborhood. It is quite hilly around here and provides a great deal of exercise. Normally I always begin my hikes with morning prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. Most mornings I am very distracted and find it very difficult to focus in on the prayer time. This fast has genuinely centered me on my morning prayers unlike anytime before. When I finish my morning prayers and my intercessory prayers I now move into listening to Gregorian chant music. This too seems to keep me focused and centered.

Yesterday the Roman Catholic Church selected a new Pope. He will be called Francis. What is incredible about this selection is that he is from Argentina the first pope ever from the Western Hemisphere. What I have read and heard about Pope Francis is that he is an extremely humble man. Also, since he is a Vatican outsider, it will be interesting to see how his Papacy unfolds. This is an exciting time for the Roman Catholic Church.

Please keep your prayers coming I feel them, Mobile Loaves and Fishes feels them and no doubt our Community First! Village will benefit from them. Many blessings to you on this beautiful day.

-Alan

Tags: community, Fasting, home, Homeless, mlfnow

The best laid plans…. Was hoping to blog daily but wow what an incredibly busy, packed and joyful two days I have had. And, the fast is going great!

As you may know I have spent the past several days on the Austin Mission. 45 high school age youth and 20 supporting adults spent the past five days out on our property on Hog Eye doing mission work with the homeless in the city. Monday evening all of us went on a mini street retreat. We were dropped off in Zilker Park ate dinner from a Mobile Loaves and Fishes truck and then walked into downtown. With SXSW going on downtown was alive. However, when we got to the Austin Resource Center for the homeless transformation really began to occur. The kids began developing relationships with many of the homeless people that hang out in that downtown area. We spent over two hours there and during that time one young woman gave up her sleeping bag to a young homeless guy and at least one other kid took off his shoes and handed them to a homeless person. I was blown away!

The next morning we woke up at 5 AM and made our way through downtown to the First United Methodist Church. Every Tuesday and Thursday mornings they host the feed my people breakfast. This too was extraordinarily awesome for all of us to fellowship with our brothers and sisters who live on the streets over a meal. I’m confident that this will not be the last Austin Mission that we do for young people here in Austin.

I would like to ask you to pray for a couple of our residents who are battling addiction. The collateral impact that addiction can have can be quite incredible. For this couple it is no exception. I do believe however that there is tremendous hope and I would ask you to pray to intercede that they connect spiritually to our father in heaven as well as here on earth aggressively battle their demons through recovery.

In terms of the fast I am in a strong spiritual zone right now. I feel great and empowered. The coffee thing has really been nothing. What I really love most is when those hunger pangs come it really focuses me spiritually on my task at hand. I highly recommend the Daniel Fast. No doubt there’ll be some health benefits from this fast but I intentionally chose not to even weigh myself at the beginning in order not to distract me from my spiritual goals.

One last spiritual bouquet from the past two days. Two of my high school friends that I played football with have come into town. We reconnected on Facebook and I’ve spent the past two days sharing the ministry of mobile Loaves and Fishes with them. For one of my friends it’s been 40 years since I’ve seen him last. It truly has been joyful to reconnect.

Thank you to everyone who continues to pray with me and to cover me, Mobile Loaves and Fishes and particularly the Community First! Village in your prayer. May God warmly bless you!

-Alan

Tags: community, home, Homeless, mlfnow

Day 5 on the fast and day 3 for the Austin Mission. Both are going outstanding. The fast is centering me spiritually and I believe at the same time protecting me from the attacks we all experience in life. And the mission is surrounding me with young people who have a strong hopeful love for Christ. Tonight we will spend the night on the streets but in a protected area. Will be great to see the experiences that the Holy Spirit unfolds.

Last night a couple of scriptures came to me from two formerly or currently homeless brothers. The first from Sam from Ephesians 2:10; “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.” Sam shared this with me as testimony that the Community First! Village is providence and will happen. The second from Mike from Ephesians 6:11-13; “Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.” Mike wanted to fortify me. I thought both were awesomely timely.

Anyway, tonight will be great. Tomorrow even better. I feel your prayers. Keep ‘em coming!

-Alan

Tags: community, home, Homeless

This is my third day on the Daniel fast. This morning’s hike and prayer was as intense as it has been in a long time. I felt really focused and centered. I believe it is the intentionality of my spiritual purpose that’s leading to this centeredness. I know that Satan has not given up on me yet but I do hear some gnashing and gnawing of teeth in the distance coming from the evil little one. I can only laugh!

Today begins the first day of the Austin Mission. About 50 high school age kids plus adults will be spending four days out at our Community First! property. This will be a time in mission for them serving the least of our brothers and sisters. This will also be a time to encircle our property in prayer to further expand our prayer circle. Sunday we are going to build reflection spaces and consecrate the property. In addition to many other things, later in the week we are going to lift a brother up off the streets into a beautiful new RV home.

Hope you’re still hanging with me in prayer, I need you tremendously.

God bless,

-Alan

Tags: community, Fasting, Homeless, Homelessness

Woke up this morning and had a great prayerful hike getting focused and centered on this fast and the spiritual fruit that I pray will pour forth. My morning coffee time and visiting with Tricia was replaced by drinking water and putting together the allowable foods. Right now it is pushing 4:00 pm and I feel good.

The day did get off to a rough start. But I am praying through the rough patches. When the day starts rough it is hard to be cheerful especially when you are building new relationships and connecting folks to our ministry. Been through a few rough spots in my life and every time it ends up great. So I look forward to that.

Feel a little like the evil one is saying that he is going to be around a while. But hell, I have been under his attack before. No match for the Lords army.

So far I am glad I made this decision to fast! Stand with me in prayer.

-Alan

Tags: community, Fasting, Homeless, prayer