An urgent call to stand up and be heard!

Isn't there something right about living in a city where you can find a meal if you need it. Isn't it actually a good reflection on our city that we have such a huge homeless population here? Wouldn't the fact that the outcast and the hurting feel a little more safe, a little more cared for, and possibly even a little less hated in our city than others be a point of pride in Tampa. I can't tell you how many homeless friends have expressed that Tampa is a city where you don't have to go hungry. Don't we want to preserve this relationship with the poor? Aren't places like Ybor, where the rich and the poor actually share the same sidewalks, beautiful because of their economic and cultural diversity.

Our city has progressively gotten more hostile toward our neighbors in need as the economy has worsened and the numbers and visibility of those needing help has drastically increased. Laws and ordinances prohibiting panhandling are being discussed and passing in our city council. While they are being pressured by businesses and the wealthy in our community they are still in a position to make decisions on what is right and just and fair. They are elected into office and are kept there by making decisions that the city (their district) will support. Sadly the poor and homeless are in many cases not voters, whether felons or just disaffiliated, their voice and their cause is not being heard. There is an urgent need for voting citizens to stand up and be heard. To advocate for our friends and neighbors who are going with out and sustain themselves off the generosity of others. Please come to the public hearing that is being held tomorrow at 9am at 315 E Kennedy Blvd. on the 3rd floor. Each person will be given 2-3 minutes to speak to the council and be heard. We need to let our city officials know that we are not in support of this law and that if further actions or ordinances are passed to the detriment and  relegation of the poor in our city we will be forced to pull our support and campaign against these leaders that are working against the most needy in our community.

This ordinance is directly addressing the panhandling population and legislating their right to ask for help under the issue of public safety. Of course our city has addressed public safety issues and passed ordinances regarding the caution vests, daylight hours, and age requirement to be on the streets. There is also no data that has been presented that demonstrates a public safety problem. This is an issue of living in a society that is uncomfortable with, and hostile toward the needy. They are despised and rejected. Take a few minutes to talk with someone who panhandles and they will tell you about the terrible things our neighbors scream out their windows at them. They are not out there because it is easy or preferable to work. They are not lazy or dangerous. They are needy people. They are fathers, brothers, mothers, and friends. They are people and they have a right to make their needs known and this is protected by our first amendment right. Of course our clever city council is only addressing transactions between vehicles and pedestrians on our city's main arterial roads. While this is a step in the wrong direction it is not, as our mayor and some councilmen hope for, a complete ban. It is however directly effecting 500-600 jobs because the newspapers can't be sold on the corners, directly displacing the poor from the most visible places in our city, and catering to our least conscious and concerned neighbors. I want and cherish the opportunity to give a sandwich or a dollar to a neighbor in need. Don't you?

Plus our city is cutting cost all over the place and has limited resources for the police force and cannot really afford to enforce these laws. If a corner has no accidents then we don't spend money on a traffic light and this same principle should be called upon here.
These leaders must be accountable for how they are using our money as well as how they are considering ALL of our community members.

Please come and make your voice heard. Invite your peoples.

"...if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet
 and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them
...his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.'" -Is 33:6

I love you all and hope you will join me tomorrow morning,

The Foreshadow of A Meaningful Journey

There was something fitting about fasting while spending the very first 4 hours of my Underground internship at the HUB today. I sat in the cafe, observed the lounge, reclined at my desk in a dimly lit, yet slightly cozy room and pounded away on the keys as I mapped out goals and dreamed of what could be in regards to the Well. Something in me came alive. Something in me was awakened. I rarely feel like I am where I'm supposed to be, but it is a glorious thing when I do, and today I had that feeling. I'm sure it won't always be like that, but today seemed like a sweet kiss from God as if to say "Yes, Ryan. You made the right decision. Well done. You're on the right track." And then I hurried off to Big Brother Big Sisters where I conducted my first interview with a volunteer. My supervisor observed me and gave me great feedback afterward. I was very encouraged and I felt like, "Man, I can actually do this!" Then I was anxious the rest of the day because files continued to pile up on my desk faster than I could I knock them out. I feel like I'm behind, but i know I'm not. This is just the nature of social service: ample work and not enough staff. What should be a week long process to enroll volunteers is really a 3-5 month process. As the day came to a close, I worked a little extra but resisted the temptation to spend the night at the office. Instead, I came home and went for a nice, long run along Bayshore with Skippy. I feel as is my life is starting to take off, so to speak. I feel as if God is putting his foot on the gas and answering my longing to make every moment significant. He has already given me the opportunity. It's just a matter of seizing it. Often I hesitate. But he is good and patient and always keeps his hand extended, and the knowledge of that humbles me. I'm grateful for him. I'm grateful that he gives lowly man, who is of the earth, the opportunity to live meaningful lives before him, to do something that counts in the end.

Reflection On My Time In Tampa, by Lucas Pulley

It’s honestly a daunting task to even begin to reflect on such a life-altering experience as my days at the Lake House, living in Ybor City and experiencing The Underground.  I’ve put off this reflection for almost two weeks now, strictly because every time I sit at my computer I don’t even know what to type.  I want my words to justly describe the joy I discovered there in such a short time, and the deepening of my relationship with Jesus due to a better taste of the Kingdom, and I’m afraid words just can’t do justice.  You may as well be asking me what my first drink of water was like after spending the last 22 years of my life in the desert. 

For the prospective member of our house

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

(in no particular order)

You will be challenged:
‐We try to use as little as we can, including space, materials, money, fuel, etc. We don’t have cable TV, we look for less wasteful methods of transportation, we avoid using central A/C and heating, and we share our rooms and possessions with each other.
‐We take an active interest in each other’s lives, supporting each other in all that we do, and holding each other accountable to the values we have chosen to live by.
‐We live closely with each other so that we have to learn to deal with our differences of opinion, taste and personality without becoming destructive to each other.
‐We chose to live in a low‐income, high‐crime neighborhood. Our love for our neighbors will be tested when they steal from us, threaten us, attack us, antagonize us or frustrate us.
‐We look to God to lead us and guide us. He knows, better than we do, the desires of our hearts and the idols that we set up in that place; and His will challenges our own will, sometimes fiercely.

You will be bothered:
‐People knock on our door or call us, needing something. They may be hungry, or they may need to take a shower or wash their clothes. They may need someone to listen patiently to their story or their problem or their good news. They may need a ride. This and more is part of what we do and why we are here, and we are learning to do it with love and respect for our neighbors, each of whom bears the image of our God.
‐The way that you think things should be done may not happen. Part of this involves openness to new ways of doing things. Part of this involves working with people who may not be reasonable according to your standards. Part of this involves the destruction of your own expectations and of the agendas that you put onto other people as conditions for helping them. All of this points towards our ultimate and immanent reliance on the grace of God.
‐We all have different standards of cleanliness, organization, discipline, and order. Some of us will annoy others by our messiness. Some of us will annoy others by our demanding. All of us have some good and healthy disciplines to share with the rest. All of us will need to be gracious and kind to each other in our weakness. Be an example, not a critic.
‐Our house is old, our materials are what we can find or forage, and our willingness to simply purchase what we would like is crucified daily. Sirens, yelling neighbors, enhanced car stereos and the police helicopter are what lull us to sleep at night.

You will be counted upon:
‐Our lifestyle is characterized by a high degree of teamwork and shared responsibility. We come home depending on one another to have dinner prepared or the house cleaned or the animals fed. We share out possessions with each other and treat them better than if they were our own. We support each other in our trials. We don’t carry our own weight; we carry each other. And this is just the warm‐up for others who will need us (God, really, but we’re the best they’ve got) in desperate moments, in conflict, in pain, in need and in doubt.
‐We throw ourselves into the fray with abandon. Sometimes, we get in over our heads. When that happens, the rest of us are there to pass the baton and keep going. Any one of us would almost certainly burn out, but the lot of us can press on and heal each other in turns. Banish now from your mind the words “That’s not my job.”

You will be hurt:
‐Our joys come in quiet moments, but more often than not, they come in the midst of pain. Our experience of this lifestyle cannot be measured in pros or cons, good times vs. bad times; because our best moments may be the ones when we’re spent, or rejected, or taken advantage of, or we just can’t do it anymore. We are learning slowly to rejoice in pain. Please don’t be discouraged when things get difficult, rather mine that rocky terrain for the gold that is hidden among the rough. We’ll do this together.

You will be amazed:
‐God is bigger and wiser and more patient and more loving than we know. Time and time again we forget and remember that He is with us, and it’s the coolest thing in this world. Have eyes to see the blessings and mercies shown to us, and you will find more to be grateful for than you could have guessed.

If you haven't been scared off yet, this is for you.

Dear composters of the Lake House Co-op

I just wanted to thank you for collecting your compostable scraps. Already all of you have increased in the amount we have picked up each week and we are grateful. I want you to know that this practice is great for our community and we are improving the way that we steward what we have by finding ways to reuse our waste. There are so many nutrients in the food scraps that you have given that would have otherwise been thrown into an inferno and turned to ash and maybe produced a small amount of energy. This way these nutrients are staying in our neighborhood and revitalizing the earth that we live on. I really believe that this is part of the reconciling work of Jesus. He restored our relationship with the Father, with each other , and with the earth itself. This is another way that God is calling us to love our community and see his kingdom coming.

Intentional Community: Revisiting a Tribal Mentality in Tampa

By: Charlene Scott

Introduction

The American dream is alive and well in Tampa, Florida. Complete with yachts, white picket fences, and indoor pools, a large percentage of the population live in luxury unknown to the rest of the city's residents. Among the upper/middle class Americans with wealth and families who will likely never lack any material possession or influential connection, there are some whose children have chosen another direction for themselves. Accepting a “counterculture” approach as their new way of life, my communal living informants, Brian S., Jon D., and Ryan I. risk the marginalization that comes from siding with the poor, prostitutes, and inner-city minorities (Schulterbrandt & Nichols, 1972). These stigmatized populations are now their friends and neighbors as a result of intentional communities they helped create and live in, scattered throughout the poorest Tampa districts.

Communal living provides a viable alternative to the traditional American single-family housing structure offering practical access to sustainable living, community involvement, and pooled resources, while not necessarily undermining traditional family roles with its unusual logistics. In order to better understand this alternative way of living, I visited community gatherings, talked with members and non-members, participated in community activities, and observed casual interactions between community members and their neighbors. 

If you ask me about the lake house. By Tomas

If someone were to ask me what the lake house was i would say it the closest thing to nature in the inner city of tampa bay. I would also say they are closer to the lord then most people i know. If you where to ask me how i found the lake house, i would say they found me as i was sitting on a bench in ybor. If you where to ask me what they do, i would say they are a house of hospitality for the poor and the travelers. Some of them have traveled too. If you where to ask me how they live, i would say they live for the lord, in nature, in the poor, and in the broken. We are all broken in one way or another. They try to grow and raise their own food in the inner city. They make there mistakes, they learn from them and they say "this is the lake house, we always do things wrong the first time." They are the most loving, caring, and god fearing people i know. They try there best to walk with jesus...
though they need to walk with bare feet! lol
-Tomas

A Hoedown In the Hood-- Holding onto Hope With Both Hands

A leap of faith-- against all odds, we commit our lives to Him and to each other.

When true love manifests its beauty is breathtaking.

When we give our lives to God, He fills it with joyous celebration. He restores relationships.

On January 15th 2011, Benji and Angie became "Banjie" Jarrell. From the very first time I prayed with Angie to the evening they exchanged vows in the Romero Garden, their relationship has brought forth images of a garden. I cannot wait to see the fruit that God grows from this union.

May their family be blessed by God forever and ever, Congrats and AMEN!

Location: Lakehouse Backyard

Photographers: PJ Accetturro & Drew Coffman

MORE

Thirteen days into two-thousand eleven and already we have had a bullet lodged in a truck tool box, two break-ins into our back yard, a car stolen, the neighbors house robbed, friends fighting and breaking relationship, the largest turn out at a conscious party ever, a house being purchased, a plague that has gotten at least half of us so far, and in two more days we will celebrate the first lake house/church wedding in our yard!
I can’t help but remember all the times that I cried out to Jesus just one powerful word, “more.” 2011 so far seems like an amplification of every aspect of our lifestyle. More veggies, more visitors, more conflict, more laughter, more trials, more discussion, more parties, more people at homechurch, more dirty dishes, more projects, more compost, more ministry, more late nights, more early mornings, more jesus, more dependence, more of the kingdom coming. I am tired and eager. Excited and frightened.

An Ybor 2011

It was New Years 2011 and it began as a year that is promised to bring significant change to the lives of of many of us. We come into this year with hope and fear, knowing the love of God and our call to share it, as well as what that may mean for us. It will mean change, submission and responding to a call. Each morning we wake knowing this, knowing that we awake to attempt to move closer to God, closer to Jesus. We awake to die.

We try dieing to ourselves. It sounds easy, death often comes quickly, but not this kind. This death to self, and life for another, this is hard. It bears burdens and trials. We are tested by flames and pushed past our patience. We have moments, desire to flee from this life back to the comforts we once knew, the ones we once sacrificed. Can we pick them up again? Do we really want to or is it just a momentary weakness?

We go into another year of living a life of sacrifice, knowing that these struggles will only gather as we plunge farther into a life of Christ; and we are excited. There is already so much planned, and knowing us those plans will change. There are already three weddings involving us, our community, and it is day three of 2011. There are planned moves and new initiatives in the works. Talks of furthering education, leaving of jobs, going full time into ministry. Men are talking about joining our mess of an adventure and living with us in community. They bring ideas. We have set out to further our efforts in self-sustainability by planning an incredible ecosystem in our front yard. We talk about engineering a way to fit more people in our humble house so we can invite more into our community. We talk about how we can be more involved with our surrounding community and push others to join our efforts and pick up the passions we have accumulated along the way. We translate our love of Jesus into a language that not many hear in Western Christianity. It involves loving of neighbors as well as loving compost heaps in our front yard (and in our frustration we can look at them as the same). This language that baffles me calls to a life that considers the way we impact the lives of our brothers and sisters, as well as the way we impact the very earth we stand upon. It is a rich language.

So as we set upon this quest and christen this adventure of 2011 I have to ask myself if I am up for it? I have to look at myself and wonder if I will make it. This past year was both difficult and amazing. I have suffered much and yet have never known such joy. There will be difficult conversations and pivotal decisions all of which promise to be life changing and all of which will contain elements of pain and joy. I am beginning to think that one does not come without the other. The only comforts that come with this knowledge are these: that I have Jesus, and I have my community. Without either, I know I could not survive.

And so we set sail, and what better way to christen the New Year than with that which is fitting of our neighborhood. There are no champagne bottles to break, but bullets to fall, and so with this bullet that has fallen into the toolbox of my truck I take it as a push out into the unpredictable year of 2011.