From Zero to Millions (Part 1)

Let me first start off by saying that this is not about using the gospel to enrich myself or you.  Nor for me to tell you some real sweet story then at the end ask you to send me a check for a prayed over cloth.  When I discuss money here it is money that I raised by faith and used for the building up of my community, not money that went into my personal bank account.  Having given that disclaimer I can now move on and say with all humility that I was simply the tool that God used to make this happen and all the GLORY goes to him.  Everything I report here in the blog is true and verfiable and I purpose to help people understand that "God is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.



Some of what I will be sharing today comes directly from my personal journal which I began about 10 years ago.  The journaling began as a result of me attempting to understand my purpose and to clarify my call at a very tumultuous time in my life economically.

Excerpted from Journal entry 3-4-2003

Today, the executive committee of my board would make a decision that would be the foundation block for a major faith move in community development.  About one month ago a community resident came to me to discuss a grave concern she had with a house where she and her siblings had grown up in.  It was in total disrepair and the city was in the process of condemning the property and tearing it down.  She was grieved because there were so many memories and emotional attachments to the house and her parents, now deceased, left that property to the children; all whom have abandoned it except her.  She asked if there was something that I could recommend to help her save the structure from destruction.  I agreed to visit the property and see if there was something that could be done.

As I walked through the house and assessed the situation, I thought to myself, this house is beyond repair and it would cost a fortune to bring it up to livable standards.  I went back to the community resident and shared my sentiments and our conversation evolved into some creative methods to save the property and to relieve her from an obligation to the city to either bring the house up to code or pay $5,000 to tear it down.  Up to this point my non profit community development company had not done any housing projects and I thought, boy this would be a huge undertaking but it might work.  I prayed about it and asked God to show me what it could be versus what I saw.  You see in order for our faith to work we have to see through a whole different set of lenses. We have to see things as they will be versus what they are.  It's called walking by faith and not by sight.  In any case over a few weeks I began to see a four bedroom house with a nice lawn, painted interior, new roof, etc. etc..  But how in the world would I go from seeing something in the spirit to bringing it into manifestation.

More to come in Part 2 of my blog tomorrow.