Galveston, Oh Galveston

So, tonight is our quarterly Dream Team meeting at church.

Dream Team is what we have in lieu of an Administrative Council meeting - or all of those other committee/council meetings, that never seem to get anything accomplished.

A Dream Team meeting invites every person in the church to come and share their dreams. You bring your dream to the group and you answer three basic questions:

1. Does your dream meet the mission of the church? (To connect people to Jesus Christ)
2. Who will take the lead on your dream?
3. How will your dream be financed?

If you can satisfactorily answer all 3 questions, your dream now has permission to grow and become a reality. Very simple. And very effective.

I'm taking a new dream tonight.

My dream is to lead a VIM (Volunteers in Mission) trip to Galveston this summer.

I spent 2 weeks in Galveston, with the American Red Cross, right after Hurricane Ike barreled through - leaving 75% of the island drowning in sea water. The island is STILL recovering - 4 months later - and will need a lot of assistance in the next few years. The damage I saw in Galveston equaled the damage in New Orleans after Katrina - and yet, they didn't get the press or the notoriety that "The Big Easy" got. I hold two things responsible for that - first, the economy basically tanked right after Ike hit - and second, the Presidential election...these two things, for all intents and purposes, shoved Galveston right off the front page, and out of the minds of many people.

I hope to change that...as Galveston has never left my mind.



I want to take a group of volunteers - up to 25 - and head to Galveston to help in the re-construction efforts going on there. We'll sleep on the floors of churches, if we have to...we'll shower with someone's garden hose, if needed...but I just feel called to be there. Somehow. Some way.

So - I will take my dream tonight to Dream Team. Does it meet the mission? Most definitely. Who will lead it? Well, it's my dream, so I guess it would be me. And how will it be financed? Every man for himself - but it shouldn't be too costly. $200 for the week, perhaps? We'll keep costs minimal.



Are you feeling called to do something this year? To go somewhere to make a difference? To volunteer somewhere to change a life? If you're being called, nudged - or even pushed - don't ignore it. Listen to the call...acknowledge the nudge...go with the push. Go where God is calling you.

Be sure to do YOUR part today to save the world - one action at a time, one day at a time.

Peace.