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Finishing Strong. A great season comes to a close.

Thirteen months ago, I sat at a coffee shop with a lady who had better options.
Options of stability, timelyness, comfort and so on. And, as was expected though our
interaction was pleasant she chose the more practical solution.

God had a different plan in mind. The woman was Becky Hicks and ten days later
Becky called me and said, "J. I know this will sound crazy, but I didn't feel comfortable with
that family living in my house, I really feel like your supposed to be the one who lives there."

And so in July of last year I moved in to 222 5th Ave. S. I told Becky I had heart to love people
and help out those in need. She told me she loved the idea of her grandmother's house being
used in that way. She has been gracious every step of the way. Flexible with payments, time,
and always stuck to her guns that she felt I was supposed to be there.

Thanks largely to her heart for me, 222 housed numerous missionaries, pastors, bands, homeless,
broken, depressed, hungry, and amazing people. It wasn't always perfect, we didn't always all live in
complete harmony and unison; but overall it was an amazing season.

In late july we got word that through a chain of events the city did some investigation into our ministry.
They infomed us that what we were doing was breaking a city ordinance and we weren't zoned properly.
We were given until the end of the month of August to clear the house and cease operations.

And so this chapter has quickly come to a close. It was good. It was right. And now I want to finish strong.
There are some expenses that have built up over the last 13 months that I have been paying off bit by bit.
Including, some final utility expenses, and some rent payments from early on, with some of our early guests
took advantage of the situation in a negative way.

I would really like to bless Becky for taking a chance on me, and this ministry. I would like to show her that
it's worth it to trust people, and believe in them. The total ammount remaining in my debt to her is $966.
If there is any way you could come along side me in this last push to finish strong, I would greatly appreciate it.
Anything over the remaining balance will go as a gift for her. Becky's had to pay for a lot of damage that came after
the flooding we had in nashville, and she spent a month out of work earlier in the year with an injury.

Any donations can be made out to conduit mission
and mailed to:
J. Morris C/O John Ross
524 OverView Lane
Franklin TN, 37064

Thank you all for being with me this year.
Your love has gone farther than you can imagine.
Blessings.

I got stuff. You got stuff. Now What?

It used to be the only thing I worried about when attending a wedding was if my mom ironed my shirt and if my game boy had fresh batteries. I didn't have much vested interest in the actual marriage. They were my parents friends or my aunts and as long as I got some pigs in a blanket and a few cups of punch I considered the whole thing a great success.

Twenty years later I'm not sure my success standards are much higher. I'd prefer chicken marsalla to mini hot dogs and a glass of wine to punch. That being said, my connection to those getting married has increased substantialy. Now they're my friends, people I've shared life with in some form or another.

Even more odd is when these married couples come and ask my advice on something. Everything is so clear when your single. Or it seems to be. I have often thought things like, "why can't they see how they speak to eachother?" and "dude your not listening to her!" I nievly wonder how it could be so hard for married couples to just talk through things and come to logical reasonable solutions.

The truth is I know better. I've read a dozen or so books that tell me things like, mens ears are blue, and womens brains are like spaghetti, and they're both from different planets. Logical solutions don't really work though, not usually. We like the idea of a formula but when the equation is altered by sex, emotion, baggage, and hormones it gets pretty difficult to "solve" anything.

I was talking to an older married couple once about their "sucess" and how they achieved it. The man told me ,"you want to have a good marriage, get the first two out of the way." We laughed for a minute and then he leaned foward in his worn recliner and said, "If you always put the other person first you can't lose".

This sentiment has stuck with me for most of my adult life. I wonder if maybe it could be that simple. This idea of selflessness, or atleast an attempt to go in that direction. Two people putting eachother first, one day at a time. Because we all have baggage right? I got stuff. You got stuff. Now What?

j.

Fall in Love with YOUR NIEGHBOR

the story of Turntable 222.

Fall, for many, is a time of new beginnings, some spend 12, 16, and even 20 years with fall as a transition into something new. A new grade, a new school, a new state or even country. Transitions don't stop however, when you receive a diploma or begin a career. They just cease to be scheduled.

When we are young seasons change with excitment. There are "back to school" sales, and winter vacations. Unfortunately, in adulthood, Macy's doesn't have a sale when a company downsizes; and there is no winter break from the responsibility of payment and process.

Over the course of my life I have shared space with many hospitable strangers, friends, and "makeshift family". In my time of need people have brought me in, given me a floor, bed , a comfy couch nestled by a window in a family room some where. I have poured out my soul over coffee and had my soul restored over tea. I have been taught how to learn and showed how to love well.

Transitions don't always come with a warning, and for many they don't come with support. It is this realization that has brought me to where I am now. Writing this letter from a donated couch in my living room. Picturing my house full of people who are leaving one season and transitioning or "Transferring" to the next.

The way I'm wired, the best way to connect with people, is to meet a physical need first and then if the opportunity arises, meet the spiritual or emotional needs as well. And often the three happen at once. This, along with all that I have said above, is the vision and heart of what is called "Turntable 222". A mission statement might read something like, "changing seasons, sharing life."

The hope is to give people a place to stay for little or no money, to have some time to collect their thoughts, stir up their soul, and feed their bellies. There's most definitely a need in this area. Within hours of signing the lease, I had a local pastor send me a guy who is trying to fix his marriage, strengthen his faith, and get his business off the ground. He was sleeping at the church and we were able to give him a roof, a shower, and a place to wash his clothes. And the calls keep coming.

So in case you haven't figured it out by now this is a support letter. I'm not going to build a well in Africa, or play soccer with orphans in Honduras.
I'm staying right here, in my small town and pouring into my community. I hope that you will partner with me in this endeavor. I know times are tight for many, money may not be an option. I understand. Or, maybe you just don't feel connected to this cause. St. Paul, the Apostle, told the early church that if they ever felt like they were giving out of pressure, they were not required to give.

Here are some practical ways you can help;
We are building some bunk beds, and
making some furniture for the dining room; which is to be set up like a cafe with room to seat about 16. we need money for materials.
Donations of furniture ie couches, coffee, tables, rugs whatever would be appreciated from local partners.

Food. soups pastas etc
Supplies, soaps, sponges, paper products
gift cards. Wal mart, Home Depot, Good Will

Financial donations will help cover the overhead cost and will help us provide for the needs of our borders and guests during their time of transition.

Or, a super practical way to help support the mission is to support my trade, refer someone you know who needs a website or print material done to me, and you will create an opportunity for resources to be put back into the house.

Thank you so much for reading this letter and letting me share my heart. Please contact me if you want more information.
Love well and be blessed.

How do you know he's the right one?

or in my case she>

A friend of mine from New England and I were chatting on IM the other day, she started the conversation with a pointed interesting question. "How do you know if your supposed to date someone or not?" ...

My thoughts are as follows,

I have a saying, "there are boys you crush on, guys you date, and a man you marry." 
don't waste time on boys and guys there not worth the heart ache,but a man who loves you well, he will find you.
obviously it is different for each person. I personally have a 4-6 month rule
if I think I like someone I try to get to know them for a while first if the feelings are still there after a few months it's a win win, you already know each other better and there is some security that thet're sticking around for a while.
If they are not there it wasn't worth it to one person or the other, "love is patient"

within the context of those months evaluate it on what you know love is supposed to be, with the understanding that it's messy and imperfect. Are they kind, do they make you feel like a better person/ bring out the best in you?
is he/she willing to do the hard work when things get a little messy
or do they kind of shut off?
does he/she care about how you need to be loved and can she communicate you he/she wants to receive it in return? These are important things.

I think that while love is always a series of actions, it should also come easy. believe the best for each other, hoping for and seeing the greatness inside....but it do not have expectations of change.
I mean to say a horrible cook may become an okay cook but he'll never be a chef.
if you go into a relationship wanting a chef, than date a chef, don't date a dishwasher you hope to turn into a chef.
the metaphor of course runs deeper than cooking. Date someone you already like not someone you would like IF...

Communication is like a dance, sometimes it just clicks and the two partners move seamlessly and other times we stumble for a bit before getting into rhythm.
but if he/she seems has no rhythm at all than watch out! You may be dancing with someone else partner, what seems clumsy to you will be perfect for another.

and top of the top, for me at least, is does her love for Jesus ooze out of her, to the point of almost being annoying? as a guy I want to be the spiritual leader but I don't want a dummy, I want to be challenged.

one last but very important thing is attraction. It matters. I have been told it really helps in those tough times.

So how do you know if you should date someone?

its a tough call to make. but it' not finding someone you can live with it's finding someone you can't live without.
And when things don't work out remember,it takes a long time to walk into love and we do walk, not fall. And just because relationships end doesn't mean they stop emotionally right away.

boys you crush on, guys you date, and a man you marry. 
j.

So that was my take on things what do you guys think?

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Testing 1 2, 1 2, Is this thing on?