Who's Number One???

Dear SoupFriends,

Greetings from the SoupMan!

Who's Number One! That's a question that seems to be asked all the time in our society. We are obsessed with who's the number one sports team; who's the richest man in the world; who's the top movie star; who's the best athlete; who makes the best widgets and many more Who's the....................

Recently at SoupMobile Headquarters this very question came up. The question was who's the most important person working at the SoupMobile. Here's how the question came up. We were writing a Public Relations piece involving myself and another staffer at the SoupMobile. The piece listed the other staffer first and me second in the introduction. That other staffer was my good friend Lon Ricker who is the Director of Development at the SoupMobile. He said there had been a mistake in the piece and that my name should have been first in the introduction, not his and we needed to change it.

I asked him why he thought my name should be first and not his. He said that traditionally the most important person is always listed first in a public relations piece. He went on to say that he thought I was more important than him at the SoupMobile and hence my name should be first.

I have a couple of observations about Lon's comment. First, this shows you what a humble man he is. If the SoupMobile had to name a MVP---Most Valuable Player, Lon would be high up on the list. Not only is he our Director of Development, he is the Chairman of our yearly Golf Outing and is the Chairman of our yearly Celebrate Jesus Christmas event. He is what you would call a 'go to guy.' If you need something done, call Lon. Yet in spite of all his accomplishments at the SoupMobile, he thought I was more important and that I should be listed first.

I have to tell you that I think Lon was incorrect. I am not the most important person (Number One) at the SoupMobile. For the right answer to this question of Who's Number One, we need to turn to the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 12:25 & 26 it says 'that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.'

The SoupMobile is made up of many parts. Staffers, supporters, friends, donors, volunteers, and prayer warriors. Who's Number One out of that group? Again I refer you to the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 12:12 it says 'just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body...."

At the SoupMobile we are all 'one body.' We are joined together in our common mission of helping the ones Jesus called the 'least of these.' So is the SoupMan the most important person (Number One) at the SoupMobile? No, not by a long shot. Is it that humble guy Lon? He would definitely tell you it's not him. Perhaps it's Stanley--our dishwasher; or Thomas--our Head Chef; or maybe Angel--who mops our floors; or Charine--our Office Manager? In my eyes we are all equally important. Not one of us better than the other; not one of us more important and not one of us Number One!

Yet in our fast paced modern society we seem to be enamored with the question of Who's Number One? So okay, if I absolutely have to, I will pick the Number One player at the SoupMobile. Its one of our more humble people; a guy with a flair for out of the box thinking; a knack for getting things done; a selfless spirit and a willingness to give his very life for you. His name---Jesus! HE's the answer to the question---Who's Number One at the SoupMobile. HE's our star player. HE's our mountain mover. HE's our Number One.

As Executive Director of the SoupMobile I am one part of the body. No more important---no less important than anyone else here. I am blessed to be surrounded by an army of men and women who share my commitment and passion for 'Feeding and Sheltering' the homeless. So if you must---go ahead and call me the most important person at the SoupMobile. However, no matter how long or how loud you say it---you will be incorrect. The answer will always be the same: Our Number One is Jesus!

May the Lord Bless & Keep You All.

Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan

Baby, It's Hot Outside!!!

Dear SoupFriends,

Greetings from the SoupMan!

Have you noticed its been pretty hot in Dallas lately. We've had a whole stream of 100 degree days with no end in sight. I mean like, its smoking out there. Well, no real worries! We've got this thing called Air Conditioning (A/C). Oh yeah, good old A/C. Yep, we've got A/C in our homes, our cars, our offices, at church, in movie theaters, at the mall and gee whiz---just about anyplace we go.

So no worries. It's cool (all puns intended). Just like every summer in Texas we know it's gonna be a hot one. It's totally cool because most of us simply leave our A/C homes, get into our A/C cars and then arrive at our A/C offices. Just a few steps in between to feel the heat. Just enough so we can tell everyone we meet just how hot it is out there. And for our local TV Weather People its a huge talking point every night. But that's about the extent of it---it's just a talking point. After all in this modern day culture we all have A/C, don't we?

Oh wait, lets back up the A/C truth train for a moment. Hmm, on second thought I guess we don't all have A/C. In fact now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure there is a huge segment of the population who gets little or no A/C.

A little birdie told me that we have more that 10,000 homeless people living right here in the Dallas area. For most of them A/C is only a dream. There is no A/C if you are living in a cardboard box under a bridge; no A/C if you're home is a lean-to shack in the woods; no A/C if the place you lay your head each night is an abandoned building and interestingly enough no A/C in some of our homeless shelters. Our homeless friends have to suffer the entire summer in the sweltering heat. They face heat related problems like sunstroke, heatstroke and dehydration. All life threatening conditions. They face not just the general discomfort of the heat blast we get going from our house to our car to our office but a constant heat blast that can exceed 100 degrees in the day and stay in the 80's even at night. And with their limited access to water and fluids the situation can be downright dangerous.

So do we really care? We've got A/C and they (the homeless) don't. Does is really matter? Well I'm thinking it would matter to a guy who walked the earth about 2,000 years ago. Yeah, that Jesus fellow. He talked about reaching out to the ones HE called the 'least of these.' I think he would care. I know I care. I know my fabulous SoupTeam cares. I'm thinking that you care to. But caring is not enough if you're not doing. Yes, when Jesus talked about reaching out to those in need HE wasn't making a suggestion---HE was calling us all to action. In SoupSpeak, it means 'put up or shut up'. By gosh, its hot outside---do something. Don't just talk about the heat---do something!

Okay, I can hear you scratching you head and saying, "SoupMan, you got any ideas." Well as a matter of fact I do. How about something as simple as buying some bottled water for the homeless. You can buy a case of water for about four bucks. Way less than a double mocha spritzer carmel sprinkled foamed latte coffee at Starbucks. Buy a case of water and pass it out to the homeless. Can't do that you say. Okay, then buy it and bring it to the SoupMobile and we will pass out to the homeless. Can't do that you say. Okay, then go online at www.soupmobile.org and donate the money and we will buy the water and pass it out to the homeless.

Maybe one day you spring for the ice cream dessert for our 600 homeless lunchtime meals. Maybe you help us sponsor a homeless residence in SoupMobile Village (our homes have A/C). Maybe you come with us at lunchtime and help us serve the 600 meals in the 100 degree heat and show our homeless friends you're in it (the heat) with them.

Bottom line: Do something! Don't let the rest of the summer go by as you go from your A/C home to your A/C car and to your A/C office. Do something meaningful to help the ones Jesus called the 'least of these.' Still don't know what to do. Then call the SoupMan at 1-800-375-5022. He will give you some ideas. But if you call him, be prepared to think out of the box and push the envelope in a big way. The homeless have big problems that require big solutions. But no worries about that either because we serve a Big God!!!

May the Lord Bless & Keep You All.

Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan