Blog Entry 23!
Introduction
While I was the director of the Quincy House-Veteran Homeless House-Topeka, Kansas back in 2011 in which it was founded by and was mainly directed by me as the founder/ director/ minister/ and advocate (On top of wearing other hats as well), in which was considered to be a Veteran Homeless Outreach Ministry (Grass Root Ministry), but was mainly for the Veteran Community of the Quincy House aspect of the ministry, but the Quincy House was managed by the umbrella of a faith based outreach street ministry called "Faith & Truth Ministries, Inc." where I was the founder and head minister of a Non-Denominational from 2010 to 2014 and after 2012 was going on and off until 2014 I believe, and we didn't just help the Veteran Community through the Faith & Truth Ministries, but the civilian community as well because of the biblical principals of the ministry of Jesus Christ of helping all those who are poor, sick, and hungry not just a certain group.
Firstly, I would like to say that during the time period the homeless veteran community was at its all time high during President Obama's Presidency, and the VA Secretary at the time was VA Secretary Shinseki the 7th VA Secretary from January 21, 2009 – May 30, 2014, and he proceeded by James Peake, and then succeeded by Bob McDonald the 8th VA Secretary. I remember those years pretty good knowing my memory at times isn't always working with me like I would want it to, but during that time period a lot was going in my life, even before that leading up to it because I was personally going through a lot with my spiritual life, and dealing with a lot with legal issues, and coping with being a disabled combat veteran who had a lot of medical/ mental health issues, but regardless I put my faith in trust in the Lord when I finally was willing to surrender to the Lord by denying myself and picking up the cross daily. A few years prior to starting my own homeless ministry for homeless veterans I was homeless for several years after serving in the military and what lead up to my homeless experience will be more spoke about in my book, and documentary, but I will explain a little of my experience and for my point of view of other aspects of the homelessness in the veteran community as well.
Yes those were the days of a lot of strange things still happening in my life where I was seeing more of what God had prepared for me and of situations leading up to me being on the missions & projects before and while I was almost sentenced to Prison time, and before that in another State I was on the run evading the legal system, and the law all because I was not facing my demons inside but actually appeasing them by not doing what was right but by avoiding getting the help I needed to face the demons so for a few years after being deployed the 2nd time and after being discharged from the U.S. Army I was a mess emotionally, mentally, physically, and I really had no solid network of support from any VSO's (Veteran Service Organizations) or Family or Friends but was basically on my own at that time before I started getting linked with other VSO/ groups, and other organizations.
I have come to realize later on in life that I truly believe God allows certain things to happen to you so you may be more prepared for the things that will come your way down the road such as what happened to me prior to starting a homeless shelter for the Veteran Community of providing a safe place, with food, enmities such as a (Laundry Facility/ Clothing Bank/ Food Bank/ Cable & WiFi/ Advocating/ Spiritual Programs of mentoring, and etc). It was no easy task, and I am pretty sure if I tried to start up a ministry before I was ready there would be more problems in my life knowing my faith in God was on shaky ground with me doubting and turning away from the Lord on several occasions. I also truly believe that there is a season for everything, and the time and place, and who are involved is no accident, because God is a purpose driven God that makes no mistakes, and God takes the good and bad, and God makes it work for His honor and glory.
While running the Quincy House and Faith & Truth Ministries, Inc. I learned so much more about my strengths and weaknesses, and learned so much more about life in general, and how people can be towards you through assumption of judgment based off of being critical with their thinking by not be as as forgiving towards those who have a past with the run-in with the Law/ Legal System, etc. I have always been an underdog my whole life, and I have always been a fighter even when it seems I am giving up I still manage to dig deep and keep fighting for another day regardless of the critics and haters of mine, because God the whole time was guiding me through the trials and tribulations in my life, and when others doubted me, and criticized me, and spread false rumors about me because of many factors such as jealousy, maliciousness, and pride of ignorance, etc; but that did not stop God or myself but made the journey more interesting for sure, there was defiantly not a dull moment in a ministry that reached out to those that were being ignored and abandoned by a failing to failed system that wanted nothing to do with those who have either over extended their stay from the Dept. of the VA or other organizations homeless programs or burnt their last bridge and had no where to go or turn to, and at that particular time the ministries I started played a roll of filling in the gap, because I was the only ministry that was stern but very fare, and willing to work with you unless I had no choice but to let you go from the programs coming out of the two ministries that I founded & directed all because of keeping the missions & projects from ending prematurely, and to keep others who participated of being part of the programs safe.
Secondly, just like I said that God is a purpose driven God so is Satan (The Devil/ Lucifer), and while going through so much before, during, and even after, I was able to beat the odds against me, and through God I was able to show the spiritual community, veteran community, and the local community, and even other Sates in the U.S. that nothing is impossible for God if you just keep the faith, the trust, and the hope in the Lord to not live by sight but to live by faith regardless of the circumstances. That is why even when I made mistakes or was feeling overwhelmed the Lord was able to guide me and help me through the moments of doubting of wanting to not trust the Lord or during the times that I felt as if I was making a mistake, and that the humors must be right, because at the tale end of my departure of when I was about to hand the Quincy House over to another Veteran I thought was the right guy for the job to take over what I started but came to be after the fact he was not meant to keep it going, but eventually have it end, but that was then and this is now, and the past is the past, and even though I was the person who handed him my baby the baby I birthed through God, raised, and matured to just hand it over to a person who really never was there in the beginning and never proved that he was the right person to keep it going, but instead as I have stated I thought at the time he was the right person to keep it moving forward for generations to come even though I had doubts, but I didn't at the time want to not trust God on this move of handing over the Quincy House to the veteran at the time who wanted to keep the Quincy House going, but instead he eventually killed it from even being better than what I was able to accomplish through God and the support of others, because what happen is another example that nothing last forever and not everyone is meant to take on missions and projects without the the blessings of the Lord.
Years later I came to realize that after I handed over the Quincy House to Cameron Taylor (Retired Air-Force Guardsman) while trying to expose the truth of his betrayal of me and what he promised he would do to honor our terms and conditions, and my wishes but of course he never intended to do that, and I campaigned to stop him, but for almost two years he was able to keep the Quincy House going barely, and before the Quincy House was officially closed the Quincy House was leaderless, and the Quincy House was shutdown by the courts to use a court order to evict those who were staying at the Quincy House while it was going through financial turmoil of Cameron Taylor not being able to pay the bills or care for those who were staying at the Quincy House knowing when he took over the bills were paid, and the Quincy House was operational and functional with food in the fridge and pantries, and pretty much everything ready for the new director of the 2nd director to take over the Quincy House since I started it.
Thirdly, so, you might ask me what does this have to do with the title of this Warrior Blog Entry 23; it has a lot to do with it. I am just giving you an introduction to what I will now start explaining of how the title and what I have already mention relates more than you think, and does collate in a very interesting creative way that continues to show me that the history of the Quincy House of Cameron & I running the Quincy House-Veteran Homeless ministry and what all transpired is proof there is a God, but not just a God but a loving, caring, wonderful, and an amazing God that will always show you things to help bring truth to a situation that maybe at the time makes no sense or doesn't seem to have real purpose to it at first, because God will only reveal things to you on His timing and when He thinks you are ready, and I know that to be true in my life and others knowing that since I have been alive for almost 44 years that you betcha God does things in mysterious ways at first but through the timing of the Lord will reveal the unknown to you even if you don't ask, but when you do ask for answers God is faithful, and God is a God that will not just keep you hanging to the point that you might want to just keep doubting Him because God is a merciful God a good God because good is God.
God wants you to trust Him knowing that if you trust him you are putting your fate in an invisible God for the most part is difficult for many or almost all at first or ever to just believe in something you can't physical see or hear or for that matter really feel or touch like in the bible of the gospels of Doubting Thomas, who wanted proof, but is God really invisible because after I have pondered on many things in my life I have realized God may not be in the form or shape I think he should be in or what others assume he would be in, but when you look around at things around or at situations in life or just what takes in place in general in our lives that you can see God in others, in certain situations or circumstances, and you can see in nature or life in general that God is everywhere. In essences God from the Greek word 'Omni', meaning All, God is everything that is good or even what people may look at that is bad, and is everywhere, and takes the good and bad and makes it work for His honor and glory for His Kingdom, but don't be mistaken God is not evil or can God even be around evil or partake in evil, because He is Righteous & Holy & Divine of perfect glory of nothing but awesome goodness, who Is merciful, and is our comforter, and a loving and caring God that we all should have hope in, and trust regardless of the circumstances around us.
Furthermore, you are still asking me what have I said that really relates to what I have just mentioned even after mentioning that what I am about to continue to say will make sense to the relation to the title of the blog entry 23, and to what I have mentioned will collate all together by me saying just this one word 'FATE'?
It is fate that I was where I was suppose to be before, during, and after I started the Quincy House! I may not of completely understand what God was up to then, but I do know more than ever now what he was up to after the fact and even then but more after time has elapsed, and I have had time to meditate on it and then God revealing me most of what was going on back then. God knows everything from before anything happens, during, and until the end, but we may not be able to know everything that God knows at the time or even ever, but I will tell you this that God will never leave us nor forsake us regardless what we may think or others or the world, because if we truly were honest with ourselves must of us should not be here on earth, and I am one of them, and it is shocking and amazing at the same time that I am still alive knowing all the things I have been through in life, but I am still here at least for today, but we are not promised tomorrow and we need to live for today as if it is our last day on earth, and we need not to take life for granted, and we may not always be in the position to impact your community or country or the world all the time or how you would like because nothing last forever and not everyone is meant to do what you want to do or what others want you to do or even for that matter God doesn't want you to do even if you think that is the case you are suppose to because life on earth is proof of that, and the cycle of life has been proving that since creation of the world and time, that we are created, born, are raised, then we grow up and live until we dye just live anything life form or plant on this plant, but makes animals, bugs, plant life, it is they have a purpose, but us humans we have to soul search and in many cases find out the hard way in life until we figure it out or never do until it is too late.
I believe that to be true for most things in life even with my past missions and projects: they are created, birthed, groomed, and live until it is the season for the cycle to end, and that really goes for anything that needs to have a beginning, a middle, and then an end, and if you look at most things in life that is the case for everything you have to do to just survive, but not everyone is able to start, and maintain, and the end of what was started isn't always planned out as what what was envisioned, especially for those who become homeless, drug addicts, criminals, etc., because even though they are doing the things to lead yourself down that path of a bad ending, you have to keep in mind that doesn't mean that is how they see things or believe things will happen to them even you warn a person going down the wrong path just like God does for us, but it is the freewill of God that He gives us to do what is right or wrong, but at the end regardless there is only one outcome the end, but how it ends really depends on us and if we are truly surrendering to the will of the Lord or are we blaming God, and life for causing us to be where we are at or are we even looking at the fact maybe we are suppose to be where we are at in life to prepare us to be ready for the end of our days here on earth?.
Lastly, during all the Presidents from the beginning of the beginning of the existence of the Department of the VA, but if you want to be technical about what I am about to say it is the homeless veteran issue has been around way before that. The issue with homeless Veterans became a reality more so after the Vietnam War, and it seemed to increase throughout the years, especially after the late former President Reagan released many of the mentally ill on the streets by closing many of the State and Federally funded Mental Health Hospitals and that caused a vacuum affect of eventually displacing many of the former mental health patients to be forced to become homeless and vulnerable to be exposed to elements of harsh conditions in big cities or metropolitan communities especially, and that decision made by the President then seemed to be a rational thinking and good reasoning behind closing down many of the known barbaric mental health hospitals that was a costly and very ineffective means to care for the mentally ill at times to treat those with mental health issues, but by doing that it did cause many of the civilians and many of the Veterans on the streets with no real care or preventive health measures.
But you can also look at it this way to that it forced the mental health industry to really rethink how to treat those with mental health issues, and that approach of shutting down the costly mental health hospitals back in the 80's forced the professionals in mental health to really rethink how to treat those with mental health issues, but what did actually happen that was not good at all it made the pharmaceutical companies rich and powerful, and I truly don't believe drugging people with mental health issues of disorders is not the solution either, but has proven to be a very risky, dangerous, and also deadly way to treat people because of the known fact that the chemicals going into the brain and body that the pharmaceutical companies sell to have Doctors prescribe to their patients has many know unhealthy risks that can cause more issues to the patient down the road if on the psychotropic drugs for too long or taken too much of it or not the right cocktail, and then in essences the patient will show signs of regressing not improving with their mental issues or disorders, and that is a fact. knowing I have been through that rodeo of trusting doctors who drugging me to the point of where I was getting very ill, and not doing well but worse after over ten years being treated with the crazy pills; it is proof you are taking a risk of putting man-made chemicals in a body that was intended for natural unprocessed chemicals that have healthy herbal forms that can easily be processed in your body without major residual effects that will cause yourself to be worse off then what you were before you took a regiment of toxic pills, but I am not anyone to stop taking your medicine until you go to a medical or a mental health provider and get thier feedback or advice of how to go about it, because on some of the medicine you take that is for mental health can cause more damaged to your brain or body if you go cold turkey so be smart about if you do choose to get of medication that is being prescribed by a doctor, and yes get a second or third opinion because not all doctors think a like.
Many of the homeless Veterans got involved with criminal actives, and many of them became very dependent to street drugs, and many of the homeless Vets. were incarcerated for many factors, but past reports have revealed that lack of effective and long term care of professional care on the mental health side of care was neglected by the lack of resources available for those needing mental health care after the closing of many of the mental health facilities or not available, but you can even look at the other side of being treated with medicine that is suppose to treat those with mental health issues or disorders can cause the opposite result of treating those with mental health issues, and has been known to cause the person to eventually end their life. There is no real clear answer of how the medical world should treat those with mental health or physical because the profession of that field of medical science is still being studied and the doctors are still learning, and the patients are the test lab rats or monkeys depending how you look at it, even after the drugs have gone through trial runs of testing it with animals such as lab rats or maybe monkeys.
The demographic of homeless veterans seemed to be a higher rate of males, that suffered with some type of mental illness, drug addiction, and a criminal history where the Veteran lack a family support network or lacked support through the Dept. of the VA, and even in the Veteran Community or even had support but limited or was enabling the Veteran. The increase of homeless Veterans continued to increase with collation of past wars, conflicts, and campaigns of the past, current, and it is projected for future wars, conflicts, and campaigns with no end of sight of the homeless Veteran dilemma or some say as I do an epidemic of Veterans being homeless, even when you hear the noise of the the pumping the volume of the noise coming from the government and their leaders/ State Representatives of their gesture of talking points to inform the world or even for the US that there are big things in the making of ending veteran homelessness, and money to be showered at the problem thinking that has helped in the past when currently it is more of a problem now then before, and you can go to cities around the US and see how what is being said is just the opposite of what the reality is showing us if you truly look at the problem not just ignore it thinking those in charge are actually fixing the problem, because it isn't the case at all.
There have been lots of money being thrown at the problems at the Dept. for example with the Veteran homeless situation that the government looks at differently depending on who is in charge as the Secretary of the VA or most importantly who is the President of the United States. But, it should clearly be obvious that Congress has passed big budget funding for the Dept. of the VA but still many Veterans are still homeless, and struggling. So, it is apparent that throwing money at a system that is failing and or broken or broken to the put of not possible of being fixed from what I can tell and know from experience or from what is being reported from outside sources reporting on the Veteran Homeless dilemma through VSO (Veteran Service Organizations), and some reports coming from news outlets, and etc.
Before I started the Quincy House I was homeless several upon several times after being discharged from the U.S. Army, where I was squatting in abandon trailers, abandoned houses or at risky dangerous city parks where ever I lived at the time, ate out of trash cans, begged for food for drugs, did risky things to stay alive or to be able to feed my drug habit. While homeless I lost everything many times overs in my life so far, not just money or possessions, but relations with family, and relations with my lovers, lost a career or two, and I was not able to function in reality of being able to cope with my mental health/ physical issues after serving for the last time for the U.S. Army. I was a mess, and I was not aware of how to seek help or where to go to seek help until I was informed by other Veterans who seen my current conditions of being homeless, a drug addict, and of dealing with legal issues in my life at the time.
See, not even the military community or some aspects of the Veteran community fully understands what many Veterans are going through after service until it becomes a reality to them because it is up close and personal and now a reality in their life knowing many at one point said to them self this will never happen to me or at one time many of the Veterans who eventually became homeless judged those and made fun of other Veterans for being homeless and had no love for those being in such a humbling and embarrassing situation for them who were a target of being judged, and for those who now are in their situation knowing before life changed for them the many of the homeless veterans served, fought, and sacrificed in wars, conflicts, and deployed as a hard charging, lean mean fighting machine, that was high-speed and low drag but with life in a blink of an eye a Warriors life can change for various reasons that many of those who are exposed to such abrupt change in their life of now being on the high life are now facing the fact that the pits of hell are closer than you think could even be possible that is at such a low level of pain and suffering; but people don't at the time think where some is where they don't want to be in may happen to them or others just like I said in a blink of an eye...boom/ flash/ swiftness of fate will come at you when you are not even looking or noticing...your life has changed.
So, how do I think Mr. President Trump is doing since he has been President you might be wanting me to get to the point to? From 1 to 10, and ten being excellent, and one being poor, he would get a three. Why is that you might ask? How can we think a man who has never been poor or has ever experienced being poor can really understand what it is like for a Veteran or anyone for that matter can really have the understanding who to put in place of being the right leaders for the VA when none of them really have that experience to deal with handling the veteran homeless problem are not being put in place who have had past dealings with being poor or knows from where they lived of the homeless issues going on around the world, because from what I have experienced people who are rich are not very good at dealing with people who are poor because the two being polar opposites from each other unless you have been seasoned in life with knowing both or more lifestyles at one point in your life or currently, but that is my experience and thought on that from my encounters with rich people while being poor, because it is hard to have a heart for someone when you are not even able to understand why you have the heart for them in the first place of lacking the experience of being poor or homeless or whatever situation , but to feel sorry that they are not in your shoes and that goes both ways.
Who I think should be taking the homeless issue with the veteran homeless problem would be Ben Carson (The Famous Brain Surgeon who tried to run for President) who has been United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development since 2017, under the Trump Administration, but he has his hands full trying to do his job in that position because who his boss is, and if he is having challenges now with Mr. President Trump and the other politicians there will be no different if he is the Secretary of the VA from what I can tell or see from my perspective, and from the track record of how Mr. President deals with various of types political and as the leader of the Free-World, lets just say I am not impressed or have hope anything that hasn't been blown up with Mr. Trumps hype of it going to be great or fantastic opportunity will actually bare any fruit because from has already transpired with many failed policies coming from Mr. President's Trump office such as his domestic/ foreign policies, immigration policies, veteran affairs mess, and now with his economic policies are starting to reveal regardless what his followers think or the far right media outlets are trying to tell the country or the world: things for my country isn't really looking good for not just the veteran community but for the whole world because the world was already dangerous now it seems it is more reckless, more dangerous, and on the verge of World War III with Russia, China, Iran, and even North Korea, because how He and the other world leaders are behaving as if it is Okay to run a country with pride blinding you, and with not even understanding that what a person says and does will not always be looked at by others as if they were fooled in the first place, because I am not fooled, and if anyone thinks that saying something that they want to prove is the opposite of what is going knowing that isn't the case really pisses me off and should piss other people off and it is, and the Election this year and in 2020 will prove that insulting a person intelligence by trying to downplay the mess you are creating and then blaming others is proof that not everyone is meant to be a leader unless they are placed their for a greater plan that is beyond most people knowledge of understanding the big picture.
Now, in ending to finish-up this blog entry 23 and finish-up my point with the ending part of the title of this blog entry is that since Mr. President Trump has been President, there have been an increase of Veterans committing suicide, and veterans being turned away from the VA, and Veterans not getting the care or the benefits they earned and deserved because of there is still a long waiting list to get care or to given get approved to be rated to even benefit from even get care from the Dept. of the Veteran Affairs. Also, he fired the past Secretary of the VA, and the new guy seems to be not able to do his job either or is not in reality because how things have transpired with not looking at the big picture that the Mr. President is about to allow and support in privatizing the VA, and with all the warnings and stern and load disagreement from many of the VSO's, and even the civilian medical community; are not supporting the whole thing on privatizing the VA because it has a lot of room to cause more problems with the Veteran Community that may not be able to corrected in time or reverse it because it may cause more of a financial and logistical headache. I think there is no good answer on any of the issues with the Veteran Community of dealing with the Dept. of the VA, but to I think to downsize the VA, and layoff a lot of people who are not essential or even have proved to be an asset but just another position filled by laws or by policies that was initiated out of the Union or created by those to help keep people employed even knowing they shouldn't be working for the VA, and get rid most of the Chiefs and more of the Indians who can be the workers not the problem makers, and to be able to help solve the problems created by those in suits and ties who think they know what is best or who are just lapdogs for those who placed them to keep the mandates in place by the big-dogs.
Conclusion
In conclusion I believe and think Mr. President Trump like so many other false hope politicians are distractions not reformers or real problem solvers who actually causes problems at the same time boasting they are creating the solutions to the problems while blaming others for the problems in the first place knowing that what they are doing or failing to do is actually compounding more problems for maybe not now or so but for down the road for generations to come to be the reason for not having any problems to be truly resolved such as the homeless veteran epidemic because of one reason that I will come back to is 'Fate', and that no mankind individual has the power to create a solution to any problem unless God ordains it and to know that is by seeing the fruit they bear or don't, and thinking what you see from what you are being told holds any truth is just ridicules because what you think in most cases is, it really isn't and time has proved to be the case you just got to know the difference by not buying into what post politicians are trying to convey unless you know that what they are saying and doing lines up with the divine, mighty, powers of God's will which I like to refer to as the predestined fate of God's will that no sinner meaning being human has been able to stop, and just look at your past or for that matter the past of the U.S., because history has a funny way of repeating itself or never changing in the first place but ignored and not even given a chance for it to remind you how the world is very unstable with unstable leaders at times being the problem not the solution, because there is only one solution to our problems in the world or for that matter the veteran community and that is more of Jesus less of the world's approaches to fixing the problems of the world that was created in the first place by the world.
So, to have hope in mankind is liking thinking why do even have faith in God?
Note: Down below will be some links and videos referencing Warrior Tim's Blog Entry 23, and some videos that I believe should be interesting and very inspiring to know that life may be sad and overwhelming to deal with but even though it may seem sad and overwhelming to see these videos, the hope in God can bring strength in those who are willing to keep fighting for those who have lost hope in those who promise to fight for them while they are not able to fight for themselves, and that is why I have done the things I have in the past when I was able through God back then or now, and maybe in the future because when it is right it is right to be part of the solution, and when it is wrong it is the same like when it is right, it is so wrong and it will go terribly wrong just like when it so right it will be going so amazingly right.
Author's Notes:
Warrior Timothy W. Sanders
I hope this blog entry has been informative and thought provoking and thank you for those who have took the time to read this blog entry, and please share this blog to others or get them on board of being a member so they can have an opportunity to be informed as well.
A special thank you to all who were supportive with me in the past with being able to experience of the involvement of being part of the homeless community around the States, especially in Topeka, KS, and what I have taken from being homeless of the places I was homeless, and while helping the homeless veteran community in the past in Topeka, KS (Quincy House-Veteran Home), and for Google/ YouTube of helping with my research of looking for the material for my blog entry 23 besides of my own first-hand knowledge of the veteran homelessness in the US! Last but not least, thank you dear God for helping me through my experiences of being homeless and of being in support of me and others of combating it with me through the Quincy House, and of authoring this blog entry 23 of my thoughts and experience of the true fact that homeless vets still exist, and helping with sharing all I know about it to help inform and educate about the future of our veterans/ homeless veteran community!
Scripture of hope in Christ:
Psalm 46:1-3 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
God Bless & God Speed!
Yours Truly!
Videos
Links:
https://www.google.com.ph/search?rlz=1C1CHZL_enPH815PH815&biw=1366&bih=657&ei=ok_TW8bALNv7wQOu66LoDg&q=homeless+veterans&oq=homeless+vet&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.35i39k1j0l9.4826.10077.0.13727.37.23.0.0.0.0.231.2115.15j5j1.22.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..23.14.1530.6..0i67k1j0i22i30k1j0i3k1j0i131k1j0i131i67k1.150.LJ62mW7PUks
https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlestiefer/2018/06/08/veterans-sustain-two-serious-defeats-from-trump-and-the-house-to-va-health-care/#3b69699e2c5a
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/07/trump-u-s-cant-afford-veterans-health-care-without-cuts.html?gtm=top>m=bottom
https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2018/06/06/more-fights-set-over-sweeping-veterans-reforms-just-signed-into-law/
Comments