F3 New Orleans

Tag: Faith

  • Operation Sweet Tooth- Time to make an IMPACT

    So today marks the 6 month anniversary of Sweet Tooth’s passing.  Let alone a difficult day but a difficult past week with Halloween, All Saints Day, All Souls Day and a special Mass for those lost with St. Marks Church.  But, as difficult as this road has been and will continue to be until the last breath I breath, there is a reason to keep on fighting…to live in all that is great with Christina; Operation Sweet Tooth.

    To us, only a short 6 months has felt like an eternity without having our precious baby by our side.  The countless moments we miss can never be replaced.  All we can do at this point is honor her by helping kids, who need our help.  I am calling on you, the Pax of F3 Nation and FiA Nation to aid in that support.  The purpose of Operation Sweet Tooth is to provide smiles, comfort, and peace to those kids who need it most and to let them know…that strangers care.  This I is something that is bigger than me…bigger than you…this is real life.  As awful my family feels, there are children, and their parents, (if they have any) that may feel worse and more sorrowful than we are.  And together, we can make a difference.  The decisions we make today can have a ripple effect that can last a life time. It’s time to roll up our sleeves, empty our pocket books and humble ourselves for the betterment of those less fortunate.

    My family and I are eternally grateful for all the support we have seen already.  You know who you are.  All the plans, establishments in consideration and willingness to support her, has made this family truly humbled.

    Now, as the first “official event” it is time to make a huge impact on children.  What started out as a concept has transformed into an entity.  Operation Sweet Tooth is officially a 501C3, a non for profit business.  The mission is to provide children hope, peace and comfort though toys, money or companionship and to let them know a stranger cares.  That was what Christina was all about.  Currently, DDP of Isotope and his business partner is working on our official website.  We intend to fulfill our lives for the benefit of children who need our help.  But I will be honest, we are using this platform to help with our mourning, and healing, and to give us hope and reason to survive, live and maybe one day, not anytime soon, thrive.

    Entities to benefit from our efforts are Levine’s Children Hospital, homeless shelters, orphanages, special needs establishments and anything else that caters to children.  Truthfully, any organization that supports children has our support.  I have been asked by the Pax about Jeff Gordon’s Children Hospital…this is where Christina passed away…and many mistakes were made.  Although maybe their intentions are good, for the purpose of this first drive, my wish is that this organization is not honored.  You want to know? Ask me and you will have no problem with my decision!  Other than that, you have our support if it supports children in need.

    That said, I want to make sure this is a complete success and gets the notoriety it deserves…not for me…but for the cause.  Please let me know how many toys or items you have collected so I can send the prayer cards that should accompany them.  I have two thousand! Wondering if we can beat that?  I also want pictures for our future website, OperationSweetTooth.org.  We will have current events/fundraisers to who the impact we are having on our communities.

    For my brothers is Isotope/NoCo, if you cannot make the Christmas party, please let me know.  I will be encouraging the Pax to bring items at their local Friday workouts.  MQ’s, please touch base to make arrangements for pickups etc.

    I will let everyone know when the website is fully operational.  As well as FB, Instagram etc.  As of now, only @OpSweetTooth on Twitter is functional. Of course any questions you have you can send there or @F3_Olive, operationsweettooth@yahoo.com or operationsweettooth@gmail.com

    I want to personally thank each and every one of you for supporting OST.  I will be honest, I hate that I am doing this.  I should not have to be.   But I will do anything to honor her, HIM and ensure that I get the opportunity to see her again.  This is our calling, whether welcomed or not to have an impact on lives that far reach above and beyond ours….and I believe, rather I know…this is what we are supposed to do, under our circumstances…and I am humbled by your support!

    Lastly, this is a movement to bring awareness to to myocarditis.  The heart condition that killed my daughter that was undiagnosed…and unrecognized.  The medical community failed her.  I don’t want that happen to anyone again, even if it does not bring my baby back!

    myocarditisfoundation.org

    -Olive, Jager and Happy Meal

  • NOLA 3rd F at Casino Building

    The launch of the NOLA 3rd F:

    We will be reading and discussing the book: How God Makes Men on approximately a monthly basis.  T-claps to Amnesty for suggesting this 3rd F and Hawgcycle for taking the initiative to find the book and getting YHC to commit to taking the first Q.  10 Burpees for whoever said we should do it at 6:00am pre-beatdown on Saturday though.

    3rd F Disclaimer: I am not a pastor, priest or prophet.  I can only read the Bible as you do, draw logical conclusions and applications and have faith in God to fill in my gaps in understanding.

    As a prequel to the first chapter YHC and the PAX discussed God’s providence.  Was God asleep on August 29, 2005 or September 11, 2001? Whether you believe God actively causes all events on earth, that He passively allows man to do evil, and/or that the evil is all do to the deterioration of the earth after man’s sin, we all agree that God is actively involved in the events of the day and individual man bears responsibility for his actions, whether good or evil.  Romans 8:28 is very clear, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

    Does God work everything to the good of all?  What is the criteria set on the people for whom God works events for good?  Those who love God and are called according to his purpose and verse 29 gives an idea of what the lives of those people look like: “conformed to the image of Christ.”

    We will see God’s providence play out in the lives of each of the men we study in this book: Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, David, Solomon, Nehemiah, Job, Peter, and Paul.  The circumstances for some of these men are the direct result of their good or evil actions (Abraham v David) and for others their circumstances are of no real fault of their own (Job and possibly Joseph).  Whatever the circumstance we can see the good that comes as a result of the events of their lives which should strengthen our faith as we endure events that we cannot explain or make no sense in our lifetime.

    JV mentioned, God has the perspective and understanding of a wise parent watching their child take shortsighted actions which the parent foresees will result in injury.  We are bound by limited understanding and our temporal nature while God is omniscient and eternal able to see and direct all the events to the good of His people.