December

2014 is quickly approaching and that means a new year with new possibilities.  Personally, I'm excited for what is in store for myself, and LUVnLUGZ!  2013 proved to be a year of great strides and the dream I've had for all these years is closer than ever.  There have been many things that have gone right and also those which have not gone as well, I remain optimistic though!

These are just some of the wins we have had this year:

1. We had our first trip in November where 3 ladies were able to visit their loved ones at McCormick Correctional Institution!  It was an amazing trip and I look in expectation to the next!

2. I was able to get the information into some of the institutions in South Carolina and have received many calls from people needing the service.

3. I have had many opportunities to share this service with many people and it has been received very well.

4. 150 letters went out to churches around the state that are involved in some form of prison ministry, I have talked to a lot that are interested in working together.

5. We hit 100 likes on Facebook!

6. We have a website, LUVnLUGZ.com!

7. I have been able to send letters to possible board members and one gentleman has accepted the invitation!

There is still a lot of work to be done though:

1. We need at least three more people to serve on the Board of Directors.  I'm continuing to pray that the right people would be on the board, please join me in this prayer.

2. We have a budget of a little over $10,000 for the first year and we will need to have a productive fundraiser in the first part of the year.  I pray that people will see this as a need and be willing to support it financially.

Please join me in praying for this next year!  This first year is the most important to the rest of LUVnLUGZ existence!  This year will set the tone for years to come!  Thank your prayers of support! God Bless and Merry Christmas!

Dylan Marshall

November Update

I want to first take this time to thank all of you who continue to support me and my dream!  I have had this dream for 7 years and it is finally starting to become a reality.  All of the work that I have done is so very worth it.

In the past couple of months so much has happen:

I sent out letters to all 26 institutions across the state of South Carolina and there has been some great response.  All of the institutions have not posted the information in their facilities, but I'm hopeful that they will eventually.  I'm getting a lot of calls from family members that have loved ones in institutions that have posted the information.

I also sent out around 150 letters to churches that participated in Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree ministry in the past couple of years.  I have heard back from some of them and they will be including the information about LUVnLUGZ with each gift.  The gifts go to children of inmates.  I look forward to seeing what comes from this!

In September we hit 100 likes on Facebook, and we received our first call from someone wanting visitation!  Also just this past Saturday, November 2nd, we took our very first trip.  I took 3 people to visit their loved ones at McCormick Correctional Institution.  It was a long 11 hour day, but it was way worth the time!  All three people were extremely grateful.  Here are testimonies from 2 of the women:

my blessing has been answered Mr Dylan was able to take me to see my son today in mccormick it was a good visit also my daughter Heather went i just wanted to tell everyone what prayers has been answered from a wonderful group. -Dianne

I would like to thank Mr. Dylan Marshall for taking me and my mother to see my brother today. You are such a blessing.. Cant say thank you enough.. -Heather

For Dianne and Heather it had been over a year since they had seen Steven, Dianne's son, and Heather's brother.  Alicia also traveled with us to visit her fiance, it had been over two years since she was able to see him.  He had no idea that she was coming and was so excited/surprised to see her.  The joy these 3 people had brought me, and still is, great joy.  It is not easy visiting and having to say good bye, but it is worth it to be able to see that person.  It was never easy for me to go see my Dad in prison, but I'm so thankful that I was able to.  It helped me and my Dad to continue our relationship.

I'm currently working to build the Board of Directors, and planning for the first year, 2014.  I will also begin fundraising very soon.  I would ask that you please consider donating to LUVnLUGZ.  If you would like you can donate now at LUVnLUGZ.com or you can keep your eye out for opportunities to donate in the next few weeks.  Thank you so much for your continued support and I look forward to all the great things we will see together!

Dylan Marshall

August Update

I'm extremely excited about what has been going on recently with LUVnLUGZ.  I have had many opportunities to meet and share my vision for LUVnLUGZ with others and I have received some great feedback.  As I have said before, I received the vision for LUVnLUGZ back in 2007 at this leadership conference that I attended called, Leadershape.  Until late last year, I have not really pursued this vision.  I know for a fact now though that LUVnLUGZ is what I'm being called to.  That is why I will do all I can to see this vision happen.  I have worked so hard this summer on developing a business plan.  Now that the business plan has been developed I have began to work more on some of the details of the day to day operations.  I'm also currently spending time praying about who I will begin to ask to be a part of the initial board of directors.  This is an important decision because this first group of individuals will be the ones that will set the tone for years to come as this organization develops.  Being a part of the board also brings a time commitment.  I know that there is still so much to be done.  I'm planning for the first trips to be this upcoming January.

In order for LUVnLUGZ to start in January there are a few specific things that are needed:

• A Board of Directors
• Individuals that are passionate for the mission.
• Individuals who are willing to spend some time fundraising (or providing personal funds), to get the organization up and running.
• We would love to have a Lawyer and a CPA on the board for the expert point of view.
• Funds
• We need to raise enough money to purchase a 12 passenger van (or have one given to us).
• I have found a couple of 2003 12 passenger vans for around $9,000.
• The other major expense is for gas which I have anticipated to not go over $10,000 for the first year.
• With having the vehicle we will also need $6,300 for insurance.
• Another important item is the 501(c)(3) fee which is $850.
• People
• I have already began to put out the info about LUVnLUGZ, but we need help in finding more people who can benefit from these trips.

I thank you so much for taking the time to read this!  Please feel free to contact me personally at, (248)709-9551 or Dylan@LUVnLUGZ.com, if you have any suggestions or leads.

Dylan Marshall

July Update

I love the show Shark Tank on ABC.  It is the only show that I actually watch consistently every week.  It is very fascinating and I love seeing all of the cool products that they feature on the show.  I have learned a lot from this show and possibly the most important is to know your numbers.  Nothing will get you put out of the tank quicker than not knowing your numbers.  This has led me, along with some guidance from a friend, to create a strategic plan.  I have taken a couple weeks now to get everything down on paper.  There is a lot that goes into this and I want to make sure that everyone involved is on the same page and knows where we are going.  I will be referencing the strategic plan in the following posts.

I would like to share the needs that we have with everyone:

• Board of Directors
• We need people who have a passion for this cause to step up and be a part of this board.
• Vehicles
• We need to have a reliable 12 passenger van.
• Costs vary, but we could get an older one in great shape for around $7,000.
• Other organizations
• We need to create a network with other organizations so that we can give recommendations to those who are being released.
• Drivers
• We need people who are willing to be a part of a two person team on the trips.

The immediate need is money so that we are able to start funding trips.  If you are willing to give anything please email me at LUVnLUGZ@yahoo.com or keep your eye out for a donation page link soon.  Thank You so much for your time!

I was in Columbia on Sunday and as I was driving by the correctional institutions I began to weep.  I say this because I want everyone to know that I'm passionate about this cause.  I will do everything in my power to ensure that LUVnLUGZ helps change lives.  I thank you for taking your time to read this post.  If you are unable to help financially, you can help us in another very important way: I ask that you pray for us!

God Bless,
     Dylan Marshall

Backstage

A couple of weeks ago there was a sermon at my church that was all about when God seems silent to us.  This was not only one of the most amazing talks I have ever heard, but it also gave me some intense hope!  Over the past couple of months I have felt at a stand still, and have also felt like what I was praying and asking for was not being answered.  I know that Gods answer to our prayers at times is no, but I've just felt like God was not answering them all together.  What I did not know or hear was that God was saying, wait.  What I know now is that God was setting the stage for what was to come.

I know for myself I'm super busy all of the time it seems.  I work a job, go to school, have other commitments, and also have a wife and son.  There is very rarely time in my life when it is quiet and still.  Because of this, I do not like to hear the word wait, nor do I look or listen to be told that.  You see what I know to be true is that God knows what it best for me.  He knows that I like/want (material as well, but I mostly mean situations) a lot of things, but He also knows what I should and should not have and the times for them.  In my mind I think I have it all figured out, but God is so far outside of my mind, because He created it.  I say it all for this last point...

At the close of the Old Testament God does not speak again for 400 years.  That is a really long time and God seemed to just be absent.  What we don't see in this silence though is that God was setting the stage for what was about to happen.  In this time an improved transportation, Roman Peace, and a world wide united language were taking shape.  These three things were being set up so that when Jesus came the curtain was ready to be lifted.

The same is true for my life right now.  I felt like God was silent, but He was up to something serious! I'm so excited about how God is working right now and I look forward to sharing it all with everyone very soon!

Dylan

Waiting

Waiting for something is one of the hardest things in this world to do.  Especially when everything is so available right at our fingertips.  We have phones that can do almost anything we want and more.  If our phone acts up we post statuses on our social media accounts (which connect us with the world immediately) with hashtags that say how hard our lives our and how much they stink.  Fast food restaurants are flourishing because we want what we want quick.  My point is that it is hard to wait for anything for many of us.

I'm no exception to this either.  I love to go fast and get as many things done in the least amount of time.  Lately though both my wife and I have felt God telling us to be still and wait.  I have felt God telling me to stay where I am and just do the best where I am right now.

I love to dream big!  I have huge dreams for my life.  It's not that I am cocky, but I am confident in how God has made me.  Because of this I'm always thinking of the next best thing.  Always looking how I can make more money or be more successful.  Because of this I find myself trying to do things on my own and not always being still and hearing what God has to say.

One area I know that I have to become more faithful in is my finances and to have faith that God will provide for my family.  One thing my wife and I love to do is tithe and we are faithful in that but we do not always spend the rest in the best way possible.  I'm also always looking at what I can do, job wise, to make more money.  God continues to tell me to trust Him and finally I'm starting to really hear and listen.

I know that I'm called to ministry work and LUVnLUGZ specifically and I must be open for God to lead me into that.  Right now in my life I'm where I am and while I'm there I will do my best and work to glorify God in my life.  I have no idea where God is going to take me and my family but I will trust in Him!  While I'm waiting I will not just sit still but will work to dig ditches that God will fill!

February 2013 Update

The starting of LUVnLUGZ has been such a long process.  I have struggled with many aspects of this organization, but the greatest obstacle has been getting the information out to those who are in need.  Businesses will not succeed if there is no one to benefit from what you do (I know this is pretty obvious...)  It has been a struggle getting the information in the hands of the right people.  LUVnLUGZ is directed specifically towards those who have loved ones in prison.  So to get the info in to the right hands it takes a deal of research and effort to call and talk with those who are already ministering to those people, but in a different way.

I have had major breakthroughs in the past couple of months and I have successfully talked with about 10 organizations who are in prison ministry.  They have all recorded our information for future reference, and to give to those who are in need of transportation.  One lady I spoke with was a former inmate and she now writes over 80 current inmates and tells them about Jesus.  She has asked if she can include my information in her letters.  This is huge because this will get it into the hands of current inmates who can contact their loved ones to get in touch with us in order to receive the transportation. I have also written a letter to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to get the information into the institutions for the inmates to see!

This break through gets me so fired up, because I know this is what God wants.  I know that He has given me this vision and I know that He is moving it forward.  God is interested in my (and yours) daily life, and He wants to see this succeed.  I'm completely sold out to the fact that individuals can change the world!  12 people following one man changed the entire course of HISTORY!  I want to be apart of something great!  And when God is behind it... It will be GREAT!

For each one of us God has something great for us.  Some of us already know what this is.  Some of us even know what it is, but are not pursuing it because of fear.  Some may not even know what it is yet, but if you seek God, He will reveal it to you.  Don't let fear cripple you of your dreams.  Don't be the person in 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the road who says, "I wish I would have done that..."  This life passes so quickly.  It seems like my boy was born just yesterday, but he is 5 months old.  Cherish every minute you are given and every relationship you are able to have.  Chase your dreams and be a WORLD CHANGER!

New, New, New

We are now 11 days into the new year and people are still going strong in their resolutions.  The gyms are packed, fast food joints are struggling, and credit card companies have seen a decline.  This is not something that is new news, but rather the trend year after year.  It is a lot like the middle or high school student who goes to church camp and gets amped up to serve the Lord and then they get home and are around all their same friends and within a couple of weeks that fire burns out.  The same is true for everyone around this time of year.  Starting in October or November we begin to think about what it is we are going to give up, do less, start doing, and we get excited about it.  We say things like, "This is the year I shed those extra pounds." "This year we get out of debt." And yet year after year many people get till about February (if your lucky) and you are back in to that same old way of living.

I would not say that I have any specific "resolutions" this year, but I would say that I definitely want to be a more successful person.  I'm not talking monetarily, although I would not complain if it happen :-), but I mean as a man, husband, father, and leader.  2012 for me was the best ending to a year that I have ever had.  I began working out in late October and since then I have lost around 20 lbs, over 2 inches off my waist, and went from almost being in an XL shirt to a medium.  Also in 2012 I had a baby, and I have had a tremendous time being a father, and LUVnLUGZ has developed so much towards the end of 2012.  My ending of last year was amazing, the best yet!

So far 2013 has also been the best start of any year for me.  I'm begin to get in shape.  I have began to get up around 4 or 5 in the morning, and spend time with God in the word and prayer.  I'm starting to learn better what it looks like to be a loving husband and father.  And word about LUVnLUGZ is starting to get out.  This is the year that we will make our first trip to an institution.  This is beyond exciting to me.  My heart beats for this ministry, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us.

2013 probably will not be the perfect year, and I definitely do not see it being the best for the rest of my life, but I do know that I will do everything in my control to make it the best year in my life so far!  We do not have control of much in life, but we can control our attitude, and what we put towards what we do.  So this year: find your passion and chase it!  You can change the world!