Today we’d like to introduce you to Beau Abdulla.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Beau. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a former educator and non-profit director who founded Love People Not Pixels (LPNP) in 2016. I have been married to my wife Staci for 17 years and we have a son and daughter who are twins.
I founded LPNP out of a response to the freedom and healing I experienced in my own life and felt a desire to help others. For over 3 decades, I struggled with sexual compulsion/integrity issues. Through love and forgiveness of my wife, along with faith, support, education, counsel and a plan, I was able to break the chains off of my addiction in 2014.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh my gosh! No, it has not been a smooth road, but that’s ok. There are so many barriers that stand in the way of talking about the issues related to pornography and hyper-sexualized culture. This is a very personal and divisive subject. Culture, religious beliefs, personal fears, shame, protection, reputation and many other factors require LPNP to be very thoughtful about our approach and the language we use. It is our desire to meet as many people as possible where they are at.
Please tell us about Love People Not Pixels.
We believe heart issues require heart responses. LPNP does not have the required relationship with people seeking help and freedom from sexual addictions and compulsions. This is why our program model does not focus on providing direct care for the people with sexual addictions and compulsions. We focus on equipping “Defenders” in their lives who can help them.
With regards to the fight against human sex-trafficking, LPNP is fighting this battle by seeking to reduce demand. Supply and demand dictate that if fewer people (predominantly men) want to purchase other human beings for sex, the supply will automatically reduce. This outcome is at the core of the culture shift LPNP is seeking to inspire.
Sexual compulsions and addictions are fueled by shame and silence. So many people, young and old, have been overtaken by empty promises of pornography and hyper-sexualization but don’t know where to start addressing it.
LPNP’s mission to inspire a culture shift where individuals, families, and communities make informed choices to reject pornography and defend one another from sexual exploitation. Our strategy for living out the organization’s mission is rooted in relationships and is fulfilled through an army of “Defenders” across the city.
A defender is someone who:
1) Is intentional not to let pornography into their life.
2) Encourages other people in their life to make informed decisions about pornography.
3) Defends others in their communities from sexual exploitation.
A “Defender” can be a parent, a student, a teacher, a coach, a friend, a community advocate, a church/religious leader, etc. LPNP has a goal to equip 1000 “Defenders in the greater Houston area by the end of 2019.
Do you feel called to Defend Love in Houston with us? If so, we invite you connect with us. The first step is to visit our website www.lpnp.org and register with our on-line Defender community.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have brought more people in and let go of specific tasks sooner. From Apr. 2016 – Dec. 2017, LPNP was essentially a one-man show. I was bi-vocational, serving as the director of another local non-profit while also operating and growing LPNP. This was not healthy for me, my family, LPNP or the organization I was working for. In Jan 2018, I quit my job and dedicated my time to growing LPNP. I hired staff not knowing how I was going to pay them and committed to the mission of LPNP. The growth, quality, and impact of the organization have been incredible over the past 8 months.
We are having a blast!
Pricing:
- Live presentations – $250 – $600
- LPNP T-shirts – $20 – order on-line
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lpnp.org
- Phone: 281-745-4302
- Email: info@lpnp.org
- Instagram: @lovepeoplenotpixels
- Facebook: @lovepeoplenotpixels
Image Credit:
copyright (C) 2018 Love People Not Pixels
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