Send me your bio

Here it is, first week of January and 70 degrees today! Wow, time for some outside activities! My front yard could use some leaf picking up but that is no fun. Wonder if a golf game might be on the agenda? Hope it is nice where you are. Another great week of fun and blessings.

We had too many folks for the van to hold, so we took two vehicles on our Saturday visits. Our first stop was our friend Turner. Since we have been band from walking across the railroad bridge to Turners, we have tried to find another way in. Two weeks ago, we tried but did not find a way. Last week, we did! In fact, we now can walk along a short stretch and come up to Turner's back door into the camp. Never knew he had a back door? Turner greeted Mr Scott as he entered the camp and walked back with us to the van. It was amazing to see Turner in the middle of all us walking along the trail. What a blessing.

Monday, we had more kids than we had help, so Joey and I served up prayer and snacks and  the kids went back home. Tuesday was better with much needed help. We got to sit down with the children and do some work. Wednesday was more play than work. We still struggle with what we are trying to accomplish with the children. They lvoe to come, we are glad they do, but what are there for? Is it to teach, is it to play, is it to just be there? God has a plan, what is He telling you all?

Tuesday evening, we again gathered for our community mens Bible study. Got to thinking maybe, Bible study may scare some men off? I know when I first started at Grace, it did me, when I saw a men's Bible study happening. Really, we read a passage or two, but we share more than we read. It is good for men to have a place where they can share what is on their hearts and not worry about being judged, we all need a place like that. I know it is one of the highlights of my week.

Wednesday morning I had the opportunity to share our story with the men from Christ Methodist. You will hear more about that later on, but it was a joy to talk about all of you.

Thursday evening, there were no places in the inn. Allison comes into the kitchen and says mr brian, we need more chairs and tables! Being the first of the month, we thought the numbers would be small but they weren't. Wow, what will the end of the month be like? Wonder what God is up to? One of our new friends, Noel, brought a CD player and he sang to us as our meal got started. One of the first times I have heard the community hall quiet. He lvoes the Lord and wanted to share it with others. He will be sharing the Word in one of our chapel services coming up.

I got a phone call earlier in the week from a friend who shared some of his bountiful with us and it is good he did. We were able to fix more bags of groceries and hand out bags of lettuce, tomatoes, bread and potatoes. God always provides.

We also had a nice surprise Thursday as one of our Lake Charles family joined us for supper and Bible study, Ms Stephanie. She was on the way to Dallas for a friend's wedding. It is so special when our young people make an effort to join us whenever they can, what a blessing all our young adults are. We also had Ms Lauren and her friend come by for supper as she leaves for her last semester at University of Arkansas.

We again had a full table for our Bible study. Two friends of Stephanie joined us, Fabian and Michelle. We got to celebrate Zig Zag's birthday and enjoy some of her cake. Thanks to Lomax and Joey for making it all possible. Who would have known, 22 candles on such a small cake could make so much fire! Not to worry Ms Lisa, Allison blew out the blaze before too much damaged was done!

Joey led us in the reading of the last chapter in Acts. Reading about Paul, finally in Rome sharing the gospel with both Jews and Gentiles. Paul, living in a rented house, talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, with full boldness and without hindrance. The bible I have, says, He boldly preached about the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him. Wow, shouldn't we all live our lives in such a way, that no one tries to stop us!

Prayers were lifted up for Jame's brother Chris is struggling with dependency of pain medicines. Prayers for those who were not there, Momma T, the Ackermans, Dawn. Ms Sarah and Mr Scott as they lead a group of young people to a retreat in Alexandria. For Catfish as he deals with life. Friends of Dr Phil at work. Byron came in asking for prayers for a job interview he has today, that he gets the job he so desperately needs. Gus as he winds down his adventure and prepares for his new semester of teaching. What a pleasure it is to be a part of a group who cares for others so much.

As I mentioned earlier, Ms Sara, the youth leader at Christ Methodist, suggested to the men's group to invite me to speak at their breakfast. I got a call last week from them. It was an honor to be asked. The gentleman, whose nickname is Dude! was very gracious in his phone call, saying lots of nice things. He asked at some point, send me your bio. I have never been asked that before. I told him I don't have a bio, but will put something together and email it to him. I wrote his email on a napkin and by the time I made it home, Dude' email address was destroyed.

To be honest, I kind of forgot about the bio part until Ms Sara asked Saturday morning, are you ready for your talk? I said, oh man is that this week! I need to send Dude( I just lvoe that name) something, but what?

I got a phone call Monday about going down town to pick up food items for our pantry. I really didn't have the time but thought I better.  I was on Youree Drive headed into downtown and decided to turn on Stoner Avenue to go a different way. On the right hand side of the street, a block or two from Youree is a cemetery called Greenwood. Not sure how they came up with that name? Any way, I pass the gates and get that feeling I should turn in! I was late, had a thousand things to do, I said to myself, I don't have time, so go on. I did for two blocks and that thought came again, I should turn around and go through the gates. So I did!

Inside the cemetery is a Hunter plot. I had been there once before when my uncle from south Louisiana was buried back in 1990. Most of my family grew up in south Louisiana except my grandfather's brother. Sam Hunter came to Shreveport and made fortune in the oil business. Unfortunately our side of the Hunter family remained poor. The Hunter plot is mainly for the Shreveport folks. My uncle and my grandfather are the only south Louisiana Hunters there.

I make my way to the Hunter plot. It was a beautiful afternoon, a good day for a visit. I find the plot and walk up to my uncle's head stone and find a new one next to his, his wife's. She passed back in 2002 and her daughter did not know what she was going to do. I told her daughter to let me know if we needed to make arrangements in the Hunter plot. I never got a call, so it was a nice surprise to see her head stone next to her husbands.

I stand there a few minutes and began thinking about my childhood visiting Uncle Frank and Aunt Margaret. I grew in Lake Charles going to First Methodist. After Sunday School, my parents would load me and my sister, their friends into our car and take a ride. The kids never knew where we would end up. One of my favorite places to end up was at my Uncle Frank's and Aunt Margaret house in Abbeville, just south of Lafayette.

They had two children, a little older than we were, but we had fun playing together. Uncle Frank would always greet us with a big smile and a big hug. One of his favorite things to do was steal our noses! Did your folks ever do that? Then he would do his magic tricks and pull a quarter out from behind our ears. No matter how old we got and eventually our son when we took David for visits, he did the same things, stealing our noses and his magic tricks. Aunt Margaret always kept us fed and made her home ours, just like a good Southern lady does. Always gracious in our visits.

I look down on their head stones and think about the sermon Sione preached one time about your dash. That spot on everybody's head stone, where you were born and the time you leave. What does your dash say about you. I hear God saying, that is your bio.

Thinking about Uncle Frank, I remember his hugs, his smile, his love of life, not that he was president of a company. I think about Aunt Margaret for her compassion, her love of family not that she was a leader in her church.

Being a president, a CEO, college degrees, is nice but it should not be who you are. As I was talking to the mens group Wednesday morning, I told this story and then lifted up Ms Lisa's December newsletter and said to the men,  this is my bio. My bio is all of you allowing God to work through you. I get to see the stories, experience the blessings of so many of you, my heart is full of joy.

When God calls us to come home, we all will have the opportunity to speak to the angels. When we are asked for our bio's, what will we say?

Have a great week. Take time to be with your family and friends. Amen.