Balance

We had a nice time on our family trip last week. But I will admit, it is good to be home! Thank you Joey for handling the update last week, a job well done. Amazing to read the Joey's note and think about all that is going on in our community. God is indeed busy.

Last Saturday was no exception. Mr Scott led the way, as we visited our friends who live outside. It is definite, the Murphy street bridge is closing so some of our friends who were there are having to move elsewhere. Mr Scott gave them tarps and getting a tent to help them set up in a new camp. It is becoming harder and harder for our friends to find new places. I remember years ago, passing a block or two of land for sale, not far from downtown, saying to the group in the van, we should buy this land and let our guys stay there as long as they want to. Maybe it's time!

John Sauls and Karl are busy every Saturday, working in the kitchen. Amazing progress is finally coming around. John and Karl put up the new back splash for the sink. The sheet rock is all taped and floated waiting for it to be textured. The a/c unit has been installed. The range hood is up and connected. Bevel and company hooked up several more water lines. The new ceiling is up, with the panels ready to be installed. Cabinets will be installed this Saturday. Painting will begin shortly, we are getting close. Keep the faith!

Following our visits with our friends, we continue to go out into the neighborhood and meet more of our neighbors. You just never know what will happen and the conversations we will have, very exciting. Ms Dawn and Mr Matt do an incredible job of meeting our neighbors, sharing their lvoe of Christ, and telling them about our community. During most of their conversations with our neighbors, they begin to explain where we are. Last Saturday after 3 different conversations, our neighbors asked, is your building next to "that" garden? I called Ms Patti to tell her about the garden and how it is making an impression on the neighborhood. So Dawn and Matt will now say in their introductions, our center is the building next to the garden! Very cool!

Over the weekend, Grace Community celebrated the last 20 years of being led by it's only pastor, Rob Weber. Rob is leaving to start a new career. Rob has always had a vision of having a presence in the Cedar Grove neighborhood. He has always been a supporter of Common Ground and has helped us along the way, often behind the scenes, making phone calls or having negotiation with the "right" people. Ms Lisa is putting together a photo album and other things for him, letting him know how much we have appreciated our association with him. Also, as an added bonus during the celebration, we got to see our ZigZag dance!

With me busy with work and unable to attend Summer Camp, I asked Joey to summarize the week for us; The chapel continued to open at 7:00 AM this week!    This week hasn't seen that many visitors, but that's okay. It is here for anyone that needs it! :)

This week marks the interns first full unaided week of camp!   It went fairly well.   Our theme was around the world.   Monday we learned about Mexico, and ate Tacos!.   Tuesday we learned about India, and we ate beans and rice!     Wednesday we learned about Italy, and we ate spaghetti.   Thursday we learned about France and ate..... PIZZA? hah! Every day we would learn about words from each country and compared them to the words we use.    We even had a rap contest for the Italian words we learned (the kids had to create a rap using all 3 words we learned that day).  Each day was fun, but tiring!  I think all the interns were worn out.     We hit a few bumps on Thursday, but life goes on and we looked forward to the upcoming weeks! :)  

Also we held our first interview for camp helpers.  ( We have alot of request from the community to help with camp, so in order to see if they are really interested we hold a group interview)  Ashley Small will be joining us next Monday.  It seems like she really wants to help out, which is awesome!  Hope more of the community will take interest!

For those of you who don't do Face book that much, Gus has created a blog site about the goings on of Summer Camp and the Bright House: http://lvoegeneration.blogspot.com/.

We now have cool air in all parts of the Bright House. We had several challenges in the last couple of weeks, but with the help of our friend David Serra, we have overcome our problems. Thank you David.

Our Tuesday evening men's fellowship was great. Matt continues to ask the right questions and the guys continue to share what is on their hearts. It is a blessing to hear from everybody, getting to hear different perceptive about life. We talked about, not judging, about being the Body of Christ, sharing lvoe with others when it is sometimes difficult to do so. Fastest hour of the week!

Thursday was full of blessings and surprises. Our chapel time was blessed by the playing and singing of Ms Abbie and Ms Dorothy. We need to have more of that! We were then blessed to have our new friends, Rev Eddie come and share the Word and his wife singing a song. We went past our time to end, but I didn't hear anybody complaining! Powerful, emotional and uplifting to hear the Word is such a dramatical fashion. I had to leave the chapel for a moment, but when I came back in, I had to step over children, dogs and folks sitting on the floor, standing along the sides, the chapel was packed. What a blessing!

As we sat down for supper, we had to go find more tables and chairs. We had an overflow of people. New folks I have not seen. Wondering how they found us and what their stories are. Mr Scott had problems with our weekly order from the Food Bank, so our bags were small. Well they were small until we got a phone call from a friend who had an over stock of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, squash. So Ms Abbie and Ms Dorothy were able to fill another bag with vegetables and everybody got two bags this week! God is good!

Added to all of this was the gift of having Amanda and Joe and their family joining us. They are long time friends, and have been missed. It was great to have them. At some point, we had to tell them to stop cleaning up and go home! What a delight to have family come back and step in. That is what family members do. Joe or as all our outdoor friends call him "Icee" Joe, will drive the van this week, as Mr Scott will be taking off a Saturday.

Ms Beth led us in our Bible study after supper. Talking about how everything comes from God, everything. And again, a common phrase that has been coming up, it is not about me but about God. Are we living a life that God gets the glory?

Prayers, for Gus having some health problems. Prayers for Catfish and all of us suffering from addictions. William as he continues to allow God into his life to conquer the disease of alcohol. Don't forget to write William a note of encouragement. We will have cards in the Friendship Room Saturday, to sign and forward on to him. Continue to keep our interns in your prayers as they led Summer Camp. It is so great to see them interacting with the children and the families of our community.

I was asked this week, I need to find a balance. A balance of working and of serving God. When Common Ground first started and we became overwhelmed with following God, some of us started struggling with finding a balance. Balance was the word we hated to talk about, just like patience is now for me. Rev Eddie talked about it Thursday, reading from Romans. Balance, how do we find it between the way of the world and God's Kingdom?

I had one of those talks with the Spirit many years ago. I was shown a scale. Not sure what the name of the scale is? But one that you put an object on one side and then you use weights to put on the other side until the scale moves until it is balanced.

I put an image of a new TV on one side of the scale, with it's price tag and then on the other side, I knew I needed to work "x" amount of time to get it paid for. So the more I worked, at obtaining the TV, the scale would become balanced. You could put anything on the scale of the world, a new house, boat, clothes, shoes, golf clubs, fishing equipment pretty straight forward. I could understand that. Then I was asked to place, compassion, patience, lvoe, other fruits of the spirit on one side of the scale, how much would it take to balance it out? I tried to box lvoe up, tried to think how to put a price on compassion, it can't be done! The more I tried to balance the scale, I began to understand, God's wants all of us all the time, not sometimes, not after work, not on Saturdays, not on Sundays, not when I retire. As Rev Eddie, said, God's son died on the cross for us, can't we do the same for him? That's the least we can do.

Balance, I have come to realize is not possible. I understand that what I am doing is only a small part, a very small part of what God is asking of me. I work at my day jobs and give my time to His Kingdom when I can. That is not right, but I understand it.

We all need to understand what God has called us to do and go for it. We are blessed beyond measure by God's grace, enjoy it and praise God for it. Exciting times ahead for us. With all of us working together to build up God's Kingdom, maybe we can find our balance. Some can work during the day, others at night. Some can live in community, others can support it. Some can teach, some can clean. Some can build, others can lead. I am thinking finding a balance is maybe not so important, as living for others is? All of you are examples of that. Continue your journeys. lvoe, lvoe, lvoe !!!

Have a great weekend. Amen.

Born of Spirit , by Joey

Hey family! This week's update is brought to you by Joey!  Mr. Brian is on vacation!  It probably won't be Mr. Brian quality, but I'll still do my best! here we go! :)

  Saturday was amazing! :)   We had friends all scattered all over Shreveport!  The dry walls were being placed in the Kitchen by Mr. Sauls, Mr. Brian and Mr. Karl. David Serra was up in the bright house installing the new AC unit and fixing the lighting.    The summer interns went with our regular crew to visit all our friends! And I'm pretty cool things were going on in the garden as well!  

  We have started down East 67th street for our neighborhood walks, be sure to come and check that out!  Getting to know the neighborhood has been wonderful! 

Monday marked the start of the summer camp.  Brookwood's middle school youth provided food, bible lessons, songs, crafts, and lots of love to our children Monday through Wednesday.   For those of you who don't know, for the last two years Brookwood has been doing Louder than Words ( a vacation bible school type program that is put on by there middle school youth).   We have been blessed enough that they have decided to host the VBS part here.  It has been simply wonderful for our children.   They were still singing the songs Brookwood had taught them on Thursday.

 Thursday was the first day that the camp was just run by the interns ( with the help of Ray Wei and Noah Yelverton as well).  We decided to have a water day! It was a HUGE success!   We had pools, slip-n-slides, water balloons, the kids and interns had a blast!  This is the start of a wonderful summer, I am pretty excited see what the LORD has in store for us! 

   We have started opening up the chapel at 7:00 each morning so the community will have a place to get away and pray, fellowship together, or just have a quiet time with God.  There is also coffee!  We have had someone join us every morning this week!  If you need a quiet place, or some fellowship come on down! :) It is open every morning, but Sunday.  

  Tuesday night Brother Matt led the men's Tuesday night bible study.  Several people had strong feelings on their heart.  Some agreed, some did not, but everyone's opinion was respected and brought back to focus on the scripture.  We were reading out of Romans 8.  It is a great passage about the difference between being led by the spirit, and led by our flesh.   The former leading to life and family with God and each other, the later leading to death.  I left feeling refreshed! 

  Thursday was our community meal.  We had chicken spaghetti&nb sp;provided by Mr. Tom.  The meal was awesome, and as i looked around many were talking, sharing, an laughing together.   There was a fight that broke out between two of our girls after the meal.  It was just a normal girl fight:  best friends yesterday, fight today, friends tomorrow, but its something we should keep in our prayers.    Bible study was wonderful.  We discussed John 3:1-15.   Jesus explaining to Nicodemus if you want to see the Kingdom of God, then you must be born of the spirit.    This passage lead us into a discussion that took us all over the new testament (even into revelations and back to Romans 8 - Isn't God funny?). 

  You never know what God will do.  I know I could of never imagined the center, the bright house, or anything of the such, but here it is!  He brings healing in certain situations, and then he allows us to continue to struggle in others. While the work of His Spirit is like the wind, we can know that he isn't finished with us. His work will be complete! YAY! thats a good thing! 

   Keep William as he is in rehab.  We have been told we cannot visit him, but that will not stop us from sending him a bunch of letters!  Wes ( Son of Charlie and Beth) might be coming home this October.  Please keep him in your prayers as he decides the best course of action to take while he is in China.  Ray will be living next week to a country in East Asia.  Keep prayers for his safety and his mission.  Phil, roomate of the ackerman's,  is still having struggles with his neighbors.  Keep him in your prayer, may this struggles bring him closer to our LORD.  

   Please continue to keep Catfish and his family in your prayers.  I am not going to go into detail, but pray that the LORD will bring healing to many hearts.   Mr. Brian is coming home.  I think he arrived home last night!  It will be good to have him back.  Also Rebecca, the lady who we donated the car to needs prayer: Her husband left her and took the car. While we don't understand everything that God allows to happen, we do know he will use it for good and to his glory.  Pray that we will continue to conform our perspective to His.  

Before I go,  I wanted to remind everyone that we will have a special treat next Thursday for chapel.  Ms. Abbie, Ms. Dorothy, and Ms. BJ will be leading us in worship ( As far as I have heard) -  I don't know who is speaking, but i am sure it will be an awesome time!   Come on out and LVOE this week! :) 

LVOE - Joey

Just talking

Hope your week was as much fun as ours. Time is flying by, while experiencing God's grace in community.

What a great Saturday we had last week. We got to spend time with our new family from Lake Charles. A great group of young people from St Luke Simpson Methodist church in Lake Charles was concluding their time with us. They worked hard helping us on Thursday with our meal and other activities. Friday, they worked hard all day around the center. Mr Scott led them around to our outdoor friends homes and each stop was memorable. Great to watch the expressions on their faces as they got to experience life as they have seen it before.

When we got back to the center, Momma T and Ms Lisa were concluding their morning activities of U 2. The youth played jump rope and football with our kids. Ms Lisa reported a nice gathering of community had come by and spent time in the garden area. Gradually the community is feeling more comfortable exploring the garden.

Monday was a milestone for one of our family as Matt took William to his rehab home in Logansport. We got to visit with William a little Monday afternoon. He looked a 100% better than he did last Monday when we took him into the emergency room. William says this time he will make it work. Let's pray, Christ takes control of his heart and rids William of this addiction. Matt gave us Williams address where we can write notes to him. Please do so when you have a moment. We are Williams family and he will need all the support he can get. Matt shared this rule if we want to visit William at some point. William says that Sundays are visiting days. However, if someone wants to visit on another day, they can call Brother Wayne Jones at 318 518 3878 and get it cleared through him.

 

William Thomas

Freedom Mission

P.O. Box 1253

Logansport, LA 71049

Monday, as I was looking for something in our old emails, I came upon our discussions with the Methodist conference board and the community center. On Wednesday June 8, 2010, the motion for allowing the Board of Trustees to give the property of Faith United Methodist church to Common Ground was put before the Methodist Conference and after some discussions, was unanimously passed. Just two short years, has gone by and look what God has done. Amazing, what all of you have accomplished allowing the Spirit to work miracles through you. So excited to see what the future holds.

On Monday, Joey came up to me and said mr brian, I need to tell you a story! Joey had "that" look in his eye, of something special had happen! Joey had gone to a house on 69st to get a form signed for summer camp. As he walked up, there were two men standing outside talking. They recognized Joey as being from "that" church on Southern. They had been visited by Ms Dawn and Mr Matt several weeks ago, and had been invited to come for a visit on Thursdays. One of them had never been the other gentleman had not been there in many years. Both of them were full of joy as they shared with Joey how much they enjoyed their time with us this past Thursday. From the preaching, the singing, the meal, the groceries, the clothes. Both men commented on how many smiles they saw and how much those smiles made them feel. They had never experienced anything like that before from "church" people! Because all of you are allowing the Holy Spirit to flow through you, we are beginning to hear more stories like this! Very, very cool.

Tuesday evening was an exciting time for our mens Bible fellowship. At 7:45, I reminded Matt, its time to leave. We were talking so much, time had gotten away from us. Isn't that amazing. Men sharing their stories, talking about Christ, listening to each other, and not one of them said, its time to go!

Our electrician John Williams joined us Tuesday. He accused mr brian of trickery to get him there, but I denied it! I went into the kitchen where John is working every evening to help us get the kitchen up and running. I said to John, we have pizza in the chapel, would you like a piece? I said to John, I can bring you a piece if you like? Then before he could answer, I said, help me take some of these water bottles to the chapel and you can get your own pizza. Well the Holy Spirit wouldn't let John leave, so he spent the evening with us. God is good.

Also on Tuesday, Joey spent all day at the Bright House making it pretty for our new interns for the summer. With 4 young ladies moving in, we decided to let them have the front and middle bedrooms and Joey graciously moved into the back bedroom where Krysten stays. Krysten has moved out for the summer. The Lake Charles youth worked hard cleaning up the house, waxing the floors, it is beautiful. Go by the house and take a look, thank you Joey.

Wednesday began day one of the interns orientation. Thanks to the hard work of Krysten, Ms Lisa, Momma T and others, they have put together 4 days of work, play, getting to know each other, getting to know the center, and understanding our community in preparation of running summer camp. Hard for my little brain to comprehend all that is happening and what continues to happen. God is truly amazing.

mr brian was delayed by a delinquent delivery guy, but our meal went on Thursday went as planned anyway. It is a great feeling knowing God has brought people here who use their gifts to continue our ministries. This community has become larger than anyone person. Amen. As I drove up, what a blessing to see neighbors standing outside visiting together. Our community getting to know others. Kids playing basketball, running up and down the hall. People coming out of the center with grocery bags in hand, smiles on their faces. Thank you all for sharing your hearts.

Thursday evening Bible study was handled by Ms Beth as we read from James 2, talking about not judging others, loving our neighbors as ourselves. praise reports for the continued health improvement for Hat's husband Karl and Charley's clear test results.

Prayer for the beginning of summer camp. Joey has been busy getting forms signed from all the children. Camp will begin Monday, June 18th. Camp will run Monday through Thursday from 1 - 4, with some Thursday being field trip days. Pray for our new interns, to calm their anxieties, to guide them in their journeys, to see God in everything they do. We are blessed this year to have Brookwood youth come the first three days of camp and have vacation Bible school with us.

As I was typing the last of this note the electricity just went out. Thankfully the text was saved. Electricity is back on, but scared it will go off again, so I will end this note.

Momma T shared a passage from the book Irresistible Revolution, where Shane was quoting from Dorothy Day on the beginnings of the Catholic worker movements, Ms Day said "we were just there talking and it happened. We were just sitting there talking and people moved in. We were just sitting there talking and the lines began to form. It all happened while we sat there talking and it is still going on".

For some of us to experience what God is doing in this community is overwhelming, to see it from the beginning where there were a few and now there are many is more than words can explain. I keep going back to what we read many months ago, if it is of God, then it will happen, if is of man it will not. Common Ground Community is of God not of man. Amen and Amen!

Have a great week. Come by the center for a visit and meet our new friends. Amen again!

Don't understand? Why?

I could say, with school out, folks beginning to take trips, nothing has happened around the center, but life happens and God is busy.

For what ever reason, you folks have chosen to be a part of this community. You have become friends and family to many of the least of them. Life is hard even when you have someone to walk with, but when you are alone, no family, no friends, and trials come your way, you may want to give up.

Don't understand why, you all don't say, that's it, I give up. Those who we are friends with, do not act the way we expect them to act. They will never appreciate all the things you have done for them. A lot of "church" people, would turn away, wash their hands of the disappointments and move on to other more desirable projects, but ya'll have not, why?

Why do you, take time out of your lives to visit the homeless? Why do you go to India and lvoe on children who no one else lvoes? Why do you go to Haiti, to lvoe on the children who have no one else? You have more important things to do, than take a friend to the hospital. Your money could be spent on your family not those who will never be able to return the favor. You open your home up to serve a meal, to take a shower, to lvoe those who no one loves, why?

You take time out of your hectic lives to have Bible study with the men of the community, doesn't make sense! You walk around the neighborhood, talking with those who are sometimes to drunk to understand what you are saying, for what reason?

You share your resources with others so that they may have a new home, find hope in their lives. You quit your jobs, postpone your careers, so the children of the community can experience lvoe and hope, blows my mind.

We have groups of young people, who travel long distances to share their lvoe with our community, to restore our center, to clean and wax floors, to dig ditches, makes no sense at all. Our summers are spent hosting young adults, who for whatever reason, have decided not to earn a living for themselves, but to give away their lvoe to others in our community, can't explain this?

We have musicians, who want to come and share their gifts with our community, and ask nothing in return. We have a place where everybody is welcomed, where no one is judged, a place where folks who have been to the depths of despair, have a place where they can share their hearts in a chapel.

You have your own lives, your own struggles, your own families, but you take time to go shopping so we might hand out groceries, provide a meal, hang clothes, why? You work behind the scenes, so monies continue to come in, the bills are paid, future housing is obtained, and get no recognition at all, don't understand?

On a hot, sultry afternoon, instead of staying at home in the cool, you are outside, weeding, watering and lvoing on the plants and garden, explain it to me? After you work all day you come to the center. Instead of going fishing on Saturdays, you come to center to build a kitchen, creating a place where one day, new hope and dreams will become a reality, unbelievable?

Because of what you all are doing, we got to experience something Thursday afternoon that we have been praying about for many years. As we were preparing to go inside for chapel, I started to look around. I noticed new faces, new families. I started to look around and see families walking down Southern coming to the center. Babies in strollers, children running after each other. I saw husband, wife, maybe their grandchildren walking down 68 street crossing over Southern, coming to chapel. Men walking together across the grass, from 70 street. Wow, how awesome it was to see and think, this is what it is all about.

God is creating a place where the neighborhood is slowing experiencing something they do not have in any other part in their lives. I think we are being shown, our calling is to be a beacon of light to our neighbors. We will become a place where you can learn to read, leave your babies while you go to work, where you will learn to cook, serve tables, provide for your family. In time, our neighbors will know of a place, if all hope is lost, they can come to. If they need prayer, the first place they will think about is the chapel, anytime day or night.

We need to continue our quest for building relationships with our neighbors. It is not about how many of our neighbors come, it is about us knowing each by name. Met Kayla, Thursday in chapel. I do not know Kayla, she lives in our neighborhood. A sweet smile, a young lady who has blessings to offer us.

I am encourage by what I see happening. More importantly, I think God is pleased. He is showing us, this is where we need to be. We are on the right path, just continue our journeys and His Kingdom will grow. Very exciting, can't wait to see what's around the corner.

Prayers for those returning from Haiti today. Prayers for those in the hospitals. Prayers for us all as we learn to live of life, where those who see us, says there is something different about them. Where God gets the glory.  Amen.

non profit and a church

Another week of God's amazing grace has come and gone. Hope your week was full of blessings and special times with family and friends.

We had a small group from Grace join us Saturday morning for our visits. Momma T is part of the group. They wanted to experience God's lvoe in the world. Most folks have never had the opportunity to reach out to others in their environments, so it is sometimes very emotional. Everybody seems to be doing fine in their camps. No major drama for the week.

We again made our visits with our neighbors. We went back to 69th street to check on everybody. Ms Dawn, gave out flowers, she had potted in the little pots from the greenhouse. They were a hit! Everybody was very grateful for her act of lvoe. How ironic, the little pots, Dr Phils family uncovered many years ago while cleaning out the greenhouse, dirty, broken, now through the hearts of Ms Patty and Ms Dawn are bringing joy and hope to the neighborhood. Awesome.

More work continued in the kitchen as John was joined by Hat's husband Carl. They completed the building of the wall for our new pantry. Can you imagine one day, the pantry full of spices and fragrances, ready to spice up our bounty. John W, our electrician went above and beyond. He worked all morning, giving us new lights and getting the fans working in the chapel. Then he moved into the kitchen where the new electrical box and panel is all ready to receive electricity. Pretty awesome. Great jobs guys.

Our afternoon activities continued with the children playing games and having fun. Some of the Mitchells have moved so our numbers are not as large as they have been. Joey had some good help this week from Ray and Zigzag.

Tuesday evening, we gathered again for our mens Bible fellowship. Matt led us in reading from Romans 14. It is not our job to judge others, God will do that. In the Kingdom of God, living right with God, sharing peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Anyone who is living this way is pleasing God and will be accepted by others. Does our actions reflect peace? Do we bring joy to others? Are we building each other up? Is the Kingdom of God visible in our lives?

Big crowd on Thursday. New help continues to come. Mr Tom prepared our meal of spaghetti casserole. Ms Lisa was there with the Legal clinic. Ms Abbie had to make more bags after she gave out over 50 bags. We noticed on the tables, squash from the garden. Some of the neighbors walked by on they way to the meal and picked them. When other neighbors saw the squash they went over and picked more, it was great. So Ms Patty, we have no squash available to cook next week! Joey wants us to remind our friends the garden is theirs, to pick, to weed, to plant.

Joey led us in our Bible study in reading the first chapter of John, or almost the first chapter. What a way to end the evening by talking about Jesus, the Lamb of God, the Word, the Beginning, the Holy Spirit. Not sure why we are so blessed to be in the prescience of such greatness and grace but what a time it is.

Prayers were said earlier in the evening for William. Matt is picking up William Friday, to take him back into the woods out by Catfish. William can no longer live in a place where the temptations of alcohol is so prevalent. Please keep William in your prayers as he continues to struggle with his addictions and his transition. Taking him out the environment will help, but the desire to drink will still be there.

Prayers for Amanda, Krysten, Ms Sarah and Mr Scott as they leave for Haiti this afternoon. Challenges ahead, blessings abound.

Prayers for Charley as he continues his testing procedures. Prayers for Catfish as he continues to struggle with life. He came by Thursday with his granddaughter and her husband. Prayers for Robert as he deals with having to retest a small part again for his GED and setting up his new camp.

Don't forget next Thursday for chapel, we will have Spencer playing the keyboard and Pastor Jackson singing and then preaching. It has been many years since Willie has sung and preached. Long over due. Not sure we will be able to keep him to 30 minutes!

Also, next Thursday through Saturday, we will have the youth group from Luke Simpson Methodist church in Lake Charles joining us. The pastor of this church will be moving to Shreveport this summer to be the new pastor of Grace. They will be cooking our meal for Thursday, working in and around the Bright House Friday and joining us for our visits Saturday morning. Please try to come by and welcome them.

Saturday morning we will also have a youth group from Oklahoma joining us to go on our visits.

Ms Patty will host Grace's Super Servants group in the garden June 7th. There will kids from all over the city working and playing in the garden.

And then there will be Ms Patty and Momma T's U2 Saturday happening at 10 in the garden. Wow, what a week ahead.

I had a discussion with a person this week, that kind of struck me, we maybe doing what God is intending for us to do. This person is fairly new to our community, has been to our web site, been to some of our activities. Quiet, does not say much, but listening all the time. Has been associated with other non-profits before, so kind of knows how things work. This person has worked with these groups before, assisting in fund raising events. I was approached several weeks ago, about a potential fund raiser for Common Ground by this person. This week, the person, said they had been praying about the fund raiser, the idea. The thought that came up to them, Common Ground is not a non profit organization it is more of a church.

When I heard that, I thought, wow, that is cool. We are a non profit to those who need us to be a non profit, but those who we feed, cloth, visit we are a church. We talked about Tuesday night, how if you don't dress right, look right, smell right, or act right you may not be acceptable in the church. I noticed Saturday morning on our visits in the neighborhood, by noon, most of men are well on their way to feeling no pain through drink. Does that stop Mr Matt or Ms Dawn to walking up to them and saying Jesus lvoes you and offering them hope? Not in the least. That is where the church needs to be. If we are not out there offering hope and joy and peace, where are our neighbors going to hear about it? All they know to do is go to the nearest liquor store and drown out their pain.

When we started visiting our friends who live outside, we began to offer them hope by just coming by each week. Not asking anything of them other than to let them know they are lvoed by us and Jesus. Some have joined us for worship, Bible studies, and beginning to understand Jesus offers them a way out.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being the hands and feet and most importantly the heart of Jesus. Gradually our neighbors are beginning to see the light of Jesus in us all. There is much darkness in our community and it will take time, but we have the great Comforter on our side and nothing is impossible. Continue to pray, continue to share peace, continue to show joy, continue to lvoe and amazing things will happen.

Have a great week. See you around the center. Amen.