Where are we going?

Hope your week was full of joy and blessings. When the obstacles came along, hope God was there to help you through. Baby, it's hot outside! We could play that this week and the weeks to come. Wherever you are, hope the weather is a little nicer.

"Icee" Joe drove the van around on our Saturday mornings. He will be relieving Mr Scott one Saturday a month in the driving department. Great to have you back Joe. Everybody seemed to be doing fine, just trying to survive the hot days and nights and all the mosquitoes. We have the opportunities to get inside or get in our cars and turn the A/C on, our friends do not. Joe brings bags of ice from work and we hand them out to the camps to help a little during this time.

John Sauls and Karl continue to work tirelessly in the kitchen on Saturdays. All the countertops are installed, all the cabinets are hung, starting to look like a functioning kitchen. The last biggest task is getting our plumber back out to hook up the gas to the stove, make adjustments to the sinks and get the hot water turned on. We are close folks, won't be long, patience, patience!

As we were finishing up our work in the kitchen, Ms Dawn comes running up to me and says mr brian, mr brian! At first thought, I said to myself, oh no, what's happened now? Dawn said, you won't believe what happened on our walk into the neighborhood this morning. We met a lady on 68st, that has been walking around to her neighbors, talking about how we need to get to know each other, and sharing her love of the Lord with others. Exactly what we have been doing. God is up to something?! They also met 3 young men, tattoos, piercing's everywhere, sitting on their porch and Mr Matt and Ms Dawn walk up to them and share our story with them. After a few moments, one of the young men, started saying you are right, it says that in scripture. Then he started citing scripture to the group! No better way to see God's word come to life than to sit on a front porch and listen to God's people talk! Come and join us.

Summer camp continues along with new adventures and new relationships being formed. When you are in the mist of the storms, it is hard to see the calm, but after the storms are over, you sit back say, wow, that was cool. We talked about on Thursday, how we have seen a change in the children. How new relationships are being formed from different families, learning to live together instead of fighting. We have seen a calming of the children during our meals on Thursday. Not sure if is our chapel times or summer camp or the heat but whatever it is good to see. We have been blessed to have a great group of interns with us this year, hate to see the summer come to an end. One more week of camp. Come by if you can and tell our young folks how much we appreciate all their efforts.

Joey had a special prayer breakfast in the chapel Tuesday morning. There was Joey's on version of coffee! It was good Joey! All sorts of fruits for the stomach and then we had all sorts of talk for the soul. Years ago, we opened up the chapel in the mornings and a lot of us started our days there. I am sad to say, this was my first time back, but it won't be my last. Something about just sitting in this place, surrounded by memories of song, and hearing the encouragements of the Word, seeing Jesus looking down on us, puts you in a place where the Spirit can come a live in you. Thank you Joey for your steadfast journey in allowing the Spirit to flow through you in prayer and actions.

Monday, John Williams our extraordinary electrician called and got the final electrical inspection. Tuesday we got our electrical meter hooked up. Wednesday evening John and I were working in the kitchen and John said, plug in my saw. I said, let me go get an extension chord. John replied, don't need to do that just plug into this outlet! We have never been able to do that before. Now we can plug our grills, coffee pots, blenders into the outlets, with out having to run extension chords all over the place! Can I have an Amen!

The new sewing classes continued on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Lots of good things are happening in there and not just all about the sewing. Relationships are being formed, learning from each other, having good conversations about God and the power of His presence in our lives. Ms Abbie wanted me to tell everybody, Lisa's mom has donated irons and ironing boards for the class. Hopefully, in the near future we will get to see what all the sewing is about.

We got an email from Brookwood on Tuesday, telling us their Second Saturdays will be starting back in August. Then further down the letter was a special note to us about a special event they have every year, called the Brookwood Bk5 Run. Brookwood comes together and raises funds for one of their local missions they sponsor. Funds have gone to the Hub, The Yellow House, Rescue Mission. This year, Common Ground will be the recipient! Isn't that cool. So make plans for Saturday,September 8th. Ms Sarah and Mr Scott, you guys need to get a team together and run for us. Those of us, who have better sense, can help in other ways. Cheer for those who are running, work the refreshment booths, and help out where needed. There will be a link on Brookwood's web site, that will allow us to sign up shortly.

Tuesday night, sitting around our men's circle in the chapel, was special. To be honest, if I don't write down the chapter Mr Matt reads from, I forget. Because I don't remember the words we read, but I remember the comments made from the hearts of the men who God brings to us. The words are God's words, but they come alive when you hear men share how those words affects their lives. And one of the great things, we learn from each other by hearing their stories. Thank you Mr Matt for allowing the Spirit to flow through you and touching us each week.

On Wednesday, our Summer Camp got a treat. The new senior pastor at Grace Methodist, Roger Templeton, came to chapel and shared with the children about the bread and grape juice we use to symbolize our taking of communion. Roger did a great job, explaining to the children in a way they could understand. Then Ms Allison and Roger shared the elements with the children and all who had come to experience this special event. Our children being our children, once they went through, they got back in line and went again, and again until all the bread and juice was gone! Thank you Allison and Krysten for arranging this unique experience for the children.

Following Roger's experience into the unknown, we had the opportunity to visit with him and show him around God's center. He was very gracious and asked a lot of good questions. If it weren't for the support of Grace and Rob, we would not be where we are today. We want that relationship to continue for years to come. We told Roger, whatever God puts on your heart for that relationship to continue, we will support you and make it happen.

Thursday was a record breaking evening. We started off with Gus and his friends Amanda and Leah singing songs for the start of chapel. Unfortunately our scheduled pastor didn't show, so Mr Noel stepped up and shared a few words with us. God always provides. Then we were treated to hot dogs, chips and watermelon by a girl scout troop from Christ Methodist. The girls did a great job serving our largest group ever, close to 200! Standing out in front of the chapel,  you can see more and more folks walking from the neighborhood to join us. I am not seeing more cars, but more folks walking. A direct result of us visiting on Saturdays. That is awesome!

With so many people coming, we are going to change our times a little. We announced to the community, we will have chapel starting at 5pm and then our meals will be served at 5:30. We wish all would be in chapel, but for those do not want to experience chapel, they can start coming a little later. One thing I saw Thursday, is Ms Abbie and her crew let those who had just walked in from chapel, walk through the line first! Pretty smart Ms Abbie.

Ms Abbie continues to hand out 60 plus grocery bags filled with stuff bought from Sams by Krysten and Ms Lisa and Mr Scott buying stuff from the Food Bank. Thank you all for doing such an outstanding job.

Following our meal and clean up, we met in the chapel. Read a verse or two but ended up the evening sharing what has been going in and around the center. Pretty remarkable things. One of Gus's friends, Leah told us she wants to be an intern next summer. Wow, we already have interest in next year's camp! Always good to hear what God is doing in everybody's life.

Prayer concerns: Weekend of the Cross is going on. Prayers for Ms Sarah, Mr Scott, Momma T and everybody participating. This is a happening where youth from all over the state come together and share God's lvoe through painting, cleaning, building people's homes in our area. Today, God has covered the sun keeping temperatures down, thank you God. Prayers for William. Mr Matt's son, Eric took William back to Logansport on Monday, so William can continue his rehab. Let's pray William has no more strokes forcing him to leave and not complete this process.  Prayers for overcoming the hurdles to get our Building of Community houses going. You solve one problem and then something else comes up. It will happen when God is ready for it to happen, but those of us with our little faiths are restless. Prayers for our community. One day we see friends walking together, the next day they are fighting. Slowly God's lvoe is beginning to make inroads but it will take time, obedience, fa ith and patience. Prayers for family relationships. It seems so easy to lvoe others, but so hard to lvoe our family. Pray God's grace, guidance in dealing with these situations.

Joey wanted me to remind you, Joey and the gang will fix breakfast for us, this Saturday at 8:30. Please come and enjoy.

Where are we going? Please forgive this rant, but have been thinking about this for months. I am on the road all day everyday experiencing all sorts of drivers, maybe Icee Joe can relate. Don't know what it is, but it looks to me I am seeing less and less use of our blinkers on our cars. You wait at an intersection for a car coming, only to see they turn before they get to the intersection, no blinker. You follow behind a car assuming they are going straight down the road, but all of sudden they turn with no blinker. You come up behind a car at an intersection it is just sitting there. You wait, look, start to become upset and then they turn, where's your blinker? I could go on and on about this but it got me to thinking, is our lack of the use of blinkers, a statement of our society? Have we become so consumed with our own little worlds, we do not think about others? Is it all about me? Are we rushing around, not thinking about our actions, so many things going on, not enoug h time in the day to do it, so we kill ourselves trying to do it all? If we are not busy doing something we are not accomplishing anything. Rush, rush, rush, hurry, hurry, hurry, worry, worry, worry. Wow, I am exhausted just typing all of that. If we are so consumed with our own world, how can we help others?

Is this way of life, what God had in mind for us? If we add helping others to our growing list of "to dos", we are accomplishing nothing. At some point we will burn out and everybody will loose out. We must begin to break away from what the world says is a way of life, to a life where God comes first. If we take ourselves out of the picture and put God first, a long with that will come peace and order in our lives. Things we thought important will not be. Things we thought we needed will not be desired. Helping others will become a way a life not another item on your list. If God is driving your car, wouldn't he put on His blinker? He wants us all to know where He is going. He is concerned for us.

Our community is one place where we know where we are going. Our blinkers are on all the time. Let's us continue to live a life where God comes first and we follow His blinker. Have a great weekend and a great week. Amen and amen!

Community

Hope your week was a good one. You just never know what God is up to! With all the rain of last week, we are melting with the hot temperatures and humidity at 100% Mosquitos love it but that doesn't count! Again, I am very late with this update. I may have to be fired!

Both Mr Scott and Icee Joe were out of town, so mr brian had to drive the van. Ms Dawn and Mr Matt took their lives in their hand as we rode around! Had a nice treat Saturday morning. Two of my high school friends had come to town to play in our annual golf outing, Before our golf game Saturday afternoon, they wanted to come see Saturday morning what I have been talking to them about for the last several years. What a blessing to have them with us and experience God's work. As we were enjoying our supper, they were still talking about their experiences with us that morning. Awesome.

While we were visiting our friends, John Sauls had a group of people from Grace helping him finish the painting in the kitchen. They did a great job. John Williams has just about finished with all the electrical work. We now have lights in both rooms and all our electrical plugs work! We have never had working plugs in the kitchen since we have been in the center! Wow, thanks guys for all your hard work.

Summer camp continues this week, with more fun, games and learning opportunities. Music was the theme this week. Ms Patty again came most days and shared her love of gardening with the children. The children seem to be fascinated with gardening and watching the plants grow. Have you seen the mural on the wall Ms Lauren has drawn, beautiful. Can't wait to see what she will create next week! For those children who have earned enough rewards, the interns will be taking the children to the duck pond to do some fishing this Saturday. Should be a blast!

On Sunday, William suffered another mild stroke. He left his rehab and has been treated at Willis Knighton South. He has some soreness, some numbness but trying to recover. The rehab won't take him back until he is fully recovered. He was since moved in with James at the Fairmont. Matt is hoping to make time Friday, so he can take him back to rehab. Prayers are needed for William.

Tuesday afternoon, met with a friend from Airline Baptist about helping out with our restoration of the Bright House II. Did you all get that?! Ms Lisa will have to slap my hand if I am early in my announcement, but she has again worked her magic, crossing all the "T's" and dotting all the "i's" and it looks like we are just about ready to assume ownership of the house to the left of the Bright House. We have been dreaming about this becoming a reality for over 5 years!

Mr Matt led our mens Bible fellowship Tuesday evening, reading from Titus. We talked about how to live as men of God. To speak no evil about anyone, to live in peace and be gentle and polite to all people. Our actions, our deeds, our words, does it show we are men of God? Fastest hour of the week.

Wednesday, we got to experience the renewing of our kitchen make over one more time! Ms Lisa and her boys tried to get all the grim and dirt off the floor from all the work that has been done these past few months but it was a lost cause. Ms Lisa, was able to find some funding so we got us a new floor, it is gorgeous. Pictures are coming.

Also on Monday and Wednesday evenings, Ms Beth is leading sewing classes. They had so many show up, they needed more room, so they moved into the fellowship hall. We were working in the kitchen and got to see all the goings on. What a blessing to see everybody creating and working together.

Thursday is becoming a day where we experiencing God is so many ways. We dreamed of having chapel services for so many years. When we started back in December, we said, let's start out with having chapel time on the 4th Thursday of each month. Those of us with little faith, wondered if we would be able to find people to share the Word through, song and word. Joey reminded me this week, we will be able to have chapel the next 5 weeks in a row! Isn't that amazing, God is sooo good!

This Thursday, we were treated to many different forms of worship. Mr Noel, sang a song accompanied by a CD player, Gus sang and played from his new piano, Ms Abbie played and sang, Ms Dorothy and Ms BJ sang a couple of songs and then our Joey shared a few words from God. What an awesome experience. Hope to put together a short video this weekend of our chapel time. Next week, we will have our new friend Pastor Eddie and his wife bringing the Word to us.

Our meal follows chapel time and it is standing room only. Not sure why we are experiencing such large numbers, but we are. We have been able to serve everybody a plate, but not much is left over for seconds. Ms Abbie is struggling to have enough grocery bags for everybody. But as always, God provides and we seem to have just enough.

With folks gone Thursday evening, some busy with activities, Ms Dawn, Momma T, Joey and I sat around the table and visited for a few minutes. Always good to hear what is going on with everybody.

Prayers for William, prayers for Ms Sarah. She has over done it again and is sick. Prayers for Weekend of the Cross starting Thursday. Momma T will be leading a team. Ms Sarah and Mr Scott are the bosses. Prayers for Dr Phil and his family. Everybody is gathering in Baton Rouge for Dr Phil's daughter Charlotte's wedding. Prayers for Dr Phil that he does not trip walking Charlotte down the aisle! Prayers for all who are traveling this weekend. Prayers for Charley and Beth as they await the results of medical tests. Also for Pete and his wife Carrie, as they wait for the results of Carrie's biopsy. Prayers for Mr Joe. He was back in the hospital last week for fluid build up. He is home now, saw him working in the garden.

Don't forget, Joey is getting up every morning to open up the chapel at 7am for all of us to start our days. This coming Tuesday, he is serving coffee and fruit and inviting us all to come and pray with him.

The thing that has struck me this week are the hearts of all of you and how this community is becoming stronger. Help was needed for one of our brothers over the weekend and many came. Prayers were asked for, during times of struggles and you all kneeled down. During chapel time, you all shared your gifts, of song and words and lvoe. You take time out of your busy schedules to provide rides, pick up supplies for others. When some need a break, others step in to help out. You do all of this, knowing you will get nothing in return. Wow!

As we talked about Tuesday evening, we are living our lives for others not because of our pride or egos, but because of God's Holy Spirit in us. You all are allowing the Spirit to fill your hearts with such lvoe, others are blessed by your presence. One of the men in our group, said, he has seen us for many months and there is something different about us, something unique. He sees that smile, that hug, that compassion that is different than anything he has ever seen before. Now he is coming to Bible fellowship because he wants what we have! Isn't that awesome!

May we continue to learn what it is to be a child of God. To show that lvoe to others, so that God gets the glory and not us. May we continue to be bold in our walks, to speak out where needed and show mercy all the time. What a privilege it is to be a part of this community. Hope you all have a great weekend and a great week! Amen

Different

Rain, rain go away, come again another day! Be careful what you pray for? In this part of the country, God decided to answer our prayers of cooler temperatures and rain. Now we are not satisfied, so we are praying for the rain to stop! Sure am glad God has a sense of humor!

We took two vans on our visits last Saturday. Our additional van was Henning Memorial Methodist youth as they joined us for our visits. Always great to see the expressions of the young people as they are exposed to a world many have never seen before. All our friends seem to be do ok. The heat and mosquitoes are a problem but that is the way of life outside. One of our friends, Daniel was hospitalized for dehydration. Haven't heard how he is doing.

Mr Matt and his wife Vicky and their dog Rosey, Ms Dawn, Mr Scott continued to make visits into the neighborhood. One of the neighbors invited them inside her home to talk about life and get out of the heat, very sweet. You just never know what you will experience when meeting our neighbors. Join us, Saturdays around 11:30.

John and John continue their hard work in the kitchen all morning long. We now have lights in both rooms, making the area look huge. Cabinets are going in, counter tops are being made, paint is going on the walls and Thursday afternoon, we got running water back in the kitchen at one of our sinks, can I have an Amen!! It is great to see our volunteers who come every week to serve our meals, to see their expressions as they walk through the kitchen! You would have thought they struck the lottery! Praising a sink with running water is not right, but in our community, its the little things that makes us sing!

Summer camp continued this week, with the theme this week on science. The kids made things that exploded, changed forms, and in general had a great time. Ms Patty came everyday and shared her gift of gardening and getting the children to understand the world around them. You can see some of their projects of planting in front of the center, very cool. God continues to bless our young people as they allow the Spirit to flow through them to our children. Gus has put videos up and continues his blogs, please check them out. Allison put pictures up of Thursdays trip to the bowling alley on Common Ground's web site. Great fun. Great smiles.

On Sunday, Mr Matt took William back to his treatment center. William had been in the hospital for a mild stroke and was questioning whether to go back. William had visitors while he was in the hospital trying to get him to stay here. But William called Matt and asked him to take him back to the Freedom Mission to continue his treatment. Did you get that, William asked to go back. A huge step in William's recovery. Please continue to keep William in your prayers. He is doing his part, may God and his family do ours.

Monday evening, Ms Beth and Ms Dawn had their first sewing class. Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6 - 8, the ladies will work with the community in making and designing sewing projects. Join them and see what you can create.

Tuesday evening, the men of the community came together and shared their hearts. This group is becoming something special to all who come. One of our guys in the community was 30 minutes late, but he said, this is just too important for me to miss. He needs this fellowship to help him make it through the week, we all need it! Praise God!

We had a huge gathering at our meal Thursday. When I walked into the hall, there was not a table or chair open. This is not the end of the month, wow, what is happening? We were treated to a chapel service, with Heather singing, her husband playing the guitar and their dad, Richard sharing a few words. Just love chapel time. We are beginning to get booked up each week, what a blessing. Joey and his team will be bringing us the Word next Thursday. The 4th Thursday of each month, we have asked Pastor Eddie to be with us, Pastor Jackson will be with us on the 1st Thursday in August. No better way to end the day than to have chapel time, join us if you can. I would suggest to get there early to get a seat!

We had several different churches joining us Thursday to help us serve. What a blessing to have folks come.

Thursday evening we gathered in the Friendship room and read from John 4. Good discussions on prayer, giving it up to God, our relationships to Him and others, worry and faith. Thank you for coming and a willingness to share what is on your hearts.

Prayer concerns: Charley will be having some medical tests this week, Wes is making a decision on whether to continue his stay in China or come home. Joe asked for prayers for their young son Joey who is having some stomach problems. Former pastor of Grace, Chuck's family was involved in an automobile wreck. Dr Phil will be traveling down to Baton Rouge, taking his daughter Charlotte there to get married next Saturday! So I guess Dr Phil you won't be with us on our walk?! Congratulations. Prayers for us all, that we will become the servants God has intended for us to be. Upcoming Weekend of the Cross, next Saturday the 28th. Our community will be hosting lunch for several groups, we need your help. Mr Tom is now a grandfather! Prayers for the new parents and grandparents.

Momma T, said there would not be U2 Saturday this month. Everybody has other obligations or out of town. Next month, in August, we will have a big back to school event on the second Saturday.

John Sauls has a big group of folks coming this Saturday to finish painting the kitchen. If you would like to join them, please come and help out. We have a surprise coming in our kitchen that will make everything we have done so far look outstanding?

Before the Henning youth left they wanted to see our second story section, so we showed them around. As with all the groups we show around, I always tell the folks to dream of what you would like to see happening here. As we were walking through the second story, one of the youth, said this would make a great place to put some of the outdoor friends they had just visited. We stopped for a minute and started talking about our community. I shared with them, most of our girls will drop out of school and get pregnant. Most of our boys will drop out of school at some point and end up in jail. Then I was asked a question I don't think I have ever been asked before, why do you continue to be here? Don't you get depressed and want to quit? Wow, out of the mouth of babes. Just lvoe being with the young people, Momma T and Ms Sarah will attest to that. They don't know to hold back, the world hasn't ruined them yet, their young hearts are full of passion and lvoe, then don't understand why things have to be so complicated.

So my question this week, is why? Why do you continue to be a part of Common Ground? Do you get frustrated at each other, at God, at our children, at the adults and want to quit? Why do you come? Why do you prepare of meal, clean tables, cut wood, run electrical wires, teach children, pray? Why do you play the keyboard so people can sing, why do you work in the garden, why do you cut the grass, paint, walk the neighborhood, drive a van, visit the least of them, build houses, find funding, balance the books, why? Why do you host groups from out of town, play with the children, clean the bathrooms, change a light bulb, having a sewing class, have Bible studies? Hang clothes, prepare bags of groceries, take out the trash, go shopping for others? Why do take your time, your money, your soul, your body to do all these things?

I have no idea how each of you will answer the question of why. I told the kids, if we are not here then who will be? How will this community know about Jesus? How will the light of Jesus shine if we are not here. I thought about the question all day and really the thought of giving up has never entered my mind? Not sure why, but it hasn't.

In one of the blogs this week, Allison, said it beautifully. Our interns had taken the children to the duck pond. They were having a picnic, jumping rope, having a great time. While eating lunch, Lauren said to Allison, I wonder if other people in the park look at us and think, what an odd family? Allison's response was, they probably do. We look different because we lvoe differently. Great way to put it, our new theme!

We look different, not because mr brian does it, Momma T does it, Dr Phil does it, but because God does it through all of us. mr brian would want to give up in a heart beat because it doesn't go the way mr brian wants it to go. If we take ourselves out of the equation and put God first, there is no giving up, no frustration, no depression. The more I see what is going on in our community the more I want to do, not less. The same way Jesus looks at us, he doesn't give up, the first time I make a mistake or the 100th time I've made a mistake, Jesus still lvoes us and wants to do more for us.

You will have to answer the question asked by the youth, why? and you will have to be honest. The youth will know, Jesus will know if you are not telling the truth. I just know, as long as we continue to pray, listen and lvoe, God will continue to bless our community and we will continue to look different to the world and that is a good thing! Amen and Amen!