Can you help me start a petition to have 4 day work weeks every week! Of course I have been a day off all week long, but I can get over that! Hope everybody had a great Labor Day weekend and a better week!
Saturday around the center was back to "normal"! Basketball, bread wrapping, teaching, fun, food, visits, gardening were all going on. Great to see all the excitement and blessings being spread through out our community. Scott continues to spread treasures around the camps with no budget. It is great to completely rely on God for everything! All the camps were doing ok, just trying to survive the brutal heat and mosquitoes.
Ricky led our men's Bible fellowship, reading from Luke 19 verses 1 - 10. Talking about a sinner, a man of wealth, humbling himself to go above and beyond to see Jesus. Are we doing the same? If we do, blessings will abound!
Wednesday afternoon, some of us had the opportunity to meet the new pastor at Grace Methodist. Juan Huertas is a young pastor full of energy, wanting to reach out to the community. Lisa showed him around our campus and dreams were shared on God's directions for both communities.
Thursday afternoon was again full of exciting opportunities for the community. Our long time friends Heather, Derek and their dad Richard got us started off in chapel. Then we had a group of ladies from our friend George's church in Allendale prepare the meal, serve and clean up after. Dr Phil checked our lists for handing out our grocery bags, made up by Alan. A good evening.
Several things I wanted to remind everybody coming up:
1. Don't forget to go to our new web site at:www.commongroundshreveport.com. Be sure to go there everyday! Every click helps!
2. Upcoming book fair. Everybody across the country can be a part of our community during this event. Help us out, more importantly help out our children. The following is what Lisa shared with us:
On Tuesday, September 23, 2014, Common Ground Community, Inc. will be holding a book fair at Barnes and Noble, 6646 Youree Drive, Shreveport, LA. Common Ground will receive a percentage of all sales made that day when its name is mentioned at checkout. The proceeds will be used to buy books and supplies for Common Ground's children's programs, including its new reading program where Common Ground is partnering with Atkins Technology Elementary School to help first and second graders from the Cedar Grove neighborhood improve their reading skills.
The book fair is being held in connection with the Barnes and Noble book launching party of Judy Christie's 8th novel, "Magnolia Market Plan to stop by from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. that Tuesday and join the fun. There will be refreshments, door prizes and a chance to visit with a great group of folks from Grace and Common Ground.
The Book Fair Number is 11433869. The voucher is attached. (We will also have vouchers there.) If you can't make it Tuesday night, you can still help Common Ground by making purchases online at BN.COM/boo fairs from 9/23/2014 to 9/28/2014 and entering Bookfair ID 11433869 at checkout.
3. From Matt talking about Sonatra. Sonatra has been a part of our community for years. This young man has no one to guide and mentor him other than us. We have all tried to help him along the way, but the darkness of the community continues to be a stumbling block. Sonatra is now trying to make a go of it and trying to take a new direction in his life. A note, a card or letter of encouragement to him will go a long way in this process. Please take a moment right now or this weekend, to send a word of encouragement to Sonatra. Sonatra's address:
Cadet Sonatra Kenon c/o LAARNG Youth Challenge Program
201 Louisiana Blvd.
Minden, LA 71055
It would be great for as many of us who could make it to this event. Family Day is Saturday October 18th. Anyone can come and bring food and visit Sonatra between the hours of 10:00 am to 4 pm.
We need to have a going away party for Lomax?! He is leaving next Saturday the 13th. What about next Wednesday, have it at the Bright House or the center. 6 pm. I can grill some hamburgers, get some chips. We need a cake, ice cream. He and Joey have been a part of our family for many years, hate to see him go, but that is what children do.
Continued prayers for God's direction in the life of our community. Help us to stay focused on God's direction not our own. Prayers for the Hunters as they travel to Dallas to visit the grand children, oh yeah our son and daughter-in-law too! Ginellen's surgery, next Friday morning.
I was reminded during chapel, who is in control. With every crazy thing going on in the world, it is hard to stay sane. Juan told us a story of arriving at his new church in Baton Rouge and being told a ministry the church had sponsored for 41 years was being forced to shut down. You hear stories of people who have lost everything, coming back. Tuesday evening, you see young men sitting in a circle where months ago they were selling drugs. You see, these same young men go to jail but when they get out, come back to the circle. Seeing our community children grow up, dropping out of school, having babies. Now they come to the center with their babies. Men living under bridges, being persecuted at every corner, just trying to survive, waiting for a hug, a prayer on Saturday mornings.
Over whelming, if we were trying to do it all ourselves. Who is in control, God of course. Nothing is too big or too small for Him to handle. We just need to let Him do it. It will all happen to the glory of His Kingdom in a time He wants it done. There will be no answers to our questions of what is expected of us. Our jobs are to be obedient, faithful and humble. We need to show up when we can. We need to pray all the time. We need to let our faith take action. Not worry about the stuff going around us, just focus on the things God has put before us. In God's time it will all come together. And when it does, oh what a blessing it will be!
I think God is teasing us, showing us some of those blessings along the way! He is saying, if you are faithful, this is what I can do. How awesome is that! Can you imagine, maybe we can't!, the magnificence of what is yet to come! Don't you want to be a part of that?! It will take all of us, and those who will come, to make it happen. God working through us, will create a Lvoe Kingdom, like something we have never expeienced before! Amen and amen!
Have a great weekend. Hope to see you around the center, If not, pray, pray, pray!!
