Did you find Joy?

Where did you find your "joy" this week? For some of us it was easy, but for others not so! But God is good no matter what!

Our week got started off early but participating in a fun event Friday night. Lots of nice presents were brought, met new friends and lots of great exposure for our community. Saturday was no different. We had a group of girl scouts join us on our visits. Our outdoor friends always like meeting new people and sharing their stories with them. Saturday we also had our first? But unfortunately we can't reveal it quite yet?! You will have to wait until next week! Lots of bread was wrapped and stored away. Our Geaux Bags ministry was in full swing with lots of helpers. Lots of Joy on Saturday.

We said goodbye to our school children Wednesday afternoon for their holiday break. The noise level was pretty high as games, snacks and presents were presented to them all! Joyful laughter was all around the center.

Tuesday evening the men and women of the community gathered for Bible fellowship. The men read from Mark 4: 36 - 41, talking about Jesus calming the rough seas. Hard to find Joy when we are going through our storms but knowing God is by our side, Joy will be there.

Pastor Doyle and his church came Thursday evening and brought Joy to us all. Pastor and Ms Abbie led our chapel time, the rest of the congregation served our food, worked in the clothing room, helped in the Market, cleaned the tables and visited with our community. Joy was everywhere Thursday night.

Don't forget to wish our Momma T a very Happy, happy, happy birthday today! She is on the road to find Joy with being with Georgette. May the force be with you all!

For those of you in town, the crew is gathering this morning to turn our center into a festival of lights and gifts. Your help is needed and will be greatly appreciated. Then at 8am Saturday morning, the fun will begin, the Christmas Market will open. Please pray for us all, to remember to have Joy in our hearts as our patience runs out!

I will admit, Joy this week has been hard to find. We have experienced two close deaths. Several of us will go through the holidays without family members. Challenges of life that brings uncertainties. Joy is not the word I would first use.

Last Friday around 2:30, Ardis was notified she was no longer employed by her company. Never, ever good to loose your job, but especially at this time of year. Many of us live from paycheck to paycheck, if we miss one, our world begins to crumble. Ardis is the sole provider with little outside resources, so God will have to carry her through this valley. Prayers will be needed and much appreciated. Joy is not a word I would use in this case, but seeing Ardis turn her life over to Jesus, knowing He has a plan for her, brings Joy to my heart.

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We have lived in our neighborhood since 1977. Many of our neighbors have come and gone but not the man down at the corner. He was always outside working in his yard. We would stop and talk as we pushed our stroller down the sidewalk. As we got to know him, he began to tell us his story. He was always wanting to share Joy with others. Several times during the year, he would dress up as a clown and go visit the children at Shriner's Hospital bringing Joy to the little ones. For 25 years or so, each 4th of July, he would organize a parade around the neighborhood. He had friends at the Fire Department and Sheriff's office. Leading our parades were fire trucks and patrol cars. All the children would decorate their bikes, trikes, wagons, even their dogs and we would all walk behind the blaring sirens and flashlights. Following the parade, we would gather on his manicured lawn for watermelon and hot dogs. In those early years, our homes were full of young children. For several years during Christmas week, he would walk door to door, ring the bell and magically Santa Claus would appear! Our son was so full of Joy as Santa would walk in, give our son a big hug, then ask him, David, just checking to be sure you were a good little boy before I brought your presents to you! A hug and off to the next house, what Joy he would bring to all the children! We lost our neighbor last week. When I drive by his house, I still look to see if I see him. His family, his friends, his neighbors have lost a great person, but knowing he is with his Father, brings Joy to us all.

For the first time, our family will not have the patriarch of the family with us this Holiday season. Our young neice who tragically died will not be with her young children and husband this Christmas season. We are celebrating the life of another neighbor this weekend, who unexpectedly died last week. There are love ones in your families, who will not be with you and your families. Hard to find Joy if we just look at our loss. But if we look at where they are, who they are with, and not having to hurt anymore, then our Joy will return. May we take time to find the Joy in our lives when it is hard to find. Amen.

As we begin the week of the birth of our Savior, Love will be our focus. Love is not hard to find, as long as we focus on the One where our Lvoe comes from! Hope to see you around the center this weekend. Lvoe will be there!

A feeding trough?

Where did you find "peace" this week? What blessings did God surround your home with? God is good!

Another pretty Saturday got our week started off right. Everybody was busy finding peace in unusual places. Standing under an overpass talking to friends who live outside is definately a strange place to find peace but you can! Wrapping bread, cooking lunch, planning strategies, playing basketball, can be places where peace can be found. At every turn, our peace sometimes comes under fire but we need to remember to let it go and fill our hearts with the lvoe of Jesus so our peace will continue to be strong.

I had the opportunity to attend worship at Church at Red River Sunday morning. It was great to see old friends and make new ones. The church has built a wall listing all their ministry opportunities. Common Ground is on their wall! I was able to meet with the pastors, thanking them for their support of our community.

Monday and Wednesday afternoons were busy with our children's activities. We have gotten into a rhythm of the children coming in, putting their backpacks in the rack, sitting down for their snack, going to exercise, listening to a story about Jesus, learning to read better, doing some homework, another snack, playing games outside and then back on the bus! How can you find peace with 20 little ones full of energy, exploring new things, easy, just look at their faces, see the smiles, getting their hugs, doesn't get any better than that!

Monday evening we attended a book signing event at Barnes and Noble given by our long time friend Judy Christie. It was well attended allowing us to be able to give away new books to our children next week.

Tuesday afternoon, myself and Lisa had the opportunity to meet with the new executive director of the Beaird Foundation. The Beaird Foundation was the first organization to take a leap of faith and support our community starting back in 2010. They continue to support us. We were able to share some of our stories as we walked around our campus. At some point Lisa shared, this place has a tendency to change your life. Ms Toya said, I have goose bumps on my arm, I can feel it! She found peace in our stories!

Tuesday evening the men and women of the community gathered for their Bible fellowship. The men had 3 preachers in the circle and everybody got to share! Brother George read from Ephesians 1, talking about us receiving the spiritual blessings of Christ. Do you want to find peace, humble yourself and let Christ in your hearts!

Thursday evening got started with Willie and Ms Abbie leading chapel. Christmas hymns were sung and the Christmas story was told. Our meal was supplied by Brother George's church with several different groups helping us serve and clean up. Many helped in the Market and clothing room to make the night go smoother. We had a special treat, some of the youth from First Methodist came, led by our long time friends of Derek and Heather and sang Christmas hymns during our meal. You say you can't find peace when the noise level is so high, just watch and listen to the community go about their lives on a Thursday night, you will find peace in your heart.

For those in town, don't forget to go support our freinds at the Great Raft brewing company and the Times. As one of my customers said, I don't drink beer. I told her it is not about the beer but about the opportunity to help our community by sharing what God has blessed us with to help others. You will find peace in doing so.

Prayers for those who continue to need healing. Prayers for those who are struggling to find peace this time of year. Prayers for our Board as they prepare to lead us into the new year listening to God's direction for our community. Prayers for a children's chapel director. Our chapel is standing room only and it would help free up some space and help with the noise level if we could start our children's church again.

How many times have we read the Christmas story? How many times have we sung the hymns praising God for what He did? Something hit me Thursday afternoon in chapel as Willie said, Christ was born in a manager. Not the first time I have heard that! Willie goes on to say, that was a nice way of saying, really he was born in a feed trough! A nasty, smelly, feed trough! The King of Kings was born in something we would never ever consider putting our baby in!

Willie continues by saying, when we have a baby, we prepare a room, paint it, sterilize it, get new furniture. We go out and buy a receiving blanket, we buy a new dress or outfit. A friend said, he had to get a shot against the flu before he could hold his grandbaby! There is sanitizer in every room of the house to wash our hands before we hold the newborn. This time of year, we celebrate the birth of Jesus where the baby laid in the worse sanitary conditions imaginable. Why?

Why did God do that? God could have commanded the palaces to open their doors, making a room for the new born baby but God did not do that, he chose a feed trough full of feed, germs and all sorts of dirt. Why? God chose to send angels to tell the lowest persons on earth, shepherds, what was about to happen instead of announcing it with trumpets from the palace gates, why?

Because God lvoes us, the common people of this world. Jesus came for the least of them, he came for us. Many years ago, listening to a leader of the church, he looked at us and said, the radicality of the Bible is in your hands, not the hands of our pastors. All of you have been chosen by God to the building of God's Kingdom by your hearts and your hands. Many of those who are in power, many who have wealth have no room in their hearts for lvoe and sacrifice, you do. God's Kingdom is being built for the least of them, you and me. In the coming year and the years to come, it is our job, to share the peace with others that we find that comes from the lvoe of Jesus! Amen.

 

May we lvoe like Jesus lvoes us in the everyday events of our lives this coming week! You will find the kind of peace that defies all explanation!

Racing through life?

The first week of advent is coming to a close, did you find hope this week? Where did you find it? How did God bless your time with Him this week?

Saturday was another rainy morning. For most of the year, our Saturdays have been dry, not this fall. It is a challenge to the guys living outside to keep things dry and to stay warm. We are able to share with them a hot cup of coffee and some warm conversations, trying to lift their spirits up so they can make it through the week. The basketball team practiced off campus and then enjoyed an Italian lunch provided by Vicki and Tim. The bread was wrapped and stored away for Thursday. A good day to find hope.

Monday and Wednesdays we started back up our afternoon activities. It was great to have our children back with us, seeing their smiling faces and inexhaustible energy. Hope was everywhere!

Tuesday evening, the men and women of the community gathered for Bible fellowship, finding hope in being surrounded by God's amazing people. The men read from Hebrews 12: 1-10.

Wednesday evening, the Board met to hear the many voices of hope being brought to our community. Centenary, South Highlands school, Girl scouts, various churches, all wanting to be a part of our community. Lisa reminded us about the Book Fair being held, Monday, December 7th at Barnes and Noble from 5 - 7. Also, a gathering of people at the Great Raft Brewing company bringing presents for our Christmas Market happening on Friday evening December 11th from 4 - 9. Challenges continue to arise as with any community as you continue to reach out in ways God puts before you. Through careful thoughts and deliberate prayers the Board will meet those challenges providing hope to our community.

Brother Chester and Spencer led chapel Thursday evening to begin our first Thursday of advent finding hope in the singing of Christmas hymns. No matter how often you have sung the hymns, they still bring hope to your heart. Allison and Ms Abbie worked all afternoon preparing our meal, served up by new friends from one of our elementary school's teachers. We had new visitors come by to see our story being unfolded before their eyes. The Market and clothing room stayed busy all night long. Our time together on Thursdays provide hope to all who come.

Continued prayers for all those who are need of healing. Prayers for those who need direction. Prayers for our Board. Prayers for those who need to find hope.

Sorry for the late notice, but we will be having our monthly breakfast this Saturday. The servants at Red River will be working at the Bright House II completing their work on the walls, so Joey will be serving breakfast at 7:30! I was thinking, maybe we could have a second feeding at 8:30 for our later arrivals? Come and meet some special people providing hope through their hands and feet of Christ.

Reading Hebrews this week, most of the time spent in the men's group was on verse 1, the end of the verse saying, . .  "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." 

We seem to go through life, reacting to this and that and live our lives that way. Or we go through life living in ways we think we should, or ways we have been told to live. Most of us become angry, bitter, disappointed in the way our life has turned out. We change jobs, move to another city, change relationships thinking life will be better, but usually it does not. We become frustrated, agitated and resentful. As it says in the verse, God has the race marked out for us, we just need to follow it! Pretty simple.

Our son has become a runner. He gets up in the mornings, before the children wake up and runs on his treadmill. Most Saturdays, weather permitting, he takes one of the children in a stroller and runs in the park. He has even joined a running club. They meet regularly to encourage each other, set up running courses and frequently has races. As a by product of all this work, our son has lost weight, eats healthier, feels better and has a better outlook on life.

I just love the verse saying, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. When our son runs in these races, he is focused on that little line marking the trail for the race, knowing that if he follows that line he will reach the finish line. Sometimes when he runs in these races, his body will shut down. Only through his perseverance and determination can he fight through those challenges and complete the race. 

The same can be said for us in our spiritual journeys. We need to stay in God's Word to prepare us so we can  stay focused on the race God has laid before us, persevere as challenges come before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus. Then we too will reach the finish line!  No better hope than that! Amen!

Have a great week. For those of you in town, hope to see you at the book store or at the Friday happening. 

Be strong and courageous!

The morning after! Did anybody eat too much turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, dressing, pies, and cakes?! Hope your time with your family and friends was special!

Saturday was another day in the neighborhood full of joy and excitement. Our visits with our friends living outside was nice. Our bread got wrapped. Garden work was done. Basketball was happening. Clothes were washed. Lots of laughter was everywhere. It was a good God day!

With the Thanksgiving holiday break happening in the schools, no tutoring happened but we are excited to get started next week!

Tuesday evening the men and women gathered for their Bible fellowship. Rickie led the men's gathering reading from Joshua, talking about stepping up when God calls you to do something. A lesson we can all learn to do.

Several nights last week, the servants from The Church at Red River continued their work on the Bright House II. The sheet rocking is just about done thanks to their hard work!

Thanksgiving evening, Joey and Tim turned on the ovens at 3 and by 5 o'clock we were serving our meal! We had more people to join us than expected, coming to sit and visit, watch a football game on TV while enjoying our time together. Hunger does not take a day off. Opening the doors allows our community, who does not have family, to gather together. We have become family to a lot of our neighbors! Very cool.

Prayers for those traveling and keeping them safe on their journeys. Prayers for the families who have love ones not feeling well. Prayers for families who are going through the holidays without their love ones for the first time.

Common Ground will be busy this holiday season with events happening all across our city. If you can be there at any of these happenings please do so. There will be a book signing at Barnes and Noble, December 7th, in the evening with our long time friend Judy Christie promoting her new book .As part of their Joy Fund annual drive, The Shreveport Times is putting on an event aimed at young professionals to get toy donations for Common Ground's Christmas Market.  It will be held at the Great Raft Brewery on December 11th from 6 - 9 PM. For those who attend Grace, Lisa is looking for help to man the table in the gathering area to receive items for the Christmas Market for the next 4 weekends. Our Christmas Market will be happening on Saturday December 19th, everybody's help will be needed.

Reading Joshua 1: 1-9, God tells Joshua, I need you to step and lead my people into the promised land. Joshua had been a leader in training, helping Moses along their journey. When Moses was called home to be with God, Joshua stepped in and became the leader God needed. Joshua was going to take his people into uncharted territory, a new land, a strange place, a scary thought, but God tells Joshua, don't worry I will be with you every step of the way. He reminds Joshua to be strong and courageous. Then end of verse 5, God says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous . . . 

Verse 7 starts off with Be strong and courageous. And in verse 9, God says,"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." 

Joshua was groomed to be a leader. You all are being groomed to be leaders.We need to learn from those who have become before us to step up and lead when it is our turn. When I was asked to take a truck load of can goods to a church in an urban setting, was I scared, you betchua, but I knew God was with me. When we started attending a church where we were not always greeted with compassion, did we stop going, no because we knew God was there with us. Be strong and courageous.

When God wanted us to start serving a meal because our community was hungry, we stepped up. We didn't have the answers of where the money and food was coming from, we just did it, knowing God was with us and He would provide. Be strong and courageous.

When we saw the children of the community needing help with school work, we opened our doors. Did we have a clue what we were doing, no, but we did it, knowing God was with us. Be strong and courageous.

When we decided to buy some property in the neighborhood did we have a clue what God's plan was at that time, no way! But He wanted us to Be strong and courageous.

When we began to turn a drug selling house into a place where we could gather as a community, did we know that this process would change lives, no clue! But He is reminding us to be strong and courageous.

When we dreamed of having a building where ministries could happen to help our community break the cycle of poverty, did we stop and wait for answers, no we moved ahead, painting, repairing, cleaning, hearing God tell us to be strong and courageous.

We have many new opportunities awaiting us. We will always want to know the answers before we move forward. In God's Kingdom, there is only one who knows the answers. It is my experience, God will challenge us to do things that are not expected or out of our comfort zones. He will asks us to move in directions that we had not planned for. He will put dreams in front us that seem impossible. Is it scary, will it make us nervous,  it does not seem logical, but that is ok, because like God told Joshua, be strong and courageous because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go! How comforting is that! Amen!

Let us be strong and courageous in our journeys this week. What blessings and joys will we get to experience! Hope to see you around the center and at our events. Is God good??!!

Community

What a cool crisp morning it is in North Louisiana. The leaves on the trees are all sorts of colors, flowers blooming from the fall rains, God is busy creating another master piece!

Last Saturday was a busy day in and around the center. The servants from The Church at Red River gathered at the Bright House II and began the next phase of the restoration. Over 20 men, women and children were nailing, hammering, laughing, as the sheet rock began to go up! Even one of our long time pastors, drove up from New Orleans to be a part of the day! As we were leaving Saturday afternoon, Matt and Vicki were busy hosting the basketball team with their meal, Bible study and play. Scott and Jim went around to the camps, finding all doing well. Ardis and Momma T were busy wrapping bread. Shannon and Pam were busy in the Market putting away a huge donation of can goods. What a day! God is good!

Monday, our children came to learn, study and play. Great to see so many children and tutors come together learning from each other.

Wednesday, Scott and a new friend Bruce delivered a big donation of food to the Market from a Boy Scout food drive. Most Wednesdays you will find Pam and her dad working hard in the Market preparing for Thursdays. Every Wednesday morning you will find Ms Abbie and Stephanie working in the clothing room straightening, sorting and hanging clothes. What true servants of God, working behind the scenes and not getting the recognition they deserve.

Tuesday evening, Noel led the men's Bible fellowship, reading from John 15, the vine and bushes. Joey led us several weeks ago in this passage, but as usual, new thoughts and ideas arose from our discussions.

Thursday evening was a night to remember.Ms Abbie and Brother George got the evening off with praises and Words of wisdom in chapel. Not sure I have seen so much food, so many servants, so many community members at one time! Record number of people being served and going through the Market. Allison and Momma T spent Tuesday evening decorating the tables, the community came into the dining hall sat down and they were served a meal. We had long time friends, Tom and Judy join us for the evening, supplying us their food specialties to make the evening even more special. We had Brother George's church and a group from The Church at Red River help us serve, clean up and be our hosts for the evening. One of our long time supporters, Sherry, turn our back hallway into a photography studio and took portraits of the community all night long. Allison has a surprise for us all with the pictures after they are developed.

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you today, Beth. Hope your day is special.

We have enough food from Thursday night to have left overs for this coming Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. We will warm them up, and serve those who come. If you want to get out of the house, we will be gathering around 4, pretty low key, visiting with each other and community.

This Saturday, Joey and his cooking crew will be hosting a breakfast for us all. Breakfast will be served at 8:30. A long time tradition of ours, that was postponed for awhile but Joey felt the need to get it going again. Joey will have a sign up sheet asking others to host upcoming breakfasts. Please come and enjoy the hot coffee and good conversations.

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody! What a special time of year to be with family and friends.

I saw in the newspaper several weeks ago about a promotion honoring several charities. The promotion was very nice but started me thinking about the word charity. I saw in an email last week asking of their members, to get involved because this is a good way to do charity work. All the organizations are doing good work for their clients but I thought to myself, common ground is not a charity, we don't do charity work.

As the community gathers in chapel each week, they visit with each other asking how their week went.  Each week they ask how my wife is doing. Recently, one of our members told me not to worry about her, she would be gone for the next two weeks. They share with the community, their hurts and their joys. The kids run in and out of chapel, as they do at home. They come dressed up or in their work clothes. We get hugs from our community. We hear jokes, some I can't repeat here! When the community needs a place to gather for a funeral, a baby shower, a wedding, they gather at the center. We get to celebrate a graduation or morn a loss. We are family!

I put in a search for the word charity in the Bible and nothing came up?! Charity is not listed but the word love is. That is what common ground does, we lvoe! Lvoe puts you on a different level with community. There is no us and them, no better than, mentality, When our community hurts we hurt. When we see the darkness that surrounds our community, we fight to bring light. When we experience the challenges of living in poverty we long to break those chains of oppression.

In Colossians 3: it talks about the forgiving one another, forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Then in verse 14  it says, "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Our community is bound together in the lvoe of Jesus, no one better than another, no color is seen, just all of us trying to be the kind of people Christ is asking of us. When we fall, we have each other to help us get back on the paths we need to be on. Amen!

Have a great week of food, family and celebration of what God is doing in and through your life. You are an amazing group of people, doing God's work through lvoe!

Please be quiet!

What a gorgeous fall morning in our part of the world. Hopefully your home is enjoying God's majestic canvas also.

We were spending time with the grand children last Saturday, so I was not around the center. I know it was busy as usual. God's work is never done, even if we take a day off sometimes!

Mondays and Wednesdays continue to bring us joy. After our snacks and exercises, we now have Bible story time! Great to see the kids sitting, listening to Bible stories, learning about God and seeing how God is working in their little lives. We can always use your help and heart, come join us.

Tuesday evening, the ladies and mens Bible fellowship were happening. Brother George shared from 1 John 5: 15-17 talking about spiritual problems. We live in a world hurting and dark, we are the light, needing to share that light with others. Do we or is our light covered with a shade?

Thursday evening got started off with Willie and Wes sharing their gifts in chapel. Wes and I were outside chapel talking, the door of the chapel opened up and Willie was already singing! Looked down at my watch, it was 5:30 and we were still singing, Praising God! Allison and Ms Abbie worked all afternoon making their world famous hot dog casserole and banana pudding, a bit hit with the community. We had some new friends from the nursing school help serve and clean up. The Market continues to be a hit with the community choosing items they will use during the week. Our new friend Jim opened up the clothing closet to help others in need of the basics of life. You just never know what and who God will bring each week, part of the joy and mystery of being a part of His Kingdom.

Next Thursday is our traditional Thanksgiving meal. Your help will be needed. Please come.

This week has been a busy one for the Bright House II. With God's timing, all the inspections are done and the next phase of our resurrection can start. The Church at Red River will have a big crew of servants working this Saturday starting the process of sheet rocking. Work will begin at 8 am. Joey will be cooking hamburgers at noon. Please come and join in as we become the hands and feet of Jesus.

Continued prayers for Ginellen. Her doctor said to her this week, maybe we should send you to a tent revival! You need to heal lady, the doctor said! Prayers for Matt and Vicki and the health of Matt's mom. Prayers for our community. Life is hard, the pressures of evil is strong in our community and God's light needs to shine bright.

I told Willie, last week in chapel the noise level was high and tempers were hot, just be prepared for the messiness of life. He reminded me, Jesus' ministry was anything but quiet. Some crowds praised him, some crowds wanted to kill him, nothing quiet about that!

We all grew up in church where you left your problems outside the church, you got quiet for an hour and then when you got back in your car, the arguing could start up again. That was the way church was for me. But do you think that is what Jesus wanted for His church?

Willie reminded me, our community is noisy. The music is loud, the conversations are loud, the neighborhoods are loud. God is providing a place where the noisyness of life can come together and worship, find peace, find hope and find lvoe.

Is it easy, no. Is it the way we want, no. But I am reminded again, it is not about us, but about God. We have young men who come on Tuesday and Thursday nights that are loud. You can hear the music playing even through their ear phones. Even the ring tones are loud! But guess what they are with us, not on the corners selling drugs! Our jobs are to open our hearts and our doors to plant the seeds of the lvoe of Jesus and let God grow the fruit.

I can't tell you how many times, my mom had to poke me, pull my ear, bribe me with candy to be quiet in church. But I was there! We need to do the same with our community. My mom and dad have both past away, not sure they would believe what their little mischievous boy is doing now. We may never see the fruits of our labor but that is ok, that is not our job or our purpose. We are providing a place where the seeds are being planted and one day the fruits of God's lvoe will be shown throughout our community! What a joy and a blessing to be able to do God's work! Amen!

Hope your week is full of God's richest blessings. Please join us this week and experience the fruit God is producing!

Is it love and lvoe?

Let there be rain! For months we have been needing rain and now we have it! How are you doing in your part of the world?! God knows what we need, even though some of us like to complain about it!

We had another rainy Saturday to get our week started off. When you live outdoors, you find ways to try and stay dry. Abandon warehouses with empty loading docks provide a way to get out of the rain, under over passes while cars speed along on top keeps us from getting completely soaked. You find a way to survive. What is the saying, one man's curse is another man's blessing! With the rain, many soccer games were canceled so Jim and John had a full house of folks working in the Bright House. No better way to spend a rainy morning than wrapping bread, Ms Abbie, Momma T, Alice and Ardis can attest to that! Vicki comes in later in the morning and her crew gets lunch ready for the basketball players. A full morning of fun and joy.

Monday and Wednesday afternoons continue to bring more joy to us all. Watching the kids get off the bus and all of the children run up to Lisa giving her hugs is priceless. One of the girls needed a shirt for school, so we take time to go get her one. You won't find that in any report! Waiting with the children who don't ride the bus, playing games, laughing, joking with them all adds up to a lifetime of memories. Pardon me while a boast for a moment, we had a new helper Wednesday afternoon! My mother-in-law came to help out! Mrs Joyner has heard me talk about Common Ground for all these years. She has helped us with donations, but for some reason she decided to come, what a miracle! Don't you want to be a miracle in someone eyes, come and experience what God is doing.

Tuesday evening, Joey led the men's Bible fellowship talking about the beginning and the end of Jesus' ministry. Jesus says to his disciples, he says to us, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." Pretty simply, why do we make is so complicated! Momma T and Ms Abbie was leading the ladies Bible fellowship in the friendship room. I noticed as we were leaving for the evening, the lights were still on and they were still talking about God! Awesome!

Wednesday evening the Bright House II was lit up with men and electricity! Did you all see the picture on our Face book page? The Church at Red River is working nonstop to make God's house live able. No greater witness to see men work all day at their day jobs and then spend hours working for God's Kingdom. What a blessing.

Thursday evening rain was predicted but God had other plans. A packed house for chapel led by Joey and Ms Abbie. Joey talked about lvoing others as Jesus has lvoed us. It was hard to do in chapel, with the noise level being so loud. You have a lot of people packed into a small room and noise is going to happen. We need to pray for the doors of our sanctuary to open, so we can fill that room up with the Spirit! Allison and Ms Abbie worked tirelessly Thursday afternoon to bring us a meal everybody enjoyed. We had new friends from Grace join us to help serve and clean up. The Market was busy as usual with new helpers helping the community pick out items they needed. A steady stream of community was "shopping" for clothes for their families. The rain came but not until everybody got home, thank you God!

Continue your prayers for Ginellen. She had a new pain this week but the doctor assured her it was nothing bad. Your prayers worked a miracle for Noel. Noel shared with the men Tuesday evening and again in chapel, one week he had colon cancer, the next week he did not! Praise God! Pray for one of our community members' husband. Listening to her talk about her husband's upcoming heart surgery, she was scared. Another reminder to me of what our community faces everyday. Ginellen and I have been suffering through her illness for almost two years. We are educated and still don't understand everything that is happening to her. Our community is not educated and the doctors tell them what is about to happen and they have no clue what the doctors are about to do.

Joey talked about the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Matthew 3: 13-18. The first order of business for Jesus to begin his ministry was to get baptized. As Jesus came out of the water, heaven was opened, the Spirit of God came down and a voice said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Then in John 15, as Jesus is concluding his ministry, he tells his disciples in verse 10, If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love."

Joey asked us, what is the common theme in these two passages and really in the ministry of Jesus? Of course it is all about love. It is the kind of love that we can not produce but the kind of love that will produce fruit that will last. Verse 16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last . . " Fruit that looks like shoppers at a Market, servers in a line, cooks, dishwashers, hammering a nail, teaching, visiting friends living outdoors, making the books balance, paying bills, sweeping the floors, giving hugs, keeping quiet when you want to scream, doing things you don't want to do, attending meetings, coaching, giving talks. As Joey reminded us it is all about love or as we like spell it around our community "lvoe"!

In John, Jesus is empowering his friends, his disciples not to worry, I am about to leave you but you are not on this journey alone, I am with you always. In verse 14, Jesus says, "You are my friends if you do what I command." And He finishes his conversation with verse 17, "This is my command: Love each other." Do you want Jesus to be your friend, lvoe others. Do you want Jesus to be with you always, lvoe others. It is not our love that Jesus is seeking, but the "lvoe" of Jesus lvoing others! Amen

Hope you have a great week and a blessed time with Jesus. What will your "lvoe" moment look like this week?! Hope you can join us at the center this week, but if you can't or for those of you out of town, please show your "lvoe" by praying for our community! Peace and joy to all.

Testing

Boo! Did I scare you! Hope your week was full of blessings as God worked in your life!

A full day of activities got us going as the rain came this past Saturday. Our visits were wet, finding shelter wherever we could. We have started asking our friends for their empty plastic jugs, so we can fill them up and bring them back the next week. Every camp has been sharing their empty jugs with us, what a blessing. We walked down to Turner's camp to get his jugs and he had each one wrapped in a plastic bag to try and keep them clean! There was an abundance of bread, which kept everybody busy wrapping for the morning. We had a big church group show up to help KC fill her Geaux Bags and reorganize her room. A fun morning.

Monday and Wednesday we are busy with our little friends. What a joy to see everybody coming together as we learn from each other what it means to be a community. You need to come and experience the joy of God's little children!

Tuesday evening, Brother George led the men's Bible fellowship 1 John 4: 1 - 8, talking about false prophets. Momma T and Ms Abbie were deep in discussions in the ladies Bible fellowship in the Friendship Room. Ardis and Vicki were busy baking cakes in the kitchen getting ready for Thursday.

Thursday was filled with candy, games, face painting, hot dogs and music. With the leadership of Vicki and Abbey, our Fall Fest was a huge hit with the community. There were games of all kinds all around the center for young and old to play. The cake walk was busy all night long giving away the delicious cakes cooked during the week. Hot dogs and sausage was cooked by new friends from Eagle Distributing. For the first time we had Spencer come with some of his band members to play while we ate. A great time to meet new friends. Thanks to all for making the Fest such a huge success.

For those of you in town, today Common Ground will be highlighted by a restaurant called Pita Pit located on Shreveport Barksdale Hwy today. A percentage of all their sales today will go to Common Ground. They are open from 10 to 9 today, go by and support them as well as Common Ground.

Prayers continue for Matt and his family as they comfort their mom. The family is hoping she will take a turn for the better as the family gathers for a family Thanksgiving celebration. Prayers for Ginellen as she continues to go through her healing process. Prayers for William and others as they deal with the loss of their friend, Ms V.

Dear friends, the first verse in 1 John chapter 4 starts off, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God . . . Growing up I assumed everything our pastor said was Gospel. Why not, he wore a robe, preached behind the big pulpit, stood up before us on a high stage. I was told to believe him. We are taught to believe our pastors.

When the verse says, test the spirits, how do we do that? Does what our pastor say match up to what the Bible says? In order to do that, that means we have to open our Bibles and read! Ouch, mine sat on the coffee table collecting dust for many a year, thinking I went to church for an hour and I did my "church thing", I was good to go for a week. Not having a relationship with Jesus, did not require me to read His words.

Do you want to know what Jesus wants for your life? Read the Word. Do you want to know if your preacher is speaking the truth? Read the Bible. Do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? Learn the Good News.

We live in a world full of corruption and lies. We live in a world where the truth is sometimes hard to find. Not all pastors are called by God to share His word. The only way to know what is right and of God, is the reading of His word and through prayer. No one else can do that for us, we have to dust off our Bibles and open the pages to discover what God's plan is for our lives! Guaranteed to be a blessing to you if you do! Amen.

Don't forget to set your clocks back Saturday night, don't want to be late for church Sunday!

Hope you will find a verse or a word in your Bible that will bring comfort or peace in your journey this week. Enjoy the many blessing God has for you and our community through His word and through prayer. 

Peace of God

Good morning to all! Hope you all had a great week with blessings and surprises filling the week with joy.

Saturday was busy as usual. Visits with our friends living outside were happening. Robert was asking about a tent for the winter. Turner was quiet as usual. A big group of old friends at our stop at Ogilive. Everybody enjoying the cooler temperatures. Bread was being wrapped by new friends from Northwestern nursing school being shown by Ardis, Momma T and Ms Abbie. Vickie and her crew coming in later in the morning to fix lunch for the basketball team. A good morning of fun, fellowship and relationships.

No children on Monday due to their fall break, but they came Wednesday afternoon. Great to see so many people coming to help us tutor. We are able to break up into smaller groups, which allows us to have more one on one conversations creating relationships that will last a life time. We have around 15 - 20 children, couldn't we have 15 - 20 tutors! Come, enjoy and meet God's children we are blessed to be a part of their lives.

Tuesday, the men and women of the community gathered for some time of Bible fellowship. Momma T and Ms Abbie began their study. Rickie led the men's discussions reading from Philippians 4: 6-7 and verse 19.

Thursday evening was full of activities. St Luke's Medical van pulled up to a waiting line of community wanting to get in. Chapel was led by Brother Chester and Ms Abbie. Fried chicken and all the fixins was served in the fellowship hall, a record number of bags were filled in the Market, the clothing racks began to get empty, a big night, people everywhere enjoying the blessings of God in and around our campus. 

Also Thursday afternoon, Abbey spoke to a group of folks at the Cedar Grove library accompanied by Sonatra and Miley.

Prayers for Matt and Vickie as they comfort Matt's mom. Her health has been poor for some time now but now they are dealing with the trials of a broken hip from a fall she had. They travel back and forth to Alexandria several times a week to be with her. Prayers for Noel. Noel, long time friend, leader in chapel and the men's Bible fellowship, just lost his long time friend, Little Bit, now has been told he has cancer. He is being diagnosed this week to determine what type of cancer and the severity of it. Prayers for Ginellen as she goes through surgery this morning. Pryers for a quick recovery and an end to her ordeal of almost two years.

A reminder, next Thursday will be our Fall Fest. Lots of games, prizes and surprises will be offered to the community. We will have small bags of groceries to hand out. We will need everybody's help to make it all happen. Set up will be around 4 and tear down around 6. Come and help us out, enjoy what God is doing in our community.

Momma T wanted everybody to know, this Sunday at the 11 am worship time at Grace, Sonatra will be  baptized! Praise God! What a blessing to see this happening to a young man who has been a part of our community for a long time. I am reminded of the phrase, in the end, God wins out! Sonatra has faced many trials and obstacles in his young life, a life living in poverty and despair. But through the light of all of you and your perseverance God has won and defeated Satan. God is good!

In Philippians 4, verse 6 starts off, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation . . . present your requests to God! Wow, what a comfort. How appropriate during this time. We often go to God on the operating table, when we face a disease, when things don't go our way, when we have messed things up so bad, there is no where else to turn, but Paul is reminding us, don't be anxious about anything. I find myself going to God when I can't get a screw to turn, when a piece of wood won't fit the way I want it to, when I go to a house where there is a barking dog, asking God to let the dog not bite me! Seeing the changing colors of a tree. The everyday events of our lives.

God is there for our "burning bushes" events, but He wants a closer relationship with us. He wants us to call on him when we have a hang nail, a headache, see a beautiful tree or a colorful flower, see a sweet babies smile, a warm hug from a friend, God is there too!

When I go to God, there seems to be a peace, like in verse 7 says, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Amen!

Hope you all have a great week. Enjoy the peace of God in your daily lives this week. See you around the campus.

Sharing our light

Rain, rain go away!! I wish we could be saying that around our part of the world. Hopefully you are not experiencing our drought in your city. Hope your week was a good one full of laughter and joy.

Being out of town over the weekend, can't report on our Saturday activities, others will have to share their experiences.

Mondays and Wednesdays continue to be a blessing to us all. There was a nice article in our local newspaper about our afternoon activities, hopefully you all got to read it. If not, go to our Facebook page and you can find the link there.

Tuesday evening, the men of the community gathered for a time of reflection and conversations about how God is moving in their lives. Brother George led the evening continuing our conversations about darkness and light. We were challenged to spread the light of Jesus to all we come in contact with.

Thursday evening, was full of fun and families. A smaller than normal crowd got together in the chapel to hear Spencer lead the music and listened to Brother George share the Word. Brother George's church provided the meal. The Market and clothing room were steady with our community shopping all evening long.

Next Tuesday evening, Momma T and Ms Abbie will begin a new community women's Bible study based on the movie War Room. Come and join them at 6:30 in the Friendship room.

Our Fall Fest will be October 29th. Lots of games, food and music will be happening and we need your help to make it all happen. Set up will be around 4 and we need to clean up after wards.

Prayers for Ginellen. She had her doctor's visit Tuesday and unfortunately another surgery will take place. The doctor was encourage at her progress. He wants to get her completely healed, so he needs to do some more work on her to make it happen. Surgery will be next Friday the 23rd. 

Sharing the light. What is that, how do we do it, what does it look like? I clicked on search for references of light in the Bible, 9000 references came up! That's exaggeration of course, but obviously light is important to God!

I read starting in Genesis 1:3, God said let there be light and there was light. Then in verse 4, God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God likes light, doesn't like darkness!

When we choose to turn over our lives to Christ, the light in our souls begins to glow. As we become more in tune in God's ways, His Word, the light will grow stronger. As our light becomes brighter, we are commanded to shine our light so others can see it. In Matthew 5: 15, Luke 8: 16, Luke 11:33, all basically say the same thing, no one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden. Instead they put it on its stand so that those who come in may see the light.

When I first began to follow the ways of Christ, I was always scared to share my faith with others. Then I realized, my actions sometimes speak louder than words! I did not have to preach to someone about God, I could show. You can do the same. Some of us have the gift of words and can use them to share their light, but others do not, so show them! Giving out hugs increases the light, a smile will brighten the day, a word of encouragement with bring about hope. The simple things in life often make the greatest impact. One light, combined with other lights will drown out the darkness.

What good is it for us to hide our lights of Christ so no one else can see it? It does the Kingdom of God no good. We must continue to go out, get out of our comfort zones, go beyond what is expected of us, be bold in our faith and do the unthinkable and lvoe others as Christ has lvoed us! Guaranteed blessings will flow both for us and for those who get to experience our lights of Christ! Amen.

Hope you all have a great week. Let's get out and share the light of Christ with others to brighten their day and ours!

Ok to say No!

God is good . . .  all the time! He was good in our part of the world what about yours?

Leaving early on Saturday, I did not get see all of what God was up to. I did get to share with Momma T and her friend about some exciting plans for our prayer garden. The basketball team was busy practicing, our visits with our outdoor friends were happening, a good morning.

Mondays and Wednesdays continue to bring joy to us all. A great group of children gather to become part of our community. Snacks, exercises, reading, more snacks, games all happen every day. We could always use your help. Come and join us.

Tuesday evening, we celebrated National Night Out around our center. Thanks to Joey, Ardis, Vickie and Ms Abbie, we had a great time. There was good food, lively conversations, Bible study, basketball, music all happening in and around the center. A good evening of getting to know some of our neighbors.

A large turnout of community gathered for our Thursday activities. Willie and Ms Abbie got chapel started off by singing and praising God for 45 minutes! There were no words to see, but there were songs in our hearts. We sang and played until it was past time to go! George's church provided a yummy meal. We had friends from Centenary's lacrosse team and a fraternity helping us serve and clean up. We had Pastor Juan calling out the numbers for our Market as Joey checked them off the list. The clothing room stayed busy all night long. It was exhausting but a blessing to be a part of the evening.

Praises for Chuck and his wife Corrianne on the birth of their baby early Thursday morning! John Henry Taylor III weighed in at 7 pounds and 12 ounces!

Prayers for Lisa and her family as they gather for the celebration of the life of her mom this weekend. Prayers for safe travel as the Hunters travel to Dallas this weekend for their grandson's 4th birthday party.

Are we too busy to do God's work? I hear that all the time from folks involved in church. I sing in the choir, teach Sunday School, lead Bible study, have my small group, joined the men's or women's group, mentor the youth, go to work, take the kids to soccer practice, go to football games, attend dance recitals, where does it end? I hear, I don't have time to sit still and listen to God's quiet voice!

All those activities are good, don't get me wrong, but where does it end? Do we become exhausted, or burned out in trying to do God's work? Or is it of God?

When I first turned my life over to Christ, I did everything. I never said no to any request from the church. How could I? Someone from church, your pastor or a Bible teacher or a church friend, how can you say no? Doing church "stuff" is what we are suppose to be doing isn't it? I am not involved in activities I shouldn't be doing, but I was being a good little boy by doing all my church "stuff".

But at some point, you realize you can't do it all. We are part of a body, the hands, the ears, the toes, something but we are not whole part. We have to go to God and say, God what do you want me to do to build your Kingdom? What part do you want me to play? We often play the part we think we ought to be doing and ask God to help us. It should be the other way around. If we try to do it all, we do an injustice to someone else who is trying to be a part of the body.

It is hard to say no to your pastor or your church friend, but it is ok, they won't think less of you. It's ok not be on every committee at the church, people will still respect you just the same. We need to go to God first, not last, and ask where do you need me God? We need to be still and listen to that quiet voice and hear our answers. Then we need to perform our tasks. Amazing things will happen. Blessings will abound for you and God's Kingdom. Amen.

Let us take time this week to pray, listen and respond. Guaranteed the light of Christ will be the brightest it every has been in you! Have a blessed week.

What does your darkness look like?

Hope your week was full of joy and blessings. God is so good to us all!

A full Saturday of activities got our week started off right. Scott had a large group of nursing students join him on our outdoor friends visits. The group was led by none other than our long time friend, Icee Joe! I guess now we will have to begin to call him Nurse Joe or Dr Joe! Great to see Joe. Robert has lost hope in moving inside and is asking for a larger tent to combat the rain and cold weather coming. If you hear of someone having a 2 or 3 person tent, please let Scott or Brian know. Bread was wrapped, basketball team was fed, John and his group of servants worked on the Bright House II, a good morning to serve the Lord!

Monday and Wednesdays continue to be a blessing to us all. A big group of children join us each day wanting to eat, learn, play and be lvoed! A great time. Please join us between 3 - 5 and experience what God has given us to treasure and lvoe.

Tuesday evening, Brother George led our men's Bible fellowship by talking about light and darkness. The discussion was awesome, reading from Acts 26:18. Brother George asked us, what is your darkness? Never thought about that before? 

Thursday evening was a treat as usual. Chapel time was led by our own Tim and Ms Abbie. Tim talked about serving God. If we are not serving God than we are serving something else. Allison prepared the meal of lasagna, salad and watermelon, delicious. The clothing room and Market were busy all night long. We had lots of new faces from the community joining us for the evening. A great evening of laughter, joy and blessings.

Following our meal, Lisa held a short, yea, Board meeting! Lots going on. Our Board is busy attending classes, speaking to groups, involving other organizations with us, all very exciting. Our new newsletter will be going out shortly. A new servant booklet is going to print. Groups coming in. Classes starting up for our community, something for everybody! If you have a unique fundraising idea, let Lisa know. 

Prayers for the families who lost their love ones at the community college in Oregon. Don't understand why things like this happen? Prayers for Lisa and her family as they celebrate the life of her mother, next weekend, October 10th. If you want to do something for Lisa, please let Ardis or Momma T know.

This coming Tuesday evening, October 6th, the men's fellowship will again host National Night Out starting at 6. Hot dogs and all the fixins will be provided. Come and join us, hopefully meet some of our neighbors. Let Joey know if you have any questions.

Brother George, said his darkness and my darkness may not look the same?  I have been thinking about that statement all week long.  Each man was asked, what does darkness look like to you? Some said, not a place where I want to be or go. Others said, not of God. As I thought about that statement, I blurted out, I have been living in darkness and never knew it! That was scary.

I was raised in Lake Charles, attended First Methodist Church growing up. We went to the 8:30 service, sat in the balcony. Not sure why we sat there, maybe so I wouldn't disturb the others? Always enjoyed communion Sundays because the preacher didn't talk so long! Went to Sunday School after the service. Went by and picked up Aunt Merdie and Uncle Ed, no relations to us, just friends of my parents, that's what we called them. My younger sister and I would ride in the very back of the station wagon and we all went for a ride. Stopped for lunch somewhere, drove around some more and back home. We went to Wednesday night suppers at the church. I rode my bicycle to church during the week to see what the youth pastor was up to. Joined the Boy Scout troop at the church. My daddy sold some stock he got from his daddy and bought the church their first set of hand bells. I guess since my daddy bought the bells I was required to play them! We went around the state playing at different churches, once staying at Centenary. When I share my story, I say, when I graduated from high school and when away to college, I also graduated from religion.

Not until one Saturday, over 20 years ago, around noon, in the parking lot outside of the Grace offices on Bert Kouns, after attending a discovering your spiritual gifts class given by Pete, right before I got into my truck, I said to God, ok God I am yours, do what you want with me, did the scales begin to be removed from eyes and I began to see the light. I was living in darkness and didn't even know it.

It is easy to see some who are living in darkness by their actions, like the person in Oregon, a drug addict, an alcoholic, those living in prisons, darkness is their lives. But what about the person sitting next to you in church, teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir, serving the poor, working with the youth, are they living in darkness? Do they know they are living in darkness? I didn't.

I thought from experiences growing up in church, if I didn't kill anybody, didn't need a drink to get through the day, didn't use drugs, didn't fight, if I went to church, I was a good person and that was all I needed to do.

In the verse in Acts 26:18, it says, "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God . . " I think the great deceiver is doing a great job. Satan is happy for us to go to church and then go home. What good is that? When does the hungry get fed?

Common Ground was founded on servants, shinning not their lights but the light of Christ. Common Ground continues to become a vital part of God's Kingdom because of those of you who now come, leading the way with Christ's light shinning through you. Common Ground is not about us but about God. This is God's Kingdom not ours. 

Over the past 20 years I have seen pastors come and go. !00% of the pastors love what we do and what we are about. All say, this is church. And all struggle with getting folks to join in to building God's Kingdom. When something is presented to their congregations to get them involved, the majority of the response, oh no, here is something else to add to my list of to dos!

For me, when I began to see the light inside of me get brighter and brighter, I couldn't do enough for Christ! We need to help others realize, the light of Christ that is them needs to be their center point and lead them in their journeys, not the other way around.Amen.

Have a great week. Hope you can make it by the center and experience God's blessings. If you are far away, please continue to pray for us. Thank you all for being the light of Christ in your part of the world!

Do you need a sign?

We are in the fall season, or so it says on the calendar. Our weather still believes it is summer! Hopefully you have gotten to experience some fall in your part of the world.

Being gone this past Saturday, don't have much to report on. Basketball, bread, visits, garden work all continued.

Monday and Wednesday afternoons you will find us busy with our children. Allison puts out a nice spread of healthy snacks for the children to enjoy when they arrive. Joey leads the children in a time of prayer. Chuck gets them to do some exercises. Then they break into small groups for their reading training. Great to see so many friends willing to take their time out to help our children. You will find groups of children in just about every room of the building!

Tuesday evening, Noel led the men's Bible fellowship reading from Colossians 1. Paul writes to the church in verse 3 and 4 saying, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people." Isn't that nice to be thought of like that, a community made up of believers and lvoing others! Sounds like you all!

Thursday was filled with a packed house. Being the end of the month, there were no room in the inn! Chapel was full as we listened to Brother Chester and a new friend from another community, the Yellow House. Bryce led us in music and praise. We had Matt's nephew and his friends from Barksdale Air Force Base cook our meal, serve and cleaned up afterwards. Then we had Centenary men's basketball team join us to help out in the Market and work with our boys on the court. We had a nice visit with Pastor Juan's father, who was in town for a short visit. It was a packed house, full of joy and excitement. As one of our pastors would say, this was church!

Please keep Lisa and her family in your prayers as they deal with the passing of her mom. With family all over the country, the funeral will not be until Saturday, October 10th in Ringgold, LA. Visitation will be in Ringgold on Friday. Lisa can fill us in on the place and times of both as we get closer to that weekend.

Bare with me, I do have a point to this story. Do you need a sign?  I drive every day with a sign on my truck. This week I drove over to Bossier City with my signs on my truck. After I was finished with my job, I took my signs off and drove to the center. I caught myself driving different on the way back, why?  I find myself in traffic, making decisions that if they are wrong will affect more than just me. When I take my signs off the truck, then it is just me or is it?

If I run a red light, honk, don't let somebody in, drive fast when I have my company's sign on the truck, I represent more than just me. I let down my wife, my in laws, my extended family. I don't want somebody calling my wife or my mother-in-law saying, I saw one of your trucks run a red light! Or he cut that driver off going down the highway!

Why is it when my signs are not on my truck, I sometimes deviate from the way I drive? I caught myself saying, while driving back without my signs on the truck, wouldn't Jesus be sad in the way I am driving? You see people with a cross dangling from their rearview mirror or a fish decal on the trunk to signify they are Christians, but are they driving that way? Do I drive like I am a Christian, representing Jesus to everyone?

We are all children of God. We are His hands and feet in this world. He lvoes us. We are His. No greater community to be a part of then the family of believers. Paul prayed for the folks in Colossians because of their actions. Paul knew because of their faith they lvoed God. That is what can be said about our community of common ground. 

Let's not forget this week, who we are, whose we are! Let our actions let others know, we are children of God. Let our driving skills, let our life skills make someone call our office and say, that person must be a Christian!  Amen!

Hope you have a great week. God will be good because His is always good!

Busyness

We have come to the end of another week or I guess I could say, the beginning of a new week. I like the latter better, the beginning! Our summer weather has creeped back into our world, hopefully it hasn't in yours!

We got started off our last week, with some new friends from First Methodist joining us Saturday morning. This is the first time we have had adults join us. They worked hard all morning long in and around the center. Hopefully this is only the beginning of this relationship. Our visits went well, everybody trying to stay cool and keep hydrated. 

Sunday night we hosted Grace's Discovering Discipleship class. A good way for us to be able to share our community with others.

Monday and Wednesday afternoons you will find us busy with our new group of children from Atkins Elementary. We have been testing them so we can put them into groups. While they were being tested, others were involved in games, exercises and challenges. A new beginning of working with little ones wanting to do better in the classroom. We can always use your help. Please join us between 3 - 5 in the afternoons.

Tuesday evening, Rickie led our men's Bible study reading from James 1: 1 - 8, trials and temptations.  Verse 2 begins by saying, consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds . . Where does the joy come from when we are in the mist of our struggles?

Thursday evening was packed full of adventure and fun. Brother George, Spencer and his friend Zach led us in chapel. Our long time friends from Clearview Church brought food, served and cleaned up. The Market was full of shoppers. The Clothing room was overflowing with community looking for bargains. A very nice evening.

The Hunters will be headed to Dallas, prayers for safe travel. Prayers for God's direction in our lives and in our community.

In one of Max Lucado's devotionals this week, said, "The key to spiritual growth isn't increased church attendance or involvement in spiritual activities. People don't grow in Christ because they're busy at church. They grow in Christ when they read and trust their Bibles".

Are you all a part of a Bible study group? Do you read your Bible every day? Do you take time to listen to God? Do you have quiet time with just you and God?

You all are such caring people, I worry you do not take time for yourselves. You are part of a community that puts you in the middle of the struggles of living in poverty. Because of your compassion for others, you want to help everybody, but you don't take time for yourselves. The demand on your time, your resources, your family can become overwhelming. It is easy to loose focus on where God is leading you and focus on the despair of your community. We must stay focused on God and His way for our lives.

In verse 5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God . . . We need to go to God for our answers, not others. We need to seek after Him through His Word.

Not taking anything away from what you all do, you are truly servants of Christ, but don't let your lvoe of others surpass your lvoe of Christ. We must stay grounded in our Lord, and His Word, then all things will be given to us. Amen.

In the coming week, let's find something in His Word, we have not read before. Let's find time to spend with Him. Amazing things will happen to us all! God is good . . . 

Doubt

It's Friday! How was your week? Has the weather cooled down a little in your part of the world? What blessings did God share with this week?

Our Saturday was a busy one last week. We had some new faces join us for our activities. Our new friends, tried to do it all, so they joined Scott on his first couple of visits, found their way back to the center to help Ardis and Ms Abbie finish with the bread wrapping, finishing up the morning helping Vickie serve lunch to the basketball team! Momma T and Tim were busy in the garden, John and his band of servants continued their work on the Bright House II. Lots of fun things to do every week, come by and join in on some of the fun!

Later that afternoon, our center hosted a family gathering of one of our community celebrating the passing of a family member. We received a nice thank you note from the family. I wanted to share it with those who made our center feel like home. From the Morgan family: "To the Common Ground Community Center, Friends, we the Morgan family thank you for your support of love and concern for our family during our bereavement. We will forever be grateful for your love and kindness."

Tuesday evening, Rickie led our men's Bible fellowship reading from Matthew chapter 8: 23-27, Jesus calms the storm. The disciples were scared for their lives as a furious storm came upon them out in the lake. They immediately went to Jesus and asked for help. Do we do the same, or wait to try and solve the problems ourselves?

Wednesday afternoon, Allison and Lisa hosted a gathering of our tutors for the coming school year. Following the session, Allison and Lisa hosted an open house for the parents of the children. Exciting times to get back with the little ones again. We will be hosting around 20 children with a long waiting list of others who want to come. We will start this coming Monday, with the children arriving around 3 until 4:45. Please join us, enjoying the energy and excitement our young children bring with them.

Thursday got started off with Willie and Wes sharing their gifts of song and Word.Willie shared his anxiety of having an operation this month and how God got him through it, inspiring. A long time friend of ours and his men's small group provided the food and service for the evening. Jennifer and her band of servants kept the clothing room organized and flowing. Pam and her shoppers kept the Market stocked and lively. Great to see our community coming and going all through the center finding treasures around every corner.

Where were you today, 9/11? Prayers for all who lost a love one, who continue to struggle with grief and trying to find answers. Prayers for one of our own, Allison Sauls or I should say Pastor Allison! Her brand new church will have their first worship celebration this Sunday! Prayers for our community, who continue to struggle with the challenges of living in poverty. Prayers for our children and tutors as we begin a new year of relationships.

Several weeks ago, I asked a pastor, what his sermon was going to be about. He answered, "doubt". Been thinking about that word and how it has not entered my mind? Doubt was is it? How does doubt play a part in our lives? Where does doubt come from? How doe we get rid of it? Is it of God? or Satan?

It maybe my simple mindedness but, can't say doubt has a hold of my life? I have no doubt the sun will come up in the morning. I have no doubt the birds will fly each day. I have no doubt our dogs will eat and bark today. I have no doubt, it's Friday and we will play golf this afternoon! So where does doubt come from? Why does doubt cripple us so in our daily journeys?

I was thinking about Moses. Didn't he argue with God, I am not worthy to lead my people, but he did not doubt? Noah being asked to build a boat out in the middle of nowhere. He questioned God but didn't doubt Him. Job, going though all his trials, he never doubted God. We have had a thousand questions as we have made our way along our journey, but have we doubted God's plan?

I clicked on "doubt" in my Bible app and up comes 20 different verses of doubt being used in the Bible. Willie shared in chapel, he has been a pastor for over 30 years, talked to God for hundreds of people, seeing miracles happen to them. Now when he faces an operation, doubt creeps into his mind of what is about to happen! Each one of us, has stories of what God has brought us through, but sometimes when the storms of life come upon us, doubt takes over and we loose our focus.

When I got back into reading the Bible, I could always identify with Thomas. He had been following Jesus during his ministry, knowing Jesus was going to die, realizing at some point Jesus would come back, but he didn't believe. In John 20, Thomas hears others has seen Jesus, but still he has his doubts. Unless I see Jesus, I won't believe. So in verse 27, Jesus says to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Willie said, God has brought us this far, He won't leave us now. That can be said for common ground. We have come along way in a short amount of time. From giving out groceries in the back of our cars, to having a Market where our community can shop! From eating outside on the driveway to a building where there is air conditioning and heat. From being homeless, to a center where we can share God's lvoe with others. 

Looking through the verses with doubt in it, faith has a big part to play with how we deal with doubt. Matthew, you of little faith, he said, why did you doubt. James, you must believe and not doubt. Luke, why are you troubled and why do doubts rise in your minds. God has been with us every step of the way. He has brought us through the trials and will continue to do so. He has made a way for us, where there was no way to go.

 Believe! Faith! Perseverance! Obedience! Prayer! Relationships! Doubt has no room in our hearts to live! Amen.

 

Hope you can join us this week. If not please pray for us. Hope your week will be filled with faith and belief with no doubts!