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.

.

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.