Good Friday

My intention was to get our weekly note off early this morning, but our grand children had other ideas! Yes, we were in Dallas for a few days with the grand children! Our grandson had a seizure Tuesday evening from a high fever brought on by pneumonia or strep. Like children do, he recovered quickly and before 8:30 that night they went home. We sat with the grand kids Thursday while our son and his wife went back to work. What a joy to be around such energy and inquiring minds. Little ones keep you on your toes!

Last Friday, we had a huge group of volunteers helping out in and around the center from United Way as they celebrated A Day of Caring. Lots of good work was done, lots or friendships were made. Thanks to all for making it happen.

We had some good news last Saturday, Robert was released from the hospital and now has his own apartment. Scott and Alan were given the grand tour. Robert was very proud to show them around. After 14 years living on the streets, what a blessing to have Robert inside! Thank you God!

Our afternoon school activities continued on Monday and Wednesday. Great to see all our servants lining up to help our children. What a blessing to see it all coming together.

Tuesday evening, the men gathered for their weekly Bible fellowship. Great to see so many men come together and share what God is doing in their lives.

Not being around Thursday evening, others will have to share the goings on with our Easter egg hunt! I know it was fun, sorry to miss it.

Don't forget this Sunday, we will meet at the center at 7am. Gather our eggs and be ready to head out into the neighborhood at 7:12! We will continue our long tradition of sharing God's lvoe for our neighbors in the form of Easter eggs! We usually walk for about an hour, giving you plenty of time to get to church! Everybody is welcome to join in on the fun!

This Saturday March 26th is our monthly breakfast starting at 8:30 am. Lots of good food and good conversation will be available, please come and enjoy.

Later on in the day, we will be hosting Silent Saturday Service. Prayer stations will be set up in the chapel from 12:30 until 4, then a short service of meditation, scripture and prayers will start at 4:30. Come celebrate the Easter weekend with us.

Hope everybody has a special Easter weekend with family and friends. God is so good, in so many ways, so let's celebrate the sacrifice Jesus made for us and then He is risen!

Thank you

After being gone last week, it is time to get back into the swing of things. Hope you are swinging with the sound of God's beat!

Out of town last Saturday, so others will have to fill in the blanks. I do know a large group of servants showed up at the center to make sandwiches for our community, especially for our children who had not been in school for 3 days last week because of all the flooding we had in our area. It was great to see and hear about. One of our friends, Robert, who lives outside was brutally beaten and is now in the hospital. Another reminder of the cruelty of the streets.

Monday and Wednesdays we continue to teach and learn from our children. Monday, we had more tutors than we had children! What a great problem to have. Wednesday, we had one on one teaching going on, all over the center, remarkable!

Tuesay evening Jacoby led our men's gathering, reading from Luke 17: 11 - 19. Jesus healing the 10 men with leprosy, only one thanking God for his miracle. Do we thank God for our miracles?

Thursday evening was full of servants and fun. Our friends from Elizabeth Baptist church, led worship in chapel, Ms Abbie was fired up on the piano, the food was outstanding, groceries were given away in masses, clothes left the racks in a hurry, a very busy night. God is good.

Don't forget this coming Thursday, we will host our annual Easter egg hunt, everybody is requested to be there to help out. Next Saturday, March 26th, we will be hosting Silent Saturday Service starting at noon. Prayer stations will be set up from noon to 4, then a silent service of prayer, reflection and the reading  of scripture will take place at 4:30. Easter Sunday morning at sunrise we will gather at the center to walk the neighborhood hiding God's lvoe in the form of easter eggs.

God is good. We all know that, but how often do we voice it? How much do we take for granted, God will be there for us? More importantly when God is there, do we thank Him for lvoing us? I was reminded of that in the reading of Luke 17 Tuesday evening.

The men who had this terrible disease called out to Jesus, heal us. And as Jesus usually does, He did. As the men were walking away being healed, only one of them, came back, praising God in a loud voice, threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him. How often, do we call out to Jesus, for comfort and healing, when it happens, when our lives get better, how often do we go about our routines forgetting to acknowledge where our restoration has come from?

Jesus does not heal us because he wants our praise. He wants us to acknowledge where His powers come from, from His father, our father. In verse 19, Jesus says to the one who came back to praise His God, Rise and go; your faith has made you well. Only one of the ten were made well. We can be forgiven  of our sins, but until we accept God into our hearts, throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus, thanking God for all His has done for us, only then will we be healed. Amen!

Hope to see you this week around the center, I need help finding those Easter eggs!

To be strong

March wind is here! What beautiful days we have had in our part of the world this week, hopefully God has done the same in your part of the world!

Our visits were good Saturday morning, always a treat. Listening to our friends who live outside, holding hands, thanking God for their lives and their friends, always rocks my heart. Seeing men of God work hard on a house of God's, blesses me so. Seeing flowers and trees beginning to bloom in the garden, restores my soul. Watching the lvoe of others prepare a meal for God's children, inspires me. Happening every week, every month, only for the glory of God. Amen!

Monday and Wednesdays our little ones came by bus to listen and learn. Wednesday afternoon we had a treat, as one of our teachers had just returned from a mission trip to Nicaragua. We all got to experience some of their blessings of serving God in a foreign country.

Tuesday evening, we had a new leader of our men's Bible fellowship, Jacoby. He shared his thoughts on what God has done in his life, while we read from 2nd Corinthians 12:1-12. Paul sharing his vision and thoughts about his thorn.  . .  For when I am weak, then I am strong, are we?

Thursday evening, we got started off in chapel by our long time friend Spencer singing praises and new friend Jacoby sharing the Word. Ms Abbie prepared our meal and our friends from the Caddo School Board helped us serve and clean up. Some of our friends helped in the Market, while others helped in the clothing room. A busy night, a fun night of fellowship.

Prayers for Allison. Her mom fell Thursday and she is attending to her needs. Prayers for outdoor Jerry. His leg has been causing lots of pain, barely able to walk. He is finally going to the doctor today. Prayers for those who are traveling this week, Lisa and her family, minus one of her sons. Michael is on a school trip to Paris. Juan and Shannon. Prayers for the staff of Grace as God makes changes. Long time community member of ours Jackie. She is in the hospital.

Easter is fast approaching, dont' forget, our Easter egg hunt will be the 24th at our meal on Thursday. Then at sunrise on Easter Sunday we will continue our tradition of walking the neighborhood hiding God's lvoe in the form of eggs throughout the neighborhood.

It is so easy to get "full" of ourselves. God does amazing things in and through us. People see us doing good things and they say what a great job you are doing. Look at everything that is going on. After awhile of hearing all of these compliments, we begin to think how good we are and forget about God.

Paul, was one who had seen lots of stuff, met lots of people, had a conversion, became a new man, began to preach the Good News. As it says in verse 7 . . . Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. I don't know about you, but I don't like getting those thorns, they are no fun. Satan has lots of different thorns to throw at us, none of them are pleasent.

In verse 8, Paul pleads with God, not once, not twice but three times, please God take this thorn out of my side. How many times have we pleaded with God, God I have messed this up, now it is your turn, help me. Sometimes it has taken us months to get in this situation, it may take God months to get us out. Then in verse 9, God tells Paul, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Nothing is too big or too small for God, if we just go to Him.

As it was mentioned in the men's group Tuesday, do you want to experience the power of Christ in your life, you must surrender to Him, as Paul puts it, I delight in my weaknesses. If we boast about how mighty we are, you will not fill God's lvoe in your soul. Only when we are humble in our Spirits, have let go of our egos, surrender our pride to Him, As Paul said, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so Christ's power may rest on me. Isn't that we want in our lives? A force so powerful, working inside of us, that nothing can overcome us. As Paul says in the last verse, . .  for when I am weak, then I am strong. We need to be strong in Christ not ourselves! Amen.

Hope you all have a great week, remembering there is no thorn greater than God can handle, we just have to let Him into our hearts, follow His ways and He will remove it.