i am the Lord your God

Good rainy morning to all. Hope your week was filled with the many blessings God has for us all! Our Internet at home is down, so not sure when or if this note will be able to get sent out. Maybe that is a good thing!

 

Saturday was another day of fun and excitement. Lots going on all over the campus and beyond. Worked continued at the Bright House II, with the finishing touches happening. God continues to bring folks into the community that want to share what God has blessed them with, so the Bright House II has new furniture all throughout the house! 

 

Our visits to our friends living outside went well. Everybody seems to be doing ok. Robert was in a festive mood. He is trying to slow up on his alcohol intake to help his body heal to a point where he can have surgery. He challenged me to a putt putt golf match and swore he would beat me bad! Ogilive camp continues to have some challenges but slowly coming around. Turner continues to be Turner!

 

Work continued in the garden, looking so pretty. Momma T has begun to create a sanctuary in the prayer garden. Our first cross and flowers have been added to begin the process of changing a dark, messy area to one of tranquility and peace.

 

Basketball team was busy practicing getting ready for summer league play. The kitchen was busy preparing for their lunch.

 

Tuesday evening the men gathered for their Bible fellowship. Noel lead the reading from Leviticus 19. God giving the people of Israel directions on how to live their lives.

 

Another rainy, dreary evening was happening on Thursday, but that didn't stop the community from coming. We got started off with a special chapel of song and praise. Spencer brought a friend of his, a young lady to sing for the community. Brother could she sing! Brother George said, I have never heard the chapel so quiet, as the community was mesmerize by her praising God through her gift of voice! A great meal was prepared and lots of servants showed up to help us serve and clean up. The Market was busy with servants turned shoppers to help our community decide on their groceries. Even though we got wet outside, it was nice and dry inside, full of lvoe and laughter.

 

Continue your prayers for Willie as he continues to deal with his kidney problems. He has had several operations and will need more. He said to tell everybody he lvoes you all. Prayers for William is needed as he deals with his addictions. Prayers for Jim C for a quick recovery from surgery on his hand.

 

Being around the center everyday now, I am amazed to see all that is going on. People continue to come. Tours given by Abbey and Lisa, sharing what God is doing in and around our community. Meetings to talk about how we can help our children be the best they can be. Truly a blessing from God as He continues to bring people into our lives and community..

 

I will admit, I have not read the Old Testament as much as I have read the New. Tuesday evening reading Leviticus 19, I was amazed to read what God was telling His people. They had been wandering for 40 years, now they were at a place where they could set up their homes and start families. Rules like you should revere your father and mother. Do not turn to idols. You should share your harvest with the poor. You shall not steal. You shall not cheat your neighbor. You shall not gossip. You shall not take vengeance, not hate. You shall love your neighbor as yourself!

 

These are just a few of God's directions, take a moment and read what advise God was sharing. Leviticus was written around 1400 BC! With the birth of Jesus around 2000 years, 3400 years ago, God was telling us how to live! Those same decrees apply today! As Brother Chester shared in chapel Thursday, we have strayed away from God's teachings and the world is a mess.

 

The other thought that came to mind, all through this passage, God says, I am the Lord or I am the Lord your God. Reminding the people, it is not about you but about me. I lvoe you and want the best for you, so if you follow these laws, your lives will be blessed. Read chapter 19 and count how many times God said this? Over and over, reminding the people who was in charge, who knows best, who knows!

 

As I was thinking about all of this this week, I had a thought, instead of making New Year's resolutions, we should read Chapter 19. We have strayed. We have tried to please everybody and in turn please no one. God knew our faults, our indiscretions, our pride, He lvoes us so much He took all the guess work out of us making any laws, providing a way we could live in community peacefully.

 

What a blessing to be a part of a community that tries to live the way God intended us to live. Thank you all for being the hands and feet of Christ and providing a way, not by you, but through the Holy Spirit. As God shared with His people 3400 years ago, I am the Lord, your God. Yes He is! Amen.

 

Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy your family and friends. God is so good, He is the Lord!

Kindness

A rainy, cloudy morning in our part of the world, how is life with you?!

Out of town last Saturday, so can't report on all the activities going on. I do know work is about to be completed on the Bright House II. Pictures will be coming, just beautiful to see what God has done through the servants of Church at Red River.

We continue to prepare for the opening of summer camp. Getting all the forms signed, children lined up, teachers and interns registered, exciting times ahead. All the fun begins, Monday June 13th, come and join us.

Tuesday evening the men gathered for fellowship and discussions lead by Rickie as he read from 2 Samuel 9: 1 - 4. King David was looking to do something kind for someone, who can we find to do the same?

Thursday evening was a rainy one, but full of activities happening. The medical van from St Luke's got the evening started off. Brother George and Ms Abbie led chapel. Brother George's church provided the meal, while others helped in the Market, clothing room and the dining hall. It was a good evening dispite the rain.

Continued prayers for William as he struggles with his addictions. Prayers for our community and our relationships.

In the passage read Tuesday night, King David was looking for a family member of a friend. They found a young man, the son of his friend. King David, said, I want to show God's kindness to him. So David gave him land and a place to eat at the King's table. A young man, living out in the wilderness, crippled, is now a land owner and treated like a king himself. God's kindness is beyond what man can do.

We are God's people. God can't do it himself. He has to use us to show His kindness. We have to allow that kindness inside of us, the kindness of the Spirit to flow through us to others. If we do, amazing things will happen!. Amen.

What acts of kindness will you experience this week, as you allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you!

All the time, God is good!

Good morning to all! Hope you all had a great week. God is so good!

Saturday was busy as usual. Visits, hammering, planting, playing, cooking, eating, laughing, crying, sorting, cleaning, hugging can be found in and around our next of the woods. Won't you come and join in next week? So much to do and so little time to do it! All for the glory of God, because He is so good!

Not sure I like our afternoon school children not being around. The place is way too quiet! Lisa, Joey, Bryce and Emily are gearing up for our summer camp opening, so our quiet times will soon come to an end! Please let these folks know if you would like to be a part of the fun, guaranteed to change your life! Ask any of our summer interns from years past!

Tuesday evening was also quiet, with an unusual absence of most of our men. That won't last long as we will gather again this Tuesday. Men, if you are looking for a place to talk about what God is doing in your life, please join us at 6:30 in the chapel.

We had a nice visit with one of our original community members this week. Dr Phil was in town to visit family and attend a wedding for one of their children in Oklahoma. Grant is getting married! Dr Phil is doing well, going to school in Colorado, learning all sorts of things about God through scripture, traveling to visit his family all across the country. He is working on a new project, we all may get to enjoy in the coming months?!

Wednesday evening, our Board met. First time for me to be in awhile. So much going on, it is hard to catch a breath. The Give for Good numbers are in and we were blessed to recieve around $8000 in donations! Is God good or what! Many plans are in the works for more of God's blessings for the community. We are beginning to again get requests for youth groups to visit us this summer, such a blessing. There are challenges ahead, but the Board is coming together to meet those challenges and move along the path God is creating for them.

Thursday evening was a blessing for us all. We had our long time pastor friend, Pastor Eddie come by to share the Word. Ms Abbie and a long time friend Pop led us in song. Allison and Outdoor Joey prepared our tater tot casseroles and Mary brought our salad and dessert. Lots of help serving and cleaning up, helping our community shop in the Market and clothing room, a good evening.

Thursday evening, our young family, David and Elizabeth McCormick were commissioned by the Methodist Global Ministries to become missionaries to Africa. David will become Hospital Administrator of Chicuque Rural Hospital, Mozambique. Elizabeth will be the pharmacist for Chicuque Rural Hospital. Can you imagine the stories they will have when they return. We hate to loose them, but so excited for their new adventures God has planned for them.

Prayers for our longtime friend William. Joey went to be with him at the nursing home for family night. Joey was told William has gone back to a treatment center. William has come a long way from his addictions, but he is still fighting them. Prayers for one of our pastors, Willie. He has been sick for the past couple of months, weak and run down. They are trying to build up his strength for an upcoming surgery. Prayers for Joe Barefield. He cut his leg really bad and needs prayers for his recovery of the wound. Prayers for one of outdoor friends Robert. He did not have surgery because the doctors determined his body is too run down. Robert said to us, I guess I will just wait around until I die. Prayers for our new old friend Jim C. He had hand surgery this week. I told him Thursday, I guess we won't be able to understand a word he says with only one hand to tell us what you are saying!

I was reminded this week of how good God is. We get so busy doing God's work, we sometimes forget to stop and listen. The work is good work, but our relationships are more important. I typed into my search engine for my Bible app, God is good. Psalm 73:1 says, Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 1 Timothy 4:4, For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. Genesis 1:31, God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

God doesn't make junk. God made us in His image. We all have a purpose. We all are important to Him. We all are lvoed by Him. Everything belongs to God, everything. God has a plan for us, for our community, for our city, for our nation. It is up to us to determine how we fit into that plan. God's plan will get done whether we do it or not. His Kingdom will be built. God's Kingdom gets built by His servants. His Spirit works in and through us to bring about the grace He shares with us all. 

For all these years in our community, we have tried to follow God's direction. When God is ready for us to take the next step, He puts people in our lives to make it happen. He continues to bless our community to this very day. I hear stories from Jim and John in their journey to resurrect the Bright House II about how they have a need for a carpenter, a tile setter, a craftsman and magically they appear! Of course we know where the magic comes from!

This week, with the rising temperatures, one of our houses air conditioning went out. A new friend of our community just so happens to be a repairman on a/c units! Guess who we called! They take time out of their busy schedules, after hours, time away from their families, to help us out. You don't find that kind of compassion outside of God's Kingdom.

Over and over you hear stories of people coming to the center, or seeing our basketball team, or learning of our outdoor friends visits, tutoring in the afternoons, summer camps for the children, chapel time, our Market, clothing room, resurrecting a house. People are move by what they see or hear or experience. It is all of you, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through you that creates such a community. Is all about God, working in your hearts, enabling you to show the lvoe, not seen in many places.

Be aware of who God is bringing to us. Stop what you are doing, sit down and visit with them. Listen to their hearts, hear their voices. It will make our next steps, so much easier and so many will be blessed! It is all about working together, listening to each other, learning from one another that will allow us to continue this magnificent journey we are on. Amen!

Have a blessed week. God is so good, isn't He!

Relationships

What a glorious morning God has provided for us! How can we use it to glorify His name?!

We had a great Saturday to get our week started off. We had a big group from Church at Red River working most of the day at the Bright House II. The flooring was being installed, kitchen cabinets were hung, trim was painted, relationships were formed. We had a group from Woodbridge Baptist church join us on our visits to our friends living outside. Prayers are needed for one of our camps. A camp where the drama has not been a problem, reared it's ugly head and our friends were suffering. Prayers for Robert as he goes into the hospital for some corrective surgery this coming week. Momma T and her gang of garden angels worked hard all morning long. Vicki, Matt and Chuck continued their work with their young people on the basketball court and with life.

Monday and Wednesday we continued our work with the children. Unfortunately Wednesday afternoon was our last time with our children for this school year. Hard to believe we are winding down to the end of another school year. What a great experience it has been this year.

Monday afternoon, we were blessed to receive a huge donation of food from one of our local churches, Christ United Methodist church. 

Tuesday morning, we hosted an event given by our friend KC Kilpatrick with her Geaux Bags. Many dignitaries from the city and the court system were in attendance. We got to meet with many of them, to share our story and introduce them to our community.

Tuesday evening the men's Bible fellowship watched a movie covering the talk given by a pastor talking about the immense heavens God has created.

Thursday evening, our new friend Jacoby shared the Word in chapel, with our new friend Bryce sharing his gift of song. Allison and Ms Abbie worked hard all afternoon creating a wonderful meal for our community. The Market was full of food for our community to shop from. A good evening.

I want to wish all our Mom's out there a special wish of lvoe for all you do for our community. Thinking about our leaders, most are women, who take time our of their busy lives, away from their families to lead and share God's lvoe with us all. We want you all know, you are lvoe by us and by God for being the hands and feet of Christ in His Kingdom.

Not sure where I am going with this, but God is up to something big! As many of you know, I am no longer on the Board of Directors. I always enjoyed the parts of Lisa's meetings where we got to hear what God was doing in the lives of the directors in our community, I don't get to hear that anymore, it is my fault. The next Board meeting I plan to attend!

I was at the function given on Tuesday morning. I ended up in the kitchen at one point and there stood a young lady eating a piece of yummy pie with a Common Ground shirt on. I had no clue who she was! I introduced myself to her, and she began to share she is the new liaison of the schools with the basketball team. She has dreams of what she wants to see happen in our community. My heart was over joyed with her excitement.

As I left the gathering, I reflected on that meeting and other new faces I am beginning to see. I worked in the sound booth at Grace for many years. In doing so, I attended all the services. Many times on Sunday, not my normal day to come to worship, people would ask, are you new to Grace? Or I would say to someone, you must be new here? Many times the person would say, nope, been coming for several years!

In the beginning of our journey into this community, there was just a handful of people who would take time to join us at our meals. Everybody knew everybody because the numbers were small. Grace was small in the beginning and most people knew each other. Over time, Grace moves into the new building, new people began to come. Grace expands to other worship times and days, new sunday school classes, and that personal relationships began to dwindle. Small groups were formed to keep those relationships growing.

I see Common Ground beginning to grow in that direction. New faces, new opportunities, new challenges all coming together. If we are not careful, we can become too splintered and loose those relationships we use to have. We use to have a weekly Bible study. The study was nice but really it was about us coming together for an hour and sharing what God was doing in our lives. We need to be sure we are connected to each other through Christ.

Mr Brian is growing older by the moment. It won't be long, his presence will not be around. You are the new leaders of what God is about to do in our community, you need to face it together. It is so easy to stay busy and forget it is not about the busyness but about relationships. Stop for a moment, sit down with each other and share what God is up to in your life. God is up to something big and He will need us all working together to make it happen! Amen.

Happy Mom's Day! Have a great week!