Humility

On the calendars spring has come, but God has had other ideas. Azaleas bushes have just about all bloomed out, dogwood trees are all full, birds and the squirrels have been busy building nests for weeks! Gorgeous time of the year! Thank you Jesus!

We had our March Madness already as our Cedar Grove Chargers were playing in the championship game last Saturday. Unfortunately, the other team made a desperation shot at the end of the game to win. A big disappointment to the boys and coaches, but a great season of building of character took place. Thank you all for your attendance, support and prayers for our team. Everybody was doing well at the camps. Lots of good food was served from our kitchen in the form of to go boxes.

Monday we welcomed our children for our afternoon tutoring session. Unfortunately the school was closed Wednesday due to a rash of illnesses, so we missed our kids. Spring breaks next week, so the center will be quiet for a week!

Tuesday evening the men of the community gathered to discuss what God is doing in their lives as Brother George read from Philippians 2, imitating Christ's humility. Are we doing that?

Thursday evening, Bryce and Ms Abbie got us started in chapel praising God. Brother Chester shared the Word. We then enjoyed Mexican night in the dining hall, with tacos and all the trimmings provided by Z and Ms Abbie. The Market was stocked full of groceries and the clothing room was being shopped all night long. We had lots of help from our friends at Elizabeth Baptist church, so everything flowed smoothly. A fun evening.

Prayers for our long time friend Noel. He was involved in a car wreck Wednesday evening and is in the hospital. Continued prayers for Abbey as she continues to struggle with her health. Joe Barefield is back at home after a couple of days in the hospital. 

Have those of you who go to Grace on Sundays, ever wonder what it would be like to go to a Saturday night service? This weekend would be a great time to try. We have the Simple Church coming Sunday morning from 9:30 - noon to work around the center. We could use your help and supervision! We have lots of projects for them to do, so we need lots of help to show them where everything is!

Imitating Christ's humility, hard thing to do. Verse 3, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Not possible if we are in this business for ourselves. Then verse 3 continues, rather, in humility value others above yourselves, verse 4, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

During my wife's health issues these past several years, I tell people, the only time I see her smile is when our grandchildren are around. Yes some of it is the grandchildren, but mainly it is we are putting first the kids and focusing our efforts on them, not on ourselves. We receive the blessings of the lvoe of our grand kids. Jesus is asking us to do the same for others.

One of our guys Tuesday night shared some of his past. 20 years ago, drugs and alcohol ruled his life. He was living in abandoned houses, under bridges, stealing, living a life of utter depravity. He didn't care who he hurt or what it took to get his next fix or bottle. He was in Mobile, with nothing to eat, smelling from the oppressive heat and no shower, his feet were beginning to get sores on them. He made his way to a shelter where he knew they gave out clothes and food. He went in, asking a lady for a pair of socks. She said, Sir, I don't know if we have any but I will look. She came back and said Sir, I don't have any that match but will you take these two that don't? He gladly did and walked out. 20 years later, our new Christian brother still remembers this act of kindness from a stranger, living a life imitating Christ's humility.

Verse 8, shares how Jesus lived a life as a servant, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross! We are asked to be obedient in our journeys. We will have questions, we will wonder, we will not understand sometimes where God had placed us. But God know, He only asks us to be obedient.

The last thing that struck me listening to our brother share his story, was becoming a servant. We often think of being a servant as a lowly occupation. In the world it is, but not in God's Kingdom. Jesus could have been anybody he wanted to be, a king, a ruler, but he chose, he chose to be a servant. Being a servant should be what we strive to be, not something we have to be.

As our brother shared his story, tears came to his eyes, all our eyes. He stopped for moments in his story to compose himself, as the tears flowed. This lady, being obedient in her journey, imitating Christ's humility, was still having an effect on our brother 20 years later.  She called him Sir, when he felt he was not worthy to be called Sir. She took time to show him compassion. We never know what kind of effect we will have on others because it is not us that is showing lvoe it is the Christ within us showing the lvoe. As we all know, Christ can do amazing things, if we just get out of the way and let Him go! Amen.

Have a great weekend, hope to see you at the center Sunday morning. Let's practice imitating Christ's humility this week and the weeks to come!

The Body

Is it me or did God's masterpiece of flowers and trees come into full bloom this week! For our friends who are living in the north country, we feel for you, but it is beautiful in our part of the world! Thank you Jesus!

My first thought this morning is for our friends and families who are hurting. Please keep Abbey Rubel in your prayers. She is having health problems that are keeping her away from her community. Long time friend, Pete asked for prayers for him and his wife Cari as she continues to struggle with her disease. The chemo treatments have stopped working so they will be starting another stem cell therapy the first of May. One of our leaders in our tutoring activities, Linda Cox is having health problems. In and out of the hospital this past week.

A large gathering of men of the community gathered Tuesday evening, as Joey led the discussion concerning Job. Joey asked in the beginning of the study, who would want God to say to Satan, " have you considered my servant Job, there is no one on earth like him, he is blameless and upright, a man who respects God and shuns evil." Everybody said, you betcha! Then Job goes through all he went through for God. Joey asked, how many of us now want to be like Job? No takers! Sometimes it is hard to be a follower of Jesus?!

We missed our chance with our children Monday afternoon, due to transportation problems, but we got to meet with them Wednesday. No matter where you are in the center, you can always tell when the children arrive! The sweet sounds of life accompany them along with their enthusiasm!

Wednesday evening the Board met to talk about the many activities Common Ground is involved with. God is at work in our community with many, many exciting possibilities in the future.

Thursday evening, we gathered to share the Word, music, food, groceries, clothing, games. Brother George shared the Word, Ms Abbie shared the music, Z shared the food, the Market shared the groceries, and the clothing room opened the doors to the community. Everybody having a good time.

The Cedar Grove Chargers have had a busy week, playing games in the playoffs. They won Tuesday and Thursday evenings, putting them into the finals Saturday. Not sure of game time Saturday. Vicki, could you let us know. Please try to support the boys and their coaches by attending the game if you can.

Several Saturdays ago, we were blessed to have Momma T join us in our visits to the camps. She wanted to share the blood and body of Christ, as she served communion to our friends living outside. All our friends participated in the receiving of the bread and juice, reminding us all, who's is the Body of Christ.

It was a powerful statement. The "church" going to the people where they were, just as they were, who they were. Brother George reminded us in chapel Thursday, Jesus has taken the sins of the world upon his shoulders and died for us all, so that we might have life eternally with Him. We don't have to clean up our act. We don't have to get all dressed up. We don't have to go into a building. We just have to say, here I am Lord, I am yours. We can't change, we have tried, only God can change us. He will change us from inside out!

Being a part of our community puts us in a position where we have the opportunity to share the lvoe of Christ with those who may never feel worthy to step foot in a church building. Wouldn't that be a shame for our community, to never experience the blessings of our Lord and Savior! So continue to give out hugs, to listen, to laugh, to give hope, to lvoe because we are all the Body of Christ! Amen!

Our refuge and strength

March wind is blowing here. It was a good week, how was yours?

We have become the hit of the camps these past few months. Z and Brother George have blessed us with meals to take to the camps, so we heat them up Saturday morning and share our blessings with the guys and gals. They get to enjoy a warm, delicious meal, indeed a blessing. Just as Scott and I were thinking this ministry is drawing to a close, God continues to bring new friends into our lives. We don't go looking for new friends, they find us! Everybody seemed to be doing well. We have a special treat for them this week?!

Monday and Wednesday we continued to meet with our children in the afternoons, learning all sorts of things from them. With this pretty weather we are having, some spring time fever has crept in, making sitting and learning a challenge!

Tuesday evening, the men of the community came together, as Brother Rickie shared God's Word, reading from Psalm 46, God is our refuge and strength. Is He for you?

Later in the evening, our Cedar Grove Chargers were winning their ninth basketball game of the season! Coach Chuck is waiting to hear about the playoff schedule. We will let you know as soon as it is available.

Thursday evening in chapel, Joey prepared our hearts, as our longtime friend Pete and Pastor Kaylan marked our foreheads with the sign of the cross, as we prepared for the Lenten season. Z and Ms Abbie prepared our meal, friends served and cleaned up. The Market was busy with our community finding all sorts of treasures!

Prayers for our family members, Elizabeth and David McCormick, as they help their community recover from a terrible typhoon that hit that area of Africa.

Verse 10 of Psalm 46, God says, "Be still, and know that I am God; As it was talked about Tuesday evening, Psalm 46 is about God and who He is. No matter what happens in our world, God will still be God. Who is in charge, of your life, your world?

I was reminded again Thursday night, it is not about us but about God. We have been placed in a community where there is more darkness than light. Most of the time we are blessed to see the light, but at times we experience the darkness. It is no fun to be in the mist of the darkness, so how do we get out? How do we find that light? We have to be still and know that God is with us.

I was reminded Thursday evening, we have come along way in our passion to share the lvoe of Christ with our community. But we also have a long way to go in our journeys. God's work is never done and never will be. In this mornings Common Prayer reading, "Pandita Ramabai, a nineteenth-century Indian activist, said, -"People must not only hear about the kingdom of God, but must see it in actual operation, on a small scale perhaps and in imperfect form, but a real demonstration nevertheless."

We have the opportunity today, tomorrow and beyond to share the Word of God to our community. We not only get to share it in words but get to live it out through our lvoe. There will be times when it seems no one is listening or seeing. Then there will be other times when we have the opportunities to see the blessings of God. When we experience the challenges before us, verse 11 reminds us, The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Amen