What a beautiful time of year. The azaleas are blooming, the dogwoods are full of pedals. Pinks, reds, purple colors are everywhere. Thank you God. Thank goodness it is Friday, ooops, it's not! Sorry for the late note, was in Dallas all day Friday and busy all day Saturday. Will do better next week. Hope everybody's weekend is going good.
Last Saturday was another full day of activities. Momma T and her crew prepared a breakfast fit for a king. Pancakes, bacon, strawberries, cantaloupe, coffee were enjoyed by all. We had a special treat, Allison joined us while she was on her spring break. Also, Gus joined us for breakfast and our visits. Thank you to the ones who cooked and thank you to ones who came and enjoyed the meal.
After breakfast, Mr Scott led us around on our visits. Turner is doing fine, still happy to be at his camp. Richard is back at his gas station. Richard is still Richard, hanging in there. He took some of us inside the station, pretty bad conditions. He sleeps on top of a counter to get off the ground and away from critters who run around the station. Smokey had just returned from a visit from the hospital. He is having some work done on his ear and his legs. He was on some medication that was making him sleepy. There was a new guy sitting in a chair by the entrance of his camp. We asked Smokey who he was and Smokey said he did not know. He said the guy needed a place to rest for a moment. So Smokey gave him a chair and a bottle of water. Smokey said, if you want to wait there for a moment, the "church" will be coming by. They can help you if you need something. There was no one at Dale and Tim's camp. Smokey told us, Dale was in jail for flying the sign. To be honest, that may not be a bad place for Dale to be right now? He was pretty sick, needed some rest, medicine and food in his body. Joey said, he has written a letter to see if he could go and visit Dale next week.
John got his building permit for the kitchen remodel Friday afternoon. It is posted on Krysten's window in her office. It is great to see it posted. We now can begin the long awaited remodeling. John has already done some demolition in preparation of the installation of our new range hood. Keep an eye out for work days and come and help John out. It will be amazing to see it all happening.
For those who attended Grace over the weekend, we had a special treat of watching our Allison perform her interpretive dance during the worship times. Maybe Allison, when you are around this summer, you could teach your dance moves to some of our young ladies and we could have them dance during one of our chapel times.
We continue to have play time with the children in the afternoons. Tuesday afternoon, we had storms come through and as usual we had several kids walk in the rain and show up. Obviously, they are getting something from us they are not getting at home.
Tuesday afternoon, during one of the storms, I text Matt, do you think we should cancel our men's Bible study? Matt text back and said, no, let's see what happens. mr brian of little faith, was afraid, Matt and I would be the only ones there, boy was I wrong. We had the largest group of men ever. More men from the community came, it was great. Great conversations and great insights into how God is working in the men's lives.
Thursday was a day full of activities. We got an invitation from Rachael Scott from Noel, asking us if we would like to host a work team from Oklahoma. We told her yes and they came Thursday morning at 9am. Around 25 youth and adults full of energy and life, wanting to help us out. One group spent all day in the garden. Ms Patty left instructions on what to do and they did it. Another group, spent their day tearing out walls and cabinets in the kitchen. They were pretty dirty by the days end, but wanted to come back for our meal, so they went back showered, cleaned up and back they came. They played jump rope with our children. They threw the frisbe with our children. Played basketball with the boys. They then came inside at suppertime, prayed for us, served our meal and cleaned up. What a great group of young people. It was a blessing to have them.
Following our meal, Joey led us in our Bible study, reading from Ephesians, 2 and 3. As Dr Phil said, no matter how many times we have read a passage, we always seem to find something new and revealing to us. We talked about, because of God's grace, God has created us to do good works, which God has planned in advance for us to live our lives doing. Did you get that? Our way of life, should be all about God and doing good works. Not after we retire, not when we can work it in our schedules, not just going to worship on the weekends, every day, every hour of lives, wow! In Chapter 3, through Christ, we can come before God with boldness and confidence through our faith, sharing the Good News with all we meet.
Prayer concerns: Beth with her continue struggle with kidney stones. William as he continues to deal with addictions. Dawn, for quick delivery of her new hearing aids. Dr Phil's stepdaughter, Jerah. On Monday, she will deliver her baby and make Dr Phil a grandpa. Dale as he continues to be incarserated. Lomax on his continued travels in California.. A friend of Dr Phil's, Happy, having just find out she has cancer. Robert, as he searches for a new camp.
Amazing things are going on in our community. As time goes by the more I realize, it is not about me but about God. The more my relationship grows in Christ, the more God gets the glory. The more it is about God, the more things happen. And it is not about things happening, but about the right things happening at the right time. The more we allow God to be in control, the easier it is to lvoe each other and lvoe others. I was asked twice this week, what are your plans for the center. My answer to them was, I have no clue. God is asking me to have faith, to open the doors, to be obedient, allow others to share their gifts, to lvoe others. If we continue to listen, lvoe and laugh along the way, we/our community will be blessed beyond our imginations.
We concluded our Thursday evening, by reading a prayer Paul gave to the church at Ephesus 3: 14- 21. Can't think of no better way to conclude this note. So I bow in prayer before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name. I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the power to be strong inwardly through his Spirit. I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love-how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God. With god's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.
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