We had a blast Saturday morning visiting our friends who live outdoors. Scott has decided, to let God lead us in our ministry and see what happens. We have no vehicle, no money, only a desire to share God's lvoe with others. As we were loading up the truck Saturday morning, I said to Scott, we have more stuff to hand out than when we had a budget! God provides!
Our friends TJ and Heather visited the camps several weeks ago. TJ and Heather wanted to help with supplies for the guys. Thinking they would go to their church, God had other ideas! TJ contacted a friend at a radio station. The radio station put out a challenge to another radio station and the supplies started coming in. They had several tables full of batteries, shirts, socks, hats. TJ and Heather got big buckets and filled each bucket up with all these supplies. We brought them to the camps last week. You would have thought Santa had arrived! The guys were blown away by the filled buckets, almost too heavy to carry! What a testimony of faith, lvoe and compassion! Thank you Heather and TJ for your lvoe of others.
Saturday morning, as we arrived back at the center, we were treated to a visit from some special friends. Stephanie was in town, as well as Ben and David. All members of our family from the Wesleyan Foundation at McNeese University in Lake Charles. We know why Stephanie was in town! Ben and David drove up to pick up some items for David's new office. He has been appointed the new leader of the Wesleyan! Along with his wife Martha, they will led young people to Christ as they are searching their lives for answers. David, said he hopes to get Common Ground back on a regular schedule of coming to help us out. What a blessing it will be to have a new group of family members join us.
Tuesday evening, Pastor Elbert led our men's Bible fellowship. A big crowd of men from our community and beyond came together to share their hearts, talking about our struggles with temptations. Temptations can come from any where and take any form. Only our faith in Jesus will help us get through them. Don't go it alone, you won't make it!
Thursday evening, was again full of excitement. mr brian, being mr brian had not scheduled a preacher for chapel. Abbey was showing around a new friend, Rev. Ronnie Hampton. Rev Ron, has led a ministry called Takin It To The Streets for over 6 years. We ask Rev, would it be possible to share the Word with us this afternoon? Of course God provides and Rev led a Spirit filled message. Our long time friend, Spencer shared his amazing gift of song. The children were more active than normal! We suspect our 100 degree temperatures and being in school, our children needed to share their noise levels a little louder than normal! Lots of our folks were on vacations, so members of the community step up and helped out. That is what it is all about.
Saw Joey Tuesday evening, with a big smile on his face. He was still basking in the Spirit led trip to New Orleans. John and Michele did an outstanding job leading the way and allowing the Holy Spirit to take over. One of the highlights of the trip, was attending church Sunday morning with all the multitudes of people joining in. Joey said it was the largest attended worship time so far with a typical New Orleans flair of all sorts of people represented! God is doing mighty works there, as our brother in Christ leads. Please keep Sione in your prayers. Sione being Sione, has tried to do too much and has walking pneumonia. Something about doing God's work, makes you want to do more than your body can handle. Sione it will get done in God's time, not ours!
Several weeks ago, Max Lucado, talked about, great opportunities. His message hit home for me, I know it hits home for Sione and I know it hits home for all of you. Max wrote, "There's only so much sand in the hourglass. Who gets it? You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Each June I put my calendar together for the coming year. Decisions to be made. You may not stockpile your requests until June, but your situation is every bit as real. It's tug-of-war, and you're the rope. On one side are the requests for your time and energy. They call. They compliment. They're valid and good. Great opportunities to do good things. If they were evil, it'd be easy to say no. But they aren't, so it's easy to rationalize.
On the other side are the loved ones in your world. They don't ask you to consult your calendar. They don't use terms like "appointment" and "engagement" or "do lunch."They don't want you for what you can do for them; they want you for who you are. Are you making time for them?"
Our community is made up of heart people. People who are more concerned with others than themselves. Sometimes at the cost of our family and those who are close to us. Those who have been connected with our community go off and start other communities. You do for others before you do for yourselves. You are always looking for opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world that so desperately needs lvoe.
Just a reminder to all of us, God is control. I know at times, it doesn't seem like it, but He is. We humans have a tendency to forget, try to do it all ourselves. God is always there, always listening, waiting on us to talk to Him. mr brian wants it done yesterday, but God doesn't want it done that way. In mr brian's way, where does faith, obedience, perseverance come in? God's way is always the best.
The other part of this story, I hear, is God will bring people to help make it happen. We are in the mist of darkness in our community, overwhelming to us, but not for God. God will bring people to help us out of the darkness when God feels it is time. God will bring people into your life when you are the most desperate. He might already have, don't overlook them, don't take them for granted. Max, says in his last sentence, "they don't want you for what you can do for them; they want you for who you are." They lvoe us in spite of our flaws and weaknesses. Sounds like Jesus' lvoe for us?! Help us Jesus to lvoe those most close to us this week and for the weeks to come. Amen.
Lvoe, lvoe, lvoe this week!!
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