What do you want me to do for you?

Another summer week has come and gone. Was your week a good one? How did God bless you this week?

Not being around Saturday, I can not report on our activities. In addition to all our regular activities on Saturday, bread wrapping, basketball, garden work, visiting we now have Bright House II goings on! The Church at Red River, John Williams' church, is beginning to host Saturday events there each week. If you are looking for something to do and want to meet some great folks, please join in.

Summer camp concluded week number 2. It was a great week of fun and activities, concluding with a trip to a skating rink! Please come by for a visit and see what great fun is happening.

Tuesday evening, the men of the community gathered for Bible fellowship as Rickie led in reading from Luke 18: 35-43, the blind beggar receives his sight! We talked about an individual in society who was the lowest of the low, not just a beggar but a blind beggar! Having the boldness to speak out to Jesus. Can't we all have the same type of faith!

Also on Tuesday, if I may boast for a moment, Ginellen and I celebrated our 42 wedding anniversary! How time flies when you are having fun! Hopefully we can have 42 more years of wedding bliss!

Wednesday evening, our family gathered at the Bright House for family time. It was been many months since we gathered. Thanks to Joey and his passion for community, many of us were able to come together to share bread and share the Word. It was good to be together.

Thursday is always a special time of the week, starting off with our long time friend Spencer and one of our pastors George, leading our chapel time. I think we have found a new them song for our community, Lean On Me. The song seems to get out juices flowing and the Spirit moving! Our longtime friends from Clearview church helped us in the kitchen, dining hall, clothing room and Market place. People were everywhere enjoying the evening. What a blessing.

Prayers for the week. Continue to lift up Ginellen. The doctor was pleased in what he saw and what he did. He said, now it is time for healing. We know who the best healer is, don't we!! Pastor Willie called and said, his kidney functions are declining to a critical stage. Discussions going on what the next steps should be. Our long time friend Izzy continues to have severe back pain. Looks like surgery is in his near future. Continued prayers for our community. Life is hard, even more so when you are faced with poverty.

Lisa has worked her magic again and obtained the property behind the parking lot in the back. There were some issues of parking and this area should help with that situation.

Just want you all of you to know, God is at work in our community. There are people, churches, organizations who are becoming aware of what Common Ground is about and wanting to be a part of our community. Very exciting times ahead for us all.

I am always amazed at God's Word. His Word has such an impact on us, we can read about a blind beggar getting his sight back, 8 short verses and talk for an hour about it!

The verse that stills haunts me this morning, is verse 41. After the beggar shouts above the crowd noise to Jesus as he walks by. Was told by others to be silent and not bother him. The beggar ignores the crowd and shouts even louder to Jesus. Jesus stops, calls out to the crowd to bring this man over to him. Jesus looks at him and asked him, What do you want me to do for you? The beggar says, Lord I want to see.

I got to thinking, of course the blind beggar wants to see. The lame wants to be healed and walk. The man wants the demons out of him. The women wants the bleeding to stop. But when I call out to Jesus and Jesus sees me and asks, What do you want me to do for you? What do we say?

Do I say, heal my wife? Take care of my family? Aliveate poverty? Increase my faith? Be more like you? Make our community stronger?  I don't know, what would you say?

What is most important in your life? What is keeping you away from the relationship with Jesus He so desires for us? The blind beggar risked everything to be with Jesus, can we do the same? Can we let go of what is holding us back?

The blind beggar showed his bold faith to Jesus and in verse 42 Jesus says to him, Recieve your sight, your faith has healed you. Will Jesus say the same to us? Let's hope so! Amen.

See you Saturday at the Bright House II or in and around the center. See you at camp. Lots of God's work going on, come and join in on the fun. Have a great week and may we all have an answer for Jesus when He asks, What do you want me to do for you?