I will set out

We are in the middle of our summer heat! Hopefully it is not as hot where you are?! Hope your week was full of many God surprises!

Saturday got the week started off in the right direction. I was honored to have two of my high school friends join in on the fun around the center. One of the guys, who was a high school all state basketball player, stayed around the center and worked with the basketball team, while the other friend joined us visiting our friends. The heat and mosquitos were the main topic of the morning. Don't forget to bring your empty milk jugs, so we can fill them up with water, to provide cooler water. Ms Abbie and Jada got the bread wrapping started off in good fashion. Tim did work in the garden. John continues his work in the Bright House II. A busy morning.

Camp concluded this week by a visit to Gator and Friends. The children got to feed all sorts of animals and watched the alligators get their daily feeding. Fun and games were going on during the week. Great to see our young leaders lead our children in learning how to work with each other and have fun at the same time.

Hopefully most of you saw Abbey's email about a visit from First Methodist's youth on Monday. Always great to see how God works in the hearts and minds of the little ones.

Tuesday evening the men gathered for Bible fellowship as Rickie led the study reading from Luke 15, starting at verse 11, reading about the lost son coming home. As we talked about the passage, it was agreed, we all have had a part of the prodigal son in us at some point in our lives! Thank goodness our God has compassion for us when we decided, it was time to come home!

No better way to start Thursday's activities than to have Brother George and Spencer led us in song and scripture in chapel. A delicious meal was prepared by Peaches. Our Market was busy as well as the clothing room. Lisa and I had the opportunity to visit with the new president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, Michael Tipton. He was touring the state visiting with recent Angel award recipients and seeing how they can continue to support our efforts. A good evening.

Prayers for those who are traveling this weekend and next week. Prayers for healing. Prayers for our friends living outside.

"I will set out", a phrase that stuck with me this week. In verse 18, the lost son, after he had spent everything his father had given him, came to his "senses", facing starvation, decided, I will set out and go back to my father.

How many times have we strayed from the path we should be on? How many times have to tried to do things our own way? How many times have we taken things into our own hands and tried to fix it? How many times have we messed up and decided to set out and go back to our father?

It is hard, really hard to admit I have messed up. I marvel at the lost son, who had wealth and power growing up, loose it all. Then humble himself enough to acknowledge I must go home in order to survive. We all need to do the same.

As it says in the last part of verse 20, the father of the lost son sees his lost son still along way off, the father was filled with compassion, he runs to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. We have the same father! We have a father, that does not judge us, but lvoes us. We have a father, who wants the best for us, not the worse. We have a father, who will care for us, who will comfort us, who will lead us down the path of righteousness. All we have to do is make the decision to "set out" in his direction. Amen

Hope the coming week will find us all setting out in the right direction! Hope to see you around the center! Our Father is good!