December 14, 2015
Luke 2:10-12 - “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Christmas is less than two weeks away - are you ready? The real meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph who would become our Saviour. In our commercial society, it has become largely a time to buy, buy, and buy as well as to get, get, and get. I think the most precious gift we can give is our love and time. Here are some interesting facts about Christmas you might not know:
There is so much more of how the Christmas we know today has evolved over 2,500 hundred years. You should do some research on your own.
Let us pray that we will be a blessing to thousands this Christmas.
Continue to pray for Alex Upshaw and his family with the passing of his wife, Lidia.
All God's Best to you and your Loved ones,
-rev b
December 7, 2015
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 - “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”
As decades pass, new generations emerge that are not eyewitnesses to historical events. Depending on our age, previous catastrophic events can either be in sharp focus or they can lose the overall impact. 911 and the recent shootings are fresh for most people. But when we go back 74 years, most people can not identify with horrific acts like the Holocaust or Pearl Harbor. Both of these happend during WWII.
At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time (12:55 p.m. EST) on December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes attacked the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, launching one of the deadliest attacks in American history. The assault, which lasted less than two hours, claimed the lives of more than 2,400 people, wounded 1,000 more and damaged or destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes. Almost half of the casualties at Pearl Harbor occurred on the naval battleship USS Arizona, which was hit four times by Japanese bombers. As we commemorate the anniversary of this “date which will live in infamy,” as President Franklin D. Roosevelt described it on December 8, 1941, explore five little-known facts about USS Arizona and the attack that plunged America into war.
Today, December 7th, is a time to pause and remember our brave service men and women who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor. Sometimes, we tend to forget about the heartbreak and agony of the families of those that were killed in such a sneak attack. 911 happened over 14 years ago and a new generation has come along that can't totally relate to that tragedy. Today, we are facing even greater challenges.
Knowing the Lord brings comfort. He works through people to comfort those that mourn. There certainly is a time for everything in our lives.
Today is a day to remember and to comfort others that are hurting. Alex Upshaw, our food Service Manager, in Broward lost his wife, Lydia, yesterday. Please pray for him, family, and friends.
All God's Best to you and your Loved ones,
-rev b
PS - Our Staff Holiday Party will on Dec. 17th - Thursday - More to Come
November 30, 2015
2 Corinthians 9: 9 & 12 - “As it is written:(9)You have freely scattered your gifts to the poor; your righteousness endures forever (12) This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”
Hey, just want to give a shout out to everyone - that's you - for making Thanksgiving day so awesome.
Over 3,300 people were served and so much more.
Wanted to share some pics with you.
Save the Date - Dec. 17th - Our Annual Staff Luncheon
Check it out and let us know you are coming.
All God's Best to you and your Loved ones,
-rev b
November 23, 2015
I Thes. 5:16-18 - “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”
Thanksgiving - Besides symbolizing a time when many of us gather together to feast on turkey, cranberry sauce, and apple pie, what does the word truly mean? America’s revered holiday was founded by a group of struggling Pilgrims during the fall of 1621.
Peter Marshall and David Manuel’s account, The Light and the Glory, tells how the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock endured extreme hardship to pioneer a new land. Three long months at sea aboard The Mayflower and a brutal winter left them ragged, malnourished, and susceptible to disease. During the first four months of that year, nearly half of the pilgrims had succumbed to illness and died under the harsh strain of their barren lifestyle.
The Pilgrims’ daily existence was a life-or-death battle to overcome constant hunger, sickness, and exposure to the elements. Crudely assembled houses made of mud daub were their only shelter from the icy New England weather. Because they were not yet knowledgeable about their new environment’s agriculture, planting gardens in the hostile conditions proved virtually fruitless. Every meal was portioned out meticulously. The death toll, a constant reminder of their fragility, rose steadily. At one point only five men were well enough to care for the sick.
Despite their tribulations, the Pilgrims thanked the Lord every day, petitioning Him for rehabilitation. One morning, during an ordinary Sunday worship service, the Lord sent tangible evidence that He had heard their prayers. Their church service was interrupted by an unexpected guest, an Algonquin Indian chief who assessed their hopeless situation and returned with a helper named Squanto. The Pilgrims, who had warred with Indians before and lived with a continuous fear of being attacked by them, were astonished by their new friends’ eagerness to provide much-needed assistance. Squanto, a Patuxet Indian who spoke perfect English, taught the Pilgrims how to hunt game, trap beavers, and plant Indian corn, a staple that would eventually save their lives.
But the Pilgrims’ trials were far from finished; their plentiful autumn was followed by a particularly treacherous winter. Unfortunately, the weather proved to be the least of their ailments. In November a ship called The Fortune dropped anchor in their harbor. Aboard the ship were thirty-five more colonists who had brought with them no provisions — no food, no extra clothing, no equipment for survival. Additionally, the oppression of the physical environment had become almost unbearable after a twelve-week drought dried up their crops and withered their spirits. The newcomers’ arrival had drained already inadequate food rations and there was no obvious resource for sustenance. At their lowest point, the Pilgrims were reduced to a daily ration of five kernels of corn apiece. In utter desperation they fell to their knees and prayed for eight hours without ceasing.
Again God heard their supplications; fourteen days of rain followed. A second Day of Thanksgiving was declared. The neighboring Indian chief was again their honored guest; he brought with him one hundred and twenty braves. The Pilgrims feasted on game and turkey as they had during their previous celebration, only this time one dish was different. The first course, served on an empty plate in front of each person, consisted of five kernels of corn, a gentle reminder of God’s faithful provision for them.
This tradition is very popular in New England today. The tradition states that for each kernel of corn (5) on your plate, you are to tell the Lord and others one thing that you are thankful for before enjoying the meal.
What are your 5 Kernels of Corn list of things to be thankful for this year?
All God's Best to you and your Loved ones,
-rev b
PS - Our Staff Holiday Party will on Dec. 17th - Thursday - More to Come>
November 16, 2015
1 Timothy 2:1-2 - “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
Communication sounds so simple: say what you mean. But all too often, what we try to communicate gets lost in translation despite our best intentions. We say one thing, the other person hears something else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue.
When communication breaks down, the peaceful and quiet life mentioned in the verses above breaks down.
Communication is about more than just exchanging information. It's about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. Effective communication is also a two-way street. It’s not only how you convey a message so that it is received and understood by someone in exactly the way you intended, it’s also how you listen to gain the full meaning of what’s being said and to make the other person feel heard and understood.
Effective communication is the glue that helps you deepen your connections to others and improve teamwork, decision making, and problem solving. It enables you to communicate even negative or difficult messages without creating conflict or destroying trust. Effective communication includes speaking, listening, writing, and reading what has been written. The purpose of our internal website is to help all of us communicate better and to keep up to date of what is happening in all of our centers. This is particularly difficult during the busy fall months.
I want you to know that you are part of an amazing ministry. Together, we are doing great things and impacting thousands of lives. I pray that this news update encourages you as we look to a brighter future and the ability to help more hurting men, women, and children.
Let us continue to pray for each other, our loved ones, our nation, and for those that need our help so desperately.
All God's Best to you and your Loved ones,
-rev b
November 9, 2015
I Corinthians 13:13 - And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Our first value as a ministry is Compassion. What we define as "Love in Action". Homelessness has changed so dramatically in the last 25 years. Not only the demographics, but the way success is defined in helping someone break the cycle of being homeless. Studying the effectiveness of our various programs is certainly beneficial, but in many areas the desired results are given in analytical data, outcomes, measurements, numbers, and percent's.
Sometimes I feel that the person or family that comes for help becomes lost in the crowd and sometimes are just seen as another statistic. Hispanic - Female - 33 - 2 kids, etc. It's hard not to fall in that trap due to the national trends that have emerged. Everyone wants data - and the data is suppose to be quick.
I have been a Christian for a long time, but have only served Him (to the best of my ability) for the last 25 years. Christianity differs from most religions or faith beliefs based upon the unfathomable love of God. In most religions, getting to heaven depends on doing more good than bad in your lifetime (this is the scales of justice) or a person has to die for their faith in order to make sure they make it to heaven. Christianity is not so much a religion as it is a relationship with God.
God knows that we can never do enough good to outweigh the bad in our lives (and even if that was the case, who decides what is good and what is bad?). In fact, God does not desire our death for Him to show our love, it's just the opposite. God shows us His love for us by His death (Jesus) for us. Now that is what I call love!
As we work with those that come through our doors, let us remember that they need our love desperately. Yes, they need a place to stay and food to eat, and help with their problems, but for so many they carry within disgrace, guilt, hopelessness, loneliness, abandonment, and the feeling that they are not worthy of anyone's love.
It's difficult to show compassion and love to some people who come to us. But remember, you have a place to go to each day, you have people around you that care about you, you are working and supporting yourself and your family, you have friends, you and I have so much more than the people we minister to. Let each of us raise our level of care to our loved ones, each other, and to the hurting that come to us and strive to LOVE MORE!
All God's Best to you and your Loved ones,
-rev b
November 2, 2015
Deuteronomy 31:6 - “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
At times we endure trials so difficult we wonder how we'll come through it. The above verse promises those who trust in the Lord that He will never leave or forsake His children. The verse is also quoted in Hebrews 13:5. This is a great promise to claim, but the force of the original words in the Bible are lost in translation. In the original language, this verse contains five negatives - two followed by three - and can be written: “No, I will not leave you (2x). No, neither will I not utterly forsake you (3x).” The intensity of this verse is better understood by reading it closer to the original intent with the five negatives included: “I will never, never, never, never, NEVER leave you or forsake you.” God is telling us that we are not alone, even when our entire being screams that we are. We may feel that we are apart from God, but He has not left us alone.
These last two weeks since the passing of my son has been so draining. To everyone who has lost a loved one, I now have a better understanding of your grief, confusion, and heartache. It really hurts and cuts deep. This past weekend I spent a lot of time in prayer. Imagining the future without Roger was so overwhelmingly sad. To keep busy, I went out to wash my daughter's (Joy) van. She had mentioned to me at some point that her CD player was not working, so I gave it a try. The first track was skipping and I moved from track to track. A song started playing and it immediately spoke to me. It's called - “Not Alone” by Jamie Grace. I am including it for you to listen to and meditate upon. A little later in the day I received a text from a friend stating that many people were praying for us and that we were not alone.
God's presence and comfort has certainly been true to our family with the outpouring of your encouragement, prayer, and support. Thank you so very, very much for your compassion and kindness.
2 Corinthians:3,4 states — “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
Being a follower of Jesus does not mean that everything in life is perfect and pain or problem free. Sometimes Jesus will calm the storms in your life. Other times He will act like an anchor that you can tie yourself to. Still other times, Jesus will offer Himself as shelter so that you can weather the storm in His protection and under His wings. But rest assured, as the Scriptures say, “He will never, never, never, never, NEVER leave you or forsake you.” The Bible does not promise an easy life as a Christian, but it does promise that you are not alone or will be left alone.
All God's Best to you and your Loved ones,
-rev b
Song from Jamie Grace-"Not Alone"
At 11 years old Jamie was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and knows first hand the importance of being encouraged. This song is actually about a mother facing the upcoming death of her terminally ill child, but it also speaks to us that no matter what we may be facing, we are Not Alone.
If you can not play this, here is a link that should work "Not Alone" by Jamie Grace
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