Father's Day

Father's Day is somewhat of a tough day for me. This is the day that I am reminded that I don't have a Daddy that loves me and who ever cared for me. He never wanted to be a part of my life. I was torn over this for quite awhile, but because I had God's love within me, I knew I was going to be okay. He was my heavenly father, my perfect father and the one who is always there to listen to me and care for me. Since I didn't have an earthly father, God did place me with my grandfather. I thought the world of him and would want to do anything and everything that he did. I wanted to follow in his footsteps. If he was working on the car, I was working on the car. If he was cutting grass, I was on the rider with him. I love my grandfather. I am so glad that even though I didn't have my "real" father, I had someone who loved me and cared for me deeply. He couldn't totally replace having a daddy and I still had hurts, but you know....my grandfather chose to take me in. He chose to share his love with me and to treat me as his own. I also had a pastor in my life that took me under his wing. Him and his wife had left our congregation to travel doing Bible Schools and speaking in churches. They let me travel with them during the summers and it was great learning what a family was all about and what I could have one day. I saw how he loved his wife and children and I wanted that. He was a good example to me on what I wanted to look for in a man. I still remember the day that he had me helping him make another part of the puppet stage and he said, "You know, you can call me dad if you want." I was so excited! I still get tears in my eyes when I think about it. I wanted a Daddy like that and it meant a lot to me that he had accepted me as part of his family. He chose me. What an awesome gift. I have been married for almost 15 years now and it is wonderful to see another man who loves his kids. My husband is a great father. He isn't perfect, just like none of us is perfect but he sure loves his family. No matter how difficult things get and we have seen some tough times, he doesn't give up and run away. He is a hard worker, he tells his kids he loves them, he plays with them, protects them, teaches them the Bible, wants the best for them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He is a good man.
So, thinking of these things. I want to encourage you that if you have a dad out there that isn't a part of your life, know that God is waiting with open arms to hold you and call you His son or daughter. Look around and see if there is a man in your life that has been a daddy figure. He may not be your biological dad, but that's okay. He has chosen to take you in as his own. He is a gift to you and you are a gift to him. Tell that guy whether it is a husband, a dad or whoever how much they mean to you. It is a rare thing nowadays to find a good guy. So, hold on to him and tell him you love him.
Happy Father's day, Pappers! Happy Father's day, "Dad"! Happy Father's day, Michael! I love you all and I am so blessed that God brought you into my life. What an awesome gift.

Exciting News!

We have had a lot of exciting news the last several days. My heart and mind is so overwhelmed with excitement that I can hardly stand it. We moved to our new home a little over a year ago. We knew that God sent us here for a reason. I won't go into details about that, but He really sent us here and provided this home for us to live in. As we lived here for a little while, we started walking the bike trail that is right next to our home and then Mike rides his bike on it a lot. It is a great place, but we noticed all the homeless people on the trail. They aren't messy or disrespectful, just people like you and me out there with no home to live in. Mike stopped there one day on his way home from work to pick me a flower. As he was picking the flower, this woman came up to him and she was asking him for his business because she was a prostitute. He told her politely that he was not interested and asked her if she knew why. She said she didn't and so he went into how much he loved me and then proceeded to tell her that there was another person he loved very much. She wanted to know who that was. He told her that it was God. She then started asking a lot of questions and he was able to give her the plan of salvation. It was so exciting because she said she had be searching for meaning in life and various things. You could tell God was already working on her heart. Well, we went about our life and figured we would never see her again, but we kept praying. It was amazing because Mike kept running into her when he was making his flower deliveries. There were times they weren't able to talk, there were times she would ask more questions, there was even a time when she was doing business with someone and there Mike would happen to be and she would take off. I figured God was reminding her of their conversation over and over again and may have even been protecting her. We didn't know what was going on. This had been going on for a year or so....seeing and working with her even on the phone. She turned herself into drug rehab and we were the only ones who were allowed to know where she was and was able to contact her. She shared with us that she was suicidal and having all kinds of problems due to her lifestyle. We just kept praying, kept encouraging her, kept reminding her of God. We then went through a couple months recently of not seeing her. We didn't know if she was dead or alive. We would hear on the news of another prostitute being murdered and we would watch intently wondering if it was her. Well, we finally saw her a month ago and she waved Mike down and said she was moving to California to get cleaned up and finalize her divorce with her husband because he would come into town all the time and beat her up really bad. In fact, one time Mike found her on the side of the road bleeding from head to toe and having seizures bad because he had just beat her up. So, she asked us to pray and to keep in touch with her as she was moving to California.

Yesterday afternoon, Mike felt like God wanted him to call her. He didn't know what to expect and even if he could reach her. He called and a joyful sounding man answers the phone. He asked for the woman and she gets on the phone and says "I am so glad you called! I have been wanting to call you all, but I can't make calls out on the phone right now. I can only receive calls." She then proceeded to tell him her story. She went to California and tried to find her husband and couldn't find him at all. She was about to give up when she finally bumped into him. She asked him what was wrong with him because he was all joyful and gentle with her. He said he had become a Christian. She couldn't find him because he doesn't go to the same places anymore. He is in a church and serving in it. She couldn't believe it and she immediately thought of her and Mike's conversations. She said she kept watching him for awhile and he was just a whole different person, so she thought she would go to his church and check it out. She said, "Mike, I just kept thinking of our conversations the whole time." Anyway, she has now accepted Christ, her and her husband are back together now and she said she has no more suicidal thoughts or anything now. She is a new person!!! Praise God!! We are so excited!!

The other peace of news to share is that God seems to be opening the doors for our ministry out here. We have always felt like God wanted us working with the homeless and poor. Not to just stand behind a bar with food and dump it on their plate, but to have a real ministry to them where we go to them. We found out there was a church of homeless people out here on the bike trail, so my husband went to check it out last week. He was so excited and overwhelmed. He said it was very humbling to see these people who stink and have nothing and they are praising God and giving Him glory. Some of these people work, but just don't make enough to have a place to live. Anyway, the pastor was talking to Mike and he said they had been praying for someone to take over because they are moving to the other side of the city. This Sunday is their last Sunday. So, here we are and we just "happen" to show up. So, pray for us. We will be going again this week to talk to them more about things and we will see. It sure seems like this may be what He has been leading us up to. This is not a paying job, but will be a full time job. So, we are trying to figure things out to maybe getting support from individuals and churches so we can do this ministry. They meet all through the week having Bible studies, AA meetings and various things. We want to raise money to be able to feed these people good, wholesome meals and provide tents so they can have shelter. This is a huge need and a way we can do what the Bible commands for us to do. We will help provide for their physical needs, but also be able to feed them spiritually. Please pray for us. God is opening doors and we are so excited! Pray for this ministry. Pray for these peoples hearts to be open. Pray for us to get the support we need financially. Pray for us to have the wisdom and strength that we need. Pray for us to be able to raise the money for tents and food. Pray! Pray! Pray! Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!

OUR GOD IS AN AWSOME GOD!!