Snapshots of Life

Adopt-a-Homeless

2012-01-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

Would you like to encourage a homeless person? You may be their ticket to a happy smile and to being encouraged to make it through another day if you will join us in a program we are starting up within the ministry.

Think about it. You are out on the streets feeling totally alone. You have lost your family, your friends, your home, and even your desire to live. Wouldn't you like to be a source of encouragement to that person to keep going for another day? Don't you think it would help them to know there is someone out there that cares for them and are praying for them?

We would love to begin a program where you start sending cards and letters to a specific homeless person. You could send it to our PO Box and we would deliver that piece of mail to the homeless person that we assign to you. They then could give us the piece of mail that they may write to you and we would make sure it was delivered to you. They would not have your address. We would keep that private for you. You wouldn't have to share anything private with them, just give them words of encouragement so that they know you are thinking and praying for them. So many of them feel so alone and never get a piece of mail and this would allow them to enjoy looking forward to getting encouragement. When we have passed out lunches in the past and there was a card or something in them, they would always pull out the card and be so excited about it. They wouldn't even start eating until they read that card. Please pray about it and see if this is something you would like to participate in. If so, please send an email and let me know at knowingmeministries1@yahoo.com

"When I was Hungry, You Fed Me"

2011-06-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome time passing out lunches to our friends on the streets. We have been trying to raise support in order to feed the homeless on Sundays. The service center that used to provide dinners everyday of the week is not doing it on weekends any longer. We recently had a couple of women volunteer to raise the money and make the lunches for one Sunday. Kayleen mentioned several times how much fun they had making the lunches. It was exciting to us to have people who enjoyed doing this for our friends. We love these people so much. One special thing that the homeless enjoyed was Kayleen's 5 year old who made little pictures for all 100 lunches. It made the lunches personal and special to them. Everyone of them mentioned how sweet it was that she would do this for them. THANK YOU, EMMA!! YOU ARE A SPECIAL LITTLE GIRL!

We would like to make this an ongoing project for each Sunday afternoon. We would love to raise enough money to feed the homeless each week. The week that was provided for cost $1.60 for each lunch. Providing 100 lunches would cost $160. This would consist of two sandwiches, bottled water, chips, fruit, and a dessert. Please let us know if you want to start giving for this. You could give for a partial amount, one Sunday, one Sunday a month, or whatever the Lord lays on your heart. This gives us an opportunity to share more love, friendship, time, and food for our people who are hungry each weekend.

Steve graduates! What a Story!

2011-05-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

It all began by pushing his cart and carrying his load on my (Mike's) own back. He was being kicked out of his camp by the police pushing the homeless away again. He didn't know where he was going to go and didn't know how he was going to manage moving alone since he was in so much pain. He needed surgery. He needed love and compassion. He needed help. So, Mike happened to be there when it all happend and asked to help this man and take the load on himself in order to show God's love and compassion. Steve didn't know quite what to think. He asked, "who are you?" Mike proceeded to tell him. "What do you want from me?" "Nothing." Mike replied. "I just want to be your friend and help you out". From that moment on it began a new relationship that we could only dream of happening. Mike began visiting Steve. He drove him and sat with him when he went to the hospital. Steve began asking questions about why Mike was the way he was. So, Mike began little by little teaching him about God.

Now, during this time, Steve was addicted to drugs. He was amazed that Mike didn't judge him about this issue. Steve ended up needing to go to court which happend to be where Mike works and advocated for the homeless. Steve was assigned to Mike in order to get his court assignments done. He had an attitude at the beginning and everyone saw it. As Mike began working with him with his court work and teaching him on spiritual matters he became a follower of Christ. We baptized him in Johnson Creek and what a wonderful and exciting day that was. After his baptism, he said he felt different and knew he needed to get serious about his walk with the Lord.

He requested to go to drug rehab through the court and went to it with a whole new attitude than he had ever had before. He was excited to go and get clean. He now had a purpose in life to walk with the Lord and to join our team in the ministry helping others. So, he went in for 6 months. Long story short...he graduated from drug rehab just a couple weeks ago and what a proud and exciting day it was for us. There were so many kind words from the other guys in rehab saying that they wanted to follow in his footsteps, they knew he was real with his relationship with God, and he was a great example and help to them. One of the leaders at the rehab had great words to say about Steve and here is a quote from a partial letter he wrote to him.

"Of course this letter would not be complete without noting the strong role that your higher power has played in your recovery. Your connection with spirituality is not one of convenience; and what I mean by that is you did not rely on your higher power just when things were going well, but you maintain that connection when faced when waters get rough as well. This character strength became obvious during the transition phase of your treatment when several unexpected turns presented themselves at inopportune moments. While you have a deep and personal connection with your higher power, it has been my experience in working with you that this connection is forged deeper when you connect with the mentors (Mike and Steve's brother) in your life."

Steve then read his speech and I would like you to hear part of it.

"This opportunity came at a time that God called me to. I am on a path that He put me on, to do His plan for me. God and recovery are all parts of my life that come together perfectly. I have great hope for myself now. Like never before in my life. I do not regret my past...it was a learning experience that gave me what I needed in order to do what is needed for those out there suffering and in need of help. I intend to devote my life to helping homeless people. That is Gods plan for me. I'm passionate about it. Pastor Mike Davis' family and I, as Knowing Me Ministries, will together do God's work. I'm supposed to do this at this time and place of my life. I feel it, I know it, and I'm going to DO it. I also intend to be a visible alumni always. Faith, Hope, Love, Steve."

He then closed the graduation ceremony by telling the guys (keep in mind this is not a Christian rehab)

"With God it can happen guys, ONLY with Him."

Steve's brother saying a few words

What an awesome testimony he left there that day. We are proud of him as a human being. We are proud of him as a former homeless person. We are proud of him as a former addict. BUT we are mostly proud of him as our brother in Christ and fellow servant of God. What a blessing it is to call him OUR BROTHER. We are proud of you, Steve!

Mike sharing a few words

What happend to that girl?

2011-04-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking lately as I pick out my clothes for the day of "what happend to that girl that use to dress so nice?" I would feel kinda gloomy and ponder on this for a minute or two. When I was growing up I would wear nice clothing. It wasn't expensive and the best, but it was nice. I had all my "Sunday clothes" to wear to church and special events, I had nice jeans and shirts...a full closet and dresser full. Now I look at the closet and I bearly have enough clothes to make it through the week that aren't in the best of shape. I have a couple pieces of clothing that are for special occasions, but that is it. I try to not feel sorry for myself because of the kind of work we do with the homeless. When you see so many lives being changed, I think, "its okay. It is all worth it." How can I complain when they don't have much and living on the streets?

Today I found my mind wondering off again about the clothes today and all of a sudden it hit me...What happend to that girly looking girl that had all the nice clothes, the makeup, and the hair being done at the hair salon? Jesus is what happend to her! I gave my life totally up to Him and what He was calling us to do. He totally changed my life and I'm excited about what He has called us to do. He experienced the same thing, you know. He was in Heaven, sitting on His throne, with the best garments that were pure and clean, but then He came here on earth and wore rags with sandles on His feet. Who am I to grumble about what I wear?

I remember as a child hearing a story about a little girl who lived in a country where there was persecution for believing in Jesus. Soldiers came in the church building and told the people that they had to step on the picture of Jesus and spit on it in order to not be killed. Most adults stepped on the picture and spit on it, but the little girl didn't. She told them she loved Jesus. Now, I don't remember what happend to the girl because as this story was told my mind began to wonder and it was almost like I heard Jesus asking me, will you do whatever it takes to follow me? Would you do what this little girl did for me? I am reminded of this little girl constantly through my life now that He has called us as a family to reach the homeless. I have to only have enough clothes to make it through the week, which aren't the best clothes, forget about style, not get my hair done, not put makeup on everyday anymore, sell our possessions, be homeless for almost 8 months, go without food, be exhausted physically, spiritually, emotionally, had our car stolen, listen to people attack us, people turn their backs on us...I am reminded of that little girl along with others who gave their lives up for Him. "What happend to that girl?" She is walking the footsteps of Jesus. I am so thrilled to be where He has called me to be. I love the people He has called us to and I love my relationship with Him. He is so awesome!!! He has provided exactly what we NEEDED and when we needed it. So, it is okay. I know He is with me and it is wonderful to see Him at work providing and changing people's lives including mine. What is the meaning of this blog? It isn't to brag about my "suffering" or to get someone to feel sorry for me. It is just to show where I am continuing to grow, how I am human, and to ask the same question of you as someone asked me when they were teaching me the story of the little girl...If God called you to suffer for Him whether it be by not living the American dream, to be homeless, not getting your hair and nails done, selling your possessions, being persecuted for believing in Him...would you be willing to do that? Would you follow what He calls you to do no matter the cost? I challenge you to think and pray about this. Has He been working on your heart in a certain area? Listen and obey His call. There is no greater joy!

100 Sunday lunches

2011-03-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

We are hoping and praying to start a new aspect to the ministry we have in SouthEast Portland. So far we have been advocating for them on the streets and in the courts, we befriend the homeless, we love them, we hang out with them, we drive them to appointments for jobs or visits to the hospital, etc, we help them move their camps when they have been kicked out, we help them get their resume's out, we find them jobs, apartments, help them get their ID, we teach them, we baptize them, visit them in jail, the list goes on and on. There have been times when we have had a donation here and there for them to receive things from us like tents, Bibles, and once in awhile sack lunches. They know we are not out there because we have anything tangible to give and so they don't usually ask for things like that. We were even told by a group when we asked them what they needed with preparing for winter and they just responded by saying,

"We just want you out here daily guiding and teaching us."

We were amazed at this response. It has broken our hearts though because they have stopped serving meals to the homeless in our area on Sundays. We see them hungry. We hear them talking about having to steal something little because they were so desperate needing something to eat. They are eating out of dumpsters. So, we have an idea that we would like to present to you.

We would ask if some of you could donate really good sack lunches on Sunday afternoons. You don't have to do anything but put it together and then we will meet you to pick them up and take them out on the streets to the people. We would like to serve them starting at 3:30pm each Sunday. We are asking for 100 lunches Would you be open to one Sunday a month or every Sunday? They are so hungry. This would give us the opportunity to love on them in another way and spend time with them. This would give you an opportunity to help us help them.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:35,36

He Was a Friend Before, But Now He Is Our Brother (story about Joel)

2011-01-03T18:38:00.000-08:00

We hadn't been out befriending the homeless in southeast Portland for very long at all. Mike had been invited by several of the homeless people to come down to their camp. They loved spending time with us and was fascinated in the fact that Mike was a pastor, but wasn't preaching at them. He just acted like one of the guys. He would sit down with them, listen to their stories, befriend them, and not cast judgement on them. He would even help them push their carts or whatever was needed. They knew he wasn't passing out money or anything, but they enjoyed and was intrigued by our friendship to them, so they asked him to come to their camp. One summer evening it was over 100 degrees here in Portland and Mike took off walking to the camp. It was an ordeal to get there. You had to go way back and even crawling on your stomach from time to time to get through the bushes, fences, and into the Johnson Creek.

One evening when he did this, he was walking toward the guys that he had met before. They turned around and was excited to see him. There was a particular man named Joel, who we hadn't met before and was sitting in the creek to get a break from the heat. He immediately turned around and with a horrible deep voice said, "Get out of here, Jesus!" and he started running toward Mike with a knife. As he lunged to stab Mike, the knife disappeared. Everyone there including Mike and Joel was frantically looking for the knife and never did find it. We believe God took care of it because it just disappeared in mid air. Joel then started running into the camp fire and then took off over the hill to run onto the freeway in order to commit suicide. Mike ran after him, tried to stop traffic from hitting Joel, but the cars just kept going without even slowing down. So Mike ran out and pinned Joel to the ground, drug him to the side of the road and was able to get him back to camp. That was our first meeting with Joel.

He was demon possessed then and several times after that. Our family all fell in love with Joel. He was a great person when he was himself, so we continued being his friend, loving him, trying to help him in any way we could, drove him places he needed to go, helped him through court things, and shared with him about Christ. We went through a lot with Joel. Lots of ups and downs and even sleepless nights praying for Joel and his safety because of situations he would get himself into, but we just felt God didn't want us to give up on him.

Finally a couple months ago he showed up on our doorstep hungry. We didn't have much ourselves, but wasn't about to turn him away. We had him come in and we fixed him breakfast, ate with him, and had lots of time talking and laughing with him. The next day, he called Mike and said, "Mike, I want to meet you. I am ready to give up EVERYTHING and follow Christ." . This was huge for him to say. You may think, what would a homeless person have to give up in order to follow Christ? Well, this was a struggle for him for a long time because of his love for women, drugs, his own freedom and being independent. So, Mike met with him and right there in the service center he accepted Christ into his heart. Recently we had the privilege to baptize him and what a wonderful day that was! Every time I looked at him or someone would speak to him, he would have tears in his eyes. It has been wonderful to see the change in this man. He is much calmer. He is calling Mike all the time and wanting to meet so he can be taught more things from the Bible. Mike will see him in the service center or on the side of the road reading his Bible we got him. We praise God that He didn't allow us to give up on Joel. He was a friend before, but now He is our brother. How awesome is that?

Look into My Eyes

2010-09-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

This blog is one that I wrote a year ago. I felt like it was time to share once again because the majority of people that follow us hasn't read it yet. To give you an update on this man as you read this is the things he was preparing us for has happened. We have gone through some tough times of having to sell all we own in order to follow God in this ministry. We had to make choices on whether we were going to follow what God called us to do or be willing to lose everything in order to follow Him and reach these people. We also had a tough time a couple months after this happened of not knowing whether I was going to live or die which was another thing he mentioned to Mike about taking care of me. The man I mention in this story has since disappeared. He had been here for years and everyone knew him. He was always telling them about Jesus. His last encounter was this meeting with us and then he was gone and we haven't seen him since. I know we will see him again one day in heaven and I can't wait to sit down with him and discuss all that was going on on the day I met him in this story. I hope this speaks to you as you read it. I sure made an impact on us.

Matthew 25:35-40 'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and cloth you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Yesterday was my day to go with my husband out to the prison and then on the streets to visit the homeless. I only get to go once a week with having children to care for, but my husband goes on a daily basis except Saturday's typically. I get very excited about Sunday's now in a way I never have before. We go have worship with our congregation and then one of the ladies that we are very close to, takes the kids for the day so I can go make my visits. We tend to concentrate on meeting the women so I can reach out to them. I did that yesterday and as I met them had good feelings about the meetings, but as usual have heartache at the same time as I leave them. One reason is just not wanting to leave them, but the biggest reason is I long for them to get their lives changed and not be stuck in this lifestyle. I have shed many tears over these people. God has put such a love in my heart for them that it gets overwhelming for me at times. One of the women made a comment to me that she knew I was like their mother chick trying to care for them and wanting the best for them as a mother does for their child. It hurts when the police go out and scatter them and then we frantically go out trying to find their new locations. A mother chick doesn't like to see her chicks far away from her and she wants to protect them. O how I long to get this village built so we can give them a place to stay and try to make life changing things happen. The ultimate thing is for them to know our God and want to follow Him. The other goal would be to help them learn how to function in life, give them job experience, and help them on their feet.

My main reason for this blog is not about the village or the women I meet weekly though. We had a change in events yesterday that just totally blew us out of the water. My husband and I were on our way from meeting one person who wanted to see me yesterday to meeting another that had been calling us and wanting us to meet them. So, we were on our way. Well, all of a sudden there was an older man who was waving us over to the other side of the street. My husband had met him before and said that we should go see what was going on. He told me that this man has colon and prostrate cancer and is dying. We walk over to him after the traffic cleared. He was leaning against a little store wall outside. We came up to him and he was in tears. He said, "I love these people so much! I cry for them all the time." He then looked us in the eye and said, "Jesus love you. He shed His blood for you." My husband said, "Yes, we know." He asked if he could give me a hug. I proceeded to hug him and he said, "I just love these people so much. I cry for them." I told him in his ear, "I totally understand, I have shed many tears over the people. I love them too." He then grabbed my husband on his other arm and said, "Look me in my eyes. I love you! I am with you!" My husband and I were both in tears. He then said, "The Holy Spirit has told me to share this with you and he started praying a prayer for us and the people on the streets. He then said, Look into my eyes...I LOVE YOU!" At this point he was getting weak. He is in so much pain. He told us he didn't think he would be around much longer. He knew he was going to die. He would look kinda stern at times, but I would just look at him in his eyes with a smile on my face and he would give me the biggest smile that I grew to absolutely love. It was like looking into Jesus' eyes. He would put his hand out, I would put my hand in his and he would be so gentle. He then looked at my husband and said, "Look into my eyes. You take care of this little girl. I love you." He then started doing a prayer for my husband concerning that. We were there for quite awhile talking to him. At the end he was looking down and said, "Jesus died for you. He shed His blood for you." Then he looked up and said, "Would you shed your blood for ME?" Wow! That was something. Jesus talks about in the Bible of giving your life for each other. How do you answer that? The man just looked and said, "I love you". We finally told him after talking to him for quite awhile that we had to meet another homeless person who wanted to see us. It was hard because he didn't want us to leave. He gave us a hug and said, "I'm speaking from my heart....I love you!"

I wonder...will we see this man anymore? Does he know his time is up? I pray and hope he isn't alone when he dies. I have asked my husband to take my camera out with him in case he sees him again so we can capture his eyes and smile. There was something about that situation that as Mike and I left, we were both crying. I didn't know if I was being weird or not in thinking that God was speaking to us through this man or not. I almost felt like we were looking into God's eyes. I kept thinking of that scripture I put above. I instantly thought when he wanted to hug us and give us kisses on the cheek that I wanted to run away, but then God gave me that scripture. I also thought of the stories in the Bible where Jesus and angels would show up in other forms and would speak to people. They almost felt the same way of fear but peace at the same time. I didn't say anything to my husband of my thoughts about this but then he said the same thing I was thinking and we both really started crying at that point. It was so overwhelming. Was God sending a message through this man of how much love He has for us? Was He having us look into this man's eyes to get a glimpse of Him? Was He making sure my husband knew without question that He is with him during all of this or with something that is coming up? Was HE telling my husband to take care of me because of something we don't know about yet or was it just a general taking care of me? So much to think about. My husband and I drove off to pick up the kids and were in total silence as we thought through what just happened. It was something we will never forget. How many times does God send someone to us, even a homeless man, to speak to us and we don't even realize it? He did it many years ago and His name was Jesus. People put Him down and thought His followers were crazy for believing that Jesus was the King of Kings and Lord of lords. "Look into my eyes." Start looking into people's eyes and really listen. You just might miss a glimpse and a word of our Lord if you don't. I await the day I get to see this man in heaven and talk to him about this day.

Steve's Baptism

2010-07-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday was a very special day for us as we had the opportunity to baptise one of the homeless guys who recently received Christ into his life. It was our first homeless baptism since starting this ministry a year ago.

It all began several months ago when Mike had taken him to the hospital because of getting his leg hurt. We believe in going out and befriending the homeless and not going out with the intentions of preaching at them. There are already a lot of people preaching and criticising them, so we go out and befriend them daily, advocate for them, love them. They always end up asking questions and God opens doors for us to share with them about God and His love for them. Steve is one of those guys that we befriended and then God opened the doors for us to share with him. While they were sitting in the hospital room that night, he just began asking lots of questions. He responded by telling Mike that he always had questions but never had anyone answer them so that it made sense to him. He ended up after a lot of questions over time and watching us, he accepted God into His life and wanted to live for Him. He has since been sharing with others and has expressed an interest in working along side of us in the ministry. So, Sunday evening he wanted to be baptised. It was so awesome. As we walk back in the woods on a trail to the creek, I just kept thinking how this is how they did it in Bible times. I am experiencing first hand the way it would have been during those times when they would go to a creek, a lake, or wherever was available and they would baptise someone. There was something special about this experience.

Walking the footsteps of Jesus. That was on my mind again which is a constant thing that happens since starting this ministry God has called us to. It is so awesome. So, please pray for us as we continue to experience more and as we walk this new journey with Steve. He is so excited and learning more and more daily. We have started an evening gathering with him and others now. Pray for their growth. Pray as we teach. Pray we will see more and more come to Christ as we walk this journey God has called us to walk.

Dependance On One Another....Written by Mike

2010-05-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

In a day when we pay tribute to the individual who can make a success of themselves and become financially independent, we are confronted with the reality of the New Testament. In the New Testament we are reminded of the interdependent nature of the Church.
I was reminded of this recently in a conversation. People have often asked why I don't get another job and support my family. The answer? We are called as a family to live by faith. I had a full time job, but had to make a choice when God opened the flood gates of ministry to the homeless.
If every follower of Christ were financially secure then half of the Church would be unnecessary. In I Corinthians 12 Paul gives us the picture of the Church as the body of Christ. EVERY PART is NEEDED and EVERY PART is DEPENDENT on the other parts. There are NO independent parts of the body.
In the Church God has ordained some Christians to make a good income, while others have been called to live by faith. Those who are called to live by faith must depend on the giving of those who are called to make a good income. Those called to make money are dependant on those who are called to live by faith so that they can fulfill their ministry of giving. BOTH are NECESSARY and BOTH are NEEDED in the Church.
There is much work needed to be done in the Kingdom that requires a full-time commitment whether it generates income or not. There are many people in the Bible called to leave security behind and live by faith. It seems like a wonderful thing that they did that,we look at their faith and look up to them, but we tend to think someone is off their rocker if you see someone do that now and we tend to not ever think of doing that ourselves. Acts 4 gives us an example of the Church made up of rich and poor. Those who had possessions sold them. The money was then given to the poor and there were then no needy persons. May we realize that those called to make money and those called to live by faith are dependent on each other for the glory of God. What an awesome gift God gave us of being able to work hand in hand together.

Advocating For the Homeless

2010-05-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Advocating for the homeless is something very important that more people need to do. As I have shared in past blogs, it can be a daily struggle of attacks from adults, teens, security guards, and the police, individuals along with state and county people taking their possessions illegally. Advocating doesn't mean you always take their side. One of the things they know is that we will fight for their rights if that is being taken away and they are being disciminated against, but if they are in the wrong...we expect them to do what it takes to make it right.

Advocating is one of the things that has really spoken love to the homeless. They can't believe we are out there each day and if they give us a call even during the night, we are off and running to see what is going on. You can't stand from a distance and advocate. You have to be willing to walk the road with them and see first hand what they are doing. I'm not even talking about a big protest for one day or even a week, but when someone is harrassing them, stand up for them.

A couple examples of this is where my husband works in the court where they assign the homeless to him as a volunteer in order for him to help them do what the judge requires of them doing. The judge gets my husbands input a lot of times on whether he thinks it is fair or not. This is another way of helping them instead of just tossing them in jail and they come out just to do it all over again. This is one way of advocating for the homeless.

Another example is something that just took place the other day and does happen quite often. We got a frantic phone call from one of the guys saying the police were kicking them out of their camp. They knew that they were suppose to get a 5 days notice prior to being kicked out, but until now nobody has kept that law because nobody has ever stood up for the homeless out here before. So, my husband goes out there and the police proceed to threaten to arrest him, make fun of him, and really became mean about it all. He kept trying to talk to them and they wouldn't listen. So, he called an attorney who was going to call our lawyer about this. The police realized my husband knew the laws and really did know people high up and so they backed down. They finally agreed that they would give them the 5 days that they were deserved. They did arrest the guys though because they were drunk and my husband told them they needed to pay for doing that. He wasn't standing up for them and getting them out of that one.

So, there you have it. It is a daily thing though. It is tough when you are dealing on a constant basis of being put in jail yourself, ridiculed, attacked, made fun of, but God tells us in the Bible that we are suppose to stand up for the rights of the poor over and over.

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3,4

Mothers Day

2010-05-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is a special day that is well deserved to all those women who have sacrificed so much for those bundles of joy they receive. It is wonderful to see those mothers out there that love their children unconditionally and are so proud of their kids and who they grow up to be.

This year as we celebrate, it has been different for me. This is our first Mothers Day in the ministry God has called us to with the homeless. I can't help but think of those women out there that came from such horrible, abusive homes. One of our women that we are very close to was raised in a home where her parents were strung out on drugs, tortured her, didn't feed her, and gave her up as a child prostitute. Eventually she was even sold to their drug lord as a child, he took off with her, got her pregnant and then left her all alone. Where was her mother? Her mother was suppose to love her, take care of her, protect her. I'm sure today is a tough day as she thinks what kind of mother she had.

I have also met several women who gave up their children because they didn't know how to take care of them. I know they hurt and they miss their children. It breaks your heart when you talk to them and you see in their eyes the hurt and pain. I have left many times from talking to these women and I'll be in tears with such a heavy heart. I put myself in their situation and can't imagine losing my children. I would think that you would just lose all hope and joy in life when you know you can't be with them, love them, and care for them.

So, as you celebrate this day for the mother you had who loved you or the children you have that you love with all your heart and would do anything for them...think and say a prayer for those children out there that don't have a mother to protect them or those moms who have no means to care for their children.

Keep up the good work, ladies!
Keep sacrificing for those children.
Keep loving them unconditionally.
Watch for another child or even a woman who could use your example and love.

"Out of mouths of Babes" written by our almost 12 year old.

2010-05-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

For me, "Knowing Me Ministries" is a good ministry that helps the homeless. We take them to the hospital when they need it, diciple them, take them places they need to go, be their friend, ect. We don't just give them food and tracts twice a year, we are with them EVERYDAY OF THE YEAR! I, as a person am very exited about all the people that have come to know Christ...12 in 10 months! Wow! That is so cool!
I can't wait to be out of school, so I can start going out with Dad more to Bible Studies and meeting more of the people that Dad is working with.
It LOOKS like we are going to be homeless by the 1st of June. I have been struggling big time with this because I don't really want to be homeless, but I will be homeless if I have to. I have to get rid of a lot of my things, but I am willing to do so in order to reach these people. I am praying hard that God gives us a nice RV so we can tell others about what we do and maybe they will help the homeless in their city. I love this ministry and working with Mom and Dad on it. God loves these people and so do I!

Following His Purposes...written by my husband

2010-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

It was no accident that Christ came to Israel. It was no accident that He was born in Bethlehem, for the prophets had predicted this location long ago. But now the nation was broken, disengaged, and headed their own direction. They had not heard from God for 400 years. Why would He now come to these people? It was because He had given Himself to them and was committed to their redemption. He is faithful. So it is with His people. As His people we are called to place and time, to specific people to serve His purpose of redemption. In the Springwater Corridor along SE 82nd Ave in Portland is the place and the people God has called me to. Lives lay in shambles all around me. Brokenness is the normal expectation. Those who drive through this area on their commute just shake their head in wonder at the waste of humanity they see on the streets.
Yet it is in this brokenness and seeming human trash pile, just like it was in Israel long ago, that God is calling out a people for Himself. Among the human wreckage, in the ashes stories of victory and restoration abound. Joel, a violent, uneducated drug addict is now a peace seeking, free servant of Christ. Each day he is learning how to give his life away, though he used to live only for himself. A man that used to make a second home in prison is now truly set free. Steve was lost in darkness to his own destructive desires, but now he as a follower of Christ joins me on the streets to show others the way to true life. Larry was someone you did not want to meet alone. The authorities shook in fear at the mention of him. In federal prison for 34 years for violent crimes he was hated and he hated everyone. Now Larry has one goal and that is to know Christ intimately. His thoughts are no longer consumed with anger, but rather with love for God. He is blown away that God could love him in all his brokenness. The stories go on.
There is no magic to seeing this happen. I am out there everyday as a friend and advocate surrendering to God’s purposes. My prayer each day is “Lord, lead my steps so that your purposes are accomplished today.

Tears of Sorrow and Pain to Tears of Rejoicing and Praise

2010-04-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

Today has been a tough day for our household. As the new month is approaching, we are struggling even more and more. As a fellow human being looks at our life, we look pathetic. We look like losers. We look like we are off our rocker. At this moment, we have no money. We will be homeless at the end of the month. We don't have new clothes. We have one more meal to put on the table. We are in the process of trying to sell our possessions. The list goes on and on.

You may ask, "Why do you look so pathetic?" "Why are you in this mess?"

Well, I'm glad you asked. We are following what God has called us to do and that is to reach the homeless. Almost a year ago we started a non-profit homeless ministry called "Knowing Me Ministries". We have fallen in love with these people God called us to. We have befriended them, advocated for them, drive them to the hospitals, drive them to court, visit them in jails and prisons, encouraged them to keep going, bought them tents, clothing, Bibles, etc when needed, taken water out to their camps, work in the court system as a volunteer in order to make sure things are fair for the community and homeless, helped the homeless get their court things done, shared God's love with them, push their carts, teach them the scriptures, list goes on and on. We felt led by God to live totally by faith and work full time in this ministry. It has been extremely hard at times. You get frustrated. You go without food. And you ask God, "why are we struggling when you called us to this?". Our family just had a really tough morning where we all shed tears. Time is clicking away so quickly and we have no place to go and call home. We are willing to do it, but as humans, we struggle. We were reading in the Bible of the list of struggles Paul shared with the Corinthians. God never promised if we followed him that it wouldn't be hard. Paul was homeless and hungry. But, we keep going because we know He has called us to this. We just have to trust that He knows what is best and that He is going to provide what we need.
As I said earlier, we were having a tough morning and getting stressed about things. Well, my husband came and stopped by home for a few minutes and was in tears. I thought, "OH, No. What now?". I didn't think I could handle any more bad news. He said, "I just saw Steve (homeless man we have become friends with) and he came to me and said that he wants to follow Christ. He wants me to come out in the morning and start teaching him the scriptures and how to follow Christ.". We both had the same response of praise to God, but on a personal level it was, "OK God. We get the hint once again. We will continue what we are doing and trust in you.". So, our family is still nervous, but we will not stop following Him NO MATTER THE COST.

Please pray for us and the ministry. Pray as we teach the new Christians out there how to follow Christ. Pray for the village that we would love to build so we can give them shelter and the help they need. Pray for our housing. We have been looking into living in an RV that is self contained. We cannot do this without God providing it since we have no funds to purchase one. It would allow us freedom to reach more homeless, travel across the country sharing what we do and training others to do the same. It would allow our finances to be more freed up so more can go to helping others. We don't know. Maybe it is a house God wants for us. Either way, please pray for us and that God will get ALL THE GLORY. That is all we want.

website: www.KnowingMeMinistries.org
facebook: Knowing Me-Ministries

His Precious Words

2010-04-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

I went to visit one of our homeless women who is in prison right now. She has become a follower of Christ and we have been teaching her for almost a year now. It has been very exciting to see her growth from week to week. My husband usually goes to teach her on Wednesday's and I go on Sunday's. In between times she goes to their services there at the prison and studies on her own everyday. I'm always telling her that she is our little missionary in jail because she is constantly telling us how she has been spreading the Word to others in there with her. Well, we thought it was time she had her own Bible to study from. We were able to send her a brand new Bible this last week. We had some money from donations that were given for the ministry and purchased it for her. She was in tears Sunday telling us that she received it. She kept saying it was the best Bible in the world and how spoiled she felt. Over and over she kept repeating how spoiled she was. I thought that was awesome because how many of us, Christian or non-Christian, has several Bible's in their home and they don't even think too much about it. It is sad that we will only think about our Bibles for once a week when we go to church or maybe 5 or 10 minutes a day and that be it. We sure don't feel spoiled. What a great lesson to learn from her.

Yesterday my husband had the privilege of giving another woman, who is homeless, a Bible. She had been requesting one for a couple weeks. We finally found the perfect one for her. She was thrilled!! He said that she kissed it and just started crying for joy. This again was another reminder of how precious His Word is. This is our love letter from God and we should all feel excited like these women. How precious it was to be the ones privileged to bless these women with His Precious Word.

Our 'Undercover Boss'

2010-04-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

My daughter came to me and started asking me questions about "Good Friday". As I was talking to her I was reminded of that show called, "Undercover Boss". It has a really good concept where the big boss goes undercover and does all the "little jobs". He experiences and feels what it is like to have the jobs that keeps his business going. I then thought of Jesus and how He came to earth, lived as a human, experienced the same things we experience, tempted as we are tempted, Satan at Him constantly, suffered, wept, mourned, had anger, joy, etc. Our "boss" knows what we go through. He experienced so much and was willing to do it in order to bring salvation to us...the little, sinful human beings. How awesome is that?
I also began to think about my husbands experience yesterday. He was having a frustrating day. One of the guys that he has been working with out on the streets and has gotten fairly close to was acting odd. He was yelling at people and just acting crazy. We know that sometimes he does this because people harass him and so he just decides to act the part if that is what people think of him. Anyway, my husband was trying to calm him down and even got him to apologize to some of the people he was yelling at. But, in the mean time it was discouraging to my husband to see him acting this way. He finally went off by himself and just started crying to God. He expressed how he didn't think he was doing much good out there. After he got done expressing himself to God, he got up and one of the homeless men we have tried and tried to reach out to, but wouldn't have anything to do with us was standing there. He talked to my husband for a couple minutes and started to leave, turned around and yelled, "Hey Mike! I love you man!" My husband and I both have tears as he is telling me this story. This was HUGE! God caused that man to say those words at the exact time my husband needed to hear them. He went on down the road and another homeless guy stopped him and said, "I just want you to know how much we appreciate you guys out here." Wow! OK, God...I get the hint. Walking closer to home another man who we hadn't seen for a long time yelled, "Hey Mike! Come here! I want you to know how much I appreciate you being out here and the work you do. Can I share you my story?"
As my husband is telling me these stories, we are just overwhelmed and in tears. God knew from experience with being the "undercover boss" what it is like to feel like you are hitting your head against a brick wall at times. He knows what it feels like to be homeless. He knows what it feels like to feel alone and rejected even by your own people, He knows what it feels like to be worn out and tired. So, he sent those three men to share these special words at the right time and place and He was telling us, "Keep up. You are doing what I have called you to do. I know how you feel. I am here for you." Isn't it wonderful to have a God who understands what we are going through, we can pour out our hearts to Him and He understands? God is so GOOD!

Challenges for the Homeless

2010-03-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about what it is like to live as a homeless person? I have. Our family has been looking at being homeless since we left our securities to follow what God has called us to do, which is a homeless ministry. We have been reaching the homeless for 18 years, but just this last September He called us to quit our jobs and work full time in the ministry with the homeless. We have learned a lot from the homeless. We have learned their challenges, their fears, their thoughts on religion, their story and background, and what they go through day to day. We tend to have an attitude as Americans toward the homeless and think they are just mental or lazy. But that is not true. Of course there are always some out there like that. We find that even with people who have homes to live in. We also tend to think that they are just there because of drugs or alcohol, but that isn't true either. There are some, but there are some like that who live in homes. People out on the street are just like you and me. There are Christians and non-Christians. There are all kinds, just like in the houses.

I would like to share with you some of the challenges that they face day to day on the street.

1) Being yelled at daily. Can you imagine being yelled at, cussed at, get in your face mean on a daily basis. They are told they aren't worth anything, lazy, need to get a job, scum of the earth, cussing, cussing, cussing, etc. It is horrible. Then, we wonder why they tend to be on edge and in a bad attitude, etc. It is tough. My husband has been yelled at several times by people who think he is homeless because he is out there with them. It is humiliating and hurts so bad. People yell accusations and they don't even know why that person that they are yelling at is on the streets. They never take time to listen. They just yell.

2) Arrested by the police. It is a constant battle that they get arrested because they are sitting somewhere, not doing anything illegal a lot of the times. We do know they are not all innocent and we even work with the county court to help the court keep track of the homeless and see that they do what is ordered of them to do. We have been asked to keep the homeless accountable and help them get the orders finished. There are so many times though that they get arrested for crazy things. My husband has been approached by the police who again think he is homeless and so they ask him to move along when he is doing nothing wrong. He is sitting on public property talking to some of the guys and all of a sudden the police come up and harass them. That is why we have started giving the homeless a voice. Anytime something is done illegally concerning the police, we have contacts and report them. The homeless are astounded that we would care enough for them to stand up for them that way. We have told the homeless that we will not stand up for them if they are in the wrong. We have had several times where they have tried to get us to help them get out of something when the police were right with what they were doing.

3) Get their things taken continuously. They only have a few things to start with and then someone comes and wipes them out illegally. There are actually laws where it has to be posted a couple days in advance where they are staying that they are coming through and trashing everything. I don't know how many times we have had to report the parks department, Oregon Department of Transportation, etc for taking the homeless things illegally. It is very frustrating when people donate clothes, tents, and things to the homeless and then the next day it is trashed by someone illegally. So, we have started fighting for the homeless rights on this too. We report them and can threaten to sue unless they pay back what they took. It has worked because now when they are cleaning out, they know someone is going to come back asking for a gift card so these people can get back the things they had to start with.

4) Have to live day to day. People often think the homeless are awful and scam artists when they are asking for money. I have heard people put them down when they hand the homeless a sandwich and the homeless tell them that is not what they needed, they needed money. I completely understand why people don't want to give them money, but they aren't always druggies or alcoholics wanting money for that. The best way to handle that kind of situation is to ask them what they do need. Some need money for a tent, blanket, flashlights, even alarm clocks (so they can wake up before people start getting up in the mornings and get their tents torn down), medicine for legitimate sicknesses, water, quarters for doing their laundry, a bike to get around, bus pass so they can get to a job interview, can openers to open those cans of non perishable food that is handed out, gas for their car, one night at a motel to get out of the freezing cold at night, cell phone service so they can be in contact to receive a job interview, etc. It is hard living day to day. We have had to do it. You don't know where your next meal is going to be, where you are going to get to lay your head down at night or if you are even going to get to lay your head down at night, etc.

5) You have to have an address. Do you know that in order to get food stamps, a post office box, or anything, you have to have an address? So, if you are homeless, you have to lie on things in order to get anything. You have to find someone who will be nice enough to let you use their address. You can't even get a job in most cases if you don't have an address.

6) Have to hear a sermon before they can eat. Do you know that a lot of places will only give you food if you come and listen to a sermon first? Can you really think straight if you are hungry, been on your feet all day, tired, had everything taken from you, and yelled at all day? I wouldn't. I'm a Christian and I think I would turn around and say forget it. The Bible doesn't say anything about feeding people only if they listen to a sermon. It just says to feed them, clothe them, take care of them. God will open up the opportunity to share His love if we would just be real, be concerned, get to know the person, and give your love away unconditionally.

7) Can't get a job. Most of the homeless that we have met want a job, but once you are homeless, it is tough to get a job. People don't want to hire a homeless person because they have all those judgements of being lazy and good for nothing druggies. They don't have any way of cleaning up for a job, and they don't have a way for them to contact them if they were given a job.

8) Have to walk all night to stay warm. The winters are tough on the homeless. It is freezing cold and either raining or snowing. When it is cold like this you can't stay in a tent and expect to be warm. People will give them blankets and coats, but that doesn't help when they constantly get wet. There is nothing worse than having wet blankets laying on you. So, a lot of the homeless will walk constantly for days and nights in order to stay a little warm and alive. We have found that winters are when the homeless tend to be drunk. These are even ones that don't tend to drink the rest of the year, but it gets so cold. In order to help their bodies warm up and block out the coldness they are dealing with, they drink.

9) Dealing drugs and prostituting. We have several who hate this lifestyle, but they know no other way of living. Their whole lives, even as little kids, their parents did this and had them do the same. I don't know how many times I have come from talking to them and just start crying because of hearing their stories about being prostituted as a young child. They have never experienced true love from someone- not from their parents, their families, they didn't have friends, and on the streets...they are judged and put down. Did you ever wonder why someone ends up in the lifestyle they are in? We have seen several now who have finally been able to walk away from that lifestyle just by walking with them as a friend. We show them that we love them even though they do that. We find out their story, so we know what has stemmed that lifestyle and we start working with them from there. We have seen many break from it because of being loved to Jesus. They experience true love with no judgement, and it shows them there is more to life than sex and drugs.

10) Exhaustion. Recently we learned this first hand. Our car was unable to be driven and so we had to walk or ride a bike everywhere. I don't have a bike, but my husband does. He had appointments and things to go to and in one day have to ride over 30 miles. He would come in so tired. He really wasn't able to achieve as much in a day as normal because it would take way longer to get somewhere. It was very frustrating. The kids and I walked a couple days on the streets and that was tough because my two year old would get so tired after awhile and my health would get really bad. I have heart and lung problems that would get stirred up. I also have a problem with my ankle that would cause both legs to hurt extremely bad. I just kept thinking about the homeless doing this day and night and some of them are in bad health also. It must be miserable.

11) Hunger. Have you ever been extremely hungry because you have missed lunch or something? The homeless we meet only get one meal provided a day and nothing on weekends. They aren't able to eat enough to fill them up when something is provided to them. Organizations will donate bread to them. How do you live on just bread? We have gone without food because we didn't have the money to purchase anything and we would feel so weak, tired, stomach feeling like it is turning inside out, nausea, and cranky...VERY CRANKY. I'm not sure why we think that the homeless should only eat once a day and nothing on weekends. Could you do that?

We are trying to help the homeless with these challenges, but it is a hard road to travel. We have a ministry called "Knowing Me Ministries". Please pray for us as we try to meet these challenges and as we teach others to do what we do. We also ask you to look at the homeless in a different light. Look at them as people who need more than just a sandwich or a sermon. Love them, pray for them, be their friend, and reach out to them. You never know for sure if you will be one of them or know someone in your family or a friend who may be out there as a homeless person. Wouldn't you want someone to reach out to you or to them? The Bible teaches us that we learn more about Him as we reach out to the homeless. Have you taken the time to do that? I did and it is something I never expected. I never knew how much I was going to love these people until God put that love in me and taught me these things. It is a wonderful thing.

If you have any experiences of some great stories of what you have done to reach out to the homeless, please share in the comment section. It would be great to hear the challenges that you have learned that they go through or some lives that you have seen changed, or just a way that you reach out to them. We would love to pray for you as you reach out to these people.

http://www.knowingmeministries.org/

facebook: Knowing Me-Ministries (please join if you want to hear the day to day things going on in our ministry.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

2010-03-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

"This is how we know what love is:

Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him,

how can the love of God be in him?

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

I John 3:16-18

I have been thinking a lot about this scripture this week in particular. We are shown how that God didn't just say, "I love you" or that we are suppose to say to someone, "well, I'll pray for you". That is the easy route to take and what most of us take as Americans. We don't want to think about doing without in order to help someone. I use to make excuses all the time for this scripture. My husband would teach on it and I would just think, "yeah, that's nice...". But now I am understanding it more and more. When Jesus died on the cross to show His love for us, He didn't die and say, "I'm only dying for the ones who are going to live perfect and meet my expectations". He didn't say, "I love you" but not show action on His part. When you have a relationship with your child or spouse you tend to not only say that you love them, but you do things for them. You don't have restrictions on when you will love them either. You don't say, "well, I will love you and have a relationship with you ONLY if you are perfect and do what I want you to do".

We have a homeless ministry and one of the things that has spoken volumes to them is that we are there for them and showing them with our actions on a daily basis our love for them. Even when they mess up and do things they know we would disapprove of, they know we love them anyway and will help them out. Most of them have never experienced this kind of love because of their childhood of abuse or whatever. This type of love is foreign to them and they want to know why and how we could love them like this.

As Americans we have lost this love for one another in most cases (not all). There are so many instances where we really don't show our love. Examples of this would include:

1) Divorce. Divorce is the easy route for many. If we would all meet each others needs spiritually, emotionally, and physically then we wouldn't have quite so many shattered families. Love in action. If you haven't seen the movie "Fireproof", this is a prime example of love in action and what I am talking about.

2) Struggling people within your church family. How often do we all meet together and we hear about someone struggling financially within your church family and we just say, "I'll pray for you. Hope things get better. Chin up! Remember the scripture about count it all joy when you go through trials and rejoice in the Lord always! Love ya! See ya next week!" Have you ever actually at least thought of selling your possessions or going without that next hair and nail appointment or not going to the coffee shop or something where you REALLY sacrifice for meeting your brother or sister in Christs need? Wow! That hurts. That is something that is truly a struggle we have.

3) Hurting people. There are so many times that we only allow people to be our friends or a part of our life if they meet our expectations and do what you want them to do. If they don't....then we don't want to have any part of them. That ends the relationship right there. Why are we so easily prone to hurting one another, but we don't lift each other up? Why do they have to be perfect in order to be in your life? Thank goodness God doesn't do that. I am so thankful that when I mess up, He is there ready to pull me back up, wipe the dirt off of me and give me another chance. God is perfect, we are not. If anyone is going to say that you have to be perfect and meet my expectations in order to have a relationship, shouldn't it be God? Who do we think we are to do that to each other? Lets show the action of being there for one another, helping each other through the tough times, and ALWAYS being there no matter what.

If we could all really grasp and allow God to work in our lives of showing love in action, just think of how we could turn this country around. We don't just need to get prayer back in our schools, change the government, or get a bigger attendance in our church buildings, we need to show love. We would turn this country upside down if we would really be the church and what God intended us to be. It would be AWESOME! Will you commit today to growing toward these things with me?

Loving the Unloved and Getting Love Back

2010-01-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

As many know, my health has not been good at all for a couple weeks. I had had symptoms for several months, but the last couple weeks it has taken a turn and gotten worse. I have pushed and pushed in order to go meet with the homeless and not let anything stand in the way. I love these people and didn't want them to think that we had forgotten them. I finally ended up having to stand back and just rest. I couldn't push any longer.
We had a surprise phone call from one of the homeless men. He had heard about my health and wanted to find out what was going on. From that point on, he has shared with others on the street about my health and continued to make phone calls to check up on me. When Mike would go out on the streets, different ones would come up and ask how I was doing. I have been overwhelmed with the love they have been giving me. It has meant the world to me that we can see that our relationships with them have been real on both sides. They care for us just as we care for them.
I encourage you to invest in people's lives whether they are exactly like you or not, whether they smell good or not, whether they have a home or not, and whether they believe the same as you or not. People need people. People need love. People need compassion.
What an awesome gift to give someone in being a true friend. Don't put your nose up to somebody just because they are different from you. They may be a gift from God for you to learn from, someone that ends up being your supporter when you have nobody else. Show God's love to them. Show them His patience, His understanding, His grace, His support. You never know what might happen. I know I have been surprised. I love His gift of these people He has brought into our lives. Reach out and be a friend today. I friend to a coworker, a friend to a family member, a friend to that homeless person you pass every day. Be a friend and you just might be surprised at what you get in return. You may not see the results today. It may take awhile, but it will be worth it. You never know how God is working and what He will give you just when you need it.

It's a BIG Birthday Party!

2009-12-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

Many years back, my grandma wrote this letter and I thought I would share it. It makes a lot of sense and is something that every Christian should really take time to think about. It was out of response to the "Dear Virginia" letter that a little girl wrote asking if Santa was real or not because her friends had told her that he wasn't. Here is what Grandma wrote:

Dear Virginia,

Yes, Virginia, your friends are right. There is no Santa Claus. But there is a loving Heavenly Father, who gave us the best gift --Eternal Life --through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came not down the chimney, but down from Heaven's glory through a virgin name Mary, to be born in a lowly stable; to walk where we walk, work as we work, live as we live, and to be tempted as we are tempted, and then to die the cruel death of the cross --all without sin. Yes, Virginia, there is a Heavenly Father who knows all things, sees all things, and is present everywhere and in His wisdom He knew we would never be good enough to go to Heaven to live with Him, so in His grace He made a way for us to escape the punishment of Hell and live with Him forever. You see, Virginia, although God's Son died on the cross for our sins and was buried, He rose from the dead and lives, forever interceding for us before the throne of God.

You see, Virginia, Satan would like for you to believe in Santa and not Jesus, but Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." Satan wants to get your eyes off of Jesus, so he gets you to think about yourself; "what will Santa bring me?" He wants you to go to sleep thinking about what will be under the tree in the morning instead of the precious birth of our Lord and Saviour.

So you see, Virginia, when we celebrate Santa Claus and look to him for our gifts (even though he brings none), instead of celebrating CHRISTmas we take away the glory due our Lord and give it to His enemy. When we tell others there is a Santa Claus, we become a liar like Satan.

Love,

Aunt Jean

Now, I don't usually get totally involved in this issue, but I feel as a Christian we really have to look at this issue seriously. We are being told that we can't say "Merry Christmas" anymore. We can't find nativity sets for our homes anymore when you go to a store to purchase one. The hot topic that everyone asks a child is, "What is Santa bringing you for Christmas?" The Bible talks about God being a jealous God. Why then do we bring another man into our homes to celebrate our Lord's birth? People are constantly saying that Christmas has gotten too commercial so they are doing away with Christmas all together. Why not just celebrate Christmas the way your family wants to celebrate it? We don't need to get rid of it all together. This time of year is a special time. We get to say thank you to our wonderful God for giving us such a wonderful gift. He came and gave His life for us. That calls for celebration! We still put a Christmas tree up which symbolizes the trinity and the eternal love of our God. We play Christmas music, look at lights (we are to be a light to the world), etc. But we do not have a Santa, we do not get caught up in the bus-i-ness of the season. Really think about giving Christmas back to remembering our Saviours birth. Why do we need anymore than that? It is the best story to tell our kids. It is the best gift to share with others. It is simple, but oh-so-BIG! Share the real meaning of Christmas to the world. Don't let the world change you and this special time. The world is the world. They are not going to celebrate our Saviours birth and we can't be upset about that. They don't know our Saviour like we do. Why would they celebrate His birth? We need to keep it going! Keep Christ in Christmas. Have the Biggest Birthday Party ever! Happy Birthday Jesus! We love You and thank you for the best gift EVER!!

Look Into My Eyes

2009-10-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Matthew 25:35-40 'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and cloth you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Yesterday was my day to go with my husband out to the prison and then on the streets to visit the homeless. I only get to go once a week with having children to care for, but my husband goes on a daily basis except Saturday's typically. I get very excited about Sunday's now in a way I never have before. We go have worship with our congregation and then one of the ladies that we are very close to, takes the kids for the day so I can go make my visits. We tend to concentrate on meeting the women so I can reach out to them. I did that yesterday and as I met them had good feelings about the meetings, but as usual have heartache at the same time as I leave them. One reason is just not wanting to leave them, but the biggest reason is I long for them to get their lives changed and not be stuck in this lifestyle. I have shed many tears over these people. God has put such a love in my heart for them that it gets overwhelming for me at times. One of the women made a comment to me that she knew I was like their mother chick trying to care for them and wanting the best for them as a mother does for their child. It hurts when the police go out and scatter them and then we frantically go out trying to find their new locations. A mother chick doesn't like to see her chicks far away from her and she wants to protect them. O how I long to get this village built so we can give them a place to stay and try to make life changing things happen. The ultimate thing is for them to know our God and want to follow Him. The other goal would be to help them learn how to function in life, give them job experience, and help them on their feet.
My main reason for this blog is not about the village or the women I meet weekly though. We had a change in events yesterday that just totally blew us out of the water. My husband and I were on our way from meeting one person who wanted to see me yesterday to meeting another that had been calling us and wanting us to meet them. So, we were on our way. Well, all of a sudden there was an older man who was waving us over to the other side of the street. My husband had met him before and said that we should go see what was going on. He told me that this man has colon and prostrate cancer and is dying. We walk over to him after the traffic cleared. He was leaning against a little store wall outside. We came up to him and he was in tears. He said, "I love these people so much! I cry for them all the time." He then looked us in the eye and said, "Jesus love you. He shed His blood for you." My husband said, "Yes, we know." He asked if he could give me a hug. I proceeded to hug him and he said, "I just love these people so much. I cry for them." I told him in his ear, "I totally understand, I have shed many tears over the people. I love them too." He then grabbed my husband on his other arm and said, "Look me in my eyes. I love you! I am with you!" My husband and I were both in tears. He then said, "The Holy Spirit has told me to share this with you and he started praying a prayer for us and the people on the streets. He then said, Look into my eyes...I LOVE YOU!" At this point he was getting weak. He is in so much pain. He told us he didn't think he would be around much longer. He knew he was going to die. He would look kinda stern at times, but I would just look at him in his eyes with a smile on my face and he would give me the biggest smile that I grew to absolutely love. It was like looking into Jesus' eyes. He would put his hand out, I would put my hand in his and he would be so gentle. He then looked at my husband and said, "Look into my eyes. You take care of this little girl. I love you." He then started doing a prayer for my husband concerning that. We were there for quite awhile talking to him. At the end he was looking down and said, "Jesus died for you. He shed His blood for you." Then he looked up and said, "Would you shed your blood for ME?" Wow! That was something. Jesus talks about in the Bible of giving your life for each other. How do you answer that? The man just looked and said, "I love you". We finally told him after talking to him for quite awhile that we had to meet another homeless person who wanted to see us. It was hard because he didn't want us to leave. He gave us a hug and said, "I'm speaking from my heart....I love you!"
I wonder...will we see this man anymore? Does he know his time is up? I pray and hope he isn't alone when he dies. I have asked my husband to take my camera out with him in case he sees him again so we can capture his eyes and smile. There was something about that situation that as Mike and I left, we were both crying. I didn't know if I was being weird or not in thinking that God was speaking to us through this man or not. I almost felt like we were looking into God's eyes. I kept thinking of that scripture I put above. I instantly thought when he wanted to hug us and give us kisses on the cheek that I wanted to run away, but then God gave me that scripture. I also thought of the stories in the Bible where Jesus and angels would show up in other forms and would speak to people. They almost felt the same way of fear but peace at the same time. I didn't say anything to my husband of my thoughts about this but then he said the same thing I was thinking and we both really started crying at that point. It was so overwhelming. Was God sending a message through this man of how much love He has for us? Was He having us look into this man's eyes to get a glimpse of Him? Was He making sure my husband knew without question that He is with him during all of this or with something that is coming up? Was HE telling my husband to take care of me because of something we don't know about yet or was it just a general taking care of me? So much to think about. My husband and I drove off to pick up the kids and were in total silence as we thought through what just happened. It was something we will never forget. How many times does God send someone to us, even a homeless man, to speak to us and we don't even realize it? He did it many years ago and His name was Jesus. People put Him down and thought His followers were crazy for believing that Jesus was the King of Kings and Lord of lords. "Look into my eyes." Start looking into people's eyes and really listen. You just might miss a glimpse and a word of our Lord if you don't. I await the day I get to see this man in heaven and talk to him about this day.

What Is Real Suffering?

2009-10-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

For several days out here in our area it has been cold, rainy, and very windy. We have been having such hot temperatures and then all of a sudden, temp dropped and it has just been nasty outside. My daughter was complaining that it was cold in the house. I knew it was cold. My nose has been freezing off, my hands have been cold, I've been wearing layers of clothes, and wearing shoes. Anyone that knows me knows I don't like wearing shoes around the house, but it has been too cold to go barefoot. We haven't turned the heat on because of the money situation. With working full time in the ministry and not having an income to count on coming in, we don't want to turn it on. We are just thankful to have a roof over our heads and walls around us to block the wind and rain. So, everytime little girl would complain I would say, "remember our homeless friends out there that are laying on the ground getting soaked." She would say, "yeah, I know." and she would go off continuing her schooling. Finally she complained one last time yesterday and I said "Just remember, it could be worse." She said, "It is warmer outside." Well, I knew that wasn't true so I made her step outside. The wind was about to blow her away and she wanted to come in, but I said, "no, not yet." I wanted her to really get it in her mind what it was like to be worse off. I told her I knew it was cold, but you just have to focus on the possibility that we may be out there one day and there is always someone worse off than you are.

I have a facebook account and one of our friends mentioned that they had a discussion at work about that very subject. What is suffering? Is suffering when you don't have the money to buy the latest video game or is suffering when you don't know where your next meal will be? Is suffering when you are having problems paying bills or when you don't even have a home to have any bills? Or....is suffering not knowing our Saviour and being entangled in the web of Satan? That is the ultimate suffering. We have so many homeless friends who really do know what suffering is. Most of them have been abused as children in the most horrible ways, don't have any family or friends, don't have a roof over their heads, can't get a job because once someone finds out they are homeless they won't hire them, they are caught in drugs to try to take away the loneliness and pain away, they only get one small meal a day and nothing on weekends, the police move them from one place to another and never have stability, have to rely on others to give them warm clothes, and have nowhere to go to a private bathroom or shower. But, I think the worst suffering they go through is the fact that most are empty and don't have God in their life. How hard it would be to go through all these things that they go through and not have hope.

So, next time you start complaining about things that REALLY aren't important in life like getting your hair and nails done, going on vacation, it isn't quite the right temperature, you don't have enough clothes, you don't have enough shoes, you have dishes to wash, laundry to do, think about what is real suffering and how many people are truelly suffering everyday. Thank God for your salvation. Give thanks for the home you live in. Thank God for your family. Thank Him for being able to buy groceries, dishes that you can do, and clothes to be able to wash. Pray for the people who are really suffering and reach out to them. They need friendship, they need love, but most of all they need a Saviour.

Encouragement

2009-10-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Encouragement is very important in our lives whether you are a Christian or not. As a Christian, we are told to encourage one another. It is mentioned over and over to encourage one another on a daily basis. They even sent people to travel a long distance just to encourage a group of Christians to keep on going. Satan is always attacking and if you have those words of encouragement to keep on going, then you realize you aren't alone and it gives you that boost you need to keep going. We as humans are so ready to attack and judge one another, say hurtful things, or just not say anything and be silent. When we do those things, people feel alone, they feel like crawling in a hole and dying. You just feel like giving up.
We have a ministry with the homeless. It is a tough road. Every day we have to get up and make the choice to keep going even though sometimes you feel like you may not be getting anywhere. You go to the camps and nobody is there or walk the streets and can't find anyone because they are all hiding from the cops who keep making them move from one place to another. You go out and hear all the horror stories of how these people were abused as kids and come home crying and feeling overwhelmed with it all. It isn't easy. We love this ministry and the people, but it is hard. The one thing that keeps us going is hearing an encouraging word from someone whether it be by email, phone call, or a card in the mail. It is so awsome to get those words. They are so important to me that I have a file now that I keep them all. If you send an email with encouraging words, I copy it and put it in the file. If you send a card, it gets put in the file. That way, when we are having a rough day....we can pull those out and reread them.
We have also heard from the homeless where us being out there visiting them has actually saved their lives at times. We heard about one guy just today who said that my husband had saved his life a couple times because he was ready to end it. You never know how God is going to use your words. Please make an effort to give words of encouragement to your friends and family. Don't tear them down, build them up. Don't be silent and think they are doing just fine or think somebody else is probably encouraging them so why bother. You never know. They may be feeling lonely and you have just the words they need to hear. I want to challenge you to do a study on the word "encouragement" in the Bible. We all need encouragement and God thought it was so important that He showed us examples in the Bible of just what extent they went through to encourage one another. Be an encourager, not a destroyer. What an awsome and even free gift to give someone.....ENCOURAGEMENT.

Feeling Blessed

2009-07-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I went outside to get some fresh air. It has been so hot out here and it was finally cooling down, so I put baby boy down for his bed time, got some ice water and sat on the ground taking in the cool air. It was so refreshing. I looked around me and noticed the stars were out, the moon was shining, there were twinkling lights from the airplanes, the tall trees around me, and the quiet, peaceful sound. It was so awesome. I sat there looking at the sky and thinking how small I am in comparison of things. I was thinking how nice it was to take a breather after going through the heat everyday. The thing that really got me was feeling so small. I then starting thinking, "Lord, how awesome is it that you use my husband and I for this ministry! Why did you pick us out of all the others to be called where we are and doing what we are doing? It is so awesome and we feel so privileged! Thank you, God for calling us to this ministry!" We are so happy and feel so blessed to be called to work with the poor and homeless. This isn't an easy ministry to have because you do have to have a lot of patience, you have to win their trust, you can't really make a living out of it financially, people fight you because they want you to live the American dream and have wrong ideas of what the homeless are like. But, that is okay because we know without question that God called us here to do exactly what we are doing. There is nothing better than following what God wants for you to do and see Him work through you than to live whatever everyone else wants you to do. He has blessed us so much and is continuing to bless.
Some things that has been happening....
1) we are continuing to pastor a small congregation that was started a couple years back. They are growing spiritually and reaching their neighbors
2) we have started meeting and having Bible studies at a state assistance living apartment. It is growing every week. This is a group that has loads of questions and it takes a lot of patience because some of them have disabilities that can make it challenging. This is a great thing that is going because some of them could not sit in a regular church service and get anything from it. They need things explained and feel free to ask questions during the teaching. They are really responding to it. My husband is such a great teacher and has a gift that God gave him to be able to do this.
3) the homeless ministry is going so well. They run up to my husband on the street, wanting to know if he is the pastor they have heard about. They don't want money, food, clothing, shelter, they only ask that he teach them. They want him with them everyday guiding them. How often do you hear that? They do have needs that we aren't able to give at this point, but their main thing is teaching and friendship.
So, please pray for these ministries that God has given to us to do. When Jesus was here on earth, He faced the same things we do. He was homeless himself and reached the homeless, the prostitutes, the disabled. He reached all of them. What a privileged to be called to the same. I am so excited to watch the change in these peoples lives.
We also feel blessed for the people God has surrounded us with. I am in such awe at how He works. I was thinking the other day how I would sit and listen to missionaries that came to my church when I was a child. I would love hearing their stories. I remember one particular missionary that came who said that they sacrificed in order to be where they were at. They would sit at the table with no food and thank God for the food He was going to provide them. They heard a knock at the door and there was food sitting there for them to eat. I heard that story and thought, "Wow! That would be neat to see that happen! I hope I can do that some day!" Well, it has happened. I don't live in another country far off, but our mission field is right here. We don't get paid for the ministry that we do. The only job that God has opened up for making any money is delivering flowers and papers. Well, this last month we didn't even make enough to pay for the whole rent much less the other bills and food. It was amazing because the food that we had in the refrigerator and cabinets seemed to stretch longer than usual. We were going to be with our stomachs growling, but we did have a little to eat. We were then completely out of everything and wasn't going to have anything to eat that night and a lady gave us a bag of rice, vegetables, and things. I didn't know what exactly I could do to make it last, but it did. It lasted all week and I was able to come up with different recipes. We were then out of that stuff and one day (all on the same day) we received a gift card to a grocery store that we can buy the kinds of things that I can eat because of my allergies, we got a check from someone that said they didn't know why, but God laid it on their heart to give, and then we received another check from a couple because they had heard baby boy was crying for banana's and we didn't have any. Wow! That was overwhelming and I just got on my knees and started crying because it was going to be enough money to buy another week of groceries and pay the bills that we had overdue. Praise God!
That isn't the end of the story though. I talked to a friend of mine who is selling all they have so they can go to Guatemala and help the poor there. They are selling all their possessions and moving with their 4 children with no support, but faith in God. I was asking her if they had a missions board that they were working through for support with finances. She said, no. They knew God wanted them there and He was going to take care of them. They have told people their needs and have a website to be able to give, but that is it. I told them what we were going through and she said she was going to tell her friends about us so they could pray. We were just excited about that. The next morning I received an email from a lady I don't even know, but is a friend of my friend and she said the day she received information about us and our ministry and needs, she had received money back that she over payed for her business and that check was ours. It was a check that will give us food for a couple weeks. Even right now as I write all this, I am in tears and filled with such thankfulness for these people in allowing God to work through them and for thankfulness in God calling us to this ministry and for taking care of us. As small as we are in comparison to this world and God's big creation and yet He takes care of little, ole me. WOW!
So, there you have it. Why do we feel blessed? We feel blessed because we were called to be His children. We were called to do this ministry. We have some great people who give us so much support and are coworkers in His Great Ministry. Thank you!

My Sweet Baby Girl

2009-07-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

My baby girl had her birthday yesterday. She turned 11. It is so hard to believe how quickly she grew up. I was talking to someone recently and they said that it was so sad how fast their child was growing up. I said, "Yes, I understood that it was sad on one hand, but so exciting on the other." It is sad because you enjoy them so much as a baby and learning things, giving you hugs and kisses all the time, saying those cute little words when they are first talking, all those fun things. But, it is exciting because you are continuing to watch them grow into young ladies or young men. You are a little closer to seeing what they will grow up to be and what God has in store for their lives. You are a little closer to being and having a friend to talk to instead of a child who you have to raise up and not just be a buddy.
"Children are a blessing from the Lord."
She is such a wonderful daughter. I thank God everyday for the gift He gave me when He gave me her. She is very kindhearted, loving, giving, sharing, she accepts things as they come, she is dainty, she has so much faith, she can get along with any age a person she is around, and many more things. She has many qualities about her that a person could learn from. I have seen her go up and talk to little children that are way younger than she is, teenagers, young adults, older people. People have always said that she makes them feel so good and important. She will give people that are smelly and dirty back rubs. I have seen her when things are bad financially say, "Mom, it is going to be fine. God is going to provide what we need. Isn't that what you taught me?" I have seen her sale her favorite toys in order for others to receive what they needed. I have seen her use her money that she worked for and buy her little brother a toy or clothes. She is a wonderful young lady and I am so proud of her. She isn't perfect. Nobody is.
Yesterday, as I said earlier, was her birthday. She was so accepting and didn't complain once. She usually has her Mamaw here to celebrate with, but she was unable to come out this time. She said that was fine. She understood. She didn't get a gift from us because of our money situation right now and she was okay with that and never complained. She wanted her daddy to be home with her, but he couldn't take off of work. She didn't even know if she was going to have a meal or cake and never once pressured us or complained about it. She was so accepting of the whole thing. Well, we ended up that our church family insisted on giving us money for her birthday meal and a cake. She was so excited and joyful. She received a box from her Mamaw and enjoyed all the gifts she sent. We had fun in the evening as a family. I was so glad that God provided for this young lady to have a special day. She was well deserving of it and God is going to reward her one day.
I love you, sweet baby girl. You keep growing in the way of the Lord and He will bless you. I am so proud of you! Keep up the good work!

"It Isn't God I Don't Have Faith In, It Is The People"

2009-07-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Today was a reminder again to me of how we should listen for God's voice, obeying Him, and not passing judgement. Mike and I are having struggles in our life at the moment with finances. I never knew why we have always struggled and it seems to get worse at times. One of those times is right now. I can look back and thank Him for the struggles in the past now and see where He was working with showing us compassion for the poor and homeless so we would start this ministry. There is one thing that makes the struggle hard and that is when you get judged, put down, preached at, and just no support what so ever. When a person is going through these trials, they already are exhausted and weak. It isn't that they don't trust God and have faith in Him to provide. It isn't because they are doing something wrong. They may be doing everything they are suppose to be doing, but are you doing what God has called you to do? I was reminded of that very thing when my little boy pulled out the story of Job today and wanted me to read it. It was perfect timing for him to want that particular story read. It talked about how Satan wanted to get Job to worship him instead of God. He kept taking everything away from him, one at a time but pretty quick. He went through a lot. He had his nice home, his land, his money, his family, his health...everything was taken away. All the way through this, he kept praising God and never turned from Him. He wondered where God was at times, but never turned from God. The hardest and most aggravating thing that he probably went through though was when the people he was closest to started telling him that he had done something wrong. He had sinned. He wasn't living right. You need to do this and that. Why didn't they help him? Why didn't they encourage him? Why didn't they give him food? Why? Why didn't they let him stay with them? Why are we so quick to be so judgemental? I don't want to be like these friends. I want to be what Jesus asked us to be in loving one another and helping each other if it is at all possible. If you don't have a way of helping someone because you are strapped, then walk the road with them by finding some help for them. Don't just tell someone you will pray for them and then forget about it until you see them again. Pray for them and then check up on them. Don't just tell them to have faith, but encourage them and then ask God..."Is there something I am suppose to do to help?" People who are struggling are all around us. They may not be the ones who are in the wrong...we may be. Do you listen to God? When we have struggled, I've always said..." It isn't God who I don't have faith in to provide, it is the people". Take time to listen to God and then obey. He may be telling you to pray, give, or help someone that you don't even realize is struggling. It may be one of your closest friends or family member and you don't even know what is going on in their life because chances are they are too embarrassed to tell you or ashamed to ask for help. If we all listened to God's calling, would anyone need to ask for help? I don't know....just a thought. So, my thought today isn't that I am asking for anything from you, but I plead for you to start listening to God's call. Don't be like Job's friends. It isn't easy when you struggle whether it be physically, spiritually, financially, whatever. Don't be the one that knocks someone down. Be the one that lifts them up and put actions to your words.

Father's Day

2009-06-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

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!!

The Favorite Yummy Cookie

2009-05-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

We had gathering with our congregation and some other friends on Mother's Day where we had ice tea, fruits, salad, and goodies. I brought my famous peanut butter cookies. These are not your normal peanut butter cookies though....they are actually good for you. Everyone that has them absolutely loves them and wants the recipe. I never go home with a cookie left in the can. I was asked by a dear friend of mine to post it on the blog so she and everyone could have the recipe. So, I am going to share it now. Just remember....a cookie tastes so much better when you sit down with your family and/or friends and really enjoy each other. Instead of taking time to smell the roses...take time to smell and taste the cookie. :)
By the way....these cookies get better with age. They kinda taste a bit dry, but good when you first make them but then after they sit over night or even longer, they get more moister because of the maple syrup. They are great!

Angela's famous peanut butter cookies

1 cup of margarine (I use Earth Balance. It has all the oils that are good for you)

1 cup of peanut butter ( Adams Peanut Butter has no sugar in it which is good if you are going the healthy route)

2 1/2 cups white rice flour

2 TBS. Stevia (Sweet Leaf Plus Stevia is the healthiest and no other sugars added)

1 cup of PURE maple syrup (don't get the man made kind)

2 TBS flax seed meal

6 TBS water

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

In a mixing bowl beat margarine and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 of the flour, stevia...mix together. Then in the blender put the flax seed and water together. Blend it for a minute or two until it turns a whitish color and thickens a bit. Only after you thickened the flax seed and water, then add the maple syrup, baking soda, baking powder, and the vanilla...blend. Then pour the ingredients from the blender into the mixing bowl of the dry ingredients. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Drop by rounded tsp. onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7 minutes or until bottoms are slightly browned. Cool. Enjoy!

A Mother's Love....Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take this time to wish every mother that is reading this a Happy Mother's Day! Mother's are very special people. God gave them such an ability to love, care, and protect her family that no man can ever understand. I'm not saying men don't love, care, and protect their family, but there is a difference between the two. I am often reminded when I see the difference between my husband and I, that God created us in His own image. That means that when God created men and women and then every individual that He gave us a glimpse of another part of Him. God's love for us is so huge that even a mother cannot understand, just as a man cannot understand a woman's love for her children. We often think that He has forgotten us or doesn't care for us anymore, but the opposite is true. He loved us so much that He gives us breath each day, He protects us from things every day that we don't even realize, He gave His life for us in order for us to have life. Does that not sound a little bit like a mother's love for her children? We too protect our children from things that they don't realize, we brought them into the world and gave them breath, and most of us would lay our life down for our children. So, next time you start feeling alone and God has left you....remember that you wouldn't leave your child and He surely is not going to leave you. You may say, "Well, God is being mean and I don't understand what is going on in life right now except that everything is going wrong." Is that how you treat your children? No. When you have to punish by taking something away from your child, not letting them have their way, you are doing it for their good even though they don't see it that way right now. Remember, if you are God's child...He is doing what is for your good and growing you and showing His love to you. There is no safer place on earth than a mother's arms and there is absolutely no safer place to ever be than in God's arms. Are you in God's arms, resting in Him? If not, you should ask Him to come into your life. He is there and waiting. Please feel free to send me a comment telling me you would like to know more about asking God into your life and I will not post it if you don't want me too, but will be happy to share with you and talk to you about this.
So, as you celebrate Mother's Day this weekend, thank your Mom for all she has done for you and be reminded of God's love as you look and think of her.

Enjoying Simple Things in Life

2009-03-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day in our household. Nothing huge happened, but was enjoyable none of the less. We have learned to enjoy the simple things in life. With the economy situation, we along with many others have had to learn to live one day at a time and to count our blessings of rejoicing in the simple things. Life doesn't have to be full of bells and whistles, kids don't have to have everything new on the market with designer clothing, and we as adults don't have to have entertainment and everything the neighbors have. We went from living in a 4 bedroom, 2 office rooms, full size basement, large kitchen, dinning room, living room, and porch to a very small two bedroom, small living room, small kitchen, tiny eating area, no porch and we absolutely love it!! We are so happy here and even want to buy this place. We do hope to add at least one more room for our daughter to have her own room, but it is a great little house and it fits our needs. We praise God and thank Him everyday for this home. The Lord really blessed us when He brought us here. He gave us a cute little home that isn't hard to take care of and so that gives us more time with our family. He gave us a nice size yard for the kids to play in. He gave us a great neighborhood along with wonderful beauty around us that is like living in the country but yet we are in the city.

I primarily wanted to talk about yesterday. Yesterday was an enjoyable day. To start off with, Baby Boy's tooth finally broke through the skin. That is such a relief to the whole family. lol He really had a hard time getting this last one through. We got to go outside yesterday. The kids really enjoyed that. Baby Boy was happy to see his swing again and was laughing so hard because Sissy was jumping rope and he thought that was hilarious. After hubby came home, we had dinner which I was very nervous about, but excited at the same time. Due to all our food allergies and things, we have to eat strict. I have had to make up so many recipes, it has been crazy. Last night I figured out how to make homemade tomato soup. Now, keep in mind...I am the only one in the family that really likes tomatoes. They always liked eating tomato soup out of the can with sugar in it and grilled cheese, so I wasn't sure how this would go over. To replace the grilled cheese that we can't have, I made my own recipe of butter dips with cheese in it. I put everything on the table and braced myself as we said our prayer and everyone started eating. WOW! WHAT EXCITEMENT! They went on and on and on until bedtime about that dinner and that it was the favorite now. Hubby said he had never had such great tomato soup and that was really worth coming home to. lol I couldn't believe my ears. Baby Boy enjoyed it and started eating mine and Sissy even liked it and wants to have it for lunch today. What a pleasant surprise! The next thing that happened that was a simple thing but so enjoyable is we went on a walk together as a family. We went to Sissy's favorite spot off a trail that goes down by the creek where a tree has formed into like an arched bench. It is very peaceful there. We then walked down to the park and Baby Boy had a great time giggling as he ran to the slide. Sissy had fun as she always does at the park, but this trip was a little more special to her....there was a boy there that was giving her the eye several times. Oh, how nervous that makes mom and dad because all of a sudden she was too big for us and had to walk way far ahead of the parents. So, here we go. We have turned a new corner in our household concerning boys.

Anyway...it was a very enjoyable day and we really praised God for the day he gave us together. We had celebration, praising time, singing, special moments, fun food, most of all....we had each other.

Herbed Tomato Soup

1 large onion

4 tb. margarine

3-28oz of canned whole tomatoes that are peeled

32oz of vegetable broth

2- 15oz. of tomato sauce

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. thyme

dash of pepper

dash of sugar or I use stevia

In a large skillet or saucepan cook onion in margarine till tender but not brown.

In a large pot pour the rest of the ingredients in and then add the onions when they are ready.

Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Press mixture through a food mill. (Or, place mixture, half at a time, in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process till smooth.)

Return mixture to the large pot; heat through.

This makes a large amount of soup...enough for a large family or left overs for another meal or freezing. Enjoy!

Butter Dips

1 stick of margarine melted in pan 13" x 9"

Mix 2 cups of flour (self rising)

1 TB. sugar (I didn't use sugar)

1 cup of milk.

Stir together with a fork until dough clings together.

Add shredded cheese to your liking. Mix together.

Turn onto a well floured board.

Roll over to coat with flour.

Pat half inch thick and into a rectangle shape.

With a floured knife, cut in half length wise, then crosswise into 16 strips.

Dip each strip on all sides in margarine and lay close together in 2 rows. Makes 32 strips.

Put into oven. 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Lesson from Little Baby Teeth

2009-03-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

Today has been a tough day for my little guy. He is teething. He has 10 teeth and his last two back teeth are coming in now. He has had the runny nose, the sneezes, and just misreable. I just put him to bed and was thinking about the day and all his struggles with these teeth reminded me of life as a Christian. How many times are we going about life and things seem to be going pretty good and then all of a sudden we get hit upside the head by a trial. This happend to my little guy. He was going about his life and having fun when all of a sudden he gets hit with these teeth and all the pain that goes into it. He has no idea what is going on. He just knows he is in pain and wants it to be gone, just like we as Christians go through a trial and not really know what is going on. We just know we want out of it as quick as possible. When we do go through a trial, we need to stay focused on the prize...becoming more like Christ and Him saying "Well done thou good and faithful servant". My baby boy, his prize are his teeth. He is working hard for his prize and going full force through his trial. We too should go full force through our trials and stay focused on God and the prize.

Learning from Little Children

2009-02-20T14:27:00.000-08:00

There are a couple things that has happend here in our household that I thought I would share. The first thing that is a cute little story is about Baby Boy. He absolutely loves to eat. Everyone that knows him, knows he loves to eat. He eats a whole bowl...adult size bowl...of homemade oats with a fruit in every morning. He eats a whole adult size yam along with peas, carrots, and apple sauce. It is hard keeping up with him. I make it all. If it was those jars already made up, I don't know how many we would go through in a day. You can tell when he eats that he is so thankful for it. He would always "yummm" every bite along with letting out little squeals when I would ask him if he is ready to eat. He is a cutey. When he would see his food being made, he expected to start eating immediately. You don't do anything else. I always had to feed him first and then eat my dinner or whatever. Well, now is a different story. He loves to pray. He isn't saying words, but he folds his hands, gets all serious faced and does a sound like he is praying. It is so cute. The problem or actually lesson in this is that he wants to pray before every bite. lol So we stop eating on every bite and say, "THank you, Jesus for the food. Amen". I was talking to my husband the other day about this and I said, "you know, it is like what Jesus says in the Bible to be like the little children. We need to probably thank Him for every bite we take. How many times do people sit down, do their wonderful prayers and then not even totally remember if they prayed or just said it out of habit and not really meaning it?" So, now in our household, we think about our food and how thankful we are for every bite we take.
Another thing that took place just last night is I was taken back by my daughter. She is 10 and a very picky eater. She doesn't like food like my son. Anyway, we have had to start eating vegan style because of my husbands health and so I have had to find recipes and make up recipes to make sure we are getting what we need each day. It really hasn't been as bad as we all thought and my daughter even said the other day that she didn't mind eating vegan. Well, I got the surprise of my life last night because I made a meatloaf without meat. I found a new recipe and thought I would try it out. She took a bite and gasped! I thought...here we go. She doesn't like it. She said, "Wow! This is great, Mom! It is even better than Connie's meatballs!" I about fell out of my chair. Connie is a friend of ours who makes really good food and Little girl thinks she is the best cook in the world I think. Well, last night I topped her. Little girl ended up eating three pieces of meatloaf, a yam, and corn. I can't believe it, but am very thankful. So, in our household we have been over joyed and very thankful for our meals. lol

Really Good Vegetarian Meatloaf (Really!)

2cups of water

1tsp. of salt

1cup lentils

1small onion, diced

1cup quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, jack or american)

1egg beaten

4 and 1/2 ounces spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce

1tsp. garlic powder

1tsp. dried basil

1Tb. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. seasoning salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Add salt to water and boil in saucepan.
Add lentils and simmer covered 25 - 30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of water is evaporated.
remove from burner
Drain and partially mash lentils
Scrape into mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly
Stir in onion, oats, and cheese until mixed
Add egg, tomato sauce, garlic, basil, parsley, seasoning salt, and pepper.
Mix well
Spoon into loaf pan that has been generously sprayed with Pam or well greased
Smooth top with back of spoon
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes until top of loaf is dry, firm, and golden brown.
Enjoy!

Feeling Blessed and Enjoying Life

2009-01-25T11:28:00.000-08:00

Wow! I have enjoyed this last week tremendously. You are probably expecting some big thing to have happend, but it really didn't. Someone else looking at my life would probably wonder what was so exciting. You may look at my life and say that my life looks boring, looks pathetic, we struggle financially, we didn't get to go out and do anything exciting....what in the world could be exciting about my life this week? Well, I have done a lot of growth within myself. I had some lightbulb moments this week that the Lord showed me that I needed to come to terms with and it has been great. I feel such freedom within myself. A couple of things that I learned is how to forgive and move on to the future. We need to let go of the past. It really does pull us down and I feel such a load off of myself. It doesn't mean that I forget the hurts, but it is a daily choice to move forward and to not let it bog me down. Another thing I was reminded is that we should all be real with eachother. I know I appreciate people are real and not being one way with me and then turning around and stabbing me in the back and being a different person with someone else. I have been around a lot of fake people in my life and it is tiring. You don't know who you can trust. Let's just all be real with eachother and let the other person decide if they want to accept you or not. If we are all being fake, then we have fake relationships and nothing real. One other big thing I was reminded of this week is to let things go and allow God to work. There was an issue I wanted to work at and control, but I gave it to God and just prayed about the situation fervently and he is answering my prayers in His way which is way better than I could have ever done.
So, there is why I am feeling blessed and loving life! I have grown within, I have seen God at work within my life, I have God, I have life, and He has given me a wonderful little family that I love so very much!

God's Little Pocket of Protection

2009-01-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

This has been an interesting and crazy winter here in Oregon. December 13th was the beginning of a two week winter storm with lots of snow. One thing you have to know about Portland is the fact that they don't use salt or anything to get the roads cleared off. Pretty much everything shuts down. Well, we made it through that, and then last week we started having melting snow and lots of rain. What does that mean out here? Flooding and landslides! The house we moved into is located with a creek on the other side of a small road. It is very nice to have on a normal day with the ducks and everything. Going to the creek is one of our highlights to do everyday. Well, last week we ended up with a flooding creek. The water covered half the road and was very deep. We were a little nervous.

We did find out through this that our house is probably one of the safest ones on the street. You see, the house next door and on down the street one direction is acceptable to being flooded by the part of the creek across the street from us. They said the part that we have to worry about is the water flooding a local business on the corner of another street and it coming up over the bridge and down our street. Our house is a distance from this and we would be the last house effected.

This isn't to say that our little home couldn't be flooded because we have been braking records out here with snow fall and rainfall. It has been unbelievable. But, it seems that God has placed us in the safest house on this street. It is almost like we are in a pocket...God's pocket of protection. We have been thanking and praising God for His protection yet again. We do ask you to please pray for us and our neighbors right now. We are suppose to have rain everyday this week until the weekend. The creek has started coming up again. So, pray with us for His protection.

Christmas Celebration

2008-12-26T15:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was a wonderful family moment for me. To start off I got to sleep all the way through the night. Baby Boy didn't wake up until 6:30am! It was great! I went in and got him and thought I would try sleeping a few more minutes with him laying between Mike and I. I couldn't believe it because the next thing I knew, I woke up at 8:30am!! Wow! We broke records with that! So, when I saw what time it was, I turned on the Christmas music next to the bed and even blasted it. I'm not sure if hubby was too happy, but I didn't care...it was Christmas! I said, "Merry Christmas baby boy! It's your first Christmas!" I then started yelling at my daughter to wake up and come be with us in our bed. She came running in and it was a wonderful family moment...all of us in the big bed together singing Christmas songs.

I then got up and took baby boy in the living room to the manger and said, "Tell Jesus Happy Birthday. It is Jesus' birthday!" He got all excited and started bouncing around and waving at baby Jesus. It was cute. I put him in his high chair to give him his breakfast before opening presents and he started putting his one finger up. I thought oh, dear...he thinks it is his birthday! You see....he just had a birthday a couple weeks ago and turned one. So, since there are presents and we are saying happy birthday, he thinks it is his. lol I told him, "Yes, you are one, but baby Jesus is much older than that!" lol

We had a great day over all. There were some things that happend that if we didn't know the real meaning of Christmas we could have gotten upset about. But all was good and we stay focused on the birthday party and all the blessings we have. We ended the evening with reading the story of Jesus' birth, singing Happy Birthday to Jesus, blowing out the candle, and eating the cake I made with the manger on it while sipping the Christmas tea. (don't make fun of my cake too much because we can't have sugar, just Stevia....I am still trying to find an icing we can make that is pretty. This does taste good, just not pretty. lol) I hope you remembered the real meaning of Christmas this year. I hope you didn't get too caught up in the business of the day and forgot the meaning. We didn't have all the Christmas dinner we usually have or the goodies we usually do because of the money situation, we didn't get to buy presents for each other yet because we had a snow storm that was so bad to get out that nobody could go to work or get out for a couple weeks now, we did't get to watch our traditional Christmas movie because the VCR quit on us, and there were many other things that we usually do, but didn't get to this year, but it was okay because Christmas wasn't about us and we still had a lot to be thankful for. I remembered it was His birthday and what He gave us, I remembered we had eachother, I remembered there were a lot of people out there worse off than us, and I remembered my friends who lost their daughter and what they must be going through along with a lot of others who had lost their loved ones this last year. We can't complain. We can thank Him for His blessings and pray for the others who are suffering. Pray for them, encourage them, invest in their lives if there is a need...be the present to someone who needs a loving hand. There are a lot of needs out there and a lot of broken hearts.
I hope and pray you had a great Christmas and I pray you will have a renewed spirit within you from the things God has taught you through this last year and you will bring it into the new year.

Christmas questions

2008-12-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

Some fun questions a friend of mine had on her webpage that I'm going to use and you can do the same.

1. Hot chocolate or eggnog? Hot chocolate since I can't drink eggnog. I am allergic to eggs and sugar.

2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree? We don't do the Santa thing in our house. We have taught the idea of being a giving person like the real St. Nick was, but not the character. Mamaw is our Santa in this house. lol

3. Colored lights on tree and house or White? We have white lights on the tree, white candle lights in the window and then some colored lights throughout the house. We usually have colored lights outside, but because of the money this year, we have decided to go simple and not spend the money for electricity.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Yes, we always hang mistletoe. Watch out when you come to our house. lol

5. When do you put your decorations up? We always put them up the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? That's tough. I like it all. I like the turkey, the rice stuffing, the sweet potato casserole, the cranberry sauce, and the mashed potatoes.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child. I have two favorite memories. The first one was when my great grandmother was staying with us. She died very shortly after Christmas, but she was so childlike and was extremely excited about Christmas. She was up all night with me anticipating the gifts. It was fun to me because I didn't have a brother or sister to be up with, so it was a lot of fun to have her. My other favorite memory was when my aunt and cousins were with us on Christmas and we had a white Christmas. After dinner and presents that evening we went out walking in the snow, singing carols through the neighborhood. It was such a perfect time.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I was never taught that Santa was real.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas eve? I opened a gift on Christmas eve growing up, but I don't now. We do let Alyssa open up one and now that Jeremiah is here, he will too.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? We all decorate the tree together and have our specific jobs to do. Alyssa and Mike put the branches together, I get them fluffed out just right, Mike and Alyssa do the lights, Alyssa and I decorate the tree, Mike puts the angel on top.

11. Snow...love it or dread it? We love it out here because we don't hardly get any. We always hope for a white Christmas. It isn't the best having snow out here if you need to drive because they don't believe in putting salt down on the roads. We could get a inch of snow and be snowed in. It is beautiful when it snows here with the evergreen trees, the mountains, and all the scenery here.

12. Can you ice skate? I use to ice skate growing up. We had a pond in our front yard that I would ice skate on all the time and then in college they had an iceskating rink. I don't think I have been iceskating for like 14 years now. Wow!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I don't remember having an absolute favorite. They were all special and meant a lot. I will say that last year was pretty special because I received a baby boy just a little over a week before Christmas day.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? Celebrating Jesus' birthday.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Jesus' birthday cake. We always had a birthday cake when I was growing up that my grandma would make. It was a two layers...red jello cake on one, green jello cake on another one. It was covered in coolwhip and had a little manger scene on top. I can't have this cake now because of allergies, so we put the manger on another kind of cake that I can have or pecan pie or something.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I don't have a favorite. I love them all. Traditions are important to me and my family is always laughing at me because I am huge on traditions. I love the getting up, unwrapping presents, reading the Christmas story, having dinner, going into the city and looking at the Christmas windows and the tree, coming home and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and eating the cake.

17. What tops your tree? An angel

18. Which do you prefer, the giving or receiving? I enjoy both. It is a lot of fun giving and seeing the peoples face when they see what you got them or made them. I also enjoy the receiving because you know that person has put a lot of thought and effort into your gift and they are excited to give that gift.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? hmmm that is a hard question. I just love Chrismas music...all kinds.

20. Candy canes...yuck or yum? When I use to eat candy canes, I loved the old fashioned kind that were soft to eat. I would have to say yuck now because they would make me sick with the sugar.

21. What do you want for Christmas? The first thing I would like to have is to be able to have the money for a Christmas meal. The second thing would be money for a camera. I am trying to raise money for a specific camera so I can start my photography business.

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? No, we don't have any specific parties we go to. We usually have an open house party for our friends, but we aren't this year because of Mike's work schedule.

23. Do you dress up on Christmas or wear PJ's? We are typically in pj's while opening presents and then dress up for the day.

24. Do you own a Christmas hat? Yes. When Mike, Alyssa and I were delivering papers together, a fellow worker gave us all hats to wear on the route during the season. It was a lot of fun and Alyssa still remembers it.

25. Who do you usually spend Christmas with? We just stay at home and are together as a family. Both of our families are back east, so we are usually alone. With work schedules especially this time of year, we just enjoy having Mike home and spend time with him. Last year we actually had my mom out here which was a lot of fun. She was here for her grandson's birth and got to stay through Christmas.

Giving Thanks

2008-11-26T22:30:00.000-08:00

O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good!

As I think of things to be thankful for during this season, there is so much to praise the Lord for. There have been so many things that have happend to me, my family, and people around me this last year that has caused me to really be thankful for all He gives me.

The first thing I would thank Him for is His salvation He has given me. He didn't have to give us salvation. He didn't have to die for me, but He did. We are so small compared to Him and such wicked people, but He chose to give us salvation so we can serve, worship, and be with Him for eternity. How wonderful is that? Thank you, Lord.

The next thing I would thank Him for is my family. We can't take our family for granit. We never know how long we have them, even if they are children. I am so thankful for my wonderful children, my husband, my mother, my grandparents, and my extended family. They all mean so much to me. Thank you Lord for the family you have given me!

I also thank him for a roof over my head, food on the table each day, and clothes on my back. The Lord tells us in the Bible to live day to day knowing He will provide for us. We do live day to day and He hasn't forgotten us yet. I have seen Him provide even if it was the very last minute. Thank you Lord for all you provide!

One thing I give praise to Him for is His creation. You can see a picture of who our Lord is by His creation. It is so beautiful. That is one reason I love to take pictures. I love capturing His art piece. It is so amazing! I am going to show you some pictures I took at a park out here a couple of weeks ago. It was so beautiful and I hope you can get a glimpse of it.

Look around you this holiday season and thank God each day for all He provides you with. There is so much to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

My Heart Has Been Breaking Lately

2008-11-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:15
Rejoice wih those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

There has been so much going on lately that it has been overwhelming. I feel like I have been crying so much the last month for people. I was overwhelmed when an old friend of mine had a baby girl who died from a heart condition. I had had a baby just a couple months earlier than she had her baby and putting myself in her situation brought me to tears so many times. My heart went out to her day and night. My family was crying and praying together for them during the whole time. It isn't an easy thing to go through with death, even Jesus cried when Lazareth died. So, we rejoiced when she went home to Jesus because she was not in pain any longer, but shed a lot of tears because of their loss. I can't imagine being so excited to have your baby born to then having her whisked away and living day to day not knowing how long you have with her.
The next thing that brought me to tears was a friend that I grew up with who had lost his 8 year old daughter. She too had a heart condition, but were able to spend 8 years with her. She was a precious young lady who they loved very much and were great parents to her. I just can't imagine what it would be like to have someone in your life like that who makes you smile and laugh and suddenly have them taken from you without warning. I have mourned over their loss. A moment in the day doesn't go without thinking and praying for them. I know they too are rejoicing that she is now with her Lord and jumping around rejoicing, but we mourn for our loss of her little life here on earth.
This last week I found out my old youth leader has lost his mother. His love for her was so deep and he is mourning over his loss of a parent. That has brought me to tears because you have this person your whole life and don't know what life is like without your parent. He is also rejoicing she is not in pain any longer, but mourns over his loss.
This morning I was in tears over a story I heard the other day of a man who died and he thought God was causing him to die because he didn't give enough money to the church. The lady that was telling us this is not a christian and she was so upset because she said the thing is that that money wouldn't have done any good but help the chuch with thier building and not actually help a person in need. This guy was a baptist. Why did he die thinking he was being punished? As a Christian, dying is not a punishment. What kind of testimony do we as Christians have to her now? She has this view that the church wants more and more from us in order to not be punished. This man couldn't even die with peace, knowing he was going to go see his Saviour. Where did the church go wrong? Was this man discipled? We as a church have to be careful what we teach. The unsaved see it all the time on television that if you give more money to them, God will give you salvation, health, and wealth. We need to stop teaching this false doctrine in our churches.
One last story of mine that has caused me to cry out to God is a prostitute that we have been trying to reach out to. She had actually several months ago approached my husband, but he took the opportunity to share the gospel with her. She is in so much turmoil right now and at the end of her rope. God keeps bringing her into our lives. She has moved several times, but no matter where she goes, what street she is on, what time of day it is....God causes her to be right where she needs to be when my husband is doing his flower deliveries. He will be on the other side of the city with millions of people out here and there she will be. God has not allowed her to forget His call for salvation. The other day he ran into her again and she was black and blue, blood running down her face, teeth knocked out, and stumbling all over the place. He jumped out of the truck and asked her if she was okay and she said her husband had beaten her up. She has seizures because when she was a kid, her dad beat her up. She didn't have her medicine for it and with getting beaten up by her husband she had had a seizure and her equilibrium was off. She wanted to know why nobody loved her and Mike told her that him and his wife loved her and that God loved her. She asked several more questions and then said she had to go, but she wanted us to call her in two hours. We have called for a couple days now and cannot get through. We don't know if she is in the hospital or what. We have been crying out to God to put her in our path again and to bring her to salvation. There is a HUGE spiritual battle going on right now within her life. Please cry out to God for her and for us during this time.
There was a victory I would like to share that happend this last week and that was a guy that we have been praying for and working with for 8 years now. He had totally turned from Christianity years ago and even went into a gay lifestyle. Well, we started developing a relationship with him and working with him along with praying a lot for him. This last week he called my husband and said that he realized he wasn't a Christian and had asked God into his heart and he has totally changed his life around. He has stopped living the gay lifestyle, he stopped smoking, drinking, and he even was previously depressed and on pills and he said that he didn't even need those anymore. Praise God! All these years he was living on the idea he was a Christian because he went to church when he was a kid, but God finally opened his eyes to see that he wasn't. So, please pray for Clifford as we start discipling him and that he will continue to grow.
So, there it is. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Another verse I think of with this is I Thess. 5:17 Pray without ceasing. Pray for these people who I shared about and practice these things if you are a Christian. Don't just live in your own life, but live in others.