"Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." -- Ps. 106:1
I just wanted to encourage you with this scripture today. It is so very basic, but so very rich! There are honestly some times in my walk with Christ, where I do not know what to say to him. I may be going through a dry season, facing some challenges, or just plain going through it. However, the little that I can muster out becomes praises of thanksgiving. It's funny though, because I have found through those breath prayers, my attitude turns into that of worshipping the Lord.
If you find yourself in a rough spot right now, I just encourage you to start with praising the Lord. There is so very much we have to be thankful for. When we realize that all of our blessings give us reason alone to keep our eyes focused on Christ, our hearts become softened and opened to the One who shows us unfailing love.
Love Deeply
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
ATL BOUND YO!!!
Hey guys, just wanted to let ya'll know I am headed home tomorrow for a week. I will have more to update next Tuesday. Please pray for much needed rest and relaxation. Thank you and can't wait to see some of you in the Dirty Dirty!!!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Closing Program - SUCCESS!
Sunday night we had our closing program for AFA. We went out in Aliquippa Impact style not having food until about 5 minutes before guests were supposed to be arriving, in addition to running around like chickens with our heads cut off. All that to say, the closing program went great. It's funny how the presence of the Lord shows up even in times like these. It was wonderful to see our kids in an atmosphere where they were celebrated for positive accomplishments. Unfortunately, so much of the press here in Aliquippa is about what is going on negatively in this community. One of our goals at Aliquippa Impact is to celebrate the youth in this community for who they are and what they can become. While doing so, it is a beautiful reflection of what the Kingdom looks like.
It is hard to believe the summer is coming to a close. Our Day Camp's closing program is tonight, paperwork and such tomorrow, staff fun day on Friday, and then the staff leaves. I am sure I will need some time to adjust, considering the year round staff has been surrounded by 15 + people this summer. So it might feel a little "lonely" at first - but trust me, it won't take me that long to adjust :) I think it's at these times where we are oh so thankful for what people did and how people served our community this summer, but at the same time the summer needs to come to an end.
I'm excited to head back to Georgia next week for some R&R. I miss my people down there! SHOUT OUT!!! Anyways, hope this blog update finds you doing well and enjoying life!
Love Deeply
It is hard to believe the summer is coming to a close. Our Day Camp's closing program is tonight, paperwork and such tomorrow, staff fun day on Friday, and then the staff leaves. I am sure I will need some time to adjust, considering the year round staff has been surrounded by 15 + people this summer. So it might feel a little "lonely" at first - but trust me, it won't take me that long to adjust :) I think it's at these times where we are oh so thankful for what people did and how people served our community this summer, but at the same time the summer needs to come to an end.
I'm excited to head back to Georgia next week for some R&R. I miss my people down there! SHOUT OUT!!! Anyways, hope this blog update finds you doing well and enjoying life!
Love Deeply
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Under The Overpass
Last Friday, our camp was on the way back from a field trip at the zoo. When returning we had to go through Pittsburgh. As we pulled up to a red light, we noticed two overpasses on each side of the bus. What was under the overpass was to our amazement. It basically looked like a typical bedroom. However, this was a bedroom that a couple had created out of their homelessness. There was a bed, "shelves" as in a ledge from the overpass, shopping carts that surrounded them to form a boundary line, a little storage area for their food, and anything and everything they had picked up along their journey. My friend Diz and I said immediately, "we have to meet those kats!"
Saturday, a group of us went down to the Strip District; this is a strip of street vendors and fresh produce, along with some really cool shops. When we were leaving I asked them if they would mind if we went to look for these specific people we saw under the overpass. So our journey began. Next thing I knew, we were walking up to the couple praying they would find favor over us. That they did! We had about a 15 minute conversation with them, prayed with them, and then arranged a dinner date with them for Monday.
Monday night rolled around; we packed up some ribs, green beans, corn, and brownies, and headed toward the city. Tim was a little taken back it seemed, that we actually followed through with our word. Kathleen was super excited to see us. Tim and Kathleen have been together for 20+ years and have been on the streets for 6 months. They are awaiting government funding next month to get off the streets. We sat there, ate, talked, sang, and danced for a majority of the night. Tim and Kathleen are very special people who seem to know that Jesus loves them and cares for them. They find themselves in the midst of sleeping under a bridge, fighting off unwanted rodents and intruders, going to the bathroom about 2 feet away from where they sleep, but making the best of what they have.
I am excited to see where God takes this relationship. We believe strongly this was a divine meeting. We left saying, "we'll be back, if we don't see you here, we'll miss you, but we'll know you are in a safe place." God brings hope. Hope to those who are struggling. Hope to those who are content. I am thankful to the Lord that He continues to put us in situations that brings glory to His Kingdom!
Love Deeply
Saturday, a group of us went down to the Strip District; this is a strip of street vendors and fresh produce, along with some really cool shops. When we were leaving I asked them if they would mind if we went to look for these specific people we saw under the overpass. So our journey began. Next thing I knew, we were walking up to the couple praying they would find favor over us. That they did! We had about a 15 minute conversation with them, prayed with them, and then arranged a dinner date with them for Monday.
Monday night rolled around; we packed up some ribs, green beans, corn, and brownies, and headed toward the city. Tim was a little taken back it seemed, that we actually followed through with our word. Kathleen was super excited to see us. Tim and Kathleen have been together for 20+ years and have been on the streets for 6 months. They are awaiting government funding next month to get off the streets. We sat there, ate, talked, sang, and danced for a majority of the night. Tim and Kathleen are very special people who seem to know that Jesus loves them and cares for them. They find themselves in the midst of sleeping under a bridge, fighting off unwanted rodents and intruders, going to the bathroom about 2 feet away from where they sleep, but making the best of what they have.
I am excited to see where God takes this relationship. We believe strongly this was a divine meeting. We left saying, "we'll be back, if we don't see you here, we'll miss you, but we'll know you are in a safe place." God brings hope. Hope to those who are struggling. Hope to those who are content. I am thankful to the Lord that He continues to put us in situations that brings glory to His Kingdom!
Love Deeply
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