A New Week

Isn't it wonderful that God gives us a new week - a time to start over again and try to get it right again??? How many times did He do that for the Israelites? I don't do New Year's resolutions - just weekly ones. I figure that if I can make changes for just a week it may actually become close to being a good habit!

Elaine Cox, a volunteer who works at the CHI resale store (she is the  manager and founder of the store - what a lady) is retiring due to the failing health of her husband. She is moving to Houston to live with her daughter and found a great place for Wally to receive the care he needs. We had a going away party for her this last week - again with one of Betsy's themes. She made the a day of celebrities - red carpet, red curtains, top hats, boas, and $100 thousand candy bars to make all of us volunteers also feel special. A huge surprise - she rented a fancy limo to give us all a ride and to return Elaine to her park after the party. One bad thing - the air in the limo was not working - way too hot in there.

there was also a chocolate cake for the volunteers appreciation

guest of honor, Elaine

doesn't he look distinguished

some of the volunteers waiting for a delicious Italian dinner

those boas were really hot!

all aboard the limo

pretty fancy, but really low - we had to practically crawl to get in

trying to keep cool

Bob Steele - president of CHI board thanking the volunteers

Bob and Elaine - been friends for many years

I looked out my front window the other day and saw a new camper in the park - a small truck camper with 2 ginormous dogs, a black chicken, and a cat as well as two adults. OK I thought, this looks interesting so I proceeded to walk over and introduce myself. A youngish couple were very pleasant and upon further conversation, I found out that they were just waiting for the rest of the caravan to head to Panama. A very interesting couple but I wonder how they all fit in that small truck camper???
Never know what a person is going to see next around here.

Our food distribution Friday was a bit weak - not a lot of produce. We did connect with another supplier and received 4 bags of carrots to help supplement our short supply. Border Missions was also handing out backpacks to kids as well as produce, so suppose that is why we were down a bit. Luckily, we had clothes to distribute also, so that helped to make up for a smaller supply. The kiddos will be back in school soon, so that will also help with the amount of food the households need as the kids will have a hot meal at school, perhaps breakfast also.

the ladies love to just dig through piles of clothes (ropa) to find treasures for their families

some produce waiting for pick up - notice the bags of big, sweet carrots

 

Church services this morning were really inspiring as we also partook of communion while remembering the greatest gift of all to us - God's only Son to forgive all our sins and grant us eternal life. This morning's sermon revolved around Sampson's destiny before he was even born. God told his mother that Sampson was going to be a Nazarite - a man who was to have nothing to do with grapes (wine), who would be spiritually clean, and be set apart by God. Wow - did Sampson ever stray from that prophecy. He coveted a Phillistine woman to be his wife (an unclean group of people) and requested his parents to take him to her and prepare for the marriage feast. On the way there, Sampson killed a lion with his bare hands and told no one. He and his family went home and came back to prepare for the wedding feast - 7 days of merriment, etc  (I am sure there was wine drinking going on). On the way back again, Sampson came upon the lion's carcass and saw that bees had a hive in the carcass and there was much honey, so he stopped to eat the honey. Oh, oh, he became unclean as he touched a dead body. To male a long story short, Sampson never did marry the Phillistine woman (read the story to find out why). After he got over his anger, he returned for the woman, but found out her father had married her to someone else. What a story. God allows our strength to make us weak and our weaknesses to make us strong.   

Remember that God's grace always abounds - we are fragile and imperfect. His Son died for our salvation -it is through God's grace that we receive it. As we accept the gift, we have to carry out the responsibility of it by sharing it with others.