Fall is Here!!!

Did I mention that I love fall?? Perhaps every September I do. I love the colors (although here in S Texas the trees don't change color) but all of the stores have the browns, gold, yellow, brown and orange colors on display, Not to mention the candy corn! Pumpkins in every grocery store promise great jack o lantern carvings. As a kid growing up in Chicago, our "Firehouse Gang" loved the fall season. That was when the neighbors raked their leaves into little piles on the curb and burned. Oh, the wonderful smell. They would light them on fire, but most of the time they just smoldered. Then we would all run and jump over the piles, hollering "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,' as the neighbors swore at us and tried to grab one of us. But we were quick - jump over the leaves, scream at the top of your lungs, and on to the next pile. Sometimes there were only 3 or 4 of us, sometimes a lot more - a bunch of rag tag city kids who loved life. Dad would load us into the old ugly green car and we would drive to "the country" - just a veggie market in a nearby suburb, and we would pick out the biggest and best pumpkin, perhaps if we were good (and lucky) we could go through the spook house. Back home Mother would carve out the pumpkin, (she never came with us) , wash the seeds, cover them with salt, and then roast them in the oven. The leaves would crackle under our feet as we walked 10 city blocks to St. Angela Catholic School with the rest of the "catlick" kids and plan our Halloween get ups. Cutting out fall leaves from construction paper, making ghosts from white sheets ( if we did not get caught), and dreaming of the mountain of trick or treat candy we would receive. I do remember one year though that we did not have the fall leaves. That year we had a plague of caterpillars who hung from the trees on sliver webs all over the sidewalks. They ate all the leaves from the tree sand made my life miserable as I hated to have to walk under the trees and have them fall on me! I would silently scream and brush them off as quickly as possible. I certainly would not let the gang hear me scream out loud! Oh how I wanted to be a part of the "boy's gang" and persuaded them to let me join - only if I would crawl up on a roof of a garage and jump off. That was an easy dare, and so I climbed the fence, scooted up on the roof and jumped - not close to home though so that Mother could not see me. Little did I know that no one else had ever done so - guess I scared them more than myself. I did sprain my ankle, but never let on to Mother that it hurt. AND, those dumb boys never did let me be a part of their gang. I still love fall and all of the wonderful memories growing up as an Italian Catholic kid in Chicago. Thanks for listening.

Produce is very light for a few weeks as another growing season has just started here in S. Texas, but we were truly blessed this week as we received 6 bags of clothing lots of winter jackets sweaters, and coats. It is strange thinking of heavy clothing, but it does get cold here in the Valley - the colonias usually do not have heat or any means of warmth, so the coats, sweaters etc are wonderful to layer in order to keep warm. The wonderful quilts that our Helping Hands sewing group provides us with are a huge welcome to the folks who are struggling. Many people think we are just enabling these folks by providing for them - a lot of them work at of jobs to try to support their families. If we see them making attempts rather than just standing there with their hands out, we would probably not be so quick to help - although God asks us to help, no matter what circumstances.

A wonderful man here in our park has donated his time to wiring  the building in the colonias - just in time for the Baptist group of men men to come and dry wall it in order to finish it off.  It will be great for insulation, as well as having electricity to do Bible studies , store surplus commodities, and even use as a meeting area for sewing groups, etc. We are so very thankful for the generosity of everyone to help make this happen.

We have had several break-ins here in the park - all that was taken were TV's but there were broken windows, etc. At church we spoke to another couple in another park who have had this happen also. We do keep our doors locked always, even when we are home in the daytime. We pray for protection, but also that whoever is doing this comes to the realization that stealing and breaking into others' homes is really a sin, and they must be accountable for their actions. It could be kids looking for a few extra dollars (seems that the break ins happen around 11 PM) or others who take the stolen items and sell them at the flea market next door. Hopefully the thieves will be caught before a lot more damage is done.  I cannot understand taking something that does not belong to you! Even at Children's Haven Resale store, there is some theft. One day some one put on shoes from the store and left their old beat up ones behind. I do wish that these folks would come to us and say they needed clothes or whatever and had no money. We certainly could provide for them.

Jesus is the Architect, the plans are the Bible, but people are needed to follow the plan. Life is certainly not a do-it-yourself project. The church, meaning all of us, is Plan A for building disciples for Christ - there is no Pan B or C. What makes the church so special (not the building but the people)?  It all revolves around the Greek word Proskart, meaning continuing, perservering, devotion. The church is devoted to teaching but there are times when we become distracted. We want to teach what or whom we are, and not who Jesus is. Jesus died for all of us - not just you or me, but everyone The church should be devoted to being like Jesus, going into dangerous waters. I am reading a book by Beth Guckenburger titled "Reckless Faith". It challenges us to put our faith into action,  as she describes the many time she acted on reckless faith in Monterey, Mexico on behalf of orphans. This is how we should react. The church is also devoted to sharing like Jesus. Jesus gave everything, just as we are to give our all. Can you do that?  Our most precious commodity is our time. Once gone it is gone forever. We need to share that ime with others, letting them know about God. Do so in prayer - do  not be afrid to pray anywhere, anytime.

Fall is Coming

Whew, what a busy week this was. Wednesday, Betsy (CHI Director) hosted a thank you for the summer volunteers as the winter Texans are starting to filter in to S Texas. It was a really fun time as Betsy seems to come up with really unique ideas for all of us. This time it involved a “road trip” and then a mystery luncheon. We wrote our names on a slip of paper, our favorite color and our hobby. Then we picked names from a hat – that was the person we were supposed to buy a gift for – with only $1 that Betsy gave us. The whole reason for this was to prove that a person could buy a gift for someone in a thrift store. So, we visited Texas Thrift Store, Dollar Tree, and the Antique mall, where CHI has a booth of special antiques items that were donated. I drew Fred’s name, which made it was pretty easy for me. I purchased 4 woodworking books (at 25 cents each) as he loves to do projects. Of course, I had an ulterior motive – maybe there was something that I wanted and he could make it for me.  We then went to eat a Peppers – the very best tomato basil soup I have ever tasted – along with a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant – the chicken salad had grapes, nuts, and apples. A perfect end to a wonderful afternoon.  The gal who had my name gave me a red journal – perfect for the Monday night Fellowship Bible Study at CHI.

Later that day Keith Bostian and Bill Mills from Prairie Grove Christian drove from Arkansas to here with a van load of Pack a Sack food and two boxes of t-shirts for the Caring Hearts ministry. What a blessing. After a quick unloading at Rio Grande Bible Institute storage area, we took them on a tour of the colonias that we serve. As we were driving I told them of sweet Sol (whom I mentioned in earlier blogs) and how because of a rift in the distribution, her mother will not allow her to attend church anymore or take part in the quarterly or weekly distribution (although a neighbor lady brought them to the last distribution for school supplies!). I had given Sol a necklace with the Ichthys (the Christin fish symbol) at one time because she was going through tough times with her family and I wanted to remind her that not only did we love her but so does Jesus. If she ever felt lonely or sad, the necklace would be a remembrance of the love that surrounds her and that God is always with her.  As we drove through the colonias we noticed some of the residents were cleaning up their property, raking, watering, piles of rubbish were gone, etc.  As we neared Sol’s home, we saw her mother, Jessica, watering the grass (what little there was of it) and stopped to say hi and ask about Sol. I had not seen her nor her mother in quite a while. She hugged us and went to get Sol and her sister – was I ever surprised to see that Sol had grown taller – she is now in 7^th grade and almost as tall as I am. After lots of hugs, I noticed that she had the necklace on that I gave her!!! We’re hoping that perhaps this meeting had broken the ice and Jessica and her family will return to church and the other activities, as well as taking part in the weekly distribution. God always gives us so much more than we can imagine!

We also received lots of quilts tops which we receive every year from the ladies in Chicago and Louisiana. Marlene is a lady in another park who provides us with these -she travels from Minnesota with her vehicle full for us. What a wonderful gift. Some went to our Helping Hands group and some are going to the colonias where the ladies are learning to sew and quilt. It seems as if the blessings are endless. Fred and I are awed every week at the surprises He has in store for us.

It is really scary with all of the information that has been hacked from the internet. But did you know that Someone knows everything about you? Every piece of infrmantion, even your innermost thoughts. Of course, that is God who knew you before you were even born. He knows all about you – even more than you know yourself – He knows us inside and out. If you are planning to build something, you need to get your blueprints in order before you pour the concrete! In other words, get you ducks in row. Mine are not always in a row but at least they are in the same pond.  We are God’s designs and He is the divine architect. Our blueprints for life are in the Bible, from which we are supposed to build our lives.  God develops the very best plan for our lives, which do not always work out. “and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”. Romans 8:28. Everything does not happen for a reason- it just happens – hurricanes, fires, divorces, death, financial situations. God can redeem our situation and make it good. Our birth nor our death was not an accident – it was God planned. As I told Sol, God is always with us.

This morning as we read our morning devotion on gossip, it brought to mind how gossip can really hurt others – why do we want to be the first to tell a really juicy story about someone??? Gossip can ruin a life, marriage, a career, even a life. Please think before you speak, do not speak ill of others, and do not spread gossip, which for the most part is not the truth anyway. Have a blessed week.

Harvey, Irma, and Jose

It seems that all we have heard for the past couple of weeks is the threat and devastation of the tornados, fires, and earthquakes throughout the world. Harvey was horrific, Irma is even worse, now we are watching out for Jose. Do you wonder why all of this is taking place right now – and how God is making this happen?? God doesn’t make this happen – but He does allow it.

An amazing thing happened this week – so totally unexpected yet actually the exact results of all of our ministry work. We are so blessed to have donations of beans and rice – thousands of pounds over the course of a year. We usually bag them up to be distributed once a month to the colonias – not every week as sometimes there is a shortage, so we store the surplus for the lean times. This past week, a lady was going to Houston with as much as she could pack in her vehicle to help out those who were devastated. Some of surplus of bean, rice, and canned goods that were destined eventually for the colonias was quickly and generously donated to her for the relief of those in Houston. The folks in the colonias have very little, sometimes not enough to feed their families all week, yet they donated a portion of their blessings to those in need!! This is what our ministry is all about – showing others the Christian way of life – the way to follow Jesus direction. I am so proud of the residents of the Alton colonias. Thank you, God, for allowing us to be a part of this ministry for You.

Thankfully we received a lot of much needed rain this week – the result of the hurricanes skirting their way round us.  The grass is greening up, even the birds seem to love it as they are singing every morning (sometime waking me up). The hummingbirds must be making their trek to Mexico, as they are attacking our feeder which needs filing almost every day. We love to see them as they fill up and refuel before their continued pilgrimage.

The gas problem is really crazy here – prices range from $2.39 to $2.59 and many stations are out of gas Somehow a rumor was spread that there was going to be a gas shortage in the area which then produced a panic and everyone rushed to fill up. What they did not realize was the fact that they themselves were causing the shortage!! Announcements were made on social media, television and the newspaper that there was no shortage but to no avail. Luckily, we are able to find the least expensive gas (the brand we always use) at most of the stations we go to – sometimes we have to search but so far all is well. Sometimes folks are their own worst enemies.

Today’s sermon was a continuation of last week’s Christians Under Construction. We always know where we stand with Jesus. He requests our presence daily with Him. His invitation to us is “Come and See”. Just as He told the disciples to follow Him – to come and see what He was all about, so He invites us to do the same. His question is what are you looking for?? Whatever it is, He can provide the answers. Come and see – rise and follow Hm. What a simple invitation.  It is easy to answer the question are you a Christian, but are you a disciple? We need to follow who Jesus really is and not what we perceive Him to be.  Push out into deep waters. Just as He told the disciples to go out to deep waters and let down their nets even though they had been fishing all night and caught nothing. They did as they were told and filled their boats and strained their nets with the amount of fish they caught. Are you frustrated with your faith? Pray, read His Word and step out in faith. That is where we will find peace – He will give you rest. Accept Jesus’ invitation and discover more in your life. The church is the carrier of the invitation – not the building but the people. The building is only a tool.

Continue to pray for all of those in the path of the recent and coming storms.

A Gulleywasher

We had a huge rain on Thursday – sure don’t know where that came from as the skies we sunny when all of a sudden, the sky seemed to darken and then poured down on us for about 15-20 minutes. We definitely need this as the next day the grass (or rather the dried stems) started to green up a bit. We did get another rain last night, which is truly a blessing. I am sure this is not a result of the next approaching hurricane Irma. Thank you Lord for this refreshing of the earth.

Today is a day of prayer for Texas and all of those affected by the hurricane. Please keep everyone in your prayers and thoughts today – if you choose to donate to the Harvey Hurricane fund, please make sure that 100% of your donations go directly to the victims (such as through your church or a missionary fund). Too many organizations take advantage of these disasters to fil their own pockets – which is not how God wants us to help others.

Despite the heat and dryness, many of the cacti and other hot weather plants are flowering here in S Texas. It is hard to believe that it is already September and the fall growing season has started here. We already have seen fresh winter squash along with other wonderful veggies and fruits. This abundance has been a blessing to the Caring Hearts Ministry as we have a great supply for those in the colonias.  Now that the kiddos are back in school, it seems as if it is a bit easier on the mothers as the kids are able to get really good meals at school. Yes, there are school programs in the summer for meals for kids, but the biggest problem is the fact that the families have no way of transporting their children to the schools. We again delivered produce to the Colonia on Friday. As we drove up to the distribution home, there were the ladies, ready to box and distribute the huge abundance of produce, as well as bread and tortillas. This week we will also be delivering beans, bagged in 3# portions. God has so amazingly provided enough beans and rice to make sure each family receives some at least once a month.

This morning in church we were instructed to keep the main thing the main thing! Just as the new church is being built on the grounds, we as Christians are also still under construction. But we have to remember that we build relationships and not church buildings. Today’s world is broken – broken with poverty, racial inequality, and nature’s unrest, just to name a few.  We see brokenness all around us, especially in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. What, as Christians, is our response to this worldly brokenness? Some folks do something, some do nothing. So, when the going gets tough, what do we do. We love others – this love should be shown without pretending. Show genuine love not just pretending to love because others are doing that. Don’t think that you are better than anyone else – be genuine and love effortlessly. Hate evil and hold on to what is good. Pray about what is evil and do something about it, with sincere love. Being silent supports injustice. I don’t mean go out and join the protesters, but speak up – do not be afraid to stand for justice and goodness. Don’t pay back evil with evil – live at peace with everyone, even those who really seem to get on your nerves. Face hate with love and defend evil with good. Hard to do – of course. Nobody said following God was easy!!!

Remember to continue to pray for Texas as even though the storm and flooding seem to be over, the rebuilding and repairing is just beginning.