UNDER THE BRIDGE: Sudden Fear in the Camp!

Since this blog is being read in over 30 countries, we are greeting one different country every time a post is written.  This week we say, “Hello!” to our brothers and sisters in Russia. 

“Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled, so that you can pray.  Above all, love each other deeply…” 1 Peter 4:1

«Поэтому следует очистить единомышленников и сдержан, так что вы можете молиться.  Прежде всего, любить друг друга глубоко...» 

1 Петра 4:1

The Bridge Camp (left of the bridge) owned by the state,
and the Bay Side Camp (right of the bridge), owned by the county.
A new, wider bridge will eventually come out of the left side.

Sunday, December 7 and 14, 2014

     As soon as I arrived, one of our homeless man we minister to, frantically said to me, “They’re going to fence off the whole thing with chain-link fence!”

     Somebody else blurted out, “They’re gonna fence off the whole bridge area, and we won’t have a place to live, any longer!”

     They didn’t even look at the hot food and needed supplies we had for them in our hands, as Paul and I walked up to the pavilion at the Bay Side Camp. 

     “They came Friday with eight police cars and told us we had to go!” one said.

     “If we are still here by Monday morning, they would arrest us!” another joined in.

     Trying to sort this out, I asked, “Who is ‘they?’”

     “The D.O.T, man, the D.O.T (Department Of Transportation)!” He said to me.

     This is important because the Bridge Camp is on state property.  The city and county can’t really do much with the homeless staying on that side of the bridge because neither owns the property…the state does.

     How do you know it was the D.O.T that was here?”  I asked

     “The head honcho – the Director of the whole Florida State DOT - was here, himself, with a few of his men and lots of policemen.  He went under the bridge and looked.  They’re gonna fence off everything!”
     That is serious.

Bridge Camp with  orange D.O.T work truck by the bridge!

     “Anything left under and around the bridge that belongs to us will be thrown away if it’s still there tomorrow!”

     “When did ‘they’ tell you all this?” I asked

     “Friday, the day before yesterday!” replied a disgusted homeless man.  “Where are we gonna take all our belongings?”

     I pondered their situation.  A lot of things they were saying just didn’t add up.  I wanted to help them, but first things first.  Like the man that I am, I wanted to tackle this issue like a real man would.

     So I firmly and decisively said, “Let’s eat!”

     As we were eating, and they all shared their situation with me, Fear was freely circulating amongst them.  It seems Dread was somehow also invited to this dinner; not to mention that party crasher – Anxiety. 

     I felt life a failure, myself.  For God’s sake, just last week I had preached my heart out on Faith to all of them – the faith of a mustard seed!  We even gave them all crucifixes to put around their neck with a mustard seed glued at the feet of Jesus so they would remember the lesson on faith.  They were all still proudly wearing those crucifixes today.  Where did I go wrong?

I'll have my crucifix with mustard, please!

     To these homeless saints of God, their whole world was being fenced in.  The whole time I was there I could hear, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!”

     Yes, we all know this bridge (The Three Mile Bridge) is scheduled to be replaced by a new, wider bridge – but not to be started until 2017-18.  And it will certainly start being built on the Bridge Camp side of the bridge – not at the Bay Side Camp where we were sitting and eating.  Also, the state would certainly not completely fence it in this early before construction begins.

     The other side of the bridge, The Bay Side Camp, belongs to the county, and not the state.  It is a very nice park with picnic pavilions, and is the park that leads to the drive-on fishing pier which was recently built – the longest drive-on fishing bridge in Florida, as our county is fond of advertising.  That side of the bridge would certainly not be fenced off, also. 

DOT truck (L); rescued homeless belonging (center)s; homeless (R) having a BBQ breakfast!

  

     I called a couple of the homeless who had witnessed the DOT director inspecting under the bridge and had heard him speak.

     “He said it was impossibly filthy, smelly and looking like a dump under there.  There also is a fireplace and a charcoal BBQ grill which is not allowed under a bridge,” answered one of the men.

     Another man continued, “They complained that too many police calls have been made for violence.”  Then he added, “But it’s always the same two people who are always fighting and calling the law on each other.” 

     Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. 

     They also had to agree that the DOT director did have a good point.

     Fear, anger, helplessness and frustration can all be so harmful as to block the simplest of logic – not to mention faith in Jesus Christ.  Most of these homeless men and women are saved by faith in Jesus Christ.  If they were to die today, they would go straight to heaven.  They are not afraid to die; they are just…afraid.  Fear in a human is like a virus in a computer – it creates havoc.

     We have to remove the virus.

     “Guys, maybe they’re just going to fence off the area under the bridge,” I suggested, “not the whole camps.”

     Half of those present silently nodded their head.  The other half did not want to let go of their fear and their doomsday scenarios.  Fear releases lots of hormonal changes in the body which results in a surge of energy.  Some might even like fear and might resent letting it go, as it can be a natural “high.” 

     However, faith is a hundred times better “high” than fear!  And without faith, it is impossible to please God.  Faith is the opposite of fear.  God wants faith from you, not fear.

     Still, some were making preparations for the world to end tomorrow!

The guard said, "We're putting up a fence!"

     I came back the next morning, Monday, to see what was going on.  A work crew had already blocked off the way under the bridge.  There was a guard present, as the workers were state prisoners on work duty.  I called the guard over and asked him what they were doing.

     “We are putting a fence to prevent people from going under the bridge,” he answered.

     “That’s it?” I replied.

     “Yep.”

     Virus removed.

The world-shattering chain link fence!

     This fenced would keep only three homeless men who lived under the bridge from living there any longer.  By Monday, this is how the bridge fence had affected the three homeless men:

1. Pete, who decided to return to his home (and his wife) in Louisiana and confront his issues.

Pete will be confronting his issues!

2. Terry, whom Pete lovingly put on a bus headed to a rehab center in Alabama so Terry could once and for all stop drinking, as Pete had.

3. Jack the Astrophysicist Fisherman, who found a sweet spot at a hidden beach where he could beach his kayak on sand, rather than having it get beat up on the rocks under the bridge.

No more rocky landings for Jack!

     Also:

4. At the Bridge Camp, Tim and Suzanne decided to move in together in a home they are now renting in town.

Tim at Bridge Camp...

...and Suszanne

5. Mari and Stosh decided to move to Jack the Intellectual’s camp under the oaks on the other side of town.  Someone even gave Mari a new, larger tent to live in!

Mari (L) and Stosh moved to a larger tent!

6. Chris the Peacekeeper decided to move back to Phoenix, Arizona, where his wife lives.  As a homeless man sorting out his life, he was impressed with our ministry the past year or so, and he wants to start the same in Phoenix.

Chris will start a homeless ministry in Phoenix, Arizona!

     Many of the others around the bridge had a breakfast cookout on the BBQ grill that was under the bridge, as they watched the state inmates work putting up the fence.  It was warm and sunny, with the clear blue water reflecting a million sparkling diamonds.  Life was somewhat back to “normal.”

Elmo's Kitchen!  Grill was removed from under the bridge.

     A couple days later, as I was driving down the street, my vehicle engine suddenly started making an awful metallic sound.  I stopped, opened the hood to see where that horrible sound was coming from.  I feared that I would now not be able to leave on my long awaited, family holyday visit at the end of the week.  I also feared the large expense I was going to spend to fix this engine. 

     I feared that… oh…wait a minute… nawwww…I’m not going to fall for that, Lord!  I will not fear, but instead have faith in you, Jesus.  If you want me to go on my trip, You, oh Lord, will fix my vehicle.  If you don’t want me to go, then so be it.  I trust you completely, Lord.  Glory to Your Name, oh Lord!  And I began to worship my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

     And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding filled my soul, heart and mind.

     I “feared” for about twenty seconds.  I’m still working on shortening that reaction time.

     Good night, folks, and God bless y’all.

Fear?

P.S.  It’s a long story, but the Lord did fix my vehicle by the next day, and it didn’t cost me anything!  I’m on my way to spend time with my family.  Glory to God!

  And for our Russian brothers and sisters in Christ:

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.’  Matthew 25:40

Король будет ответить, ' я говорю вам правду, что бы вы сделали для одной из наименее этих братьев моих, вы сделали для меня.»  Matthew 25: 40

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UNDER THE BRIDGE: Was It A Dare, A Bet, Or God?

Since this blog is being read in about 30 countries, we are greeting one different country every time a post is written.  This week we say, “Hello!” to our brothers and sisters in Norway. 

“Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled, so that you can pray.  Above all, love each other deeply…”  1 Peter 4:1

Derfor være klart sinn og selvkontroll, slik at du kan be.  Fremfor alt, elske hverandre dypt...

Stosh (sitting) and Mari (standing)

Sunday, November 30, 2014

     Paul and I were standing in the warm sunshine talking with three homeless men at the Palafox Camp when three beautiful young ladies (early college?) who looked like world class models, resolutely walked towards us – even after Mouse, the pit bull, jumped and growled at them.

     I do want to tell you what happened, but I have to first share with you the reason for the above picture.  Then you will have a better understanding of the account of the three pretty maids in the sunshine.

     It’s easy to look at the homeless man (Stosh) and his equally homeless girlfriend (Mari) in the above picture and pass immediate judgment.  You might think, “Girlfriend?  He’s taking advantage of that little girl!”  Well…actually…she’s older than he is.

     You might say, “How can he take care of her without money?”  Well…if the only reason your girlfriend is staying with you is your money, how shallow is your life.  I pity the both of you!

     I guarantee you that whatever judgment you may pass on these two people will be shallow and erroneous (wrong).  Be careful because whichever way you judge them, know that you will be judged in the same manner that you judged them (Matthew 7:2). 

     You say, “Well, then, how should we look at them?”

     With the love of God, saints of God; with the love of Jesus in your heart.

    

     Today, Sunday afternoon, I ask, “Stosh?”

     “Yea, Jean-Luc.”

     “Did you go to church this morning?”

     “Kind of.”

     “What does, ‘Kind of’ mean?”  I wondered how someone can express doubt if they were in church or not?

     “I went and sat down.  The worship music started.  Then the pastor had different sections of people do different things.”

     “Uh?”

     “He had one section stand up and sit down.  Then he had the next section say ‘Amen.’  Then another section stomp their feet.  Then another clap their hands.  Then he had them do their thing at different times.  I CAME TO HEAR THE WORD!  WHY ARE THEY PLAYING GAMES?”

     “Did the pastor eventually preach?”

     “I don’t know.  I got tired of his games and left.”

     That, saints of God, sums up the problem with the established church in America.  And that, from the mouth of a homeless man whom God watches over as one of His precious children – one of the “least of these.”

     There are saints around the globe who go to church to hear the Word of God for their dire survival. Christian’s heads are being chopped off, praying families are being shot in the street, and missionaries are being beaten by antichrist mobs and burned alive (all this in the news just the past week!).

     In the largest country on the earth (China), home churches are having their rental contract cancelled and their utilities turned off; and some Christian leaders simply “disappear.”  There are other places in the world where a family member can legally be killed if they convert from Islam to Christianity.  If not killed, they can be thrown out in the street and forgotten.  And the list of persecutions goes on and on.

     The complacent established church in America yawns to hear such stories of persecution in far-away places in the world, not realizing that it is being persecuted itself.  And the “persecutors” are winning. 

     Yawn!  It’s time for another game.

     Three beautiful young ladies, fashionably dressed, came towards the five of us.  Paul and I were casually talking with three homeless men – Chris, John and Jeff.  We dress “down” when we minister to the homeless, which is probably why the three smiling ladies thought there were FIVE homeless men.

     I knew they were not from the local Christian College because their skirts were above their knees!  They also had a radiance about them – a freedom – that said, “I choose to be here.”  I figured they were not from a church group because there was no older church representative with them.  They were unafraid because Mouse, the growling, barking pit bull, failed to stop their advance.  They marched towards us with purpose.

     With a beautiful smile, the first one asked, “Are you hungry?”

     The second one, carrying a heavy case of bottled water asked, “Do you need some water?”

     The third one handed me a sandwich, which I may say, looked appetizing.  I almost took it!

     It took Paul and me by total surprise to be on the receiving end of such a generous act, rather than on the giving end.

     I asked them, “Which church sent you?”

     “A church didn’t send us, though we are from Hillcrest Baptist Church.”

     I asked in a different way, “Is this a ministry you have at your church?”

     “No we’re just doing it ourselves.”

     Here are three beautiful, finely dressed young ladies who brushed aside a frightful pit bull, and fearlessly walked towards five (humor me) grubby homeless men in the street in order to graciously and lovingly offer them food and water.  Today was the warmest Sunday in a month and these ladies could have had the choice from a hundred recreational activities they could have done with friends or family. But they chose to feed the “least of these” in the street!  Was this done in a bet, or a dare?  Or, was it God?

     They dared to go beyond the church walls, out of their comfort zone, and into the street to serve the Lord.  They weren’t somber, but joyful.  They didn’t yawn and wouldn’t play games, either.  The Lord said, “Go!” and they went.

     THAT IS WHAT THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH IN AMERICA NEEDS!

     They are called the uncompromising remnant – the street church – whom God is calling out of the brick and mortar church to be part of His coming, great revival.  For obvious reasons, the present established church (yawn!) is not getting the revival.  This revival of revivals is rising out of the street, as the first revival did 2,000 years ago.  Praise God!  And these three ladies will be part of it.

     I am saying this to you with permission from the Holy Spirit.

     In the above picture, we have Stosh and Mari who are strong believers in Jesus Christ.  Why are they in the street, you ask?  Please read my book “The Spark in the Street,” as I cannot go into those details here at this time.

     Mari went to church this morning, also.  They had a light lunch after church, after which they asked for volunteers to help clean up.  Mari was the first to answer the call, grabbing the vacuum cleaner and joyfully cleaning the carpet.  She is an organizer.

     Last week she ministered to a young 12-year old girl to stay in school and excel in her studies.  At our service and dinner, she is always the first one to help in any way she can, as is Stosh.  Mari is a catalyst for peace in the homeless camp.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit the earth!       Mari is also a disciple of Jesus Christ, and we are training her as such.  She has a loving heart for people in need and she will stop whatever she is doing to minister to anyone.  She also has a hunger for the Word of God.  In fact, she will be speaking on her favorite Psalm at our next service!

      Does she have issues?  Of course – don’t you?

     Mari and Stosh are part of the remnant, also. 

     If, when you first looked at the above picture, you did not judge Stosh or Mari; then you are part of the remnant, also. 
      If your heart immediately reached out to them with the love of Jesus Christ; then I am confident you will be part of The Revival.

     If you looked at their picture, stopped and compassionately prayed for them before reading this blog; then you ARE in revival.

     Good night, and God bless y’all. 

For our Norwegian brothers and sisters:

Kongen skal svare, "jeg fortelle deg sannheten, uansett hva du gjorde for en av minste av disse mine br ° dre, du gjorde for meg."  Matthew 25: 40

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UNDER THE BRIDGE: The Miracles at the Park!

Since this blog is being read in about 30 countries, we are greeting one country every time a post is written.  This week we say, “Bonjour,” to our brothers and sisters in France (and all other French-speaking countries): Blessings and healing from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him all the glory now and forever!

Bénédictions et la guérison de notre Seigneur et Sauveur Jésus-Christ.  Pour lui, toute la gloire, maintenant et à jamais!

Suzanne (on left, a few Sundays ago) reading her Bible; very shy and very sick!
Suzanne did not look up or speak.

 Sunday, November 23, 2014

     “She’s very sick, you know, she could lose her leg!”  He seemed to be agitated when he said this to me.

     I had never seen him before and I didn’t know who he was.

     “What are you talking about, man?”

     “She’s shy and doesn’t talk much, but you’ve got to know she needs help!”

     He took me by the arm and encouraged me to come and see a lady seated at a picnic table at our end-of-the-month service and dinner.  My ministers were out that day and I was the only one preaching and cooking that afternoon, on the last Sunday of the month.  I had been too busy to notice that someone was hurting physically, and was in need.

     “Suzanne,” he said, “tell him what’s happening to your leg.”

     Suzanne did not look up or speak.

     “She’s shy and won’t ask.”

     “And you’re her manager?”  I asked.

     He turned back to Suzanne without answering my question, “Let him see your leg, Suzanne.”  Then he turned to me and said, “It’s all red and swollen.  She’s got an infection.  She went to the doctor’s this morning, and he gave her a prescription for antibiotics.  But, she can’t afford it.”

     I turned to Suzanne, “Is that true, Suzanne?”  If I was going to help her, I needed more answers.

     “Yes” she softly answered.  At the urging of her friend, she raised her pant leg to her knee so I could see the problem.  Half her lower leg was bright red and the whole leg was swollen.  She was weak and tired.  The doctor had told her she had a staph infection.  She showed me the doctor’s note and prescription.  It was typically not an expensive antibiotic.

     “Do you drink, Suzanne?

     “No.”

     “If I give you the money for the prescription, you won’t buy alcohol or drugs?

     “No, I wouldn’t.”

     “I can’t take you to the pharmacy for another hour or so.”

     But the man jumped in and said, “I can take her now.”

     I don’t usually give money to the homeless.  “Will ten dollars cover the cost of the prescription?”

     “It’s only about six dollars,” she replied weakly. 

     I gave her a ten dollar bill, and then said, “Here’s the money, but I’m going to pray for your healing right now.  Is that all right?”

     “She nodded her head.” 

     I prayed a quick prayer, “Lord Jesus, heal Suzanne’s leg and also all the infection in her whole body.  We trust in you, oh Lord, and give you all the Glory.  In Jesus’s name.  Amen.”

     They left.

     The next Sunday, I saw Suzanne again and asked her about her leg.  This time she was perky, talkative and very active.  She was smiling and did not appear to be “shy” at all.  As I approached her, she lifted the lower portion of her pants to show me the lower leg had all healed up.  She was beaming at me.

She lifted the lower portion of her pants to show
me the lower leg all healed up!

     “So,” I said, “the antibiotics worked?”

     “The prayer worked!” she answered.

     “What do you mean?”

     “It was all healed up the very next morning!  I was completely well!  One dose of antibiotics doesn’t work that fast!” she happily testified.  “However, I did take them for the rest of the week,”

     “Glory to God?”  I asked.

     “Glory to God!” she joyfully replied.

     I never saw the “man” after that first time last week.  Neither did Suzanne.  In fact, she didn’t know who he was, either.

     Bill, Paul and I walked into Jack’s camp to see him sitting in his favorite, beat-up lawn chair under the shade of the oak trees.  But something was wrong.  Not only had all color drained from his face, but he was shaking like a leaf on a tree in a wind storm.  Whereas he normally greets us with a smile and a handshake, he was now frozen to that chair.

Jack during better days, same spot!

     “Brother, are you all right?  How long has this been going on?”  I asked, seriously concerned for his health.

     “If I can get up, I can’t walk ten feet I’m so weak,” he said in a shaky voice.  He was drinking a beer which told me that the shakes were not from the lack of alcohol.  “It started about two weeks ago and got worse every day.” 

     We had come to see him because a few of the other caring homeless had mentioned that Jack looked bad, and all believed that he was dying.  I think that Jack believed that he was dying also.  After seeing him, I thought so too!

     He did not want to go to the hospital.  He was a believer in Jesus Christ; he was saved, and going to heaven.  He did not fear death.

     The Lord had told me a while back that Jack would see the beginning of the great, long-awaited revival that was soon to be upon us, coming out of the street.  Based on that, I knew Jack was not going to die here and now.

     I called Bill and Paul over to Jack, and as we all laid hands on him, I prayed for his healing.  Bill started smiling, feeling “full” of the Holy Spirit.  He felt the reality of the presence of the Lord healing Jack.

     After I prayed, Jack was still in that chair, just as weak.  I told him he must now eat, though he wasn’t hungry.  He had been throwing up everything he had tried to eat.  I thought I would fix him what I eat when I really don’t feel good – homemade, whipped, creamy mashed potatoes with butter, milk and salt.  He agreed.

     I immediately went home and fixed him a big pan of fresh mashed potatoes and took them back to him at his camp within about an hour.

     The next morning, I went to check on him and I see him walking back from the store!  He walks over to me and greets me as if he had never been sick.  What?

     He had eaten half of the pan of mashed potatoes the night before, and the other half for breakfast the next day – and he was feeling fine.  He kept them down and did not throw up.  His color was back, he did not feel weak and he was up and about.  Jack typically walks 20 miles a day looking for aluminum cans to sell for cash!

     He did not share with me until a few weeks later that he HAD been healed instantly.  He could feel his complete healing but was still weak from not having been able to keep any food down for the past week or so.  That’s why when Jesus healed some people, he would say, “Give him something to eat.”

     This was the second time that Jack had been healed by our prayer to our Lord and Healer, Jesus Christ.  Glory to God!

     Then there is the story of the homeless man devastated by the loss of his dog.  But by prayer, the Lord miraculously brought his dog back a week later (read post dated Nov. 12, 2014).  We gave all the glory to God!

     There is also the time the Lord answered my prayer for the rain to stop for our end-of-the-month service and dinner.  The rain stopped EXACTLY when I got there, and started back again exactly when we left (see post dated Sept. 29, 2014).  God glorified Himself through that sign.

     There are many more miraculous signs the Lord has given us in the street to glorify His Holy Name.  I hope to write about many more of them until there finally are so many that I can’t keep up writing about the wonderful Grace of God.  The signs seem to be increasing as time moves forward.  Revival is at hand for those who can truly love the “least of these” with the love of Jesus; and for those who are able to give ALL the glory to God from down deep in their soul for all that He does.

     I feel the earth beginning to slightly shake under my feet.  I am beginning to see a little dust stirring out of the tiny cracks in the street.  An earthquake is coming; a Revival is being birthed.  The Revival is not coming out of the established church, but out of the streets, as it was in Jesus’s days; this Revival is “street filtered.”

      Now, here we are today at the Bay Side Camp at our service and dinner.  All week long, the weather report had forecast a storm with heavy downpours, thunder and lightning, hail and winds of 20-30 miles per hour.  People had called me and said we would not be able to hold our meeting at all.  But, I thought, the homeless will be hungry on that day, and they count on us for a church service and hot food and family fellowship.

They count on us for hot food, fellowship and a church service!

     When I arrived at the pavilion at the camp, it was raining and windy, with heavy clouds threatening above.  The homeless that were there came and quickly offloaded my truck in preparation for the meal.  With Paul and his brother-in-law, Marshal, looking on, I prayed loudly, “Lord Jesus, if it be your will, let the rain stop,” and I began to give all glory and praise to His Holy Name.

     The rain immediately and completely stopped.

     Wondering what had just happened, Paul said, “The rain stopped!” as he looked at Marshal next to him (Marshal had driven from Jackson, Mississippi to be here with us).  A couple of homeless men who noticed, also said the same thing out loud, but as if to themselves.

     I then loudly prayed, raising my hand up, “Lord Jesus, let the sunshine come.  Let the Son shine on us.”  And I began to worship the Lord and glorify His Name again.

     It suddenly got brighter!  Not “sunny,” but definitely brighter.

     Paul, again, looks at me and at Marshal and says, “It just got sunny!”

     I then turn to Paul and Marshal and ask them, “Can we pray for the wind to stop, also?  Are we allowed to do that?” 

     I then prayed aloud again, “Lord, let the wind stop during our service so the Word may be given today.  I know you want your Word to be heard and received.  I believe that to be your will, oh Lord.”  I then praised and thanked Him, again giving Jesus Christ all the glory.

     Nothing happened.  The wind kept on blowing.

     All week long I had called everyone I knew to ask them to pray for our service to be free from the coming rough weather.  I had prayed every day leading to our Sunday.  I prayed Saturday night and Sunday morning for an hour, petitioning the Lord for the rain and wind to halt while we have our service.  I could boldly pray Sunday at the camp because I was already “prayed up” up to that point.  Also, I knew that many people I had asked were praying this morning. I now rested in the Lord.

Jonathan came to play his guitar for our service!

     Many people were now arriving.  Jonathan came to play his guitar for our service.  Heather brought some wonderful people from her church who love the “least of these.”  We ended up with over 40 homeless men and women, plus the ministers and guests.  This is the most we have had so far.  It could be the pre-Christmas gift we promised all the homeless if they attended the service!

When the service started, the air was still - no wind, not even a breeze; nothing but calm!

     I started preaching on “faith,” speaking about faith like a mustard seed, when I suddenly realized that the wind had died completely.  I raised my hands up and asked everyone, “Do you all feel any wind?”  A few raised their hands up to test the air.  It remained that way until the service was over.  It started raining again at the end of the service, but everyone was able to move around under the pavilion at that time.

    

     The air was still – no wind, not even a breeze; nothing but calm!  My heart was pounding as I continued with the sermon, but inwardly I was praising and thanking my Lord Jesus Christ who was making himself so very real to me today.  

Heather brought some guests who were a big help! Debbie (far left, the grandma), then Katie (12 years old, the daughter), Amanda (the mama), Jared (14 years old, the son) and  Chris (in stripped shirt, the daddy).
Then Jonathan, playing the guitar. 

     We gave each homeless who were present at the service a crucifix on a neck cord (Bill, Paul and I had purchased these for the homeless).  On each crucifix, I had Super-glued a mustard seed at the feet of Jesus.  I shared with them that to get more faith they must read the word humbly – at the feet of Jesus.  They loved their crucifixes!  I also encouraged them to tell others why there was a mustard seed on their crucifix.

Every homeless person at the service received a free crucifix!

     We then had the most spaghetti we have ever cooked at an end-of-the-month dinner.  Thank God we had so many amazing and loving volunteers, today.  I wish I had had time to write all their names down because I have a good “forgetter.”  But God knows who they are and hopefully I will get to know them better as they return to serve the “least of these” in the future.

Pollyanna serving up the Parmesan cheese and chips to JJ!

     I wanted to fellowship and hug everyone.  But, before I knew it the spaghetti was all gone; every single meat ball was plumped in a plate; the fresh-baked, French bread was gone; and we were almost out of cheese.  Paul had brought the drinks and chips, which were passed out by a wonderful, loving (but tough) young lady whose name is Pollyanna.

Serving up firsts, seconds and thirds! Chris (L) serving French bread
and Paul (R) dishing out the spaghetti.

     

Servants of the Lord loving on the children of God!
Katie on far right, behind Amanda, her mom.

    

   

Leila says, "The homemade fudge is maaaaarvelous, my dear!"
Bernadette, who lives on a small bus with her husband, is on the left.

    

Ahhhhhhh!  Grandma Debbie and Katie (R)

Jail birds; Stosh and Mari

      I will end this post with the latest jail birds of the week; Stosh and Mari!  It was their turn to be in jail this week.  They were arrested for open container (beer) in public.  They spent a couple of days in jail until court day when the judge threw out the charges because the charging officer had filled out the report incorrectly.  They were immediately released, after which they celebrated with – you guessed it – an open container of beer!

Good night, folks, and God bless y’all!

UNDER THE TABLE:
Do that face again...you know...that face you do.
WOW, man..that is "baaaaad!
You look seriously constipated, dude!  Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...

For our French brothers and sisters:
"Dieu a choisi les choses folles du monde pour confondre les sages; Dieu a choisi les choses faibles du monde pour confondre les fortes; et Dieu a choisi les choses vile du monde et celles qu'on méprise, celles qui ne sont point, pour réduire au néant celles qui son, afin que nulle chair ne se glorifie devant Dieu."  1 Corinthiens 1:27-29

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