Give Up On Defensive Behavior

I have always been such a people pleaser that it is sometimes hard for me to be "clear" when confronting someone or giving them news that I fear is going to hurt their feelings. I don't like to hurt people - whether I like them or not and whether they like me or not – I just try not to hurt feelings. Therefore, when I do have to do it I feel like I am going to have to "defend" or justify my choice, my statements or my decision depending on the situation. I have learned that many times – when I am not perfectly clear that I leave room for confusion about what I really said. So – now I find myself picking up the pieces, suffering the consequences and even having hurt people even more because of that lack of clarity.

I have discovered that I am not fair or just with people when I do that. I also have found that I am not leaving room for God to work, even when it is something that I have prayed about and feel is the right direction. (as an aside, I am learning through Proverbs that I need to seek the counsel of a variety of godly, wise men and then follow my heart from there) Anyway, Psalms 37:4-7 addresses this for me…

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. {5} Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: {6} He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. {7} Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways.."

When God says that He will cause my righteousness to shine and justify my cause – I realize that this is only under the conditions of the promise in verse 4 - but it gives me comfort. It helps me to see that when I feel that I AM being led by the Spirit and that I am seeking to please God with decision and choices that I have to make, that I no longer have to feel defensive about these things when asked or even feel like I have to go around and explain them to others. I do what I believe to be right in God's eyes and even though it may be hard and cost a lot – I still believe that God's Word teaches me that I will be defended by Him and be justified in the end by Him and that I should "wait patiently for Him" to act.

I always say, "The right thing to do is often the hard thing to do but in the end it will bring the most blessing from God." So, I want to give up on defensive behavior. Today!

God’s Provision – So Weird

There are some things I don't think I will ever understand this side of heaven. How a planted seed knows when to burst open and grow. How a baby goes from "breathing" in fluid for nine months (especially in the last few weeks as the lungs finish developing) and then emerges from the womb and then immediately breathes and processes oxygen instead of fluid. How fire mesmerizes me and I can't stop playing in it. And then how God works to bring about His purposes, at the request of His children, and yet seemingly He is acting long before the original prayers but yet He wants us to ask and trust Him.

Recently, God worked in my life in a way that I thought strange – I had the sermons planned and I even was ahead of the game a little and felt like I was on top of things and then… then I was reading in His Word and there were a bunch of seemingly unrelated news items, personal stories and movement in my heart. So – a few weeks ago I canned the "planned and finished sermon" that I had prayed over, studied for and organized and spoke from a changing heart that God was still molding. In fact – twice in a row that happened and we adjusted on the fly.

God wanted me to share about the importance of giving and the importance of doing it from a right heart, right motive and right actions. He showed me a variety of Scriptures that seemed to be spread out all over the Bible and yet they were all coming together into this, apparently, single purpose message opportunity. So I shared – from what God was teaching me. The next week, I had a chance to share again from same basic set of verses about how the church is supposed to act in order to BE the church.

It was weird – no notes – just a few Post-Its to keep me on track. No "Main Idea" other than "Give to God First and He will Supply ALL your needs" and "It is Time for the Church to be the Church". But – I guess that is enough. The funny thing – the giving has not gone up. In fact, it is a little worse! J However, I have seen and heard about our people offering to help those in need, handing money to those without jobs, buying Thanksgiving meals for those that are underemployed, taking EVERY LAST heart from the "Have a Heart" Tree in one Sunday. I guess that as I have said before – It is my job to speak the truth. It is my job to sound the warning. It is my job to plant the seed. It is my job to lead through example. It is God's job to change hearts. It is God's job to cause the growth of the seed. It is God's job to meet ALL the needs from His boundless resources.

We just act when the Spirit says "Act". Move when the Spirit says "Move". Speak when the Spirit says "Speak". And respond when the Spirit changes our heart. Listen to the Spirit – God will provide all the rest.

Like Zeke – I Speak

It seems like I learn more and more what being a pastor is all about – lonely yet surrounded by people, rewarding yet frustrating, busy yet slow moving with change, promising yet heart-breaking. I like most of it but there are parts that I don't like.

I like people – but sometimes – people hurt me.

I like seeing God work through and in people; changed lives are incredible – but it frustrates me when most of my time is spent trying to help someone fix a problem that stems from not following advice that was given in the first place.

I like teaching about what God teaches me – I find, though, that when I teach and people don't like what they hear – then I am "wrong" or a "bad teacher".

I like encouraging people to live a life worthy of the call – I don't like having to be "the watchman" and the "warning bell" because then you say the "hard things" and people have to decide where they stand.

Ezekiel was warned by God – "I have called you to be my watchman for Israel. You will speak my words and they will not respond. Tell them that this is the Word of God and that you are speaking it whether they listen or not." Zeke was told that if he obeyed and they responded – everyone wins but if he obeyed and they did not respond then he was free from the guilt of their punishment. He was also told that if he DID NOT speak and they stayed in sin or fell into sin then their sin was on his shoulders! Yikes!

So - Like Zeke – I speak.

Teach and share the truth. Please God – not men. Say the hard things – live the hard choices – endure the harsh criticism – pray for strength – cherish the good moments.

Who wants a New Car?

Have you ever prayed for something or even commented about praying for something and yet really was not too hopeful about it happening? My car situation has not been that great since going into ministry. Now don't get me wrong – we always have a means of getting around and we always get things fixed in ways that constantly amaze me. Recently, when my teens asked me "Dad, when are we getting a different car?" while we were driving in a vehicle that was overheating and had no air conditioning, I did not really know what to say so I just said, "Kids, we don't have anything saved up for a different car and I really do not have hope to get one anytime soon so why don't you just start praying and let's see what God can do?"

Honestly, that was just to get them to not ask anymore. Really, these kinds of things do not happen to me. So what happened? About three weeks later, a couple from church said they wanted to get together with us for dinner. They were real insistent about it and we were slammed with volleyball games and football games and Wednesday night church and whatever else you do with teens. So, they kept trying to "help us" find a date that week – I finally said, "OK, come to Jenna's volleyball game and then afterward we can go eat for a late quick dinner." Again, me being a bit of a jerk and not listening more to the Spirit in my heart. We left the game and went toward the parking lot and the guy steers us toward this blue Ford Taurus station wagon and hands me the keys. I asked politely about his new vehicle and thought "why did he get another car?" I asked a few questions and kept getting evasive answers so I finally quit. I figured he was letting me drive his new car so I could tell him what a great car he had picked up. Again, me = jerk.

We get to the restaurant, park and start to get out of the car. I hand him back the keys and compliment the great buy he got. He says "wait, there's one more thing before we go in to eat. Here are the keys to your car." He hands me back the keys and then hands me two more sets of spares. Pause – review my amazing ability to be a major jerk – get choked up and realize what God just showed me. Thank this couple profusely as my wife and I tear up at this amazing event of how God used two people who really could not afford it to meet a need that we could not afford to meet.

And all because I challenged two of my teens to pray about how God would meet the need of transportation for me, even though the challenge was from a wrong motive. How good is my God?

Why Two Service Styles?

Over the last several years the leadership here at Osceola Grace has puzzled over, discussed, prayed about and planned for the occasion when we would need to go to two services and change the twenty year old paradigm of “how we do church”. This spring, it became evident that we were close to that point but the surprising twist was that the catalyst was not what we anticipated. We thought that we would reach a point where we would have a capacity crowd that would force us to change. Instead, we spent some time listening to the needs of some of our extended church family that were feeling like they were not able to connect to God in a meaningful way during the services. Part of it was due to the style of music (of course, that is always a reason for dissension), part of it was that we use illustrations that involve some fun yet crazy activities, part of it was the videos clips that we use and part of it was the dramas. Any one of those things is of little consequence to some (especially in today’s culture) and in and of themselves – there isn’t anything wrong with them. However, due to the broad age span and worship experience of our families, we were causing some to struggle with the ability to have their heart in a right place when it came time for the message.
I know, you say – this is absurd – you cannot let people gripe and complain and force you to change because of their heart condition. True, but also, I want to do ALL that I can to become whatever I need to be so that some may come to Jesus Christ. If they are part of the body of Christ and simpy adding a second traditional service with more traditional songs is a means of helping them to connect with our God and move a step closer to Jesus then isn't that worth doing? Therefore, we prayed a lot more and planned a lot more and decided to go ahead and start a second service – a traditional one! It starts at 8:00 AM and will end by 9:15 AM. It will not have childcare or children’s programs available nor will it be permanent if it does not grow and accomplish its’ purpose. This service will be more formal and will not use the lighting, power point, dramas, videos or activities that the contemporary service will have. However, it will have meaningful hymns and an identical message and challenge to its audience to live out our core values.
We want all of our families to move people closer to Jesus Christ through intentional relationships and friendships, we want to see each family expanded as they seek to meet and include new people in their families and we want to continue to do activities that will show our community that we care. Those are the core values that we live by at Osceola Grace.
Plus - I work hard on planning and presenting what God leads me to and through - why not have two shots to get it right! :)

i Live by Faith - but Faith in Whom?

The latest verse that I have been working on memorizing is below – Galatians 2:20…
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
However, I just had a conversation with someone last night who said that while they are memorizing verses in their head, it is taking time for them to sink in to their life. Well, ME TOO! I can say this verse and I KNOW the first part is true…Christ lives in me. But I so often question the second part of this verse in my life. Can I really say that I live by faith in the Son of God? I sometimes sit and reflect on where my faith is placed and I am usually discouraged to find that I place a lot of faith in myself and my abilities. I think pretty highly of myself (contrary to Romans 12:3) and thus many times I should say, “…the life I live in the body, I live by faith in Greg Serafino, who loves himself and would not give himself up for another.” Wow. I actually wrote that out. It is there for the world to see. I struggle with living by faith in Jesus Christ, my Savior. I shouldn't be there, I am a pastor, after all, and we should be above all of that. Right?
Another passage I have also been working on is Colossians 3:1-3 – Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set you minds on the things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
If I died then I should not be living either FOR myself or IN my own strength. Hidden in Christ…am I willing to hide behind my Savior? To let Him get the glory? To point people toward Him and not ask them to follow me?
So…do I live by faith – Yes!
Do I live by faith in Christ Jesus, my Savior, who died and gave himself for me? Sometimes – more now than last week, last month and last year but not ALWAYS! I need to make it present tense – every day.

You’ve Got It All!

I am amazed at the things that I see on TV or hear on the radio or EVEN hear from people in the church that appeals to my sense of greed vs. need. There are so many things that I do not have and so many ways that I "fall short" by the standards of the community in which I live and yet, I continue to find out that I am truly blessed with those things that I DO have and by the way that God meets my every need. I have learned so much as I try to depend on Him more and more and yet I also keep learning that I do not depend enough on Him. An interesting dilemma to be in as a disciple of Jesus.

I find that same principle at work in my spiritual life, too. I find that I want to be a mature Christ follower but I often don't think I have what it takes to accomplish it. There is always someone more "spiritual" than me or more" in tune with the Spirit" than I am. So what am I missing? There must be a trick, a secret, a special thing I have to have or do that makes this "spiritual life" thing work. Well, 2 Peter says it is not a secret and there is something involved that we have to do – I am trying to run through this 2 Peter chapter 1 cycle more and more and as I do I find my faith growing. So what is the secret?

2 Peter 1:3 says we have been given everything that we need for LIFE and GODLINESS – WOW! Then it goes on to say that as a believer in Jesus – one who has placed faith in Christ for eternal life – I should add to my faith. What do I add? Seven things:

1. Goodness - that action that follows our faith and moves us toward service and change
   
2. Knowledge – the expanding of what it means to be like Jesus by reading His word and gaining insight and understanding
   
3. Self-Control – UH OH – once I have knowledge of something I should do and have not OR something I should NOT do and yet I DO – it puts me in a place of decision. Will I or won't I obey? Discipline to choose the right path and step forward to follow through.
   
4. Perseverance – AHHH – once the right decision is made, inevitably, we are faced with a struggle – follow through on the hard path or give up. Here is where the rubber meets the road. Do you trust God to help you through or not? Stick with it when you know it is right!
   
5. Godliness – Whoa! At this stage your level of "godliness" is raised. How about that – "godliness" that attribute of being like God. Not that you are God – that ain't gonna happen, BUT you attain a level of that that includes humility in having persevered and succeeded. Give credit where credit is due – Who helped you through? The Holy Spirit.
   
6. Brotherly Kindness – you are on the track of realizing that this is not all about you and it is about serving those around in need. You begin to develop a love for those around and see their needs and look outside of your own person interests. Seek the good and well being of others and you are growing and stretching your faith.
   
7. LOVE – true "Agape" love. That love that gives itself freely for another without expecting anything in return. You are there! NOT QUITE!
   

The passage goes on to explain that we can make it through one cycle of that and become a little more productive and effective but we need to have these qualities in "increasing measure". Now that you faith has grown a little through one cycle – we walk through the cycle again and grow a little more. And then a little more. Again and again and your faith (and mine as I do this also) grows and stretches. The hardest part for me is 3 and 4 – deciding the right course and then sticking with it through the hardest of times. But when I have – I can point to those times as to when I have grown the most. Press on in Real Life – that is all we have!

A Journey of VAST proportions

I love Vacation Bible Schools but I really LOVE ours! We revamped how we do it about 15 years ago and we have seen such amazing results with both volunteers and new people to our church along with a great reputation in our community! We divide all the kids up by grades and have line leaders for each grade and then have them go from station to station throughout the morning! Instead of having a story teller and a craft person and a game person and a verse person leading it for each grade we have one person in charge of each of those things and then the kids come to them. It is so smooth and works out well for everyone.

The impact for the kingdom that we have is also incredible. We have people that get to use their creative skills and their administrative skills to the point of excellence. Over the last 15 years we have literally had thousands of kids come through here that have heard about Jesus Christ. We have had hundreds of decisions for Jesus and have visited hundreds of homes to invite the parents to come to our church. We do not purchase a package because we found that when we did we only used a portion of it so we started using our own creative juices and putting themes together on our own - WOW have these people been creative.

Check out our website at www.ogbc.net and follow what happens this year through our "Jungle Journey – A Quest for Truth". Look under the Media tab for Jungle Journey 2008. We had 252 kids this year on day one – we'll see what the rest of the week holds! Pray for us as we strive to expand the kingdom for Jesus through reaching children and then their parents.

Do People Bug You?

Do you ever get tired of being in a group or in a crowd? Do you ever just want to be alone and can't seem to find the way to make it happen? With Jesus it may have been the case because we see that the crowds just followed Him everywhere in the height of His popularity. He tried every now and then to get away and yet the crowds seemed to find out and follow Him.

What was His response to all of that attention? Did he grab His hair and just scream? Did He get mad and yell at them?

No. Two different times He recognized that the crowd had been around a long time and was probably hungry and instead of sending them off, Scripture says that He felt compassion on them and fed them.

In Matthew 9:36 (NIV) we see what Jesus felt as He looked out over the crowds, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

Scripture records quite a few places describing the deep love that Jesus felt for the crowds. Do you know…these are some of the same crowds that lined the streets as He carried the cross, these are some of the same crowds that shouted "Crucify Him!" along with the Pharisees. Jesus loved those who admired him but He also loved those who hated Him. Jesus reached out to his community – the seekers of something spiritual and the "thrill seekers" - those who were just looking for a show or a miracle.

When you look out at your neighbor – what do you feel? A deep love for someone who may need Jesus or a disgust because they can't seem to keep their yard mowed or get the trash heap taken care of or the dead vehicle that never seems to move.

How would Jesus see them? As someone who needs a shepherd – a person that truly cares.

What an awesome Sunday! Free to Grow, Baby

God is so amazing! For six months, we have been saving, scrimping, praying, planning and letting God move and in just ONE Sunday 441 OGBC'ers came together to worship and be used of God with the goal of removing ourselves from the bondage of debt! Our goal six months ago was $240,000 however, while we have been planning and preparing we have also been faithfully paying our debt down with regular payments – so today's target – Just shy of $232,000! At the start of the service, we prayed and took our offering – committing to God the gifts that we have been planning on for months now.

We sang songs of worship and praise throughout the rest of the service led by Grace College's Sound Investment and then at the very end I was handed an envelope with the numbers! DRUM ROLL, Please!

177 people or family units participated in the miracle! A record one day participation for giving!

Actual in hand gifts - $199,875! As I shared that with people someone handed me a $125 check to make it an even $200,000! Isn't God amazing! Indescribable? Unfathomable? Abundant?

"Yours, O Lord, is the GREATNESS and the POWER and the GLORY and the MAJESTY and the SPLENDOR, everything in heaven and earth are yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, You are exalted as head over all!

Wealth and honor come from You, you are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and honor to exalt and give strength to all.

NOW, our God, we give YOU thanks and PRAISE YOUR glorious name!" 1 Chronicles 29:11-13

God working through His obedient people willingly sacrificing as a family!

PS – General Fund was over $13,500, too !!

F. to GROW challenge and Cool Story #3

Amazing and Divine Protection

I love the story of how the Old Testament prophet Elisha was informing the King of Israel of the ambushes and plans of the Aramean king and his army in order to prevent them from being trapped and captured.  He does it several times because the Lord has given him the information and finally the king of Aram is so frustrated as he finds our Elisha keeps foiling his plans that he brings his forces and surrounds the city where Elisha and his servant live.  Once again, God proves faithful in the protection of His servants. 

2 Kings 6:14-17 (NIV)

Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. {15} When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. {16} "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." {17} And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Would you pray for that kind of protection for you and me in the coming few days!

Another Story Time

I received this the other day and was so encouraged by the miracle that God has already done through people's lives in stories like this and so many others!

"I've hesitated to pass along my Free to Grow experience with God to anyone until now.

Last August a former (now deceased) plumbing mentor's daughter asked me to remodel her kitchen in January of 2008. I was honored to be asked and agreed to do so. The income I was to receive would pay for Christmas gifts for the family. That was my plan! Then, the Free to Grow plan was revealed shortly afterwards. I prayed about it and felt led to give any additional income above and beyond my forty hour a week job at the printing company during the month of January to Free to Grow. My additional income sources are from; plumbing, music performance and private music lessons. January seemed like the right month to commit due to the promised kitchen remodel job.

A couple months passed and the kitchen remodel date changed! It was moved to the week before Christmas! I thought God wanted that money! My plan stunk! OR He had a better plan. The latter prevailed.

After I spent the kitchen remodel money on Christmas for the family, opportunities came knocking.  January's additional income for music lessons increased by two new students.  I performed with music groups every weekend, and started and finished two large remodel projects, along with several smaller plumbing repair projects. My phone continued to ring all month long and I did not want to say no to anyone. As a side note here; the older I get, the more I say no to when it has to do with plumbing. (i.e I don't work in crawl spaces, clean drains, work in Elkhart or any part of Michigan and about twenty other excuses for not getting dirty.)

After January both Shannon and I were able to commit some additional monies in spite of Satan's numerous attempts to derail us. 

I had a plan. God had a better plan.

I believe with all my heart Free to Grow will succeed! 

Dave Lee"

God is faithful and always comes through as we live out His will each day!

F.t.G. challenge and Cool Story #2

I heard the other day of someone that said they had experienced the blessing of God in such a way over the last several months that just last week they decided to try to double their commitment to "Free to Grow" - as soon as they did that they had an appliance failure!  Isn't that just like the evil one to foil a plan.  God will still triumph though - guess what happened - the very next day they received a call from a family member who had an extra appliance of the kind that failed! a few hours of work later and the installation was complete! God loves faithfulness and rewards it in His own time!

Psalms 27:13-14 (NIV)

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. {14} Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

When God's People Respond...

I love this story of the preparation to build the tabernacle for worship...

Exodus 35:4-9 (NIV)

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the LORD has commanded: {5} From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; {6} blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; {7} ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows ; acacia wood; {8} olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; {9} and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

So what happened?

Exodus 35:20-22 (NIV)

Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses' presence, {21} and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. {22} All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD.

Did they reach their goal?

Exodus 36:3-7 (NIV)

They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. {4} So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work {5} and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done." {6} Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." And so the people were restrained from bringing more, {7} because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

What if we had to say "Stop giving so much?" Wouldn't that be a blast? What if the giving continues week after week – How will God bless that sort of commitment to His church on mission?

Free to G.R.O.W. Challenge and Story #1

Pray for Protection!

The Final Message in Living Beyond Our Means was a great reminder that we are not ever supposed to be relying on ourselves - We must rely on God, through intense prayer, and as we do the ripple effect of changed lives will move so far beyond our own circles to the rest of the world that we may not realize the effect for many years to come!  However, as we approach Free to Grow Sunday, we are going to need much protection and reliance upon God - spend some time this week praying for God to protect us as we hit the final 6 days before Free to Grow Celebration!

1 Corinthians 1:9-11(NIV)

"...this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

Cool Story #1

Someone shared with me today that they had been a victim of bank fraud and thus, while all of this was getting straightened out, they were minimizing the writing of checks for fear of overdrawing their account.  The bank was working with them and yet they were still a little hesitant.  The reason for the call to me was that they wanted to put a commitment note in the offering this Sunday instead of a check because they wanted to be a part of the miracle and will write their check as soon as things settle for them. 

Praise the Lord for changed lives - I believe that the real miracle here is that a large part of our church has experienced a greater dependance upon God as a result of this leap of faith!  Changed lives are what it is all about!

Get up and Keep Running

Sometimes life gets you down but it takes real strength – the kind that only God can give to keep you going. My son is an avid runner and competes on his high school cross country team along with quite a few other "competitive events" around our area. He loves to run – in fact, over the weekend he said, "I am going running… I don't know exactly where yet but I plan to be out for a while." When he returned 50 minutes and I asked where he had been he described this course to me…east down CR 22 to "Five Points" then east on CR 118 to CR 3 where he turned north to Mishawaka Road. Then east on Mishawaka Road to SR 19. He turned north on SR 19 to Lincolnway and then west on Lincolnway to the County Line. He came south across the tracks and then back east on Mishawaka Road to CR 100 and then home.

I google mapped the route and it is 9.1 miles! He loved it and I would have hated it!

It was not always so easy for him though…In his first competitive race in junior high school, he ran into a little trouble. You see, my son has a hereditary eye disease which prevents him from see in dimly lit places. The course he was running went from the open field into a wooded area and then back out again. On the first curve of the course, the crowd he was running in went into the woods and turned. He followed the white t-shirts in front in order to make it through and keep the pace. Suddenly the runners in front of him parted to the left and right and he, momentarily thought "how odd", and then crashed face first into the tree that they were running around. It knocked him flat. He pooped back up and apologized because at first he did not realize it was a tree – once he realized it – he felt stupid and embarrassed. He tried to make his way on a little further and eventually, despite the pain, made his way out of the woods.

He was ready to quit. In fact, he slowed to a walk and was ready to give it all up and then alongside came his CC coach who said "come on, I'll help you along". His coach ran alongside him for the rest of the race encouraging him, challenging him and giving him the desire to keep running. Since then, my son has won many races and been part of several winning teams. He learned to keep running – even when things get hard. He learned to push through the pain even when it wants to force him to quit. He now runs 9.1 miles just for fun!

Folks, we have it the same way – life can get hard but Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God are right there with us. They are not simply running alongside, though, they are actually giving strength to do it. They are encouraging you to never give up and never give in to the struggles that get you down. Jesus knows what it is like so he feels what you feel, he hurts when you hurt, he cries when you cry BUT He also pushes when you want to stop.

Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV)

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

He does not want you to quit – even when you crash face first into an unmoveable object – get up, pray more, decide to keep going and keep running!

Philippians 3:12 – 14 (NIV)

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Parent's Theme verse – if there was one

I have been reading in Psalms since last Sunday - reading and re-reading Psalm 145 – if there was ever a theme verse for the responsibility of parents to live out and express the mighty works of God to our kids, then Psalm 145 contains it (them, actually) – maybe I should call it a theme "passage". We talked through it last week at the Adult Bible Fellowship led by a couple of guys from the leadership here at Osceola Grace and then we prayed through it to give praise to God. That night at small group, we looked at it again and talked about these verses:
(Psalms 145:1-7 NIV)
This first part is the parent's commitment to God

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. {2} Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. {3} Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

This second part is the parent's commitment to pass on the results of their faith

{4} One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. {5} They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. {6} They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. {7} They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

I thought – how will our children know about what great things God has done – not only in biblical times but in my lifetime and, more specifically, in my life if I never share those things? My children need to know that the God of the Bible is working today in my life. I am not talking about only the huge things but even in the small things – A transformation of my mind and my thinking is something that my children should know is taking place.
"Hey kids – God showed me something in His word today that I have not really every let sink in before – here it is, let's read it and let me share with you how God opened my eyes a little wider today."
Real Life with Real People means relationships that are connected well enough that we are passing on more than just the truth of the Word in our mind but the deeds of God in our lives. How has God worked in your life lately? Have you shared that with your children? Let them see that God's mighty deeds are alive and well in you, too! Our kids need to see our need for God in everyday life – not simply in crisis.
Return to http://www.ogbc.net/

It’s Forbidden

My oldest son used to love the Disney version of the animated "Beauty and the Beast" and had watched it so many times as a four year old that he could quote almost any part of the movie. As a matter of fact, he can quote large portions of almost any movies that he watches! As a college student today – he gets great joy out of quoting Disney movies with the right voices and inflections and everything (it's weird).

There was a time when my son would walk around the house making the umpire's "SAFE" motion with his arms and then say in a really deep four year old voice "It's FOR BENDING". We kept wondering why he was saying that and so we asked him and discovered this:

There is a place in "Beauty and the Beast" that Belle asks the Beast about a certain wing of the castle and he replies that it is the west wing and she want to go there and he shouts "No, it's FORBIDDEN". But the way that he said it, my son thought he was saying, "It's FOR BENDING". We still occasionally tease him a little about that because it was SO cute! He doesn't think that it is so funny anymore but we do!

The funny thing about that is that we sometimes get the wrong story or only part of the story because we are not really listening. It happens to all of us at times but the point is that it makes the other person feel more valued if you are present and attentive in the conversation. Ask questions, respond with clarifying statements and above all – look at them! People want to know that what they are telling you is important to you, too. When you are a good listener – you show people that you care. Jesus said, "People will know you are my disciples if you love one another." There is no better way for people to feel loved than when you are engaged in the story of their life and what is happening in their life at this moment.

Do you care? Then become a good listener. That way you don't go away and think you heard "It's FOR BENDING" when the person said "It's FORBIDDEN".

Here at the Osceola Grace you can find Real People living Real Lives and striving to find Real Answers.

A Falling Truck and a New Start for YOU

I took my family on a vacation to Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina. What a beautiful sight, compared to the flat corn fields of Indiana, as we traveled up one mountain and down the next. It was exciting to wind along the mountainside with the mountain dropping off on one side in a steep drop and then climbing straight up on the other side. As we wound our way through the slow moving traffic up one particular mountain road, we were talking about the beauty of the mountains with our kids, Suddenly, up in front of us the semi truck and trailer that we were two car lengths behind began to careen to the left and then to the right and then back again!

We watched in horror and helplessness as we saw the driver trying to regain control of tens of thousands of pounds of out of control machine! As he rounded one turn and then the next, the back of the trailer began to tilt wildly to the side. In just seconds our quiet drive through the mountains went from serene to surreal as we saw the trailer (in what seemed like super slow motion) tilt too far past center and then fall over on its side into the side of the mountain. As the trailer tipped it puller the massive semi truck over with it until both were sliding along the side of the mountain on their side.

We obviously stopped right away. My son and I got out and rushed up to see if we could help while the rest of the family immediately began to pray in the van. The driver was fine albeit, very shaken up, and we were soon back on the road realizing that you never know what may be around the next bend of life. Are you ready? Do you know where you would turn?

Jesus Christ loves you and gave His life for you to spend the rest of eternity with Him in heaven. He paid a penalty that only He could pay (since He lived a perfect life) and if you decide to start a relationship with him by putting all of your trust in Him rather than the things around you, you can be assured of living in heaven with Him someday.

This new relationship with Jesus can change your life. Speak to Jesus (just like you would a friend) and ask Him to start a work in your life today and to begin something new that will transform you and give you joy and hope beyond all imagination. Questions? Visit www.ogbc.net or email me at ogbc@ogbc.net. I hope to hear from you so that you can begin the next steps of this new relationship with Christ.

Here at the Osceola Grace Brethren Church you can find Real People living Real Lives and striving to find Real Answers.

Caught in a Lie

As a young boy my mom used to take my older sister and I grocery shopping with her since we were a little young to be staying home alone. Not to mention that she couldn't trust my sister (just kidding Chris). But we really couldn't stand following mom around Wilts Grocery Store for what seemed like forever. My mom finally agreed to let us go to the variety store across the parking lot to hang out in the toy section until she came to find us. That was great for the first few times but, as usual, we got bored with the same old stuff at the variety store so we asked for something bigger and better. "Hey, mom," we asked, "Can we cross Jackson Boulevard and see the toy section at Clark's?" Well of course the Clark Store was much bigger and had so much more to offer than the variety store; they had bikes and wagons and all kinds of good stuff!

Not surprising, the answer came back "No, it is too dangerous for you to cross Jackson alone. Just go to G.L. Perry's or stay with me."

We thought that we were pretty smart though. We walked over to Perry's and then when my mom was safely in the grocery store, we ran across Jackson Boulevard and visited Clark's for a while and then came back to Perry's before mom picked us up. Pretty slick, huh? Or so we thought.

On the way home mom asked about Perry's and then asked if we stayed there like we said we would. Hmmm. That should have clued us in but we assured her that we had and so then she dropped the hammer on us by telling us that our neighbor had been in Clark's earlier and then proceeded to the grocery store. When she saw mom in the grocery store she mentioned to her that she had seen us at Clark's. As if we weren't in enough trouble, we even tried to tell her that the neighbor must have seen someone who looked like us.

Needless to say, we spent the next several trips following mom around the grocery store. What did I learn?

1. Obey your mom; she always finds out anyway
   
2. Stick with the truth; it is hard to mess it up and…
   
3. Never let your sister talk you into something.
   

Here at the Osceola Grace you can find Real People living Real Lives and striving to find Real Answers.

Staying Warm and Drying Out

The final chapter of the Life on the Street series…

By 7 PM, I arrived at the church. I had no keys so I headed to the back of the property and began making my home for the night. I laid several branches down to rest upon while I made the fire since there was still a foot of snow on the ground. I soon had a fire going but had trouble keeping it burning (I started too small) and so I fought with it for an hour or two. I had one of the deacons concerned to the point where he texted me to say that there were hay bales near the church that I could use. I dragged one back to where I was (about a hundred and twenty yards or so) and then broke it up to make a makeshift bed. Once again I stoked the little fire and thought I would be ok. I put on a pair of my dry socks – when I left the mission that morning I only put on two pairs of socks and held back a pair just in case ( I am a pretty quick learner sometimes). So I was trying to dry things out and get to sleep and keep the fire going to stay warm. I was tucked under half a bale of hay while my boots were drying over the coals. I dozed. Suddenly – a bright light and a poof and I was awake – OH NO…The fire liked the flavor of my boots because it was suddenly licking major flames all around them – a foot and a half high!

What to do – without thinking I reached into the fire and grabbed my boots and tossed them aside – the smell of burning leather and rubber was awesome! They were not completely ruined but now I was awake again! And cold… Soon the fire died down and returned to its passive state and I was freezing and frustrated. A couple of options were before me: One: get up and call my wife and go home to a warm house, shower, food and a bed. Two: Get with it and make the biggest fire you can think of and drag that other bale of hay back here. It's 11:30 PM. I have to preach tomorrow. Dog gone it – this is crazy…

I marched back to where I left the other bale and then to the church dumpster – second time today that I went dumpster diving – I found another newspaper and a couple of little lightweight cardboard boxes that should burn ok. I stuffed the papers in the boxes and the boxes in my jacket and trudged back to the coals with my bale of hay. I then built a small semi-circular shelter with the pieces of the bale and laid a couple of branches over the top. I was shivering because I was so cold at this point and my feet were terribly sore and cold. I found several large logs and made a square "Lincoln log" type structure. I threw every last bit of wadded up paper and the little boxes in the middle of the log structure and stacked twigs over the paper. I then created a TeePee like structure of little branches that were about two to three feet long. If this did not create some real lasting fire then I was done.

I lit it with a couple of the matches I had left and within fifteen minutes had a four foot high roaring fire within a couple of feet of my little hay bale shelter. I then took off my coat and laid it over the top of the structure and crawled underneath. The fire sent heat right into my little shelter and within a few minutes I was toasty warm. After about a half hour, went and found much more wood to keep this thing going and by 1 AM I was stocked with wood and sleeping fitfully in my hay shelter. Every 90 to 120 minutes I awakened and reloaded the fire. My boots and pants and socks all dried as I slept.

At 11 AM the next morning – two apple pies later – I entered the church service, crawled out of a large appliance box on the stage and challenged our folks to "Cross the Line" into someone else's world to bring them to faith. Instead of just throwing a lifeline to them and expecting them to grasp it and pull themselves to safety – we should be willing to step over the line into their world and help them make it to the line of faith. What about you?

Have you ever been left out? Ignored? Have you ever left someone out because they were different than you? Or because they smelled? Or because they were not what you thought they should be?

Have you ever WITHHELD Jesus from someone? You can talk to your friends about school, jobs, families, sports, kids, vacations, colleges, dreams… but why is it so difficult to cross the social barrier of spirituality? I am not asking you to pick up everyone you see along the road or to spend life as a homeless person or to beg for food or dive in a dumpster – I am simply asking you, NO , I am begging you, to be willing to share with those around you about the Jesus that has transformed YOUR life…what could He do in your friend's life?

Stay tuned for more "Real Life, Real Stories and Real Answers" on this blog.

A Ride to the Dumpster

Part 8 of the Life on the Street series…

So I jump in the car and thank the man profusely for helping me out with a ride only to discover that I am STILL very prejudiced in my thinking. After all of this, I get in a car that I expect to be driven by someone like me or something else than what I got…Not that it was bad – It was not what I had in my mind for the person picking me up (if anyone ever did stop).

Sitting in the driver's seat was a guy with piercings, tattoos, a bandana and a Marlboro cigarette in his hand. There was a Corona emblem dangling from his rear view mirror and his driver's seat was set way back and in the "almost laying down" position and his hand was fashionably draped over the steering wheel of which he was looking through not over! I was astonished and thus I thanked him again for picking me up. His response spoke VOLUMES to my heart… "Hey man, I have been where you are right now and would have loved for someone to pick me up. I am just trying to help. Where you headed?" As we drove and talked for the next two miles, he said that he hates seeing people in a tough spot and if there is someone in a "safer" area of town he will always offer them a ride. WOW!

He dropped me at the corner where there was a restaurant and two gas stations. I asked at the restaurant for some old newspapers and they had none but I used the bathroom and dug a few paper towels out of the waste basket. It was 5PM by now and I was hungry again and wondering about staying warm. I walked to the gas station and received a reality check again – one more level down in my pride. As I asked for newspapers and explained my predicament I was told that they had none but I could dig in the dumpster if I wanted to – "There are some cardboard boxes in there that may help."

Right! I am going to dig in a dumpster. Hmmmm, I wonder what is in there… I guess I can always look to see what I can reach. The lid was up so I walked over and looked in. Cardboard boxes alright. Ha! I would have been able to fit a foot in one – that was how big they were – wouldn't that have been a sight! But WAIT! Just beyond my reach was a couple of brand new newspapers that were both about an inch thick that someone had just tossed in there. Aww crud…Well, here goes, I jumped up and rested my belly on the edge and dangled my feet out the back and leaned in to get these things. Finally I reached them and quickly landed back on my feet with the agility of a cat! OK maybe not – but I didn't fall on my behind! Highly embarrassed, I quickly headed off down the road with my newspapers (and my only hope for warmth) under my arm. Night was soon to fall and I was still three or four miles from my intended destination.

Where was I headed – the only place I knew to go where I could safely have a fire all night and attempt to stay warm – The church has an area where a bunch of our guys had cut a bunch of trees down and they had stacked all of the brush up in an enormous pile. I had an endless supply of wood to burn and it was out in the woods so I would be unseen (for the most part). So now I was walking with a mission.

Last one tomorrow – "Staying Warm and Drying Out"

Walking, Begging, Hitchhiking...

Part 7 of the Life on the Street series...

Sorry for the lull in chapters…I'm back.

After the visit at the high school where my daughter performed I had to find a place to head or a direction to go to find either a late breakfast or a lunch somewhere. I knew I still had just under $4 left so I thought I would head toward the mall. There was a talent show there that afternoon that one of my sons had registered for so I thought that I would go that direction. I set off walking, once again – the weather was ok but my feet and socks and boots were quickly drenched and cold. It was about two hours to get to the mall and I arrived just as the competition was getting underway. It was nice to sit down and to be warm again (even though I was wet). My son found me and was actually buying a 6" Subway sandwich and they had a buy one get one free sale. I thought – "surely, he will get me a sandwich." I waited. He texted his brother and asked if he wanted one – then decided that he would just eat it later. After a few moments of thought he offered it to me…"Hey, Dad, are you hungry?" YES! Thanks. I wolfed it down but it hardly touched the hunger at that point. It took the edge off.

I enjoyed the warmth for a couple of hours while I was watching the competition and then once it was over had to decide where to go and what to do. As of his point – I had really not outright asked anyone for help. I was wanting to see what people would initiate on their own from their own heart and found that it is just like me – look the other way or at least pretend you are not offended by the smelly guy and let it go at that. Well, it was time to swallow my pride and see how people reacted to an outright request (begging). I walked to the Taco Bell and waited until the counter cleared and then I told the cashier that I was on the streets for a couple of days and wondered if they had some sort of temporary work that I could do to earn a couple of tacos. He seemed sympathetic and so he went to ask his manager. He returned with a sad smile and said they could not help me BUT he then reached under the counter and handed me a cup and said "please get a drink before you go." He felt bad – I could tell. So, - I got a cup of water and then drank that and walked to the McDonalds down the street. There I asked the teenage cashier the same thing and he gave me to his supervisor. She said she was not sure what they could do but she would check with her manager. While she was gone the off shift supervisor was congratulating everyone on a record day! $10,000 between 7 AM and 3 PM! We have never done that before – great job – Rah Rah! I am thinking, well then, I should be able to get a free hamburger or something!

The supervisor came back and said they could not hire me to do anything today because of their hiring rules and procedures. "So sorry, sir. But my manager had this $4 and said she was going to trust you and give this to you to help you out."

I tried to refuse the money but she pushed it into my hand. I spent it right there and got two burgers and two apple pies ( I figured that I could eat cold apple pies later and that they would be better than a cold burger). I thanked them and then I walked.

I walked and began to try to hitchhike…no one…I arrived at a gas station and asked for newspapers (old, new whatever). No luck. So I kept walking. I was within two miles of my next begging point (SR 19 and CR 20) two Speedways and a restaurant, when a car stopped. I jumped and was surprised at my own prejudice even now!

Two more to wrap things up – "A Ride to the Dumpster", "Staying Warm and Drying Out" .

Some ‘Splaining to Do

Part 6 of the Life on the Street series...

By the time I arrived at the school – I had a couple of ideas in mind. It turns out that by the time that I had arrived there, Frank had reached my wife – he finally did pick up the phone after I left of course – and she "reluctantly" agreed to pick me up there at the mission and return me since she verified that I really did have a commitment to my daughter that day. The problem was – I had texted her to tell her that I was at the school already. She called on my 'almost dead again' phone and asked why I was not at the mission like the guy said. I told her that I would explain when she got there but that I had escaped. Not really but it freaked her out that I was not where they thought I was. When she arrived at the school, I explained everything to her and she immediately wanted to know where I was sleeping that night. At that point, I had to honestly tell her the options but that I was not sure yet. I agreed to keep her posted since it looked like I was going to wing it.

It turns out – I also had some more explaining to do to a new friend of the family. As I stood in the auditorium while my daughter warmed up, a new friend to our family (my daughter and their's hang together) came up to me and asked if I was home from my trip. My mind raced… "Trip? What trip? What is he talking about? How could he know this?" I answered that I was sort of still on a trip. He looked very concerned and so – still not knowing what he was talking about – I thought that since he does not go to our church yet that I could share what I was doing and it would be safe and sound.

I gave him the nutshell version and why and he sighed with relief. He shared how glad he was that I explained that to him. It turns out that on Friday night, my daughter had gone out with their family and he had asked where I was because he had emailed me and I had not replied yet. My daughter shared that I was on a trip and the natural next question was "where?" She did not know so that was what she said – as they conversed and it became obvious that she was hiding something he backed off but was concerned. From all he had experienced – these kinds of conversations had the signs of family trouble and he was trying to figure out what he had to offer to a pastor whose family was falling apart! When he saw me looking like I was on Saturday – his concern grew and he approached me to start a conversation to see what he could learn about the situation and how he could offer some sort of help.

When I explained the truth – he told me all of that and was so relieved. We laughed but it turned out that when he went home and shared that with his wife – they came to church on Sunday because they had to know "the rest of the story"!

Check the next blog – "Walking, Begging, Hitchhiking and Dumpster-Diving" see what the rest of Saturday held for me before I finally warmed up.

Runnin’ from Frank

Part 5 of the Life on the Street series

Decision time…I was afraid that if Frank showed no mercy that I was going to be there (and watched closely) for the next three days – I was scheduled to preach the next morning at church so I hoped he showed me some mercy here. After a bunch of bantering back and forth with me trying to be as meek and gentle (with a little begging) as I could, Frank said that even though the rules were three days with no free time and then on the fourth day "possibly" an HOUR of free time, that if he could verify with someone that I really was supposed to do this that he might make an exception.

I gave him Cari's name and the event and my daughter's name and where I was supposed to be and when. He then asked for a number and I mistakenly wrote down MY cell number. Within about five minutes he placed the call and I heard him leave a voice mail. That was unusual since Cari always has her phone on and especially with this happening – I knew that she wanted to be available anytime I may need her help. As I thought for a minute, I realized that I had given my number and not hers. I approached the desk and shared that with him and then was grilled over whether I had a cell phone or not and why I had not turned it in last night. I did not lie but told him that it was dead anyway (because it was) and he said it did not matter – turn it in to the other guy and he will lock it up for me until I leave after the end of the program. Uh OH!

He then said – he would call my wife and I should have a seat. I did not go right to the guy to turn my phone in… I waited a minute or two and then I sat down and watched. Frank was working on his computer and not making the phone call. Time was ticking away. I needed a decision or my walk to Central was going to cause me to be late to the performance. I waited a few more minutes – still no call. I knew that if I left without turning in my phone and without permission (and without breakfast) that I was not going to be able to just walk back in later and hope for a meal and a bed. Still more waiting as all of this played out in my head and finally – still no action from Frank – I slipped my hat on and my gloves and slowly zipped up my jacket. Decision time was upon me. I looked his way one more time and then slipped quietly out the front door and began my trek to Elkhart Central.
I knew that I could not return so I headed out trying to create plan B in my head as I walked – What was I going to tell Cari when I saw her at Central? I had some 'splaining to do and I needed to have a plan…Worst case – I would just give up. Best case – I would ask someone to stay with them if they would be willing to help a stranger out for the night. Something in the middle – I knew that if I could make it to the church that there was a huge brush pile. I did still have a bunch of matches and I could have a fire all night and sleep out under the stars…
Check the next blog – "Some 'splaining to do" to see how I was going to explain to my wife, Cari, that I really did not know where I was staying the night on Saturday!

A Night in the Mission

Part 4 of Life on the Street series

I went to the front desk to find out what it took to stay overnight. Question #1 – Have I ever been convicted of a sex offense? NO! Ok then – go to the police station and have them do a search for open warrants. So I walked to the police station – who of course – sees this all the time. I was a non- person to them. Driver's License…Name…Here's is your paper. Bye.

I walked the twenty minutes back to the shelter and went through an application process. I asked the guy if it was possible to leave the next morning to go over to the nearby high school to see my daughter perform in a vocal competition. He said he was not sure but that I should check with the morning person. He did not know why not so it looked and sounded good. The chapel service was starting so I went in and sat down. The guy in front of me said to his buddy…"What are they burning? Smells like they are burning something." Well, that was me so I identified myself as the campfire guy and the just sniffed and looked at me and went back to talking to each other. I sat through the chapel service and then the front desk guy told me to look up Chester to see if he could help me dry out.

When I found "Chet" – he was the most helpful man I could imagine - he had me wash my socks in the sink and wring them out and then, when he realized that I had no clean ones to put on, he went away for a couple of minutes and then returned with a mismatched pair of socks. He showed me how I could possibly dry my boots in the bathroom under the hand dryer and then disappeared. Every half hour or so, he made his way from the laundry area (in another building) to the dorm. He stopped and checked in with me each time and eventually brought me my dry socks. He also made a special trip back to the front desk to get my box of linens since I was never given any. He checked in with me before going to bed to make sure that I had a mattress and a place to call my own for the night. What a guy.

I met several others that night and the next day one of them, named Greg, invited me to sit with him for a couple of minutes in the reading area. This guy was a professing Christian, although his language and choices of music had not been renewed yet! (Led Zeppelin is not the most wholesome group to listen to as a believer) Anyway, he said that they had me on a chore chart already so I must be on a fast track to getting a permanent bed. "Why?" I asked and he did not know but that I had some chores right after breakfast. Red flags went off in my head because I had promised my daughter that, even though I was doing this project, I would be there at Elkhart Central that Saturday for her vocal competition.

I proceeded to the front desk before breakfast to see what I could work out. That is where I met Frank. As I soon discovered, the people from the night before at the front desk were residents of the mission's program and were volunteering. Frank, whom I was about to meet, was on staff. I explained my predicament to Frank – that I was told last night I could leave to go to this program and that I promised my daughter I would be there. He proceeded to tell me that when you using in to the mission you are there for THREE days with chore duty and NO FREE TIME! I had to get permission from a staff member or a member of senior management. I asked if there was someone available to in that capacity to speak with and he informed me that he was "senior management". Uh OH! Decision time…

Check the next blog – "Runnin' from Frank" to see what decisions I had to make in the next ten minutes.

A Fire Under the Bridge

Part THREE of Life on the Street series – Pastor Greg wanted to experience life as a homeless person so on February 1^st, 2008 he left home, walked to the mission and survived on the street for 3 days with the clothes on his back, $5 in his pocket along with some matches, gloves and a small hunting knife.

I found a break in the traffic and snuck down through the spot in the guard rail and bridge rail to a place under the bridge. It was only about ten feet from the river edge to the bridge end so I did not have much room to maneuver. I went to the end where the breeze blew toward me so that any smoke would travel under the bridge, out the other side and hopefully dissipate and not draw attention. Probably overkill but I have read too many novels and so I was being careful so as not to get in trouble. (my mind was full of the possibilities, mostly imagined, I am sure) I did not know for sure if it was legal but it seems like an open fire under a bridge in the city limits would be frowned upon. Especially when I looked like I did – I was worried I may end up safe and sound IN JAIL.

I gathered a number of rocks and made a two foot diameter fire ring – gotta be safe you know. I then gathered a bunch of wood from the dead tree that I saw on the way here. It was just out from under the bridge but below the roadway so I could not be seen very easily. I broke up the wood and whittled some shavings to get a fire started. I used my newspapers from the Martin's store trash receptacle and shortly had a small but warm fire going. I tried to make a comfy place among the rocks – not so easy but eventually found a way to sit on some of the wood pieces that were, as yet, unburned.

I removed my three pairs of socks and warmed my toes over the fire while trying to dry out my socks. They started steaming but never fully dried up. I realized after an hour of this that they may warm up but were not going to dry out at all. Good enough though. I sat there and warmed up while the time passed. As I ran short of wood supply, I had to get more wood or leave. I realized that it was close to dinner time at the mission so I suited up and put out the fire and headed up the bank. The walk to the mission was only 30 minutes or so and I arrived shortly after the doors opened.

Dinner was salad, spaghetti, bread and green beans. I ate until I could not eat any more. Then I went to find out what it took to stay overnight. Keep reading…I'll be back with more before too long.

Next – "A Night in the Mission", "Running from Frank" and "You've Got Some 'Splaining to Do"

Napping in a Grocery Store

Part TWO of Life on the Street series – Pastor Greg wanted to experience life as a homeless person so on February 1^st, 2008 he left home, walked to the mission and survived on the street for 3 days with the clothes on his back, $5 in his pocket along with some matches, gloves and a small hunting knife.

After leaving the mission, I wanted to find somewhere that was warm and where I could hope to dry out a little. I walked toward the downtown area and ended up with no places to go in and sit down without being too obvious. I eventually arrived at Martin's Supermarket on Jackson Blvd. and wandered the store for a while. I wanted to sit but was sure that I needed some reason (like food) or they would ask me to leave. I used one of my dollars to buy a cup of coffee. I sat and ended up drinking that and another one before I fell asleep in the booth. My feet dangled from the booth and were finally warm even thought they were still soaking wet. I was not sure what to expect but I ended up there for two hours and no one bothered me or told me to leave. Eventually, I refilled my cup once more and headed for the door.

As I passed the trash can – I noticed a couple of the morning's newspapers on the top of the receptacle. Hmmmmm…. A warm fire sounded nice. So, I scooped up those and folded them quickly and headed for the door with fuel in my pocket! Next step – Find a place in the city limits to have an open fire burning and not get in big trouble. Was that possible? I am not sure but I thought it would be worth a try.

I had crossed a bridge earlier and noticed that there was room between the guardrail and the bridge railing to get through and go under the bridge. I also noticed on the one side of the water that there was a dead tree at my level and below the roadway level so I could harvest some more fire fuel if it was dry enough and without being seen. (funny, I was only a couple hundred yards from the police station and the fire department) So, I headed that way. I was not sure what to expect or if that would work but after walking that way it did not take long for my resolve to harden. My feet were freezing and I needed to do something. I was only 5 hours into this and already I was worried. Bridge… here I come.

Life on the Street

As an illustration to an upcoming message about our inability to see past outward appearances, I opted, with my wife's consent, to spend three days and two nights in Elkhart as a homeless person with little money. Crazy, I know, but I felt like, in order to really speak from my heart, I needed to experience what someone who is homeless may experience.
Little did I know what to expect...
I called the Faith Mission in advance to be sure that I was not abusing a privilege or taking a bed that would be spoken for or eat food that would be for someone. The director assured me that I would not have a bed but could sleep on the floor and that the food supply was fine. In fact, he thought I would learn alot from the experience. So - with no barriers - I committed to it. I told only a few people so that there would not be any attention drawn to it. Today and the following posts are going to be dedicated to sharing my experiences - how I was treated, looked at, ignored and helped.
Day 1...
I bundled up with three pairs of socks, several layers of shirts a pair of gloves and a hat. I had a set of flannel lounge pants under my jeans and thought I would be ok. I had a pack of matches, $5, a driver's license for ID and small hunting knife. (my cell phone for emergencies and to keep the couple of people who knew from worry) Just two days before the temps were around -20 degrees - that's right negative 20! However, the night before I left we had an 8" snowfall and the temps wee back to low 30's. Not to bad I thought. I walked away from home around 10:00 am and began my trek to Elkhart's Faith Mission. Lunch was served between 12:30 and 1:00 so I could not dawdle. Snow was falling and the roads were not too well plowed yet.
As I walked along Mishawaka Road I was passed by cars, trucks, and semi's. No one stopped slowed down or honked. They drove by in their warm vehicles while I tromped along. It was interesting, I stopped counting cars after 200. It is only about two miles or so to State Road 19 but since the plows had only cleared the driving lanes - I had to walk in the 12" of plowed snow on the edge of the road until the traffice cleared. It took a long time. I walked along SR 19 - also in the snow when traffic came along - until I reached a side road where I turned toward the mission again. As I turned that corner - a truck driver stopped and asked me for directions - I gave him directions to his destination ( the same direction that I was walking) and he thanked me, rolled up his window and drove off. There I stood...I was now wet up to my knees and my three pairs of socks and my boots were soaked through and cold. I continued to walk - step by step.
As I neared the intersection that would bring me to the turn for the mission I felt an urgency to move faster. The time was growing short and I was getting hungry. I jogged a little ways until I reached the corner and then had two blocks to walk to the mission. As I neared the mission there were several people converging on the mission as I was. Two in front, tow from across the road and a van load of a family that wass just pulling in and unloading.
I walked in with no fanfare at all. No welcome. No instructions. Just empty stares at me as I stodd wondering what to do and where to go next.
I saw the food window and headed that way following the man in front of me. I just imitated what he did and received an huge sandwich and other various food items. I drank several glasses of water and then sat down to eat,. No one spoke. No one looked at me. No one wanted to talk.
I hoped to warm up and hang around for a while but as soon as the time was up every one had to leave. No hanging around here - meal time is over.
Come back again - "Napping in a Grocery Store" and "A Fire Under the Bridge" are next