Loving others

So- in my last post, I talked a bit about learning to love our neighbors. So Susie and I were able to bake a small amount of goodies and took them to the 5 neighbors who live the closest to us. We delivered them over personally to each of the houses, just wished them a Merry Christmas and God Bless you and a brief, maybe 3-5 minute conversation. So- since that time, one family has been over twice, the teenage daughter actually showed up on Christmas with a handmade card she made for us to say thanks, the next night her Mom came over and dropped off some fresh avocado's and made Susie give her the recipe for how she made the treats. Our next door neighbor has been waving and talking to us quite a bit when we see them. The lady from across the street waved for the first time in a while and actually said hi. What a blessing..this is a start. Tonight- to the LB Rescue Mission. One of my favorite things to do every week. God bless you all and thanks for reading.

Been way too long

Man, this place is dusty- looks like it has been a while since I have been here. Well, it is almost Christmas. The birthday of our savior. For most of us it means the additional pressures and responsibilities of getting "ready" for Christmas. The shopping, mailing, spending, giving, and finding ways to get in the holiday season. Get in the holiday season? What does that mean? What if this year, I spent less on those who probably don't need what I will give them, and spent more on those who do, the homeless, the poor, the missionaries, the children from around the world. What if acted differently to my neighbors. If I reached out and touched them? If I showed them the love of Jesus in my heart? What if I made that a start? A time to being living relationally with those around me. To become as involved as they are willing to let me. To (hopefully) let them see Jesus through me. What if I actually bothered to knock on their doors and said hi, maybe gave a small gift and personally told them I like having them as a neighbor? Is it so hard? Is it so hard to love those around us? To live as though we are neighbors? Remember those people that Jesus said to love as ourselves? Wow- what a concept. I will let you know how it is going. Thanks for reading.

Brazil

I was blessed enough to spend about 14 days in Brazil recently working with Phil Warkentien ministries. It was a glorious experience, doing work on Samaritans purse activities to get presents ready for children in Brazil who have never received a Christmas present before. These will not only be part of a gift giving effort, but also part of an outreach and a gospel presentation. Phil said he had no idea who would have done it if we hadn't been there. It was another great example of how great our God is and when you hold up your hand and say here I am, God send me, he will find a place to use you beyond your expectations. We also got the chance to speak to several groups and to do some other work with people from Phil's church. What a wonderful time we had.

Happy International Justice Day

Today Friday July 17th is International Justice Day. Mocha Club is celebrating with not only a great new video, but a great new website at MochaClub.org. Please check it out. Please take some Christian action on this day. Please look at what Jesus calls us to do, to love the poor, and to have mercy and to help the sick. What would the world think if Christians became the driving force both socially and economically. We all have been given freely, and now we must give just as freely. Please give today. Please act today. Help those in need- As Jesus said in Luke 12:33- Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

Loving him

Loving people sacrificially- is that what is all about for Christians? Is that what we show to the world? To those who don't know him? Or do we kind of count on evangelists to take care of that. Do we focus on loving Christ followers who go to the same church as us, who practice the same things as us? I find having a bag of food to provide a homeless person such a thrill. Such a blessing. Such a gift from God that when I do it, nothing satisfies more than being able to do it. Jesus was often seen with tax collectors, prostitutes, the hungry, the poor, those who were beaten down and oppressed by the society he lived in. He challenged rich people to give it all away, to sell what they had and give to others. To walk away from their daily jobs of fishing and tax collecting and families and pick up their cross and follow him. What cross do we pick up daily? Who do we follow?

Looking for change

I am becoming more and more aware of the amazing wealth we have here in America and the poverty that effects much of the rest of the world. I know it is an old cliche, but we probably waste more resources than most of the world has. We spend billions on movies, pets, eating out, wireless networking and cell phones so we can be connected wherever we go.

That is all great- and a blessing that we have the resources to use. But as a church, Jesus called us to love our neighbors as ourselves. He called us to give to the least, and if they take your cloak, do not stop them from taking your tunic. Jesus wanted us to give and give freely. To take what he provides us with and to give as much as we can. To feed the hungry, stand beside the broken, to help those in need. Let us go today- and never stop going

I need Africa more than Africa needs me

So who is our neighbor? Who are we called to love like ourselves? Isn't it everyone? We are called to love like ourselves..that is a lot of love, a lot of things I do for myself. Do I treat others the same? Or do I choose to ignore the struggles? Many times, it seems as though it is easy to just ignore them. We have been taught, they are homeless by choice, they are homeless because they don't fit in our society...but then that small still voice says...did Jesus fit in our society? Would he be found in an office going to lunch, and walking by the hungry? Would he drive his Tahoe by the guy on the corner? Would he engage the lowest of the low? I think we know the answer.