How can I say no?

This is such a simple question and one usually used when attempting to be compassionate. You come an old man asking for help opening a door, how can you say no? You walk past a homeless woman who sincerely looks in need of something to eat, how can you say no? You see a cute little Girl Scout selling chocolate mint cookies, how can you say no? OK, maybe the last one has to do more with your sweet tooth than anything else!

For close to 21 of the 24 years that I have been on this earth, I have lived for myself. While in those years, I have yielded my wants and desires to help others plenty of times, my main focus was satisfying me. I lived for myself and only for myself. When you are a selfish person, you tend to think you are anything BUT selfish. I was truly a selfish person. I still struggle with this today, but it is amazing the difference a few years can make.

I have had people ask me the following questions:
· Why would you want to move back to Selma?
· Why would you want to work at a church when you could be making more money somewhere else and not working on Sunday?
· Why? Why? Why?

My overwhelming response is, how can I say no even if I wanted to?

Many times in my 24 years of existence as a human being, I have more than tried to ruin my life. At one point, I was on a direct course for the destruction of my life. For people on the outside looking in, I was nothing more than an irresponsible, immature boy, who acted like most others my age. To them I wasn’t an angel, but I surely wasn’t the devil either.

Inside of me was a different story completely. My heart had become hard and black. I treated my parents and friends badly, but nothing compared to the way I treated my physical and emotional well-being.

In my darkest of times, when I knew I could go on no further, that is when it happened. Jesus had given me life so many years ago to only watch me completely throw it away. He was always there, always calling, always encouraging….all of His words seemed to fall on deaf ears. And now, at the culmination of my selfish life where I did nothing but throw away the gift He so preciously bought for me, He was there. He did not show up with a spirit of condemnation, but one of acceptance and compassion. Exactly like the father of the lost son (Luke 15), He came running to greet me with a hug and a kiss. He had reached out to me in the darkness of my life and had come to MY RESCUE!

He has been, is, and will always be “my Rescuer.”

How can I possibly say no to anything He asks of me?

Orphans

What did I learn from spending two weeks living with orphans?

I learned that you can be spoiled even when you have nothing. You can believe that everyone should give you a handout at every turn. I saw how someone can feel sorry for themselves and believe that they will not have to do anything to earn accomplishments.

I learned to not take everything for granted, even the small things. Work, hard work, is required for success in this world, whether you are in school, playing sports, working, or maintaining a family. No one is going to give you everything you need. You have to have the will power to go out and get it.

I learned to not waste time on yesterday, not worry about tomorrow, and to spend time making the most of today. Live each day to the fullest and not spend it as just a necessary time before tomorrow.

I learned to examine myself and ask, “What is the desire of my heart for this life?”

James 4:13-17 – Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Maybe I am not encouraged by the fact that I am “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” But this is the exact reason why I should be making the most out of my days. I only have a finite number of days in an infinite world of God’s. This is all the more reason to be striving to do His will every day of my life. There is not time to waste. There is not time to sit on the sidelines when I can be on the field playing.

Days 4, 5, & 6

We arrived home this afternoon about 2:30. One stop for lunch and it did not take long to get home at all. I finally got home after returning the van to find my house had no power, what a lovely surprise! It's all good now, I have power.

Starting Wednesday, this was our prayer: Pray for us, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. - Colossians 4:3

Wednesday - We had a little trouble getting up and getting moving but we still arrived at New Covenant at 8:35. It felt like quite a hot day and later we found out it was a record high for New Orleans (104 degrees!). After returning to the hotel for lunch, we headed downtown to Jackson Square. As soon as we finished walking the French Market, a huge rainstorm showed up. What better time than to hit up Cafe Du Monde for some beignets. We walked around Jackson Square and ended with taking a carriage ride. Six guys in a carriage is always a lovely sight... Tower of Pizza in Metairie was the supper choice, followed of course by Coldstone Creamery.

Thursday - Once again, there was trouble waking up and loading the van. Arrived at New Covenant at 8:40. It was our last day with the kids so we made sure to spend time giving extra attention to every child we could. We really enjoyed singing the songs they taught us (I Am A Promise, Christ In My Vessel, Oh Soldier, & If You Can't Hear Me Singing Down There). Pastor Chip and the ladies of the church presented us with a framed certificate of appreciation for the work we did. After lunch, we visited Harbor Ministries. It was an awesome ministry that works with all the seafarers that travel in and out of New Orleans. Ice cream/sorbet from Sucre on Magazine Street,after offending some lady by parking on the bricks, was a perfect snack to hold us over until supper. New Orleans Hamburgers & Seafood was a great choice for supper. They give everyone free vanilla soft-serve (second ice cream of the day). After worship and having a sharing time with our group, you guessed it, we hit up Baskin-Robbins.

Friday - We ate breakfast by 8:00 and loaded up the van and headed home.

Thank you to everyone that has been keeping up with us and praying for us. Your prayers were most definitely felt. I ask you to keep New Covenant Community Family Church and the New Orleans area in your prayers.

Day 3

Had a good morning of working Sports Camp with the kids at New Covenant. After lunch, we decided everyone had enough sun for the day, so took it easy at the hotel in order to gain back some of our energy. This was nice but also led to everyone not wanting to go to sleep last night.

Ate supper at Acme Oyster House, followed by some riding around while checking out boats and houses near the lake, ending with the all-important Ben & Jerry's, before heading back to the hotel for group worship last night.

One more thing, the late night Krisy Kreme run succeeded in bagging us 5 dozen donuts of assorted variety....in other words, no one is starving!

Day 1 & 2

We arrived here safely yesterday around 4:30, checked into the hotel, ate a good supper at Deanie's, and had orientation at 9:00.

I drank my first coke in 4 months at Deanie's. It was somewhat of a let down.

Today, we ate breakfast together and were in the van rolling out of the parking lot at 7:33 AM. That is quite impressive for our group!

We traveled to New Covenant Family Church in Harvey to help with Sports Camp.

This afternoon we did a little sightseeing and then ate supper at my cousin's house followed by going to a couple of innings of a softball game.

NOLA

This Sunday, June 21, I will be headed to New Orleans with a van load of people and suitcases.

We will be working with New Covenant Family Church in Harvey, LA. They run a Sports Camp every summer for kids. We have been blessed to be able to work with them this summer in ministry towards these kids. We will be playing different sports with them along with helping them with some academic tasks.

There are 12 of us making the trip. Cora Smith, Trent Smith, Kasey Green, Alena Bearden, Heather Thomas, Sterling Etheredge, Hain Beers, Hunter Henson, MaCain Levins, Ashley Palmer, Evelyn Stewart. Please keep us in your prayers this week. Pray for safety and more importantly for us to be willing for God to use us in anyway He wants.

I will attempt to update this while we are down there, no promises though.

ARM Walk

Alabama Rural Ministries has been walking across the state the last two weeks to raise money for their ministry. They mostly help people repair homes that otherwise could not afford it. A couple of them are walking 111 miles in hopes of raising $111,000. It is an awesome cause and truly wonderful people that are working towards it.

ARM stopped in Selma this past weekend. Some Church Street UMC members along with the Jr High Youth of First UMC Daphne joined the walk as they entered Selma. It was exciting to see about 50 people walking across the bridge for such a great cause.

On Saturday, 702 Church Street began the morning as an absolute jungle and turned into only something of an unkept yard (which is saying a lot!). I will try to get some pictures of the before/during/after.

Thank you to the ARM staff and volunteers, First UMC Daphne Youth, Church Street UMC members, and everyone else that came out and supported this cause.

Picture: First UMC Daphne & Church Street UMC Youth gather infront of City Hall with the ARM walkers after arriving in Selma.

Check out pictures here: http://www.churchstreetumcselma.org/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=64&g2_itemId=1252

And the other picture is proof that I actually looked like I was working if nothing else...