It's the day of the Living Nativity on the street. We (Parable) help a few other churches and a Christian dance company with a simple 'live' portrayal of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the stable for Jesus' birth. People carol and we help hand out hot chocolate to by-passers. Last year it was really cold and windy, but we persevered. Today, we have rain/sleet to deal with. As the day progresses, we are praying for clearing weather or just plain snow flurries. It's a fun way to be involved in sharing Jesus in the street at Christmas time. So opposite of the glitz and glitter of Rockefeller Center and Macy's and Saks' windows, but just as beautiful in its simplicity and honest message. May many people be touched and encouraged to seek Jesus this season.
We have 2 teams in this week to do some gift wrapping on the street and to also serve at a few soup kitchens and senior centers in Midtown. These are returning groups and they are such an encouragement to me. I pray we are all blessed as we celebrate Jesus with all we encounter this week. Pray for dry weather!!
Parable Church will be moving out of the Space by the end of December (just a few weeks). It is just so costly to rent this big of a space, especially when those that we cater to have no money to put on their shows. With Broadway shows closing, smaller shows canceling plans, and the economy getting steadily worse through winter, we decided we need to cut our overhead. This will be a very busy few weeks of packing up, liquidating, etc.The411 will be back to take their equipment and supplies. Parable will wrap up here by 12/31.
Even though we are down-sizing and are a little sad about leaving the place that has been an inviting place of ministry, we are very excited about having the time and resources to concentrate solely on the church body and the people who are seeking God (whether they know that or not) and to work on the simple task of building a body of believers and seekers. It is refreshing to be unencumbered by the responsibilities of the space. We will instead meet someplace for worship and fellowship, meet for ministry and service opportunities at various places, and the staff will work from our homes for a while. Although this may not sound 'stable' for some parts of the country, it is very natural for NYC. We are excited about our future.
I know I say this a lot, but I'm so blessed to work with Parable Church. It is so refreshing and energizing and encouraging to spend time with sincere, dedicated believers and to share myself with seekers who just want to have a relationship with someone they feel they can trust to share Jesus. God grows me so much through every encounter and acquaintance. My walk with God has grown, deepened, been filled with more intensity and awareness. It's like seeing a black and white drawing grow into a beautiful colorful masterpiece. The colors and textures become more detailed. Music becomes more rich through different instruments and tones and harmonies. It's wonderful to experience. All this comes about not just from the 'good times' but from those 'difficult and emotionally hard times', too. I'm thankful for them all. This time of serving in NYC will always be a huge mile stone in my life and in my walk with God.
Well, I'd better get back to work. So much to do this week.
I do wish you beautiful moments to share with our Lord this week as we prepare to celebrate His coming and as you look forward to being with family and friends. Share the Light of Jesus with everyone!
Blessings!!!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
December 8, 2008
Well, another month has went by so quickly!! It's the Christmas season and even though NYC is decorated as usual, you can really feel a sense of worry about the economy. People are out shopping, but buying little. And a lot of people are waiting till closer to Christmas to see if prices will go down further. It makes the giftwrapping teams a little anxious. But people are even more aware of our Free Giftwrapping services in Herald Square.
Speaking of the giftwrapping project, we have a team here from Branden Florida in this week. And, boy, is it cold!!!!! I hope the weather will hold out from precipitation while we're working. It's fun to be out on the streets among the many people.
I'm feeling much better. It will be a long road to getting my liver happy and healthy, but I'm being pretty disciplined while here. Now, being in Indiana with family over Thanksgiving was another story. While I didn't really eat anything considered 'bad' to normal people, I did eat too much 'normal' food and made myself sick. I'm getting over that and working on the 'Vickie rules' for food. Thank you for everyone praying for me to be disciplined. If you know me well at all, you know I'm not disciplined in much of anything!!! Please keep praying for me.
I spent Thanksgiving with my family for the second time in 18 years. It was restful, but way too quiet! My sis lives in the middle of 15 acres. It was beautiful and restful. I had technology withdrawals sometimes, though. Sporadic dial-up internet, no cable (akkk!), limited service on my cell phone, my blackberry phone went caput on the first day there and Verizon had to express me another one... But on the upside - deer in the yard one morning. (there's usually more, but it was still hunting season, so they were hiding deep in the woods). I also got to cook in a REAL kitchen! woohoo! I loved helping with Thanksgiving dinner (we actually had 2) and other meals. We baked cookies and shipped 10 boxes of goodies to soldiers in Afghanistan. Visited Walmart frequently, went with my sister to church twice, wedding planned/shopped with my niece, saw a movie with my sis, babysat my 2 year old great-nephew, played with his 4 year old brother. Saw some family and took a lot of naps. I couldn't believe how quickly 2 weeks went by.
You know how weird things are always happening to me, and how God uses unusual ways to get my attention. Well, one day I was at a Christian bookstore treating myself to a new compact Bible for my bag. While kneeling down looking through my choices on the bottom shelf, a regular size (softbound-thank you) Bible fell off a higher shelf and hit me right on the head! I still haven't figured out what God was telling me with that, except that maybe to remember that even though I wasn't around a lot of Christian friends and influence at the time, that HE was still around and able to help me 'feel' His presence!
I received a copy of the Christmas CD recorded by my home church, FBC Rogers. It is so awesome! Their concert was last night and my heart was there, even if my ears and the rest of my body wasn't. I love my home church and all the people there, especially those that share their talents and gifts for His glory!
We're chugging along here at Parable Church. We're stronger everyday as a body of Believers. It's a privilege to walk this path with people I never would have met if not for God's hand. Please keep Parable in your prayers as we go through the tough times of living in NYC. Shows are closing, people are losing jobs all over the place. Even small shifts in the economy can be major challenges here where everything costs so very much. People are looking for hope and reasons to feel joyful. It's the perfect time to share the one source of true joy with them. Pray we stay faithful and ready to speak and share.
I'll try to write more before Christmas. Until then, I pray you are all having a wonderfully reflective holiday season. Advent is such a wonderful time and I am striving to make it more of a focus for my December.
Blessings!
Speaking of the giftwrapping project, we have a team here from Branden Florida in this week. And, boy, is it cold!!!!! I hope the weather will hold out from precipitation while we're working. It's fun to be out on the streets among the many people.
I'm feeling much better. It will be a long road to getting my liver happy and healthy, but I'm being pretty disciplined while here. Now, being in Indiana with family over Thanksgiving was another story. While I didn't really eat anything considered 'bad' to normal people, I did eat too much 'normal' food and made myself sick. I'm getting over that and working on the 'Vickie rules' for food. Thank you for everyone praying for me to be disciplined. If you know me well at all, you know I'm not disciplined in much of anything!!! Please keep praying for me.
I spent Thanksgiving with my family for the second time in 18 years. It was restful, but way too quiet! My sis lives in the middle of 15 acres. It was beautiful and restful. I had technology withdrawals sometimes, though. Sporadic dial-up internet, no cable (akkk!), limited service on my cell phone, my blackberry phone went caput on the first day there and Verizon had to express me another one... But on the upside - deer in the yard one morning. (there's usually more, but it was still hunting season, so they were hiding deep in the woods). I also got to cook in a REAL kitchen! woohoo! I loved helping with Thanksgiving dinner (we actually had 2) and other meals. We baked cookies and shipped 10 boxes of goodies to soldiers in Afghanistan. Visited Walmart frequently, went with my sister to church twice, wedding planned/shopped with my niece, saw a movie with my sis, babysat my 2 year old great-nephew, played with his 4 year old brother. Saw some family and took a lot of naps. I couldn't believe how quickly 2 weeks went by.
You know how weird things are always happening to me, and how God uses unusual ways to get my attention. Well, one day I was at a Christian bookstore treating myself to a new compact Bible for my bag. While kneeling down looking through my choices on the bottom shelf, a regular size (softbound-thank you) Bible fell off a higher shelf and hit me right on the head! I still haven't figured out what God was telling me with that, except that maybe to remember that even though I wasn't around a lot of Christian friends and influence at the time, that HE was still around and able to help me 'feel' His presence!
I received a copy of the Christmas CD recorded by my home church, FBC Rogers. It is so awesome! Their concert was last night and my heart was there, even if my ears and the rest of my body wasn't. I love my home church and all the people there, especially those that share their talents and gifts for His glory!
We're chugging along here at Parable Church. We're stronger everyday as a body of Believers. It's a privilege to walk this path with people I never would have met if not for God's hand. Please keep Parable in your prayers as we go through the tough times of living in NYC. Shows are closing, people are losing jobs all over the place. Even small shifts in the economy can be major challenges here where everything costs so very much. People are looking for hope and reasons to feel joyful. It's the perfect time to share the one source of true joy with them. Pray we stay faithful and ready to speak and share.
I'll try to write more before Christmas. Until then, I pray you are all having a wonderfully reflective holiday season. Advent is such a wonderful time and I am striving to make it more of a focus for my December.
Blessings!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
November 6, 2008
Weeks seem to chug along and I can't believe how fast time flies by. When I see or experience things that seem interesting, I think I will remember it to add to this blog. Of course, by the time I write, I have forgotten most of the things. This will probably be a rambling post, but choose for yourself whether you want to keep reading...
One day last week I was feeling really sick, but needed to go to the Space for a staff meeting. It's not always easy to get all the staff together at the same time and with so much going on at Parable right now, missing the meeting was not an option. Getting from place to place in the city is sometimes not much fun even when you feel good. I made it in to the office and sat down. The guys decided I didn't look well and suggested I go home. Well, that didn't set well with me, since I had spent so much energy getting my nauseous self there! Mike and I stepped over to our favorite health food diner to grab something healthy and hot for my tummy. Then we had our meeting. We accomplished much in the meeting. However, since I didn't feel well, I ended up being weepy (I'm such a girl sometimes). Of course, the guys don't freak out over female tears. We are in NYC after all where people just get tough. Besides they know that I'm really not fragile. So we completed our meeting and they decided I should take some time off to get better. I agreed to continue taking it easy and concentrating on getting well.
I was getting phone calls from my sister that day letting me know that my Mom was in the hospital for what turned out to be just an overnight stay. She was calling, my phone kept dropping the calls, it was rainy and cold, I felt like crap... As I was going to meet my bus, I pulled out my little umbrella that I carry in my bag. The wind here gets strong and makes umbrellas useless some times. This was the case at that moment. I'm fighting the wind and my umbrella, which turns inside out and 2 of the spines break. So I fix it best I can and keep walking to the bus. Half of me is fairly dry from part of the umbrella that still looks like an umbrella. The other side of me is getting wet as that half of the umbrella is not only broken, but is slapping me up side the head as I'm walking. Needless to say, the umbrella got tossed into the next trashcan. But at that moment I really felt the enemy trying to do everything possible to make me miserable. It was one of those times when you just want to laugh because it is so ridiculous. No matter how wet, sick or irritated I was at that time, I decided to praise God for letting me being His no matter what was thrown my way. I think I will remember that silly umbrella beating my head when ever I have a frustrating moment and I hope it makes me laugh as it did much later. Just felt like sharing that story...
I'm now feeling well enough to begin walking to the Space again and to get out more. I really missed walking the streets of this city. I walk past hundreds of people every day that I do not know and will probably never meet. It starts feeling like people are just like the buildings - many around and you just walk past them. It makes me more appreciative of the people that I do meet and start seeing on a continuing basis. Kenneth (my guard friend at Lincoln Center) asked where I've been. He missed seeing me in the mornings. We've been teasing about going to the beach now that the weather is colder. He's from Jamaica and likes warm weather. If I walk by his post and he's not near the sidewalk, he'll yell 'hello' and I look around till I find him. The other day I walked by and another guard was at his post. I heard a 'hello' as I passed a parked car and it was Kenneth inside taking a break and eating a snack. He made sure I heard him so that he could greet me. That made me smile.
I know most of the maintenance and support staff in our building at the Space. I really appreciate the jobs they do. It's nice to learn their names and greet each other and find out where they are from and different things about them. I love hearing everyone's stories. And I'm thankful for the opportunity to share my story with them. The story of how God brought me to NYC.
I'm feeling a little better and starting down the long road of getting healthy once and for all. No more taking health and strength for granted. No more abusing this body, which is a gift to me from God to use while on this earth. I'm going after physical, spiritual and emotional health. The whole package. And I know I can't do it without God. I'm not strong enough to be that disciplined. But this is another way that I can trust Him and honor Him and give Him the glory for what He accomplishes in my life. So please, keep me in your prayers!
Concentrating on eating healthy, organic, unprocessed foods makes me think about how much I want my relationships to be healthy, honest, trusting and uncomplicated by worldly perspectives. I want all parts of my life to be healthy and just the way that God intends it to be.
I promise to try harder to share more stories about my walk with Christ in NYC.
One day last week I was feeling really sick, but needed to go to the Space for a staff meeting. It's not always easy to get all the staff together at the same time and with so much going on at Parable right now, missing the meeting was not an option. Getting from place to place in the city is sometimes not much fun even when you feel good. I made it in to the office and sat down. The guys decided I didn't look well and suggested I go home. Well, that didn't set well with me, since I had spent so much energy getting my nauseous self there! Mike and I stepped over to our favorite health food diner to grab something healthy and hot for my tummy. Then we had our meeting. We accomplished much in the meeting. However, since I didn't feel well, I ended up being weepy (I'm such a girl sometimes). Of course, the guys don't freak out over female tears. We are in NYC after all where people just get tough. Besides they know that I'm really not fragile. So we completed our meeting and they decided I should take some time off to get better. I agreed to continue taking it easy and concentrating on getting well.
I was getting phone calls from my sister that day letting me know that my Mom was in the hospital for what turned out to be just an overnight stay. She was calling, my phone kept dropping the calls, it was rainy and cold, I felt like crap... As I was going to meet my bus, I pulled out my little umbrella that I carry in my bag. The wind here gets strong and makes umbrellas useless some times. This was the case at that moment. I'm fighting the wind and my umbrella, which turns inside out and 2 of the spines break. So I fix it best I can and keep walking to the bus. Half of me is fairly dry from part of the umbrella that still looks like an umbrella. The other side of me is getting wet as that half of the umbrella is not only broken, but is slapping me up side the head as I'm walking. Needless to say, the umbrella got tossed into the next trashcan. But at that moment I really felt the enemy trying to do everything possible to make me miserable. It was one of those times when you just want to laugh because it is so ridiculous. No matter how wet, sick or irritated I was at that time, I decided to praise God for letting me being His no matter what was thrown my way. I think I will remember that silly umbrella beating my head when ever I have a frustrating moment and I hope it makes me laugh as it did much later. Just felt like sharing that story...
I'm now feeling well enough to begin walking to the Space again and to get out more. I really missed walking the streets of this city. I walk past hundreds of people every day that I do not know and will probably never meet. It starts feeling like people are just like the buildings - many around and you just walk past them. It makes me more appreciative of the people that I do meet and start seeing on a continuing basis. Kenneth (my guard friend at Lincoln Center) asked where I've been. He missed seeing me in the mornings. We've been teasing about going to the beach now that the weather is colder. He's from Jamaica and likes warm weather. If I walk by his post and he's not near the sidewalk, he'll yell 'hello' and I look around till I find him. The other day I walked by and another guard was at his post. I heard a 'hello' as I passed a parked car and it was Kenneth inside taking a break and eating a snack. He made sure I heard him so that he could greet me. That made me smile.
I know most of the maintenance and support staff in our building at the Space. I really appreciate the jobs they do. It's nice to learn their names and greet each other and find out where they are from and different things about them. I love hearing everyone's stories. And I'm thankful for the opportunity to share my story with them. The story of how God brought me to NYC.
I'm feeling a little better and starting down the long road of getting healthy once and for all. No more taking health and strength for granted. No more abusing this body, which is a gift to me from God to use while on this earth. I'm going after physical, spiritual and emotional health. The whole package. And I know I can't do it without God. I'm not strong enough to be that disciplined. But this is another way that I can trust Him and honor Him and give Him the glory for what He accomplishes in my life. So please, keep me in your prayers!
Concentrating on eating healthy, organic, unprocessed foods makes me think about how much I want my relationships to be healthy, honest, trusting and uncomplicated by worldly perspectives. I want all parts of my life to be healthy and just the way that God intends it to be.
I promise to try harder to share more stories about my walk with Christ in NYC.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
October 25, 2008
It's October 25th. Can you believe it? Just a month till Thanksgiving and just 2 months till Christmas!!! Time marches on.
We have a new addition to our Parable Church family. Colton John Mihelich arrived on Monday. Everyone is doing well. I can't wait to hold that wonderful bundle of blessing.
Erin is still battling her migraine headache. It's been going on way too long. Much prayer is needed for her comfort and for the medical team to figure this all out.
I'm still on my journey of stomach problems. It's been very interesting. There was a mix up with my test results it had my Doctor thinking that I had tumors on body parts that I don't have any longer. It was a wild 24 hours until it all got sorted out, but I knew God was in control of it all and I was ready to follow the journey wherever God took me. After studying the reports, it was clear that the cancer belonged to another woman and that my results were not as scary. The main thing to remember is that God is in control and the only real truth about anything, health included, is what He says.
So far we know that my colon is good and other organs seem happy. With the exception of my liver. It's not in very good shape at the moment. I am getting quite the education on how the liver works and what is and is not good for it. It amazes me how complex God has made our bodies and how He knows every cell in them. I definitely need to make some dietary changes to heal my liver. Basically, I will be cutting out most of the foods that I love. Thankfully, I like the foods that I get to keep eating, so it won't be too bad. Goodbye to red meat, pork, dairy and eggs. I will eat more fresh chicken and fish, fresh veggies and fruit, whole grains and nuts. All organic, of course. I love milk and meat, so giving them up will be really hard. I tried soy milk today for the first time. I'm not a fan. But I will just use it on cereal and to cook with. I don't think I'll be chugging glasses of it like I did 'real' milk. I'll just stick to water and juices. There are more adjustments to make, but I'll take it as it comes and try to learn to live healthy in baby steps. Hopefully, by Christmas I will see a real difference in my liver. Getting through Thanksgiving will be interesting, though. I'll be trying lots of new recipes and experimenting with foods. This will be interesting in my teeny kitchen. But, hey, people survive all over the world with less!
I want to share something I wrote in an email not long ago. It helps me to remember God's lessons for me...
This week I'm celebrating the uniqueness of how God has created every person. The fact that He has plans for every life and that every person is just as important to Him as the next intrigues me. We impose so much assessment and judgment upon others based on our path and forget that their path is unique to them, and most importantly, ordained by the Father. A lot of our frustration and unhappiness is a result of people not meeting our expectations. That's what needs assessment and examination - our expectations. Are they aligned with HIS perceptions? I have to ask myself this question all the time. I feel like the unsettling, frustrating, disgruntled, etc feelings are His guides to keep me on the right path. Kind of like guardrails along the highway. If you waiver and bump into them it's not usually pleasant (and if you are going too fast, it can be painful). But they keep me from going off of the road to where He is sending me (and from speeding ahead of Him). Other people are on these paths and I shouldn't expect them to drive the way I want them to, they have to deal with the guardrails in their own journey with Him. I want to travel with them and not cause road rage!
Okay, I don't know where that analogy about driving came from. I haven't even owned a car in the last 18 months! The traffic and commuting in NYC is another story! Subways are mostly about getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible( and hoping you find a line and station that is nearby to where you are going). Buses are slower and the routes are not as direct sometimes, but you get to look out the window and actually See the journey as you are on it. And my favorite is walking, which allows for Participating in the journey. (I know, I'm spending way too much time alone and in reflection these days!)
I'm really missing my friends back at my home church in Rogers AR. I like keeping up with some of them on Facebook. If you have facebook, please add me as your friend. I want to keep in touch with as many people as possible. And don't forget to email me at vickiejocline@yahoo.com.
Time for a snack of nuts and berries! Until next time... Blessings!
We have a new addition to our Parable Church family. Colton John Mihelich arrived on Monday. Everyone is doing well. I can't wait to hold that wonderful bundle of blessing.
Erin is still battling her migraine headache. It's been going on way too long. Much prayer is needed for her comfort and for the medical team to figure this all out.
I'm still on my journey of stomach problems. It's been very interesting. There was a mix up with my test results it had my Doctor thinking that I had tumors on body parts that I don't have any longer. It was a wild 24 hours until it all got sorted out, but I knew God was in control of it all and I was ready to follow the journey wherever God took me. After studying the reports, it was clear that the cancer belonged to another woman and that my results were not as scary. The main thing to remember is that God is in control and the only real truth about anything, health included, is what He says.
So far we know that my colon is good and other organs seem happy. With the exception of my liver. It's not in very good shape at the moment. I am getting quite the education on how the liver works and what is and is not good for it. It amazes me how complex God has made our bodies and how He knows every cell in them. I definitely need to make some dietary changes to heal my liver. Basically, I will be cutting out most of the foods that I love. Thankfully, I like the foods that I get to keep eating, so it won't be too bad. Goodbye to red meat, pork, dairy and eggs. I will eat more fresh chicken and fish, fresh veggies and fruit, whole grains and nuts. All organic, of course. I love milk and meat, so giving them up will be really hard. I tried soy milk today for the first time. I'm not a fan. But I will just use it on cereal and to cook with. I don't think I'll be chugging glasses of it like I did 'real' milk. I'll just stick to water and juices. There are more adjustments to make, but I'll take it as it comes and try to learn to live healthy in baby steps. Hopefully, by Christmas I will see a real difference in my liver. Getting through Thanksgiving will be interesting, though. I'll be trying lots of new recipes and experimenting with foods. This will be interesting in my teeny kitchen. But, hey, people survive all over the world with less!
I want to share something I wrote in an email not long ago. It helps me to remember God's lessons for me...
This week I'm celebrating the uniqueness of how God has created every person. The fact that He has plans for every life and that every person is just as important to Him as the next intrigues me. We impose so much assessment and judgment upon others based on our path and forget that their path is unique to them, and most importantly, ordained by the Father. A lot of our frustration and unhappiness is a result of people not meeting our expectations. That's what needs assessment and examination - our expectations. Are they aligned with HIS perceptions? I have to ask myself this question all the time. I feel like the unsettling, frustrating, disgruntled, etc feelings are His guides to keep me on the right path. Kind of like guardrails along the highway. If you waiver and bump into them it's not usually pleasant (and if you are going too fast, it can be painful). But they keep me from going off of the road to where He is sending me (and from speeding ahead of Him). Other people are on these paths and I shouldn't expect them to drive the way I want them to, they have to deal with the guardrails in their own journey with Him. I want to travel with them and not cause road rage!
Okay, I don't know where that analogy about driving came from. I haven't even owned a car in the last 18 months! The traffic and commuting in NYC is another story! Subways are mostly about getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible( and hoping you find a line and station that is nearby to where you are going). Buses are slower and the routes are not as direct sometimes, but you get to look out the window and actually See the journey as you are on it. And my favorite is walking, which allows for Participating in the journey. (I know, I'm spending way too much time alone and in reflection these days!)
I'm really missing my friends back at my home church in Rogers AR. I like keeping up with some of them on Facebook. If you have facebook, please add me as your friend. I want to keep in touch with as many people as possible. And don't forget to email me at vickiejocline@yahoo.com.
Time for a snack of nuts and berries! Until next time... Blessings!
Friday, October 10, 2008
October 10, 2008
Wow, I didn't realize how long it has been since I've posted here. The whole month of September has gone by. And as usual, there are many praises and prayer requests and opportunities to share Jesus.
The Space is really hopping these days with shows, rehearsals, classes, and people in and out all the time. John and Frank have been very busy keeping up with everything. Lots of new contacts and networking going on...
I've been working from home more (where it's relatively more quiet) and have more time to connect with people one-on-one. Being able to be productive from home has really been helpful since I have not felt well for the last 4 weeks or so. God will always make a way for His work to be accomplished.
I enjoyed a nice visit with a 'partnership' Pastor that I respect very much. It was good to share about the new, simpler, more God-focused mission for Parable. It is very encouraging to me to have these conversations with people who want to help Parable share the true love of God with the people of NYC. Thanks Bill.
There aren't many days at Parable that I would call 'normal' (what is normal, anyway?) But these last weeks have been full of challenges. Pastor Mike has been through a whirlwind with the sudden illness of his mother, who was admitted into the hospital with migraine headaches and ended up with brain surgery to remove a tumor. Within weeks, she was welcomed into God's loving arms. Mike spent most everyday at her side at the hospital in PA, with just a few days to whip back to NYC (1 1/2 hour drive) to get clothes and such. While sitting with his mother in one hospital, across town, his sister-in-law (wife of the brother who went to Heaven this past spring) gave birth to Mike's first niece. He posted pictures of Uncle Mike holding this precious gift. We all missed Mike at Parable services during this time, but he was very much with us via email, text, phone calls and God's grace.
Erin, who is one of the strongest young ladies I know, has been stricken with debilitating migraines. She suffers with these occasionally, but currently is on her third week of a doozie. The meds have their own issues of side effects to deal with. Things like this reminds us of just how complex and miraculous our bodies are made and how we should not take for granted being able to live in good health. Please keep Erin in your prayers.
Frank and Allie are expecting their baby any day now. We are all so excited! We haven't had a baby in the congregation for a while. (we have grown to 4 married couples now though!) The sex of the baby is going to be a surprise to everyone, including Mom and Dad. That just seems to add to the wonder of the power of God to create life and surprise us with it. I can't wait to hold that baby!!
I have had my own health issues lately. For weeks I have had some stomach issues. The most bothersome is nausea and a pain in my side. Being on a really bland diet has helped the pain diminish to a dull ache. I have had multiple tests, (blood tests, 2 ultra sounds, cat scan, endoscopy, colonoscopy) and other poking around. The good news is that I had a good report from the colonoscopy (only 1 small pollop that was easily removed) and the spot on my liver was confirmed as an hemangioma (kind of a birthmark on the liver - no problem at all). I still have nausea and a dull ache, but hopefully I'll find out some good news when I see the doctor next Wednesday to talk about the results of all the tests. The consensus is that it may still be my gall bladder acting up. Unfortunately, the gall bladder can be sneaky. (I think the 'pain in Paul's side' was actually his gall bladder...) The praises from all of this are: I now have 2 new doctors here in NYC that I really like (I was putting off looking for a Dr here because I figured it would be such a huge, unsatisfying ordeal), I had a great report from the colonoscopy (good to know since my Mom has major colon and abdominal problems), my innards seem to be chugging along fine (thanks to the ultrasounds and cat scan), I got to meet some interesting people in all the waiting rooms and also the medical staff, I have gotten a lot of rest (although I also have gotten room fever aka cabin fever), I've saved money on groceries (which will be made up by paying medical bills), and I'm loosing weight (which I need to do badly anyway).
I've really enjoyed reading some books that have spoken to me deeply about my walk with God. If you get the chance to read, check out these: "The Shack" by Young, "Margin" by Swenson, "One Month to Live" by Shook, "Cross Culture Conflict" and Cross Cultural Servanthood" by Duane Elmer. There are other books on my list to get to, but these have been interesting to me lately. More and more God is making it clear that our focus is to be on having a relationship with Him. That is an on-going relationship where we talk to Him everyday and seek His guidance and listen to Him. And to share that relationship with other people. To talk to them about our lives as we interact with God. To love people on the most basic level. It all sounds so simple, but we miss the mark when we start adding modern bells and whistles to this simple witness technique of just opening up to another person. I love it that God asks us to just be simple, just love, just care, just share...
I was blessed by my conversation with the landlord of my building. I asked God to give me discernment in determining if I am to stay and how much longer. A lot of it is dependent on the amount of the rate hike and if they would allow me to sign a 6 month lease. Well, God made it so obvious, that I almost heard Him say 'duh - is this clear enough for you?'. There was no problem with the 6 month lease and the rent hike was only $39 (it was $100 last year). So I'm here in NYC for at least the next 6 months. That will put me here 2 years in May. It's up to God to determine where and for how long I serve. I am totally comfortable leaving that decision up to Him. With the economy being as crazy as it is now, God will show His grace in blessing my supporters so that they can continue to be a part of this ministry by financially supporting me here. I am sooo thankful for those supporters.
Well, I can't think of anything else to share for this moment, so I'll sign off for now. I just want to thank everyone for their support of prayers, money, care packages and love. I am so privileged to by serving here at this time. I wish I could find the words to let everyone know how much they mean to me. I leave that up to God to fill your heart to show you and bless you.
Watch for the blessings that come (sometimes subtly) from being a child of the King.
Blessings!
The Space is really hopping these days with shows, rehearsals, classes, and people in and out all the time. John and Frank have been very busy keeping up with everything. Lots of new contacts and networking going on...
I've been working from home more (where it's relatively more quiet) and have more time to connect with people one-on-one. Being able to be productive from home has really been helpful since I have not felt well for the last 4 weeks or so. God will always make a way for His work to be accomplished.
I enjoyed a nice visit with a 'partnership' Pastor that I respect very much. It was good to share about the new, simpler, more God-focused mission for Parable. It is very encouraging to me to have these conversations with people who want to help Parable share the true love of God with the people of NYC. Thanks Bill.
There aren't many days at Parable that I would call 'normal' (what is normal, anyway?) But these last weeks have been full of challenges. Pastor Mike has been through a whirlwind with the sudden illness of his mother, who was admitted into the hospital with migraine headaches and ended up with brain surgery to remove a tumor. Within weeks, she was welcomed into God's loving arms. Mike spent most everyday at her side at the hospital in PA, with just a few days to whip back to NYC (1 1/2 hour drive) to get clothes and such. While sitting with his mother in one hospital, across town, his sister-in-law (wife of the brother who went to Heaven this past spring) gave birth to Mike's first niece. He posted pictures of Uncle Mike holding this precious gift. We all missed Mike at Parable services during this time, but he was very much with us via email, text, phone calls and God's grace.
Erin, who is one of the strongest young ladies I know, has been stricken with debilitating migraines. She suffers with these occasionally, but currently is on her third week of a doozie. The meds have their own issues of side effects to deal with. Things like this reminds us of just how complex and miraculous our bodies are made and how we should not take for granted being able to live in good health. Please keep Erin in your prayers.
Frank and Allie are expecting their baby any day now. We are all so excited! We haven't had a baby in the congregation for a while. (we have grown to 4 married couples now though!) The sex of the baby is going to be a surprise to everyone, including Mom and Dad. That just seems to add to the wonder of the power of God to create life and surprise us with it. I can't wait to hold that baby!!
I have had my own health issues lately. For weeks I have had some stomach issues. The most bothersome is nausea and a pain in my side. Being on a really bland diet has helped the pain diminish to a dull ache. I have had multiple tests, (blood tests, 2 ultra sounds, cat scan, endoscopy, colonoscopy) and other poking around. The good news is that I had a good report from the colonoscopy (only 1 small pollop that was easily removed) and the spot on my liver was confirmed as an hemangioma (kind of a birthmark on the liver - no problem at all). I still have nausea and a dull ache, but hopefully I'll find out some good news when I see the doctor next Wednesday to talk about the results of all the tests. The consensus is that it may still be my gall bladder acting up. Unfortunately, the gall bladder can be sneaky. (I think the 'pain in Paul's side' was actually his gall bladder...) The praises from all of this are: I now have 2 new doctors here in NYC that I really like (I was putting off looking for a Dr here because I figured it would be such a huge, unsatisfying ordeal), I had a great report from the colonoscopy (good to know since my Mom has major colon and abdominal problems), my innards seem to be chugging along fine (thanks to the ultrasounds and cat scan), I got to meet some interesting people in all the waiting rooms and also the medical staff, I have gotten a lot of rest (although I also have gotten room fever aka cabin fever), I've saved money on groceries (which will be made up by paying medical bills), and I'm loosing weight (which I need to do badly anyway).
I've really enjoyed reading some books that have spoken to me deeply about my walk with God. If you get the chance to read, check out these: "The Shack" by Young, "Margin" by Swenson, "One Month to Live" by Shook, "Cross Culture Conflict" and Cross Cultural Servanthood" by Duane Elmer. There are other books on my list to get to, but these have been interesting to me lately. More and more God is making it clear that our focus is to be on having a relationship with Him. That is an on-going relationship where we talk to Him everyday and seek His guidance and listen to Him. And to share that relationship with other people. To talk to them about our lives as we interact with God. To love people on the most basic level. It all sounds so simple, but we miss the mark when we start adding modern bells and whistles to this simple witness technique of just opening up to another person. I love it that God asks us to just be simple, just love, just care, just share...
I was blessed by my conversation with the landlord of my building. I asked God to give me discernment in determining if I am to stay and how much longer. A lot of it is dependent on the amount of the rate hike and if they would allow me to sign a 6 month lease. Well, God made it so obvious, that I almost heard Him say 'duh - is this clear enough for you?'. There was no problem with the 6 month lease and the rent hike was only $39 (it was $100 last year). So I'm here in NYC for at least the next 6 months. That will put me here 2 years in May. It's up to God to determine where and for how long I serve. I am totally comfortable leaving that decision up to Him. With the economy being as crazy as it is now, God will show His grace in blessing my supporters so that they can continue to be a part of this ministry by financially supporting me here. I am sooo thankful for those supporters.
Well, I can't think of anything else to share for this moment, so I'll sign off for now. I just want to thank everyone for their support of prayers, money, care packages and love. I am so privileged to by serving here at this time. I wish I could find the words to let everyone know how much they mean to me. I leave that up to God to fill your heart to show you and bless you.
Watch for the blessings that come (sometimes subtly) from being a child of the King.
Blessings!
Friday, August 29, 2008
August 29, 2008
It's Friday of Labor Day weekend. Ahhhh.....
This turned out to be one of my days off this week since I had to be home to welcome the cable guy (they actually came during the 'appointment window' they promised - even in NYC!!!) My cable converter box was possessed this week. It kept turning itself off and trying to reboot every few minutes. I pushed the power button to turn it off and that didn't work, it was still turning itself on and off and trying to reboot. I finally had to unplug it from the wall!
As frustrating as that was, it reminded me of how pesky the enemy can be in distracting me with seemingly small glitches. Like that cable box, sometimes we have to 'un-attach' ourselves from the power source of evil. Anything that is not of God in our lives is a way for the enemy to sneak into our minds and hearts. Even distant relationships with people not walking in God's light need to be evaluated. It may seem harmless, but it's an open door. Sometimes it only takes a crack for evil to sneak in. I'm glad the cable guy could fix my problem with the dysfunctional converter box. I'm even more glad that God is always standing by to change out my wants and thoughts and anything else that is not of Him, and to give me a clear connection to His input!
I finished reading a book last week titled "One Month to Live" and it was really enlightening to me. It is one of the few books I have ever really highlighted in as I was reading (at least one that wasn't part of a study or something). Anyway, I was expecting it to just be a reminder to get my life in order by doing things like putting God first, loving people more, de-cluttering my life, etc. The book is a very easy read and is basic in the way it presents ideas. It really gave me so much more than I expected. I recommend this book highly to Everyone. I found its insights on relationships, how I handle problems, how to stay connected to God better, how to serve people more effectively and how to live a bolder life in His name. I'll probably re-read it many times. I pray for everyone to give their life to God so that they can live as boldly as they are created to be for His purpose.
Isn't technology wonderful? (I say that half sarcastically) I have drug my feet in many ways when it comes to getting too involved with technology. I guess I'm afraid it will take the place of one-on-one human contact or something. But I have to say that being able to share with so many people at once through blogs, email and even facebook, has made it easier on me than I imagined.
This week I was blessed to receive a new phone. One of my dear church partners offered to supply this for me. My old cell was having to be charged twice a day. That is aggravating enough in itself, but here where you are in 'transit' more than you are near a computer, or even available electrical outlets, it can be debilitating at times! My new blessing is a Blackberry Curve phone (now on sale for only $99) on which I can not only handle phone calls (with a longer life battery than my old phone), but I can receive emails right to my phone. I always thought that the email thing was a little over the top for a cell phone, but I cannot believe how much it has helped me in staying connected while commuting around the city. I'm very thankful for the gift and for how much of a help it is for my work here in NYC.
Don't forget that you can always reach me via cell phone, and my two email addresses. You can check up on me and the Parable ministry at this blog, Parablechurch.com and parablemission.blogspot.com. And don't ever hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns about the ministry God has brought me to here in NYC.
Someone sent me a little story/poem kind of thing that asks the question what if we treated our Bibles as we do our cell phones. I have seen this before, but it is really a good reminder to seek being connected to God and His Word as much as we try to be connected to each other and the world. As handy as a cell phone is, God is always on the line, quicker to answer, and there's never a busy signal! (I know, that's cheesy!)
I pray you all have a wonderful holiday weekend. Summer is almost over. I love fall, but am anxious about the bleakness that sometimes comes with winter. Last winter was especially challenging for me and I didn't even realize how 'gray' I felt until spring was here and it was like a huge blanket coming off. I know this winter will be much better because a lot of the oppressive things from last year are gone, but I do need your prayers to keep me lifted up through the 'gray' days.
The seasons go by so fast, as do the seasons in our lives. I'm striving to make my life simpler so that I can enjoy the walk with my God and experience all He has planned for my days. Thinking about fall weather coming in about a month, I'm picturing myself walking through Central Park with thousands of leaves bursting in color and just strolling along talking with God. I promise to send you pictures of the leaves. (You'll have to look at God for yourselves)
Thank you for your faithful love and prayers and support as I live and serve here with Parable in NYC. Blessings!!!
This turned out to be one of my days off this week since I had to be home to welcome the cable guy (they actually came during the 'appointment window' they promised - even in NYC!!!) My cable converter box was possessed this week. It kept turning itself off and trying to reboot every few minutes. I pushed the power button to turn it off and that didn't work, it was still turning itself on and off and trying to reboot. I finally had to unplug it from the wall!
As frustrating as that was, it reminded me of how pesky the enemy can be in distracting me with seemingly small glitches. Like that cable box, sometimes we have to 'un-attach' ourselves from the power source of evil. Anything that is not of God in our lives is a way for the enemy to sneak into our minds and hearts. Even distant relationships with people not walking in God's light need to be evaluated. It may seem harmless, but it's an open door. Sometimes it only takes a crack for evil to sneak in. I'm glad the cable guy could fix my problem with the dysfunctional converter box. I'm even more glad that God is always standing by to change out my wants and thoughts and anything else that is not of Him, and to give me a clear connection to His input!
I finished reading a book last week titled "One Month to Live" and it was really enlightening to me. It is one of the few books I have ever really highlighted in as I was reading (at least one that wasn't part of a study or something). Anyway, I was expecting it to just be a reminder to get my life in order by doing things like putting God first, loving people more, de-cluttering my life, etc. The book is a very easy read and is basic in the way it presents ideas. It really gave me so much more than I expected. I recommend this book highly to Everyone. I found its insights on relationships, how I handle problems, how to stay connected to God better, how to serve people more effectively and how to live a bolder life in His name. I'll probably re-read it many times. I pray for everyone to give their life to God so that they can live as boldly as they are created to be for His purpose.
Isn't technology wonderful? (I say that half sarcastically) I have drug my feet in many ways when it comes to getting too involved with technology. I guess I'm afraid it will take the place of one-on-one human contact or something. But I have to say that being able to share with so many people at once through blogs, email and even facebook, has made it easier on me than I imagined.
This week I was blessed to receive a new phone. One of my dear church partners offered to supply this for me. My old cell was having to be charged twice a day. That is aggravating enough in itself, but here where you are in 'transit' more than you are near a computer, or even available electrical outlets, it can be debilitating at times! My new blessing is a Blackberry Curve phone (now on sale for only $99) on which I can not only handle phone calls (with a longer life battery than my old phone), but I can receive emails right to my phone. I always thought that the email thing was a little over the top for a cell phone, but I cannot believe how much it has helped me in staying connected while commuting around the city. I'm very thankful for the gift and for how much of a help it is for my work here in NYC.
Don't forget that you can always reach me via cell phone, and my two email addresses. You can check up on me and the Parable ministry at this blog, Parablechurch.com and parablemission.blogspot.com. And don't ever hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns about the ministry God has brought me to here in NYC.
Someone sent me a little story/poem kind of thing that asks the question what if we treated our Bibles as we do our cell phones. I have seen this before, but it is really a good reminder to seek being connected to God and His Word as much as we try to be connected to each other and the world. As handy as a cell phone is, God is always on the line, quicker to answer, and there's never a busy signal! (I know, that's cheesy!)
I pray you all have a wonderful holiday weekend. Summer is almost over. I love fall, but am anxious about the bleakness that sometimes comes with winter. Last winter was especially challenging for me and I didn't even realize how 'gray' I felt until spring was here and it was like a huge blanket coming off. I know this winter will be much better because a lot of the oppressive things from last year are gone, but I do need your prayers to keep me lifted up through the 'gray' days.
The seasons go by so fast, as do the seasons in our lives. I'm striving to make my life simpler so that I can enjoy the walk with my God and experience all He has planned for my days. Thinking about fall weather coming in about a month, I'm picturing myself walking through Central Park with thousands of leaves bursting in color and just strolling along talking with God. I promise to send you pictures of the leaves. (You'll have to look at God for yourselves)
Thank you for your faithful love and prayers and support as I live and serve here with Parable in NYC. Blessings!!!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
August 23, 2008 (pics)
What a beautiful day this has been! I did a little housework and ran to the library this morning. Then I was blessed with 4 hours of walking around the lower half of Central Park. It was great, sunny weather and low 80 temps. It was a great day to be out and about. I didn't realize until I got home that I had taken over 100 pics!
When I first walked into the park at Columbus Circle, I saw some people gathered for a rally/protest. There weren't many people by New York standards, but I thought I would check it out anyway. There was a girl wearing feathered angel wings and giving a long winded speech about some kind of equality. After listening for a few moments and seeing a poster, I realized that they were furthering the cause for "freedom to be topless". They said if women weren't allowed to go topless in the city, then men should be required to always wear shirts. I'll let you know if they make any changes to city laws - ha!
I walked past the Dairy;stopped by the Chess/Checkers house, where you can sit and play at tables along the outside veranda; many different types of playgrounds; I rode the carousel; visited the Balto statue; walked along the Mall (a wide walkway that is featured in many movies); enjoyed the views at Bethesda Terrace; watched the boats (and turtles) at the Boathouse; watched the remote control boats at the Water Conservatory; watched kids climb all over the Alice in Wonderland statue; looked at Cleopatra's Needle (a centuries old statue by the Met); went by the Great Lawn; the Delacorte Theatre (where they have Shakespear in the Park); climbed up the tower at Belvedeer Castle; saw tons of people sunning at the Sheep Meadow; watched people play softball, volleyball and beach volleyball and climb the cool rock structures all over the park; enjoyed a hotdog from a vendor; watched numerous horse drawn carriages and pedicabs giving tours; dodged many joggers, roller bladers and bicyclists; heard many different languages being spoken and just plain people-watched. It was a fine day! Some other day off I would like to visit the zoo and explore the other half of the park.
Here are some pics of the things I've described above.
There are street performers and musicians all over New York City. It was so pleasant to walk from one place to another in the park and hear different types of music. This is just a few of the performers I ran across.
I spent a lot of time talking with the Lord today. He really blessed me with beautiful sun, comfortable weather, health to walk all afternoon, eyes to see the beauty, ears to hear the laughter of kids and the sounds of nature, and a peace that can only come from Him.
When I first walked into the park at Columbus Circle, I saw some people gathered for a rally/protest. There weren't many people by New York standards, but I thought I would check it out anyway. There was a girl wearing feathered angel wings and giving a long winded speech about some kind of equality. After listening for a few moments and seeing a poster, I realized that they were furthering the cause for "freedom to be topless". They said if women weren't allowed to go topless in the city, then men should be required to always wear shirts. I'll let you know if they make any changes to city laws - ha!I walked past the Dairy;stopped by the Chess/Checkers house, where you can sit and play at tables along the outside veranda; many different types of playgrounds; I rode the carousel; visited the Balto statue; walked along the Mall (a wide walkway that is featured in many movies); enjoyed the views at Bethesda Terrace; watched the boats (and turtles) at the Boathouse; watched the remote control boats at the Water Conservatory; watched kids climb all over the Alice in Wonderland statue; looked at Cleopatra's Needle (a centuries old statue by the Met); went by the Great Lawn; the Delacorte Theatre (where they have Shakespear in the Park); climbed up the tower at Belvedeer Castle; saw tons of people sunning at the Sheep Meadow; watched people play softball, volleyball and beach volleyball and climb the cool rock structures all over the park; enjoyed a hotdog from a vendor; watched numerous horse drawn carriages and pedicabs giving tours; dodged many joggers, roller bladers and bicyclists; heard many different languages being spoken and just plain people-watched. It was a fine day! Some other day off I would like to visit the zoo and explore the other half of the park.
Here are some pics of the things I've described above.
There are street performers and musicians all over New York City. It was so pleasant to walk from one place to another in the park and hear different types of music. This is just a few of the performers I ran across.
I spent a lot of time talking with the Lord today. He really blessed me with beautiful sun, comfortable weather, health to walk all afternoon, eyes to see the beauty, ears to hear the laughter of kids and the sounds of nature, and a peace that can only come from Him.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Sharing Encouragement to Keep Serving
Yesterday evening, a group of people gathered for an appreciation dinner at my home church, FBC Rogers AR. The purpose of the gathering was to encourage and thank the volunteers who work at the River of Life Medical Clinic that is sponsored by FBCR. I was privileged to get to work with that group from the conception of the clinic in 2000 until the time that I moved to NYC.
It was heart-warming to think of all the people gathered in a relaxed setting and enjoying each other's company. That's not the atmosphere at the bi-monthly clinics, where it's so busy that fellow volunteers don't get much time to interact with each other.
As I thought about the dinner and fellowship time, I grew homesick for these people and wanted them to know that I was there with them in spirit. I sat down and wrote a letter of love and encouragement to them that was read at the dinner. I feel impressed by God to share this letter here, on my blog, in hopes that it is an encouragement to others. I pray that if you are currently serving others that you feel uplifted and energized. I pray that if you have not yet determined God's call on your life, that this may be nudge you need to start that dialogue with Him.
Dear Medical Clinic Family,
Oh, how I wish I was there tonight to visit with all of you and grab some much needed hugs! I’ll be praying for you all and I always think of you on Thursdays, whether it’s clinic night or not.
Thank you for being faithful to that wonderful ministry. I know it can be frustrating at times and tiring and draining. A lot of the ministry we do here is just like that and I know how easy it is to think about giving it up. But just when the wind is out of my sails, God brings a cool breeze through the encounter, no matter how brief, with someone thankful for my presence and participation in whatever ministry I’m helping with at the time. I pray that you receive that same blessing just when you need it most.
Life here in the city is hard, tiring, sweaty, dirty, overwhelming and expensive! I wonder sometimes what kind of an impact little ole me can make on a city this big and diverse. I remember feeling the same way at the clinic sometimes. There are so many people in need and just a handful there to help. It seems like a daunting task sometimes.
But when looking at it through God’s eyes, our service is just a small part of His overall plan for His people of the world. He has much more to keep up with than we do. He doesn’t expect us to handle it all. He just asks that we be obedient to the small part He is asking us to perform. And He equips us with everything we need to get through it. When we take the ‘me’ out of the situation, it leaves a lot more room for Him to fill in the love and energy that He is sending our way.
I pray that as you are all gathered tonight, you feel the common bond of your collective calling to help ‘even the least of these’ in your opportunity of service.
This past 16 months of serving in NYC has grown me so much in my walk with Him, and most of it has been hard lessons to learn. Every month I wonder if there will be enough money to pay the rent. Some weeks I can buy groceries, and other weeks I eat peanut butter and Hamburger Helper without the meat. But you know what? I still get fed and I still have the energy to get up every morning to walk 1 ½ miles to work. And I have never felt more blessed to be alive or more close to Him than now. Every day is not filled with joy. But every day is filled with looking to Him for everything. I’m thankful that I don’t have the financial security I sometimes long for, because then I would take it for granted. I’m glad that there is no time for a lot of extra curricular activities and demands on my time, because I would be distracted by all that. I look forward to the encounters He sends my way.
I’ve grown bolder in my walk with Him and in wanting to share these details of what He is to me with other people. I love the simplicity of my life right now. I pray that if God is calling you to simplify your lives in any way, that you heed that call. He deserves all the time we can give Him. Time is one of His gifts to us anyway. He deserves to tell us how to use it.
When interacting with the clients at the clinic, don’t just be aware of what they don’t have (medical insurance, money for doctors or medicine, financial security), please notice what many of them do have – a simple life, where the introduction to our God has room to fit in easily. Don’t miss those opportunities to share with them. And don’t miss the message God is laying on your heart at times like that.
Well, lately I’ve been praying for God to give me clarity of mind and heart to speak His words and I think my cup has just runneth over for today!
I send my love and blessings to you.
I keep you in my prayers. I ask for strength, energy, persistence, love, gratitude and a longing for His direction in your lives.
Thank you for being faithful to the River of Life Medical Clinic. How sweet that name is!
Have a good time tonight and know that I miss you all very much.
May God be pleased by all the works of our hands.
May He be glorified by the words from our mouths.
May His love be shared by the actions in our lives.
He is Love, He is worthy, He is God.
Love,
Vickie
It was heart-warming to think of all the people gathered in a relaxed setting and enjoying each other's company. That's not the atmosphere at the bi-monthly clinics, where it's so busy that fellow volunteers don't get much time to interact with each other.
As I thought about the dinner and fellowship time, I grew homesick for these people and wanted them to know that I was there with them in spirit. I sat down and wrote a letter of love and encouragement to them that was read at the dinner. I feel impressed by God to share this letter here, on my blog, in hopes that it is an encouragement to others. I pray that if you are currently serving others that you feel uplifted and energized. I pray that if you have not yet determined God's call on your life, that this may be nudge you need to start that dialogue with Him.
Dear Medical Clinic Family,
Oh, how I wish I was there tonight to visit with all of you and grab some much needed hugs! I’ll be praying for you all and I always think of you on Thursdays, whether it’s clinic night or not.
Thank you for being faithful to that wonderful ministry. I know it can be frustrating at times and tiring and draining. A lot of the ministry we do here is just like that and I know how easy it is to think about giving it up. But just when the wind is out of my sails, God brings a cool breeze through the encounter, no matter how brief, with someone thankful for my presence and participation in whatever ministry I’m helping with at the time. I pray that you receive that same blessing just when you need it most.
Life here in the city is hard, tiring, sweaty, dirty, overwhelming and expensive! I wonder sometimes what kind of an impact little ole me can make on a city this big and diverse. I remember feeling the same way at the clinic sometimes. There are so many people in need and just a handful there to help. It seems like a daunting task sometimes.
But when looking at it through God’s eyes, our service is just a small part of His overall plan for His people of the world. He has much more to keep up with than we do. He doesn’t expect us to handle it all. He just asks that we be obedient to the small part He is asking us to perform. And He equips us with everything we need to get through it. When we take the ‘me’ out of the situation, it leaves a lot more room for Him to fill in the love and energy that He is sending our way.
I pray that as you are all gathered tonight, you feel the common bond of your collective calling to help ‘even the least of these’ in your opportunity of service.
This past 16 months of serving in NYC has grown me so much in my walk with Him, and most of it has been hard lessons to learn. Every month I wonder if there will be enough money to pay the rent. Some weeks I can buy groceries, and other weeks I eat peanut butter and Hamburger Helper without the meat. But you know what? I still get fed and I still have the energy to get up every morning to walk 1 ½ miles to work. And I have never felt more blessed to be alive or more close to Him than now. Every day is not filled with joy. But every day is filled with looking to Him for everything. I’m thankful that I don’t have the financial security I sometimes long for, because then I would take it for granted. I’m glad that there is no time for a lot of extra curricular activities and demands on my time, because I would be distracted by all that. I look forward to the encounters He sends my way.
I’ve grown bolder in my walk with Him and in wanting to share these details of what He is to me with other people. I love the simplicity of my life right now. I pray that if God is calling you to simplify your lives in any way, that you heed that call. He deserves all the time we can give Him. Time is one of His gifts to us anyway. He deserves to tell us how to use it.
When interacting with the clients at the clinic, don’t just be aware of what they don’t have (medical insurance, money for doctors or medicine, financial security), please notice what many of them do have – a simple life, where the introduction to our God has room to fit in easily. Don’t miss those opportunities to share with them. And don’t miss the message God is laying on your heart at times like that.
Well, lately I’ve been praying for God to give me clarity of mind and heart to speak His words and I think my cup has just runneth over for today!
I send my love and blessings to you.
I keep you in my prayers. I ask for strength, energy, persistence, love, gratitude and a longing for His direction in your lives.
Thank you for being faithful to the River of Life Medical Clinic. How sweet that name is!
Have a good time tonight and know that I miss you all very much.
May God be pleased by all the works of our hands.
May He be glorified by the words from our mouths.
May His love be shared by the actions in our lives.
He is Love, He is worthy, He is God.
Love,
Vickie
Thursday, August 14, 2008
August 14, 2008
It's Thursday evening and I'm sitting here slowly (and sometimes painfully) learning how to use Facebook. It's been interesting to see how many people are on it that I know. I have to admit that it will be easier to keep up with many people at the same time. Maybe I'll get proficient with communication some day.
It's been an interesting week so far. My Stepfather, Gary, had a second open heart surgery yesterday. He had a quadruple bypass surgery 4 years ago. He was having some more blockage and the doctors were running tests on Tuesday. They determined that he needed another bypass surgery and scheduled it for next week. He started having some complications from the testing and they kept him overnight. Early yesterday morning he started having some heart distress and the doctors ended up doing a double bypass surgery yesterday afternoon.
I sent out emails to my prayer partners (over 300 people) and prayers started going heavenward immediately. The doctors were expecting the surgery to be more complicated than before and for Gary to have a hard recovery. Through prayer, God allowed the surgery to go very well and Gary is already ahead of schedule with his recovery after just 24 hours. The doctors and my family are all surprised by the good news. I'm excited, thankful and full of praise for the blessings God has given us this week.
It was hard to be here in NYC while my family was going through this situation in Indiana. The prayers and emails directed to me really helped me to have peace. I'm so thankful for Christ-loving, prayer trusting friends.
I'm asking everyone to keep Gary and Mom and the rest of my family in their prayers throughout his recovery; asking for physical, emotional and spiritual strength. Thankful for the chance to spend more time together to love and to seek God and walk closely with Him.
It's hard to believe that it's mid-August already. Time is truly flying by. I pray for myself and all of you to take the time to spend quiet moments with God. And to not miss any opportunity to be with loved ones and friends.
I'm enjoying having the time to get out meet new people around the city. And new people are coming into the Space each week. There are so many people, how does God keep up with us all? He's amazing, isn't He?
Until next time... blessings!
It's been an interesting week so far. My Stepfather, Gary, had a second open heart surgery yesterday. He had a quadruple bypass surgery 4 years ago. He was having some more blockage and the doctors were running tests on Tuesday. They determined that he needed another bypass surgery and scheduled it for next week. He started having some complications from the testing and they kept him overnight. Early yesterday morning he started having some heart distress and the doctors ended up doing a double bypass surgery yesterday afternoon.
I sent out emails to my prayer partners (over 300 people) and prayers started going heavenward immediately. The doctors were expecting the surgery to be more complicated than before and for Gary to have a hard recovery. Through prayer, God allowed the surgery to go very well and Gary is already ahead of schedule with his recovery after just 24 hours. The doctors and my family are all surprised by the good news. I'm excited, thankful and full of praise for the blessings God has given us this week.
It was hard to be here in NYC while my family was going through this situation in Indiana. The prayers and emails directed to me really helped me to have peace. I'm so thankful for Christ-loving, prayer trusting friends.
I'm asking everyone to keep Gary and Mom and the rest of my family in their prayers throughout his recovery; asking for physical, emotional and spiritual strength. Thankful for the chance to spend more time together to love and to seek God and walk closely with Him.
It's hard to believe that it's mid-August already. Time is truly flying by. I pray for myself and all of you to take the time to spend quiet moments with God. And to not miss any opportunity to be with loved ones and friends.
I'm enjoying having the time to get out meet new people around the city. And new people are coming into the Space each week. There are so many people, how does God keep up with us all? He's amazing, isn't He?
Until next time... blessings!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
August 10, 2008
It's Sunday afternoon and I'm in the Space getting a little work done before our Theatre renters come in. (It's my turn to 'sit the space'.) Then we will have Church at 7pm. It's nice and quiet and I love getting time like this to get things done before the commotion of daily life here starts up again.
I wasn't sure I would like it when we switched to Sunday evening service instead of Sunday morning (must be the Southern Baptist in me). Actually, I like getting things taken care of early in the day and having the evening to relax at home. But I have loved having evening services instead. Life here is soooo hectic and busy. Saturdays are usually just another work day. Getting to have quiet time at home on Sunday morning is such a gift. Also, it's the best time to catch up with people here in NYC. They usually have Sunday afternoon and evenings free (at least more free than the rest of the week). Also, the overall feeling of the worship service feels more relaxed, inviting and intentional. People usually start showing up an hour or so before hand and really enjoy hanging out and catching up with one another. The the service time usually goes 2-2 1/2 hours long. We have to make a conscious effort to stop. Everyone just likes being here and sharing and discussing God, His Word and how it applies to our lives. Sometimes we have music, sometimes we have other types of worship exercises. It's not your traditional, Bible-belt type of service. But it IS a very heart-felt time of joining together in worshiping our God. I'm very blessed to be a part of it. I usually go home after service (after all it's past 9pm and I need my beauty sleep!), but a lot of the people go out to eat and hang out a little more. It's very much a loving community of Believers. We have had some new visitors lately and it's wonderful to see how inviting and loving our church family has become. I'm loving Sunday nights!!!
We had another team in this past Saturday. They are from Pastor Mike's home church (House of the Rock Family Church in PA) and they drove over for the day. God blessed us with a beautiful day to be outside. The team did a lot of prayer walking throughout Hell's Kitchen, Clinton, Midtown, Times Square, and Central Park. A few of the Project Find locations were visited and prayed for, as well as some Police Precincts and Firehouses. It was a pretty low-key day as far as manual labor (the Space was booked with renters and most of the streets we walked down were actually pretty clean!) so spent a lot of time talking about NYC and the people here and praying for the city. A team from this church was here last December and plans to come back this December, also. They have sent 3 weekend construction type teams over this past month. We expect to see a lot of teams from them and are excited to share this work with them.
A huge portion of our church family are out of town for August. (A lot of NYC goes out of the city for the summer, too.) Please keep everyone traveling in your prayers for safety (and for lower gas prices!). It's a quiet month to relax, reflect and work on some cerebral projects. Pray we don't squander that blessing of time!
I was thinking of some funny things that happened over July. We had 5 teams in during the month. Brittani stayed with me most of that time. Besides the interesting things that happened at the apartment, we had one adult from the LA team get stuck in the elevator for an hour while the building people called the elevator company in Queens to come and help. (I'm thankful it wasn't one of the kids.) The team from NC encountered a large rat in the subway. Now, it's not unusual to see rats running all over the tracks. This particular rat ran across the platform and across one of the girls' feet. Of course she screamed, and one of the manly men admitted to screaming like a little girl. I'm sure that lots of other funny stuff happens to teams, but I don't always hear about them. We are always having weird stuff happen to us here at the church. Such is life in NYC...
I spent 2 days in the last 2 weeks going to some Red Cross classes. There is a really nice Red Cross facility between the Space and my apartment (which by NYC terms is like next door!). I took CPR and First Aid. I had the same instructor for both classes. His name is Reggie and he was a hoot. I did learn a lot and refreshed on skills that I had forgotten. It was fun to meet new people in the classes, too.
I just had dinner from one of my favorite restaurants (a hole in the wall, really) down the street. Here, most of the restaurants deliver (even McDonalds) and I have the phone number for 'Golden Chicken' memorized. All I have to do is tell them my address here at the Space and they tell me what my standing order is. Do you think I eat there too much??? Also, there is a Subway sandwich restaurant about a block away. One of the guys in there recognizes me now, too. I think I need to expand my horizons a little!
I allow myself one meal out a day. The rest of the time I eat from home. It's hard to do some days with my crazy schedule, but I'm sure enjoying all the goodies that people have sent me in the care packages. (Did you know that Hamburger Helper makes a hashbrown dish? yummy!) I use ground turkey instead of hamburger, and my local market sometimes has it on sale. That's when I know it's a hamburger helper week! The other weeks I enjoy rice-a-roni and pasta mixes. It is such a blessing to have stuff to cook for free! Thanks to you all!!!
It's been raining off and on over the past week. One afternoon I was sitting in Central Park (enjoying a small piece of Jr's cheesecake and reading a book) and it was beautifully sunny. 15 minutes later it was a downpour! Luckily, I was only 5-6 blocks from home, so I took off walking (and getting mighty soaked! thank goodness for my short, wash and wear hair!). By the time I got home it was sunny again! I was really thankful that it was sunny all day Saturday when the team was here. Today and for the next few days, it will be rainy off and on. Some of the 'suburbs' in the boroughs are getting really bad storms and winds. Manhattan seems to just get tons of rain.
Well, I had better get a little more work done while it's still quiet. Just wanted to share some thoughts while I had the chance.
God is good and always walking beside me. When I start running out of steam, He is there to keep pushing me forward. I just have to learn how not to trip!
Blessings!
I wasn't sure I would like it when we switched to Sunday evening service instead of Sunday morning (must be the Southern Baptist in me). Actually, I like getting things taken care of early in the day and having the evening to relax at home. But I have loved having evening services instead. Life here is soooo hectic and busy. Saturdays are usually just another work day. Getting to have quiet time at home on Sunday morning is such a gift. Also, it's the best time to catch up with people here in NYC. They usually have Sunday afternoon and evenings free (at least more free than the rest of the week). Also, the overall feeling of the worship service feels more relaxed, inviting and intentional. People usually start showing up an hour or so before hand and really enjoy hanging out and catching up with one another. The the service time usually goes 2-2 1/2 hours long. We have to make a conscious effort to stop. Everyone just likes being here and sharing and discussing God, His Word and how it applies to our lives. Sometimes we have music, sometimes we have other types of worship exercises. It's not your traditional, Bible-belt type of service. But it IS a very heart-felt time of joining together in worshiping our God. I'm very blessed to be a part of it. I usually go home after service (after all it's past 9pm and I need my beauty sleep!), but a lot of the people go out to eat and hang out a little more. It's very much a loving community of Believers. We have had some new visitors lately and it's wonderful to see how inviting and loving our church family has become. I'm loving Sunday nights!!!
We had another team in this past Saturday. They are from Pastor Mike's home church (House of the Rock Family Church in PA) and they drove over for the day. God blessed us with a beautiful day to be outside. The team did a lot of prayer walking throughout Hell's Kitchen, Clinton, Midtown, Times Square, and Central Park. A few of the Project Find locations were visited and prayed for, as well as some Police Precincts and Firehouses. It was a pretty low-key day as far as manual labor (the Space was booked with renters and most of the streets we walked down were actually pretty clean!) so spent a lot of time talking about NYC and the people here and praying for the city. A team from this church was here last December and plans to come back this December, also. They have sent 3 weekend construction type teams over this past month. We expect to see a lot of teams from them and are excited to share this work with them.
A huge portion of our church family are out of town for August. (A lot of NYC goes out of the city for the summer, too.) Please keep everyone traveling in your prayers for safety (and for lower gas prices!). It's a quiet month to relax, reflect and work on some cerebral projects. Pray we don't squander that blessing of time!
I was thinking of some funny things that happened over July. We had 5 teams in during the month. Brittani stayed with me most of that time. Besides the interesting things that happened at the apartment, we had one adult from the LA team get stuck in the elevator for an hour while the building people called the elevator company in Queens to come and help. (I'm thankful it wasn't one of the kids.) The team from NC encountered a large rat in the subway. Now, it's not unusual to see rats running all over the tracks. This particular rat ran across the platform and across one of the girls' feet. Of course she screamed, and one of the manly men admitted to screaming like a little girl. I'm sure that lots of other funny stuff happens to teams, but I don't always hear about them. We are always having weird stuff happen to us here at the church. Such is life in NYC...
I spent 2 days in the last 2 weeks going to some Red Cross classes. There is a really nice Red Cross facility between the Space and my apartment (which by NYC terms is like next door!). I took CPR and First Aid. I had the same instructor for both classes. His name is Reggie and he was a hoot. I did learn a lot and refreshed on skills that I had forgotten. It was fun to meet new people in the classes, too.
I just had dinner from one of my favorite restaurants (a hole in the wall, really) down the street. Here, most of the restaurants deliver (even McDonalds) and I have the phone number for 'Golden Chicken' memorized. All I have to do is tell them my address here at the Space and they tell me what my standing order is. Do you think I eat there too much??? Also, there is a Subway sandwich restaurant about a block away. One of the guys in there recognizes me now, too. I think I need to expand my horizons a little!
I allow myself one meal out a day. The rest of the time I eat from home. It's hard to do some days with my crazy schedule, but I'm sure enjoying all the goodies that people have sent me in the care packages. (Did you know that Hamburger Helper makes a hashbrown dish? yummy!) I use ground turkey instead of hamburger, and my local market sometimes has it on sale. That's when I know it's a hamburger helper week! The other weeks I enjoy rice-a-roni and pasta mixes. It is such a blessing to have stuff to cook for free! Thanks to you all!!!
It's been raining off and on over the past week. One afternoon I was sitting in Central Park (enjoying a small piece of Jr's cheesecake and reading a book) and it was beautifully sunny. 15 minutes later it was a downpour! Luckily, I was only 5-6 blocks from home, so I took off walking (and getting mighty soaked! thank goodness for my short, wash and wear hair!). By the time I got home it was sunny again! I was really thankful that it was sunny all day Saturday when the team was here. Today and for the next few days, it will be rainy off and on. Some of the 'suburbs' in the boroughs are getting really bad storms and winds. Manhattan seems to just get tons of rain.
Well, I had better get a little more work done while it's still quiet. Just wanted to share some thoughts while I had the chance.
God is good and always walking beside me. When I start running out of steam, He is there to keep pushing me forward. I just have to learn how not to trip!
Blessings!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
July 30, 2008 (includes pics)
I can't believe that July is over!!! How did that happen? It was just last week we had fireworks, wasn't it? It has been a very fun-packed month here at Parable Church.
We had a wonderful time of picnicing and watching fireworks on the westside the evening of July 4th. Our church family was joined by the team from Highland Baptist Church (New Iberia LA) and the team from Pike Baptist Association (McComb MS). We got sprinkled on at the end of the evening, but it was a good time together.
The week of July 2-8, we had 42 volunteers here and we did everything from prayer walking, trash pick up, serving meals at 2 different soup kitchens, teaching Wii games at 2 homeless shelters, weeding at DeWitt Clinton park, cleaning and organizing apartments for 2 of our church family, doing various clean up work and painting for a neighbor in our building, praying for and with firemen and police precincts, and much more. We got hot, sweaty, dirty and had a great time!!! Two lovely ladies from the MS team sewed 2 HUGE curtains for the stage in the theatre. A couple from the LA team worked on my laptop computer to help to heal it. It's not well yet, but is surviving in hospice mode and I'm very thankful to Julie and Gannon for their TLC over 2 whole days with it. One small group went over to Brooklyn to prayer walk and map out the area around the David Dean Mission House. It's a NAMB owned mission house that serves as housing for SBC teams coming to NYC to serve with churches here. Everyone's hard work was very much appreciated. (and the boxes of LA food items for the staff will be very much enjoyed!)
The week of July 12-19, we were blessed with 42 people from my home church of First Baptist Church in Rogers AR. This team divided up into smaller work teams and did more serving meals at the soup kitchens, prayer walking, trash pick up, a performance at one of the senior centers, visited firestations and police precincts, helped clean up here at the space, worked on hundreds of beads and prep for jewelry classes, and tons more work. (Thanks Joey for putting up our newly donated ceiling fan in the Lounge!) By the way, a big thank you to my home church for sending me lots of care package items. I will think of you everytime I eat something yummy from my stash!
The Rogers team started off their week with a scavenger hunt throughout some of the different neighborhoods in NYC. It gave them a taste of traveling around town, looking for locations, problemsolving transportation issues, asking New Yorkers for help and just having fun. Besides getting very tired and hot, they got to talk about the differences in the neighborhoods that they saw. The scavenger will be improved and used for a lot of teams in the future.
One of the girls from the MS team, Brittani Clark, had planned to stay the rest of the month of July with me and be my intern for the month. We shared my one-room apartment and things went pretty well. It was great to have Britt here to help me get teams to different locations at the same time.
During the week of July 20-26, Brittani and I and a few others from Parable Church stepped in to serve at some soup kitchens and classes that were supposed to be served by a team that had to postpone their trip. We were scurring all over day and night for part of that week and finished on Saturday evening. We were tired, but had a lot of fun.
This week, July 28-31, we have a team here from Mt Airy NC. It's their 3rd trip in 12 months. We love having them here to work with us. It was a kind of last minute thing since the place they were supposed to work had to cancel, so Stewart called and asked if they could work with us in any way. They are busy prayer walking, serving meals at the 2 soup kitchens, helping out at the Space and a couple of the ladies helped a new friend with some apartment cleaning and organizing. They are having a good time and we can't wait to have them back here in December.
This Friday, August 1, I will go to an all day CPR/First Aid class. (I always let my certification expire and then have to take the whole class again...oh well) I look forward to it. This will be a good thing to put on my resume for the Babysitting service that I've registered with. Then Saturday will be my first day with no responsibilities to anyone for over a month! I'm ready to just lay around and relax! I have tons of letters and cards to write and a book I want to finish and so many things I want to do, I know I'll fill the day up pretty quickly.
Emilee, a friend who has spent the last 2 summers living in NYC while her husband interned at a law firm, was back in the city for the last few days while Matt took the NY bar exam. They currently live in St Louis and are moving to Grand Rapids MI for Matt to clerk for a Federal Judge. I was blessed to have lunch and visit with Emilee today. I sure do miss them. Maybe someday God will move them to NYC. They love it here, but God needs to use them in MI for a while. It was good to give her five or six hugs before she left today.
Another friend, Anna Beth, and I are going to get together Sunday afternoon for a chat and walk through Central Park. We haven't had time to see each other in months, so this will be very enjoyable.
While Britt was here, we tried to do and see a lot of things that she was interested in. She got the chance to ride a bike in Central Park, have lunch at Tavern on the Green, lead teams over the Brooklyn Bridge and other places, eat in various restaurants, be guided by some of the different friends here at Parable Church, see the premiere of the Dark Night moving at midnight with some of the crazy Parable people who stay up way too late, eat numerous cupcakes from Magnolia bakery, hang out with her home team, hang out with some of the kids from the Rogers team, visit the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and other things. We had a very full month and it was fun to have her here to do some of these things with.
The month of August will be a quiet one. Many people leave the city in the summer. That goes for a lot of our church family, too. It will be just me and Mike here in the office for part of the month. We plan to get a lot of 'thinking and writing' done while it's relatively quiet. There is a lot to catch up on since July was so crazy.
A group of guys (and some gals) from Mike's home church in PA have driven over for a few Saturdays to do some work in the theatre. The improvements will allow for a better stage floor, seating area, more lighting and more curtains. We surely appreciate their hard work. Artie, one of the guys, was in the midst of the towers when they came crashing down. It was very moving to hear his story. We appreciate these teams so much.
Remember Kenneth, the Lincoln Center guard that I speak to each morning? Well, he wasn't around for many weeks. I was hoping that nothing had happened to him. I finally asked a replacement guard one day if he knew him. He said yes, that Kenneth had been on vacation to see family in Jamaica. (I think the guy thought I was weird asking about a guard) Anyway, Kenneth was back to work a few days later. I walked over to say hi and he gave me a really big hug! It was nice to be missed by a friend. He's been at his post every day since then. He even noticed when I was really early one morning. It's nice to see his smiling face.
I met some interesting people at Grand Central Neighborhood, the soup kitchen and homeless shelter we volunteer at. I got to help a guy named Carl with his resume. He is quite a character. He was the topic of conversation with one of the team yesterday who helped served meals there. Since Britt and I were at that location for 3 days in a row, we got familiar with a few of the people. It was nice not to just be a shot in the dark, but to be there enough to really make contact. I heard through the grapevine that Carl may have gotten a job offer. I hope so! He is a sous chef and I plan on going to where ever he gets a job and eating! yum!
God has been answering prayers right and left here. He is bringing in people to the Space and to the Church who are just needing some attention and loving. It's great to be here and be available to talk and start relationships with them. Sometimes you wonder if all the hard work of just being here is paying off, and He is faithful to give us the gift of seeing a seed planted and sometimes letting us water it. I've been meeting lots of people from other churches here in the city that are involved in missions - or social justice, as it's called here - and it's so wonderful to work beside them. It's funny how small the world of God's workers can be in a city this size. We run into each other all the time as we volunteer in different places. It's quite a blessing.
Last Sunday evening during our service, we had an 'affirmation' exercise, which is where one person is picked and everyone says something affirming to that person. I was the recipient of all the wonderful words of love. I was bragging on the folks at my home church for how much they love on me. It is the same here at Parable Church. I am so blessed to have loving Christian friends at both churches that I call 'home'. God is endless in His blessings and the ingenious ways that He finds to show His love to someone through other people. It's never the same for everyone. It's always special to that person. All these people in the world for Him to know and love and bless, and He gets it right everytime... What a Father!!!
Well, I'll go for now and I'll try to add some pics when I can.
Be Sweet!
We had a wonderful time of picnicing and watching fireworks on the westside the evening of July 4th. Our church family was joined by the team from Highland Baptist Church (New Iberia LA) and the team from Pike Baptist Association (McComb MS). We got sprinkled on at the end of the evening, but it was a good time together.
The week of July 2-8, we had 42 volunteers here and we did everything from prayer walking, trash pick up, serving meals at 2 different soup kitchens, teaching Wii games at 2 homeless shelters, weeding at DeWitt Clinton park, cleaning and organizing apartments for 2 of our church family, doing various clean up work and painting for a neighbor in our building, praying for and with firemen and police precincts, and much more. We got hot, sweaty, dirty and had a great time!!! Two lovely ladies from the MS team sewed 2 HUGE curtains for the stage in the theatre. A couple from the LA team worked on my laptop computer to help to heal it. It's not well yet, but is surviving in hospice mode and I'm very thankful to Julie and Gannon for their TLC over 2 whole days with it. One small group went over to Brooklyn to prayer walk and map out the area around the David Dean Mission House. It's a NAMB owned mission house that serves as housing for SBC teams coming to NYC to serve with churches here. Everyone's hard work was very much appreciated. (and the boxes of LA food items for the staff will be very much enjoyed!)
The week of July 12-19, we were blessed with 42 people from my home church of First Baptist Church in Rogers AR. This team divided up into smaller work teams and did more serving meals at the soup kitchens, prayer walking, trash pick up, a performance at one of the senior centers, visited firestations and police precincts, helped clean up here at the space, worked on hundreds of beads and prep for jewelry classes, and tons more work. (Thanks Joey for putting up our newly donated ceiling fan in the Lounge!) By the way, a big thank you to my home church for sending me lots of care package items. I will think of you everytime I eat something yummy from my stash!The Rogers team started off their week with a scavenger hunt throughout some of the different neighborhoods in NYC. It gave them a taste of traveling around town, looking for locations, problemsolving transportation issues, asking New Yorkers for help and just having fun. Besides getting very tired and hot, they got to talk about the differences in the neighborhoods that they saw. The scavenger will be improved and used for a lot of teams in the future.
One of the girls from the MS team, Brittani Clark, had planned to stay the rest of the month of July with me and be my intern for the month. We shared my one-room apartment and things went pretty well. It was great to have Britt here to help me get teams to different locations at the same time. During the week of July 20-26, Brittani and I and a few others from Parable Church stepped in to serve at some soup kitchens and classes that were supposed to be served by a team that had to postpone their trip. We were scurring all over day and night for part of that week and finished on Saturday evening. We were tired, but had a lot of fun.
This week, July 28-31, we have a team here from Mt Airy NC. It's their 3rd trip in 12 months. We love having them here to work with us. It was a kind of last minute thing since the place they were supposed to work had to cancel, so Stewart called and asked if they could work with us in any way. They are busy prayer walking, serving meals at the 2 soup kitchens, helping out at the Space and a couple of the ladies helped a new friend with some apartment cleaning and organizing. They are having a good time and we can't wait to have them back here in December.This Friday, August 1, I will go to an all day CPR/First Aid class. (I always let my certification expire and then have to take the whole class again...oh well) I look forward to it. This will be a good thing to put on my resume for the Babysitting service that I've registered with. Then Saturday will be my first day with no responsibilities to anyone for over a month! I'm ready to just lay around and relax! I have tons of letters and cards to write and a book I want to finish and so many things I want to do, I know I'll fill the day up pretty quickly.
Emilee, a friend who has spent the last 2 summers living in NYC while her husband interned at a law firm, was back in the city for the last few days while Matt took the NY bar exam. They currently live in St Louis and are moving to Grand Rapids MI for Matt to clerk for a Federal Judge. I was blessed to have lunch and visit with Emilee today. I sure do miss them. Maybe someday God will move them to NYC. They love it here, but God needs to use them in MI for a while. It was good to give her five or six hugs before she left today.
Another friend, Anna Beth, and I are going to get together Sunday afternoon for a chat and walk through Central Park. We haven't had time to see each other in months, so this will be very enjoyable.
While Britt was here, we tried to do and see a lot of things that she was interested in. She got the chance to ride a bike in Central Park, have lunch at Tavern on the Green, lead teams over the Brooklyn Bridge and other places, eat in various restaurants, be guided by some of the different friends here at Parable Church, see the premiere of the Dark Night moving at midnight with some of the crazy Parable people who stay up way too late, eat numerous cupcakes from Magnolia bakery, hang out with her home team, hang out with some of the kids from the Rogers team, visit the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and other things. We had a very full month and it was fun to have her here to do some of these things with.The month of August will be a quiet one. Many people leave the city in the summer. That goes for a lot of our church family, too. It will be just me and Mike here in the office for part of the month. We plan to get a lot of 'thinking and writing' done while it's relatively quiet. There is a lot to catch up on since July was so crazy.
A group of guys (and some gals) from Mike's home church in PA have driven over for a few Saturdays to do some work in the theatre. The improvements will allow for a better stage floor, seating area, more lighting and more curtains. We surely appreciate their hard work. Artie, one of the guys, was in the midst of the towers when they came crashing down. It was very moving to hear his story. We appreciate these teams so much.
Remember Kenneth, the Lincoln Center guard that I speak to each morning? Well, he wasn't around for many weeks. I was hoping that nothing had happened to him. I finally asked a replacement guard one day if he knew him. He said yes, that Kenneth had been on vacation to see family in Jamaica. (I think the guy thought I was weird asking about a guard) Anyway, Kenneth was back to work a few days later. I walked over to say hi and he gave me a really big hug! It was nice to be missed by a friend. He's been at his post every day since then. He even noticed when I was really early one morning. It's nice to see his smiling face.
I met some interesting people at Grand Central Neighborhood, the soup kitchen and homeless shelter we volunteer at. I got to help a guy named Carl with his resume. He is quite a character. He was the topic of conversation with one of the team yesterday who helped served meals there. Since Britt and I were at that location for 3 days in a row, we got familiar with a few of the people. It was nice not to just be a shot in the dark, but to be there enough to really make contact. I heard through the grapevine that Carl may have gotten a job offer. I hope so! He is a sous chef and I plan on going to where ever he gets a job and eating! yum!
God has been answering prayers right and left here. He is bringing in people to the Space and to the Church who are just needing some attention and loving. It's great to be here and be available to talk and start relationships with them. Sometimes you wonder if all the hard work of just being here is paying off, and He is faithful to give us the gift of seeing a seed planted and sometimes letting us water it. I've been meeting lots of people from other churches here in the city that are involved in missions - or social justice, as it's called here - and it's so wonderful to work beside them. It's funny how small the world of God's workers can be in a city this size. We run into each other all the time as we volunteer in different places. It's quite a blessing.
Last Sunday evening during our service, we had an 'affirmation' exercise, which is where one person is picked and everyone says something affirming to that person. I was the recipient of all the wonderful words of love. I was bragging on the folks at my home church for how much they love on me. It is the same here at Parable Church. I am so blessed to have loving Christian friends at both churches that I call 'home'. God is endless in His blessings and the ingenious ways that He finds to show His love to someone through other people. It's never the same for everyone. It's always special to that person. All these people in the world for Him to know and love and bless, and He gets it right everytime... What a Father!!!
Well, I'll go for now and I'll try to add some pics when I can.
Be Sweet!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
July 1, 2008 (includes pics)
It's been a great couple of weeks. I hope I can remember everything to tell you.
The weather has been pretty good. It changes constantly, but that keeps everything interesting.
Last Friday, I had a very nice visit with Larry, Todd, Nancy and Margaret from Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro AR. We went to Brooklyn to check out the David Dean Mission House. It's a really great place for teams to stay while working here in the city. We also checked out the International Hostel on Amsterdam Ave at W 103rd Street. I was pleasantly surprised with it, too. I love checking out things to make things better for visiting teams.
I got the chance to have dinner and a good conversation with Cody, a friend from church who I hadn't seen a lot lately.
A week ago I got to explore a little more of the city and saw a section of fence that had hundreds of tiles hanging on it. These tiles were from everywhere and all hand painted. It's hard to see them clearly, but here are some pictures of them.
One day last week, I was walking across Manhattan running errands and decided to snap a few shots as I was walking. It was a beautiful day and such a pleasant walk. (having to walk so much is a great thing when the weather is great! remind me of that when I whine!)
Lunch time at Bryant Park
A street performer playing 'drums' on 5 gallon buckets and old iron pans. A normal site. Some of them are actually pretty talented.
About a week ago, a couple of Mike's friends who are very computer savvy, came over from PA to work on our computers. They were whizzes! They had multiple computers going at once. For someone who is technologically challenged, I was quite impressed. We're so thankful for those people who use their God-given gifts and talents to help our little ministry keep chugging along.
Trying to get the PCs and Macs working together.
This week I was surprised by Ricky, a friend who left the city this time last year to train with a company in PA. He is back in the city now and it was great to see him. He's from Peru and his daughter still lives there. Please keep Ricky and Nicole in your prayers as they have to live far from each other. We met Ricky on the last FBC Rogers team trip in 2006. It's so great to see his smiling face. And maybe he can help me practice my Spanish!
I'm ready for summer. I've cut my hair short. (It's actually longer now than when I first started cutting it) and it's so much cooler. I'm usually sweaty by the time I walk to work, so low maintenance is great. As you can see, it's very salt and peppery since I quit coloring it. I feel so liberated! ha
I'm preparing for the next 2 teams coming tomorrow. There will be 40 people total from Pike Baptist Association in McComb MS and Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia LA. The Louisiana team is led by their youth Pastor and the former missions Pastor for the411, Ric White. We are all so excited to have both teams here. I'll update this blog after our adventures are through. Be praying for us as we minister to various places and people over the holiday weekend.
Speaking of the holiday, we'll be spending the evening of the 4th having a picnic and watching the fireworks over the Statue of Liberty. We go to the west side of Manhattan where the crowds are smaller. The fireworks are too, but I don't really want to be crushed by the millions who will crowd on the east side to see the Macy's fireworks display on the East River. (I hate crowds. Good thing I moved to NYC, huh?) Anyway, I pray that your holiday is packed with fun and love and friends and family and food and fireworks!
Have a wonderful holiday and I'll be posting more soon.
Blessings!
The weather has been pretty good. It changes constantly, but that keeps everything interesting.
Last Friday, I had a very nice visit with Larry, Todd, Nancy and Margaret from Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro AR. We went to Brooklyn to check out the David Dean Mission House. It's a really great place for teams to stay while working here in the city. We also checked out the International Hostel on Amsterdam Ave at W 103rd Street. I was pleasantly surprised with it, too. I love checking out things to make things better for visiting teams.
I got the chance to have dinner and a good conversation with Cody, a friend from church who I hadn't seen a lot lately.
A week ago I got to explore a little more of the city and saw a section of fence that had hundreds of tiles hanging on it. These tiles were from everywhere and all hand painted. It's hard to see them clearly, but here are some pictures of them.
One day last week, I was walking across Manhattan running errands and decided to snap a few shots as I was walking. It was a beautiful day and such a pleasant walk. (having to walk so much is a great thing when the weather is great! remind me of that when I whine!)Lunch time at Bryant Park
A street performer playing 'drums' on 5 gallon buckets and old iron pans. A normal site. Some of them are actually pretty talented.
About a week ago, a couple of Mike's friends who are very computer savvy, came over from PA to work on our computers. They were whizzes! They had multiple computers going at once. For someone who is technologically challenged, I was quite impressed. We're so thankful for those people who use their God-given gifts and talents to help our little ministry keep chugging along.
Trying to get the PCs and Macs working together.
This week I was surprised by Ricky, a friend who left the city this time last year to train with a company in PA. He is back in the city now and it was great to see him. He's from Peru and his daughter still lives there. Please keep Ricky and Nicole in your prayers as they have to live far from each other. We met Ricky on the last FBC Rogers team trip in 2006. It's so great to see his smiling face. And maybe he can help me practice my Spanish!
I'm ready for summer. I've cut my hair short. (It's actually longer now than when I first started cutting it) and it's so much cooler. I'm usually sweaty by the time I walk to work, so low maintenance is great. As you can see, it's very salt and peppery since I quit coloring it. I feel so liberated! ha
I'm preparing for the next 2 teams coming tomorrow. There will be 40 people total from Pike Baptist Association in McComb MS and Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia LA. The Louisiana team is led by their youth Pastor and the former missions Pastor for the411, Ric White. We are all so excited to have both teams here. I'll update this blog after our adventures are through. Be praying for us as we minister to various places and people over the holiday weekend.
Speaking of the holiday, we'll be spending the evening of the 4th having a picnic and watching the fireworks over the Statue of Liberty. We go to the west side of Manhattan where the crowds are smaller. The fireworks are too, but I don't really want to be crushed by the millions who will crowd on the east side to see the Macy's fireworks display on the East River. (I hate crowds. Good thing I moved to NYC, huh?) Anyway, I pray that your holiday is packed with fun and love and friends and family and food and fireworks!
Have a wonderful holiday and I'll be posting more soon.
Blessings!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
June 17, 2008 (includes pics)
What a great couple of weeks!
The weather has gone back and forth between thunderstorms, 90 degrees and HIGH humidity, highs in the 70s, to beautiful days. It's always fun to see what the weather will be for the day and just head out and get things done.
Last week we were blessed with a Mission team from Geyer Springs Baptist Church in Bryant AR. They came in to work in small groups and we had some fun times traveling to our service location on the east side. They served lunch and dinner at the soup kitchen at Grand Central Neighborhood, an organization to help the homeless that our church has been working with over the last year. Some of the team also helped with job searches and resume writing with the clients there.
Over the weekend, Parable Church had our first retreat. We went to Shelter Island and stayed in a house on the water, which also had a pool. Everyone pitched in to cook some delicious meals. I went out on Sunday morning for the day and had a wonderful time. Most of the group stayed from Friday evening to Sunday evening and they had great fun swimming, lounging, eating and relaxing. Pictures can be seen on a link on the parablechurch.com website. Check them out!
We had music, special prayer time, a personal devotional exercise, a great message from Mike and observed the Lord's Supper. Mike and John swam the 'channel', about a half mile between islands as some of us cheered them on from a dinghy. We prepared and shared a yummy meal and visited for a long while. It was a great relaxing time.
This week I was
blessed to get to work with a team from Marion AR. I met Lee and Elizabeth Barnett in Thailand while they were there to work with FBC Rogers (as was I). It seemed random, but of course God had it planned for us to meet over a meal there. That started plans for the team to come to NYC and spend part of their time working with our church. They were a great group of people.
They did everything from cleaning, painting and hauling trash/debris for one of our neighbors in the building, serving meals and helping with resumes at Grand Central Neighborhood, Prayerwalking our ministry areas, delivering clothes and books to Project Find homeless and senior centers, delivering books to 2 police precincts and 6 firehouses.
The weather has gone back and forth between thunderstorms, 90 degrees and HIGH humidity, highs in the 70s, to beautiful days. It's always fun to see what the weather will be for the day and just head out and get things done.
Last week we were blessed with a Mission team from Geyer Springs Baptist Church in Bryant AR. They came in to work in small groups and we had some fun times traveling to our service location on the east side. They served lunch and dinner at the soup kitchen at Grand Central Neighborhood, an organization to help the homeless that our church has been working with over the last year. Some of the team also helped with job searches and resume writing with the clients there.
Over the weekend, Parable Church had our first retreat. We went to Shelter Island and stayed in a house on the water, which also had a pool. Everyone pitched in to cook some delicious meals. I went out on Sunday morning for the day and had a wonderful time. Most of the group stayed from Friday evening to Sunday evening and they had great fun swimming, lounging, eating and relaxing. Pictures can be seen on a link on the parablechurch.com website. Check them out!We had music, special prayer time, a personal devotional exercise, a great message from Mike and observed the Lord's Supper. Mike and John swam the 'channel', about a half mile between islands as some of us cheered them on from a dinghy. We prepared and shared a yummy meal and visited for a long while. It was a great relaxing time.
This week I was
blessed to get to work with a team from Marion AR. I met Lee and Elizabeth Barnett in Thailand while they were there to work with FBC Rogers (as was I). It seemed random, but of course God had it planned for us to meet over a meal there. That started plans for the team to come to NYC and spend part of their time working with our church. They were a great group of people. 
They did everything from cleaning, painting and hauling trash/debris for one of our neighbors in the building, serving meals and helping with resumes at Grand Central Neighborhood, Prayerwalking our ministry areas, delivering clothes and books to Project Find homeless and senior centers, delivering books to 2 police precincts and 6 firehouses.
They were a Creative Worship team, so they sang and did some drama for some of our staff. Frank, one of our church members is an actor and he spent some time with them doing some drama coaching. The time went by too fast. We are talking about them bringing a couple more teams up from their church this year. I can't wait!
Things are moving along nicely for Parable Church. We have tons of work to do and lots of paperwork and such to take care of, but everyone is taking on responsibilities where they are gifted and we are all parts of this body. It's so wonderful to be around and to be a part of it! Keep us in your prayers as we move forward.
Two of the kids, Lonnia and Charmaine came by for a quick visit last night. They laughed because I call my evening meal 'supper'. I can't remember what the other 'southern' thing I said that brought giggles. The kids here have about another week of school (they go Sept - June). Then they go to different types of 'camps' here in the city.
Please keep my Mom and Stepdad and my nephew's family in your prayers. They were the only family members that were directly affected by the floods in my home town. They were lucky to only be evacuated for a couple of days. The hospital where my nephew's fiance works is shut down for a long time since it was flooded in the basement and into the first floor. For a few days the whole town (about the size of Fayetteville) was totally cut off from the 'outside' due to all the highways and roads being flooded. Many people are still out of there homes. I'm thankful my family was lucky in comparison. My Dad just had some phone problems. And my 2 sisters both live out in the boonies, so they were okay. They just couldn't get into Columbus for grocery shopping or helping out. All people in the Midwest who have had flood devastation surely need our continued prayers.
By the way, if you heard about the 2 guys who climbed up the outside of the New York Times building a few weeks ago, I did see the second guy reach the top. The building is only a block from where I work. I took a picture, but you can't see him very well (he's along the right side edge of the building in the pic). Needless to say, the police didn't find humor in their endeavors.
I've been asked what kinds of things people could send me to help sustain my life here in the city. I've added a 'Care Package' List to this blog. Thank you all for your love and prayers.
I've signed up with a babysitting, petsitting, housesitting and senior care registry here in the city. When I'm not busy with Mission teams and church stuff I'll be meeting new families as I expand my 'sitting ministry' to NYC. Some of my past sitting families back in Rogers wrote recommendation letters for me and they made me cry. They were so loving. I'm truly blessed by everyone in my life.
I pray that you all are having safe and happy beginnings to your summer. I can't wait to see the team from FBC Rogers July 12-19. It will be sooo much fun! I have 2 more teams before they get here, so I'm trying to get everything ready. A teenager named Brittani will be coming up for the 2nd time over July 4th with her home church in McComb MS. Brittani will stay the rest of the month of July, sleeping on my sofa, to be my junior intern. I'm so excited. The Rogers team will get to meet her. Maybe in the future a Rogers teenager could do the same thing... hint hint hint to you parents!
Please join me in Praise for God's provision, direction, forgiveness and strength in my life; for the new beginning for our Parable Church family; that those who visit us at the Space feel the love and light of God in us; that we all have God as our Father.
Please join me in Prayer for the health and safety of all our church family and visitors; financial provision for all the Parable Church staff; healthy choices in my life including food, exercise, rest, time with the Lord; continued discipline in time management to be available for those things God has planned; clarity of heart and mind to 'see through God's eyes' in every situation; boldness to share with others my relationship with God; blessings on all who bless me.
To Him be the Glory!!!
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