Our 2nd Annual Christmas Event

There is so much to mention today I am sure I will miss something. First of all, have I mentioned how blessed I am to have such a loving and supportive church family? I know I have, but I have to say it again! I do not use the word "family" lightly, either--the people and pastors of New Covenant are my true FAMILY--they lift me up, encourage me, support me, bless me, and even provide provision in many ways. They were most instrumental in making today's event happen--from a generous donation to the loan of the van for transportation, their role was in no way a small one! In fact, at least one of our volunteers and our guest speaker came right out of NCC's body, as well! It is good to be "home," right where I know I belong.

Next I must address something that occurred before the event itself. In the weeks leading up to today I have not stressed much (which goes against my old nature, I assure you) about how we would afford food, supplies, etc. I have finally learned to trust in Him who makes all things come together! Yet, even so, I was surprised (and delighted) when a $500.00 check came our way about a week ago. He knew we needed it, and even though I hadn't asked anyone for help, He sent someone to help us! Around this same time, one of our kids was in need of financial assistance. I felt led by Him in the moment to give her $40.00. I briefly questioned it later, asking myself was that really what He wanted me to do, but all I felt in my spirit was confirmation, so I felt really good about my decision. Then, unbelievably, within 24 hours, we were promised another $400.00!! Talk about returning it ten-fold! Literally! So, it was with this blessing and renewal of faith that I left my house this morning.

After doing my daily reading, some worship, and a lengthy prayer session, I left feeling very prepared for whatever was to come. It was a very long day, full of many stressful moments and events--but I didn't really get stressed. I just trusted His hand wherever I went, in whatever happened. Bill Garfield presented his testimony and led the entire group of guests in the prayer of salvation today. We counted around 150 people! Our very own A.W.O. girls sang some worship and some Christmas songs, and a group of boys and girls performed a skit demonstrating how Christ's love can profoundly affect your life and how you treat others. Everyone there was fed hot dogs, chips, cake, and pepsi or water, and all the kids received a goody bag of treats. The AWO kids handed out gospel tracts among the crowd, and we also gave out around $250.00 worth of gifts (including Chili's and Walmart gift cards totaling $140.00). Before leaving I really felt the needs of a couple of the kids pressed on my heart, such that I wanted to "rig" the drawing somehow to be sure they at least got a gift card, but I knew it was best to trust God, and I did. I prayed for the most needy families to receive the help they needed--whichever gift would help them the most--and we left it in His hands. There were three girls I thought most needed something, and those three got exactly what I had thought of "rigging," but no cheating was required--God did it!

He never ceases to amaze me when I just follow His direction, and I can think of no better place than where I am, resting secure in the knowledge that I have been about my Father's business! Thank you to all who continue to support us and encourage us!

REACH 2011

Once again we were blessed by the musical talents and the efforts of an awesome group of dedicated servants of God in their 2nd annual organized youth outreach. Blessed really does not do justice to the experience we had yesterday. First of all, we were hanging out in an awesome location (one I am sure to visit again soon)--the Depot in Adel, GA. I didn't realize we had such a fantastic Christian hang-out so nearby--they have a Daylight Donut shop, a game room, a Christian book and accessory store, and even a stage where they regularly have music. It is an awesome place for children and teens so hang out during their down time. If you live nearby, I definitely recommend a visit! If that wasn't good enough, we got front row seats to some of the most gifted musicians around! We were blessed by the musical talents of Alacia Reynolds (check out her websites and new CD) and AfterLife, among others. As die-hard AfterLife fans already, they alone would have been worth the journey we took to get there. The kids were jumping up and down, fist-pumping, and praising for all they were worth! (I have to admit, I was right there jumping with them!) It is such an awesome thing to witness people of God, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, using their giftings for HIS glory! Lots of people can sing and play instruments, and very well. All of them were gifted with those abilities by our Creator, but a select few of them use those abilities to glorify and praise Him. I believe a mighty reward awaits those that do! We were so blessed yesterday by His presence, and by the awesome praise music we experienced. I have to give credit to Pastor Andy Cortez, too, because it was his enthusiasm that first got us up on our feet dancing around--thank you, Pastor Andy, for a wonderful time of praise! :) Thanks to all who helped coordinate and put the REACH event together, to all the musicians who shared their talents with us, and to all who helped me be able to take the AWO kids along. God moved mightily in our midst! To Mrs. Whittaker, AfterLife's lead singer, thank you for the word you gave in between songs--it was a word of God specifically for one of our girls--she knows who she is!!! Thank you for allowing God to speak through you, and for all you shared from your platform yesterday!

True Beauty

Today some of our girls received an awesome gift--a priceless one! Thanks to Dana Ellis (Through His Light Photography) and the True Beauty Modeling program, six of our most active girls got to have a modeling experience today. They received a free makeover, professional photography session, catered lunch, and a "personal assistant" for the day. They felt so special! They were nervous at first, not knowing what to expect, but as the day wore on they became more excited. They looked in the mirror after the makeover and said, "I didn't know I could look this pretty." They got a much-needed boost to their self-esteem. All of the girls are as beautiful as can be, to me, and I tell them that, but this experience allowed them to see themselves in God's light a little more clearly. I am so grateful to Dana and her girls for all they did for us today--this is truly a priceless experience!

After they were finished modeling, I took them to the mall (one of our girls had never been to the mall) and we just strolled around, browsed, (showed off their new looks!), and enjoyed a freshly baked cookie. We were all tired at the end of the day, but it a wonderful experience we wouldn't trade for anything! Today I am grateful to God for the people He places in our lives, for the kids He allows me to minister to, for a supportive church family, and for the provision He continually pours out to allow us to do more and more. Thank you, God, for the opportunities which are new each day!

The Butterfly Effect

"You have been created as one of a kind. On the planet Earth, there has never been one like you...and there never will be again. Your spirit, your thoughts and feelings, your ability to reason and act all exist in no one else. The rarities that make you special are no mere accident or quirk of fate. You have been created in order that you might make a difference. You have within you the power to CHANGE THE WORLD." (-The Butterfly Effect" by Andy Andrews)

I recently met with a long-time friend and former supervisor, who happens to be the Executive Director of a local ministry I have been involved in for a very long time, and she gave me a book as our meeting came to an end. Little did I know what an impact that short volume would have on me, and little did she know that I would use it to impact as many others as I could. The book was called "The Butterfly Effect," and was written by Andy Andrews. If you haven't read it, please do! It will take all of 15 minutes, and I promise you your life will be forever changed. So powerful was this book, that I immediately felt God pressing on my heart to share this with the AWO kids as soon as possible. We had a trip to Grand Bay scheduled for October 1, so I decided that would be the perfect opportunity.

Each week since my last blog I have been transporting as many kids as are interested to the Elevate Youth meetings at NCC. Our numbers grow each week, and through this new outreach I have met so many new kids! I was excited to be able to sit down and get to know some of the newer teens this past weekend, and could not wait to share what I recently learned with them. We had 24 kids hop into the vans on Saturday, and we started our journey out to Grand Bay. Once there, we handed everyone a sack lunch and a bottle of water for the trek, and headed out on the trails. When we got to a covered pavillion we stopped for a rest and to enjoy our picnic lunches. While the kids ate I began to share with them the message of the compact little book. The basic premise of the text is that a movement as small as a butterfly's wing has the potential to cause a hurricane on the other side of the planet. This is, in fact, a summarized version of an actual law of physics which has been proven and is taught in universities world-wide. The book describes in detail how the lives of certain notable historical figures (such as George Washington Carver) had such an enormous impact and still continues to impact us today. He describes the "flapping of their butterfly wings" as small actions they took, with little thought as to the tremendous effect they would have. I gave each person there a butterfly of their own to serve as a daily reminder to them of the potential impact each of them have on everyone around them, and even on the world. I went on to discuss God's plan for their lives, their Divine purpose, and how we cannot take even our day-to-day lives lightly. We must keep ourselves holy and pure so that God can enact His plan in our lives, and so that we can fulfill His purpose for us with excellence.

As we talked, God sent a few real butterflies flitting in our midst, an awesome reminder of His presence with us at all times. We marveled at His creation around us, and I suggested that the kids themselves are something to marvel at, as well. How wonderful is our Creator, and how perfect is His vision for our lives! How could we ever want anything other than His perfect will for us?

With this in mind, I will continue "flapping my wings" with every child God sends my way, in the hopes that I might, as did George Washington Carver, have an impact on someone that resonates around the world for eternity. I thank each of you for "flapping your wings", too, in the small and big ways you support Arms Wide Open and all that we do! Know that every little thing you do has a BIG impact and will be remembered for years to come!

The Golden Rule

"Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you." (Luke 6:27-31).

Today 21 youth attended our meeting, where our focus was "The Golden Rule." We read out of Luke and focused on the above scripture, Luke 6:27-31. We used skits to depict typical scenarios these kids face regularly which force them to choose to either react according to the world's standard, or to follow Jesus' commandments. They really got into it and I believe they walked away with a really strong understanding of how to apply these principles in their everyday life.

When we finished our discussion, the kids assembled bags for the homeless which contained various items we thought they might need (such as toothpaste, a toothbrush, dental floss, bottled water, deodorant, shampoo, canned meat and other food items, and the most important item--a gospel tract and a sample salvation prayer). Then we went out on our hunt! The kids get so incredibly excited when we do this--they search and search until they find people they think really need it. We are so led by the Spirit in this, too, because He literally guides us to them. The kids just glowed as their gifts were received with, "God bless you," "Thank you so much," "Thank you, sweetheart," and even one "Thank God!" They thought carefully over how to present the bag and what to say and each teen came up with what he or she thought was best. Their hearts were so sensitive to the needs of the people we were serving. We found a total of nine homeless people hiding out. It was such a small thing, what we did, that it amazes me each time just how grateful and happy they are when they see us. We should take note and crank up our own gratitude for the small things in life! If you allow God to express love and compassion through you, you will be amazed, too! I thank Him, and I thank you, for allowing me to bless others and to be blessed in the process!

NCC Elevate Youth Meetings

At our summer camp last month Pastor Zakk Cumbess of New Covenant Church blessed us with his presence and a message from God. All of the kids absolutely loved him! Four of our kids accepted Christ at his invitation! At the end of camp Pastor Zakk was gracious enough to invite our kids to attend the Elevate Youth meetings each Wednesday night at New Covenant Church. Several expressed an immediate interest so I began trying to figure out transportation arrangements. As always (GOD IS GOOD!!) God made a way through NCC's allowing me the use of their van on a regular basis, each and every Wednesday. This is such a HUGE blessing!! I truly could not have as much contact with these kids as I do without New Covenant's support, and most importantly without the loan of their van. Transportation is the largest issue we currently face--with so many actively involved kids I have to find a way to pick them up and get them to our meetings each and every time I see them. I have been praying that God will bless us with a bus someday soon, because I could fill it right now with the kids I have! Until then, God is making a way for us and providing for our every need.

With New Covenant's support and blessing, last night I dropped some of the AWO kids off at the Youth Meeting and went to my own Home Church meeting. Afterwards, when I returned to pick them up and take them home, I immediately felt the strong presence of the Holy Spirit in the room. At first I could not find the girls I had brought because (as I later discovered) they were kneeling at the altar up front. When I did find my way to them I noticed that they were sobbing quite uncontrollably. It took me a bit to get them cleaned up and calmed down, and to find out why they were so emotional. On the ride home they proceeded to tell me of all the ways God had moved on their hearts during that short meeting. All had felt His presence and His drawing them to Him. All had felt conviction about certain areas of their lives that they have yet to surrender to Him. All had made a stronger commitment to Him and had asked His forgiveness.

For you to really understand the power of the Spirit in that meeting, I have to elaborate a little bit on these girls and their relationships with each other. Two of the girls were barely speaking at the beginning of our summer camp because of a falling out they had recently had. Formerly the best of friends, they had allowed a divisive spirit to make them enemies. Before camp began, I addressed all such issues among the kids and resolved it as much as I could at that time. We did not have any problems among any of the girls or boys during camp and everyone got along very well. However, I sensed that there were still some things unresolved there but I just committed it to God, knowing He would resolve it in time.

Last night, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, one of the girls boldly approached the other girl and tearfully apologized for all she had done, sincerely asking her forgiveness. Restoration happened in that moment! They hugged and cried together as healing took place. They hugged again as they parted later, at home. All of the kids are eager to return to church and have asked for me to take them as often as I can. I will be bringing them with me on Sunday morning, and at least every Wednesday evening.

I usually mention some attack that I have experienced when an event or contact is approaching, and believe me, this time it was no different. Earlier this week my daughter became ill, then my youngest son, and then me. I recognized that this was a tactic to keep me from fulfilling my promise to bring these kids to church and I just told the Devil that he was not going to win this one!! This morning I awoke feeling even sicker than last night, but again I say, "Devil, you are not going to win!!" Right now I feel great and I am not going to let anything the enemy does stop me from going forward in what God calls me to do! Just watch and see what He does next! :)

May God bless each of you, and your families, and I thank you all again for your support, encouragement, and especially for your prayer coverage over me, my family, and this ministry! Let's go impact the world for Him!

AWO Summer Camp 2011

I am still reeling from all that happened this weekend and I am sure my description will be inadequate. There is so much to tell! Before camp, I described some of what God has done just in the last weeks and mentioned that I wouldn't limit Him in what He might do by saying He was "done." I'm glad I didn't! An additional $200 came in between that blog post and the start of camp, as well as more donations of food for our campers. More obstacles appeared (two tires went out on one of the vans, it thunder-stormed and some of the roads started to flood as we were picking up kids, and the A/C was out on one of the cabins when we arrived, just to name a few) but God provided in every way and overcame them all! The more that happened on Friday the more convinced I became that God must have something truly awesome planned for this camp--and that was confirmed today!

The entire park was themed "Yogi goes Hawaiian," so we all wore leis to really get in the spirit. Throughout the day the kids enjoyed fun activities interspersed with important discussions. They got to play on the giant waterslide, swim in the lake and in the pool, sing karaoke, and play miniature golf. It did storm much of the time we were there, but we were blessed to be able to use a screened-in pavillion free of charge (thanks Jellystone!) during those times, so we just did crafts and other planned activities until the sun came out! We had two different luau experiences, after which we had our own version of a singing contest. The kids had to take the music to popular secular songs and rewrite the lyrics to make them Christian songs--then they had to perform them! They really did a wonderful job and the songs were fun and entertaining! They had so much fun doing this it went on for a couple of hours. Some of the kids performed a skit about choices in life and consequences of making the wrong choices. Then the sun came out and so did we--back to the water!

God pressed it on my heart to focus on the book of Jeremiah this weekend and to impress on the kids at camp that they were planned children of God before they were even formed in the womb, and that He has a purpose and plan for each of their lives. Each night we read out of the Bible and discussed specific verses. On Sunday (today) we had our own version of church. Pastor Zakk Cumbess came to speak to the kids. Some of our kids sang worship songs to open up, then Pastor Zakk gave a message which highlighted exactly what I had felt God speaking to me to convey to the kids. He used some of the same verses I had gone over with them the previous two days! He also gave a powerful testimony which really spoke to the hearts of our kids. In the end, four of our campers accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts--a blessing and an answered prayer!!

This weekend was powerful and full of God's presence--we are so grateful to have been a part of it and are so grateful to all of you who have helped make this possible. So many times during this weekend I looked around at all the smiling faces and felt the joy that surrounded me and felt so overwhelmed by the goodness of God. I was and am so blessed to be a part of this it is almost more than I can bear. I was created for this purpose and am being used as His vessel, and it is the most amazing experience on Earth!

We will continue to do outreach, monthly mentoring meetings, and our Bible study meetings, as well as whatever else God calls us to do. I am already ready for next year's camp! Thank you so much for your support, prayers, encouragement, and blessing!

A HUGE thank you to all of our supporters and contributors, including: New Covenant Church, Williams Investments, Fresh Beginnings, Merita Bread, Chick Fil a, Daylight Donuts, Atlanta Bread Co., Hampton Inn and Suites, Wingate by Wyndham, Sam Alzheimer, Teresa Giles, and Tracey Huyck. Thank you, also, to our dedicated volunteers who came and stayed the weekend (or at least part of it): Denise Flanders, Gary Johnson, and Hoyt Hurt. We wouldn't have been able to do this without you!!Thank you so much, Pastor Zakk, for making the drive out to share your story with us--you were ordained for that moment and lives were changed because of you!

God's Provision

Soon I will be posting about the adventures yet to come at our summer camp, but I could not wait that long to tell all of God's goodness! There is so much that goes into preparing for camp that I couldn't write it all or tell it all to anyone. Each year our camp gets a little bit bigger and a little bit better as God sends us new children to pour into, and as He teaches me a more excellent way of fulfilling His will. As I wrote previously, I have by now learned to rest in His assurance and not get so stressed out about every little detail (that's just my nature, guys, as those of you who know me well already can attest). I am learning to trust Him more every day, and it is an awesome feeling!

As I stated in my last blog, God was calling me to expand this year's camp, even at the last minute. In spite of knowing we only had enough money to pay for one cabin, I trusted His promise and reserved TWO. So much has happened since that leap of faith I had to fill you in.

Within five minutes of me asking for assistance I was promised a $300.00 check. Within a few days, I had another $50.00 check, and within a week I had an additional $200.00 check. Whew! I was so overwhelmed by each one that my body would literally shake each time. I cannot describe or explain to you how it feels to have God bless you in such a way, out of nowhere, unexpectedly, and to have it happen after He has quietly promised it to you directly. Well, after a week or so I was still heady with the blessings but thought God was done. I praised Him and thanked Him, because that was enough money to pay for the second cabin and also some to go toward food and other expenses. It was an abundance! And then, He surprised me again with yet another check, for $120.00. Now, I can't promise this is all and I won't try to limit Him and say that's it, but with only a couple of days left til camp I am not "expecting" any more. But I refuse to try to predict His movements or to limit Him any longer! Anything is truly possible, in Him!

There were a few last-minute glitches (there often are) in which Bibles and linens we thought were provided were not, but God had a back-up plan. Did you read that correctly? I said GOD had a back-up plan! He knew and had provided another way before I ever knew that our original promise had fallen through. Within 24 hours of finding out we were days out from camp with no Bibles for the kids, and no sheets for their bunks, I am saying PRAISE GOD, Jehovah Jireh, my provider! One phone call to Williams Investments provided us with enough sheets (plus some towels to boot) for our kids--thank you Mr. Paul McNeil for your prompt generosity to us!! One call to our children's Pastor, Chuck Sayers, and we had enough Bibles in hand for every child coming to camp. I thank God daily for my New Covenant family and all the support, love, and encouragement they give me and this ministry!

I am not perfect. I am only human. God does not perform these miracles in my every-day life or for every request I make. God DOES provide, without hesitation and without fail, when He has called me to a task and I obey. When He called me to this ministry I questioned the impossibility of it all, and asked how could I possibly do all that He was telling me to do. He instructed me to step out in faith and to TRUST HIM. That was not an easy thing for me to do, and I will say three years later I am just now really understanding what He meant. I am learning, God, please be patient with me! And for all of you, I would say, if God is calling you to a task, however impossible it may seem, TRUST HIM and obey. The blessings He will bring to your life, and the miracles He will perform in your wake are worth any sacrifice you might be called to make!

Stay tuned....camp news will be coming soon!!

June Events

I am yet again overwhelmed by God's goodness! On Friday (June 24th) I loaded up 15 kids to take them to Barney, GA, to pick fresh peaches straight off the trees, and to sample some of their delicious home made ice cream. This was a trip "just for fun" and one of the few times I spend with the kids without an underlying Bible study underneath. This was about teaching them to appreciate nature, and to see the beauty God has surrounded us in if we will just open our eyes to see.

I was expecting it to be a swelteringly hot Georgia day, but to my surprise the cloud cover and even a small sprinkle of rain kept us nice and cool. It was the perfect weather for being out in the orchard! The kids laughed and delighted in it all, and went on a "treasure hunt" for the perfectly ripe peach. It was so much fun! In a culture that is laden with electronic devices (like ipods, iphones, and iPads) it is so nice to see a young person enjoy a simple pleasure! After walking the orchard, we sat at the picnic tables and ate fresh ice cream and discussed our Sunday "give back" adventure, singing at the Fellowship Home.

On Sunday, I escorted 11 of the kids (including 3 new kids) to volunteer at the Fellowship Home in Morven, GA. The girls have beautiful singing voices and love to share their gift with others, so they volunteered to sing to the residents. During an afternoon chapel service, the A.W.O. girls sang hymns such as "Melodies from Heaven," among others. They poured their hearts into it, and the Spirit moved in our midst! I believe everyone there was blessed!

On the way there, in the NCC van, I was privelaged to hear the girls practicing their songs. The spirit of God was so strong in their music that I got chill bumps and tears long before we ever arrived. I reflected then on how blessed I am to know these kids and I question who is more blessed by our relationship, me as a "guide" or them as the pure-hearted lovers of Christ. I might argue that I am far more blessed by our encounters than they!

Also on the weekend's journeys, I met several new kids, some who wanted to accompany me but who I did not have room for, and some who were able to come (because their friends let me know in advance). As I was somberly explaining why they would not be able to come to this year's camp, because the cabin was already reserved and we just didn't have funds for another cabin this late in the year, my heart grew quite heavy. On the drive home Sunday afternoon, I was overwhelmed and torn by the yearning in my heart to reach out to these kids, both "old" and new, yet faced with the reality of our limited funds. I prayed that night, asking God to guide and direct me in what to do. The next morning, I sought the Lord again, still struggling in my heart with the situation. I asked, "God, do I just tell them "No," they can't come this year, or do I trust that it is Your will for me to allow all children to come and trust that You will make a way?" I felt like He answered, "Don't I always make a way?" My heart leapt with joy! I immediately stepped out in faith, knowing we could not afford a second cabin, and called the campsite to reserve it anyway.

I then sent out a message to a few of our supporters asking for anyone who felt led by God to contribute to do so, and asking for prayer support as camp quickly approaches. Within five minutes (that is no exaggeration!!) of sending that message I received a reply promising a $300 donation. Do you see why I say I am overwhelmed by God's goodness?? In the space of a few days we have gone from having one 20-bed cabin to two! We still need funds, but I am walking blindly forward because I trust Him and know that He will provide!

Thank you, again, for your support and encouragement along the way, and a special thanks to NCC for the use of your van for this past weekend--so many children were blessed for it!

Heaven and Hell

I know for certain that today's message must have been important. From being suddenly afflicted with an immobilizing illness to praying over my fevered daughter throughout the day and night, this week has been filled with battles. I prayed God would get us through it and that He would allow today's meeting to take place. He did!

Today I took the A.W.O. kids to our monthly Bible study meeting with a burning message to impart. For weeks God has been impressing upon me strong and clear imagery of Heaven and the very realness of Heaven and Hell. I have been preparing and counting the days down til I could share my heart with the kids I work with. I hoped their ears would be open, I prayed their hearts would receive, and I held my breath as I watched their faces. What did I see? Tears. Wonder. Awe. Conviction. Repentance. Joy. Faith. What a mighty work He did today!

What I did was simple. I read scripture, straight from the books of Luke, Revelation, and Isaiah. I spoke of the experiences of some others who testify to having visited Heaven, and even Hell. Stories such as those told by Colton Burpo, Akiane Kramarik, and Don Piper pack a powerful punch. They line up with the scriptures, and they give us a visual aid and a real testimony that sometimes unbelievers (and dare I say--believers too?) need to hear. I passed around a print of the portrait of Jesus painted by Akiane (The Prince of Peace). I shared with them how both Colton and Akiane describe the vivid colors in Heaven, colors that do not even exist on Earth, and how they describe the myriad of rainbows everywhere, especially near Jesus himself. Then I passed around some light refracting glasses for them to view the room with. With the aid of those glasses, our vision is able to see and separate light which was before barely noticeable. Rainbows filled the room, even surrounding some of us. They were amazed. I suggested to them the possibility (just my own theory) that in Heaven our vision is perfect (rather than our imperfect Earthly vision) and that those glasses might not be necessary to separate the light around us. I suggested that it might be possible, in Heaven, to see rainbows in the glorious luminescence of God all around us.

They were blown away. They threw questions at me left and right. What was the Lamb's Book of Life? How do we get to Heaven? Who's name gets written in the Book of Life? What is Judgement Day? And so on. And then I began to speak of Hell. I described for them the gnashing of teeth, the ever burning fire, and the torment that awaits some. More questions flew my way. We discussed, again, the prayer of Salvation and how to walk in the Light. Salvation is a regular topic because I get so many new kids. Those who have been with me for years have a full understanding, but there are those who have only met me once, or perhaps are attending having just met me for the first time. Some have no idea what salvation is, so I always talk about it.

I feel totally fulfilled this day. I know, beyond question, that God's will for my life was carried out today and that He prevailed once again over the enemy. What a gracious and wonderful God we serve!

Our 2nd Annual Easter Event

On April 23, 2011, Arms Wide Open held its 2nd Annual Easter Event which was open to the public. We were very blessed to once again have AfterLife play for us! We had live music, free food, and an egg hunt. Our purpose was to share the true Easter story with as many as we could. David Godwin read straight from the Bible the story of the crucifixion and resurrection to the crowd as they ate. After the egg hunt, I solicited volunteers to help me tell the story using the Resurrection egg set to the younger kids. Eyes wide with awe, everyone listened intently. I didn't have a chance to speak individually with them to find out, but I suspect there were some who were hearing that story for the first time.

We had 172 people, as best we could count, attend. It was an awesome time of fellowship, worship, and celebrating the One who came and died to give us Life Eternal. God blessed us in so many ways, encouraging and helping us to make this possible. Merita Bread donated the hotdog buns, Pepsi Bottling Company donated all the drinks, Mr. B's donated the hot dogs, AfterLife came and performed for us out of the goodness of their hearts, Fresh Beginnings donated cookies, and New Covenant Church allowed us to use their vans for transportation. God's hand was in everything we did!

We were once again amazed at how God performed a "fishes and loaves" miracle with the food. We planned for 200 guests, but in the business and chaos of the event we only grilled about half the hotdogs. Somehow everyone there was fed, and we didn't discover the accidental "extras" until afterward. We were also blessed by the people who attended. One individual was obviously homeless and God led us to donate much of the remaining food to him.

I prayed beforehand for peace and love to abound, and God blessed us with those in abundance. There were no drunken brawls, or thievery, or reason to call in law enforcement, all things we experienced at our last large event. Everyone enjoyed the event and each other's company!

I would especially like to thank the volunteers who so graciously donated their time to us for this event: AfterLife, Helen Chaney, Quincy Smith, Hoyt Hurt, and Sherry Brown. You were a blessing to us and to everyone there!!

TobyMac!!!

Those of you who know me well know that I am a HUGE TobyMac/Diverse City fan. I learned a long time ago in my Christian walk not to clutter my ears with secular music. It is rare for me to listen to anything that is not Christian, but my favorite thing to listen to is TobyMac! It is very upbeat, positive music that is just FUN and spiritual at the same time. I LOVE IT! His music appeals to a wide population because it is so diverse and is such a mix of different genres of music. His music has made the soundtrack of very secular hit movies and has crossed over to some secular radio stations. However, he has stayed true to his calling and GOD continues to be the central message in every song. Because of the hip-hop/rap sound in some of his songs, I have long thought that he could be very appealing to the younger teen crowd if they had a chance to listen to him. It has been a dream of mine to be able to take a group of kids to one of his concerts but he hasn't played anywhere close enough to me in years.

Finally, I heard last year that he would be coming back to Valdosta and I knew I had my chance. However, the idea of paying for Wild Adventure passes for each kid, reserve seat tickets (so they could be close enough to really see), transporting them, and feeding them at the park seemed like a pretty tall order. Was it possible? Could it really happen? Well, I have finally learned a little bit about stepping out in faith, so after prayer I did just that. I went out on a limb and reserved 15 seat tickets months before the concert, before we even had our yard-sale fundraiser. I asked for the use of a church van for transportation. I prayed for God to provide to make this happen. And then I waited.

Unlike I usually do, this time I did not stress and worry over it the entire time. I just trusted God and focused on other things, believing that it would somehow work out in the end. It did! Two days before the concert a loyal supporter dropped off a $300 check, almost enough to pay for the kids to get in for the day! Then, Wild Adventures agreed, over the phone, to give us a group discount for the kids' tickets and to let the chaperones in for free. WOW!!! This meant that the $300 actually more than covered the cost of the park tickets. The church van was not available, but between the chaperones we were able to transport the kids without a problem. And then, God had another surprise in store for us. At the gate, Wild Adventures decided (I'm not sure why?) to reimburse us for the cost of the reserved seats!! WOW again!!! I was still reeling from this when we finally took time out of the day to all sit down and eat as a group, and I realized that the amount of the food cost was the EXACT SAME amount as the seat tickets had been. Did God just pay for our meal? Something like that! :)

The kids had such an awesome time riding rides and looking around. Our only regret was not being able to see and do everything in one day. They were blown away by the concert and all "fell in love" with Toby and his music! My next mission: to figure out how to get them each a TobyMac CD!

It was an overwhelming blessing to get to share this experience with these kids, and to be able to pass God's love and blessings on to them in this way. It was a day that none of us will ever forget! Thank you for your part in making this happen!

Blessing Upon Blessing

Yesterday was a day of blessings. We set out to raise money to support our upcoming events and summer camp, but what we got was so much more! I have been overwhelmed once again by the love and support of others as I continue to follow God's calling. He always makes a way! He has never asked anything of me without providing for my every need to fulfill His request. I am amazed each and every time, and while I want to trust Him explicitly, I hope to never lose this feeling of wonder and amazement in Him!

First of all, I was blessed in having one of our most loyal and devoted supporters, the Anderson family, offer to organize this fundraiser for us. Since our very beginning, they have been willing volunteers, prayer warriors, and our biggest supporters. I am so encouraged by them!! I thought this was a wonderful idea and a way to help fund our annual events, but I was wondering where we would get enough things to sell to raise the money we need. Well, that answer is simple: from GOD, of course! Little did I know the plans He had for us! We had small bundles of clothing and items trickle in over the last several months and it slowly began to add up. I thought, "Okay, this is doable, this will help." But that wasn't ALL. Larger stashes of items began pouring in, including a couch, TV, DVD players, and more. Then, the day before the sale, some friends drove up with a huge truckload of things (including a bed!)--just that load alone would have made a fantastic sale! We ended up with so much stuff we didn't have enough tables to place everything! We had an abundance of goods, and all for the use of the ministry!

And, as if that were not enough, we had a few large monetary donations ON TOP OF the donation of goods. When all was said and done, our grand total from the yard sale was:

$790!!! What a BLESSING!!

We had 11 youth help at the yard sale, too--they wanted to be a part of it since they will be the ones enjoying the benefits of it. Several held up signs near the street to wave passersby in, one of our girls took on the job of being the "greeter" and made everyone feel right at home, and one of our boys worked super hard at packing up and moving large items afterward. Others handed out candy to our shoppers as a thank-you, and still others sold baked goods and lemonade. They worked so hard! About mid-way through the day we turned them loose to "shop" and let them have any clothing they wanted or thought their families could use. They each took home two garbage bags full of clothes! They had so much fun shopping they ended up doing a fashion show trying on their new things. One of our boys bragged about his "rich boy swag" as he paraded around in a new outfit. I really didn't think it could have been any more of a success!

Thank you all for all you did to support us and encourage us in what we do!! Of the proceeds the kids get to choose one place they have never been and really want to go, and we are taking a field trip! The remainder will go towards our events and camp this summer.

God bless all of you!

LOVE AND FREEDOM

February is a month known for celebrating love. In that theme, we set out to LOVE this month. We met for our monthly Bible study this month and our topic was love. We first talked about the limitlessness of God's love for us. We then went on to discuss God's mandate that we love others, and in doing so that we FORGIVE others. We shared with each other some ways we have been hurt and how it is sometimes difficult to forgive those hurts. We recognized that for what it is: unforgiveness, and even more than that--SIN.

We prayed together a prayer of forgiveness over someone who had hurt us deeply and we shared how it felt to be released from those hurts--how FREE we felt when we truly LOVED as God has called us to. We then went on to discuss love on Earth, among people. We identified the three main types of love and how to distinguish between them. We talked about ways to be sure that its REAL love. All topics which are, to me, crucial for these kids to succeed and survive life.

Our last task for the month was to go out and LOVE others. We again accompanied Kingdom Compassion to Lake Haven Nursing Home to volunteer. Mrs. Monette Brooks spoke on love (particularly, on God's love). A group of our kids sang two beautiful songs, and another group performed a step-dance for the residents. We were so, so blessed to be there. We, the kids and I, gained so much more than we could have possibly given in our time there.

On my way home, after taking home all the kids, I was contemplating love. How my heart is full with love for those children! I love them as if they were my own! Because of that, sometimes my job is difficult. It is so hard to keep the balance between the ministry and my own family--I cannot always take my own kids with me, so time spent with the AWO kids is often time away from my own kids. It is so difficult to leave them, and were it not for my own family I don't think I would leave them at all. They fill me with such joy, just being with them! I know that I am blessed by them, blessed to be with them, and blessed to be a part of their lives. God is so good to me! And, He continues to send me more and more kids to work with--each time I go out more kids find me, and it excites me to no end because I know God is expanding His Kingdom!

Thank you, God, for LOVING us more than we can even comprehend!! May we honor you in our lives and in our walk every day that you bless us with!

Our First Bible Study Meeting

Today we held our first intimate Bible study with the Arms Wide Open kids. God really pressed this on my heart last year when so many of our kids were beginning to accept Jesus into their hearts. I knew I had a responsibility to disciple them as well as mentor them but I was worried about where to hold Bible study groups and how to transport the kids to and from meetings. What does God say about that? "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matt. 6:25-27 NIV. I know this, yet somehow I always find myself worrying. God provided a location and transportation, both free of charge. THANK YOU, GOD!! He continues to bless me so that I can, in turn, bless others. I taught these kids, who have only been Christians for two months now, about the standard God asks us to live by. We discussed the book of Ephesians where the Christian walk-of-life is outlined so well. We talked about sin and how to avoid temptation and falling into sin. We also talked about how to protect ourselves from the enemy and we discussed the armor of God in depth. I feel that we covered some of the essentials of Christian life, at least.

We then diligently packed bags for our second homeless delivery. In these bags we placed sandwiches, juice, potted meat, crackers and cheese, lotion, coupons for free McDonald's food, and even a toothbrush and toothpaste. We tried to think of things they might need but not have ready access to. As an added measure of outreach, we placed in each bag a verse out of Jeremiah 29:11 (For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ) and a prayer of salvation. The kids put these bags together with such joy and excitement, it was a sight to see! Then we loaded up the van and headed out. We searched the streets of Valdosta and found some of the loneliest, desperate, and desolate individuals. My heart aches at the depth of pain I could see in their eyes. We weren't in the poorest areas of town, or the most dangerous. We found them at Taco Bell, near the Mall, at a gas station, and just walking down the sidewalk. They were everywhere we looked. They are there, you just have to SEE them. To think so much need is here in our very midst as we go about the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Lord, never let me be a person who passes them by, carelessly unseeing. Open my eyes and open my heart to SEE and direct my hands to DO, oh Lord. Thank you for the blessing You poured out through us and on us today!