How to dress like the Daughter of a King for under $30.00

Where do I begin with the story about S. We met almost two years ago when we both started doing Church in the Park. I came to serve, she came to eat. At first she would hardly talk to anyone. She never smiled. She slept in empty trailers and mobile homes around the city.
As time has gone on she has come to trust us and we have spent many Friday mornings laughing and joking and praying for her mother and her pregnant sister. She loves us now. We love her.
Just recently she has moved back home but still comes for church and lunch every week.
Not too long ago she was sad again. She handed me a police report. I thought she had been arrested or something like that. No. She had been attacked and they found her assailant and jailed him. She was afraid. She was humiliated. He touched her...Let me explain about S....she thinks like a child. She is an adult but she is a child inside. She broke down and cried, terrified at what had happened to her.

Then, the next couple of weeks she seemed to forget about the whole ordeal and was happy again.
Two weeks ago she came with another piece of paper...a subpoena to testify against this jerk. She was petrified and didn't want to face her attacker.
I couldn't blame her, could you?
It was just that morning I struggled with putting $30.00 in my pocket. I don't usually have cash on me ever. It keeps me from spending money that I do not need to be spending. But that morning I put the cash in my pocket.
Back to S....she was terrified and as we were parting for the day she cried because she didn't have anything to wear to court.
I gave her the money. I wouldn't usually do that. I would usually take someone to the store and buy what they needed and leave it at that but because of our schedules, both hers and mine that was just not going to happen.
She promised to use it for an outfit. And she did. We, all the women there got around her and we asked the Lord to go before her in that courtroom and He did.
Because last Friday she came to Church in the Park and was beaming. There she was, Black skirt, bright pink button down shirt, and to top it all off she had the cutest pair of black and pink ballet slippers.
She said, "Guess what?"
"What?" we all said.
"This is my new outfit!" said she.
"You look beautiful!" said I.
"Guess what?" said she.
"What?"
"I didn't have to testify!"
She went on to explain that when she got to court and they guy saw her he plead guilty.
"Who did that for you, S?" we said.
"Jesus?" she asked.
"Yes, Jesus did just what we asked Him to do for you when we all prayed together."
She just smiled.
What a glorious day. God, our God out there under the gazebo taking care of such a motley crew as we all are. Imagine that.
There it is... a day in the life of me...getting to watch God as He touches the lives around me.
Church of Acts alive and well under the trees on a Friday morning.

Trampolines, What if?s, and Hunger

The following email conversation occurred the day following an evening of powerful conversation between a mom, her son, and his friends concerning truth and trampolines,'and the 'what if?' questions they had been exploring; and God's intrusion into that conversation in the form of a homeless one walking by the restaurant window. Even though the conversation was heated, intense, and engaging, without saying a word to each other we knew what had to be done for this intrusion on the other side of the window---

The conversation turned into a most beautiful choreographed ballet as I pushed my wrapped sandwich toward my son who in turn left the restaurant with it and delivered it to the man as the man picked up a broken plastic utensil and stood there wondering if it was something he could eat.
We were waiting on God that night. Though we were entrenched in conversation our eyes were on the man watching and waiting to see what God would have us do without me knowing that what was going on inside of me was going on inside of Jimmy as well.



Mama: Just had to stop what I was doing to tell you I love you and appreciate the conversation last night. God did something but I am not sure what is was, not enough to put in words, anyway.
First: I got to thinking about trampolines, and here is what I have to share…before I forget what I was thinking. Trampolines have legs. The legs are the very things that enable us to bounce around. If you mess with the legs people get hurt real bad. The legs cannot be tampered with in any way…they are designed to hold the trampoline in the air. There are no what ifs concerning the legs. They just are and you have to have faith that the legs hold you up or you will never even get on the trampoline in the first place.
I think, as an older person, legs are a comfort to me and I appreciate their sturdiness. When old people break bones it is very difficult for those old bones to heal so we tend to appreciate those sturdy old legs. But you, and Danny have youth on your side. The legs are taken for granted a little bit because it is so fun to fly in the air and there is so much to discover out there. We both are talking about the trampoline but my discovery is that we are interested in its different parts.
Second: and here is what God is pleased with, not the conversation, but that the conversation did not get in the way of the both of us noticing the man and hearing from Him that he was needing food and giving him that food. I am blessed to be on this journey with you. I am truly blessed. Thank you, Mama

Son: Totally, and in our hearts we are examining the legs to see if what we are relying on, is in fact the most sturdy, most flat foundation.
I know that right now we’re having a good time flying and sometimes we do get broken, but in our brokenness is where God does most of His work.
When bone breaks, it heals stronger, I know that when we’re older it’s harder to heal, and things hurt longer, but I think even though we don’t see the need to fly anymore, it can’t be because we’re afraid of getting hurt, or to think that the pain isn’t worth the revelation, sometimes we use trampolines to lay down on and gaze at the stars. And that’s a good fun thing as well, if that’s what you and God are doing that night. It’s the willingness to get up and jump if someone comes along and needs to experience the flying sensation that matters.
You might not ever need to because you have people around you that are willing to fly (Danny and I) ha-ha. And we in return need to be willing to stop, lie down, and spend the night looking at the stars with the Creator.
I love you too mama, ha-ha always and forever. J

Mama: Yes, I think what I am trying to say is: I still fly, but not as high, and I know the legs will hold me. And…I lie down and look up at the stars too and I love watching you fly knowing I have checked the legs and they will hold your weight! Mama

Posts around Blogtown worthy of some time...

Shaun , a dear friend of Bekah and Tyson, my daughter and son-in-law has written an incredible post inspired by his having to wait with all of us as Bekah and Tyson's first child was coming into this world a few weeks ago. He and God spent time together, and this was wise, for as you can see the other members of my family decided to be creative with surgical gloves while waiting. We all handle waiting differently. Waiting for babies to come, school to end, for a word from the Lord, all have their stresses...silly, tho', to stress...babies come, school ends, and the Lord speaks... all in their perfect time...thanks, Shaun, for words well written.
Today at the Mission has been posting some incredible thoughts here, and here, and here. This last one led me to a post titled First Church of the Blue Haze over at sgworship.
One of my favorites is over at The Stink is Here. Her post on Spare Change was quite an eyeopener for me. She is my daughter, Leah and what I loved about it was the conversation that took place between her, me, and my son Jimmy in the comments section. We probably would never have had this conversation outside of Blogtown. I am glad we took the time to stop and discover eachother.

Please disregard the dates on the pictures...i only just learned that i had to be the keeper of the time...technology, go figure!

Pockets of Purpose

When I walked into the Bike shop I have to admit, I felt a little uneasy. Though I had met Kenny and Jen a few times before I had never stopped by to check out their church...a planting of the Lord...right smack dab in a bike shop on a highway. By the time we started there were 25 or so there. Worship began...Helen led with no instruments and a raspy deep voice. There I was, among leather and chains and remnants of cigarette smoke and....I felt at home. Did I fit into their social life? No, can't say that I did, but, we all had one thing in common....we were all there because we love what Jesus has done for us and want to be more like Him in a world that is dying.
I brought Tracy the next week. She does street church in another part of town down the highway some. HUH was there, he is pastor of a Bike club. It seems that there are these pockets of ministry all over this town. And it is very, very neat how God is bringing us all together. Kenny and Huh went to check out Tracy's gathering last Thursday night. They all walked the neighborhood and prayed. They were all blessed that they now know each other. I met HUH at the Friday morning church in the park with the homeless ones. Now I meet up with him at Kenny's. HUH has a group that meets down the road in the back of a beauty shop. I have a gathering at a lady's house over in the Section 8 apartments tucked at the edge of the desert. Lots of moms and babies over there. Women struggling to survive.
So, now, there are these preachers who are discovering they are not alone in this town and I am excited to see what God is going to do with a motley crew like us...

Certified Organic

Organic- that is the only word I find fits what is happening on Friday mornings. Organic, not as in no pesticides or chemicals, not that kind. Organic like a seedling growing into a tree, a flower making way for a pear, an earthworm aerating the soil...you know, organic.

Last Friday, as Jimmy led us all in a few worship songs, one of the men came and knelt under the gazebo, on the cold dirty cement which caused many more including me to worship on our knees. Even Connie, the lady who makes the soup every week came and knelt.(her knees locked for a bit and she couldn't get up so the men came and held her up 'til she could stand). As the sun beat on my face and the cold air swept through my clothes the tears just came.

We were a church in the most organic sense...a living, breathing organism whispering the song to the Lord under the gazebo. All sense of 'being watched' vanished as we became one body. O for a month of Fridays...
Today two men gave their lives to the Lord. They came and prayed with Jimmy.
R. was there today. He doesn't look good. The whites of his eyes are very yellow. He is suffering with his seizures. He cries when we tell him how much he is loved by God and by us. But he is trapped in an addiction that is taking his life...what will happen to R? He lost his mom recently and has never been able to cope with it. Pray for R, please...the enemy of our souls must not win. Will you stand with me as I fight for R. in the spirit?

A lady came today for the first time...I will call her C. A dear friend who was with me today knows her and she told me a little about C's life. Many years ago one of her daughters died by accidental drowning. C broke and was never the same. She has a fierce love for the Lord. Her husband is very abusive. C did not come because she is homeless. She has a home and a family. I do not know why she was there today but we got to pray with her as she released some things to the Lord. A minute later, while we were not paying attention she was gone.

If I could, there would be churches like this one all over this town. I can't make it happen but I am stirred to get very quiet again that I may hear Him....there is hope for the lost and I want to be there when they grasp it.
In my next post I am leaning towards sharing my heart concerning worship...I have been in a conversation with a friend about this and thought I would jot down what has been developing from that.
Til then, bless...

Friday morning Christmas in the Park

I am speechless and blessed....my best Christmas ever. Talk to you all soon...

Takin' it to the Streets

Blooming Most Recklessly has posted an incredible moment in her life. I truly believe that this is happening in every part of the world. We need to know that the silly things the Spirit is leading us to do are not so silly as we think. Again, so simple is the venue Jesus moves in. Highways and Biways have always been my favorite places -- that is where the miracles happen -- where the lost and crushed are.

This is the moment that everyone has sensed. What say ye? Time to take it to where they are waiting...to the streets!!!!

So, when I make a plan, and the rain seems to ruin it, Lord, help me to remember that this could be the very moment someone looking for you has taken a wrong turn into a KFC somewhere...may I remember to take my friends and guitar and run towards Redemption!

Friday morning...

When I pulled up to the park this morning there were already 15 or so there. Some were laying under the trees, being real still, saving their energy. Others sat around and on a shaded table off to the side. There were only a couple under the gazebo. No one from my side was there yet so I didn't get out of my car.

I have a new car. Everything works; the air conditioning, the radio, the lights... I sat in my car with the engine running, the air on, and the doors locked. I figured it would be best to wait this way 'til someone came.

Those that were there already could see me but they didn't beckon me to get out of the car. They knew why I stayed there. It didn't make them feel bad though. They knew I was being careful for a reason. They agreed with my behavior.

Finally Jimmy and Pastor Dave came with the food. Those at the table and under the trees arose and met us. I was out of the car now. They came to help carry the food and drinks to the gazebo.

They always help. We feed them first and then we have church. They always stay
'til the end and then they help us get everything back to the car. We go our way in our air conditioned cars and they...well, they retreat back into the desert or to the library where they can sit in the coolness and pretend to read the newspapers. Mostly they wander around downtown til dark and then head back to camp.

They are the homeless ones. We are not. But once a week we meet and have church in the park.

Some would say we go and feed the homeless. To me, it is church in the park. Pastor shares the Word, sometimes we sing a song or two. The food is good...at least they always thank us for our trouble.

Many of our regulars were not there today. Some of them had pink slips of paper, tickets over $600.00 each for being homeless. Wednesday was July 4th, Independence day...so a lot of our regulars were not there, especially the women. We think they are in jail for the weekend.

But once a week, for a couple of hours, we have the same life, we and them. We sit together and eat and listen and pray.

Jimmy says they are all mostly left over cowboys with no cows...

It's the highlight of the week for me. I love going to Friday morning church in the park. It's real and good and full of Jesus.

Simple, church.