I Witnessed It!

Well today was one of those days that filled my heart with joy and my eyes with tears!
Today we had our first try at taking orders for the angel food after service. If you remember me talking about this in the past, it's $25.00 for a box of food worth about $60.00.
We only had six orders today which was expected. What was really cool was two of the orders were people buying for others in the church that were in need. But if we break down each story it gets even better.
Story #1: Joe Lowe is an ex-con that was incarcerated for arson. He was an alcholic that has turned his life around through the mission. He now has a steady job and is working for God. He came up to the table today and wanted to order food for himself and pulled out his food stamp credit card. He later came back to the table and ordered another box for a family in the church that has fallen on rough times and has kids. Again using his food stamps! It reminds me of the lady in the Bible who gives her last two coins. Way to go Joe!

Story #2: Hermy and Riley are an elderly couple (mid sixties)that have started coming to our church from Central Wesleyan. (a church of about 3500 attenders) They have a heart for the poor and started coming to City Life. They say they are giving it a year but I bet they stay. Hermy (the wife) is a big blond haired dutch woman. She has found her ministry nitch by walking around with her little point and shoot camera and taking pictures of all the people attending. Of course many of these people have never had their pictures taken in years. Some of the people have ask her for extra copies so they could send them to family. Hermy also has started a wall of friends with all their pictures. She also keeps track of the people. She told me today that three of them hadn't been coming so she called them and told them she missed them. All three showed up for service today! Hermy came up to the table today and said she wanted to buy someone some food. I told her to find someone and I would get their name and information. The next thing you know she has got a local prostitute with her that has been sneaking in and out of service. She has let Hermy take her picture and everyone has been just being kind to her. She looks really rough. she has two missing front teeth and dresses really skimpy but dirty. Hermy offered to buy her food and she accepted. I took her information and she told Hermy "God Bless You, I have to leave before I cry". Hermy and another Woman were so excited. They wrote down her address and said now they know where to send her cards!
Way to go Hermy!

So what did I witness? Man I witnessed the Kingdom of God in action Today! I stood up at one point and cheered saying "This is what this ministry is all about"! It's not just about the discounts on food. It's about people connecting and blessing other people. What a GREAT DAY!

No Regrets

Today (Sunday) was a day that I got two reminders of the shortness of life. One reminder was of a real life friend of mine and the other was a movie I just got done watching with my wife.

First reminder was an e-mail I got from my now passed friend Gabe's wife. A very brief history of my friend is summed up like this. He was a smiling fun loving Italian guy that always made everyone around him happy. He had a heart attack when we worked together as supervisors in the factory. He never recovered and returned. He was my age (47) and ended up fighting for his life for the rest of it. He had several heart attacks many stints and then contracted cancer.
It was an ugly 13yr. battle. I watched as he went through all the different stages of hair loss and being bloated from steroids. I visited when I could but it wasn't enough. I went through times of forgetting about him and not visiting because I was to busy. I feel bad about that now.
The e-mail today was a slideshow of Gabes life. The show was timed with the Mercy Me song of I can only Imagine. The very song I would like to have played at my funeral. As I sat there crying at my computer I remembered something else! They were playing a Christian song about his life. I then remembered that loudmouthed Italian had accepted Jesus and was ready (begging at the end) to see him! I remember times when he was cursing God and not understanding why him. Then he came to terms with it. I remember turning my life over to Jesus during this whole ordeal and getting to share with him my journey to faith. I had the priveledge near the end to pray with him knowing it was probably the last time I would ever see him. Gabe passed this summer and I miss him. He was an instrumental part of my understanding Jesus and what grace really means. Gabe would not have fit into alot of churches. He was still a loudmouthed laughing cursing italian until the very end. But he probably was closer to the real heart of Jesus than alot of us. He was always going the extra mile to help a guy at work. He was always checking on the guys on the weekend when most of us wanted to be away. He never wanted to talk about himself when I visited. He always wanted to knowabout me and my family. Anyways I know he is with Jesus and probably telling him a good joke or two.
Later tonight Deb and I rented a movie called Riegn over me. Adam Sandler plays a guy who lost his wife and three daughters in a plane that crashed into the towers on 9-11. The movie shows a husband that has gone crazy because he can't handle the reality of losing his precious wife and daughters.
So what has this got me thinking? Well lately we've been contemplating alot of changes in our lives. I think most would call them idealistic, extreme and probably a little nuts. But I look at it this way. We only get a short time to live this thing called life. Why not live it to the full and bless as many as we can along the way. I think Jesus won't have a problem with that! I think I would rather live life on the bold exciting side than play it safe and bored. Jesus said he came to be with the sick so I figure I'm supposed to follow his example. I think it's time to step away from the comfortable "healthy" huddles and go touch some lepers!
I told a friend of mine the other day that I didn't have time to waste it being comfortable and bored. I want to be able to say at the end of my life that I have no regrets. That's a tall goal but isn't it worth shooting for?
Love to all,
Randy

The Office

No not the TV show. I never seem to get to see that show. Always busy doing something else I guess.

The office I'm talking about is the new Overflow church office in the Orchards Mall in Benton Harbor. I was in the area working today so I called Brian the pastor and asked if it was open today. He said he was going to be there so I dropped in and visited.

We now have a coffee shop,(just coffee), Wi-Fi and big screen TV in the office. Brian says he has had 20 to 30 conversations a day. These can range from the curious to the serious. All I know is that I'm jealous he gets to sit there and have all the fun! I ordered a tasty Philly sub from the food court and sat and chatted with Brian today. It's been fun to listen to the stories of how God is orchestrating people to potentially be a part of or help in certain ways. It's going to be a long winter.

I also visited another couple today that are part of the launch team. They are realtors and own an art gallery downtown. Kathleen(the wife) happen to see some of my urban photography that I was giving to the Bridge street kids. She had talked to me about having some on display at their gallery. I'll admit I was pretty blown away by her interest. They even talked of having me supply them enough to have my own showing! That would be so cool! I haven't ever felt my stuff ws of that caliber but hey it would be a dream come true. I will have to discuss this with them frther.

She was showing me some of the other paintings and art work. They were really good. Then I saw the price tag....One of the art pieces ws carved out of wood in the shape of a painting all three dimensional. I can't properly describe it but it was to heavy for them to hang. It was priced at $12,000.00 That was scary. To think someone could spend that much money on a picture just blows my mind. I'll be happy to make $12.00..ha ha

They are really nice people and have agreat business sense. They are really hopefull for the future of the downtown art district area.

Anyways enough rambling I'm tired and need sleep.

Love to all,

Randy

Rudy gets a chance

Hello everyone,
Well if you have been following the story you know it's been a trying year for Stephanie and us as parents. We thought Steph was going to have a great last year playing volleyball. But as it turns out the coach has not played her much at all. We and the rest of the world have not figured this one out yet. We've had parents coming to us expressing there disbelief, we've even had other players tell us and her they don't understand why. I have talked to the coach on two occasions and she assured me it wasn't personal, basically she didn't feel Steph was doing her best in practice and she needed to work on some things. We are not allowed to go to practices so I don't have any argument. Pretty helpless feelings. We encouraged Steph to work hard but we really knew she was. Steph almost quit two weeks ago. The way she was being treated I was willing to let her. She didn't quit and I am thankful now that she didn't.
Last night was there last home conference game. The coach decided to start all the seniors. That meant Steph got to play back middle (her specialty) and the junior that has been playing the spot had to sit.
We were shocked when she walked out on the court with the starters. Were pretty nervous for her too. We knew if she screwed up once she would be yanked and that would be the end. Well the first ball served to her she called it and bump set it to the setter and it was perfect. We all cheered (I mean we all). She went on to have a great first round until she got rotated out with the front row player. We wondered if that was it and the junior would come in for the rest of the night.
It came time for the front row player to rotate out and Steph got up and rotated back in! Well she ended up playing the whole night. This ended up being a five game match against their biggest rival. The former coach from Allendale now coaches this team. So they were all out to beat them. They lost to this team earlier in the year.
Stephanie was having a great time! Her focus was there and her skills were there. She definately showed the coach, players and the fans that she has been overlooked. They ended up winning the match and Stephanie was a big contributer.
What was really cool was to see all the players and parents coming down and giving her hugs and telling her how awsome she had done. I gave her a big hug and told her how proud of her I was. I was proud of the way she played but I think I'm more proud of the way she has handled all the adversity. She is friends with everyone on the team and still loves her coach.(not as much as a coach but as a person) but do you blame her? I have to say she has showed more of Jesus love than Deb or I have.
It was parents night last night and all the parents have t-shirts. Mine and Debs have "Steph's dad(mom)" on the back. Deb and I in protest last night almost took tape and crossed out Steph and wrote RUDY'S Dad on the back! Maybe it's good we didn't.
Well there are a few more tournaments and games to go. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. But for one breif time in Stephanies life she was the star, and she'll remember this for the rest of her life. I'm glad I was there to see it!