What's Up

Greetings to all!  I pray that each one of you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the coming year. 


I think it's clear that I'm not very faithful with this blogging adventure, but I will try to do better. 


Bread of Life - Since I last wrote, our Bread of Life food pantry has seen a great deal of activity.  People from our church and from the community have sought assistance, and we are blessed to provide it. Because of the increased need, we are now short on food and could use some assistance.  Needed items include: rice; cereal; spaghetti; spaghetti sauce; soup; peanut butter; and jelly.


Just Do Its - The Just Do It group at Grace Chapel was busy before Christmas, purchasing and wrapping gifts for a single mother and her young son, who are family members of Gracers. Mom and son were excited to receive the gifts and were blessed on Christmas morning.


Book Recommendation:  I highly recommend a book called The Hole in Our Gospel: What does God Expect of Us? The Answer that Changed my Life and Might Just Change the World, by Richard Stearns. This compelling book illuminates what so many Christians (myself included) tend to miss about the gospel - the "good news" - which is that the good news doesn't end with our personal salvation and our personal "fire insurance" policy.  Our personal salvation is, indeed, good news for us and incorporates the first great commandment, which is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind.  The missing component - the hole in our gospel - is that we are to then act upon that faith by serving others. We ae the ones, because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, through whom God intended to reach the poor, the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the disenfranchised, and those held captive to injustice, thus fulfilling God's 2nd great commandment to us, which is to love our neighbors as ourselves. WE are God's plan for helping the brokenhearted, the captive, the prisoners, the hungry, and the poor! As ambassadors for Christ, THAT is our purpose in life!  I encourage you to get the book for yourself and see how it just might change your life.