Man on the Corner

Man on the corner
Holding the card board sign
Can I be more like you?
Poor in mans sight
Rich in the Fathers eyes
So full of faith, love and grace
Man on the corner
Can I be more like you?

Scorned, scoffed and laughed at
Surrounded by bitterness, hatred and pain
A pointed finger says you’re to blame
To the Word you turn
In your faith, you stand firm
So full of faith, love and grace
Can I be more like you?

Circumstance says you’ve failed
Truth says you’ve won
So full of faith, love and grace
A humble spirit and a grateful heart
Is who you’ve chosen to become
Judged by the world around you
Loved by the Father above you
Can I be more like you?

Man on the corner
Holding the card board sign
Can I be more like you?
Poor in mans sight
Rich in the Fathers eyes
So full of faith, love and grace
Man on the corner
Can I be more like you?

Friday Art!!

This guy is amazing! Not necessarily funny but it's something cool to look at. Which is what this Friday post is all about.





You can find more of his amazing chalk paintings at
http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/pave.htm



He has pictures taken from a different angle to show how his art work is created to make the 3-D look.



It's amazing the level of talent and creativity involved to create such amazing works of art!

JUST DON'T DO IT

So I promised that on Fridays I would try to post something fun or interesting. I found this video through my parents and have already shared it with my facebook friends but it is definitely worthy of my Friday post. Enjoy!!

Time to switch it up

So far this blog has been pretty serious. Diving into the side of my mind that most people don't get to experience. Too bad that side can often be heavy and deep. I'm a thinker it's what I do. I feel energized when I'm alone. This is how I recharge. I take time think about things and possibly think things to death sometimes. I get drained with too much activity, too many people too often. Don't get me wrong I looooooooove the people in my life, but it's the time alone that allows me think and process and refuel for the next day. Unfortunately I can become very serious when left to myself for too long. This is when I stress and become easily annoyed. I need a perfect balance of people and time alone. This is where I am most myself and most at ease.

This Christmas Eve I stayed the night at my parents house. Wasn't really planning on doing that but it was decided it would be more fun this way. Fun to me sounded like work. I had to pack, I had to get a thousand Christmas presents in the car, I needed to clean my house, and I was tired. Fun was sounding pretty lame to me. I find the more isolated I am the more I start to think this way.......

Instead of going to the Christmas Eve service at church I slept. I was beat. Nothing could motivate me as I had let my mind talk me out of anything remotely fun. That night and the next day was the most fun I have had in months. Once I stopped over analyzing everything around me I enjoyed the crap out of myself. I didn't even go home Christmas night I didn't want to leave my family and the fun I was having.

This was a turning point when I began to realize I stopped looking for fun and enjoyment in life. Not cool.

Anyways the whole point of this short turned long blog was to inform that every Friday I will post something fun, something to laugh at and enjoy so every Friday take a few minutes to breath and enjoy what I have posted.

Silence

It's in the moments of silence that I begin to wonder if God is still there. Does He still care? Doubt rushing in, fear that my relationship with Him is slipping. Maybe if I read more He wouldn't be so silent. Maybe if I prayed more His voice would meet my ears. Maybe if I would serve more I would be given the honor of hearing His voice.

But I have come to realize it's in these moments that He is working more than ever in my life. He is stretching me, breaking me, renewing me, building me. It's in these moments of silence that I have learned to persue my God harder. To search deeper. To run after Him with my whole heart.

I have learned to accept theses times of silence with my hope in what I know to be true. That He will never leave me nor forsake me. That He will continue His work in me until it is complete.

The silence He gives is a gift for my soul.God is taking me deeper, swallowing me whole.

May my heart never cease to break

My heart has been in a continual state of brokenness. I never want it to change.

In the last 2 years God has brought people into my life that I had never paid much attention to before. At times I did what I could to help but they were in no way a front runner of my priorities. I didn't have a heart for them, I loved them, I guess. I never thought for once that I would hurt for them, cry for them, and pray for them as passionately as I do today.

God I pray that my heart never cease to break for the lost, hurting and confused. God hear my cry and my heart, use me for your glory. May your kingdom increase as your people fight for those who have been taken captive. May we never let go of your promise and your call on our lives. May we love like you love. God, words cannot express the pains of my heart, show me how to reach the lost. Your love never ceases to amaze me. Use me God, use me!

Let me ask you a question.....

Dan
Cameron
Kentucky
California
Tammy
Jose
Joseph
Jerry
Guy
Jeremiah
Curly
Allen
Dave
Effron
Randle
Amanda
Van
Jay
Nathan
Deb

Let me ask you, do you know the names of those in need in your city?
Would you walk, laugh, cry, and pray with them?
Would you see the beauty they hold inside?
Or would the dirt and the smell of hard liquor turn you away?
Are they on your heart and in your prayers?
Have you asked God if you are called to minister to them?
If He said yes would you go?
Have you felt the tug on your heart to reach out and ignored it?
Do you see them the way God see's them?
Let me ask you, do you love them the way you love yourself?

Everyone of these names belong to person God wants to have a relationship with. Some of them already know and love God.

I want to talk about a beautiful woman that we have met on several occasions. Her name is Tammy. She has lived on the streets for several years. Her sister, parents and husband have all died. She is an alcoholic and even though she is ashamed of this fact she will not hide it from you. She hates that she is homeless and she hates her addiction even more. She is in LOVE with Jesus! She carries her bible in a purse she keep close to her chest. "I keep my bible close to my heart" She reads nightly along with her friends Dan, and Kentucky. She is amazingly beautiful and full of faith. In spite of the life she lives she puts her hope in eternity with Jesus. Today she hugged me and cried, I hugged her tighter and reminded her that God has not given up on her and that through him her addiction can be healed.

Do you think that maybe, just maybe I will get to worship God for all eternity in heaven with this woman? I do.

Let me ask you, do you know the names of those in need in your city?
Would you walk, laugh, cry, and pray with them?
Would you see the beauty they hold inside?
Or would the dirt and the smell of hard liquor turn you away?
Are they on your heart and in your prayers?
Have you asked God if you are called to minister to them?
If He said yes would you go?
Have you felt the tug on your heart to reach out and ignored it?
Do you see them the way God see's them?
Let me ask you, do you love them the way you love yourself?

Visit our website to learn more about the ministry and how you can get involved.

http://s1.webstarts.com/PaperBagMinistries/index.html