Just an Old Fashion Love Song, coming down in 3 part Harmony.........

I was reading an article from the Mountain Times this week and I really really had my heart burdened. My heart was burdened to the point I almost came to tears........in the office! In fact there were a few articles in that paper about the tough times we've all been having. One was about a Food Pantry in the High Country of NC that has run OUT of food. Another, the one that pulled so hard, was about a Homeless Shelter in Boone. They interviewed this guy who is/was a heating and air worker that is now homeless. They talked about how they have 20 beds and a fire code of 17. Many nights this shelter has to break the law to help people live. The shelter will allow those that have absolutely no place to go stay first, then those who live in cars, and then those that can find a place with someone. Every night the shelter has to turn people away. Have you ever experienced the weather in Boone during the winter??? As I read the articles I noticed the weather advertisement on the page...... At lunchtime that day when it was nice and toasty in the 50's in Charlotte, Boone was topping out at 28! Anyone that has been to Boone in the winter also knows about the unforgiving winds they have. The cold wind hunts you down and haunts you....there is no escape. Boone has already had several snows this year and severely cold temperatures. I guess it just sunk in, that in Boone the homeless don't have the programs folks in the Piedmont have and I know the struggles they have. Those in the same situation in Boone are basically out there to Die! How difficult would it be to turn people away on a night the reached single digit temperatures? In fact every time folks are picked to fill the shelter, others are inadvertently picked to face death. Jesus Commanded us to "Love our neighbors as we love ourselves"....... where is this love? Jesus said, in Matthew 25:34-40 (NKJV), 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
I just know I'm not doing enough. I know God has burdened my heart for a reason. That reason may be to call everyone that reads this to action. Maybe God has burdened your heart with this as well and has given you an idea to help (let me know what you have..). Maybe this is to bring you and me together to work as a team!? Please contact me with anything that God puts on your heart! I'm just at a loss right now! Please join with me in prayer as well so that God will put on our hearts the solution He wants us to work on. I hope you're reading this and you're drinking a hot cup of coffee, eating breakfast, and listening to the heat come on inside your house....... Just so you can remember those that don't have any of that.
Thank you for reading and God Bless you,
Lee


As I write this, it is 31 degrees in Cornelius NC. It's currently 23 in Boone with a High Wind Warning and a Winter Weather Advisory.
http://www.mountaintimes.com/ ( the paper I referenced in this blog)

Faith the size of a Mustard seed does move Mountains!

The title was from the lesson in Mark our youth pastor led this past sunday night. Believe it or not it's true. How often do we think things are too big to deal with? How often do we shrug our shoulders and give up on what's pulling at us? I just watched my churchs missions video from this past summer. Looking at the faces of those touched by these missions ministries absolutely drives this mustard seed theory. Just the smallest of things have meant so much to many of the people we were in contact with. One man gave us gum all week. That was all he could do for us but it was very meaningful. He would buy a thirty-five cents pack of gum......now that's a mustard seed. I grew a nasty crazy beard so that I would be more "approachable", that was a mustard seed. Those involved probably remember the "Taking it to the Streets" project we did with the youth, that was a mustard seed. We simply gathered items for the homeless and made hot chocolate for them and distributed the items in downtown Charlotte. Billy Graham started his ministry as a mustard seed. By putting your Faith in Jesus Christ, you have been given a mustard seed. What will you do with it? Will you feed the hungry? Will you house the Homeless? Will you Clothe the Naked? Will you teach the illiterate? Will you visit the lonely? God has given you a mustard seed. I'm excited to see you put your mustard seed to work.

Peace
Lee

What if the Road you're on is the Detour?

I traveled down a long highway more than once, only to find out I was going the wrong way. Sometimes I stopped and turned around, other times I took turns off the main route, other times I just continued aimlessly. The last choice sometimes seems like the best of the choices, I know, I've made that one. When I was 18 or 19 years old I dropped out of school. College just wasnt right for me. I basically followed the "good times" and spent a whole lot of money. I remember times I rolled pennies and hooked all my homies up with $.30 draught. I met so many people and partied so hard, I thought I was on the right path.....it was fun!!.... that's what's important right? If it feels good do it?! So I did. Sometimes one of my friends and I talk about the old days and think about just how easily we could've been "locked up"..... but we werent. I worked my way into better jobs that paid more, so I spent more and partied more. I finally ended up working for a Beer Distributor in Charlotte and made a pretty decent salary. By this time I was pissed off everyday (deep down inside). I met people that really didnt fit in with who I really was.....you know, the one I had lost somewhere along the way. I started dating my wife while I was working for "The King". By the time we got married I had started to get back involved in my church. After the wedding we both became involved in the Youth Group at church. Yeah who would have thought! I had two people put in my path that absolutely lit me on fire from that point, Both were Youth! One of our youth at church challenged me every week. Every week she would come in with a different question and she wanted an answer. Many weeks all I could tell her was, "I dont know, but I'll find out". The more she asked me, the more I learned and wanted to learn about my faith. Finally we went to a Youth Rally at Lake Junaluska and the Methodists were doing alter calls! Yeah Shocked the poo out of me too! One particular night the good pastor asked a question just before the alter call. He said turn to someone beside you and ask, "Is this the Jesus you'd like to know". Well I looked around and so many of our youth were going up and I kinda got a little teary eyed. I turned to my right and there was a little boy at the very end of the row next to the isle, completely chomping at the bit for someone to ask him. People kept walking by and I remember thinking how cool it was to see this kid right before he was going up. I turned to my left and looked at my wife.... you know just to see if she thought all this was cool too, but all she said to me was, "Are you going to ask him"? Being all knowing as I am, replied with, "ask who"? As I turned back to my right I realized this kid had covered the distance of about 14 chairs and was now about 6 inches from me looking up at me. I turned back to my wife and told her "I can't remember what I'm supposed to ask", and she kindly responded, "Ask whatever your heart tells you". Well that was it! I asked this little boy a question as closely to the correct question as I could. As I asked, He began to cry and answered YES! My Life made a Big Change!
I like to think back on that part of my story now. It's been a little over 4 years now and I've learned that some how I made it from the "Dead End" to a Detour to the Road I should've been on all along. It's awesome how the drunken prayers I prayed, the prayers when I was lost, the prayers others prayed for me got me back to where I could build on a Christian Foundation that had been poured so many years before.
Some one told me when I was young I'd be rich one day.....which I translated into millions of dollars by a certain age, but now I get it! My wife and I live on a meager income and are becoming better stewards of what God has and is giving us.
Before I end tonight I want to encourage my friends to examine where they are in their journey and if they are living in a way that satisfies their inner most ambitions. These are most likely the things God has gifted you to do and will satisfy you the most. As always I am available anytime to talk. So if you have a burning passion and you're not sure if it's right get in touch with me.
At this time I'd like to Thank my Family, my wife, my church, Shelly, and the little boy I've only seen once! Thanks for doing Gods work in leading me back to Him!
Peace,
Lee

My friend Russell

Some of you have seen my myspace blog and have commented on them. I love to hear your feedback! I wanted to start one here so I could put links to it everywhere.

Yeah that 's me to the left there...looking kinda scraggley....

Today I wanted to tell everyone about my friend Russell. He is the coolest dude around. He has all the ladies just melting in his hands, in fact they cant keep their hands off him! I met Russell back in the winter and I have thought about him ever since....He's just that kind of guy. I'm sure you know the ones, they just capture your heart the first time you meet?! I often worry about Russell, I wonder if he is okay. I havent seen my friend Russell since March. It was like clock work, we'd meet up on Tuesday nights and fellowship on occassion. Some weeks he'd be there and others he couldnt make it. And on those nights I worried about him. Russell has unlimited possiblities, except for those things society limits him to. He has the whole world ahead of him, literally, and he has quite a different view than most of us. You see Russell is a Young Black Man........ Well let me change that.... Let me tell just a little more into this situation.....

Russell is a child! I met Russell last year when my church started participating in Room At The Inn. Russell was 6 months old and He and his mother are homeless. We saw Russell on a number of Tuesday nights while my church opened up it's youth house to give the homeless a place to eat, shower, do laundry, and bed down for the night. We would head to Charlotte and pick up 10 or so neighbors and bring them 20 mile out of the city so they could have atleast one night where they felt safe and loved. Russell was in our last group we housed and his mom would pass him around to all the folks visiting the house.....you know so she could have just a few moments of Mommy time. That Boy stole the hearts of everyone he came in contact with! He is just that cool of a kid.

You see this is a big problem!!! Like Russell, there are children living on the streets that have no choice! They have no say and are given a very unfair chance in this world! But I guess that's just one more good reason not to hold on to this world!!! " For it too shall come to pass". We had a young mother bring her 6 day old child to stay with us one night, and I promise you! I thought the child was dead!!!! He finally cried later that night when he was hungry, what a relief! But this child was so small, so young....and was born in a hospital and then kicked out onto the streets. Brothers and Sisters we've got to make a change. Where are those striving for a life of Holy Living? I'm not there, but I want more so everyday to get closer to a Holy Life. I want to pull away from so many things this world offers that we are convinced that we need, and all the time it's just getting us one step closer to Hell! We need a Wii or we need an ipod, or we need to eat at that upscale restuarant......NO!!!! We need to feed our people!!!! We need to lead people to Christ and to teach the about Christ! We need to stand up against $4 a gallon gas! We need to Vote out The Republicans! And dont replace them with Democrats!!! We need to find folks that are willing to be held accountable if the crap on the people that voted them in! Party Politics is a SCAM and deep down we all know it! "But I'm voting for the lesser of the two evils" That's Crap too!!! Vote against all evil! Vote for people that care about people! Vote for Truth!!! All this runs together it all stims from greed. Why are we too greedy to give the man at the off ramp a gift card to Chic-fil-a? Why do we judge him on whether he "deserves" it or not? Why dont we simply "feed my sheep"? Why dont we Love one another? Why do we continually push away God?

Peace my People!

Lee