Let’s get a term or two correct before we go on to the rest of the day.

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First, the three animals who held those young women prisoner in Cleveland for the last ten years are not misunderstood, they are not outcasts, they are not twisted. Nope, they are EVIL. That deserves caps.

The young women are victims. They are survivors, they are strong, they are damaged, but they are not heroes. Sorry. Nothing heroic in this one. It is a bad use of the term. Lots of good things can be said about them but that word isn’t a good fit.

So, now that we’ve got that one nailed down, let’s move forward.

*this will be included in all posts until further notice. Please subscribe now to Commotion in the Pews and then “like” the Facebook author page. I will be giving away a $100 prize from Walker Farms Honey in May if, and only if, I get 100 new subscribers and 100 new likes to the author page. It stands at 68 today, needs to hit 166 before the prize can be awarded. This helps me when I approach agents and publishers trying to get my books published. Thank you!**

My little friend Chirpy.

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This morning I was doing laundry along with about 20 other things. When I moved the basket something darted away and gave me a bit of a fright. Great, mice in the basement. Get the hammer.

But it wasn’t a mouse. It was a small, fat, sparrow. The little character just made a noise and looked up from the corner where it had run to hide. I laughed and said hello. Much nicer than a mouse. We get birds in the basement about every five to seven years. I never know how they get in there but I usually find the dried out body weeks later. It’s much nicer to find them alive.

Chirpy decided not to stay put and instead ran to the other side of the basement. I grabbed a beach towel and followed. Speedy little critter, it took me a few tries and then Chirpy vanished.

One of the great things about hearing loss is that you’ll never get to find a sparrow in the basement based on the clicking as it runs along. So I just sat on the steps and said a prayer. I asked Jesus to let Chirpy know that no harm would come to him, but that I wanted to capture him and free him outside.

Moments later I heard chirping across the room. I walked over with my towel and got within two feet. I gently dropped the towel on Chirpy, wrapped him up and walked up the stairs.

I set the towel on the back step and opened it up to free my new friend. He waited a moment or two and flew across the neighbor’s yard to sit in the bushes and look back. I shook out the towel, said another word of thanks, and went back inside.

He really does care about each sparrow as well.

Daily Diner Frogtown – a fanboy review!

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Let’s get this out of the way right up front – I have a soft spot in my heart for the Union Gospel Mission. Over many years I’ve supported their programs through various means. And now they’ve added a method for me to support them that get’s right to the core of my soul – Daily Diner in Frogtown. Yes, food. My favorite vice.

The Daily Diner – Frogtown is going to be used as a training ground for the men of the Union Gospel Mission who are involved in the culinary arts. It gives them a job, training, and a shot at some additional light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been involved in some of their other programs in the past and I know they have a servant’s heart for the men (and women) they serve through the mission. I’ve been watching the construction take place through closed blinds for months at the corner of Dale & University. I was dying of curiosity to see how this place fit into the mix and today was the day to explore. Continue reading →

Sponsorship Sunday Week 1

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During my trip to Haiti in February of 2013 I had the pleasure of getting to know the people of Healing Haiti. Part of their mission there is an orphanage known as Grace Village. It is my pleasure to present one of the children from Grace Village each week to my readership in the hope that you will take them into your heart and sponsor their care and education.

This week’s child is:

Kervenson

Kervenson

Kervenson is a funny and very energetic little boy. Kervenson has a heart for God and wants to be a pastor when he grows up so that he can help people. Like most of the boys at Grace Village, Kervenson loves to play soccer so that’s where you’ll find him when he has time for play. Kervenson enjoys school, especially math, writing and singing. Kervenson says his special talent is being a good boy and writing. Kervenson prayer request is that he will do well in school.

Kervenson came to Healing Haiti in June, 2012. Kervenson is an orphan, nothing is known about his family.
Birth Info
Birthdate: Unknown
Place of Birth: Unknown

It is my hope that one of you will find your heart touched by this child and take up a bit of Christ’s work by sponsoring them for an extended period. My wife and I are sponsoring a pair of sisters and I look at it this way – I only gave up a fast-food dinner each day to change the life of a child. Healing Haiti will do the right things for these children and I have full confidence in their work. I am not affiliated with them, they don’t endorse this blog, nothing like that at all. I just love kids (can’t be Santa and not love children) and know that Grace Village is the difference between life and death for many of these children. Please open your heart and prayerfully reflect on the opportunity God’s giving us to sponsor these children. Some of them have come out of slavery and have some of the toughest lives you could imagine prior to Grace Village.

Just click the link and it will take you directly to the page where you can sponsor this week’s child. And if God is particularly good and that child is sponsored when you get there, please grab another smiling face and change their life instead. My goal is to put Sponsorship Sunday out of business as quickly as possible and take that day off each week. Thank you. God bless you for your generosity.

Some of the finest people you’ll ever meet. The hands and feet of Christ.

Straps and blessings.

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Some time ago I wrote about Faigle and their gift of hanging straps for the Healing Haiti vehicles in Port au-Prince. I got the pictures yesterday and wanted to share my favorite one with all of you.

Straps donated by Faigle of Austria.

Becky, my team leader, is the lady at the left. She’s small of stature, large of heart. She’s the one who inspired me to pursue the straps for the vehicles because she had a hard time comfortably reaching the bars everyone else used. The good people at Faigle donated enough straps to equip both vehicles in Haiti. These straps are also essentially germicidal and that’s a big deal when the teams are out in the city doing mission work. Your hands get pretty dirty and you don’t always have a chance to get them clean before the vehicle moves along.

I want to thank the folks at Faigle again and ask that God bless them in all they do for the donation. And a double heaping of blessings for Becky for being an inspirational leader in so many ways.

Who are you hanging around with today? (Couldn’t resist.) Can you think of small things you could do that are large blessings?

**this will be included in all posts until further notice. Please subscribe now to Commotion in the Pews and then “like” the Facebook author page. I will be giving away a $100 prize from Walker Farms Honey in May if, and only if, I get 100 new subscribers and 100 new likes to the author page. It stands at 68 today, needs to hit 166 before the prize can be awarded. This helps me when I approach agents and publishers trying to get my books published. Thank you!**