Why the church is here!

I arrived home from the BGW seminar in Grand Prairie this evening, and really tired. Just as we finished dinner, one of the ladies cleaning the church called me and told me that someone wanted to see me at the church. The thoughts going through my head were: He wants money, he's hungry, he needs a place to stay, etc.... His vehicle was an old van. As I walked up to talk to the man, he introduced himself as Kerry. We began to talk and we sat down in my office, and he began to share that his life was a mess, homeless, unemployed, etc.. As we talked he said: "I am lost! and wondering if God had given up on him." I shared with him about the ABC's and gave him a pen, (unique that we heard Stan Toler talk about this today!), and he said he had done that. I shared some more scripture with him, and encouraged him to come to church. After some discussion about church, he wondered if the church was right for him, and I told him it was, and I expected him to come, and that church was not for the perfect person, it was for people like him and I. He smiled and indicated he would be here sunday. We prayed, and I asked from protection for him, a job, a place to live and God's peace. I was ready and offer him some assistance, gas, food, hotel, etc... but he said all he wanted was to talk and find God, and he left saying he found something tonight. Interesting he never asked for the usual things that you would expect someone in his shoes to request.

Review Of The Noticer

I have not been able to post to the blog in a long, long time. Life has its way of sapping energy, and stealing joy. However, I am back, and after many months darkeness, I am making the attempt to post regularly to the blog. This post is a review of the book The Noticer by Andy Andrews. Thomas Nelson Publishers has started giving books away to bloggers who will read them and post a review of the book. If you would like to know more about the program visit them http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ . So here is my first book review. Enjoy


The Noticer

Hope, wisdom and perspective are the three words that come to mind after reading The Noticer. This book blends a combination of spiritual insight and great fiction together. This could be called a modern parable that blends humor with spiritual insights that will lift your spirit and give you inspiration to evaluate life situations. An old man carrying a worn out suitcase, shows up unexpectedly bringing hope, wisdom and perspective to the people he comes in contact with. Everyone should be able to identify with at least one character or life story in this work. Andy Andrews does an excellent job at tying together life situations with spiritual principles, no matter if it is being homeless, failed marriage, shady ethical decisions, discouragement and disparagement with life, is addressed. Although Jones, the main character: The Noticer, Jones, is never compared to God, there is enough of that idea there that one could draw an analogy to what God does for people. One of the unique insights of “Jones” is that he appears to some as an old man, an oriental man, or a Hispanic man. No matter what the ethnicity of a person, they saw Jones in their particular ethnic background. After Jones work is completed he leaves the area of Orange Beach, but leaves behind his old suitcase filled with seeds, and a note to encourage the ones gathered around the table looking and listening to take the seeds and plant them in the lives of people around them. This is great book and will bring encouragement to any and all who read this book.