friday update

Blessed Portion Friday Night Update 3-16-18

Hello Everyone--

Tonight again bellies were nice and full from Macaroni and Cheese with ham, cake, cookies, homemade banana bread, zucchini bread, water, and coffee...enough to feed everyone thank you Amber Gaskill, your peeps, Kim Ted Shook, and Sasha Gravante.

One of the words to describe or define addiction is "Enslavement to" and truly that is what it is. Tonight there seemed to be so many good things happening and at the same time so many bad things happening. It seemed throughout the night for each good thing that you saw there was a equal bad thing. Saw a friend who is now in his own apartment and doing well and always has a big smile on his face. He is free from using and selling crack...he is totally free. He comes to church every week, pays his bills, lives on his own and looks wonderful. He gets lonely he said as he is on his own but enjoys coming down to visit. What a gift to see this friend on such a different road....then we have another friend. Seeing him tonight as he shared how he is broke already because of people taking advantage of him and his income he gets every month. He has many health issues and tonight seeing his clothing soiled with body fluids as he loses control of them and us trying to clean him up is so hard. Seeing a friend who always smiles and loves everyone and yet cannot get over his addiction. Hearing another friend talk about how this last week he had gotten into it with his loved one and now doesn't know what will happen to them as alcohol has caused a major rift between them and the police are now involved and he may lose his home. In turn to hearing how one friend is loving her job she started last week and is doing amazing....total contrast to each other are these two stories. We then hear how one friend was rushed to the hospital because of a drinking issue and not sure where he is at right now and we are scared for him.....to hearing how one man is staying clean and sober. Has found a permanent job and a house to live in and received a raise at work....again such total contrast in stories.

We hear each week news from one end of the spectrum to the next and honesty its hard to wrap your head around it all...a lot of emotions to deal with in such a short amount of time....and sometimes frustration on our end of when will the cycle end for so many. Hearing how some men have had to leave a half way house and yet meeting some women who are currently involved in a halfway house and are determined to see it through. Hearing these women talk openly about their families and what their choices have done to their families is hard but yet good because they seem to get it. They seem to understand that they can no longer be enslaved to drugs and alcohol. Thankful we met them and looking forward to getting to know them better.

Again tonight we gave away all we had and we are thankful that so many items were given to those that needed them. Heard a lot of praises and a lot of prayer requests. Saw a lot of good things happening and some sad things as well. Saw men who are on the road to recovery to hearing how one friends life on this earth will be gone soon because of major health issues due to addictions....again such a large contrast. I pray we all understand there are so many hurting people in this world, so many who feel alone and abandoned. So many who feel God has given up on them and many who see no point in this life any longer and want to end it. Such brokenness and despair and the church has the answer and our prayer is that we can continually in this ministry reach those in need for Jesus. That we can encourage and see people choose recovery and get in rehabilitation programs and see it through. Our prayer each week is that people will see they deserve more then being enslaved to anything that keeps them from living a free and full life.. Thank you to everyone who donated last week we soooo appreciate it.

Thanks to Pathway Community Church, Grace Summit Church, Hamilton Church of Christ, Amber Gaskill, Jacquie Aldrich, Christina Scheiber, Scott Wright, Toby, Mjs Apparel, Auburn Massage and Wellness Center, Sarah Bigelow Lapadot, Mark Stebing, Jennifer Lynne Stebing, Sara Sarah Bigelow Lapadot, Kim Ted Shook, Sasha Gravante, John Burley