Music Night

We had a lot of fun singing and dancing and hanging out this week.

Snacks

Music and puppets

Sing-a-long

Some crazy music videos - a little Micheal Jackson tribute and a creative rendition of the Cupid Shuffle.

Granny's House

Last fall, I described to a friend of mine my vision for what I hoped to be a part of in moving back to Bryan and begining "The Peace Place". As she listened she commented that what I was describing sounded similar to a minstry that existed near she went to school in Missouri. I went home and explored that ministry's website and was greatly encouraged because it made what I hoped to do seem more possible and tangible. Anyways, although I am not aiming to be a copy of anything else, it is exciting to see a model already in place of the sort of ministry that I would like to do. Below are the website and blog for "Granny's House" if any of you are interested.

http://www.grannyshouse.org/index.html

http://grannyshousecolumbia.blogspot.com/

A little more Info

The Peace Place Outline:

Goals –
1) Live at Jordan Loop knowing and sharing life with its community members while being an integral, contributing, unifying, positive, trusted, and Godly member of the Jordan Loop community.
2) Run an “on location” Christ centered children’s mentoring program out of the community center at Jordan Loop.

* Long term – follow this model in other communities throughout Bryan

Vision-
1) Through building relationships and leading by example I hope to see members of the community follow Christ and step up as leaders who take responsibility for themselves, their families and their communities and work together to make them better.
2) Through the power of Christ and the method of mentoring relationships see at-risk children provided with a safe and encouraging place within their own community to grow up and take hold of true hope and life change in Christ. That these children will then pass along positive change to their future families and communities.

Practically speaking-
-The children’s program would begin as an after school, twice a week (Mon & Wed 430-7:30) program for grades K-5 and grow from there.
-Parents/Guardians would have to fill out an application for enrollment to have their child considered for the program. There would be a consistent group of children with a ratio at max of 2 children for every 1 mentor. Other eligible children would be placed on a waiting list until mentors were available.
-Tentative Schedule:
Arrival and free play w/mentors (cooking and setup) 4:30-5:00
Dinner or schoolwork/1on1 time (in families) 5:05-5:35
Dinner or schoolwork/1on1 time (groups trade) 5:40-6:10
"Classes" (Dance, music, baking, crafts, etc) 6:15-6:45
Family Worship (Bible lesson, music and prayer) 6:50-7:30
-Develop a relational “family” atmosphere that is peaceful, safe, and encouraging (Picture board of kids, Schoolwork display board/refrigerator, Consistent rules and structure, Family groups, Simple chores or ways to contribute)
-Involve interested teens and adults from the community in helping (cook, aid with classes, etc)
-Connect parents with community center
-Raise $ to purchase supplies and equip center
-Use church, ministry, and campus connections to recruit volunteers of all ages and denominations who love Jesus. Help spread an awareness of the needs and the mission field within our own community.
-Find any possible grants/assistance that would help fund food or other costs

Yay, Yay, Yay!

So, maybe I should have something deeper to say than "yay, yay, yay" and maybe I will after the excitment wears down a little - but for now I am just excited and thankful. The Lord has provided a place for me to live at Jordan Loop! As long as I've hoped/waited for something like this, I still feel in some ways very unprepared. However, God's grace is enough. Lord make me faithful to follow and depend on you as a leader in this place. I'm going to be living in a 2 bedroom unit. I am still praying that God will bring along a roomate who can not only live with me, but partner with me in His work over there. I had hoped to get a 3 bedroom unit right next to the community center so that I could use both units as The Peace Place for mentoring children. Because I did not, I will just be living in my uni and running the kids program out of the community center. This is probably God's wisdom and protection in many ways. And if things grow with The Peace Place to where we can't fit in the community center, I know He will provide exactly what we need. I thankful to now be able to really start moving forward with planning and preparing for the fall! Get ready for some frequent updates...

Rainbow Room Pictures

Here are a few pictures of our rainbow room at the Community Center. Thanks to all those who donated fun toys and art supplies (Weavers, Carpios, Feldmans, Stephens, LHBCB). Thanks Mary for all your help putting everything together. Thanks Mom for the awesome pillows and floor cushions. What a fun place for kids to play!

Monday Merriment

I'm excited to get to hang out with kids at Jordan Loop every Monday night this summer - we'll be playing, sharing the gospel with them, and loving them with Christ's love. You should join us some Monday, 6-8pm, at the Jordan Loop community center. One week we're playing games, another week we're making crafts, movie night, music night...it's gunna be just a fun time of developing relationships and hopefully a good starting point for "The Peace Place" which I would like to begin this fall.

A Place of Promise

So to follow this post best, you really just need to read all of Isaiah 54 and Galations 4.

I'm going to try to explain the really cool things God showed me with these passages, but it will be difficult if you don't read them.

God gave me the passages of Isaiah 54 and 55 for the Peace Place form its birth. In fact, that is where it got its name.

Isaiah 54:10

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:13

All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace.

Isaiah 55:12

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

However, Isaiah 54 and 55 are prophetic and use the words "you" and "your" a lot making it difficult to know who the verses are actually supposed to be applied to. The last verse of ch54 does say "This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD". So it seems is could apply to anyone who is or is going to be God's servant.

Another thing I've had trouble understanding is the concept of the "Barren Woman" described at the beginning of the chapter. I've applied it to the people of Jordan Loop and their spiritually barrenness and neediness being replaced by intimacy with God and fruitfulness. And more recently as I have struggled with not being married and desiring family I have applied it to myself - that the Lord will give me children that are not my own and the He is my husband(v5). But, I was so excited to find Galations 4 because it quotes this part from Isaiah (Gal 4:27) and gives me some biblical explanation. Sarah was a barren woman who in fulfillment His promise, God made the mother of innumerable descendants. Not just physically, but spiritually - those of us who have been born into the promise and freedom of Christ. Like Isaac we are born of a promise and like Isaac our lives have also been substituted for by a lamb. And guess what precedes ch54? Ch53 is all about Jesus and his death for us, ending with, "For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors". That is why the barren woman can rejoice! Christ has made a way for us to be children of promise. Which finally tied together for me the one other part of ch54 that I didn't understand - v9 about Noah - How does Noah fit in? God made a promise to him not to destroy the earth and now He has made a promise to us - the new covenant in Christ - the covenant of peace that covers our sin with His love! How incredible! Oh yeah, and guess when God showed me this. The day after I decided to make the first children's room that would be used for the Peace Place rainbow themed. :O) Haha - He is funny and awesome and good and faithful!