Showing posts with label BACK TO BASICS MINISTRY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BACK TO BASICS MINISTRY. Show all posts

Monday, November 23, 2009

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS


" Do not merely listen to the word...Do what it says."
James 1:22

Are you looking forward to a shorter work week and half day on Wednesday? I sure am! Many of us will exit our offices in a frenzy at noon rushing to our favorite markets, department stores, super shopping centers and the like to prepare for our Thanksgiving Holiday! It’s a blessed day of football games (arm chair quarterbacks can experience a football over load), friends and family gathering and let’s not overlook the wonderful meals and abundance of mouth-watering desserts.

Scores of folks will be headed to far away destinations flying the friendly skies, and zooming down the highways in route to home. Loving arms will await their anticipated arrival.

But, the flip side is that there will be many that won’t have the financial means for a lavish meal. Broken hearted and abandoned souls will also be searching for shelter and a decent meal because home is neither nonexistent, nor a safe haven! Just possibly the news will be filtered to them regarding neighboring Soup Kitchens, community centers and/or churches that are distributing turkeys, providing hot meals, food baskets and/or warm winter clothing. The lines will be long and deep!


I believe through giving we can actively participate in the success of these endeavors. I’d like to think this is where we can make our holiday planning complete through our charitable gifts and donations.

  • My prayer is that you’ll commit to helping to provide the essential resources to improve the quality of life for others. It’s as simple as keeping your eyes and ears open for your community churches, synagogues, food banks, nonprofit and human service agencies that desire donations and/or volunteers.

  • Organizations with the intention of extending a helping hand can certainly benefit from your support. Let “ love and charity” be your motivating factor. They’ll be listed in your telephone directories or simply Google lists of human service agencies in your vicinities-you’ll be surprised at the list that will pop up!

  • United Way also awaits your call. They have a directory of agencies and knowledge about services which need volunteers, services, financial support, and gifts. Your community will be so appreciative of you. Organizations like Back to Basics Ministries in Delan, Florida and Buffalo, New York are all phone call away!

  • It’s time to celebrate the season with thankful and reflective hearts-our open hands and shared gifts make going home for the holiday so sweet!


Go on and spread more joy, more love and I’ll see you in the produce section at Kroger’s! Leave some fresh cranberries for me!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! God bless you!


Shared In Love-Keep hope in your hearts,

Linda Mose Meadow, Inspirational Columnist & Author:

The Blessedness of Believing

A Devotional Journey of Life's Lessons and God's Promises

http://blessednessofbelieving.blogspot.com/

http://blessedauthorlm.wordpress.com/

Thursday, October 1, 2009

ADDING INSULT TO INJURY, REMEMBERING DEMON ALBERT


By Charles Rex Arbogast, AP
Shoes placed atop school desks are part of a memorial to 20 Chicago Public School students
killed by gunfire since last September, displayed at a rally in downtown Chicago April 1.




My stomach was in knots yesterday morning as I mentally recounted the horrific news heard on Black America Web of the young man; a child really, 16 year old Demon Albert an Honors student navigating his way through what must have been a living hell! A hell, an animalistic saga which violently targeted anyone in its path.



It‘s a nightmare just to hear of this victimization-the brutal beating of this beloved young man headed home. Can you just imagine the promise and hope that Demon’s folks had for his future? And what of his own aspirations; possibly he dreamt of becoming a pharmacist, a chemist, a teacher, a musician, an anthropologist, an architect, and a loving parent? I don’t know? But I do realize that scholars are on a mission envisioning a life of promise. Yes, he was robbed of the opportunity to live out his destiny. Walking home from school?
Lord today what a tragedy!

Yesterday, I opted not to watch the news clips, or Google the “bystander’s” video and then share this horror in an email. I didn’t tout my outrage and trade messages with my online friends. Instead I purposely ignored the news and went about my workday, wondering when is this madness going to end? This self hated; this violence, and these out of control inhumane, despicable acts that fracture and break down countless families and communities.
The violence is holding us hostage and strangling the life out of us.



How could school be the wrong place! It’s disheartening, truly sad that here’s another dreaded statistic, a “man child” murdered at the hands of his peers. This must not become another urban “story” that numbs our psyches and makes us feel hopeless and indifferent. Yes, shaking our heads in disgust and wondering what ever happened to valuing life can’t only be the answer for addressing this may lay! Our kids life shouldn’t be in vain. Our family faced this dreaded consequence; my step son, Courtney suffered death at the hands of another young person. This is so raw, so brutal! Oh it’s easy to get angry at the police, the schools, the government, the nebulous moral decay, the underfunded scholastic programs, the absence of what? Well friends, you fill in the blank_______.



But who’s to blame, where’s the solution? I am not sure, but our children can’t thrive in chaotic environments. Young men like Courtney and Demon, and the college kids massacred in a play ground during their summer vacation, and the young girls assaulted, and toddlers tortured and the kids tainted, in Washington, DC, Rockville, Chicago, Buffalo, Fort Worth, Peoria, West Chester County, Douglasville, and Water Town are dying in droves. Pick up the papers, click on the news, it’s the headliner news!
I am praying pray that this nation, this community awakes and understands that although we are focused on a possible pandemic, right here and now we are plagued with an epidemic! It’s tragic and our children are dying, dying at the hands of their peers. This is warfare, spiritual and natural!
I am praying for a change in the land and action of a unified cause to address and eradicate this senselessness because right now it’s just insult added to injury when the victims are buried and the perpetrators are tried as adult offenders. And the bloodshed continues! Nothing good results, the pain is simply compounded.



I am praying that the Lord gives us wisdom on what to do!



Friends I want to believe we are supposed to change things for the better, not simply chant, “Stop the Violence”, then bolt our doors, and activate our burglar alarms. Maybe we could start with community organizations like Back to Basics which can point the way? It’s time!


My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Demon Albert; may God comfort you during this very difficult time.

Shared in Love,
Linda Mose Meadows, Author & Columnist
The Blessedness of Believing
A Devotional Journey of Life's Lessons and God's Promises
http://blessednessofbelieving.blogspot.com/http://blessedauthorlm.wordpress.com/

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD! DO YOU DESIRE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

We're blessed to be a blessing! Spread some good!
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children." Ephesians 5:1
~~~~~
DO YOU DESIRE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

LEARN ABOUT HOW YOU MAY PROVIDE A HELPING HAND
at:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BACK TO BASICS MINISTRY
(build lives, restore hope)

TROY LASH SCHOLARSHIP FUND
( assist in sending a student to college)
Contact them directly to learn how to make life better for others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VISIT & REFERENCE:
THE BLESSEDNESS OF BELIEVING
COMMUNITY HELPING HANDS WISH LIST-
for specific wish list needs:

Submitted by:
Linda Mose Meadows, Author
The Blessedness of Believing
A Devotional Journey of Life's Lessons and God's Promises

You’ve Got A Friend

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