Friday night . . .

So I feel so full tonight that I feel as though I really should blog . . .but now when I'm faced with an empty dialog box, I'm not sure what about.

Should it be about me, Mary, and Hope lighting the candles to start off shabbat – reading Psalm 145 and calming our minds for the night ahead.

Maybe it could be about dropping off my friend at the Domestic Violence Shelter and watching her go in, knowing that she felt safe and excited about the future, full of hope.

Or it might be about Celebrate Recovery – when we had our Court of Awards during the Dinner with 60 people in attendance. We gave out sashes to 10 Sunbeams, 8 Girl Guards, and 8 Adventure Corps Boys!

From PSYC Pendleton SALVATIONISTS Youth Corps ---- HEROES AT LARGE!

But then again, the meetings afterwards were good too – we had our Troops tonight – we have them twice a week now – and everyone was busy and active – and yet it went well. Sort of like organized chaos – Sunbeams did cooking (those Brownies were sure good), the Girl Guards did the fashion design books that the twins got from DHQ for Christmas (thanks, DHQ!), and the boys painted crosses and had lots of fun making amess. Then they found some very hard bread loaves (the long, skinny kind) and had sword fights outside with them.

I might even mention that this morning, Hope and I spoke to a class at BMCC about mental health in children and the effect it has on their education – I got to mention that any teacherwannabes could help on Friday nights and it would be appreciated – and some guy actually showed up to HELP!!! Woo hoo – He was a big help, too.

But nothing I could say would give the full extent of what happened and it would all sound very tame to anybody who read about it . . . so instead I will just say that it has been along, tiring, but fulfilling day. And I hope my friend sleeps well in her new bed at the shelter.

New Step Study Groups

You want growth - well, we've got groups! Come to one of the new Step Study groups and see how the Bible can give you the tools to victorious living! A life truly changed is truly changed by Him!

Monday nights -

Women's Group led by Tammy M. - childcare provided - at 4:30pm - so you can get home for dinner!

Men's Group led by John Booth - don't miss out.

Tuesday - 4:09pm - Men's Accountability. Not for the faint of heart, but maybe for the weak of discipline. You can keep each other accountability, provide support, encouragement, prayer and maybe a little head-slapping! (What WERE you thinking????)

Wednesday - the Midweek Point to replenish your soul. Start with dinner at 5:00pm (so you don't have to rush home and then get stuck there!), some worship at 6:00pm, and then bible study groups for adults and teens. Jr. Singing Company meets during the Bible Study time and Jr. Soldier Preparation Classes are starting up as well.

Thursday - Women's Step Study Group - led by Florencia R. childcare provided but game boys are welcome!

Friday - It's back to Celebrate REcovery. We've got the Large Group Meetings (they count on your cards), the small groups for men and women, and youth programs that teach character-building. The kids call it earning their chips - but we know that might be a little different!

So, no excuses - there is something for everyone!

Happy New Years 2009

Well, we sure can decorate! the music, well, we've got to get a playlist for next year! The DJ was great - and the lights were fun - but there's got to be a "clean" list of songs for a party! we had fun and it was good, clean, safe fun!

Chip Night

Chip Night - it's a beautiful thing. You get to hear everyone's anniversay - from the 24 hour ones to the 24 year ones - that would be Cynthia - woot woot!

Don got his 20 year chip - coin - in September. You are truly my hero. Mine is coming up - because of you, my love! Jesus kept me on the course but you gave me the inspiration to get on the road!

We will start having our Court of Awards for the Troops on those nights beginning in November as well.

It's so good having Tess back - and the exciting thing is that she will be getting her oldest daughter back - God truly restores what the locusts took away.

Back in the swing of things . . .

Well, I guess there really is a summer lull. It didn't seem like it to me because we had camps and PSYC and all . . .but the last few weeks, Celebrate Recovery has been packed with people! We've had about 100 each week and it's been fun and exciting and whew!

Our latest development has been the children's programs - we were basically just trying to get by each week but the number of children has grown so much that we are going to start the infamous SAY programs - Salvation Army Youth - Sunbeams, Girl Guards, Adventure Corps.

At first, we were thinking of doing a Bible Study but we realized that these programs are perfect - they are character building, they teach life skills, group relationships, achievements, etc. We are excited! we have a schedule for rotational parents for nursery and preschool and the coffeeshop time will even have a focus for kids, as well!

We started another series of Step Studies groups on Thursday nights and it seems to be going well. The one on Wednesday nights have bonded closely and are working their way diligently through the books.

Keep coming back - it works!

Happy Birthday, Pendleton CR!

Hard to believe it's been so long since I posted - lots of stuff has happened!

We celebrated our one year birthday at Celebrate Recovery in Pendleton, Oregon. It was great fun - John from Boise was the guest - it was testimony night and wow - well, let's just say it was a great testimony.

In kids programs, we had fun as well . . .considering that 15 kids were gone to camp, we still had about 15! About 8 were in the nursery and it was funny to look in the door and see Annie with two kids being bounced on her lap!

We had to start two different coffeeshops - one for families, one for adults. The kids are crazy - is that common with kids who come from families in recovery?

Prisoners of War - or Fighting Blind Enemies

There is a little known story of Elisha blinding the enemy in 2 Kings 6:8-22. In the Bible, we read about how he knows of the enemies location and each time the enemy wants to attack, the men of Israel are ready for the King of Aram. Then the King of Aram seeks out Elisha and surrounds his town with chariots and a great army. The servant of Elisha is afraid until his eyes are opened to see the surrounding Armies of the Lord and they have chariots of FIRE! However, they aren't even needed because Elisha prays for blindness in the enemy army and then leads them (for 13 miles) deep into Israeli territory (into the city of Samaria).

He then prays for their sight to be restored and instead of surrounding the enemy army and killing them, they prepared a great feast for them - with food and drink - and then sent them back to their king. It worked. God got the glory and the fighting from that enemy ceased.

What a great illustration and picture of The Salvation Army. We are aware of the strongholds of the enemy - for example - alcohol - yes, the Bible says drink a little wine and is not exclusively against the consumption of it. Many cultures take a little beer with their meal. Is this a sin? The Bible does not say it is. But it certainly can be - and often is - a stronghold for the enemy. In the Army, we become aware of many of the pitfalls and strongholds that can capture us and make us "prisoners of war." We teach our people to be aware of the location of the enemy - his wily ways . . .

When we become surrounded by seemingly insurmountable odds, we need to remember the flag that encircles us - the Blood and the Fire.

I love the next part, too - the enemy is brought into the city - and then treated with kindness and love. Are they converted? Sadly, no. Did they stay? No, they returned home. But were they enemies any longer? The Bible says no. It's the people who were treated kindly but they took reports back home to the king.

I see The Salvation Army here so clearly. The world sees us how they want to see us - a social services organization, a good rehab organizatin, people who do lots of good. When they are brought inside the city, they realize we are a church - a religious group of fanatics who are doing nice things for people for an ulterior motive - to convert them. They begin to see us as we really are - people of God (which can sometimes be very offensive in a tolerant world that is not tolerant of Christianity). And yet, just about the time, they reach for their weapons to throw at us (cries of discrimination, threats of funding losses, etc.), we do the same thing to them that we do to everyone else (hopefully) - we treat them with love and kindness and respect (I hope!).

Now the enemy KING in our world is not going to be happy if we are nice to people who are in his kingdom and he is not willing to call a cease-fire just because we feed drug addicts and alcoholics. But we can expect less direct fire - because after all, people are people - and when you treat an enemy (who is within your power) kindly, they often respond with embarassed retreat.

And lest you want the argue the idea, remember who is encamped outside the city - the Army of God - ready to fight at the command of the Lord - for us.

If God is for us, who can be against us?