humanity beautiful

[from homeless to honky-tonk]

Well, kind of. The story of the Boys in the Woods is pretty amazing.

In January, the Church of West Orange (a group of church families being the church together by loving the community in the western suburbs of Orlando, FL) began a “freeze warning” ministry for the homeless of our local community. John and Butch were two of the men who came. With a rogue guitar there in the room and a rockin jam session later, these two musicians were connected.

Fast forward to this week. With the help of the folks from Matthew’s Hope, after multiple gigs since the winter out in the local community (which have brought in an income stream), and living now with a new-found faith and hope, John and Butch are “the Boys in the Woods” (this is their link on facebook). They are playing their next concert this Sunday night, May 23rd, at 7pm at the Winter Garden Theater. Come out if you can.

You can contact them for a gig, too, if you want. I am sure they would welcome the opportunity. Thankful for what John and Butch have taught us all about humanity beautiful.

Yesterday, I learned that there are 3100 kids available for adoption in the state of Florida. 3100. Do you know how many expressions of the church there are? Over 13,000.

Let that sink in…

It is an indictment. On our church family and all others in the state.

27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (James 1:27)

And this church family near Atlanta is living like it. Check out this article from mainstream media recently. It’s definitely humanity beautiful.

GEORGIA CHURCH SELLS BUILDING TO GIVE TO POOR

What if we sold our building and used the $1 million to invest in people who have needs? That’s the question the people of Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Fayetteville, GA asked. Their answer? Heck yeah. Sell the building!

A church in Fayetteville is closing its doors but not its hearts. Rolling Hills Baptist Church is challenging traditional ideas and selling the church building to use the money to help people.

It took about a year for the church to find a buyer. On Monday, they closed on a sale to a Peachtree City church. It is now time for Senior Pastor Frank Mercer and more than 100 parishioners to fly free of the four walls that have surrounded their congregation for more than 20-years. “We feel free, free to do what god commands us to do,” Pastor Mercer said about the sale.

The church has a new mission. Instead of investing in the property that consumed most of their budget, they will use the more than $1-million dollars from the sale to invest in people who have needs. “It’s just a way of looking at this property differently,” Pastor Mercer said. “We saw it as an asset we could liquidate and turn around and use that resource to meet the needs of people.”

Got the word on this couple that leads “Walk to Water” from my friend, Kevin. He wrote me in an email:

Thought you might enjoy this. Might not be the right phrase ‘cause it’s kinda challenging. I went to school with this couple who’ve decided to raise money for folks to have clean water in other countries. They sold their home and are in the process of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail to raise awareness. Pretty cool!

Pretty cool! I’d say. And beautiful.

vote for GiftCard Giver on the Pepsi Refresh contest. You will be refreshed that you did. http://www.refresheverything.com/CardMe

a staggering thought - if every church family in America had one family who would adopt a child, over 320,000 children would have a home.

Did you go barefoot today? Leave a pic on the Toms.com “bare your sole” wall by clicking here!!! May today inspire others to provide shoes for the shoeless and hopefully a little bit of hope that those who have plenty care.

will you go barefoot Thursday?

Wow! This is an amazing and courageous and to be honest common-sense story of humanity beautiful. What if the church actually lived out Matthew 25:31-46. It might be on earth as it is in heaven. Check out this video and consider how you can be giving yourself away.

John Richardson is a friend from my growing-up-years in New Orleans. He and his family are now church planters in Clinton, MS. More importantly, they are being the church.

Thanks John.

@jacobvanhorn, via a RT by @ChrisMarlow from @briandurr

~ from @ScottHodge

Here’s a link to a blog that provides four updates from Haiti, as well as three opportunities to give and one to go. Check it out.

Let’s be humanity beautiful to the people of Haiti.

Certainly we are broken for the severe loss and chaos in Haiti. My wife and I have friends there, as I am sure many of you do. Let’s be praying not only for them, but for wisdom as to how we can help best.

The report out this morning is that actual stuff is not helpful right now. Rather, funds to buy and ship large shipments of easy nourishment and medical supplies is a must. Please donate if you can. Here are two sites that will allow you to do so:

Google Crisis Response

World Vision

If we take a group down, I will let you know. Meantime, pray.

Yesterday was a big day. I was busy in a very long mtg, so I didn’t get to fully participate in National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. However, look for several tweets throughout this week with resources and thoughts about it. Here’s the first:

[A great post from Charles T Lee]

Together, may we be humanity beautiful as we help to eradicate the ugliness of oppression and slavery.

Ghandi

humanity beautiful

Fine Folk

an indictment.

the church is a who, not a what.

walk to water

bare your sole.

four updates from Haiti

serve Haiti

yesterday