Remembering Phoebe Prince

I continue to be saddened whenever I read the accounts of teens that commit suicide as a result of constant bullying. Today I want to honor Phoebe Prince, a young lady I never knew, who lived just a hundred miles outside of Boston. Her story is so disturbing.

I could focus on her death but I want to first celebrate her short life. She had moved to Mass. from Ireland. She was a teenager that had much to live for. She is a beautiful girl who had loving parents. She deserved so much more and yet she was treated horribly.

As I write this I have tears in my eyes. Why? because the DA has stated that Phoebe was harassed, and assaulted at school in the library with a teacher watching and that teacher did nothing. Other students witnessed what was happening and did nothing. Nine people made this young ladies life a living hell for three months and no one would help her. They raped her and assaulted her repeatedly. Unfathomable.

Phoebe looks like many teens in our own city and in our own schools. I could be writing about a teen that goes to my youth group. That makes me very upset. WHY WOULD SHE HAVE TO SUFFER ALONE?.

This afternoon as I drove to Moncton I was listening to a local talk radio station and they were discussing Phoebe's case and a number of people called in. One guy stated that he thought bullying wasn't a big deal it was kids being kids. He did admit that this was sad and what happened was wrong but bullying was being blown out of proportion. I got to tell you those remarks made me angry. I wonder how he would feel if Phoebe was his daughter.

Every teen that suffers from abuse and bullying is someones son or daughter. If it was my son or daughter I hope that someone would help and not turn a blind eye. I am committed to helping every teen that comes to our ministry who is suffering under this awful abuse. No one should suffer alone.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/roddreher/2010/03/the-lonesome-death-of-phoebe-prince.html

Building relationships while meeting needs

Pictures of the old stove, thanks to a generous donor a new stove has been provided.

I want you and I to put ourselves in the shoes of another person for a minute. I know that is very hard to do because we can't really understand everything that a person goes through and all of the background and history in their lives that have brought them to this point in life.

Lets try!! I want you to think of what it might feel like to have very little, have no hope of taking care of your family, and feeling very overwhelmed and inadequate compared to others you meet. You feel like you are judged by others and that no matter what you do you can never get ahead.

You know that there is no way to provide the basics in life and you begin to ask yourself if anyone really cares. You have heard that a group of people called "Christians" are supposed to be nice people. You remember your parents or grandparents talked about how churches were a place to help out families and people in need.

You finally muster the courage to pick up the phone and ask someone to help. They treat you like you are a criminal by asking 100 questions, and at the end they tell you that they cant help you because they have no resources for you. They tell you to go to the soup kitchen or the food bank because they can help. You already know they cant help because you have already tried that.

Really what you need to find is someone that genuinely cares. Somebody that will build a relationship with you. Someone that you can call when things are good and someone you can call when things are not going well. You need that because there has not been anyone in your life who has shown that for a long time.

Most people if they had a choice would choose to have someone in their life than something. I hope that we can continue to build relationships with those we help. Tonight we were able to deliver a stove to one of our families. They got the stove set up and were excited to cook a meal in their new stove.

A few minutes ago I got a call from the mom. She called to say thanks for the stove and she said, "it is the first time I have been able to prepare a whole meal for my family all at once." I am so excited that she would call and thanks us and that they could have a real meal together.

I want to be sure that the people that come to us for help understand that we are about more than just giving a handout. We are also about taking the time to invest in them as people.

God is good

I am a youth pastor and I love to invest time in teens lives and to see them come together to support one another. Tonight I thought that we would try something different so we planned a night at Tim Hortons, just to hang out and spend time together.

There are so many things that teens could be doing on Friday night. Lots of teens are doing things that are not productive or good. So many of their peers are out drinking, doing drugs, having sex and causing trouble. Certainly not all teens do that but lets not kid ourselves many teens give into peer pressure and find themselves doing things that can lead to problems.

Tonight we had 11 teens come out and spend time having fun together. We laughed, we talked and we had a good time. They talked about what their future might look like if they could do their dream jobs and it was incredible.

I couldn't help but think as we left that these teens have a bright future if they can stick together,encourage one another and honor God with their lives. They want to be doctors, surgeons, teachers, therapists and vets.

I am blessed to work with teens. They are incredible people. They have dreams and hopes, they have hurts and concerns, they have challenges and victories. They have each other and for many of those in attendance they also have God to help them when they call out to Him!

"I am on a soccer team now"

Thanks so much for all who responded to help out the family in need. They were so blessed when we showed up with the things that you provided. In fact I think the word I would use to describe how they felt was overwhelmed. Tears came to their eyes as they realized how much people cared. I was sure to let them know ultimately God cares.

The little girl was at home when we stopped by to drop off things and right away she said "mommy I am so hungry". They were able to put a smile on her face by saying that they now had food. I asked her if she liked to play soccer and she said that she did but she didn't have any shoes to wear. I told her I would find some sneakers for her to wear and asked her if she would like to come to a soccer camp we are doing the last week of June. She said "YES".

As we were leaving the home the little girl looked at her mom and dad and said "I am on a soccer team now." That brought a smile to my face. She is also very excited about having a big friend that can hang out with her every week. I am trusting God that He will provide the right person for Chantal.

After we left their home we had an opportunity to go and meet with another struggling young family. This family has a seven year old girl and a five year old boy. They are really having a hard time in this family too. Stay tuned we will have a list put together for their needs as well.

I feel like early family intervention is a crucial part of the Boaz ministry. I try to imagine what a mentor could make in the lives of these children. By spending time each week with these children, it could literally change the course of their lives. Lets invest now and not wait until it is too late. Today is the day to make a difference.

If you know of others who might be interested in this blog, share it with them. If you know people that might want to support this ministry that would be awesome. They can do that with their prayers, their money, their time and their possessions.

Early family intervention

One of the reasons I started this ministry was to reach out to at risk teens. Part of that vision is to be involved in early family intervention. I feel this family fits this part of our mandate. A family in crisis needs our help. By intervening now, we may prevent future problems.

This afternoon I had the opportunity to meet with a young family in need. I met in their little apartment and they have a one year old and a nine year old both girls. We developed the following list of needs they have and I would like to invite you to help out in any way you can.

I am ok with you forwarding this on to others who may be able to help as well.

Clothing:for baby girl clothes for 9-12 months

Bedding: sheets for double bed, crib sheets

Hygeine: feminine products, deodorants, tooth paste, ivory body soap, shampoo, shaving supplies

Food: anything at all as their cupboards and fridge are bare, baby food, milk 2%,

Other: cleaning supplies, laundry soap, toilet paper, dog food

Appliances, stove, humidifier, blender, used vacuum

Diapers size 4

I would also love to be able to provide for a night out for mom and dad so a movie pass might be nice and then someone who could babysit the kids.

Another area of need is for the nine year old who cannot participate in a number of things because they cost extra money. If you would be interested in sponsoring her for camp or anything along that line, please let me know.

Finally i would love to find someone who could be a mentor to the nine year old. Her parents said how much they wish they had someone for her to spend time with every week away from the home.

Let me know if you can help,

Thanks Pastor Scott

Boaz Lighthouse International Ministries, Inc.

Preparing for tomorrow

Wow, tomorrow is a big day for Boaz. I would appreciate your prayers for a couple of appointments.

First our ministry has been invited to have a display and talk to teens that frequent our local soup kitchen. I am trusting that we will have an opportunity to meet some new people and let them know what we are doing and how we might be able to assist them. We are praying for His wisdom in knowing what we should talk about and what we should focus on. Pray that we are effective servants for Him.

Second is a meeting I will be having with a local pastor to discuss the possibility of using their church to operate our youth drop in center. We really desire to have a place in the downtown area where teens could drop in for a meal and a place to unwind and feel the love and acceptance of us and God. If this is the place for us I would pray that the pastor would also sense this, if not, I feel that we will sense His direction to another area.

I have felt that this is a season to really press in and trust Him for His timing. It would be easy to want to rush everything so we can "get moving" so to speak. I believe that we will be best served by operating in His timing. I would ask for prayer that I along with those associated with the ministry would have a sense of joy in waiting on the Lord.

Cause of suicide #2 parental abuse

I want to continue the discussion on this very difficult subject. I read today that a university campus in the US has suffered from their sixth suicide in the last few weeks. Suicide affects people of all ages we know that. I am focusing on teen suicide as I share these warning signs.

It is important to be clear that none of these reasons by themselves causes a person to commit suicide. At times some of these never happen, other times all or some are likely. I share this just to help us understand that suicides can be prevented if we are attentive to some of the potential problem areas.

A second cause is parental abuse. Sadly there are a number of families where the children are abused and suffer in silence. They are under the threat that if they were to ever tell anyone that the abuse will increase. Others believe that this kind of behavior is normal in homes since that is all they have ever known.

I think that being a parent is an extremely challenging responsibility. There are many books written from different perspectives. It can be confusing as to what things you should do. I do believe that there is a common denominator in all those books, to love your children from the day they are born and for the rest of their days. If we are truly loving our children then there is no place for abuse.

I understand that parents have stress in their lives and incredible challenges. At times this stress leads parents to lash out against their children. Parents live beyond their means to provide all their families needs, then they realize they cant afford it and debt takes over. As they deal with debt and the fear of losing things they begin to lash out at the people they were trying to provide for. This can lead to abuse.

The internet itself has many benefits but many parents have addictions to it. They get angry at their kids because they(the parents) cant be on facebook all night. Instead of turning off the computer they get angry at their kids for trying to talk to them and become abusive. The internet also opens up a whole world of sexual abuse to parents who may then take that abuse out on their children.

You may think these examples are absurd, I don't. We could talk about other things too like alcoholic parents, parents with drug abuse issues or parents that argue and fight all the time in front of their children.

No matter the reason for the abuse it is unacceptable. Children and teens should not have to deal with this in their homes. Our homes need to be safe places. Parents need to think through some of the things they do with their time and money.

If you are a teen in a troubled and abusive home please let an adult who cares about you know. As an adult, if someone shares with you what is happening in their home do something about it. You can make a difference. All children should have the right to a safe home, sadly we know that is not happening.

Teen suicide, and causes

The statistics are alarming. The reality is sad. Teen suicide is on the rise and we need to understand what causes can effect this behavior.

I do not have all the answers because I am not that smart. I simply want to challenge us to think about what some of those reasons may be. Can we stop people from self murder, certainly not all can be. Can we be better equipped to help teens if we know some of those causes? I think we can, over the next few days I am going to share on some of those issues.

Today I am going to look at isolation and alienation from caring adults in schools and in homes. Have you ever felt isolated, singled out and set aside? If you were to go and visit a hospital patient that is in isolation, you would likely be denied. The goal of putting a person in isolation is to prevent them from being around others so that the disease/sickness will not spread. The same thing happens with some teens.

These teens are unable to have access to adults who care. They feel alone, forgotten and never heard. Alienation implies that teens are detached from any connection with adults. To think in medical terms if a person has a detached ligament then it becomes useless. It loses its purpose.

When a teen becomes isolated and alienated from adults that care it can become hopeless, they feel useless and unimportant. Every person needs a safe place to land, a place where they can share with someone how they feel. They are looking for someone that can help to make a difference and will accept them and not judge them for how they feel.

Have you ever been around a teen or an adult for that matter that loses it? It seems like they are out of control with their actions or reactions. We often look at that behavior and make a judgement about people. Maybe their behavior is a result of pent up frustration with not having anyone to talk to. If this condition, situation persists sadly self abuse of suicide can result.

Are our schools a place where teens feel like they are listened to by caring adults? If you ask the adults they may say yes. What is most important though is what do the students say? Do they feel like they are heard?

What about in their homes? Do parents think they have an atmosphere where kids are heard? More importantly do the teens feel like they are really heard? Do they feel like they have more than five minutes of their parents time?

Lets be much better at listening and valuing others thoughts and concerns. I hope that we will take the time to invest in our listening skills. There is a big difference between hearing and listening. There is also a big difference between saying you care and doing something practical to show you do.

Good advice from a great girl

I have to tell you about a conversation I had this morning with a young lady that is in her early 20's. She is a great girl who really has a heart for God and for others, especially those who have been rejected.

She shared her story of becoming pregnant as an eleventh grader and how she became the subject of ridicule and abuse. Rejection became something that she felt everyday to the point where it led her into severe depression. It eventually led her to attempt suicide and into the hospital for treatment. As she shared her story tears came to her eyes.

At the time she became pregnant she was not into "religion" at all. She had no desire for it. During her time of feeling so alone she was able to sense the love of God and gave her heart to Christ. She has been living with the Lord for the last three years and she is making great progress in her walk with him.

We spent a good deal of our time talking about the stigma associated with mental health. Mental health is a very real problem. Just because a person deals with depression and has suicidal thoughts does not mean they are crazy. It means they have an illness and that they need help. If I break my leg and I need to go to the hospital to get it fixed I am not weak or psychotic. If a person suffers from mental health issues they are not weak or psycho. (though they may suffer from some psychosis)

I firmly believe that God is going to use this young lady to reach out to other girls thinking about making the same types of decisions that she made. She understands what teens face and can help them to see the consequences of behaviours they choose. She will be able to speak to them about how it is to raise a child as a very young lady, as she is raising her son.

I am looking forward to working with her and for her passion for God and the hurting. I was blessed talking to her.

Family is so important

I love having time to spend with family. The last couple of days have been great as we have had a little extra time to spend just sitting in a room talking with each other. My children have all grown up, they are all over 21, but it is still such a blessing to have family around.

I am reminded on a regular basis that this simple blessing is one that many teens simply do not have. To actually be able to sit down and talk to their parents, and be heard, is a rare thing. On top of that you have other teens that never have that opportunity because the parents have pushed them away. At times the teen causes the rift, but not always.

A book I am reading at this time discusses situations that teens go through, especially as it relates to emotional abuse and harassment. It is not written from a Christian perspective, yet it is full of great advice. The topic being discussed in one section was communication and building strong families.

Here are some of the helpful and strategic ways to grow strong caring families where teens will share what is going on in their lives:

• appreciate each other with words of encouragement
• spend time together without competing things like television, attend events together, eat meals around a table together
• be committed to the family, make it a priority
• do spiritual things together, pray together, go to church together
• deal with family crisis in an open and positive manner, all families face times of crisis and hurt from time to time, open communication and working together makes a family stronger
• create an atmosphere of openness that will facilitate communication

It is so basic right? If only we would take the time to do it. Sadly many teens have been forced to deal with issues on their own or with "the facebook family" because their parents are not available to them.

How important is family to you? How are you doing with the six ways to create stronger families? I know I have lots of work to do in some of those areas, but I am working on it. With God's help I will be a better husband and dad!!

Update on house

I talked with the owner of the property on George St, today and was informed that they have made plans to convert that property into a duplex. They will be making their final decision the end of this month but that is what they are planning.

I am asking you to pray with me that if this is the home for us that they will have a change in their plans. If they do go through with their plans, join with me in praying that they would be blessed in what they do. I asked the owner to contact me once their decision is final if they have a change of plans.

We certainly had a pleasant conversation and she was very encouraging of what we are trying to do here in our city. If nothing else develops from this house search maybe it will serve to build relationships with other organizations in our city.

I continue to trust Him, that he will lead us to our desired haven.

I am reminded of Psalm 107:29-31

29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

30They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

³¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

I am thanking God for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds. God is awesome friends. He will lead us!!!

Relationships and death

A very good friend of mine had her dad pass away yesterday, it was not a surprise in many ways but I don't know if a person can really ever be ready to lose a loved one.

The reason I share this is because it is so important to treat each other with God's love. Death is so final, and there are no chances to say things that we wished we had said after the person passes away. I believe that to the best of our ability and with the help of God, we should try to repair any broken relationships we have with loved ones.

Broken relationships and conflict with others is something we all have to deal with. It is difficult with friends but it seems to run so much deeper with family. There may be family members that we have disagreements with, but to separate ourselves from them is a mistake, unless there are some very deep and hurtful issues.

I will never understand how a parent or parents can completely disown their children. No matter what our kids do, no matter if they disappoint us with their choices, they are still our children and we need to treat them with love, not rejection. Maybe they are the problem, but maybe we are the problem.

I am reminded of a family with eight children who have already "disowned" their two oldest children. It seems like they are systematically forsaking their children. The two oldest are not even welcomed into their home even for a visit. Both are teens, and they are not problem kids.

If you are a parent, step up and be the parent. Love unconditionally, don't put barriers between your kids and you. Take the high road and reach out to your kids.

If your the child that has been hurt, never give up. Pray for your parents. If you have done something to offend them maybe it is time to ask for forgiveness or to offer forgiveness. Don't wait and do it next year, because there may not be a next year.

Death is final here on earth. To the best of your ability, make amends with those you need to. It will save you lots of pain in the future.

A smile on a young mans face

Today was just a wonderful day, the sun was shining, it was warm. It was beautiful in other ways too. I had a great lunch meeting with a long time friend/pastor as we shared about our respective ministries.

The highlight of my day was being able to meet the young man I shared about yesterday. He is 19 and is in a very needy place. He has had to move out of his home and is living/ surviving by bouncing from home to home. He has the clothes on his back and nothing more except a toothbrush and toothpaste and an extra pair of shoes.

We met with him and explained that we were there to help him to the best of our abilities. We inquired as to what needs he had and he began to share with us. We told him that we were going to help and that we would return in a couple of hours to assist. Once he understood that we were on his side and there to help, a smile came across his face.

Wayne and I went to work. We were able to sort through some of our donated clothing and put together a couple of bags of shirts, pants, towels, toiletries and pajamas. From there we went to a local church to pick up some food items and from there it was off to a couple of stores to purchase some good used pants and brand new underwear and socks.

I can tell you that it feels so right to be able to assist in this manner. The next step for us is to see if we can help him find a place to live. It is times like these where I truly wish we had our home up and running. Everything in time, but for now we will do our best to meet practical needs.

I know that we were a blessing to him, and I can tell you we were blessed abundantly also. After we returned back from our ministry I shot the following video. Thanks to all who have faithfully invested in this ministry, we are making a difference. It is God's work to help those in need!!!

An opportunity to help

I was contacted today by another organization in town as they heard that we had established an organization/ministry that is helping teenagers. They were excited to know what we were doing and that our focus was on helping 15-19 year olds.

Tomorrow I will be meeting with the young man who has been dealt a pretty tough situation. He was kicked out of his accommodations due to some unforseen circumstances that I am not at liberty to share here. He ended up having to sleep outside last night behind a dumpster, and did not even have any clothes to wear other than shorts.

I am trusting that we will be able to help him in some way. I am glad that we were called and we must respond with some help. We need to be able to show that we can make a difference and that we are actively making an impact for teens in challenging situations. I would ask for your prayer and His guidance as I represent Boaz and the Lord in meeting this young man.

Here are a few things he needs right away: clothing - sweaters (lg) pants (32")

towels, facecloths, socks, pjs's, bedding if possible (twin) blankets, food

On a different note I spent a portion of the afternoon meeting with another teen. This young lady has been facing some challenges in her school with rumors being spread about her. It has really hurt her and she has had her self esteem really challenged. Sometimes teens just need someone to talk to, someone that will listen. They need to know that they have been heard and that someone cares. I know I say this often but it is so true.

Prayer request

I knew there would come a time in this ministry when I would need tremendous wisdom, well beyond my own. Right now is one of those times. I am not stressed or upset or anything negative like that I just really need God's direction.

One of those aspects of prayer, is with direction the ministry is to take with regards to a specific issue we will need to address. So many of our youth are confused and need insight and direction in life on this issue. I know God will show us what to do and how to properly minister to them.

A second area we need prayer in is with regards to a home. The home we have looked at and have walked through is in a position where the owner wants to convert it in to apartments. We want to have an opportunity to talk with them to see if there is something we can do to make it work for us and them. God knows what we need and what is best for us.

I am reminded of the scripture in Proverbs 3: 4-5 which says: "Trust in the lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your path straight." I am so thankful for His promises. It is truth that I can stand on.

Maybe you are in a position of not knowing what to do and how to do it. I trust that these words will resonate in your spirit too. God Bless you and thanks for your prayers.

Number of youth in need in our city

Great conversations with people are something that need to be treasured. I had the most compelling chat with a local businessman who shared some real insight into the challenge teenagers in our city face.

On a typical day in our city there are a number, pretty large number of teens who are needing a warm meal. That number fluctuates between 20-30 teens who for whatever reason find themselves in a place of need. Many of those teens deal with drug issues that hamper there ability to move forward. Many are trying to get off the drugs and find themselves with no place to go.

I often look at young lives and ask myself how did these kids end up in these situations? Where are their friends now that convinced them that doing drugs would help them? Do their families know where they are and what they are doing? When did they start their downfall in life? Why did they begin? And finally, does anyone really care?

I think that most teens are looking for someone who they know is in their corner, someone that really cares. It takes more than just saying that we care. It means showing them that we care by our actions. Teens are very smart people, they know the difference between those who pay them lip service and those who are genuine.

For those of us that have families that love us and support us, we need to thank them and God for that amazing blessing. For those who feel like you have lots of love to give away to those in need, find a way to get involved. For those who feel like no one cares and that it will always be that way, never give up.

What is truth?

That is a hard term for people to define. According to our good friends at Websters Dictionary truth is a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality. It is something you can stand on. It is based on real things, real facts and real events.

Jesus himself said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me". He wasn't just making this up, He was sincere in saying that if you want to know God, then you must have a relationship with me. You can't know God and deny that Christ is who He says He is and that He exists. You can't pick and choose what things you like that Christ said, in order to meet your own criteria.

I think there are some things that are taught in the Bible that are very clear and yet it seems like they are called into question in our schools. For example we can look at the Biblical account of creation, it is clear who made the heaven and the earth. Instead of teaching this, at least presenting it as an option, our schools have chosen to teach evolution as though it were fact. If you can convince children and teens that they are just blobs that evolved from tiny organisms, then you can convince them that they have little value.

Our schools also promote tolerance of all people and of all opinions. Tolerance is promoted unless of course you want to stand up for Christian values. If you do this you are said to be intolerant of others. You are judgmental and narrow minded, blind arrogant and ignorant.

Don't get me wrong I am in favor of tolerance and not being prejudiced against people who hold to different values than I have. No one should be mistreated because of who they are and what they believe. But what about us as Christians?

If this sounds like a rant, I guess your right. I get so tired of hearing Christian teens get put down because of their beliefs and if they stand up for God in certain areas. It seems like our schools have become protective of all opinions except those that stand for truth.

We need to pray for our teachers, that they will be convicted to teach truth to their students. We send our children to school to learn truth at least that was the way it was supposed to be. I pray that our Christian teachers have the courage to stand up for truth. Sadly it is a really tough environment for them to do so. The word of God says those who teach will be judged more strictly.

We need to pray for our students that God would protect them from the lies that are being promoted as truth to them. We need to find out what our kids are being taught in school to see if it really is truth. There is a battlefield for our kids minds. Lets join together and stand with them.

Interesting quote

I am reading a book right now called "Hope for the Troubled Heart", Finding God in the Midst of Pain. It was written by Billy Graham in the early 90's. As I read it, I am challenged by many things that he says.

It seems to me that in our country and in North America the church has become more and more irrelevant. The church here has left its place and calling to be instruments of change in society. The church has decided that the best way to bring change is to let the government do it, because it is their job to fix things.

I disagree.

I know the government has it's place, and to the best of our ability we should support government involvement. But why has the church been guilty of not fulfilling its proper responsibility. Christ told us to go into the whole world... Instead of going into the world in many ways we have retreated.

Now back to the book I am reading. A world leader who is opposed to Christianity responded to a question he was asked about effective Christians, here is what the leader said, "Christians seem to thrive under persecution. Perhaps we should prosper them, and then they would disappear." Do you catch the truth in this?

I believe the reason the church has been so ineffective in reaching out to the poor, helping those in need, and being an active force for change is because we have sought prosperity and not God. Our churches have focused more on getting more and bigger things and less on meeting the needs of those who are hurting, those in need of truth.

I have been in countries where the Christian church has been persecuted for their faith. I think of the beautiful people of the Ukraine, many live there in poverty. Christians have been beaten down and oppressed for years, yet they are active in making a difference in the lives of street kids and orphans. They did this before communism fell too.

I look at another country like the Dominican Republic. It is a magnificent country of incredible beauty. At the same time it suffers extreme poverty. I can tell you the body of Christ is active in meeting the needs of people. Why? because they are not focused on materialism, they are focused on meeting physical, financial, emotional and spiritual needs.

This is not a condemnation, it is to provoke thought. Have we become so focused on prosperity and materialism that we have indeed began to disappear? Lord help us to get involved. It is our responsibility!!!

New season

What a beautiful day out here in sunny and warm Fredericton. It feels like the seasons are changing. One way you can tell in NB is that people are getting their propane tanks filled so that they can have their BBQ's fired up. The smell of hamburg and steak being cooked on the racks is outstanding. At least on my opinion.

I was reading today in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 about the different seasons of life. Change is not always easy but it is often necessary. It is important to evaluate effectiveness in ministry. If something is working well and is of God there is no reason to change. If something is not working well and God is directing in other ways, we need to be able to make much needed changes.

I think that time has come for us. We will continue to discuss this in our next meeting together, but I sense the Lord has something new for us to do in Boaz. I am not sure what it is but I feel like we have done good things, but it is time to do great things. We have fed some people, mostly older people, but I sense we are to meet actual needs in a different way.

Part of the reason I feel that way is because this ministry was started, and the vision was given to reach at risk youth. We have fed people but not youth. They are in our city and they are in need but we have not met their need. I feel like our time would be better served if we moved in other directions.

This decision is certainly not in stone. I have great people surrounding me in this ministry and I look forward to having this discussion in the next few days. I am committed to listening to them and what God is laying on their hearts too.

I was reading an article recently that asked the following questions: Do you listen to your team or simply hear what they have to say? Is your will involved as you listen to your team? Is there a desire to take action on what is heard? Effective leaders listen to connect with others and to learn from others. Wise leaders choose carefully who they will listen to and then work hard at actively listening to learn.

What does this new season look like, I am not sure but I know it will look better. I am trusting that God will speak and we will follow. Just like the change from winter to spring, it comes with excitement.

Got to go, time to crank up the BBQ. You can't beat the taste of a hamburger on the BBQ. It is gonna be good.

Fire in our city

We had a fire in our city at a housing project. Thankfully our fire department responded quickly and only one unit appears to be seriously affected. No one was hurt and that is a good thing.

I have a family that I have worked with for a number of years who lived in the same housing unit that caught on fire. I decided to stop over and make sure that they were doing well and to determine if they had any specific needs.

The mom was probably the most panicked because she was not home when the fire started and got a call from her daughter saying there was a fire in the building. She only got a bit of information from the call and was immediately stressed out. She said she started crying because she pictured her apartment on fire and them losing everything in it. She pictured having to start over with nothing. She was relieved when she returned home and found that all of her belongings and family were safe.

Stress can cause all of us to have some pretty overwhelming responses. We can become very emotional and it can disable us. How about you, are there areas of your life that are causing you stress?

I want to remind you that God cares about what you are going through. He wants you to come closer to Him so you can see your problems more clearly in relation to Him. Just like the mom in the fire story above, once she saw the situation more clearly her anxiety began to ease up.

If we try and handle our situations on our own, without proper perspective we risk losing lots of sleep and it will alter who we are. If we handle things with Him, we can rest in His calm assurance and peace.

I love working with teens

After being away from the teens in my youth ministry for three weeks, and missing them while I was away, it was so good to be back spending time with them. They are such amazing people, and I am so blessed to work with them.

They are so willing to learn and have such a heart to grow deeper in their walk with the Lord. Tonight we talked about what it means to be an ambassador for Christ. An ambassador serves as a representative for something. A good will ambassador for a company is chosen because they are a walking example of what the company stands for.

When it comes to Christ and being an ambassador for him, I think of being a mentor for others. Mentoring is so crucial for the next generation. Sadly there are not many great mentors out there for teens to look up to. Often times there are no mentors in a persons family, no one they want to be like.

What about those who act like Christ's ambassador while in public, but in their own homes are far from it. It is easier to impress people who see you in a certain environment, but what if they saw us in another setting. Are we consistent? If people were to follow us around all day would they see you as an ambassador for Christ all the time.

I was recently talking with a friend who shared with me that a close acquaintance of his promotes himself as a deeply committed Christian. He says that when they are away from the Christian circle that this person has an extremely disgusting sense of humor, talks about other people (slams them), and is always making sexual innuendos. Yikes!

None of us are perfect, and neither am I. I just think that if we are going to mentor others that there should be some level of consistency in our walk. If there are areas in our lives that do not give honor to who Christ is, then lets get serious with God and deal with it.

Are you an ambassador? Are you and I good representatives of Him? Would you and I be good mentors to the next generation?

Feeding and prayer

Tonight we were back out to feed those in need of a warm meal, but we also had an opportunity to feed the spiritual hunger of those in need. It is my heart to meet both as the Lord provides and leads.

Four people came by tonight to receive a warm meal from the Boaz ministry. Two of them I knew and two of them I had never met before. When they found out I was a chaplain one of the men asked if he could talk to me privately, which I agreed to. He then shared some of the challenges he was going through and I was able to pray and speak God's Word over him.

Why do this type of ministry? It provides us with a foundation of knowing those in our city in need. They often know when new people come to town that are in need. Once they begin to share with others what we do, people will come. More importantly for Boaz, we hope that when new teens that are at risk come to our city that we will be a ministry that can be shared with those teens in need of help.

Do I enjoy spending two nights a week standing outside in the cold? Not really on my list of favorite things to do, but I am willing to be there if we can help just one. I try and look at it like this, if my son or daughters were in need of help in a strange city, I hope there would be a Christian based ministry available to help. I desire for us to be that type of ministry here in our city and eventually around the globe.

Tonight we fed four, and prayed for two. That makes it all worth while! After all they are someones sons and daughters.

Glad to be home

I loved my time in Vancouver, but I can tell you there is nothing that beats coming home to my family and being able to spend time in my home. It reminds me so much of all that is really important and it reminds me that so many do not have what I have.

I was reminded tonight of Gary, a middle age man who has been living and surviving by panning in Vancouver. He has a deep love for God and trust in Him too. Even though it is tough for he and his wife, He continues to praise God. He has a roof over his head but needs the extra money just to be able to eat.

I was reminded of Barbara Janet who is also panning just to be able to survive. Right now she has a place where she can go at night to sleep, but she is separated from family. She was moved by God, I know that and I had a chance to say goodbye to her and let her know I will be praying for her.

I am reminded of Yuqa who is trying to make it through life and feels very much alone. From night to night he doesn't know where he will sleep at night. He is frightened to think of what is ahead.

I am blessed as I have received an email from my new friend Cheryl. Cheryl shared how God has laid it on her heart to return home to Sask to see her son and spend some time with him over his 11th birthday. I can see God clearly at work in her life. In fact she spent a week doing a mission trip with her bible school to a couple of first nation communities in BC.

Finally I am reminded that Boaz ministry was started because of a vision from God to work with hurting and rejected people. I believe my experience in Vancouver was not only very exciting but it gave me a deeper compassion for those who suffer and feel abandoned. I feel that I am much better prepared to connect with those God has called us to minister with.

It is such a blessing to have family. They are very special to me!!!