We're Not Alone

>"Our destiny, in my opinion, and we might as well get started with it, is [to] become a part of the planetary community. ... We should be ready to reach out beyond our planet and beyond our solar system to find out what is really going on out there."<
Edgar Mitchell, retired US Astronaut, member of 1971 Apollo 14 moon mission

I'm all for space travel. I was one of those kids who always imagined traveling to other worlds... never crossed my mind that it might not happen in our life times. As an adult, it would be no problem to come up with a quick list of folks who either a) act like they're from another planet or b) might be better off living in a distant galaxy!

Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Matthew 4:17

I believe in His Kingdom... very near... all around us, within us... I believe in Jesus. Don't know what's "out there." Do know that today, April 20, 2009 is the anniversary of the Columbine killings. Know that life is hard for people in the community we live in... probably in your community as well. I'm certain that as exciting a call Ed Mitchell makes to "reach out beyond our planet," I'm thankful God saw fit to reach out to us with His Son, Jesus Christ and plant His Kingdom within our hearts to prevent the anger, violence and killing that springs up in the heart of people. I think we've got a load of work to do right here on planet earth, in love, right now.

Words like repent don't seem relevant any longer- they repel us -but if we're looking for change, why look to the skies? God's given us His Kingdom- not "pie in the sky" but the opportunity to love, serve and share right now, right here, today.

Space exploration and serving in love aren't mutually exclusive- I'm all for both -just want to make sure that before we start exporting values to other galaxies we make sure we've got love covered, or are at least giving it our best effort, here and now. But if the opportunity should avail itself- take an alien to lunch -one more opportunity to break bread and make friends in His Name.

blessings,

Eric

Buckets of Love... and Thanksgiving

21 Years of Free Thanksgiving Dinners at Central Community. Each year we go through hundreds of turkeys, thousands of potatoes, hundreds of pies and more love than could be measured on the Richter scale as we serve thousands of turkey dinners- with all the trimmings -to all those in need in our community. It's an incredibly expensive endeavor and we could never do it without the loving and generous support of the people of Central Community. They're amazing. Along with their friends and family's, they peel a ton of potatoes, cook a couple hundred turkeys and work non-stop for as long as a week making sure everything is just perfect. Whether it's taking a reservation or delivering a dinner to someone who would otherwise be home and alone... it somehow all gets done... it's amazing... our very own opportunity to share in the miracle of giving thanks. God is too Good.

Love Buckets! That's a picture of one. Our staff put them together to hand out at this weekend's services. People will take them home- set them on their kitchen table, a dresser, atop the TV, and each day they'll dump their change in the slot. Sunday, November 23, we'll collect them- bust 'em open -have a crew of people count the change and use it to pay for everything that's not donated for the dinner. This year we plan on feeding at least 2,500 people. We'll need $5,000- to make sure the job gets done. It'll happen- one little love bucket at a time.

Jesus fed thousands by multiplying just a few fish and a little bread in a kid's lunch bucket. We want to do the same. In fact Jesus promised that we'd do even "greater works than these..." Kind of hard to imagine. But we're entering another November, another season of Thanksgiving, in faith believing. Our first Thanksgiving dinner together at Central Community- Thanksgiving Day, 21 years ago -we prepared to feed 200: cooked the food, set the tables... and no one came.

We shared Thanksgiving dinner together- then tried to find something to do with all that food! A home for battered women... filled with nearly 200 taking shelter at the holidays... welcomed it in joy... they'd prepared nothing. Jesus used our first Thanksgiving Day Dinner to remind us that someones always waiting to be loved... if we're just willing to not only open our eyes to the heartbreak around us but to open our lives and share in Thanksgiving. In 2008, we plan on doing it by the bucket full!

What are you doing with your "buckets of love" this Thanksgiving? God's been so very good to us... a struggling economy can't take His Grace, Mercy, Healing... his invitation to share in Thanksgiving, away.

You're invited to Thanksgiving with us. If you're not able to make it out- we even deliver -we don't want you to be alone or hungry on Thanksgiving. And if you're like me- and God's blessed you by the bucket full -you're invited to fill up a love bucket to help share the Thanksgiving expense. Or maybe you know someone who can donate pies, turkeys, fruit... don't let this miracle season slip away without taking note, without getting involved. God created us to be a blessing. It's what our hearts yearn for in the darkness. We can fill this Thanksgiving with buckets of love.

many blessings,

Eric