On the road again.....

Feb 26th, Saturday morning, it's 6 am and my cell phone alarms for me to get a move on!  Coffee on and in the shower I go. A sip of coffee then downstairs to once again, load my Jeep to roof. 6:30 done, one more sip of coffee, bags and boxes lined up down the drive way to make it easier to load for Jeff and Court.  Loaded up but "Ohhhhhh wait!" "Can I fit a KING SIZE MATTRESS?" If looks could kill.  J/k you know how hubbies are.  So to fulfill my cry the King size mattress get's loaded and bungeed down for our road trip!  Kids round up and as Bob Seager sings "On the Road Again!"  Off to Bruce, FL Muscogee Tribe Nation we go. 
When we arrived struggling families lined up the ramp and stairs.  I knew this would be a BIG but humbling day and I was so excited to be a part of it.  As I stepped out of the car one of our little Bruce Buds ran off "Their here!" as he called a teen girl we have became close to as well.  We ran to eachother and gave big hugs.  It's just what is all about.  I love it.  Village Baptist had a team of volunteers on the property building the thrift store and giving truck loads of furniture away.  One of our families that were just last week living in a motel we're picking out furniture for their "Home" that they found by the grace of God and our team of Angels, Stephanie Bailey(Walton County Schools) and Dianne McManus(Opportunity Inc.).  I know they have wings under their shirts.  It was so evident that God was present in Bruce this weekend, as his people all came together for one purpose and one mission.  As we met some of the families there to distribute donations we had collected for them one mother/grandmother came up to us to thank us and with tears in her eyes said "I want to tell you when people ask, how we got in this situation." I told her we needed no explanation. I stated "It is not how you got there but how you rise above the challenge that matters.We have or all will fall in our lives in one way or another." No one shall cast judgement on others, for only one can judge or question and it is not me.  She then handed me an invitation to her fathers memorial.  She continued to explain "Last year was a bad year, one thing after another.  My father died which lead me to depression, because I was a daddy's girl. I lost my job and so on."  I reached out to her and said. 'If you call upon the Lord, he will raise you up.  However, you must REALLY call his name out, and hand it all over to him. He will hear you and he will answer." She replied, "He has through you all."  To no surprise to Courtney or those who know me, I was in tears with her as she handed me a card that she carries with her everyday that her mother wrote to her.  It read,  "Trust in God!  The Bible says "Ask and you will receive" "Stay on your knees and ask for exactly what you need (not what you want or things that are frivolous but more of God and his guidance for you and your family.  Stay on your knees and keep talking to him. Praising him, loving him, Don't stop, he'll answer in his own time."

Praise God!  This was so awesome to see; homeless, no job, no clothes but what we brought, days of starving and she still looked at that and had faith and believed in him. She already knew of God through her heritage and she counted on his word to get her through.  I hope that she continues to carry that with her because I know I will. 

You know, we all need to STOP casting judgement and making assumptions of others situations.  Just give with no hesitating or what if's.  Yes, some people have made mistakes and are living the consequences everyday, some faced unforeseen circumstances that were out of their control but I can tell you MOST are humbled by the experience and are thankful to be giving another chance to make things right.  How awesome is our God to forgive, pick up and carry us when we need him.  What if our God never gave us the opportunity to repent and make better choices.  What if we were hit with unforeseen circumstances, that were out of our control and we never got a chance to recover from them. What if we never had a 2nd chance at life?  What if no one was there for you when you lost everything?  What if? 
I tell you this we could ALL BE THERE.  If you can't see that with the economy and the havoc set upon the world right now I don;t know what will wake us up.  It is reported that Okaloosa and Walton County have 2000 homeless families right now.  We could be one.  I have no sham or pride issues.  My family is one check from walking in those shoes.  We struggle each month to raise our kids with one income.  It's not easy and I never take things for granted or cast judgement because I COULD BE THERE!  We have to stop judging others for their situations. Rise up! because what would you want others to do for you if you were down?

Please, help our cause, supporting our mission to "Save our part of the World."
Many blessing to you all and your families,
Steph