tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37061222011-04-21T19:06:07.799-05:00What Holds On?A journal of Scott Jeffries. Finding Christ through work with the poor and the "spat up, sat upon, and ratted on."Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comBlogger2141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1152202311316650382006-07-06T11:10:00.000-05:002006-07-06T11:11:51.333-05:00In the last 30 years the evangelical Christian church has presented little variation in its models of a Christian person. In fact I can bring to mind only two distinct options to how Christians are to act based on the examples set forth in our churches and among church goers.First are the All-American types. These are the people that even if they did not have Christ in their life they still wouldScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1150478554351852942006-06-16T12:10:00.000-05:002006-06-16T12:22:34.390-05:00Gary is on a mission to start an attack on the forces of evil. He calls his mission God's Brigade. Last Sunday at church, we all signed a sheet to join the brigade. Gary is a former addict who is now homeless and trying to minister to the addicts and the homeless. He is very urgent in his actions and speech and I have to admit that I have been skeptical of his voracity. I mean, converted addictsScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1149538831752810292006-06-05T14:15:00.000-05:002006-06-05T15:20:34.846-05:00Just returned from Mexico City, the second largest city in the world. Leah and I went with a group from our church to do painting and construction at a Baptist Seminary outside of the city. The missionaries that were our hosts all week told us that only two percent of Mexico City residence attend church and if I heard them right that includes the Catholics. Even if it is just two percent Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1148070453068985902006-05-19T15:18:00.000-05:002006-05-19T15:27:33.076-05:00Abilene is teaming with Harley riding, leather clad bikers. This weekend is the Texas State HOG(Harley Owners Group) Rally and it is being held in Abilene. I wonder what the Christians in Abilene are thinking as they see hundreds of Harley's taking to the streets? The business owners are probably pumped with the increase tourism money involved but what about the rest of the Christians? Are they Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1148055874862309772006-05-19T11:21:00.000-05:002006-05-19T14:23:15.696-05:00Church - one part home and one part pariah. I love my church. I grew up in the very church I now serve in as a glorified volunteer. When I was 17 and half of my closest friends started carousing like the twentysomethings they thought they were we still all met back at church the next Sunday. Church brought us together and kept us together despite our varying interests and teenage impulses. Our Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1147803065559601492006-05-16T12:57:00.000-05:002006-05-17T19:39:21.123-05:00Ruby is trouble with a capital T. The problem with still being trouble is that she has become a Christian. Unfortunately, she still puts out some mysterious aura that attracts all of those folks that are still doing drugs, alchohol, and sleeping around like she used to. Her bubbly personality along with her ADD keep her impulsively in predicaments. She is a world class taker who has been sober Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1146450365362082262006-04-30T21:14:00.000-05:002006-05-01T10:08:04.450-05:00If you have never ridden on a Greyhound you must do it at least once in your life. Middle class kids probably think it would be a blast given their experiences taking chartered busses to ski trips or athletic events. Unlike the inside of a bubble nature of the chartered bus youth experiences, the real experience of trying to get from point A to point B in a 46 passenger bus is anything less than Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1145301802061975772006-04-17T14:14:00.000-05:002006-04-21T10:11:09.716-05:00Most of the names on my list of people I would most like to meet are still alive. Chris Isaak is still singing and playing music, Frederick Buechner is still writing into his 80s, and Dallas Willard is still writing, teaching, and speaking into retirement age. I recently attended a conference where Willard spoke about graduating good people. When you are as impressed with a person and their body Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1144675590269415542006-04-10T08:17:00.000-05:002006-04-10T08:26:30.283-05:00I read this today in my book of daily meditations with Frederick Buechner:If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter and the Last Supper is the Mad Tea Party. The world says, Mind your own business, and Jesus says, There is no such thing as your own business. The world says, Follow the wisest course and be a success, and Jesus says, Follow me and be crucified. The world says, Drive Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1144443177794934902006-04-07T15:33:00.000-05:002006-04-07T15:52:57.806-05:00The date is April 7, 2006. I am in higher education both as an employee and as a student. So basically, I have about one month to finish my school work, accomplish those tasks that I have put off for the entire semester, and get something done with some extra time I have had on my hands that I thought would free me up for more activity. In other words I am a bit overwhelmed with all that has to Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1143415419129856222006-03-26T17:03:00.000-06:002006-03-26T17:23:39.143-06:00We had Bonnie and Clyde over for lunch today. Recently dismissed from the Taylor County jail where they were serving time for stealing some chicken from Wal-Mart, Bonnie and Clyde are a couple from Pennsylvania trying to get to California but are stuck in Abilene since their car was repossed when they were in the jail. Apparently, the local justice system tried to stick it to them since they wereScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1141838046370153822006-03-08T10:57:00.000-06:002006-03-08T14:52:28.356-06:00Sometimes I have to wonder what would happen to some people if City Light didn't exist. Not that City Light is the ultimate in caring for people but just the fact that it does exist has allowed many people to be helped that would have been left to their own devices, as diminished as they already are. Yesterday, a 17 year old girl showed up at our door unannounced. She had made it from Corpus Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1141744640827821862006-03-07T09:16:00.000-06:002006-03-07T09:17:20.840-06:00To continue my Adventures of a 30 Year Old series, I need to tell you where I spent last Wednesday night- in the parking lot of a Chick-Fil-A. I arrived at 8 p.m. to register my name to be one of the first 100 people in line for the opening of a new stand-alone Chick-Fil-A. By being one of the first 100 people in line, you receive a free meal at Chick-Fil-A every week for a year. I could eat at Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1141221915569970632006-03-01T07:55:00.000-06:002006-03-01T08:05:15.580-06:00I learned about Family Promise yesterday along with representatives from about 7 other churches. The meeting was encouraging. Family Promise uses church buildings to house homeless families and coordinates with local services and agencies to assist the families in obtaining housing and employment. Something like this is already going on in Abilene but some of the people at the meeting, especiallyScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1141162772673225522006-02-28T15:39:00.000-06:002006-02-28T15:39:32.683-06:00I am 30 years old and am learning how to play racquetball...I am 30 years old and participating in chats...I am 30 years old and have started to give my daughter a weekly allowance...I am 30 years old and spend my Sunday nights with 12 African American kids and 1 Hispanic...I am 30 years old and have just purchased my first "cause" band... I am 30 years old and am learning about outsourcing, Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1140534529213829882006-02-21T09:08:00.000-06:002006-02-21T09:08:49.223-06:00One of the only ways that our church can fund such a ministry is through the resources available within the church and its members. So there is the dichotomy of a wealthy church being needed to serve people on the other end of the economic spectrum. Sometimes this causes problems and misunderstandings. My favorite story is of a group of older adults from a church Sunday school class coming over Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1140106895792387782006-02-16T10:17:00.000-06:002006-02-16T10:21:35.810-06:00The Invisible Children from Uganda were on display yesterday. I saw the film. Before you think, "Oh great, another cause that I can feel guilty about not doing anything about," let me make some observations after seeing the film.1 This was one of those moments, like when I saw Schindler's List for the first time, or after watching Billy Graham's sermon after Sept. 11. I simply could not live withScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1139841074732007102006-02-13T08:30:00.000-06:002006-02-13T08:31:14.743-06:00We had the Lord's Supper yesterday at City Light. I don't even know if that is allowed since we are not an official church but more of a mission of a larger church. Anyway, we hold a worship service each Sunday with preaching, singing, and an invitation. So occasionally we will have the Lord's Supper. Though our preacher for the day (we tend to rotate around with me preaching occasionally) spent Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1139246038869993372006-02-06T11:02:00.000-06:002006-02-06T13:16:07.233-06:00I spent the weekend at a Disciple Now with our high school kids. If you are not a Baptist you probably don't know what Disciple Nows are. Think Christian sleepovers with small group emphasis. The trend lately is to bring in a youth speaker and worship leader to host large group sessions. Reality Conferences was the group brought in to lead these large worship times. What exactly reality has to doScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1139004177765366832006-02-03T16:02:00.000-06:002006-02-03T16:02:57.776-06:00One of our favorite homeless guys was peeping in our vehicle today and saw that our gas gauge was tilting towards empty. He felt that this wasn't right and demanded that we take his twenty dollars to purchase gas. He was adamant, using statements that City Light was like a family to him and he needed to take care of his family. Though our gas gauge problem is due more to business and laziness Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1138383165947156562006-01-27T11:21:00.000-06:002006-01-27T11:32:45.956-06:00As stated here, Momo is the most recognizable homeless man in Abilene. His dark skin and large bowling ball physique make him very recognizable from the bearded, hat wearing and skinny look of most homeless men. What also makes Momo memorable is any encounter you have with him. They are all usually memorable. Take last Sunday for example:I was trying to meet and greet our high schoolers who were Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1137536772600842982006-01-17T16:07:00.000-06:002006-01-17T16:26:12.610-06:00I pulled up behind a CityLink bus yesterday glanced up at the passenger in the back seat. She looked familiar and I was struck by the way she seemed to be looking out of the window. It was one of those extremely sad looks you see when people in movies have just stepped on a subway after losing their last chance at reconciliation with a true love. The look was also helped by way the morning sun Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1136999110944514752006-01-11T10:58:00.000-06:002006-01-11T11:06:36.183-06:00In work with inner city youth there are times when I am frustrated, ready to pull my hair out, and wanting to run away. But last Sunday, I was glad I was there. While we were providing the kids an opportunity to voice prayer requests, one boy said, "I need to pray for my family, my friends, my cousins in Las Vegas, my aunt in Louisiana..." At this time another boy interjected, "Man, this ain't a Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1136580819689825072006-01-06T14:13:00.000-06:002006-01-06T14:53:39.720-06:00I am a consistently quiet person. I have determined that people are afraid of quiet people. There is an inherent distrust of quiet people. The assumptions about quiet people are that they are boring and dull on one end or weird and dangerous on the other. I am thinking about starting a support group for quiet people. People have questioned my wife as to why she married such a quiet person. My Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1136308961436354722006-01-03T10:16:00.000-06:002006-01-03T11:22:41.486-06:00Two things that I have learned from working among the poor are the broad range of stuff collected as belongings but deserve to be thrown away and the celebration of hospital stays as events. Both of these things have been reiterated to me recently in ways I was not comfortable with.The first one came home to me as I helped a lady move on Sunday and yesterday. 50% of the stuff I moved was paper, Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1136222472202750782006-01-02T11:11:00.000-06:002006-01-02T11:21:12.213-06:00Back from holiday (I love how the British use this term). I have made a renewed committment to my blog. That may mean that I will not have anything pertinent to say sometimes but I want to chronicle my life more considering that it continues to make little sense to me. But I have been rereading Frederick Buechner lately and one of his best quotes talks about examining your life and finding God Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1134155780712427842005-12-09T13:02:00.000-06:002005-12-09T13:16:20.723-06:00In a reception honoring David on his birthday and on the cusp of his retirement many people told stories and voiced thanks for David's many years of dedicated service to the church and the least, the last, and the lost. The story I intended to tell but didn't get a chance to was about a trip to a Texas Rangers' game that David organized when I was 11 years old. We traveled from Abilene to Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1133980822865356952005-12-07T12:14:00.000-06:002005-12-07T12:40:22.876-06:00Occasionally, Leah or I will get a call from someone at the church about certain individuals with the usual traits of social dysfunction, lack of sartorial talent, and appropriate status, who are attending church activities. With the presence of City Light and its openness to all kinds, these church members will conclude that the subdefectives would be better off away from the church and at City Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1133882106782171722005-12-06T09:03:00.000-06:002005-12-06T09:15:06.793-06:00On the 18th of this month, the founder and director of City Light, David Leyerle, will retire. David has been with our church for 28 years, first as the Minister of Recreation and then as Minister of Community Missions. I have known David since I was 5 years old and the man even led me to the Lord. His legacy in our church and community stretches beyond the church and building walls to virtually Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1133881350752405142005-12-06T09:00:00.000-06:002005-12-06T09:02:30.763-06:00I have mentioned several time in this place the Computer Classes that I teach at City Light. One class learned about Blogs and they created their own class blog. Check it out.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1132600908166784282005-11-21T13:04:00.000-06:002005-11-21T16:14:14.923-06:00About five years ago when I started to look into this kind of ministry work I first started to think of examples of people that have lived out their ministry in a way that I would like to emulate. I studied more about Tony Campolo, St. Francis, Dorothy Day, L'Arche and Martin Luther King then I did great preachers of the time. I was drawn to artist like Rich Mullins for his authentic concern for Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1131675405816859782005-11-10T20:08:00.000-06:002005-11-10T20:16:45.826-06:00I would think that the poor, sometimes angry, sometimes socially lackiing people that we encounter in our work would be opposed to touch. I seem to envision some tough trench coat wearing male saying, "Don't touch me" or "Get your hands off me". But the reality is that when touch happens in our work either with a hug or a slight rub of the shoulders these people love it. Leah has had experiences Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1130944966558500132005-11-02T08:18:00.000-06:002005-11-02T09:22:46.603-06:00My wife is incredible. She is amazing. No I am not going to waste your time telling how great my wife is but let me tell a story that will make my statements come to life. A few weeks ago, our friend Redbeard had a seizure while attending one of our lunches. I have seen two of Redbeard's seizures in person but know of several others that have occured while at the building and away from City LightScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1130449012238727982005-10-27T16:15:00.000-05:002005-10-28T08:03:48.913-05:00Our youngest daughter hugged Clark yesterday. While the family and I were eating hamburgers at a local joint, a friendly face from our experiences at City Light walked in the door. Clark is one of the most helpful and gratious clients we see at City Light. He understands that receiving something good often means that you as an individual would like to do something good in return just to show yourScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1129342979216964252005-10-14T21:15:00.000-05:002005-10-19T10:21:58.803-05:00We baptized another one this past week. Johnnie, who is a she, was baptized by David at our church's current worship center. I realized this past week that I had already taken Johnnie's salvation decision for granted. Many of these things come so naturally when you have been exposed to someone's spiritual experiences that a serious decision like this is not a surprise and so familiarity breeds Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1127744990538019062005-09-26T09:17:00.000-05:002005-09-26T09:29:50.543-05:00This weekend, Leah and I took a rare break and went to a Festival in Austin that included drinking, drugs, debauchery and a some really great music. As we were entering the Festival grounds some well groomed and well intentioned young people were handing out folded pieces of paper that said, "God's Simple Plan of Salvation." As I watched one person after another drop their paper to the ground I Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1126707877259732852005-09-14T09:13:00.000-05:002005-09-14T09:24:37.266-05:00What is going on around here? I am meeting people my age who are interested in social ministry (which was an answered prayer). I am communicating and working with those doing ministry in Abilene (also an answered prayer). I am seeing a movement of work going on in the area to the north of City Light (ditto). New people, who previously would have no notion of City Light are appearing in our Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1126103333060272172005-09-07T09:15:00.000-05:002005-09-07T09:28:53.066-05:00We have had to discipline some of our own recently. In their stunted emotional and mental state, they didn't get it and thought we were mad at them and started to tell others that we didn't want them to come in the building anymore. Three years ago this would have bothered me, but now I half way expected it and am trusting God that he will take care of the situation. The reason we had to Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1125609576551561472005-09-01T16:11:00.000-05:002005-09-01T16:19:36.556-05:00Part of the impetus for the last blog entry was the heightened level of awareness of service within my own city of Abilene, Texas. Just within the last month I have partnered with a church to help with a neighborhood ministry, I have traveled on a trip with 40 other people interested in improving our city with service and relationships as the backdrop, and have seen evidence of boundaries of Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1125501955433344112005-08-31T10:25:00.000-05:002005-08-31T14:15:05.906-05:00I am hesitant to trump up movements or declare the hand of God when I can barely determine what I am responsible for much less what God has accomplished. But I can tell you that my thoughts and desires in relation to ministry aren't as foreign as they once appeared to be five years ago. Then, I was tired of the image that the Church was portraying, that Christianity was about allegiances and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1124742622900927792005-08-22T15:14:00.000-05:002005-08-22T15:30:22.906-05:00Angel has entered the building and he might be the most well dressed homeless man you will ever see. Dark black skin hide very animated eyes and large brown lips. Angel often has a fancy scarf on with soothing colors like purple or blue. Sometimes Angel carries around a handbag which can only be a women's purse. But once you get past the divergent attire and make conversation with Angel the Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1123273505094083402005-08-05T15:12:00.000-05:002005-08-05T15:25:05.100-05:00Quick, think of the two best people you know. Maybe even the two best Christians you know. What is it about them that makes you admire them so much? Is it their knowledge of the Bible, their grasp of denominational political postering, their political candidate sticker on the back of their car? No, it is probably not any of these things and it is probably not the job they hold or even how much Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1122579929460701432005-07-28T14:32:00.000-05:002005-07-28T14:45:29.466-05:00Before God changed my life in 2000, I was very much into success literature and self-improvement mechanisms. When God gave me a wake up call, I put away my Steven Covey books and began letting Matthew 5 and 6 be my guide to living. It was so freeing to know that Jesus, 2000 years ago, had a way of living and relating to people that was all that I really needed to achieve something in this world. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1121797524499276152005-07-19T13:20:00.000-05:002005-07-19T14:19:46.273-05:00I have had this thought for the past few years now that the opinion leveled on most homeless or poor people is that they are lazy and allowing others to do for them what they are capable of doing themselves. I have found that this attitude is almost an American past time among middle class and higher class individuals. The confidence that these people have in sputtering this belief is so self Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1118163661796353442005-06-07T11:41:00.000-05:002005-06-07T12:01:01.803-05:00In junior high I was a good kid, a little legalistic, but grounded in my faith. I probably was mean to some kids including a slow kid named Brandon Farrar, I know I definitely talked about him and laughed at his antics. I tried not to be filled with contempt when I talked about him but being at the age I was it is hard to differentiate between such subtle ideas as mocking contempt and amused Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1117830744264646692005-06-03T15:13:00.000-05:002005-06-03T15:32:24.280-05:00Every day I get a devotional written by John Fischer. On Wednesday, he wrote a devotional entitled, "Behind Every Homeless Person..." The jist of the piece is that homeless people come with a story, and often that story is tragic but at the beginning of the story is a life that was not too far removed from where you and I live. Fischer writes,"The difference between the person on the street and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1115129324131552492005-05-03T09:05:00.000-05:002005-05-03T09:08:44.133-05:00This is what has happened to a 6 year old named Chris this past year. His mother took his brother and him along with his 1 year old sister with her as she left their dad. They stayed in a home for abused families for one night maybe two and she returned the kids to the dad and ran off with a homeless man who lives in his car. The dad tried to reconcile and the two did go to counseling but things Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1114623605087493212005-04-27T12:23:00.000-05:002005-04-27T12:40:05.090-05:00One of the most surprising things I have experienced at City Light is the spiritual work God has done with our computer classes. We have at least 5 or 6 opportunities each week to formally deliver a message from God and that does not count the times we offer prayer at our lunches or have chances to counsel people. None of these times include our computer classes. During the spring, we have 2-3 Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1113852359144398462005-04-18T14:06:00.000-05:002005-04-18T14:25:59.146-05:00Jan is in her 70s but spends more time with kids than most people half her age. Jan once told a high school kid who had lost his mother to death when he was much younger, "Is that how your mother lets you act?". She talks incessantly, much of it about similar topics or comments she has told you about 61/2 times before. Jan's top five favorite topics are her late husband, being delivered from Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1112112104116137672005-03-29T09:46:00.000-06:002005-03-29T10:01:44.116-06:00As the news of another natural disaster filtered across the ocean from Indonesia yesterday I heard a woman say matter of factly that "God was punishing them for persecuting Christians." She was so sure of herself and stated this judgement like she had heard the news from God himself. I do not have enough knowledge to know if Indonesia is guilty of perscuting Christians but I think they have a Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1111681969665896512005-03-24T10:11:00.000-06:002005-03-24T10:32:49.670-06:00It is easy to feel morally superior when you champion causes like the fight against homelessness and poverty. I often accompany a criticism of the church's neglect of social issues with a pat on the back for my admirable commitment to the less fortunate. I use my own criticism as a way to puff myself up as a "real" difference maker and as someone who has a truer faith then others. This all Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1109785015037052992005-03-02T11:36:00.000-06:002005-03-02T11:36:55.040-06:00I have not written lately but that does not mean things have not been going on, in fact so much has been going on I don’t know where to start. Leah and I have hit a crossroads in our ministry efforts at City Light and we do not know where to turn. Do we continue on our same road and face the complexity of hanging on too long and just reaching for something that may be out of our grasp. Or do we Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1107970816937297282005-02-09T11:39:00.000-06:002005-02-09T11:40:16.936-06:00The Rockin’ Moms met last night. One of our newer ministries, Rockin’ Moms is geared towards single moms. Last night, the Rockin’ Moms had a Valentine’s dinner and theme. One lady said that this was the only Valentine she was going to get as she stockpiled the candy that we had handed out. Another lady, who is a recovering addict, came for the first time and enjoyed herself and wants to come backScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1107544468254948482005-02-04T13:58:00.000-06:002005-02-04T13:14:28.253-06:00I am studying Christian History as one of my seminary courses and one of the first things we studied was the emergence of the Christian movement and what caused it to flourish so rapidly. What several authors point to is the Christian stance on social issues like the poor, widows, slaves, and the role of women. Christianity became a religion of the people, not just the people in authority, but Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1106754629861162412005-01-26T09:35:00.000-06:002005-01-26T09:50:29.863-06:00A problem in ministry is to think that you are the sole person that can bring about goodness and God's will. Especially with the poor, you get used to desperate stories that often feel like if you do not do anything, their case is hopeless. Thankfully, God doesn't work in this way. He works through us but is not limited to just us.
A few months ago, one of our clients came through and said thatScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1105385865946653942005-01-10T13:23:00.000-06:002005-01-10T13:37:45.946-06:00We had a fight last week. Will and Luke did not exchange punches but the episode escalated enough for the police to be called. Apparently, Luke accused Will of taking his bike. When your only transportation is with your feet or with a bike, these kind of things can be serious. Leah, as usual, calmed the waters by telling Will and Luke that acting in such a way was not what needed to happen at Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1104866738547135522005-01-04T11:57:00.000-06:002005-01-04T13:25:38.546-06:00For Christmas Eve, we decided to host a candlelight service at the City Light building. We advertised this as just a service even though we planned on hosting snacks and refreshments downstairs and handing out Christmas gifts to people as they were leaving. We wanted people to come for the service and be surprised by the food and gifts. The whole evening went well. One of my favorite things aboutScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1103560435664374302004-12-20T10:25:00.000-06:002004-12-20T10:33:55.663-06:00Last week in our local paper a man who was brave enough to list his name sent a letter to the editor regarding "street people" in Abilene. Take a look at it for yourself. I constructed a response that probably won't be printed because the paper mentioned yesterday that they wanted to put the issue to rest. So you can read it here: First Mr. Davis' letter and then my response.
Tuesday afternoon (Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1103146126742808732004-12-15T15:17:00.000-06:002004-12-18T13:43:56.893-06:00While being mentored by David Leyerle, I watch him more closely than most people and one of the favorite things that he does that I would like to imitate is calling people he has drawn close to a friend even by most observers they would be more like clients, patients, beneficiaries, or recipients. How can a mentally challenged person who can hardly manage sweeping, mopping, and cleaning be Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1102523074640832782004-12-08T10:14:00.000-06:002004-12-08T10:24:34.640-06:00Zach happened upon City Light by chance. He was working downtown on some new apartments and started to take his lunch break at our lunch ministry. Zach was always gracious and thankful for the food and we started to get to know him. He joined us during our 40 Days of Purpose emphasis and read the book. Zach has a calming presence which was unusual around City Light. We lost track of him for Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1101766181779001232004-11-29T16:08:00.000-06:002004-11-29T16:09:41.780-06:00 I have always been fascinated and amused by retarded people. Sure, I have laughed at them and with them but I am usually just intrigued by there simplicity, joy, and idiosyncrasies. For about a year, I even worked at a facility for mentally challenged individuals and it was both the most challenging thing I have ever done and one of the most rewarding. I would often work Sundays and go with aScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1100531200473740212004-11-15T09:05:00.000-06:002004-11-15T09:06:40.473-06:00Sometimes you have to believe what you preach. Yesterday I preached the message at the City Light morning service. It came from Mark 9 and was about the father who brings his demon possessed son to Jesus after Jesus’ disciples failed to heal the boy. The first thing that Jesus said when encountering the disciples in their failure was “You unbelieving generation. What am I going to do with you?” Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1100012797898562802004-11-09T09:03:00.000-06:002004-11-09T09:06:37.896-06:00What happens when you mix lying, deceit, and self-absorption with domestic abuse, violence, mental retardation, psychological problems and a little handiwork from the Prince of Darkness?
You get a problem with the power of a vacuum sucking up everything that tries to get under it. City Light has faced such a problem for over a month now and the number of people involved and the potential for Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1099675827865244322004-11-05T11:28:00.000-06:002004-11-05T11:30:27.866-06:00We elected a President yesterday and we actually, unlike 2000, woke up this morning knowing who that President will be. But my heart is uneasy when I think about the election and how well the Republicans did. All the morning news shows are telling us this morning that moral issues were a key decision maker for many voters and that the Republicans were more attractive because of their conservativeScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1098894404955444582004-10-27T11:14:00.000-05:002004-10-27T11:26:44.956-05:00What are we supposed to teach the unchurched? What are we supposed to teach the drunks, sex offenders, and abusers? The list of topics could be long and might start with decision making, health, and anger management. When I play word association with the words City Light I often picture myself in the middle of the dining room with nothing but chaos going on around me, defeating, overwhelming Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1098281381453646262004-10-20T09:08:00.000-05:002004-10-20T09:09:41.453-05:00I met with Joe and Rooselvelt yesterday. We meet about every two weeks to read a passage out of the New Testament and talk about the implications and questions the passage brings to mind and heart. Yesterday, I was amazed at the level of insight that these two guys, who are young Christians, were able to expose. First, as we discussed Thomas and his doubts about Jesus’ resurrections, Rooselvelt Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1098225081437043332004-10-19T17:30:00.000-05:002004-10-19T17:31:21.436-05:00 I work in a ministry setting which has plenty of opportunity for failure. Almost half of the people that we work with suffer from some kind of addiction and their lives are often rollercoasters of highs and lows. But not just the usual ideas of failure are present but also the small or less sensational. Long stretches of poor decisions within families leave giant walls of despair, poor feelings,Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1097621399293993442004-10-12T17:41:00.000-05:002004-10-12T17:49:59.293-05:00Francis is attached to a wheelchair but I have seen him move around with out it. Francis used to sleep outside the City Light building with his electric wheelchair plugged into an outside outlet. When he talks, Francis speaks low and never too loud so in a crowded room I find it hard to understand him. Most people, when they see Francis coming, usually find someplace else to go. I have been Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1096918551395480582004-10-04T14:21:00.000-05:002004-10-04T14:35:51.396-05:00Nothing that I have done in ministry is as surreal as preaching (for lack of a better term)at the local jail. This past Thursday was the third time I have gone to the jail and this time I wasn't quite as scared. When you walk past a steel door and hear the door slam behind you, little cold shivers are bound to crawl up your spine. It has taken me three times, but I think I have come to an Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1095786016520749292004-09-21T11:44:00.000-05:002004-09-21T12:00:16.520-05:00Americans live for competition. We barely pay attention to politics until their is a competition involve, all the best reality shows includes some form of competition, sports gambling is a big business that comes up with countless ways to wager on competition. But should churches compete? What exactly are they competing for? People, money, prestige, God?
One thing that I have continually been Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1094486311541145252004-09-06T10:06:00.000-05:002004-09-06T11:11:20.526-05:00Government is never too far removed from the lives of many of the people we come in contact with at City Light. Whether it is the SSI check they receive each month or the reports of a City Light regular heading to jail, government and its unending offshoots circle around these poor and homeless people.
Pablo and Christine and their daughter, who is disabled, received a visit from Child Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1094074311707501722004-09-01T16:19:00.000-05:002004-09-01T16:31:51.706-05:00Every other week I meet with 2-3 men who have recently become Christians. We read scripture, ask tough questions, and pray for each other. We do not try to change the world but we do leave the time together awash in brotherhood and even Christian love. Sometimes I just pray for a piece of God's kingdom to open up during that time and some of the most powerful prayers I have ever prayed occur Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1093555203356975632004-08-26T15:33:00.000-05:002004-08-26T16:44:04.576-05:00There is a strange sense of awkwardness that comes over me now that I have been working with the underprivileged of Abilene. I have become comfortable around them. There tattered clothes, smelly skin, unkempt hair, ethnicity, and rough edges are familiar to me know. So familiar I find the normal behavior of privileged people unsettling and foreign. Let me explain.
Say a young black woman comes Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1092856390947214732004-08-18T14:10:00.000-05:002004-08-18T14:13:10.946-05:00Sometimes the best trips are the short ones. City Light took nine of our Senior High Super Sunday Night kids, along with five adults to the Metroplex for a short trip of fun, ministry, and growth. We wanted our youth to have a good time but also to have an opportunity to serve. So we combined a trip to a Texas Rangers' game and the Grapevine Mills mall with several hours working at the Dallas Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1092173311020220772004-08-10T16:09:00.000-05:002004-08-10T16:28:31.020-05:00Jared has been in some of the worst spots in town. You know what that means - drugs, alcohol, and increased crime. Jared has been arrested and is currently on probation for a controlled substance charge. Jared is a sophomore in high school. Jared's girlfriend's father pulled a gun on him after catching him at her window late at night. Jared has a home but seems to avoid it at all cost, he Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1091471825079858062004-08-02T13:19:00.000-05:002004-08-02T13:37:05.080-05:00Leah and I spent the last eight days out of town on vacation. Though the plight of the hungry and homeless never takes a vacation we sure needed to. We even tried to avoid talking about City Light for much of the trip. Though Leah and I have only been working with the less fortunate for two years, the ebb and flow of success and failures we come across week to week leave us, at times, completely Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1090428119850327362004-07-21T11:24:00.000-05:002004-07-21T11:41:59.850-05:00Every Sunday we open up the building for breakfast and bible study. We open the time together with a mini-worship service complete with music, prayer, and announcements. We realize that this will probably be the most church many of our participants will have available to them, so we take advantage of it. Part of the program is a message, I guess you could call it a sermon, but it is closer to a Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1089838628209619582004-07-14T15:39:00.000-05:002004-07-14T15:57:08.210-05:00Benjamin came frantically to my table Monday during lunch. He asked me if I "ran this place". I said that I help out as much as I can. Benjamin, clearly frustrated said that he has been to every agency in town and that each one tells him to go to another one where they will be able to help him out. He had made it to City Light and we were not able to help him either. Benjamin, a young man with a Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1089135635158235332004-07-06T12:09:00.000-05:002004-07-06T12:40:35.156-05:00This marks the two-year anniversary of my family's move to Abilene to begin ministering to the less fortunate. We traded our two-income life of simplicity and security on the South Plains for uncertainty and risk in Abilene. I was in line for a promotion to be a director of a community college library and all that a position like that might provide. Our church involvement was intense but not Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1088447768066481882004-06-28T13:26:00.000-05:002004-06-28T13:36:08.066-05:00So much mystery surrounds the homeless. Take Claude for example, last week a lady came by the building, saying she was Claude's cousin. She was looking for him because she needed to tell him that his mother had passed away. This lady had come into town for the funeral. Maura, City Light's administrative assistant, went out to find Claude and tell him the bad news. When she found him, Claude said Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1088031225595943252004-06-23T17:42:00.000-05:002004-06-23T17:53:45.596-05:00Walt, Joe, George, Debbie, Millicent, Hank and Tony all pay back some of what we have given them through City Light by chipping in around the building. Out of the 100 people we serve, in some form or fashion, during the week, these are the ones that choose to reciprocate some of our generosity. The easiest thing to do in any type of social service setting is expect those that receive to give a Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1087253482829696582004-06-14T17:32:00.000-05:002004-06-14T17:51:22.830-05:00Mary has a loud voice when she talks and has a real hyper movement to her actions. Once presented with a task, she is hell-bent to make it happen. Mary helps Leah in the kitchen quite often and likes to make sack lunches and clean up. Mostly, Mary likes to not be alone. Mary has a jovial laugh and enjoys a good joke. Mary's reactions to jokes and pranks are in the same vein as a teenager Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1086106774304050522004-06-01T11:10:00.000-05:002004-06-01T11:19:34.303-05:00This Abilene Reporter-News story features one of our high school youth at City Light. Donald has been a part of City Light program's since he was in elementary school and he recently graduated from high school. As you can see, his size presents daily obstacles and much hardship from mean and heartless youth. I have witnessed Donald being beat down by other kids because of his weight and can tell Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1085435825476589962004-05-24T16:43:00.000-05:002004-05-24T16:57:05.476-05:00Two adults staying in a abuse shelter, four homeless men, a 72 year old retired Air Force pilot, me, and City Light's director all spent four hours working on a Habitat house last Saturday. The house belongs to a young family that has been involved with City Light for years. We worked on their house and a house down the street. We helped accumulate hours for the family to go towards their "sweat Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1084466794669399552004-05-13T11:29:00.000-05:002004-05-14T15:28:01.353-05:00John wears a McDonald's hat, the kind their workers wear on the job. John wears it all the time. John is big with broad shoulders and a Native American nose and dark skin. John's voice, when he chooses to talk, is rough and low. John sleeps in City Light's Handicapped Bus. John is one of only three guys we have let live in the bus but I don't know how long that will last. To help earn his keep, Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1083786705497357262004-05-05T14:51:00.000-05:002004-05-06T13:17:02.153-05:00I now know the meaning of sacrifice. I now know just a tiny bit about service. I now the cost of discipleship. I did not have a clue about these things before I started helping at City Light. I was close to God but I did not know about dying to self and about surrender. Nothing I have done in two years at City Light is very noteworthy except what I have experienced within myself. So many people Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1082848464626736802004-04-24T18:14:00.000-05:002004-04-24T18:18:28.840-05:00Leah and Lilly made the local paper. Check it out.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1082687705682707752004-04-22T21:35:00.000-05:002004-04-22T21:39:07.140-05:00Wednesday
This is our Big A Day. Big A is our elementary children's program. David, our director has been organizing Big A for 20 years. I drive a van and also help teach the second grade boys. My day at City Light, though, started earlier when we opened up the computer lab during lunch for some of our sack lunch people. I have been teaching the internet, computer basics, and now email to 4-6 Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1082580094059849352004-04-21T15:41:00.000-05:002004-04-21T15:45:33.793-05:00Tuesday
One of the perks that Leah and I get for all the time we spend at City Light is the use of a house that is owned by the church and the use of a car. I was driving a 1979 Chevy Surburban but yesterday, I switched to a 1984 Pontiac Parisienne. Both of these cars have been donated to City Light. I kind of enjoy sporting around in my Paris boat. It has comfy seats, power windows and doors, Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1082490747278703742004-04-20T14:52:00.000-05:002004-04-20T14:57:55.576-05:00Monday
Alex is a quiet Hispanic man who attends my Monday computer class. Alex doesn't say much but is sharp, a quick learner, and has a good sense of humor. I don't know much about Alex. I know that for three weeks, Alex went to Mexico and missed most of our sessions on the internet. Now that we are doing email, Alex has struggled just a little bit with clicking, using the back button and Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1082390038862099972004-04-19T10:53:00.000-05:002004-04-19T11:00:08.123-05:00Weekend
Sunday begins early as I get to City Light at 7:30 a.m. to get my pick up route for Bible Study. So much of what I do involves transportation and I have become an adequate 15-passenger van driver. When Leah and I first got to City Light, I felt like driving was all I was good for but over the past year, I have gotten more opportunities to lead groups, plan activities and teach classes. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1082082991063056762004-04-15T21:36:00.000-05:002004-04-15T21:40:23.233-05:00Thursday is my day to work late at the library so I get to be home with Lilly, our 10 month old, while Leah goes to City Light. Thursday is a big day for Leah because she organizes and oversees the Thursday Hot Meal Program. Before Leah came, the lunch ministry consisted of handing out sack lunches with the most appetizing item in the lunch being month old cookies. One of the best things that Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1082040218348338032004-04-15T09:43:00.000-05:002004-04-15T09:47:29.750-05:00Daily Diary
I thought it would be interesting to chronicle mine and Leah's weekly schedule at City Light. Starting today, Thursday, I will monitor what we did at City Light and continue to post our daily happenings for one week. I hope this helps explain all that goes on at City Light and help me to mention some of the interesting highlights that may get lost in other posts. Look for a post Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1081371460053866442004-04-07T15:57:00.000-05:002004-04-07T16:06:55.123-05:00Abilene Reporter News: Local
This article details a recent problem of syphilis in Abilene and what steps are being taken to prevent more cases. The authorities will be targeting prostitutes and will have them tested for the sexual transmitted disease.
The Texas Department of Health plans to track down sexual partners of the three people who have tested positive and others — including Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1080765099457069112004-03-31T14:31:00.000-06:002004-03-31T14:38:45.590-06:00Last Sunday, as we sat down for a normal night of high schoolers fronting attitudes, screaming, and general mayhem, something strange happened. I say it was strange but I really shouldn't be surprised. God moved among the kids in a way that I had never seen before.
After Audra, the high school director, opened up with some of her struggles, we had the kids list three or four of their own Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1080148129097435912004-03-24T11:08:00.000-06:002004-03-24T11:12:12.060-06:00Today in Houston, our director, David Leyerle, goes in for surgery on his back. David has been out for two weeks now with Spinal Stenosis. We don't really know how bad this will be for him or how long he will be out. David is so much the heart and soul of City Light, and much of the muscle too, that when he is gone, there is a noticeable difference in the atmosphere at City Light. Many of us Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1079542178880729942004-03-17T10:49:00.000-06:002004-03-17T10:55:53.763-06:00A well respected retired doctor in Abilene recently directed his Sunday School class' efforts in City Lights' Thursday Hot Meal program. He told Leah and his class that our lunch program was one of the best things that our church does. He had cared and even delivered many of the people who attend our lunches and knew their medical and family history. He said that many of the people that he knew Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1078951956510944762004-03-10T14:52:00.000-06:002004-03-10T14:55:40.576-06:00We celebrated Elizabeth’s fourth birthday the other day at City Light. In a scene out of a Frederick Buechner novel, seventy people crammed into the City Light dining room to get their sack lunch, which Elizabeth’s parents planned to be at the same time as the party. Chilidogs, birthday cakes, party hats, presents, and the usual sack lunch chaos made Elizabeth’s party the most interesting fourth Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1078350823519494622004-03-03T15:53:00.000-06:002004-03-03T15:56:39.873-06:00Pamela is a pastor, a reverend, a minister of the gospel. She will let
you know this soon after you meet her. Pamela is very into titles, she
talks about being a Godmother and having a husband who she never married
or divorced. Pamela is a tad on the dramatic side, prayer requests will
go on forever as she gives every detail of the person's life and her
role in the whole ordeal. She Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3706122.post-1077645981322284072004-02-24T12:06:00.000-06:002004-02-24T12:09:06.076-06:00People are desperate to learn how to use a computer. City Light placed a simple notice in the local newspaper and within days we had 25 people signed up for classes even though we really only had room for 16.
By default, I have been assigned as the director of the computer lab and the person in charge of setting up the classes. Almost by accident I have discovered the huge desire these studentsScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10643980333961770503noreply@blogger.com