Stop for the One Tuesday {The Pay Off by a Homeless Friend}

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I hope you stopped by last week and had a chance to meet my friend Rick. He lives on the streets serving Christ by helping those who need help. He shared his heart last week HERE, and now today I post the rest of his story.

When I first started ministering to those on the streets, I had just been laid off my job, lost my truck and my home. Then I lost my temper. I was mad at myself for not being prepared and mad at God for letting this happen. 

I soon found myself at the Salvation Army looking around and really upset because I had let this happen again. I had been here before due to my addiction. This time it was just dumb luck or so I thought. 

I was in line to eat when I asked God, "What do you want!!!" He very calmy replied "I want you to help people." Really!!! "Look around God they all need help," was my foolish reply. But then I did something that changed my life forever. I told God if He brought them to me I would stop and help them. 

A couple of days after I had told God what I would do if He did what He was supposed to do, He sent someone my way! His name was John and talk about needing help, Whew!! He was 24 years old and had the mentality of a 12 year old. He was HIV positive and sick with bronchitis. 

His brother that he had been living with had gone to prison, and the girlfriend just shipped him off to Texas from Tennese. His other brother was receiving his SSI benifits and he wasn't seeing any of that money. He was as gullable and naive as a person can get and definitely did not need to be on the streets. I was perplexed to say the least. 

I felt God nudge me to take John to the county hospital where he could talk to a social worker. After explaining the situation to her, the social worker informed me that because he had left the hospital he would have to go through the whole process again, this can take 18 hours and up. Then she said to wait a minute she wanted to talk to her supervisor. 

She returned with a smile on her face and music to my ears. She said "I got him, and got a great place for him." That's when the tears came and my first brushing up against God's love overcame me. 

I had done so little and God had done so much with it. I told her that if anything happened to please call and under no circumstances put John on the streets that I would come and get him. 

Later that night I was just about to get in my bunk for the night when my phone rang. It was the social worker. She siad that the plans fell through and I would have to come and get John. What? She then laughed and said she was joking. She just wanted to tell me she had found a better place for John. A place where he would be with people his own age and very well taken care of. They would even help him get all his benifits back! 

She paused and then asked, "Why does a homeless guy like you, do what you do?" I told her it was all for God and to give Him all the glory, as I enjoyed the "pay off."

  

Why do you stop to bless others? Is it for the "pay off" that Rick writes about? Or maybe it's because you are more blessed when you give than when you receive? Stopping for someone else blesses the one who stops abundantly! Who will you stop for today?

It's amazing what God can do when we just stop and serve. I am taking guest posts for this series. If you'd like to submit, please email me at alenesnodgrass (@) gmail (dot) com for specifics. I'd love to hear your story, so link up and share away!

Joy Dare {needing to count}

While I find myself sick, huddled under heavy covers, and coughing like crazy I feel the need to count. Yes, the world spins on and my deadlines are being rolled back. And no, I don't like these still quite moments I'm forced to take while my body fights the virus. But all the while none of that seems to matter at the moment - only counting does.

Remembering all I have to be thankful for seems to brighten up this dreary day.

51. a warm bed
52. NyQuil
53. my hubby who heats me up something to eat
54. a cup of steaming hot soup
55. two daughters who come to hang out on my bed
56. a ray of sunshine peeping through
57. bloggy friends who ask you to quest post - thanks, Leah at The Point
58. friends that let me be me
59. friends that stretch me beyond where I am
60. mentoring others in this thing called "ministry" even when I don't have it all figured out
61. an afternoon to cook
62. trying a new dish

63. tomatoes - I heart tomatoes
64. giving others a voice
65. singing an old hymn "what can wash away my sin?" with 17 girls at the SATF
66. the words "can you stay longer?"
67. seeing someone step out of their comfort zone never gets old
68. when words flow freely
69. worship that brings a tear and touches the core of your heart
70. a crisp apple
71. dinner with friends
72. a reminder to persevere, never quit
73. the sound of birds chirping
74. reading how others are encouraged by hand-written cards
75. give-aways and
76. the winner Laura at The Pruning Princess (I'll email her with $20 code)

There is much to be thankful for even while you are down. Remembering to count has sure lifted my spirits. Thank you Ann for the challenge to stop and remember my blessings; they are bountiful.

Stop by A Holy Experience today and count. Stop and reflect on YOUR blessings. You will find they are everywhere, even in the dreariest of days!

It was Almost Like Christmas and a Give Away

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I opened the mail and there it was a huge box of "Simply Marvelous" cards and a beautiful card box for storing and sorting cards. My heart soared, as I remembered how I love cards! When (in)courage asked if I'd like the opportunity to blog about DaySpring cards in exchange for some -- I jumped at it. I mean, pounced! It was almost like Christmas.

As I sat there with all these cards, my mind began to reflect back. I tried to recall when the last time was I received a hand-written note. Not a text, facebook post, or message, but a real hand-penned note.

How about you, when was the last time you received a handwritten card in the mail? Come on, do tell? Was it a blessing to your day?

Chances are, it's been awhile since we are all so internet savy now. And I think we'll all agree that when those hand-written cards come these days they are sure treasures. I don't know about you, but I keep most of my cards in a huge Blessing Box I have. Love to reread them ever so often.

But as I sat staring at the cards wondering who to write and if a little card would make a difference,  I wondered who needed encouragement, a prayer note, or just a note to let them know I was thinking of them. Oh my, the names quickly out grew my cards. . .  my friend who just went through a divorce, a friend whose daddy just went to walk with Jesus, a friend struggling, and a friend who just conquered a milestone. Yes, everyone needs encouragement!




I was so blessed to receive this collection free in exchange for my honest review, but I want to bless you too. For every comment, facebook share or retweet (make sure you mention @alenesnodgrass) of this post (in)courage and DaySpring are offering one of YOU $20 off a DaySpring order of $20 or more. Yes, we're doing a Give Away!!!!


A random drawing will be held on Monday, January 30th (4 days from now) and the winner posted. The winner then will be contacted via email with the $20 gift code from DaySpring. When using the code, the winner will be responsible for shipping charges. The code expires on 12/31/2012 so you have almost a year to use it.


Do you love receiving cards in the mail?
What has been the best encouraging card you've received?


Oh yes,  do tell!

When You Want to Quit - Don't {a legacy in the making}

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I have the honor of guest posting over at Leah's The Point today. When Leah asked me to share in her Legacy series, I didn't really know what to write. To tell you the truth, I wasn't really sure I had one. . . you know, a legacy! I'm guessing maybe you'd think the same, if I asked --

Are you leaving a legacy? 

We think legacy's are for Mother Teresa, Corrie Ten Boom or Rosa Parks, and we don't ever stop to consider that legacies are being made by me and you too. For years I never gave much attention to this topic, however; you and I are leaving a legacy, little footprints of ourselves, every moment of every day. So, whether we think we are leaving a legacy or not -- we are! Footprints here. Footprints there. A legacy.

Every action or little thing you do and say, leaves a footprint forever in the course of time. And those actions you so effortlessly do leave a finely woven legacy over time. With that thought, I cry out

"I want my actions to bless and not tear down. I want to lift others up and not myself. 

I want to have others smile when they remember me. Oh yeah, I want them to smile big!"

But recently, I really didn't care -- I didn't care who smiled or if they did. I was tired and lonely and I wanted to give it all up. I wanted not to care for others. I wanted my own way of life. I wanted to quit.

You might find yourself somewhere in this story, as you hop over to . . .

read the rest at The Point.

As I urge you to never, ever quit - please join me over to Leah's and give her a shout out for such an incredible series on leaving a Legacy, based on her Bible study From the Trash Pile to the Treasure Chest: Creating a Godly Legacy. Leah is one of my blogging buddies that I've been fortunate enough to meet in real life. She is just as she is in the blogosphere: warm, loving, truthful and sincere. Hop on over and you'll soon see!

Stop for the One Tuesday {Why Do You Do It by a Homeless Friend}

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As we remember to stop for someone today, I want you to meet my friend Rick. He lives on the streets serving Christ by helping those who need help. As he shares his heart, notice the resemblance of how God works in your own life.

Years ago I had an addiction problem. It was severe and kept me in bondage for way too long. But the high and euphoria were the pay off and consequences were irrelevant. 

My addiction to drugs and alcohol cost me dearly and the pay off was not even close to being worth it. Addiction is a vicious cycle of extreme highs and rock bottom lows. Talk about being bi-polar and depression comes swiflty when the money runs out.

Today, I serve God with all my heart. Helping the kind of people I used to be just like.

Homeless, helpless and with an outlook on life that would cripple anyone. God took my past and used it for good. His good. 

He takes my knowledge of being in that position and my love for Him and turns it into a passion for people that are the modern day lepers. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade! I now try to stop and help people that I used to not care about at all. I thought the same way a lot of people think today, "Those people are the scourge of the earth and the world would be a better place if they would just all disappear. They're lazy and don't want to work, they're filthy and don't want to clean up, they're lost and don't want to be found. They don't care, why should I?"

It is thankless and very frustrating to STOP and serve others. I don't do it for money. I don't do it for recognition. I don't do it for prestige. In fact, I ask myself why do I do it? 

Do you know why you  do it? Why you stop or don't stop to help others? Have you noticed how God has taken your past mess and turned it into the very message you are to share with others? Please share and send Rick some comment love.






Rick will share The Pay Off next week as he gives us a perfect example of what stopping for someone else looks like. It's amazing what God can do when we just stop and serve. I am taking guest posts for this series. If you'd like to submit, please email me at alenesnodgrass (@) gmail (dot) com for specifics. I'd love to hear your story, so link up and share away!