This blog is my public diary of experiences that I've had as I become increasingly involved in the area of Kensington, Pa. I am including experiences that I am having as I sit down, one on one, with homeless people who are dealing with Substance Use Disorder. All Names have been changed and, occasionally, I share a story using the opposite pronoun (he/she him/her), as an additional way to assure privacy.
Please Know...
As I come to know these fine people, they share with me more of their personal and sensitive stories. Their collective story is what I am trying to share with you as my way of breaking the stereotypical beliefs that exist. "Blog names" have occasionally been given to me by the person whose story I am telling. Names are never their actual names and wherever I can do so, I might use the opposite pronoun (his/her, etc.) just to help increase their privacy.
Throughout this blog you are now seeing advertising. I need to provide this so as to keep going financially with this ministry. If you see something that is inappropriate to this site, please let me know - maybe get a screen shot of it for me. I do get credit for any "click" that you might make on any of the ads. If you're bored some night and want to help me raise some needed cash, visit my site and click away to your heart's content....
Pages
- Administrative Discharge From a Medical Facility Led to My Loved One's Death
- Most Recent Blog
- 2000 Substance Use Disorder Patients 30 Minutes Away
- It is time to "Plow Down Medicaid Mountain!"
- Song Sheets
- Survey Questions
- The opposite of addiction is connection.
- Hippocratic Oath
- Ministry Funding Options
- TV Interview
- The Damage Done
- Amazon Wish List
- Hand Made Jewelry
Saturday, November 26, 2016
The Ministry of The Urban Hope Training Center
"The Ministry of The Urban Hope Training Center"
which explains Urban Hope far better than I could ever do. If you can spare eight minutes, you'll see what I've come to see when I journey to Kensington every Sunday morning to attend my "second church."
Many thanks to the pastors and people of my "first church" for encouraging me to follow my heart as I make this journey.
If you're feeling inspired by this, set your browser to continuous play and continue the inspiration with a stream of high quality Urban Hope videos showing this ministry and the people within it.
If you're looking for even more than that, I invite you to join me there some Sunday or call them to learn more.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
The old becomes new as modeled by a building and a man (Originally published 11/20/16 - Updated 12/07/16)
If ever I needed a concrete example of this concept of the old becoming new, I found it in this building.
Now, let's get back to the original context of a person becoming new in Christ...
During the prayer and praise time today in church at Urban Hope, I shared in very general terms a sadness in my life and asked for prayer. After church, a man came up to me and told me that he related to what I shared having experienced a similar situation years ago. He explained that God intervened and healed his entire situation over a five year period.
He asked if he could pray for me and my situation. I said "Yes, please." He proceeded to provide a powerful prayer beseeching our LORD for intervention and healing if it is in our LORD's will. I was shaken to the core by the depth of his prayer.
Big deal you say? Any long time church guy can say a good prayer... Maybe...
He wasn't a long time church guy. He shared with me that he had been a broken man for years. He shared some of the details and that he had been an inmate of our local prison here in Glen Mills, Pa. This man who prayed for me earlier today in the fellowship hall is a living example of the new creation having come: The old is now gone from within him, the new (Christ) is within him!
Are you thinking that you can't be a new creation in Christ? Are you thinking it's too late to fix your life situation? Guess again. In Christ, ALL people and life situations can be made new!
Follow Up Added December 7, 2016:
As I have been getting to know Urban Hope more completely, I've come to know the people of the community and their impressive array of very professional videos on YouTube. As a follow-up to what I wrote above, please take a moment to watch these two videos to better understand this concept of the "old becoming new."
In this second video, you see testimony of a man delivered from participating in the drug and prostitution life of that exact building, being directly involved in the deliverance of the building and the impact that process had on him.
In summary, I continue to be blown away by what I am experiencing at Urban Hope.
God used two separate story lines in my life to get me to this point. I can not begin to express my gratefulness to our LORD and to the people God brought into my life during this process.
You know who you are...