Newsletter

A Time to be Thankful

Christmas and New Years are again upon us. Christmas is just seven days away as I write. It is that special season when people come together because the spirit to love thy neighbor, care and give is heightened. The splendor of Christmas touches us all, the abundance of colorful lights, decorations, and happy joyous people vibrant with life throughout the city.

It is also a season, I think, when a strong aura of thankfulness embraces us as we celebrate and rejoice the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, and realize the unlimited blessings that He has bestowed on us , time and time again.

For me, a thankful awareness is particularly felt and observed. Just nine months ago I was in prison, a place where I wasted away most of my youth and adult years, a place that thrives on adversity, deceit, and misery. Prison, a place in which human kindness and decency are very rare and mostly extinct; extinct to the point where you find yourself craving some human decency in your life more than food or anything else. This very human decency, that for years past I abused and pushed away from in my own self-centered pursuit of living in sin.

How hard it is for an individual like me to be released from prison to come back into the public mainstream and become a responsible citizen? I have no family, friends, or concerned others in my life because I have only hurt and disappointed such people in my past. I have no money, property, clothes, food, transportation, or home to go to of any kind. This was my formidable and despairing outlook nine months ago when released.

But then, Oh My God!, whose love, kindness, and grace is indeed, so unlimited and plentiful. Yet again, He has chosen to bless me and envelop a wretched loser like me with his people, this ministry.

Jim and Linda have been fantastic! Keith and Jessica are always there for me and are wonderful neighbors, along with Lloyd and Trevor. At the Franklin Street House I have Aric, Ron, Stroy, and Dave who have all been supportive friends in our equal struggles to follow the ways of our Lord and become successful.

I now have a home, a nice one. I have clothes, food, and so much more! Most importantly, I now have concerned others in my life and I find this to be a precious treasure never to be undermined again. I have a job. I am working and bringing home a weekly paycheck, managing bills, and gradually fitting back into the free community. It’s incredible, and I love every minute of it!

In closing, I pause to give a special note of thankfulness to those people, unknown to me who support this ministry with your gifts, money, and donations.

To so freely and willingly give out of Christian love to help individuals like myself stands as a powerful monument to God’s love and the Christian faith.

With that note in mind it is my daily prayer that I not just merely succeed by becoming a responsible citizen never to return to prison…but to also reach that pinnacle of success that enables me to make someone else’s life better for mine having been here.

God bless all of you during this special season and forever after.

Richard

Two of our residents, one from each home (there could be more), chose to donate $100 to provide gifts for needy families in our area. Praise God! Giving back that which is freely given is what Christ desires from us on a daily basis. These men are so grateful and understand Christ’s love.

The repairs on Franklin Street are finished. David, our maintenance man, completed all repairs: patching and insulating holes in the wood siding and flashing, fixed or replaced J-channel and caulking around doors and windows, chimney repair, installed rain gutter over side apartment entry, front porch cracks and holes filled, shingles replaced where needed, outside lights fixed or replaced, and heat-wire installed above front porch and above side apartment. David also did several repairs that were not on the original estimate. Praise God for the skills He has given David to do the necessary work.

The end of the year brings to some, lots of pain with the way we drink and the way we celebrate. Often, the way we celebrate masks the pain people have inside. Some of us are great at expressing our feelings and others of us cringe at the thought of sharing our hurts or our pains.

Christmas was great for some of us and not so great for others: friends, family, good food, presents, and all that jazz. However, some of our loved ones may be in jail, prison, or possibly in their own shell, afraid to break free.

The great thing about a New Year is not the parties or drinks, not even the resolutions that never seem to come or get met (like losing a few extra pounds or reading the Bible a little

more) but the New Year is, and can be, like a

new beginning, a new shot, another chance.

Some believe that our world is coming to an end this year and if that were true wouldn't you want to start the rest of your life right, with a new beginning, a new start, a new chance to make wrongs right? Life is tough, the economy sucks, and sometimes our bodies and minds give out before their time, but God tells us no one knows the time nor the hour, not even the Son. Shouldn't we start this New Year out right with forgiveness in our hearts, gratitude in our lives, and thanksgiving for the time we do have left here on earth?

I personally struggle a lot with thoughts of life, maybe a midlife crisis, LOL (laugh out loud), but seriously, freedom isn't free. It was bought and paid for with blood; we were given a new beginning and we need to start this New Year with that in mind. Freedom is never free. We have to work for it; we cannot earn it, but we must be willing to pay with our lives, our attitudes, and our very selves. Feel free to start the New Year with a bang and make some waves in your life and with your life.

Remember God Loves You And So

Do I. James Rummelt Jr. aka Rocky

Blessings and peace to all of our ministry partners,

The New Year is upon us. As we look back over the last year, we can see the hand of God – the mighty works He has done: lives have been saved, families reunited, jobs have been provided, forgiveness has been sought, and forgiveness given.

Entering the New Year will bring us new challenges, opportunities, and expectations. How will we respond, how will you respond?

Joshua 24:15b “But as for me and my household we will serve the Lord.”