Shopping

This morning we went to Garden Ridge on the hunt for bargains for the BirdHouse. We found some! We spent just over $400 for all of this stuff. All of this goes to the upstairs team, with a little for a bathroom downstairs. We got complete bedding for 4 beds, 2 small tables, towels for 5 guys, rugs for two bathrooms, shower curtain, 4 lamps, 4 pillows, curtains, a beautiful wrought iron cross and a couple cute ceramic birds. Those are the only kind of birds allowed in the BirdHouse now. The most fun day of the mission trip will be when all of the painting is finished, the carpet down, the furniture in place and we can put in the small touches. It is the curtai,s rugs, art and lamps that make a place homey.

Counting Blessings

I went down to Grace Centers of Hope last night with a small advance team to gather a bit more info for the mission trip. We wanted to do some more measuring, and talk to the men that live in the house. Our objective is to encourage the guys that live there, and that won't happen if we change their living spaces so much that they don't like them. It is a big challenge. Jerry lives in this room. It is 8'x8'.

I try to imagine that I sleep in a room that is 8'x8'. Everything that I own is in that space. Everything. I share this room with another adult who is not my friend or relative. All I want is a little privacy. I have to thank God tonight for all that I have. No way could all of the things I own fit in an 8'x8' space along with my bed. And I have a list of other things that I want. And I will eventually get them. And I will have space for them. One of the things that strikes me when I am at GCH is how hugely God has blessed me. No matter what kind of stuff is going on in my life that I think is hard, He has blessed me with way more than I need.

Prayer needs:

• God's provision for all that we need for the men
• health for all team members
• for all of the men living in the birdhouse: for their continued growth, health and safety

My New Best Friend

My new best friend is Ron. He is the manager at Value City. With a smiling face, he gave us a terrific deal tonight on furniture for the living room and dining room. We got a sofa, 2 chairs, a dining table and four chairs for under $500. Thanks Ron!