Grace Place has done a lot of things for me! One of the most amazing things that it has done for me, is teach me.  Grace place has taught me many different lessons and it still continues to do so on an almost daily basis.  One of the things that Grace Place has taught me, is that I have often taken a lot for granted.  One of the things that I take for granted is having something to eat.  I have never been wasteful, my Mom taught me better than that!  And I am always thankful, my family instilled that in me when I was growing up, but I rarely take the time to really think about the blessing of food on the shelf, in the fridge and on the table.

The fact is – I don’t really remember a time when there has not been food of some sort around for me to enjoy and get nourishment from.  My Mom tells me that there was a time when it was just the two of us, when I was very young, but I was to young to remember or she kept it hidden from me, so that it never bothered me.

We have people in our communities that come upon rough times and it is amazing what a box of groceries can mean to them.  Simple things like tuna, green beans, soup, corn, spaghetti and just about anything else that you can imagine – mean more than you can imagine to folks who are having a hard time and who have very little to nothing.

In our world today, there are a lot of people having a hard time.  People that used to not have a hard time, are now finding themselves having a hard time.  It could be you and me, before we know it.

Our church along with other ministries in our community, try to help people who are having a hard time, by helping to provide some staples that will help to get them along.

This month we are collecting cans to help three ministries in our community that help people who are having a challenge in the food area.  All the cans that we are collecting will go to Greer Community, Greer Relief and Grace Place!

To have a little fun with the whole thing, we have decided to try to build Mr. Potato Head.  Someone in New York did it and we thought it might be a fun way to accomplish a very good thing.

I hope you will join us and bring your cans to Northwood as we build Mr. Potato Head to help others and as we learn to appreciate even the simple things of life!  God Bless, Press On And G3!

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Hebrews 4:16

God has come to us and it is now our turn to come to God.  The Scripture says that we can approach His throne of grace with confidence!  We can approach with confidence because it is the throne of grace.

God sits on the throne and it is not just any throne, but the throne that has been established, maintained and victorious because of the work of Jesus our Savior!  It is a throne of grace.  We do not deserve to approach that throne, but we can because it is a throne of grace.  We have not earned the right to approach the throne, but we can because it is a throne of grace!

And not only can we approach the throne of grace, but we can approach the throne of grace with confidence!  Our confidence is not in ourselves, our power or ability, but in the One Who sits on the throne!  We will find mercy and receive grace in our time of need, because that is Who God is and that is what God does!

If you have not been there lately, take a journey to God’s throne of grace and experience what only He can do for you!

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  38 This is the first and greatest commandment.  39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:36-40

I love God and most of the people who I know say that they love God too!  But, if we really love God, then why are our lives not having a greater impact on our world?  We are to love God with our everything, with all that we’ve got and He promises that this kind of love will change our world!

And then there is the second part of the command where He says that we are to love others as we love ourselves!  Around a half a year ago I was grabbed by the second part of the “Great Commandment!”  The part that says “love your neighbor as yourself!”  If I really love God with all that I’ve got, then I will love my neighbor as I love myself!  I will as Mr. Rogers used to sing about “be a neighbor” by doing what a neighbor does!

When I am honest with others, myself and with God, I have to admit that I love myself much more than I love my neighbor!  It’s not that I don’t love my neighbor, I do love my neighbor and I know who my neighbor is, but the truth is:  I love myself more!

Loving God is not enough and loving my neighbor is not enough!  I need to love God with all my heart, soul and mind and I need to love my neighbor as I love myself!  This means that my life is continually changing as I grow to make this dream a reality!

Several people have asked me about how I heard God speak the vision for Grace Place?  This Scripture played a major role in my hearing from God.  Grace Place is my trying to obey and live out this Scripture!  It’s about me joining my brothers and sisters in Christ in trying to love God and man with a growing love and better love.  The whole motivation for “Giving in Grace” is to create a tangible, visible and easily understood expression of this amazing gift that God has blessed us with!

I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I am thankful to be on the journey and I am so glad that God is allowing me to have amazing new experiences everyday!  Thank you Jesus for letting me do the ministry that helps to accomplish the mission!